America Is Not Broke, It’s Broken by Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

The Right claims “entitlements” are the root of America’s financial crisis, and that the “job creators” – their ridiculous euphemism for the rich – are under siege. “Welfare” – meaning any benefits dribbled to the poor – is something the country can no longer afford, they say. But “conservatives do favor welfare, depending on the recipient.”

“The wealth gap between white and African American families has more than quadrupled over the course of a generation.”

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave his famous speech What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Douglass asked, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” He then said, “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us …The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me…This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”

As Americans recently celebrated another 4^th of July Douglass’ words continue to ring true. Too many of us were not included within the pale of the glorious anniversary!On June 18, 2012, almost 160 years to the day that Frederick Douglass gave his speech, Robert Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies and founder and former head of BET addressed the Congressional Forum on the “Economic Empowerment in the Black Community.” He spoke about the troubling economic statistics impacting the African American community. He referred to these statistics as representing a “wealth gap Tsunami.” According to a PEW Research Center study, “The wealth gap between white and African American families has more than quadrupled over the course of a generation; the racial wealth gap increased by $75,000, from $20,000 to $95,000; the median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households; and at least 35% of African Americans have no assets”

Johnson went on to say, “Those in society who are generating wealth are beginning to look askance at supporting those who they deem to be nonproductive. So you have one group opposing transfer payments in the form of entitlements and another group arguing that we have to protect entitlements.” He does acknowledge the fact that racism is playing a major role in these disparities. “There is a racial component to the employment and wealth gap between African Americans and white Americans that has to be addressed. Unfortunately, this country is uncomfortable with addressing that racial component…”

“These are billions of US taxpayer dollars being transferred to defense companies to fight a war that should never have been waged.”

How is it that 160 years after Frederick Douglas said to White America, “The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me,” too many African Americans continue to suffer from a poverty, unemployment, income, and wealth creation Tsunami and those with means are opposed to transfer payments in the form of entitlements? Contrary to neo-conservative and Libertarian doctrine and consistent with the Constitution, this government was formed in part to establish Justice…promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty…”

Read the rest of this article in the Black Agenda Report

Dr. Wilmer Leon is a political scientist at Howard University and host of the nationally broadcast call in talk radio program “Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon” on SiriusXM channel 128. Go to www.wilmerleon.com or Dr. Leon’s Prescription @ Facebook.com or www.twitter.com/drwleon