Everybody in the black community must organize, and then we decide whether we will have alliance with other people or not, but not until we are organized.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
So black people all across this country are uniting. They must unite, and they must organize themselves.
As soon as you say that there is a community called, let's say, black Americans, you've immediately created a boundary line - who's in that group, who's outside that group.
The black community sees itself as one group, and they are all experiencing the same experiences as a group with racism and whatnot, growing up in this country.
The black community is my community - the LGBT community, too, and the female community. That is my community. That's me; it's who I am.
In fact, the class divide in the black community is now seen by some as a permanent aspect of our existence.
Your life has to consist of more than 'Black people should unite.' You hope they do, but not twenty-four hours a day.
But I think the possibility of a black and white society feeding each other's expertises, living harmoniously, will probably go along in fits and starts now but at least it has a great constitution now to back it up.
I often tell people I don't care whether they join the NAACP or some other group, but you better join something.
That's how we do it in the black community; we give back to the people who made us who we are. We never forget that.
I think the black community is no different from any other community. We need to take responsibility for how we live together. We need to be personally responsible for keeping our streets clean, our schools safe, and our houses peaceful.