Imitation of Leadership and the Black Leaders Who Abandon Their Own
"I wanted to be white because I thought it was easier." – Sarah Jane
I remember the first time I saw the movie Imitation of Life as a young girl. I couldn’t understand why the mother wouldn’t leave her daughter alone, why she couldn’t just let her be. But as I got older, as I became a mother myself, I understood. The mother, Annie Johnson, couldn’t let go, even as her daughter rejected her—choosing to pass as white in a world that was cruel, violent, and racist, offering the young girl no reward for attempting to disown her Blackness. When the mother finally agreed to step aside, it broke her heart, and she died. But in the end, the daughter, Sarah Jane, came running back, crying out, Mama! Mama!—finally admitting the truth of who she was—a Black woman in a world ruled by whites.
That movie always brings tears to my eyes—not just because the mother died, but because even on her deathbed, her faith in Jesus remained unshaken. The real tragedy was the daughter’s realization—it came too late. She had lost her most important ally on this side of Jordan. It was a moment of reckoning and self-awareness at the same time. Although the ending seemed tragic, there was hope—the young girl had finally accepted who she was. That moment of revelation is something too many people never reach.
That readiness to see the truth is almost nonexistent in today’s culture. Everything seems performative, fake. People are imitating rather than living authentically. Our so-called leaders, whether in politics, corporate America, or even the church, have become imitations of what is deemed politically correct. They align with the illusion of meritocracy rather than the real interests of the Black community. They claim to be fighting for us, but their words are empty. Their actions betray them.
We live in a time when you no longer need light skin to pass. Today, politicians, preachers, and corporate executives with Black faces are passing in a different way—imitating, pretending to be something they are not while actively working against their own community. They adopt the language of activism, wear the mask of representation, but at the first opportunity, they align themselves with those who exploit, displace, and undermine Black people. Like Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life, they are running toward a world that will never fully accept them while turning their backs on the very people they claim to serve.
I don’t propose to be an expert or a philosophical thinker like Daniel Markovits, but his critique of the myth of meritocracy echoes what I’ve witnessed firsthand. The system isn’t about rewarding the most qualified. This system, built on wealth, is maintained through systemic training designed to preserve power.
As Markovits put it:
““Meritocracy blocks Black Americans from opportunity, pretending that fair competition exists while quietly preserving privilege for those who already have it.” – Daniel Markovits (The Meritocracy Trap).”
This is exactly what we see today. The same voices who claim to uplift Black people are the ones quietly ensuring that we remain at the bottom—living in Section 8 apartments or prison wards. Black leaders who claim to fight for change have become gatekeepers for a system that was never designed to benefit us.
The Sanctuary City Hearing on Capitol Hill
The sanctuary city debate recently reached Capitol Hill, where four Democratic mayors—Eric Adams of New York, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Michelle Wu of Boston, and Mike Johnston of Denver—were called to testify about how their cities are handling the migrant crisis. These mayors, despite previously championing sanctuary city policies, were forced to admit what many have been saying for years: the influx of illegal immigration is not sustainable, even in cities that once prided themselves on welcoming migrants.
More importantly, with the exception of Mayor Adams, they refused to acknowledge how these policies have devastated Black communities that have long struggled for resources. Instead of addressing the impact, they danced around the issue, avoiding the reality that these policies have hurt the very people they were elected to serve.
The Political Distraction Game
Of all the mayors, perhaps the worst is Brandon Johnson, and it’s no wonder he has a 6% approval rating and is knowingly on his way out of office. What makes Brandon Johnson particularly egregious is his unwavering support for immigrants in his city while showing complete disregard for the Black community that is being displaced.
Not only has he allowed illegal migrants to drain city resources at the expense of Black residents, but he has also allowed them to attend city meetings and openly disparage the Black community—as if they have the right to do so. There are reports of immigrants telling Black residents that they are taking their property and calling them lazy. This perception, of course, is often ignored, but it is far from the truth. Black people have never been lazy. Despite generations of systemic barriers, Black communities have built, contributed to, and sustained these cities long before Johnson took office. Yet, instead of standing up for the people who elected him, Brandon Johnson enables those who have illegally migrated to this country to disrespect and replace the very community he was supposed to protect—with absolutely no apology and no excuse.
He is the epitome of a turncoat, having betrayed the very community that put him in office.
The Imitation of Activism
Now to address Black congressmembers, starting with Summer Lee. Summer Lee is a Democrat who supports policies that work against the Black community and against Israel. She champions abortion rights, prioritizes migrants over American citizens, and aligns herself with far-left ideologies. To say she is not a Soros plant would be a lie. Her loyalty lies with party allegiance, not with the Black community she claims to represent.
During the hearing, Summer Lee argued in favor of sanctuary cities, framing her questions to make it clear that she believes they are necessary—without ever addressing the harm they cause.
Then there’s Ayanna Pressley. Some may have assumed she would have addressed the ways immigration has affected Black communities in her home city of Boston. But she did not.
Instead, she made it clear that rape is committed by more Americans than illegal or undocumented immigrants. The argument is absurd because most crimes are committed by familiarity. At the same time, she ignores the crimes that are committed by people who don’t belong in this nation—crimes committed against U.S. citizens.
Pressley argued to have articles entered into the record that do not address the real issues sanctuary cities create for American citizens. Like many others, she avoids uncomfortable conversations but uses rape as a distraction. She chooses instead to stay in alignment with a party that no longer prioritizes the very people it claims to represent.
Finding the Diamonds in the Rough
In the end, Imitation of Life isn’t just about a movie. It’s about how the world operates. We are all, in some way, both the mother and the daughter. We reject and embrace parts of ourselves over time, learning from experience, growing through struggle. But what we cannot afford to do is imitate leadership that does not serve us.
We need to be intentional about who represents us in politics, in corporate spaces, and in faith communities. We need to stop settling for the most palatable, politically correct versions of leadership and start seeking out the diamonds in the rough—the ones who may not fit the mold but have the real strength to fight for change.
Because if we don’t, we will lose everything. And like the daughter in Imitation of Life, we may realize the truth only when it’s too late.
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