Urban News Features

The Obama Legacy By Julianne Malveaux

March 1, 2014
The Obama Legacy
By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - President Barack Obama has announced My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative to help young Black and Brown men succeed in the East Wing of the White House. Many present described the announcement of this initiative as “an emotional moment” for President Obama and for many of the others gathered there. Several of the African-American men who were present at the announcement took to the airwaves afterwards, talking about how it felt to be in a room where the nation’s first Black president talked about his own background and his identification with troubled young Black men. The parents of slain teens Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis were in the room, reinforcing a statement the president made a year or so ago when he said that if he had a son, he would have looked like Trayvon Martin.

While president Obama says he will ask government agencies to work together to create more possibilities for young Black men, he emphasized that the Brother’s Keeper initiative is not a new government program. Indeed, early funding will come from private foundations. Few specifics of the program have been released, but preliminary activity will include a review of existing programs to determine what works and what doesn’t. Still, the President has used the power of his pen, the phone and his pulpit to raise awareness about the many economic challenges African-American men face.

Using the term “no excuses” President Obama told young men that they had to take responsibility for their own success. That comment gave CNN “journalist” Don Lemon the opportunity to mouth off at Obama critics, to chide his own critics, and to demonstrate why he might be a more effective opinionator than journalist. Lemon was one of many, also, to describe Brother’s Keeper as part of the Obama legacy. Many said they expect the President to continue be involved in the empowerment of Black and Brown boys and men.

While I think Brother’s Keeper has tremendous potential, given the socioeconomic status of African-American men, there is not yet enough meat on the bones of the announcement to judge. President Obama has three years left in office. Is this as good as it gets?

For all the good he will do with the Brothers Keeper initiative, the President may leave a different kind of legacy with his recent set of nominees to the Georgia district court. With six vacant seats on that court, our president has chosen to appoint four Republicans, including two social conservatives. In a state that is 31 percent African- American, there is only one Black nominee. These judges are appointed for life. Judicial appointments are a clear part of a legacy.

President Obama has been vocal about people’s right to vote, and disdainful of voter suppression tactics from long lines to voter ID. Attorney General Eric Holder has brought suit against counties and states engaged in various gerrymandering and voter suppression tactics. Why, then, would this President nominate Mark Cohen, who successfully defended Georgia's voter ID law in court? Despite opposition from Rev. Joseph Lowery, as well as by civil rights veteran and Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), the President has refused to rescind the Cohen nomination. The young men he lifted up in his Brothers Keeper initiative may be the same ones denied the right to vote through voter suppression. Cohen, in his late 50s, may serve as many as two decades on the bench. What kind of anti-civil rights rulings might he make?

Rev. Lowery and Congressman Lewis are among those also opposing former state legislator Michael Boggs, on his conservative legislative record, which includes his opposition to marriage equality, his vote to keep the confederate insignia on the Georgia flag, and his efforts to restrict access to abortion. Through his votes, Boggs has indicated his opposition to the African-American community. To women, and to the GLBT community. What kind of votes might we expect from Boggs, who is in his early fifties, in the decades to come. And why won’t President Obama listen to those African-American stalwarts who strongly object to this nomination?

Georgia congressman David Scott (D) told TVOne’s Roland Martin that these nominations are disrespectful to the nation and to the African-American community. The national civil rights organizations have, unfortunately, been silent on this matter. Are they too frightened of losing the president’s goodwill to speak up?

Ten years from now, will we write that the status of African-American and Latino boys and men has improved? That Judges Cohen and Boggs have made rulings that have further eroded civil and human rights? A collective Black voice muted by the fact that a community can’t excoriate a White president after giving a black one a pass? Which is the Obama legacy?

Proud to Be Our Brother's and Our Sister's Keeper By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

March 2, 2014

Proud to Be Our Brother's and Our Sister's Keeper
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - On Thursday, February 27^th, I proudly stood with those who came to the White House to celebrate President Barack Obama’s official announcement of "My Brother's Keeper".

A lot of people had waited for this announcement for a very long time. I met people who had come from long distances to be there. Almost every member of the Congressional Black Caucus was there. Trayvon Martin’s parents and Jordan Davis’ parents were there. General Colin Powell, Rev. Al Sharpton—even Bill O’Reilly---came. I saw preachers, businesspersons, heads of non-profit groups, and mayors of cities. All appeared to have one thing in mind: how to help young men of color face the many challenges on life.

