Beyond the Rhetoric

By Harry C. Alford & Kay DeBow

When we were growing up the mail service was something, we could take for granted. As the American population grew and towns became cities and worldwide business was linked and business came at the “speed of thought,” the demands for punctuality and accuracy became oh so important. Most business is done by mail. But as business speed becomes more and more important alternatives are being created to meet the new demand. Federal Express, Amazon, UPS, DHL, emailing, etc. are becoming a growing alternative to “snail mail.”

A typical letter carrier is only human and that means there are flaws that makes certainty or accuracy not necessarily an automatic function. Carriers make mistakes and when they do our business may suffer. Checks get “lost” in the mail. A letter may come within two days or it may take five days depending on the human factor in the process.

Our latest relocation has made us familiar with the current state of our postal service. We moved from northwest Washington, DC to downtown. Online we put in a change of address notice and a request to forward all mail to the new address. Judging from previous moves we thought that would be a simple process. But “No More!” It now takes a letter to be forwarded across town average of 14 – 25 days. There is a certain percentage that will become “lost” never to be seen again. Since our move we have “lost” significant checks, credit cards, billings and other important business matters.

What happened to the efficiency? The instructions on forwarding our mail says that if we don’t receive the forwarding mail within 10 days we should call and voice a complaint. Patiently, we waited 20 days before doing that. We were ensured that it will be corrected within 24 hours. However, it was never corrected in fact, it became worse, so we placed another complaint. After waiting an hour plus on another phone call, they gave us another case number and assured us that the situation will be changed. Not true! We are in the last week of January and mail that is postmarked in early December is just now reaching us. We had an important legal document become lost in the forwarding and had to spend an amount of money to have it resent.

One time about a year ago, we went out of town and our security guard told our letter carrier to just leave the mail in the box and we would pick it up at the end of the week. The carrier refused and proclaimed that it was a “vacation hold” and that we would have to come to the postal center to sign a return status and receive the collected mail. OK, we thought we could simply drive to the post office down the street and sign off and get our mail back to routine status. But no!!!! We came to find out that the “postal center” was not the neighborhood post office but a huge warehouse on the Maryland border about an hour away. We had to drive over there and arrive before 8:00AM to sign the form and get our mail. What a waste of time and inconvenience!

Such is our current United States Postal Service. It doesn’t help to complain as the postal workers’ union will protect those carriers and preserve their inefficiencies. Each year we see the same news on television: USPS loses billions of dollars due to inefficiency and waste. Meanwhile, FEDEX, UPS, Amazon, etc. are racking up billions of dollars in profit and their stock continues to sore high.

There is no doubt in our minds that the time has come to privatize our postal service. President Trump has that on his “To Do List” but we want to speed that process up. Our postal system should be regionalized and competitive with alternative ways of delivery. It probably will not cost us any more than the pricing today. Cost should be on a measurable rate: the more you mail; the more you pay. Various companies should compete for your choice in mail service and the markets should drive their worth and value.

We don’t want to lose any more mail which means money, business performance and anxiety. We envision a new postal service or services that are accountable to the public and its investors. Private corporations will beat government in performance every time. Our mail is no exception. It is Neanderthal to think that the way we did something decades ago should remain the same.

Come and join us in this movement. It is time to privatize our postal system!!!

Mr. Alford is the Co-Founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce ®. Ms. DeBow is the Co-Founder, Executive Vice President of the Chamber. Website: www.nationalbcc.org Emails: halford@nationalbcc.org kdebow@nationalbcc.org

• Nissan to host more than 70 African American high school students at its North American Headquarters during Black History Month
• Partnering with six chapters of 100 Black Men of America, Nissan will host its Next Gen Summit from February 20-21
• Students to tour Nissan headquarters, Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant and Nissan Stadium

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 20, 2020) – During the 2020 Next Gen Summit, high school students from six cities across the country − Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Jackson (Miss.), Nashville and Washington, D.C. − will meet with Nissan leaders and participate in workshops to prepare themselves for a successful future.

The students are selected through a process that includes a recommendation from their school, resume submission and an interview with representatives from their local chapter of 100 Black Men of America. Students with the most robust resume and interview skills were invited to attend the 2020 Nissan Next Gen Summit, sponsored by Nissan.

“We’re thrilled to welcome a new group of student leaders to our headquarters,” says Rodney Francis, director of Diversity and Inclusion. “Every year, we enjoy interacting with young men identified as up-and-comers in their community and giving them a glimpse into the inner workings of our business. It’s our hope that they leave inspired and equipped with tips for success in school and in life.”

