While in pursuit of the American dream you may find that the scales of prosperity grossly imbalanced with high debt and inflation. For one to proudly announce that buying a home is their life’s accomplishment and then later say ‘ what I really meant was that I live in a big and beautiful home which has a huge adjustable mortgage I can barely afford while living just one paycheck away from complete financial turmoil’ is a distance from the intended American Dream concept. Has the goal of the American Dream become a concept driven by obsession for power, wealth and levels of greed? Or, are we just innocent media-fed victims of a social culture where media and most forms of advertising emphasize that material wealth equates to power and happiness, which are also financed by government regulated banks and credit corporations who are the profitiers.
Energy prices are increasing along with oil and gas prices at a critical time when we are facing an upcoming presidential election. Topics aired nightly on news programs cover controversial commentaries about the presidential election between Obama and McCain; debates about war in Iraq with potential threats in Iran; debates on border security and immigration policies, and discussions surrounding the economy and mortgage crisis. Everyone is affected by the economy and the shrinking dollar worldwide; however, the major impact is on the low wealth to middle income households that is equivalent to Hurricane Katrina on the gulf.
While personal income reportedly grew in 2006 and then lowered in 2007, unemployment rates have increased sharply coinciding with the rise of foreclosures and slumping housing starts according to the Federal Reserve Board. Generations of old and young adults are in tremendous debt. The total amounts of debt for most Americans outweigh their personal savings and/or assets. In addition, many Americans can no longer afford to retire by the age of 65. While it is easy to blame our politicians and elected officials who continue to ride on the rhetoric of promises unfulfilled, but are we citizens to blame? Is it time for us, the citizens to be accountable for our failing economy? We are directly impacted by our actions and the actions of our officials, therefore greatly influence our local economies since we elect the officials who are empowered to make decisions that will ultimately affect our health, our finances and our wellbeing. How is it then, in our advanced nation of equality and unalienable rights; where capitalism can take a man from the penile system and afford him enormous wealth; in such a great country that receives thousands of immigrants yearly; a great nation that is globally known as the land of opportunity; how is it that we end up in financial crisis with thousands facing mortgage foreclosure? Certainly one can conclude that the government has failed its citizens but we have also failed ourselves.
In the early twentieth century America, many families lived and survived by a simple rule: work hard, save money and move ahead. In simpler times, money saved meant having a down payment to buy a home by the age of 26, raise a family, and later finance the children’s education through scholarships, savings or trust accounts; retire by the age of 65 with a sufficient social security income and still manage to have money left over for retirement vacations and family emergencies. These were the images painted by Rockefeller in a pre-Civil Rights and pre-Viet Nam era.
Post Civil Rights and Viet Nam era were defining moments in America for blacks, women, and other minorities. The 1960’s ended our innocence with the death of a president, a senator and a civil rights leader but also presented new opportunities as one believed with integration, equal rights and equal pay which was believed to improve the wellbeing for all Americans. Wages increased, several families became home owner whiles others moved into better neighborhoods. Most were just happy to buy a home. More African Americans and other minorities enrolled in colleges between 1960-1970’s becoming the first to graduate in their families. Americans began to make more and spend more. It was not uncommon to own big or high powered vehicles.
In the next two decades, technology connected government and big businesses globally while waves of immigrants poured in from Asian and Latin American countries. Numbers of students from African nations, Asia and Middle Eastern countries enrolled in higher academia. Drugs were the top illegal import into the U.S. as a billion-dollar industry; driving the undercurrents of business, politics, law enforcement and multi-levels of organized crime in major cities. drug-related crimes, weapons and street gangs committed to fast-track cash, bling and control have dominated neighborhoods with rising homicide of black and hispanic youths in major cities and have even reached small rural towns. The America we once knew has changed; and with change comes uncertainty.
American values and moral fiber compromised for profit. Economic supremacy is an institution exclusive for the privileged and upheld by the upper social hierarchy, however over time has become the dominant message in modern culture. Repeated by the media, and taught by institutions to celebrate the captains of industry and successful entrepreneurs not for their hard work and contributions, but rather for their power and wealth.
