Daree's Insights

Around Christmastime last year, I had a great hour-long chat with Pulitzer-prize winning author and journalist, Karen Hunter of Karen Hunter Publishing. If you watch the video below, the same way she’s talking there is the same way she talked to me: straight up.

She didn’t know me from Adam but was not hesitant to take the time to answer my questions about getting started as a freelance writer, the business of writing and publishing for Blacks in particular. She shared her background and wisdom with me, and many of the things she imparted to me then were also mentioned in this book (which was then unreleased),Stop Being Niggardly: And Nine Other Things Black People Need to Stop Doing. In this post I’ll give you some of the highlights, but in short, this book is a must-read, and more importantly, a must-DO.

If You Can’t Get In Their Door, Start Your Own

When Karen started her own publishing house, she reached out to her contacts for support, but didn’t get it. I was surprised when she mentioned

Earl G. Graves, Sr. (Image courtesy of BlackEnterprise.com)

Earl Graves as one of those people (he is the founder and publisher of Black Enterprisemagazine). She talked about how Blacks can be so niggardly (definition: stingy—watch the video above or look it up) and try to hold each other back from progress and success.

Divide and Conquer—It’s the American Way

Karen gives us a brief history lesson in explaining the racial categories we give ourselves here in America. The perceived origins of Latinos, Dominicans, Haitians, Blacks, and Jews have more in common than you might think (certainly more than I knew).

Digging Out of Debt

I can relate all too well to Karen’s story about going broke and having to downsize (for her she had to move back home; for me it was moving from a house to an apartment).  The key is the recognize when you’re going too deep in debt and to Stop Digging.

People First, Then Money

How many of you are familiar with Suze Orman’s mantra, “People first, then money, then things”? It’s not just a saying that she closes her show with, it should be a way of life.

In the book, Karen says, “ How you handle your money indicates how your life is going. If you have chaos on your job and in your life, your money is guaranteed to be a mess…. Money is an outward display of the discipline and standards of your life.”

Unfortunately personal finance is not taught in school. The only examples we have to go on as children are what we learn at home and see in our neighborhoods. We have to learn to respect our money if we’re going to be successful in life.

We also need to value ourselves more. Karen talks about asking for what you’re worth when it comes to your rates/prices/salary, but this can also extend to valuing yourself as a person. Don’t put yourself on sale. If you’re good at what you do, you should be compensated for it fairly.

For Us, By Us?

Karen cites Target Market News with the staggering statistic that Blacks in America spend $700 billion (a year?), which is more than several small countries combined, but lag behind other racial groups in income, home ownership, and business ownership. She mentions that Blacks spend money on brand names and liquors but don’t own stock in those companies. Jews and Chinese keep their money in their community, but Blacks don’t. Many prominent businesses that sell very well to the Black community are not Black-owned, and some Black entrepreneurs may be threatened by large firms in the future.

Unlike some movements, Karen doesn’t advocate buying from Black owned businesses  just because of race. She says you have to have a quality Black business if you expect support. Unclean establishments, inferior quality ofproducts, and unfriendly/weak customer service are turn-offs for anyone. She talks about the mammy/blackface images we have come out of—or have we (noting the Madea films and other productions that don’t cast Blacks in the best light). She also goes into Bob Johnson’s sale of BET to Viacom and other scenarios. She argues that Blacks who get the coveted positions of working behind the scenes as producers, writers, and so on should represent us better and produce quality work. For many people of other races, what they see of us on BET and film is all they have to go on to make a judgment of what we’re like (right or wrong, like it or not, its the truth Ruth).

This school year is my daughter’s first one in public school. I assumed she would not have to wear uniforms, so I gave them all away before moving to Georgia last month. I asked someone why children had to wear uniforms in public school, and my friend told me it was because of the crazy things they showed up in before the change.

Work It Out

Karen talks about being excellent at work, and showing your worth as a dependable and indispensable person (see Seth Godin’s Linchpin for more on this)—not a slacker. She says that others who goof off at work, come in drunk or high, etc. may not get punished for it, but (as frustrating as that is,) it’s no excuse for you to lower your standards.

