I recently connected with an old friend a few weeks ago and had a discussion on a lot of things. During the conversation, he brought up that there was a difference between information and knowledge. My friend said a lot of people have information but very few have knowledge. He asked me if I knew the difference. I told him "no" and then asked him to explain the difference.
He said information is facts, figures and quotes - this can include talking about African history and the like. Knowledge, he said, is applicable. He said when someone has knowledge, especially as it relates to Black people, they know what needs to be done to change their situation and they apply that knowing into practical application to change their reality.
He went on to say that you have a lot of people talking about our situation and then he asked "but how many are using that information to offer practical solutions to change the Black reality and are actually working towards changing the reality for Black folks?"
My friend said that information is useless if it is not used to affect some kind of noticeable change for our people. He said some have information to write books, sell books and profit off of our people's need to know things about our past, but that's about it - basically insinuating that some people are using their research and information gathering to become "knowledge" peddlers to the Black community to receive accolades, "most conscious person" titles, speaking honorariums and book sales.
What do you think? Is there a difference between information and knowledge?
He said information is facts, figures and quotes - this can include talking about African history and the like. Knowledge, he said, is applicable. He said when someone has knowledge, especially as it relates to Black people, they know what needs to be done to change their situation and they apply that knowing into practical application to change their reality.
He went on to say that you have a lot of people talking about our situation and then he asked "but how many are using that information to offer practical solutions to change the Black reality and are actually working towards changing the reality for Black folks?"
My friend said that information is useless if it is not used to affect some kind of noticeable change for our people. He said some have information to write books, sell books and profit off of our people's need to know things about our past, but that's about it - basically insinuating that some people are using their research and information gathering to become "knowledge" peddlers to the Black community to receive accolades, "most conscious person" titles, speaking honorariums and book sales.
What do you think? Is there a difference between information and knowledge?