Ok, today is a big week for MIST and POSRO as I meet with some major financiers, so I'm slightly stressed.
In order for me to decompress, I've been thinking about President Obama's Energy Policy. Here's what I've come up with. President Obama has been promising to build a bball court in the White House, so in the spirit of refurbishing the White House, the President should also make the White House completely Solar Powered. Doing that could create a few "Green Collar" jobs right there in the District of Columbia.
The President shouldn't stop there. The Capitol should also go Solar, and he should also insist over a 3 year span, that all of the Nation's Governor's and Mayor's mansions be made Solar.
Finally, he should also strongly insist that any corporate CEO who's firm is receiving some sort of bailout money, use the bonus pool for the next 5 years to pay for the solar power refurbishing of a select number of homes in the inner city.
That's real change folks.
Reverse the Charges
Energy Policy Meets Extreme Makeover
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Positivity Over Negativity
I just got off the phone with one of the people who put together the I AM TRENTON Community Foundation's Launch Event. In a later blog I'll give much more info about I AM TRENTON, but for now I'd like to point out that the Launch Event was a huge success, yet this morning the local Trenton paper's gave no report of the event, and as is customary, used a large portion of newspaper real estate to report the local crime going ons in my beloved T-Town.
Now I'm not saying not to report the bad news. I'm just saying, when there's truly good news, why not lead with that instead?
Now I'm not saying not to report the bad news. I'm just saying, when there's truly good news, why not lead with that instead?
Another First
You know times are changing slightly when Nebraska gave Barack Obama the first Democratic electorate vote in 44 years. Team Obama has been given a huge vote of faith. I hope we're all able to help their administration bring about the "change" that they've promised.
I'd like to see, Obama use his Internet based Media organization as an Electronic Bullypulpit. FDR revolutionized the Presidency by using radio to have fireside chats. Obama can step it up an order of magnitude with his webcasts and email blasts.
With the price of gas falling, Obama is going to need this Electronic Bullypulpit to keep people's focus on alternative energy. When gas was $4.00 a gallon, getting people to focus on alternative energy was easy. Now I think he's going to need all of his internet powers to keep folks' heads in the game.
I'd also like to see him use the Internet to call together a dream team of Black experts and wealthy Black people to create an organization that creates a Billion Dollar Fund dedicated to Black Economic Development. I know this one is a stretch, but hey right now anything is possible, and if Obama can blast Black Fathers on Fathers Day, then why not call for a serious initiative for Black Self-Help during Kwanzaa season? Just a thought, but I hope he does it.
I'd like to see, Obama use his Internet based Media organization as an Electronic Bullypulpit. FDR revolutionized the Presidency by using radio to have fireside chats. Obama can step it up an order of magnitude with his webcasts and email blasts.
With the price of gas falling, Obama is going to need this Electronic Bullypulpit to keep people's focus on alternative energy. When gas was $4.00 a gallon, getting people to focus on alternative energy was easy. Now I think he's going to need all of his internet powers to keep folks' heads in the game.
I'd also like to see him use the Internet to call together a dream team of Black experts and wealthy Black people to create an organization that creates a Billion Dollar Fund dedicated to Black Economic Development. I know this one is a stretch, but hey right now anything is possible, and if Obama can blast Black Fathers on Fathers Day, then why not call for a serious initiative for Black Self-Help during Kwanzaa season? Just a thought, but I hope he does it.
The Balancing Act
Please forgive me folks, but this is history. After this week I'll limit the Obama blogs-I promise, but right now it's impossible for me to not think about what happened on Nov. 4, 2008.
Today I'd like to briefly discuss the balancing act that we all now have to walk. On the one hand we should be brimming with pride and positive expectations about the impact President Obama will have on our image within the American mainstream.
On the other hand, we can't let Obama rest on the laurels of doing us so splendidly proud. He has a country to run, no doubt about that, but if he does something that we think is wrong or overly placating to "White Main Street", he needs to be called on it.
Of course this will be tricky, because at the first utterance of a complaint, we'll hear the cacaphony of peanut gallerists, tell us, "stop wining, you have a Black President, what more do you people want". Actually when that is said, it will be interesting to see how the President responds. One thing is for certain. I'm sure glad I'm not in that brothas shoes.
Today I'd like to briefly discuss the balancing act that we all now have to walk. On the one hand we should be brimming with pride and positive expectations about the impact President Obama will have on our image within the American mainstream.
On the other hand, we can't let Obama rest on the laurels of doing us so splendidly proud. He has a country to run, no doubt about that, but if he does something that we think is wrong or overly placating to "White Main Street", he needs to be called on it.
