The Community Has a Second Term, Now What?  
By  Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III  

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The results are in.  They will not be official until the Electors convene on December 17^th and prepare their Certificates of Votes. But for all intents and purposes President Barack Obama has won his second term by defeating Mitt Romney 303 electoral votes to 206 and the popular vote 50 percent to 48 percent.  

Now what?  When you look at the electoral map, red states / blue states it becomes fairly obvious the country has politically re-segregated itself with a solid Republican South (except Virginia and Florida) and this re-segregation falls along racial lines. Many White voters are voting their sentiments instead of their interests. As Tim Wise writes in Between Barack and a Hard Place, Obama’s success is meaningful but “the larger systemic and institutional realities of life in America suggest the ongoing salience of a deep-seated cultural malady-racism-which has been neither eradicated nor even substantially diminished by Obama’s victory.”  

In the wake of this recent victory and with the new political capital that has been generated, the African-American community must move away from the politics of personality (just being grateful that there’s an African American family in the White House) and mature into a politics of policy outcome.  The time for deference and timidity has passed.  The collective efforts should be on targeted policies focusing on housing, education, unemployment, health disparities, and incarceration.  

Dr. Boyce Watkins wrote a very insightful piece entitled "3 Things Obama Must Address for Black People," in which he correctly highlighted that the collective African-American community and the Obama administration has been too politically polite; too deferential regarding White sensitivity towards race. With the second term in hand the African- American community must present legislation through its representatives in the CBC that targets its concerns and demands that President Obama uses his bully pulpit to speak to these issues as he has with same-sex marriage and The Dream Act. 

The African-American community must stay engaged in the process as a political interest group and hold its elected officials accountable for delivering the policy outputs that it sent them there to deliver.  This will not be easy. As Dr. Ronald Walters highlighted in his piece, "Barack Obama and the Politics of Blackness," the Obama campaign emerged from the center of American politics, “…and the structural requirements of fund raising and the interests projected by White voters.” 

Walters contrasts President Obama with other Black presidential candidates who have not faced that problem or seeming contradiction because they, “…emerged from the Black community at the margins of the American electorate.”  The community cannot allow the de-racialized politics of the Obama administration and the Mayor Corey Bookers of the world to become its politics. The community must control the politics of its representatives not allow the representatives to control the politics of the community.  

The questions should not be what should President Obama do for Black America but what will Black America do for itself politically and when?  How does Black America develop the political power, will, and leverage to implement substantive change?  Thereby, dictating an agenda instead of as Watkins writes, sitting “… quietly on the sidelines, hoping that if we are silent enough, people won't realize that Obama is black like the rest of us.”  

The community has a second term, now what?  

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November 11, 2012

 By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - After we savor the feeling of sweet success that comes from President Barack Obama’s election, there is work to do.  Most of us got the outcome that we both worked and hoped for, but we have to resist the temptation to exhale and get on with our work.  Before the President takes the oath of office for a second time, African Americans should mobilize around these issues:

