Washington, DC – Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable Public Policy Network issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address: “Last night President Obama eloquently delivered a State of the Union Address that provided […]
Commentary
President’s State of The Union Address Embraces National Urban League
Washington, DC – President Obama’s vision for “An American Built To Last,” as described in tonight’s State of the Union address, stands firmly upon National Urban League policy proposals for job growth, education and economic empowerment, Marc H. Morial, National Urban League President and CEO, said tonight. The President’s focus on the importance of job […]
Red Tails” Shoots Down Stereotypes – by Marc Morial
(To Be Equal #3) – Last week, I attended the New York premiere of a new George Lucas film about the heroic exploits of the all-black fighter pilot squadron that helped America defeat the Nazi’s in World War II. I am not in the business of promoting new movies. But, there are several reasons that […]
African Americans Lose, White Others Gain – by Julianne Malveaux
The unemployment rate is falling for the third month in a row, and in December about 200,000 private sector jobs were created. The monthly unemployment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that unemployment has declined by six tenths of a percentage point since August. Already, some economists are saying we can expect another […]
Martin Luther King Was A Convict – By Lucius Gantt
The barbeque smoke permeated the Black community air on Martin Luther King’s birth date in 2012. Some people golfed, some were boating and many people participated in symbolic marches where they locked arms on one side with closet Klansmen and on the other side with neo-Nazis and walked a couple of blocks singing “We Shall […]
Occupy Movement Looks Like Civil Rights Movement – by Dwayne West
Look what’s come from the Civil Rights Movement: community leaders, congressional men and women, celebrated pastors of mega churches, big money lobbyists and multimillion dollar businessmen, not to mention tens of thousands of corporate executives who have gone on to operate some of America’s most prominent companies. We must salute and honor the occupiers for […]
Political Geography May Impact Presidential Race – by Kirk Clay
While in Atlanta to speak on civil rights strategies for redistricting I visited friends who work in the hip-hop community. We began to talk about the implications that the dramatic population shifts will have on voting patterns in 2012. I cited the fact that based on the Census 2010 data confirmed that it is possible […]
The Role of Black Intellectuals – Too Much Talk, Not Enough Action? by Marsha Coleman-Adebayo
Cornel West wrote in 1985 that the black intellectual was “caught between an insolent American society and an insouciant black community.” Twenty-seven years later, with a black president in office his words have the insistence of a drum roll. We see President Barack Obama battered by the harsh racism of a Republican right in Congress […]
Capital Offense – by Raynard Jackson
I am stunned by all the controversy surrounding presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s time at Bain Capital (the private investment company that he founded). What’s even more amazing is that the controversy was started by Republicans running against him for the presidential nomination. These Republican candidates have accused Romney of buying several businesses and then laying […]