A Word From Tavis Smiley

A Word From Tavis Smiley

I don't know whether you all have seen the Black Think Tank that Tavis
Smiley hosts on C-Span every year, but it is powerful food for thought.
Here are a few of the things learned at the Black Think Tank this month.

Facts:
1. The first Americans or Native Americans going back to 13,000 BC were Black! Look up the Folsom people who lived in Arizona .

2. One of the best reasons to stop our use of the term African American
and say Black. A white person who was born in Africa, who moves to
America is An African American and qualifies for financial aid, etc.,
but will get the jobs/pay privileges afforded to whites.

3. Look up the Slavery Law of
1665 (which stayed in effect until 1968)
and the Maryland Doctrine of Exclusion (1638): both laws state that
Blacks must be excluded from the benefits afforded whites, and that
Blacks must remain noncompetitive with whites, except in sports and entertainment.

4. Two white men: Bill Gates and Larry Elision, combined have more
wealth than the combined wealth of all 36 million Blacks in America.
Civil Rights did not
change the economic landscape or the balance of
power in America .

5. Asians received 80% of all government minority set aside contracts. Hello!!

6. Blacks eat more fish than whites by a 4 to 1 margin. For every dollar
that whites spend on fish, Blacks spend $9 on fish. Fish sold wholesale
for $1 will retail at $2.50 - $3.00. Guess what
business we should be in as Blacks?

7. There isn't any black owned national cable, or major network television stations. Cathy Hughes, the Black woman who owns our only
Black owned radio stations, plans to sell to white owners after hearing
the deal Bob Johnson received for selling BET. (Cathy Hughes is from OMAHA y'all!)

8. There are no Black owned companies on the Wall Street Stock Exchange;
where blacks own the majority or controlling interest of the stock.

9. Ninety-six percent (96%) of all Black inmates are men.

10. Over the next two years 440,000 black inmates will be released from prison. The State has no place to put them as they re-enter society. A profitable business would be a Halfway house!

11. In 1860, 98% of all Blacks in America worked for White people. In 2001, 98% of all Blacks
in America still work for white people.

12. In 1860, Blacks in America had a combined net worth of one half of 1 percentage point. Guess what, in 2001, after Civil Rights, Jesse
Jackson, Oprah, Shaq, NAACP, and Urban League, our combined net worth is half a percentage point.

13. For every dollar earned by a Jewish person, that dollar touches 12 to 18 Jewish hands before it leaves their community. For every dollar earned by a Black person it leaves the community soon as he or she earns it.

14. The last week of April 2003 in Washington, DC black teenagers were arrested and booked for eating McDonalds on the metro subway. Cops cited recent 5-4 court decision as the permission to arrest law breakers even for minor offenses.

15. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of all hate crimes in America are against Blacks.

16. After we get through being pleased that we have carpet in our office, a secretary, our name on the door and make six figures, we do
not own anything.

17. What will happen if you miss 6 months of work without pay? All we've left for our children is debt not an inheritance. You can not pass welfare or food stamps onto our kids as a nest egg! We are not even in the race.

18. By the way, the word "race" hit the English language in the 16th century when Europeans held a contest to see who will win the race to
gather the lost wealth through exploitation of blacks.

19. You must read Powernomics by Claude Anderson . This is our blueprint to create wealth, not just have a job, but be a business owner, so you can hire people, be listed on the stock exchange, and develop businesses
to meet our needs.

This is "Good Food" for thought. Share this with children, grand children, best friends, boyfriend, girlfriend, neighbors, e-mail buddies,
etc.
please pass it on to all of your "Black Friends