Of course this will be tricky, because at the first utterance of a complaint, we'll hear the cacaphony of peanut gallerists, tell us, "stop wining, you have a Black President, what more do you people want". Actually when that is said, it will be interesting to see how the President responds. One thing is for certain. I'm sure glad I'm not in that brothas shoes.
Obama Roundup
It's almost a week later and Sen. Barack Obama is still the President-Elect. Somebody pinch me.
Of course even in these euphoric days, there are people that are taking a steely, clear-eyed look at the Obama Presidency.
Some, like 18 year old Tolu Olurunda look at Obama's recent history on hot button issues in the Black Community and wonder out loud if Obama will stand up for what's right for Black people.
Others like the Wall Street Journal, are speculating what an Obama Presidency will do for the "Black Power Inc" folks. In other words, to what extent will the Black Elite get put on?
Meanwhile, back in April of '08, Haki Madhubuti waxed philosophic about reasonable expectations of an Obama Presidency. To try to summarize what Madhubuti says, would be to do his writing a disservice, so just read the article.
Finally, my take on Obama is his presence in the White House will thaw some of the psychological permafreeze that prevent many of us from taking risks and seeking to work with one another on meaningful and transformative projects. Two projects that I'd love to see Black Folks embark upon are:
1)the creation of a Private Investment Fund modeled on Julianne Malveaux's fictitious Kuumba Development Fund. Malveaux wrote about this in her classic 1995 book Sex, Lies and Stereotypes. There are enough well off Black Folks and others to create a Billion Dollar Fund dedicated to Black Economic Development. Read Malveaux's book for details.
2) the creation of the Black Equivalent of the General Education Board(GEB). For those of you that don't know what the GEB was, suffice it to say, that in the early 1900's this was a private entity created by White Philanthropists, to among other things dole out money to Black Education. When you read about the Washington-DuBois debates, you need to understand that the focus of their debates (vocational v liberal arts training) was done in the context of trying to get money from the GEB and other white philanthropists. That's all that debate was about-what types of Black Education deserved funding from wealthy white folks. Contrary to the way it's been depicted in our history books, the debate was about whose model would get the dollars. That's it. But I digress. This new Black GEB that I'm suggesting, would look specifically at public school districts with predominantly Black populations and look to make a wholistic impact on these districts. Also, if time and money allowed,a secondary priority would be to try to help the independent Black elementary and High Schools.
Essentially, I think an Obama Administration would be vocally supportive of both types of initiatives and would love to see the NAACP spearhead something like this.
Of course even in these euphoric days, there are people that are taking a steely, clear-eyed look at the Obama Presidency.
Some, like 18 year old Tolu Olurunda look at Obama's recent history on hot button issues in the Black Community and wonder out loud if Obama will stand up for what's right for Black people.
Others like the Wall Street Journal, are speculating what an Obama Presidency will do for the "Black Power Inc" folks. In other words, to what extent will the Black Elite get put on?
Meanwhile, back in April of '08, Haki Madhubuti waxed philosophic about reasonable expectations of an Obama Presidency. To try to summarize what Madhubuti says, would be to do his writing a disservice, so just read the article.
Finally, my take on Obama is his presence in the White House will thaw some of the psychological permafreeze that prevent many of us from taking risks and seeking to work with one another on meaningful and transformative projects. Two projects that I'd love to see Black Folks embark upon are:
1)the creation of a Private Investment Fund modeled on Julianne Malveaux's fictitious Kuumba Development Fund. Malveaux wrote about this in her classic 1995 book Sex, Lies and Stereotypes. There are enough well off Black Folks and others to create a Billion Dollar Fund dedicated to Black Economic Development. Read Malveaux's book for details.
2) the creation of the Black Equivalent of the General Education Board(GEB). For those of you that don't know what the GEB was, suffice it to say, that in the early 1900's this was a private entity created by White Philanthropists, to among other things dole out money to Black Education. When you read about the Washington-DuBois debates, you need to understand that the focus of their debates (vocational v liberal arts training) was done in the context of trying to get money from the GEB and other white philanthropists. That's all that debate was about-what types of Black Education deserved funding from wealthy white folks. Contrary to the way it's been depicted in our history books, the debate was about whose model would get the dollars. That's it. But I digress. This new Black GEB that I'm suggesting, would look specifically at public school districts with predominantly Black populations and look to make a wholistic impact on these districts. Also, if time and money allowed,a secondary priority would be to try to help the independent Black elementary and High Schools.
Essentially, I think an Obama Administration would be vocally supportive of both types of initiatives and would love to see the NAACP spearhead something like this.
