We are all saddened by what's been going on in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. We all want to help, but the question is: How Best To Help? Do we think long term or short term? Do we feed the hungry, or teach them to feed themselves? Is our goal to rebuild or abandon?
The blame game has started. Everybody's talking about the governments response (or lack thereof). The media is bombarding you with the images and self-serving sound bites (If it bleeds, it leads). But we all know that at the end of the day, after the cameras and politicians have gone home, after the commissions, and investigators have done their dance, after insurance companies and lawyers have identified scapegoats, it will be up to us ... Black America, to take care of our own!
The Red Cross (www.redcross.org/) is an essential and praise worthy organization. But historically speaking, it has been the common practice of charitable organizations (like the Red Cross and Untied Way) to keep a large percentage of donations raised in disaster relief drives..for themselves. Now I'm not a hater, but the Red Cross is going to raise Billions to help the victims of Katrina. There is no doubt that they will see to everyone (on their "Victim/Refugee" roll) getting some type of emergency housing and survival monies. There is also no doubt that they will see to their own internal needs as well (see http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=95001506)
My point is this: If we are going to donate our hard earned, and scarce Black dollar, shouldn't we donate it to a non-profit or charitable group that is established, proven, and accountable to US ? If any group is going to benefit by their good works, shouldn't it be a group that is working day-to-day in our communities...NOW ??? The heart of a nation is about to open up. Everyone and every-other organization is currently running fundraisers for the victims of Katrina, but who knows best how to help us...We Do! Look at all the good works that have been accomplished in our communities with nothing. What's going to happen when they dump Millions (after the Red Cross gets their cut) into the most heavily populated Black communities in the nation.
Of the half a million people in New Orleans (over 60% Black), national studies show 50% of their childeren live at, or below the poverty line...What does that tell you about their ability to bounce back! They can not keep their heads above water in the best of times. They are going to need more then just another government check and roof (maybe tent) over their head. They are going to need literacy training, job training and much much more, to become productive members of our society. And what about the State that received the most actual hurricane damage, Mississippi (also one of the poorest states in the nation); do you think they are going to distribute the relief funds equably...Yea Right! The effects of this natural disaster will touch everyone of us and we need to act as a collective Black nation. Currently all your traditional Black organizations have set up specific disaster relief funds, and you can believe, they don't want to give it all to the Red Cross. Why not use these Black funds, and dedicated community resources to not only Rebuild, but Reinvigorate; Why not use these Black funds to not only help victims survive but succeed???
Why not come together as one people to create a New South...a better South! A South not cloaked in poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy. The South is the closest thing, we as Blacks in America, have to a homeland. We all talk about Mother Africa, but we all know we aint going back to Africa...We go back to our southern homeland annually! Every Black person in America has ties to the South (either by family or friends). We need to organize and focus Black traditional groups like The Church, the NAACP (http://www.naacp.org/), The Urban League (http://www.nul.org/), trade associations (such as the BDPA www.bdpa.org), HBCU alumni (http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whhbcu/edlite-list.html), VFW chapters (http://www.vfw.org/), and community non-profits on building a New South. Changing disaster to opportunity and despair into hope.
I checked the official FEMA website (http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18473) and over 75% of the recognized charities were religious organizations; none of them were Black (I mean there were Jewish, Buddhist, even the humane society...). Normally when crisis hit our people, the first place we turn to, is the Black church. Not only from a political or social perspective as a group, but on a personal level as an individual. The first counselors (drugs or marriage), the first "help brother/sister (fill in the blank), the first "shut-in and prison ministries, the church is a central part of the healing process. We have some of the biggest and most active Black Churches in the nation, located in the South; TD Jakes has a congregation of 28,000 (http://www.thepottershouse.org/); Rev. Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International in Atlanta boasts a church membership of 23,000 (http://www.worldchangers.org/); Rev. Eddie Long, pastor of New Birth in Atlanta, has 25,000 members (http://www.newbirth.org/), and we're not even talking about the Baptist Ministers Conference (http://www.nmbca.com/), the AME Church (http://www.amecnet.org/), or the Nation of Islam (http://www.noi.org/). If we just follow the example of Minister Farrakhan at the original Million Man March and only ask a dollar from members of each of the above congregations ... We have a Million dollar fund, specifically for building a New South.
These Black community and Church organizations are accountable to you, the membership, and the communities in which they serve. If any shenanigans is going on, you can believe it will be on the evening news, or sister such-and such will call you and tell you. You can participate in the active work, and leadership of these long standing Black social institutions. You can volunteer with your local community group, corporate donations committee and/or city municipality to develop a working plan (if not a policy on) as to how to help build a New South. It has long been said that Blacks in America belong to "Two Nations (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/race/interviews/bond.html)". Let us come together as one people, one community, one nation, to do something that is True, Honest, Just, Pure, Lovely, and of Good Report (Philippians 4:8-9)
Links to Black News and Resources:
Black Web Portal.com http://www.blackwebportal.com/
Black America Web.com http://www.blackamericaweb.com/relief/
AfriCreations.com http://www.africreations.com/Hurricane-Katrina.html
Afro Blaze.net http://www.afroblaze.net/flood_resources.html
Please check with your tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for more information regarding the tax deductibility of your donation. Be advised, to ask the organization for its nonprofit tax ID before making a donation. That ID number can be checked against the database housed by the IRS (http://apps.irs.gov/app/pub78).
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