July 13, 2014

Summer Enrichment Means Lifetime Survival
By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - It’s mid-July.  Do you know if your children are learning?  Just a month ago they were eager to leave the regimentation of the daily classroom to “enjoy the summer”.

A month from now, many will prepare to return to school.  Will they return ready to hit the ground running in the fall?  Or will they struggle to catch up because their summer activities were not stimulating enough to prevent learning losses.  Student’s score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than at the beginning of the summer, according to the National Summer Learning Association.  That organization makes a strong case that young people must be engaged in summer learning and enrichment opportunities, because they lose as much as two months of math learning, and more than two months of reading proficiency without summer engagement.  

Of course, lower income students experience more losses, while middle-class students may gain proficiency during the summer. The National Summer Learning Association says that at least half of the achievement gap between lower and higher income young people is a function of unequal access to summer learning opportunities.  Some youngsters don’t have summer opportunities because they don’t know about them, others because they can’t afford them, and still others because they are needed at home.  

Some teens are tasked with taking care of younger siblings, though they might be better served in enrichment programs that would prepare them for the next school year.  Others must choose between work and summer enrichment programs, and when money matters, work wins over enrichment.  And while subsidized summer enrichment programs are available, some students are unable to participate when even modest fees are required.I’ve not spoken of race, only income, in examining the importance of summer enrichment programs.  

But because African American students are more likely to be low-income than others, we know that race matters here.  We also know that space makes a difference as well.  There will be a greater variety of summer enrichment programs in affluent neighborhoods, as opposed to other neighborhoods.  And while programs in affluent neighborhoods may offer scholarships for those who need assistance, transportation may become a barrier.  

Whether excuses or explanations, the achievement gap speaks to differential outcomes.While summer enrichment opportunities are differentially available, with black and brown young people less likely to have access to opportunities than others, some organizations are doing the work to ensure that young people are intellectually engaged during the summer, enabling them to return to school ready to do their best work.  Dr. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and leading light of the Children’s Defense Fund has developed a Freedom School program that teaches young people civil rights history along with basic skills.  Organizations can purchase the curriculum and send staff for training in teaching it.  Thousands of young people are being positively impacted by Freedom Schools.Lots of local programs have developed programs that have elements similar to those at the CDF Freedom Schools.  

A week or so ago, I began my morning with the young people at Washington DC’s Southeast Tennis and Learning Center for their “Read Aloud” program.  At about 8:30 in the morning, the youngsters, whose ages range from 6 to 15, gather in a circle to hear a book read to them, and to engage in an energetic and affirming ritual.  I love the read aloud program because I love looking into the eyes of these young people, to imagine the leaders they will become.  I read Faith Ringgold’s Aunt Harriett’s Underground Railroad in the Sky as selected students acted out the words, joined me in song, and applauded each other as the story came to an end.  Flashback to preadolescence – the students who played the parts of Cassie and Bebe, a sister and brother separated moving along the railroad were supposed to hug when reunited.  While the young man was “up” for the hug, the young woman looked like she wanted to run in another direction.  The Read Aloud program ends with a rousing group rendition of Labi Siffre’s Something Inside, complete with choreographed hand gestures and motions.

 Every morning, these fifty or so young’uns are affirming themselves through song.  The adults that participate in the Read Aloud program are politicians and business leaders, artists and educators.  If they are anything like me, they leave uplifted by the children and their promise of resilience.I’m encouraging those who can to help with a summer enrichment program.  Spend a day, a few afternoons, and maybe more time to help provide a summer experience.   Funding helps provide great summer opportunities for our youth, and informal programs with a couple of retired teachers and a church basement can go a long way, as well.  We cannot afford is to widen the achievement gap by leaving too many of our young people unengaged this summer.Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author.

July 13, 2014

To Be Equal 
National Urban League Annual Conference Comes to Cincinnati
Vice President Joe Biden to Deliver Plenary Address
By Marc H. Morial

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” Whitney M. Young, Jr., National Urban League president, 1961-1971

We are in the final countdown to the kick-off of the 2014 National Urban League Conference, “One Nation Underemployed: Bridges to Jobs and Justice.”  After more than a year of planning and preparation, in less than two weeks, from July 23-26, more than 8,000 participants will convene in Cincinnati, Ohio at the Duke Energy Convention Center for four days of panels, workshops and networking sessions focused on the most pressing social, political and economic issues – and solutions – facing our communities and the nation.  This year, we are excited to welcome Vice President Joe Biden to headline a dynamic roster of thought leaders, influencers, activists and supporters of the Urban League Movement who will bring a diverse range of ideas and insights.  In addition to the Vice President’s plenary speech, this year’s conference will feature the President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Kevin Johnson, along with six other mayors, including Alvin Brown of Jacksonville, Florida and Michael Coleman of Columbus, Ohio.  Additional speakers scheduled to appear include Rev. Al Sharpton, Walmart President and CEO William Simon, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, OH Senator Nina Turner and KY Senator Rand Paul.  Academy Award winning actor and activist Forest Whitaker will receive a Living Legends Award at our annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. gala on July 26.

