WHAT, exactly, does Tavis Smiley WANT from Barack Obama?

Tavis Smiley has enjoyed a highly successful media career.  He's written books and has hosted radio and television shows.  I was once an avid viewer of his week night talk/news show on PBS, "Tavis Smiley" .  However, that changed when he and another guy I have followed over the years, Dr. Cornel West, went on a seemingly never ending crusade criticizing the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  For the record, I am not an unabashed Barack Obama supporter.  I voted for him twice because I am a dedicated progressive.  I would be less than honest if I said him being black had nothing to do with getting my vote, because it DID.  The fact that he campaigned on a progressive agenda AND he was black sealed the deal for me.  I have many differences with President Obama and I have not been ashamed or afraid to let those differences be known.  The main difference I have had with President Obama was his insistence on working with Republicans in the early stages of his first term.  The Republicans held a pity party the night of his inauguration and decided to make a concerted effort to obstruct him at every turn.  Armed with that knowledge, I always questioned why the president made such a concerted effort to work with Republicans only to be disappointed time and time again.  I'm sure there are many people who voted for the president twice who have differences with him as well.  Seemingly, Tavis Smiley is obsessed about airing his grievances with President Obama.  On his recent book tour promoting his latest book, "Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year", Smiley levels his harshest criticism yet of Barack Obama in the video below.

Tavis Smiley says black Americans have "lost ground" during the Obama presidency.  REALLY, Tavis?  How so?  WHAT, exactly, does Tavis Smiley WANT from Barack Obama? 

 

From where I sit, black people have benefitted from the Obama presidency.  Let's take a look at some of President Obama's legislation.

 

• The Affordable Care Act.  To date, it is estimated that between 24 and 28 million Americans now have access to affordable healthcare as a result of the ACA - 87% of which previously had NO healthcare at ALL.  Does anyone believe that no African-Americans are among those 24 to 28 million people?  Of course, not. 
• President Obama's very FIRST piece of legislation was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which eliminated an archaic statute that made it easier for women to take legal action against employers if and when it was discovered that women were making less than men for doing the same job.  Does anyone believe that no African-American women have benefitted from that legislation?  Of course, not. 
• Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, which delays any cuts to Medicare  until 2015; without this legislation, the Medicare budget would have been cut by 24% in 2014.  Forty eight million (48,000,000) people receive Medicare benefits.  Does anyone believe that African-Americans don't receive Medicare benefits?  Of course, not. 
• Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013, which would  increase the amounts paid to veterans for disability compensation and to their survivors for dependency and indemnity compensation  by the same cost-of-living adjustment  payable to Social Security recipients.  Does anyone believe there were no African-American veterans who benefitted from this legislation?  Of course, not. 

I could go on with legislation, but I'm sure my point has been made.  Since black Americans are AMERICANS, it would seem that any legislation President Obama signed into law that benefitted most Americans has benefitted BLACK Americans. 

 

In February of this year, Obama launched his "My Brother's Keeper" Initiative - an initiative designed for boys and young men of color navigate the disproportionate challenges they face in climbing the ladder of success. 

 

I'm not quite sure what Tavis Smiley is referring to when he says black Americans have "lost ground" during the Obama presidency.  Did Tavis think President Obama could wave a magic wand and eradicate racism once and for all?  Is Tavis referring to the lack of a "black agenda" by President Obama?  What exactly would a "black agenda" look like?  Would that be an agenda that is specifically for African-Americans?  Since African-Americans make up 13% of the population, that agenda wouldn't exactly be inclusive.  Realistically, such an agenda would NEVER make it to President Obama's desk because it wouldn't get through Congress. 

 

Perhaps Tavis is referring to the high unemployment rate in the African-American community.  I am troubled by the fact that African-Americans are unemployed at TWICE the rate of white Americans.  A year ago, the Pew Research Center released a detailed study that clearly lays it out (Black unemployment rate is consistently twice that of whites).  The study doesn't tell us WHY, though.  I asked what some of the reasons were behind the high unemployment rate in the African-American community over three years ago (Why are nearly 16% of African-Americans unemployed?).  Since then, those numbers have improved slightly.  Granted, it is still too high but WHAT directly can President Obama  do about that?  He can't make companies hire African-Americans.  Perhaps Tavis means that because a significant number of employment opportunity decision makers are angry because the president is black, they are punishing black people by not hiring them.  Could be.  But that's conjecture. 

 

Tavis could make it easy on us by telling us what he means when he says black Americans have "lost ground".  Whatever ground black Americans may "have lost" during the Obama Administration, if any, certainly did not begin January 20, 2009 - the day Barack Obama was inaugurated.  If black Americans have lost ground in the 6 years since there has been a black president, that "ground" could not have been that solid to begin  with.  Whatever regression that has occurred was originated well before then.  Now when Tavis Smiley wants to take on the origins of his inferred black American backslide, I will gladly join him in that discussion.  I sure don't know what he means at this point in time.  Which raises a question:

 

WHAT, exactly, does Tavis Smiley WANT from Barack Obama? 

 

Peace, peace. 

 

Craig Riggins

Email: therigginsreport517@gmail.com

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