'State of the Black Union' Ignores Critical Issues

LOS ANGELES--This year's State of the Black Union, hosted by television and radio commentator Tavis Smiley in Houston, Texas, was deeply disappointing. Often billed as the national forum for discussing the issues most important to black America, the forum this year lacked any substantive conversation about the divisive issues and tactics used to distract blacks and keep us at odds.

This year's Black Union was divided into two parts: economic empowerment, and defining the African American agenda, a continuation of last year's conversation.

Yet, despite the 35-plus panelists, which included educators, policymakers, religious leaders, opinion makers and community organizers, critical issues were blatantly ignored during the three-hour televised event.

Going into 2008 presidential election, black Americans are more divided than ever on issues of political ideology and moral values. Any meaningful exchange about blacks and political empowerment must include several divisive wedges that limit our power:

--Immigration and blacks: Immigration reform is an issue that is being used to divide Black America. This debate has caused mixed feelings among blacks, who have fears of losing jobs and economic clout to Latinos. Sensing a common bond, many anti-immigration groups are actively reaching out to black leaders to support their efforts. This may become extremely problematic for the upcoming presidential election, where, like civil rights for gays, immigration reform is sure to play a big part.

--HIV/AIDS and blacks: Even more troubling was the conspicuous silence around the issue of HIV/AIDS and blacks. When 50 percent of the 40,000 estimated new HIV infections are blacks, and in a country where one in 50 black men is HIV-positive and one in 160 black women, the effect of this silence cannot be ignored. All of the wealth and economic justice in the world won't matter if we're not alive to enjoy it.

--Lesbian and gay civil rights. Black pulpits continue to be for sale to the highest bidder, and black votes are quite possibly being sold to the GOP under the guise of protecting America's moral values. For instance, the black vote in Ohio in 2004 turned around the issue of gay marriage, at the expense of larger issues.

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