What Can Black Americans Do About the Economic Crisis? Don't Panic, Take Action

The economic crisis that has filled the headlines for the past two months has demonstrated the dysfunctional nature of political gridlock in the face of lagging economic growth.  As many of us know, this crisis in not new to the Black community.  We have historically suffered higher unemployment, poorer education, and most
recently, news that the wealth gap is widening.  This isn't new news to us.

The improved outcomes we seek have always come from progressive initiatives within our own community that raise our condition, and the need to address them, to a higher level on the national agenda. In this current crisis, there won't be another civil rights movement to address our needs, but there can be a civil action movement to address issues at the grass roots level which are having a disproportionately negative impact on the Black community. Here are three actions where we can help affect outcomes.

1. In Wisconsin, The response to the union busting tactics of the Governor Walker has resulted in 6 upcoming recall elections that could shift the leadership in the Wisconsin Senate to save public sector unions from destruction. This is important because the public sector has a disproportionately high number of Black and minority employees. We lose this fight, and we lose a small foothold we have in the middle class.
   

   ACTION: Black Wisconsin voters need to vote next Tuesday in the recall elections to replace supporters of the new Republican agenda with representatives who will support positions important to us.
   

2. In Ohio, Governor Kasich and the Republican legislature has passed a union-killing bill -- SB5. That bill is now on the November ballot for recall. All registered Black voters in Ohio need to vote to repeal this legislation to save the destruction of public sector, teacher, fire and police unions. A vote to repeal SB5 will preserve some of the progress we have made.
   

   ACTION: Voters in Ohio need to vote for the repeal of SB5 in the upcoming November elections.
   

3. Many Blacks have turned to entrepreneurship as they have lost their jobs. These new entrepreneurs bring a high level of skill and experience to their offerings in the current marketplace. Studies have indicated that up to 70% of the employees of Black-owned businesses are aslo Black. So, supporting Black-owned businesses has a positive impact on Black unemployment. There may not be a Black alternative for all our expenditures, but we shouldn't overlook the quality Black alternatives that are availble to us.
   

   ACTION: Every Black consumer should consider Black alternatives for their discretionary spending.

Fighting from the bottom is not new to us. Yes, conditions are measurably worse for most of us. We shouldn't panic. We have to initiate a bottoms-up strategy on a local level that preserves the gains we have made, so that our voices are heard, and our actions recognized.

These are not the only actions that can be taken, but they represent the types of actions that can make a difference. We have to initiate plans in our self-interests at a local level while we continue to demand more actions from our President and national leaders.