Smiley/Sharpton Debate Goes International

Over the past week, the recording of an on-air argument between Reverend Al Sharpton, the prominent civil rights leader, and Tavis Smiley, a well-known African-American media personality, has been circulating in the black US media. Sharpton and Smiley’s public fight has brought to the fore a significant issue that has been emerging as a key point of discussion over the past year: whether or not President Obama is doing enough for black people.

Smiley, who has been highly critical of President Obama for quite some time, believes that the president is not doing enough for African-Americans and that African-American leaders are giving him “a pass” for not doing so. Sharpton, who advises the president on education issues, believes that the president is doing what he needs to do. During an interview on MSNBC this week, Sharpton pointed to the fact that just last week, for example, President Obama signed a bill supporting historically black colleges and universities. Sharpton also believes that the president need not “ballyhoo” – that is, publicly push – a black agenda. The question at the heart of this debate is whether or not president Obama should champion a “black agenda” at all?

First of all we must define what a black agenda is. A black agenda is one which would take into account the current – and pre-existing – conditions of black America and actively seek to do something about them specifically rather than simply addressing them as part of a wider economic, educational or other policy.

FULL STORY (and it’s a good one) HERE.

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