The Cost of the Covenant

It has been more than 40 years since the March on Washington and what could be described as the "height" of the Civil Rights movement.  Soon after Martin L. King, Jr. described his "dream," Congress passed the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and  the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  After some 400 years of slavery and nearly 100 years under Jim Crow, America was finally on its way to practicing the true democracy its founding fathers described -- particularly as illuminated in Thomas Jefferson's words, which said, "all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Chief among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

African-Americans, who were discarded when those word were first written, suddenly were now legally able to reclaim the rights the Emancipation Proclamation and the era of Reconstruction could not provide.  When Manny Marable, the prominent African-American Historian professor at Columbia University was asked to describe the state of Black America 40 years since that march on Washington he said, "it is the best of times and the worst of times, at the same time."

That description best illustrates the tale of two classes of one race.  Since the march on Washington there are more Black millionaires and white collar executives -- minorities and women now are CEOs of 15-percent of the Fortune 100 companies -- chief among these are Ken Chenault at American Express and Dick Parsons at Time Warner.  More blacks are attending college and going on to enter fields once seen as "white only."  The Black Middle Class is the post-success story of the Civil Rights era.

Yet, those signs of progress cannot overshadow the 10% unemployment in the black community, the economic divide in salary, home ownership and wealth, as well as the deteriorating environment of urban schools where in places like New York City inner city students receive about $2000 less than their suburban counterparts.

The best of times and the worst of times indeed.

For those who dwell in the best of times for the black community, it is incumbent upon them to ensure the rising tide lifts all boats.  For the seventh time,  Tavis Smiley, a PBS talk-show host, tried to spotlight the growing gap, which hinders so many African-Americans at his annual "State of Black America" seminar.

This year the all-day discussion was held in Houston, Texas and was -- as all of them have been -- a sold out affair.  While some see this as a sign of positive effort on the side of the African-American community -- it seems to be an exercise in preaching to the choir.

This year's seminar focused on a newly created "Covenant with Black America" in which the detailed 10 issues  for a better Black community.  However, those who probably needed to hear the insight of people like Cornell West the most were the victims of the very economic divide those who attended the event talked about for eight hours.

It is hard for me to contemplate why it costs $20 per person to attend this event.  Especially when it was hosted by at least one person and attended by others who could without a doubt afford to rent any facility they wanted or use their network of contacts to persuade the venue to be organized through philanthropy.  Thereby opening the venue to those who probably need a covenant the most.

According the the U.S. Census Bureau ten percent of the nations poor live in Texas.  In Houston some 15 percent of people live in poverty and the median income is just over $35,000.  Surely there could've been space for some cheap or charity seats for these disenfranchised residents.

For the poor single mother who works 60 hours a week to place food on the table for her child to eat, the choice between buying a few groceries or purchasing a ticket to an event becomes no choice at all.  Even more disturbing to this author is the fact that the "Covenant with Black America" has actually been published into a 270-plus page book and made available via amazon.com for $12.00 --plus shipping and handling.

While the increasingly expanding black middle class can afford this book and pay with a simple credit card, the availability for those disenfranchised members of the black community the access is increasingly limited.  Not only do those who are living in the worst of times have difficulty finding the $12 to spare but where do they find a computer or even a credit card to purchase the book if they had the money?

Some may see this argument as being too cynical, but it clearly illustrates the bottom-line question:  who is the covenant for?  Surely it can't be for all of Black America because all of Black America don't have access to it or even heard of its existence.

When you're fighting for survival -- luxuries such as caring about the greater society becomes a burden of those  with the free time and income to ponder such solutions.

Even the Covenant itself seems a bit classist.  For those who aren't familiar with the ten covenants ,there are a few which seem to have been created in a vacuum.  For example, the first covenant suggest the right to "secure the right to health care and well-being."  Certainly everyone has the right to health care -- the problem is some 30 million Americans -- not just blacks-- go through the day without it because they can't afford it nor does the low-wage job they work provide it for them.   

The second covenant focuses on "establishing a public education system in which all our children achieve at a high level."  This should be the goal of all Americans, but yet we cannot look to the federal government to improve our schools with more funding when we fail to hold our local districts to the fire by hiring inadequate administrators and protecting unqualified and worse uncertified teachers.

The sixth covenant says Black America must claim our democracy -- but how can Black America re-claim something it fails to participate in.  Black voter turnout in the last two presidential elections was still disproportionately low and the rate of black registration lags behind the national average.  Black America must participate in the process if it is going to demand something from its politicians.

The greater problem with each of these is they seem to broad to wrap any size arms around.  Everyone want to have health care, good schools and an active electorate -- these are black people's issues these are American ones. 

But the devil is in the details and perhaps somewhere in those valuable pages of the "Covenant" there are clear solutions to these issues.  It is a commendable act for Smiley and his host of panelist to take time out of their lives to organize such a program.  Without question, there are tremendous issues, which Black America must face and face soon.  But while we use energy to fight for former felons voting rights, we ignore the fact the next generation of black voters are sitting on the sidelines -- clueless to the impact their pull of the lever might provide.

The covenant Tavis moderated through this week may be a useful tool for the continued progress of Black America; however, I'm just not sure if the progress being focused on will make those living the best of times better  at the expense of the worst-- just try to  live.

If the covenant doesn't assist in making all of Black America better -- the cost in the long term may be too great for any of us to pay.

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[Morpheous Coleon]

This so called covenant with Black America or the whole entire Black State of the Union is a Shell Game.

Shell game: A fraud or deception perpetrated by shifting conspicuous things to hide something else.

