Comments on (not)Happy About THIS!: Worried About the Wrong Thing: Tavis Smiley/Al Sha...

Hey community, LOVE this post! I'm not one i...

2010-03-01T13:32:25.868-08:00

Hey community,

LOVE this post!

I'm not one in nitty-gritty knowhow of how policy is changed, but I do know that any informed decision has to be made based on sound, proven research that is completed in an unbiased process.

One thing I also know is that there aren't enough people of color in the right channels and corners of knowledge-collecting institutions to collect, examine, and disseminate information that informs policy, which is discouraging. We need less Hollywood...more Brookings.

Zoom zoom~

@ Primarythoughts. Thanks for the compliment. You ...

2010-02-24T14:13:30.393-08:00

@ Primarythoughts. Thanks for the compliment. You know, I can respect you not knowing about the political process...furthering the community isn't necessarily everyone's interest. I just hate when people CLAIM that's their interest and then go about the business of doing something totally at odds with what needs to be done. Like aceklub said...just trying to get paid.

I always love your posts. This one is just as thou...

2010-02-24T12:18:58.323-08:00

I always love your posts. This one is just as thought provoking as the rest. As a person who will be the first one to stand up & say I don't know much more than what the media promotes about our political process... and the little bit that I remember from 3rd grade social studies, I love that I can come here and get something real to chew on. Sad - with all there is to do to improve our communities that we spend so much time "beating our chests".

Dem Folks are just trying to get paid at the end o...

2010-02-24T11:51:18.200-08:00

Dem Folks are just trying to get paid at the end of the day. As someone mentioned, people are not willing to "get their hands dirty" and really affect changes. Rather, folks want to stand at the podium and sprout their views. There are enough CBC conferences and such out there but people are more concerned with exchanging business cards, grab on some booty at the closing gala and trying to sound like the smartest in the group.

2010-02-24T11:47:02.886-08:00

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APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE! Thank you. I wrote an editori...

2010-02-24T07:25:05.878-08:00

APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE! Thank you. I wrote an editorial piece about this exact same issue about three years ago. Sharpton and Smiley remind me of how my uncles blow around a bunch of hot air, and get all riled up about issues that plague the black race, for the sake of finding out who can be the loudest, and then someone makes a comment about last nights game, and the issue, as well as the argument, is soon forgotten. This is not the barbershop black men. Get off your horn, and stop being so concerned with promoting your own agendas.
Don't talk about it, be about it.- Mos Def

I think that as it stands you're correct that ...

2010-02-24T07:10:28.681-08:00

I think that as it stands you're correct that the system is bigger than Obama's ability to change it in the ways many of us desire. People like you who want to impact the system in a REAL way are getting discouraged by the relative lack of progress...that's why we need MORE people to take on the task not less. But once again, like you said, there's ZERO glory in it.

Girl speak to my life. I see these lobbyist come ...

2010-02-24T07:04:42.550-08:00

Girl speak to my life.

I see these lobbyist come up here. I listen to the same sh*t every year. I'm not hearing any black folks tell anybody what they want.

We're just supposed to know?

When's Tavis coming to the Hill to lobby somebody? What's his plan? What are his ideas?

Don't get me started. It really pisses me off when they wanna go in on President Obama like he owes them something. Tavis was salty with Barack when he was still a candidate. He needs to sit down and shut up. #youmad?

Nobody's going to "do the work" beca...

2010-02-24T04:26:14.717-08:00

Nobody's going to "do the work" because there's really no "glory" in the grunt work it takes to really get things accomplished! As a former federal employee, and one who sought to make change from WITHIN the system, I can attest to the fact that Barack Obama is operating in systems that seem to be impenetrable to CHANGE or any efforts that might bring about efficiency. I like to think of my self as a part of the "next generation of Black leadership", but the truth of the matter is, people like me aren't a part of the system, and there appears to be no "pipeline" available to set us up to take over "the movement" (whatever it may be). Yes, Al & Tavis are "glory hogs", but what solutions are there for the "everyday people" on the grind trying to make a difference in the world without a platform?