Diary: State of the
Black World Conference

By Baji
Special to SeeingBlack.com

Talk about racism and the World Conference. Click here.

Day One

As the "State of the Black World Conference" opens in Atlanta on November 28 2001, the panel is impressive: Rev. Jesse Jackson (JJ), Rev. Al Sharpton (AS), Martin King III (MK3), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (MW), Sonia Sanchez (SS), Haki Madhubuti (HM), David Comissiong (DC) from Barbados, Simon Woolley (SW) from England and Minister Lesly Voltaire (LV) from Haiti are among the notables. Comedic actor Chris Tucker, among the hundreds of attendees, was invited to join the panel, although he refrained from actively participating in the discussion.

If there's one thing Black folk can do well it is talk, and we were treated to some of our finest orators. The audience was appreciative and responsive. Here are a few highlights noted:

JJ: The new definition of terrorist makes us all suspects.
SS: The inner light of the black world is under attack.
MLK3: U.S. needs to apologize and atone.
HM: Look at what's hanging on your walls & your kids' walls to see the state of our black mind.
DC: Barbados is worse off today than 20-30 years ago. Help us change U.S. policies.
SW: We have no power in Europe, but more consciousness.
AS: We are not following our legacy of resistance.
MW: Congress is turning back our civil liberties; look for an escalation of drugs in our communities—big time.

The oratory, the personalities, the audience of beautiful Black people in our array of hair styles, attire and ways of being was indeed stimulating.

The Q/A degenerated the evening's program as person after person, instead of posing a salient question, used the microphone to push their own personal agendas. As I left the convention center, based on what I had heard, I could draw only one conclusion to the question, What is the state of the black world?

Sick.

Day Two

We begin with proper ceremonies respecting our African origins (libations, invocation, Black National Anthem, Nguza Saba, etc.).

Ah, again, our folks do love to talk.

Tavis Smiley presented a stirring speech in his usual fast-paced breathless rhetorical style. (I do miss his BET nightly talk show.) In typical Tavis style, he wove his word magic and worked the crowd up like the professional speaker he is. His refrain was, "How do we take this defining moment and redefine America for us?"

Throughout the day we were presented with more outstanding orators, including Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Danny Glover, Dr. Joseph Lowery, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, among many others. I was just amazed by the breadth of organizations represented and the volume of knowledgeable speakers. The conference organizer, Ron Daniels (no relation) did a phenomenal job of pulling all this together. The brother deserves all the kudos he receives.

Friday's program focused on three main issues: the response of people of African descent to the Sept 11 attacks; the World Conference Against Racism that took place in Durban, South Africa, (www.ngoworldconference.org) and reparations.

Julianne Malveaux made many important points. For example, in discussing how people of African descent should respond to the 9/11 attacks, she said, "When George Bush talks about this being a 'long war' we should be clear that he is not just talking about Afghanistan. There's not that much to do over there. His long view is world control."

Most people who know me would say I am a positive woman. However, perhaps it is because I am a veteran of the 60s/70s black struggle that I bring a perspective about this conference that may seem somewhat cynical. It's déjà vu for me. As I sat there listening, taking notes and observing my surroundings, I was catapulted back thirty years. Believe me, this can feel disheartening at times. Been there… heard that… did that… and here we go again…

Most of the presenters on the dais were my generation, although Ron Daniels made a concerted effort to involve the "hip-hop" generation in the proceedings (ugh, that word "Hip-hop"… they need a new moniker, don't you think? This sounds so fly.) Nevertheless, a young woman, Kim Ellis, who is a doctoral candidate, made one of the most brilliant presentations. She has done extensive research on the Tulsa Riots of 1921, which she likened to the terrorists attacks on 9/11. Brilliant analysis.

Attorney Esther Stanford, a young woman from London, gave another masterful speech. She spoke on the issue of reparations. Apparently the UK has a history of activism around this issue, dating back to the 1700s.

