A recent article I read had New Years Resolutions broken down into three areas: Professional, Personal and Industry. I’m going to add a 4th area: charitable. So as change is on our minds right now, here are some suggestions for ways to add charity to the list of things that will be different and better in 2009.

RESOLVE TO GIVE MORE TO CHARITY THIS YEAR
Each of us gave a certain amount of money to charity last year, but in 2009 let’s resolve to increase our giving by at least 10%. Each of us has issues that are important to us: mine are the black male school to prison pipeline, education disparity, hunger and healthcare in Africa. Before you start giving money you should decide what issues you want to support: education, domestic violence, economic empowerment, the arts? Once you decide on those issues and set your giving priorities you should direct most of your money to organizations working on those issues. Decide in this first month of the year to give a little bit more than you gave in 2008.

GIVE MONEY TO AN ORGANIZATION OTHER THAN YOUR CHURCH OR RELIGIOUS INSTIUTION
90% of charitable giving by African-Americans is to churches or religious institutions. While it is important to support churches and the work that they do, the money that we give does not always go to the community—in many cases it goes to make the church better. Some churches give a portion of the money they receive to community organizations but churches don’t always do enough to help support nonprofit and community organizations. So giving to your church is not enough. In addition to your church giving, give money to a nonprofit organization.

DEVELOP A GIVING BUDGET
We all get hit up with requests for charitable donations throughout the year: someone is running in a race to benefit a charity and wants you to be a sponsor; someone wants you to buy a ticket for a fundraising event; the list goes on and on. One way to figure out how much you can give to charities each year is by setting a charity budget. Rather than giving money in a half hazard way, if you decide now that you will donate $1000 during 2009 to charitable causes, each time you receive a request for a charitable donation you will know how much money you can give.

GIVE TIME
In a speech he gave in July 2008, President-Elect Obama discussed the importance of service. “We need your service, right now, in this moment – our moment – in history. I’m not going to tell you what your role should be; that’s for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history.” Beginning in January, National Mentor Month, President-Elect will appear in a print ad with this quote urging people to be the change by becoming a mentor.

President-Elect Obama is planning to make service one of the defining themes of his Presidency. So why not get a head start? Many of us are trying to do all things Obama these days (if only I could exercise six days a week like he does); we should also embrace his commitment to community service. This is a great time to get involved with a mentoring or volunteer program. I have mentored high school, college and law school students. I hope the mentoring experience was rewarding for the mentor but was even more rewarding for me.

GIVE STUFF
The beginning of a new year is a great time for renewal. Just as we got rid of 2008, a drama filed year; the new year is a great time to renew. Go through your closets and get rid of old stuff –that coat you haven’t worn, those jeans that are too tight (or it that just me?), that sweater you never wear. Gather all of that stuff up and take it to Salvation Army or Goodwill. You don’t need it but someone else does.

I’ll have more suggestions next week. I would love to hear your charity resolutions. The beginning of a year is a time for rededication and reflection. Decide the things that you want to accomplish (in all areas of your life not just with charities) and come up with a plan. After November 4, 2008, it’s hard to say “it can’t be done, it won’t happen.” How many of us last January thought we would be talking about President Obama? What has happened in the past year demonstrates that anything is possible!

What are your charity resolutions?

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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While we’re talking about Kanye’s behavior we should instead been have talking about Jay-Z’s September 11th Answer the Call Concert to benefit the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. Now those of you who know me, know that I love Jay-Z’s music. I own every Jay-Z album and raced to download the Blueprint III as soon as it was available on ITunes. But last week’s concert made me much more impressed by Jay-Z the person, rather than Jay-Z the artist. Currently, there is arguably no bigger artist than Jay-Z. Last week’s New York Times Arts & Leisure profile “An Overdog to Root For” confirms that.

As Jay-Z says “I’m not businessman—I’m a business man!”

On September 11th, Jay-Z headlined a benefit show to coincide with the eighth anniversary of the release of the Blueprint. The Blueprint was released on September 11, 2001 a day none of us will ever forget. But Jay-Z was not there to celebrate his success, the concert wasn’t just a victory lap to show his artistry and that he could still “sell out the Garden”. Jay-Z made sure that the fans knew why they were there. As a montage of those who lost their lives on 9/11 played on the stage, Jay-Z said “make some noise for those that lost their lives so we could live ours”. A class act.