Never has a State Of The Union speech announced to citizens to ‘move over; there is a New America coming to crowd your cities; you will have to compete for everything. Move aside or get to the back; jump on the band wagon or be left behind. No special privileges, just credit and dollar power. You will be continuously and increasingly seduced and bombarded with messages of material wealth and desire; but you will not be given an instruction book on how to achieve it, how to finance your future or how-to-plan for tough economic times. Your communities will struggle over budgets, crime and safety while your communities battle over its changing identity and struggle to co-exist. Your mayors will squable over how to become sustainable cities, how to decrease homicide rates and employ more police officers with budget restraints. You will have language barriers; you willpay more and wait in longer lines; property values will decrease; banks will close; companies will go out of business and there will be lay-offs while other jobs will be outsourced to third-world countries with competitive labor and material resources. In short America, you can expect a recession.’
While opportunity opened doors in areas of education, employment and housing; corporate capitalist blew the roof off the building. Capitalist are usually big risk takers, but more often make strategic decisions based on in-depth planning, profit and risk management investments. The capitalists understand that with change comes opportunity. Rewards are great once identifying the risks and developing a strategy to limit losses, some of these strategies may also include social, political and economic positioning that will in the end continue to bring big profits that feed into the pockets of the capitalist. Those born into wealth like heirs of large trusts and the corporate captains; the average person such as the self-made individual or the entrepreneur can achieve the American Dream without going bankrupt.
What is the American Dream?
Unlike some of our American parents and grandparents of previous generations who may not have had basic finance education and who worked hard but lived modestly; they understood the importance of buying a piece of land, and using it to sustain and uphold family life. Many families moved away from southern states and small towns in exchange for urban life in pursuit of the American Dream just like many immigrants who came north in search of the same.
Today’s cities have become a more and more difficult place to achieve the American Dream.’ The American Dream once was the aspiration of the under privileged who could finally say, “I bought this home and the land around it. I and my family live happily in it.” There was less focus on material wealth, cars etc. A home was used to finance education, vacations and retirement. This is what smart and simple hardworking persons do to leverage investments and to uphold life and posterity for self and family and it did not take thirty years to do. Owning a home should be attainable for average low-moderate income Americans and should not take a person thirty years to own outright. The American Dream should be the goal of everyone who wants to own a home to own it free and clear in the shortest period of time rather that to reside in a place that requires one to struggle just to pay the mortgage monthly. For some, the American Dream meant to get all you can at any cost cheating or commit some other crime, but it is no longer a dream rather it has become a nightmare of servitude bound to the wrists of its citizens shackled by employment on the right wrist and enormous long-term debt on the left overshadowed with a lifetime of uncertainty. What is the American Dream? You decide.
Showing posts with label economically disadvantage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economically disadvantage. Show all posts
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Is There Hope In West Oakland? A Cell Phone Saga
On April 21, 2007, I attended the 45th anniversary of the African American Association Reunion at the DeFermery Park with keynote speaker Dr. Khalid
Al-Mansour at DeFermery Park in West Oakland between 1:00 and 4:00 PM.
My participation in the event came as an invitation to support a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower the underserved communities offering free programs like entrepreneur workshops, homeownership program, financial literacy and credit education for adults and banking education for youth. We set up a table complete of Operation Hope information on the programs, seminars, workshops and gave away can sodas.
Although it was over cast with few sprinkles, Dr. Al-Mansour delivered a speech emphasizing the core values of the Association include unity, self-help, education and dignity in communities.
While he encouraged African Americans to participate in the global economy, to show brotherly love to one another, there was an un-brotherly (or un-sisterly) thief in the crowd. I busily gave away flyers on home ownership and business seminars while my friend Colleen who was visiting from England assisted. We spoke compassionately about the Hope’s mission of helping people in the community and gave away can sodas. Somewhere towards the end of the event, Colleen’s pocket had been picked. In her pocket was my cell phone that served as my mobile bible containing numerous of important phone numbers. The phone also displayed a recent photograph of me and the first lady of California Marie Shriver taken at Laney College, which was also stored as my wallpaper in the face of the phone.
When we discovered that the phone was stolen, I could care less than a pig’s hoof about helping the underserved community in West Oakland. Where was the unity in West Oakland on this day? And where was there any dignity?
UPSET AND PISSED. I was not upset with my friend Colleen (well maybe a little for not being more aware of her surroundings), but I was actually angry with the neighborhood and angry at myself for thinking that we could make a small difference on this day.
I questioned the efforts of the African American Association holding their reunion in De Fermery park in a neighborhood, (I felt) where consciousness did not exists.
