“Beyond Shutdowns: How the Black Community Thrives Through Unity and Like-Minded Action”
- Brother Levon X
- Oct 2
- 4 min read
We are living in a time of great uncertainty. Some may even say that scripture has already foreseen these days, yet that does not mean we cannot prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. History remains the greatest teacher, and when we look back at how our people endured the Middle Passage, slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement, the consistent thread of survival was unity through group economics and the circulation of resources.
Even in the days of segregation, the Black community was not known for shutting others out of our businesses. Instead, we opened our doors, even as others closed theirs to us. That spirit of openness still exists within us today, but it must be guided by wisdom. In 2025, as gentrification continues to reshape our neighborhoods, we cannot allow a colonialist mindset to define our future. We must reclaim the strength that is already within us.
There are steps we can take right now, beginning in our own families and extending into our communities. Many of us have inherited property that remains unused, or we see land for sale all around us. These are opportunities to build. With mature conversations and a shared vision, families can turn those resources into community wealth. No one is stopping us from working together, from leveraging local politics in our favor, and from moving beyond labels of political affiliation. Right and wrong should guide us—not party lines, not theological differences, not divisions that weaken us.
Jamie Landry Our Community Supporter wrote: Yes, let’s get back to the basics. Domestication has made us forget self and collective sufficiency, but we can change that.
We need to organize—or at least start by taking care of our basic needs the way our ancestors did. Grow food in pots, bags, or gardens, and barter with neighbors. Support Black farmers, even if it’s as small as buying a jar of jam. Every little bit matters when we move together.
Let’s form study groups in churches, businesses, parks, and homes to reclaim OURstory and teach critical thinking. Education leads to self-respect and frees us from assimilation into destructive systems. Alongside this, vocational schools can equip us with skills to cook, sew, build, repair, and grow food.
We must redirect the $1.7 trillion we spend in white-owned businesses into Black-owned ones, buy land, and build family compounds and communities where resources are shared. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Independent schools are also essential. We must reach our children before the system does, teaching them our history, values, and principles.
I repeat these truths because we need to be our own commercials, countering the toxic media that keeps us distracted. I love my people, and I want us to thrive, not just survive.
Self-sufficiency also means health. Our ancestors survived with far fewer resources because they understood the basics: food grown from the soil, livestock for milk and eggs, and gardens in every home. Agriculture is not slavery—it is freedom. A small pot of vegetables on a balcony or a modest backyard garden is a step toward independence. There is no excuse for us not to begin again with what we have, because every effort adds to collective strength.
We must also live within our means and practice disciplined economics. Leadership must be rooted in service, not ego. Those in positions who hinder progress should gracefully step aside so that those with expertise can move us forward. This is not about personal power; it is about a shared vision for survival and prosperity.
It is essential that we allow family members with knowledge in economics and real estate to take the lead in business ventures. Jealousy and envy cannot be the reasons we fail to succeed. Everyone has a role to play in a family venture—big or small. What matters is knowing how to play that role properly so that the entire family can prosper.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us a clear economic blueprint: if each of us saved even a nickel a day, pooling our resources together, we could acquire land and build institutions for ourselves. We have never lacked visionaries in our community; what we lack is consistent application of those visions. Feel-good speeches are not enough. It is time to put concrete plans into action.
Consider the Amish community. They remain largely unaffected by government shutdowns or political turbulence because they have mastered a self-sustaining way of life. They rely on themselves and each other. Their survival is proof that such a system can work—if we are disciplined enough to apply it.
We, too, can do better. But it begins with us. We must clean our homes, strengthen our families, and study the sciences of economics, nutrition, agriculture, and generational wealth. With so much information at our fingertips, failure is not because of lack of knowledge but because of lack of application. The future is shaped by those willing to step outside the box and put principles into practice.
No matter who is in office or whether the government shuts down, the fundamentals do not change. Discipline, unity, and vision remain the keys. If we embrace these truths, our people will not only survive but thrive.
The time for excuses has passed. The time for action is now.
Peace.
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