“[Another] Covenant with Black America”

I suspect many of you spent much of Saturday enjoying the outdoors or watching the Winter Olympics on TV. But I spent the day slogging through legal documents whilst giving one very keen ear to proceedings at the State of the Black Union 2006 on C-SPAN. And, if listening to a bunch of rich black folks baring their souls about the problems of poor blacks is not your idea of fun, I assure you, it’s not mine either. Therefore, please bear with me as I share the reasons why this was no ordinary rap session.

Talk show host Tavis Smiley has held this annual rap sessions for the past seven years, but has little to show for it. Perhaps this is why, long before the panelists took the stage this year, Smiley disseminated his blueprint for discussing the issues that matter most to black Americans. Most notable among them were black economic empowerment, political activism, and emerging leadership.

In fact, Smiley spent the last year commissioning experts in the fields of education, business, criminal justice, politics, family planning, religion etc., to contribute to The Covenant book – which is made up of 10 chapters distilling all of these issues into a 10-point action plan to improve black America. The result was panel discussions this year that were focused, constructive, and devoid of the political platitudes that usually characterize such conferences.

Indeed, according to Smiley, The Covenant book:

“…outlines how individuals, groups, communities and the body politic can move forward to make this nation better. When we make Black America better, we make all of America better. We all want an America as good as its promise.”

The more high-profile panelists included Professor Cornell West of Princeton University, actor and activist Harry Belafonte, Rev Al Sharpton, Minister Louis Farrakhan, and Chairman of the Black Leadership Forum, Joseph E. Lowery. But the genius of this conference was that none of the trademark bloviating from these rhetorical firebrands could compete with the sobering facts and prescriptive proposals outlined in The Covenant; or for that matter with the substantive remarks by people of real scholarship and professional accomplishment who Smiley had the good sense to invite.

Therefore, I urge you to click here to buy this book to see what you can do to help fulfill this covenant. And please understand that – even though targeted at black America – every American should heed this calling. Because Smiley is absolutely right in asserting that “when we make black America better, we make all of America better.”

I would be remiss, however, if I did not share a couple of the “Amen” moments that livened things up for the 5,500 delegates who packed St Agnes Church in South Park, Houston on Saturday. (Though please be advised that my recounting of things people said is based solely on my fairly reliable memory, and is not meant to be verbatim. Unfortunately, a transcript is not available as I write this post. However, the entire symposium re-airs tonight on C-SPAN so I invite you to tune-in for a first-hand account and to check my representation):

Smiley himself was the first to deviate from the carefully moderated agenda to set the record straight – “for the media” – on why there were only a few black Republicans amongst the panelists participating in this event of such national importance.

(Incidentally, I remain stupefied by the fact that blacks have continually given Democrats over 90 percent of their votes in presidential and statewide elections. Because there’s overwhelming evidence that Democratic leaders have done little for them lately to sustain their loyalty.)

At any rate, Smiley announced that – because of the persistent criticism that blacks are hostile to dissenting political views within their race, he made a point of soliciting prominent black Republicans to participate in the symposium. He then informed the delegates, with mocking but justified indignation, that despite giving him their personal assurances that they would attend, many of those Republicans failed to show up. And, he named names: including the Ohio’s Secretary of State, J Kenneth Blackwell, who is now running for Governor; Maryland’s Lt Governor, Michael S. Steele, who is running for Governor; and another Republican politician who – according to Smiley – actually spent the night before the symposium in the hotel at the centre where the St Agnes Church is located.

Shame of Blackwell and Steel! As for the anonymous politician, however, I can appreciate that he probably got cold feet after reflecting on how Democrats bashed President Bush at that black church in Atlanta during the funeral service for Corretta Scott King. But if Bush had the cojones to show up….

