June 25, 2017

Blackonomics

Look Back and See the Future.  (Part One)
By James Clingman         

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - I often use the phrase, “Our history is our future,” to express the fact that everything we need to do today, vis-à-vis economic empowerment, has been done before by African Americans in this country.  Just look back at what Black people built in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, Durham, North Carolina and Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District. Take a closer look at what Booker T. Washington was doing with his National Negro Business League; read about Black entrepreneurs in Cincinnati and Philadelphia during the early 1800’s, and you will see the economic future of African Americans is, indeed, grounded in our history.

I wonder why it takes us so long to do what we know is right.  In the context of the economic well-being of African Americans, most of us know what “we need” to do. Yet we seem content to discuss, "intellectualize," meet, and complain about how unfair the system is.  For those “we need to…” folks out there, if you see the need, do the work.

One thing most of us know, when it comes to economic empowerment, is that business development—vertical business development—is vital to our economic prosperity.  Naturally following the development of businesses is the support of those businesses by consumers.   To illustrate that point, I am reminded of what a friend once told me: “Production minus sales equals scrap.”

In the 1800's there were many flourishing Black owned businesses.  In spite of the worst brand of slavery ever perpetrated on a people, Black businesses survived and grew.  Economic growth was a reality, even in the face of the racial prejudice that existed, because we were determined, and we stuck together.

In 1853, a convention was held in Rochester, New York, to discuss "Afro-American Economics."   Slogans like "Buy Black" and "Double Duty Dollars" began at conventions like this one, all over the country.  What happened to us since that time?  Have we drifted so far from our heritage and from the things that benefit us as a whole?  Have we become so selfish and so self-centered that we have completely lost sight of our values toward one another?

Businesses are the foundation of a true community.  Our current 2.4 million Black owned businesses, compared to the 45 million of us, are but a drop of water in the ocean, especially when you factor in the relatively meager annual revenues those businesses take in.  We must change that.

Our time should be devoted to starting and supporting business ventures, rather than complaining about how difficult things are out there and how the “Arabs” and Asians dominate our neighborhoods when it comes to business ownership.  We must find common ground to move beyond the stagnation and complacency in which we have been mired for so long.  Organization, unity, and mutual support are the keys to our economic freedom.

Cooperative economics among African Americans is an idea that has been around for hundreds of years.  It could not be resisted during the early years of American history, and it cannot be resisted today.  It is up to us to take advantage of that fact as we move forward.  It is time to make individual commitments to "do" something rather than sit back and "let someone else do it."  It is time to stop complaining and blaming someone else for our plight.  It is time for us to give up that lame excuse, "There is no use trying to change things, because we are never going to get together anyway."   I don’t buy those tired words, and I hope you don’t buy them either.  All we have to do, instead, is buy from one another, for the benefit of us all.  The precedent exists; look at it and learn from it.

My primary example of seeing a need and doing the work (although there are several during my lifetime that I could share) is my current work for our people: THE One Million Conscious and Conscientious Black Contributors and Voters (OMCCBCV).  Our historical grounding is found in the words of Marcus Garvey: “The greatest weapon used against [Black people] is disorganization.”  Thus, we are organized, united, and unapologetically determined to contribute to the economic elevation of our people.  We saw the need and set out to do the work; and we will continue that work as we learn from our past and strive for a better future for our children.  If you would like to join us, go to www.iamoneofthemillion.com

Next week, part two of this article will give a deeper look at why and how the system in which we live has caused some of us to be complacent.  It will also offer a way to change our situation.

June 18, 2017

NEWS ANALYSIS

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Top legislators are calling for decreased public hostile speech after the shootings of House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise and four others at a baseball practice game of GOP players. No problem with toning down the inflammatory rhetoric, but nice talk alone will not beat down the GOP regressive policies assaulting the health, welfare and safety of African-Americans.

Silence in the hope that things will get better is wishful thinking and violence throws gasoline on the fire. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We either learn to live together as brothers or die together as fools.”

It was militant direct action of the King movement which helped defeat some of the most repressive policies of our era from voting rights barriers to discriminatory policies in public institutions and the federal government.

It is difficult to count all the reasons that could drive many into the streets for a long hot summer.  At the top are recent incidents such as the acquittal of a police officer who fatally shot Philandro Castile in a suburb of St. Paul, as he reportedly reached in the glove compartment to show police his firearm license.  At least 2,000 people gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol to protest the verdict.

Eighteen people were arrested in what was an overall peaceful demonstration.  Yet, it is easy to see how quickly things could flip when you see the newly appointed Atty. General Jeff Sessions, unlike Atty. General Eric Holder of the Obama Administration, turn a blind eye to police violence.

