How you impacted my life's work; the Michigan Policy Summit

Friends,

You're reading this email is an indication that over the course of my life, we have crossed paths and I believe that we are the sum total of our experiences, so whether it was a chastisement, a kind word, or deep philosophical conversation; I am a better person because of you and I thank you for sowing that seed in my life.

I am writing this email to share with you briefly what I consider to be a major component of my life's work; The2008 Michigan Policy Summit taking place May 10th in the Lansing Center. I remember hearing in church one Sunday that whatever God's mission is for your life, you won't be able to complete it alone and the summit is the first time in my life where I needed help on the scale of reaching out to everyone I know from across Michigan and around the world.

By way of updates, I currently work at The Michigan Prospect as the Director of the Michigan Policy Summit, a major progressive policy summit taking place May 10th in the Lansing Center. I am also a writer (though currently on hiatus) from the Michigan Messenger and I am a trainer for Campus Camp Wellstone. I am a product of Renaissance High in Detroit and proud graduate of the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, class of 2005.

The summit is an annual gathering of Michigan's progressives and this year over 800 progressives will address health care, 21st century energy, and education in a way that provides the foundation for sound progressive policies that advocates and residents all over the state will have a role in shaping and making sure it makes through the legislative process.

Organizing not connected to policy is foolhardy and in addition to policy work, we are holding skill workshops for things included but not limited to social entrepreneurship to fundraising to using arts in organizing. We also have regional breakouts to make sure the work we are doing is taking place at the local level.

The year's keynote speakers are popular political activist and author Jim Hightower – dubbed the nation's No. 1 populist – and top radio commentator Amy Goodman. It will also feature numerous advocates, policy experts, elected officials, and other members of the state's progressive community.

You can help by registering for this event and bringing your experiences to bear. Registration is $30. If you are unable to come out, all donations are welcome, (see attached outreach letter). If you are on facebook, you can change your profile to the summit logo and I promise you will see an increase in your cool points.

Beyond all that, please help spread the word about the summit and create a buzz that people in Michigan are coming together to do groundbreaking work. Thank you so much for your time and support.

I've been bad at staying in touch I know, but please send me an email and let me know how you've been doing.

Thanks,

Brandon White
248-763-3385

 

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One Love. One II.

Categories
SuperSpade

The Weekly Dream: Unselfish Selfishness

“How can two walk together unless they be agreed?”

On my open thread two weeks back, Garlin asked me to write about what to do when what is best for you is not necessarily what is best for the relationship. Now, this is a very interesting and sensitive subject that can be approached from different angles.

Economically Speaking

I am an economist by trade and economics is all about providing the proper incentives for people to do the right things. In a relationship, what is good for me should be good collectively. For instance, let’s look at work. If I get a promotion that I really wanted, it should be good for the both of us. There is more money, more opportunity but I have to work more or I must travel more. However, things get shaky on the home front. This kind of thing happens all the time and is a source of great frustration for both parties. On the one hand, the guy feels like his lady is not being supportive and she does not understand the sacrifices he makes to bring what he brings to the table. But the woman may feel like her emotional needs are not being met and that all he cares about is the job. It could also be the other way around where the guy feels neglected. In any event, we have a problem.

Money is another example. A lot of young ladies I meet want a certain lifestyle, but they also want a lot of attention from their significant other and you cannot have both. Why? Simple economics: Time is a scarce resource. I cannot “make moves” and “cake” at the same time.

Where Is The Love?

It comes a time in every ambitious young man or woman’s life where they are going to have deal with this issue. What is the source of this disconnect? Why is it that the other person does not understand where you are coming from? How did ambition become a curse? I believe the source of it is communication and buy-in.

My father always told me that you cannot spend and build an empire. This means that one person cannot build and another person is doing the complete opposite. Both people need to share the vision and work towards it. A lot of times, we get wrapped up in what is best for us. But, how does what is best for the individual fit into the collective vision?

Too often, couples fail to articulate or even define what they are working towards. As Jesus said, “Who undertakes a work without counting the cost?” Garlin likes to call this exercise setting and managing expectations. But essential to this process is a willingness to negotiate, compromise and cooperate. In the event that you cannot communicate or work through this mismatch of incentives, it may be best to go your separate ways, because not everyone is going to have compatible agendas.

On the hand, the other person just does not appreciate or is not into what you are into. I may love business and speaking, but my girl may not be that way. The question becomes what can you live with. Do you want a power couple dynamic or do you want someone who grounds you? You have to acknowledge how your partner is built.

But I do believe this: You can only make you happy. You can put your personal agenda to the side, but only to a certain extent. A lot of people cannot see the big picture, their eyes are shut and their eyes are deaf. So, you have to just plug ahead and hope that they will catch up. If you make a sacrifice that is too great, you may feel resentment and regret.

In a perfect world, we would always be on the level with our significant other. But that is not always the case. Hopefully, you have a foundation of trust, understanding and communication to get you through those times. However, we do have an obligation to communicate and to build our vision together.

