Black, Resilient, and Hopeful

“Resilient” is not an adjective typically used to describe black men. The statistics facing African American males (and women) often seem insurmountable. And although the mainstream media would lead us to believe that we've worked out the problems of race and class, the truth is that there are a number of obstacles preventing black youth from truly achieving the American dream.

However, our participation in the Campaign for Black Male Achievement’s recent gatherings, Playing to Win and Black Male Re-imagined inspired us to look at our community’s resilience. These gatherings held in Milwaukee and New York saw many of our nation's strongest intellectuals, cultural leaders, and activists in one room discussing the problems and potential solutions for our community's woes.

Nobody said that solving black America’s problems would be easy, but when you’re surrounded by great thinkers like Cathy Cohen and Haki Madhubuti or cultural heroes like Steve Stoute and Q-Tip, you have no choice but to believe that our community has what it takes to overcome the overwhelming odds.

Prior to the Playing to Win and Black Male: Re-Imagined gatherings, we were less hopeful that things could change. As young leaders, we have often felt estranged from and abandoned by our elders and black leaders. But at these important gatherings, we met a number of leaders, some in their 60s or 70s, who are passionately engaged in fighting for the next generation.

Still, solving the problems facing the black community falls squarely on our generation. Perhaps the greatest strength of these two gatherings was that the conveners weren’t afraid to include the leaders from our generation’s greatest cultural force, hip-hop. Not only was it rare to see music icons like Nick Cannon, Russell Simmons, or Andre Harrell participating, but that the leaders of the philanthropy world embraced, and encouraged their grantees to actively utilize, the controversial art form to mobilize our generation.

Through creative use of technology, hip-hop and popular culture, rigorous research, civic engagement, and our passion for change, we wholeheartedly believe that our generation has what it takes to turn the tide for the black community. If we’ve learned anything these last couple of weeks, it’s that we are more than just statistics; we are a powerful people who stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.