Marching Forward Circa 1995

Not to fully appreciate the momentus relevence of this Sun-Times article. In my humble opinion is an oversight that defies reasonable group think strategy planning. My point has always been to leave a roadmap that any black youth could follow. Patterned after my own experience.

Small, selfish, arrogant minds that should and could have joined with and lifted this project. Always viewed my god given gifts in this regard as a quest for the limelight. How sad for those black youth who want what I have to share........Although considering that since Katrina and now a debate regarding massive low-wage (important non-the less) maintenance jobs. The only reference in alls conversations presently omit even mentioning African American youth ( except that others refuse to do the work at hand). And I hear no retort from the African Americans at large. The state of our condition defies reasonable logical thinking. Something is wrong!

A question that comes to my mind often, is what if! The current African American community ( political, social, clergy) would have supported my skills training perspectives since 1995, as opposed to the silent, mean-spirited and 100% successfully effective boycott of the skills training mentioned. And again, how facinating it must be for the world to watch politicians of all stripes discuss everything and anything unrelated to African American youth! Our situation cries for a re-definition.

Below is the article that appeared with the photo above:

There must be a million ways for black men to earn a living and support themselves and their families.

Sy Bounds, a painting and rehab contractor from Oak Park, wants to teach some of those ways to as many men as want to learn.

It's his contribution to the noble cause of raising the consciousness--and financial independence--of African-American men in the Chicago area. It's in keeping with the legacy of the Million Man March.

Bounds and several West Side colleagues host seminars to teach rehab and decorating skills to any and all who want to learn. And on Wednesday, the anniversary of the march, while more-prominent black leaders are grabbing headlines with their talk of grand plans, Bounds will be content to know that he is doing something tangible.

He has heard President Clinton brag about the booming national economy. Yet there are millions of people with no job or at risk of losing a job in corporate America: they are worried about their personal economy, and the outlook is grim.

That's why Bounds' dream is so inspiring: When times are tough, you can't afford to wait for someone to provide a job. You have to create your own.

How? By identifying a need and developing--or honing--the skills to fulfill that need. Look at all the success stories of computer whiz kids who have created lucrative jobs for themselves by helping businesses get on the internet.

Bounds believes inner city residents can fill a niche in home repair and decorating.

"I want to teach young African Americans how to do rehab work in our own community, " says Bounds, 51. "Welfare reform is coming, and we can't depend on other people to give us jobs. If we want to 'make it' in this world, we have to be self-empowered."

Bounds himself was energized by the Million Man March, organized last Oct.16 by Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. American scoffed at Farrakhan's grandiose plan to bring a million black men to Washington, D.C. The purpose, the Muslim leader said, was to show unity and affirm a commitment to family. Many black men accepted the challenge.

Government officials said about 400,000 black men attended the rally, but independent estimates ranged from 800,000 to 1.2 million people.

The actual number is irrelevant, says Bounds, who was there and now proudly proclaims: "I am one in a million." What matters is that every black man who attended, in person or in spirit, does his part to improve the community.

His goals are modest: to train young people in the inner city to do painting, plastering and other nonunion rehab jobs. In some neighborhoods, this work is being done almost exclusively by Eastern Europeans.

"Let's do the work in our own neighborhoods," says Bounds, an ardent believer in the Muslims' credo of self-help. With the proper training, Bounds says, young black men can do those jobs just as well and keep the money circulating in the black community.

At a seminar Saturday, Bounds and colleagues in the Homan Square area discussed rehab techniques. Wanda Armstrong, editor-in-chief of a community newspaper, the West Street Journal, offered tips to would-be entreprenuers about writing a contract and advertising their services. Eventually, they hope to offer these community based job opportunity seminar every week.

What a great idea: men and women learning a skill, using it to earn a living and passing on that knowledge so others may benefit. If it catches on, the consequences of welfare reform might not be so bad after all.

Michelle Stevens is editor of the Chicago Sun Times editor editorial pages. E-mail: Letters@suntimes.com