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To empower African-Americans, and all people of color, with the knowledge and inspiration to foster progression and productivity in the community.
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The Young Covenant

Started by ybpguide · 9 months ago

Those who know me know that I am a scholar- I thrive on learning more about African-American affairs, culture, and history. I admire writers like Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cornel West, commentators such as Tom Joyner, journalists such as Ed Gordon- and I love Tavis Smiley like a play cousin. ... Continue reading »

7 comments

  • Fredric

    2 years ago

    this is an interesting concept. how do we get the progressive young black professional not only interested, but engaged?

    discussion is a good start. blogs like this and others help saturate the discussion allowing the 2.0 generation to contribute their opinions and foster further development.
    reply
  • David McQueen

    2 years ago

    I have started a project in the UK called Champion Walk http://championwalk.blogspot.com. It is slowly gaining momentum as not just a place to highlight the achievements of African Caribbeans here in the UK (and further afield) but also to engage in dialogue with youth about how they want to shape their future.

    I think I will post the link to this blog on my page.
    reply
  • David McQueen

    2 years ago

    Sorry that link should be http://championwalk.blogspot.com
    reply
  • Martin Lindsey

    2 years ago

    Kim, I think the laserlike self sufficiency is right on point. Unfortunately the younger Tavis Smiley's and Jesse Jackson Jrs of our world are still playing the game in the old inneffective political-only style of the older generation's Cornel Wests, Al Sharptons and Jesse Jackson Srs.

    You're right. We need more "individual" economic initiative in order to actually make a change and have an impact on our "collective" community. I'll always believe economics is the best politics.

    And yes leveraging web 2.0 is the way to get it going. What you - and our British friend in the previous comment - are suggesting is PanAfricanism 21st century style.

    Unfortunately we're 50 years behind the eight ball because Dr. King was talking about this before he was killed and most publically prominent leaders since then have acted like it's an irrelevent subject.

    I'm with you. I think it's on our younger web 2.0 generation to actually get this type of thing jumped off. The question is the "how" of it. Fortunately we have the Black Enterprise Economic Summit as an example. Unfortunately though - and correct me if I'm wrong - from what I saw of the show Earl Graves wasn't one of Tavis's panelists.

    Have you considered contacting the Tom Joyner Morning Show or Tavis Smiley directly and posing your premise? I think now is the time and there are many of us who share this perspective.
    reply
  • Jess

    2 years ago

    Tom Joyner has Black America Web http://www.blackamericaweb.com/ where they post all sorts of stuff.
    Start a facebook group.
    Post the group on idealist.org if you can.
    Ask your greek chapter, alumni associations, or business associations to start an iniative.
    reply
  • Ashley

    2 years ago

    I agree 100% with Martin Lindsey. Propose this to Tavis Smiley and Tom Joyner. Let them know that members of this generation want to get involved, but are having a hard time finding a direct plan of action. I mean, I know that the Covenant has what we need to do (I don't have the Covenant in Action yet).

    What I suggest is something I saw on Oprah. She had a group of young ladies on to talk about their money group The Smart Cookies (hmmm, that's an idea for a post). They would gather once a week and discuss their bills, debts and progress. They would help each other find solutions for money woes, etc. Maybe we could establish satellite Covenant groups, and chronicle our progress via this blog or some other forum.

    I know that there are older established groups like NULYP and others, but even those members are older.

    I don't know. Just a suggestion.
    reply
  • Kimberly Michelle

    2 years ago

    Thanks for all the comments and suggestions! You guys have given me hope that our generation really is interested in solving the problems in our community. So now that we've talked about it, we have to be about it.
    Martin, I will definitely try to reach out to Joyner and Smiley- they are on my list of people to meet and work with one day.

    Jess, you know I'm all about the facebook groups, I see one for "The Young Covenant" in the horizon.
    Ashley, I like the group you saw on Oprah. I know of similar local groups and I think that is a key factor in where all of this must begin- locally.
    Let's keep the ideas flowing- I feel something big is about to happen...
    reply

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