Black Lawmakers Set for Key Leadership 
By Zenitha Prince

www.democraticleader.gov (Courtesy Photo)

Dec. 4, 2012

Black Leaders Plan to Hold Congress, President Accountable - But How?
By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – One month after the re-election of President Barack Obama, more than 40 Black leaders convened this week to begin crafting what appears to be a strategy by which to hold politicians accountable to a suffering Black community that has given overwhelming political allegiance to President Obama and the Democratic Party.

“We just concluded a historic four-hour discussion about the state of the nation, the state of Black America, the challenges and problems we face, as well as the excitement we feel about our ability to impact the challenges of now and the future,” National Urban League President/CEO Marc Morial began the afternoon press conference Dec. 3. “We embrace our historic role as the conscience of the nation and we are united in our mission to support and protect the well-being of the African-American community, low income and working class Americans across the nation.”

Immediately, Morial read a joint statement from the group, focusing on what politicians and economists are calling the “fiscal cliff”, a year-end convergence of tax hikes that could throw already economically destitute people into a tail spin.

“Millions of African-Americans are still reeling in the wake of the great recession and trying to regain their footing after overwhelming losses in wealth, income and security,” Morial read. “In this first year of the recovery, 93 percent of the income gains have gone to the wealthiest one percent. Yet, African-Americans, low, middle and working class Americans have already paid a disproportionate price and have been left teetering on the precipice of financial ruin. And some would ask middle, low and working class Americans to give more.”

The meeting, led by Morial at a Washington, D.C. hotel, was convened by him, Melanie Campbell, president/CEO, the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation; the Rev. Al Sharpton, president/CEO, the National Action Network; and Ben Jealous, president/CEO of the NAACP. A string of other stalwart Black organizations were also represented, including the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; the National Congress of Black Women; the Black Women’s Roundtable; the Hip Hop Caucus; and the Institute of the Black World - 21st Century.

The joint statement, which specifically addressed the fiscal cliff, urged leaders to preserve tax cuts and take a “fair and rational approach” that will secure the safety nets of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and support “investments in education, innovation, jobs and infrastructure that will be necessary for real and meaningful recovery in these communities.”

Morial called the gathering a “first step in a new direction.” But, as they promised to continue their watchdog roles and share their proposals with politicians, little was said about what exactly they will do if the Congress and President do not listen.

“We believe that it is the responsibility of those that offer leadership to push the envelope forward. We cannot sit and ask the president to write an agenda to himself from us. It ought to come from us to him or the Congress from us to [them],” said the Rev. Al Sharpton who has typically held mass marches and demonstrations in order to get his points across. He stopped short of saying whether such action is on the agenda.

“Next year will be the anniversary of the March on Washington, where a collective of civil rights groups came to Washington and raised the issues of our community to then President Kennedy and the Congress,” Sharpton said. “They did not ask the president to write the agenda. They asked him to receive the agenda and from that they went back into the South and got the Civil Rights Act of ’64 and the Voting Rights Act of ‘65. It is in that spirit a half century later we come to say that we’ll work together, we’ll come together and try to set an agenda that will alleviate the economic, electoral, as well as criminal justice disparities that yet plague our community a half century later.  We have made a lot of progress in 50 years, but we’re nowhere where we need to be. We are closer, but we have not arrived.”

As the Black community finds itself still embroiled in economic and criminal justice inequities, sporadic battles continue to arise that symbolize the overall battle for racial justice.

In that regard, Melanie Campbell, who also heads the Black Women’s Roundtable, announced that the Black leadership group has joined the BWR’s petition against the political attacks on United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice. Republicans have viciously attacked Rice, claiming to oppose the possibility of her nomination as secretary of state because of initial inaccurate or insufficient information she gave the public after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi in which four Americans were killed. Rice has said and it has been confirmed that she was only reporting information given to her by the intelligence community, namely the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency.

“We gathered on last week with over a hundred women leaders,” said Campbell, appealing – not only to Black leaders - but “those who believe in fairness.” She said, “The attacks on Ambassador Susan Rice should cease and desist now. And she should be given her due respect in her role.”

Campbell added that Black women and youth will continue to build coalitions on top of those that turned out yet another historic vote on Nov. 6.

The progressive agenda needed to gain even a semblance of equality for African-Americans includes issues that are incredibly broad and detailed. Representing the NAACP, Hillary Shelton, vice president for advocacy and policy, named a litany of such issues:

Economics; jobs; small business contracts; strengthening the infrastructure; support for quality education for pre-kindergarten to support of HBCUs; quality health care; voting rights and election reform; voting rights for convicted felons; and the reform of the criminal justice system from the misuse of the death penalty to the end to police brutality and profiling are among those he listed as being a part of the agenda.