We don’t just represent ourselves as individuals, but as a race. Wearing clothes that fit (pull up your pants already!) is just a part of us taking pride in ourselves as we should always strive for excellence. As a people we should know how to speak well and dress well.  It DOES matter what others think, especially in the workplace and marketplace. We have to be ready to compete. Who cares if someone thinks you’re “talking proper” or “talking White?” I need to show you that I am intelligent and make sure you can understand me—so my form of communication does that (my language AND my appearance), then mission accomplished. It’s up to US to break down negative stereotypes about our ignorance or stupidity. We don’t have to blast loud music with profanity out of our car windows, post inappropriate pictures on our profiles, or talk loudly on our cell phones in public places. Let’s wake up—when you know better you can do better.

The Verdict

The concepts that Karen discusses in this book are not new. Her inspiration, Nannie Helen Burroughs wrote Twelve Things the Negro Must Do waaaaaaaay back in 1890.  That’s over a hundred years ago and we still have to be reminded. In the past two decades, Tavis Smiley has written about it, and so have Bill Cosby and countless others. When are we going to listen?

Oprah Winfrey and Ursula Burns: African American Women Top List of Rags to Riches' CEOs - BV on Money

Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox sang 'Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves' way back in the '80s, and this piece of pop wisdom is holding true for ladies in the new millenium. The Huffington Post just released a list of the Top Ten CEOs who came up from nothing to make it into the realms of the über-rich -- and the extremely powerful. And, it is quite an achievement that two of the ten featured are African American women. Oprah Winfrey and the relatively new CEO of Xerox, Ursula Burns, are prominent members of the club of "rags-to-riches" CEOs:

1. Lloyd Blankfein, CEO And Chairman, Goldman Sachs
2. Larry Ellison, Oracle Co-Founder and CEO
3. Ursula Burns, Xerox CEO
4. John Paul Dejoria, Co-founder and CEO of John Paul Mitchell
5. Oprah Winfrey, Media Mogul
6. Sheldon Adelson, CEO and Chairman of the Las Vegas Sands Corp
7. Howard Schultz, Starbucks Chairman and CEO
8. Guy Laliberte, Cirque Du Soleil Founder and CEO
9. Roman Abramovich, Oil Tycoon and Owner of Chelsea FC
10. Li Ka- Shing, Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Cheung Kong Holdings

Celebrity Side Hustle: WNBA Fashionista Cappie Pondexter - BLACK ENTERPRISE

WNBA all-star Cappie Pondexter has created a venture that caters to a love of style as strong as her drive on the court.

The New York Liberty guard, with celebrity stylist Lisa Smith-Craig, launched New York-based4 Season Style Management, a firm that provides fashion styling and image consulting as well as personal shopping for celebrities—including WNBA ballers Tammy Sutton-Brown and Ebony Hoffman--and everyday professionals.

Pondexter talked with BlackEnterprise.com about embracing the challenge of catering to a tall and athletic fashionista and how she plans to be in the business long after the last shot clock rings.

What motivated you to start your business?
I was thinking about life outside of basketball. I have a passion for fashion, as I have a passion for basketball, so [Smith-Craig] and I decided to make this company a reality. It was unique for me as an athlete to start my own styling company, and I thought it was a void that most athletes need. You want things that fit well, look good and that are in season.

How much did it cost to start up the business?
Roughly about $50,000 to $60,000. That went to expenses including operating budget, clothing and accessories for shoots, marketing materials, and the business license.

How have you built your clientele?
Celebrity peers, mingling at events or giving out business cards. People would ask about the way I dressed, and I’d tell them that I styled myself.

What business tools and resources are must-haves for you to run your business?
You definitely need a good PR person to update your Website and build awareness of your brand. Also, we have an iPad that we take with us and it’s the best thing invented. We have all the information dealing with our company on that iPad, [and use] Mobile Me [an Internet service that syncs e-mail, contacts, and calendar to your iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, and PC].

Family Business: When Your Business Partner is Your Spouse - BLACK ENTERPRISE

When your business partner is your spouse it’s important to take extra measures to keep any work conflict from overflowing into the marriage. Take for example, Brian, 29, and Autumn Merritt, 27, co-owners of the fashion boutique Sir & Madame in Chicago. They also are the proud new parents of a very sociable 8-month-old boy, Ari Merritt, who’s been made an honorary employee, which predominantly means smiling and teething. Black Enterprise caught up with the married business owners to talk about how to maintain a successful marriage and family while running a family business. They make it look very easy but as Autumn stated: "It’s a work in progress."  Here are six tips the couple say has kept their marriage, family, and business together and progressive.

