by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 15, 2008 | Current Affairs, Leadership, Politics, Race
The absence of a clear identifiable leader has often been dubbed as the next crisis of Black America. Books have been published, discussions have been held, and news articles have been written. In Black circles, "Where is our next leader?" is like asking "What is the meaning of life?"
Allow me to get straight to the point: Even if we had ONE LEADER, everybody wouldn’t follow the same person.
The Civil Rights Movement united and galvanized us to seek change. As a race, we had one common objective: FREEDOM & EQUALITY. The issue of class existed, however, it took a back seat to the more pressing issue of equality. Once intergration happened, Blacks subconsciously divided into distinct classes with each class having it’s own distinct needs. The needs of the working class are quite different than the needs of the rich. What’s likely to happen is various leaders from each class will emerge and champion the issues of their respective class. Grass roots leaders will speak for & represent the poor and working class. Leaders from the middle-class will seek better housing, education, etc. Leaders from the uppper-class will devise strategies to break the glass ceiling…etc…
Today’s young Black professionals have attained the sort of education, connections, and experience that those before them could only have imagined. They have more potential and more opportunities than any generation before them. This new Black professional sees the business world as the nexus of American power, rather than Capitol Hill. Instead of seeking to effect change through government, this generation is marching through freshly opened doors in the corporate world or building businesses themselves. Rather than "fight the power," this new generation seeks to take the power for themselves and use that power to uplift our race.
Therefore, it is not so much that the next generation does not have any leaders. Instead, THEY ALL WANT TO LEAD. If there are to be leaders, there must be followers, and that is not what this generation is about.
Care to comment…
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 12, 2008 | Current Affairs, Events, Leadership, Politics, Race
T.W., a member of our blog family enlightened me about Tavis’ disparaging remarks regarding Presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Here’s her post in context.
"Tavis has made several implications that would make a person (if they
didn’t research and know for themselves) think that Barack is not
fighting for justice or for issues concerning our race. He was very upset that Barack didn’t attend his State of the Black
Union this year and made it seem as if Barack was avoiding talking
about “our” issues. I understood and understand that Barack is in a
fight for the candidacy right now and had to be in whatever state at
that time.
The latest remarks were from Dr. Cornell West saying that he was
bothered and disappointed by Barack not going to Memphis for Dr. King’s
memorial on April 4th. Their sentiments were that he was putting his
candidacy above honoring Dr. King. They stated that he remained silent
on that day yet he spoke about Dr. King and his legacy while he was in
Indiana.
On the April 8th segment of the Tom Joyner show Tavis ended his talk by
saying “If the cost to occupy the White House is to be muzzled and to
render black suffering invisible, then for me, it’s too high a cost." I understand that every black person isn’t going to vote for Barack
just as every woman isn’t going to vote for Hillary but what I don’t
understand is why Tavis thinks that he is the spokesperson for black
people on black issues, especially regarding Barack and his candidacy.
He’s received a lot of backlash from his supporters regarding his
commentaries."
Thanks T.W. – very insightful analysis of the situation.
In my opinion, I’ve decided to nominate both Tavis and Cornell to the "Hateration Federation." Both Tavis and Cornell can give the keynote address at the annual Hateration Convocation. Make sure the servers continuously fill their glasses with "Haterade" while they continue to hinder progress.
That’s right – I said it!
What’s your take?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 12, 2008 | Current Affairs, Politics, Race
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 10, 2008 | Communication, Current Affairs, Empowerment, Race
In the black community in America,
there is a severe disconnection among those of different classes.
Many upper and middle-class blacks feel
as if they can look down on, talk down to, and overlook black people
who are considered lower class. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed black
people who are college-educated, living in nice homes, driving fancy
cars or earning a high salaries, looking down on blacks who are less
fortunate. Lawrence Otis Graham even wrote a book explaining why
upper-class blacks want nothing to do with other blacks. They only
want to deal with “Their Kind of People.”
Why is it that
some blacks who have "moved on up," by working hard and
achieving the American dream feel they can distance themselves and
underestimate poor black people? Is it because they feel they have
nothing in common with lower class black people? Is it because they
feel they are more accepted among white people?
Perhaps it is
because lower class blacks get blamed for many of the problems the
black community allegedly has, such as speaking poor English; having
babies outside of wedlock; high dropout rates; using and selling
drugs; and filling up the jail cells.
