Ms. Alsobrooks was totally awesome in her composure, knowledge of subject matter and presentation. She totally impressed me so much so that I sent a donation this evening. In a subsequent publication, I will go further into the debate and share my choice for Senator from Maryland.
Baltimore’s Mayoral Debate
This evening’s (i.e., April 17, 2024) mayoral debate held at Morgan State University’s Murphy Fine Arts Center was outstanding. In attendance was former Mayor Shelia Dixon, Mayor Brandon Scott, former prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah and businessman Bob Wallace.
There were four (4) persons on that stage and from each you got the feeling of love for Baltimore. For heartfelt passion, that passion that comes from the gut, I would go with Bob Wallace and Thiru Vignarajah. This is in addition to their knowledge of the issues which face Baltimore and their plans of action to address them. And there were some good ones articulated.
I was very impressed with Mayor Scott, how he handled himself (except calling folks liars. He seems to use that word quite often), his accomplishments and his plans for the future. Former Mayor Dixon presented some ideas from her time as mayor. My ranking of performance: Mayor Brandon Scott and Bob Wallace tied for first place with Thiru Vignarajah coming in at a close second.
Again, great debate from some extraordinary individuals who want the best for our City of Baltimore.
Missive to Candidates for the Office of 7th Maryland Congressional District.
This below email was sent to each of the Democratic and Republican candidates running for the office of 7th Maryland Congressional District. As of close-of-business February 1, 2020, I have only heard from 1 Democrat and 1 Republican. Hopefully, I will receive commitment from the majority of candidates. If not, we all should be concerned that our serious issues are not being acknowledged or discussed.
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Dear Candidate
I am writing to you because you are running for the seat vacated by the untimely death of Representative Elijah Cummings. I cannot tell you how important this election is. Whoever fills that seat will have an awesome responsibility to the constituents of the 7th Maryland Congressional District, of which I am one. This district covers many diverse populations, all with their own diverse issues.
One of the main concerns of my organization is the plight of the Black families in Baltimore City, specifically female headed households without a father present.
Statistics show that in the 7th district, there is:
1. A concentration of households making less than $25,000 a year,
2. A high percentage of households living below the poverty level,
3. A high level of children under the age of 18 living below the poverty level,
4. A 40.6 percent poverty level for female-headed families with children
under age 18 and no father present.
This situation is at the root of many of our communities problems and must be addressed. This is just one of the many issues facing our community but it is key to beginning our recovery as a people.
There was a time not too long ago that Black America had a higher percentage of nuclear families than White America. I am a product of that period. We had hope and that hope resonated from within our strong family structure.
Laws and policies such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (with the stipulation that females could not work and could not have a man present), 3 Strike Out and Zero Tolerance helped to destroy our families.
During your campaign I would like for you to acknowledge the fact that our families are in serious trouble and we, together, must address the issue. I don’t expect you to have any recommendations at this time but just the fact that you acknowledge the issue gives hope to those in those hopeless situations.
I have over ten (10) years of analytical data, interviews, commentaries and many ideas on how we can make a difference and change some lives. If you decide to make this one of your campaign pledges, I can be of assistance.
I can be reached at 443.467.3155. Thanking you in advance for considering my request. And best of luck during the campaign.
Yours in Friendship,
Larry C. Smith, President
Look Forward My Brother, LLC
www.lookforwardmybrother.org
Linkedin/Larry C. Smith
January 29, 2020
It’s Pathetic How Some Are Attempting to Turn Something Good into Something Bad
I was listening to Radio 1; station 95.9 in Baltimore, Maryland this morning (i.e., November 5, 2018) and a commentator was giving Tom Joyner and staff some information regarding the current state of the country. Judging from the somber responses/tones of Tom and staff, I thought I they were responding to news of another mass shooting. The commentator was stating how strong the economy was and how good Americans felt about the way things are going. Unemployment at record lows, consumer confidence up, etc., etc. I didn’t hear all of the commentator’s references but I’m sure the state of Black America must have been discussed prior to me tuning in. For your information, the following is a quote from a Bloomberg article titled: Black Unemployment Is at an All-Time Low, But ..- By Justin Fox, May 4, 2018.
