An agenda for black America: from wealth to diversity, our editors offer an action plan.

Black America needs fixing.

It's true we've seen major advances over the course of 35 years, with more successful, educated, and accomplished black entrepreneurs and corporate professionals than at any other time in history. The black investor class continues to grow. And we've seen the ascension of African Americans to power positions such as secretary of state and CEO of some of the world's largest corporations-achievements once unattainable.

But despite these pockets of prosperity, a gulf as wide as the Panama Canal between blacks and whites persists on a number of fronts. And the schism between wealthy African Americans and poverty-stricken blacks has expanded as well, creating the equivalent of an economic barbell.

TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR STATUS, CHECK OUT A FEW STATISTICS:

* The most glaring disparity is the wealth gap between blacks and other groups. According to the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C., which analyzed U.S. Census data after the last recession, white households had a median net worth of $88,651, while the median net worth of black households was $5,988. Blacks also lagged behind Hispanics, who had a median net worth of $7,932. In short, the wealth of black households was not even one-tenth that of white households because of low homeownership rates and lack of financial assets.

* The unemployment rate for blacks is more than twice that of whites and about 40% higher than that of Hispanics. For Hay 2005, the black unemployment rate was 10.1%, compared to 4.4% for whites and 6% for Latinos. In 1970, the year this magazine began publishing, the unemployment rate for blacks was still twice that of whites, but it hovered around 8.7%--and that was during a recession.

* Despite an increase in entrepreneurship--The Milken Institute, in Santa Monica, California, found that minority firms were growing at a rate of ]7% a year--blacks still have a tougher time acquiring capital to grow their businesses than other groups. A 2001 study by the state of Maryland revealed that the loan denial rate for African American businesses was 27.1% greater than that for white-owned companies and, when financing was approved, black firms paid a higher interest rate than white businesses.

* The condition of black health is, in a word, sickly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the years of potential life loss of blacks before the age of 75 as a result of a stroke was double that of other races. Medical researchers also reported that the one-year death rate for blacks after hospitalization for heart attack is 1.7 times higher than whites, and death rates for diabetics are 27% greater for blacks than for whites.

If these figures alarm you, they should. Overall, African Americans fall behind every other group in measurements of economic advancement and financial success. Simply stated, blacks, as a group, have yet to become full participants in the American Dream.

In examining research data and our recent readers' survey, our editors grappled with this issue. We strongly believe that in order for African Americans to achieve parity--from wealth to health--there needs to be a comprehensive agenda. On the following pages, each editor provides their personal and professional evaluation of the challenges facing black America and offers some prescriptive advice. Not surprisingly, most of their solutions start with the individual--you.

THE NEED FOR MORE BLACK BUSINESS TITANS 

The history of black entrepreneurship in America spans nearly 400 years, dating back to 1621 when a slave named Anthony Johnson saved to buy his way out of bondage. Along with his wife, Mary, Johnson purchased land and raised livestock in Virginia. The couple eventually acquired 250 acres.

In the centuries that followed, African American entrepreneurs made great gains despite almost insurmountable odds. Contemporary black entrepreneurship coincided with the birth of this publication 35 years ago.

Paradoxically, the Nixon administration developed the black capitalism program, which spawned the agency that eventually became the Minority Business Development Agency and the 8(a) program, which set aside a portion of federal contracts for minority-owned companies. Through these efforts in the 1970s, many BE 100S firms got their start. The continual growth of the BE 100s is an ongoing testament to progress, but there's still a lot more to be done. Of the thousands of black-owned companies that have been established since financier Reginald F. Lewis developed TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc. and created the first billion-dollar black business in 1987 only four have ever achieved the size and scale to compete at the highest levels of American business. This illustrates how far black business still has to go to truly compete with their majority counterparts in the global marketplace.

Why should you care? Consider that African American entrepreneurs employ a higher rate of African Americans than white firms. It also means more advancement potential from a career standpoint. Also, black firms are more likely to contract with African American suppliers which, in turn, are more likely to hire black employees. This business activity creates a chain reaction of financial success. Moreover, a number of BE 100S CEOs are tapped for corporate and nonprofit board positions, enabling them to have an impact on diversity programs within major corporations as well as wide-ranging economic development initiatives.

