Because I said so

During the Nationwide Tour with Tavis Smiley I was granted personal time with Tavis Smiley and Jasmine Green of Nationwide.

Tavis’s response to new media at times was flattering and on the other end pointed out the problems with the blogosphere.

New media is phenomenal and I am using it myself I like it because it is a way to get information out instantly, it is a way to talk to a burgeoning group of people who are getting connected. The Obama campaign used the internet remarkably well; in ways I could never imagine ….

I like the new media I like the blogosphere but what I don’t like is there is no fact checking. Everyone has an opinion and because you have a blog you can put your opinion out there. What happens in the world we live in too much of what is opinion ends up taken as fact and that is not the best thing.

We also have to make sure that we are earnest and responsible.

Tavis's response to how to obtain traditional wealth was good common practical sense that too few follow:

Young people have to develop a money philosophy at a young age that is lasting. You cannot spend money you don’t have, stop buying stuff you don’t need to impress folk you don’t like.

Jasmine Green the Vice President Chief Customer Advocate at Nationwide


Jasmine Green response to the hardest aspect of getting minorities to seek financial stability was tempered by the overwhelming financial crunch people are facing. She stated:

Their own personal financial issues with people being out of work they have issues of not being able to afford home or car insurance. One thing I want to stress is it is crucial and vital to get insurance because the last thing you want to do is have a terrible event happen and you are not insured. We as a community may not have the annuities but we need to have the basic coverage. The basics will help us to avoid a crisis.

At the conclusion of the seminar Nationwide provided great breakout sessions to help people learn a starting point comfortable for their current fininical circumstances. The entire event was free in Dallas, Texas provided by Nationwide. Special thanks to Bob Cunningham Public Relations Manager with Nation wide and to Shawn Williams of Dallas South for the name drop.

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Tavis Smiley came to Dallas this weekend for the conclusion of a five city tour speaking Financial Empowerment to minorities. This talk was fresh off the heels of Barack Obama’s historic run and subsequent win of the Presidency.
Tavis’s talk was speckled with humor and sobriety. Tavis spoke of his friendship with Obama and Obama’s almost pensive acceptance speech on November 4th. He mentioned that the true comparison should not be Obama and Kennedy but Obama and Reagan; because of the overwhelming financial crisis both President’s inherited.


Tavis espoused research that stated this generation of Black Americans would be the first generation that would not do as well as the preceding generation. A depressing, frightening and sober financial prediction for those individuals coming into their adulthood within the next couple of years.

How did this generation arrive in this situation? College students are inundated with credit cards before many of them have settled into their dorm rooms. Parents do not leave any substantial financial legacy for their children. Often children are placed in the difficult position of paying off debts that are not their own. There can be little wonder how this generation of young and often gifted Black Americans find themselves in such distressing financial straits.

At the conclusion of Tavis’s speech I found myself wondering and questioning will the black community respond past November 4th ,will we grab hold of our future , move out of our own way, secure our future through sound investments by leaving a financial legacy, or by refusing to let our skin color define what we cannot accomplish.

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A slow divide is occurring within the black community. A divide that is doing what slavery, years of Jim Crow and discrimination could never accomplish. A divide that is driven by economics and classism. Economics has become more powerful than Massa’s whip; economics has become more treacherous than for white only signs. Economics are creating a breach threatening the long built solidarity of the Black community.

More black people are moving to the suburbs, few are electing to live in economically challenged areas.The Black community has become assailed with a new generation of middle class, a class at times more concerned with keeping up with the Joneses than helping the Williams. We now have a middle class that consistently distances themselves from people not of their class or social standing.


How does a community survive without the aid of those that do well? Many economically challenged areas are so depleted because the dollar leaves the community quicker than it is brought in. In the time of Black Wall Streetthe dollar would circulate 36 to 100 times before it left the community.