During their experience in the Nashville area, the students will travel to Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, where they will meet with Titans alumni Kevin Dyson, Blaine Bishop and Chris Sanders.

“It’s not a coincidence that we are hosting the Next Gen Summit during Black History Month,” says Francis. “Part of Nissan’s celebration of black culture and heritage is providing opportunities for the next generation of black youth.”

John E. Hardy, executive director, 100 Black Men of Jackson, Inc., says that the event is much anticipated by youth in his community.

“The Nissan Next Gen Summit provides a prism of employment opportunities and life experiences for the students in attendance,” says Hardy. “It lends credence to the motto of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. − ‘What They See Is What They’ll Be.’”

Over its seven-year partnership with 100 Black Men of America, more than 350 students have participated in the Nissan Next Gen Summit or related events.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infinitiusa.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and infinitinews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2018, the company sold 5.52 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.6 trillion yen. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance sold 10.76 million vehicles combined in calendar year 2018.

For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

The brotherhood of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. and UAW President Walter Reuther

By Ray Curry, Secretary-Treasurer, UAW

America’s Black History, which we celebrate this month, offers abundant examples across the centuries of how one person can make a difference, how one person can move an entire people forward. I am lucky enough to have witnessed the results of two such difference makers firsthand, both in my job and in my life. Two men who found each other in their individual fight for human rights, and in doing so, helped shape the future of our nation.

So, this February, I would like to pay tribute to that relationship, to two heavyweight champions who fought together for America’s soul, and who transcended their time and place in helping to define it forever: The Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. and Walter Reuther, President of the UAW.

A long time before these two extraordinary men teamed up, their spirits were entwined. Dr. King understood the voice that organized labor gave to workers just trying to better their lot. He once characterized it in a speech to an AFL-CIO crowd: “The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief for the destitute, and above all, new wage levels that meant not mere survival but a tolerable life.”

For his part, Reuther confronted racism early on in the 1930s as a student at what is now Detroit’s Wayne State University. The incident involved a local hotel that was permitting white students to use its swimming pool but refused blacks.

When Reuther discovered this, he took on the injustice by organizing a protest that surrounded the block where the hotel was located with his fellow classmates. The action, typical of the times, resulted in all students being banned, black and white, but Reuther made a clear statement and went on to make a history of such battles.

Tireless fighters

In 1946, Reuther immediately took up social injustice upon becoming the UAW’s president by declaring that beyond the battle for worker rights it was “the union’s role to fight for the public at large.” Without waiting around for the country to get on board, Reuther took on the American Bowling League, which excluded black bowlers. In 1948, he began a bowling tournament in what is now UAW Region 1A in Michigan that allowed blacks and whites to bowl together. Today, that tournament still stands, and my brothers and sisters celebrate this rich tradition every year.

In 1949, just as the Civil Rights Movement was getting underway, he used his leverage to help bring about the first meeting in Washington, D.C., on civil rights legislation. Of his activism he once observed, “You can’t opt out of life, you have to make up your mind if you are willing to accept things the way they are.”

Both men knew what economic gain could bring. Early on, Dr. King took on anti-union politicians who he saw standing in the way of progress for America’s people of color: “In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right to work.’ … Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone. Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights.”

Reuther saw it the same way, conservative politicians ready to shut the door on equality and justice for all: “There is a direct link between ballot box and bread box,” he famously declared.

Both men knew the significance of fair housing. Walter Reuther started pushing for legislation, both lobbying for and devising fair housing programs, first in Detroit, and then nationally soon after the second World War. In the 1960s, he helped launch Operation Breakthrough, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program that used union-made manufactured housing to lessen the devastating impact the housing crisis was having on minority communities. The program helped create job opportunities in these locations, all the while encouraging racial and income integration in the larger community.

Doctor King, who knew all too well the misery that housing segregation caused for minorities, was himself a tireless warrior on this front. A 2018 article appearing in The Atlantic captures his fearlessness and tenacity for the cause:

“‘Kill him,’ a mob chanted as Dr. King marched across Marquette Park in the late summer of 1966. King had recently moved to Chicago, and on that August afternoon, he joined a Chicago Freedom Movement march to demand that realtors not discriminate against black residents seeking to live in white neighborhoods. A group of white counter-protesters grew violent and started hurling rocks, bottles, and bricks at the demonstrators, eventually striking Dr. King in the head. ‘I’ve been in many demonstrations all across the South, but I can say that I have never seen — even in Mississippi and Alabama — mobs as hostile and as hate-filled as I’ve seen here in Chicago,’ he said, shining light on a problem that white Northern liberals had ignored and let fester for far too long: de facto segregation.”

