Aug. 7, 2016

We've Got the Power!
By Dr. E. Faye Williams

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - It’s been said that if a lie is told loudly and often enough, it will stand as the truth.  Just as many people believe that no lie can stand the test of time and that truth will ultimately prevail.  Recent decisions from several courts in different locations have confirmed my belief that no lie can live forever.

When the Court struck down Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, proponents of Civil and Voting Rights cautioned against the potential for reinstatement of legal impediments to equitable voting practices.  Recently, voter identification/registration laws in Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, North Dakota and North Carolina have been challenged. Some of these laws have been overturned; others have been returned to lower courts or legislatures for corrective action.  Those who hold the right to vote sacrosanct welcome the abolishment and/or suspension of their enforcement. Light is shed on the fallacy of "voter fraud laws and the truth of their predictable outcome of discriminatory voter suppression."

What we’ve seen is blatant Republican partisanship in passing laws that have the effect of diluting the strength of non-white voters.  This tactic assures the election of candidates who, otherwise, could not be elected on the merits of their policies or positions.  Instead, Republicans suppress the votes of those who likely oppose their candidates.  Below is a brief overview of these court decisions:

Kansas – Residents were required to show proof-of -citizenship.  Courts waived that requirement for Federal elections, but Kansas continues the appeal for proof-of -citizenship prior to registration or voting in state and city elections.  Recent court rulings require Kansas to count the votes of those who didn’t show proof-of -citizenship before registration.

North Dakota - No photo ID is required to register, but, to vote, one must present a photo ID.  A Federal Judge blocked the law requiring an ID to vote, noting that 25% of eligible Native Americans did not possess "proper" ID. He said, "No eligible voter, regardless of their station in life, should be denied the opportunity to vote."

Wisconsin - This voter ID law has been challenged and debated.  Although still enforced, a U.S. district judge struck down several parts of this strict law, reinstated provisions for early voting, eliminated certain residency restrictions, recognized expired student IDs and struck down a ban on emailing absentee ballots. He stated, "...that a preoccupation with mostly phantom election fraud leads to real incidents of disenfranchisement."

Texas - A Federal Appeals Court ruled that Texas' voter ID law had a discriminatory impact on voters and ordered a lower court to provide a "fix" before November's elections.

North Carolina - The 4^th Circuit Court of Appeals was most critical of the evil intent of oppressive laws which made voting impossible for some and unnecessarily difficult for others.  It noted that data was requested to identify Black voting practices and that the Legislature enacted laws to specifically suppress Black voting.  The court said the law restricted voting and registration in 5 ways, all of which disproportionately affected African Americans.

The lesson we take from these rulings is if the right to vote weren’t valuable, no one would try to take it. Fannie Lou Hamer, Amelia Boynton, John Lewis, Dick Gregory, James Orange, and all the foot-soldiers who endured beatings and constant danger understood that. To Medgar, Martin and others, the right to vote was worth the sacrifice of their lives. My heart breaks hearing someone ask, “What good does voting do?”

Voting represents the singular time in life when we’re equal. No vote counts more than ours.  It can defeat the evil we see in our nation.  Not voting dilutes our strength and relinquishes our power to our enemies!  We’ve got the power so let’s make it work for us!

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

July 31, 2016

Clinton Asks Nation to Empathize With Victims of ‘Systemic Racism’
By Hazel Trice Edney

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (TriceEdneyWire.com) - Hillary Clinton, in her convention speech accepting the Democratic nomination to the presidency, asked America to seek understanding of victims of “systemic racism”, promised to fight gun violence, push for deep changes in the criminal justice system and jobs for inner city neighborhoods.

The four issues – touching on police killings of Black people, disparate unemployment, unequal criminal justice – are among the key bread and butter issues on the minds of African-Americans.

“We have to heal the divides in our country, not just on guns but on race, immigration, and more.  And that starts with listening, listening to each other, trying as best we can to walk in each other’s shoes,” Clinton told the audience of thousands at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and millions watching by television and online. “So let’s put ourselves in the shoes of young Black and Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism and are made to feel like their lives are disposable. Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of police officers, kissing their kids and spouses goodbye every day and heading off to do a dangerous and necessary job.”

Clinton’s comments accepting the nomination came on the heels of extreme racial strife across the nation. Among them are new community uprisings over the killings of Alton Sterling of Baton Rouge, La. and Philando Castile of Falcon Heights, Minn. by White police officers as well as the killings of five Dallas police officers and three Baton Rouge police officers by Black vigilantes.

The speech also came after eight years of an almost steady decrease in unemployment rates with Black rates still twice the number of Whites; thousands of African-Americans being killed by gun violence on an annual basis and a climate in which African-Americans are incarcerated nearly six times the rate of Whites, according to the NAACP.

In recent years, more than 90 percent of Blacks cast their voting ballots for Democrats and more than 94 percent for President Obama in his first and second elections. Clinton is clearly focusing on issues of importance to African-Americans as she angles for the Black vote which political analysts predict will be pivotal in this election.

