DrJones, I think you've sorted out what you got wrong already
but in case anything is still unclear for others (because this stuff MATTERS):
1) I consider Condi Rice in particular an excellent leader, among the best we have today of any skin color. The rest mentioned range from "decent" to "well above average" (NOT including Jesse Jackson, Sharpton, etc.).
2) I do not believe that good leaders who happen to be black should try to "advance their own race" in any special way, with the possible exception of providing role models.
3) If the urban black community by and large prefers Jackson or Sharpton as a community spokesman while openly disparaging Rice, et al, then something is deeply wrong with urban black culture. Well no surprise there, something IS deeply wrong with urban black culture - the rate of urban black-on-black homicides is just...well, "horrifying" is a start, but nowhere near strong enough.
My view: urban black culture has been systematically ravaged over a 200 year period by white racism. The major elements: economic limits were placed on them, welfare programs were structured to destroy families, inadequate police staffing was provided while at the SAME time strict gun control was either applied purely to those communities or enforced with greater zeal. Not that long ago, black-on-black crime wasn't even investigated; while it's rare that a total lack of interest over black homicide victims happens today, there's still a serious disparity in the level of police resources brought to bear after a black is found dead versus a white, in the urban areas, esp. when there's also an economic disparity.
Folks, it is possible for an entire culture to go "clinically insane". The Germans managed it between 1935 and 1945, ditto the Japanese starting even earlier (based on horrorshows in China going back to...1933 I think?). In 1874 or so, most Americans would tell you that "the only good Indian was a dead Indian" and their other racial views were just as warped, to a degree I certainly consider "insane".
So I believe my OWN culture is quite capable of going stark raving bonkers. I think my own culture is at least slightly neurotic in some ways, namely regards gun control and the level of intrusive gov't the people who make up "my culture" seem to tolerate.