Little has been published about the singular rash of deaths among the cultural, political and social elite of the African American community in 2005. A total of 56 men and women have passed away and with them a generation of unprecedented individual achievement marked by Pulitzer prizes, Presidential Medals of Honor, Grammy awards, Guinness Book of record acknowledgements, critical historic moments, and international influence. Men and women such as playwright August Wilson, Rosa Parks, social scientist Kenneth B. Clark, judge Constance Motley, lawyer and activist Johnnie L. Cochran, congresswoman and presidential hopeful Shirley Chisholm, balladeer Luther Vandross, and jazz singer Shirley Horn to name a few.     

Neither the African American community nor even the mainstream media appears to have grasped the enormity and severity of this unprecedented phenomenon. While it is true that it the numbers are not astronomical, they do merit attention given that a whole generation of achievers seems to have succumbed contemporaneously. More importantly, their respective legacies and achievements, lauded during their lifetime, may now be relegated to likely obscurity or empty symbolism because the context provided by their peer group has vanished.     

Perhaps, such an unfathomable occurrence requires time for social commentators and scholars to digest and reflect upon. However, it seems to me that the media is always the first-responder during occasions such as these. Yet, each successive death notice was treated independently – without a hint of how each specific loss could be construed, namely as part of an accumulation of social tragedies, which has severely undermined an important historical framework within the black community.           

Many of these illustrious men and women single-handedly redefined the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of oppressed humanity worldwide. As such, a large debt is owed to this generation of warriors and exemplars for the part each one played in liberating black folks. As their heirs and beneficiaries, we must now reflect seriously upon the black community’s future: What requires our attention in a post-civil rights era? Who is equipped to articulate the next vision? Who can and wants to lead the charge?

Leadership. Integrity. Vision. Faith. These attributes are but a few of the critical traits needed to maintain a strong, self-perpetuating community.   To whom do we ascribe such characteristics from among our ranks? Obviously, there appears to be no real pipeline. No apprenticeship was established to ensure the continued advancement of black people. Our baby boomers like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Kwesi Mfume, and others are considered obsolete, fringe, or tainted by scandal. Newbies such as Barack Obama are untried although promising. Activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte admitted that the “elders” did not pass on the baton. By definition, passing the baton is a key activity of an elder. If the elders of the black community have misread the signs and reasoned that their work is done, then a monumental crisis looms ahead. Civil rights gains are so widely distributed and consequently so open to attack. Without vigilance, preparation, a sense of history, a purposeful vision, and a new line of assault, hard won gains can be undone during one administration – or two.

Sheryl Smikle, Ph. D is Assistant Director of Disability Support Services at Vassar College. Her background is in language and diversity. She has worked on Wall Street for over a decade as a Human Resources Compliance Executive. Dr. Smikle can be contacted at [email protected].

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