1.  Communication – Brian says this is needed for work life and home life. “We try not to take the work home. I think when we don’t agree on certain things in the store when it comes to buying, we talk about the pros and the cons and which pros outweigh which cons. We also bring the staff in when we’re not agreeing on something, to keep it diplomatic.”

2.  Set boundaries – Autumn believes in trusting your partner if they say they are going to do something and believing that they are going to follow through. “Not everything has to be black and white with the boundaries. If it’s one person in charge of the paperwork, trust that that person can do it. If that’s going to be the man’s job or woman’s job, let it be that.”

3. Depend on spirituality – Brian says you should make whatever god you believe in a constant in your family, marriage, and business. “You have to have a strong spirituality,” he says. “The last month has been like that for us; the economy was slow, we just moved to a new space, and God has been doing us justice.”

4. Be prepared to step down – Understand that your blueprint may not be what’s best for the business. Autumn believes you should pick your battles wisely. “You’re going to butt heads. Don’t lose every battle and give up on everything, but know that you’re not going to win every battle either.” Brian adds: “You have to learn how to balance something that is supposed to last forever with something that could potentially fail and potentially destroy your relationship.”

5.  Seek help with parenting – Take people up on their offers to help. Autumn and Brian take Ari with them to work every day, but he has his own space and he’s pretty easy going. When it comes to the parents getting their own time, they are not afraid to use their support group. “Fortunately, we have parents who go through Ari withdrawal every two-to-three weeks and we're able to take advantage of that support system,” says Autumn.

6. Strengths and weaknesses – Be honest with yourself and your partner about what you can and can’t do well. Brian understands that he’s not a numbers guy and, for the business to succeed, that’s not something he should spend the majority of his time on. “I’m not very organized so we pay people to do those types of things. I don’t think I can keep the business growing if I’m doing tedious paperwork instead of coming up with deals and making connections for the company. Accounting does accounting,” he says.

BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ....: Green Jobs For All! Green Living & Urban America!

"Green For All"! (Van Jones' Organization) Urban Farming, Producing Green Jobs, Green Living & Clean Living Opportunities has finally come To Urban America! Its time for the American Black Community to Get a piece of this "Green" Pie! (i.e., MONEY) President Obama & Van Jones have already Opened the doors. We just Need to Walk through them!



What about Hosting or Launching a "Green The Block" Party in your Community in order to Educate and Introduce Green Living/ Green Jobs Business Opportunities to Black People (including Black Business Owners) in your region? 

Just a thought. 

Peace

The state of black women in the blogosphere

At the intersection of women bloggers and bloggers of color lies the growing sector of the black women's blogosphere.

Representing a full spectrum of backgrounds, perspectives, and lifestyles, blogs written or hosted by black women cover most aspects of adult life -- careers, family, romance, self-discovery and development -- with a particular eye to the varied concerns and interests of black women and their allies. The best of these blogs weave their readers into an informed and activated community, capable of educating their online and offline neighbors on social, political, and personal issues encompassing race, gender, and sexuality.

Keidra Chaney, co-founder of the business and blog The Web Farm, and Emerging Media Specialist at DePaul University, has been blogging for 10 years, and is thrilled at the bountiful resources available now for finding other black women bloggers. "When I started, it was very, very lonely," she says. "Now people can meet in real-life to share ideas, network, and create businesses. [Bloggers] can share personal capital, intellectual capital, with each other in person."

The state of the black women's blogosphere is "excellent, and getting better all the time," according to Gena Haskett, of Out on the Stoop, an eclectic personal blog about anything and everything -- except sports. "There are so many phenomenal bloggers out there creating really dynamic content and they need to be known about and celebrated." But she encourages anyone with something to share to "dive right in and start blogging".

But while some black women bloggers have created highly successful online forums that even outlast their founder's departure, others enjoy peer respect and loyal readership but fail to attract necessary advertising revenue or investment dollars.

Laina Dawes, a contributing editor to the Race and Ethnicity section on BlogHer, sees more black women bloggers every year trying to take the next step towards entrepreneurship. But converting a blog into a viable business presents challenges well beyond the personal level.

A recent study published by private research firm CB Insights on entrepreneurs securing venture capital in California, Massachusetts, and New York found that African-Americans make up only a paltry 1 percent of these individuals. Similarly, women make up only 8 percent of internet start-up founders.

