Opinion
The Kumbaya Effect
By Kevin Taylor
There comes a time when one ought to look into aiding their own people. With so much going on in the world today – and especially in the United States where African Americans do not seem to have found a place yet – it might behoove one to think of what his or her people are going through and work to solve their problems.
If you have not posed this question to yourself, you may suffer from an acute case of “anti-Kumbayaism”. Yes, I said it! And I said it with a straight face.
What does the Kumbaya Effect mean?
In explaining this, one can glean a meaning of “Kumbayaism”. There is a general application of this term: But in our case, the Kumbaya effect is specifically about the denigration of our culture, history and economy while boosting the social networks of other cultures and ethnicities.
The Kumbaya Effect is not necessarily an old phenomenon. Between 1950 and 1970 – during the folk revival and sit-ins of the Civil Rights movement – it was an anthem to reflect love and peace in the face of oppressive laws that begged for reform.
Then, while many African Americans were fighting oppressive laws and conditions imposed on them, one stood out: In his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sought to bring African Americans into the fold – the legendary speech itself becoming a catalyst for the Kumbaya Effect.
Rev. King is, undoubtedly, the most celebrated civil rights leader in the Western Hemisphere. His dream is given credence because a biracial man – who identifies himself as African American – resides in the White House today. “Look how far we have come!”
