|
| Black Professionals? March, 2007 |
 |
| Where is Williamsport's black elite class? |
Does Williamsport have a talented tenth?
Hello, Black Professional. Are You Out There?
After having a conversation with a friend I made an observation that is painfully obvious to many but seldom acknowledged. In America, those folks that have money, power and influence are almost always white. Conversely, a large portion black people are almost always poor and lack any power, political or otherwise.
“Is that really true?” I asked. Surely, there most be affluent powerful black African-Americans. Where are the black professionals? Where are the rich black folks of Williamsport?
Where are the black doctors, black lawyers, and the corresponding ancillary of black paralegals and black nurses? Where are the black administrators that carry briefcases to their 9-to-5 offices? Where are the black entrepreneurs that have at least a half million in sales revenue? Where are the accountants, engineers, writers, actors, college professors, school principals, guidance counselors, judges, restaurant owners, computer programmers, and financial investment managers who just happen to be black?
Where are the black people that make over fifty thousand dollars a year (without overtime)?
They exist, I am sure. But they are largely invisible. They go about their daily lives without fanfare. They pay their taxes, raise their kids and live in quiet neighborhoods. To them, being successful is no big deal. Like Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man they live in their basements illuminating their own existence.
Unfortunately, the absence of the black professional image has led some to believe that there are no black professionals in Williamsport. Thus local news reporting is skewed, reflecting only the presence of the lower economic class. The community consciousness is shaped by false assumptions and racial biases. We are presented with images of a violent black youth in handcuffs, but rarely do we see black honor roll students winning academic scholarships.
A call for a collaboration of the black professionals in Williamsport
I suggest that it is time for the black middle class to come out of the shadows. We are in a war, a war of perceptions. Too often it is perceived that blacks are incapable of complicated thought analyzes or abstract logical assertions. Too often blacks are thought of as being unsophisticated and inarticulate. Too often blacks are perceived as gifted athletes and entertainers and nothing more.
If you are a black lawyer in Williamsport, you don’t exist in the public’s mind. If you are a black doctor in Williamsport, you don’t exist in the mind of the black child that dares to dream of a career in the medical profession. If you are a black engineer in Williamsport, you don’t exist because your existence cuts against the grain of popular beliefs.
I suggest the formation of the Black Professional Organization of Williamsport, a socially based gathering of highly trained individuals that are sympathetic to the needs of the African-American community. Designed primarily as a device to foster networking and communication among black professionals across diverse professional disciplines, the group would establish mentoring of young black intellectuals. (Teaching a child that being intelligent is not the same as acting white.)
Imagine this, black professionals getting together once a month to discuss racism and prejudice. Issues ranging from “compensation disparities” to “unpublicized job opportunities” would be shared among the area’s leading blacks. Doctors, lawyers, teachers and business leaders, professionals of every stripe collaborating under the banner of espousing black professionalism.
With such an organization workshops could be established to assist the community in identifying culturally restrictive attitudes. New initiatives could be developed to harness the economic power of the black community to create new jobs. Academic excellence of black children would be noted, appreciated and encouraged.
But of course, I am dreaming. Reality is cold and pragmatic. For those who made it out of the ghetto, looking back and reaching out to those left behind is not a consideration. They chase, as do most of us, the elusive almighty dollar. They delude themselves into believing that black-on-black murder in the urban alleyways is not their problem. I suspect that when a youngster was shot and killed on Mother’s Day, two years ago, it wasn’t the bullet that stole his life. His blood poured from his body, but his soul was already bleeding from a thousand cuts of apathy and disrespect. Do upper middle class blacks turn a blind eye to less the fortunate? Each of us must bare some responsibility for the condition of the urban poor.
We, as a community, should hold our heads in shame. We are failing our children. We do not provide them with positive role models. We do not infuse into their spirit a sense of confidence, self-determination and hope.
Forgive my ranting. Hell, what do I know? Perhaps there are no black managers in Williamsport. Maybe there are no black captains of industry. Maybe there are no black members of the Williamsport Country Club. But that raises a whole new set of questions in my mind, “If not, why not?”
“Does the black elite exist in Williamsport? If they do exist, how black are they?”
The purpose of this essay is to provoke debate. It is designed to stir the community's consciousness and was written to encourage dialogue among diverse groups. Hopefully, everyone will benefit from open and honest discussions about race, political and economic empowerment and personal responsibility within our community. We may not all agree, but listening to another person’s point of view is the first step to understanding and mutual respect.
| Related links:
|
| Support these Organizations. |
 |
|
 |
|
|
