Garvey's Ghost: Black Talk

Leadership in Black Communities

I'm on the road in Ohio so updates will be far and few between until I get back home

A big thing among black thinkers is the idea that black people are not in need of any single leader. Instead we needed to be individual leaders. Basically everyone is a leader. It is unfortunate that such an idea is taking root. Why is it unfortunate, because it’s not how leadership works, nor is it how social communities operate.

There’s a well worn saying here in the states: “To many chefs spoil the broth.” And “too many Chiefs and too few braves.” These two statements embody the foolishness of the idea that there should be massive numbers of leaders. Too many people with equal say in any organization leads to chaos. I do know that there are organization theories that work on consensus. Even in those types of organizations usually have popularly elected representatives that then do the “caucusing.”

What is worse about this idea is that no other people operate in this manner. Sure there is individual responsibility, but that idea would at its logical extension mean that Presidents and Prime Ministers are unnecessary. Why do the peoples of England, etc. need such leaders? If everyone in England is a leader then why the need for government?

One of the problems with American black intellectualism is it’s reactionary nature and it’s inability to think outside the realm of white domination. When I say this I mean that many American blacks have a hard time understanding nationalism and leadership in the creation and maintenance of a complex organization. Franz Fanon talked about how the middle class fails to empart a vision to the nation.

The other issue is that we fail to realize that not all people are meant to lead. Most people are meant to be followers. What we may be failing to do is to train proper followers. It was said by Carter G. Woodson that blacks fail to respect other blacks who are put into positions of authority over them. I believe this to be true. I also believe that the reason for the call for “everybody a leader” is in no small part to the idea of not wanting to submit to other black authority.