The euphoria and excitement over our first Black President was tremendous and it shook the world for the better.  Now that one year has gone by after the election it is time to get back to business.  The business of empowering Black America and the rest of the Diaspora should be our paramount priority.  Yet, it appears that many opinion molders and political operators, White and Black, want to put that kind of business on the “back burner” or even out of our minds.  There is a very elitist view that it is OK now.  We can forget about all the poverty, low achieving education standards, skyrocketing unemployment, etc.   Oh! How soon do we forget?

The new change in leadership is anything but respectful of the efforts and achievements of the past.  It really hit me hard when someone from this new administration suggested to the National Black Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors that we consider changing our name.  “The term Black seems out of place now”.  We looked at the person as if they had just landed from Mars.  It was insulting but it also indicated a new attitude coming from the “Young Turks” who want to close the book on the movement for civil rights and economic equality.  Oh yes, there are more than a few who think we, Black folks, have arrived and it is now time for new initiatives.  New initiatives that are broad in scope and not specific to the African American community of this nation.  It is as if victory has finally been won.  Or even better, I got mine now you get yours.

Consider this; the National Office of the NAACP has been encouraged to have a new focus.  There are resources now being diverted to the state of Maine to assist and empower white prison inmates.  Yes, they want to register white male inmates to vote and educate them on the issues.  In essence, it is to increase the Democratic voting roles and knock off the two Republican senators there.  We have record unemployment, skyrocketing high school dropout rates, more males in jail than in college and family breakups that are historical.  Yet, the oldest civil rights organization has been persuaded to concentrate on Maine.  The most shocking part of this is that it has taken the “bait”.  In the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the many other giants please snap out of it.  It is a trick bag and you are becoming too naïve.

When Bill Clinton came to the White House, Blacks were doing about 6% of the contracts with the federal government.  Today, we are doing about 1% of the total and they want to act like things are going just fine.  Things are not fine and the fact is now is the time to act.  We have never had as much political clout from top to bottom as we do now.  There won’t be a better time to start doing the “heavy lifting”.  We should not rest on our laurels and simply say we have arrived and we don’t have to bother about those who didn’t make it.  Who are we fooling!  This could be a very temporary thing and the time to strike is here.

Why are we having Congressional Hearings on this paltry and pitiful 1% attainment?  If Parren Mitchell and/or Adam Clayton Powell were here we would have Capitol Hill rocking with hearings, reviews and new legislation.  Instead, we are to focus on the mega-bills that are macro in coverage and none specific to our needs.   It is time to fight and fight with a vengeance.  Those who want to become “gate keepers” should stand straight up and then “fall on their swords”.  We need soldiers not explainers or apologists.  Maine will be alright by itself and its 99% white population.  We need to get to our communities and press the needed changes.

Patience in this matter is not a virtue.  We need to organize like never before and bring back that spirit of the 1970’s, if not the 1960’s.  As we do this we must remember, that more times than not we control the city council, school board, mayoral office and now even the presidency.  So if things are bad or getting worse, someone Black either did it or let it happen.  It is up to us to seize these times and make a quick and lasting difference.  Too many great people spilled their blood to get us this far.  We can’t turn back now and certainly can’t run in place.  Let’s move forward and make that change all of us have been talking about for the last two years.

Mr. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.  Website: www.nationalbcc.org.  Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .