Don’t Conflate Social Capital with Leadership
Leadership is broader than wealth, popularity or influence. Yet, in American culture, far too many people mistake access for wisdom. Highly visible people – i.e., entertainers, elected officials or celebrities – have social capital but that isn’t the same thing as leadership. While social capital may open doors, access alone doesn’t mean a person understands the social, political or cultural dynamics in which others live.
In fact, if you’re deeply rooted in community, organizing alongside the community, or in relationship with the community, you are a leader. Not only are you a leader, but you’re a leader whose voice matters. Never forget that people closest to the pain of an issue are best prepared to not only discuss it but proffer solutions to address it.
A person with wealth and social capital is not necessarily wiser, nor should their views automatically be embraced. For example, NBA superstar LeBron James recently hurled negative comments about Memphis, the city where his team played. Many people felt his comments were devoid of the historical context of divestment in Black cities such as Memphis. In some, for a lot of people, his comments were all-around insulting.
“His comments felt a little elitist to me,” said with longtime Memphis-based organizer, Tameka Greer, founder and executive director of Memphis Artists for Change.
“I’m not saying people are saying LeBron is a leader, but I do believe because he has celebrity, social capital is often so much blurred with leadership,” Greer added. “We must be mindful of our social capital and how loosely we speak. It can, and often does, impact others.”
To elaborate, you cannot talk about conditions in predominantly Black cities without talking about the policies and practices that fueled such conditions. Given this, here are three things that made James’ comments so problematic:
Language is Powerful, Even in Casual Settings
Language is more than an expression. In fact, language isn’t benign. Even when informal, it has the power to build or decimate. Leadership is about knowing the power of your words. Had James carefully considered his power, his proximity to those with power, and the weight of his words, I would like to think he would not have been so dismissive with his characterization of Memphis, or other predominantly Black cities. Speaking publicly isn’t about perfection, but rather awareness. Once uttered, the impact of our words doesn’t dissipate. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if James’ comments provided pretext for what developers were likely already considering in terms of further divestment in the region.
James’ Comments Were Lacking in Historical Context
In Memphis, like many other majority Black cities, working class people must contend with a long history of divestment. What can the average Memphian do about the fact that the region doesn’t have hotels to James’ standards. Further, James can hop on a jet and leave while the average person cannot. A leader takes the time to learn not only who they are but who they are in relation to others. James’ comments appeared to blame Memphians for conditions out of their control.
Social Capital Shapes Perspective
A person’s proximity to power shapes what is natural or unnatural. With greater access, a person might experience some spaces differently than the people within them. This can complicate things when language is power-coded, sounding similar to institutional powers. An effective leader has awareness about the distance between themselves and others. The goal isn’t eliminating that distance, but to communicate with intention because of it.
In closing, the matter involving LeBron James is a reminder that people with wealth, access and power cannot save us, nor can they reliably represent us. The only hope that the average person has is people like you; people who wake up every day committed to organizing, and advancing systemic change.
Further, this situation is also a reminder that if you’re a leader, you must be connected to people at all ends of the socio-economic spectrum. Your advisors shouldn’t just be lawyers, accountants or people in your social class, but rather everyday people with lived experiences of navigating systemic challenges.
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Jennifer R. Farmer is a crisis communications expert and founder Spotlight PR LLC. Coshandra Dillard is deputy director-editorial at Spotlight PR LLC. Be sure to check out other blogs for additional PR tips.