In terms of dollars, among ventures with an all-black founding team, the median amount of funding raised was $1.3 million, as compared to $2.3 million among all-white teams, and $4 million among Asian founders. Most women entrepreneurs were part of mixed-gender teams, which averaged $4 million in funding, over $2.2 million for both all-male and all-female teams.

Dawes calls such statistics "pathetic", but is quick to point out, "I think there are real reasons in terms of what kinds of bloggers are approached by various companies and businesses for sponsorship advertising, and who is seen as economically viable and who isn't."

Chaney is similarly unsurprised at the bleak situation. "The culture of the internet start-up has been so white-male-dominated. You see where Facebook and other companies like that have come from, and [it's] usually a place where somebody is relatively affluent and has the resources at a university to be able to do a start-up like that. They have years of tech background coming from high school or grade school. Many women of color just get into [blogging] in college."

Haskett, however, will have none of it. "I run into entrepreneurs -- serial entrepreneurs -- all the time, who are African-American women, who are creating new businesses as we speak."

Such surveys are particularly vulnerable to underreporting black women entrepreneurs, because they are more likely to use alternate sources of funding outside of the venture capital stream, making it more challenging to track their business developments as a demographic.

Online blog networks like Black Business Women Online and collectives like Racialicious can help individual bloggers hone their craft and pool advice and experience, while the networking benefits of in-person conferences such as Blogging While Brown, Blogalicious, and BlogHer cannot be underestimated.

Blogalicious in particular aims to connect "women of all ethnicities in social media" with one another and with entrepreneurial opportunities, which can be difficult to come by when working independently.

"It's fantastic to see women of color -- to see black women -- coming together to support themselves and each other through these kinds of conferences." Chaney helps bloggers realize their entrepreneurial dreams by offering her technical and business expertise in monetizing web analytics (like TV ratings for websites) at conference panels and community organizations, and on her blog The Learned Fangirl.

Named by Chicago's Community Renewal Society as one of their 35 Leaders Under 35 in 2009, Chaney believes that "now the secret is out", conferences offer places where black women can "get resources together, find other people, locate and get together with venture capitalists, and try to fund a project in a way that you couldn't before."

Dawes is also hopeful, but points out that there are still spaces for newcomers to fill. "In terms of a critical narrative on socio-political issues, we're seeing a lot of good writers, [but] I'd like to see more alternative voices. Black women bloggers are getting out of the ghettoization of black gossip sites, and are finding other things in the world that are really of importance and that we need voices for."

Based in Toronto, Dawes writes extensively on the hardcore, punk and metal music scene in her blog Writing is Fighting and in her upcoming book.

"Each one, meet one," is the networking advice offered by Haskett. "Get to know each other. Visit different blogs, even if you don't think you have an interest in the topic. Dive in and find out what that community is doing, because you never know who has a connection, who knows something you don't know."

Haskett believes that black women especially can benefit emotionally and materially from the interconnectedness, community, and authority offered by blogging. She teaches video and photography techniques at conference workshops and on her blog Create Video Notebook in the hopes that more black women will make their authorial gaze known.

Chaney notes, "The old-boys' network is crumbling, and now there's a way for us to get in the backdoor. You're seeing more and more opportunities for women of color to get together and try to change the statistics. There are a lot of great women, who have really great ideas and are going to strike out in the next few years."

Georgia #1 for black-owned businesses - WALB.com News, Weather and Sports for Albany, Valdosta and Thomasville. Leading the way for South Georgia. |

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Georgia is the number one state for black-owned businesses.

20 percent of businesses in the state have black owners, only the District of Columbia has a higher rate at 28 percent.

Business owner Frank Ross owns the Cinnabon restaurant in Albany, it's been open less than a year, it has been so successful he already has plans to expand.

Minority owned businesses across the us grew by 45 percent to 5.8 million over just five years, a faster pace than all U.S. businesses.

"When we first started with the company the program we entered was a diversity initiative program and it was the companies desire to try and introduce more black and minority owned business throughout the country," said Ross.

The new Cinnabon location will open at PeachTree mall in Columbus, construction should be completed later this year.

The Albany store was the number one franchise in the nation in sales for the first quarter of this year.

One reason Georgia ranks high for black-owned businesses is population growth.

