While perusing the 5th Episcopal District's Website today I noticed Bishop John Bryant's birthday is June 8th. Well, I know this sounds incredibly ironic but my birthday is also June 8th. Bryant has also been a permanent fixture at the Hampton Ministers Conference hosted at the same VA college where I dutifully toiled during the 80s teaching economics and political economy. Bryant is an AME, I am an AME. Bryant is a distinguished looking gentleman, I am.......well you get the picture :-) Perhaps we should develop a birthday list for all the AME Today participants and send birhtday emails to the honorees. I need to start thinking about my birthday wish list. Hmmmmm, let's see.............QED

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2001

Answers

Brother Bill thank you for letting me know the date of your birthday. Only someone as modest, sensitive and humble as you, would give us enough lead time to put your birthday present in "layaway" and since you are an economist I know you do not want me to go into personal debt. Since Wal-mart does not have a service charge for layaway items. I will be shopping there. Though I know you prefer that upscale store.....K-Mart(they have a service charge) so it will have to be Wal-Mart. Since you are so great and handsome as you have mentioned in your post, I will try to find a gift worthy of you. Uh, do you like black socks or navy? Happy Pre-Birthday. You ole dog!!!!!

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2001

Mr. Dickens,

Happy forthcoming birthday. You sound like an intellectual. I am just curious to know as an economist do you have any observations about the 540 billion dollars of income we African-Americans bring home every year and the 400 plus billion dollars of income that we spend annually. I understand that the 540 billion dollars of income is more than the gross domestic product of Australia with its 25 million people and almost as much as the GDP of Canada with its 25 million people.

JazzMan

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2001

Jazzman;

The key is not the size of black aggregate income but the size of black savings and investment. We live in an integrated economy and "black dollars" are indistinguishable from "white dollars". It is good for black consumers to patronize black entrepreneurs but the emphasis should always be on black consumers having the opportunity to purchase high value added products and invest in income-producing assets. If nearly all income is spent this allows little chance for future income to grow. Savings is the source of all future consumption and stable growth projections. Savings however requires discipline, focus and sacrifice. QED

Denise:

I'm glad you understand my self-deprecating sense of humor. I actually have a lot of comedic similarities to Woody Allen. However, please, please, please do not limit your gift shopping to Wal-Mart. Don't Montanans have a Macy's or Parisians or Saks Fifth Ave.??? I am dressed in designer suits, french-cuffed shirts, silk bowties [i tie my own] and Johnson-Murphy/Bally shoes. Do you want me to look like Forrest Gump or BET exec Robert Johnson :-)? Gifts are like investments with a confident return. Surf the Net, make calls if necessary. Do you need my sizes?? Woof, Woof!! QED

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2001

Speaking of birthdays---mine come before yours. March 12. My b-day list is as follows. 1. Love, Love, Love. 2. Money, so that Bill can invest it for me. Or perhaps, so stock tips will do. 3. Someone to write my graduation paper for Morris Brown.

In Love and Light... Brenda

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2001

FYI...Jazzman. I researched this the other day. The numbers are quite interesting! African American Marketing Figures....

Demographic

The African American population, according to projections, could increase from 34.9 million in 1999 to 59.2 million in 2050 a 70% increase. Under this scenario the African American share of the total population would increase slightly, from 13% to 15%. (U.S Census Bureau)

African Americans were more likely than Whites to live in metro areas, 86 % versus 78% in 1999. Furthermore, more than half of African Americans live in central cities within metro areas (55%) versus about one-quarter of Whites, 22 percent. (U.S Census Bureau)

Four million African American children, 36%, resided with both their parents in 1998. (www.census.gov)

In 1998, there were 19 million executives, managers and administrators in the U.S labor force; 1.4 million were African American. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) *************************************************************** For the complete article, please click on the link below.

http://www.bwni.com/wowfacts2001/chap40.html

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2001

Brother Bill, I was trying to save some money so I could invest in a mutual fund. That is why I was going to shop at Wal-Mart but after hearing about your champagne taste it is evident to me that I do not have to worry about my old age. Because you and Jenny will be taking care of me and my grandchildren! Bill I live in a ski resort town of 35,000 people. We do not have Macy's, Saks fifth Ave. When we moved here nine years ago there was only K-Mart! But do not worry my brother for you know I will get you a great B-Day present. Montana is called the treasure state, and we can actually go and pan for garnets, sapphires, emeralds and gold. It is a lot of fun to do that. So you will get something else besides black socks!!!! Thanks for the laughter, it is a great way to start the day. Oh, do not feel sorry for me, because we do not have those stores. I live in the Rocky Mountains, my neighborhood park is Yellowstone National Park, it is so beautiful in my town. And people come from all around the world to visit my park that I can go to everyday if I want. They could not pay me to go back to the city. Oops, unless the Bishop tells me to go;-)

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2001

Dear Brenda,

I certainly like your choice of birthday gifts. First, you wanted love, love, love and then second you wanted money, money, money. You certainly seem like a lady who knows who she is and what she wants out of life. I also appreciated those stats and the web site. Your comments about love, love, love were so timely because I was thinking that I would like to see more dialogue amongst us African-Americans about how we can love ourselves more.

JazzMan

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2001