President Obama is obviously one who keeps his promises. We heard him mention the issue in his 2014 State of the Union remarks, and here we are one month later doing just what he said he would do. He put people together from all walks of life to show young men of color that their country cares, values and is willing to invest in them.

Sometimes we listen to speeches, see nothing happen, and we move on to another issue—but this President did not give us time to move on to something else. He went out to find leaders from all walks of life willing to commit to helping to resolve the challenges often faced by young men of color.

The need for this initiative is clear. We’ve seen that boys and young men of color are disproportionately at risk throughout their lives. Their challenges include disparities in reading, jobs, and far greater involvement in the criminal justice system. They are more likely to be victims of homicide than all other young men. I am proud of the President for taking up this challenge of highlighting ways to inspire and save these young men by showing them that there are many people who care about them.

While I thank the President for this great effort with young men of color, I would like to see the same attention given to young women of color. Rather than become discouraged that young women often live without hope, face denigration daily, and often have no one to serve as a role model for them, I call upon my sisters to step up our game, and reach out to more of our young sisters whose lives “ain’t been no bowl of cherries”.

Even in the face of “gangsta” rapping denigration, domestic violence that crushes our self-esteem, disrespect on the job and marginalization in the church, Black women have always been the keepers of our families and communities. Too many of our brothers accuse us of taking away their manhood because we dare to stand up and do what we have to do to be “Our Sister’s Keeper”, knowing that our sisters are so often the keepers of our entire community—whether we get the support or respect we need or not.

When we speak of being “Our Sister’s Keeper”, we include the whole family. So, we salute the President for this initiative with full faith that helping our young brothers will ultimately give women a break and make our jobs of building and maintaining functional families easier.

Maybe now is time for sisters to spend more time, not only on our young brothers, but also on mentoring our young sisters who also need help with their challenges in life. Yes, we are “Proud to be Our Brother’s and our Sister’s Keeper”. Acceptance of that responsibility encompasses our entire community. No, “We ain’t no ways tired” when it comes to caring for our brothers and our sisters, but it sure is good to have some help! Thank you, Mr. President.

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

Black Leaders Reveal Consistent Issues in Conversation with President By Hazel Trice Edney

Feb. 24, 2014

Black Leaders Reveal Recurring Issues in Conversation with President
By Hazel Trice Edney

blackleadersandobama

President Barack Obama meets with African American civil rights leaders to discuss criminal justice reform, income inequality and the Affordable Care Act, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Feb. 18, 2014. PHOTO: Pete Souza/The White House

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Issues on the agenda of a White House meeting between national Black leaders and President Barack Obama last week indicate not much has changed over the past year - or the past decade for that matter - when it comes to equality for Black people.

Jobs, poverty, health care, voting rights, racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and gender disparities – all topics of the one-hour White House discussion Feb. 18 – have been pervasive issues in the Black community.

"After hearing President Obama's agenda priorities, the group had the opportunity to present the 21st Century Agenda for Jobs and Freedom, a document created by Black leadership in 2013 detailing their priorities on economic opportunity, voting rights, education, healthcare and other issues,” said Melanie Campbell, president/CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation in a statement.

Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the in depth discussion on the criminal justice system went beyond simple complaints and delved into prospective new policies.

"We were deeply gratified to hear both the President and the Attorney General's commitment in describing the ways in which they stand united in some of the efforts to ensure that our criminal justice system reduces racial disparities and doesn't break communities, as our current criminal justice system is doing, by the kind of mass incarceration, over-sentencing, and misuse of the criminal justice system that has been so rampant over the past 20 or 30 years,” Ifill said in remarks made after the meeting. “We think it's really bold for the attorney general and the president to be making efforts to use clemency power to relieve those individuals who were sentenced before the fair sentencing act."

Ifill said both the President and Attorney General Eric Holder "described in detail" their visions for further reforms to the criminal justice system.

The report from the leadership meeting was short on critiques of the President. Some African-Americans have said he hasn’t done nearly enough on the consistently double digit Black unemployment rate. But, National Urban League President/CEO indicated the topic was discussed in depth with hopes for some resolve.

"We talked extensively about the challenges of unemployment, the challenges of under-employment, the challenges of Black and urban and brown unemployment in this nation," Morial said.

Agreement appeared to be the overriding sentiment coming out of the meeting.

"This agenda … aligns in many respects with the president's agenda," Morial said, referring to the “Jobs and Freedom” agenda compiled after the March on Washington anniversary.