67,000 African Americans relocated to the state since July 2007, the largest increase in the country.

©2010 WALB News. All rights reserved

Black homeowners being hit hard by foreclosure crisis - Fort Worth Business Press

BY ALESHIA HOWE

August 09, 2010

As the nation’s foreclosure crisis has ripped through communities in every state, the National Association of Real Estate Brokers held a special “call to action” at its annual conference held in Fort Worth last week, saying the African American homeowner communities have been hit harder than other home owner segments.
The National Association of Real Estate Brokers held its 63rd annual convention in Fort Worth July 29 to Aug. 5.
According Vincent Wimbish, president of NAREB, the call to action will focus on ensuring transparency in all financial transactions, continued and expanded support for loss mitigation and pre-home purchase counseling services, restoration of sustainable homeownership as a viable wealth building option, and public policy “that prevents another economic tsunami from sweeping away the remaining hopes and dreams of the nation’s multicultural homeowners.”
And according to group leaders, the subprime mortgage meltdown and resulting recession is far from finished, particularly in the African American community.  According to the Center For Responsible Lending, 11 percent of African Americans already have lost their homes, or are in imminent danger of losing their homes, and it is projected that between 2009 and 2012, $193 billion in wealth will be lost in the African American community.
The Center for Responsible Lending’s June 18 report titled “Foreclosures by race and ethnicity,” estimates 10 to 13 million foreclosures will occur in the United States before the crisis abates. Today, the report states that 52 percent of the nation’s at-risk borrowers are non-Hispanic whites, but only 15 percent of that group is at imminent risk of losing their homes. Comparatively, black and Hispanic home owners at imminent risk of losing their homes tops 21.6 percent and 21.4 percent, respectively.
Wimbish used strong words in describing the consequences of his organization members not pulling together to support change in the current residential real estate market.
“The color is green,” he said. “We got bamboozled by Wall Street because 56 percent of foreclosures are not in our community, but our community feels the same affect because the only loans being done in the communities of color – black and Hispanic communities – primarily were subprime loans, so we’re asking partners to join us because the color is green. And if we don’t come together and address this issue directly, were going to all be back on a plantation.”
The NAREB organization is a minority broker organization with 88 chapters throughout the nation, including one in Fort Worth.
The organization has introduced a number of alternative plans including a 10-year tax credit program or mortgage products based on a client’s ability to pay rather than on that client’s credit score, which is traditionally is how banks determine a client’s risk factor and ability to re-pay a loan.
“We are advocating that they create mortgage products that are not based on or determined by credit scores only. We want mortgage products based on loan to value, industry standard loan to value, a modest down payment,” Wimbish said. “The down payment HUD has currently is 3.5 percent and 3 percent seller concessions, but we know in our community we are advocating they target foreclosed properties and up to 6 percent seller concessions.”
Wimbish said Wall Street credit scores operate by predictable financial behavior – something that can sometimes disqualify some good potential borrowers.
“In lieu of credit score, we are advocating that they create a mortgage product that you can alleviate predictable financial behavior by having a consumer agree to automatic payment,” Wimbish said. “That way you don’t’ have to worry about getting your money because you know when they get paid, you collect that mortgage payment, if that’s a weekly, bi-weekly, or bi-monthly payment.”
Terri Attaway, president and CEO of the Fort Worth NAREB chapter, said the Center for Responsible Lending numbers aren’t shocking as they reflect what’s happening in the market today.
“It definitely is tougher out there,” she said. “You have to drill deeper now more than ever to educate people. But it’s still a great time to buy and if you can educate, then it’s good for everyone.
One such local program is offered by the city of Fort Worth and includes grants of up to $25,000 if one buys a home within a specified seven ZIP codes, which are the areas of the city most affected by foreclosures. Attaway said that program has many “hoops for home owners to jump through but the end result is worth it.”
“They have to do things like take a class, but our chapter offers a class that would qualify for that,” she said. “And any property where you stand to get that kind of help is worth it.
Attaway said another issue coming down the pipe will be an increase in FHA standards. Attaway said she recently heard talk that FHA, which now does not lend to anyone with lower than a 580 score, will open up loans to individuals with 500 to 580 credit scores – if they put 10 percent down.
“FHA already raised the down payment from 3 to 3.5 percent and there are a lot more changes coming and people have got to stay informed,” she said.
Maurice Jourdain-Earl, founder and managing director of Compliance Tech, also presented at the conference his soon-to-be-released report titled “By the numbers, disparities in credit availability for African Americans and Latinos 2004-2008.” The report, which will be available in the coming months, is based on data derived from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and, according to Jourdain-Earl, shows that African Americans and Latinos are disproportionately affected by the lack of credit.
“These perceptions are continuing to drive these disparities that will have a disproportionate impact on communities of color,” he said at the conference.
Jourdain-Earl touched on strategic defaults by home owners, or home owners who have decided it makes more sense for them to turn over their keys to the bank and walk away from the home because the home is worth less than what they paid for it originally.
“Those strategic defaults are increasing and believe it or not, many of those strategic defaults are not happening with low or moderate income or minority consumers, but mostly with middle and upper income folks who have made the calculus just like with any other investment that it is easier to walk away,” he said.

