The 2014 Fannie Lou Hamer Report Shines Spotlight on Political Spending and the Black Community

The recent 2014 Fannie Lou Hamer Report had Black Political Consultants in the Beltway throwing fits of rage when it was revealed that Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spent...

“half of all funds raised by the Party over the past two cycles to hire consultants to engage multiracial voters; however, of the firms who received a total of $515 million in disbursements, only 1.7% ($8.7 million) went to firms that were minority-owned or had a minority principal, signaling a need for additional needed progress and change in how resources are spent within the Party.”

Black folks have been screaming at the Republican Party and RNC for their overt treatment of minorities and their lack of minority outreach. But their screams were mingled with heart palpitations because of the convert actions of the Democrats. Well-meaning friends who are political consultants have been asked to give many hourly segments touting the goodness of voting for Democrats. But they were puking over toilets after realizing now what they gave awayfor free, Democrats paid top dollars to majority firms or businesses disguised as women owned consulting firms.

From time to time, I have had national leaders on my radio show, Living Your Best Life, or written about them to address major concerns regarding veterans, housing, immigration, or the worst Supreme Court ever. But I have never used my time and energy to push a political agenda on behalf of any politician or political party. Too often, political leaders at federal, state, and local levels will say whatever to anybody to get in office. This is nothing personal, just a fact. The Republicans are not the only ones stuck on stupid. The Democrats are still in a boys’ club with a few women and play the same games.

While campaigning to get the majority minority and progressive voters out to the polls around the country in 2010 and 2012, the Democrats paid who they wanted to pay to communicate the issues to the voters. It has long been instilled in the Black community that White folks’ ice water is colder. With that kind of thinking, a large majority firm can visit the Black community and use cold ice water and the fear of extremism to do just as much damage. Couple that with vote when it feels good and you can see the Black community is ripe for the picking by Democrats and Republicans. The Black community gives both parties what they want; one group wants folks to accept church and chicken dinner endorsements and the other group wants folks not to vote. Black folks do both…often.

This embedded craziness hurts us even more when a Black politicianfinally gets elected and is charted off to jail quicker than the polls closing early in North Carolina for criminal acts that others get off or reelected for doing. Black folks cannot win for losing. And when we lose, we are Gilligan Island lost. How can we stop the madness? It starts with how we treat each other in the Black community and how minority dollars are spent with minority firms.

As the owner of Holmes Pest Control, the majority of my customers do not look like me nor live in my neighborhood. As a matter fact, less than ten percent of our clients are Black. And many of them are business owners. Most of us started our companies between 1994 and 1997. We were young entrepreneurs ready to save the world and our community. We were too proud to receive our minority contracting “certification” and attended every minority contracting luncheon in the state. I was the only bug killer in the group and quickly noticed oddities the others did not see until later. Outside our group, it was very hard to solicit other Black owned companies, affluent Black leaders, government agencies, and my neighbors to do business with me. I could kill roaches in my sleep but could not get folks with roaches to become customers.

One day, after watching several national pest companies park in my neighbors’ driveways on my street for over three years, I had a come to Jesus meeting with myself. Gagging from disappointment that my neighbors would rather pay someone else to service them but often complained about the service they were receiving to me, I said, “No more expectations that those who look like me want to see me succeed and provide not only for my family but also for other families in the community. No more asking Black folks and neighbors to do business with me.” As harsh as it sounds, when I reached that fork in the road, a fire was lite inside of me. My community actions helped me find customers under rocks, in bends, and on the mountain tops. I started knocking on doors across town and showing up at Rotary meetings in a ten county region. Once, one group thought I was the new waitress who was on break. Ouch. But it took only one or two meetings to get them to understand that a roach is a roach. Those country folks out in the middle nowhere did something for me that my own would not do, they patronized my business.

I am two decades removed from my early years of starting Holmes Pest Control but those lessons I learned were humbling and educational. I learned much about human nature, my people, my community, and myself. The Fannie Lou Hamer Report reminded me of those lessons.

Fannie Lou Hamer

 Unfortunately, 50 years after fellow Mississippian, Fannie Lou Hamer, “challenged the Democratic party to allow Blacks to be part of the coalition”, Black folks are still asking for the same identical things from our country, our political parties and our own people. Majority firms that do business with us will treat us the way we treat ourselves. Until we begin to think differently and spend with each other first, change ain’t gonna come. Not with Republicans. Not with Democrats. Not with contractors.

I learned over time not to take it personally. People are people. A few years ago, I decided to invest in a bottle water company. I glue the labels on the bottles myself. I hired a young white 20 something to put the bottled water on ice. He sells them at all the HBCU games in town. My bottled water company is growing faster than any company I started. Who knew?

