State of the Black Union 06

The good news is they aired it again. The bad news is that it was listed under the name Tonight From Washington, on my satellite info. Hmmm. It was shown again, but under the wrong name, so if you didn't pay attention to the small ticker at the bottom of the screen, saying that it would re-air on Monday 2-27-06 at 8:00pm you would have missed Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union 2006. And boy, did you miss something!
You missed facts and figures; some that most of us already knew: Black America consumes too much and invest too little.
Some you didn't know: White America's net worth is between $75,000 and $80,000 dollars while black America's net worth is around $5,900. The sad part about that is most of us didn't think $5,900 is that bad. Most of us take in a little extra air, put a little pep in our step with 5,900 dollars in the bank...But that's an average. And they're averaging in the Black millionaires. So this means the rest of us are dirt poor, despite the fact, and they made this comment, that most of have done a very good job at looking middle class! But $5,900 looks awful standing, if one can say standing, next to $75,000!
You missed a cat fight of political views among the discussion panel, laced with "my mama says!" The women gaped their legs and clawed at each other while the men, knees pressed together, waited their turn, which seemed to never come. The moderator, a women, would cut through the air, heavy with hurt feelings about "MY God and pimp daddy preaching" and swollen attitudes to prove that she could hold her own among the group and while she ceased to tame them, she was able to lasso them with a piece of string. This was entertaining!
Questions that were posed: America is spending 4.9 billion (I hope I heard this wrong. I hope they said million, which is still an astronomical number) a day on the war! They should use the same amount to re-build New Orleans.
The second panel was my favorite! Cornel West, Al Sharpton, Farrakhan, Harry Belafante, are just a few. The most prolific speaker was Belafonte. He wove a truth, a realism of our current state. Calling Bush as well as Condi terrorist, claiming that it is a terror not to have proper health care, poverty, and everything else we face on an every day basis as black people. Also talked about us, once again, fighting for something that we, as black folk, don't even have over here!
How many times must we go to foreign countries fighting America's fight, risking our lives? Returning heavily decorated, or not, with a small amount of cash, or not, and a thank you note and end up standing on a street corner, or my favorite, working at a convenience store!
Well, Belafonte's comments, except for the above statement, that was mine, was invited to speak at Coretta Scott King's funeral, and then was uninvited once the president decided to attend! Might I mention that Belafonte paid for Dr. King's funeral in the sixties! Who uninvited him? Screw the president!
Al Sharpton said black America is too lazy and ungrateful to vote, and Farrakhan said America must burn!
Oh, it was a discussion alright!
Now, Walter Mosely talked about his new book. In it he talked about Black America should have one political party. Vote one way. This, I found very interesting. The black republicans pressed their backs hard against their seats anytime anything got nasty. The democrats said they felt like the Republican party didn't care and they were being taken advantage of by the Democrats. Hmmm.
The Covenant with black America is what came out of the entire thing. Everyone on stage endorsed it. I was very impressed that Tavis gave 5,000 of them away in Houston and will continue to do so throughout his seven city tour. I haven't read it but look forward to do so.
The overall message was: When are we going to wake up?
Which is the 4.9 million or 4.9 billion dollar question.
-L.F Goodwyn