But Jay-Z is not the only celebrity doing good. Tyler Perry is another. After 65 Philadelphia school children were turned away from a swim club in Pennsylvania this summer, Tyler Perry did the unthinkable: sent them to Disney World. Tyler Perry decided that a small act of kindness can change a child’s life. Its great that Tyler Perry allowed these children to have a happy ending to a horrible experience.

And let’s not forget Ludacris. Ludacris recently gave away 20 used cars to Atlanta residents during his annual LudaDay weekend. Ludacris asked individuals to write a 300 word essay on his website and awarded the cars to the those with the most compelling stories. Good stuff!

So much of our popular culture is spent dissecting the bad behavior of our celebrities and doesn’t acknowledge their good behavior. We shouldn’t be talking about the bad examples that Chris Brown and Kanye West set, we should be talking about the good example that Jay-Z set by using his celebrity for a cause he cared about through his September 11th concert, Tyler Perry’s donation of a Disney World trip and Ludacris’ LudaDay Car Giveaway.

So here’s a suggestion: wouldn’t it be great if every musician held one charity concert during each of their tours or if each artist would underwrite some type of service for a nonprofit or make a donation of cars to those in need? Imagine how much money and awareness these acts of kindness could create. Jay-Z, Tyler Perry and Ludacris did it; other artists should too. Follow their example; follow the leaders.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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African-Americans give to our families and our schools but especially to our churches. In fact, most of our charitable giving has been to religious organizations– approximately 90% of African-American charitable giving is to churches and religious institutions.
But how much of those funds are going to help the communities in which those churches are based and solve the larger crises facing the black community such as lack of healthcare, the school to prison pipeline affecting young black men and the education achievement gap among disadvantaged students?

This is the question we should all be asking.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a strong believer in the importance of churches and religious institutions in general but especially the Black Church. Where else but the black church do you see a collective group of African-Americans organized around a cause, in this case their spiritual well-being. My church is the place where I see the most African-Americans of all income levels at any time during a given week. I don’t question the spiritual importance of the Black Church.

Rather I have another question: is church attendance just filling pews or are churches bringing about social and economic change? We all know that the black church was one of the major institutions that brought about and supported the civil rights movement, but 45 years later is giving to churches enough to solve the many social and economic challenges facing the black community? Is that an outdated model– it shouldn’t be. I really wish that more churches would get back into their tradition of being a leader in the community, speaking out when there are problems and improving the communities where they are located. As one minister has stated, “our Lord came to save the world, not just save the church.”

Some churches believe you can do both. Allen AME and Bennett Chapel Missionary Church are two examples of congregations that couldn’t be more different but are both working to make a difference in their communities. Allen AME in Queens, NY has 20,000 members and a former United States Congressman, Rev. Floyd Flake, as its pastor. It spends approximately $30 million each year on community development and nonprofit activities. It provides Thanksgiving dinner to over 5,000 community members each year, operates a soup kitchen and clothing closet for its community, runs its own school, builds houses and has transformed its neighborhood. I love their model of community involvement and if I lived closer I would probably be a member. Bennett Chapel Missionary Church is in Possum Trot, Texas, a town with 300 families. In 1997 it began its Save A Generation Ministry, through which 27 families in its congregation have adopted 73 children from the Texas foster care system. You shouldn’t have to live in a small town to attend a church that is this involved in their community.

I wish all churches were making the type of commitment to social and economic justice that Allen AME and Bennett Chapel are making but they aren’t. This is why financial support of nonprofit organizations in addition to churches is so important within the black community.

Both the church and we as individuals need to support the nonprofit organizations working on local, national and international problems. We can’t expect the church to fix everything although I wish they would do a better job. But we also cannot direct all of our charitable resources towards our places of worship. In times of economic stagnation, increasing your charitable giving is a hard thing to swallow and in many cases may be considered a luxury. But in times when many nonprofits are being asked to do more with less, giving to charity is more important and necessary than ever.

