The war with Iraq is expected to drain our communities of education, health care, housing and critical social services. But, also affirmative action, weakened by the slow economy in its "last hired, first fired" policy for African Americans, will have even lower priority when it comes to the war.
Black business receives only 1% of our nation's $130 billion per year in military construction contracts. And, like the Desert Storm War in 1991 with Iraq, where a much higher percentage than the current 21% of Black soldiers participated, African American firms will get "nothing" in contracting for the clean-up and restoration of Iraq. While most of us stand behind our troops, the liberation of the Iraqi people has an empty sound for many discerning Blacks, when America has not liberated Black Americans from systemic discrimination in education, employment, contracting and other areas.

On another war front, "From the West Coast of America to the West Coast of Africa, whether emanating from the impacts of slavery or colonialism, affirmative action is needed to level the playing field from years of oppression, apartheid, segregation, and discrimination," states Kay DeBow, co-founder and Executive Vice President of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), who led a trade mission to Ghana in late March of this year. In Ghana, where it is estimated that over half of our African American slave ancestors were shipped through the dehumanizing Portuguese and British castles on its North Coast, U.S. funded projects are accomplished without the participation of a single local Ghanaian firm. Like the Black communities in the U.S., this leaves no wealth or capacity building to local firms and is merely a re-circulation of the dollar under the pretext of improving the physical and social systems of the Country.

The NBCC Trade Delegation of 20 African American companies was escorted personally by the popular Ghanaian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency, Alan Kyerematen and hosted by his Excellency, J. A. Kufuor, President of Ghana after meeting with ten ministers. A lavish "Welcome Home" ceremony was provided by the King of Kyebe, whose Kingdom along with the Ashanti Kingdom made up the highly civilized ancient "Kingdom of Ghana," dating back to 1300 BC and covering all of West Africa from Mauritania to Togo. Affirmatively, 80 % of the trade mission left with solid business ventures including food processing plants, computer manufacturing, textile imports, engineering assistance, consulting, human resources and a stock market brokerage to the Ghanaian Stock Market that averages a 46 % increase in value each year.

"No need for affirmative action, we were home."