by Adeeba Folami

 Dr. Ron Daniels deliberately set out to have youth leaders present and heard at the State of the Black World Conference (SOBWC), particularly during “The Future of the Black Freedom  Movement:  A New Generation of Leadership,” forum held Nov. 21 as part of the first Indaba or collective gathering.  Speakers included: Dr. Kimberly Ellis, Thenjiwe, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Davey D, Veronica Conway and Malika Sanders.

Kimberly "Dr. Goddess" Ellis

Ellis moderated and asked each panelist to answer three questions: (1) What is the state of your black world?, (2) Your thoughts or expectations of an Obama presidency; and (3) what are the challenges Blacks have to overcome?

Marc Lamont Hill

Hill, 29, a professor, author, and regular commentator for FOX News called this time a “peculiar moment” in that there is so much joy over Obama in the midst of Black suffering. He explained that his excitement will greatly decrease if Obama turns out to be only a “manager” of a system that he cannot produce change in for the masses. “The question isn’t, can one man make it; it’s can we all make it,” he said.

Veronica Conway

Conway, 41, the daughter of Veronza Bowers, an imprisoned former Black Panther, said Obama’s example and organizational skill should be studied and used by individuals who must take advantage of the moment. “Elect yourself,” she advised. “Get busy being masterful.”

 

 

Malika Sanders

 

Sanders, 35, of the Twenty-First Century Youth Leadership Movement in Selma, Alabama, expressed a similar comment declaring it time to return to excellence and for Blacks to become more systematic in their approaches.

 

 

Davey D

Davey D, a hip hop journalist, repeated admonitions from elders against falling for the Messiah complex and putting all hopes on one or two charismatic figures. He is paving the way in his own realm with the goal of buying a radio station rather than settling for having or owning a show on a station owned by somebody else.

 

Thenjiwe

Newark, New Jersey activist Thenjiwe, 23,  emphasized the need for many to expand their vision to see that “our struggle is global.” She added that confusion was the state of her world in that children are still suffering in ghettos of America and all over the world. Additionally, she said, political prisoners are still unjustly behind bars and so she cannot rest on an Obama victory. Instead, she sees the potential to capture the imagination and vision of youth as the president-elect did during his campaign. “Yes we can tear down dilapidated projects,” she said. “Yes we can make a better world for our children.”

After the youth panel, Daniels praised them and, in what seemed a farewell speech at times, indicated it was time to pass the torch. Hill, during his comments, mentioned that, unlike Daniels, some senior leaders in the movement appear to have a problem sharing the stage. They were in need, he said, of an “exit strategy,” since they had not yet figured out where else to go. “What you’ve seen is a tradition where senior members of Black freedom struggles have failed to bring in the new generation and properly prepare them to assume the front lines,” Hill said. “Part of the reason is that we haven’t done a good job of figuring out what to do with [them.] We need them desperately but they stay on stage and don’t let the children in.” His solution consists of having cross-generational conversations so elders know they are needed as advisors and “the conscience of the movement,” but are able to step back and allow new, younger ideas and approaches to come to the forefront of leadership. Daniels was overjoyed at the youth participation and said if SOBWC continues, those young voices will be key players in it.

Afterward, BHN spoke with Hill concerning his comments about senior leadership. 

(BHN) – In one of your comments, you said there needs to be an exit strategy for leadership but you didn’t mean that in a negative way. Can you expound on that?

(MLH) - I think too often, particularly over the last 50-60 years, what you’ve seen is a tradition where many members of Black leadership, particularly senior members of Black freedom struggles have failed to bring in the new generation and properly prepare them to assume the front lines of our struggle and I think part of the reason is that we haven’t done a good job of figuring out what to do with senior leadership. We can’t put them out to pasture, we can’t get rid of them, we need them. We need them desperately but because we haven’t come up with a sophisticated solution to the problem, they stay on stage and don’t let the children on stage because they don’t know anyplace else to go.

As a result, our struggle begins to spin our own wheels. New ideas, fresh approaches, new approaches, new world views get lost because the younger generation isn’t in leadership position. What we need to begin to do is have these conversations across generations so that the senior members know they’re still desperately needed as advisors, as leaders, as significant members, as the conscience of our movement. At the same time, we need to bring our ideas to the table and until we do that, we’re gonna have the same problems.

(BHN) – Some of Dr. Daniels’ comments sounded like farewell comments. At a certain point he said “IF” there is another conference. Your thoughts on that and do you all plan to step up and maybe take this over?

(MLH) - There absolutely will be another conference. Bro. Daniels has done an extraordinary job over the last 3 or 4 decades leading us and being an organizing, intellectual force in our community. At this historical moment we need him to continue to do whatever he wants to do but at the same time we need to carry our weight. We are a mature generation. It’s not enough for us to grow old, we must grow up and that means taking leadership and responsibility for this movement. … It’s time for us to pick up the reins and I think that’s what he was trying to signal.

(BHN) – Thank you.

********

Daniels also spoke with BHN about the tone of his words which made it seem his departure from the struggle was near.

(BHN) – Some of your comments tonight made it seem like farewell comments and you did say “IF” there is another conference.

(RD) - The reason why is because we don’t have the corporate sponsorships, we don’t have big foundation grants. Most of this is dependent upon the registration fees of people who come and small contributions. It’s very big and it’s hard to pull it off. So the economy was pretty rough on us, if we had been able to pull out of it we would have pulled out of this convention center and went somewhere else. It’s been rough. A lot of people who would have been here are not here because of the economy and yet we were counting on them because those registration fees, that’s our budget. Our budget is not based on huge corporate sponsorships and foundation grants. The more people who come quantitatively is what would help give us the kind of budget to move forward and beside, I was trying to say with the new generation coming on, I’m reaching a point where the next generation needs to take over and this is a huge – the amount of work that goes into it this, if you don’t have the foundation grants, the sponsorships, that means a lot of sweat equity. My wife, [Mary Frances], and I and others, volunteers working but it’s volunteers, not a fully staffed operation and whereas I could do that much better 25 years ago, it’s a lot of stress and straining.

So it is time for another – to take the concept and move it forward. It still seems to me in the next 4-6 years, it’s time for me to become the elder who’s respected, I hope, and can be honored at the program but this thing’s led by someone else. I’ve had a full life of leading important struggles across this country …. it is time to look at sharing that torch and then being the respected elder.

(BHN) – Were you pleased with the youth panel?

(RD) - Oh, outstanding! And that’s what we wanted. I insisted on that, I wanted to see the panel be up there first. That’s how we discovered [Kimberly “Dr. Goddess” Ellis]; she was somebody who came knocking on the door at the last conference; kept bugging me and bugging me; kept giving me references and I finally said, ‘Come on,’ and she came and blew it away. Now here she is. She’s a part of the secession. She’s here, she’s doing the work and that’s how it happens and we’re looking for others to move on.

(BHN) – Thank you.

(Photos by Lens of Ansar)

© 2008 – All Rights Reserved – The Black House News
Unlimited online distribution allowed with acknowledgement of bhonline.org as the source

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