Here’s What You Can Do.

• Challenge your church to play a more proactive role in the community. Find out if your church has a Mission & Benevolence Fund, what happens when you designate funds to that Fund, and how much of your church’s tithes and offerings go to help the larger community.

• Find out if your church is doing anything to help their congregants and those in the community during this recession. Does your church provide job training, job fairs or food drives for the needy? If you can’t find out the answers to these questions, maybe you need to find another church!

• If you do not give to a church or a nonprofit organization, please start. Consider setting aside a portion of your after-tax income to be put towards a social cause that you believe in. Everyone has a social issue that they feel passionate about. No matter what issue is most important to you there is a nonprofit organization that tries to address that problem. Start giving your money and time to those organizations.

Push yourself to give more. Choose to be a tither-plus. Give 10% to your church or religious institution if you are so inclined but also give 5% to 10% of your income to nonprofit organizations. No matter the amount, large or small, your money can go a long way.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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In 2009, many celebrities have a foundation of their own or support charitable causes but that wasn’t the case in the 1980’s . Remember “We are the World”? When Michael Jackson was at the height of his popularity he, along with Lionel Richie, wrote “We are the World”, a song that raised millions of dollars for famine relief in Africa. We are the World was performed by a who’s who of popular artists at that time. Thirty Nine artists performed on the song: Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross to name a few. It became one of the biggest selling singles of all time with the proceeds going to famine relief in Africa. Michael Jackson skipped the American Music Awards ceremony to record the chorus of the song as a guide to the other artists.

Remember Ryan White? In 1984, Ryan White was diagnosed with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment. At that time AIDS carried a large stigma and White was prohibited him attending school because of his condition. His family filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban. Michael Jackson befriended White and appeared with him during his trial to show his support and demystify the stigma of AIDS. Some thought that was a risky thing to do because AIDS at the time was thought of as a “gay disease”.

Michael Jackson was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records for the “Most Charities Supported by a Pop Star”, the number was 39. He supported causes such as USA for Africa, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation. And lets not forget Michael Jackson really didn’t have to do any of this. At the height of his popularity there was no one bigger than Michael Jackson. He wasn’t just a musician he was a celebrity icon. His music was the soundtrack of my teenage years. He didn’t need to give many to nonprofit organizations; he didn’t need to befriend Ryan White. He did those things out of the goodness of his heart.

I don’t want to focus on the negative aspects of Michael Jackson’s life which are now being discussed over and over in the press; I want to celebrate Michael Jackson, the artist and the philanthropist. When I listen, to Billie Jean, Beat It and Man in the Mirror, all I hear is the work of a genius. Being the “King of Pop” is amazing but being “King of Charities” is not so bad either.

So in addition to buying Michael Jackson’s music which I am sure all of us are going to do in the next few days, consider making a donation to charity as well. That’s what Michael Jackson did—he gave to others even though he didn’t have to, championed causes that were not popular, and befriended someone who had been vilified and stigmatized. Don’t forget that part of his legacy.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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I have taken a step back from blogging to deal with a personal tragedy and loss. Recently a dear friend passed away. The loss for me has been devastating. Not a day goes by that I do not mourn my friend, miss his presence and say this is wrong and unfair. I know he’s in a better place, I will see him again one day, that he touched many lives during his time on earth and was a great friend to many. But right now those thoughts are only mildly comforting.

So I haven’t felt like doing much these days. I definitely haven’t felt like sitting down and blogging about anything. There have been some topics that I could have blogged about if I felt like it—the historic nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court; the ensuing drama about her comments on race in 2001—which in my opinion is much ado about nothing. I also could have written about the California Supreme Court’s decision upholding Proposition 8, a topic I’ve written about before. But I was grieving too much to address any of these topics.

