(ThyBlackMan.com) I just returned from the Measuring the Movement forum hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton in New York City. The forum was insightful and empowering as it pertains to getting members of African American leadership to see the value of accountability. NAACP President Ben Jealous gave time to the forum, and even President Barack Obama came through to give a speech.
In many ways, the convention was arguably the most successful gathering of its kind. I find Sharpton’s approach to action-oriented solutions to be refreshing, and as a person who sat on a panel with both Jealous and Sharpton, it’s a relief to be involved with a forum where the goal is not to simply provide the best sound bite. “Sound bite leadership” in the black
The day after the forum, I got off an airplane to hear that Rev. Sharpton got into a heated debate over the black agenda with Cornel West. I knew the conversation would be volatile, and I was concerned about the imagery of two black men going to war on MSNBC. Ed Schultz was the host of “A Stronger America: The Black Agenda,” a show that allowed a few voices to air their perspective on what a black agenda should look like in the age of Obama. Personally, I wonder why such a show was not positioned on a black network, or at least with an African American host.
As I expected, the argument came to a predictable boiling point. Consistent with the views of his close colleague, Tavis Smiley, Cornel West fought hard to short-circuit the partnership between President Obama and Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton, a man not known to back down from anyone, defended his positions well and also challenged those who “sit in the ivory tower” and talk without much action (I do not consider Cornel West to be one of those people; he believes what he says and acts on it).
I watched the entire exchange shaking my head, primarily because I knew that such a fight was simply inevitable. As I wrote on the Huffington Post a couple of weeks ago, the Obama Presidency has created a divide among black public figures that I pray does not cripple our community. I love both Rev. Sharpton and Cornel West, and it was sad to watch them get into such a personal and nasty fight on national television.
My perception is that Cornel is coming from a genuine place. I cannot say the same about Tavis Smiley, who seemed to have a problem with Barack Obama’s disrespect toward him during the 2008 presidential election. West’s statements about the elitism of the Obama Administration (he mentions that Obama would be glad to speak out if a wealthy banker were stopped by police, but not if it were a poor black man) are on point. He is also correct to note that the administration has been slow to readily acknowledge African American suffering.
In Sharpton’s defense, the truth is that having an African American figure on the inside of the Obama Administration gives our community a better chance to grab the ear of the president. What’s yet to be determined, however, is whether or not the president is listening to Sharpton’s concerns or giving priority to the issues being faced by other constituencies. Women’s groups, the gay community and the Latino community have gotten high priority from the Obama Administration, but African Americans remain at the back of the bus when it comes to our primary concerns, including mass incarceration and growing unemployment rates of over 15 percent. My belief is that Cornel West and Al Sharpton are both witnessing the community’s struggle up close, and Sharpton hopefully serves as a true and passionate surrogate for those who are frozen out of Obama’s big white house.
President Obama has reason to be concerned about losing much of his steadfast African American support. According to a recent survey conducted at YourBlackWorld.com, 34.4% of black respondents said that President Obama failed to meet their expectations after being elected. This disappointment may not translate to votes for the Republicans, but it can manifest itself in reduced voter turnout in the African American community.
Another survey at YourBlackWorld.com reveals that nearly two-thirds (62.3%) of black respondents do not see President Obama as a civil rights leader. Given that Obama is not a civil rights leader, we must be careful not to feel that his presence reduces the significance of true civil rights leaders like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and others. This means that we need genuine and empowered advocates within black America who can mobilize the people to put pressure on any administration that is in power so that our rights as Americans can be secured.
In other words, sitting around and hoping that President Obama will look out for our interests is not nearly as effective as pursuing our interests ourselves. Work must be done on the ground to lay out a black agenda, putting pressure on both Congress and the Obama Administration to see to it that our community is not left behind. Both West and Sharpton would likely agree with this assertion, and this can begin the quest for common ground.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.
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Corruption and fraud against Black people at EEOC
Rev. Al please address the above and below issues:
I Ricardo E. Jones Sr, former Senior Federal Investigator of EEOC-NYDO from 4/9/01 to 4/1/10 have direct and indirect knowledge of Federal Investigators, Federal Trial attorneys and managers of the EEOC who have taken money/gifts and/or positions with law firms to fix and throw investigation for personal gain or on orders from Comissioners of the EEOC (Vice Chair Leslie Silverman,Esq). Neomi Earp-campbell while Acting Chair of the EEOC had cases fixed for friends at law firms. This information was given to me by Federal Investigator Sean Oliveria formerly of the EEOC-NYDO. Former Vice Chair Leslie Silverman Esq, fixed decisions for her present employer Proskauer Rose law firm while she was a commissioner at the EEOC. This information was given to my by Nancy Boyd then Deputy Director of the EEOC-NYDO and Nora Curtin Trial attorney/former regional attorney miami-EEOC.
