When is the promise of America going to stop being such a dichotomous, partially-empty promise for Black people? Perhaps starting this weekend in Los AngelesWhat a time to consider the conditions of Black people in America.
We live in such a time of dichotomies.
An African-American man has become president for the first time in the history of the country. And we have an increasing number of Black males going to jail and dropping out of high school.
There are some communities in the United States that may have a Black city council member, a Black governor, and a Black president simultaneously. And those residents may still not feel safe enough to walk the streets of their communities.
We can note the accomplishments of Black professionals such as Dr. Ben Carson as documented in "Gifted Hands" on TNT. And we have an alarming rate of new HIV cases to add to our disproportionate rates of hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
Yes, we are at a crossroads of action and accountability, apathy and despair. Hopefully, this weekend's "State of the Black Union" in Los Angeles will put us on the right path. ...
Before arriving in town for the event (which begins with a reception on Thursday evening), I may have a chance to read Accountable: Making America As Good As Its Promise, Tavis Smiley's final book in his Covenant series of books. T
he book covers the task that America – and notable Black America – has before it: to aid President Obama in the task of bringing about a more secure, prosperous, and fair America for a greater number of its citizens.
As I look through the book and participate in this weekend, it is my sincere hope to hear more about putting solutions in place.
All that I have heard this week about the recovery bill is that we have never seen a perfect piece of legislation, but since something had to be done, the bill was pushed through (without much bipartisanship and decreasing support from the country.)
Regardless of your view on the bill, we need to take the same approach in Black America.
We can not continue to take the "paralysis by analysis" approach to the issues in the African-American community. I understand that many are doing a lot to turn the situations around. For that, they must be commended, supported, and assisted. However, our level of outrage has not hit a point where we are forced to do nothing else but act.
This must change. Even if we can't put together the perfect plans of action this weekend, we must take immediate action – and more of us must be involved in that action.
It will take a divergence of thought, backgrounds, and cultures to turn this around. It will take us breaking down stereotypes within the Black community in order to break down the walls keeping Black people from greater levels of success. We must talk honestly and deal with our internal pain inclusively if we are going to heal from the trauma incurred by our communities over the past 20 years in spite of the national Black accomplishments obtained.
Most importantly, we must establish a new level of standards, ethics, and acceptable behaviors within Black America if we are going to rise up and increase self-esteem, educational achievements, martial vitality, and acceptance of our Americanism before we rot away from Black-on-Black crime, increasing poverty, and a paralysis that prompts us to observe more than engage, talk more than tackle the issues head on.
If we are going to make America as good as its promise, we had better become more accountable. It's the only way we will get back on the right path.
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Lenny McAllister is a Republican political commentator and guest co-host for Fox News - Charlotte's morning show "Fox News Rising," where his commentary can be seen every Monday. His website is lennymcallister.com
Comments: (16)
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By: Jarvis on 2/25/2009 11:58AM
Look....Black people already knows the state of the Black Union.
For Tavis Smiley....this is nothing more but a group of Black so-call interllectuals sitting down and discussing problems in the Black community.
After ten years of talk....blacks still have no real leadership and no economic plan.
This is a waste of time.
In order to solve the problems of the Black community....Individuals must take advantage of the Free Enterprise system that America offers and not rely on government to solve these problems.
Blacks must understand and embrace the following
1. Vouchers for school choice.
Understand that the government run school system do not meet the needs of the black community.
Vouchers and school choice is the only answer to improving education for poor Black children.
2. Options for Personal/Private Social Security Accounts.
Would allow individuals to save a portions of the money they WORK for in their own account for 20, 30, 40 years. Since Blacks have a shorter life span than Whites, the benefits would be huge.
3. Reform the Tax code with the FAIRTAX.
The FAIRTAX would eliminate payroll tax, capital gain tax and all the other regressive taxes that keep working people poor.
4. Turn Affirmative Actions into AFFIRMATIVE OPPORTUNITY.
This would ensure the poor and unskill get the training and help needed to compete in a Free Society.
Blacks must understand these issues and push for them to improve the Black community.
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By: raywil3 on 2/26/2009 12:58PM
Jarvis
Some of what you say, I agree with.
School vouchers are a good short term solution for this immense problem. The African american community must demand good quality neighborhood schools. This means the community must embrace theit local schools. Parents must demand that students come to school prepared to learn. If not, remove them from the premesis. The disruptive kids must not negatively impact the students who are there to learn. The community must become actively involved in how the school operates.
Instead of a Fairtax, make it a consumption tax. If you buy something, you pay a tax on it. This means that even people getting paid "under the table" will pay taxes. They have to buy food and other necessities.
If we had private Social Security accounts, how many would have been wiped out by the collapse on Wall Street? This is a Ronald Reagan idea that didn't float.
Last but not least, Affirmative Opportunity is a great idea. Lets encourage African Americans to start and support businesses in their own community. We are the only ethnic group that would rather shop and support someone else's business rather than support our brother and sisters.
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By: Tired of poor me attitude on 2/25/2009 3:42PM
Diabetes, HIV, hypertension are the LEAST of the communities problems, take a proactive approach to Illegal drugs (including weed), crime and lack of education. Nothing will improve your life quicker, living in an educated, safe, vibrant environment. The faster you turn in the Thugs and lawbreakers, the sooner you can start to provide the young people with hope and self respect.
