Winston Churchill’s metaphor about reasoning with tigers captures a truth that much of Black America and the African Diaspora have yet to fully internalize: power doesn’t negotiate with those it has already consumed. Walk through any major American city and observe the divergent approaches to group advancement—in African American neighborhoods, the conversation centers on protest, representation, and recognition, while in Koreatown, Little India, Chinese enclaves, and Arab business districts, the conversation is about capital formation, business networks, and political leverage through economic power. The contrast is not about culture or capability—African Americans built this country with enslaved labor that generated the capital for American industrialization—it’s about strategy. We’ve been sold a vision of progress that depends on the oppressor’s recognition rather than our own autonomous power-building, still trying to reason with the tiger instead of building the strength to force open its jaws. Continue reading
Tag Archives: African diaspora politics
The Silence on Haiti and Sudan: When African America Spends Its Limited Capital Everywhere but Home
African America’s tradition of fighting every injustice is noble, but it has come at a price. As rallies and headlines center on Palestine, Haiti and Sudan slip into silence. Haiti, the world’s first Black republic, is unraveling under gang rule and political collapse. Sudan’s war has forced nearly 19 million children out of school, a catastrophe with generational consequences. These are crises where African American advocacy could shape U.S. policy, strengthen HBCU partnerships, and reaffirm Pan-African credibility. Yet scarce resources—political, financial, and institutional—are being poured into causes where the likelihood of impact is minimal. History will not judge African America by how loudly it spoke for others, but by whether it stood with its own when Haiti and Sudan called out for help. Continue reading
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