Reparations and the Good Life

A few years ago Thomas Sowell noted and Walter Williams echoed that if you compare current african-american income to that of black africa, "...we would owe them money." This was all in the context of a discussion concerning reparations that had gripped the headlines. On the surface they are correct, it's simple mathematics. On the other hand if you calculate what was lost the case tends once again in the favor of positive reparations.
The salient issue to the black economist is that African-Americans enjoy an exceedingly high quality of life compared to their brothers and sisters overseas. We are far more wealthy by most (if not all) comparative standards. We have access and leverage within the political system. We can own assets, assemble freely, organize at will for whatever purpose suits us, own spacious homes and luxury cars and enter into business. Even the poor among us do fairly well considering third world ghetto conditions.
The paradox is that we must do far better.

Ignored to Death

In "A New Black Power" by Walter Mosley the longtime crime author observes the pitiful state of the criminal justice system in the US and advises that a new black voting bloc be constructed to bring democracy back to america. He notes that the issues concerning african americans have not been predominant with the Democrats for a long time, at least three decades. He doesn't directly say it in his article but his point is that africans and african americans are being ignored to death.
Contrast this with the recent passing of Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks and we see that doesn't have to be the case. No one ignored them.

Economic Profiling

A recent article in the Charlotte Observer on "Linguistic Profiling" and another concerning Mittal Steel's attempt to take over the largest steel firm in Europe show that prices are not only variable but sometimes nonexistent depending on who's buying. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) found this out when it attempted to purchase Unocal oil in the United States.
Why does the same money in differently colored hands purchase less or nothing at all?