I’m wondering if anyone else is watching c-span right now and the current edition of Travis Smiley’s “The State of Black America.”
I have watched most of these in the past and have found them extremely powerful. But this one so far is a step above those that have come before. One reason is that the reality of Katrina is present both overtly and covertly as a part of everything that is being discussed.
Secondly, Smiley and others that are involved have put together a “Covenant with Black America.” You can learn more about the book and movement here.
I thought it might be interesting to discuss the idea and elements of the covenant here. I, personally think its a powerful document and movement. Even while I regret that there are a couple of items that I feel are critically important, but not included.
Here are the 10 covenants:
Covenant I
Securing the right to health care and well-being.
Covenant II
Establishing a system of public education in which all children achieve at high levels and reach their full potential.
Covenant III
Correcting the system of unequal justice.
Covenant IV
Fostering accountable community-centered policing.
Covenant V
Ensuring broad access to affordable neighborhoods that connect to opportunities.
Covenant VI
Claiming our democracy.
Covenant VII
Strengthening our rural roots.
Covenant VIII
Accessing good jobs, wealth and economic prosperity.
Covenant IX
Assuring environmental justice for all.
Covenant X
Closing the racial digital divide.
There it is. I don’t know the details of each of these because I’ve ordered the book, but it hasn’t come yet.
I’m sorry that the rights of women and gays are not included. I know that Cornell West, one of the main contributors, is very supportive of both. But I’m sure that a calculation was made that these things are still too divisive in the African American community.
But otherwise, this is a movement that is powerful and deserves attention. And if they replay the sessions on c-span, be sure to watch. If, for no other reason, than you’ll get to watch Harry Belafonte explain why he said that President Bush is a terrorist – one of the most powerful statements I’ve heard in a loooong time!!
What do you think?
If you’d like to see the forums (there are two) c-span will re-air them Monday at 8:30 and 11:30 pm eastern time.
I’m not so good at live-blogging, but I just have to try and capture an interchange that just went on in this discussion:
Farrakhan:
ML King once said that he worried that he was trying to help his people integrate into a burning house. Farrakhan says the house is burning and we have to let it go. Only hope is to trust God and take care of ourselves.
Bellafonte:
ML King went on to say that if the house is burning, we need to train as firefighters. And we have to do so for the grandbabbies in the house.
is a playa. They’ve even got him pimping the crusades now.
Just goes to show that we are always learning from and about one another. I would have assumed you would be with Minister Farrakhan on that one Ductape.
I found the exchange interesting because in some ways it mirrored the discussion here lately about stay or leave the Democatic party and the level of hope we have for the possibility of democracy in this country.
Actually, many of the sentiments shared today at this forum mirrored things that we have struggled with here at this site.
and crimes against humanity in general, therefore I am unable to agree with any who support them.
What I had mistakely assumed was that you might have agreed with the point that the house is burning and we might as well let it go and take care of ourselves.
This is a position that has occasionally been attractive to me lately. But Belafonte was powerful is his arguments for fire-fighter training today.
I would love to hear more about how Farrakhan has been supporting the crusades.
are empowered to choose whether to take care of it themselves or relinquish that duty to others.
I like Mr. Belafonte’s firefighter analogy, and I think it would be good to see people “train as firefighters” and go put it out, if putting it out themselves is the decision that is made.
I have seen Mr. Farrakhan on television programs encouraging Afro-American youth to become crusaders.
I didn’t see this, NL (I don’t have cable), but I’ve heard something about it. It sounds like an interesting project, and I hope it goes beyond talk.
I too wish it had included about the rights of gays and women… not having that weakens any covenant for anyone, I think. And it’s doubly sad to see that here, considering how black americans were left out of the original constitutional covenant themselves. Without standing up for the rights of all (and there are certainly women and gays who are black ;), it’s more difficult to stand up for the rights of any.
Thanks for posting about this.
One of my lasting impressions after watching this forum for most of the afternoon is that Harry Belafonte is now one of my heros (dream ticket for the Hollywood Presidential ticket – Belafonte/Clooney).
