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President Obama to CBC: “March With Me and Press On!” by Hazel Trice Edney

President Obama to CBC: 'Shake it Off'...'March With Me and Press On!'

By Hazel Trice Edney

 

Below, President Obama tells CBC audience to 'shake it off.'
PHOTO: Earl Gibson

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle walk onto the Phoenix Award stage. CBCF Chairman Donald Payne and CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver exit the stage after greeting them. PHOTO: Roy Lewis/CBCF

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President Obama and First Lady Michelle pause for photos with CBC Chairman Manuel Cleaver (D-Mo.); U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.); civil rights icon Rev. Joseph Lowery; and CBCF Chairman Donald Payne (D-N.J.) PHOTO: Roy Lewis/CBCF 

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The crowd went wild when they walked onto the stage at the annual Congressional Black Caucus Phoenix Awards Dinner. Despite pervasive outcries from African-Americans that he must do more to quell the Black unemployment rate, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle received a welcome nearly as rowdy as their first year.

“She looks fabulous!” yelled one man, commenting on her attire and svelte physic. As the First Lady exited the stage, the first Black President of the United States dived head-long into the topic that CBC Chairman Emmanuel Cleaver had just told the audience was his first, second and third priority – “Jobs!”

By the time President Obama was finished, he had them back on their feet, clapping wildly, cheering, nodding in agreement that – while facing difficult times – everyone needs to be “the good kind of crazy.”

 “A few years back, Dr. Lowery and I were together at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma,” he said, speaking of civil rights icon the Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery who later receive a Phoenix Award. “And Dr. Lowery stood up in the pulpit and told the congregation the story of Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. You know the story. It’s about three young men bold enough to stand up for God, even if it meant being thrown in a furnace.  And they survived because of their faith. And because God showed up in that furnace with them.”

He continued as the audience applauded and chuckled. “Now, Dr. Lowery said that those three young men were a little bit crazy.  But there’s a difference, he said, between good crazy and bad crazy…Those boys, he said, were ‘good crazy.’  At the time, I was running for president - it was early in the campaign.  Nobody gave me much of a chance.  He turned to me from the pulpit, and indicated that someone like me running for president - well, that was crazy.  But he supposed it was good crazy.”

Facing plummeting poll numbers and grumbling from his Black voting base, many of whom complain that he has not done enough to quell the economic suffering in African-American communities, Obama asked the audience to stand with him with the crazy faith of Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego.

“I suppose the reason I enjoy coming to the CBC - what this weekend is all about is, you and me, we're all a little bit crazy, but hopefully a good kind of crazy,” he said as the audience applauded repeatedly. “We’re a good kind of crazy because no matter how hard things get, we keep the faith; we keep fighting; we keep moving forward.”

From the Wall Street and Main Street crisis three years ago to this moment as “the unemployment rate for black folks went up to nearly 17 percent -- the highest it’s been in almost three decades,” the President articulated the current realities of Black people.

“Forty percent, almost, of African-American children living in poverty; fewer than half convinced that they can achieve Dr. King’s dream. You’ve got to be a little crazy to have faith during such hard times,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking, and it’s frustrating.  And I ran for President, and the members of the CBC ran for Congress, to help more Americans reach that dream. We ran to give every child a chance, whether he’s born in Chicago, or she comes from a rural town in the Delta.  This crisis has made that job of giving everybody opportunity a little bit harder,” he said.

If there was a reframe in the President’s speech, it was his repeatedly appeal for Congress – including CBC members – to American Jobs Act that he unveiled in early September.

Dozens of times, he repeated, “Let’s pass this jobs bill…I want this bill back passed.”

Appealing to the applauding audience, he said, “I’ve got the pens all ready.  I am ready to sign it.  And I need your help to make it happen.”

Reminding the audience of his own challenges in life, he reflected on his and Michelle Obama’s backgrounds.

“When Michelle and I think about where we came from - a little girl on the South Side of Chicago, son of a single mom in Hawaii - mother had to go to school on scholarships, sometimes got food stamps.  Michelle's parents never owned their own home until she had already graduated - living upstairs above the aunt who actually owned the house.  We are here today only because our parents and our grandparents, they broke their backs to support us,” he said.

The President did not ignore the frustration expressed by many CBC members and Black voters at large.

“And I know at times that gets folks discouraged.  I know.  I listen to some of you all.  I understand that.  And nobody feels that burden more than I do.  Because I know how much we have invested in making sure that we’re able to move this country forward.  But you know, more than a lot of other folks in this country, we know about hard.  The people in this room know about hard. And we don’t give in to discouragement.”