These Negroes have no intention of helping the black masses of disenfranchised people unless they benefit and they will only help to a degree. This whole movement is a power grab of pseudo black unelected leaders who want to stay in unelected seats of power. So they can continue to eat at the corporate trough. This is a renewed black elitist movement, an extrapolation of the “Talented Tenth” theory by W.E.B. Dubois. These protagonist sit up on those panels and pontificate half truths and propagate black paralysis propaganda to get the peoples hopes up that "change is gonna come" ..."Trust us"..There are notable exceptions like a Cornell West but most are on somebody's payroll and are only interested in serving those hidden interest. Meanwhile they play on the conspicuous emotional triggers to get people all hype about the plight of Black America. Hidden is this self contrived hierarchal system for black America. They surmise If and when black people progress and benefit in this country then let them be the sole spokespersons, the deal makers and the distributors of any wealth that is ascertained. They want the masses to cede their voices and power over to a few “hand-picked” individuals. They are positioning themselves at every distribution channel of this network to benefit. Most of these Negroes are from the civil rights movement and/or post civil rights benefactors and use Martin Luther King as a co-signer on everything they do. How many times are we going to hear "I marched with King" and "I did this with King"? It is all social posturing. The real secrets to wealth acquisition and networking are not plainly stated in the book or any public forum because it ain't for everybody only those Tavis Smiley deems as "Black America's best and brightest". Thus we have the "Shell Game" every year on C-Span for your entertainment. We never move forward we only talk about the problems while moves are being made behind the scenes. There is no call to action, No means to track progress or any method to measure accountability. This is a Manifesto by Black elitist declaring their “God Given Right” to rule over the affairs of black America similar to the “Manifest Destiny” by Thomas Jefferson when America expanded west. The question is will we continue to play this shell game or “recall” these so-called leaders.

[Edward Rhymes]

Very compelling insights into the "Covenant with Black America" gathering. I watched it as well and found that too much of it was a showcase of individual Blacks and not as focused on the Black community at-large. There were far too many panelists who seemed to be impressed with sound of their own voices for my taste. However, Cornell continues to be a favorite of mine not just because of his intelligence, but because of his humility. The issues contained in the "Covenant" book do need to be raised and addressed. The strategy or strategies that will be employed to address them continues to be the real challenge. My disagreements with the process aside, I honor any group who endeavors to uplift the Black coomunity.

[SpedyG]

The Covenant with Black America seems to be something that should be tried by some. There are some things I take issue with, but I was tuned in - via the DVD set. I was too busy last weekend to view it C-SPAN. Since I enjoyed the fodder from last year's event, which I actually watched, I figured I order it and watch it later. Shocked to see that it arrived so soon, and I have watched the first DVD out of three. I didn't agree with a lot of the fodder, but I thought that some of the panelists did make some valid points. Min. Farrakhan made some points that I think can not be achieved - at least not in this country. There has been Nationalist talk for decades, but we have too many blacks in the assimulated fashion to even garner enough steam to work. Education, the Iraq War, Katrina, and several other topics got batted around. I'm getting tired of hearing that more funding needs to go into education. I'm tired of hearing about the "digital divide". It sickens me to see millions of dollars going to mindless fashions - including Sean Jean (sp) and FUBU. I think that money could go into educating our children - and possibly purchasing a computer. So many free computer classes are offered. So many blacks make endless excuses about the digital divide while watching their Plasma TV with the awesome surround sound that they bought at Best Buy. I guess the computer sale was overlooked. I think that some of the rhetoric used will fall on deaf ears and their will be another ground swell when election season rolls around, and we will be calling for record voter registration of blacks again. As for education - EDUCATION starts at home. Why are so many blacks expecting the first time little Johnny learns his alphabet "should" be in Headstart or Kindergarten and complains when the child is so far behind. The issues raised are always interesting and the panelists are always interesting. What is more interesting is that both parties (Reps & Dems) "promised" to address issues affecting blacks in the upcoming elections. I'll believe it when I see it.

[plez...]

One of these days - and I mean real soon - African Americans (AKA Black People) are going to realize that we are no longer in the era of gaining our Civil Rights. That being said, Black People have already come to realize that there is not one person (in the mold of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.) who will lead our monolithic group from Point A to Point B in The Struggle. Some, no, most Black People would be hard pressed to enunciate what The Struggle even entails these days.

Black People can no longer point to disenfranchisement from the voting process. Black People can no longer point to lack of access to goods and services. Black People can no longer complain of lack of access to the Halls of Industry. So what do Black People, as a whole, have to "complain" about now?

Do all Black children enjoy access to top rate educations? If not, should Black People shoulder most (if not all) of the blame?

Do Black People have more drugs and drug addicts in their communities (per capita) than other communities? If so, should Black People shoulder most (if not all) of the blame?

Do Black People spend most of their hard earned wages in their communities? If not, should Black People shoulder most (if not all) of the blame?

I would love to read a copy of the "Covenant," but something tells me it would fall into a trash heap of unintelligible, self-gratifying drivel long before I could stomach the thought of finishing it.

I'm a Black man and I am so glad that we have a group of self-effacing individuals who think they can come down from their hotel suites (which were undoubtedly paid for by this little symposium) and announce to the world what Black People need to do to make their lives better when they know in their heart of hearts that this was just a free weekend in Houston to get away from the bitter cold in our northern climes. They don't have to worry about enacting any of these Covenants, because 99% of the Black People couldn't give a rat's ass about this insignificant skid mark on a slow news weekend.

How many actionable items came out of the weekend? How many bills will be submitted in Congress or the State Legislatures as a result of this Covenant? How many class action lawsuits will be filed as a result of this Covenant? How many new jobs were generated for the jobless as a result of this Covenant? How many drugs were removed from inner city neighborhoods as a result of this Covenant? How many Black People who didn't have it yesterday will woke up this morning with health care as a result of this Covenant?

Yeah, that's what I thought. Zero. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate this Covenant a zero!