San Francisco-  Recently Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. was in San Francisco at Third Baptist Church headed by San Francisco NAACP President Reverend Amos Brown  to address issues of major concern for Blacks and low -income residents.  His presence preceded by a few weeks the Blacks In Philanthropy conference "State of the Race: Investing in Black Communities" which honored several philanthropists that had laid the groundwork for community improvement.  There was synchronicity among the top concerns of both meetings.
 

NAACP Communications Chair/Filmmaker Jacquie Taliaferro, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Artist Eugene White at
Third Baptist Church, San Francisco

At the top of Jackson's list of concerns is our economy.  Economic business opportunities and jobs are at the center of his focus. Reverend Jackson had several meetings set up with high level bank executives to discuss the abnormal amount of Black and Brown folks homes in foreclosure.  As I access the situation, "Predatory Lenders"who set up this disastrous economic formula robbing Americans of the American Dream are now "Predatory Buyers." In addition to being behind the cloistered walls of corporations, you can see the "Predatory Buyers" gathered at court houses and city halls across the nation ready to swoop in to make "a killing" as they take American homes and dreams without resistance.

The greedy rich are now richer putting yet a darker malignant tone to the melody "Ain't We Got Fun" as "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer."  Unless there is a wake up among the people and the servants of the people (local, state and national legislators) we will hear that refrain and experience the backlash for years to come.
 
Stories have come forth of the illegal paperwork and contrived formulas that had people in loans they couldn't afford with balloon payments that forced them into bondage of getting a second and third job and in many cases they still could not make the payments.  So the hopeful homeowners were used to generate money on property they in reality really only rented with the land going back to the banks and foreign investors who keep the land, losing nothing while hopes and dreams of many American people have been squandered and crushed.  The financial institutions and foreign investors are able once again to set up shop for the next group of vulnerable American dreamers.
 
The benignly sinister attitude of far too many in the finance world-"you should have known better than to sign a loan you couldn't afford" and the horrible job market- unemployment at 9.6 percent with a rate of 50% for Black males sets up what many economists call "The largest land grab since Reconstruction."
 
Reverend Jesse Jackson's visit was welcomed, however as fellow journalist Tavis Smiley pointed out "Reverend Jesse Jackson is like a flash light.  He comes and sheds light on the subject and then leaves. It is up to you to take advantage of his presence, news coverage etc. and work to make what changes are necessary."

I saw this phenomenon at work first hand when Agora headed by Black filmmakers invited Reverend Jackson with his film "Country Preacher" to the Cannes International Film Festival in France.  After the Agora film showcases, he spoke with festival organizers and asked them to include us with the festival.  They were very nice at the meeting but the following year they tried to dismantle us.  Our presence at the Cannes International Film Festival this year is testament that we will prevail to one day control and tell our own stories.

Reverend Jackson's visit to San Francisco signaled that it is time to turn the tables on "Predatory Buyers" and "Predatory Lenders."
 
Reverend Jackson is a starting point.  We must finish the task!