After the Elections: The Next Step
By Brandon Whitney
We will either be extremely jubilant or sad tomorrow. Either way there will still be work to be done. As we go into this historic election we must continue to focus on the big picture. The question we must ask ourselves is how can we advance the Untied States and the African American people after November 4th?
1. Invest in African American businesses.
Times are hard for all small businesses. This is especially true for small minority businesses that usually have a hard time getting access to credit. If there is an African American insurer, bank, or any other kind of business near you then frequent them. It doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, but your purchase can be a lifeline to an African American firm.
2. Give to African American supporting causes.
The NAACP under Ben Jealous may be a worthy investment, as might the Urban League. HBCU’s can always use more income and support from alumni and others who believe in the cause of education for minority people.
3. Vote!
It goes without saying the voting is important, especially in this extremely important year. Next year there will be local elections. Give money to a candidate that you believe in and make sure that you, and your friends and relatives, get a chance to vote. A friend of mine just got his voting rights back and is extremely excited about participating in this election, we should all be just as excited.
4. Get your money right
When I about money, I speak to myself also. I have been working on strengthening my financial situation and have spoken to this cause often in my blog. My brothers and I have pledged ourselves to becoming a much stronger financial unit as a family. I encourage you to do the same. We live in a capitalist nation and need money to become powerful. I encourage you to do this because without money, it is difficult to do good in the world.
We stand on the cusp of a great event similar to our ancestor’s emancipation from slavery, our grandparent’s emancipation from Jim Crow, and our parent’s ability to partake in mainstream society. Tomorrow will be an occasion of celebration and I am as excited as you are about what is going to take place.
Brandon Whitney is the creator of Homelandcolors.blogspot.com a blog that focuses on issues that affect the African American community. He is also a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. Brandon has political experience as an Outreach Director for the Democratic party and is passionate about being a positive force in his community regarding African American issues. He is also a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. You can read more of Brandon’s work at Homeland Colors.
Black Men In America 
November 3, 2008 at 5:02, pm
Lets see if you can count his mother and father were not American Citizens. The state became a state in 1959 he was born in 1961 it take 7 years to become a citizen. Only born citizens can hold that office. But I am going to guess that you ether want to pay 50% of your hard earned money to a program taken fro ether FDR that failed of Carter that also failed . Or you are one of the ones who will receive the funds. Ether way it is of no consequences’. Homeland security is going to get the LA tape and that will bar him no mater what lies he uses to get in. We will not have a President that has ties to domestic and foreign terrorists . I also know you do NOT raise taxes and spend more when the dollar is down. You cut both to increase economy that creates job that creates revenue that gains the stock market. that is how it is done. You also don’t go after a a union base industry. The Coal miners don’t like it when you say you are going to bankrupt them and the towns they live and raise their families’.
November 3, 2008 at 7:11, pm
You can’t usually win an argument with a person who refuses to use reason on the Internet. Despite this fact I will say this. It says a lot about our candidate’s chances at victory, and the righteousness of his cause, when the only arguments against him are based on a purposeful misunderstanding of the law, or out-and-out lies. Posts such as those above, based on meaningless accusations rather than sound arguments give me hope because it means that our guy is not only right, but will probably win the election.
November 4, 2008 at 8:12, am
Great post. I believe that an Obama victory will spur action across the nation. It will not be a panacea, and there will be a TON of hard work. But issue number one right now is to elect Obama.
November 4, 2008 at 8:31, am
I’m Italian, but is not important…
In my country the past 15 September to Milan, was killed to bolted Abdul Salam Guibre, a 19-year-old boy from Burkina Faso that had stolen a package of cookies.
If I support Barack Obama from so distant, is because I believe in the world unity.
Another Italian of name Cristoforo Colombo, a lot of centuries ago does crossed the Pillars of Hercules; challenged the unknown, arrived in an unblemished part of world and stranger until then…
There in he was welcomed from persons with a culture and a story from that learn. What Colombo led to the return from its journey was evolution, change; “two tight hands and united that did from bridge on the Atlantic ocean”. The residents of those lands arrived in Europe, but alas…
They weren’t welcomed with the same diplomacy reserved Colombo. Our part of world that it is considered civilized to the of above of everything and of everything, looked for “to mold them” to its image and similarity, or at the worst; marginalizing them by means of the different color of the skin and to give back the slaves. The same Colombo defended and supported those persons, and ended in chains.
Then I wonder…
And if Cristoforo Colombo hadn’t undertaken that travel on 3rd August 1492?
But the story it is not done with the “if” and the past changes not. To the opposite one the future we could know it alone making; all together with much tight hands and united.
To who hung to a world without races, to a multicultural society, to an evolution concepted in right manner; it chooses Barack Obama…
Young and charismatic embodiment of that American dream had from Martin Luther King on 28th August 1963 in Lincoln Memorial to Washington D. C., under a sky without clouds.
John J. Mahyo
To be continued on…
johnjmahyo.wordpress.com
Read and hand!
