Black Income

This news release from the us census gives facts and figures for what we already know. 24% (or roughly 1 out of 4) of african-americans live in poverty which is about $20,000 a year for a family of four. The median income (meaning half make more, half make less) for african-americans is roughly $30,000. By these figures half of all african-americans don't have enough income to make ends meet in an increasingly inflationary price enviroment. Food, gas, and healthcare have all risen at staggering rates over the past ten years.
Why is this? The Economic Discrimination of the past certainly plays a role. There was no forty acres and a mule or New Deal for Black America after emancipation. Cynical as it may seem, what's past is past (though illustrative): what is needed are new economic survival strategies.

Racial Gerrymandering

This is one of the most interesting reports I have come across on the internet. It describes in detail a process where populations of african-americans are excluded from the local political process by placing their homes outside of city limits. It doesn't focus on the souths' major metropolitian areas, but it instead surveys small communities.
Buried deep within it we find that local governments have a mandate to maximize revenue, thus they cannot be reasonably expected to integrate nonrevenue producing properties into their cities. They do at their discretion, however, maintain effective governmental control of the properties.

Leela James

Leela James (the orange blot in the center of the photo) does a pretty good show. I very much like her song "Music" where she reminds us of the days when "sangers sang" and played instruments. She offered no political commentary other than to say," it's alright if you're black and it's alright if you're white." I must assume that if there had been any other races of people present she would have acknowledged that being alright to.
She is a positive woman and I appreciate her. I am sure she appreciated my ticket purchase.

Francophone Folly

This is an interesting, recently published article that attempts to refute the french model of racial organization. What I find most compelling about the article is at the end where Dogoui says, "We are consumers, not decision makers."
In economic theory the only decisions that matter are those involving consumption. By deciding what to consume individuals drive the destinies of nations. Dogoui might not see how he drives this process (and yes with or without his decisions the processes are little changed) but in the aggregate those decisions impact his life and the lives of those around him very much.

Hugo Chavez is black and owns the disco "CITGO"?

From the the truth is stranger than fiction section. Read it in two parts here and here.

A Course in African Philosophy

Black poverty is rampant. Whether in the slums of France, South Africa or Detroit there are plenty of poor black people to go around. Looking closer we find that in Africa with it's abundance of commodities the population is among the most impoverished on the planet. Why is this? The answer seems clear. It is a mental poverty, a famine of the mind that grips the people.
Don't take my word for it however, read what Marcus Garvey has to say in his course of african philosophy.

Black Economics?

This blog will examine black culture , wealth, and life in America and elsewhere on the planet. The goal is to provide thoughtful and interesting commentary and to disseminate links to interesting articles on the web.