BY DARNELL ROBERTS
African Ameri… just say BlackPeople of Col… just say BlackUnderserved Commu… just say BlackDivers…just say BlackYou see where I’m going here? No? Let me explain…I recently traced my family roots back to the 1700s. That Ancestry DNA Kit stayed on top of my fridge for 5 months before I sent it in. Procrastination at its worst, I know…My great-great-great-grandfather was enslaved in Alabama. He had 6 children, one of whom would pass down the skill of bricklaying & masonry to his offspring, their hands were mightier than any sword. they used them to pick cotton and indigo plants, wipe their brow, feed white children, bathe their bronzed bodies, waiting for their 40 acres and a mule that never came, all the while singing spiritual hymns under the sizzling Sun in the Deep South. They would stay there for nearly 2 centuries before meandering through several states then eventually migrating up north to New York to search for the “American Dream, even when didn’t know if it actually existed, for them…Nonetheless, that makes lineage as a Native Black America far more unique than any other American currently inhibiting the 50 states.Why? We are the only people who have fought in EVERY war America has been in and the only group of people to never benefit from our patriotism. More on that later….400 and 1 years ago since the first slaves landed at Plym-outh Rock, Virginia, I pen this scribe from South Florida, a contemporary oasis of opportunity as far as the eye can see, over the palm trees, through the occasionally blinding sun beams so radiant you have the gander at the pavement to refocus and reset your bearings.I casually scroll down my timeline, looking for keywords and phrases, gazing, in amazement at the large amounts of mon-ies being allocated to “social justice” and often wonder…“Where is this money going”Headline after headline… most that look this this…On the surface, this looks promising right? Tech Giant Soft Bank announces that it will pledge 100 Million Dollars to “entrepreneurs of colour” in the wake of recent social unrest in America.To who?Described as SoftBank’s bid to improve diversity, “we have to put money behind it, set plans, and hold ourselves ac-countable,” SoftBank’s Chief Operating Officer Marcelo Clau-re, who will head the fund, wrote in a letter to employees on Wednesday, June 3rd. “Named the “Opportunity Growth Fund” and focused on African Americans and Latinos in the U.S. it is, SoftBank says, the largest fund of its kind.” says Reuters Sam Nussey.That might sound like a very noble attempt at helping to stem the tide of economic injustice, but let’s delve deeper into the context of what that means.Who are “people of colour”?Asians? Latinos? American Indians? Sicilians? All four quali-fy right?It depends on who’s cutting the check. And there inlies the problem…Speaking of check, there are very few checks and balanceson Philanthropic Procurement. It means that the company could, if they so chose, to ONLY give opportunities to mar-ginalized groups that are not Black Americans and still keep their promise. They could, in theory, only grant opportunities to, for instance, Blacks people from Europe living in the US or other immigrants who came to our shores seeking exile or strife from their homeland, but not directly linked to ADOS (African Descendants Of Slaves).Does that matter? Of course it does. The diaspora matters. Our experience is inherently different and should be treated as such, particularly from a metaphysical standpoint. That’s why there are two Constitutions right? The Founding Fa-thers left much work to be done, didn’t they. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were enacted specifically for Black folk. Yet, there’s STILL rampant voter suppression, espe-cially in states with a GOP majority. I think the Constitution, since it is a living and breathing document, is ripe for a 28th Amendment, which could include parts of Senators Cory Booker’s plan for what he called “Baby Bonds” or Pete Buttigieg’s Douglas Plan for Black America.My soliloquy isn’t an attack on SoftBank, I hope their inten-tions are forthright. Rather, my issue is that we are often left out in the cold, grasping at straws when companies imple-ment selective tactics to divert funds to the most marginal-ized demographic in the world, Native Black Americans. Its a microcosm of a larger narrative, its too difficult for Black folk to get access to cash and capital, even when its given to them for free.My angst is this modern day Word Salad of phrases that largely identify with Black People like “minorities” and “POC”, especially when used in the business community. And Work-force Diversity has long been a stain on corporate America, especially in the Tech space.To be continued……
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