Continuing the African American tradition of civil society

Community uplift without government support has deep roots among African Americans. This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s time to rediscover them.

Each year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day encourages an upsurge in volunteer work and charitable giving. Unfortunately, it tends to be just a one-day commitment. The annual one day of celebration each year of civic-mindedness isn’t enough to keep African American communities like mine thriving, especially when so many are struggling economically in the wake of the pandemic. For inspiration, we should look back to the Reconstruction Era, during which African Americans established civil-society institutions and organizations to keep their newly freed communities intact.

The African American tradition of civil society is deep but often overlooked. It began with those generations of former slaves who, after the Civil War, bought their freedom and established civic and business organizations during the Reconstruction Era to uplift and helped other enslaved Africans to strive and grow into the middle class in America. Many African Americans did not wait for the government to decide their fate. Instead, they took their future into their own hands and established schools, churches, businesses, and other groups.

My organization, the New Jersey Orators, is living proof of this attitude. A group of African American executives concerned by the lack of formal language skills of young people who interviewed for jobs at their respective companies founded New Jersey Orators in 1985. Since then, we have grown from one to multiple chapters across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Our organization helps students improve academics through mastery of public speaking, appreciation for all forms of literature, develop literacy and critical-thinking skills, enhance their self-esteem and leadership skills.