I was listening to the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning ... which is a rarity, because I can't stand Jay Anthony Brown for long enough to listen to a whole show anymore! But, I have always appreciated and respected Tom for his dedication to our HBCU's. Indeed, I can't think of anybody else who supports them to the extent that he does.

Then I thought about Tavis Smiley, and his youth leadership foundation and the time and energy that he puts into Black America. While both of these men are often critized by members of the Black community ... I'm hard-pressed to think of anybody else doing what they are doing, on the scale they are doing it, and with the people they are doing it with.

And for that reason, neither will ever be subjected to criticism from me.

Then I thought about guys like Michael Eric Dyson and Cornell West. And I wondered, "What is their contribution to the upliftment of the Black community? They're sitting up in their cushy little Ivy League offices, teaching White people about Black people, right? Every once in a while M.E.D. starts flapping his gums so that he has something to write a book about ... Cornell will lay down some wisdom at a pay-through-the-nose-to-listen event ... but, are either one of them doing anything to lift or better African America as a community? If so, what and how??

And of course there's folks like Al and Jesse ... who are talking about like dogs sometimes .. but are the first people somebody with BIG problems wants to call for help!! While I think there's no question that they have already put in their time and effort into elevating African America, and still do so today, there are many who find them outdated, irrelevant and obsolete.

However, many of those same people can't offer up anybody else willing or able to do what those two do and have done ... and unless they can, I look at their their criticisms are just a bunch of hot air and misjudged and misplaced hate.

I actually believe that the majority of those who benefit and uplift are the nameless and faceless who go about doing what they do for the betterment of others, without any real recognition for what they do. They are volunteers and mentors and of course our teachers and coaches ... people who take care of other people's children and try to make life better for another person everyday of their lives for no outward reward for it.

But other than them, who is really out there in the public eye that you can say is "benefitting Black America"? Who's really helping ... and who's just getting paid?

Hi, I feel the days of one black leader are over,the gaps in income and wealth,are so wide.I feel one person can not rally the change needed.The goverment seems to be the only source benefitting Black America,thats why voting for progresive canidates Black or White male,female,etc.benefits all of us.I feel we got to go inside our selves to be the leader we need to be, in these changing times.All we need is love.

Yes, I believe the days or one leader are gone too, Elton8! Although we could use another Malcolm or Martin right about now!

I was just thinking that we have so few people we can really hold up as an example ... people doing good on a wide scale. The kind of people we really need to support because they already have the mechanisms in place to empower and uplift and large sectors of our community.

Our vote, just like our combined economic power are very important and very powerful tools that we fail to utilize even marginally. Those need to be harnessed and then guided into the right direction. Everybody says "we" are the ones who need to do that .. but, the fact of the matter is, most of "we" don't even realize that .. and the rest of "we" have no idea how.

What are they willing to give up? That is the true test of real leadership.