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Virginia Capitol C onnections, Spring 2016
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Thank you for allowing me to speak.
And I make this promise to be with you
no longer than 15 minutes. My father is a
Baptist minister and obviously you all don’t
want to be here all day or you would have
selected him to speak. So come along with
me on this short trip.
During the start of my role as interim
president of the NAACP for Norfolk, I was
asked several important questions. Among
the most important question was, “what is my
goal for the organization.” My response was
quoted in a local African American paper called the New Journal and
Guide as wanting to bring Black Organizations together. My mission
was for The Church, NAACP, Unions, Freemasons, Civic Leagues and
political organizations to come together for one purpose: the betterment
of our people.
Many of our predecessors realized the importance of joining
together over a century agowith the formationof different organizations;
the NAACP being one of them started by Caucasians. Organizations
like the NAACP were critical in establishing the voice of those whom
were oppressed by a cruel system. This past summer, I completed a
program called “Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership” at the
University of Virginia. During one of the weekends when all attendees
came together, we were afforded the opportunity to travel to James
Madison Montpelier and tour his estate. Quick disclaimer, I am a
history buff, I could sit for hours and hear this stuff. But shortly into
our tour, we began to quickly debunk the life of who people referred
to as “the father of politics.” Madison owned over 300 slaves and it
was barely mentioned in the history of our fourth president. We went
on to learn of his wife Mrs. Madison, who was just as political as her
husband. One opponent of Madison said he believed he stood a better
chance of defeating Mr. Madison if it were not for Mrs. Madison who
is famously known for saving the painting of GeorgeWashington when
the British burned down the White House. What peaked my interest
was that a slave named Paul Jennings, assisted her. That means…. Paul
Jennings saved this painting as went on to discover that James
Madison didn’t die by himself but with Paul Jennings at his bedside.
That struck gold, Paul Jennings was the real MVP. Sports fans in the
room understand the term MVP but for qualification, the term MVP is
used by the millennial generation as endearment for being invaluable.
We went on to tour the Madison home and discovered at the end there
was a cellar that had a post of Paul Jennings and his contributions for
the Madison family. I am certain hundreds of stories like Paul Jennings
went unnoticed based on the relationship America had with its Black/
African American community. Our organizations recognized this and
began to work together to combat these disparities.
I was with my youngest brother, Jake, this past weekend; Jake
graduated from Granby High School and is now a sophomore at
Chowan. In his room you’ll see a poster of a Navy officer on his door
and a JROTC uniform in his closet. Now he doesn’t have a poster of
Asa Philip Randolph or Bayard Rustin, but it’s leaders like the men
on his wall and the NAACP, that made it possible for Jake to enroll in
JROTC, and possible for him to become a marine.
Then there’s Josh, Josh is my other younger brother, and he
graduated from Howard University in the spring with a degree in
economics. If you go in his home right now you probably will not
find the same posters that are in hanging in Jake’s room. However, it’s
officers like General Oliver Howard, who founded Howard University,
whom made it possible for some of our disadvantaged black youth to
attend college—also made it possible for Josh to become an attorney.
There are countless stories of lives that have been affected by
leaders in our U.S Armed Forces, and leaders in the NAACP. Most
of us here, wouldn’t stand where we are today if it weren’t for the
sacrifices of our predecessors, and that’s what this month is all about.
I want to derive my message today from the subject of Economic
Development.When I was a little boy growing up in RichmondVirginia,
my father started a black owned business that sought to connect other
black owned businesses. It was called “Dillard Ministries,” it trained
churches to thrive, it included leadership training, and the whole
gambit. I will go on to say, my father then knew the value of working
together and I suppose it was instilled in me.
As the Economic Development chairman before becoming
President, I was attempting to recreate this effort that my father made
when I came across some alarming facts that I will share with you all
now; I am a fan of the Tulsa, OK blackWall Street and my vision is for
this to be created again.
Explanation of the dollar circulation
The Asian Community keeps the dollar for 18 days and it trades
nine times in the Asian community.
The Jewish Community keeps the dollar for 12 days and has an
unlimited amount of times within the white community.
How many times does the dollar circulate in the black community?
The dollar only circulates zero to one time within the black community
according to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic
Growth.
Define buying power
Black American buying power has increased from $957.3
billion in 2010 to an expected $1.1 trillion by 2015. If blacks were
a geographical-fiscal entity with a buying power of nearly $1 trillion
annually, they’d be the 16th largest country in the world.
Black-expected buying power exceeds that of Asians, $775.1
billion, but falls below that of Hispanics, $1.3 trillion, and whites,
$11.8 trillion.
So I ask this question, “when will we realize our buying power as
a united front?” “When will we join together in our efforts to achieve
what many believe today is unachievable?” “Will it be today?” “Will
it be tomorrow?” We need organizations to put simple disagreements
aside for the efforts of protecting our mankind. I am positive you are
looking around wondering where did we find this radical man because,
I am usually the soft-spoken gentleman whose answers are politically-
driven, but today I am in rare form because it is time we start calling
spades, spades.
Navy Keynote address, February 2016 by Joe W. Dillard Jr.,
President, Norfolk Branch NAACP &Vice- President, Virginia State
Conference NAACP.
Game Changer 2.0
By Joe W. Dillard Jr.
30YEARS
2016
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