Tag Archives: New York Times

A Pioneer Passed Away. A Work Ethic Passed Along.

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I first heard of Mr. Llewellyn in the late eighties through my mom.

At that time, she handled government and public relations for the Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

I recall being impressed not only by the fact that a Black man was the owner of major beverage bottler, but also by the fact that, during this period, the company was touted as being the fourth largest Black-owned business in the country.

Over time, I had the opportunity to hear Mr. Llewellyn speak publicly. One of the many things that he would often speak of is the work ethic his father passed along.

It struck a chord with me then and continues to resonate and have a place in the manner in which I approach my own career and work ethic.

I was saddened to learn that this great Black pioneer and trailblazer had passed away, but pleased that his obituary in the New York Times made mention of what impressed me about J. Bruce Llewellyn many years ago.

 

“Throughout his life, Mr. Llewellyn repeated his father’s dictum that blacks must work twice as hard as whites to achieve half as much.”

click here to read the full obituary.

"Teaching Little Brown Babies"

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There was an article in The New York Times on Saturday that I just have to talk about and perhaps get your comments and impressions.

“To Court Blacks, Foes of Abortion Make Racial Case.”click here

I was intrigued, not by the highly personal and morally difficult pro-choice/pro-life debate, but by the suggestion that Blacks are like lemmings – in need of a savior to “guide” and “rescue” them from the perils of an evil world…and their own ignorance.

As described in the article,”the largely white staff” of the anti-abortion group in Georgia had a light bulb moment.

The “idea” was to link a fact

(disproportionately high number of Black women have abortions)

with a theory

(there is a decades old conspiracy to kill off Blacks)

so that African-American women will know “the truth.”

Brilliant marketing – Yes?

Just pit Black against White and and throw the fear of racial genocide into the mix.

Of course, the fact that these new “outreach” saviors (oops, I meant anti-abortion leaders) had a few abortions themselves is irrelevant to these sisters of mercy.

I smirked and thought of a line from the film, Murder On the Orient Express.

Responding to Inspector Poirot’s wily interrogation, the seemingly meek Swedish missionary, Greta (played by Ingrid Bergman, who won an Oscar), said with deep humility:

“I work in Africa…as missionary – teaching little brown babies more backward than myself.”

Can’t Find No Work, Can’t Find No Job

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The views expressed in Mister Roberts Neighborhood are based on my own beliefs, observations and life experiences.

Lately, I have been doing my own brand of “research” in order to gauge and form an accurate picture of how the economic downturn is affecting blacks.
I call this study, “Can’t Find No Work, Can’t Find No Job,” which borrows from the Marvin Gaye song, “What’s Happenin’ Brother.” The song comes from Gaye’s landmark 1972 release, “What’s Goin’ On,” but the song’s relevance, meaning and applicability have undeniable connections to the plight that many in the black community are experiencing today.
To date, my “journey” has taken me to store-front churches, laundromats, check cashing stores, a homeless shelter as well as barber shops and beauty salons. The one thread of consistency among the places that I visited is that they all primarily cater to an audience that is exclusively black.
Of these, the salons and barber shops proved to be among the most insightful and consistently informative. This is due to the fact that they tend to cover an extremely wide and diverse swath – regardless of gender, socio-economics or class.
The most intimidating, yet revealing “portrait” was what I discovered during a homeless shelter visit. The stories and the experience touched me at my core and helped me better understand just how the last twelve months have turned lives upside down. Much of what I found validated things that I already knew to be true – the lack of funds has forced people to re-align their priorities. I met people who, a year ago were just starting to “feel the pinch” and have now lost their jobs and their homes. In fact, the only possessions many have are the ones they can carry.
In his 1/18 Op-Ed piece for the New York Times, “Blacks in Retreat,” columnist Bob Herbert wrote:

“As the nation continues to wallow in the trough of widespread unemployment, black Americans are bearing a disproportionate burden of joblessness.”
Herbert always provides an eloquent and precise assessment of the topics that he tackles. Make no mistake – the facts are very real and sobering.

To this point, Herbert’s piece also quoted a statistic from ‘United for a Fair Economy:’
“College-educated black men are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as their white counterparts.”

The national unemployment rate in December 2009 was 10% .
Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for African-Americans showed little change, slightly increasing at 16.2%.
This news remains discouraging because the black unemployment number is more than double the national black unemployment number in cities like Baltimore, New York and Detroit. The Detroit black male unemployment rate is reported as exceeding 40% where the downturn is referred to in some circles as the “he-cession.”
While I am not trying to paint a picture of gloom and doom, the harsh reality is that this economic assault has, and continues to have, a devastating impact.
The recession has compounded a decades-long problem for black workers, who began the downturn facing a far higher jobless rate than the general population and have fared worse since. Job prospects are slim, but for blacks it is a much harsher reality. Numbers illustrate the sheer depth of the problem they are facing. Indicators point to the fact that recovery for this group will be slow and arduous.
While debates that continue in the mainstream with regard to whether or not Harry Reid’s comments were appropriate or simply offensive, Tiger’s ever-evolving escapades and whereabouts, Real and Not-So-Real Housewives, Men Marrying Wealthier Women and Conan are all titillating, I have found that what is most important and top-of-mind for black people is unemployment.
The issue is two-fold – finding a job and retaining a job.

Amazingly, despite the economic hardships they face, blacks remain optimistic. Perhaps it is a natural reaction based on the obstacles and disadvantages they’ve had to endure. It could also be the foundational belief that hard work and education primarily drive mobility. There is a degree of truth to both. However, what is needed most in order to provide effective solutions is a shift in priorities from outside forces.