The fabric of American culture continues to set the global standard for harmonized diversity.
By Adoria Doucette
As awareness surrounding the global cultural legacy of communities of color increases, the racial melting pot of the United States will rapidly evolve into one of our nation’s most rapidly appreciating assets. (Nicolas Cordier, Il Moro, 1607-1612, Image courtesy of the Louvre Museum, Paris, France)
For the past year, the complexities of race in America have been thrust to the forefront of public discourse. To survive as a thriving nation, we must move beyond simplistic and irrational attitudes that too often determine perceptions, decisions and events. This moment in history presents a major opportunity for our collective consciousness as a nation to mature regarding race in the United States.
Our nation is too young for prolonged periods of behavior that does not empower idealized global leadership. This is a test; how our nation deals with current racial issues will redefine our global identity. For this reason, we must realize that we are in a global race – a race towards making our ideals into reality.
Modern technological conveniences accelerate philosophical and moral debates of cultural importance. Any issue can almost instantly be shared and debated with tens of millions of people through social media platforms. This phenomenon has its benefits and its drawbacks. The benefit is that important issues can receive the exposure they deserve. The drawback is, as Gore Vidal poignantly observed, that we are too often “The United States of Amnesia.” We are inundated with important events and information; yet after a few days, we forget and move on. Dramatic events too often desensitize us from proactive civic engagement and productivity.
This year our culture has been haunted by turmoil of riots in Ferguson, Baltimore, escalating minority youth violence, and dozens of documented law enforcement abuses towards minorities. On the flipside of these horrors, there are countless examples of wealth creation within the African American community along with professional excellence across every professional discipline, the most exceptional being global leadership of Nobel Peace Prize winner and 45th President of the United States Barack Obama, who has ushered in an era of robust economic recovery, rewarding those with the intellectual fortitude to properly navigate our complex capitalist system.
We in this nation’s capital are surrounded by multi-racial wealth along with professional, academic and cultural excellence. The triumph of the lower class over social ills across our land shall only manifest through unity in national purpose. Freedom isn’t free and disenfranchised minority communities need continuous self empowerment within our meritocracy. Education is a key component of the American dream, and as we live through another vital period of American cultural development, all of us in the nation’s capital must be fully engaged towards intelligence and logical progress. Our nation is so young that our daily lives are still affected by outdated ideas of the past, even when individually we have moved far beyond the flawed logic of these problematic traditions.
As I recently discussed with both the First Lady of Burundi Denise Nkurunziza and General Secretary of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, the minority and majority communities in the United States must become more globally aware of the cultural leadership people of color have had throughout the ancient world, middle ages, and modern times in societies around the world.
Any prejudice that rears its head across our land is one mainly perpetuated by perception, not reality. There seems to be consistent prejudicial feelings towards minorities and immigrants, however in reality, the overwhelming majority of Americans are respectful and appreciative of hard working and honest fellow citizens, regardless of cultural background. Racial problems can be overcome individually, therefore they can be minimized structurally.
Washington, D.C. is ground zero for the evolution of the American ideal. The most recent example of this is the convergence of 1 million African Americans and supporters on the National Mall at the Million Man March for Justice on October 10th. This peaceful and powerful demonstration is the latest manifestation of how the United States, as the most racially diverse nation in the world, will continue to be the global leader in striving towards making the dreams of our collective citizenry a reality. This race towards equal justice shall never end, and must never be abandoned.
Power Source is an insider’s view of power networks and activities that contribute to the continued dominance of our nation’s ideals, institutions and individuals. Ms. Doucette has privately orchestrated projects for the world’s most influential individuals, celebrated personalities, and corporations. Based in Washington D.C., Ms. Doucette is a proud native of New Orleans, Louisiana. She can be reached at: adoria@thepowersourcedc.com
