July 6, 2014

In 2014: The Meaning of July Fourth for the African American
By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon, III

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common.-The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” Frederick Douglas – The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro - 1852

As America celebrates July Fourth, as the grills smoke, the salads are tossed, pools filled, and fireworks displayed take a moment to reflect - reflect upon how far we have come as a nation and yet how far we have to go.

I implore African-Americans to read the entire text of Frederick Douglas’ famous speech, The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.  Are we as a people able to enjoy the blessings, the justice, and the liberty that are celebrated on this day?

We have become all too familiar with the data.  According to Bread for the World, one in four African-Americans live below the federal poverty line and more than a third (35.7 percent) of all African-American children live in poverty.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that for 2013, the underemployment rate for African-American workers was 13.4 percent compared 6.7 percent for white workers. That does not account for those who have lost faith in the process and dropped out of the system.  The Pew Research Center reports that the Median Net Worth of Households for Whites is $113,149 and for African Americans is $5,677.  The NAACP reports that African-Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million of the incarcerated population. African-Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of Whites.

These are just a few examples of the frightening realities with which we are faced.

Douglas asked, “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”  Yes, slavery ended in 1865 but that two hundred- fifty years of slavery was followed by 90 years of Jim Crow; 60 years of separate but equal and 35 years of racist housing policy.

Yes, legislative and judicial progress have been made.   The Civil Rights Act of 1866 provided for the equality of citizens of the United States in the enjoyment of "civil rights and immunities."  That Act was undermined by the Tilden/Hayes compromise of 1877. We have recently celebrated the 60^th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the 50^th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and will soon celebrate the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.   One problem is that too many have confused the legislative successes with the ultimate victory, changing the racist core and premise upon which this country was founded as memorialized in the U.S. Constitution.

I take this moment to focus on the past because as Douglas said, “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future.”

Douglas continued, “At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could reach the nation's ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.”

As we enjoy the Fourth, eating ribs and hot dogs, we must ask ourselves, are we as a people able to enjoy the blessings, the justice, and the liberty that are celebrated on this day?  If not, what must we do to bring about substantive and permanent change?

Our plight, our success, and our future have always been in our hands.  Dr. King once said, “…nobody else can do this for us; 
no document can do this for us
; no lincolnian emancipation proclamation can do this for us;
no kennesonian or johnsonian civil rights bill can do this for us; 
if the negro is to be free, he must move down into the inner resources of his own soul and sign with a pen and ink of self-asserted manhood his own emancipation proclamation.”

Here is one, just one very simple yet challenging thing to consider.

The former President and CEO of the NAACP, Ben Jealous has just released a report entitled, “True South: Unleashing Democracy in the Black Belt 50 Years After Freedom Summer.” According to the report, “The first and most important lesson is that massive voter registration can overcome massive voter suppression. Our analysis shows that registering just 30 percent of eligible unregistered black voters or other voters of color could shift the political calculus in a number of Black Belt states, helping blacks elect candidates who share their concerns or alternatively, forcing all candidates to pay attention to the community’s concerns. Registering 60 percent or 90 percent would change the political calculus in an even greater number of states.”

I opened with Douglas and I will close with Douglas, “...Allow me to say, in conclusion, notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented, of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. "The arm of the Lord is not shortened," and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope.”

Dr. Wilmer Leon is the Producer/ Host of the Sirius/XM Satellite radio channel 110 program “Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon” 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 and Dr. Leon’s Prescription at Facebook.com  © 2014 InfoWave Communications, LLC

July 6, 2014

Who are We Gonna Call?
By Dr. E. Faye Williams

(TriceEdneyWire.com)  - Many of us who were reared in the Christian Church remember stories of King Solomon.  In his era, kings were the final arbiters of conflict in their kingdoms.  Solomon was the epitome of the thoughtful and deliberate judge.  In his most famous trial, he used his God-given wisdom to reach a balanced decision that saved the life of a child and reunited it with its natural mother.  Solomon was wise and fair.

Lacking a monarchy and having a nation too large for a single arbiter of justice, Article 3 of the US Constitution provides for a SUPREME COURT and such inferior Courts as Congress may establish. This law placed 9 people as final arbiters of law for a nation that has grown to over 316 million people of varying backgrounds.

In our modern era, Chief Justice Earl Warren, is held as the epitome of fairness and impartiality.  Despite the misgivings of several justices, the Warren Court rendered the unanimous Brown v. Board decision at a time when the country was embroiled in a transitional period of race relations.  The Warren Court's legacy is one of decisions made in the best interest of the nation-- not a particular political or philosophical position. Unfortunately, the current Robert's Court can’t be held in the same esteem or trusted to act in a manner as balanced as Warren's.