The Census Bureau pointed out in its 1997 survey (sadly the most current statistics available) that black-owned firms generated on average $55,000 between 1992 and 1997. When you compare this to the average white-owned business which generated $276,000, the disparity hits home. Asians generated $205,000 followed by Native Americans at $119,000 and Hispanics at $102,000.

Why? Perhaps too many firms lack access to financing or operate businesses concentrated in industries with low rates of capital investments. Many minority firms have lower rates of investment in production-enhancing IT and Internet use.

So what's the solution? A good start to fortifying black-owned businesses is the adoption of our Declaration of Financial Empowerment principle No. 8: to support the creation and growth of profitable, competitive black-owned enterprises.

Next, large multinational companies have to fully embrace diversity and ensure that they not only provide contracting opportunities for black-owned businesses but also invest a portion of pension fired dollars in private equity firms that invest in minority entrepreneurs.

Education and awareness must also be raised. While mom-and-pop enterprises are important and necessary in black communities, more of our businesses must expand the size and scale of their operations. There's no shortage of viable business ideas within the black community. We must broaden our perspective as well. If you manufacture or sell a product, think globally. Through technology, the world has become a smaller and more accessible place.

Black-on-black partnerships must form more frequently. Those who read our June 2005 issue saw that when Dimensions International Inc.(No. 35 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 with $98.6 million in gross sales) acquired fellow BE 100s firm SENTEL, it positioned the company to compete for larger and more lucrative government IT contracts.

It's all about size, scope, and economies of scale. Once we have more black companies regularly engaged in such transactions, we'll see more parity when it comes to employment, homeownership, and political influence.

--Alan Hughes

WHAT TRUE LEADERSHIP MEANS

In 1990, I remember learning about the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in social studies class. Today, I can only recall the equivalent of two chapters worth of material devoted to the two extraordinary men. We viewed videos of their perilous marches and successful boycotts as well as their subsequent assassinations. I experienced a strong sense of pride mixed with anger and sorrow. Although I admired these men as the "Davids" of their day fighting the dual "Goliaths" of segregation and white supremacy, I did not feel an intimate connection to them. Visionaries such as Jesse Jackson, Louis Earrakhan, and Maxine Waters, who came into prominence during BLACK ENTERPRISE'S 35 years, also never inspired me to join their crusades.

Leadership, in my opinion, requires a much more personal exchange. My definition includes someone who touches my life personally, guiding me toward success. When my mother took me to the bank to open my first checking and savings accounts with my own money, I learned the value of a dollar and the importance of saving. When my father stormed into my school to confront the teacher who wanted to place me in special education classes, I learned self-respect and tenacity. And when I chose a mentor, it was someone who provided industry contacts, set up interviews, helped construct my resume, and listened when I was at a crossroad. True leaders are people in your life who help you develop your full potential. They help you become better. I have never understood the concept of an entire community waiting for a messianic figure--the next Malcolm or Martin--to uplift our race. An abundance of black leaders already exist.

Leadership has become a growing concern among our readers. In a recent blackenterprise.com survey, 84.3% of the respondents believed influential and affluent African Americans do not give back to their communities or uplift the less fortunate. Correcting this trend starts at home. Children need parents to teach them the value of education, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and homeownership as well as pride in our culture and legacy. Entrepreneurs such as the neighborhood shop owner should present themselves as leaders that community residents--especially children--can respect and go to for guidance.

Margaret Simms, a member of the BE Board of Economists and vice president of governance and economic analysis for The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, found that the average person is unlikely to join or volunteer in large organizations such as the NAACP or National Urban League. Yet, there are other ways to take small, but powerful, steps. Starting a neighborhood mentoring program, tutoring at an after-school program, or inviting kids to intern at your business can have a significant impact on someone's life. If you have expertise in a certain field, volunteer your services to a nonprofit organization that can benefit from your guidance.

Too often business owners aren't willing to take on the issues that affect them most. Instead of complaining about a rigid ordinance or that taxes are too punitive, run for political office to change local regulations or lobby public officials.

The late Maynard Jackson is an example of outside-of-the-box leadership. The three-term mayor of Atlanta ensured that black-owned businesses received a fair share of municipal contracts. In turn, he helped circulate more money in black communities and increased African American employment.

Not all of us have Jackson's larger-than-life persona. But that shouldn't deter us from becoming an effective leader. Remember, some of history's most successful leaders have been the most humble servants. That's another thing I became certain of in grade school--one person can make a difference in the world. That person can be you.

