UI Family, we are always into discussions about what is wrong in our community, but let’s do something different. Let’s put together an agenda for the black community moving forward in 2014. Here is my agenda below, but at the end I want to hear yours.

Self Reliance

We have a lot of issues in the black community. And there is enough blame to go around. However, it is time to stop looking for other people or the Government to bail us out. It is time for us to bail ourselves out of this situation. We MUST develop a community of self reliance and do for us!

Isn’t it obvious by now that no one is going to save us. Sure, pray to your God and receive understanding, but it is time for us to DO WORK! We need to come together, get a plan of action and work the damn plan.

Teach Technology To Our Children

Are you tired of our children growing into adults missing the boat? I am and we are once again missing out on the technology boom around the world because we are not teaching our children (future) to embrace technology. We are purchasing our children smart phones, tablets, smart flat screens and computers, but not teaching them the coding basics that make these things work. STOP IT!

Bring Back Trades In High Schools

One of the reasons we don’t have jobs in our community is because our adults don’t have basic skills that make the world go around. Education and college is important, no doubt, but it is clear it isn’t for everyone, so stop acting like it is. Have you seen the national high school drop out rate for the black community? Whatever the reasons, it is atrocious and time for us to develop a different plan of action. Our young people will be served well to pursue a great education, but have a trade to fall back on, support their family and help the community.

Dedication to Mentoring In Our Communities

The Mass Incarceration of our young people and adults is crazy. Yes, we need to do something about it. However, if our grown men and women were to get involved with mentoring these young 8 to 22 year olds, then I am willing to bet a significantly less amount would go astray.

I say we need 100% participation for anyone over the age of 22 to mentor someone in the community. This would be amazing. Maybe it is a pipe dream, but we have to aim for something that will bring about a significant change instead of sitting around, pointing fingers, and whining about it.

Support Black Businesses

STOP THE MADNESS ALREADY! If we don’t practice a sound dedication to community economics in 2014, we are going die as a community. PERIOD! And if you don’t understand why it is critical for us to circulate our $1 Trillion Dollars in annual spending power around our community first, and often, then you should CHOKE YOURSELF!

The black unemployment rate is ridiculously high. It is double that of the national average and if you take a moment to drive through our communities, you will find the actual unemployment rate is much higher than that. Why? BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HIRE OUR COMMUNITY! Period. Wake up!

Form A National Black Lobby Coalition

We need an organized black lobby. All these damn lawyers and politicians and we haven’t figured out how important it is to control the politicians that “serve” our community. How do you do that? WITH MONEY and votes. Some of us are so damn naive to how things work it is silly, but if we don’t start working together, running out these bought politicians, judges and the like, then we are just going to have some new form of Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration to plague our community next.

Wake up and work together, black community!

Develop International Connections To The Black Community

The world isn’t as big as it use to be. Physically yes, but the connections are much tighter and countries/people outside of the USA are becoming increasingly more and more important to our economy and way of life. It is time for us to form relationships with the black community around the world and work together. This will help us in many ways including starting more black businesses, gaining international markets to move our products, places to receive raw materials for businesses, political strength, additional allies and more. It just make sense for a developed people.

That is my 2014 Black Agenda. What’s yours?