It’s February and once again we find ourselves reminiscing about the glorified history of significant black Americans who have contributed to the success of the United States of America.
This includes the innovative contributions of George Washington Carver, the intellectual wisdom of W.E.B. DuBois, the bravery of Rosa Parks, and the wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr just to name a few.
It’s a month that is packed full of honorary dinners, Presidential and congressional acknowledgments, and special culturally-themed services that appeal to our hearts and souls while seeking to bring honor to those who sacrificed for the cause of equality, freedom, and justice.
But awards and luncheons cannot vanish the uncomfortable yet true facts about our country today: We are still a divided nation when it comes to race and culture. There are still too many Americans who feel betrayed by the justice system, and education remains an unattainable achievement for many in low-income and impoverished communities.
While there are constant pleas for better policies that will contribute to upward mobility in the black communities, there is a more pressing issue at hand: Do we even know who we are? Do we know what, exactly, we are fighting for?
For starters, we must visit the original intent for God’s creation. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” This means that God created us after His design. We were created to give God glory, and our allegiance is to Him, not a political party or specific cultural movement.
To follow up with this, there must be a love and respect for God’s creation. John 13:34 says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Our communities must love each other, regardless of class, background, experiences and beliefs. We must establish a godly and biblical love for each other.
As simple as this may sound, it isn’t always displayed. If it were, terms such as “Uncle Tom” and “sellout” would vanish from our vernacular because there would be a genuine love for people that would transcend differences. Until we can love our fellow brothers and sisters simply for who they are, it’ll be impossible to improve our societies, and this applies to every community.
Another component of our identity is what we teach ourselves, and the generations that follow, the truths Deuteronomy 11:16-23 declares:
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.”
This teaches us that biblical education must precede natural education.
Before we advocate for a good quality education, we must first and most importantly educate our children about biblical principles that will outline the proper and moral guidelines for behavioral patterns, career choices, raising a family, etc.
The government can never substitute for the biblical role that parents must play in raising children.
Before we make demands for the government, we must make sure we understand the role of the family.
Some scriptures that validate this claim include Proverbs 1:8-9, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck,” and Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
If this can be the template for living in all communities, the expectations of government and policies would be more morally aligned
The identity of the black American is found in Christ. The blueprint for the black community is found in Scripture.
Demetrius Minor is the author of “Preservation and Purpose: The Making Of A Young Millennial and A Manifesto for Faith, Family, and Politics.” He is a member of the national advisory council of the Project 21 black leadership network. He serves as a ministry assistant at First United Pentecostal Church in Augusta, GA.
In addition, Demetrius is a former conservative talk show host, blogger, former White House intern in the Bush administration, preacher, and graduate of the Pentecostals of Alexandria Minister’s Training Center (POATC).
Demetrius’s writings have been featured in The Washington Times, FreedomWorks, and Townhall