From the Desk Of...

Opinion / Editorial

WRITTEN BY RON WALTERS

THURSDAY, 12 AUGUST 2010 13:06

Institutional Racism in Congress The sensational exposes about Rep. Maxine Waters have failed to relay an important fact to the public about why she arranged meetings between herself, a bank, and former Treasury Secretary Paulson. It had to do with trying to support the survival of the Black economic infrastructure, which had been hit hard by the financial crisis the country faced. Rep. Waters has for a long time been an advocate for Black businesses in the Congress, essentially because they had been marginalized and excluded routinely. Here, she took over the role of Parren Mitchell of Baltimore who was their champion, but who left the Congress with an illness. I was invited to a meeting by Rep. Waters last November to provide a brief analysis of where we were as a community in the throes of the economic crisis to a small invited group of representatives of Black economic organizations. In the room were the leaders in fields such as automotive, banking, financial services, broadcasting and others. All told tails of ruin and destruction of businesses they were experiencing because of the inability to access capital. The head of Black auto executives, for example, said that their dealerships in the General Motors system had dived from 63 to 26 and if there was no help from GMAC (which was receiving federal funds) it go lower. This testimony was laced with cries for help that were not being responded to at the White House, the Treasury Department or elsewhere in government. It seemed that the Black economy was on its own in the midst of this crisis. This has been a relatively consistent state of affairs for Blacks who have not been able to enjoy the advertising, service contracts and other resources that other firms enjoy, and for them to be deprived of resources being handed by government to fix economic crisis smacks to me of institutional racism. After all, some of my tax money – and yours – was sent to GMAC, the General Motors Financial corporation, to keep dealerships in business, but Black dealership were being cut right and left in the process General Motors set up. Well this is the reason we should be concerned about the attempt to cut off the efforts of Maxine Waters to bring the Black businesses into the room where the deals were cut with Treasury by charging her with ethics violations. There are much deeper issues here of importance to the Black community. In fact, the process of the Office of Congressional Ethics itself also smacks of institutional racism. We must believe that out of the 435 members of Congress, and the 36 cases brought before the OCE (most of which involved white members of Congress) that the process yielded the cases of two Blacks that were worthy of going to trial. This would mean that “the swamp” that Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted to drain in the House of Representatives was characterized by the indiscretions of Black members when we all know that is now the case. As a result of this move by the OCE, both Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters have put the Democratic party in a box because the two Republicans (including the infamous Republican Chair of the OCE, Porter Goss) and two Democrats who proposed trials for them probably believed that they would make a deal, take some form of censure and move on. But they have decided to fight because of the OCE process, which leaked the charges to the media they believe are untrue, which has resulted in their public trial and prosecution. So, they’ve decided to fight to clear their names – right at the moment when elections are bearing down and the Democratic party is not favored to hold to most of its seats either in the House or Senate. The Republicans will probably use this issue against Nancy Pelosi as the symbol of the Democratic party in the House, but it will not affect either the seat of Range or Waters. So, I disagree profoundly with Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post and his colleagues who say that the problem here is the “entrenched entitlement” of these individuals. They don’t seem to have a clue as to what the Black community is facing, either in the House of Representatives or in this current economic crisis, or how valuable Rep. Waters has been. Dr. Ron Walters is a Political Analysts and Professor Emeritus of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland College Park. One of his latest books is: Freedom Is Not Enough: Black Candidates, Black Voters and American Presidential Politics, (Rowman and Littlefield)