--Nicole Marie Richardson

BRIDGING THE EDUCATION DIVIDE

I've seen America's public education system firsthand: I am a product of it.

I attended a segregated elementary school in Louisville, Kentucky, during the 1960s, and a desegregated middle school in the early 1970s, But when it was my children's turn to get an education, I opted out of sending them through the public school system in favor of a private institution. Like 68.4% of our readers polled on blackenterprise.com, I believe that today's public education is failing African American children. Public education has yet to deliver on the 50-year-old promise to offer African American students an education equal to that of their white counterparts as spelled out in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.

If public school did not have the concerns that plague many parents, my wife and I would send our children to public school in a heartbeat. In fact, we would prefer that our children attend public school due to the rising costs associated with private school. Because of twin children, our costs are twice as high.

Around the time Earl G. Graves Sr. founded this magazine in 1970, many Southern school systems like the one I went to in Kentucky were busing children to and fro in an effort to end segregation. Yet, despite decades of attempted desegregation initiatives, an overwhelming number of classrooms remain segregated. While scholars might argue that public education is worse today than it has ever been, statistics reveal that it is particularly challenging for students of color. In short, an ever-widening education gap between white and black students persists. Five years ago, the U.S. Department of Education found that 40% of white fourth graders scored at or above proficient reading levels, compared with only 12% of their African American peers. In math, African American students fared worse--35% of white fourth graders scored at or above proficient levels, and just 5% of African Americans scored above average.

There isn't enough paper in the world to explore the reasons for this schism, Among our readers, 37.8% say there aren't enough resources to teach our children; 20.8% say parents are at fault for not taking a more active role in their children's studies. Opinion columns blame everything from television to medical disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder. Today's students are beset by outrageous myths about race. Striving to live a middle-class lifestyle is "trying to be white" while engaging in violence, drug dealing, and being illiterate means being "black." The impact of this behavior is dangerous to the black community. The bottom line: Uneducated African Americans do not qualify for well-paying jobs. To loosely paraphrase the words of Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction, without a job and legal tender, we become the burns of society.

So what is the prescription for a better education? What will it take to reform our schools? Based on our readers' poll, 37.8% say an increase in public school budgets will help. Another 24.4% believe building more schools to accommodate lower class sizes would help; I support the latter. Evidence shows that smaller classroom sizes significantly boost math and reading skills. Earlier this year, a study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology revealed that elementary students in smaller classes for four or more years increased their likelihood of graduating from high school by 11.5%.

Johnetta B. Cole, president of Bennett College for Women, says the responsibility for teaching children can't be placed entirely at the doorsteps of schools. Parental engagement, she asserts, is the No. 1 reason why children demonstrate superior academic performance. If parents are actively engaged in their children's education, then they learn to appreciate what education has to offer. Parental involvement must not stop there, however. Parents must volunteer to become active participants within their education al institutions. For instance, running for a seat on the local school board would be a good start. As an elected member, the opportunities to influence everything from curriculum development to budgets abound. Parents could advocate for a national policy to encourage the Bush administration to enact new initiatives, but the most productive means of making a difference is on the local level, one school district at a time.

--Kenneth Meeks

LEVERAGING OPPORTUNITIES IN DIVERSITY

Where do African Americans fit into discussions about diversity today? According to a recent survey conducted by blackenterprise.com, 47% of our readers overwhelmingly felt that the biggest benefactors of diversity have been white women. There has been a sense that although diversity has roots in affirmative action, its function has marginalized or displaced African Americans because of a broadened definition that includes a variety of groups.

However, the benefit of diversity for black professionals is really steeped in understanding the numbers--how demographical and population shifts will present new and broader opportunities. It is truly understanding how those numbers are changing and continue to shape the corporate landscape, and then setting an aggressive strategic agenda to become an innovative member of that landscape.

As implicitly altruistic as diversity seems, in the corporate arena, it is used to leverage business opportunities. "We're in a leverage game," says Joe Watson, CEO of StrategicHire in Reston, Virginia. "We have to play it. If we completely withdraw from the field of diversity because we don't like the definition, then we will be 13.8% of the population--and good luck to getting stuffdone."