Growing up in a relatively rudimentary town made me want to leave and never return. I wanted to break free and never have to look back. There is so much more to life than the small corner in which some find themselves confined to. We have to regain our trust in one another and get back to helping each other instead of abandoning one another for the quickest exit sign.

For another perspective visit Siditty's Race and Culture in America post

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For many of us with a lil boot, junk, onion, ba-dunk-a-donk it is increasingly difficult to find jeans. If you have the classic curvy shape which resembles the Baby Got Back song then TOOMBAS are the jeans for you. The creator and CEO of the company happens to be a friend but that is not the reason I am promoting her product. She has put in countless hours of meticulously measuring and has developed a TOOMBAS sizing chart meant to help aid in choosing the correct jeans for your figure. So for my regular readers Phelps excluded (unless there is something you are not sharing ;-)) you should give these jeans a try.

The No-Gap jeans are the BEST! If there is one thing I hate the most about jeans are finding a pair that actually fit great everywhere except when it comes time to sit down. I don’t particularly like having all my goodies displayed. The No-Gap jeans are exactly that No-gap you can wear a belt as an accessory instead of a necessity. The jeans are designed with patterns and washes that you can find in any department store. The dark blue denim are instant favorites, because they are made with just the right amount of stretch. I am so very proud of her for stepping out and deciding to follow her dream. If you have difficulty or are inclined to spend an entire day in search of the perfect jeans then give Toombas a try.

BTW Toombas is having a sale right now!

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I was for the bailouts until Bush opened his countrified mouth. In his address he squarely laid profound blame upon home owners for our nation’s current financial crisis. Bush all but absolved Wall Street for their culpability and shady practices that also played a significant role in damaging our financial infrastructure. Bush’s message carried a burdensome tone of fear that demanded immediate action or face an impending “Great Depression” once again. Mr. President for once since your unfortunate rise to POTUS Congress got it right and told you NO a blank check will not do. Congrats to the democrats for standing strong on this issue for fighting and demanding accountability, and instituting clauses that will not allow corporate execs to profit off of vulnerable tax-payers.

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A $64 million shortfall places many DISD teachers in precarious positions as they wait to see if their jobs will be cut. I wonder how much longer are the board of trustees going to allow Superintendent Hinojosa to keep screwing with their bottom line. First was the credit card scandal that caused the district approximately $6million. Now two years later DISD’s mismanagement of funds has the district in the post light once again. I’m guessing that Superintendent Hinojosa may not be so easily forgiven for this $64million mistake.

I am inclined to agree with board of trustee Ron Price:

“Our children and our teachers should not have to suffer for the mismanagement and the incompetence of our administration

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"As you know, I do have my own jet, but I've been having to fly back and forth to L.A. pursuing my acting career. Now, if I'm flying back and forth twice a month, that's like 200,000 dollars, 250,00 dollars round trip. F--- that. I'm back on American Airlines," the star added.

"Give a shout out to all my Saudi Arabia brothers and sisters and all the brothers and sisters in all the countries that have oil - if you could please send me some oil for my jet, I would truly appreciate it," - Diddy

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Past immigrants came to this country seeking refuge from oppressive governments and economic freedom. For many of them they found their American Dream through hard work and education. Today’s immigrants have arrived in America for many of the same reasons. However the genetic makeup of immigrants today has shifted dramatically from solely Caucasians to include a number of people of color and other ethnicities.

I imagine that most immigrants have a very forgiving view of America and an “I’m so happy to be here” (excuse the Coming to America reference) attitude which, they may find it confusing and wonder why Black people have had such a difficult time adjusting.America was our oppressor we had no other country that opened its arms and said come here and begin a better life, no other country to offer economic freedom. America to Black people is what so many immigrants ran from.




