The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
African Americans, Thanksgiving and Black Friday By Dr. John E. Warren Publisher
While the nation celebrates the national holiday of Thanksgiving, we believe that true meaning must never be lost in the commercial quest for the almighty dollar. We salute those among us who will give tirelessly of themselves, their time and their resources to make this Thanksgiving Day and the meals that come with it a blessing for so many. It has often been said that, “When America catches a cold, Black America gets pneumonia.” While we are lending our resources to help those in need, let us not forget our neighbors and especially those who look like us and often have the greatest needs. We must work to make the spirit of Thanksgiving a daily and weekly thing in those churches and organizations that are not already doing so. We must continue to look beyond the “Hallmark Moments” of television ads so that those who don’t have what they see in the commercials, not lose hope. Let’s return, if you have not already, to giving God thanks for what we have and looking for ways to be a blessing to others who have less. This brings us to “Black Friday.” For the record, African American-owned media, print and electronic, continues to be excluded from the millions of dollars spent by businesses to lure shoppers to “Black Friday.” The fact that we are excluded is not surprising. There are so many other people shopping that some think our dollars will not be missed. What is more offensive is the degree to which African Americans rush to join the madness of this
shopping frenzy without so much as a thought to our own businesses being excluded, with no concern. So many of us have now arrived at the position “If I have mine, it’s up to you to get yours.” But the next time you are concerned about “fairness” and “equality of treatment” remember that “we” spend over 1 trillion dollars a year in this American economy. That kind of buying power should not be squandered. Let us remember that there are only three things that America respects: Bad publicity, lost profits and a vote cast against its collective interest. We are not making use of the ability to control the profits of those we do business with; we vote far less than 50 percent of our abilities, at least here in California compared to the 90 percent plus African American voter turnout we just saw in the midterm elections in Georgia and Florida; and we fail to make use of publicizing those either overcharging us, disrespecting us in their places of business or seeking to turn the social and civil rights clocks back to the 1950s. Let’s be thankful for what we have and at the same time let’s remember it is still less than we should have, but we must blame ourselves as we see others come here. We can’t be angry when they succeed at securing the same American dream many of us are still sleeping on. God bless us to think of others this Thanksgiving and plan ahead to make the everyday such a day.
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www.sdvoice.info
• Thursday, NOVEMBER 22, 2018
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COMMENTARY:
Trump, the Republicans and the Neo-Confederate Objective Bill Fletcher Jr
It became very clear to anyone who was watching that in the lead up to the November 6th elections, Trump and his allies focused on two things: putting their hands on your wallets and, in order to do that, reinforce the idea that the USA is a white republic (and keep white people thinking about that and only that). To put it another way, they want to restore the Confederacy.
clarified that Trump’s messages are not for the US electorate but for the white American electorate. When he and his followers suggest that their way of life is being threatened, they mean that the privileged status of whites and men—compared with people of color and women, respectively—has been called into question by those of us who believe in democracy and justice. Thus, Trump plays not to an abstract fear but a specific fear among large numbers of whites; a fear of the future.
Trump had many tactical options in the weeks prior to the election as a way of inspiring his base. He could have played to the economy which has continued to grow, largely as a result of decisions made during the Obama era but claimed by Trump. The problem is that the results of the economic improvements have been very uneven and working-class people have largely stagnated. Despite that, he could have made the argument. Trump regularly fudges the truth.
What do Trump and his supporters want? The critical image that is now materializing is that of the Confederate States of America. Right-wing populists have for decades seen in the Confederacy the iconic moment when white supremacy and male supremacy held sway and when forces of dissent—forces for justice—were literally and figuratively chained.
