Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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206 of 238 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Important effort, but should be improved , March 27, 2006
As a former corporate and gov't employee, and now chronically (and happily) self employed social entreprenuer who is one of those too rare black women - a wife and mother (of four, by the same father, smile), I may be the oddball out but The Covenant did not meet my expectations - although I congratulate the marketing and motivation that went into it.
First, The Covenant seems like a less well written version of the State of Black America the National Urban League published, and which most people shelved until it was time to research black (American) pathologies. Maybe the intent is to motivate those who aren't aware of the dismal lack of access and fight for opportunity black folks deal with day to day, but those "unaware" can't number more than two, and they can't be black.
Very, very distinguished black achievers participated, and do an excellent job of reiterating American history that continues to undermine black progress. There are also nice examples of efforts people and groups are doing to stem the onslaught of black decline. But the "covenant" gives no sense of whether the examples are endorsed as part of a national action plan that every community should try to implement.
Finally, for me, there are three disturbing elements of The Covenant that can perhaps be addressed to help inspire a movement in the 21st century:
1) It frames black people in America as if we had no successful history before enslavement, before Jim Crow, before the death of affirmative action. To successfully train black children is to put violence against their race as a relatively new construct, not the sum total of existence. Please, have the intellectuals delve a little deeper into the culture that we come from that still makes us strong enough to go on. It is the missing link.
2) The quote "hold all leaders and elected official responsible and demand that they change public policy" was extremely irritating throughout the book - especially given the numbers of black elected officials (who are not necessarily practicing group independence or cultural competence). As I view the futures of the children in our large family, ending our consumer slave culture will have the single largest impact on ALL children's futures than all the policy in the world. Again, it may be my expectations were off base, but I'm extremely disappointed by the continued demands from a gov't that struggles to renew the Voting Rights Act....
3) The Covenent with Black America does not address a critical issue: what value and relevance do native (non-immigrant) black Americans have that would make potential partners want to invest with and in us? How can we improve our communication with newer black immigrants to build international networks for all of our children? I mean really, how many exchange student opportunities are there for black children to see the rest of the world? Again, to me, the emphasis on black people's buying habits can be refocused as we look at how the world is changing. If we define ourselves as a relevant, conscious people committed to excellence, then we open the door to more opportunity for our children beyond our borders. How this could have been missed I don't understand.
Overall, the next edition, which I encourage, should focus on setting goals, like in 2020, 60% of black dollars will circulate internally; teen unemployment will drop by 80%; 75% of black males will be in college; 50% of black children uner 18 will speak two languages... Without targeted goals, many of the suggestions written in this book just seem well intentioned but tired.
As we used to say in Xerox, those who can, do....those who can't, teach. Let's hope the next edition of The Covenant features serious players (many of them unsung) who can share specific strategies, pledge or identify resources and give realistic timelines so we can measure our collective health(mental, spiritual, physical and material). It is only from that prayerful, self respecting culture (code of behavior) that true progress can be sustained, and respected.
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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More helpful than most self-help...and it's not even considered self-help, February 27, 2006
This is not--specifically--categorized as self-help. But as one who has extensively researched the phenomenon, I can tell you that it has more to do with genuine self-help--the pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind--than anything you're apt to read by Dr. Phil or John Gray. That's because these essays are by people who (a) have the credentials to be expounding on what they're expounding on, and (b) include a fair amount of tactical, actionable information along with the usual motivational component.
Though this is bracketed (explicitly) as a book for minorities, "Americans in general" could do a lot worse than to read Smiley's anthology. And it's a good read, too.
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42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Covenant to Read "The Covenant", March 26, 2006
"The Covenant with Black America" should be required reading for all Americans. Whether one agrees with the diagnosis and prescriptions is not the point. The point is to increase dialogue, understanding, and mutual progress.
"The Covenant" includes chapters on healthcare, public education, justice system, policing, housing, politics, rural roots, jobs, environment, and the digital divide. Each chapter outlines the issues from the author's perspective, provides a bio of the author (if this bio were at the front of each chapter, it would be helpful), collates statistics on the topic (a more diverse collation of statistics could increase the impact of the book), shares what the community can do, explains what individuals can do, tells what works now, and describes what leaders and politicians can do (again, further balance here would be beneficial).
"The Covenant" is the brainchild of Tavis Smiley who offers it as a roadmap toward future hope. He brings together a laudable team of experts in their field, though one might wish for greater diversity in political, social, and economic perspectives.
Particularly helpful are the sections on what works now. It's always easy to identify a problem, it's somewhat easy to propose a solution, but it's always helpful to provide examples of currently workable and working models. Smiley follows the "best practices" model of illustrating how to move into the future effectively by describing those who are already successfully doing so.
A chapter on spiritual and religious values, given their historical and current emphasis in the African American community, also would add to the books value. Or, integrating the religious community more fully into the essence of each chapter's discussion would be another way to advance the message of the book.
Not everyone from every political persuasion will agree with the suggested covenants--obviously. However, as the back cover explains, "The Covenant with Black American" is moving beyond talking about "our pain" to talking about "our plan." This is certainly in line with the historic African American focus on moving beyond being a victim to being a victor. Those who may have another socio-economic-political perspective on dealing with issues vital to African Americans (and to all Americans), rather than dismissing a book like this, should engage it; should write their own Covenant with the same specificity of focus, though perhaps with distinctive answers.
The front page quote says it well. "The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time" (Terry Tempest Williams). "The Covenant" is a forward-looking book. Well aware of the past, grounded in the needs of the present, it details a process that can shape a renewed future for African Americans and all Americans-so we can become one America. As stated at the outset of this review and throughout, one does not need to agree with the diagnosis and prescriptions to understand the importance of the issue, to engage in the ongoing dialogue, and to propose their own amended Covenant.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of the "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians," and "Spiritual Friends."
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