If We Don’t Support Black Institutions, Our Oppressors Will Buy Them Out!
by Dr Boyce Watkins
I often hear people refusing to support black-owned institutions, as if they have something better to do with their money. I am disappointed by this reaction, because any vibrant community understands the importance of building instead of begging.
If we do not support our institutions, then nobody else will. We are a community that is addicted to the idea of expecting other people to maintain our institutions. Can you imagine if Jewish Synagogues were owned and financed by Nazis? What if the National Organization for Women was financially supported by Playboy Magazine? This is how silly we look when we assume that black institutions can be financially supported by other ethnic groups and not have to bow down to these entities at the drop of a hat.
If you wonder why the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) no longer fights for your rights, it’s because the NAACP is not funded by black people. If black people aren’t paying their bills, then why should they represent African-Americans over other constituencies? Do you really think that a corporation is going to give money to the NAACP so that the NAACP can attack that very same organization when they are caught being racist? Hell no!
Many corporations pay civil rights organizations as protection from scrutiny for their racist behavior. They believe, accurately, that if they give enough money to black leaders, they can abuse black people without suffering the consequences.
So, let’s keep this in mind the next time we wonder why an HBCU is serving corporations more than black students, or why one of our politicians is refusing to bite the hand that feeds him. At the end of the day, we must learn the value of targeting our resources to develop infrastructure that will protect us from oppression. Without making the right social, political and economic investments in the short-term, you’ll find yourself consistently left out in the cold.