Photos Credits: Mississippi Libary Archives, Holmes Pest Control, White Folks Ice Water Company, FEC

 

Michael Steele's Coonery Tour Has Ended

Michael Steele was elected as the first African American Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) in January of 2009. He was elected shortly after President Obama became the first African American President of the United States. Many believed that Mr. Steele would be the Republican’s answers to President Obama. Mr. Steele could attack the President without it appearing racial. Mr. Steele promised that during his reign of the RNC, he would make sure the Republican Party reached out to more ethnic minorities across the country.


But Mr. Steele’s leadership seemed to cause more division among conservatives and was not inclusive of minorities. The RNC lost a chuck of its base to the Tea Party. The Tea Party organizations from around the country ran candidates against not only incumbent Democrats but Republican as well. The Tea party members called Republicans out in many races and promised that once they got to Washington they were not only going to hold the President accountable, but Democrats and Republicans to their vision of how they want the government work.

Down South, my grandparents used a term to call intelligent Black folks who played down their abilities and mocked their communities coonery. In many conservative circles, Michael Steele’s coonery was blamed for helping topple the RNC. Nothing prepared Republicans for his antics and out of control foolishness that came out of Steele’s mouth often. Not only was he an embarrassment to old school Republicans but many Black folks did not know what to make of Steele’s constant ignorant outbursts. His love of self-promotions made in him a comedy routine regular on The Daily Show. A Muppet like character was created to depict Steele using his street slang. His made up homeboy sayings had even people from the streets scratching their head questioning what he was talking about. Nothing from Steele’s background would have predicted how badly he would lead the RNC.

Steele was adopted by a Democrat leaning working class family as a baby. He lost his farther at an early age but his mother later remarried and had a second child. His half-sister, Monica Turner, later married and divorced Boxer Mike Tyson. Steele attended Catholic schools and even studied to become a priest. He graduated from John Hopkins University with a degree in International Studies and later received his law degree from Georgetown University Law School. Steele was employed as a corporate securities associate at the Washington, D.C. office of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, & Hamilton. From 1991 to 1997, he specialized in financial investments for Wall Street underwriters, working at Cleary's Tokyo, Japan office on major product liability litigation and at its London office on corporate matters. He left the law firm and founded the Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm. He was active in politics.

Mr. Steele severed as Lt. Governor of Maryland and was the first African American to hold that title. He was instrumental in helping establish Minorities Business Enterprise program and made education a priority.

Several minority business owners that I know personally from the DC area have credited Steele for helping them establish their businesses. But they quickly point out did not recognize the Steele that was chair of the RNC. Steele, a bright and intelligent person prior to becoming a national political figure, became someone who played up the worst stereotypes of Black in mainstream media. He became a caricature from the hood that put on a suit and a bow tie that made white folks chuckle with glee and Blacks folks hold their breathes in dismay. Watching him tell his humorless jokes on TV would leave me baffled but hearing him in person left me wondering why I was even trying to comprehend his logic on the occasions I heard him speak. He truly reminded me of an Amos and Andy routine. He attacked the President as his paycheck required him to do but rarely did any of his attacks stick.

Steele could have used his talents from his previous careers to convert independents who became disillusioned with President Obama. But he could not even get ants to an outdoor picnic. He allowed racial rhetoric go too far too long. Steele’s justified statements that he knew were inflammatory nightly on cable news. He only countered it when RNC members started complaining about his lavish spending, questionable nightclub outings, and how he seemed to pocket money from his book tour instead of giving the money to the RNC. When he came under scrutiny, he ran to Black radio crying racism in the RNC. Hmm, how convenient.

Steele had no shame. Folks on Coonery circuits usually don’t. Being the head of the RNC, Steele showed us classic coonery. Right out the bat he tried to bring hip-hop to the RNC in order to reach the youth. Who say hip-hop anymore? Publicly feuded with Rush Limbaugh only to back track and kiss Rush’s Ring. And other parts. Didn’t know pro-choice did not mean pro-life. All Catholics know the difference. Swore that white folks were afraid of him. Really? In January 2010, predicted that the GOP would not win very many seats. They won 63 House seats. Said he wrote his book before he was Chairman of the RNC. Lied. Claim Afghanistan 'Was A War Of Obama's Choosing. Nope, President Bush took us to war. Twice.

Steele ended his gaffe filled two year coonery tour this month with a response to a question at the RNC chair debate. The candidates were asked what their favorite book was. Steele said his favorite book was War and Peace by Tolstoy, and then quoted: "It's the best of times and the worst of times," triggering laughter throughout the hall at the fact that Steele had in fact quoted A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. Shameful. Thankfully, the tour is over!


Article first published as Michael Steele's Coonery Tour Has Ended on Blogcritics.