Our annual Youth Leadership Summit will bring together 350 young people for four days of rigorous college and career lessons, as well as leadership training.  In addition, our Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship Summit will highlight strategies for starting a business and sustaining wealth, and our Women of Power Awards Luncheon will honor trailblazing women for their outstanding contribution in the areas of arts, politics, journalism, justice and sports and to women’s empowerment. The conference will also include workshops and discussions on important issues such as the fight against voter suppression, the need to raise the minimum wage, affordable housing, and financial literacy.  Accordingly, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the conference will feature panel discussions on both the celebration of a half-century of progress and the continuation of the unfinished business of equal opportunity in America. 

Celebrating African American culture and music, on Thursday, July 24, the conference will showcase a star-studded advance screening of "Get On Up," the life-story of Godfather of Soul, James Brown, starring Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Dan Akroyd, Tika Sumpter and Jill Scott.  On Friday, July 25, the Urban League Live White Party at the Macy’s Music Festival will feature Charlie Wilson, Chaka Khan and Robin Thicke.

We are especially excited to bring this year’s conference to Cincinnati and to partner with our Affiliate, the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, which is making a notable impact in the local community.  The city has experienced a sea-change in relations between the police and the community since the 2001 race riots which were sparked by a police shooting that killed an unarmed Black man.  Sitting on the historic “borderland” between the north and the south, today Cincinnati has been transformed by a $2 billion investment in new infrastructure and is also home to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

The “Queen City” is waiting to welcome the Urban League Movement for a conference that will empower attendees with unmatched professional, civic engagement, business development, and networking opportunities and energize them to continue our daily work to help realize the full potential of our great nation.  We, along with our presenting sponsors – P&G, Toyota and Western & Southern Financial Group – hope to see you there.  For more information visit: http://conf2014.iamempowered.com.

July 13, 2014

Rise Up Again
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – I come from a long line of women who rose up to meet the challenges of their time.  My mother rose to the challenge of rearing 9 children after my 11th birthday without the benefit of our father in our home.  Daddy left my mother with stair step babies, but she never made excuses for not being able to provide for us.  At the age of 92, she is still there for all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren!  On her birthday last year 57 of us showed up for the celebration.  This past Mothers’ Day, about the same number showed up to honor her because she has always risen to the occasion for us.  Raising 9 children caused her a lot of pain as she struggled to give us opportunities she never had, but she did it anyway.

I met Dr. Dorothy I. Height when I was 17, and I continued to go to her for advice up to the time she passed away.  I knew she was always one who rose up for our community.  She challenged us to do what was necessary as she taught us, “We Black women don’t always do what we want to do, but we always do what we have to do.”  It was true when she said it.  It’s still true today.

Fannie Lou Hamer rose up for us knowing it might cost her life (and it almost did) when she went down to that court house in Mississippi to register to vote.  When confronted by her boss for doing so, she just told him, “I didn’t do this for you.  I did this for myself” and the rest of her story is history.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett rose up when she could no longer take the lynching of her people.  She paid dearly, but she knew that was possible when she spoke out against that horrible practice—yet she did it anyway.

Rosa Parks rose up for our right to be treated with dignity on public transportation.  Thanks to her we can ride any bus today to get where we need to go. She understood the risks, but she did it anyway.

Sojourner Truth rose up to help all women gain the right to vote, while working against brutal slavery. When on a mission for her people, she feared no one.  She was the first Black woman to sue a white man who stole her child.  She knew this act was dangerous, but she did it anyway and won her case.

Harriett Tubman rose up to lead many of her people out of slavery.  She returned many times to get more and led them safely to freedom.  Every trip carried dangers, but she went anyway.

I could go on about Black women who rose up for us, but now it’s time to look to the future with a new group of women rising up as these women did.  We are faced with one of the most critical elections in history.  We have a lot to lose if we don’t rise up to make a difference.   Black women always make a huge difference in elections. When we vote, we vote in the best interest of our communities—but we must challenge more to get involved before November 4, 2014.  We must help in getting someone registered to vote.  We must donate what we can to those running for office,  who can be trusted to work for the challenges we still face in our communities.  No matter what others do to prevent us from voting, we must use our skills to get voters to the polls.  We must rise up just as our sisters before us did when it was far more dangerous to do so.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women.  202/678-6788--www.nationalcongressbw.org.)