When you look at 2000 U.S. Census statistics that report that African Americans and Hispanics each represent just over 13% of the population, while Asians represent 4%, it's clear that there is a competitive advantage in being black, according to Watson. "And smart people will look for ways to leverage that. If you are a senior executive, a person of color with a great education, and can deliver the goods, you will get the job, and beat out the folks who are there," he says. "There is a certain level of credit, if you will, that is given for being a person of color, whether you need it or not. There are a lot of people, particularly African Americans, who may be upset about that, but capitalism is based on unfair competitive advantage."

African Americans should not be self-conscious about being the "token" employee, but instead work diligently to secure supportive networks inside and outside of the organization that will ensure growth and success; volunteer for projects that will showcase talents to senior-level executives outside of the department; and assertively seek feedback about work performance and how accomplishments are perceived. This is an opportunity not only for minority employees to stand out, but also to be innovative because different thoughts, ideas, and perspectives drive changes in the industry. Part of being recognized as a leader is being seen as an agent of change.

As Frans Johansson writes in his book The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts O Cultures (Harvard Business School Press; $24.95), "A sure path to inhibit your own creativity is to seek out environments where people are just like you ... Chances are you will end up in a team with people who act and think like you. Your team will get along great and it will get a lot of things done. But will it be innovative? Most likely not. Everyone comes to the table with a similar mind-set--and they will leave with the same."

For 35 years, BE has tracked the successes of African American professionals, many of them agents of change. African Americans have long understood that working hard--being twice as good in education, presentation, are work ethics--was the only acceptable standard for success.

Today, however, working smart will put you on the fast track It entails closely watching trends, and preparing yourself for changes to come. That may mean broadening your skills with experience and training in complementary fields and industries, gaining international experience, learning a new language--and using differences to your advantage.

The defining question for African Americans becomes less about who benefits most from diversity and more about how one can take advantage of the changing variables that are forcing companies to embrace diversity as a business initiative. Smart companies will take their cues from changes in the marketplace--so will successful executives, who, as a result, will find innovative ways to competitively lead their companies and industries.

--Sonia Alleyne

USING OUR ECONOMIC CLOUT

When I was growing up in West Philadelphia, I thought buying power meant getting paid on Friday, spending your entire paycheck by Sunday, and borrowing money to get to work on Monday. For some, this misguided notion is still applicable. For others, the definition has broadened.

Our buying power is much bigger than the paychecks we bring home. In order to be an economic force, we must build our collective financial muscle to force American industry to sit up and take notice that black dollars are, in fact, green. As Publisher Earl G. Graves Sr. stated at the 10th Annual BLACK ENTERPRISE Entrepreneurs Conference, African Americans take home more than $600 billion after taxes.

So when we talk about the effective use of this commodity, it's about more than just generating a bigger income. It's leveraging our dollars on a number of fronts. Critical to that strategy is our development as savvy consumers and smart investors. In fact, Declaration of Financial Empowerment principle No. 6 calls on all of us "to be proactive and knowledgeable about investing, money management, and consumer issues."

Two out of every three dollars spent by ethnic minorities come from the pocketbooks of African Americans, according to the Selig Center at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. But don't confuse that statistic as an expression of buying power. It represents pure consumerism. To put it another way, if African Americans stopped buying 22-inch rims today, would the marketplace go sour? If the answer is yes, then that's a measure of spending power.

Over the last 35 years, BE has advocated economic reciprocity and covered the consumer initiatives of civil rights organizations on the pages of our magazine. Now, it's up to us to continue what our forefathers started by playing small but significant roles in gaining economic and financial parity. For instance, African Americans are among the biggest customers of the $5.6 billion convention industry, which includes money spent on hotels, food, and shopping. When an organization like The National Baptist Convention USA Inc., with 8 million-plus members, books a conference, it has the financial clout to get free meeting spaces, hotel rooms, shuttle service, and other bargains. But we must demand that hotels, convention centers, and prospective host cities employ African Americans and contract with local black-owned businesses.

Secondly, we must purchase products and services from as well as invest in black-owned businesses--from local chicken shacks to the BE 100S. In fact, you can invest directly in the mutual funds run by the money management firms found on the BE ASSET MANAGEBS list.

By "buying black," we're not just pumping dollars into black businesses as a moral exercise, we're recycling dollars. At a BE-sponsored Town Hall Meeting, CNN anchor Valerie Morris said African Americans recycle dollars once in their community as opposed to several times for other ethnic groups. Let me break this down: If you get your car fixed by a black mechanic and pay $75, that money has been recycled. They'll use it to pay their employees and if those workers, in turn, spend their money at black businesses, the process continues. That's bow Jewish people and Asians do it. They make a commitment to reinvest in their communities.