Resolve that will not break

Both men paid dearly in standing tall for all people: Reuther was confronted by Ford hired goons and beaten within an inch of his life while trying to organize workers. Would be assassins came to his door twice. Doctor King, who devoted his life to peaceful protest, was jailed repeatedly on just about every trumped-up charge imaginable. That rock thrown at him in Chicago knocked him off his feet. He stayed on the ground until he could shake off the cobwebs, get up again and keep right on marching.

None of this even slowed either man down for a moment in their fight for justice. Reuther marched with Dr. King in Selma, Montgomery, and Jackson. When King and 800 others were jailed in Birmingham, Alabama, Reuther turned to his fellow UAW members who raised $160,000 in bail money to get those arrested out of jail.

In the summer of 1963, Reuther teamed up with Dr. King in Detroit for The Walk to Freedom, the largest Civil Rights demonstration in U.S. history at that point, with an estimated 125,000 people attending. Led by Dr. King and President Reuther, the massive march down Woodward Avenue drew attention to matters close to the Equal Rights mission and to the UAW — racism, segregation, discrimination and inequality in hiring, wages, education and housing.

Reuther brought supporters and provided office space at Solidarity House for Dr. King to organize the event. It was at the UAW’s Solidarity House, in fact, that Dr. King composed the first version of his,” I Have a Dream” speech, which he gave with Reuther at his side at Detroit’s Cobo Hall following the march.

Two months later, the pair were together again, leading some 250,000 people, this time in front of the nation’s eyes, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. This seminal event, known as March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, once again linked the two leaders and their causes.

It was here that Reverend King most fully articulated his “I Have a Dream” speech, in which he emphasized his faith that all men, someday, would be brothers. It was here too that Walter Reuther gave remarks from the podium. In his speech, Reuther urged that our nation must “… bridge the moral gap between American democracy’s noble promises and it’s ugly practices in the field of civil rights.” Following the event, President John F. Kennedy met with the two leaders to talk more on what could be done.

A spirit that will not be crushed

On the 25th anniversary of the UAW, King wrote a letter to Reuther, that included this passage:

“More than anyone else in America, you stand out as the shining symbol of democratic trade unionism. Through trials, efforts and your unswerving devotion to humanitarian causes, you have made life more meaningful for millions of working people. Through moments of difficulty and strong obstacles, you have stood firm for what you believe, knowing that in the long run ‘Truth crushed to earth will rise again.’ … One day all of America will be proud of your achievements and will record your work as one of the glowing epics of our heritage.”

Not long after writing that, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered for his life’s work of improving the lives of people oppressed for no more than the color of their skins. Fair Housing was passed in the wake of his assassination. Two years later, UAW President, Walter Reuther, was killed along with his wife, May, in a plane crash. His life’s work was to give voice to working people.

That struggle continues today. We still fight for voting rights and to protect the Voting Rights Act; we still struggle to protect and maintain a livable wage, we still struggle against Right-to-Work.

Today is a reminder of how hard these two friends fought and how very much they won for the generations that have come after them.

I think both brothers — brothers are what Dr. King envisioned we would all be to one another; and brother and sister are exactly what we as union members call each other. Dr. King would have been pleased to have heard that.

We continue their fight and will work in this 2020 election year as tirelessly as these two noble friends did throughout their lives to stand strong for justice.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Truly this is a reminder of the relationship of two friends, two great leaders, and most importantly about the challenges that we still face each day.

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

The U.S. Census is now preparing to count all who live in the United States of America. For the more than 50 million Black Americans in the U.S., the 2020 U.S. Census is vital. Our numbers do matter and must be properly and accurately counted. Our birth rates count. Our socioeconomic rates count. Our death rates count. The overall quality of life in Black America will be impacted for the next ten years as a result of the 2020 U.S. Census.

The full life journeys of all Black Americans are important. Today, we are observing and celebrating 2020 Black History Month. This is the time for understanding and learning from the past to change the present and to ensure a better future for Black America.

While there has been a lot of appropriate national attention and focus on the beginning of life’s journey, there has not been enough attention on the inevitable transition and conclusions of one’s life journey, particularly from the African American perspective.

This year is the 193rd year of the Black Press of America, represented today by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) across the nation. I am proud of the expansion and progress of the Black Press even amidst trying and challenging economic times for Black owned businesses. The NNPA corporate partners and sponsors, such as Compassion & Choices, immeasurably help to sustain the Black Press.