Rev. Al Sharpton stressed his National Action Network’s agreement with the President’s move to raise the minimum wage. “It's not just having a job; but having wages that are guaranteed to provide for our families. We had full employment in the Black community during slavery. We just didn't have wages. So we don't want just a job, we want a job that pays, and pays so that we can take care of our families."

Others present were Lorraine Miller, interim CEO of the NAACP; Wade Henderson, president, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights,

Representing the Obama Administration were Attorney General Eric Holder; Broderick Johnson, assistant to the president and cabinet secretary; Cecilia Muñoz, assistant to the President and director of the Domestic Policy Council; and Phillip Schiliro, White House advisor for Health Policy and Implementation.

Valerie Jarrett, assistant and senior advisor to the president, wrote reflective article following the White House meeting. In it, she said, “What was clear in this meeting was that many of the goals the President set forth in his State of the Union address will become reality because of the strong partnerships that he and his administration have forged with leaders from the civil rights community who work hard every day to advocate equality and opportunity for all.”

Jarrett concluded, “The President will continue to work with Congress where they are able and willing to act, but meetings like this provide optimistic reminders that there remain other leaders in the country who can act right now – to improve the economy, to ensure greater opportunity for all, and to keep this country moving in the right direction. The capacity for the President and his White House to convene thought leaders, decision makers, and community leaders, all of whom have access to both resources and the audiences we aim to reach, is a powerful tool, and one which President Obama hopes to wield effectively in 2014 for the good of all Americans.”

Black History Month Hashtag Viewed as Disgraceful by Brelaun Douglas

Feb. 25, 2014

Editor's Note: Editors and Publishers: This story contains a derivative of the N-word.

Black History Month Hashtag Viewed as Disgraceful
By Brelaun Douglas

This photo was a part of the memes that trended on social media during Black History Month.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Search this hashtag: #FirstN*ggaTo- on one of the popular media sites such as Instagram or Twitter and be prepared for a Black History Month shock.

Posts have flooded the internet and social media sites with fictional - and even stereotypical - messages pertaining to the African-American community. Such posts include, but are not limited to, a picture of a baby named Lester J. Green being attributed as the first Black kid to have a light bill in his name; a young man, Claude Malvoux, relaxing in a chair being attributed as the first Black man to extend his break 30 minutes; and “Eddie Jones” as being the first Black man to say “lemme hold sumn.”

Ironically, the controversial memes are often being posted by African-Americans. The question that comes into play here is are these memes funny or offensive? Do they degrade Black History Month - and Black history overall - or do they bring a lighter balance to the standard Black history learnings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, and Harriet Tubman?

“There is nothing positive here,” concludes Sylvia Y. Cyrus, executive director of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Cyrus affirms that this month is a “very important celebration of American history and provides the opportunity for Americans to celebrate the contributions of Blacks.”

ASALH, founded by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson 99 years ago, prides itself for “celebrating Black history 365 days a year”. During Black History Month, the organization holds several major events, including an annual luncheon that seats thousands and a program at the White House.

Black History Month began in 1926 as only a week. Created by Dr. Woodson, often called the “Father of Black History” Negro History Week was meant to highlight the achievements and contributions of African Americans during a time when they were purposely written out of the history books. It was first held during the second week of February and soon became recognized and celebrated across the United States. In 1976, President Ford broadened Negro History Week to cover the entire month of February and Black History Month was born.

But, in the advent of social media, the traditionally serious nature of the month is sometimes undermined for comedic or conversational purposes. Therefore, California comedian Marcus Parker is torn between whether the memes are funny or insulting.

“As a comedian, I get the humor. As a comedian I can live in that world,” he says. “It’s a double edged sword. It would be funnier coming from a comedian, but coming from young Black kids, it shows that they don’t get the gist of what Black History Month is about. ”

To Parker, the month is a time for honoring Blacks and their contributions to history. But he feels that it may not be taken as seriously as it was in the past - and he is “more saddened than mad at these memes, especially since it is more Black people than others posting them.”

U.C. Riverside freshman Cameron Fulton still feels that Black History Month is important and serious. He sees it as a time to celebrate the “people that fought for you” because “without their fight, we probably wouldn’t be here” living the freer lives that we live. Fulton is not sure if it is mainly Black people posting these memes, but regardless of the person’s race he finds it overall disrespectful.