On May 15, 2007 around 10pm, almost four weeks after the De Fermery Park event, I received a phone call. There was a young girl with an inner-city dialect on the other end asking, “Is this the lady who lost her cell phone?” It was Dee, a 15 yr old girl from West Oakland. I asked Dee where she lived. She replied, “In the lower bottoms.” I then asked her where she attended school. She said she Ralph Bunch. I later became aware that the school is located directly across the street from De Fermery Park in West Oakland, where the students are economically disadvantaged. I told the young girl that I would give a reward once I got the phone and would not ask any questions about how she got the phone. Dee told me to meet them at De Fermery Park at 3PM the next day. I didn’t care; I was just elated that I was going to retrieve my phone. But at what cost?
The next day, I showed up at the park. I went to the office and was told that I just missed a girl dressed in pink looking to return a cell phone to a lady. Dee called me again, “Wheh was you? We was there.” She told me to hold on and then covered the mouth piece of the phone. I could hear the rough cracking voice of a woman coaching in the background, “Can you meet us tonite at West Oakland BART station?” Dee asked. “NO,” I replied for obvious reasons. I the young girl what was her last name and she repeated, “...my last name?” The street wise woman belted, “Don’t you give yo name! How much she given you?” I asked Dee if the woman talking was her mom and to let me speak to her. The cracking voice woman said, “Whaddya want her name fo? I don’t trust given info’ on the fon. You gonna give her some money, right?” I told her yes, “I will call you tomorrow.” So back to square one I thought.
The next morning, I drove to the school went straight to the principal’s office and told the administrator what happened. Less than an hour later, I received a call from the principal stating that they had security collect my phone and that I may pick up my phone. Thirty minutes followed with several calls from unfamiliar numbers that came from the panicky student. I told Dee that I was busy and would have to talk later. The next call came in thirty minutes from the pissed-off mother, “That ain’t what we agreed on. You came to the school and told the principal. I talked to the police and they said if she found the phone, it belong to her. The police gonna be there when you come. You was supposed to call me!” the crackish voice woman threatened. I replied, “Okay, Mam. You go ahead and call the police,” and hung up.
Little did the woman know, I had already prepared a package for Dee, which included a Citi Bank Finance CD Rom for students; a teddy bear from Bank of the West, gourmet caramel corn and a “Thank You” card with $50 with the following scripted message: Dear Dee, thanks for returning my phone. Always remember it is better to do the right thing. Don’t allow others to sway you away from having integrity and good character. Just know that you have done a good deed and that is worth more than any reward in the eye of God. After the threatening phone call, I wanted to pick up m phone then tear up the card, forget the bag of gifts and put my money back in my wallet. After all, why should I pay to get back my own phone that was stolen from me?
After toiling in anger, I finally I decided to have my husband in his armed security uniform drop the bag off at the school and to pick up my phone.
Less than an hour later, I received two more phone calls. School administrator Ms. Thorn somewhat chokingly, “Ms. Brooks, I am lost for words. When I saw what you had done, tears came to my eyes. I am so sorry that this is the way you became acquainted with our school. But I want to thank you for what you have done.” The second call was from Dee. She wanted to know if I had picked up my phone and to tell me that she received the items.
All ended well, but I remained slightly disturbed by the irony of events that began weeks ago with Dr. Al-Manssour’s message: ‘each one teach one.’ This was perhaps my opportunity to teach one person the importance and value of good character. Somehow, I felt that Dee had hoped to make a new friend or perhaps even a role model.
Finally, Dee thanked me saying that she was glad that I got my phone back. I wished her well and hung up.
Al-Mansour at DeFermery Park in West Oakland between 1:00 and 4:00 PM.
My participation in the event came as an invitation to support a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower the underserved communities offering free programs like entrepreneur workshops, homeownership program, financial literacy and credit education for adults and banking education for youth. We set up a table complete of Operation Hope information on the programs, seminars, workshops and gave away can sodas.
Although it was over cast with few sprinkles, Dr. Al-Mansour delivered a speech emphasizing the core values of the Association include unity, self-help, education and dignity in communities.
While he encouraged African Americans to participate in the global economy, to show brotherly love to one another, there was an un-brotherly (or un-sisterly) thief in the crowd. I busily gave away flyers on home ownership and business seminars while my friend Colleen who was visiting from England assisted. We spoke compassionately about the Hope’s mission of helping people in the community and gave away can sodas. Somewhere towards the end of the event, Colleen’s pocket had been picked. In her pocket was my cell phone that served as my mobile bible containing numerous of important phone numbers. The phone also displayed a recent photograph of me and the first lady of California Marie Shriver taken at Laney College, which was also stored as my wallpaper in the face of the phone.
