The Hardest Truth I Ever Learned About Black Unity
At this moment, I think we Black people are looking for the problem in the wrong place.
For years, decades, generations, we have spoken about racism, discrimination, lack of opportunities, lack of support, and the systems that have worked against us.
Many of those concerns are real.
But there is a question that has been bothering me more and more as I get older.
What happens when opportunities are finally created by our own people?
What happens when one of us builds a business?
Creates a school?
Launches a platform?
Starts a movement?
Publishes a book?
Creates a product?
Builds a marketplace?
Builds technology?
Why do we often become the first people to doubt it?
Today, I am speaking directly to my melanated brothers and sisters around the world.
Because I believe slavery hit us harder than most of us realize.
Not only physically.
Not only economically.
But psychologically.
Spiritually.
Emotionally.
Because if in 2026 we are still saying, “Black people don’t support each other,” then we need to stop repeating the statement and start asking why.
Let me ask you something.
And I want you to be honest.
Imagine I said:
“I need $10,000 to build a school in a village where children don’t even have running water. I’ve added the link below. If you can support with just $1, together we can make it happen.”
What was your first thought?
Be honest.
Did you immediately think:
“Of course. Where is the link?”
Or was your first thought:
“Hell no.”
“Sounds like a scam.”
“Where is the proof?”
“He probably wants the money for himself.”
Think about it.
And let me know in the comments 👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾
Because there is no justification for children living without clean water.
There is no justification for children studying in schools that lack the most basic necessities.
If you ask me what I would do, I can answer that immediately.
I’ve already done it.
The first time I visited a country and saw children attending school under conditions that shocked me, I didn’t spend months debating whether they deserved help.
I helped.
I paid for a water fountain to be built.
I helped renovate parts of the school.
Do you know what it cost?
Less than $3,000.
Not $300,000.
Not $30,000.
Less than $3,000.
And the result changed the daily lives of hundreds of children.
The video still exists today.
You can see the water fountain.
You can see the children singing.
You can see the joy that came from something so simple.
Yet many people would spend more than that on luxury items without thinking twice.
And that realization forced me to confront something uncomfortable.
The biggest obstacle is not always a lack of resources.
Sometimes it is a lack of belief.
The truth is that I have spent most of my adult life believing in my people.
Many people don’t know this, but since I was around twenty-two years old, I have earned significant amounts of money.
Some years close to €200,000.
As I got older, I often earned even more.
Yet somehow I always found myself broke.
Not because I was irresponsible.
Not because I was lazy.
But because I kept investing.
Investing in people.
Investing in projects.
Investing in ideas.
Investing in communities.
Investing in the dream that one day we would become whole again.
For the last fourteen years I have been building.
Building technology.
Building opportunities.
Building platforms.
Building networks.
Building solutions.
My money went into my people.
My knowledge went into my people.
My time went into my people.
My energy went into my people.
And I will continue until we become whole again.
What confuses me is this.
How is it possible that after everything our ancestors endured, after everything we have learned, after everything we have overcome, we still struggle to believe in each other?
Why does it seem that every group eventually develops pride in itself except us?
Why do so many of us need validation from people outside our own communities before we trust something created by our own people?
The painful reality is that I know many Black millionaires and billionaires.
Around fifty of them are in my contacts.
Some are brilliant.
Some are successful beyond imagination.
Yet I have noticed something troubling.
Many will invest in everything except Black people.
Many will support causes all around the world.
Many will spend tens of thousands on luxury goods.
Many will donate to projects that make them appear generous.
But when it comes to investing in our own people, the conversation often becomes silent.
I have reached out.
No exceptions.
Sometimes there is no response.
And what makes it interesting is that if I send a compliment, many respond immediately.
Which tells me something important.
The issue is not a lack of communication.
The issue is priorities.
Now, before anyone misunderstands me, I am not saying every wealthy Black person behaves this way.
There are exceptions.
I see people working hard to educate, uplift, and empower others.
I see individuals who are planting seeds for future generations.
And those people deserve recognition.
But overall, I believe we have a deeper problem.
Too many of us have forgotten how to believe in each other.
And if we do not fix this, future generations will pay the price.
So how do we solve it?
The answer is simpler than people think.
Believe in your people.
Forgive yourself.
Because when you forgive yourself, it becomes easier to forgive others.
If you have resources, help someone.
Not everyone.
Just one person.
Reach out before they ask.
Support them before they give up.
Encourage them before they quit.
The greatest lesson I learned as a business coach is that most people don’t actually need money.
They need belief.
They need someone who sees their potential.
They need someone standing beside them when things get difficult.
Many of the people I coached never asked me for a dollar.
Yet their businesses grew.
Their confidence grew.
Their lives changed.
Not because I funded them.
But because I believed in them.
That belief became fuel.
That belief became power.
That belief became momentum.
So when I speak about support, I am not only talking about money.
If your mind immediately went to money, perhaps it is time to look deeper into your own consciousness.
I am talking about presence.
I am talking about encouragement.
I am talking about community.
I am talking about unity.
To those who have been quietly supporting others behind the scenes, I salute you.
To those who have been helping without recognition, I thank you.
To those who have been carrying the weight of others without applause, I see you.
The future will not be built by people waiting for a savior.
It will be built by ordinary people deciding to become the support they once wished they had.
It is time to believe again.
It is time to trust again.
It is time to unite.
The next generation is watching.
And what we do today will determine whether they inherit strength or division.
The choice is yours!
Your brother,
Shudweney Noventa