State of the Black Union 2008 in New Orleans...one candidate has committed to attending.

[IndianaJones]

Hillary Clinton.

Obama, McCain and Huckabee have not accepted invitations yet.

[sunonmars]

1. Shows you how much Obama gives a shit then

[IndianaJones]

2. Smiley gave them an extra week to answer his invitations. Only Clinton has accepted...

and that was last week.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. If I were Obama I wouldn't show up either. Tavis has been "pimping"

Clinton this whole primary season. He is downright contemptuous of Obama, and it's palpable. I can't listen to him anymore. Obama will probably show up, but Tavis doesn't speak for Black America, trust me on this.

[EffieBlack]

7. Your "pimping" analogy is really offensive

Moreover, I haven't seen anyone, including Tavis, claim he speaks for "Black America." He is trying to address issues - which is something people are always saying needs to be done.

For some reason, whenever black folk try to address very real issues, some people accuse them of claiming to "speak for all blacks." But when they DON'T address these issues, they're accused of not doing anything constructive.

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. sorry you're offended...

I still maintain that Tavis does not speak for Black America. I am all for moving the debate forward, but Tavis and his enablers have to realize that Barack Obama is running for President of all of the United States of America. As an AA myself, I personally wish that Obama would skip this forum, and perhaps agree to a one-on-one with Tavis.

You do realize that at this event Obama will most likely share the stage with folks like Al Sharpton, J. Jackson, folks from the Nation of Islam, and other lightening rods. It will be the perfect setting for very damaging PR if not handled properly. I don't underestimate the ability of us to sabotage one another given half a chance.

[EffieBlack]

10. Who claimed that Tavis "speaks for Black America?"

Tavis hasn't. And I've never heard any other black person say such a thing. In fact, the only people I've heard make such a claim are white people who aren't the least bit interested in "Black America." And now you. But no matter who says it, it's a strawman.

As for whom he might be on the stage with, you DO realize that this forum goes on all day and has dozens of guests, including some of the country's strongest scholars, commentators, political figures and others. It is highly unlikely that he would be on the stage with Sharpton, Jackson or anyone from the Nation of Islam (where did THAT come from?) and the only folks who would be skeered of something like that happening are the same people who ALWAYS go around saying that Sharpton and Jackson are some kind of firebreathing crazy people or insist that it's suicide for any black person to be seen anywhere near them and require any black public figure who wants to ever be successful to publicly, loudly and vigorously distance themselves from anything that might LOOK like it has anything to do with the Nation of Islam.

I'm an African-American, and I don't see things that way, nor do most black people I know. It's a shame you've bought into the hype.

[butterfly77]

12. Yes, I agree with your points..

this is how I feel also but, I listen to Sharpton and Warren Ballentine who is also on the station and this Warren Ballentine seems to want all of us who are black to vote for Obama no questions asked, he and some of the callers are getting angry because some of us don't see it the same way that he does he says that we need to do the right thing, to which I ask which is what? He blows a gasket if someone calls and says they are for Hillary.

I am tired of being told that I have to vote someone without looking at the issues and who I think is the best candidate. He doesn't seem to realize that it is not about being black, because whomever becomes the president should look out for the well being of all people, not that we have seen that with the present so called presidency. If there are some whites who have voted for Obama they will turn some of them off with this garbage...

[EffieBlack]

13. I hear you, but Warren Ballentine is one person

He can say anything he wants - that doesn't mean that he speaks for black people or that all black people need to do what he says. For some reason, much greater attention is given to things that certain prominent black people say - the media loves to treat us as if we're all being led around by the nose by the "black leaders" the media has chosen.

One of my favorite things is how they consistently criticize Sharpton and Jackson for supposedly holding themselves up as the "black spokespersons" (which they have never done), but then the first time anything happens that impacts black people and they want a reaction, they stick a microphone in their faces. Meanwhile, other knowledgeable, intelligent, insightful "black leaders" are hardly ever asked what they think about anything.

But if you don't like being told by a radio host how to vote, don't listen to him.