Keep it real with yourself and your significant other.

Truth and Peace,
Steven M DeVougas


Categories:
The Weekly Dream
Relationships

The Movement for Our Times

I saw this cartoon in a Christian Science Monitor article and I wanted to know what issue you think our generation should tackle. Have we seen an issue (or set of issues) whose reach is long enough to be a call for our generation? I would hate to have been one of those people who just sat around during the Civil Rights Movement because I was too selfish or otherwise not engaged. But is it possible we are doing that right now?

To be sure, we should take stock to make sure that history will not look back on us and have our silence be recorded in the face of mass injustice. What is your vision and barriers do you think exist to communicating this vision?

Stay up fam,

Categories:
Vision
Movement

Obama: Logic and Excitement

And we loved him cause, in him we, saw some of us
He walked like ussss, talked like ussss – Jay Z

From the song, Meet the Parents

I think the excerpt above epitomizes the appeal of one, Senator and Presidential candidate, Barack Obama. It simultaneously, explains the vigor by which individuals will defend and support Senator Obama whenever he is attacked by mainstream media or leading political figures. So are people too sensitive when it comes to Obama that they can’t at the same time hold him accountable?

In some of my conversations with other Black folk, I have often heard that we must take care to be just as objective in our analysis of Obama as we are towards other candidates. And I agree with this logic up to a point. I think that it is unwise to bottle the excitement that the Obama campaign is generating. The only way that the Democrats will take the White House is if new voters are mobilized, young people, and so-called independents and right of center Republicans switch sides. But even if Obama does not win the nomination, who else do you think is capable of mobilizing these crucial groups?

Having said that, I know it seems like many people have drank the Obama Kool-Aid without knowing the flavor as it were. But that is OK. And here’s why. If we, (as activists who try to achieve positive change with as many people as possible) are really honest, we don’ think there are enough “conscious” folks who are willing to do the grassroots work that will inspire real change. In my opinion, we should think about Obama’s campaign as a way to pull people into the movement that would otherwise not be engaged.

So my fear is that in our quest to make sure that we hold Obama accountable, we miss out on tapping the groundswell of excitement that can be used for things that have nothing to do with politics. In so many ways, Presidential elections have very little to do with the actual candidate. While I agree that we should Obama accountable, we should first ask if we are holding each other accountable. When that happens, we can achieve greatness regardless of who holds the White House.

Stay up fam,

Categories:
Senator Obama

Iran seizes British Navy soldiers

Fifteen British Navy personnel have been captured at gunpoint by Iranian forces, the Ministry of Defence says. The men were seized when they boarded a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was smuggling cars.

Fortunately, The Royal Navy said the men, who were on a routine patrol in Iraqi waters, were understood to be unharmed.

In the continuing stand off between the West and the Iranian nuclear program, it will be situations like the one just described that will be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back.

I predict that the Iran government will return the soldiers home unharmed in part to show the world that they are much more humane and reasonable than their Western counterparts would have you believe.

And God forbid these soldiers were American, there would be major saber-rattling on the part of the Bush Administration. Moreover, America’s lack of diplomatic relations would not allow Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice to do what British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett did by being able to summon the Iranian ambassador in London to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in an attempt to negotiate the men's release.

Chances are, it was just an honest misunderstanding but when negotiating is cut off, you simultaneously cut off options for reasonable compromises.

God, I pray for peace in this world.


Stay up fam,

Categories:
Iran
International Affairs

Flashback: The SuperSpade in March of 2006

For people who may have just recently joined our site, we present an opportunity to get a taste of things we've talked about in the past. We're going to start doing this once per month.

Here are some categorized highlights of The SuperSpade circa March 2006:

The State of Black Men
A Poverty of the Mind (1 comment)
Is the Black Man in America Doomed? (5 comments)

The Weekly Dream
Carpe Diem - The Purpose Driven Now
Life's Lessons (6 comments)
The Hunger for More (4 comments)
General Indifference (5 comments)

Family-related
Is your family more important than God? (10 comments)
The Black Family Movement Part II (1 comment)
The Right to be a Deadbeat (4 comments)

Relationships
Are you late or late late? (6 comments)
Indifference, Insecurity, and Assumption Transference (4 comments)
A good Black man? (12 comments)

Politics
Why we went to war, Bush responds (2 comments)
Bush's State of Iraq unveiled (2 comments)
In defense of Dubai (and Bush) (1 comment)
Bush warned of levees breaching in New Orleans (1 comment)
Supporting and listening to the troops

One Love. One II.

Categories
SuperSpade
Flashback

Why Didn't I Learn About Vietnam?

Did you learn about the Vietnam war in history class in middle or high school? Did you learn about the Watergate Scandal? Maybe if we did, our generation would care more about the goings on in today's government and better understand the importance of participation.