When we discovered that the phone was stolen, I could care less than a pig’s hoof about helping the underserved community in West Oakland. Where was the unity in West Oakland on this day? And where was there any dignity?
UPSET AND PISSED. I was not upset with my friend Colleen (well maybe a little for not being more aware of her surroundings), but I was actually angry with the neighborhood and angry at myself for thinking that we could make a small difference on this day.
I questioned the efforts of the African American Association holding their reunion in De Fermery park in a neighborhood, (I felt) where consciousness did not exists.
On May 15, 2007 around 10pm, almost four weeks after the De Fermery Park event, I received a phone call. There was a young girl with an inner-city dialect on the other end asking, “Is this the lady who lost her cell phone?” It was Dee, a 15 yr old girl from West Oakland. I asked Dee where she lived. She replied, “In the lower bottoms.” I then asked her where she attended school. She said she Ralph Bunch. I later became aware that the school is located directly across the street from De Fermery Park in West Oakland, where the students are economically disadvantaged. I told the young girl that I would give a reward once I got the phone and would not ask any questions about how she got the phone. Dee told me to meet them at De Fermery Park at 3PM the next day. I didn’t care; I was just elated that I was going to retrieve my phone. But at what cost?
The next day, I showed up at the park. I went to the office and was told that I just missed a girl dressed in pink looking to return a cell phone to a lady. Dee called me again, “Wheh was you? We was there.” She told me to hold on and then covered the mouth piece of the phone. I could hear the rough cracking voice of a woman coaching in the background, “Can you meet us tonite at West Oakland BART station?” Dee asked. “NO,” I replied for obvious reasons. I the young girl what was her last name and she repeated, “...my last name?” The street wise woman belted, “Don’t you give yo name! How much she given you?” I asked Dee if the woman talking was her mom and to let me speak to her. The cracking voice woman said, “Whaddya want her name fo? I don’t trust given info’ on the fon. You gonna give her some money, right?” I told her yes, “I will call you tomorrow.” So back to square one I thought.
The next morning, I drove to the school went straight to the principal’s office and told the administrator what happened. Less than an hour later, I received a call from the principal stating that they had security collect my phone and that I may pick up my phone. Thirty minutes followed with several calls from unfamiliar numbers that came from the panicky student. I told Dee that I was busy and would have to talk later. The next call came in thirty minutes from the pissed-off mother, “That ain’t what we agreed on. You came to the school and told the principal. I talked to the police and they said if she found the phone, it belong to her. The police gonna be there when you come. You was supposed to call me!” the crackish voice woman threatened. I replied, “Okay, Mam. You go ahead and call the police,” and hung up.
Little did the woman know, I had already prepared a package for Dee, which included a Citi Bank Finance CD Rom for students; a teddy bear from Bank of the West, gourmet caramel corn and a “Thank You” card with $50 with the following scripted message: Dear Dee, thanks for returning my phone. Always remember it is better to do the right thing. Don’t allow others to sway you away from having integrity and good character. Just know that you have done a good deed and that is worth more than any reward in the eye of God. After the threatening phone call, I wanted to pick up m phone then tear up the card, forget the bag of gifts and put my money back in my wallet. After all, why should I pay to get back my own phone that was stolen from me?
After toiling in anger, I finally I decided to have my husband in his armed security uniform drop the bag off at the school and to pick up my phone.
Less than an hour later, I received two more phone calls. School administrator Ms. Thorn somewhat chokingly, “Ms. Brooks, I am lost for words. When I saw what you had done, tears came to my eyes. I am so sorry that this is the way you became acquainted with our school. But I want to thank you for what you have done.” The second call was from Dee. She wanted to know if I had picked up my phone and to tell me that she received the items.
All ended well, but I remained slightly disturbed by the irony of events that began weeks ago with Dr. Al-Manssour’s message: ‘each one teach one.’ This was perhaps my opportunity to teach one person the importance and value of good character. Somehow, I felt that Dee had hoped to make a new friend or perhaps even a role model.
Finally, Dee thanked me saying that she was glad that I got my phone back. I wished her well and hung up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)