The Unity of Kwanzaa can ONLY be achieved with the Spirit of Faith

In the Spirit of Imani or Faith, the 7th and final principle of Kwanzaa, I am sharing this definition and thoughts about this concept. 

I would only add that we started the Kwanzaa season with Umoja or Unity and end it with Imani or Faith. How appropriate because without faith there can be no unity.

Why do I say that? I notice far to many Blacks, especially the so called "conscious ones", are always focused on critical conspiracies or negative analytical thinking on every proactive step an organization or person makes on behalf of Black people. It's ridiculous.

Nothing anybody does is legitimate in their minds and most people who have a difference of opinion to them is a n*gga, coon, or negropian. Almost any move Blacks take socially whether in business, protest, boycotting, or activism for many of these arm chair social activist is met with skepticism. This over-arching skepticism erodes unity.

In order to have unity you have to have faith you can achieve success. Without faith in our collective cause of liberation, empowerment, and equality we will not be able to reach out against all odds to achieve it.

Should Lebron James Boycott for Tamir Rice?

So persons like Boyce Watkins want Lebron James to sit out games of playing basketball in violation of his contract and put his livelihood at risk huh? OK...

Let all the people who want Lebron to boycott his job make the same pledge. All you folks who want Lebron to stop playing call your boss and tell him or her you aren't reporting to work until Tamir Rice's killers are brought to justice.

Let everybody sacrifice equally before you start attacking the man for putting his livelihood at risk. If you have a business tell your client's and customers you aren't going to handle your business affairs with them until there's justice for Tamir Rice. Then we'll all be on the same page.

But we know that's not going to happen is it? SMH

I don't agree. He is putting his livelihood at risk. He will lose a lot of money and create a lot of hostility with whites and endorsement deals where he makes a lot of money.

If people want him to take such a risk they should be able to take the risk themselves. Dr. Boyce has jobs and a business let him take on the same risk before asking someone else to do it.

It isn't right IMO to ask a person to sacrifice for a people who aren't willing to sacrifice themselves. Dr. Boyce is a media personality but I don't see a lot of people suggesting this out protesting or on picket lines taking time off from  their 9 to 5 or business affairs to be with Black Lives Matter activists or Tamir Rice's supporters.

The NBA is not out killing Black people. The NBA is giving a lot of Black men an unbelievable life style. If Blacks want things to be different they need to get out and vote and hold the fire to the feet of elected officials who control police departments on our dime.

Lebron makes a lot of social statements already as an athlete. A lot of Black people don't vote in local elections or don't vote at all. But they want Lebron to risk his career while they sit back in their comfort zones. Naw, I don't see the fairness in that.

I do understand Dr. Boyces logic. He may be correct about his status and him making an impact I just

don't see it as being fair or a responsibility he should take on. And I'll tell you why.

It is too messianic. It also seeks to ask a major celebrity to make a sacrifice that the majority of Black people aren't willing to do to change local politics.

In the Civil Rights Movements Black people were mobilized in sit ins, protests, boycotts to change their conditions in this country. Leadership arose or was appointed by the grassroots movements to lead them and people like Dr. King, Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, etc. rose to prominence.

Then celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, and Tony Bennet showed up. The movement started from the bottom up and later inspired celebrities to get involved. In the 70s the Black power movement was inspired by non-celebrities like H Rap Brown, Huey Newton, and Maulana Karenga.

On the other hand today we have a situation where about 20% of Black people vote in local elections which decide mayors, judges, and police chiefs. If I were Lebron I'd like to see a lot more participation in the affairs of local government and grassroots politics before I make a sacrifice that would put my livelihood and that of my family at risk.

We have people today from the comfort of their homes or offices making digital posts or videos trying to force the issue of a major celebrity putting his career in jeopardy while the overwhelming majority of them won't spend a couple of hours marching, protesting or even going to the voting booth.

The NBA would suffer financially but the 1st target of redress it seems to me should be local governments and the culture of police departments that see Black men as primarily thugs and criminals. As always I respect his and others opinion.  But we'll have to agree to somewhat disagree on this one.