Calling the issues, “game changers,” Shelton concluded, “We must move forward to a prosperity agenda…And we look forward to working with everyone to move this agenda forward.”

U.N. Ambassador Rice Criticized for the Wrong Reasons
By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

NEWS ANALYSIS

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Senate Republicans led by John McCain, (R-AZ), Kelly Ayotte, (R-NH), and Lindsey Graham, (R-SC) continue to lead the attacks against the nomination of UN Ambassador Susan Rice even though the Obama administration has yet to nominate her. 

They believe that she intentionally lied to the American people in her description of the September 11 attacks on the U.S. diplomatic posts in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.  Her motive, according to the Republicans, was to protect President Obama during the presidential campaign. According to Graham, "I think her story on 16th of September was a political story designed to help the president three weeks before the election, and she should be held accountable for that…" He went on to say that Rice’s comments were a “…treasure trove of misleading statements that have the effect of helping the president."

The problems with their assertions are that to date they have not offered one piece of evidence to support their claims, only speculation. Senator Graham continues to say, “But I do not believe the video is the cause … I don't believe it was ever the reason for this.” Basing an argument on “I do not believe” is the same a saying “In my opinion…”  Their positions should not be based upon what they believe; they should be based upon what they know and can present as evidence to the American people. As a former prosecutor, Senator Ayotte should know the value of evidence and how important it is when making a case.

Graham and others are being very disingenuous and intellectually dishonest as they continue to say that Rice was wrong because there was other information available at the time to contradict her Sunday morning “talking points”.  First, there’s a big difference between “information” and “intelligence.” Second, there’s a difference between what Rice was “cleared” to say and what was still considered “secret” at the time she made her talk show rounds.

Graham and McCain are also incredibly hypocritical in attacking Ambassador Rice. Her misstatements about the Benghazi attacks pale in comparison to President Bush's National Security Adviser, Dr. Condoleezza Rice telling CNN, "We know that he has the infrastructure, nuclear scientists to make a nuclear weapon," she told me. "And we know that when the inspectors assessed this after the Gulf War, he was far, far closer to a crude nuclear device than anybody thought -- maybe six months from a crude nuclear device." Or her infamous, “But we don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.” Quote.  Graham and McCain were and have always been conspicuously silent on Condi’s “misstatements”.

Graham and McCain did not say one word when President George W. Bush said on May 29, 2003, that weapons of mass destruction had been found. "We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories…For those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." Well President Bush, where are they?  Also, lest we forget VP Cheney and the yellow cake uranium lie (just to name a few).  UN Ambassador Rice misspoke about the deaths of 4 Americans; the lies of the Bush administration caused the death of more than 4400 American soldiers and countless Iraqi’s.

If Republicans are going to attack Ambassador Rice, attack her on substantive policy issues not contrived personal affronts such as McCain saying she’s not “very bright.”  Attack her on supporting the assassination of Gaddafi. Attack her on her unyielding support of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and the oppression of the Palestinian people. Attack her on her baseless support for the sanctions on Zimbabwe and her abetting genocide in Congo. Oh, they can’t challenge her on those issues since they supported them as well.

To those who will try to defend Rice by saying, “she is merely doing her job as UN Ambassador. Articulating the policy of the Obama administration is what she’s supposed to do,” read her writings before she joined the administration.

Many believe that the Republican attacks on Ambassador Rice are racially motivated.  They are.  It’s not that she’s an African American; McCain, Graham, et al would have attacked Secretary of State Clinton if she had made the assertions Rice made (why was Rice running point on this and not Clinton?).  It’s that their boss is an African American that fuels their ire and distain.

If you are going to criticize UN Ambassador Rice, there’s plenty of policy; no need to get personal.

Go to www.wilmerleon.com or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. www.twitter.com/drwleon

NAACP Exposes ‘Dismal’ Minority Hiring Record of Hotel Industry
By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - As Black organizations spend millions of dollars a year on conventions at major hotels across the U.S., a study by the NAACP reports that “a dismal 0.9%” of the industry’s supplier contracts is spent with African-American owned companies even as hotels and lodges draw more than $120 billion a year.

“Moreover, the industry averaged a dismal 0.9% for supplier contracts with African American- owned companies, though individuals in this group ages 18-64 comprise 12.3% of the population. For these reasons and many more, much work remains to be done in the lodging industry to mitigate the racial economic inequality that threatens the future of this country,” states the report released Nov. 30 during an NAACP press conference in Atlanta.

The report, The NAACP Opportunities and Diversity Report Card: The Hotel and Resort Industry, “examines the representation of African Americans and people of color as a whole in the industry’s workforce, supplier diversity and hotel ownership,” states the executive summary.

