Does leadership exist in failure?
EDITOR’S COMMENTARY
TO CLOSE GAPS IN BUSINESS AND INCOME, BATON MUST BE PASSED! by Wayne Hodges
KANSAS CITY, MO – After suffering through a miserable 2-14 season in 2008, Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro guard, and team leader, Brian Waters approached new head coach Todd Haley to discuss the team’s future. By the time the brief encounter had ended, several witnesses heard Haley shout the following statement at Waters: “22 guys off the street can win two games.”
Haley’s comment, needless to say, was a direct shot at the Chiefs’ general lack of production and effective leadership. Even though Haley has been labeled condescending and arrogant by several NFL players, I applaud his remark to Waters. And I’ll explain why. The Chiefs organization sort of reminds me of the economic struggles that continue to haunt urban communities across America: lots of so-called leaders and mentors, but very little results.
For instance, if you were to ask any American to name a black leader, 99.9% of the time the response would be Rev. Jesse Jackson (pictured left) or Rev. Al Sharpton. Yet, the last 30 years or so, entrepreneurial business and commerce in most urban communities have shown very little, if any, economic growth. And many neighborhoods have even regressed. “Too many Americans, whites and even some blacks, think that the playing field has indeed leveled,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. “It has not.”
Now, I’m not suggesting Sharpton and Jackson are responsible for the economic shortcomings of Urban America. Both men are no doubt brilliant. However, in my opinion, their methods for bringing about positive change are a tad bit antiquated and, in some instances, completely obsolete. Acts of civil disobedience, marches and boycotts will only carry you so far; especially in this day and age. Why? Globalization in the areas of finance and technology has permanently altered the political landscape. But that’s a different article. Today, let’s stick with urban leadership.
Actually, the lion’s share of my angst and frustration is aimed towards elected officials who continue to short-change the districts they’re supposed to serve. This is no secret, and it’s certainly not ground-breaking news. The overall quality of urban leadership, in my view, has dropped off drastically as of late. And black men, more so than others, are suffering the most. Not convinced? Let’s peek at the statistics.
• According to MSNBC.com, incomes among black men have actually declined in the past three decades; particularly when adjusted for inflation. The low figures were offset only by gains among black women. Now, is it fair to ask the ladies to carry the financial burden of Urban America?
• The same source reports that in 2004, a typical black family had an income that was only 58 percent of a typical white family. However, in 1974, median black incomes were 63 percent in comparison. Hmm…smells like regression to me.
• Also, High Beam Research reports black women outnumber black men on college campuses at an alarming 2:1 ratio. Yikes! This becomes even more significant as large companies continue to outsource labor intensive jobs to foreign markets. Without a high school or college education, the chances of gaining decent employment are practically slim to none.
Now, I propose this simple question: does leadership truly exist in failure? Coach Haley would probably answer “no,” and why not? After all, you don’t need a leader to win 2 games, right? Well, the same is true in economics. So, let’s just call it what it is: there’s not enough quality leadership in the urban community, at least not yet. Before I proceed, allow me to qualify one thing. The intent of this column is not to single out Rev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton (pictured above). I’m certainly aware of the contributions they’ve made to the urban community through the years. Jackson and Sharpton are outstanding ambassadors for equal rights, and have been for a long time.
However, both must realize their time has passed. Seriously, if each man were a milk carton, the expiration date would read: 09/12/75. The same can be said for many of our nation’s leaders. I thought age played a huge role in the outcome of the presidential race. Many voters were turned off by Senator John McCain because he was considered too old to relate to current issues. The men and women of Rev. Jackson’s era (in general) are still immersed in the Civil Rights Movement. That’s why I wasn’t surprised to see Rev. Sharpton ambush radio bigot Don Imus (pictured below) a few years ago when he inexplicably blurted out “nappy headed hoes” over the New York airwaves when referring to the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team.
There’s no question Imus’ remark was stupid. And it certainly deserved severe discipline. But, Sharpton, and other leaders of his era, don’t understand African-Americans have much bigger fish to fry. Imus’ remark, in the grand scheme of things, had very little (if any) economic impact. In hindsight, the protests proved moot as Imus received another broadcasting gig shortly after getting fired from CBS radio. The time and energy spent on Imus’ employment status could’ve been better utilized in other key economic areas. Jackson and Sharpton are also advocates of restitution; which, in my opinion, teaches young people to pursue handouts rather than earning.
See, this ain’t the 60’s! The Civil Rights Movement has dissolved into an economic “Black Hole” for Urban America; especially in the case of black men. Chasing 90-year-old bigots trails in comparison to black-on-black crime, high prison rates, poor median income, increased destitution, and inadequate academic institutions. As a society, we must remain cognizant of this simple fact: Flourishing economics and quality education really do go hand-in-hand. It’s not a cliché.
No disrespect to Rev. Jackson, Rev. Sharpton, and anybody else from the Civil Rights era; but, in my opinion, the urban community needs a serious influx of young, ambitious leaders to sit in the chairs of judgment as Mayors, Commissioners, Superintendents, School Board Members, Judges, Police Chiefs, etc. Recycling washed-up politicians is obviously not working. Meaning? You can put lipstick on a pig but, in the end, it’s still bacon.
