Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Fuss Over Nothing: Most State of the Black Union Attendees Don't Mind Obama Not Being There


by Gregory Moore, YourBlackWorld.com

For weeks the Black American consciousness has been inundated with a story that Tavis Smiley is upset with Sen. Barak Obama for not being a last Saturday's State of Black America Union town hall that was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The rheotoric had gotten so bad that Smiley had said he was getting death threats and that his family in Indianapolis were being harassed by some ill-thought comments he made. Yet for all of the hubbub that may have been going on, it seems that many who attended the event felt that Obama's absence was really no big deal.

"He has a galvanizing effect," Robert Bailey of Shreveport told the New Orleans Times Picayune. "This is a movement, it's not just about a presidential election."

The story became a major player in media circles for nearly two weeks because Smiley, who is a media personality on both the Tom Joyner Morning Show and on Tavis Talks, his PBS show. Smiley has been putting the SOBU forum on for nearly a decade and usually it has been without much controversy. Until now. Black commentators, bloggers and readers in general had expressed their opinion about his comments and about whether Obama had made the right decision or not.

Faye Anderson, a blogger for AOL's Black Voices, wrote in her latest blog entry about Smiley's situation: " I was motivated to watch the talkfest by the hundreds of thoughtful comments in response to my earlier post. The Black Voices community has convinced me that Barack Obama made the right decision to stay on the campaign trail. And that Smiley should "get over himself" and "shut the hell up."

Many African Americans are feeling the same way about this story now since it has now played out. Many feel that Smiley, who many believe to be a Black leader in his own right, stepped over the line in his assessment of Obama's decision and that he tried to become bigger than the campaign instead of requeasing to the notion that maybe the SOBU isn't the place for a presidential candidate to be.

"Personally, I don't think it's much of an issue," said Victor Reed. "I'm standing behind him 100 percent."

"It's better for his campaign to be in Texas," said Tiffany Washington.

The Obama campaign has been fighting many political insurgents since last February, when the Illinois Senator decided to throw his name into the presidential hat. Last year Obama got criticism from both Smiley and Dr. Cornel West for not attending the SOBU in Hampton, Virginia. West has since back tracked and is now a staunch supporter of the senator.

Smiley, however, has not changed his stance even up to the forum's start time.

In a response to both readers and his critics, Smiley wrote on the BAW website, " First, I want to thank Senator Obama for his letter, although I regret his decision. I said on Tuesday and I reiterate today, that I believe that this is a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity."

Smiley went on in length about how long he has known Sen. Obama and that he truly is inspired by both him and his wife's work. Yet many African American readers, bloggers and commentators are holding Smiley to a standard that is usually reserved for someone on the political front.

Roland S. Martin, a CNN contributor and talk show host on Chicago's WVON, wrote at Essence's website " As an aside, when I asked my radio listeners on WVON in Chicago if Obama should skip the event, we got 29 calls in two hours, and only two said he should go. And this is a crowd that is normally in agreement with Smiley."

Smiley's SOBU event normally gets great coverage and becomes a boon for Black America but this year because of the ruckus that went before this year's event on whether Sen. Obama should have attended it or not. The bad publicity that Smiley and this event received was well deserved for the most part but it should have also served as a wake up for anyone who thinks that a status quo in how to deal with Black politicians is still the same.

Even though he did get a small bit of backlash from readers/listeners about his Obama comments, Smiley is catching a lot more from bloggers and commentators on his choice of corporate sponsors.

Writes Black Voices' Anderson, " Smiley should be held accountable for organizing a conference on "recasting our future" whose "title sponsor," Wells Fargo, is a key player in the subprime mortgage meltdown. Prof. Michael Eric Dyson noted that the subprime crisis has led to the 'greatest bleeding off of wealth in the history of this nation.'"

What many Black media experts are saying both publicly and privately is that Smiley is doing more to fatten his pocket rather than to really be a catalyst for the Black community.

Let's not mistake success for gluttony. It is harder to stay on top than to reach the top but what is even more difficult is to realize what may be of importance.

For Tavis, he needs to realize that if he is going to have a career in journalism, he needs to understand the ramifications of speaking the mind. True journalists, even opinion writers, know where the boundaries are at any given moment. Media personalities like Tavis don't have a clue.

And that is the very reason why many Black Americans have reached out and let him know of his error.

