Lenny McAllister Backs Tavis Smiley Commentary, Need for “New Conversation” in Chicago March 20th
By HHR | February 23rd, 2010 | Category: Featured, General, HHR Contributors | 4 comments
“Tavis said it right: if Black America’s recognized leaders are unwilling to push President Obama on these issues now, how can they expect to hold the moral authority to question any other president henceforth about issue directly pertaining to Black America? The answer would be that they couldn’t. Thus, we either need to change the paradigm of how Black America’s leaders will deal with this president in earnest honesty concerning these harsh times for Americans – as notably African-Americans – or we need to change the paradigm of Black America’s leadership to a new gathering of ideas, perspectives, and participants.”
Political and social activist was one of the few invited to an exclusive post-commentary conference call highlight author and media mogul Tavis Smiley’s commentary on “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” this morning.
Smiley’s commentary took to task several Black leaders that have backed away from criticizing President Obama during the recession by noting publicly that the president should not have a “Black agenda” because he is “…the president of all of America, not just Black America.” Within the commentary, Smiley announced a conference in Chicago on March 20, 2010 with some of the leading Black intelligentsia of the day in order to sort through this potential crossroads in Black America.
The nationally-televised forum, We Count! The Black Agenda is the American Agenda, will be held from 8 am – noon Saturday, March 20 at Chicago State University’s Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center, 9501 South King Dr., Chicago, IL.
McAllister was invited as one of only four media “bloggers” to dialogue with Smiley after the live commentary on “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” this morning about his stance and next steps moving forward.
“I agree that there needs to be a conversation around this,” McAllister noted after the conference call. “Are these not many of the same people that for years has pushed the White House on issues that directly impact and benefit Black America? Now we are relieved of this need because the president is African-American, even after he cut education funding for poor Black students in 2009 and proposes cuts to minority business funding in 2011, while at the same time increasing funding for overseas abortions of Black children globally and increasing funding for TANF and other programs that assist those in poverty but does not provide the means to overcome poverty?
McAllister is likely to be a participant in the Chicago event in March as well as meeting his obligations as the emcee of the Frederick Douglass Foundation Leadership Summit earlier that weekend in Washington, DC.
McAllister’s latest article on The Daily Caller (http://dailycaller.com/2010/02/23/obamacare-we-can-believe-in/) is now available.
Lenny McAllister’s popularity as a public speaker, political analyst, and community activist continues to grow on the national stage as a “proud young conservative” and community activist that speaks effectively to a diverse America.
The North Carolina-based politico will be a featured speaker at the Tea Party Patriots’ Event in Atlanta, GA this upcoming Saturday, February 27, 2010. In addition to McAllister’s featured speech, the highlighted speaker will be noted actor Stephen Baldwin. The event begins at 3 PM EST and will receive national media coverage from outlets including CBS’s “60 Minutes” as well as local media and cable coverage. He will be the keynote speaker in Harnett County (NC) on Thursday evening at the Lincoln Day Dinner.
McAllister’s speech will likely mirror much of his recent articles and speeches found throughout the national political and societal conversations so far in 2010.
McAllister will emcee the Frederick Douglass Foundation Leadership Summit (http://www.frederickdouglassfoundation.com/) in Washington, DC from March 18 – March 20 that will feature several congressional candidates and statewide candidates from around the country.
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I will pray we will have some Black Conservatives on this panel. All too often, panels and conferences like this tend to exclude a large voice within the African-American community. For one, as a resident of Chicago, I would hope to see one of our own conservative candidates, Reverend Isaac Hayes, appear on the list of Black American leaders.
I believe that Tavis Smiley is involved in a Conspiracy Against President Obama. Tavis’s current strategy is to divide one of President Obama’s core supporters the African-American voter. I believe that Smiley is involved in a conspiracy to ensure that President Obama only serves one term. It will not work.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-412663
During a telephone interview on Al Sharpton’s radio show Tavis Smiley and Sharpton engaged in a heated debate concerning the need for President Obama to address African Americans issues. This is not the time for the POUS to engage in a debate. The most important thing that many Americans in general and African-Americans in particular should be focus on is helping President Obama achieve his goal of passing a Health Care Reform Bill. Rush stated this week that the HCR bill amounts to “Reparation” for Blacks in America. Although I don’t agree with Rush’s position I do agree that many of the 30 million people who will have an opportunity to health care will be African Americans and other minorities.
In order to help any specific groups in the future President Obama must get HCR done before the 2010 mid-term elections. President Obama accomplished the seemingly impossible when he won the Presidency. That feat alone should give us confidence that he knows how to achieve making this a more just, fair, and equal nations for all Americans including us.
Therefore it is my belief that the debate discussed in your article can be better and should be addressed after the POUS passes his “Waterloo” moment with the loyal opposition in Congress.
[...] Conservative commentator Lenny McAllister Supports Tavis Smiley and conversation in Chicago Click HERE. [...]
People are afraid to be critical of Obama in the black community. The reason he is the first black president and he is under the microscope. The question is evident the unemployment is the highest among all ethnic groups. The empowerment programs to develop and prepare students for a better future do not go far enough. The solution does not rely on one man the president. The black communities across the country should collectively help and assist there constituents; the black churches should be more active in community outreach. The government can not solve all our problems; it is us collectively. The violence and gangs plaguing our communities do not help and the accountability factor to assist those who need help to call the police stand by and let crime poison the environment.The sucessful blacks have made careers in business,entertainment,sports law ,medicineand other professions do not do enough but show there high life style and living. Looking down there noises at the deprived peoples of these communities. Good accountability of resources and providing good outreach performed in a respsonsibile fashion and commitment from people who have the know how and skills to help. Soldiers of fortune are needed remember where you came from and not to forget the struggles that continue in this country; it is necessary Black Americans view the injustices the Jewish Community had to endure. Jewish American help Jews around the world from persecution; it takes a collective effort .This a good example to practice.