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BETWEEN THE LINES: 'Say It Ain't So, Andy' -- Continuing Dilemmas in Blacks' Conflict To Lead And 'Get Paid'
*The charge last week that my "home paper," the Los Angeles Sentinel outted former King aide, Congressman, U.S. Representative to the U.N. and former Atlanta Mayor turned global policy consultant, Andy Young, for disparaging "off record" comments against Jews, Arabs and Koreans, has sent shock waves through the nation.
Andy Young, seen as the last legitimate offspring of the King legacy, has been viewed (and still is viewed) as the brightest, fairest and most articulate of the King aides and, until his deal with Wal-Mart in June, as the least likely to try to profiteer off his King association. While as bluntly uncomfortable and generalizing as Young's comments were, we all know they're not too far from the truth.
There has been plenty of economic exploitation in black communities nationwide over the past fifty years. Maybe not every shopkeeper, but a good number of them. And we've been saying for years that the goods in the black community are not of the same quality of those in the surrounding communities.
So what's the issue here? You know what it is. It's the association with Wal-Mart and hypocrisy of criticizing (privately or publicly) one (or a number of) group of exploiters while working for another. I don't so much have a problem with what Andrew Young said. I have more of a problem that he said it with unclean hands. You can't be in the pot and call the kettle black. You're either going to lead in an ethical way or get paid. But that's the dilemma we now face in the black community as folk try to lead AND get paid.
That's always been the problem for black leadership. Black advocacy doesn't pay too well. And it's almost impossible (while some mange to do it) to "shake the tree" and "catch the apples" (the fruits of the labor that result from the advocacy) at the same time. That's why people who want to get paid are always looking for someone to speak out while they stand on the sideline, waiting for the apples to drop. No one blames Andy Young for trying to get paid in the twilight of his life. He has put in his time, more than paid his dues and deserves to harvest his labor. The problem is that
once you've been in the field-you understand more than most, why black people (and other poor peoples) remain poor. So then why would you turn around and advance the cause of the exploiter. That's what made Black America cut their eyes at Young's Wal-Mart deal.
Wal-Mart is one of the world's biggest exploiters of the poor. But they have managed to recruit some credible high visibility Blacks, Young being one (Tavis Smiley-whom I consider a friend-being another), to deflect the criticism. And when questions are raised about the association, both Young and Smiley have enough supporters to deflect the criticism and back folk off of Wal-Mart. I remember sitting at a luncheon earlier this summer while one of Young's defender's chastised the audience for daring to question Young's decision, and his "impeccable character and credentials." This was the same young man who pays himself $200,000 a year to teach young black kids how to open checking accounts. Billionaire Bill Gates recently called this out in his efforts to erase poverty in the world. He specifically stated that the
difference between white children and black children is their financial literacy about money. Gates said black children are taught to open checking accounts while white children are taught how the leverage wealth. The outcome, Gates said, is that black children will drop out while white children will finish college and buy their first home by 25. The average Black buys their first home at 35. Blacks are taught to "get paid." Whites are taught to keep what they have and "get rich."
Our youth aren't taught to lead anymore. They're taught to chase money-but they never catch up with it. The point is that is if you're being economically exploited, you can't get rich. Economic subjugation is the primary basis for the inequality we see in our nation. I've always said racism in America is economic. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and race separates as the caste system permits. So when you see an Andrew Young go out front for a Wal-Mart, who ain't about to change their way that got them to being the richest family in America, what message does that send. One message that it sends, for sure, is that you're not in a position to criticize anybody. Those living in glass houses need to put down their rocks.gangstas don't call out other gangstas.folk eating at Roscoe's Sunday morning don't ask others, "Why you ain't at church?" And folk that work for perceived ripping poor people off (low wages and no benefits)," don't attack others who long been accused of ripping poor people off. Andrew Young may have once been a position to throw stones at the economic exploiters of our communities, but not now.
The day before the Young leak broke, the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Indianapolis was holding a panel discussion on "Who's In Charge" of leading Black America. When asked the question of who are our black leaders, the panel essentially said, "nobody" (this was with Al Sharpton backstage). Black leadership has been reduced to those who get the most media visibility (thus, the rush to always get in front of cameras) and those who get paid (the Oprahs, Bob Johnsons, Puffys, Jay-Zs and Kobes). But as Andrew Young's predicament has demonstrated, "getting paid" is always not commesurate with leading, if the principle that you're leading on cannot be sustained. The principle of "reforming Wal-Mart" cannot be sustained with Young's comments coming to light-if Andrew Young believes that those who "rip off" our community shouldn't be supported. Because that's what many people say about Wal-Mart. Andrew Young has always been among the best at
separating the two.
A slip of the tongue, and a slip of the tape recorder, does not change my view of Andrew Young. He has not switched sides and is now standing with the exploiters. He just can't be as "Free At Last" with his comments as he once was. But he hasn't sold out (I don't think).
Say it ain't so, Andy.
Anthony Asadullah Samad is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum (www.urbanissuesforum.com) and author of 50 Years After Brown: The State of Black Equality In America. He can be reached at
www.AnthonySamad.com
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