More than two score ago, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King traveled to Mecca and India respectively. Their travels drastically changed both of their philosophies and proved to be a central element in their respective recognition that the seemingly vast world in which we live is actually very finite and interconnected.

In King’s case, his visit to India in the 1950’s yielded an introduction to the work of Mahatma Gandhi and the principles of non-violence. In Malcolm X’s case, his pilgrimage to Mecca came near the end of his life, but it was no less of an awakening with respect to his acceptance of the interconnectivity and genuine goodness and interdependency of mankind. For each man the journey overseas led to a profound realization that the destiny of African Americans was truly a global destiny - one that must perpetually draw from an array of international relationships to be successful.

I was reminded of the timelessness of their recognitions when the Los Angeles Urban League led a historic high-level, African American delegation to China. The delegation, which was comprised of twelve African American civic, business, educational, and theological leaders, departed on an intentional mission to inject African Americans into the 21st Century discussions on the global economy.

The Delegation included Mr. Blair Hamilton Taylor, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League; Mr. John W. Mack, President of The Los Angeles Police Commission; Dr. Winston Doby, Former Vice President, Student Affairs University of California System (recently retired); Ms. Alfre Woodard, renowned Actress and Humanitarian; Pastor John Hunter, Senior Pastor, First AME (FAME) Church; Mr. Greg Jones, President of State Farm Insurance; Dr. Sylvia Rousseau, former Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District; Mr. Carl Dickerson, Founder and President of Dickerson Employee Benefits; Dr. Frank Gilliam, Assistant Vice Chancellor of UCLA; Mr. Bernard Kinsey, Consultant and one time Co-Chair of Rebuild LA; Ms. Kimberly Freeman, Director of Community Affairs for Sempra Energy; and Ms. Chris Strudwick-Turner, Vice President of the Los Angeles Urban League.

Over the months prior to the trip, many people asked me, “With all of the problems facing African Americans in Los Angeles and all across America, why would you decide to go to China?”

For the most part, the global economy has not been a serious consideration for African American. The rather sobering fact is that, not only do African Americans as a group have no real relationship with the Chinese today, but African Americans are the only ethnic group in America with no discernible connection to the global economy at all. At present, African Americans uniquely lack both a clear strategy for how we will participate in the new global order, and the global allies upon whom we must necessarily rely to implement such a strategy. A failure to immediately plan an approach and strategy for African American participation in the global economy is not only myopic, it is potentially catastrophic.

It is now estimated by some experts that more than 70% of new wealth for Americans in this century is likely to be derived from the global economy. Moreover, since many others are rapidly moving to expand their own relationships with rapidly emerging nations like China and India, the window of time to engage is limited indeed. Waiting opens the very real prospect of African American relegation to the 21st Century’s equivalent of the “back of the global bus”.

With this backdrop, the Los Angeles Urban League decided that in a world where change is manifesting with the lightening speed of the Internet, a world where African Americans are already on the verge of being left behind once again, it was time to move past talk. So we deliberately set out on a voyage to begin to secure the international alliances required for our global future.

We spent 8 days in China, visiting the cities of Shanghai and Beijing. In Shanghai, we met with business leaders, social entrepreneurs and educational leaders. In Beijing, we met with some of the highest level government officials possible, including the Minister of Education, who oversees more than 250 million children, and the architect of China’s peaceful rise and harmonious society, Mr. Jeng Bejan. We also dined with the former Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Mr. C. H. Tong, met with China’s Vice Minister of Finance, and dined with the leadership from China’s United Front, the go-between organization for China’s many arms of government.

What we found and learned in our many discussions was nothing short of astonishing: A nation that had rocketed to world prominence welcomed us with the open arms of a long lost brother. A nation that had spent countless millions trying to influence America almost exclusively through our nation’s capital, seemingly recognized and embraced the potential power of engaging African Americans as a very viable political constituency.

We were genuinely welcomed openly everywhere we went. And while I am not at all naïve about China’s political limitations, at some points in the journey, I felt more welcome as an African American in Shanghai and Beijing than I do in some parts of Los Angeles. We had thought provoking discussions and considered bold ideas: Can they send teachers back to Los Angeles urban schools to teach Mandarin to inner city children? Can we work together to build a Global Wealth Conference for African Americans and other minorities in Los Angeles in 2007 co-sponsored by the Chinese? Will they support the Urban League’s recently announced Strategic Plan initiative, which is to begin in the area around Crenshaw High School, and which represents a replicable, scalable systemic change model for revitalizing urban Los Angeles one neighborhood at a time?

No question was out of bounds. No idea was too far fetched. We came away with some concrete ideas and a firm agreement by both sides to flesh-out the ideas which will all soon be submitted back to China under the banner of a formal proposal. But beyond the ideas and actions discussed, we all walked away with a new set of relationships and a profound sense of possibilities and hope.

With a population about twice the size of Los Angeles, the city Shanghai is now home to 18 million people and it is truly one of the great marvels of the world. Yet over less than 12 years, its vast, wide-open and undeveloped land has been replaced by some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. Bicycles have been replaced by late model cars which whiz by on hundreds of miles of dazzling freeways and streets. A state of the art rail system transports people at speeds of more than 300 miles per hour. In aggregate, it is an awesome sight to behold. And embedded in it all is a powerful message to African Americans, indeed to all Americans, about what is really possible in this century.

Engaging in the discussions a global economy, in which China is now a dominant player, is no longer a “nice to do” for Americans. Today, our nation’s prosperity is integrally linked to others around the globe. And this reality of a shrinking globe is doubly true for African Americans. China, India and other rapidly emerging nations, including some African nations, have much in common with the struggles of African Americans. Their many lessons learned must be integral elements to any sensible African American strategies for the 21st Century.

For African Americans, the era we live in right now - as problematic as it may be in many regards - is also ripe with opportunity and hope. African American leaders must elevate our vision for the 21st century. We must once again dream big, bold, audacious dreams – dreams which necessarily look far beyond the shores of this great nation and establish the dynamic framework of relationships and strategies that will enable our people to emerge as rapidly in the coming years as our Chinese counterparts have done.

Remarkably, Dr. King saw this global economy nearly fifty years ago when he prophetically wrote in 1957:

“The new world is a world of geographic togetherness. This means that no individual or nation can live alone…Through our scientific genius we have made the world a neighborhood; now through our moral and spiritual genius, we must make it a brotherhood.”

The two men who may have been our greatest 20th century leaders, are now long gone, but in some strange way, I felt the presence of brothers Martin and Malcolm on this wonderful pilgrimage to China. The resonating tone of their melodic voices; the power of their timeless words; the limitless dreams they espoused; they were all right there with us, ringing loudly in our ears and permeating our very spirits.

From somewhere far beyond they still urge us to recognize the importance of this moment, our moment in global history. They implore us not to become lost and rudderless in the vast sea of opportunity between our own shores and theirs. They both saw it all so clearly way back then and we must rise to embrace it again, right now.

A photo gallery can also be found at the Asia Society of South California.