By Brandon Whitney

It would be easy to get mad at Tavis Smiley for his apparent affront towards Obama.  What I have found in my short life is that the easy impulse is often the incorrect one.  Tavis is guilty of the same thing that a lot of African Americans are.  He’s stuck in an old paradigm.  The State of Black America is an interesting event.  It is good that African Americans come together and speak about the issues that we are faced with.  It would be nice if most of the people on stage were not middle aged but I digress.  It would also be good if Obama could attend this event considering the historical significance of what he is likely to accomplish.  It just isn’t as good as him winning the presidency.

Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania stand between Obama and the presidency, as well as John McCain.  As nice as the State of Black America event is, I haven’t seen a grand shift in the African American community, nor have I come across anyone who says they have changed their behaviors due to it.  That is not to say that the event lacks importance, but it is to say that Obama might need to focus more on what can get him elected then on what will give temporary satisfaction to the African American elite.

I have said before that we can have an African American president or an African American civil rights leader but we cannot have both.  There is more to be gained by a person in a position of power who can affect policy, and the allocation of money to our community than in an old school civil rights leader.  Obama represents change, not just within the United States, but in the African American community.  The event is a good one.  I hope that Tavis continues to invite speakers to the State of Black America address who care about the community, but it is not worth risking getting someone who truly cares about the African American community into the oval office.

We must see the world as it is, not as we want it to be, and adapt our tactics and strategy accordingly.  For forty years we have been asleep dreaming of the past battles of the Civil Rights movement and the glories within.  The sleepers must awaken and we must take action that reaps results rather than take action that has only symbolic meaning.  When Travis, and many other Black leaders, realize this fact, the State of Black America will become strong.

Brandon is the creator of Homelandcolors.blogspot.com a blog that focuses on issues that affect the African American community. He is also a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. Brandon has political experience as an outreach director for the Democratic party and is passionate about being a positive force in his community. African American issues.  He is also a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable.