It’s time for the older leaders to nourish and mentor emerging leaders. I often feel overlooked and outright disrespected by many of my elders. That’s not cool. Don’t get me wrong… There are some older folks that are proud of me like a parent would be of their child. That could be both good and bad. While parents are proud of their kids, they sometimes don’t take their kids seriously. Plus, as I’m aging, I guess I’m gaining credibility. I guess that’s one of the perks of being 30.

It’s also time for the younger leaders to realize that many of the pioneers in the civil rights movement are not”has beens.” I really hated it when Jamal Bryant referred to the second panel as the Old Testament and the younger panel as the New Testament. It appeared that he thought that the discussion on the second panel was irrelevant. While the second panel seemed to be not as focused as the first, I still understand the relevance of the rhetoric. Those particular leaders have their place. And it’s not just in the history books.

About the fire… This is our 2nd fire in 4 months. The first fire was an electrical fire. So after hurricane Katrina stomped on NO and Rita had us running out of Houston like some bats out of hell, I made a decision to get some renter’s insurance. I’m so glad that we did. The hot water heater blew up in the garage. Everything out there was burned, smoked, and soaked with the water from the fire department.

Our next move is to purchase a house. Times have been hard for us n the last 3 years. (I’ll explain later.) But I’m so tired of giving this Indian man (my landlord) a thousand dollars for something that will never be mine. Again, the first panel of the symposium had an impact on me. I’m talking to a realtor right now.

Whatever you need me to do, just let me know.

Do yourself a favor and google “Malia Lazu”. You will not be disappointed.

It’s funny that you would comment on this topic this morning because I’ve been up for the last hour watching the tape of the 2nd panel. I agree with you. From what I saw, the first panel dealing with economic empowerment was very organized and informational. In the 2nd panel I feel more inspiration and not so much specifics. The 3rd panel with the emerging leaders was ok for me. I could tell that the crowd was tired. The “young leaders” were anxious to be heard and I agree with one of them that perhaps it would be better if the “youngins” hit the stage earlier…perhaps even integrate the young leaders in the panels with the more established leaders. We have got to stop dividing the generations and give more opportunities for us to dialogue together. What I plan to do is invite friends/associates here to my home to view portions of the roundtable together and discuss specifics as to how we implement some of the suggestions here in Baltimore. Perhaps I could record a conversation and post it here on the blog. You, me, and a few others can get on the phone and I have the capability to record it and post it online for others to hear and be inspired by. Let me know if you’re interested.

Finally, let me say that this IS your blog! This medium has become the online meeting place for persons with a vested interest in the liberation of African people to share ideas, sharpen concepts, and plan for action. So keep blogging, Braden. YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED!

Much Love.

I must say that the information discussed at the event was enlightening, encouraging, and empowering. At some points, it was even down right entertaining. I mostly appreciated the information in the first segment. That was the only segment that seemed organized and well thought out. The second segment, with all the celebrities, was okay. I enjoyed seeing some of the political action leaders that have managed to keep themselves in the public eye. The last segment was dedicated to “emerging leaders.” These folks seemed to be under 35. While they had good information, the conversation was not focussed on one particular topic. Plus, everyone was tired. Don’t get me wrong though… I was very impressed with the younger group.

But I left there dissatisfied. I’m completely convinced that most of the people that needed to hear what was being said were not there. I’m almost certain that they weren’t watching on C-Span either. While I know that middle class Black America could definitely benefit from the info presented, the brothers and sisters that need guidance, support, and a wake up call were not exposed to the discussion. Well, that’s my opinion.

The event was primarily advertised on KMJQ, an adult urban radio station. Tom Joyner’s show talked about it a lot. And the event was broadcasted on C-Span.

Just some suggestions to Tavis Smiley or anyone else that’s planning an event like this one…
Advertise on the Hip Hop stations, as well as the adult urban stations.
Include some of these rappers that claim to be concerned about politics and black issues on the panel. (Puffy, Kanye, Nas) If you do that, the younger crowd will show. Plus, these rappers will have to be held accountable about the conflicting messages that flow from their platforms. (Messages of empowerment and messages of empty gain)
Try to get some of the event aired on a station that black folks even know exists. If you can’t get a significant amount of the event aired on BET, TV1, BFC—Settle for a 30-second soundbite.
Charter a bus. Go to the hood. Pick up the folks. And bring them to the event.
Have more hands on workshops. It’s hard for some people, especially those of us that are apart of Generation X and Y, to sit through 8 hours of rhetoric. I’m quite mature and highly interested in black issues. But I was tired of sitting there, spectating. Actually, I could have stayed home and watched it on C-Span.

Believe it or not, the symposium was not the most interesting event of my weekend. While I was sitting in the last hour of the event, hoping that the last 60 minutes would rush by with fury, my cell phone rang. It was my sister, calling to inform me that our house was on fire. So, after a day of empowering talk, I ended my day feeling pretty challenged. Keep me in your prayers. The insurance adjuster came by today and informed us that the house is not safe to stay in. We have a long journey of paperwork, repairs, and daily obstacles to overcome.

Sorry for the long comment. I do realize that this is not my blog. (smile)