A Plan for Black America in the 21st Century

Over the past few days, the venue for dialogue and action focused on black America’s advancement could be found at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan. That’s the location of the 2009 Conference of 100 Black Men of America, Inc., an impressive event chock full of power players from business, politics and entertainment who brought messages of achievement and empowerment.

At Friday’s Chairman’s Award Lunch, for example, Kevin Liles, Executive Vice President of Warner Music, preached to young people about the value of hard work and need for them to  “be presidential” by adopting a more Obama-esque style and shunning thug life. Later that afternoon, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg used his administration’s track record of public education reform as “a model for big-city schools,” citing dramatic improvements in math and reading proficiency among minority students over the past several years. (In fact, New York Chapter President Philip Banks said the group worked closely with the Bloomberg Administration to develop the highly-successful Eagle Academy for Young Men, an institution devoted to creating legions of college-bound students.)

Along with the bevy of speakers, the conference offered a series of panels, ranging from the state of black males in education and the relevance of HBCUs to the impact of energy policy and exploration of opportunities in Obama’s economic agenda. Saturday night’s closing black-tie gala will honor, among others, New York Governor David Paterson and former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, the first African American elected to the statehouse.

The organization, which has 116 chapters and more than 10,000 members internationally, has come home to New York, the birthplace of its concept 46 years ago when a group of concerned African American men decided to marshal resources to improve their communities.  My good friend, David P. Brand, the New York Chapter’s financial secretary who served as conference organizer, informed me that there were more than 3,000 registrants this year — despite today’s tough economic times.

My theory is that attendance was high because of the tumultuous environment. The conference serves as networking exchange where members and guests can share strategies and ideas. And the membership vigilantly responds to International Chairman Albert E. Dotson, Jr.’s charge to push its “Four for The Future” program of mentorship, education, health & wellness and economic development.

An example of  their solution-oriented approach could be found in the 2009 Issues Summit, a plenary session that included such heavyweights as National Urban League President Marc Morial; New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein; United Way of America Executive Vice President Stacey Stewart; and Rick C. Wade, Senior Advisor for US Secretary of Commerce. The session was moderated by NBC News Correspondent Ron Allen. Here are highlights related to their discussion on the economy:

Morial focused, in part, on the staggering rate of unemployment ravaging thousands of black households nationwide. “The old adage of America catching a cold and black America getting pneumonia is true when looking at unemployment,” Morial asserts, citing the 9.3% national rate vs. 15% for African Americans and 40% for black youth. In fact, he maintained that the black unemployment rate was 7.2% in 1999 and has more than doubled in the past decade. “The loss of jobs in this recession is different than others. It has disproportionately affected men, and continues to impact blue-collar, white-collar and pink-collar jobs.”

Stewart found the job outlook to remain brutal even when the economy heads toward recovery. Large numbers of workers, she says, may not regain employment and income levels. Another factor: vast pools of unskilled workers will remain unemployable. For example, she said that 37% of Washington, D.C.’s adult workforce has no more than a third-grade education.

Maintains Klein, “Families in economic trouble intensifies all the problems we face.” He points to “an addiction to credit” as one of the culprits for the current economic malaise. “Both sides of the transaction got it wrong,” he

asserts, pointing his finger at credit card issuers and mortgage lenders as well as consumers. “As a nation, we started to think that we could print the dollar instead of earn the dollar.” The victims in this scenario, he says, may be future generations.

Wade believes that there “isn’t anything more important than fixing the economy. You can’t minimize the impact of joblessness, which is a structural concern that leads to more crime and anti-social behavior.” But he tends to focus on just how African Americans will be involved in economic and labor market shifts. “As we redesign this economy, African Americans must understand the new dynamics.”

Then the panelists turned to solutions. Morial says African Americans must not view “the green economy as being for the latte crowd”; they must embrace it or risk being left behind. Stewart views adult education as part of the answer. She also advocates the alignment of government agencies, corporations and non-profits to prioritize and focus on such issues. Klein argues that citizens must be “the captains of their own destiny” and directs individuals to entrepreneurial opportunities in healthcare, education, energy and the environment. And Wade views a vast array of employment and business possibilities through Obama’s mammoth economic agenda. Just in terms of retrofitting of homes and businesses alone, entrepreneurs and

workers would be able to participate in a multibillion sector. “We can use such opportunities to employ individuals on a local level,” he says. “It’s a chance for our kids to put down hand guns and pick up caulk guns.”

The panel gave the same probing analysis of education, mentorship and health care but always the focus on solving problems — a characteristic that has long distinguished 100 Black Men. The next steps are clear: the ultimate catalysts for the progression of black America will be the conference’s attendees, and the hard work will begin when they return home.

For more on the organization, conference and programs like the Eagle Academy, visit www.100blackmen.org and www.ohbm.org.

Derek T. Dingle is the editor-in-chief of Black Enterprise magazine.