The persistent “post-racial” fallacy
(By David Sirota, Salon.com).In the annals of contemporary American history, the power of white denialism and the “post-racial” fallacy is not to be underestimated. As race scholar Tim Wise has recounted, in the early 1960s, most white Americans told Gallup pollsters that African-Americans had equal economic and educational opportunities to get ahead. Those were the […]
White House Makes its Case to Black Voters
by Joseph Williams (Politico.com) – Stung by summertime allegations that they neglected their bedrock African-American constituency, the White House and President Barack Obama’s reelection team have cranked up their outreach to black voters, selling the president’s first-term achievements as accomplishments that will pay long-term dividends for the black community. Top administration aides and Cabinet officials […]
New Report Documents Restrictions Designed to Suppress Voting Among Communities of Color
A new report reveals direct connections between the trend of increasing, unprecedented African American and Latino voter turnout and an onslaught of restrictive measures across the country designed to stem electoral strength among communities of color, especially in regions where full political participation can reverse the tide of policies that undermine rights of racial and […]
Jobless Rate Drops, But Pain, Despair Persist In Weak Economy
By David Moberg (In These Times) – The headline news on Friday that the unemployment rate in November dropped 0.4 percent to 8.6 percent may help President Obama avoid losing his job next year. But the reality behind the figures will not—and that reality includes a big dose of stress, anger, despair and insecurity even […]
Can Obama hold on to African American voters in 2012?
By Krissah Thompson, (Washington Post) – For several months, radio host Tom Joyner has pleaded with his 8 million listeners to get in line behind the first black president. “Stick together, black people,” says Joyner, whose R&B morning show reaches one in four African American adults. The Rev. Al Sharpton, an ally of President Obama […]
How Herman Cain Could Take Out Obama – by Maze Jackson
There is a not so subtle frustration growing in the Black community surrounding our President Barack Obama. I think a significant amount of the frustration is because we see the Republicans, particularly the Tea Party as haters (really racists) that will block ANYTHING that he proposes; yet he still tries to negotiate with them. We […]
What I Heard: President Obama calls for African American leaders to get fired up and march for jobs, equality and opportunity
Washington, DC – I attended the recent Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 41st Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC and it was one of the most substantive, content rich, conferences I have attended in quite a while. Our annual CBC Black Women’s Roundtable “Power of the Sister Vote in 2012!” forum was standing room only with […]
President Obama’s Mission Impossible
by H. Lewis Smith – Upon Barack Obama’s election to President of the United States, euphoria, jubilation and an aura of disbelief simultaneously enveloped the Black African-American community. Perhaps, it could even be said that many saw him as a Messiah and the primary power-holder to make life and living better for Blacks. Seemingly, Black […]