Oct. 8, 2018

Oct. 8, 2018

CRL Calls for Firing of Fair Lending Official Who Used N-Word

By Charlene Crowell

Blankenstein

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Recent and stunning disclosures of racially-offensive writings by a high-ranking official at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has unleashed an escalating barrage of criticisms, including calls for the official to be fired and more probing questions regarding the agency’s commitment to fair lending.

Since a September 28 Washington Post article first reported how Eric Blankenstein, CFPB’s Policy Director for Supervision, Enforcement and Fair Lending, used a pen name in blogs dating as far back as 2004, a spate of fury has been unleashed. Disguising his authorship, Blankenstein claimed that the use of the N-word was not racist, and further alleged that most hate crimes were hoaxes.

A subsequent New York Times article alleged that people who perpetuated the Obama birther conspiracy are not racist either, and noted that as late as 2016, Blankenstein’s personal Twitter account posted racially charged comments.

Keep in mind that Blankenstein was hand-picked by CFPB head Mick Mulvaney.  Patrice A. Ficklin, a CFPB career staff member and Director of its Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity reports to Blankenstein and is quoted in the Post article.

Ficklin said, “And while he has been collegial, thoughtful and meticulous, I have had experiences that have raised concerns that are now quite alarming in light of the content of his blog posts — experiences that call into question Eric’s ability and intent to carry out his and his Acting Director’s repeated yet unsubstantiated commitment to a continued strong fair lending program under governing legal precedent.”

By October 1, Anthony Reardon, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union, advised CFPB of its dissatisfaction with the Blankenstein blogs.

“There should be zero tolerance for comments that Blankenstein has admitted authoring and nothing less than swift and decisive action is called for,” said Reardon. “That someone with a history of racially derogatory and offensive comments has a leadership position at CFPB reflects poorly on CFPB management and your commitment to fulfilling the mandate of the agency to ensure that discriminatory and predatory lending practices are stopped.”

Two days later, on October 3, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) publicly called for Blankenstein to be fired.

“Mr. Blankenstein must be removed from his post and this must be combined with a demonstrable commitment by CFPB head Mick Mulvaney to fair lending,” said Yana Miles, CRL’s Senior Legislative Counsel. “Thus far, the Mulvaney approach has been worse than inaction – it has been an appalling retreat from enforcing anti-discrimination laws…. The enduring legacy and present-day experience of financial discrimination is the key driver of the racial wealth gap. Vigorously addressing this is a legal and moral imperative.”

A second civil rights organization agreed with CRL’s call for Blankenstein’s termination. 

“Eric Blankenstein’s racist and sexist remarks show that he is not fit to lead the CFPB Office of Fair Lending,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.  “Our nation’s history of financial discrimination is the key factor in the growing racial wealth gap.” 

“Entrusting Blankenstein given his history of racially derogatory remarks will undermine progress for fair lending efforts to close the gap,” continued Gupta. “If the CFPB is serious about eradicating discrimination, it must immediately remove Blankenstein, and must ensure that it is led by a person with a demonstrated commitment to civil rights enforcement. His writings make clear that Mr. Blankenstein is not that person.”

The same day, another pivotal development occurred. A letter signed by 13 U.S. Senators representing 11 states wrote Mulvaney, demanding answers to a series of questions no later than October 22. The questions span Mulvaney’s personal awareness of the writings, the guidelines and procedures used to fill the position, whether a Member of Congress, or an executive branch employee recommended his hiring, what action he intends to take as Acting Director and more.

In part, the Senators’ letter states, “We are deeply concerned that you have placed a person with a history of racist writing at a senior position within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…Mr. Blankenstein was not hired through the competitive service process like most CFPB employers; he is one of your hand-selected political appointees. Further, you have specifically tasked him with overseeing the CFPB’s fair lending supervision and enforcement work at a time when you have decided to restructure the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity.”