I'd just like to see Blacks more proactively engaged in the streets (more so than just social media) before we ask Lebron to put himself in jeopardy. As you know if he does it the major media will eviscerate him personally and Faux News will turn livid and rabid against him.

Below Dr. Boyce Watkins weighs in on whether Lebron James should boycott NBA for the Tamir Rice tragedy.

Ending Guns Usage

The only way you could feel this way is if you feel the government is doing a good job in protecting citizens. I don't feel it is at all.

In short, I can't tell us how we create a utopia or Nirvana on earth. However, I can say if we do better background checks for people looking to buy guns and perhaps mandate they get anger management, gun safety, and violence DE-escalation courses before being issued a gun it may cut down on interpersonal violence between people who know each other.

There needs to be a reasonable and sensible approach to this. Especially given the fact law enforcement doesn't seem able to protect citizens, what I don't think should happen is because of the criminal and political terrorist in our country the 2nd Amendment Rights of law abiding citizens is marginalized.

If criminal and political terrorism is used as a pretense to end the 2nd Amendment rights of law abiding citizens then they will become even more targets of terrorism. They will be terrorized increasingly and in response rendered defenseless by the government. In effect we will be abused from both sides.

In Light of Terrorism Should Gun Laws be Tightened?

While many liberals and Blacks feel gun control is a good thing I have my reservations about how it is to be implimented.  We've had strong gun control of Blacks in inner cities for decades now with the result being Black populations being terrorized by criminal elements like gangs, drug cartels, and gun runners to name a few.

In places like NYC, NJ, and Chicago people have been doing this to Black people for decades already in formally by denying African Americans with stellar backgrounds gun permits.

In light of all the mass shootings in the US President Obama and many well meaning anti-violence gun advocates are of course asking for stricter gun laws.  But given high crime in inner cities and the growth of terrorism are stricter gun laws the answer?  Should 2nd Amendment Constitutional Rights be curtailed?

Personally I don't think the movement to make it almost impossible for citizens to get guns is the answer.  All it has done is make law abiding Blacks target practice for drug cartels and gangs like in Chicago. Chicago has very tough gun laws (well for Blacks any way) and is a virtual killing fields for black women, young people, and the elderly being killed in gang related drive-by shootings.

Blacks in fact in Chicago are suing the authorities over conceal carry permits because even blacks with stellar background checks can't get guns. The police seem ineffective in stopping violence in inner cities and well to do Blacks or middle class Blacks just move out of areas adversely impacted by gun violence like Newark and the Southside of Chicago. This leaves these communities blighted, terrorized and defenseless.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend a record number of guns were purchased. Probably from people being fearful about terrorism both at home and abroad.

Paris has tough gun laws and a terrorist attack wiped out over a hundred people. The 1st law of life is to survive. And people have a right to defend themselves.

You can't always negotiate or run from terrorism or crime. I for one don't plan on becoming a chalk outline for the police to clean up off the street. If President Obama can clean up the violence in places like his home town like Chicago then maybe I'll take him seriously.

Until then we need access to our 2nd Amendment Rights which has been seriously eroded in the north already. Plus with police being heavily militarized and brutally abusive especially in communities of color I do not trust giving them sole access to powerful weapons and stripping the citizens of the right to gun ownership.

Some gun control advocates state that the lack of gun control is causing an every day occurance of mass killings.  They point to the fact that the NRA approach isn't working.  They make salient points about states with lax gun laws also have a high incidence of gun violence - all good points.

We could go back and fought on this but it seems the latest incident may have been related to Islamic Fundamentalism or they say the assailants were people who were radicalized. So if you feel comfortable disarming American Citizens while homegrown criminal and foreign terrorists is the way to go - I don't know what to say.

However, I know personally it has worked out better for me with dealing with a criminal element where I live if I know principals and strategies of self defense. The government which is looking to disarm people at the same time seems unable to protect people from the criminal element or terrorist element in our country. Terrorism is going to get worst in the US before it gets better.

And the threat isn't just from IS or Isis. Remember not long ago a Black Church was attacked domestically. Black churches have been burned recently and the FBI just thwarted a group of white supremacist who were looking to attack and kill more Black Church members with the goal setting off a race war.