Ms. Silverman was a former staff member of the senate sub-committee that over-saw the EEOC. She currently is using her contacts to fix complaints and issues at the EEOC of Proskauer Rose law firm Washington DC. Assistant General Counsel for the EEOC James Lee is a sexual preditor who has sexually harassed many females at the EEOC over his tenure. This information was given to me by Lois Bramble legal clerk at the EEOC-NYDO. Luis Graziano Trial Attorney at EEOC-NYDO has taken money to fix decisions and conciliation at the EEOC. He's a close friend of Assistant General Counsel James Lee of EEOC-Hq's and is also on the take with Graziano. Nancy Boyd fixed decisions for Leslie Silverman at the EEOC. Nancy Boyd is also a close friend of and ex-subordenate of Enforcement Manager Electra Yourke of EEOC-NYDO who worked for Elleanor Holmes-Norton former head of EEOC and NY City Commission of human rights.
Ms. Yourke is a racist bigot known by all in NYC and Washington DC. This information was given to me by Ricardo Cuevas Esq and admin judge at the EEOC-NYDO. Clyde Lo-chin Mediator EEOC-Tampa FL, received a bribe from Paul Salvator Esq for Proskauer Rose law firm representing Ralph Loren Polo and now working with former EEOC vice chair Leslie Silverman in Washington DC. This information was given to me by my friend Clyde Lo-cin Mediator at Tampa FL EEOC.
EEOC dismissing over 95% of all Black complaints of Race discrimination nationwide. This information is just the tip of the iceberg. The above information was in my sealed law suit. Please google Ricardo Jones EEOC to read more on the above.
Dr. Boyce the way that you have allowed yourself to be taken to task by Al Sharpton on his radio is much like watching a slave whiping from an old roots movie how you allow this man to put you out like that is UNREAL because you are not saying what he wants you to say something and the way that he wants you to say it and because you his enemy are not your enemy the man puts you on the spot attempts to make you look bad attacks you for what other have had to say and have done he puts you on the spot brings in invited guest after having you respone to something that you have wrote not giving the entire content as to what it was that you had wrote it's sad Dr.Boyce even sadder that I had to write this note to point it all out to you.
President Obama passed himself off as Superman . Now he is just Superman Light. He does not have the ability to Fly . He does have the ability to lie. As for his X-ray vision. It only go for telling the different between his ass and a hole in the ground. He able leap over a lot of accountability in a single bound. Since he can not fly he runs along the ground saying this the best he could do. It kind of remind you of Chicken Little. The kryptonite the republicans have his a pet rock left over from the 70's.
Lynne and Sepia I suspect are the same person carrying Obama's water. They have a knack for responding at around the same time.
I checked out Sepia(thought it was Lynne) source on the mandate and apparently she left this out from the author.
"If this actually leads to a world in which large numbers of people don’t buy insurance and tell the IRS to stuff it, you could see that change. But for now, the penalties are low and the enforcement is non-existent."
Many aren't going to buy Health Insurance, and you can bet the lap dog politicians are going to do the bidding of the Insurance companies to tighten the law and go after poor citizens who don't. So much for greatly helping the black community or the poor.
Continue supporting someone who has shown himself to have the ear of special interests rather than the ear of the people who elected him. And continue getting deceived because he's got the most active melanin since any president before him. If this was George Bush, we won't be having this debate.
I can't believe one of you idiots, highlighted repealing don't ask don't tell as something that greatly benefited the black community. Shows how much of a joke you are, and how much of an idiot I am for wasting my time with you clowns. Then Val teaches me how laws get passed, but can't answer for herself why Bush was successful at passing laws and Obama can't.
@GR Couldn't have said it better.
This is all very interesting. As Al Sharpton vigorously defending President Obama's relatively weak body of work, he threw the Black Congressional Caucus under the bus in the process. Sharpton yelled that people had been in Washington for decades and that Obama had only been in Washington 2 1/2 years. Although, such chaos is grossly inaccurate, Dr. West asked Sharpton one simple question. Dr. West asked, "where's the jobs bill?" This is a very important question.