The NNPA member publishers and newspapers, complimented by their digital distribution of content, including a wide array of social media channels, cover the news that oftentimes gets left out of mainstream news media. One of the reasons why the Black Press continues to be the trusted voice of Black America is because we report on the entire journey of Black America from life to death from generation to generation.

The NNPA began a unique and important partnership with Compassion & Choices to acquire a more in-depth awareness and knowledge about how Black Americans and others are enabled to have a planned, dignified and well thought out, peaceful transition without the sudden unpreparedness that happens too often in many Black American families.

Compassion & Choices is committed to empowering people to get the care they need during a serious illness or at the end of life. One way to do that is by helping people plan well and become good advocates for themselves and their loved ones.

In other words, the entirety of one’s life journey is precious and should be prepared for the end of the journey with dignity and respect. It is really about taking responsibility to ensure that your transition will be handled in a manner that you have pre-determined with the interest of all those you love and who love you.

This is a subject that is often avoided until the finality of death confronts the loved ones of the departed. Our newspapers cover and publish the obituaries of people in the communities in which we serve as a matter of tradition and respect for the untold positive contributions of those who make their final transition at the end of their remarkable life journeys.

We know that we have to show respect to each other in our families, communities, and careers. Black love is about Black self-respect. Too often Black lives are ended in some type of hardship, tragedy, brutality, prolonged sickness, or some unexpected unavoidable circumstance. But all of our final transitions should be observed with the utmost respect and dignity.

Planning for one’s transition does not mean you are ready to die before your time is up or that you are attempting to hurry or rush your departure from this world. To the contrary, planning the final transition of your life is like having a sustainable life insurance policy that removes the burden of your transition from your love ones.

Talking about and planning your transition will not kill you, but it will save your love ones the awful sorrow and agony of unpreparedness. We are grateful to Compassion & Choices for helping us to transfer our reluctance and fear of discussing the ultimate transition of our life journeys into a responsible and respectful plan of love and dignity.

Yes, Black life journeys matter at the beginning and at the end. We all have the opportunity and the responsibility to respond to this issue in a timely manner.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

By Pluria Marshall Jr., President / CEO Marshall Broadcasting Group

When I tell you that you can count the number of African American commercial TV station owners in the U.S. on one hand, I mean it literally. There are only five – and I’m one of them.

Less than 1% of the nation’s 1,400-plus commercial television stations are owned by African Americans – a shocking and shameful reality in a nation that purports to be the world’s example of a free and diverse press. Minority media ownership is a fundamental part of our commitment to create and support an educated and well-informed society because it allows news and information to be presented by different (and often ignored) perspectives.

Earlier this month in Congress, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing, “Lifting Voices: Legislation to Promote Media Marketplace Diversity,” to shed light on the challenges uniquely faced by minority broadcasters and close the loopholes that allow huge corporations to put these minority voices down. This hearing couldn’t come at a more urgent moment as the 2020 election cycle is well underway, giving broadcasters and station owners enormous influence over the content and information that voters receive.

My own experience as an African American media broadcast owner is a case study in how our system is not supposed to work. I am president and CEO of Marshall Broadcasting Group (MBG), a television broadcasting company that owns three full power television stations in the United States. In 2014, I was contacted by former FCC Chairman Dick Wiley about a potential opportunity to partner with Nexstar Media Group to acquire one or more TV stations.

As a longtime media executive, I naturally expressed my interest. After several meetings with Nexstar executives, Nexstar agreed to an FCC-imposed mandate to guarantee a $60 million bank loan so I could acquire three TV stations in Texas, Louisiana and Iowa.

Why did Nexstar agree to guarantee the loan? Because they had a $500 million acquisition on the table that was going to be rejected unless they helped a minority business owner get into the TV business (simultaneously helping the FCC honor its diversity mandate).

And that’s not just me talking – that’s exactly what then-FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told Nexstar: Help a black man get into TV broadcasting – by providing the loan guaranty and other assistance – or the FCC will not approve your transaction. Without MBG’s help, then, Nexstar’s $500 million acquisition would have never been approved. What’s more, Nexstar would have forfeited millions of dollars in fees and deposits.

