I didn’t expect Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean & Hannity, et al, to give any positive publicity to the National Day of Outrage held last week. People like that cry about Blacks and other minorities in America and then when we attempt to right our own wrongs, we are criticized at best, or given no coverage at all at worst.
It’s the same old song which gave rise to the early Black newspapers and the credo stated in this editorial  head by John Russworm, the founder of Freedom’s Journal, the nation’s first Black newspaper: “We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.” And that’s alright by me.            
I believe we should address and solve our own problems and not expect the majority media to sanction whatever cause of action we take. Especially since racist networks like Fox News have been caught recently airing fake news footage of Sarah Palin.
Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network (NAN), along with community members across the country lead a National Day of Outrage last week to call attention to the nationwide “epidemic” of violence in urban communities. Thousands of concerned citizens came together from such cities as Chicago to New York and from Atlanta to Los Angeles to stand together in unity and to give the message that senseless killings in our communities will no longer be tolerated.
The National Day of Outrage organizer and National Executive Director of NAN Tamika Mallory said: “You cannot be a leader in any respective field, from elected official, community organizer, member of the clergy to a teacher, doctor or lawyer, if you are not involved in the issue of ending youth and gang violence in our community.  Unless we come together, the situation will be beyond our control!” 
I was thinking about this particular event, announced at the beginning of the month, when I heard the news concerning DeAndre Elliott, 17, a star running back at Worthing High School who was shot and killed in a carjacking a few days before the national event actually took place. Apparently, doing something as innocent as leaving your girlfriend’s apartment at night, can  be dangerous to your health—if thugs who don’t want to work or for whatever reason cannot find employment—want what you have.
And so I can’t help but wonder if the Good Rev. (Al) is preaching to the choir?  I am not being negative. I’m just asking because the thugs I know (and yes I do know a few) aren’t likely to participate in any type of National gathering unless it’s a call to out-thug the next thug.
So, now that you have our attention, what do we do next? When the cameras are off and the speeches are done, what’s the next step? I honestly want to know because when as a businessman and community leader, I tell someone that their wrong behavior will no longer be tolerated, there are consequences.
Either they get fired, I stop spending my money with them or they lose the benefit of association and the relationship that come with that. In other words, it is no longer business as usual. So if we are banding together like the New York gangs did in the movie “The Warriors,” to fight a common enemy, what are the consequences for those who refuse to go along with the plan?
I don’t have the answer, but I suspect it will take more than lighting candles, holding hands and singing, “Kum Ba Yah.”