“The unemployment rate among Black Americans fell to 6.6 percent in April, according to today’s jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics — the lowest such rate on record. The record in this case only goes back to 1972, and the overall unemployment rate (available back to 1948) was lower in the late 1960s and early 1950s than it is now. But the gap between the Black unemployment rate and the overall rate has been shrinking, so 6.6 percent may well be the lowest rate ever for Black people.”
Because this is being accomplished during the presidency of that “hated Donald Trump”, our Black leadership and those who have access to the bully pulpit will not recognize nor for the most part speak of the good that is occurring within large segments of our Black community. And that is pathetic and just plain self-serving.
At a time like this, those within our vulnerable community who are benefiting from a strong economy need all of the support and encouragement that can be provided. Many of our folks, who have not had a job in years, are now working, providing for their families and feeling good about themselves. This support and encouragement I refer too can spark a feeling of hope for those who not too long ago believed there was no hope and can change mind sets and provide visions of a bright future.
In the last year with my own eyes I have seen African Americans again working on State government crews repairing roads and doing other tasks. Not too long ago, this was not the case. In my travels, I am again seeing Black folks working in the hotel industry. Until recently, those jobs had been taken from them and given to others who do not look like us. I am now seeing more and more of our folks working in Walmart and some of the fast food chains. This is a time of rejoicing for not only the workers but their families and the country. Do you recall the phrase: Idle time is the devil’s workshop? I will coin this phrase: Enterprising time leaves no room for the destructive interference of others.
With being in a position of leadership and having access to the bully pulpit comes responsibility. And that responsibility should supersede Party loyalty and ego. Throwing negativity into the mist of positivity only dilutes the positive. And because we’ve had so much negativity in the past, let our folks enjoy the moment of something good and positive.
“Together we stand as one united people of African ancestry”
Larry C. Smith, President
Look Forward My Brother
Look Forward My Brother’s Picks for the 2018 Mid-Term Elections; And More
Here we are at the mid-term elections. There are some very important issues for your consideration prior to your vote on June 26, 2018. Study the issues carefully, research the candidates’ positions on topics of importance to you then cast your ballot. Issues of special importance to me and my organization of Look Forward My Brother relate to immigration reform and the plight of the African American family.
Over the last couple of weeks, there has been much said about President Trump’s “Zero Tolerance” policy toward illegal aliens. Specifically, what happens to the children of illegal alien adults whom the government will now prosecute? Stories have flashed across the screen of children being forcibly removed from their parents; heartbreaking scenes. Even if those scenes are not what they appear.
In a June 16, 2018 impassioned speech, Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings, referring to the separation of children from their parents, stated that as a country, “we are better than that”. Well, that’s not entirely true. As a matter of fact, that’s not true at all if your hue is black. When Martin O’Malley was mayor of Baltimore City, USA, he instituted “zero tolerance” policing in the city. Because of that policy, tens-of- thousands of mainly Black males and females were arrested, finger printed, incarcerated and given criminal records. A portion of those tens-of-thousands had families with children who were snatched away from their fathers and mothers. And someone correct me if I am wrong but there were very few impassioned speeches about that those separations. And we cannot forget the tens-of-thousands of Black males and females who have criminal records because of the 3 Strike and Out Laws which separated children from their parents. Not much said about those separations either. It appears to me that if the separating is about other people’s children then it is a crisis. If it is about our children then there is no major concern on the part of anyone; with the known exception of Look Forward My Brother.
The other thing about what is occurring at the border is illegal aliens bringing their children along to gain access to America. This use to be a pretty good way to gain favorable rulings for entry into the country. What many don’t know is that President Obama dealt with the same issue of border security and families. In 2015, a court order based on the Flores document required that children no longer be held in detention over 20 days. President Obama was trying to keep families together but the court said no and the children had to be shipped out to cities and states all over the nation. So what President Trump was doing was meeting the requirements of the 2015 court order by separating the children from those being prosecuted. Now, in order to keep the families together, he is asking the court to extent the 20 days to an indefinite time period.
