read the blog on the black caucus CREW OF 42!
For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This "wait" has almost always meant "never." It has been a tranquilizing Thalidomide, relieving the emotional stress for a moment, only to give birth to an ill-formed infant of frustration. — Martin Luther King, April 16, 1963
I have three confessions to make:
1. I could care less about whether President Barack Obama gave Prof. Cornel West got inauguration tickets.
2. Rev. Al Sharpton and Prof. Cornel West had a big fight on MSNBC? Again, I don't care.
3. I could care less what singer, entertainer or whoever was invited to the latest White House event.
read the blog on the black caucus CREW OF 42!
read the blog on the black caucus CREW OF 42!
Why don't I care? Because I know that when it's all said and done, none of the above three things will matter. Sharpton marches, Cornel hates, Joyner admonishes... Perhaps we should be talking about what we're not focused on. There are 2.3 million people behind bars. About 900,000 of them are black. A black male born in America today has a 1 in 3 chance of going to jail. We spend $63 billion a year to pay for who we lock up. Are things getting worse? In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college. In 1980, there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college. There are 1.2 million high school students who dropout every year. About half of them are black. Many are attending "dropout factory" high schools. Black unemployment is at 16% the highest rate since 1984. The rate of employment for black males is at the lowest level since 1972. Black unemployment for those 16 to 24 is at 44%. Black male unemployment is at 17% -- the highest of any group.
When black intellectuals spend most of their energy bickering on TV and radio rather than on the above problems, it's embarrassing and tragic. The very fact we focus more on Sharpton and West than the above problems is telling. The black press, which once revealed the brutality of lynching is now focused on Snooki. They would also appear to be overly focused on never writing a critical word about the first black President of the United States. Yes, radio host Tom Joyner has a point: It would be foolish to assist racists, birthers and haters who want to see the first black President fail.
However, the inescapable problem is: Black Americans have serious systemic problems that are in urgent need of attention. When it comes to criticizing President Obama, will the price of silence be witnessing these problems get worse?
The Congressional Black Caucus has met with the President twice. If they get no answer on whether the President will push their issues, should they remain silent? If so, why?
For those of your out there basking in the glow of the first black president of the United States, ask yourself: Would you rather be vilified by your friends for bringing these statistics up or would you rather see the black community improve? How many more years can go by without the problems being confronted in a comprehensive way? Is it too much to ask the President focus on 3 problems: Education (specifically, the dropout rate), unemployment and incarceration?
I wonder: Would Rev. Sharpton, Marc Morial and Ben Jealous rather be disliked among their peers or would they rather speak out aggressively against a White House that, to this point, hasn't shown a great deal of focused interest on issues adversely effiecting blacks in America. Sharpton may want to ask himself: Do marches change anything? Prof. West may want to ask himself: Does being critical of President Obama solve anything? It would appear that Rev. Sharpton is more energenic about defending the White House than he is outraged regarding the problems that persist in the black community. It would appear that many in the White House are more interested in PR than policy. (The President called Conyers? Read why. Valerie Jarrett called Ellison? Read why). It would appear there are too many members of the CBC who are too quiet. If we're not careful, by the end of four years (or eight years...) none of the problems outlined above will be improved. They could even get worse.
read the blog on the black caucus CREW OF 42!