In theory, Nexstar’s long-term commitment was to help MBG get a secure footing in broadcasting, acquire more TV stations and, ultimately, become a thriving minority broadcaster in its own right. In reality, it was something else. Before the ink on the agreement was dry, Nexstar reneged on most of its obligations under the FCC agreement. Notwithstanding that, Nexstar did call in its marker for FCC approval of a larger, unrelated transaction. Once Nexstar’s larger deal was approved, it took active measures to sabotage MBG and run us out of business. They overcharged us for stations, interfered with our operations, imposed oppressive fees for shared services, withheld working capital, and eventually caused us to default on our credit facility.

This is not how companies that claim to be committed to media diversity should treat their minority broadcast partners. In my opinion, it represents the calculated scheme of a predator who exploits and manipulates the system to subsidize its own interests and ventures – all with U.S. tax dollars and blessing.

The biggest failure was our system – set up by Congress and run by the FCC – that lacks the accountability, follow-up and protections to not only encourage minority broadcasters, but to support us as we grow and thrive. In fact, even when these abuses were brought to the FCC’s attention in the form of a complaint, the FCC ignored them and rewarded Nexstar with approval of an even larger merger, allowing them to purchase Tribune; a company previously denied to Sinclair for similar abuses.

The only thing worse than our government turning a blind eye to minority broadcasters is when government officials actually do something to assist media diversity, only to have those efforts thwarted by the disingenuous actions of corporations like Nexstar.

Starting with the recent hearing – but not ending until we’ve leveled the playing field – let’s demand that Congress take the necessary steps to support minority broadcasters who want to grow and enrich our media landscape, unshackled to bad actors like Nexstar. I’m proud to be a pioneering African American broadcast owner, but our country would be much better off if I was one of many.

By Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP

We find ourselves at the beginning of a new Black History Month (BHM) in a distinctive decade during one of the most polarizing times of our lives. Our collective journey to this moment has undoubtedly been challenging. Still, we’ve been victorious on many fronts to advance our culture, agendas, and narrative on a national platform.

As we come off the heels of celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who died for acting on his convictions of an equal America, we enter into a critical season of ensuring our vote and voice count. As a people, not long separated from the bondage of slavery, we were once only counted as 3/5 of a person. Without question, the lingering effects of being valued as less than a whole person still exist today through racist ideologies, discriminatory politics, and inequitable policies.

Combating these ills begins with ensuring we fully engage without pause in the 2020 Census, which starts on April 1, 2020. The Census is a cornerstone of American democracy, which is built on the backs of our ancestors. The data collected is used to determine representation in the United States Congress and planning for the future of all communities across the country. $882 billion will be allocated annually in federal funds to state, local, and tribal governments. Programs and services at risk include schools, hospitals, community centers, roads, transportation, and public safety departments. Marginalized communities will suffer if residents go uncounted. All communities must participate, but specifically, communities of color, as our neighborhoods are often the most overlooked. Our interest, as a people and culture, is tied directly to being counted in the 2020 Census. It would be a disservice to our neighborhood and our children if we opted to not engage in the 2020 Census.

At a time when our rights, explicitly voting rights, are under attack, and public officials are more concerned about remaining in power than uplifting societies most vulnerable, we must take every step to protect our households and communities. In 2020, preserving our democracy starts with being counted and voting in the presidential primary. At the least, these two activities send a message that we are paying attention and are actively involved in the trajectory of this nation. Further, it allows us to wield political and social power in a system that historically has shut us out. 2020 is the first year that the Census will be online.

The obstacles put in place by those that wish to see us disenfranchised – from the Census to the ballot box – only prolong the inevitable changing tide and sentiment of this country. We, the people, have the power and ability to create the change we want to see. It starts with becoming civically engaged and demanding those in power act in our interest by creating policies that bring about fair and equal access to the ballot box and beyond.

In December of last year, the NAACP, along with other plaintiffs, won a critical appeals court ruling, which reinstated our federal suit challenging the federal government’s inadequate plans for conducting the 2020 Census after the district court erroneously dismissed it. This ruling will help aid efforts to ensure that the 2020 Census properly counts all people, including historically undercounted communities of color, who are at risk of being missed under the Census Bureau’s current plans.

This month is not only about commemorating our history but cementing and shaping our present-day legacy for future generations. The dream didn’t die with Martin, nor did the fight. It is every one of our responsibilities to bring about the change we wish to see. Each day, fueled by our supporters, we at the NAACP are working to make the modern-day civil rights movement possible, carrying on the vision of those that came before and creating space for generations that are to come. Together, people of color can move to the forefront and ensure we are counted and heard. If you wish to volunteer with us and help get the word out about the Census, sign up here. The 2020 Census is the first year that the form will be able to be completed online. Visit 2020census.gov to find out more.