<p>For his sixth annual State of the Black Union symposium, Tavis Smiley challenged assembled black leaders to examine developing a contract with black America.</p><p>The resulting discussion had a crowd of about 2,000 on its feet for repeated ovations as the Rev. Al Sharpton, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, the Rev. Joseph Lowery and others traded sermons on the topic.</p><p>Smiley, the PBS late-night talk show host, challenged panelists to discuss the viability and potential content of "a working document" that would be designed in part for political gain.</p><p>"The next time you come calling on our vote, you come correct on the contract or you don't come at all," Smiley said.</p><p>Lowery, the former longtime president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, suggested the document be called a covenant. "We've got to recapture that spirituality; that's our strength," Lowery said.</p><p>The panel also included former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Princeton professor Cornel West and former Detroit mayor Dennis Wayne Archer, among others.</p><p>The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and others continued the discussion on another panel later Saturday.</p><p>Farrakhan changed the direction of the discussion when he suggested black America could not trust any political party to hold true to an agreement.</p><p>"A contract or a covenant is between parties who intend to make their word their bond," Farrakhan said, adding, "I think it is proper or just that we make a covenant with our people. ... A problem a lot of times is a disconnection between leaders and the people."</p><p>Farrakhan called for a connected and unified effort.</p><p>"Power concedes nothing without a demand but power won't even concede to a demand if it comes from a weak constituency that looks like it's lost its testicular fortitude," Farrakhan said.</p><p>The Rev. Eddie Long of host New Birth Missionary Baptist Church was kidded about accepting a White House invitation from President Bush, but Long countered, "Just because we went to the house does not mean we had intercourse."</p><p>Farrakhan mocked Bush for going to war because "no dark nation should have a weapon of mass destruction" when Farrakhan said other nations viewed by Bush as less threatening possess such weapons.</p><p>Smiley organized previous symposiums in Los Angeles in 2000, Washington in 2001 and 2004, Philadelphia in 2002, Detroit in 2003 and Miami in 2004.</p><p>"Black folk have always been the conscience of this country," Smiley said. "We are doing our part to help redeem the soul of America. ... When we make black America better, we make all of America better."</p><p>Earlier Saturday a panel discussed health care and disparities facing black Americans.</p><p>"Nike comes out with a shoe that costs $300 and $500 and they're lined up around the block to get that shoe and yet they're not lined up around the block to get better health care," said Dr. Ian Smith.</p><p>Said Smiley: "Maybe if we could put what would heal black people inside of a Nike shoe, we would be all right."</p><p>Farrakhan noted that the 10-year anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington is approaching. He said the recognition of the anniversary Oct. 14-16 will be more inclusive than the male-dominated march of 1995.</p><p>"The makeup will be our people, whatever we are," Farrakhan said. "Male, female. Gay, straight. Light, dark. Rich, poor. Ignorant, wise. We are family. We will be coming together to discuss family business."</p>