Another interesting moment came when, to no one’s surprise, Minister Louis Farrakhan finally got his chance to sound off. He launched into a vintage diatribe about the folly of even dealing with the U.S. government. He dismissed The Covenant book as worthless because it was encouraging black people to perpetuate their servitude to deceitful whites. Then, to reinforce his point, Farrakhan recounted a story he said Harry Belafonte (sitting across the stage from him) told him some time ago. He held forth in a somber, barely audible voice essentially as follows:

Just weeks before Dr King’s assassination – in the last conversation he had with him – Harry noticed that Dr King looked melancholy. So he asked Dr King why he looked like he was troubled. He said, ‘what’s the matter, Martin?’ And Dr King said, ‘you know, Harry, we fought long and hard for integration. But I’m coming to believe that we’re integrating our people into a burning house. [Farrakhan continued:]

So Harry asked him, ‘what are we gonna do Martin.’ And Dr King said, ‘we need to become firemen!’ [At which point Farrakhan, now in a loud and bellicose voice, shouted]

“No, no, no. I say let the house burn! America must burn!!!”

He then went on far too long – as is his wont – spewing his familiar “America is the devil” themes and ended by telling Smiley to his face that he was a Johnny-come-lately with his covenant. Farrakhan then informed the delegates that Smiley practically plagiarized the governing principles of his Millions More Movement which, in part, call for establishing separate ministries (for education, agriculture, foreign affairs et.al.) to govern the affairs of black America.

And, like a rock star abruptly ending a concert and leaving the crowd begging for more, Farrakhan stood to his feet and said – with a devilish grin: “I love you all…but I gotta go!” At which point, his Fruit of Islam bodyguards swarmed the stage and escorted the Minister off, no doubt, to attend to more important matters.

After such public humiliation by Farrakhan, a lesser man might have retreated. But Smiley stood his ground and reclaimed control of his symposium by responding essentially as follows:

I would say to Minister Farrakhan’s face what I must now say behind his back [given his hit and run diatribe]. And that is, with all due respect to the Minister, the time for rhetoric is over. This covenant is about facts. This covenant is about taking action. And, above all, this covenant is about dealing with this America and about how we can make it better for our people; not about creating a separate America. So please, let’s not lose our focus here….

I thought Smiley acquitted himself and The Covenant book well. Alas, it would’ve taken an informed delegate or C-SPAN viewer to appreciate why it was so easy for him to put out Farrakhan’s arsonist rhetoric. But don’t be embarrassed if you’re clueless, just click here.

Belafonte finally spoke. Unfortunately, like Farrakhan’s, much of his rhetoric was trite, unhelpful, and even irresponsible (e.g., he insisted that President Bush is a worse terrorist than Osama bin Laden). But Belafonte redeemed himself somewhat by coming to Smiley’s defense. He acknowledged sharing the story about Dr King with Farrakhan but added, in essence, that:

I respect my brother, Minister Farrakhan. We speak regularly. But we have our differences, and we discuss those openly and forthrightly. But like Dr King said, if the house is burning we need to become firemen. Unlike the Minister, however, I don’t want my grandchildren growing up in a country where people would standby and let a house burn. Instead, I would get involved and do all I can to save the house and all those inside…

Belafonte then told a story that serves as a fitting challenge to blacks (and all Americans) to put the 10-points of The Covenant book into action. Here’s how he told them, in essence, to just do it:

Many of you may not know this but Eleanor Roosevelt was a dear friend to blacks struggling for civil rights during her husband’s presidency. So one night she invited A. Philip Randolph – who was probably the smartest black politician this country has ever produced – to the White House for dinner with FDR.

And when FDR invited him to talk, Philip went on for about 20 minutes – outlining all the things that were wrong with America as far as the Negro was concerned, and telling FDR how he could easily fix them. When he was finished, there was a long silence as FDR reached for a cigar box and handed it around the table…I don’t think Eleanor took one. But then he said, Philip, I’ve heard everything you said, I missed nothing. And, I agree with all of it – including your assertion that I have the power to do all you ask with just the stroke of my pen.

And I would do all of it Philip, but only on one condition: I want you to go out there and make me do it!

The Covenant book provides the guidelines for blacks to go out and make Democratic and Republican leaders do what they’ve been promising to do for decades.

NOTE: It’s a measure of how little regard major (Democratic) newspapers have for black Americans when they report this weekend’s Mardi Gras as a frontpage event and relegate this black summit to the back of the paper…(if it’s mentioned at all).

Covenant with black America, Tavis Smiley, Louis Farrakhan, Harry Belafonte, Cornell West, Al Sharpton