We all need to have specialties, but none of us can afford to be specialists. Africans the world-over are in such a dynamically retched condition that those of us who are the torch bearers of resistance must make ourselves as dynamic as possible. Anything that is related to improving the condition of black people should become familiar to us. We must possess a cursory knowledge of all aspects of nation building. Aside from it being insulting to the ancestors, it is foolish for any of us to focus all of our energy and talents on single vocations, or related vocations. Whether you enjoy it or not, do you starve because you don’t know how to cook, or do you learn in order to survive? Even if you do not personally cook the meal, how would you know if the meal is being properly prepared if you don’t have a minimal knowledge of how to prepare the meal?
Malcolm X said that “In a revolution you are swinging not singing”. Because of European culture’s focus on fragmentation, Africans have become obsessed with the notion of specialization. We have fallen into the trap of believing that the creator has only blessed us with singular qualities. Therefore when we find that we have an orientation towards a particular activity or skill we become obsessed with the notion that we have to narrowly pursue this talent to the exclusion of others. You often hear statements like “I know was born to do this”, or “I can’t do nothing else but this” or “God gave me the vision that I must spend my whole life doing this”. If these notions are true and yet there are literally millions of necessary disciplines and skill sets needed to develop a society, why would God give blacks exclusive province in entertainment, art, athletics, and the social sciences? All of these areas are vital, but not nearly enough to develop a vibrant perpetuitous society.
So because of socialized selfishness we ignore or are scared away by the disciplines that are the bedrock of nation building such as architecture, engineering, mathematical theory, physics, agriculture, transportation, economics, and finance. What is the contradiction in owning a fortune 500 company and being a visual artist? Just because I love to paint does that mean that I must focus all of my productive time and energy on it? Will my song or poem build railway lines in Africa? Just because I love to teach children, or have a passion in helping people overcome addiction, should I not actively develop a strategy to independently fund those activities? Who’s going to build your schools and programs but us?
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1 comment:
Well said. I think that it's important that we have a broader understaning of this concept. As a people we are not at a place where we can solely rely on outside sources to build and support our goals,visions, initiatives, etc. so we must be resourceful. However, I do believe that it is imperative that we master a craft(s) but not eliminate other talent/skill development
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