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By: tmbk2 on 3/01/2009 6:36PM
CORRUPTION IS A PART OF THE ECONOMIC MAKEUP OF AMERICA THE OUTCOME IS FOR REAL THE WOE IS ME ATTITUDE OF MANY AFRICAN-AMERICANS AFTER OUR LEADERS ARE KILLED LIKE A DR.KING OR A MALCOLM X THAT WENT AGAINST THE SHARKS IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM THAT FEED ON MAKE THEIR WEALTH MONEY BY KEEPING THE POOR REGARDLESS OF COLOR AT A DISADVANTAGED. THE WILLIE LYNCH LETTER MIGHT BE A MYTH BUT THE STRATEGY TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER THE WILL OF AFRICANS NOW BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICANS GIVES A GOOD EXPLANATION AS TO WHY BLACK ON BLACK CRIME GANG VIOLENCE AND THUGISM IN MOSTLY BLACK COMMUNITIES.
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By: Kenneth Harbin on 2/25/2009 7:07PM
The only reason black leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson Sr are who they are is because of where Black America is today. These two keep talking about how Black people need to become better people and take individual resposiblity. But as soon as Black people start to rise up and become better as a whole, these people are out of a job and they would have nothing to talk about. Basically what I am trying to say is that without the majority of black people being down in America, Jesse Jackson Sr and Al Sharpton wouldn't have anything else to discuss. All they do is say how Black America needs to be better and how we need to come together. Their doing all this talking but they aren't making the situation any better.
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By: ann on 2/25/2009 9:50PM
I used to be very critical of Tavis. I felt he was too hard on Obama but since the election, I've really started seeing what Tavis meant. It's going to take Black folks quite some time to figure out that BO does not have our best interest at heart. Black people are so excited about having the first black president that it's hard for them to see what's really going on. I just hope and pray it doesn't take too long for the realization to kick in. Bush, his Dad and Clinton, paid tribute to Black History Month, but where was Barack....no where to be found, instead he let Michelle host the program. During the campaign, he ducked and dodged anything pertaining to black people. He didn't want to be identified as a black man. When he talked about high school dropouts, who do you think he was talking about....Black kids. I just don't want black people thinking he's going to be a savior because he's not. Look who he's surrounded himself with, yeah, he's got a token or two, but that's it. Take the blinders off!
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By: Barbarfa on 2/28/2009 3:56PM
I am upset about your comments. Tavis is jealous of Barack. What has he done but talk? Barack is not our saviour. God is our saviour. We have strayed away from our training. This is why we are in this mess. We have forgotten God. Why do we have 2 or 3 babies and expect someone to tak e care of them. Free rent, free food, free everything.This is not how I was raised. We can do better. all.
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By: Mark S. Allen on 2/26/2009 11:56PM
The problem with Black leaders is that they have us caught in "the paralysis of analysis," and there is a REAL reason why the gang and drug economy is the number employer and source of income for far too many Black people.
Our collective Black leadership is a failure when we keep quoting statistics that more Black men go to jail than college, but those Black men got caught up looking to the gang and drug economy as their source of income. So how can gang and drug dealers keep their goods and services going but our collective Black leadership and Black wealth can't help produce more legitimate income for our people.?
Tavis Smiley is a Kappa frat brother of mine so many people I represent felt that I could get through to him so they could share their ideas, but to no avail, so why should people at the very grassroots level feel empowered when the person who speaks for them ain't big enough to get the attention of people like Tavis.
So there lies the problem with why so many people are skeptical of Black leaders and their summits for the poor keep getting poorer at the Conslusion of each Black leadership Summit, whether it's Tavis', Urban League, PUSH, NAACP, National Action Network etc.
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By: cowboygary on 2/27/2009 1:02AM
Great article, blogs. We need a strong Black community for a sundry of reasons. First, they have so much to offer and so many fail to reach their potential for whatever reasons. Second, we need to stop the devisiveness that exists even though, culturally, we are more alike than different. Getting fathers back in the home will most assuredly reduce the crime rate, reduce reliance on public assistance (saving money), and provide potential leaders for the next generation. This not to imply that African-Americans are solely at fault, but they do make up a diproportionate part of our prison population. It's time for many to "cowboy up," get an education and move into the middle class.
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By: Doris on 2/28/2009 4:07PM
I was watching the State of the Black Union.I have to agree with most of the panel,yes,it's going to takethe whole of communities to get things done.Action and not all talk.I have become so sick and tired of listening to and reading the so called news.For the last past 10 years it has become more entainment. Igained more info from watching the State of the Black Union,than I have in a long time.No,I do not want to know what kind of dress Michelle Obama wore or what dog they are getting.I believe that when the press starts to just focus on that trival stuff,we the people won't be able to see the real work and accomplishments that President Obama has made.But don't you know that we learned from the Bush administration about those tactics.Change will come.I have already started to encourage family and friends to question their mayors and other public elected officials about the stimulus,how will they use it to better our state and small communities.We all need to state educating our selves on the stimulus plan more,so when the so called news reporterssay it won't work,we will be able to come back with a positive retort of "Yes WE Can!"
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