Is it because they
feel like they are more accepted among white people? Or are they
just outright silly, feeling as if they have arrived?
The last
time I checked I thought most of the black people in America were
descendants of slaves. With that being the case, we all come from
nothing. They make brainless statements like low class blacks are
not good enough to associate or be seen with. They even have a
website devoted to “stuff educated black people like.”
Some
are so confused. They go as far as talking bad about them in front
of whites. They are not willing to try and take the time out to help
or share information that will help the lower class blacks get to
their level. They don’t attend black schools, and they move away
from predominantly black neighborhoods.
That is not to say
that all black neighborhoods have lower class black people living in
them, but a lot of blacks have forgotten who they are and where they
come from.
Black people are not in any position to look down
on one another. We as black people haven’t risen to our full
potential. Even rich black people are not globally in control of as
much as they could. They are rich, but they have to be careful what
they do or say because if they make the wrong move all of their money
can be taken away in the blink of an eye. High and middle-class
black people who are walking around feeling as if they are in a
position to look down on others need to wake up and smell the coffee.
In my opinion, the divide is created by
the monopoly capitalist economic system and social structure which
gives rise to and reinforces class divisions within the society.
Hence, classism is the effect, not the cause. Trust me, at the end
of the day, we are all the same.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 8, 2008 | Current Affairs, Empowerment, Politics
Most black Americans have been Democrats for at least the forty-one years that I’ve been alive. What have the Democrats done for us in all that time? We have the lowest average income of any large racial group in the nation. We’re incarcerated at an alarmingly high rate. We are still segregated and profiled, and have a very low representation at the top echelons of the Democratic Party. We are the stalwarts, the bulwark, the Old Faithful of the Democrats, and yet they have not made our issues a high priority in a very long time. Why should we be second-class members in the most important political activities of our lives? Why shouldn’t the party we belong to think that our problems are the most important in this land?
I’m not saying that we should become Republicans. The Republicans don’t care about us either. But at least they don’t pretend to be on our side. And you have to admit that, of late, the Bush Administration has put black faces into high-profile jobs that carry clout on the international playing field. I don’t have to like Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice to appreciate that once a black person has been put into a position of power, the second time around is much, much easier.
We are a racial minority in a country where racism is a fact of life, a country that was founded on economic and imperialist racism. Taking this into account and adding it to the fact that our issues are regularly put on a back burner, I believe that it is not out of order to send out a call for the formation of an African-American interest group, or maybe a political unit, that would bring our issues, and others, to the forefront of American political discourse.
If we had our own political voting bloc that paid attention to issues that reflect our needs in domestic and international affairs, things would change for us. The first thing is that many more of us would be likely to vote. Imagine the interest young people would have if they felt we were organizing based on our own interests: They could work for a candidate who represented their issues; they could run for office themselves.
Even though the party would be based on the racial identity that has been shoved down our throats since the first days we came here in chains, we wouldn’t work only for ourselves. We’d argue about medical care and Social Security and the good jobs that are disappearing from this nation like fleas off a dead dog’s back.
If we took the vote into our own hands, we wouldn’t have to ask the Democrats for their support–we could demand it. George W. Bush, or whoever takes his place, will send for our representatives to come to his home to discuss his plans. This is because they have not yet figured out how to dispose of the vote in the American political system.
Imagine it. We could actually democratize America by taking power away from the two-party system and handing it over to the people. Other special parties would arise splintering off from the centrist attendants of the rich once we show them the way.
What I’m talking about here is the beginning of an American Evolution, a movement that will create a series of political interest groups that will transform our two-party system into a kind of virtual parliament. We could construct smaller political groups based on specific interests. There could be Black Party Congress members from Chicago, Watts, Harlem, the Motor City and a dozen other inner-city bastions. All we have to do is have a fair representation in the House of Representatives to have an extraordinary impact on the wheels of government.
NOW YOU SEE WHY I DON’T OFTEN SHARE MY VIEWS – TOO RADICAL…
Telisha, a very smart woman I know, shared vital information regarding class distinctions that I want to share with you:
Here’s the five 2006 income brackets according to the US Census bureau:
$97,032 & above – Upper income
$60,000 – $97,032 – Upper middle income
$37,774 – $60,000 – Middle income
$20,035 – $37,774 – Lower middle income
below $20,035 – Lower income
Thanks for sharing Telisha!!!
So, how do you measure up…