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When Will America Embrace the Collective Prosperity Movement? (3150 hits)

When will Americans embrace the Collective Prosperity Movement?

I agree that more black Americans need to be in the forefront of this current racism debate, but I'm not one to downplay the importance of white Americans speaking out against racist and discriminatory practices. I applaud President Jimmy Carter for speaking his mind. I am also appreciative of Keith Olberman, the work he is doing to give us black Americans a voice on MSNBC's COUNTDOWN.

White Americans like Carter and Olberman are what I consider the new abolitionists. But rather than combating slavery, they are combating the misinformation that continues to drive a wedge between racial/ethnic groups. They are also trying to win over hearts and minds. Olberman has had a number of different black Americans on his show as special guests, and they tell it like it is. It is now time for us black Americans to work on the grassroots level with like-minded white Americans to use this information to write the next chapter in the Civil Rights Movement.

If you ask me (and I know you didn't), I think we need to transition to a Collective Prosperity Movement. The fact that white Americans voted overwhelmingly for the black man is an indication that they are now willing to work with black Americans and other persons of color on a prosperity agenda. Truth be told, race is becoming less significant (and it should) while class issues are becoming more prevalent. Thus, we have to end this trend of allowing the rich to get richer, the poor poorer. We also have to identify and integrate those Hubs of Influence that are still controlled by White America's Good Ol' Boy Networks.

Identifying these Hubs of Influence is a somewhat difficult task, but it is made easier when members of the controlling majority show a willingness to look under every stone. Black Americans like Thurgood Marshall played critical roles in opening doors that now allow us black Americans to learn and work alongside white Americans. But there are many schools and businesses that continue to be devoid of multi-ethnic groups of students and workers. To hear some of them tell it, they are having a hard time recruiting "minority candidates". Nonsense. There are plenty of black, brown, red and yellow students on this nation's campuses that salivate at the mere thought of earning a paycheck.

A Hub of Influence that Americans of color need to gain a more equitable stake in is the media (i.e., television, newspapers, radio, Internet). No one will deny that we live in an age in which the information that we receive has been reduced to sound bytes. For black Americans and other persons of color, this information does nothing more than encourage some white Americans to continue their mistreatment and marginalization of other racial/ethnic groups. It also gives these same white Americans a false sense of self, of how they should be relating and affirming the rest of humanity.

Please know, however, that this relating and affirming is a two-way street. Black Americans and other persons of color shouldn't have all of the fun. We should also be letting white Americans know when their individual and collective behavior is in line with what's right for a united America. But slavery and oppression were white Americans' invention. And contemporary white Americans have benefited greatly from keeping their American brothers and sisters down. Consequently, we need more white Americans to speak out boldly about the need for a Collective Prosperity Movement. Those two words -- collective prosperity -- have the power to unite us like never before.

What do you think?

I look forward to reading your responses.

From "The FIRM...but fair" TOWN HALL MEETING"
http://firmbutfair.connectplatform.com/

Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Friday, September 18th 2009 at 5:57PM
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Excellent brother Jeffery !
One of the greatest White Americans was John Brown, because he was willing to give his life for what was right. He should have a statue attributed to him like any other freedom fighter of the past. I also believe those of "mixed race" can have a significant impact on America because of their position between the color line. If they are loved by their families, their words, pain and sorrow about Racism/Colorism will be heard.
Monday, September 21st 2009 at 10:18AM
Dr. Okpara Nosakhere

Hello Jeffery,

Jeffery, I think what you are missing is that Black Americans needs to brave the natural obstacles that nature hurls at any developing people and country. This is how God set up creation.

What I am saying here is similar to a child’s proper development, mentally and physically. To bypass a crucial and critical stage of mental development will be consequential somewhere down the road.

The concept of what you are saying is to assimilate Black Americans into White America and this is not a good thing for Black Americans. Black Americans will be mentally under developed by the criteria of nature’s natural obstacles and Black Americans will always be subsisting on White America, which has been the case since slavery began to the present day.

In other words, different races do not develop at the same rate and speed, mentally speaking. If they did develop at the same rate and speed, the Native American Indians would have been able to fend off White America and avoided the reservation experience.

The Caucasian race has so for been the only race to have mentally developed at a much faster rate than all other races have especially the Negroid race.

We must, as Black Americans desire to become a sovereign people. Our needs are different from the needs of White America and we needs to satisfy our own needs. Am I breaking ground with you, yet?

Tell me what you think.

Monday, September 21st 2009 at 1:57PM
Harry Watley

Hello Mr. Weston,

Mr. Weston, the fundamental gist of your comment has impressed me. In other words, you have kicked out very good logic that easily overtook the twisted thinking of everyone including Mr. Clark and the giant Mr. Okpara.

If anyone insists that I explain myself, I will. However, as a starter, there is no rationale in Mr. Jeffries concept of collective prosperity when Mr. Weston explained how his mother did her thing.

I believe that Mr. Weston needed to go a little bit further and set his eyes on sovereignty.

Black Americans need to be sovereign or have complete independence from White America on a portion of this continent that we could call our very own country with borders to pursue life, liberty, happiness and prosperity in our own way.

Black Americans needs to brave the natural obstacles that nature hurls at every sovereign people. This experience would not be gotten sticking up under White America or by being involved in everything that belongs to White America.

When will you all understand just what it is I am saying?

What say you?

Saturday, September 26th 2009 at 10:48PM
Harry Watley

Hello Clark,

Black Americans may be rich, but not significantly rich. However, what is very much important though, we cannot rationalize. In other words, we are not an intelligent people. We desperately need the help of God and God’s Chosen One.

If we had any intelligence to speak of we would not be having these types of dialogue, am I right? On the other hand, these types of dialogue do serve some useful purposes; eventually you all are going to start thinking.

Tell me what you think.

Saturday, September 26th 2009 at 10:55PM
Harry Watley

African Americans have embraced collectivist / socialist political doctrines for quite some time; the question is whether those doctrines will provide sustainable solutions for our communities. The founders of the UNIA, NAACP, Black Panther Party, Nation of Islam etc. all promoted collectivist ideologies.

I do agree that we are moving away from a race (caste) based society towards a class-based society. For the first time in America's history, a wealthy Black, Latino, or Asian entrepreneur probably has more in common with a wealthy Caucasian entrepreneur, socially and culturally, than a working class person of their own race.

In this, we've learned a valuable lesson - at some point of the spectrum, wealth and value creation exceed the importance of race. Although there may be antipathy towards those outside of one's ethnic and social group, that antipathy usually disappears when there is a practical or financial incentive to do so. The success of Jewish entrepreneurs in the 50s-60s and Indian skilled professionals in the 80s-90s are two good examples.

Financial success and control of resources give us the leverage to overcome discrimination by placing us in a position to negotiate and collaborate with others, rather than have others dominate us. It also creates the ability to provide for our own people. Traditionally, free enterprise has been a vehicle that can knock down social barriers. It is difficult or impossible for others to control our destiny when we create our own institutions, schools, curriculae, business ventures, and communities.

Ownership is critical. We must have resources that we own and control outside the sphere of others' influence. Until we build institutions that generate wealth, accumulate resources, and command our own destiny, our children will continue to be taught by teachers that don't care about their success, our needs will be ignored, and we wil remain an underclass.
Friday, October 9th 2009 at 2:32PM
Jon C.