iZania Blogs

As the Kansas legislature draws to an end, Black Kansans should have
no doubt that any of those issues that concern them or directly
affect their livilyhood in the state was addressed.

Nothing addresses the over-representation of us in poverty,
incarcerated, unemployed, disparate in government funded contracting,
or even education was directly tied to legislation or the budget.
Yet, we will continue to side with partisanship over substance! I am
asked to support democrats whom delivered little to nothing for Black
Kansas. Come to think of it, I can't think of much they have
delivered of substance over the last 10 years. Since republicans
traditionally ignore Black folks all together in Kansas as it relates
to their legislation, I am not shocked, but the furor over voting
democrat; as if they are delivering something amazes me.

Have Black folks lowered themselves so low as to accept token lip
service over substantive action? That we truly believe one party is
more progressive over the other, even though that party can't show
one thing that has made our future looker better than ever due to
their leadership?

It is sad how we have organizations and so-called in the state that
lack the backbone to demand state legislation that would be
meaningful to a long-forgotten Black Kansas. That our most important
battle is on racial profiling which has nothing to do with putting
food on the table, jobs in our midst and opportunity within our
reach. We allow 28 percent of Black women to comprise the welfare

Much can be said about the condition Black folks find themselves in. Excuses abound, many from both sides of the fence give their own conclusions on why we have not achieved in this land of opportunity. Given the facts that our children are failing in the public school system, Black women are overrepresented on the welfare system, Black men are overrepresented in prisons and the unemployment rolls, we do not cater to Black businesses like others cater to theirs, we do not contribute to our own nonprofits like others support their own, we have a desire for blings and things,,, the question becomes "are we conditioned, programmed and indoctinated" to act the way that we do?

Back in the day, we had to (out of necessity) support each other. I couldn't do something down the street without my parents knowing about it by the time I got home. Of course a whuppin was forthcoming, but I learned many lessons about the consequences of getting in trouble; or at least doing so within the eye sight of neighbors, friends of the family and even strangers who happen to live on our block.

I remember that my dad worked late and if I got in trouble during the day, I was in for it. When he got home at around 1am, I could hear him coming up the stairs and what would happen next still reverberates in my mind. The lights would come on, the sheet would be pulled off, and the disciplining would commence. After those swats I would then have to go downstairs and clean up the house. It may be re-washing

There must come a time when we hear more about successes; rather than the same old complaints. We all know the complaints and issues Black folks face:

*high unemeployment
*disproportionate incarceration, welfare and poverty rates
*low achievement of our youth in failing public schools
*high than average out-of-wedlock birthrates
*crime and drug ridden neighborhoods
*dilapidated housing conditions
*inequities in public funded contracting
*silence by Blacks, Whites, and others on issues most pressing in the area of Black lives

I know there are some I missed but these show identified areas that need to be addressed if we are to turn the tide and move toward being more self sufficient and reliant.

To move beyond the complaints and into action, we must first acknowledge that there is a problem so important to us that we will do whatever is necessary to form a strategy of action. The means in which we need to address them won't be conventional, because the problems are so out of control that it now demands extraordinary efforts just to bring stability to our situation. Piece meal won't do.

We can continue to point fingers and blame someone else for our situation and we can even make demands that the very people who created or added to the problems figure out a way to resolve the elements that keep the above problem areas status quo. We can also begin real dialogue and discussion on forming teams that will go down in history as 'those that fulfilled

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Coggs also serves as Executive Director of the North East Business Association, Inc., (NEBA) a nonprofit organization located in Kansas City, Kansas that provides community outreach and programming in partnership with other community organizations, institutions of higher education and government agencies. She successfully prepared the application that will lead to establishing the first public charter school in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas (Unified School District 500).  The Maurice R. Holman Academy of Excellence.

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