Blought #26: Why Did Trump Meet With Black Pastors Anyway?

Trump (Center) accompanied by Dr. Darrell Scott (right) Courtesy of: USAToday.com

 A few days ago Donald Trump shook up the media and news world when he announced that he had gained the support of 100 Black pastors and religious leaders from all over the country. Not long after that the facts became clear. Only about 50 or so pastors showed up to his meeting at Trump Towers with several of them signing endorsement cards for Trump‘s campaign.

What caught my attention was the fact that two pastors from Ohio were in attendance and here’s why. Ohio is usually a battleground state. Dividing the black vote has become a key strategy for the right wing with gerrymandering. Dr. Darrell Scott of New Spirit Revival Center Ministries Inc. based in Cleveland Heights, Oh was vocal in his support of Trump’s campaign.

He even made several phone calls to Senior Pastor Corletta J. Vaughn of Holy Ghost Cathedral in Detroit to get her on board. Pastor Vaughn declined stating that she felt “uncomfortable” with the meeting at Trump Towers. She said she would be open to meeting with Trump but on her own terms probably in her church so that the presidential candidate can hear her community’s concerns.

Jamal Bryant of Empowerment Temple in Baltimore tweeted "Prostitutes for Trump...don't let black pulpit become a pole". Pastor Scott responded with "If Trump called Black Preachers ‘Prostitutes on a Pole’, the entire nation would be in an uproar! #BlackPreachersMatter" and "For respectable Preachers to be called ‘Prostitutes on a pole’ is very insulting, demeaning, and misogynistic, to say the least." The divide and conquer rule definitely applies here.

Promotional flier for Trump's meeting

Bishop Victor Couzens of Forrest Park, Ohio near Cincinnati also attended the event. He voiced his concern for an apology towards his Black Lives Matter comments and incident at his rally where protester and activist Mercutio Southall was attacked and beaten. Trump stood by his earlier comments and said that he would not issue an apology.

Personally I don’t think Trump owes him an apology. Would you show up to a KKK meeting in a Black Panther uniform? I didn’t think so. Why go to a rival hood and cause disruption? It was sad that he was assaulted but Mr. Southall could have made better judgment.

On Tuesday Roland Martin host of  TV One’s News One Now spoke to Steve Parson PhD and former pastor of the Richmond Christian Center in Richmond, VA. Parson who is a supporter of Trump was on the show to discuss Trump’s plan for the black community. He talked in circles about the tax code until Martin hit him with the facts.

Martin, who recalled on his time as a city hall and county government reporter brought up the statistics that in 2008 black owned small businesses received 8.2% of all small business loans. By 2013 that number had dropped to 1.8% due to the foreclosure crisis that wiped out  53% of black wealth. Martin simply stated “no home, no loan, no collateral” as a cardinal rule of small business loans. Parson was never able to give Martin any straight answers on how a real estate mogul (Trump) couldn’t answer those questions himself.

Martin and Parson squaring off Courtesy of: RolandMartinReports.com

The main point to be taken away isn’t the fact that Trump’s camp spun a story about 100 black pastors meeting with him. It’s the fact that the Black Churches are not the go to leaders of the black community. Black millennials like most millennials don’t cling to faith and religion. Most of our parents are the same way, why do you think we feel the way that we feel?

It reminds me of the South Park episode “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” where Stan’s dad Randy Marsh went onto the popular game show wheel of fortune. The clue was “People who complain too much.” The spots were N_GGERS. Randy hesitantly shouted “Niggers!” when the answer was actually “Naggers”.

Randy then had to go apologize to Reverend Jesse Jackson. Stan attempted to make peace with his friend and only black kid in School Token who responded with “Jesse Jackson isn’t the emperor of black people.” The same can be said about most religious leaders.

Let’s be honest, black pastors are always caught up in scandal about stealing money from the church. Steve Parson ran his ministry into bankruptcy and lost two luxury cars that he and his son leased with the church’s money. Trump is playing this game as smart as he can. With Rubio rising and Carson fading away it’s getting closer to do or die time for Trump.

Sources:
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/01/457930597/black-pastor-calls-trump-meeting-a-get-played-moment

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/22/politics/donald-trump-black-lives-matter-protester-confrontation/

http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2015/feb/26/pastor-gets-boot/

Go Support #YoungLangston on November 1st!!!

Later this week I will be launching an Indie Go-Go campaign to raise funds to print copies of A Summer In Harlem and When the Crows Come Home along with my promotional bookmarks and laptop stickers. Here is the promotional video for the campaign set to begin on November 1st. I will be posting a link for the campaign in the near future. Thank to all of my supporters, Peace...



 

'The Mouthwatering Taste of Success' by Brendan Whitt

Ethan and Indians Co-owner Paul Dolan

Anyone who has ever been successful in anything had to have one key character trait, perseverance. Whether it’s LeBron going to the gym before most of us have hit snooze, Jay-Z knowing that a drug dealer could become an all time great rap artist and business mogul or President Obama fighting his way to the White House as a black man. Perseverance will always get us through the rough and uncertain patches in life.