She continued, “We will reform our criminal justice system from end to end, and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. And we will defend – we will defend all our rights:  civil rights, human rights, and voting rights; women’s rights and workers’ rights; LGBT rights and the rights of people with disabilities. And we will stand up against mean and divisive rhetoric wherever it comes from.”

In the 50-minute speech, much of which responded to issues espoused by her Republican opponent Donald Trump, a key focus was on gun violence, including ways to thwart mass shootings – an issue on the minds of most Americans regardless of race. In that regard, Clinton promised to defy the National Rifle Association, which typically backs political candidates that oppose new gun laws.

“And if we’re serious about keeping our country safe, we also can’t afford to have a president who’s in the pocket of the gun lobby. I’m not here to repeal the Second Amendment.  I’m not here to take away your guns.  I just don’t want you to be shot by someone who shouldn’t have a gun in the first place,” she said. “We will work tirelessly with responsible gun owners to pass common-sense reforms and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists, and all others who would do us harm.”

Speakers at the convention gave strong endorsements of Clinton often wrapped in soaring rhetoric and even sermons.

First Lady Michelle Obama appears to have received the most applause with her electrifying speech Monday night. But the “Mothers of the Movement”, including the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown, also won the hearts of the audience on Tuesday as they recalled the wrongful deaths of their sons. On Wednesday, President Bill Clinton told the story of how he met Hillary Clinton; and vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine dug into Trump, saying, “his false assurances that he will make us safer, address immigration, fix the economy, and protect small businesses, seniors, families and veterans are nothing more than lip service.”

A reflective President Obama also spoke on Wednesday, essentially outlining the issues that the next president will face.

“Yes, we’ve still got more work to do.  More work to do for every American still in need of a good job or a raise, paid leave or a decent retirement; for every child who needs a sturdier ladder out of poverty or a world-class education; for everyone who has not yet felt the progress of these past seven and a half years.  We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer, our homeland more secure, our world more peaceful and sustainable for the next generation,” he said to applause. “We’re not done perfecting our union, or living up to our founding creed that all of us are created equal; all of us are free in the eyes of God.”

Those prime time speeches by politicians were watched by millions. But civil rights leaders also brought the conventioneers to their feet.

North Carolina NAACP President, the Rev. Dr. William Barber was among them. "We are being called, like our mothers and fathers, to be the moral defibrillators of our time," he said. "We will shock this nation and fight for justice for all…We will not give up on the heart of our democracy, not now, not ever!"

And the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. himself a two-time presidential candidate, encouraged the people to fight, seemingly wrapping up the strategy next four months in a nutshell.

“We’ve never lost a battle we fought. And we’ve never won a battle unless we fought,” he said. “In 1965, we fought and won the battle for the historic Voting Rights Act. That journey continued in 1984 and 1988, when we built a winning coalition, registering and empowering millions of new voters reflecting the new America.”

August 7, 2016

Preparation Means Winning in the New Job Market
By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Even before the unemployment rate numbers were released on August 5, it was clear that the labor market situation is improving, but far more slowly than many workers would like.  In July, according to check-processing company ADP, about new 179,000 jobs were created.  That’s down from the 287,000 jobs created in June, it doesn’t account from the increased number of people who are unemployed (some are returning to the job market because they think things are getting better), but when unemployment rates are below 5 percent that’s a reason to take note, if not to celebrate.

Labor market improvements aren’t exciting to the millions who still lack work, or to those who have not seen their paychecks increase, or to those who are engaged in the “Fight for Fifteen”.  They aren’t exciting to those who have sent out dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes and have yet to receive a single return call, not to mention an interview.  They look askance at the notion of a better job market because it isn’t so much better for them.

I had an opportunity to talk about Navigating the New Job Market  at the National Urban League’s conference in Baltimore yesterday, as McDonalds invited me to present a workshop on jobs and careers.  Why do I describe the jobs market as “new”?  Essentially, because the contemporary job market requires a fluidity that many are unwilling or unable to exhibit.  The fluidity is an attitude that change is the only constant, and that workers (and employers) have to be nimble and think fast on their feet.  Workers have to figure out ways to develop “a brand”, or to stand out from the crowd.   People have to network like crazy.  And people need to always have a Plan B, C, D, and E.  In other words we all need to be prepared for alternatives.

This job market is extremely competitive from top to bottom.  Some people with advanced degrees are still applying for entry-level jobs, and being rejected because they are “overqualified”.  Others are flooding the market with resumes, forgetting that who you know is sometimes as important (if not more so) than what you know.

One of the ways to be well-prepared is to commit to both lifelong-learning and lifelong networking.   What’s the last book you read?  The last class you took?  The last time you really challenged yourself?  Do you speak a language? Are you open to learning?

According to François Grosjean, the author of Bilingual: Life and Reality, most of the world’s population is bilingual.  More than half of Europe’s residents are bilingual, and more than a third of those living in Great Britain and Canada are bilingual.  But only one in six of us in the United States are bilingual, with people mostly speaking Spanish and Chinese.  Those who are interested in having an edge in the job market should consider learning another language.  African-Americans are far less likely than others to be bilingual.  Young people, and those not so young, must consider taking on another language.