And for those who don’t recall, President Obama deported more illegal aliens than any president before him. There were many marches asking President Obama to stop separating children from their families. No big- to-do about that. I wonder why? Both president’s Obama and Trump attempted/are attempting, respectively, to deal with a very serious and divisive issue.
I have repeatedly tried to have our representatives talk about the unfair advantage of giving 11-30 million illegal aliens a path to citizenship. This has been to no avail. None of the politicians in the Democratic Party will touch this issue. It’s not fair that they will not be up front with the Black community but what is even worse, the Black community and its leaders will not demand to know the answer. For numerous reasons, mostly political, I have not asked any candidate to support any recommendations of mine regarding illegal aliens. This is a complicated issue we as Black folks must first understand, and secondly, articulate a position for our representatives to take on our behalf. But in the meantime, call or write your representative asking what the impact of 11-30 million illegal aliens becoming citizens will have on our community. If they don’t respond, remember them when the next election rolls around.
With regard to the sad state of affairs of the Black family, it is almost criminal that no one in a leadership role will even talk about it. Being part of the Baby Boomers generation, we were raised in solid families with solid family values. What I am seeing today is foreign to what I observed growing up. These broken families, headed by females with quite a few living below the poverty level, are for the most part dysfunctional. And these dysfunctional families plight can be directly associated with previous laws, policies and procedures. Zero tolerance, 3 Strike Out Laws, and Aid to families with dependent children (with stipulations of no man in the household and no gainful employment) are just 3 of the laws, policies and/or procedures which got our families to where we currently are.
For over 8 years I have attempted to get someone to address this issue. And for over 8 years, the politicians will not touch it. I mentioned this during the last presidential election as one of the reasons I would not vote for Hillary Clinton. She made it perfectly clear that the families of illegal aliens were a priority in her first 100 days in office. Not a word about our families.
Over my 8 plus years of Look Forward My Brother, I have contacted almost every Black politician in the State of Maryland as well as the NAACP under Ben Jealous and the Congressional Black Caucasus of Maryland regarding our family crisis. Current candidates who gave me an audience and were receptive of my presentation on the crisis within the Black family are Sharon Middleton, Adrienne Jones, Dr. Jay Jalisi and Jill Carter. I only asked that they support our efforts to propel this topic to the state and federal levels.
Congressman Cummings flatly refused to allow me to give my presentation to him or his staff. After numerous attempts to meet with Ben Jealous or his staff at the NAACP, I received a missive advising that my request was being forwarded to Mr. Jealous. But prior to anything taking place, Mr. Jealous resigned his position with the NAACP. And I have not heard anything else from that organization or Mr. Jealous. A reasonable person could easily come to the conclusion that neither the NAACP nor Mr. Jealous care about the plight of our families.
My presentation has been given to numerous organizations and politicians around the State of Maryland. It has been very well received with much support for what we are attempting to do.
Because of their support for this worthwhile cause of putting our families back together and because of the outstanding job they are doing as representatives of the people, I am in support of Sharon Middleton, Adrienne Jones, Dr. Jay Jalisi and Jill Carter. Also because of the outstanding job they are doing as representatives of the people, I am in support of Governor Larry Hogan and State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, Marilyn Mosby.
I would ask that you also consider casting your vote for the above mentioned.
“Together we stand as one united people of African ancestry”
Larry C. Smith, President
Look Forward My Brother
Leaders Of A Beautiful Struggle Must Not Be Politically Restrictive
Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS) is hosting a Democratic Candidates for Governor forum on June 2nd in Baltimore, Maryland USA. While this is nice, it, in my opinion, is not truly beneficial to the Black community. While restricting it to only Democrats, it is limiting our collective data base of facts and in its own way is attempting to direct our votes only to the Democratic candidates. We as a people do not have that luxury. We need the help of all who are in a position to assist. LBS should not get caught up in the “one party forever syndrome” and consider all things beneficial to our community and its people.