MischievousMonkey
Gor bu dëgër
Can Black communities in the West walk and chew at the same time?
The issue of the representation of Black people in western societies can be separated in two different categories:
The rest of the issues faced Black communities in Western societies are many and diverse, but for the sake of simplicity, could be reduced to a single item; since they all exert reinforcing effects on each other, tackling or resolving one undoubtedly affect the others.
I - Here are the main arguments in favor of the fight for representation:
II - Arguments against making the fight for representation a priority:
Kamala Harris, whose record as a prosecutor has been the object of fierce debate especially among the American left. The positives? She’s Black, or at least partly, which kinda checks the representation part and should help forget the rest.
The appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the head of the World Trade Organization, saluted because of her identity as a Black woman. Even if it’s called the World Trade Organization, it still appears to me as a Western institution, as do most of the international institutions operating under a thin guise of universality. Will her selection represent more leverage for Black communities worldwide? This is the same scenario as for Barack Obama, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom (whose position as not made any easier the struggle for Ethiopian access to vaccines), and numerous others. She was supported by African countries as well as world powers such as the United States. To whom does her allegiance go?
Can Black communities in Western societies walk and chew at the same time when it comes to representation? What do yall think?
… When it comes to representation and the rest of its issues?
The issue of the representation of Black people in western societies can be separated in two different categories:
- Representation in the media → movies, shows, music, literature
- Representation in high level positions of social institutions, including, but not necessarily limited to, political institutions, boards of companies, schools, health institutions,… where it is assumed the holder can have influence over decisions taken
The rest of the issues faced Black communities in Western societies are many and diverse, but for the sake of simplicity, could be reduced to a single item; since they all exert reinforcing effects on each other, tackling or resolving one undoubtedly affect the others.
- Endemic poverty can be used as a representative variable for the other issues
I - Here are the main arguments in favor of the fight for representation:
- The thesis appears to be on one side founded on a psychological argument, in particular for representation in the media: seeing Black figures in diverse positions of power would inspire Black youth to access success for themselves, and lead to a more successful Black community overall
- On the other hand, representation in high-level positions in social institutions would equate leverage for black communities since their members could influence process in those institutions from within to benefit the Black community as a whole (a little bit like trickle-down economics)
Examples:
- Black person in high-level HR position using their influence to hire more Black people, which is equivalent to more opportunities for the Black communities overall, leading to their enrichment
- Black police officer operating in Black neighborhood, that does not discriminate against the Black communities it would work among and denounces non-Black officers indulging in those behaviors, leading to less overall discrimination and unjust violence against said communities
- We can walk and chew at the same time, ie: even though representation might not be the most important issue faced by Black communities in the Western context, it doesn’t hurt to work so as to better it
II - Arguments against making the fight for representation a priority:
- The fight for representation is a fight for assimilation to the Western society, leading to the weakening of the Black community in terms of skills, culture and spirit in favor of the global society (a little bit like a brain drain)
- Representation is not a guarantee of leverage for several reasons: Black people in positions of power have no strong incentive to create opportunities for other Black people
- Representation can even be used as a tool against Black communities in several ways: there may be incentives for Black people in positions of power to restrict opportunities for other Black people in order to secure advancement for themselves
- The fight for representation is an argument that lulls into apathy regarding issues that should be prioritized; the issue of representation gets considerably more attention than any other issue affecting Black communities in Western societies, from social media and activism to articles and scholarships. This is another way in which representation can be utilized against Black communities, by painting harmful facts with a representative gloss. So it does hurt that the issue of representation has such importance in Black communities.
Two cases as an example:
Kamala Harris, whose record as a prosecutor has been the object of fierce debate especially among the American left. The positives? She’s Black, or at least partly, which kinda checks the representation part and should help forget the rest.
The appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the head of the World Trade Organization, saluted because of her identity as a Black woman. Even if it’s called the World Trade Organization, it still appears to me as a Western institution, as do most of the international institutions operating under a thin guise of universality. Will her selection represent more leverage for Black communities worldwide? This is the same scenario as for Barack Obama, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom (whose position as not made any easier the struggle for Ethiopian access to vaccines), and numerous others. She was supported by African countries as well as world powers such as the United States. To whom does her allegiance go?
Can Black communities in Western societies walk and chew at the same time when it comes to representation? What do yall think?
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Whites and all other groups have lobbyist. 