[butterfly77]

14. I agree with everything you said but...

I will not stop listening to him just because I don't agree with him on this issues. I do agree with him on others though. It isn't me it's the listeners who don't do their homework they just jump on the bandwagon because he tells them to.

[EffieBlack]

11. Who claimed that Tavis "speaks for Black America?"

Tavis hasn't. And I've never heard any other black person say such a thing. In fact, the only people I've heard make such a claim are white people who aren't the least bit interested in "Black America." And now you. But no matter who says it, it's a strawman.

As for whom he might be on the stage with, you DO realize that this forum goes on all day and has dozens of guests, including some of the country's strongest scholars, commentators, political figures and others. It is highly unlikely that he would be on the stage with Sharpton, Jackson or anyone from the Nation of Islam (where did THAT come from?) and the only folks who would be skeered of something like that happening are the same people who ALWAYS go around saying that Sharpton and Jackson are some kind of firebreathing crazy people or insist that it's suicide for any black person to be seen anywhere near them and require any black public figure who wants to ever be successful to publicly, loudly and vigorously distance themselves from anything that might LOOK like it has anything to do with the Nation of Islam.

I'm an African-American, and I don't see things that way, nor do most black people I know. It's a shame you've bought into the hype.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

4. Obama hates black people!

:eyes:

[madrchsod]

5. brought to you by corporate america

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http://www.tavistalks.com/events/signatureevents/stateoftheblackunion
Tavis Talks | State of the Black Union

[Rock_Garden]

6. No surprise here. Go Hillary!

[EffieBlack]

8. Does Obama have to attend a "Black Union" event in order to prove he's ok

While it would be nice if Obama could attend this event, I don't think he needs to in order to prove his commitment to "Black America."

The State of Black America 2007
Portrait of the Black Male
Published by the National Urban Legue
Foreword by Senator Barack Obama

There are at least two stories to tell about the state of black America in 2007. One story celebrates the extraordinary fact that some of this country's top financial institutions have black chief executives, that a black woman is president of an Ivy League university, that the current and previous secretaries of state are black Americans, that a black coach led his team to victory in the Super Bowl, that the college graduation rate of black women has never been higher, that homeownership by blacks is as high as it has ever been, and that blacks have penetrated nearly every barrier in law, business, medicine, sports, education, politics and public service. Black influence on art and culture is as strong as it has ever been, and black voters should feel empowered by a reauthorized Voting Rights Act. These accomplishments are the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams of black Americans who toiled, marched, bled, sat-in, and voted against all odds and obstacles. Some of these achievements were perhaps beyond even the imagination of the millions of black Americans who labored without reward or compensation to help build this country despite being denied its rights, privileges, and opportunities.
. . .
But another story must also be told about the state of black America. A quarter of all black Americans live below the federal poverty level, a poverty rate about twice the national rate. More than a third of all black children live in poverty and almost two-thirds grow up in a home without both parents. In some cities, more than half of all black boys do not finish high school, and, by the time they are in their 30s, almost six in ten black high school dropouts will have spent time in prison. Half of all black men in their 20s are jobless, and one study a few years ago found more black men in prison than enrolled in college. The typical black household earns only about 60% of the earnings of white households and has a net worth only about 10% that of whites. The HIV/AIDS rate is highest for black Americans, and blacks are more often the victims of inadequate healthcare and preventable health maladies. This sad story is a stark reminder that the long march toward true and meaningful equality in America isn’t over. We have a long way to go.
. . .
History teaches us that equality must be fought for each and every day. We must redouble our efforts to close the health care gap that leaves minority communities with higher rates of disease and lower rates of quality care. We must close the achievement gap by committing to early education and ensuring that we teach all of our kids to take pride in educational achievement. We must close the empathy gap that lets us give up on people who may have lost their way and all Americans must embrace our common fate and shared destiny.

In this volume, there are many different approaches to solving our common problems. Some will work and others might not. But it is in our shared interests and in the interest of every American to stop ignoring these challenges and start finding the solutions that will work. For in the end, we want the story for black America to be one universal story where success is the norm and struggles are overcome.

This is the journey we are on together.

http://www.nul.org/thestateofblackamerica.html