by Irv Randolph
The beginning of a New Year should bring renewed joy and hope
But for many Americans it will be a time of distress and despair.
“Americans feel generally pessimistic about the future of the United States when it comes to several aspects of society,” according to a Pew Research Center survey released in September.
The poll showed that “63 percent of Americans are pessimistic about the country’s moral and ethical standards, and 59 percent are pessimistic about its education system.”
More Americans feel pessimistic than optimistic about:
The United States’ ability to ensure racial equality for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity (44 percent are pessimistic, compared with 28 percent who are optimistic).
The country’s ability to get along with other countries (41 percent vs. 30 percent).
The institution of marriage and the family in the country (40 percent vs. 25 percent).
About half of Black (51 percent) and Asian (49 percent) adults say they feel pessimistic about racial equality, while less than half of Hispanic (44 percent) and White (43 percent) adults say the same.
Americans are also anxious about rapid changes in technology, including concerns about whether their jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence.
At the same time, studies show that more Americans are becoming increasingly lonely and isolated from faith, family and friends.
In response to this growing pessimism and alienation, Black Americans must turn to the best in their history and cultural traditions.
Hope and resilience are the foundation of the Black American struggle for freedom, justice and equality.
In the face of centuries of oppression, Black Americans resisted with every weapon they could muster from armed slave rebellions, nonviolent protests and succeeding against the odds.
Faced with stereotypical images in White-owned news and entertainment media, Black Americans created their own Black newspapers, magazines, radio and films. Despite attempts to degrade, Black Americans responded with elegance and dignity displayed in fashion, style and everyday living.
Hope and resilience have been historically expressed in Black faith-institutions and in music that has influenced the world.
Faith helped Black Americans overcome slavery and segregation when it was the law of the land. Black churches and later mosques have been a source of hope and have served as important institutions for community development and civic activity.
“Today, most Black adults say they rely on prayer to help make major decisions, and view opposing racism as essential to their religious faith,” according to a Pew poll.
From the Negro spirituals singing about the power of a savior to early hip-hop expressions of fun and rebellion, Black music has been a source for inspiration.
The slaves sang and danced not because they were happy, but to make themselves happy, an expression of the indomitable human spirit despite the circumstances.
In his book, “Stomping the Blues,” author Albert Murray argues convincingly that the Blues was not based on wallowing in despair but overcoming diversity.
“The blues as such are synonymous with low spirits. Not only is its express purpose to make people feel good, which is to say in high spirits, but in the process of doing so it is actually expected to generate a disposition that is both elegantly playful and heroic in its nonchalance,” Murray said.
In her multi award-winning song “Break My Soul” Beyonce continues the longstanding Black American tradition of expressing hope and determination through music. Its message of personal empowerment resonated with many Americans:
“Now I just fell in love
And I just quit my job.
I’m gonna find new drive.”
The song’s spirit of determination later continues:
“If you don’t seek it, you won’t see it
That we all know (can’t break my soul)
If you don’t think it, you won’t be it …”
Hope is sometimes misunderstood as naive wishful thinking. Instead, hope is a reality-based response proven by thousands of years of human struggle.
Hope is a necessity.
When people are hopeless, they become desperate or dangerous or both. They are more susceptible to grasp onto extreme political solutions of anarchy or autocracy, or they withdraw altogether.
The reality is that as bad as things are in the present, they can always get worse in the future if there is no hope. With hope things can get better.
In this presidential election year, we must vote and be vigilant while guarding our spirit from dire warnings of doom and gloom.
We must embrace the imperative of hope and not be enslaved by cynicism.
This includes fighting media manipulation. “If it bleeds it leads” may be good for TV ratings but watching repeated scenes of bloodshed from wars and gun violence is not good for the spirit.
What we allow in our minds and bodies will either make us weaker or stronger.
Replace apathy with activism. As the counter-racist Neely Fuller Jr. says, become known as a problem solver who produces justice.
Find solace in faith, family and friends and the beauty of nature.
As we enter the New Year, we should remember the timeless truth in the saying: “Where there is life, there is hope.”
Wishing you joy and peace in the New Year!
(Irv Randolph is the managing editor of The Philadelphia Tribune.)
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