July 7, 2014

Black Policy Group Vows to Rescue Joint Center
By Hazel Trice Edney

The National Policy Alliance, seen here meeting with President Obama on Feb. 8, 2011, has reformed to undergird the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.  PHOTO: Pete Souza/White House

Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford, NPA founding co-chair 

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The National Policy Alliance (NPA), a coalition of thousands of Black elected officials and public policy executives, founded more than 40 years ago under the leadership of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, has recommitted to restoring the Joint Center’s historic political research wing, which is currently dormant due to a lack of funds.

“The whole idea now is for the Joint Center to begin to utilize this constituency group and we’re going to rely upon the Joint Center like we used to do for research and statistics and support and that kind of thing,” said Tuskegee, Ala. Mayor Johnny Ford, a founding chair of the NPA. “I’m back now as mayor of the historic Tuskegee, Alabama. I am now going to devote some time to rebuilding this organization to the level that it once was.”

Ford said the NPA, which represents at least 12,000 elected officials, had gone through a period of inactivity for the past several years although it met with President Barack Obama at the White House twice, most recently on Feb. 8, 2011, to discuss policy issues. He said he aims to re-establish that relationship as well as undergird and revive the political arm of the Joint Center.

The Trice Edney News Wire confirmed last month that the Joint Center’s once powerful political think tank has been defunct for at least five months and that the center is now mainly focused on health issues. David Bositis, its long time researcher of Black politics and election statistics, was among at least seven staffers who left the center last spring due to the lack of funding. The current interim president, Spencer Overton – on sabbatical from his law professorship at George Washington University - is working without a salary.

Ford said he has met with Overton to reestablish an agreement through a memorandum of understanding. According to the memo, “The NPA began in early 1970s under the leadership and direction of the Joint Center. The earlier organizational name was the National Policy Institute. NPA members have convened every four years, at the beginning of each Presidential election year, to discuss public policies and issues that serve the interests and needs of the African American community.”

Ford and other principals of the Joint Center and NPA who were interviewed during the Center’s annual fundraising dinner June 25 conceded that the dinner alone would not be enough to rebuild the political arm upon which the Joint Center was founded 44 years ago in 1970 to increase Black political participation. But, Ford appeared confident that fund-raising for the Center will be bolstered by the revitalized alliance, which is made up of nine Black public policy organizations.

The member organizations are: Blacks in Government; Congressional Black Caucus; Judicial Council of the National Bar Association; National Association of Black County Officials; National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials; National Black Caucus of School Board Members; National Black Caucus of State Legislators; National Conference of Black Mayors; World Conference of Mayors, and the Joint Center.

The annual dinner, held in a Downtown D.C. hotel, drew hundreds of political insiders and elected officials, including heads of the nine NPA organizations, plus more than a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

“For over forty years, they have provided the intellectual capital that makes policy possible,” Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said of the Joint Center. “Having that information and documentation really helps make policy. They are not relegated to sound bites and slogans, but real solid information.”

Given economic and social disparities that remain, Darlene Young, president of Blacks in Government, said, “We need [the research arm of the Joint Center] more now than ever before.”

The Center’s Immediate Past President Ralph Everett was a dinner program honoree as well as U. S. Sen. Cory Booker, who received the coveted Louis E. Martin Great American Award. Everett, who resigned effective Dec. 31 last year, was reluctant to answer questions about the organization’s finances. But he stressed the necessity of the political arm. “The Joint Center is the only organization that does the kind of tracking that we do in that area. So, I’m very hopeful that it would come back, but again that’s a decision by the board of governors,” Everett said.

Board member Dr. Dianne Pinderhughes, a political scientist at the University of Notre Dame, would only say that the future of the political arm is “something that the board will have to discuss in the coming weeks.” She also said the board would probably know the direction by the end of this year. Neither Pinderhughes; nor Ford would give a dollar amount needed to rebuild and sustain the political think tank.

Overton made an impassioned plea to members of the audience to contact the Joint Center to support: “This is a time of great transition and the Joint Center is not immune,” he said. The audience applauded strongly when he added, “But, I am also convinced more than ever that there is a need for a Joint Center.”

Ford, a legendary mayor of Tuskegee, who was first elected in 1972 as the city’s first Black mayor, served six consecutive terms before being elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. He was re-elected mayor in 2004 and then again in 2012 giving him an eighth non-consecutive term as mayor.

He indicates he will fight for the Joint Center with that same determination: “The Joint Center is going to be alright. We have renewed this relationship. We met with Overton, told him that we want to work with the Center. ‘We want to be your constituency group. You can use us to give you the credibility you need to say to corporate America that I need X number of dollars,” he said. “I know. It’s serious. But we’re going to overcome all of that.”