2008 Picture Titled, Crabs In A Barrel II by Artist Ronnie Williams
Some have been conditioned to view crabs in a pot incorrectly. For the sake of this blog what if I told you, my current view is quite the opposite. The crabs down in the pot are not attempting to pull other crabs back, but are trying to gain leverage to escape the inevitable outcome if left in the boiling pot. That probably was a lot so let’s pause for a moment and allow that to sink in. Let’s examine this statement closer...
Using the analogy of crabs in a pot/barrel, to address our support to and for black owned business and one another in general the true hypocrisy of support there is where our conditioning to crabs in the pot takes hold and manifest.
Instead of supporting black owned business, local entrepreneurs, and even authors, supporting this idea society designate annual dates on a calendar supporting this concept, but why only one day out the year we too as a people pay homage. To say I support black owned is rather hypocritical if and when one strolls past those trying to do something positive in the community. Instead, many pretend to not see your progress, some may give watered down promises with no true intentions, and others too busy with self to care.
My fellow brothers and sisters if we don’t support one another why should those that see us as being different support us. If we cannot buy our own products or services from people who look like us why expect those outside our community to do so. The same goes for knowledge gained. Others outside our community do not devalue our God given gifts, we as a people do. We are living in a time that calls for us to be better towards each other.
Instead, it seems many are locked on ready with dollars in hand to pay for encouragement, advice, or written perspective from someone who has generationally seen our people as less than and in some cases still do. Even worse turn a blind eye to our fellow brothers and sisters who either have the same product or in many cases a better product.
There’s room at the top for everyone. Let’s do better to support each other. God’s calls for us to do that in St. Luke 12:13-21. We should not be focused on self in pursuit of wealth and fame, and material possessions, but focused on building character and trusting in Jesus Christ. Let’s humble ourselves and concentrate on being a blessing to someone else. When the time comes to leave this world, and no matter how important you’ve have become you will not be able to pack your coffin with riches.
It’s not always about the dollar, a simple referral is just as good. Let’s loose the perception that if I can’t you won’t either. With help from one another, we all can escape. With more collaboration and less competition we can lock hands and pull our race up and out the pot and free from demise only if we recondition ourselves to look at the crabs in the pot from a different view. Doing so will tip the pot over spilling an abundance of creativity to make the world a better place for everyone. I am not my brother’s keeper. I am the spring board to his success. Are you?
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