Also, keep in mind; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was only 26-years-old during the initial stages of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to Dr. King, political commentator Tavis Smiley (pictured above) and Jesse Jackson Jr. are also great examples of what young leaders should aspire to be. Both are highly knowledgeable, brilliant, outspoken men, and I love ‘em. So, let’s concentrate our efforts on empowering those individuals who are more in touch with modern politics and finance. After all, “Anybody off the street can perform poorly in economics.”
Wayne Hodges, an MBA from St. Mary University, is the Editor-in-Chief of “Mass Appeal News.” He is also an adjunct professor, MPA at Kansas University, and intern with the Kansas Senate. Wayne welcomes your comments at whodges@massappealnews.com
To see the “Self Destruction” video, click the play arrow located on the video box.
April 26th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Alright, I see your point. But if elected leaders refuse to step up, what other options do we have? We can’t make politicans deliver for their districts. I agree that Jackson and Sharpton are past their prime. But what else is out there?
April 26th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Wayne, excellent article. I try to tell my family and friends all the time that urban America needs new leadership. The struggles in our communities have changed over the past 30 years. We need to catch up with the times.
April 26th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Jackson and Sharpton are good people. But those brothas need to pass the baton.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Great article! I love your work. There’s no shame in passing the torch. Our young people must be prepared to step into positions of leadership if America plans to go very far. In my opinion, other countries have done a much better job in mentoring their youth to succeed in business and politics. We have to do the same here in America.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Preach Krystal, Preach!!!
April 26th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Age should not matter I want the best man or woman for the job. You mention washed up politicians but the people must want them in office because they vote for them every year. I blame the people more than the politicians. Just because somebody runs for office does not mean we have to vote for them.
April 26th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Way to kick that knowledge. Keep it comin.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Tavis Smiley for president in 2016!
April 28th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Tavis for president? Very interesting. Hey, I love Jesse and Al. But, they’re just the example in the story. The problems exist in local government. Most of these Mayors, Commissioners, School Board officials, etc., are recycled has-been’s. And, to be frank, they’re killing Urban America. Everybody wants to blame the youth for America’s failures, but the core of the cancer is corruption in politics.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Wayne, I agree with most of the things in your column. Al and Jesse should step aside, but we must remember they are only two people. We need more men in our community to step up and become better fathers and husbands so that it will trickle down to our youth. We can’t count on politicians. Most of them are corrupt anyway. So it’s up to us to fix the problems that hurt our communities.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Nice article. Leadership must be validated with some form of success. Apparently, we haven’t experienced enough success in Urban America. So, the quality of leadership must improve or change altogether.
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:45 am
TJ, I couldn’t have said it better. You’ve hit the nail on the head. As a society, we can’t continue to settle for the status quo and expect positive change. If these politicians didn’t deliver for their districts before, why should we believe they’re going to do something today?
May 4th, 2009 at 9:20 am
[...] Mass Appeal News » Blog Archive » Urban America needs new leadership! [...]
May 5th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
[...] wayne added an interesting post today on Mass Appeal News » Blog Archive » Urban America needs new leadership!Here’s a small readingThe Chiefs organization sort of reminds me of the economic struggles that continue to haunt urban communities across America: lots of so-called leaders and mentors, but very little results. For instance, if you were to ask any American … [...]
May 25th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Excellent article! You did a great job of sticking to the issue.
June 10th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Change is always good…things start to crumble when they stay the same.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:32 am
I think our biggest mistake as a society is we count on politicians to fix all of our problems and most of them don’t care anyway. They are too busy filling their own pockets to care about our financial needs. GREED is going to destroy this country and the Chinese is going to finish us off.
August 15th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Morning Sun, corporate and political greed, inevitably, will destroy this country. In my opinion, we, the people, must get back to the grass roots work necessary to bring about positive change. This includes the implementation of a new political vision (something Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had in the 1960’s), the adoption of fair taxation practices, and a renewed interest in improving economic diversity. Without new leadership, none of this will take place.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Hodges I’m witcha 100% on this one partnah. These old gray head punks in positions of high power are sucking the life out of amerika. I say we ambush ‘em.
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:20 am
Hodges i admire your work. Nice research and great subject matter…keep up the great work.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
These politicans aint nothin but a bunch of gangstas in suits
They dont give a damn about us…all they care about is fillin they own pockets. we the fools for votin for em.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:04 am
Wayne I have pushed this movement since 2000 and I have ran every election since to improve our lives. People must wake up and be counted.
I alone have made a dent in the armor of WYCO but really just holding my coat while I fight needs to stop!
Rotten Politics needs donations and we, You and I need to start a newspaper getting the real word out that will stop corruption and help people?
God Knows I have done my share and taken my beatings! I guess you know the City, BPU and Schools plan now to put me in JAIL, Again, the are attesting that I am guilty of fraud. I didn’t explain well enough to people who had signed the 2009 petition about what the petition was about and 1 one person testified in court that he never would have signed the petition if he had known what it fully was? I asked Jim Mason (BPU Big shot) in a cross examination if he could read and if he made it a habit to sign papers he had not read? The fixed judge stated that due to this fraud non of the 1100 signatures counted and no Grand Jury will be called. They then gave the petition to the KBI for investigations against me for fraud. Great life. Keep up the message and pass the word 2010 will bring another petition with or without me.
May 10th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
when will black people learn?????? jackson and sharpton are con-men in suits. they dont give a damn about black progress as long as they keep gettin paid.