Val has accurately posted a myriad of accomplishments from the Administration. We may debate the effectiveness of such policies. However, we can not debate this.
A. Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination because he ran counter to Hillary Clinton on the Iraq War and NAFTA, which has single-handedly cost hundreds of thousands of skill/labor jobs for African-Americans across the nation, particularly the South, i.e. textile, manufacturing, etc. On practically every other major issue, there was limited difference for Clinton, Obama, or Edwards (who was left of both Obama and Clinton).
TODAY: The United States increased the number of military boots on the ground under the military policy of President Obama. He was elected questioning the cost (he often spoke about the cost of "lives" and "treasure" for the Iraq War) and as President signficantly increased the cost of war and military commitment abroad.
TODAY: NAFTA is as strong as ever. We all remember then Senator Clinton claiming that the Canadian Prime Minister was assured that NAFTA was just fine under the Obama administration as he bashed everyone that supported the pathetic Clinton era legislation which has factually stripped our nation of jobs.
B. President Obama criticized former President George W. Bush for having "unpaid" tax cuts for the rich. He correctly pointed how this created a strain upon our nation during a time of war.
TODAY: President Obama extended those tax cut and has driven the Federal deficity to heights never imagined just 3 years ago. His commitment to socialized Wall Street was vigorous. In the meantime, he folds under claims that he is socializing healthcare.
Now, we have posters that are actually dumb enough to believe that the fact that President Obama's financial reform bill brings benefits to our community. It is a sham! Dr. West is completely accurate to point to the FACT that Black folks refuse to hold President Obama to the fire. If this were a white politician who thrived on Black support in the manner that President Obama did, Al Sharpton would be marching (for media attention) in NYC.
This is one of the worst runs in recent history. People that point to unemployment and say ridiculous things like it got high before Obama are just factually inaccurate. The highest unemployment rate under former President Bush never exceeded 8%. Going back to the questions Dr. West posed. "Where's the jobs bill?" What I see from President Obama is what we have seen from the Democrats for decades. These guys do not want solutions. These guys want a permanent underclass. We are that underclass. President Obama leads the party that leads a perpetual system of "hand-outs" and hollow leadership/solutions.
Val highlights a myriad of government hand-outs. I just want to echo Dr. Cornel West. WHERE IS THE JOBS BILL? Either Pres. Obama is dumb, ineffective, or he enjoys seeing almost 1 out of 5 Black people without a job. I have NEVER witnessed a US President since the Great Depression lead our nation through this kind of unemployment without a comprehensive jobs bill. Under our (Black) President, we have done the following: 1. sent over a hundred thousand troops to Afghanistan (as a multi-billion dollar cost), 2. started another war with Libya, 3. handed trillions to the failed banking industry, 4. handed billions to the auto-industry and has NO JOBS BILL.
Give me a break!
Anthony, the link wasn't specifically for you............*geez*
Lynne didn't you send me a link to a post slamming "intellectuals"
http://weeseeyou.com/2011/04/03/memo-to-the-alleged-black-intellectual-class/
I was referring to that.
@lynee
What page can I find that on?
Who said i watch Joe Scarsborough? What makes you think I listen to right wing media? When has right wing media said anything about the bailouts?. Here is where I got the insurance and stocks link and yes I checked http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8R8baHPr2E
How is it weak sauce? Do you know how stocks work? Stock prices reflect the financial future of a company. All the stock prices were reflecting how they felt about the law. And it was favorable because there were going to make more money.
Who said anything about me being blacker than you? Are you feeling inadequate about your blackness?
"choosing to belive the other man over the brotha man"
This quote shows how stupid you are. What if the brotha man was part of the system? Have you considered that point?
I'm going out, send me that page. I'll read it, and check it with other sources.
Anthony your reading comprehension skills are pathetic. Exactly where did I refer to you as an "intellectual"?? Dear, are you under the impression that the term "agent provocateur" is synonymous with "intellectual"??
"As I wrote on the Huffington Post a couple of weeks ago, the Obama Presidency has created a divide among black public figures that I pray does not cripple our community."
Respectfully, I ask, what Black people are following anyone besides Obama? Jesse, Al, and Farrakhan have few followers.
Lastly, I think it would be substantively beneficial to Black folks if these forums, discussions, and whatnot would be limited to the topics of business and economics. I'm so, so, so tired of the religiously affiliated speaking on the behalf of Black interests in the U.S.