Appearing to hit a home run at the end, he closed the speech by quoting Dr. King and reminding the audience of the struggles of the past and how African-Americans have always overcome. The speech ended to rousing applause, a standing ovation, and hopes lifted as if the disappointment had melted away.

“Throughout our history, change has often come slowly.  Progress often takes time.  We take a step forward, sometimes we take two steps back.  Sometimes we get two steps forward and one step back.  But it’s never a straight line.  It’s never easy.  And I never promised easy.  Easy has never been promised to us.  But we’ve had faith.  We have had faith.  We’ve had that good kind of crazy that says, you can’t stop marching. 

“Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can’t stop marching.  Even when they’re turning the hoses on you, you can’t stop. Even when somebody fires you for speaking out, you can’t stop. Even when it looks like there’s no way, you find a way - you can’t stop.  Through the mud and the muck and the driving rain, we don’t stop.  Because we know the rightness of our cause - widening the circle of opportunity, standing up for everybody’s opportunities, increasing each other’s prosperity.  We know our cause is just.  It’s a righteous cause.”

He quoted Dr. King: “Before we reach the majestic shores of the Promised Land, there is a frustrating and bewildering wilderness ahead.  We must still face prodigious hilltops of opposition and gigantic mountains of resistance.  But with patient and firm determination we will press on.” 

He concluded, “So I don’t know about you, CBC, but the future rewards those who press on. With patient and firm determination, I am going to press on for jobs. I'm going to press on for equality.  I'm going to press on for the sake of our children.  I'm going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now.  I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself.  I don’t have time to complain.  I am going to press on. 

“I expect all of you to march with me and press on.  Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes.  Shake it off.  Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying.  We are going to press on.  We’ve got work to do, CBC.”

 

 

Troy Davis – The Price of “Justice” Was Too High by Dr. Wilmer Leon

Sept. 25, 2011

Troy Davis – The Price of “Justice” Was Too High

By Dr. Wilmer Leon

NEWS ANALYSIS

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(TriceEdneyWire.com) - When protecting the systems in a society becomes more important than the people, the systems are designed to protect, that society is in great peril.

Troy Davis languished on Georgia’s Death Row for four additional hours until the stay of execution he hoped and prayed for was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. At 11:08 pm EST Troy Davis was executed for the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail even though recent evidence indicated that he may not have committed the murder. Members of the Georgia Supreme Court, a Butts County Superior Court judge, the Georgia Pardons Board, prosecutors and others were more concerned with conviction rates and reputations than justice. They wanted “justice” at any cost but many in this country and around the world demonstrated because the price that was paid was too high.

The MacPhail family wants, needs, and deserves justice. The execution of Troy Davis when so much exculpatory evidence has come to light will only provide a short period of satisfaction. At some point in time, the reality that another innocent life has been taken (the first being Officer MacPhail) coupled with the reality that the actual murderer is alive, well, and walking the streets of Butts County, GA will begin to weigh heavy on all of their hearts.

The question is very simple, once a person has been convicted and sentenced to death, if evidence is presented that destroys the prosecutions case, should that individual be executed? No! Look at it this way, since seven of the nine prosecution witnesses had recanted their eye-witness testimony the prosecution would not be able to get the conviction if the case were retried today. If the prosecution could not win this case today; why did Troy Davis lose his life?

This calls into question the validity of “eye-witness” testimony, police investigatory practices, and many of the assumptions that Americans have used to based their faith in the judicial process. The ugly reality that this case forces many Americans to grapple with is, if the Troy Davis case has fallen apart; how many other cases are called into question and how many innocent people have been executed?

This should be a clarion call to all those citizens of conscience in Georgia. All of those elected officials who touched this case and elected to weigh in on the wrong side of history should be defeated in their next elections. Nationally, this should beg the questions, what type of nation are we? What do we really stand for? Do we execute human beings just because we can, even when more than reasonable doubt has now been presented? Carrying out a questionable and tainted death sentence actually damages the “system” that these officials claim to hold so neat and dear.

In the last Republican Presidential debate Gov. Rick Perry of Texas said he sleeps well every night even though he has signed the death warrants of 234 death row inmates. He stated, "I've never struggled with that at all…The state of Texas has a very thoughtful, a very clear process in place of which -- when someone commits the most heinous of crimes against our citizens, they get a fair hearing, they go through an appellate process, they go up to the Supreme Court of the United States, if that's required." The problem with Perry’s sense of security is that since 1994 44 innocent people have been exonerated and released from Texas prisons based upon DNA evidence that was not available or admitted at trial. Those who have been executed don’t get a retrial, do over, or exoneration.

