Tavis Smiley’s State of the Black Union Speech in L.A. Electrifies
 Photos by Steed Media Service |
LOS ANGELES –
You could have lit the entire City of Angels with the electricity that
flowed through Tavis Smiley’s State of the Black Union 10th anniversary
at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Riding on the 2009 theme, “Making
America As Good As its Promise,” was an emotionally impactful morning
and afternoon session that centered on the African American agenda
following the historic election of President Barack Obama. An all-star
cast of prominent black personalities, professors, politicians and
civil rights leaders each charged the crowd, including: Dr. Cornel
West, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Rev. Jesse
Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Iyanla Vanzant, Les Brown, Tom Joyner,
California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, Marc Morial, Na’im Akbar and
the Republican National Committee’s first ever African American
chairman, Michael Steele.
“No matter who was elected president, the state of
the black union will be monumentally affected,” Smiley said, referring
to the maelstrom of economic calamity, including historically high
foreclosure rates, worldwide marketplace collapse and unprecedented
number of corporate bailouts. “Rather than sit back and let things
happen, we have to continue to be active, rather than reactive, and to
keep crucial issues such as education, health care, financial
well-being, crime reduction and the justice system on the front burner
for African Americans.”
The session also coincided with the release of Smiley’s Accountable: Making America As Good As its Promise, the second follow-up to the 2006 best-seller Covenant with Black America.
Among the highlights:
Iyanla Vanzant:
The best-selling author and TV talk show host induced tears and a
prolonged, roaring standing ovation when moderator Raymond Brown asked
Vanzant to elaborate on the need for personal accountability before we
demand accountability of President Obama. The former “Oprah” show
darling riveted the crowd with her personal story of how she repaired
herself after sinking to the depths of personal despair in 2007 after
she lost her TV contracts and book deals —and had to take care of her
teenage grandchildren while being completely broke. She said only
prayer, heavy doses of gratitude, and personal responsibility yanked
her from the precipice of complete ruin.
Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson:
The Georgetown professor whipped the throng into a thundering frenzy
several times when he riddled the country’s proclamation of a
“post-racial” society with holes. He ended his speech on a crescendo
when he said he didn’t want to relinquish his entire racial and
historic identity just because Obama is commander in chief.
Rev. Al Sharpton: The
longtime civil rights leader laid the crowd flat when reeled off a
lengthy list of reasons he had to remain “employed” as a crusader for
equality despite Obama’s election, including racial disparities in
incarceration, hiring, promotion, and blacks’ overrepresentation in all
major diseases.
Stay tuned to rollingout.com for extensive coverage of the 10th annual State of the Black Union. –terry shropshire
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