Trump and his Republican acolytes chose a different route, one with a long history in US politics. They first used the Justice Kavanaugh hearings to reaffirm male supremacy, making it appear that men are under attack in the USA and that women’s concerns about sexual assault are misplaced. This rally the white menchallenge was followed by an equally nefarious tactic: a call for an all-out mobilization against a mythical, so-called immigrant invasion coming from Central America. Facts to the contrary, Trump—and repeated by some of his key allies—argued that the several thousand REFUGEES in Central America were threatening the US way of life. The response was truly remarkable and
The right-wing fear of the future is a fear of not only the demographic changes in the USA, which will render white majority rule moot by the middle of the 21st century, but there is a broader fear that successes on the road toward a consistent democracy will mean a change in the relations between men and women, but also changes in the economy as wealth polarization along with the environmental catastrophe will necessitate a different set of economic priorities. Trump and his allies have played to fears that have existed in the white electorate since the 19th century. He achieved considerable success via this demagoguery. But the results of the election showed that millions more see no future in the past but believe that another way forward is not only possible, but essential.
COMMENTARY: Beyond the Rhetoric
From a Digital Desert to an Entrepreneurial Hub By Harry C. Alford & Kay DeBow
The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) has launched a prototype project that, if successful, will transform minority, lowincome and rural communities from forgotten places into entrepreneurial hubs of economic innovation. Our goal is to create communities with access to 5G technology, integrated into low-income housing, job training and access to telemedicine and social services. It will all be done with private sector resources. If this prototype is successful, it will revolutionize economic development in these distressed areas. We have narrowed the search for the city, we have political and church support. We have private sector developers who will bid on the project. The vision is toorganize a private sector prototype to transform low-income, minority and rural communities from forgotten places into entrepreneurial hubs of economic innovation by creating communities with access to 5G technology that is integrated into low-income housing, job training and access to telemedicine and social services. There is an urgent need to enhance minority, low-income and rural communities.While these communities suffer from poor schools, low educational levels, high unemployment, drug
abuse and many other problems, these problems can only get worse as automation and artificial intelligence further penetrate society. Moreover, recent studies indicate that in the next decade over 50% of the working population will work as “freelancers”. To address the future these minority, low-income and rural communities need to develop a path that creates jobs in their communities.
from the sale of the tax credits along with the subsidized rents supports the entire cost of the housing. If the area is extremely poor, such as an area we are looking at in the Mississippi Delta as well as a few urban centers, there can be a 10% deficit that has to be filled with state housing tax credits, if available in the state, or by a foundation or cross-subsidy from the revenues of the cell towers.
The top-down approach has failed after 65 years of government funding. How would a bottom-up approach work? The foundation of the prototype is to develop technology (cell towers and small cell 5G technology) and lowincome housing in a community to provide the community jobs that have access to the world. The technology without people and workers is useless. Housing without technology is just another housing project. It is the combination that provides a future to the community.
Jobs would be created in the construction of the project, the long-term management of the housing units and with the addition of 5G technology the community would have the ability to create technology jobs and market their products to the world.
The prototype financingwould be provided by the developers of the specific parts of the project. The primary form of financing for the housing portion of the experiment would be the sale of federal low-income housing tax credits, a small mortgage, and hopefully the donation of the land by the city. The cell towers would be financed by the attachments to the towers. Generally, the combination of the proceeds
Without access to high-speed broadband, minority and low-income communities will be permanently stuck in a wasteland which has few jobs, few skills, few employers and little access to education. Recent studies indicate that in the next decade over 50% of the U.S. working population will work as “freelancers”. To address the future these minority, low-income and rural communities need to develop a path that helps them create jobs in their communities. The technology without people and workers is useless. Housing without technology is just another housing project or Digital Desert. It is the combination that provides a future to the
community. These minority and low-income communities do not have the money to build their own telecommunications infrastructure or housing. The federal government has talked about funding rural broadband for years but with little success. Now a bipartisan group of Senators is actively promoting the AIRWAVES Act to fund 5G technology in low-income and rural areas with revenues from the auctions that sell spectrum, the fruits of those very needed efforts are most likely years in the future. Minority and rural communities certainly do not have the time to wait for government funding. We must see if the private sector can do it now. If the prototype project is successful, the NBCC will work with communities across the country that want to overcome impediments to success. Armed with an honest assessment of what they want to become NBCC will work with them to persuade those with resources to invest in their entrepreneurial vision. Not possible? Well, every major social change starts with a different vision of the future. It’s now time to apply creative thinking to transforming these forgotten people and communities into entrepreneurial hubs.
