I am the first born child of Haitian immigrants to the United States with very little high school education. Early on during my childhood my parents drilled the importance of education into the psyche of my brothers and I. I’m currently reading I Am Malala, the autobiography of the courageous Pakistani girl who is fighting for the equal opportunity for education for Pakistani girls and girls around the world in underdeveloped countries. I am reminded how important education is in today’s “post-racial” America as we face police brutality, gentrification, and alarming health disparities within our Black communities.

Activists during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement fought for those coming up after them to gain equal opportunity to education, yet somewhere down the line a generation neglected to pass the torch to its descendants. Although some might question how far the Civil Rights Movement has brought us as we attempt to survive under a justice system that does not have the protection of its black citizens in mind, education still remains a cornerstone to our preservation within American borders.

Education as we know does not guarantee that we will make it in a primarily white-dominated society, but if used with divine Godly wisdom, it can help us get back to the place from whence we came, a place where we prevailed and had economic status and power within our communities.

I am reminded of the words of my mentor who grew up being advised that education was not a choice, but something she and her peers had to get in order to survive. As black communities are being wiped out through gentrification, we’ve got to empower ourselves through education and smart and sustainable business practices to hold on to our communities — the Newtowns, Overtowns, Frenchtowns, Parramores, and Little Haitis — throughout the country. As gentrification spreads it’s ugly tentacles encroaching upon once-thriving black communities now only blighted to be flipped into high-end apartment homes and communities too expensive for those with ancestral roots as deep as the oak trees that once hung dead bodies; one must wonder, where do they expect us to go as we’re uprooted from our homes?

As we celebrate Kwanzaa as the year ends and embark into a brand new year, let the seven principles of Kwanzaa guide us back to from whence we came — thriving Black communities. Let unity be the force that binds our minds and efforts toward the betterment of our communities. Let self-determination be the driving force that keeps us as we seek to improve the quality of life of our brothers and sisters. Let our collective work and responsibility uplift the black community. Let cooperative economics help build and support sustainable black businesses that have the people in mind. Let our sense of purpose be the candle that lights the way in the midst of darkness. Let our creativity drive us toward the seemingly impossible. Let our faith in God lead us toward better tomorrows.

AakifahMaat is a Florida native, with Haitian roots. She is a doctoral student pursuing a career in public health focused on eliminating health disparities among Black and Hispanic populations. During her free time she has her head stuck in between the pages of books focused on various aspects of the African Diaspora and Feminist/Womanist beliefs. Her book reviews can be found on her blog: www.africanareads.wordpress.com and her writings and poetry on various life issues can be found at www.thoughtsofaakifah.wordpress.com .

Pascale Edouard

Writing since January 2016 · 1 story contributed