Now that I am able to put pen to paper—or in those case finger to keyboard—I’d like to write about a topic that doesn’t get talked about as much as it should: the power of friendship. It has been said that unlike family, you can chose your friends. Friends are the family you make for yourself. And it is important to choose wisely. As we age we come to rely on our friends much more. When we were in kindergarten a friend was the person you played with after school, the person you ate lunch with, or the person whose birthday party you attended. In high school, a friend is the person you shared a limo with to the prom or stayed out with after hours. Well fast forward twenty years and your adult friends are those who get you through the good times and the bad. It is easy to be a good friend when times are good and happiness is everywhere—many of those friends are really acquaintances, not friends. But real friendships are those that withstand the good times and the bad. The people you can call at 4 A.M. who talk you through your tears, those are your friends. They are few and far between.

As I’ve matured I’ve realized that in life you don’t get a lot of 4 A.M. friends, which is why it is important to nurture, treasure and cultivate those friendships. Those are the types of friends that even if you have a disagreement or argument, your friendship sees you through and the disagreement becomes a minor occurrence. Your 4 A.M. friends are not necessarily friends that you talk to every day. Sometimes it’s a tragedy that reconnects you with your friend and you pick up where you left off even if it’s been months or years.

I read a quote recently that said “a friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should”, this sums up a true friendship. Friends are supposed to be there for a reason, a season or a lifetime, but I think 4 A.M. friends are put in your life for a reason And a lifetime. Don’t get me started on seasonal friends!

My friend entered my life for a reason and a lifetime. And I thought that that lifetime would be a lifetime we shared on earth but from now on it is lifetime of memories and good thoughts, although I would prefer that he physically be here. Even though my 4 A.M. friend has passed on I will always treasure the times we spent together—good and bad—he was by my side for the happy times, and helped me see through the times when I couldn’t see myself through. I will miss the advice he gave me and the knowledge that he was only a phone call away, day or night no matter the time zone even at 4 A.M. I’m grateful for our friendship and will miss him terribly. But knowing him I think that the best way for me to preserve his memory is to be a 4 A.M. friend to those who I am lucky enough to count as friends.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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This was a subject of a recent Washington Post Article entitled “Blacks at Odds Over Scrutiny of President“. The article goes on to state that there is a division deepening among two groups of African Americans: those who want to continue to praise President Obama for his historic election and those who want to critically examine President Obama now that the election is over. While I do think that this article is overly simplistic and classifies blacks in two categories: the yes category and no category, when this issue is more nuanced and complicated, I do applaud the Washington Post for raising the issue.

So here’s the question: “Is It Okay for People of Color to Criticize President Obama”? My answer is emphatically Yes.

I am just as happy at the election of President Obama as the next person, but I will be the first person to say: “what sense does a no-Obama criticizing policy make?” As long as your criticism of President Obama is not personal and does not extend to his wife and children, how can you not criticize President Obama? He is the leader of the free world. Sometime during the next four (or eight years) I am going to disagree with an act or policy decision of President Obama, and if I disagree then I am going to say I disagree and this is not anti-Black. African-Americans did not work to elect President Obama in order to have a Messiah-like figure to lead America to some theoretical promised land. We elected President Obama because we believed in his ideas and his vision to make America a better place. Again, President Obama is not the messiah. If someone disagrees with the administration’s economic stimulus package or the automobile bailout they should speak out against that policy. If you are African-American, disagreeing or being critical of a decision made by President Obama or his administration is not anti-Black. If African-Americans are going to be silent for the next 4 years, savor the fact that we have a black president and not criticize or scrutinize any actions of the Obama administration because he’s “one of us,” then we are missing a huge opportunity and turning ourselves into the “Amen Corner.”

The term Amen Corner, in addition to being the title of a play by James Baldwin, and a description of certain holes at the Masters golf tournament, is a reference to the church. It is the group that no matter what the minister says they merely nod and say “amen.” They do not take the minister to task for any statement, comment or sermon because “you don’t criticize the minister.” Well that doesn’t work in the church and it definitely does not work with government.

African-Americans as a group have traditionally had a reluctance to criticize our leaders—spiritual leaders, elected leaders and political leaders—just because they are African-American. This sentiment is what is fueling some of the discussion about whether we should criticize President Obama. And by criticize I mean disagree with decisions and policy determinations that President Obama and his administration have made. There is never any reason to engage in negativity directed at President Obama, his wife or family personally. But you can criticize someone’s actions and viewpoints without criticizing them as a person. We can celebrate the historical barriers that President Obama has broken and still disagree with a decision that he or his administration has made. If you criticize or disagree you are not a “Hater,” you are not an “Uncle Tom” and you are not “tryin to bring a brother down.” Trust me, President Obama can take it!

