Whether the California Governor’s Recall Election will be held on October 7 or not, hardly any of the candidates, other than Democratic, have campaigned in the Black community or addressed any of the Black issues. Oh, there is a report that State Senator Tom McClintock, a conservative Republican candidate, met with some Blacks in Inglewood, CA and Independent Arianna Huffington visited the African Marketplace in Los Angeles on Labor Day. Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, who owns 5 fuel-guzzler Hummers, was last seen courting the green vote (environmental), but is nowhere to be found in the Black community. Does that tell you something?

Conversely, Democratic Gov. Gray Davis has been with Jesse Jackson at 3rd Baptist, a predominantly Black church in San Francisco, and a number of other events in the Black community “plugging” the “NO ON RECALL.” Democratic Lt. Gov. Bustamante is quite common place in the Black community with his message of “NO ON RECALL,” but just in case, “YES ON BUSTAMANTE!” Nine corporations, Greenlining staff and I successfully convinced Gov. Davis to campaign against Prop. 54, banning collection of racial or ethnic data, and Lt. Gov. Bustamante has given over $3 million dollars to defeat Prop. 54. The TRADEGY: All candidates should be addressing the issues of African Americans!
So, what else is up? A study at the University of Maryland cited that the difference of 40 % of African American Men dying before age 65 as compared to 21% of white men, per a Kaiser Family Foundation study, was primarily due to unequal access to health care and stress due to discrimination. One out of three Black American males in the United States can be expected to be jailed during his lifetime according to a recently released Justice Department report.

Now we have the first Black Female Billionaire in America. Oprah Winfrey? No! It is Sheila Johnson, the other half of Bob Johnson, America’s first Black Billionaire. They got a divorce. The US Army has a Black four-star general, Gen. Larry Ellis. Only three others have achieved the four-star rank in the US Army: Generals Roscoe Robinson, Johnnie Wilson and Colin Powell.

The University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth released a report that Black buying power is estimated to be around $688 billion, yet Black folks only spend 3% of their money with their own Black businesses. Mohamad Nassardeen runs a non-profit in Los Angeles called , “Recycling the Black Dollars,” that is supported by corporations as well as Black businesses. “If Black folks would only spend 30% of their money with Black businesses, there would be little need for affirmative action in most areas of business,” states Aubrey Stone, President of the California Black Chamber of Commerce.

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