But the organizers and supporters of Live 8 made it clear, “We don’t want your money, we want you.”

Tens of thousands of supporters they were looking for, according to Bob Geldof, organizer and spokesman for Live 8. The front man for the late 70s to late 80s band, the Boomtown Rats, Geldof was also the producer of Band Aid which later became Live Aid, the first international real-time two-day concert broadcasted in 1985 across the globe to bring relief to the starving in Ethiopia. This time, it was not about raising money but about sending a message to the leaders of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the USA, otherwise known as the G8, who are meeting this week in Gleneagles, Scotland. At the top of their agenda is climate change and Africa.

As for Africa, Geldof stated plainly, “The G8 leaders have it within their power to alter history. They will only have the will to do so if tens of thousands of people show them that enough is enough. By doubling aid, fully canceling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa, the G8 could change the future for millions of men, women and children."

By all estimates, the Live 8 event was a tremendous success. And, according to a small census of African Americans who have spent their careers working to improve Africa’s plight, most are optimistic that Live 8 will make a difference.

“Helpful and useful” is how Julius Coles, president of Africare, described the event. Africare is the oldest and largest organization focusing on Africa and it is credited as a leader among private, charitable U.S. organizations assisting Africa. According to its website, “ Africa is Africare’s specialty.”

Africare was among the hundreds of organizations that signed on to the One Coalition to support Live 8 and demand that the U.S. allocate one percent of its budget for aid to Africa. Coles believes the concert brought large public attention to Africa’s plight. “Africa has been suffering from a lack of media attention, especially in the U.S.,” Coles said. “Live 8 focused attentions on Africa, and I hope it will continue throughout the years.”

Critics of the Live 8 Concert included the African American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia where the largest Live 8 concert attendance was recorded and estimated at nearly 1 million people. The Chamber forwarded letters to Philadelphia Mayor John Street, administration officials, the City Council and Geldof accusing them of denying African American businesses fair and equitable participation in the event that organizers estimated would attract nearly $40 million to the city’s coffers.

“That’s a battle we just never seem to win,” explained Mel Foote, Executive Director of the Constituency for Africa, a Washington-based advocacy group that works to educate Americans on African issues. “I’m just always positive when you’re moving in the right direction and basically, people are trying to do good. The issue,” he said, “is sustainability. How do we keep this thing going?”

Foote commended Geldof and Bono, the leader of U2, who has made Africa his calling, for their dedication to the cause. “Here you’ve got this white boy fighting for Africa just a vigorously as us. You have to give those guys some credit.”

Hodari Ali, a local businessman and long-time Panafricanist, is suspicious about the source of funding for Live 8 which was held for free in some of the world’s most historic venues including the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Circus Maximus in Rome, the Palais de Versailles in Paris and Red Square in Moscow. He, like many others, argued that there could have been more Africans invited to perform. Yet, “So long as the education component was there,” Ali said, “you can’t be too critical. There should be more focus on Africa.”

The people Coles, Foote and Ali talked about, however, were African Americans. As the leader, Coles knows that Africare needs to broaden its awareness among African Americans. We are the premier organization and we have to do a better job of making ourselves known,” he said.

Foote said that after 15 years of focusing on Africa, “It is probably time for us [CFA] to rethink ourselves and sharpen our focus. We would like to see national African American organizations massively engaged on global issues and we need to do more towards getting these institutions better focused.”

Ali suggested that “Africans don’t want more aid; they want trade and more African Americans have to begin to do more business over there.”

So it seems as though Africare, CFA, Geldof, Bono and a host of others have already done the heavy lifting. Now it is up to the rest of us to carry the ball!