If ever there were one time and one place which represented so eloquently the triumphs and tragedies of Black America, that place would without question be Baltimore.
Baltimore is a place where daybreak greets those both prosperous and lacking, where business executives and vagrants alike share sidewalks as each begin their daily routine; a city of unbearable complexity in which the haves and have-nots stare at each other in disbelief, unable to comprehend each other’s existence.
It is within this crucible that a new generation is being forged – a type of new American whose presence will bring forth both great fear and great jubilation. An American far different from his parents in his perspective of the world, but one who will bring them great pride.
Baltimore City is a legacy of yesterday’s struggles – a battleground on which our parents’ generation has stood, fought, triumphed, and finally moved on to other frontiers. The stately brick rowhomes in which our grandparents fought for the privilege to live have long since been integrated, raised generations of families, and have fallen into silent disrepair, waiting once again to take their place in making history.
Many would look at this scene as a symbol of a “stereotypical” Black America – a homogenous but undefined group of people, without direction or focus, awaiting the intercession of the government or some other savior to designate their future. This pseudo-Black America is the subject of countless hours of pointless debate over how to “help” or “empower” its citizens, and why they are or aren’t deserving of that help.
The new generation does not need to be rescued, and doesn’t need to obtain its power from somewhere else. We are already the product of an environment that demands the best of us. In the same way that other cultures and civilizations developed through trial by fire, we are learning from necessity. The leaders of this generation know how to find value in unexpected places, how to operate successfully in places and situations where outsiders cannot. We’ve learned how to economize and use resources to their maximum. We’ve learned to adapt, to react to our environment more quickly than it can change around us.
In doing so, we’ve discovered that change never comes easily. Countless numbers of our sons and daughters have been lost violently to destructive lost causes. Their sacrifices will help to awaken a nation. The pain of their loss is a necessary step in the purification of our society, a harsh wakeup call to abandon the harmful vices that have plagued every human society. Moreover, it will serve as a call to the young people who do not see themselves as gangstas or thugs, but something far more powerful.
The new generation does not need anyone’s authorization or approval to lead. More importantly than anything else, we do not accept the old assumptions about us. We reject the misconceptions about what being Black looks like, sounds like, and feels like. We reject the idea that we are disadvantaged. We reject the idea that the Black community talks a good game and can’t back it up.
Where others see Baltimore’s boarded up vacant houses as a liability, we see in each one the opportunity for young people to affordably own places to live, work, and start businesses. Where others see drug-ravaged communities, we see thousands of people who are ready for a new beginning.
Baltimore represents the best and worst of us. She represents the death of a misguided culture – one based upon materialism, stereotypes, and apathy, and the rebirth of a new and powerful community characterized by its determination, initiative, and dignity. It’s up to us, like proud parents, to protect and guide this movement from its infancy.
Jonathan Carter is the president of The Baltimore Renaissance Foundation, a nonprofit organization teaching young people to change their communities through entrepreneurship. The Foundation’s vision is to transform Baltimore through cultural and economic innovation.
Posted By: Jon C.
Friday, August 3rd 2007 at 10:22AM
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