Bolivion

Excellent List -- I think we also need some type of leader ... Someone who be able to connect with the folks of yester-year and the folks of today. It's seems to me that so many folks are trying to take the leadership role and haven't the slightest idea where to begin ...

It's early -- I'll come back with more ideas/thoughts

You REALLY believe Affirmative Action should be outlawed?

Let me say a woman first... Afirmative action needs to stay in place.. Without it there's no help, hope, or requirements for womens programs vrs male dominated environments.. Not that i'm a fan, but womens sports on the college level depends heavily on affirmative action.. Women business owners and struggling entrepreneurs get huge opportunities due to affirmative action laws.

And speaking as an African American secondly.. there are not enough blacks in the hiring/firing position for me to "depend" on them to help me up the road and hire me for my qualifications and education like the white man won't do..

In a white male dominated corporate america why take away the affirmative action ladder if thats the only way we can climb anywhere near the corporate ladder.. If we gotta force them to give us a fair chance, why cripple ourselves by taking away our legal battering ram.

max, i see your reasoning for wanting to outlaw aa but how many black people are in a position to help me out without aa? in a noble effort to unify black by banning affirmative action would be doing more harm than good. but then again...you said this is what YOU want from Black America so...go on witcha bad self!

I, like Antonio, may come back later with more comments...then again...maybe not...i decided to leave my thinking cap at home this morning.

Well, my thinking is that for us as a people to really go forth and start thinking more about owning things and controlling our collective destiny, something drastic as fuck has to happen, and banning A.A. would be about as drastic as you could get.

But, my thinking is wishful anyways, since A.A. will not be banned due to the number of white women that also benefit...

Good comments though, I am diggin this discourse

I just thought of something else...looks like I packed my thinking cap in my lunch box. I'm all for black people having their own but the reality is that we live in a country/world with people that don't look like us. And if we're ever gonna get anything done we gotta stop waiting for someone to give us something. If you need it and are willing to actually work once you get it then I'll give you all the hand outs I have to give otherwise....push on, loser! The nature of my work forces me to come in contact with some of the poorest of the poor in Black America. Unfortunately it is because of some - not all, some - of these people that I sometimes think AA, welfare and all that stuff should be done away with for the sake of black people who understand that some stuff you just gotta work for. I know, I know, blacks aren't the only folk on welfare and not the only folk who benefit from AA but so I guess my comment leans more toward a socio-economic group more than a racial group but because blacks tend to make up a large percentage of poor folk in America we'll just stick with black. So anyway, the one reason I would consider doing away with social programs (AA, Welfare-to-Work, etc.) that are designed to level the playing field is because they're given to the wrong people...in some cases.
If an agency offers to pay your way through a training program that guarantees job placement at the end (mind you this program is not a traditional 4-year joint, it's like 6 months at best) and all you have to do is be poor (read: black) and show up don't you think this opportunity would be better utilized by someone who's motivated to work and do something with their lives. Everyday I see black people - not old, senior-citizen black people but able-bodied mofos like me and you - jack off opportunities to move on up like George and Weezy. If the minimum requirement is having a high school education, they jack it off by not wanting to spend 4 months getting a GED. If it means they gotta travel outside a six-block radius, they swear they don't have bus fare and just don't show up. There are so many people like myself on which opportunities like this would not be wasted. There are also people who, just because they don't live in the projects, are still not in an social or economic situation that affords them the opportunity to access all the wealth floating around the country and they need a hand. Are these the people that AA is designed to help because if so, long live Affirmative Action. Otherwise, lata for the rest of these herbs that don't wanna do nothin' except see what free stuff the gov't is giving away this week. Is it hard trying to make your way in the world? I'm gonna go with yeah on this one Alex! But guess what? Life is hard.

I guess I've become a bit of a cynic when it comes to feeding the poor and all that altruistic type stuff. Actually I'm a bit conflicted because when it comes to kids growing up in communities/households that don't promote gettin' up, gettin' out and gettin' sumthin' then it's all to the good but grown niggas that don't see the importance of getting off the gov't tit and makin' their own way it's like either man up or shut up. I know "the man" and his "establishment" is alive and well and he still got his foot on our necks but the beautiful thing about freedom is that I can grab his foot and shove it up his bootay.

I guess I'm just mad at lazy niggas...white, black, whatever....quit suckin' up my air takin' money out pocket, and food out my mouth...lazy bastards.

hmm in think ur last statement gonna get everybody attention...but i feel you on your list...that Hail Mary Remix is a shame..i think ive blogged about it twice already.. i dont think AA should be outlawed...cus to be honest...i still need it,my 10 year old sister still needs it..and slew of other minorites, and women (hint hint..i wish they(white women) knew they benifited from it) still need it...

I'm back again:) I am really feelin this entry and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I mean I can understand black peoples desire to say, "we do not all think alike" but honestly, it doesnt matter if we think alike or not because white people will think that we think alike anyway. This is related to my "MikeTyson/Cousin Pookie Theory" (lol. i love making shyt up). Umm yeah and I hate AA too, and wish it would be redesigned in some capcity. I do wish black folk would look out for each other a little more. My school, where we are scarce, has a pretty good network with Black faculty and administrators...the student network needs some help tho. Anyway, thanks for the food for thought.