Lastly, if you want to increase your clout, own something-whether it's a business, home, land, or securities. If you don't own one or all of these assets, you're not using your buying power effectively. The key to ownership is that it increases leverage. For example, if you decide to invest in real estate, buy a dilapidated property in an up-and-coming neighborhood and eventually, when Wal-Mart and Starbucks come to town, you'll see the value of your property increase exponentially. After the value of that property increases, use the equity to acquire yet another property. Continue that trend and watch your money grow.

It all comes down to education and commitment. Once you become an empowered consumer and a smart investor, you'll never look at your paycheck on Friday the same way.

--Tanisha A. Sykes

REBUILDING BLACK COMMUNITIES

I remember as a young boy, my father would send me to the local Jewish butcher to purchase fresh meat and other groceries. I was one of 11 children growing up in East Orange, New Jersey, and with so many mouths to feed, money was tight and there were times when my parents struggled to make ends meet. I learned a few important lessons that underscored the significance of residents and local businesses establishing a bond for communities to flourish.

My father established a line of credit with the butcher. So, instead of paying when I had to get groceries, I would simply tell the man behind the counter, "Put it on my father's bill." Each time on my way home, I marveled at how convenient it was to shop for groceries. Of course, what I failed to realize at the time, but understand quite clearly now, was that the relationship between my father and the butcher was one of trust and co-dependence. The butcher was a part of my community, and he knew my father would settle his bill, making it easy for him to extend his "store credit" to our family.

What strikes me most about this "communal way of thinking" is how both parties benefited. The butcher had a regular customer who supported his enterprise, and my father always had food to feed his family--even when he didn't have money to pay right then.

This model of co-dependency serves as an example of why the relationship between African American residents and local black-owned businesses is vital to rebuilding black communities. We've lost this relationship over the last 35 years, and it's time we rebuild that trust.

Community rebuilding efforts involve collaborative action from residents and businesses in supporting youth programs; calling for action from local churches; and using a portion of family wealth to strengthen communities, one of the principles of our Declaration of Financial Empowerment. In our recent online poll of BLACK ENTERPRISE readers, we asked what group is most responsible for rebuilding black communities. Slightly more than half of respondents agreed that accountability lies within the community itself. This speaks to both residents and local business owners.

There are many examples of how public-private partnerships are revitalizing communities. Two-time Grammy winner Kenneth Gamble, who along with Leon Huff, penned hits such as "Love Train," and "Me & Mrs. Jones," led the charge to clean up the ghettos in his hometown of South Philadelphia ("Wake Up Everybody," December 2002). From education and affordable housing to promoting entrepreneurship and creating jobs, Gamble and his company invested time and money to effect social change in South Philly through economic and educational improvement.

Across the country, economic redevelopment is taking place in communities like San Luis Obispo County in California and Prince George's County in Maryland. In Prince George's County, where African Americans make up 62.7% of the population, local initiatives are attracting investors interested in the increasing wealth of the black middle class. County Executive Jack B. Johnson, one of only two African Americans to hold the position, is spearheading new programs to help retain minority businesses and to foster further business growth. Even in predominately white San Luis Obispo County, Chaplain Ken Parish is on a mission to build a support system for black youth. He is in constant pursuit of financial support for the Garden of Eden Senior Adult Day Care facility he started three years ago for formerly imprisoned black men and women struggling to transition from the penal system back into their communities. In essence, not all black communities are deteriorating. Across the nation, there are vibrant and thriving majority-black areas dispelling the stereotype that African American neighborhoods are distressed and threatened. But for those communities that are on the cusp of revitalization, a strong black community and successful black-owned businesses will lay the groundwork.

--James C. Johnson

A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR MULTIGENERATIONAL WEALTH

One test of a great nation is its ability to put systems in place that will help its people prosper for generations to come. If we consider the 36 million black Americans in the U.S. as a nation, how would we measure up against that test?

While we cannot enact sweeping legislation like Social Security or the G.I. Bill to act as a financial safety net for black people, we can take steps to create a de facto system of wealth transference that will ensure black people will prosper in the future. This has been our mission at BLACK ENTERPRISE for the past 35 years-building lasting, multigenerational wealth. In fact, when we introduced the Black Wealth Initiative in 2000, it was a call to arms to help you achieve economic parity by paying yourself first, making every dollar count, and developing a systematic program of investing that will secure your family for generations to come.

