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AP – Urban League CEO Marc Morial smiles during an interview with the Associated Press, Tuesday, March 24, …
By JESSE WASHINGTON, AP National Writer
NEW YORK – President Barack Obama should specifically address disparities in black unemployment, foreclosures, education and health care, the National Urban League says in its annual "State of Black America" report.
Despite the progress represented by the election of the first black president, blacks are twice as likely to be unemployed, three times as likely to live in poverty and more than six times as likely to be incarcerated, says the report, which was being released Wednesday.
Obama has said that the way for government to help minorities is by improving things like education, employment and health care for all Americans.
But "we have to be more specific," said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the 99-year-old Urban League.
"The issue is not only (blacks) doing better, but in closing these persistent gaps in statistics in this country," Morial told The Associated Press. "Our index shows that the gap in African-American status is about 71 percent that of white Americans. We will not rest until that number is at 100, and there is no gap."
The 288-page report includes policy discussions and essays from academics, elected officials and average citizens. Among its 31 specific recommendations:
• Ensure that the stimulus package's green job creation includes poor urban communities.
• Increase funding for job training and placement for disadvantaged workers.
• Guarantee full-day schooling for all 3 and 4 year olds.
• Expand the school day to account for working parents and families without nearby relatives to help with after-school care. ****Others with similar needs MOVE to where family help is available. What is really being demanded is special assistance for dysfunctional families, creating the moral hazard of encouraging the very behavior that should be discouraged. It's more important to devote resources to monitoring dysfunctional families so that small children don't bear the burden ( of abuse and neglect ) of their irresponsible progenitors. ****
• Implement universal health care and a "comprehensive" system to provide blacks with health education, prevention and intervention.
Morial acknowledged the role self-responsibility must play in improving the lives of blacks.
"We have some things in our own community where we have to step up, when it comes to focusing and emphasizing the basic value of achievement and accomplishment in our children, and doing it in a very young age," he said. "We have to not be afraid to say, 'Turn off the TV, shut down the Internet. SpongeBob, Dora, all these folks need to take a little break.'"
But public policy is a crucial ingredient, he said.
"It matters if your high school biology class has a biology lab. It matters if your second-grade classroom is air conditioned if it's in South Carolina or Florida or Alabama.
"Public policy matters, and we have to recognize too that it does require additional and extraordinary investments when it comes to children, to lift up children that are disadvantaged," Morial said.
He pointed out that since today's minority population will soon be a majority of Americans, "these kind of things will make us better off and advance the cause of the nation."
As a presidential candidate, Obama sidestepped the minefield of race and politics whenever possible, instead focusing on a message of American unity. And in his two months as president, the financial meltdown has left Obama little time or political capital to spend on anything besides rescuing the economy.
But in 2007, as the junior senator from Illinois, Obama wrote the foreword to the "State of Black America" report, which focused on the problems facing black men.
"This sad story is a stark reminder that the long march toward true and meaningful equality in America isn't over," Obama wrote. "We have a long way to go."
Publisher's Page:
What Should the Black Community Expect from President Obama?
All is not well in River City. In the black community, there is much discussion about President Obama’s performance and commitment. It is an honest discussion. On his campaign trail, we saw the civil rights people ignored; we saw ministers disregarded; and we saw Tavis Smiley exiled for raising the question about the absence of a black agenda from the Obama platform.
President Obama represents black America’s proudest moment and America’s “Aha!” moment. His ratings are high and he still appears to be on the campaign trail with daily major announcements. Recent ratings show he out-polled Jesus! Wait a minute, everybody. Jesus he is not.
Constructive criticisms bear airing. There is only one black cabinet member. Black press has been totally disregarded and black press received little to no advertising from the campaign coffers.
Roland Martin has written a commentary about the lack of diversity within the White House press office. Presently, there is an African American deputy press secretary and a Latino heads up broadcast media. But as Martin says, this is not sufficient. There is discussion on how the rules of Affirmative Action might change from being racial and gender oriented to economically-based. It would be a travesty if the black president eliminated Affirmative Action rather than put teeth in the rulings to make it effective and empowering. That alone, would be a Stimulus Package.
Constructive criticisms bear airing. |
The most rousing censure comes from Steven Rogers who is a professor of entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is premiere in his discipline, sits on many corporate boards and is considered a business guru. His letter has circulated among the early supporters of what I call Day One people of Barack Obama’s. His points beg attention and addressing.
