"Study, Plan, Build: The Road to a Black Economic Renaissance

Story by contributing writer / grassroots organizer Brother James Shabazz

Let’s not sugarcoat it: now is not the time to relax. This is not the time to wait on politicians, another task force, or the next election. This is the moment to organize, plan, and build—because if we don’t take charge of our future, someone else will.

We are in a critical window of time. The process of mapping and building a grassroots political and economic plan for Black communities across America must be our highest priority. Not next year. Not when things “calm down.” Now.

We Already Have the Blueprint. Are We Using It?

This isn’t about guessing. It’s not about “starting from scratch.” We already have

working models from powerful minds and institutions:

• The United House of Prayer for All People

• The Nation of Islam

• Professor Amos Wilson

• Dr. Claude Anderson

Each of these thinkers and institutions has offered us real strategies—not just to survive, but to thrive. Their work outlines how we can stop gentrification, reverse its effects, and spark a Black Economic Renaissance in our neighborhoods. So why are we still waiting?

We’ve Been Lied To About Liberation

For decades, many of our community leaders—well-meaning and dedicated—have put their faith in the wrong things. They’ve held up the U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Charter like sacred texts, hoping they’d eventually deliver us from poverty, housing insecurity, and injustice.

But let’s be honest: those promises were never meant for us. They were designed to look good on paper, but in practice? They’ve done more to maintain the status quo than to disrupt it. They’ve acted like Trojan horses—inviting us in, only to leave us powerless, displaced, and divided.

We Need a “Do for Self” Revolution—Now

We’re not victims of chance. We’ve been kept in survival mode by design. That’s why many of our people operate off instinct, not strategy. But the truth is, no one is coming to save us. Behind closed doors, politicians are making budget decisions that don’t care about our pain—they care about profit. If your community isn’t seen as marketable or productive? You’re not getting funding. You're getting crumbs.

I've been in those rooms. I’ve heard the cold, inhumane language used to justify our neglect. This isn’t conspiracy. It’s policy.

Protest is Not Enough—We Must Build

Let’s be clear: marching has its place. But where’s the long-term plan? Where’s the strategy that says, “We will build, not beg”?

As long as we’re asking for things we should be organizing to create, we will remain at the mercy of those who don’t value us.

On April 14th, activists will march on Capitol Hill, protesting housing cuts. But without a real plan in place, it becomes another moment instead of a movement.

Want to see the consequences of having no strategy? Watch the 2018 Southeast D.C. community meeting: “D.C. Comprehensive Plan Pt.1: 40,000 Black Residents Displaced.”

Video Inspired by the words of Brother James Shabazz

That video isn’t just a documentary—it’s a mirror. It reveals a sobering truth: even among our most passionate grassroots leaders, too many are reacting without a real roadmap. And passion without philosophy? That’s just noise.

This Is a Call to Action—Not a Suggestion

Let’s bring back the Do for Self mindset—not as a slogan, but as a way of life. We must define our own future, or we’ll keep watching others define it for us.

Here’s what you can do starting today:

• Study the blueprints from Amos Wilson, Claude Anderson, the Nation of Islam, and the United House of Prayer

  
  

• Hold real conversations in your home, your church, your school, your block

  
  

• Get serious about land, business, and local politics

  
  

• Educate your people using social media, blogs, books, and community study groups

  
  

• Stop waiting for a savior—and start building with your tribe

The Bottom Line : We’ve marched. We’ve protested. We’ve asked. Now we must plan, build, and take ownership. We are not powerless. We are not forgotten. We are powerful once we unite with purpose and strategy. Let’s turn pain into power. Let’s move from slogans to systems. Let’s stop asking—and start building.