Published: February 27, 2005
Tavis, We Challenge You: Produce the Covenant For Black America, Let's Debate It!
BLACK INDEPENDENTS CHALLENGE SMILEY TO DEBATE IN OCTOBER 2005
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT -- Today, Tavis Smiley hosted a conference on the State of Black America in Georgia. We congratulate Mr. Smiley for holding the conference, and commend the effort to open this vital discourse. But this conference was flawed and lopsided because it only represented the viewpoints of the dominant civil rights establishment and traditional Black Democratic Party leaders. The conference did not represent the diversity of views of Black independents and Black Conservatives/Republicans.
Notwithstanding, the one-sided political discourse, the stated goal of the conference is to produce a "Covenant For Black America," that will provide a political framework for Black progress. WE THEREFORE CHALLENGE TAVIS SMILEY AND HIS CONFEREES TO PRODUCE THE COVENENT THIS YEAR AND COME FORWARD IN THE LIGHT OF DAY TO DEBATE THIS COVENENT IN A FORMAL SETTING. WE CALL ON ALL BLACK AMERICANS THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF BLACK AMERICA TO SUPPORT THIS DEMAND FOR A OPEN FORMAL DEBATE IN 2005.
On Saturday, February 19, 2005, the new Black independent movement led by the Low Country and Chesapeake Society convened its conference 'Completing Black America's Unfinished Agenda' in Silver Spring, Maryland. The conference was held to offer Black America a path to future advancement beginning with recommendations on the Role of the Black Church, Rebuilding Black Communities, America's Foreign Policy and Stem Cell Research. Low County is scheduled to complete its work on these issues and others in August 2005 (see website) but we are prepared to go to debate at any time. Low Country Founder Webster Brooks made the following statement after observing the State of Black America Conference:
"Low Country is ready to debate the State of Black America with the organizers of Mr. Smiley's effort. We call for a three-way debate on the "State of Black America" between Low Country representing Black Americas' independent voice, representatives of Mr. Smiley's "Covenant for Black America” and a representatives of the Republican Party or Black conservative community. We call for a one day debate to be held in October 2005 in Washington D.C. We call for negotiations to determine three (3) specific topics for debate, to be followed by a grand final debate on the general state of Black America between the leading representatives of these three trends. Unless Mr. Smiley believes his effort represented the diversity of views in Black America, his initiative must be considered just another high profile folly. Irrespective of political ideology and partisan considerations, the majority of Black Americans agree that we have an unfinished agenda. Mr. Smiley can demonstrate real courage and political leadership by agreeing to participate in a debate on the State of Black America. PRODUCE THE COVENANT, AND LET'S DEBATE IT."
TO READ LOW-COUNTRY'S STATEMENT ON THE CRISIS ON BLACK LEADERSHIP AND ITS PRINCIPLE DIFFERENCES WITH THE TRADITIONAL BLACK LEADERSHIP GO TO www.lowcountrymovement.com AND CLICK ON THE RAVEN'S NEST.
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