Reclaiming Our Future from MAGA: Infrastructure and Self-Reliance in the Black Community
Keywords:
Black empowerment, infrastructure, social work, anti-oppressive practice, transnational solidarityAbstract
In this paper, I examine the historical and contemporary infrastructure challenges facing Black communities in the United States through a social work lens. I explore how systemic racism, policy shifts, and political volatility have shaped Black responses over the past century—from Pan-Africanism to civil rights and contemporary DEI efforts. I propose a strategic vision of self-reliance, collective empowerment, and transnational solidarity rooted in Afrocentric social work and anti-oppressive practice. My argument is that true empowerment must involve community ownership of institutions, long-term structural planning, and a commitment to systemic innovation that goes beyond symbolic inclusion or reform.
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REFLECTIONS:
NARRATIVES OF PROFESSIONAL HELPING
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