1. SEQUESTRATION. Unless the Democrats and Republicans can cut a deal during the lame-duck session of Congress, our budget will be cut automatically.  While House Speaker John Boehner has softened his tone just a bit and indicated his willingness to compromise, he still has to herd his Tea Party colleagues into also agreeing on ways to avoid sequestration.  The notion of cutting expenditures at a time of slow economic growth makes no sense.  Neither does sequestration, a desperate move to avoid a compromise.  What do we need to address the deficit?  A long-term plan that takes economic cycles into account.
2. POVERTY. Tavis Smiley and Cornel West spent much of this fall on a poverty tour, rising up the 27 percent of African Americans that live in poverty.  This contrasts with the Middle Class Tax Force that President Obama has asked Vice President Biden to lead.  It would be great if the President would form a task force to reduce or eradicate poverty, and he might do so if he were urged to.  Meanwhile, as the holidays approach, keep the poor in your community in mind, and find a local charity to sponsor.
3. STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS. Presidential elections seem to suck all of the air out of the political landscape, and rightly so.   We elect a President only every four years, and his (maybe one day her) focus have long-term implications.  But so do city council, school board and mayoral elections.  Many are held in off years so that local candidates don’t get swallowed in the national hype.  It’s a great time to get involved in these elections or even consider running yourself.  Voting is literally the least you can do, not the most you can do.  Failing to engage in full civic participation cedes your choices to others who are engaged.
4. THE HOUSING CRISIS.  Despite action at the national level, many banks are dragging their feet rather than offering modifications for under water mortgages.  Just a fraction of those who qualify for these mortgages have been offered them by their banks.  Congress probably can’t deal with this issue during a lame duck session, but it is certainly time for people to get together to reverse this trend.  The problem – too many of us are ashamed to talk about our financial status, thinking it’s a personal problem instead of a structural problem.  The solution – consider involving a state legislator or local leader in developing a workshop for those who are under water.  Get bankers there to explain why so many have not been offered loan mortifications.  Take the results to your congressperson and ask them to act on it.
5. PARENT PLUS LOANS AND OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION ISSUES. While the federal government provides an opportunity for students to have parents borrow for their tuition, the federal government has tightened requirements on the loan to the point that nearly half of those who qualified last year do not qualify any more.  The result?  Thousands of student, especially at HBCUs have the choice to pay up or get out.  Or, the other choice is for colleges to “carry” these students. This is a bad idea when regulators judge colleges, especially historically black colleges, by fiscal stability.  Speaking of education, this is a challenging time for HBCUs to experience cuts in Title III and other federally sponsored programs.  In a second Obama term, issues affecting HBCUs should be high on the list of things our president must pay attention to.
6. THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.  African Americans have been President Obama’s most loyal supporters.  When will we get the attention we deserve?  We can’t meekly ask for it – we have to demand it.  With high black unemployment rates, challenged inner city employment possibilities, and high dropout rates, our community is in desperate need of attention.  The location of one federally funded new state of the art high school, with both honors programs and job-training programs, can make a real difference in inner cities.

President Obama has an opportunity to build a legacy in this second term.  Those who voted for him can now help him with action and advocacy.

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington DC based economist and author.

November 11, 2012

By Sophia S. Vilceus

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - On the fourth floor of Howard Center, two graduate students and two professors in African Studies mulled Haiti's application to become the first potential non-African member of the African Union in January 2013.

“If you consider that islands like Martinique are quite far away from Europe but are still part of the European Union, Martinique by virtue of being a part of France, Haiti’s becoming an AU member doesn’t seem so improbable," said Phiwo Mnyandu, a PhD student from South Africa.

Mnyandu was referring to the 7,371 miles from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to Addis Ababa,Ethiopia, headquarters of the African Union. The distance between Fort-de-France, capital of Martinique and Brussels, Belgium, headquarters of the European Union, is 4,376 miles.

Alem Hailu, an African Studies professor at Howard Universityelaborates, “Skeptics will undoubtedly point to the insurmountable problem of geography, politics and logistics that will be faced. Visionaries who focus on possibilities grounded in relentless efforts and commitments, on the other hand, can find reason for hope and triumph."

Professor Mbye Cham of the African Studies program at Howard acknowledges the obvious challenges that will inevitably surface due to the geographical distance between the two regions however he supplements that by saying that the advent of such advanced technology and communication would mitigate potential drawbacks.

There seems to be a common theme of support yet apprehension.

"I for one would like it," Mnyandu said. "Symbolically, powerful. Materially, I’m cautious. I’m not sure how much material and developmental benefit Haiti can extract from similarly impoverished countries in Africa."

Cham refutes the aforementioned statement by asserting that the amount of institutional resources, intellectual capacity, and technological exchange that would occur would lead to meaningful advancement.

Public Radio International, a weekly one-hour radio program, posted on its website on October 17, 2012 that Haiti is set to become the latest member of the African Union in January, if all goes as planned. AU has 54 member states, all of them on the African continent. Haiti’s communication minister Ady Jean-Gardy made the formal application in July at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, the blog post reported.

“We are practically connected by umbilical cord to Haiti,” said Mian Georges, of Benin who has actively been involved in missions based inHaiti, according to PRI.

George’s symbolism reinforces a broader idea, though. In essence this idea is that Haiti joining the African Union is viewed as such an avant-garde idea because it displays the understanding of the inherent connectedness that these two cultures share.  Haiti joining the AU would allow Africa to breathe life into Haiti with the same umbilical cord that was forcedly cut centuries ago.

Haiti and Africa have always had an intimate relationship. From West Africans being sold and shipped to Haiti during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to Toussaint L’ouverture—a Beninois slave who drove Napoleon out of Haiti in the 18th century and led the first Black Country to independence.  For a long time, Haiti was the only Black member of the United Nations and used that platform to advocate for Africa’s break from colonial rule.  After the devastating earthquake in 2010, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal — though financially burdened themselves--- were among the first countries that donated millions of dollars and resources for Haitian students to complete their studies for free in Africa.

