The First Black To..

By Basia A Powell

I no longer like the phrase , “I am the first black to.” Gone are the days when we need to celebrate the first black person to become somebody. This is a feeling that continues to divide us.

We can never truly overcome the scars of slavery if we continue to enjoy being the first or only black person at the table. I have worked hard to have a seat at any table, but I want to see other people looking like me when I get there.

The more we continue to be star struck about the accomplishments of one member of the black community, or our personal accomplishments , the further we are from it becoming the norm. We need black leaders to open schools like Diddy, Oprah, Le Bron James and others. We need black billionaires to pay off more student loans like Robert F Smith just did for the 2019 Graduating Class of Morehouse College . Now that is next level. That is how we need to celebrate when we have a seat at the table.

If we are still at the level where we are celebrating the “only or first” to accomplish something great among our race, that does not say much about our community and how far we have come. We need to celebrate the increasing number of women and minority women that are now members of the US Congress.

There are many opportunities for all of us. Work hard and take your seats. There are no signs preventing you from using the bathrooms anymore. Go get your greatness and run after it like it belongs to people of all colors.

Take a look at My Vlog ” Keeping It Real” Webisode 2, where I discuss this issue.