Follow Godly Leadership or Know You are Walking in Darkness

Editor’s note:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Community Times Newspaper, it’s staff or advertisers.

We are writing this week in total amazement after reading an article in the Community Times Newspaper. The article's headline was "IRS Admits Targeting Black Taxpayers for Audits." We don't know about you, but that took the wind out of our sails. Let me give some perspective on what went through my mind when I read the headline. The article was not only breaking news; it was a notification of what we have been writing for some time now. It was not just hyperbole but an actual synopsis of what Black Americans have been contending with in 2023.

Not to minimize racial injustice or economic inequality, but consider that the agency we have entrusted with the responsibility of collecting taxes from all Americans has set a different bar for Blacks to hurdle. They act not as a government agency but as a privately managed organization. It is particularly difficult to describe how offensive that acknowledgment is. It sets explicitly a defining bar between the ethnic groups. If you take the time to notice, it did not say LGBTQ, Latino, Native American, or Whites, nor, as Dr. Claud Anderson says, midgets or humpbacks mixed into the equation, as is the case when they talk about leveling the playing field. Instead, blacks are singled out for this discrimination. And you can probably attribute that to this being economically specific.

We want to stop here and thank Brother Burnett W. "Kwadwo" Gallman Jr. for pointing out the difference between equity and equality. In a recent article, he made some astonishingly telling observations that go to the heart of distinguishing between the two. The IRS article alludes to a study to discover what is happening. But we say they did not need to conduct a study to see how Blacks are targeted for audits, which means that it has become common practice for Blacks to receive the greatest scrutiny when the issue relates to money. Just consider that when one ethnic group is targeted, that means other ethnic groups are being given less scrutiny. Also, consider that Republicans in Congress are now trying to hold the country hostage to get a provision put into the bill allowing the United States to target low-income individuals who most of them perceive are Black into the debt relief package. Whether their perceptions are accurate or not is irrelevant because they hold a majority in the House of Representatives.

Sadly, most Black people will read this article and not be upset. To them, it's just one more negative thing being done to African Americans. But we say somewhere, and somehow, we must convey the collective outrage to want to fight back. When I hear about a study being done, I think of that cliché saying, "Put it on the back burner until they forget about it." But, as you and I both know, America is known for its studies. Our archives are full of studies that reveal startling findings. But getting around to doing something about the results is rare. So we suggest every Black person with any consciousness get upset enough about this egregiously inappropriate narrative and WAKE UP and get involved.

Call your Congressman, your Representative, your President, your neighbors, your friends, or whomever. Let them know this is another issue that is too important for you to let such an announcement come and go without a response. When there is no response from those pretending to be your leaders, it means they are too brain-dead to know what is going on. The time has come to rid ourselves of the albatrosses of wannabe leaders who sit around and do nothing. Getting some new and effective leadership on the school board is a fine place to start. But it must continue. Every area with no activity or signs of leadership needs to be addressed. It is time we become fully functional, and that is not about to happen as long as we keep our heads in the sand regarding leadership.

Start looking amongst us to see if you recognize anyone with the wherewithal to get us on the right track. Then, we must begin to talk to those people and get them involved. What we suggest is relatively easy. It is called putting your brightest and best out front. The placeholders have had adequate time to demonstrate their inability to lead. We will only begin to advance when the right leadership takes us forward. Think about it: do we have enough time left to keep depending on followers to lead? It isn't very sensible to look to people whose perspective and broad view of the world is too narrow to encompass the things that need to be done for us to keep up, much less catch-up. So, we are asking for those in leadership to lead and those who are clueless to get out of the way. We are not stating these facts to be mean or unsympathetic. No, but as people who genuinely care about the future. Look around. If we are headed in the right direction, then take the liberty to disregard everything we have said. But, if you see us falling further behind in the race for equity and equality, simply "get on board." WAKE UP!

Leaders must have creative ideals we can grab onto as we propel ourselves forward. For there to be good leaders is a "GODLY" principle. Follow Godly leadership, or know that you are walking in darkness. We need leaders actively engaged in matters of grave consequence for us. Time is out for voting for people just because they know them. Chances are, if you know them well enough, you know they don't have an ounce of leadership ability, although they are good people. Just because a person is good at one thing does not mean they are qualified to be leaders. Leaders have to know where they are headed and have the ability to help others see the vision to get there.

Sincerely Yours,

"Nothing Comes To Sleepers But Dreams"

Elder, James W. Williams

Chairperson, Advocacy Organization, Lifelineplus