I admit I don't have all the answers. But taking guns away from Blacks hasn't helped us in inner cities. Two of the most powerful Black men in the World President Obama and Min. Farrakhan both live in Chicago and the violence there is unrelenting along with poverty.

As far as what I think should be done I believe there should be background checks, mandatory classes on gun safety, violence de-escalation, anger management, etc. before getting access to guns. But with classes like that if a person doesn't have a criminal record don't make up stuff or have hidden criteria (which is happening in Chicago to deny Blacks gun permits) to marginalize Blacks and other minorities from their 2nd Amendment Rights.

The mentality of predators is they will take advantage of defenseless people. Terrorists will send more and more armed assailants to the US if they know most people can't defend themselves.

They know they can kill hundreds of people before the police or law enforcement can respond. It is only going to get worst if they know most civilians in the US are defenseless sitting ducks. Trust me we will increasingly become targets.

Here is a good article I've just read. Upon review it has some very objective points on the matter.

Here is the article. I think makes points both ways: Fact Check ON Gun Laws

In short, I can't tell us how we create a utopia or Nirvana on earth. However, I can say if we do better background checks for people looking to buy guns and perhaps mandate they get anger management, gun safety, and violence DE-escalation courses before being issued a gun it may cut down on interpersonal violence between people who know each other. Also it would help if corporations would hire more people in the US and not just outsource jobs.

If not people in the US should support small businesses more since small businesses creates 75% of new jobs. Jobs and economic opportunity will make gangs and drug cartels less of an option IMO. How we keep political terrorist from killing us is to really watch suspicious behavior online and cell phone communications. The government has to get much better at preempting terrorist attacks.

Why are Blacks Still a Lot Less Wealthy than Whites?

According to an article on the CNN Money website the net worth of whites is 13 times the net worth of Black families.  For instance white net worth in the economic recovery rebounded to an medium of $141,900 while in contrast the net worth of a Black family was down 33% to only $11,000 (BTW Hispanic/Latino family net worth was down 14% to $13,700).

The source for the stats in the CNN Money article was the respected Pew Center for Research.  The CNN article also gave opines on why there is such a wealth discrepancy...

"Minority households' median income fell 9% between 2010 and 2013, compared to a drop of only 1% for whites. So minority households may not have been able to sock away as much or may have had to use more of their savings to cover expenses.

Also, the financial markets have rebounded much more than housing in recent years. Since whites are more likely to own stocks, they have seen a bigger wealth boost.

Real estate, on the other hand, makes up a big chunk of blacks' and Hispanics' net worth. But homeownership declined faster among minorities than whites between 2010 and 2013.

Only 47.4% of minorities were homeowners in last year. But 73.9% of whites owned homes." 

Therefore Black family net worth is far less than white families. That is net worth not income.   One of the reasons our net worth is far behind is we are paid much less.

The average Black Family makes $20,000 less than white family. And it isn't all because of education.

Recently a study showed a Black man with a BA is only as employable as a white high school graduate. If you do the math $20,000 less a year over a 40 year work career at 6% compound interest is 1.3 million dollars Black families financial shortfall.

Therefore, most Black families don't have the money to invest in assets to improve their net worth. They're having a hard time just paying necessities to survive.  Contrary to what most people believe Black families aren't overwhelmingly buying Jordans for their children.

Or they may get last years styles at a mark down. They're all not paying $300 for Jordans.

Latinos and Asians have more net worth than Blacks because they invest in businesses while Blacks have been conditioned/socialized to seek good employment. It is hard to get ahead and get assets to increase your net worth when you work a job as your primary source of income.

About the Publisher of Kamau's Qu!ps

Kamau's Qu!ps is Published by Kamau Austin. Kamau is a popular Blogger, Writer, and Internet Marketing Professional helping small businesses grow more profitable businesses online. If you need web design, blogging, search engine or social media promotion contact him at Search Engine Plan

Kamau's Qu!ps reaches over 30,000 web users a month through it's Blog and Social Media Promotions. For Advertising Opportunities visit our Advertising Page

Is the Black Church an Outdated Relic from the Past?