When Tom Friedman wrote his book, The World is Flat, in 2005, he reminded us of the reality of globalization, a reality that too many of us would ignore.  I recall being at a conference where a woman announced that she did not “like” globalization.  That’s like saying you don’t like sunrise or sunset.  Globalization has occurred, and the challenge is to understand how it affects us, how it affects the job market, and how it affects racial economic justice.

The Donald Trump presidential candidacy makes it clear that people will be experiencing all kinds of biases in coming decades.  Some will be as blatant as Mr. Trump’s rabid attacks against Mexican-Americans, Muslims, and women.  Others will be far more subtle.  All of these biases will show up in the job market, but those who are best prepared will have more opportunities than those who are not.

So I told my workshop at the Urban League to learn a language.  I told them to strive for excellence.  I told them to be mindful of their social media presence.  We live in a world, now, where there are few secrets, where bad jokes and tacky pictures take on a shelf life of their own.

When I look the economic status of African American people, I see two things.  First, discrimination is alive and well.  That’s nothing new.  Secondly, and equally importantly (if not more so), African Americans can do a better job of battling discrimination.  There are too many ways for others to exclude African Americans without using race.  If an employer said, for example, that a new hire needed to be bilingual, what percentage of African Americans would qualify?

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. Her latest book, “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available via Amazon.com for booking and wholesale requests visit www.juliannemalveaux.com.

July 31, 2016

Consumers Want Action on Illegal Debt Collection and CFPB Agrees
By Charlene Crowell

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - If you are one of the 77 million Americans who are hounded each year by debt collectors, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is taking on this $13 billion industry. At a July 28 field hearing in Sacramento, Richard Cordray, CFPB Director, announced the Bureau’s intent to rein in illegal practices that harass and rob consumers.

“Today we are considering proposals that would drastically overhaul the debt collection market. Our rules would apply to third-party debt collectors and to others covered by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including many debt buyers. . . . The basic principles of the proposals we are considering are grounded in common sense. Companies should not collect debt that is not owed. They should have more reliable information about the debt before they try to collect,” said Director Cordray.

“In the debt collection market, notably,” he continued, “consumers do not have the crucial power of choice over those who do business with them when creditors turn their debts over to third-party collectors. They cannot vote with their feet. They have no say over who collects their debts, and they likely know next to nothing about the collector until they receive a call or a letter. This can quickly lead to a barrage of communications, which in some cases are designed to be harassing or intimidating.”

Reactions to CFPB’s proposals were as swift as they were direct. Consumer advocates, like People’s Action Institute, a national organization working in 30 states for economic, environmental, racial and gender justice weighed in.

“We’re encouraged to see the CFPB take steps to end aggressive and abusive debt collection practices and protect consumers from the often illegal activities of debt collectors,” said LeeAnn Hall, Co-Executive Director of People’s Action Institute.

Similarly, Graciela Aponte-Diaz, the Center for Responsible Lending’s California Policy Director, who testified at the hearing and was even more direct.

“We know from research and enforcement actions in the states that over the past decade that debt buyers and other debt collectors have extracted millions of dollars in payments and court judgments from U.S. households for debts that are too old to be sued on, can’t be back up with basic documentation like a contract or other proof the consumer actually owes a debt, or where the debt buyers or their attorneys filed false documents in court,” noted Aponte-Diaz,

“Reports have shown that these debt collection activities have a disproportionate impact on communities of color,” Aponte-Diaz continued, “majority black neighborhoods are hit twice as hard by debt collection court judgments as majority white neighborhoods, even adjusting for differences in income.”

A recent national consumer poll that was jointly commissioned by CRL and Americans for Financial Reform found broad and bipartisan concerns regarding debt collectors that sue without evidence. Overall 84 percent of respondents expressed concerns about a million consumers being sued each year without evidence to prove their cases in court. When partisan preferences were factored into responses, 9 out of 10 Independents and Democrats were concerned, as were 78 percent of Republicans.

In recent years, several states -- including California, Maryland, New York and North Carolina --have cracked down on enforcement actions that required among other things that debt collectors use full and accurate information and documentation when collecting debts.

At the federal level since 1977, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act granted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversight authority in debt collection. Following the enactment five years ago of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act and the creation of CFPB, both offices now accept debt collection complaints.

Last year, 2015, more than 900,000 consumers filed complaints with the FTC. That same year, CFPB returned $360 million to consumers wronged by illegal debt collection practices. Additionally, CFPB collected $79 million in fines from debt collectors.

“Consumers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and businesses should be able to operate fairly and reasonably to collect the debts they are legitimately owed,” said Director Cordray.

Lisa Stifler, Deputy Director of State Policy and leader of CRL’s debt collection work provided further assessment: “We commend the CFPB for seeking reforms to this issue that harms millions of people, particularly low-income consumers and communities of color.”

“However, we are concerned that the proposals do not go far enough to protect consumers from unfair collection attempts.  Specifically, the proposal does not go far enough to require that debt collectors adequately document that they are pursuing the right person for the right debt,” Stifler added.

She concluded, “When people are being wrongly pursued for debts they do not owe, it is time for action and reforms.” 

Charlene Crowell is the Deputy Communications Director for the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..