My ignorance will show when I say that in the past I have only heard excerpts of remarks made by Belafonte, and they always seemed so strident, I hadn’t really paid attention. But today I got to hear him talk at length – and the man has things to say that need to be heard!! I’ll pay more attention in the future.
Although in many ways, America never was America to him, nor to many others, his stridence expresses a vow, that the land that never was, will be.
that deserves more than a 4.
a big bucket o’ props to Mr. Langston Hughes, which I failed to dump at the end of the post.
I will blame the medications as usual, and heed the summons of Madame Fatwa, who as is her wont, tells me it is time to puncture my finger and eat dal.
;->
and of course, I failed to pick up on it. Thanks for telling me what times that I can pick up on Belafonte and Farrakhan. That should be a highlight.
Harry has always been on the money as far as advocacy is concerned. I do remember how he and Sidney Poitier were considered the black actors in America in the Fifties and Sixties, and how Sidney’s star rose while Harry’s faded. Harry played the non-conformist black man both on screen and off. That he kept to singing and political work states volumes.
These ‘state of black people in America’ addresses are becoming de rigueur for da folx to remember what our issues are and continue to be and check out what a broad view of leadership there is in our community. Any non-black with a clue can see that. Plus one black man or woman does not necessarily speak for all.
And Dems oughta take some notice as well, since we are and continue to be the largest consistently voting constituency for them in the country.
If Clinton ain’t watching, Feingold oughta be. Or Clark. Or Dean.
I have found these series of forums organized by Smiley extremely interesting. He brings in a broad range of black leaders, and of course the oratory is always something us white folks can only dream about. This time they had a whole panel at the end that Travis called “emerging leaders.” They were young people who are making significant contributions. And there was some wonderful talk about “passing the baton.”
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is that Smiley made a point several times to say that they would include participants from both parties. But then talked about having invited Ken Blackwell (do I have that name right, the secretary of state in Ohio?) and other Republicans, all of whom either refused to come or dropped out at the last minute.
I’m just glad that all of that talking has now gone beyond just talk and they have produced this “Covenant” and are talking about how to make it into a movement. I think that’s some real progress that could produce results.
"Bellafonte
ML King went on to say that if the house is burning, we need to train as firefighters. And we have to do so for the grandbabbies in the house."
I agree this is necessary. This house truly is burning, there are babies and old folks inside, and right now, it’s the only one we have.
I’d also like to see the dreamers, the social architects and builders among us simultaneously designing other kinds of buildings that are larger and more circular in shape, where people could live side by side, not piled on top of each other.
And while the fire fighters, architects, and builders are all hard at work, I’d like to see campfires in town squares, peaceful places where elders of all colors and shapes gather to tell stories, where the young and brave are drawn, to rest a spell and draw stength and wisdom from what has been learned before.
There is so much to be done and so many of us to do it, each in our own way.
Thank you for a most excellent diary, NL.
Scribe, you have apparently overdosed on your Wisdom supplements today. . .and I am eternally grateful for that. I share your vision, thanks for defining it so clearly.
The interesting thing about the list is that it does not apply to just Black America, but to Working America. A great segment of the population is slipping backwards on the economic ladder. Discrimination against blacks continues to be a big (mostly unacknowledged) problem, but has now spread to include hispanics and many other recent arrivals as well.
The lopsided economic balance in this country is causing poor sectors to start picking on each other instead of looking at the underlying causes.
I suggest this site as a good source for statistics on how people are doing as concerns wealth and income over the past 30 years:
101 Questions
(It is run by the diocese of St. Paul, not an especially liberal group…)
The classic trick of the ruling classes is to single out various weak groups and make them scapegoats. This distracts people from the real problems. Just look at the Sunni – Shia conflicts, or the Arab – Israeli issues, or the many tribal conflicts in Africa to see the dynamics being played out.
I watched two of the forums and provided recaps in a diary I posted over at dKos. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/26/1481/46944. There was a third forum on economic issues but I didn’t see the broadcast. I’m looking forward to reading The Covenant and don’t think it’s diminished in any way by not singling out sections for gays and women. All the topics described above affect the entire community and I don’t believe ‘a covenant’ that is intended to serve as a blueprint for the black community needs to single out segments within the community. For all those who missed the original broadcast, I urge you to check out the replay.