GOP leader talks on power of blacks

According to Joshua Smith, money is power. Down-playing his affiliation with the Republican party, Smith, who is vice-chairman of the 1992 Bush-Quayle campaign, urged blacks to become leaders in the business community in a speech Thursday night at the Castle. Smith, who is also chairman of the President's Commission on Minority Business Development, stressed that the key to success for blacks lies in economic power in the 90-minute forum. "[Blacks] have put too much emphasis on politics," Smith said. "You achieve power through wealth and economics." Smith began the forum with a brief look at black history in America. He told the group that following the Civil War, blacks supported themselves. Smith went on to say that within the last 30 years, blacks have increasingly relied on entitlement programs to survive. "We find ourselves in less of an economic position than before," Smith said. "Civil rights without economic power is a borrowed right. It can be taken away." He said that many problems in the black community lie in the hands of blacks themselves, though he acknowledged the challenges of racism and bigotry. Smith repeatedly said that blacks worry too much about politics, which he called a "non-issue," and not enough about economics. In order for blacks to achieve success, there must be a major shift in thinking by black leaders, he said.. "If we focus 80 percent of our energy on economics, it will solve all our problems," Smith said. Most of the 25 students and faculty at the speech said they were stimulated by Smith's comments. "I think he had a lot of enlightening things to say as far as the economic goals that black people need to achieve to survive, to excel in this world," College junior Maceo Grant said. "His major purpose was to stimulate thinking more so than to present an agenda," said College senior Rafaa McRae, managing editor of The Vision, which sponsored the event. "He served his purpose well."

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