Learn the lesson Tavis. Don't just try to be a Black voice in the community; learn to accept the responsibility that comes with becoming a 21st century griot to the community.

If you don't, you will continue to catch the wrath of the very people you are trying to "tell the story" with.

Gregory Moore is the Managing Editor/webmaster for the San Antonio Informer (www.sainformer.net), a thrice-weekly online newspaper covering the African American community in San Antonio, Texas. He is also a frequent contributor for many national media outlets including ESPN, Fox Sports Radio and others.

Fuss over nothing as many attendees really didn't care that Obama didn't make the SOBU summit


by Gregory Moore, YourBlackWorld.com

For weeks the Black American consciousness has been inundated with a story that Tavis Smiley is upset with Sen. Barak Obama for not being a last Saturday's State of Black America Union town hall that was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The rheotoric had gotten so bad that Smiley had said he was getting death threats and that his family in Indianapolis were being harassed by some ill-thought comments he made. Yet for all of the hubbub that may have been going on, it seems that many who attended the event felt that Obama's absence was really no big deal.

"He has a galvanizing effect," Robert Bailey of Shreveport told the New Orleans Times Picayune. "This is a movement, it's not just about a presidential election."

The story became a major player in media circles for nearly two weeks because Smiley, who is a media personality on both the Tom Joyner Morning Show and on Tavis Talks, his PBS show. Smiley has been putting the SOBU forum on for nearly a decade and usually it has been without much controversy. Until now. Black commentators, bloggers and readers in general had expressed their opinion about his comments and about whether Obama had made the right decision or not.

Faye Anderson, a blogger for AOL's Black Voices, wrote in her latest blog entry about Smiley's situation: " I was motivated to watch the talkfest by the hundreds of thoughtful comments in response to my earlier post. The Black Voices community has convinced me that Barack Obama made the right decision to stay on the campaign trail. And that Smiley should "get over himself" and "shut the hell up."

Many African Americans are feeling the same way about this story now since it has now played out. Many feel that Smiley, who many believe to be a Black leader in his own right, stepped over the line in his assessment of Obama's decision and that he tried to become bigger than the campaign instead of requeasing to the notion that maybe the SOBU isn't the place for a presidential candidate to be.

"Personally, I don't think it's much of an issue," said Victor Reed. "I'm standing behind him 100 percent."

"It's better for his campaign to be in Texas," said Tiffany Washington.

The Obama campaign has been fighting many political insurgents since last February, when the Illinois Senator decided to throw his name into the presidential hat. Last year Obama got criticism from both Smiley and Dr. Cornel West for not attending the SOBU in Hampton, Virginia. West has since back tracked and is now a staunch supporter of the senator.

Smiley, however, has not changed his stance even up to the forum's start time.

In a response to both readers and his critics, Smiley wrote on the BAW website, " First, I want to thank Senator Obama for his letter, although I regret his decision. I said on Tuesday and I reiterate today, that I believe that this is a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity."

Smiley went on in length about how long he has known Sen. Obama and that he truly is inspired by both him and his wife's work. Yet many African American readers, bloggers and commentators are holding Smiley to a standard that is usually reserved for someone on the political front.

Roland S. Martin, a CNN contributor and talk show host on Chicago's WVON, wrote at Essence's website " As an aside, when I asked my radio listeners on WVON in Chicago if Obama should skip the event, we got 29 calls in two hours, and only two said he should go. And this is a crowd that is normally in agreement with Smiley."

Smiley's SOBU event normally gets great coverage and becomes a boon for Black America but this year because of the ruckus that went before this year's event on whether Sen. Obama should have attended it or not. The bad publicity that Smiley and this event received was well deserved for the most part but it should have also served as a wake up for anyone who thinks that a status quo in how to deal with Black politicians is still the same.

Even though he did get a small bit of backlash from readers/listeners about his Obama comments, Smiley is catching a lot more from bloggers and commentators on his choice of corporate sponsors.

Writes Black Voices' Anderson, " Smiley should be held accountable for organizing a conference on "recasting our future" whose "title sponsor," Wells Fargo, is a key player in the subprime mortgage meltdown. Prof. Michael Eric Dyson noted that the subprime crisis has led to the 'greatest bleeding off of wealth in the history of this nation.'"