“You don’t know what a person went through, so why when we are celebrating things that they did would you disrespect their fight?” he questions.

Ajah Love, a sophomore at Cal poly San Luis Obispo, agrees with Fulton and finds the memes disgraceful. “When I first saw it I thought it was going to be something insightful and that it was going to be a piece of history every day for the month, but it wasn’t” she criticizes. She asserts that Black history “is not a joke” and that “it’s time that’s deserved.”

She feels that more importance should be placed back upon it with events being held and getting people involved in the history and that “people are going out of their way” to find something stereotypical for these memes. Instead of using these memes, “Find something meaningful and be grateful,” she asserts.

Director of Howard University’s School of Communication’s honors program, Dr. Audrey Byrd, takes the memes as a sign. “It makes me think all more the importance of using this month to look at who we are and what we have accomplished,” she proclaims. To Byrd the memes show someone who is unknowledgeable of Black culture and views them as “a mark of ignorance.”

Cyrus not only finds the images to be sad and unfortunate but evidence of the lack of knowledge of Black history. “Only when we know our history well enough,” she declares, “will we be able to rally against those who will alter our image and do this to it.”

Environmental Racism: 'New Frontline' of Human Rights By Zenitha Prince

Feb. 24, 2014

Environmental Racism: 'New Frontline' of Human Rights

By Zenitha Prince

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Environmental justice activists are calling attention to what they say is the new frontline of the human rights struggle - chemical contamination of communities of color - what some groups have dubbed environmental racism.

“When corporations decide where to build chemical plants, landfills, or water treatment plants where chemicals leach, they most often choose low income communities of color,” Richard Moore, a long-time civil rights and environmental justice leader with the Environmental Justice and Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, said in a statement.

“This is the next frontier of the Civil Rights Movement,” Michele Roberts, co-coordinator for the alliance, told the Afro American Newspaper. “People of color and the poor have borne the brunt of exposure to toxins and have a disproportionate share of health issues because of the prevalence of chemical sites in their communities. You even have people migrating because they are losing their communities.”

Roberts pointed to Mossville, a town just outside Lake Charles, La. that was built by Black freedmen in the late 1700s, and now faces a corporate buyout because “they are surrounded by 14 of the most toxic facilities ever.”

The environmental justice movement began in the 1960s when farm workers organized by Cesar Chavez fought for workplace rights, including protection from toxic pesticides in California fields, and when African-American students took to the streets of Houston to oppose a city dump that claimed the lives of two children.

But the movement truly took off in 1982 when residents from Warren County, N.C., a poor, rural and overwhelmingly Black jurisdiction, fought to block the dumping of 6,000 truckloads of soil laced with toxic PCBs in their community.

“For us, environmental justice is about protecting where we live, play, work and pray,” Roberts said. She added of the history, “Grassroots communities came together to form the environmental justice movement. They looked at what Dr. [Martin Luther] King said about creating the ‘Beloved Community’ and honed in on that to say that we must have environmental remediation and policies in those communities.”

Those early efforts led President Bill Clinton to issue Executive Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations,” in 1994.

But activists complain that Clinton’s executive order and other laws, such as the General Duty Clause of the Clean Air Act which requires facilities that produce, process, handle or store hazardous substances to take proactive measures to prevent accidental releases, are not being implemented.

Despite strides in legislation and executive actions, “communities continue to experience disasters,” Roberts said. “What we now need are standards and regulations to enforce these laws and protect these communities now and for future generations.”

On Jan. 9, a West Virginia chemical spill contaminated the water supply of nine counties, leaving 300,000 people without drinking water. On Dec. 20, an explosion at the Axiall plant near Mossville, La., sent several people to the hospital. In August, an explosion at a West, Texas fertilizer plant killed 15 people. On June 13, a chemical explosion in Geismar, La., killed one person, injured at least 75 others and released a plume of toxic fumes across the area.

President Obama’s Executive Order 13650, “Improving Chemical Safety and Security,” mandates “listening sessions” across the country, with the next scheduled for Feb. 27 in Newark, N.J. At the meetings, stakeholders who live and work near chemical plants have the chance to express their concerns.

Roberts said the move signals new momentum in the thrust for chemical policy reform and the environmental justice movement.

“I really believe we have a very strong chance because we’re getting more and more people involved” including the United Steelworkers, health advocates and more, Roberts said. “If we work collectively together, especially in the waning years of this administration, we would be able to get the reforms we need to protect our communities.”