“Liberators” can learn much from TEAM USA
photo source: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
I tuned into the FIBA Championship game on Sunday partly because of my love of the game of basketball and partly because I have a friend in Argentina and I wanted to see how her team would stack up against the “almighty” U.S. team. The game basically followed the pattern of the other games in this year’s tournament involving the U.S. - they dominated from the tip off until the ending buzzer.
NBA players like Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmello Anthony and many others who were on that team were superstars in their own right. They can stand alone in the small category of being some of the greatest active basketball players on the planet. In spite of this, however, they realized that they would not win the gold medal if they did not work together.Â
Those who follow the game, remember when these superstars learned this lesson. At the 2002 FIBA World Championship Games, Argentina became the first team ever to defeat a U.S. team composed of NBA players. At the 2004 Olympic Games, Team USA was again defeated by Argentina and this time Puerto Rico took them down as well. Team U.S.A. limped back from Greece embarrassed by their performance. Their humiliation taught them that while the U.S. version of the sport placed emphasis on individual playing ability, the world version of the game stressed teamwork and that’s the only way to win in the Olympics. They proved their grasp of this concept during this year’s FIBA Games and hope to win gold as well in Beijing in 2008.
Enough cannot be said, however, about the chemistry that these superstars displayed and their willingness to make individual accomplishment secondary to cooperative play and collective achievement. It reminds me of the emphasis that the African worldview places upon the saying, “There is no ‘me’ without ‘we’.”
When asked about his individual success during the FIBA Tournament, NBA phenom, LeBron James, deflected attention away from his individual play and highlighted how well the team was doing. He said: “…I always try to include all my teammates in every play. The chemistry that we have is also helpful, we’re a lot more confident now. In this team, it’s about all of us participating and making it as high as we can go. Scoring points is not important, what’s important is playing well and winning. If I have to pass the ball more than I have to shoot, then that’s what I’m going to do over and over.”
This is a timely message for those who labor under the banner of the multi-faceted Liberation and Empowerment Movement for African people. In a field that is saturated with high-powered personalities and mammoth-sized egos, the unfortunate reality is that one must tread carefully even among those who claim to be committed to empowering our people. In far too many instances, Brothers become victims of what can be called ”friendly-fire.” It is truly disheartening to see Brothers exert so much energy attacking each other because of differing opinions on strategy, ideological emphasis, and at times - jealousy. The battle that we’re in is a vicious one and the foe that we face understands that if it is to defeat us then it must divide us.  Division comes easy when Brothers and Sisters lose sight of the collective goal - the liberation and empowerment of African people. When the goal becomes self-glorification, material wealth, public acknowledgement, reimbursement, individual success, revenge, and/or professional advancement alone, then Brothers and Sisters will not behave as comrades - they’ll act like sworn enemies.
Those who are truly interested in and dedicated to the uplifting of African people across the globe must realize that God has given each of us unique gifts to be used for the benefit of our community. These gifts are not to be used in mutually exclusive ways. Like Lego Blocks, the individual pieces are nice, but they are molded in such a way as to invite connection to another. Only when the individual pieces are joined with other pieces can something of great splendor be created. Each one of us has an expertise, a passion in a certain area, and/or a connection to a resource that can benefit the whole. We must resist the temptation to needlessly attack those who are running in the same direction. When we recognize the boundaries of our lane, and respect the lanes and roles of others, we’re bound to make progress.
We would do well also to support each other in our various projects, ministries, programs, and initiatives. We don’t have to agree with every thing that like-spirited Brothers and Sisters are doing to support them. We should be first in line to financially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically support each other. If we would do better in this regard, then our Brothers and Sisters wouldn’t have to make tough decisions related to accepting support from “other folk.”Â
In closing, I want to say how blessed I am to be in the company of some of the greatest African men alive today. From scholars, to professionals, to grassroots leaders, to radio personalities, to preachers, to politicians, to writers, to judges and lawyers, to police officers and ex-offenders, to activists and those who are homeless - I am convinced that the men who are able to uplift African people worldwide are walking the earth right now. The question is will we lock arms and aims to do what we know we must do for the benefit of our people both now and for generations to come. That is a question that our children will answer one day and I pray that their analysis shines a favorable light upon our legacy.
I love you my Brother. I love you my Sister. May Almighty God guide us all.
September 4th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
I think you really hit the nail on the head. I’m 55 and have been in the movement since I was 19 years old. I was very sadden by the recent email going around in Baltimore What Black Men Think and the attacks that Haki Ammi was launching against others. We need to focus on work. To me work is louder then words. As one of my teachers Dr. Maulana Karenga has always said words are wonderful but deeds are divine. Peter Tosh had a song live clean and let your works been seen. I don’t make a lot of noise I live by my work and the people that I help. My work deals with empowering youth. At the end of each program I have to ask myself how many youth did our program help. We have to teach people how to fish so they have to wait on ue to give them fish. When we do that change happens.
And you are right we don’t have to agree with each other on every single thing. But we should agree to be supportive of the positive that each of us are trying to bring forward. What I’ve learned from my 36 years of being in the movement is that there is more then one way to get the job done. None of us has the only solution or the sole answer to the empowerment of African Americans. Its going to take UJIMA. Collective Work and Responsibility. PEACE HOTEP
September 4th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Correction
Sentence should have said “We have to teach people how to fish so they don’t have to wait on us to give them fish. When we do that change happens.
September 4th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
I agree with the spirit of this article. However, I think it is complicated to put this in practice. It sounds great in principle that all of us bring something to the table, but do we really live up to this (I challenge myself toward this, but it is hard). The civil rights tradition has certain biases and prejudices of its own. The civil rights tradition has ignored certain voices to their detriment. Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X have important viewpoints to bring to this discussion. They both have work, which can speak for themselves. Interestingly enough, I have not seen one of their critics that has influenced more people in a positive direction than either man. They read the Bible in a different theological bent, which is very important. There have been important books recently written discussing the theology of both men, which is necessary. Baltimore has a 34.6% graduation rate and nearing a 300 homicide rate. Elijah Muhammad built a movement of those that our public institutions failed and stabilized communities that were destabilized as FBI documents gave him credit for. Because his theology is different from mainstream theology, I am asking for the black middle class to get a different line of the corporate media that characterizes this man as a hate teacher. I do not come from the Islamic tradition. I disagree with them on many points, but I will look beyond my own religious tradition if it has benefitted black people. I am asking people to truly see where Elijah Muhammad, the Prophet Muhammad, Buddha, Lao tze were coming from. They are more similar than you think. We have been religiously divided as well. I am tired of seeing the fighting of the verbal Crusades (putting down Islam and Islamic groups such as the Nation of Islam). Before you imply that they are hate teaching, see where they are coming from. Treat them as you would want to be treated. You want someone to try to understand you; try to understand them. I think the challenge for everyone that is speaking the language of collective work and responsibility is to seek the viewpoint and partnership whose thought may be very different from your own, but seek to understand them. Dr. King met with Elijah Muhammad in January 1967, and I venture to say that both men were very changed by that event. Dr. King, as James Cone shows in Martin & Malcolm & America, begin to have viewpoints very similar to Malcolm X. Elijah Muhammad begin to speak not only of white devils but also of black devils. He begin to speak of the Fall of America - the white power structure - he spoke less and less of white people as devilish by nature. Both men had the heart to learn and try to understand each other. Unfortunately, many of us (I am prayerful that I do better as well) do not fall into that category. We need each other to try to correct the mess that is in Baltimore City.