By LUCIUS GANTT

Nowadays it seems like everybody wants to make something great again.

Russians are trying to make Moscow great again. Environmentalists are trying to make the planet great again. Financial institutions seek to make predatory lenders great again.

And, klansmen, neo-nazis, skinheads and conservative bigots are screaming make America great again!

I believe people of African descent in America and around the world should unite and make the ‘hood’ great again!

Figuratively speaking, Black neighborhoods everywhere should rise from the dead!

There are no neighborhoods anywhere that need more enhancement, more progress, more economic development, greater access to capital and investment money, more job opportunities, improved infrastructure, better and fairer police protection, better and more accessible health care options and facilities and more than Black neighborhoods!

So-called Negro leadership, the handkerchief-headed, boot-licking men and women that you idolize and love has made Black communities weak and white suburbs strong by suggesting that anything Black is inferior and anything non-Black is comparably superior. They say Black people can’t do anything without the government, Black people can’t tell you anything that is not on the white news network and Black youth can’t be anything if they are not accepted by another racial group!

But we can make Black neighborhoods great again. We can make Black neighborhoods great by understanding how great our communities were and believing in ourselves and in our communities once again!

Black religious leaders need to preach more about self respect, self pride, depending more on each other and less on our enemies, patronizing our businesses more and businesses that hire Black people rather than spending our community money at stores that don’t hire us but hire nonBlacks.

It wasn’t so long ago when many Black community activists and freedom fighters were religious leaders like Adam Clayton Powell, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Desmond Tutu and others.

These days on every Sunday, or Friday, Preachers, Priests, Imams and others talk about giving your money to God. If tithing is your faith go for it but true believers know that God doesn’t need money. God already has everything.

If houses of worship are doing the right thing worshipers would voluntarily contribute money to assist the ministry.

We need to believe in the individuals and institutions that believe in us. Social media sites take advantage of us. They don’t contribute to us, speak out for us or stand up for us. News networks don’t plead our cause or tell our side of the story.

Go to any white-owned news source and the words you’ll hear or read most often is “authorities say!” You’ll never hear, “Black people say.”

Every Black family should subscribe to at least one Black newspaper, magazine or newsletter. Our perspectives and views on life, politics and world events are oftentimes much different than what is depicted on the evening news.

Other than during slavery days, we have always been the last hired and the first fired.

Black businesses hire Black employees. We need to spend more money with the Black businesses that have good products, good services and good prices.

Every ethnic group spends most of their money with each other except African Americans.

Quit talking about making every other community great and start talking about and doing things to make your own community, your own ‘hood, great again!