Black leaders are fed up and are speaking out, again. This time however, they’re complaining that it’s time for less talk and more action for the Black community.

In a panel at the NABJ convention Thursday entitled, “Black Out or Black In” key leaders including Dr. Cornel West, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and journalist and author Sophia Nelson debated their expectations of the nation’s first Black president as well as the clash between the African-American middle and lower classes.

“Some of us are so caught up with things and stuff that we refer to our own people as ‘those people,'” West said. “There are too many field generals and too few field troops.”

Roland Martin joined in to encourage the minority audience that it’s time to stop criticizing your friend or neighbor’s kids about how bad and ill-behaved they are and it’s time to say I’ll help you raise your children.

The group disagreed on their approval, and some strong disapproval, of the president, but they all agreed that some of the hardships Blacks face, till this day, are still unprecedented and it’s time for less “feel-good” summits and conversations, and more action.

“We need to be far more action oriented. I don’t think we need to have a summit unless it’s on action.”

With an already nasty 2012 presidential election approaching and many differentiating agendas on the table amongst candidates, it may be time to have all Blacks “in,” fighting for something affecting their communities, rather than out.

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(Photo: www.massappealnews.com)