Black America Better: Leading African-Americans

¶ … Black America Better: Leading African-Americans Speak Out

Tavis Smiley's "How to Make Black America Better: Leading African-Americans Speak Out" is a cry for black Americans to support their communities and respect themselves. There are 10 challenges in the book, and most of them focus on issues such as education, money, and health, which are three areas where black America has struggled. Many black Americans have lower-paying jobs, do not get the education that their white counterparts tend to get, and do not take care of themselves as well. Much of this problem with health is tied to the other issues of education and money. These black Americans are not as aware of the health problems that they face because they are not as educated, and even those that are more educated about these issues do not always have the money to take care of or head off the problems that they face. This is, of course, a generalization, as there are many educated, healthy black individuals that have enough money in America. When compared to whites, however, black Americans are still at a disadvantage overall.

Smiley points this out in his book, and talks about this theme throughout. The book also has some short entries and writings from 28 black individuals that have made it, ranging from Maxine Waters to Shaquille O'Neal. What these individuals have to say in the book is significant because they have often come from adversity to triumph, and their stories and information can be inspiring to others as well. The basic point of the book is how these individuals established and sustained the good lives that they live, and since they have done it other black Americans can do it as well. Many of the essays are very thought-provoking, and even though they are just one point-of-view, they offer much insight into how black America can be improved.

Many of the essays in the book deal with how the writers of the essays dealt with racism, ridicule, and a lot of disrespect for no other reason than their race. This is something that was more prevalent years ago, but has not yet been obliterated from this country. It is quite likely that these kinds of problems will never completely leave America, because some people simply have too much hatred of others to completely let these problems and feelings die, but Smiley works to point out that black Americans should be proud of who they are and their heritage. It is sometimes difficult to do this when there are so many people that still try to discriminate and keep black Americans down, but if black Americans and those that are sympathetic to their cause band together and show unity, there are ways that black America can be improved and made better.

The essays in Smiley's book, however, are not simply a rags-to-riches story, or a lament about everything that is wrong with black America today. Instead, the essays also deal with the idea that there are things that can be done. Among the main concerns, other than health, poverty, and education, are political involvement and the patronage of black businesses. Voter registration is another concern, closely tied to political involvement, that many black Americans need to take note of. When more black Americans become involved with politics, they have more of an opportunity to make changes that are needed. This does not mean that Smiley advocates changing the laws and rules of this country so that blacks are in power and whites are submissive, but only that the equality that should be there for all Americans does not always extend to black Americans as much as it was designed to do originally.

Some of this discrimination is intentional, but there is also discrimination that is not deliberate, but simply happens because of the way that laws are written or the way that things have always been done. This is the kind of discrimination that should be addressed and changed, because it can be altered much more easily than dealing with the hatred of a few people that will always discriminate as much as they can get away with, as often as they can. Smiley's collection of essays indicate that this type of hatred cannot really be stopped or avoided, but that there are always legal and reliable ways for black Americans to do well and succeed if that is the path that they choose. The essays also show that black Americans must be made aware of this path and that they have the option of being more than what they are.