Dr. King and Christian Churches in the South Helped Fight Jim Crow Segregation

A lot of people have never studied the history of the Black Church. They listen to a few Afrocentric scholars who castigate the Church and the image of a white Jesus, and think they know all about it.

They never study how our early churches reinterpreted the Bible to be a book inspiring their struggle for equality, liberation, and freedom. In fact I had to do years of my own study and go to seminary and study with progressive Black theologians to learn about the progressive wing of Black Christianity.

Churches and Black preachers were in insurrections, revolts, advocated leaving mainstream churches, were involved in escapes from slavery and the Underground Railroad, compelled Blacks to fight in the Union Army, started our 1st independent schools, insurance companies, businesses, colleges etc.

Harriet Tubman a Devote Christian Helped Free Slaves in the Underground Railroad

This is sad because the Church is one of the few organizations we run that has a cash flow model that works well. Unfortunately too many of our people see the materialistic focused TV ministry of today and think this is the totality of our churches civic practice. But this isn't true for all churches.

Or they see the social escapism or apathy from politics by some of our more recent denominations like the Pentecostal/Holiness churches which wait for the 2nd coming of Jesus and think this sums up the Black church. It does not. There are still very progressive community focused churches today.

For example a number of Black churches in NYC own commercial real estate. Actually some Black churches in NYC own hundreds of millions of dollars in commercial real estate. There's one that owns 1 billion dollars worth of real estate in Harlem and a lot of mainstream corps pay them rent. They also started 1st home buyers housing developments so Blacks could own their 1st homes and not pay rent. They also started senior living houses, housing for battered women, anti-gang activities, homeless shelters, independent schools, and business startup support groups. While some Blacks feel Christianity is a "white man's religion," many of the black churches in the NYC area don't have imagines of white Jesus' either.
Also Remember the 1st Christian Churches or oldest denominations are in Northern Africa know as Coptic Christians. Also Black Jews known today as Falashas have the oldest versions of the Old Testament books. I don't know about other areas of the country but in NYC and NJ their are churches that do a lot of economic and business development. For instance Abyssinian Baptist Church has 1 billion dollars of commercial real estate. There are a lot of other churches like Allen Cathedral and Christ Church that do similar things with hundreds of millions of dollars.

Black Churches like Allen Cathedral in Queens Build Housing for Seniors

About the Publisher of Kamau's Qu!ps

Kamau's Qu!ps is Published by Kamau Austin. Kamau is a popular Blogger, Writer, and Internet Marketing Professional helping small businesses grow more profitable businesses online. If you need web design, blogging, search engine or social media promotion contact him at Search Engine Plan

Kamau's Qu!ps reaches over 30,000 web users a month through it's Blog and Social Media Promotions. For Advertising Opportunities visit our Advertising Page

How Can You Hate the Christian Message?

Some Black people hate Christianity these days. I've seen some people recently curse Jesus out. I mean literally curse him out.

But Jesus shouldn't be the villain for all the self serving political and religious institutions that have used Christian teachings to control and oppress people.  If you read the Bible for yourself you'll see that Jesus took on the self righteous and social elites of his time. He healed people, fed people, and in short uplifted people. How can you hate someone like that?

I also hate the way elites and dogmatic people use the Bible to control and condescend to people. I just can't stand it either how people use the Bible to justify slavery, inequity, poverty, racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, and similar isms.

If you strip away the dogma surrounding the Christian message it is a very simple one. God loves you and while the world may try to victimize you and hold you down with faith and love God's gonna raise you UP!

About the Publisher of Kamau's Qu!ps

Kamau's Qu!ps is Published by Kamau Austin. Kamau is a popular Blogger, Writer, and Internet Marketing Professional helping small businesses grow more profitable businesses online. If you need web design, blogging, search engine or social media promotion contact him at Search Engine Plan

Kamau's Qu!ps reaches over 30,000 web users a month through it's Blog and Social Media Promotions. For Advertising Opportunities visit our Advertising Page