What many Black media experts are saying both publicly and privately is that Smiley is doing more to fatten his pocket rather than to really be a catalyst for the Black community.

Let's not mistake success for gluttony. It is harder to stay on top than to reach the top but what is even more difficult is to realize what may be of importance.

For Tavis, he needs to realize that if he is going to have a career in journalism, he needs to understand the ramifications of speaking the mind. True journalists, even opinion writers, know where the boundaries are at any given moment. Media personalities like Tavis don't have a clue.

And that is the very reason why many Black Americans have reached out and let him know of his error.

Learn the lesson Tavis. Don't just try to be a Black voice in the community; learn to accept the responsibility that comes with becoming a 21st century griot to the community.

If you don't, you will continue to catch the wrath of the very people you are trying to "tell the story" with.

Gregory Moore is the Managing Editor/webmaster for the San Antonio Informer (www.sainformer.net), a thrice-weekly online newspaper covering the African American community in San Antonio, Texas. He is also a frequent contributor for many national media outlets including ESPN, Fox Sports Radio and others.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

YourBlackWorld Reader Comments on Tavis Smiley

The rift that Tavis Smiley is attempting to create with Sen. Barack Obama could be interpreted as a lame attempt to draw attention to Smiley's conference and his (now) flagging book sales. The conference hasn't received any wide press coverage in years and Tavis' best selling "Covenant" book is a coffee table accessory without the implementation for which it calls.

Thus, Tavis ostensibly wants to coerce Obama to attend his conference, extract a pledge to adopt Tavis' covenant agenda for Black America and to find the means for its implementation, if elected.

Either way Obama would lose and Tavis would 'win' in this scenario. If compliant, Obama would be portrayed as pandering to a special interest group, or, denigrated by Tavis for failing to promise sufficient means for covenant implementation. Regardless, Tavis gets the publicity.

If this is picked up as a national media "story", Tavis will appear before a much wider audience than PBS or CSPAN as CNN and MSNBC banner his book and talk show title under his name during the interview. I gave the Brother more credit. Ostensibly, he has his eye on the wrong prize.

Sen. Obama's letter of response to Smiley is well crafted and bounced the ball directly back in Tavis' court by offering Michelle Obama as a substitute conference presenter, to which Tavis apparently declined. The question begs to be asked; would Tavis Smiley have refused Bill Clinton as a substitute speaker for Hillary? ....I don't think so.

Yet a dynamic, poised, articulate, assertive, accomplished, culturally grounded, highly intelligent, well educated Black woman who is engaged professionally as a community organizer was deemed unworthy to appear on the dais of an annual conference that has no apparent goals and objectives for action items? Oh, PLEASE...TRY to explain, Mr. Smiley, why your refusal of Atty. Michelle Obama's inclusion should not be perceived as a misogynistic, autocratic, plutocratic embodiment of slavery's psychological chains and images that restrict your vision?

We are not a monolith and you, sir, do not speak for all African Americans. Barack Obama has taken the higher moral-political ground and is keeping his eye on the ultimate prize where he will be positioned to facilitate substantive change to impact millions of lives. He is enthralled in a major battle to that end. Obama has given us no pause as not being worthy of achieving both. An INTRARACIAL conflict should NOT be his concern at this juncture when we have witnessed the blind ambition, sense of white entitlement, wrath, ire, vitriole and racist cunning of the Clintons as contenders. There was an implied "or else" in your tone of setting a deadline for Sen.. Obama to respond. Surely, you were not insinuating an endorsement of the Clintons should Obama not comply with your request for his appearance?

Your tactics have appeared petty and lacking the gravitas that we have come to admire in Tavis Smiley as a leading journalist - commentator. Resume your place with Juan Williams, Dwayne Wickham, Susan Taylor, Clarence Paige, George Curry, Sam Yette et al. Don't resort to muckraking politics or grabbing quick headlines. It doesn't become you or enhance your stellar reputation. There will be ample means after the election to hold Barack accountable. They are called the Fourth Estate and the ballot.