If there is one issue that is sure to divide us (and I mean black folk vs. black folks), it is discussion about reparations. The Jewish world community was able to coalesce around this issue and bring about substantive adjudication. As far as people of African descent… well, we're still talking about it. Many of us want to pretend slavery never happened. However, the topics of apology and atonement won't go away. In fact, discussion about reparations will intensify over the next few years as those involved in this movement are becoming more aggressive and sophisticated in their strategies. For more information, check into NCOBRA (National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America: www.ncobra.com).

There's so much information out there for us to read, and yet most of us are woefully uninformed. That's why I registered for the conference. That's why I sit through the sessions, even though as Ron Daniels stated, "everything has changed for our people, but fundamentally nothing has changed." I feel it is my minimal responsibility to be informed. And of course as a retired college educator, if I get pertinent information, I will share it with others.

By the way, I've been told that the conference proceedings were cybercast, so it was possible to tune in on the Internet and access it directly. Also, the radio discussions on the Bev Smith Show on the American Urban Radio Networks were broadcast nightly from the lobby of the Sheraton Gateway Hotel.

At the end of the second day, I again asked myself the same question, "What is the state of the black world?"

My answer today:
Resilient

Day Three

The star today was Rev. Al Sharpton. If I had to use one word to describe him it would be "sharp." What's in Rev. Al's head is infinitely more important—and impressive—than what's on his head.

The schedule consisted of extended work sessions, which lasted more than 4 hours. An outstanding panel of presenters for each session was available throughout the day to educate the conferees.

A partial list of topics covered included:

• African Centered Education and Culture
• Transforming the Criminal Justice System
• The Black Community's Fight for Environmental Justice
• Black Media and Communications
• Technology as a Tool for Community Development
• Inter-Generational Dialogue on the Future of the Black Freedom Struggle
• Healing the Divisions Among People of African Descent

Back to the sharp Rev. Al Sharpton. He all but formally announced his candidacy for the 2004 presidential race. He said he is "exploring the feasibility" but, to me, he sounded like a solid candidate. He explained that due to the silence of the current so-called democratic leadership in Congress, he is compelled to speak out on pertinent issues they should be addressing. He explained how he can use his visibility as a presidential candidate to give voice to controversial topics. He likened this strategy to the way Jesse Jackson changed the political paradigm when he ran for office.

I was amazed at the amount of statistical facts Rev. Sharpton presented, without notes, regarding domestic and international issues. He is certainly articulate and clear as far as his understanding of critical issues affecting people of color globally. As I listened, there was really nothing substantial I could criticize, and I realized how the media has maligned him. We have to be careful not to be swayed by media mis-characterizations. Study the man and his record for yourself.

Following his speech, a panel of broadcast personalities peppered him with provocative questions, which he responded to impressively. Tavis Smiley flew back in town to be part of this panel and Chris Tucker was also back on stage. Again, he didn't speak. I guess he realized this was not the setting for wisecracks. At the conclusion of this event there was such a stir in the room it was electrifying.

After a break, it was time for the evening's entertainment—or should I say "Cultural Edu-tainment," as it was billed. And what a night it was. We were treated to drummers and dancers from Guinea as well as remarkable local talent. There were spoken word artists, including rappers with positive messages. The headline performance was Arrested Development. They were outstanding.

If there's one thing black folks can do better than talk, it is party. We had a party.

Day Four

On Sunday, Dec. 2, the conference concluded with reports back from the various Saturday workshops. Check the conference web site for feedback on these sessions.

I have to admit I was absent from the final session. Maybe it was all that partying? Whatever… I just felt I needed a time-out. I normally attend church service at Hillside Chapel On the Hill here in Atlanta (a non-denominational congregation). Today I had a private service (just me and nature) on the hill of my favorite walking trail. This is just what I needed. I put aside all the political rhetoric, got away from the hoards of people, and went into the silence. Out of the silence I was able to create a poem and a prayer.

Thank you for sharing this conference with me, albeit through my filtered lens.

See related article:

• Durban Diary: Up Close and Black at the World Conference Against Racism

-- December 21, 2001

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