"Trust in The Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5 ESV
So this is it! I must admit that this moment is bittersweet. On one end of the spectrum, I am leaving my family, friends and loved ones behind. On the other end, I am getting ready to embark on a new journey! I am writing this blog as another installment in the birth of my journey into the Peace Corps. This blog will be straight and to the point because I do not have a lot to say but what I do have to say is sure to be impactful to the reader.
Today I will begin my journey to Namibia. Although, you might say that I really began my journey on August 18th when I submitted my application. That was 11 months and 3 days ago! It has taken me that long to go through all of the hurdles of a very competitive program. The endless essays using the words - help, impact, support, encourage - without fully knowing the meaning of those words and the context in which I was to use them. That was 11 months and 3 days of watching countless hours of Peace Corps related material on YouTube. That was 11 months and 3 days of explaining to family and friends WHY IN THE WORLD I would go into the Peace Corps, how it connects to my greater career goals, the cultural exposure and educational benefits. Not to mention the dreaded question where I would literally begin convincing people that going into the Peace Corps is not just for White Americans. I would laugh when I heard, "that's what rich white kids do," or "I just don't see how the Peace Corps impacts the black community." The most famous line I heard when explaining my reasoning for going into the Peace Corps was related to the fact that what I will be doing in Namibia I can do at any inner city public school system, in particular, South Baltimore. The comments are valid and came from the heart of that persons perspective. However, I would challenge us to begin to dig deeper and think differently about the way we view these types of opportunities. For instance, African Americans disportionately join the Peace Corps. Even more striking is the amount of black males who join the Peace Corps. This has been a historic trend since the inception of such an organization. The organization has failed to attract African Americans. In 1961-1971, the Peace Corps had several campaigns to encourage black Americans to join its ranks. One campaign was called "Integration: Token or Reality," in which it sought to educate trainees on civil rights issues of the day and how the Peace Corps is actively combating these inequalities. During the 60s, the nation was divided with the civil rights movements that had leaders such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Baldwin. Malcolm X was critical of the Peace Corps and created a negative connotation about the organization. He called the organization and its volunteers, "spies subjugating Africa in the guise of assisting it." Malcolm X further stated about black volunteers that they were "race traitors and (traitors) of the rightful cause." Hence, since the inception of the Peace Corps black Americans have pause and question the organization and question the role of black volunteers participation. I would reason this same mentality is carried today.
To make these statements more relevant, I can tell you exactly how I feel in this space. Rather than continue to question my own reasoning for joining the Peace Corps, I began to do my own research. As I struggled with these feelings and having to deal with the awkward space that I have placed myself in, I had an "ah-ha" moment. An "ah-ha" moment came when I read an article titled "Beyond Double Consciousness: Black Peace Corps Volunteers in Africa, 1961-1971." This article was of particular interest to me as it allowed me to deal with this space of race and the connondrum that I found myself in.
Of course, the article leans on the Du Bois concept of double consciousness from his historic book, "The Souls of Black Folk." The concept of double consciousness is brought to the foreground of his dialogue when Du Bois asks, "AM I AMERICAN OR AM I NEGRO? CAN I BE BOTH?" Du Bois responded with a hardy yes! This was to affirm that the African American was in fact dealing with two conscious spaces. The first space is the NEGRO space. The second is the AMERICAN space. At the heart of the discussion is the struggle to deal with being a Black man and having to be an American. These are the same feelings that I have right now. Going to the Peace Corps is like leaving my community because there is so much work that needs to be done here. But on the other hand, I want to serve my country.
Yet, the struggles of a Black man in America are different than any other individual in America, albeit, the planet. The black man has to deal with "walking while black," as we have seen from the recent Trayvon Martin verdict of not guilty. The question is how can I be safe as a Black man in America? What the case really says to me is that the black man's life is not valued in America. Juror B-37 said flat out that there was no connection to Martin. They felt as if they did not know him. Although these points may seem off key from the greater conversation, the context of the situation does fit! The present feeling among Black America is that we are hurt for many reasons. But we have realized that a system that was not meant for us cannot protect us!
As a Black Man in America going into the Peace Corps how do I respond to such blatant attacks on the black man? This awkward space I find myself in is weird! On one hand, I am proud to serve my country as an American and stand up with fellow volunteers to spread peace and friendship with other countries on behalf of the United States. On the other hand, I am concerned that I live in an America that does not value black life... AT ALL. And I am referring to black on black crime as well (Chicago, Memphis, and other urban cities). On yet another hand, I am coming into the realization that I am just a human being in the human experience. Dr. King once stated that "we are all inescapably tied to each others destiny." (Paraphrase) What one does impacts and effects the other. I am moving into what the Beyond Double Consciousness article describes as "universal oneness," where I have racial pride but I am cognizant of the belief that humanity is one. Sargent Shriver stated it poignantly in a speech at the inception of the Peace Corps. I will leave you with this thought - "When will the ugly incidents of Montgomery and Birgmingham cease to be? Only when every man becomes a person to every other man." When will the Trayvon Martin's cease to be? Only when every black man becomes a person to every OTHER man!
We are in a Zenith and Nadir moment in America... We are approaching a 3rd Reconstruction era of America.
- Eugene H. Smith, M. A.
Twitter: @eugene_smith88
This blog does not represent the Peace Corps or the United States of America.
