STATE OF THE BLACK UNION DISCUSSION FEATURING COMMON AND DR. MAYA ANGELOU

America has been in a state of emergency for some time as of late. With the recession and the swine flu running rampant and leaving their marks, the country has been in a mad dash searching for some sort of order out of this madness.

The same situation is present in the Black community, but the effect has been one that has been going on for even longer.

African-American communities have continued to be ravaged with violence, drugs, poverty and more as the race has slowly been destroying itself with so much inner turmoil with the intentions of just surviving.

Heavily influenced by images that seem to generally promote more ignorance and without having even a handful of positive role models to look to, the youth have been finding their own means to get what they need and it has only added more insult to injury as they go after one another.

Accompanied by Common and Tom Joyner, poet/author Maya Angelou seems to be the person to hear the cries and will be answering the call. In a panel discussion titled Saving the Race: The Human Race, there will be dialogue on the state of the African American community.

Angelou has been given the title of being one of the great voices of contemporary literature and has positioned herself as a historian, civil-rights activist along with many more talents. Hopefully, her words of wisdom will be able to contribute to a positive change.

Discussion will elaborate on issues plaguing the race and will make an attempt to begin the process in rebuilding the community while trying to overcome the mentality of black inferiority, negative images and self destructive behavior.

Whether people choose to accept or reject the idea, America has continued to keep its foot lodged in the neck of Black people. How is it that the same problems exist in the community and it's been so long; everyone else continues to prosper, but the general population continues to suffer.

Black people are only adding and creating harsher realities by taking out one another. At this point, it feels as though dogs were left starving and were let loose to fight and feast on one another.

The easiest way to have something destroyed is through implosion and not through external factors; that way everything can be eradicated.

The event is set to take place Saturday, November 7 in New York at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights. Tickets are being sold for $20 for general admission and $10 for students.