Empowering Black Leaders

Joseph Hudson

For the longest time, I wanted to pursue a role in public service. In my early days, I was not very cognizant of how the world tries to break the spirit of Black people, so I often found myself regurgitating the same criticisms that those on the outside of the community belaboring the point of simply pulling up yourself by the bootstraps.

The more I learned and grew, I came to understand that this was a fundamentally impossible task and the phrase simply cast off the burdens of an oppressive system as simply individual character failings—and the angrier I became at how it was further used to divide the community and further oppress Black people.

Teach Them Young

It became clear to me that the only way the Black community would achieve a sliver of our goals is through direct action of all ages of Black people, but particularly young adults.

The drawback of youth however is the lack of experience. I felt this nagging imposter syndrome. For all my thoughts on what we could do to decrease police violence, increase education attainments, and create better communities, I found myself alone without connections who understood—much less shared—the desire to uplift the Black community.

It felt so hard getting involved in the Black community where I had been staying so I was thrilled to get my first internship offer from AmeriCorps, which allowed me to choose a position at the same school district I graduated from in order to continue giving back. Plus, I could keep up to date on the political landscape of Detroit; from the struggle for housing and high property taxes to debilitating public infrastructure.

The Power of Community

Following my internship, and with the help of my team lead, I was able to secure a community organizer position which opened so many doors for me to take direct action by partnering with numerous leaders around the city—from donating computers to nonprofits and recreation centers around the city to assisting with senior technology classes.

Experiences like these are needed on a much larger scale to provide aspiring Black leaders not just with connections but opportunities to put their skills to use through direct action projects. The act of organizing even a small but successful event can be overwhelming, so the use of cohorts and other member connections and skill sharing really help members feel like a community. These ideals cannot just be talked about, as the strength of Black people has always been our connection to each other.

Seizing Opportunities

Programs like the Kanada Fellowship offer Black people who are motivated to fight for change a chance to wade into the water as opposed to jumping into the deep end hoping to swim. Having resources and contacts that I now feel comfortable calling on for help in the future alleviates a lot of the despair that can build up in a fighting for social justice and the benefits of growing into the role of a community leader with other community leaders cannot be understated, given the need for leaders with integrity and determination.