America for Black People only became the land of “opportunity” at the end of Jim Crow. So while, immigrants came to this country believing they could do better we have lived in this country hoping to achieve the same. Whereas, immigrants have had family business and the ability to accumulate wealth for decades to pass onto future generations that was not to be the case for the America Negro. We are playing catch up, running a race where the leader is yards ahead. So if my outlook is different than yours please don’t think that I am ungrateful to live in this country just know that I sure as hell don’t feel indebted.


Cross post located atDallas South

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I finally got the chance to view the Black in America series in its entirety this weekend. Overall I would say that my reaction to the series was just tepid. The data presented was not representative of ALL Black America. The series completely left out the majority of success stories (outside of the Rand Family) and focused entirely on the struggling inner city. The media continues to skew the representative culture of Black America and we give them a pass and highly laud a program like CNN’s Black in America.

I want to make it absolutely clear that the program was fine, but they should have renamed the program to something akin to Living in America while Black and Broke. A title, as thus would probably have engendered my tepid reaction to become upgraded to pleased. Black America was not fully represented a few token success stories were thrown in among a generous amount of stories peppered with people in poverty surrounded by economic and education disparities.

The image I walked away from after viewing Black in America was: Damn Black people are doing badly. Then I had to check myself and realize this is far from the truth. There is a segment of Black America that is struggling or hovering right around the poverty line. However, I truly believe for a majority of these individuals positive reinforcement revolving around a different life than what they find themselves mired in will broaden their expectations for themselves. Without adequate representation through visual images this segment of Black America will continue to view the world of middle class Black America as an intangible.

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Education and hard work are the consistent mantra that permeates the essence of the American Dream. Education, as we know, is not created equally nor is it extolled equally. Schools in lower socioeconomic areas are rife with underperforming curriculums, in desperate need of updated teaching materials, and innovated ideas to excite beaten down students to achieve a goal they believe unattainable in the first place.

For many students in lower socioeconomic areas the belief that they have a chance to enter college is surreal. Many struggle with the basics because they are never driven to learn or even taught but rather pushed on to the next level. For those not lost in the public school systems they head off to college earn their degree and look forward to their future. A future, according to the America dream, should grant them privileges and entrance into a new world far from what many of them knew.


Instead, what waits according to data is a closing in income among Black households in comparison to their white counterparts but the glaring disparity arises between white men and black men to the tune of approximately 10,000k with the same degree and experience.


Soledad Obrien mentioned that White men who are ex-cons are more likely to receive a job offer in comparison to black men with an education, because the perception is that black men are lazy and don’t know how to dress properly.


There are no more visible chains and shackles but what remains is far more pervasive, unjustified perceptions and insidious stereotypes that are used as excuses to justify and mask underlining racial prejudices be they conscious or subconscious.

So what then happens when you do everything according to the playbook and you still come up short? How do we keep young Black adults encouraged when they realize the Great American Equalizer is meant for everyone but them?

Cross post located atDallas South

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John McCain’s boi Phil Gramm states that the American population has become a nation of whiners and the recession is (whispers) all in our heads. Other than being pissed every time I have to fork over 50-55 dollars to fill up (I drive a midsize sedan for FHS), oh and also mildly irritated that I have to pay 2dollars plus some change for a dozen eggs (they used to cost $0.98, a few months ago), I’m pretty cool with the recession being all in my head.

On the a serious tip Phil, since your pockets are laced tight with ERON cash maybe you are not the best person to tell the vast American public that ARE struggling with the rising cost of living that its all in our heads and that we should suck it up and get over it.

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If this is true, Uncle Sam, in the words of Riley “Pay what you owe” (see video below).

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When the economic dollar begins to determine who has the right to live and the right to a life free from treatable diseases it becomes a sad day for all of humanity. ThisTedTalks Video demonstrates how the economic savants that be determine essentially who will live and reduces human life to who offers the most bang for the buck.

Faced with limited funds and a crippled infrastructure people in these impoverished areas should be grateful for the little that we do. But why when we can do so much more and because it is not economically feasible or beneficial we chose not to.

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