On June 30, 2014, the Robert's Court issued two major decisions with the potential of reshaping our political and cultural landscape for the next century.  In the Chicago health care workers case, Harris v. Quinn, the Court acted against the collective bargaining activities of unionized workers.  In the case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, the Court reaffirmed its earlier Citizens United decision that gave personhood and free speech rights to corporations!

If one were to only consider these most recent decisions, a generous person might say they were honest judgments of the majority.  Looking further, that’s impossible.  The hyper-partisanship infesting Congress has also infected the Supreme Court.

We’ve never before seen the overt partisanship as we have with the conservative wing of the Robert's Court.  Mr. Scalia publicly editorializes about racial entitlements. Justice Thomas' wife is CEO of a conservative PAC. The 5 justices are often speakers at conservative gatherings expressing support for conservative causes. The author of the two referenced decisions is Mr. Alito.

So what impact do these decisions have on us?  In Harris v. Quinn, critics see an incremental effort to disconnect unions from union dues, their primary source of revenue. The ultimate goal is union dissolution. This is significant since labor unions are a primary source of funds for Democrats and Progressive initiatives.  Weakening unions would also reduce the messaging power to offset the impact of wealthy donors like the Kochs, and serve as an immediate boost to Republicans.

Proponents argue that Hobby Lobby was about free speech, not birth control.  The result was an extension of free speech rights to corporations.  The Court subordinated the religious rights of hundreds of workers to the religious will of their employer.

This decision elevated the "War on Women" to new levels, establishing women's healthcare issues as being apart from the health concerns of men and, therefore, subject to separate evaluation for need and insurance coverage.

The legacies of Reagan and the Bush’s live on through the decisions of their appointees.  If we’ve never felt an incentive to vote, we have one now.  Using the wisdom God granted Solomon, we MUST change the mindset that our vote doesn’t matter.  It matters in 2014 and every election.  Don’t sit on the sidelines and wake up on 11-5-2014 in a world that contradicts the efforts of our ancestors.  Their work and their lives must not be in vain.

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

June 30, 2014

Leading Women of Color  Divided on My Brother’s Keeper by Hazel Trice Edney

By Hazel Trice Edney

Rev. Dr. Bernice King is among leading women  who signed a letter to President Obama saying his My Brother's Keeper needs only to be strengthened.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is among leading women who signed a letter to President Obama asking him to "re-align" My Brother's Keeper to also address women and girls.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – A letter to President Obama this week from a list of high-profiled women leaders praises his initiatives for women and girls of color asks for a "more targeted" My Brother's Keeper given the “very bleak” national statistics for Black Males.

TheJune 29  letter, which comes on the heels of a different letter to Obama criticizing his My Brother’s Keeper initiative, saying it should be completely “re-aligned” to include women and girls, indicates a division among leading Black women on the appropriate strategies to address deep social ills and statistics among both males and females of color.

“We are writing to you to applaud several initiatives implemented by your Administration to improve the lives of low income and at-risk Americans. We are particularly pleased with initiatives which have had a positive impact on women and girls of color,” states the letter from women representatives of faith and civic organizations, sent to President Obama on Sunday, June 29. “We are also writing to you because we are equally concerned about the special needs of at-risk boys and young men of color. As you are aware, statistics show that approximately two-thirds of African-American, and one-third of Hispanic/Latino children, are raised in single parent homes. Slightly more than 25% of Hispanic, African-American, and American Indian/Alaskan Native children live in poverty, while 15% of White Americans live in poverty…very bleak statistics. The dire statistics pertaining to boys and young men of color suggests the need for a more targeted approach.”

Among the approximately 40 names on the letter are: The Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO, The King Center in Atlanta; the Reverend Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, president, Skinner Leadership Institute; Melanie Campbell, president and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable; Shirley Franklin, former mayor of Atlanta; Dr. Ramona Edelin, executive director, D.C. Association of Public Chartered Schools; Ingrid Saunders Jones, chair, The National Council of Negro Women; Bishop Vashti McKenzie, presiding bishop, Thirteenth Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church of Dallas and Dr. Elsie Scott, founding director, Ron W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center at Howard University.

The June 29 letter listed what was described as “wonderful milestones” in support of women by the Obama Administration, including: “The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009; the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans; the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics; The Affordable Care Act which covers women of color who represent 53% of the uninsured females; and, “Girls at Risk,” that provides prevention and education which focuses on the connection between juvenile delinquency and STD/HIV infection.”

