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To: IronKros
And he's right. It is time they applied effort toward something constructive. Black entrepreneurs were equal to white entrepreneurs long before 1964. And they were a hell of a lot more equal then, than those who are still waiting for the government to enforce equality today.

Whether these folks are separatists is another issue. (and one I cannot discern from this article alone.) We need to support those who are espousing constructive behavior even when we may not buy into all their doctrines.

49 posted on 11/12/2002 11:25:14 AM PST by antidisestablishment
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To: antidisestablishment
I am not saying there is something wrong with black entrepreneurs. We need more of them regardless of race.

What I did not agree with is black only for black. Why does it have to be that way? Why is that such a utopia? Is he longing for an unrealized dream of seperate but equal?
52 posted on 11/12/2002 11:32:12 AM PST by IronKros
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To: antidisestablishment; All
This guy is extremely racist. However, I am not sure following him would be any worse than listening to Jackson. The following comes from his site:

Is it safe? -- March 2000
By James Clingman Jr.

With many of our "Leaders" now finally jumping on Booker T. Washington's and Marcus Garvey's economic bandwagon now, I think back to a movie titled, Marathon Man. The particular scene that comes to mind is the one in which Dustin Hoffman was about to be tortured with dental instruments by Laurence Olivier, who kept repeating, "Is it safe?"

It's not so much the movie itself as much as it is the question that I am sure some of our leaders have been asking for quite some time. Now, some thirty-five years after MLK was assassinated while fighting for an economic cause, our leaders have apparently answered that question with a resounding "Yes." It is finally safe to deal with economic empowerment without offending the establishment.

During our "struggle" to gain high political office and a little influence on the powerbrokers, our high-level corporate jobs that pay millions, and the notion that we had "made it," we felt it was not safe to discuss economic empowerment. After all, why rock the boat and talk about Black people getting our true collective freedom, especially since some of us had already gained our individual freedom. It was not safe then because we could lose our individual creature comforts and newly found status.

So for the last thirty-five years we acquiesced to the ridiculous notion that we had made tremendous progress. Now we find ourselves, having followed the leaders who chose individualism over collectivism and politics over economics, mired in last place in the wealth-building race.

But Economic Empowerment is in vogue now. The Jackson's (father and son) are saying this is our next great fight - the fourth movement of a freedom symphony - with the release of their new book, "It's about the money." While I am glad he and others are getting the word out, I hope and trust their brand of economic empowerment is collective rather than individual. I hope they incorporate that same theme that is also in vogue now: "Leave no [Black] one behind."

The other issue that amazes me is that now, after three decades, Brother Jackson has come to the conclusion that it's all about the money. It's always been about the money - even in 1968. Why does it take us so long to wake up? Or, is it that we have been awake all the time, only with a different (individual) agenda?

The Jackson's are using analogies, metaphors, and other flowery language to describe our current economic condition and what we should do about it. They describe the first movement of our symphony in terms of Black people getting our freedom from slavery. The second movement is centered on Black people fighting and overcoming segregation. The third revolves around Black people securing the right to vote. And the fourth and current movement is wealth-building (economic empowerment) -- for everyone.

The consistent term (or note) in the first three movements is "Black People." That term is obviously missing in the final movement. It is strange, now that Black people have achieved the first three movements, the fourth movement is centered on everyone, i.e., minorities and women. Sounds like those Black Rights (13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments) that soon turned to "Civil Rights" and became a stick that others used to beat Black people down.

Will somebody please help me understand what makes any of our leaders think we are obligated to help everyone else achieve their wealth? Haven't we already created wealth for everyone else as slave laborers, as consumers, and as corporate executives? What would make us think we are able to help everyone else as we make feeble attempts to help ourselves? Here we are on the bottom of the economic heap, and the Jackson's are suggesting that we, of all people, are going to form a movement that will empower all "minorities and women. The only people talking about "diversity" are Black people, as if we have the obligation and the power to change someone's mind about Black people.

As I once wrote in comparison to this kind of thinking, before an airplane takes off someone gives instructions about the oxygen masks. They say if there is an emergency put your mask on first, and then help someone else. The same principle applies to our economic situation as Black people. We must help our own people and stop this delusion we have about "rainbows" and "minorities" and other politically correct titles. Most "minorities" are miles ahead of us anyway. What do we look like saying we are going to help them? We can hardly help ourselves.

Is it safe? Is it safe? Is it safe? Well, Black people being 135 years removed from slavery, having given our lives for this country, having enriched all sectors and groups with our dollars, and having the most education of any Black people in the world today, I would say it is definitely safe.

It's safe to support your brother and sister's business. It's safe to invest in your community. It's safe to love and trust one another. It's safe to be seen with another Black person. It's safe to work for the economic empowerment of Black people. It's safe not to mention "minorities and women." Yes, it is safe to BE BLACK!

I hope and trust that we as Black people will finally stop doing what we have done since 1965. If we do not, we will continue to get the same results we have always gotten. And, leaders, please stop deluding our people with the notion that we can achieve Black economic empowerment by creating it for everyone else. They already have theirs; let's go get ours. It's always been about the money - Our Money.
56 posted on 11/12/2002 11:41:51 AM PST by antidisestablishment
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