African-Americans cannot spend the next four years saying “yes we did.” And we cannot be active participants in governing change if we refuse to discuss and perhaps disagree with the administration just because it is run by a Black man. This silence will keep our voices from being heard and our perspectives will be left out of the discussion. We would criticize the administration if it were not run by someone who is African-American, so why should there be a double standard just because it is?

This is un-chartered territory but there is a way to criticize President Obama while still celebrating his historic election. If President Obama is “one of us” then there is nothing wrong with self-scrutiny. There is nothing wrong with substantive and constructive criticism as long as it is meaningful. Respectful debate and disagreement is not only necessary but it is imperative to move the country forward. We need more of it, not less. The Amen Corner really only belongs in church and I’m not sure if it even belongs there.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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First, decide if you are comfortable giving to charities at the same level you did last year or if so you need to cut back. This includes your church and any other organizations to which you give. Some of us spread out our giving among a bunch of organizations. Think about cutting the number of organizations that you give money to. Determine the causes that are near and dear to your heart and causes of friends and family that you like to support. Ask yourself the questions: “Am I dedicated to this cause?” “Does it mean a lot to me?” If you can’t answer yes to either of those questions, maybe you should take it off the list.

Once you decide the organizations that you want to keep on your list, decide how much money you can give to each of them. Give what you can; an amount that is meaningful to you but does not cause financial strain. And include any amount you give to your church. Unless you are a tither many of us do not keep accurate records of the amount we give in church. Consider writing a check for your offering or making a church offering using online banking, this will help you monitor how much you are giving to your religious organization and include that as part of your charitable giving budget.

Now that you’ve decided where you are going to give and how much you can give, decide when you are able to give. A great way to maximize your charitable giving is to spread it out throughout the year. You may not be able to give $1,000 right now, but if you break up that amount into 12 months (or nine since it is March already) that is $111 per month. In many cases it is much easier to part with $111 a month rather than writing a check for $1,000 all at one time. Many charities allow you to set up recurring donations of a certain amount on a monthly or quarterly basis. Each month your checking account is debited for that amount. This is a great way to give a small amount which will add up over time. The organizations you are supporting will also appreciate it because they will know that you are committed to supporting them throughout the year. Call up the organizations you support and ask them if you can give a set amount that can be broken up into monthly amounts. Because you are giving smaller amounts you will not miss it as much.

Similarly, if you are expecting additional money a certain time during the year, reserve a portion of that for your charitable giving. We are getting close to tax time so if you expect to receive a tax refund consider making a donation from your refund funds.

But what if you take all of these steps and still are not in a position to make any financial contributions to charity? Always remember even if you cannot give money you can give time. Volunteer to put on a workshop, mentor a child (black male mentors are especially needed), or work in a soup kitchen. Time is as good as money and you can make a difference doing either. Try not to cut your commitment to philanthropy even in these tough economic times. Right now is when your help is needed more than ever—figure out a way to give without breaking the bank.

ARE YOU CUTTING BACK ON CHARITABLE GIVING BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY?

Send a comment with your answer.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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But this year the acknowledgment of Black History Month has been scant. My local cable television station, in their public service announcement, congratulates President Barack Obama for making history as their only acknowledgment of Black History Month. Really?? As much hope and admiration as I have for President Obama, his election, while momentous and historic, is not the “be all and the end all” of Black History Month. Some commentators are calling for an end to black history month because of the election of an African-American to the highest office in the land. But such statements belie the reasoning behind and the importance of Black History month.

Black History Week was created by Carter G. Woodson in 1926, a very different time when lynching was prevalent and African-Americans couldn’t vote. African-American history has always been intertwined with American history, and Black History Month is 28 days to reflect on that exact concept—the interconnection between American history and the contributions of African-Americans to that history. It is an opportunity to stop and reflect on the role that African-Americans have played in making this country great, just as Women’s History Month in March is an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of women and September, Hispanic Heritage Month, is a time to reflect on the contributions of Hispanics.

