Developing Cross-Cultural Leadership for the African Diaspora

By Frank T. Scruggs:  The Afro News International

The African Diaspora has many issues that are not unique to one faction. A large number of African people sometimes think that the problems of the entire African Diaspora are a responsibility and a universal obligation. In many cases this holds true but effective leadership locally is a more reason and achievable for addressing many local issues that plague our communities throughout the Diaspora. Approaching these problems require insight and a way to achieve a strategic agenda for dealing with the problems of the African people around the world.

Developing an insight and awareness as to how to communicate across the cultural divide that exists throughout the African Diaspora that is multicultural; not culturally monolithic as perceived by non-African people is important for African leaders everywhere. The recognition of other cultural factions comes with a caveat that must not be ignore; and that warning is to reject members of illegitimate factions whom pretend to care about the strength of the community. This warning also includes those factions whom hold onto corruption, criminal values, exploitation and greed. Often, some of these factions claim to possess a culture of the street but they act in detriment to the African community; often preying on the same people from whom they ask support. The late Kwame Ture issued a warning about allowing coalitions to be formed with those factions that would seek to corrupt the forward progress of the African Diaspora. Ture said:

“Exposing the corrupters is not a matter of giving aid and comfort to racists; it is a necessary requirement for purging the struggle of charlatans and a means of protecting the legitimacy of that struggle from its detractors. Drug dealers, con artists and sycophants of whatever color are not legitimate political leaders, notwithstanding the number of people they influence.”

Although many people from the several cultural groups possess street values, the line of demarcation is drawn at outright corruption and criminality.

When our African leaders and we as African people come to better understand the myriad of different cultural factions that make up the entire black or African community we will have enabled ourselves therapeutically. Hence we are enabled to heal our own collective psyche and spirit from the ravages of colonialism, corruption and racism.

African leadership when placing emphasis on commonalities, humanity and specific common objectives and achievable goals can then build coalitions for political and economic power. The greater reality of potential occurs when cultural differences are bridged through communication and self- awareness. Self-awareness before negotiation throughout the Diaspora must be adopted in order to:

• Effectively understand one’s own position and the position of others

• Therapeutically approach mediation, which is necessary in order to deal with conflict.

• Recognize that what you as an individual want and desire (since coalitions start with individuals who become founders of coalitions).

Cross-cultural approaches within the African Diaspora are necessary since it recognizes that minority groups may be complex and diverse even though they are situated in an even larger society of African people. These diverse groups although constantly changing and diverse are capable of reaching consensus. This can be accomplished when there is a blueprint and a vehicle for addressing issues and a model for communication and articulating goals and objectives even across great cultural and ideological divide throughout the African Diaspora.