Racial inequities remain a reality across the U. S. even as projections show that Whites will become a minority population by 2050. Despite this fact, “racial economic inequality increasingly impedes the country’s economic advancement,” the report states. “During this period of high unemployment and declining wealth, Americans need living wage jobs with long-term career tracks now more than ever.”

The 45-page report is being released into a climate in which unemployment rates among African-Americans remain well into double digits and the impact of the economic quagmire has disparately hit Blacks and Latinos. The NAACP says it will explore several major industries in order to point out and attempt to resolve racial voids in employment and contracting.

The organization “will regularly examine the current state of diversity and inclusion in various U.S. economic sectors, highlighting the ones that exhibit the greatest potential for African Americans and other people of color. Furthermore, the NAACP will partner with industry leaders to advance best practices for racial and ethnic inclusion and diversity,” the report states.

According to the report, the largest hotels were included in the study on a voluntary basis. They included Hilton Worldwide; Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Marriott International, Inc.; Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc.; and Wyndham Hotel Group.

The study graded the industry in three categories, including hiring and job advancement; contracting and procurement; and ownership. Among the findings quoted from the report:

• Marriott International received a B grade—the highest rating out of the five industry leaders reviewed in the study. The B “indicates an overall performance that exceeds industry norms in inclusion.”
• No corporate leader received a grade of A, which would “indicate that the corporation greatly exceeded the industry norm.”
• Because “the industry rate of inclusion for people of color is quite low in governing body representation, management, property ownership, and supplier diversity, it is clear that corporate leaders in the hotel and resort industry—along with leaders in many other industries— still have far to go to ensure their workforce, leadership and suppliers adequately reflect the demographics of the United States.”
• Two out of three (65%) lodging industry employees work in the service sector and it is projected that its five largest occupations – food preparation and serving workers, janitors, waiters and waitresses, restaurant cooks, and housekeeping cleaners – will add more than one million jobs this decade. Like other service industries, hotels employ many low-wage, part-time/seasonal workers.
• Although African Americans comprise the largest percentage of travelers of color in the United States…and while the lodging and hotel industry is largely staffed by workers of color, racial and ethnic minorities remain inequitably disbursed throughout the lodging workforce. They overpopulate entry-level and lower-wage positions while being underrepresented in higher-level, more lucrative positions, such as that of general manager.
• Out of all jobs in the lodging industry, hotel owner positions show the greatest lack of diversity. 

The report also points out some of the specific hindrances and solutions to minority economic progress in the industry. Among the findings quoted from the report:

• To advance beyond the plentiful lower-wage and entry-level positions in the lodging industry, workers must be educated about advancement opportunities. Hotels typically establish career tracks in marketing, public relations, law, accounting, architecture, and hotel operations. To qualify for a managerial or executive position, job candidates must acquire and develop business and operational skills.
• The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) is one of several organizations attempting to address this issue by linking people of color with hospitality company sponsors, industry representatives, hospitality organizations, advisors, and mentors to support the leadership pipeline for people of color in the industry.
• The hospitality industry’s reputation with people of color is another barrier to diversity in hotel management. On the website The Black Collegian, Flora Gailliard states, “Although African Americans have had a wealth of experience in hospitality, it has not always been positive.”12 In the past, African Americans were relegated to solely low-level positions “in back-of-house … departments such as the kitchen and housekeeping.”
• Over the past several decades, hotel chains have attempted to reach out to communities of color through multiple diversity recruitment and retention programs. These programs enable hotel companies to diversity and have led to a higher retention of staff. However, with the recession, many hotels have reduced resources for diversity recruitment, retention programs, and diversity-based initiatives.
• Michael Roberts, an African American hotelier, thinks expanding minority hotel ownership could have a major impact on the industry: “African Americans’ ability to own produces job opportunities in leadership roles for other African Americans.”

Despite the grim numbers, the NAACP report gives hopeful projections for the industry if affirmative action is taken to improve diversity through outreach, education and specific programs.

“Though the majority of jobs in the hotel and lodging industry are lower-skilled, there are a number of career and employment pathways that can lead to management-level careers. As with most other industries, a college degree in the lodging sector is an important stepping-stone for promotion—a college degree in fields of study such as hospitality management will open many doors for advancement. Shadowing experiences, mentoring relationships, and internships also provide valuable ‘on-the-job’ experience that helps candidates stand out,” the report concludes.

Despite these remedies, the hotel and lodging industry, a subsidiary of the tourism and hospitality industries remains woefully short in its hiring and business exchanges with African-Americans. The report concludes: “For these reasons and many more, much work remains to be done in the lodging industry to mitigate the racial economic inequality that threatens the future of this country.”