By Brother DJ Jordan
Nationwide — In 15 short months, President Barak Obama’s historic 1st and 2nd terms as the 44th President of the United States will end. In spite of having an African-American President (the most powerful political office in the world) and nearly 10,000 Black Elected Officials across the U.S., the national Black Community is being hurled head-long into economic and political annihilation.
Martin Luther King, purported hero of President Obama once called for radical wealth redistribution. Under Obama’s administration this has happened, but not quite the way many would think. During this period Black wealth has plummeted as white wealth has increased significantly. When Barack Obama was elected many thought his election indicated the end of white America’s need to dominate everything and it would perhaps usher in a policy of one America for all equally regardless of race.
King’s dream is now concretely a nightmare for most. When Obama said that he was not the president of black America in 2009, it went largely unchecked and Blacks had very little idea how serious he was. Of course this statement came conveniently after winning his second term election and after the African-American community had voted for him in record numbers once again. Thanks to his brutal honesty, Obama has given us reason to challenge the idea that voting has significant meaning for African Americans… it may be time to abandon ship as he himself once told us that change doesn’t come from Washington. Now it is clear… Black folk will have to go it alone. And then there is police brutality and domestic terrorism. This year alone 751 people have been killed by police. In the month of March, more people were killed by police (111) than in the UK by police since 1900(100).
This unprecedented escalation of police killings of unarmed Black women and men; the massacre of 9 innocent Black women and men attending Wednesday night Bible Study in their church sanctuary; an uptick in Black Church burnings in South Carolina and across the country, all spell the deliberate and intentional attack on the Black populace, especially our youth.
The vicious white backlash to Obama’s presidency can be heard in the civic discourse that daily becomes more vitriolic and disparaging of Black people and other people of color. As the right wing Republican Party presidential candidates gallop further to the right and towards “Hitler style” fascism, the need for Black people to develop a comprehensive economic and political strategy has become overwhelmingly and undeniably clear. Now more than at other time in our history since 1865, Black People must organize for real power to insure the safety and welfare of its people.
Finally, Black people are awakening to the truth that the system of racism-white supremacy reinforced by predatory capitalism cannot and will not work for us.
There is now a renewed focus and energy around business success and economic empowerment. Almost every organization and institution in the Black Community has economics at or near the top of its agenda. This is historically significant. The Black Community has survived the “Education Hope”, thinking that a good education would level the playing field. We have survived the “30 Years and A Gold Watch Hope’, thinking that our security was anchored in our loyalty to big business. And now many are beyond the “Political Hope”, thinking that political office somehow translated into “Power for The People”. We’re learning fast that “romance without finance (politics without economic power) ain’t got no chance”.
Us lifting Us, an economic empowerment group based in Atlanta, has responded to this crisis with an appeal to all right thinking Black folks to seize this moment to rise from the ashes of the mistake we made hoping Obama could do something different and coming to the realization, we have to do for self. Claude Anderson author of “Black Labor White Wealth” taught us that our purpose in America has been to create wealth for other ethnic groups particularly White Americans and the only solution to that is to practice group economics.
Us Lifting Us or ULU as it’s commonly called realizes that Black America has very few options right now. Taking control of the economic destiny of the community has to be the number one option left. ULU through its appeal has presented to the Black community a comprehensive blueprint for solving the economic and political crisis in the African American community. The Appeal outlines the steps that the Black Community can take to overcome the illusion of power and take full responsibility for creating economic self-sufficiency through implementing the highest level of group economics.
Get a free copy of the appeal at www.usliftingus.com.
About Us Lifting Us Economic Development Cooperative, LLC
Us Lifting Us is a global economic movement designed to change the paradigm of how we build relationships with members of the African Diaspora.
Brother DJ Jordan can be reached at (404) 592-2780.