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Activist, Doctor of Clinical Psychology, and National Certified School Psychologist, Dr. Umar Johnson, joined us. Our guest talked about “Black Power Politics” among other important topics.
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Do Black organizations really have our backs?
Written by Jim Clingman March 19th, 2016
While Black people are bogged down in shallow and meaningless political discourse, our vaunted Black organizations continue to be M.I.A. except for their time in front of the cameras with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. They say they cannot endorse candidates, but we all know that’s a sham.
In an article written by Freddie Allen, of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, Marc Morial said the nine Black organizations that met with the candidates wanted to “provide to every candidate who is running for president of the United States, be they Republican or Democrat, the opportunity to hear from us on issues of civil rights, social justice, and economic justice in America, today.” Any real demands made on our behalf?
Al Sharpton said, “For the first time in American history, we will watch a Black family leave the White House and we do not want to see the concerns of Blacks leave with them.” So that’s where our concerns have been hibernating for the past seven years; and all this time I thought Sharpton and the POTUS were taking care of them.
And, I suppose to give comfort to Clinton and Sanders, Morial said the nine historic civil rights organizations represent tens of millions of Americans and that all of their organizations were “multicultural and multi-ethnic.” Multi-cultural and multi-ethnic? That’s strange; I thought they were Black or at least “colored.”
Speaking of colored, let’s look at one of these “Black” multi-cultural/ethnic organizations. In case you missed the cryptic message at the beginning of this article, “Nonstop Aiding and Abetting in Corrupt Practices,” think about the NAACP. You may know it as the group whose answer to the Ferguson issue was to walk 130 miles to the Missouri Governor’s office, followed up by a 1,000 mile stroll from Selma to the steps of the U.S. Capitol in search of justice. Guess they didn’t find it when they got there.
This is the group that practices outright hypocrisy by railing against voter suppression and voter ID laws, while accepting and even promoting those corrupt practices within their own ranks. More specifically, this is the group that has wreaked havoc in Ohio by conducting four elections for State President, two of which were legitimately won by Jocelyn Travis over Sybil McNabb, and two of which were do-overs by the national office via its henchman, Gill Ford, to keep their chosen candidate, McNabb, in office.
In the first corrupt election over which the national office presided, children were allowed to vote for McNabb—yes, children! In the second corrupt election, which just took place on March 12, 2016, again under national supervision, the same corrupt practice used in Cincinnati was used by Gill Ford in Columbus. He suspended Travis three days prior to the election, just as he did the Cincinnati president, whom he suspended the day before the election in an obvious effort to have his chosen candidate run unopposed.
The NAACP’s “Nonstop Aiding and Abetting in Corrupt Practices” is shameful, especially in light of holding themselves up as the national champion for fairness in the voting process. Even more shameful is the fact that only a relative few members, among those who have actually seen these shenanigans take place, are willing to stand up against the NAACP’s corruption.
The good news is that a group of members throughout Ohio have followed the lead of the Crittenden County (Arkansas) and Cincinnati branches by seeking and winning a Temporary Restraining Order against the NAACP’s continued interference in local elections. The results of the March 12th election are being held in abeyance by a Columbus, Ohio judge, who will conduct a hearing on April 7, 2016. You can be sure that all evidence of corruption, voter suppression, and election-rigging will be brought forth at that time.
Aside from the obvious hypocrisy displayed by the national leadership of the NAACP, not only in this case but in several other branches across the country, their corrupt practices also point to a larger problem. So-called Black organizations like the NAACP, despite their implied social contract with Black folks, can be swayed, bought, rented, or leased with nothing expected in return except a few dollars under the table, a political photo-op, or a nice hotel suite. The NAACP needs to stop abusing its members’ rights before purporting to speak on our behalf.
As for nine Black organizations suggesting they are the repository of Black power, here’s a question: If they have power, why after nearly eight years of a Black President are we, as cited in Morial’s State of Black America Report, worse off now and in “crisis”? As the heads of those organizations now intercede on our behalf, by meeting with presidential candidates, what would make us believe Blacks will get anything specific from the next administration?
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We Buy Black: Top Black Businesses You Should Support
by Teddy Grant and Christina Santi, April 27, 2018EBONY wants you to buy Black. A study by Nielsen—a global information and measurement company that gathers data on what people watch, buy and listen to—found that the Black community has a current buying power of $1.2 trillion.
Much of that money, however, is spent outside of our communities. It is important to connect consumers with Black-owned businesses so our money stays in Black communities and promotes our economic stability.
Below are the top Black businesses we think are worth your money:
De’Shade Eyewear
De’Shade is a small designer eyewear company based in Los Angeles. The glasses are stylish and cost as little as $20 but still have a luxury feel. The company also prides itself on providing looks that are inclusive of all shapes, sizes and color of people.
Wild Moon Jewelry
Wild Moon was created by Toronto-based jewelry designer Asia Clarke. The line’s pieces are eco-conscious and use natural materials to create the art of the jewelry. The beadwork and material choices allow each piece to become a highlight to any outfit.
MWR Collection
The MWR collection is a unisex accessories brand by Mia Wright-Ross featuring chairs, stools, bags and luggage that boast raw-edged seams and hand-stitched detailing. The handcrafted goods can be pricey, but they are design standouts.
Temple Zen Organic Skincare
Temple Zen offers all-natural hand-crafted skin care products for your face and body. The company uses organic herbs, oils, salts and vitamin-rich minerals to restore and promote natural cell rejuvenation. Although skin care can be expensive, all of TZ’s products are reasonably priced.
