“When demonstrating that you are really an equal, climb up if you can—but don’t act uppity. Always show that you are grateful. Even if what you have gained has been wrested from unwilling powers, be sure to be grateful lest they take it all away.”
Paul Robeson, in his autobiography, ‘Here I Stand‘ (1958)
Paul Robeson was referring, above, to the experience of black people in the USA in the early years of the 20th Century. The point he was making was that many people in power expect gratitude from those who suffer injustice or unfairness for what everyone else takes for granted as their right. (I was reminded of this recently when I was watching a programme on telly about the history of slavery. When Governments tried to end slavery in the early 19th Century financial compensation had to be given to the slave owners – not the slaves)!
I love the way Paul uses the word uppity when he talks about those who are often denied their human rights and who will never sit anywhere near the top table of society. In our modern lingo, uppity might be translated as assertive or cheeky or even demanding of rights.
The Focus Group, who I will describe in the next post, are very often people who those in power don’t like being uppity or demanding of their rights. That’s because if I take power and status for granted, I have no idea what it is like to have no power to change things that I don’t like.
And gratitude generally goes one way.
If I am poor, I have to be grateful to the wealthy and the powerful. But I don’t think that there are many situations where it goes the other way, that is, where the powerful and wealthy are grateful to the poor. After all, what do I have, if I am poor, that wealthy and powerful people need?
Or – more aptly – what can I, if I am a poor man, take away from the powerful and wealthy if they don’t show sufficient gratitude?
Paul’s words will have a lot of relevance as we describe the Focus Group – and, indeed, what I will call the Pillars‘ attitude in general!