THIS IS THE REASON FOR NATIONALISM, AND SEPARATISM: BECAUSE PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF

THIS IS THE REASON FOR NATIONALISM, AND SEPARATISM: BECAUSE PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF THEIR LOWER CLASS KIN – ELITES CARRY THE REST.

“Q: Do you think segregation has any benefits?”

Answer by Jeremy M. Thompson

I interviewed my grandmother back in 1999 for an African American Studies course. I specifically asked her this question. She felt that segregation was good and bad. Here are her answers.

THE GOOD

The good reasons for segregation.

1) The Black American community was more united. It didn’t matter how much education, money or status you had, you were forced to live in an all Black community. People looked out for each other.

2) Black communities were self-sufficient. They had Black-owned banks, universities, hospitals, newspapers, construction companies, fast food restaurants, people working in the trades, radio stations, entrepreneurs of all kinds, grocery stores, shopping centers, clubs, restaurants, swimming pools and on and on.

3) Your children went to school in the local neighborhood. They were taught by teachers that looked like them. Those teachers lived in the same neighborhood. The teachers were concerned about your children, treated them like their children, nurtured them and truly loved them.

THE BAD REASONS

The bad reasons for desegregation.

1) It splintered the Black American community. Most of the pillars of the community decided to move out of the neighborhood. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, and other white collar professionals quickly left. Many neighborhoods were left without balance. The children were mostly left with drug dealers, pimps and gang members. Many of them could no longer see that it was possible to be a doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer or other white collar position.

2) Many of the Black American communities were drained of their self-sufficiency. Many of the businesses left the formerly segregated Black community. They were lured by the money that they could make in the white American areas, the “better” school systems and the “better” neighborhoods. You can still see the impact of businesses leaving from back then today in predominant Black areas.

3) Your children were now bused many miles away from their community. Parents could no longer quickly walk to see or get their children in the local community if necessary due to sickness or for any other reason.

My grandmother believes that desegregation is wonderful. She understands why it was necessary for the USA to progress in that direction. She would never want to go back to living in segregation. But she does want to see more Black American unity, Black American entrepreneurship and anything else that strengthens the Black American community.