America's Most Powerful Black Families
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Mr. McDowell
The Brotha's Got His Own Money
Any person being known for public housing gets a side-eye from me. So your name is on a bunch of dilapidated buildings with serious safety and health issues.
To quote the great Derrick Coleman, "whoopty damn doo."
To quote the great Derrick Coleman, "whoopty damn doo."
Lose your ability to articulate?
Projects were named after prominent people of their day. Chances are, if you only know a person by their name being associated on public housing, you suck at history.
Also, housing projects didn't start off dilapidated. They became that way through years of disinvestment in the community.
Ida B. Wells
The Ida B. Wells Homes
Charles Rangel
Rangel Houses - Harlem, NY
Mary McLeod Bethune
Bethune Gardens - Washington Heights, NYC
I'm mean, I don't think the Trumps would have started -
The United Negro College Fund
The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People
The Urban League
The National Association of Colored Women
The National Afro-American Council
The Congressional Black Caucus
Black Masonic Organizations
Black Greek Letter Organziations
Black Professional Associations (NABJ, NABA, NBA, NMA, NBMBA, NBSE)
Countless Abolition/Anti-Slavery Societies
Countless Burial Societies
I'm mean, negroes are hard to please. You won't find any other racial group where their elites have been this dedicated to the upliftment of their own people.
You can't say there hasn't been effort.
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There are a few exceptions.. Hall of famer Hank Aaron and Jesse Owens is Boule. Malcom X's kids were in Jack & JillHe did, and he’s the type of person that would be a prime candidate but he married a make-up artist and his daughter is a pop singer, not a chance in hell they would have inducted him, nor would any of the standard groups outside of his fraternity have let him in.
I understand the credentialism in a way, musicians, rappers, and sports players are not the kind of useful people you want in your tight-knit, conservative, circle.
get these nets
Veteran
This is where I have to disagree with you Ab...and some of the reasons why I said I don't get along with the cotillion set.
I agree with Guile's quote.
There are documented efforts and organizations created by wealthy Blacks that have benefited Blacks of all parts of society , but in general I'd guess that they have been content to just be concerned about their personal affairs.
Now, they earned whatever they had and weren't obligated to help anybody, but if you read the history of this country, it's a wonder how people of means could sit by without doing a lot more.
The phrase "Nero fiddled while Rome burns" comes to mind. I think the disconnect between them and the rest of the community stems from that history of fiddling.
I agree with Guile's quote.
There are documented efforts and organizations created by wealthy Blacks that have benefited Blacks of all parts of society , but in general I'd guess that they have been content to just be concerned about their personal affairs.
Now, they earned whatever they had and weren't obligated to help anybody, but if you read the history of this country, it's a wonder how people of means could sit by without doing a lot more.
The phrase "Nero fiddled while Rome burns" comes to mind. I think the disconnect between them and the rest of the community stems from that history of fiddling.
BlaKcMoney
Hijo Del Ray
BlaKcMoney
Hijo Del Ray
You've mentioned this before.
You say there are documented efforts but then say "in general". What does this mean? Can you give examples, personal or otherwise?
I think sometimes we forget that there are varying interests specific to each class of people. And this is a common finding across all ethnicities, communities, racial groups. The fact of the matter, the most pressing issue for higher status/higher net worth individuals is wealth and status preservation. This is common amongst all communities and is no different in the black community.
Issues that pertain to race, are simply not immediately felt, the higher one goes up the food chain. They're still present, obviously, but not as substantial. This brings to mind that Lil Wayne interview where he dismisses racism and BLM.
***There's also that interview where he talks about only being attracted to light skin women, and when asked about whether that type of thinking would hurt the self-esteem of someone like his dark skin daughter, he proclaims that shes "rich" and is essentially unaffected by issues pertaining to race that would be felt by others in the black community****
What irks mainstream black America is that this competing interest of "preservation" manifests itself in a perceived sort of social detachment. But do you think this is odd when, as you see in this very thread, that most black people associate blackness with struggle and poverty? High status/networth black people are going to want to put space between themselves and that ideal of blackness.
I can admit that these folks do occupy a peculiar space in which they are dealing with both class and racial based interest that clash more times than not. But mainstream black America does not help in making it easy in choosing either.
In fact, I feel "Nero" is an enemy of our own making.
From a very young age, kids who speak with good diction, are ostracized by other black kids as trying to be "white".
Kids who are studious and take their education seriously are bullied or made to feel by others as if they are trying to be "white".
Kids who don't live in urban communities are lambasted as being "whitewashed".
