Defining what being African American means
Remaking America
http://theloop21.com/blogs/defining-what-being-african-american-means
By: Paul Mondesire
Tue, 04/07/2009 – 00:00
Culture is a word that carries a great deal of weight especially in communities of color. You take such things seriously when you’ve been stripped of your national identity, customs, and religious traditions or are taught that you have no deeds worthy of being chronicled in the history books. The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) has been busy changing that paradigm. *Please note: the CCCADI website is ‘under construction’ and will be back up soon, so don’t lose the link.
Founded in 1976 by Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, author of When the Spirits Danced Mambo, CCCADI grew out to the struggles of the 60s and 70s when community based organizations fought for social justice, quality education, and economic opportunities for all people. What they have done over the years is best described by their 30th anniversary theme “Making the Invisible Visible”.
By highlighting the contributions of people of African descent in the Caribbean, South America and the United States, they have helped to strengthen the links among people with a greater connection than merely the color of their skin, the kinkiness of their hair, or a love for rice and beans (beans and rice for some of y’all). One example is their annual conference “Redefining African American: What’s at Stake?” which brings together an ethnically diverse panel of community activists, academics, and professional people to share their ideas and perspectives in order to foster a greater understanding of what being African American really means today. Why this is important today? We have a brother in the White House.
Gil Scot Heron used to quote his grandmother who said, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll go for anything.” Our living culture has been the foundation that people of color used to anchor themselves, then survive and thrive under the most adverse of circumstances. When I spoke with Dr. Moreno Vega, she said that, “Community cultural institutions fortify our vision for success as a people. They grew out of the civil rights movement seeking social justice, and education, but they also provide jobs [and continue to be] training grounds for the next generation of leaders.” We cannot minimize the importance of such organizations because they helped bind our communities together when government and business interests effectively abandoned them to their own devices.
Remaking America requires resources. Groups like CCCADI are facing tremendous challenges during this economic downturn. Dr. Moreno Vega spoke passionately and precisely when she told me, “The value of our art and culture is high, but our institutions are in trouble.”
Many people with monetary means will always give to established institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art or MOMA (the Museum of Modern Arts) and they can count on support from the local and state government because that is what they know. She said, “people give within their circle of familiarity.” Even people of color who have ‘made it’ often will “invest in institutions for career mobility and business interests.”
In my conversation with Melody Capote, the Director of External Affairs for CCCADI she asked, “What is the incentive for us to invest in our own cultural institutions?”
This past weekend, CCCADI and the Cultural Equity Group or CEG sponsored a three day conference called “Landmarking Community Cultural Arts Institutions: Achieving Cultural Equity” which was designed to “get elected officials from the local, state, and federal government to take on the responsibility of allocating resources to help us [do our jobs],” according to Dr. Moreno Vega.
Paul Mondesire is a native New Yorker working in the non-profit arena. He has a passion for education, life-long learning and writes because he believes we must eliminate ignorance by any means necessary.
