For decades, politicians and business people have claimed that, if only African Americans used their alleged trillion dollar consumer purchasing power wisely, Blacks would make great economic and political strides. But Dr. Jared Ball, professor of communications at Morgan State University and author of “The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power,” said the theory “does not comport with actual studies of the condition of Blacks or any other community. We are actually devolving” compared to 50 years ago, said Ball, “but the propaganda continues.”