Genevieve Myers Stewart
Louisiana

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL GEAR 101


A young and upcoming brotha residing in Ohio http://www.myspace.com/van20 designed these one of a kind blow your mind kicks. Please visit his MYSPACE PAGE and show him some mad love and request he desisgn a pair for you. Could you imagine Barack Obama wearing these shoes at the next face off with the Clintons or Sen. McCain?? I feel like dunking just thinking about it. Sen. Obama is a serious basketball player too. Be sure to let the Nike Corporation http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml#l=nikehome&re=US&co=US&la=EN know you want them to start making these BILLary BEware YES WE CAN OBAMA AIR FORCE ONES NOW!! Do tell everybody and they MAMA you ain't sorry for rockin' these for OBAMA! Man I love these shoes!

Monday, February 11, 2008

TO BE OR NOT TO BE???





Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs then ask yourself who is the only presidential candidate that WAS never for the war? Hint...He just won a Grammy last night.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Barack Obama Calling BILLARY OUT




“As a young woman, I had the great privilege of hearing Dr. King speak in Chicago. The year was 1963. My youth minister from our church took a few of us down on a cold January night to hear [King]. . . . And he called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the civil rights pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union.” On March 12, 2007 highly respected syndicated columnist Robert Novak’s writes an article "Hillary, King and Goldwater" insisting there’s a major integrity issue with her declaration. The real truth is, in 1963, not only was Hillary Clinton a republican, but she was also a rabid supporter of republican Sen. Barry "AuH2O" Goldwater, infamously known as a bigot and one of the most outspoken critics against the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is why he lost in his presidential bid to Lyndon B. Johnson. Novak writes “…how then could she be a ‘Goldwater Girl’ in the next year’s presidential election?” He continues, “…she described herself in her memoirs as ‘an active Young Republican’ and ‘a Goldwater girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit."

Hillary Rodham Clinton wants everybody and their Mama to know she has 35 years of presidential expertise (not Bill's)...I mean experience. Hillary wants voters to view her as one of Corporate America's top 100 lawyers but doesn't bother to inform us she didn't pass the Washington, D.C. bar exam in 1973. Hey, isn't the white house in D.C.?? Anyway, on page 64 of Hillary's own memoir "Living History"; her confession that she flunked the D.C. bar exam: "I was lonely and missed Bill more than I could stand. I had taken both the Arkansas and the Washington, D.C., bar exams during the summer, but my heart was pulling me toward Arkansas. When I learned that I had passed in Arkansas but failed in D.C., I thought that maybe my test scores were telling me something." Mrs. Clinton joined in 1976 and spent 15 years at The Rose law firm, she not only represented Tyson Foods, but Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (board member from 1986 - 1992), Stephens Inc.(investment bank), Worthen Banking Corporation; Arkansas-Oklahoma Gas Corp.(oil and gas interests); ALCOA; The Equitable Life Assurance Society; General Electric; John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co.; International Paper Co.; Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.; New York Life Insurance Co.; Prudential Insurance Co.; USX Corp; and the Union National Bank of Arkansas. Now that's an impressive corporate and special interest resume if I ever saw one. Somebody got paid.
Most people will agree she was the First Lady of Arkansas and the United States due to the fact she was married to WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON. Additionally, when the Clintons left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500 in 2001 they were 12 million dollars in debt, publicly disgraced, almost impeached and left the once powerful democratic party mortally wounded. They quickly relocated to New York and Hillary joined the U.S. Senate in 2000.
Barack Obama has a few questions for Hillary Rodham Clinton and her trusty sidekick Bill too. America you ought to be asking the Clintons the same questions and awhole lot more. Stay tuned...

Monday, February 4, 2008

DR. CORNEL WEST Endorses OBAMA On TRUtalk: STRAIGHT OUTTA L.A.


Check out this exlusive footage from Pearl, Jr. and "ELBOW GREASE PRODUCTIONS reaching those who teach the masses" featuring Dr. Cornel West being interviewed by Tavis Smiley. This is a "must see and share" moment with everyone you know. Pearl, Jr. I salute you my sistah for sharing this defining moment in Black History and the world. Please get fired up and ready to go if you ain't already! GET OUT AND VOTE WITH YOUR FAMILY ON FEB 5TH, SUPER TUESDAY.

http://www.trutalk.us/

P.S. Pearl, Jr. wrote the book "Black Women Need Love Too!" which tackles why there's a REAL conspiracy to keep Black women without love.

An Obama Nation - By Kevin D. Johnson- AUC Magazine




Depending on your political persuasion, the title of this piece connotes a change for the better or a change for the worse. To those Democrats who believe this country needs a new face in the White House, Barack Obama seems to be the clear choice, but to those who are staunch Republicans, Obama's unprecedented political success would be best described in homonymic terms: an abomination.