Arguments that Black History Month should be retired fail to examine the word “History” in the title. February is a month to acknowledge the contributions that African-Americans have made to history in addition to the current contributions. It is a remembrance of the people and events that helped shaped American history who just happened to be African-American.

I am wary of arguments that maintain that the election of President Obama has changed everything and that certain remedies, institutions and activities are no longer relevant. These arguments seem like a bait and switch because the same arguments in favor of doing away with Black History Month are also being used to argue that Affirmative Action is no longer necessary, to declare that Historically Black Colleges and Universities no longer play a necessary role in society, to argue the Congressional Black Caucus is no longer relevant and to maintain that black student recruitment weekends at colleges and universities should be discontinued. All because we now have a Black President.

It concerns me when the election of President Obama—a great person though a person nonetheless–can be used as the basis to say that African-Americans are “Movin On Up” and that these observances, events and activities should be a thing of the past. This reasoning fails to acknowledge that the approximately 39 million African-Americans in the United States are not all living in the White House with Barack.

This is why the reduction in Black History Month programming concerns me. Black History Month cannot be boiled down to one person and the recognition of February as Black History Month is just as important in 2009 as it was in 2008.

Maybe I am reading too much into this, the decrease in this year’s Black History Month programming could be caused by the economic recession and the limited funds that are available this year. I hope that is the explanation, because Black History Month is still relevant. I know that it is commercialism and pulling at the heart-strings but I really enjoy the Coca-Cola, Target and McDonalds commercials that air during the month of February commemorating Black History month.

Hopefully there will be a better showing next year.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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Now that we have President Obama, that does not end the work of the National Action Network, Urban League, United Negro College Fund and the NAACP. But in many ways these organizations need to fight their way back into the spotlight. The NAACP turns 100 on February 9, 2009 and in some ways is suffering from a “what have you done for me lately?” problem. When there is a problem in the black community, the NAACP is sometimes one of the last places people call when it really should be the first. In many cases the first call is to Al Sharpton, then the local newspaper.

The NAACP has seen some of its mantle being taken up by organizations that may not have the name recognition but nonetheless are getting things done like Color of Change. Color of Change is a great website that strives to raise the level of engagement of African-Americans in the political process. Color of Change was one of the first groups that started publicizing the plight of the Jena 6, they mobilized their members after the Oscar Grant murder and regularly notify their subscribers when something happens and give them ways to act. This is the kind of work that the NAACP did in the 60’s when our parents were members. The NAACP used to be an organization that played more than a passive role in the lives of African-Americans. It needs to start doing so again or step aside.

I was disheartened when I read an article alleging that the Boston NAACP chapter was inactive. “Amid Political Turmoil, Is Boston’s NAACP Chapter MIA?” I do not know the background of the situation affecting the Boston chapter or if there is a problem at all, but if there is it could be caused by ineffective leadership, the financial woes currently affecting all nonprofit organizations or the inability to engage folks. But it can’t be because black folks in Boston don’t need advancement or that Boston is now a post-racial society. We still need the advancement that the NAACP talks about. When we look at the school to prison pipeline for young black men, the disparities in the criminal justice system, the rates of HIV in the black community, the subprime mortgage crisis, the erosion of the black middle class as a result of the recession, and the blacklash against Affirmative Action that is likely to get stronger; it is clear that we need the NAACP and they have a lot of work to do.

It has been repeatedly said that the NAACP lacks relevance, it’s been singing the same song since the 60’s. The fact that the relevance of the NAACP is being constantly questioned is a problem that affects us all. Some question whether in this post-Obama post-racial world we even need an organization like the NAACP; the answer to that question is emphatically yes; the situations described above demonstrate its necessity. But the NAACP needs to make itself important and relevant again before it can convince younger African-Americans that the organization speaks for them. The NAACP website lists some great initiatives: membership, advocacy training, legal capacity, policy advocacy capacity, criminal justice, civil rights compliance, economic empowerment, educational excellence, health advocacy, and political empowerment. I like these initiatives much better than the Image Awards! One organization can’t do it all but we still need the NAACP to fulfill the mission in its name: the “advancement of colored people.”