This is class warfare. In America, the poor and the ignorant got to jail while as the late Gil Scott-Heron said “the rich go to San Clemente.”

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

 

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Mourners Overcome at Funeral for Bowie State Student by De'Rell Bonner

 
Sept. 25, 2011
 
Mourners Overcome at Funeral for Bowie State Student
 
 By De'Rell Bonner

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Howard University News Service

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Pallbearers carry the coffin from the church as onlookers continued to grieve the loss of their loved one and classmate. PHOTO: Derell Bonner/Howard University News Service
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Hugs were plentiful at Dominique Frazier's funeral Sept. 23 as mourners embraced, overcome with emotion as they remembered a dear friend and classmate at Bowie State University.
One of Frazier's relatives was so grief-stricken that she had to be taken outside the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Southeast Washington.

"I remember seeing her everyday at lunch time in 12th grade," said Naomi Booker, 18, a former classmate at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington.

"I'm going to miss her laugh most," Booker said. "Dominique was the epitome of sweet."

As the choir sang hymns, church workers directed people to the back of the packed sanctuary, which accommodates about 300 people. They set up chairs for the overflow, but some still had to stand. Many mourners are wearing shirts adorned with Frazier's image.

Frazier died Sept. 15 following an altercation during which she was stabbed in her dormitory at Bowie State University. Maryland State Police charged one of her roommates, Alexis D. Simpson, 19, with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree assault. A preliminary hearing has been set for Oct. 14 at District Court.

"I know that a lot of other students have roommate problems as well," Booker said. "There is something to be learned from this situation. I hope others choose [to] take a different path when solving disagreements."

People Encouraged to Make ‘More Noise’ About Job Crisis by Jacqueline Frances Taylor

People Encouraged to Make ‘More Noise’ About Job Crisis

By Jacqueline Frances Taylor

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Before a packed audience at the Congressional Black Caucus’ National Town Hall Meeting, Black lawmakers expressed their disappointment with the current job outlook for African-Americans and sought answers from the Obama Administration. But members of the audience had ideas of their own.

“It’s critically important that we come up with workable solutions that will make a difference…. I think people have got to get up out of their seats and start making more noise about what is happening,” said Michael Benjamin, M.P.H., CAE, executive director of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America in Reston,Va. “We do need to support those politicians who support the things we do believe in. I think we need to do more in that area.”

Benjamin, 69, asked employers in the ballroom to consider their own affirmative action methods: “If we are in a position to employ Black folks, we should really do something about that.”

Alexis Herman, the first African-American to be appointed Secretary of Labor, moderated the Sept. 22 discussion during the CBC Foundation Annual Legislative Conference. The theme was “Economic Opportunity-Jobs.”

Herman noted, “The absence of jobs…good paying jobs is a matter of crisis…” She continued, “We are charting new territory to find a new way out.”

Other audience members joined Benjamin in giving poignant comments and anecdotal stories for bringing about change.

Eunice Garbutt, a 39-year-old former Democratic Florida State Senate candidate. said that her brother is unemployed and she has others in her family who are under-employed.

“We need to get a jobs bill passed now rather than later,” Garbutt added. “We are going to holiday season and it’s only going to be harder for families, especially families with small children.” 

Jermaine Reed, councilman of the Third District of Kansas City, Mo., said he also has unemployed family members and half of his constituents are unemployed. 

“I would say this is a good time for people to become entrepreneurs. Don’t let that red tape stop you. Pursue the larger dream that you have because with that we are able to create the wealth that is needed for the community,” suggested Reed, 27.

Maxine Spence, a 60-year-old retiree from New York, praised women for considering positions that have historically been held by men such as construction workers, traffic guards, and custodians. She commended Obama for his leadership and said that education is the panacea for the nation’s unemployment.

“Young people have got to think outside of the box,” said Spence. “Young people have got to get their education and be willing to learn. In many cases, they are looking for folks who speak more than one language. Our people have got to step up their game.”

Deidra Wilson, a 38-year-old Human Resources Developer from Chicago, Ill. described the panel as “very informative and honest.” She wants government money to be distributed on the local level and to non-profits—where it is needed most—rather than on the state level.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a member of the CBC who circulated the country holding job fairs this past summer, said the mood of people is growing more tense.