It added thanks for the president’s efforts to raise minimum wage, “an issue affecting girls and women of color at disparate rates”, the work of the White House Commission on Women and Girls, and for “the excellent work that First Lady Michelle Obama has done in mentoring and outreach to girls – connecting them with women of substance and celebrity.”

On the other hand, listing “dismal statistics” on Black males, the June 29 letter asked the president to continue to engage women of color to help strengthen and craft his “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative announced early this year. The letter states: “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African American males, ages 10-24, are the victims of murder at a rate almost nineteen times than that of their non-Hispanic, and White American peers; and, Hispanic/Latino American males, in this same age group, are six times more likely to be victimized than their non-Hispanic White American peer group.”

It continues, “The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, reports that nearly 1 in 4 boys of color, (except for Latino and Asian American students with disabilities), have at some point been suspended from school. African American and Latino boys, and young men, are also more likely than their white peers to have witnessed violence, in or out of the home and have parents who are/have been incarcerated. African American and Latino males also have a much higher odds of being plagued by chronic health conditions and by contracting diseases which require repeated and consistent care for treatment, including: childhood asthma requiring hospitalization, childhood obesity, and HIV/AIDS.”

Describing themselves as “National Women Leadership Supporting My Brother’s Keeper”, the letter states, “These dismal figures have only served to increase our enthusiasm and support for your administration’s ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ initiative, launched earlier this year to assist every boy and young man of color, to beat the odds to live high quality lives for themselves, their families and communities. It is our understanding that after your February 27, 2014, call for support of the initiative, private philanthropies, businesses, governors, mayors, faith leaders, and nonprofit organizations, pledged to invest $200 million dollars over the next five years, in addition to the $150 million already invested. These earmarks are much needed in order to guarantee the success of the initiative. What is even more exciting to us about the initiative is your charge to all Americans, especially communities of color, to participate and make it successful by volunteering as mentors.” 

The timing of the Sunday, June 29, letter to President Obama is particularly significant since a different letter to Obama from a different group of more than 1,000 leading women of color – sent more than a week ago - expressed sentiments that clearly disagreed on some major points.The women on the first letter included “Mary Frances Berry, former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Walker; actress Rosie Perez; political activist Angela Davis; Anita Hill, a law professor best known for testifying that she had been sexually harassed by future Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and economist Julianne Malveaux”, according to George E. Curry, editor-in-chief of the NNPA News Service and BlackPressUSA.com, who wrote a story on the first letter. 

The first letter expressed the need to acknowledge the crisis among Black males, but also listed the crisis-level statistics for women and girls of color, asking the President to “re-align” My Brother’s Keeper, according to the Curry article. “We simply cannot agree that the effects of these conditions on women and girls should pale to the point of invisibility, and are of such little significance that they warrant zero attention in the messaging, research and resourcing of this unprecedented Initiative. When we acknowledge that both our boys and girls struggle against the odds to succeed, and we dream about how, working together, we can develop transformative measures to help them realize their highest aspirations, we cannot rest easy on the notion that the girls must wait until another train comes for them. Not only is there no exceedingly persuasive reason not to include them, the price of such exclusion is too high and will hurt our communities and country for many generations to come,” Curry quoted the letter.

The citation from the letter continued, “While we applaud the efforts on the part of the White House, private philanthropy, social justice organizations and others to move beyond colorblind approaches to race-specific problems, we are profoundly troubled about the exclusion of women and girls of color from this critical undertaking. The need to acknowledge the crisis facing boys should not come at the expense of addressing the stunted opportunities for girls who live in the same households, suffer in the same schools, and struggle to overcome a common history of limited opportunities caused by various forms of discrimination.”

While the June 29 letter does not mention the earlier letter, the stark differences are clear as the most recent letter praises the President’s initiatives for women and pledges support for My Brother’s Keeper while pushing to assure that women maintain a voice in its development and structure. 

“We encourage you to continue to engage women of color leaders in the planning and implementation of My Brother’s Keeper initiative including - the White House briefings, ongoing conference calls with [My Brother’s Keeper] Chair, Broderick Johnson and other planning activities,” the June 29 letter states. “We believe that a successful ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ initiative can result in stronger families, stronger fathers, stronger employees, stronger leaders; and ultimately, a stronger America. Therefore, Mr. President, we pledge our commitment to support this ground-breaking and historic initiative, which addresses the challenges facing the everyday lives of our at-risk children and youth.”