I was reading an article on the newest Smithsonian Institution museum, the National Museum of African American History. I was drawn to the article because it is Black History month and with the inauguration of Barack Obama to a second term as president of the United States, and  the acclaim for the new Steven Spielberg movie, "Lincoln" I got in the mood to explore the very idea of history and it's connection to how we create community. I speak of community as a people within a defined geographical area who  must interact in order to survive and prosper. A community can also be defined as  a group that is not defined geographically but which has a similar identity defined by common beliefs or other recognizable and identifiable characteristics such as race, religion, social status etc.

So the question could be asked? What does it mean to be "Black", an African-American. Is there any one thing that one might define as the "glue" that holds this community together?
The answer is Yes. To be black in America is to share story, a group narrative or a common history. Community as well as friendship is largely defined by shared histories. In  a community  with  a  shared  story  one person's  use of a group's primary resources impacts another person's use of the same resources as well as other resources influenced by these primary resources Shared stories are not only important to the creation of a group but being part of a community, and sharing a common story with the group are essential to self actualization.

Why is it so? Because when alone, we may see the world only from our unique point of view. When we have a shared story and a sense of community, we  can  see the world from where others stand and experience more than we could ever experience from our vantage position or theirs alone. 

But there can also be a negative side of being part of a community. In a community that does not celebrate the diversity of ideas, there is conformity and loss of individuality. This is more of a problem in small groups since it is easier to impose a conformist mentality on a small group than a large one. As a group becomes more ghettoized and ossified, freedom of thought and free expression can be crushed under the weight of conformity. In the African-American community this problem has been experienced greatly by gay men.

How does a community sustain itself over a long period of time? There are many ways. One of the most common is the concept of core values. This is reflected in the community's sense of what is appropriate moral behavior, and what the community considers rational and civilized behavior. A key element is the ability of the community to demand accountability when an individual  member of a sub group behaves in irrational and uncivilized ways. Of course over time a communities values will change.