The letter was signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington State), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI) Mark Warner (D-VA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Even before the Blankenstein scandal, Mulvaney’s actions and inactions at the CFPB have brought a series of concerns by civil rights and consumer advocates alike. Particularly noteworthy among their stated concerns under Mulvaney include:

• CFPB has yet to issue any violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act;
• The Bureau declared an intent to ignore the Disparate Impact standard, a long-standing legal test that holds the effects of discrimination, not the intent are legal violations;
• Personally praised the repeal of anti-discrimination auto lending guidance;
• Sided with payday lenders in their challenge of the Bureau’s payday rule promulgated under the previous director;
• Announced the Bureau’s fair lending office would be stripped of its supervisory and enforcement powers; and
• Relegated the development of regulation on fair lending for minority and women-owned businesses to a low-level concern.

Oct. 2, 2018

Blacks Still Lagging in Voter Registration as Activists Make Urgent Registration Appeal
By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Three African-Americans are running for governor; Democrats are in a dogged race to win majority of the U. S. House and Senate in the Nov. 6 mid-term elections; and crucial legislation affecting African-Americans – including the Voting Rights Act, police reforms, gun control, mass incarceration and anti-poverty measures - are at stake.

Yet, an estimated nearly 8 million African-Americans across the U. S., this year, were not registered to vote, according to a report distributed by Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee. That’s 14 percent of the total 51 million Americans who are not registered to vote.

This is the reason that major civil rights and voter education organizations are engaged in a full court press – a state of emergency - for voter registration before the deadlines from state to state.

“Our lives are on the ballot this year so it is absolutely crucial that African-Americans as a whole participate in these midterm elections at rates that reflect our true voting power,” said NAACP President/CEO Derrick Johnson. “We’re urging everyone to use their power to register and mobilize new voters and get involved in one of the most important elections in our nation's history.”

That was Johnson’s statement on National Voter Registration Day Sept. 25. But there’s still plenty of time for most prospective voters across the U. S. to register and vote on Nov. 6. State deadlines vary. But most deadlines are at least 22 days before the election – in person, by mail and on line. Some are as few as seven days.

The following are phone numbers and websites that prospective voters and voter registrars should know:

• Perhaps the most comprehensive website for state by state voter information is Vote.org. This website not only tells people how to register to vote in their states; but it allows users to click on their states to see voter registration deadlines, the locations of their voting precincts, and other crucial information.
• Election Protection Hotline: (866) 687-8683 or (866) OUR-VOTE. This number is staffed with lawyers and other voting experts to field any questions people might have about voting, problems voting, or problems registering to vote before, during and after election day.
• General information on voting, such as how to become a poll worker, can be found at the U. S. Election Assistance Commission - EAC.gov.
• Nationalvoterregistrationday.org also has a state-by-state guide to voter registration.

Voting activists have hoped that Black voters will automatically mobilize to act because of racial insults, divisive rhetoric and conservative, anti-progressive appointments by President Donald Trump. Those appointments include Attorney General Jeff Sessions who has been busy overturning police reforms and the embattled Supreme Court candidate Brett Kavanaugh, who at least 100 civil rights groups have vehemently opposed because of critical civil and human rights at stake as well as affirmative action and anti-discrimination policies.

“The most important player in this year’s election is the individual,” said Jamal Watkins, NAACP vice president of Civic Engagement. “Our recent poll showed a majority of voters of color and nearly all Black women felt disrespected by President Trump. People of color also believed this president has set back race relations and these numbers will play a role in both how and why they’ll vote in the midterm elections.”

Oct. 2, 2018

The Unfulfilled Power of the Black Vote
By Dr. Ron Daniels

NEWS ANALYSIS

(TriceEdneyWire.com)  - For decades I have been hammering home the point that in a low voter participation environment, the group that effectively educates, mobilizes and organizes its voters to turn-out on election day will wield power disproportionate to its numbers in the overall electorate. Put another way, a relatively small group that registers and turns out a high percentage of its potential voters will exercise greater influence than a much larger group that fails to register and turn-out a high percentage of its potential voters.  This is a Daniels political axiom. And, as Frank Watkins, Advisor to Rev. Jesse Jackson puts it, “a organized minority is a political majority.”