“People are growing angrier and angrier and losing hope.” She continued: “I love the President, but I will ask the President where the money is.”

Echoing her frustration, National Urban League President Marc Morial, on the panel, said he is “haunted by the idea that our young people will have a more difficult time than us….We have to check ourselves and ask hard questions.”

On the other hand, Frank E. Brady, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, has to help support seasoned family members because they are unable to find employment.

“If you are waiting for some one to pull you up and pull you across, it’s going to take so long,” said the New Haven, Conn. resident. “But, if you find your own ingenuity and strength to pull yourself out of the situation, especially when it comes to employment, more power to you.”

CBC panel members, including CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo); Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President of Bennett College for Women; and William Lucy, former American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Secretary-Treasurer; all gave their perspective on the crisis.

Experts in the audience also weighed in on the discussion.

Saundra W. Davis, executive director/CEO of Work Source in Los Angeles, specializes in job training and placement for the unemployed and also assists ex-offenders, veterans, and senior citizens.

Although Davis, 59, is disappointed that the jobs bill will not pass, she praised Rep. Waters for being vocal about the jobs crisis and its impact on African-Americans.

“The words African-American have been deleted from the media,” said Davis. “They [media] don’t want to talk about the plight of African-Americans.”

Davis said her husband was out of work for nearly three years before taking a job in Indiana and then being informed that he will have to transfer to Tulsa, Okla. She stated, “I only talk about the distance because when people say they can’t drive 30 minutes and I say try a three hour to four hour flight.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised the CBC for being the “conscious of Congress.” She expressed dissatisfaction that 15 percent of the country lives in poverty.

“It is not enough to create jobs. We have to create ownership. We have to expand the job market. We believe small business is the root of that,” Pelosi said.

A recurring suggestion was the need for greater attention to the African-American jobs crisis, which has reached an unemployment rate of nearly 17 percent.

Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of RLJ Companies, said, “We cannot solve our problem by depending on the government. We must have a difference mindset. We need race-specific remedies.”

Report: Black Males Unable to Hold on to Middle Class

Sept. 25, 2011

Report: Black Males Unable to Hold on to Middle Class

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Louisiana Weekly

(TriceEdneyWire.com) — According to a new report by Pew’s Economic Mobility Project, a middle-class upbringing does not guarantee the same status as an adult.

The report, Downward Mobility from the Middle Class: Waking Up from the American Dream, considers potential factors that cause a third of Americans who grow up in the middle — defined as those between the 30th and 70th percentiles of the income distribution — to fall out of the middle as adults.

Additionally, race is a factor in who falls out of the middle class, but only for men. The report finds that:

Thirty-eight percent of Black men fall out of the middle, compared to 21 percent of white men. In contrast, white, Black and Hispanic women are equally likely to drop out of the middle class.

“A variety of factors, including family background and personal choices, influence downward mobility from the middle class,” said Erin Currier, project manager of the Economic Mobility Project. “This report provides valuable information for policy makers who want to ensure that every child has the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”

The report measures downward mobility among Black, white and Hispanic men and women raised in the middle class in three ways: The percent who fall out of the middle class, the percent who fall 20 or more percentiles below their parents’ rank in the income distribution, and the percent whose income is 20 or more percent below their parents.’ Across the three measures, the report finds:

Those who are divorced, widowed or separated are more likely to fall down the economic ladder than those who are married.

If men and women raised in a middle-class home obtain education after high school, they are less likely to be downwardly mobile.

Low scores on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) correlate with downward mobility.

The report also finds a gender gap in downward mobility, but it is driven entirely by a disparity between white men and white women. Thirty percent of white women fall out of the middle class, but only 21 percent of white men do.

Differences in average AFQT test scores are the most important observable factor (of those considered in this report) that account for the large downward mobility gap between Black men and white men.

This report draws from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) 1979 cohort, focusing on youth who were age 14-17 in 1979 and who lived in their parents’ homes in 1979 and 1980. Their economic status was then assessed in 2004 and 2006, when they were between the ages of 39 and 44.

By forging a broad and nonpartisan agreement on the facts, figures and trends related to mobility, the Economic Mobility Project is generating an active policy debate about how best to improve economic opportunity in the United States and to ensure that the American Dream is kept alive for generations that follow.

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ economic policy work aims to encourage an informed debate and promote practices that strengthen the U.S. economy. Pew is a nonprofit organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life.

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