Success & Disaster: Natural Progression

In a previous blog your author saluted the achievements of magazine pioneer and profile in Black American success John Johnson. It pleased your author this week when he read this -Black-owned businesses in America grew 45% from 1997-2002, as indicated by the US Census Bureau. Most of these entities appear to be self-proprietorships or businesses with just one or two employees. Additionally according to the Census Bureau the majority of these businesses are found in New York, California, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Your author again salutes Black achievement in making solid inroads in the free market system.

Now with this great news what has been the response by the so-called Black leadership? Your author will identify them as the following: NAACP, Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam and Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Why not? This is a group, minus Rev. Al Sharpton, that makes the headlines. Well strangely enough, following a review of their respective web pages, your author could find no mention of this profound declaration of Black achievement.

NAACP's webpage greeted the author with continual references to the aftermath caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and concerns over Medicaid/Medicare. The civil rights group also stated that race and urban location may be a factor when attempting to gain access to healthcare, according to a report labeled NAACP Urges Passage of Tri-Caucus Healthcare Legislation to Address Disparities Affecting Racial and Ethnic Minority Americans. To their credit the group is actively attempting to bus in displaced New Orleans natives to vote in their mayoral election.

Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam (NOI.org) greets the viewer with the Minister's recent visit to Cuba. The photo shows a smiling Farrakhan shaking hands with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The visit was described as being 'anticipated and successful'. While shaking hands with the dictator, who has caused his island country to fall near the brink of poverty in his failed socialist revolution, Farrakhan felt it necessary to remind everyone in attendence that President Bush had declined Cuba's offer of 1,600 doctors to assist in the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. Minister Farrakhan was part of a twenty three member group in Havana to study disaster relief preparedness. Since I have experienced several hurricanes in the past I can probably could have spared NOI a plane ticket and told Farrakhan-leave, leave long before the storm hits the shore. I can only wonder if the Minister was able to travel outside Havana and see the impoverished conditions of Cuba?

Farrakhan summed up his visit in an essay entitled The Good Samaritan; A study of Cuba. He praised Cuba's response to hurricanes, noting that there had been no loss of life or property damage. Well Minister Farrakhan would Cuba even bother reporting on a death toll? More importantly when the rank and file of the island's citizenry live in huts how can one assess property damage? Yes I know Minister this doesn't compare to the greatest nation that has allowed you and the NOI exist compared to Cuba, where the self appointed dictator would have shut the lights out of an organization such as yours and where they have no freedom. Farrakhan then went on to say that the United States was a Christian hypocrite, who hated their neighbor because they are socialist. No, quite the opposite Minister, asked the Cuban refugees, those who lived and died coming to America. They hate Castro and his legacy of poverty. You see Minister freedom to these refugees is worth dying for, better to die free then live under a regime. This is a point obviously not considered during your rant.

While over at Rev. Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition's site, where the viewer is greeted with a flash of photos showing Jackson through the years, nothing is mentioned on the Census Bureau report. The 'good Reverend' who counseled then President Clinton during his adultery fiasco with a White House intern while he had fathered an out of wedlock child himself, is having his crew rally behind trying to change Medicare drug reform. Minister Farrakhan states we don't take care of our own in the realm of healthcare while the NAACP and Jackson believe more should be done, you decide. Reverend Jackson reminds the reader that on April 29th (go grab a pen and paper to jot this down) he will be marching in New York City for 'peace, justice and democracy'. Here is a clue Reverend, America is the poster boy for all three and only in a free nation can you demonstrate, a point you appear to have forgotten. Finally Jackson has penned an essay relating to the recent Duke University lacrosse team case, where a stripper has claimed she was raped and yet there is no DNA evidence to substantiate these claims. Your author only scanned through the essay, it brings up facts that are not relevant to the case. Ten to one says if Duke donates to Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson and his crew will head back to Chicago. Any takers?

Each of these groups have been critical of the Bush administration and their handling of the New Orleans Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. Your author has already commented on this at the time it transpired. However it was the failures of the New Orleans local government, led by Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana governorKathleen Babineaux Blanco along with social welfare state that plagues the state that should be placed under the microscope. What did they want the Bush team to do? Some have said send military troops. This cannot simply be accomplished, not according to the US Constitution (a document that enables these critics) as it states in Amendment III.

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Now whether or not any of these groups, individuals or other groups critical of the President were aware of this is secondary. It is obvious that most of these fringe operators, which is also quickly encompassing the mainstream media, are clueless to this important document. No what is important with this post is to demonstrate how out of touch the so-called Black leadership (identified by the mainstream media as such) with Black America. Call it that small voice inside your author's head but something tells him that the 1.2 million businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs, churning out $89 billion in revenues, that grew at a rate 45% from 1997-2002, aren't paying Jackson, Farrakhan and the NAACP much attention. They have realized it is achieved by one and not a group, which is what socialism prescribes in its bare essence.

For the record here are the statistics for 1997-2002.

• The number of all U.S. businesses grew by 10% to about 23 million.
• The number of businesses owned by women grew by 20% to 6.5 million.
• The number of businesses owned by men grew by 16% to 13.2 million.
• The number of Hispanic-owned businesses grew by 31% to nearly 1.6 million.
• The number of businesses owned by white entrepreneurs grew by 8% to 19.9 million.

Black entrepreneurs owned 1.2 million companies in 2002, or about 5% of nonfarm businesses. Hispanics owned about 7% and women of all races and ethnicities owned 28% (US Census Bureau).

Upon reading the press release for this fantastic news Commerce Department's Minority Business Development Agency chief Ronald Langston commented and I will conclude with his words: "We do have challenges. We are making progress, this is the real challenge: to move these smaller businesses into the next step of growth."

These are genuine results, true achievement and tangible evidence of Black America; not the rhetoric and balderdash spread by these press dubbed 'leaders' for their followers are becoming fewer and far between.

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