By: Terry Allen
My grandmother, Big Mama, had a way of saying things that made you stop and think. She would often remind us, “If everybody is saying the same thing, somebody has stopped thinking.”
That wisdom echoes the words of Eldridge Cleaver, who famously said, “Too much agreement kills a chat.”
I first encountered Cleaver’s work as a freshman at **Southern Methodist University>. My mentor and educator, Thomas Edwards, introduced me to Cleaver and his landmark book, Soul on Ice. Cleaver, best known as the Minister of Information for the Black Panther Party, became one of the defining voices of the Black Power movement. While history debates many aspects of his life and politics, one lesson stayed with me: our voices must be unified in purpose, yet divergent in thought.
As an Upward Bound Director, Thomas Edwards oversaw a federally funded college-access initiative that helped eligible high school students prepare for postsecondary education. Typical responsibilities in this role include program administration, staff leadership, student recruitment, academic programming, family engagement, and coordination with partner schools and community organizations.
He taught me that healthy disagreement is not the enemy. Silence is. Blind agreement is. The SMU Black alumni must have an internal dialogue. a university dialogue, then a community dialogue, or we will fail to create the permanence of our presence at SMU. My discussions included both the outgoing and incoming SMU presidents:President Emeritus Gerald Turner and Current President Jay Hartzell yielded a request for collaboration and engagement. I am championing for that to happen in the order listed because we have to move the needle forward.
The greatest breakthroughs in history came because someone had the courage to ask, “What if we’re wrong?” If everyone simply follows the crowd, innovation dies, justice is delayed, and freedom slowly slips away.
Today we see institutions, governments, organizations, and even communities asking people to accept decisions without asking questions. We should never confuse unity with uniformity. Real unity leaves room for different voices, honest debate, and respectful disagreement.
Big Mama believed that iron sharpens iron. A conversation where everyone nods in agreement may feel comfortable, but comfort rarely creates change. Progress is born when people respectfully challenge ideas while honoring one another.
As citizens, leaders, and neighbors, we have a responsibility to think critically, speak courageously, and listen carefully. Democracy depends on engaged voices, not silent spectators. Faith calls us to seek wisdom, not merely popularity.
So this week, don’t be afraid of the conversation. Ask the hard question. Welcome the different perspective. Test every idea against truth, justice, and compassion.
Because Big Mama would say:
“If everybody agrees all the time, somebody has stopped doing the thinking.”
Our voices should be unified in purpose—but never afraid to be divergent in thought. That’s how communities grow. That’s how freedom endures.
Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional, and – Vice President at FocusPR, founder of the charity City Men Cook, and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS.org
