The State of the Black Union

Earlier this evening, I was watching some of the recent "State of the Black Union 2005" conference where a large panel of African Americans were discussing the state of the current black community. The conference was led by radio and television host Tavis Smiley.

As I watched, I saw the most disgusting, overt display of racism in my lifetime. The black leaders that I saw on that stage were spouting rhetoric that would earn any white person who made similar comments the title of a shameless, black-hating racist. The words I heard spoke only about how to advance the black culture and how to ensure that blacks are in charge of more companies in this country. You may read that and think nothing of it, but what if I held a conference dedicated to ensuring that more white people held positions of prominence in this country and that the cause of the white man was advanced? These panelists had little to say that did not involve blaming white people for all the problems in their community.

Former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders spoke of the abstinence movement as if it was a white man's idea that was created to bring about the end the black race. Her brilliant idea for stamping out the epidemic of unwanted pregnancies among black women is to eliminate the abstinence program and give kids condoms and show them educational videos on how to properly bang each other in their middle school bathrooms and not get pregnant. Great idea.

George Fraiser, black CEO of Fraisernet, did have some positive things to say. He was less concerned with what America can do for blacks, but what blacks need to do for themselves in America. He mentioned that black Americans are, by far, the most fortunate group of blacks on the face of the planet. He went on to say that America has given blacks freedom, voting and political rights, and the equal opportunity to take part in economic capitalism. He followed that by saying that, "America ain't gonna give you more than that." The reason I believe that he said that is this -- America doesn't give anyone in this country more than that, no matter what their race or creed.

The sad thing is that he got the most hesitant response of all the panelists I heard. Apparently blacks are not ready to take responsibility for themselves yet -- at least this is the message that seems to be disseminated by a great deal of African American leaders. I'm beginning to think that the black community is never going to be able to get over the past because so many black leaders are so concerned with propagating the idea that blacks are still 2nd class citizens in America.

For my own part, I am just as big a fan of Condoleeza Rice as I am of any white American you could name. My worldview of race can most closely be explained by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When he said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." If only today's blacks still had that dream.