Many of us still remember the famous line from Velma Hart in September 2010 at a town hall meeting with President Obama:

"Mr. President, I need you to answer this honestly: Is this my new reality?"

A year later, the country is still mired in high unemployment, anemic economic growth, and a gridlocked congress. Black unemployment is nearly twice that of the national rate of 9.0% at 16.1%. Black teens are experiencing an unemployment rate of 37%. Black wealth has declined to a level that is 5% of the average wealth of white families. Finally, the current generation of young Blacks will be less well off than their parents. This is the new Black reality in America.

I believe there needs to be a new dialog and action agenda -- among Black people -- about our new reality.

There are successful Blacks at every level of our society -- all the way to the White House. We spend the month of February reciting the names of Black high achievers in every sphere of achievement. Yet, a disproportionate number of us are mired in poverty and limited upward mobility. We cannot depend on the President, or government programs to solve our problems. We must consider if we have the capacity to lift other Blacks as we climb.

The challenge of the 20th century, as expressed by W.E.B. Du Bois, was the color line. The major thrust of our striving as a people was to erase as many of the structural barriers to our progress as possible. The civil rights movement removed many of these barriers -- in voting, education, housing, employment. This led to extensive upward mobility and rapid growth of the Black middle class. The obligation to hold on to those gains and help others to climb is ours and ours alone.

Now that we see these gains slipping from our grip, we must consider how our daily actions can help prevent further declines, and renew our efforts to do a better job of reshaping our future and securing our advances.

There are five areas where we can take actions to shape our new reality.

1. Education -- We must start with our families... where our parents and grandparents left off. We must do everything we can to improve our schools and the education of our children. Black high school graduation rates average 57%. This is unacceptable. In the 21st century, a post high school education is necessary for survival. Our future Black generations cannot be better off unless they have a better education.
2. Business -- We must help other Blacks succeed in business. We must support Black entrepreneurs because they employ more Blacks and help determine the economic destiny of Black Americans. If we are employed in corporate America, or own a business, we must help develop the skills and talents of Black protege's so that there is a pipeline of succession to secure the gains we have made.
3. Wealth -- We must learn and teach our children about financial literacy at a young age. The difference in median wealth between Black America and White America is the difference between consumption and building wealth. We focus on the "spending power" of Black America. We must shift from a consumption mentality to a wealth building mindset.
4. Families -- Our new reality has shattered the value of families. Simple math underscores the significance of family structure to economic wellbeing. Two people heading a family have greater financial and social resources to provide a better future for their children. Strong families helped us to make progress from slavery through Jim Crow, to the middle class in the 60's. We must find ways to build stronger families, or watch our children drift into further decline.
5. Political Clout -- We must do a better job of leveraging our political power through regular participation in the political process. Our vote is the most effective tool we have when we use it. Black voting declined 40% in the 2010 elections that empowered the Tea Party and led to a gridlocked congress. We must participate in every election so that our voice is consistently heard and reckoned with. It is really simple. If we don't vote, we cannot complain.

The actions above don't need a movement. They need the conscious commitment of a few who encourage others. Yes, there are structural barriers; we have to work harder to overcome them. Yes, we are behind; we must run faster to catch up. Yes, sometimes we have to work twice as hard to get ahead; we must change perceptions when we are in a position to do so. Consider this poem, when the going gets tough.

Mother to Son

by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor --
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now --
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Roger Madison, CEO

iZania, LLC