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With no membership in his organization and no clear direction, the question has to be asked: “Who is this man leading?” However, since many African Americans have no idea about the mission of the old vanguard of civil rights organizations or the old vanguard of so- called “leaders,” such opportunistic individuals as Ali are easily able to step in front of the cameras and declare themselves as leaders.
Jesse Jackson made a similar move when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated and Al Sharpton made his move when he saw an opportunity.
But as we grow further beyond the methods of the sixties, the space for fake leadership will diminish.
In many ways, African American leadership of today and tomorrow has already begun to show itself.
It is showing itself in the form of younger politicians and in the form of visible media moguls.
At a recent “State of the Black Union” convention organized by television talk show host Tavis Smiley, participation was garnered from the likes of L. Douglas Wilder, mayor of Richmond, Virginia, Lerone Bennett, the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, poet Sonia Sanchez, Judge Glenda Hatchett, actors and activists Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim to serve in Congress.
At 42, Smiley was the youngest person involved with the convention. However, his Tavis Smiley Foundation was established to train and develop African American youth, preparing them for leadership.
With key media visibility, Smiley can be counted amongst today’s more youthful leadership, but more young Black men and women need to be cultivated and trained to be leaders of tomorrow.
Black leadership of today and tomorrow is showing itself in the form of intentional legacy creations, as demonstrated by media maven Cathy Hughes of Radio One and TV-One, who is preparing her son, Alfred Liggins for power within the media.
And, it is found in real estate mogul, community activist and publisher Danny Bakewell, Sr., preparing to deliver a mission, along with means and methods to Danny Bakewell, Jr.
Black leadership is showing itself in the form of Kwame Kilpatrick, the youngest mayor of Detroit and currently the youngest mayor of any major city.
All across the nation, young African American men and women are finding their way to leadership, creating their own methods and goals. They do so in defiance or at least in avoidance of the tired grandfathers of yesterday’s movement as well as the pimps of today’s movement who would lead them astray for personal gain or for nothing.
As a community, if we no longer wish to be *****s for the nation, then we must refuse to be *****s for the pimps in our own community.
- Darryl James is an award-winning author and is now a filmmaker. His first mini-movie, Crack, was released in March of this year.
- James’ latest book, "Bridging The Black Gender Gap," is the basis of his lectures and seminars.
- Previous installments of this column can now be viewed at www.bridgecolumn.com. James can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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