Comforting the chaos
At the end of any rainbow, one can only hope for gold. The rainbow arched over mountains and through the snow-white clouds. As the anticipation heightens, your eyes grow as you get closer to the end. Just beyond the misty rain, a dark round image slowly comes into view. The gold is just a few yards away. The colors of the rainbow shine above the gold. The closer you get, the more you realize something is off. The golden glow isn’t gold. It’s just the reflection of the colors bouncing off the kettle.
Disappointed, you overlook the journey over the mountain peaks, and through the clouds. Such is the feeling of the black American experience. After receiving their freedom, many believed it was a rainbow leading to a pot of gold.
Many left behind the only world they knew to travel thousands of miles to find this pot of gold. Consequently, life further divided the opportunities even more among the races. Forced to accept second-class treatment, building wealth would take a herculean effort. Free of the slave owner, black Americans found that law and finances greatly impacted the quality of their existence. Determined to build anyway, many suffered a harsh hazing into society.
Learning all that the brain could absorb, many slaves found a way to establish a livelihood. As northern cities noticed a huge influx of refugees seeking asylum, the south felt a wave of black Americans pushing back against the status quo. After multiple generations of families working in the fields, slaves developed skills that made them employable. This was the start of blacks traveling a different path to that elusive pot of gold.
Financial fortitude
Transitioning from the damp cold log cabins to the cold and cruel world was another test of their resolve. As farmers, business people, and politicians, the slave discovered ways to establish their legacy. Crafting financial freedom became the source of much discontent from former slave owners. Industries built on the backs of free and forced labor were forced to change.
The emancipation of the labor force created a tsunami of chaos; decades passed with constant backlash as the second-class citizens built notable communities and wealth. The achievements of the former enslaved showcased their mental capacity for excellence. Unfortunately, the politics of the plantation had created division among the newly freed slaves. Building a formidable nation within the black community was the next challenge to becoming self-reliant.
A significant divide made it hard for the success of the common black person to seem achievable. The careers and financial gains of the supposed lesser human created the need for blacks to become isolated to protect their newfound success.
Currently, the conditions of the black community tread the same path. The poorest black Americans are subject to modern-day slavery. Working themselves to death for crumbs has created a great resentment towards the land their ancestors help build. Frustrated with the lack of unity many blacks focus on individual success.
Creating black financial stability has been hindered throughout America’s lifespan, from the Tulsa riots to the redlining. Black wealth has taken hit after hit, having to rebuild every time. From a law and policy standpoint to the inhospitable nature of the white slave owner, blacks have faced much discouragement.
The toll of having to restart your journey in America led many to return to the same plantations to work for wages. Many worked long enough to purchase the land they once bled on.
For slaves to overcome their predicament, a strong sense of resilience filled their bellies. Knowing how to survive off the scraps, slaves had little difficulty adjusting to living off insignificant wages. It was the lack of discipline which held back many newly freed slaves. During the underground railroad extraction of the captives, many slaves rationalized their condition.
They preferred to avoid any trouble. They’d expose the plans of the freedom runs. This is still the case in modern society. Some blacks prefer the degradation of poverty and prejudice. It provides a sense of purpose. There has been a slow awakening of the black American experience that engages the idea of being self-sufficient.
As time continues, the prosperity of black Americans will face many challenges. The world has grown to acknowledge the plight of the slave descendants. Many individuals claim that reparations are required after industries have received billions of dollars from the work, inventions, and ingenuity of the enslaved. Others require just an equal opportunity to be respected and protected by the laws of the land.
Whichever path is selected, know that it is, and always has been on the backs of the blacks to build their financial security. If you’re a slave, then rebellion is required to free yourself to create economic foundations. If you’re free, it is necessary to push back against injustice and prejudice to secure your financial future.