Anyone who shows any interest in anything that is not deemed as being "black", whether its music, fashion, sports or otherwise, are pushed to the fringes and not made to feel as if they are worthy to share in the love, connectedness, and inclusion of our community.
So is it any surprise that when these kids grow up they "fiddle" when mainstream black America is looking for "leaders", "role models", "community direction", or when things get hot and heavy?
Thanks. I'm very acquainted with, all of the conspiracy theories, that are held by, people for whom, are outside of, and not associated with, these organizations.
get these nets
Veteran
Yes, I've read several memoirs and books from people who were foot soldiers in the Civil Rights movement, and ,enough times to make me take note, mention was made of Black elite families not wanting to associate publicly or at all with the boycotts, marches and demonstrations or the behind the scenes work. Again, I didn't read this once, or about one city in particular, but it kept popping up. And when you read about who was actually funding different arts of the movement..it wasn't the moneyed Black elite..it was grassroots black organizations, churches, and jewish benefactors(who saw it as a way to knock down the very barriers that held THEM back as well).
Now when these laws passed, it was, of course, the educated,wealthy, 4th generation Fisk graduate set who reaped the benefits that the working class Black folks marched, bled, and died for. they were in the best position to benefit.
The fiddling part in particular is from my personal reaction to reading about the Martha's Vineyard set...and their activities during the years where extremely violent race riots were happening across the country and Blacks were being killed and hurt. The idea of rich people playing crochet while other Blacks were fighting for their lives across the country in urban centers NEVER SAT WELL with me.
My personal encounters with some of these people have been negative. Again, because of the Civil Rights Bills...I've been able to do things and go places that otherwise wouldn't have been possible, no rich father, no hbcu pedigree, won't pass the paper bag test....so I get the "how'd you get in here?" look and treatment
I will try to dig up the receipts- articles that allude to the elites' resistance to Dr. King and the movement...& the playing crochet during race riots years in question, but I think you've heard some of the stories before.
Again, like I wrote in previous post....they earned everything they ever got and owe nothing to ANYBODY, but when history is told it won't be very kind to them.
Agree.
Good point, but not a good example. The thread you created is about old money well educated Black families from roughly 1865- now. During Jim Crow era they had to travel and navigate this country just like poor Blacks did. They had to carry the GreenBook guides to know where to stay/eat/use restrooms.
Wayne is modern day rapper who has to deal with none of those legal restrictions...he's a drug addict with little formal education and a buffoon....his words reflect those of a drug addicted buffoon.HOWEVER, I respect him for being consistent. He's rapping about and promoting the t negative things in his music , and him talking about police brutality towards Blacks would be a joke.As it is when the other flamed up or locc'ed out rappers talk about black lives matter, while promoting gangbanging ..
I disagree with those who associate Blackness with struggle and poverty.
That's a built in excuse for not trying to better yourself.
and I called BS on the other nonsense "that the elite family isn't literally BLACK enough", by threatening to do a search with their usernames to see if similarly complected/featured women weren't posted by the same people saying that.
I agreed with most of what you wrote in this thread until the topic of social involvement of that class came up.
I chose Nero as an example because he was a leader. Member of every group benefit from the actions (on their behalf) taken by the leaders of that group.....the ones with education and money. Those people at the top are under no obligation to do anything, but history will judge them accordingly.
Fair enough. I saw early on in life that some people have twisted way of looking at things. What I did was find like minded Black folks to rock with...it drowned out the voices of those others.
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ogc163
Superstar
One of the great books written on these folks is by the man in my Avi E. Franklin Frazier, who happened to be in their circles before he basically dropped the book version of Ether
on these folks
He knew that there was a low ceiling for poor Black folks as long as they allowed middle class Black people a high level of influence over their narratives/political direction.
on these folks
He knew that there was a low ceiling for poor Black folks as long as they allowed middle class Black people a high level of influence over their narratives/political direction.
@ogc163 Yeah, a serious ether. If I can recall correctly, he said these families, in their pursuit of status and conspicous consumption, lived in a world of "make believe".
Although, I wouldn't classify the two families that I spotlighted as part of the "black bourgeoisie". I would put them in a different group, a step above them in to which the bourgeoisie aspires.
Although, I wouldn't classify the two families that I spotlighted as part of the "black bourgeoisie". I would put them in a different group, a step above them in to which the bourgeoisie aspires.
the obamas money isn't long like that. they just paid off their student loans in like 2006. they're coming into some real money now in his post presidency years with a new book deal, speaking engagements, etc. and he did donate a few million last year.