DAC: From Hood to Community- The Fight for Black Autonomy and Unity

What’s good, family? Welcome back to Da Urban Conservative. It’s your man, Chaz Neal, and today, we’re diving deep into a conversation that’s long overdue in our communities. Or, should I say… our ‘hoods’? Let’s be real—do we even live in true communities anymore?
Let me start this episode off by quoting the late, great Dick Gregory. He said, “You don’t live in no community, you ain’t never lived in no goddamn community. A community is when you control your schools, your education, your banks and finances, everything. You live in a hood, and a hood is something you put around your head when you’re trying to hide something.”
Now that right there? That hits. That’s heavy. Because too many of us are out here thinking that just because we live in predominantly Black areas, we got something called a community. We throw that word around like it’s nothing. But if we don’t control our own education system, if we don’t own our own banks or decide what happens with our money, if we don’t govern our own neighborhoods, are we really living in a community? Or are we just surviving in a hood?
See, this is bigger than semantics. It’s about what we think we have versus what we actually have. And I’m going to break it all the way down today, just like Gregory challenged us to. So buckle up, family, because we’re about to analyze this whole idea, line by line, evidence by evidence.
Now, let me tie this into something even bigger. Ever heard of Pan-Africanism? If you haven’t, you better start paying attention because it’s directly connected to the struggle for Black autonomy. Pan-Africanism is a movement that calls for the unity of all African people, from the continent and the diaspora, in the fight against colonialism and white supremacy. It’s a vision that stretches beyond borders, beyond languages, and even beyond skin tones. At its core, it’s about self-determination—the same thing Dick Gregory was talking about when he called out the difference between a community and a hood.
Pan-Africanism calls for African people to control our resources, our land, our education, and our future. It’s about building a future where no outside power has its foot on our necks, where no colonial forces are dictating how we live, what we learn, and who we become. But here’s the million-dollar question: are we, as Black Americans, even doing this? Are we practicing what Pan-Africanism preaches? Are we taking control of our own destiny, or are we just waiting for somebody else to fix our problems?
Let’s delineate. Yeah, I said it—delineate. It means to break something down and analyze it piece by piece, and that’s what I’m here to do today. I want us to really examine the claim that we’re out here building communities. Let’s look at the evidence.
First, let’s talk about education. Who controls the schools in most Black neighborhoods? Is it us? Are we the ones setting the curriculum? Are we making sure that our children are learning not just the history of our oppression, but the history of our greatness? Are we teaching them how to build wealth, how to navigate a world that still doesn’t want to see them win? Or are we letting someone else control the narrative? Are we letting the same system that has failed us for generations continue to fail our kids?
We know the answer to that one. We’re not in control. In most cases, we don’t have Black-owned, Black-governed schools that prioritize the education of our youth in the way that we need. And until we change that, we’re not living in a community. We’re surviving in a system that wasn’t built for us.
Now let’s talk about banks and finances. This one hurts because it’s no secret that the wealth gap between Black and white Americans is staggering. And what are we doing about it? Are we investing in Black-owned banks? Are we pooling our money together to create opportunities for each other? Or are we just spending every dollar we get in businesses that don’t give a damn about us? We’ve got Black-owned banks, yes, but do we support them? Do we even know about them? We’ve got the tools to build something powerful, but too many of us are content with being consumers instead of owners. And again, we’re not living in a community if we’re not controlling the flow of our own money.
Let’s take a moment to breathe because this ain’t an easy conversation. But we need to have it. We’ve got too many folks out here who are okay with things the way they are. Too many of us are comfortable in this hood mentality, hiding behind our lack of control, thinking this is as good as it gets. And we’ve got to wake up.
Now, I know I’m being hard on us today, but that’s because I believe in us. I believe we have the power to change this. But first, we’ve got to recognize that a hood isn’t a community. A hood is something we’ve been forced into. It’s a product of systemic racism, redlining, gentrification, and everything else that’s designed to keep us at the bottom. But a community? A community is something we can build if we take control. It’s something we can create if we’re willing to put in the work.
So let’s talk solutions. How do we get out of the hood mentality and start building real communities? It starts with education. We need to support initiatives that create Black-owned, Black-governed schools. We need to teach our kids not just to survive but to thrive in this world. That means investing in their futures by making sure they’re equipped with the knowledge and skills to be leaders, not followers.
Next, we need to circulate our dollar within our community. Black-owned businesses, Black-owned banks—these need to be our priority. Every time we spend a dollar outside of our community, we’re giving someone else the power we should be holding onto.
And finally, we need to organize. Pan-Africanism shows us that unity is the key to liberation. We need to come together, not just as Black Americans, but as people of African descent across the globe. We’re stronger together, and when we realize that, we’ll be unstoppable.
So family, ask yourself: Are we doing this? Are we building real communities, or are we hiding in hoods? The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now.
That’s it for today’s episode of Da Urban Conservative. I’m your host, Chaz Neal, and as always, we’re here to keep it real, keep it raw, and keep pushing the conversation forward. Until next time, stay woke, stay aware, and stay active. Peace.
********
This episode was brought to you by Da Urban Conservative, your source for unapologetic truth, critical thinking, and Black empowerment. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.