November 5, 2008 at 5:00, am
It is Election Day, as I put this together and have just got through reading Mr. Brandon Whitney’s column here. “Very good thought and thinking, however.”
1. Invest in African American Businesses.
I am all for this to happen and would greatly like to see, it is just that in my mind who I do business with is about two greatly important things to me personally. There must be service at par excellence and of the best of integrity. Black businesses must understand that we go to businesses that make us happy to do business with them. I am all for and supportive of all black business, but the customer comes first is important to me. I do business with businesses that have what I say here or, I do not do business with them weather they are a black owned business or not. I know black business do struggle hard to survive and thrive, but they must keep this in mind as any business has to do.
2. Give to African American supporting causes.
I am all for this to happen also, but it bothers me when so many of the donated dollars have to go to bureaucratic and administrative cost. In my opinion accounting needs to be done better for donations to go where donations are intended to go, to the cause, not to the cost of having or running the cause. This also should apply for church and charitable causes also. When I donate to any one thing, all of my money should go to who, what and where I want the money to go to.
3. Vote!
Just want to say here for those who gave so much in the struggle, that all of us do this so that their, sacrifices for us now, was never in vain.
4. Get your money right!
Very good thinking, with what we have seen happen in the past eight years of Bush Administration and the economy. Don’t need to say much more except do better, along with good thinking here.
Now ladies and Gentleman point #
5.We have got to do better as family and community. The issues of how we mother and father our children has to be addressed. The spoiling and bad parenting has got to be addressed. Children are growing up and remaining children in my opinion, perspective and perception. Priorities and responsibilities of parents and the teaching of their children has to be addressed. The community in my opinion has a wealth of natural resources in our children. We have just elected Barack Obama as our next new President of the United States of America. As far as I am concerned there is a whole lot of Barack Obamas , Martin Luther Kings, Nelson Mandelas, Malcolm Xs etc. etc. etc. We only need to change our thinking and our responsibilities and our priorities on being the mothers and fathers that we should be to our children. Education with pride and dignity is what are the most prominent on my mind to all of our children from their mother and father. Now that we have an African American President of the United States of America all of the African American community should work harder on our own self improvement from now on. This I implore from me to all who come here and read this. Our future is as the Obama campaign slogan says it best. “Yes we can”
Thank you for allowing my two cents worth here.
Peace and blessings to you all. Mr. Bromont
November 6, 2008 at 6:36, pm
As a 6x combat veteran and a republican,I’ve served in the military through 3 presidents and 2 branches of service. Let me first say that I am very proud of Mr. Obama and his accomplishments. Im overjoyed at the idea that an African American will be our next president but im troubled at the same time. Just yesterday I witnessed a small facet of the amount of superflous ignorance that’s to come because of Mr. Obama’s appointment as Commander in chief. A black man proudly shouted among a group of mostly white people “Obama Yall” all the black people clapped and even some white folks repeated the chant. One white man in particular responded ” That’s great, but tell me something else about Obama. Give me one good reason why you voted for Obama besides the fact that he is black ?” . The black gentleman quickly got angry but I could see his anger was because he couldn’t answer the question. He knew no policies Obama supported, no political agendas Obama had. Instead, after a long pause, he responded “yall crackers just mad cause a Nigga got elected!!” Reminder that there were also white obama supporters in the group. The few white people in the crowd who were just chanting Obama quickly turned around as if the entire conversation never happened. Needless to say a few other black individuals clapped at his ignorance. Good Lord what will become of us. After that incident, I asked 10 Obama supporters the same question. 4 were white and they were able to give me policies and statutes that Mr. Obama supported which would better their personal lives. As for the 6 black individuals, all 6 honestly told me they voted for him simply because he is black. If I would have known that black people were investing the future of their children and the economy in someone simply because of the color of their skin, I would have run for president. Sooooo beautifully ignorant!!! How do we as African American even fathem striving as productive members of society and having an impact on the decisions made by our law makers when we don’t bother to take interest in the issues of matter. As of the time of this post, not 1 of 25 African Americans I asked that question to was able to give me a single policy or even history on the man they voted for. My America is the same country that hosts the Jenna 6, the same country that still hosts lynchings in the south, the same country that allows judges in the state of Texas to openly Jail black people while our white counterparts commit the same crimes and get lesser punishments. The same America that was at the brink of a racial war when OJ got aquitted but nothing was mentioned after Robert Blake was also aquitted for the same crime(and he was even seen with the weapon by witnesses..lol) Now that we have a black president, are we that nieve to think that we are now equal to our white counterparts? I urge you to read the Constitution of The United States of America. The same constitution I gave 13 years of my life to actively uphold. The same constitution that says it takes 3 black men to equal 1 white man…” a hint to the wise is quite sufficient”….before you give ur future to any individual, black or white, republican or democrat, know who they are, and most importantly, remember where you live!!…I am Thee Mr. Julu