America is great because its people have been afforded many pathways to prosperity. Unfortunately, there are forces at work — namely from the Left — that do not want Americans to benefit from the gifts they have inherited, to specifically address the black community.

But this isn’t white privilege at work. On the contrary, the road to success — strong families, generational wealth and so on — has been obstructed by left-wing ideas designed to keep black people down.

Politicians and commissioners plan myriad outreach initiatives to help its “urban” constituents — and many of these fail to offer poor black people a ladder up in society. Why? The problem is in the outreach message itself.

It’s essential that we analyze what it is we have been communicating to these communities that has kept black prosperity at a standstill for decades. But also, we need to spread messages of hope — one of encouragement rather than victimhood. As a community engager who has been involved in outreach for the better part of my life, I offer these recommendations for anyone, regardless of political affiliation:

1. Embrace Forward Thinking

When learning how to drive, we are taught not to be too concerned with only what is in the rear-view mirror but also what’s coming up ahead. The same is true regarding this constant rehashing of slavery and historical grievances as done by many on the Left. We must focus on how the black community should move forward, or else we waste valuable time harping on things we cannot change.

2. Embrace Honest Discussion

If you love someone, you won’t spare difficult discussions that are intended for them to grow. If we love our black American friends, we cannot spare difficult discussions to correct behavior and encourage personal responsibility. To forgo honest conversations is to enable bad habits that will hurt everyone in the end. Constructive descriptions should not be confused with disparagement.

3. End Racist Beliefs

People of all backgrounds are capable of racist beliefs — including black people — regardless of their history. To encourage the idea that racism is somehow predisposed in populations with institutional power is illogical. That said, since Barack Obama was president of the most powerful institution in the world for eight years, that would mean that black people once had full license to be racist during his two terms. Think about it.

4. Dispel the White Privilege Myth

Just because a person is black doesn’t mean they are poor or lazy. Just because a white person has achieved something doesn’t mean it’s because of their skin color. It goes both ways. Everyone is capable of bad habits just as everyone is capable of success. By employing a good work ethic, investments, and networking — one can achieve success.

5. Face it: Differences Exist

Just because someone has something different doesn’t mean there’s a disparity at play. Differences are a fact of life; they’re important and create places of sacrifice for both parties. Remember, there are differences among people of the same skin color, too. It would be racist to think otherwise.

6. Use Trump as a Leg Up

The truth is that President Donald Trump is probably the final opportunity we have for the black community to make a leap forward. He has pledged to invest $100 billion into urban communities, which I stress could be our last shot at success. Don’t let this manufactured Black hatred for Trump from the Left-wing media cause us to miss this opportunity.

7. Vote for Yourself

Finally, help black Americans decide for themselves what to stand for, as that should be the compass to decide who has their vote. Make both parties address your community’s specific issues. By standing in solidarity for one issue and neutralizing their votes, the Hispanic community was able to make immigration a top priority on the political table for both Republicans and Democrats. If Black Americans want a seat at the political table, they’ll need to do the same.