A Professor Speaks Out
Professor Rogers is from the Englewood community and is also a Harvard University graduate. He asks the question, ‘what should the black community expect from President Obama?’ His answer is “… (W)e should expect very little, unless he and his advisors have a major change of heart and commitment, as it relates to the black community. It saddens me to say that the new administration has made it clear through their actions, snubs, insults and inactions that President Obama has no plans to do anything special, other than represent the symbol of being the first African American president to help black businesses or the general black community as a whole. Like President Ronald Reagan and the Bush Presidents, President Obama expects the impact of his presidential policies to “trickle down” to the black community. Unless he changes the pattern that he has established of omission and ungratefulness toward the community, who gave him the highest percentage of their vote than any other ethnic or racial group and provided him the “seed capital” for his national political career, it will not be good for the black community or America. The United States of America is strongest when the black community is strong.”
Rogers points out that the “ . . . federal stimulus package will go to only white-owned companies as has happened under President Bush. Black-owned companies create jobs for minorities, second only to the government.”
He further points out that “all of these black entrepreneurs deserve the opportunity to work on behalf of the federal government. He knew who these black business owners were when he needed money.” On government appointments, Rogers point out that “it is no different than President Bush. His highest-ranking cabinet appointees include the same number of blacks as President Bush appointed. Furthermore, he has continued the age-old tradition of excluding blacks from top leadership positions involving commerce. No black was seemingly even considered, or ultimately selected, to serve in any of those positions, including the Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of Commerce or Chairman of the Securities Exchange Commission or Small business Administration.
Comparing Obama’s Behavior to Lincoln’s
Rogers says, “Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery. President Obama is not going to do anything special for the black community. In fact, if he needs to prove to the country that he is everyone’s president, he will speak out against the black community or worse, ignore it. This passive-aggressive behavior toward the black community is reprehensible and undeserved. What has the African American community done to Obama except love, support and nurture him? When nobody knew who he was, we gave him money for his campaign and to support his family.
“He seemingly is a man with an exceptional short memory and lack of respect for the black community. That must explain why he refuses to mention Dr. King’s name in his important speeches.”
The Rogers question is weighty, what should the black community expect from its first black president? The answer is what we should expect from every politician that we support and elect. Obama was let off the hook when eh didn’t have an urban or black agenda, like the other politicians were expected to. Did pride get in the way of reasoning? The administration is in its infancy, but now is the time to speak. The earliest and most faithful Obama supporters are disgruntled. The black community expects a closure in the gaps––education, employment, housing and business. We expect black fullness in the White House at every level of the administration. We expect to see black faces on the first level of the White House. This is the real measure of the Obama presidency. We expect fulfillment.
The black community desperately wanted you to win and, Mr. Obama, we want to win, too. Texas won with a Bush presidency and so did the oil industry. The black community wants your affinity. We want to grow and for you to understand the issues. Your experience as a community organizer, state and national politician and your record has having the longest-ever campaign provides a unique perspective. Use it.
I hope the president doesn’t ever forget those who helped initially. We understand your world has changed, but we want ours to change with yours. Remember how difficult it was to be a working professional with household responsibilities while try to pay off student loans? Remember? We expect the stimulus money to stimulate our businesses and communities, too.
Rogers ends his essay by stating, “I desperately want President Obama to be successful. Should we as black folks give him a pass? Absolutely not! We are running out of time and cannot afford the luxury of giving a pass to him or any other president. Our communities are dying a slow death. President Obama had the “audacity of hope” to expect big things and the black community should, too. Ironically, longtime television reporter Sam Donaldson, said it best on numerous television shows when he said, ‘President Obama owes the black community. He should dance with the people who brought him to the party.”
Sadly, it seems that perhaps President Obama wants to attend another party.
***
Here's the response of another professor:
I think the opinion expressed is very reprehensible. It takes the very bad idea that interest groups have a direct call on politicians they support (indistinguishable from bribery rather than merely asking for "access" ) and extends it to racist preference.
It's already racist to get the percentage of the black vote that Obama got ( and that Democrats get ). These percentages aren't seen except by Stalin and Castro and Saddam and Kim Jong Il . Democracy suffers from the possibility of Identity Voting, rather than independent judgement, but this is a deficiency, not a good thing.
Actually to expect a payoff based on race is bad enough; for Obama to grant it is likely to make the rest of the country insure a black man would never get to be President again ( Tried it once; didn't like it. )
The Democrats are already a party of princiPALS rather than princiPLES: teachers unions, blacks, Latinos, illegals ( who vote via ACORN ) and their legal relatives who vote, UAW, trial lawyers, environmentalists. At least everyone should be treated on the same level, irrespective of the color of who happened to be elected.
Obama seems to be wise enough, both for the nation and himself, to steer clear of these ideas.
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