Many people say that its time for the NAACP leadership to step aside, that a changing of the guard is needed. Possibly. They have made some changes recently and have new leadership. But is it enough? Maybe the NAACP should take a cue from what I call the “Kirk Franklin” phenomenon—Kirk Franklin revolutionized gospel and added hip hop elements because that is what young people at black churches wanted to hear. At the time there was a lot of resistance but he expanded the tent and gave gospel music a hip hop beat for a hip hop generation. The NAACP needs to come up with a new beat for a new audience.

The question “What Exactly Does the NAACP” do is too often asked. Why are we still asking this question? We should know the answer. The NAACP is turning 100 years old, the organization should tell us exactly what they do, why anyone under the age of 60 should get involved and what the plan is. I think that would go a long way towards reengaging those of us ages 18-45 who wonder if the NAACP is past its prime.

I can’t believe that the NAACP’s best days are behind them but it’s time for a game change. Congratulations on 100 years.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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There were many things about Tuesday that touched me: our President’s speech, Re-Re’s song and Rev. Lowery’s prayer when he kept it real by shouting out the Negro National Anthem and including a rap of his own at the end. But the biggest highlight was the Obama family—the vision of a happy, loving African-American family.

Remember when the “Cosby Show” began and commentators said that it could not possibly be realistic because the Huxtable’s seemed too perfect? How could you have a black family headed by a father who is a doctor and a mother who is a lawyer? And how come their children are so well behaved? Even when Theo, Vanessa and Denise got in trouble it wasn’t real trouble! For so long our stories were not told; replaced by stories of baby-mama drama and absent fathers. For so long the story of the Black American experience has been singers, rappers and actors who have made it big. It didn’t include average black folks who were doing their thing every day.

That’s what I love about the Obamas. They are a real family. The sight of Sasha giving her dad a thumbs up, Malia using her digital camera to document the moment and their adorable matching coats remind me of my childhood and the way that my friends and family raise their kids. They had a sleep-over with their friends on Tuesday night in their home—the White House. Can you believe it? This isn’t “A Different World”, “Girlfriends” or “Good Times,” this is reality. The Obamas are for real not only are they for real but they are the First Family of the United States.

To me, the Obamas embody everything that we have long celebrated in the African-American community: commitment to family, community and self. The biggest difference is that it is now on display for the entire world to see. It erases the picture that has previously been transmitted around the world of black folks as lazy, promiscuous people waiting on the government for a handout. Those stereotypes have never been true and we all know that—but how could someone in a foreign country separate truth from fiction?

So many of us have spent our times idolizing people who we know we will never become. I love Jay-Z and Beyonce but I am never going to be able to sing and dance as well as her. I enjoy watching Chris Rock but I am never going to be that funny. For so long we have idolized people for how they sing, how far they can run and how high they jump. But the Obamas represent something different and something more accessible: an African-American family who is not here to entertain us but is here to run our country and get the job done. Right now the Obamas are the celebrities—even the celebrities are in awe of them.

While many in the country and the world see the Obamas (and to a lesser extent Valerie Jarrett, Susan Rice and Eric Holder) as an anomaly, for many of us this has been the only reality we’ve known. We’ve been taught that education is the one thing that no one can take away from us just as Michelle was, we have been taught that we can be anything we want just as Barack was and we have been told by naysayers that we “can’t do” ___ until we do! Michelle and Barack are family—they are just like the many play-cousins in the African-American extended family.

This is not “Head of State”–the Obamas are not playing the President and First Lady in a movie, they are the movie. Our new President is capable, committed and loves his family and his country. Our new First Lady is a Jackie-O like sister with a perm walking down Pennsylvania Avenue in Jimmy Choo pumps. I’m so happy that the Obama story is a true story, not a sitcom, and that this story will be on the air for the next eight years. Hopefully by then everyone will know that is not fiction but is the documentary of the black experience. James Evans and Cliff Huxtable would be proud.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.

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