'Upward Mobility' Highlighted During Black American Convention In San Diego

Economic statistics show that wages are stagnant, the income gap between rich and poor is increasing in the increase of American wealth is being by the small percent of the population. If you were a member of the group and just getting a boost into the middle class, the situation would hit you even harder and that's the plight of many African-Americans. This weekend the black American political Association of California will hold its convention in San Diego and its theme is about the American middle class and whether of work mobility for black people still possible. Joining me is Willie Blair . Dr. Blair thank you for coming in Thank you for inviting me We've all heard all kinds of definitions of what constitutes the middle class lifestyle how do you define middle-class? Their entities that will let you know if you are in middle-class. You have the ability to buy a home, you have ability to drive a very nice vehicle, close that you are proud of to where for yourself and for your family, if you have children you consent to college, you may have a savings account to invest at part of your disposable income if need be, if you get sick you don't have to make choices between medicine and healthcare and food on the table. You do have ample resources for good health and good nutrition you can take vacations and a lot of people may consider a vacation frail. You be surprised that some things you can do that keep your morale boosted up and make you feel good that there are some things set aside from just the basics of life some self-esteem things that you can do. And you look at all these entities then you can pretty much say you are in the middle class because you can have choices. All across the board many Americans have seen the kind of definition of middle-class slip through their fingers and for many black families that almost seems like an unattainable goal at this time. Dr. Blair what is the situation now for black families in particular trying to enter the middle-class? Employment when we came out of World War II and what helped a lot of families and even black families they had the access to the Montgomery G.I. Bill's rights. That allowed monies for education, monies for owning a home and what have you. We must still understand there are certain things that prevent blacks from transitioning to middle-class. We still have racism and that has a part as an obstacle. The economy that hits all Americans, when there is a down time there's an old saying when America sneezes the black community has pneumonia and that's just simply saying because of past discrimination and because that discrimination deprived the black community of educational benefits, employment benefits and what have you so it has exasperated by being denied the opportunities. To be things that have hurt -- as I said racism and the entire -- when the entire, -- economies down hurts the black community. Trying to overcome that by not always focusing on getting a college education but getting some blue-collar jobs. Trying to get into more union jobs. Vocational jobs. To get a decent job that pays dignified wages, when you have a we -- job then you can support everything else. Good healthcare, security and safety in your neighborhoods, the struggle still continues. Where do we go after the civil rights movement? What is the path to take? I suppose this fundamental question that you will be asking during the [ Indiscernible ] conference if upward mobility is still possible for black people to enter the middle-class you will be answering yes but the -- these things are needed. What things are needed? Partnership and building relationships. One of the workshops at the convention will be a workshop, a dialogue between the black and Latino communities to old friends that sometimes that may have had some misunderstanding between these two friends who is taking his job and what have you, they both must understand if one rises up the other must rise up. There are too many things that they both have in common that they need to work together to preserve Social Security, health care -- if one community is not sick fish is sick communicable -- communicable diseases will come across a line in effect the other community. Benefits as far as veterans is a concern. Those two voices come together that voice becomes much more powerful to gain access to grants, tuition and scholarships so the black community must form partnerships stronger partnerships with organized labor. That needs to be healed because organized labor helps to get good paying jobs in -- in supermarkets, and factories, construction sites, building buildings and one of the things black people themselves must look at, start tracing your tax dollars. A lot of the facilities that are being erected our direct result of money that is taken out of your check every week. So they must be stronger advocates on the facilities and institutions that their tax dollars are billing and they must petition those billing sources to be a part of to help them get into the middle class. Back it sounds like what you will be doing at this conference you will have speakers like Senator. Barbara boxer in a number of different speakers to layout a big picture . You will also going to be getting down to the basics and what people actually need to do and have the conversations that need to be had in order to make these connections that you are talking about. Absolutely. In fact the spectrum starts in an all day youth workshop. Each young person whose the age of 18 will be giving a voter registration card, a Constitution car to learn about their basic rights. I do need to end it here but I want to let everyone know that the black American political Association of California takes place tomorrow through Sunday here and I've been talking to Willie Blair that chairman of the board of the BAPAC. Thank you very much to coming in speaking with us. Thank you very much