Kärlek Candle Co.
This company specializes in hand-poured organic candles made with coconut wax that are so fragrant, they fill a room with their scent before they are burned. The eco-friendly candles are restocked weekly (they sell out within minutes) and become available for purchase on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST.
UNWRP
Unwrp adds luxury to gift wrapping. The brand not only offers striking, unique print options and the ability to customize wrapping paper to make your gifts stand out, but it has also introduced reusable options that can be repurposed as fashion statements.
Puer NY
This NYC-based clothing line recreates some of pop culture and fashion’s biggest moments on its graphic tees. In addition to T-shirts, the company creates eco-friendly denim and outerwear.
Your go-to stop for pins, patches and keychains that honor Black culture, Coloring Pins takes Black moments such as the history of Black hair care or the “You have McDonald’s money?” question by Black moms and turns them into wearable statement pieces.
Ikuzi Dolls
Ikuzi Dolls creates Black dolls that come in different shades with different hair textures and hairstyles, showcasing how diverse the our community is. It provides children with the representation that can be missing from mainstream toys.
MahoganyBooks
This online bookstore, a family business, pairs Black readers with books written for, by and about us in almost every genre
Me & the Bees Lemonade
Entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer, 13, developed a fascination with bees after she was stung twice by them in one week when she was 4. After receiving her great-grandmother’s recipe for lemonade, she started her own business selling the drink, with a portion of her profits going to organizations that help save honeybees. Her lemonade can be found on store shelves at Whole Foods in several states.
Pyramid Books
Pyramid Books is bookstore based in Boynton Beach, Florida, that offers works from African-American authors of genres including fiction, nonfiction, self-help, metaphysics, mysteries, Egyptology and science fiction and specializes in books that are more difficult to find. Anyone wanting to learn more about the African diaspora can find books here that will serve their needs.
Fanm Djanm
Fanm Djanm began in 2014 as a headwrap company but has transformed into a lifestyle brand. Its name means “strong woman” in Haitian Kreyol, and its mission is to motivate women to be bold and to wear bold prints. Its headwraps are handmade in Harlem, some of fabrics and dyes from African countries, thereby helping local businesses on the continent.
RWD Consulting
RWD Consulting is a management consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. that caters to clients in the public and private sectors. With over 190 workers, the company offers various services in information technology, facilities and logistics, program and administrative support and health care. The firm brought in $7.9 million in revenue in 2016, according to inc.com.
Nubian Skin
The London-based company, which has been featured in EBONY, was born out of a lack of lingerie and hosiery options that matched the skin tones of women of color. Ade Hassan founded Nubian Skin in 2014 and has expanded the brand to include shoes. The company delivers worldwide.
The Lip Bar
This cosmetics business stemmed from frustration about lack of diversity in the beauty industry with regard to color range, unnecessary chemicals and linear depictions in the media. The Lip Bar offers a wide variety of shades of lipsticks, lip glosses and liquid mattes, and all products are vegan and cruelty-free.
Kashmir VIII
Founder Kashmir Thomas combined her talents as an artist and her knowledge of pop culture references and turned it into a business. Her website sells clutches, shirts, mugs and prints that feature her awesome artwork. Her most recent pop culture references are from Beyoncé’s Coachella performance and Marvel’s megasuccessful Black Panther film.
Costbucket
Costbucket is a point-of-service provider that caters to small business owners. The company offers cloud-based accounting software, real-time updates on inventory management, customer accounts in addition to personal accounting managers who work closely with businesses.
Talley & Twine
Talley & Twine is a watch company that makes affordable and stylish quality watches. Founded by Randy D. Williams, it was created to represent the “intersection of where you started and where you finish.”
My Pride Apparel
Specializing in clothes for the “socially conscious Black woman,” this company exemplifies #BlackGirlMagic and offers a wide variety of tees, sweatshirts, hats and mugs that make bold statements.
There are a host of other Black businesses that deserve your support, and the ones on this list are good starting points for those who want to invest their money in our community. We hope you enjoy our pick of businesses, and please comment/tag a business you would like us to feature.
READ MORE AT: http://www.ebony.com/career-finance/we-buy-black-top-black-businesses-you-should-support#deshade-eyewear
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BLACK FARMERS STILL FACING LAND LOSS, DISCRIMINATION.
Farming is one of the main staples in human life, unfortunately, Black farmers have struggled to get the same rights as White farmers. Today, Black farmers are still fighting for their rights. From 1920 to 2000, Blacks went from owning 20 million acres to 1,500,00 acres owned by Black farmers. U.S. Federal District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman consented to the decree on April 14, 1999. The settlement recognized discrimination against Black farmers. The settlement was the largest civil rights class action settlement in American history with over $2 billion. Black farmers continued to protest due to not receiving the money from the settlement and debt relief. Investigations were launched which led to the discovery that the USDA was holding back three quarters of the $2.3 billion. This led to another suit, Pigford II. To many Black farmers the claims amount of $50,000 was not sufficient, it has been more about access to loans, debt relief and land loss. The administration under leadership of President Obama that has claimed victory for our Black Farmers is far from the truth. The discrimination that contributed to the decline of the Black Farmer as well as loss of land, that lead to the Black Farmers Settlement, still persist. You can get involved and join this fight for our farmers by joining an organization.
Here is some information:
Black Farmers & Agruculturalis Association (BFAA) at tillery@aol.com or call 252 826-3017.
https://www.gofundme.com/39m8623g