To achieve multigenerational wealth every black household must:

Practice saving and investing just as you would a religion. Investing requires study, commitment, and tithing, just like a religion. If you can understand the ancient language that the Bible is written in, you can understand the financial terms of the stock market. You just have to be committed to studying the language; you have to want to receive the knowledge that is being offered. Additionally, if you can tithe at your church, you can tithe to a savings and investment account for yourself. Just as tithing helps the church grow, saving and investing will help you and your family grow. Imagine every black family receiving a lesson on investing every week, just as they would receive a lesson on being a good humanitarian every Sunday in church. Such regular immersion in solid values eventually takes root and is passed on to your children.

Buy property. Black American families must work together to purchase homes. Whether it is an apartment or a house, it's better to own the worst house on the block than to rent the best house on the block. Purchasing a home provides an opportunity to invest in an appreciating asset, will help you to build equity in your home as you make mortgage payments, and offers tax breaks to help your income grow. On a larger scale, by purchasing real estate, black people can establish communities that they can shape and control for their own benefit. When you own where you live, it gives you political clout within congressional districts. Collectively, homeowners can create a strong foundation for community growth in the future.

Establish family businesses. A business provides a means for a family to sustain itself. Whether you plan to have a large corporation or a consultancy, such operations provide additional streams of income to pay for additional real estate, education, or other financial goals. These businesses also serve to provide jobs for other black families in the community. If every black household established a business or trade, no matter how small, black unemployment would be significantly reduced. By passing on a tradition of entrepreneurship, we ensure wealth is passed to the next generation.

Create an estate plan. An estate plan includes insurance, a will, and if possible, a trust. You must protect your assets with a will, because if you don't, your heirs--the people you love and work so hard for--will never reap the benefits of your accumulated assets. The trust will make sure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes. Insurance policies will pay off the home mortgage, any lingering debt, and provide your family with additional income. Using a will and trust are the only way to ensure wealth is transferred to the next generation.

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the civil rights movement. Over those 40 years, black Americans have significantly increased our wealth-building capabilities-48% of black Americans are homeowners. Last year we generated more than $723 billion in total money income and there are thousands of black millionaires and a few black billionaires. With the baby boomer generation set to retire in vast numbers over the next 30 years, it is imperative that the wealth they've accumulated is successfully transferred to their heirs. That wealth could then serve as the foundation of a black economic empowerment movement.

--Matthew S. Scott

OUR READERS RESPOND:
What is the largest obstacle black
entrepreneurs must overcome?

Obtaining expansion capital   36.0%

Lack of black-on-black
business partnership          23.3%

The economy                    2.0%

Lack of high-level business
knowledge and experience      18.0%

Too few black businesses
positioned in the top
growth sectors                21.0%

Note: Table made from bar graph.

OUR READERS RESPOND:
Do you think African Americans
need new black leadership?

Yes   69.1%
No    30.9%

Who should that leader be? Top 5 responses

1 Barack Obama
2 Tavis Smiley
3 Colin Powell
4 Louis Farrakhan
5 Kweisi Hfume

OUR READERS RESPOND:
What needs to be done to fix
the public education system?

Increase public
school budgets            37.8%

Offer higher salaries
for teachers              20.8%

Provide year-round
school education          17.0%

Build more schools
to lower class size       24.4%

OUR READERS RESPOND:
Who benefits most from
diversity practices?

Blacks                            17.8%
Hispanics                         12.2%
Asians                             6.9%
White Women                       47.0%
Gays & Lesbians                    2.7%
People w/Disabilities              4.6%
Other                              8.9%

OUR READERS RESPOND:
As a consumer, what would
you like to learn more about?

How to negotiate
a great deal                44.7%

How to research
products & services         30.5%

How to find the
best prices                 39.2%

How to get out
of a bad deal               17.7%

OUR READERS RESPOND:
What group is most  responsible

Business          18.8%

Churches          23.1%

Government         7.8%

Local Community   50.2%

OUR READERS RESPOND:

How much do you have saved
for your retirement right now?

Less than $40,000    66.1%
$40,000-$100,000     20.1%
$100,000-$250,000     8.4%
More than $250,000    5.4%