Black Agenda: We Count

The programming on C-Span2 for the last couple of nights was a round table discussion comprised of black leaders and mediated by journalist savant Tavis Smiley entitled, Black Agenda: We Count. Some of the personalities invited to articulate were very familiar names: M.E. Dyson, C. West, L. Farrakhan, Angela G. Blackwell, J. Malveaux, and J.Jackson along with a few others. The event aired in separate parts across two nights, i was able to catch the second part last night.

The focus appeared to be around a black agenda, i believe this was outlined in a book which Blackwell alluded to as a New York Times bestseller; I must admit i was not privy to before last night. However the panel last night, whether by design or happen-stance, became fixated on the alleged shortcomings to Obama, and also his lack of overt love towards the black community. I believe Dr. West said "We loved you and embraced you long before you were [president]". There are a lot of black neighborhoods that are decimated with putrid school systems and the cutting of jobs in the public sector (postal workers, bus drivers, etc.), but this panel was lamenting that Obama hasn't done what was necessary to fix these things among others, sans Blackwell. I was at odds with these comments, we are intensely hard on Obama failing to acknowledge a couple of huge footnotes; It has only been one year and he can't pass everything he wants to at will. Obama and his staff have done quite well, starting with the fact that he is the first president to have an Urban Affairs team. They talked about getting the crack/cocaine punishment ratio even from 100:1 down to 1:1. Apparently the O administration has gotten it down to 18:1, the majority of the panel was unhappy with that. That crack/cocaine example was used to make a point, its very hard to be radical in office and get your agenda accomplished. It is important to take into account the Senate and Congress. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a little bit to move things forward in the right direction, as oppose to holding out forever to get nothing. This country is vastly bigger than the African-American population and we cannot act as if our priorities should take eminence over the rest of the nation. I understand that we have been placed in some precarious positions but you can't ostracize everyone else (two wrongs don't make a right).

From the beginning Obama has attempted to unify not separate, that has been evident from his negotiations with Republicans and his asking for solid ideas. Sometimes the black contingent can become quite lopsided in their argument, in addition to being too dependent on one individual. Perhaps Obama was not in office, then what would we do to help our predicaments? I agree it is necessary to speak up for your communities but we need to do quite a bit more starting with home base. The O administration can do a lot but it is generally going to be on a impersonal scale but i think more important than systematic changes we need personal changes. I know that's a big statement, and i do believe both are necessary. If you provide a community with the money to rectify the failing schools and such but the kids aren't going/learning or the school board is wasting away the money then what good does the donation do?

By the time the questions came around the focus was in deep left field, so i won't comment on those. In summation it was a noble idea but i don't think it was executed effectively, from the skewed age demographic of the panelists to the misplaced concerns. I respect the conversation but we have to take care of our own before we ask someone else to take care of what we have.