On March 31, Sessions ordered a review of the Justice Department’s approach to policing, asserting that “it is not the responsibility of the federal government to manage non-federal law enforcement agencies.” Moreover, in his confirmation hearing, he said federal investigations of police departments were bad for “morale.”

Sessions’ retreat from federal intervention in police shootings of unarmed Black men comes at a time when data shows he should be moving full-speed ahead. Police killed at least 102 unarmed Black people in 2015, nearly twice each week. In fact 37 percent of unarmed people killed by police were black in 2015 despite Black people being only 13 percent of the U.S. population.

Unarmed black people were killed at five times the rate of unarmed Whites in 2015 and only 10 of the 102 cases in 2015 where an unarmed Black person was killed by police resulted in officer(s) being charged with a crime, according to a Mapping Police Violence report.

Police violence is not the only hot concern.  Fears are heightened by reports of deep cuts coming in Medicaid, Food Stamps and access to health care as the result of the president’s tax reforms and destruction of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency is retreating from limiting the amounts of toxins corporations can release into land and waterways. Studies consistently show that it is the non-White underclass who suffers most from diseases caused by pollution because they lack the clout to force air quality compliance from polluters, which means the ongoing water poisoning of Flint, Mich. homes will become just one of many.

With so much to lose, silence sounds like thunderous approval and violent protests like the slaughter of the innocent. Haven’t we seen enough scenes of Blacks burning down their own neighborhoods? And don’t we see how the feds have equipped local police department with militarized tanks, chemicals, grenade launchers and other weapons just waiting for deployment?

Everyone concerned about social justice should take a hard look at  the Kingian principles of nonviolence, the backbone of the King movement, which were continually taught to thousands of law enforcement officials and gang leaders by Coretta Scott King  after her husband’s murder.  Nonviolent social change requires clarity of goals, coalition building, and long-term commitment, which is much different from today’s goals most often measured by crowd numbers rather than results.

Based on the actions of Mahatma Gandhi and the inspiration of Jesus Christ, King’s nonviolent methods have six principals. Briefly they are: information gathering of extensive data about the problem and the conflict on both sides; educating the community and stating clearly what needs to be changed and the strategy to do so; making a personal commitment to solving the problems non-violently and being non-confrontational during direct action; meeting with the opposition; discussing differences and trying to come to a win-win resolution.

If negotiations fail, then direct action which can take the form of economic withdrawal, such as boycotts, picketing, or marches. Ultimately reconciliation of all parties is the intended goal.

Key to these principles is the philosophy of unconditional love that all parties must be treated with respect and hateful words or deeds are unacceptable. In an interview with Dr. King’s father, Dr. Martin Luther King Sr., in a reflection on the assassination of his son, he said, “No matter what happens I will never stoop low enough to pick up hate.”

His wife, Alberta, Dr. King’s mother, was murdered on June 30, 1974, by a crazed gunman while she played the piano at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the family worship center. King Sr., who died of a heart attack 10 years later, still never picked up hate.

In the King movement, hate was not an option. But, neither were nice empty words, void of power-based action. When hate is removed from both sides of a conflict, then incidents like the shooting of innocent baseball players at a ballpark, would be a rare occurrence.

(Dr. Barbara Reynolds is a columnist for the Trice Edney News Wire and author of the bestselling memoir of Coretta King, My Life, My Love, My Legacy.)

June 11, 2017

Black Millennials Honor Lessons from Their Fathers – And Father Figures
By Hazel Trice Edney and Alanté Millow

Ron Busby Sr., president/CEO of the U. S. Black Chamber, Inc. and his son, Ron Jr. Ron Jr. says his path has been eerily similar to his father's, simply by listening and observing. PHOTO: Ewoma Ogbaudu Photography

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Ron Busby Jr. was only in elementary school when his mother died of cancer. His father, Ron Sr., was left to raise two young sons on his own. As a single father of two millennials - Ron Jr., 22, and Miles, 20 - Ron Sr. is now seeing the fruits of his diligence.

Much has been said about "millennials", the often-used term for young people who have come of age in the new millennium. Somehow, they’ve gotten a reputation for being spoiled, entitled, tech-addicted, even hard-headed.

But, this week before Father’s Day 2017, Black millennials around the country, such as Ron Busby Jr., proved that they have in fact been listening – and watching. In brief interviews, they recalled the best lessons they’ve learned from their fathers – and their father-figures.