No matter what your opinion of Obama, one thing is certain: this country has never witnessed such a well-organized, awe-inspiring campaign such as Obama's presidential run. Regardless of race, gender, and socio-economic background, the charismatic senator has ascended, in a relatively short time, the political ranks to coalesce millions of Americans around a mantra of hope and change.



My fascination with the campaign of "hope and change" started in February of last year, two weeks after Obama's official presidential campaign announcement. Somewhat bitten by the political bug, I decided on a whim to attend an informal meeting at a Starbucks in a northern suburb of Atlanta . A group of about thirty diverse people gathered to meet one another, share why they support Obama, volunteer for tasks, and discuss how to recruit more people to the campaign. As an aloof spectator, I was amazed to see the dynamics of the enthusiastic meeting, organized and facilitated by the kind of diverse leadership that has become synonymous with Obama's campaign. I knew something was brewing after that meeting and decided to find out more.



I quickly read Obama's The Audacity of Hope, a beautifully written semi-autobiographical book that avoids delving too deep into policy, but gives the reader —regardless of the extent of their political knowledge— enough substance and fresh perspective to crave more. After doing my due diligence on all presidential candidates, I was convinced that Obama was a competitive candidate capable of winning the White House. I then decided to contribute to the campaign even though my complete allegiance to his cause was not decided.



Having had a few opportunities to meet and talk with the Obamas, both Barack and his wife Michelle, I can say firsthand that the hype is real; it is palpable. I was honored to walk beside him and the Clintons during the commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma , Alabama of March of last year. Later that month, I was honored to be the youngest co-host of Obama's first visit to Atlanta as a presidential candidate where alongside my co-hosts including distinguished Atlantans Lisa Borders, David Adelman and Sandra Baccus, we raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. My participation in the campaign continues in various ways. As a contributor, I have noticed that no matter where I am with or without Obama's presence, the excitement and mobilization of people to make change is astonishing; no other candidate has been able to engender such a response from the American populous, especially among the young.



Despite Obama's unique ability to bring together people from all walks of life, I often get asked (primarily from black people): Do you think we are ready for a black president? This question is ridiculous because it implies that the merit of Obama has little if any significance in his ability to take this country to the next level, that his blackness will always becloud his ability to lead and bring together this country, something that he has already done to an extraordinary degree. Such negativity cloaked with a tone of compassionate concern shows no faith in the American people to transcend race. In my opinion, the question reflects poorly on the person asking it and points to their own lack of self-esteem and vision. Perhaps these people are the posterity of those who asked Dr. King, "Do you think the country is ready for us to demand civil rights?" Or maybe they asked John F. Kennedy, "Do you honestly think we can put a man on the moon?" Or maybe they doubted the timing of Abraham Lincoln's agenda by asking, "Do you think the country is ready for the abolition of slavery?"



By no means am I a political pundit able to pontificate with the likes of George Stefanopolis or Sean Hannity. My attempt at passing National Government 251 in college was pathetic at best. I do, however, pride myself like most Americans on being able to follow along with the best political analysts and to determine what I think is the best vision for the future of the United States of America . Currently, this country needs a leader who can imbue an emaciated nation with hope, and not a kind of fraudulent hope that has been trumpeted by Obama detractors, but a kind of hope that inspires people to act and play a meaningful part in their government to improve their circumstance, the quintessence of American democracy. To me, the only candidate who has thus far proven his or her ability to do this is Barack Obama, who in his own words can "rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose, a higher purpose".



The nation is ready for change!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Barack Obama's Going Platinum with Edith's Chant..."Fired Up Ready To Go"



Councilwoman Edith Childs http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1243524714&channel=353512430 said in South Carolina's Greenwood Index Journal, "I just had no idea that something done spontaneously would go this far -- in a good way," Childs said. "But as far as the song, I think it's cool. And I'm going to go on-line and see the (music) video when it comes out. But look, I did (the chant) in June, and I had no idea this is where we'd be on January 25."

Watch the music video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72iZ3tW4Watch the "making of" video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIpbFt8Tdos and show some love for the Total Experience Gospel Choir http://www.totalexperiencegospelchoir.org/.
This jam is definitely coming to the white house near you....Did you catch that!