When I first heard of Ethan Holmes and his story I was inspired. I saw a guy who looks like me, is from my city and was on his way to the top. Ethan has always had a passion for business. He and a friend had a lemonade stand as children which they later made mobile and he even sold chocolate bars to classmates at Shaker Heights High School.

Then at 15 the idea hit him. “Why not start an applesauce company?” he thought. The market wasn’t saturated and he didn’t like the taste of Motts and other brand’s applesauces. “They’re flavors were just sugary and bland” he said. Ethan had been inspired by businessman Farrah Gray’s Book ‘Reallionaire’ given to him by his godmother.

“I never read a lot but his book just sparked my interest,” Ethan said. “He did it right.” Gray had made over a million dollars by the age of 14 after starting his own food related business. Ethan knew he had the hustle, he just needed a little push. After never fully committing to his dream Ethan finally found the moment to take his business seriously in 2014.

“I was working in Hiram’s cafeteria making sandwiches where I was making about $8.75 an hour and saving up for a clunker.” Ethan had stacked his checks and had over $1,000 saved up for his future bucket. It was then when his girlfriend Janae pushed him to finally take his applesauce business seriously. He started off by making applesauce in his kitchen and struggling to get vendors to put his product on their shelves. “There’s beauty in the struggle” he said.

Every year the Counsel of Small Enterprises, or COSE, hosts a competition where small business owners vie for the chance to gain additional resources for their businesses. “I applied every year for about three or four straight years and got denied every time. They didn't take us seriously.” Ethan’s company failed to even reach the first round. In March of this year Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce took home first prize and $20,000.

Holmes Mouthwatering logo

There surely was beauty in his struggle as Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce has grown into a budding success. Their applesauce is available in original and cinnamon and is now sold in over 60 locations in Ohio and Illinois in stores like Heinen’s, Zagara’s, and Giant Eagle. Ethan and his company are also looking forward to having their applesauce sold in Whole Foods and Marcs.

While his business success is surely something to be admired, it’s the personal sincerity that he injects into his company and brand. Unlike Mott’s and those other “sugary and bland” tasting applesauces, Holmes Mouthwatering cares about their consumers. Each 16 oz. jar is made from all natural products and  contains only 6g of sugar and 40 calories. Ethan has also made the conscious decision to donate 10% of all proceeds to fighting childhood obesity.  Ethan and his company are also looking to have their applesauce distributed in Columbus schools.

But it all isn’t peaches and cream or Apples and cider (dum dum tshhh).Even though he’s had success there are still struggles that plague him. Ethan says the hardest part about running a business isn’t managing product but managing people. “I was banned from hosting demos at Heinen’s for a while because people would leave early or not clean up properly.”

Holmes Mouthwatering summer interns

During this past summer Ethan worked with local Black and Hispanic teens. They learned about small business models where Ethan had them create their own mock Lemonade stands. He taught them necessary business management skills while they volunteered in his space at the Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen. His time with the teens has inspired him to start his own non-profit called the Young Entrepreneur Initiative. Ethan also spends time as a consultant with the Cleveland State Small Business Development Center in Cleveland Heights.

Ethan wants to especially thank his girlfriend Janae for all of her love and support. He knows that his company can grow into a national and even global brand over the next five to ten years.
No matter how you dress it up Ethan has won and looks to continue to keep winning. He’s confident but not cocky, easy going but a go getter and stays busy. He’s just a normal guy with a bunch of apples and a plan.

Feel free to visit their site: http://holmesapplesauce.com/

Local Clothing Designer's art goes from 'Lame" to Fame by Brendan Whitt (Courtesy of Call & Post Cleveland)

'Ingenuity Born out of Necessity: The Soul of Sole Snatchers' by Brendan Whitt (Courtesy of Volume Magazine Cleveland)

So you’re in your early twenties and the economy is not as generous as it was to your parents and grandparents. Union jobs aren’t booming like they once were and minimum wage is a joke. Now you have to dream. You want the house, car, money, vacations, all of it. Then you want more. You want something real. Something that can get you that dream. So you grind, a hustle that you will grow and cultivate until it bears you the fruit that you so badly wanted when it was just a dream. Now enter Daniel Butler, a young man with a dream and hustle to match. Daniel is the owner and creator of Sole Snatchers, a business that was born out of his love for sneakers and the culture that surrounds them. “My goal is to see as many people in the shirts as possible” he says. Daniel created his own line of t shirts based on his business that didn’t take off as planned. So he put it on hold and waited for the right moment. Sole snatchers was supposed to be a shoe consignment and trade marketplace for sneaker collectors, buyers and sellers.

Daniel had a plan and a product but not enough funds. He had a beta for the site but saw there was still a long road ahead of him. He soon did what all dreamers did, got his hustle together. “I had a logo someone designed for the site and thought ‘That’s a catchy design. I should put that on a shirt.’”...https://volumemagcle.wordpress.com/2014/05/24/ingenuity-born-out-of-necessity-the-soul-of-sole-snatchers/