Cham attributes this special relationship between Haiti and Africa to a few things, one of which being the direct impact that the Haitian Revolution had on Africa’s own independence movement and other cultural and political movements such as The Negritude Movement. He explains that the influence and intellect of the Haitian Revolution laid the foundation for figures such as Leopold Senghor and Leon Damas to emerge within the Diaspora.

"If we apply the notion of cultural geography, Haiti should be part of the African Union," said Naglaa Mahmoud, a PhD student from Egypt. "We share the same culture, same history, and many situations as Haiti.  Haitistood up for Africa’s independence. I think it is a powerful idea and it is also inspirational for those who dream of melting barriers of historical memories of slavery.”

There is modest debate surrounding the symbolic significance that would be rendered should Haiti in fact become a member of the African Union, however the larger question then becomes what tangible and concrete benefits would Haiti and African countries reap in the process? This joining of states would force us to look past the ethereal bond that Africa and Haiti often claim and move the African Diaspora in a direction of substantially being involved and concerned with one another.

“Ways that would benefit the people of both constituencies should be viewed as incremental steps," Hailu says. "The significance lies both in the symbolic as well as substantive value of affirming commonalities of culture and history.  Furthermore, Haiti's membership to the AU can assist in strengthening structures of policy, research and partnership.”

Hailu encourages both Haiti and The African Union to look to other political models. “Examples from other world experiences that have found value in regional co-operations include America’s with ASEAN, the commonwealth organization, New Zealand’s Australia’s and Japan’s membership in regional organizations," he says. "Haiti’s as the latest case, therefore, can only be viewed as a similar step in unifying the dreams, experiences and pragmatic stride toward building a strong international structure of interdependence and mutual reinforcement.”

Essentially, the ideal of the African Union is to promote a united continental Africa—a broad continental Africa that includes the Diaspora.  An aim of the AU is to promote better corporations in different regions ofAfrica. With that being said, Cham concluded, “Haiti joining the AU makes perfect sense. I just hope people are serious about it and invest the necessary creative and intellectual work to make it viable."

November 11, 2012

To Be Equal

By Marc Morial

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “This week, we have been humbled by nature’s destructive power. But we’ve been inspired as well.”  - President Barack Obama

I want to thank everyone for their prayers, concern and support for the thousands of people whose lives were affected by Hurricane Sandy, including members of the National Urban League family who work out of our corporate headquarters in lower Manhattan. As you have seen in the media, areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been completely devastated by this superstorm. More than 100 lives have been lost and as of this writing, more than a million people remain without power, including Urban League affiliates in Long Island, NY; Bergen County, NJ; and Jersey City, NJ.

While we are grateful that all the members of our staff have been accounted for and are doing well under the circumstances, our offices at 120 Wall Street are currently inoperable due to utility interruptions. We do not know how long we will be displaced, but we are now operating out of a temporary location in Midtown New York and we are mobilizing our resources to assist our neighbors as best we can.

State, local and federal officials are making progress in getting the region back to normal, but entire families have lost homes. Many are in dire need of food and other basics. The New York Urban League at 204 West 136^th Street is accepting donations of clothing, toiletries, batteries and bottled water for distribution on Staten Island. Donations will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

I also want to remind everyone that safety is a primary issue when you're recovering from a disaster especially one as devastating as Hurricane Sandy.

Follow these tips to help ensure your safety and cope with the disaster. If you aren't able to return home, states, tribes, localities, and the Red Cross continue to operate emergency shelters along the East Coast.

Here's how to find shelter:

· Monitor conditions in your area; find shelter; and let others know you are safe, with theRed Cross Hurricane App.

· Download the FEMA app to find a map with open shelters and open FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers.

· Call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

· Search for shelters via text message: text: SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA). For example: Shelter 01234 (standard rates apply).

· Check local news media outlets.

Here's additional information that may assist you and your family recover from Hurricane Sandy:

· FEMA's Hurricane Sandy website

· For disaster assistance: 1-800-621-FEMA or www.disasterassistance.gov

· Filing a flood insurance claim

· Volunteering and donating

· Recovering from a disaster

Finally, I want to thank all the government officials, relief organizations and volunteers who have responded to this crisis. And I want to commend those who have been affected for your faith in a better tomorrow and your determination to rebuild. As President Obama reminded us, “We’re Americans. When times are tough, we’re tougher. We put others first. We go that extra mile. We open our hearts and our homes to one another, as one American family.”