The United States has the lowest voter participation rate of any of the western democracies. I have suggested somewhat facetiously that the biggest political party in the U.S. is not the Democrats or Republicans but non-voters.  A voter turn-out in this country in the range of 50-55% of the eligible electorate is hailed by political commentators as spectacular.  This is absolutely abysmal when compared to western democracies where voter turn-out is routinely 80% or better. But, the reality of this low voter participation environment creates a major opportunity for Black voters to exercise power disproportionate to our numbers in the electorate. We may be out-numbered by Whites, but a large percentage of Whites don’t bother to vote. It is not by accident that Republicans are openly implementing polices to suppress or disenfranchise Black voters. They fear the Black vote. The forces of reaction realize that if Blacks maximize voter registration and mobilize/organize large voter turn-outs, it is a threat to their retrograde agenda.

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson has relentlessly urged Black folks to register and vote in massive numbers to maximize our political power. At a session during the recent Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, he shared data that illuminates the unfulfilled power of the Black vote. He noted that there are still 8 million Blacks who are not registered to vote, 4 million in the South. In 2016 some 2.5 million Blacks, who were registered, failed to vote in an election which was determined by less than 100,000 votes total in key battleground states with a large concentration of Black voters! Rev. Jackson’s point is that a potent key to political resistance and transformation is in Black hands, the ballot. The challenge is to organize/mobilize and turn-out the unorganized, Black people who, for whatever reason, do not believe that voting matters as a means of changing their lives.

There is increasing evidence that a new generation of Black leaders, particularly women and young people, understand the potential of the Black vote as foundational to coalitions that can beat back the conservative tide of Trumpism by advancing people-centered, progressive policies.  Stacey Abrams has an excellent chance to become the first Black Governor of Georgia by educating and inspiring hundreds of thousands of unregistered, “improbable” Black voters to register and turn-out in massive numbers on election day.  Ben Jealous has launched a grassroots campaign to employ the same formula in Maryland. The polls in Boston showed Ayanna Pressley trailing long term Congressman Michael Capuano by 10 points among “probable” voters in the Democratic Primary. She won by more than 10 points because she organized/mobilized the unorganized; the improbable voters showed up in massive numbers as the anchor of her progressive coalition.

Rev. Jackson points out that in Florida Andrew Gillum, who shocked the pundits by winning the Democratic primary for Governor, can win because there are more than 1.8 million Blacks who are eligible to register in that state coupled with more than 300,000 recently arrived Puerto Ricans who fled the Island in the wake of Hurricane Maria. When the improbable voters from these constituencies are energized to march on the ballot box, there is a very high probability that Gillum will become the first African American Governor of Florida.

It is important to note that in the instances cited above, only 15 percent – 20 percent of forward-thinking White voters are needed to achieve victory.  The Daniels’ Axiom applies: In a low voter participation environment, where large numbers of Whites will remain unregistered or will not vote, all that is required is for the unorganized, the improbable voters in the Black community and our allies to mobilize/organize and turn-out in massive numbers to achieve victory! So, the mandate is clear; Black leaders must devise strategies to educate, motivate, inspire and energize millions of unregistered, improbable Black voters to burst into the arena to become the cornerstone of progressive coalitions. These coalitions of the improbable have the potential to fundamentally alter the political landscape in the U.S. by ushering in an era of resistance to Trumpism and more importantly advancing progressive policies which can create a new America!

Dr. Ron Daniels is President of the Institute of the Black World 21^st Century and Distinguished Lecturer Emeritus, York College City University of New York. Dr. Daniels can be reached via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sept. 30, 2018

Bill Cosby's mug shot