“My father really taught me the importance of service, making yourself a vessel for the wishes of the people around you,” says Ron Jr. “Now, I have that at the forefront of any sort of task or career goal or any interest that I have. It’s servant leadership. I consider that as a big part of whatever else I consider myself trying to do in the future.”

While some recall specific words or advice given to them, Ron Busby Jr., a 2017 graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor’s in human rights, says for him, it was mainly watching his father’s example.

“There are some similarities that are exceptionally eerie,” he smiled. “My father ran track in college. I ran track in college. My father became a Kappa. I became a Kappa. My father, one of his first real jobs was at IBM. One of my first real jobs is at Google.”

He noted that the most important part of their relationship was the fact that Ron Sr. was there at the pivotal moments of his life. “I think a lot about his presence. Whether it was at a track meet, whether it was at graduations, whether it was at plays, his presence was really important.”

Fathers – and father figures - those who have advised, mentored, and guided children who are not even their own, will be celebrated across the nation on Father’s Day. But, Black men, in particular, face negative stereotypes from inside and outside their communities as well as a constant barrage of discrimination while most of them serve their children and families well.

In that regard, some millennials are giving what some dads might view as the best gift of all - respect.  They say they have watched, listened and taken heed.

"My dad taught me that the most important thing you could have was a strong sense of emotional intelligence,” says Darnelle Casimir, 23, of New York City. Even if you don’t have the best grades or IQ, “emotional intelligence combined with strong verbal and communication skills will set you up for success."

Perseverance against all odds and excellence in the midst of oppression are traits gained by the struggles of African-Americans in general and passed down to their loved ones.

"My Dad always told me 'to be the best. No matter what you do, you better be the best. And you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take,'" recalls Rachel O'Neal, 24, of Washington, DC.

Hameed Ali, 23, of Hayward, Calif., agrees. "My big brother Ibrahim told me 'They're going to hate what you stand for so you have to be twice as good.'"

Honesty and integrity is another one of those important character traits taught by most fathers.

"One thing my uncle told me is that your word is your bond. And keep it no matter what," says Trenton Harrison, 25, a Pittsburgh entrepreneur.

Independence and the ability to make it on their own is something that most parents want for their children.

"My dad always tells me to get my life in order so I can take care of myself so if he dies tomorrow, he knows I'm straight," says Jaylah Oni, 23, a makeup artist in New Orleans.

"I think the best piece of advice I got was from my god father Martin. He just told me that a man only has two things in this world and that is your wealth and health. He later explained to me that he told me that because I had to realize I had to find something I love doing because I will have the passion to succeed in that field,” recalls Cedrick Lee, 22, of Baltimore.

Not everyone can point to a father figure who was stronger than the mother who raised them.

"I haven't had any father figures around growing up. But I did have a mother [Adrienne] that played both roles, if even possible,” says Ashley Lorelle, 26, a certified nursing assistant in D.C. “The most memorable thing she told me was that until I loved and valued myself, I would never feel loved or valued by a man."

Some see relationship advice as being among the best life lessons they were taught. Eden Godbee, 29, a media relations manager from Atlanta, smiles as she recalls advice that her uncle, Julian Lewis, gave her that impacts her present and her future.

“He told me when I was in college to not pay too much attention to work and school because then I would be married to it,” she said.

At first, Godbee, who was a student at Howard University at the time, thought it was a chauvinistic remark. But, now, as a professional woman she says, “I do realize what he was trying to say at the time. That if you put so much emphasis into these things…you really have to become married to them. So, I always make sure that I do my work at work. But I set that boundary, like if I’m going on vacation, I’m not available. If I’m going on a date, I’m not checking my phone. I leave the phone at home. So, that way I can have this thriving career and I can be successful and I also have things that enrich me and that I can be married to on the outside.”

Millions of children do not have fathers or even father figures in their lives per se. Yet, they will unknowingly benefit from receiving kind and encouraging words or just watching the examples set by the men in their lives.

One example is Rev. Alton Sumner, who has been principal at the North Bethesda Middle School in Maryland for 14 years. He and his wife, the Rev. Betty Sumner, have two millennial-age children of their own, a daughter, 23, and a son, 25. But at school, Rev. Sumner is aware of the fatherly impact he can make on the 1,130 students that come through the school doors each day. He says he enjoys imparting to them “a godly example” by simply greeting them as they arrive each morning.

“To have somebody to give them a positive word or a positive feeling as they come through the door,” he said, “I want them to know that they have so much within them that they can accomplish and I don’t want them to give up. I want them to keep going until they achieve that full potential."