There have been many comparisons drawn between the situation in Iraq and the situation in Vietnam a generation ago. These comparisons speak to the similarities in the shady nature in which the conflicts were handled by the US government, the way that those that did not blindly support the war were ridiculed and negatively typecasted as weak pacifists, how so many principled politicians sat by idly as thousands of soldiers were killed in another country's civil war, and the idea of the domino theory that once "applied" to communism now "applies" to terrorism.

One thing that characterized the US during the Vietnam War was the effectiveness of protests. There have been protests to the conflict in Iraq since before it began, and the momentum that they are building is reminiscent of those that took place in the 1960s and 70s against Vietnam. These public citizen actions were a catalyst for the Congressional action that ultimately ended the war. Prayerfully, the same will be said about Iraq protests in the very near future.

So why don't curriculum designers teach students about their country's activist past? Why don't standardized tests include reading comprehension sections comprised of pieces describing Vietnam, a war that was taking place only 3 decades ago? It's hard to believe that this is not on purpose.

What's the solution?

Contemporary study should cover contemporary events. If you are a parent, why not lobby your school board/district to have unit(s) on Vietnam added? At least ask the question. If it can be done over the useless Intelligent Design debate, it surely can be done over a subject in which a student's knowledge can allow them to immediately take action in the world today. If you are a student, write a compare-contrast paper on America during Vietnam and America during today's Iraq conflict. Doing so will educate yourself, your peers, and your instructors. If you are just a concerned citizen, read up on Vietnam.

It's important to answer questions, especially ones that are never asked.

One Love. One II.

Categories
Education
History
Politics
Foreign Policy
Iraq
So-called "War on Terror"

What Congress is Doing

Here are a couple examples of alarming things that were happening during the Bush Administration that we did not know or would never have found out about until we had Congressional Oversight:

FBI Abuses of Spying - This should send chilling reminders of COINTELPRO
Attorney General firing judges who pursued corruption investigations against Republicans

Here are a few things that could possibly have been prevented if there had been Congressional Oversight before this year:

Patriot Act
Warrantless wiretapping
Secret monitoring of Bank Accounts

The Democrats are now the Majority Party in the Senate and the House of Representatives, due to the result of the elections this past November. Now that they have been in for a couple of months (they were elected in November 2006 but not officially sworn in until 4 Jan 2007), you are beginning to see some differences in how things are working.

The act of exposing and acting as a check and balance within the government is called oversight (when done by Congress, it is Congressional Oversight). That is something we haven't seen since 2000. What this means is that there is now one branch that can look over the shoulder of the other two. There is someone there to hit the brakes on crazy or dangerous governmental intentions. There is a way now for people to be able to see what is happening in our government and not be stonewalled in the name of national security or not needing to know.

A concept key to how our government works is called Checks and Balances. This basically means that each branch of government (in the U.S., the branches are: Executive (President), Legislative (Senate & House), Judicial (Supreme Court)) has a way to keep the other branches in check and keep power evenly balanced between the branches. If all three branches of government are operating checking and balancing one another, no one branch should dominate the other two. When this is not case, it can lead to terrible things.

Since 2000 when G. W. Bush took office, we have been experiencing governance without checks and balances. The Republican-led Congress laid down for whatever the Republican President said or demanded. The conservative-leaning Supreme Court, which installed Bush, also sat by idly. That changed with the 2006 election, and now we have a situation where there is a Republican President and a conservative Supreme Court, but there is a Democratic House and Senate, meaning that we are no longer effectively a one-party system.

This is important to understand because understanding how and why things happen the way they do is key to understanding how to make things happen in ways that we want. I believe that we are only scratching the surface when it comes to all of the shady stuff we may find out about that has been going on over the past 6 years. I am also afraid that it will take longer for the Democrats to undo what it only took the Republicans 6 years to do. Thank God they have started down this long road.

So the next time that you or someone asks, "What's this Congress doing?" You can say, "Their Job."

One Love. One II.

Categories
Politics
Democrats
Republicans
Congress

Sharpton and Obama Make Up

Apparently they talked this weekend, and they are supposed to be all good now. This was inevitable, as I pointed out on Air America on Friday. The question is, is this for real?

Also, Sharpton said he is not jealous of Obama. I doubt it, but if he says so, so be it.

One Love. One II.

Categories
Politics
Black Issues
Barack Obama

The SuperSpade's Air America Radio Interview with The Young Turks

Thank you everyone that listened live to my interview (11 min 12 sec, 10.2 MB, mp3 file) this morning.

I had the opportunity to share my thoughts on the Obama-Sharpton squabble, Obama's dealings with "traditional" Black political leadership, and briefly the Congressional Black Caucus Institute considering partnering with Fox News to air their upcoming Presidential debates.

For those that missed it, you can listen the interview here. A big Thank You from The SuperSpade to Ben & Cenk of The Young Turks and and Air America Radio.

One Love. One II.

Categories
Speech
Politics
Barack Obama
Voting
Black Issues