Lead Stories

Sharpton Says Trump 'Insults Intelligence' of Black Voters by Hazel Trice Edney

Sept. 13, 2016

Sharpton Says Trump 'Insults Intelligence' of Black Voters
Republican nominee repeatedly ignores questions about his record in the Black community
By Hazel Trice Edney

Rev. Al Sharpton

Marc Morial

Michael Grant

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s attempts to sheer Black votes from the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton, has garnered the attention of national Black leaders, including his fellow New Yorker, the Rev. Al Sharpton, who says Trumps tactics “insults the intelligence” of Black voters.

“I think that to reach out to the Black community when you’re not discussing any details of the policies that you propose; and second, when you don’t put out your record with the Black community - which includes discrimination lawsuits on his housing - is to insult our intelligence to say we should try something new,” Sharpton said in an interview with the Trice Edney News Wire. “He’s not new. He’s got decades of history that he can’t explain.”

Sharpton continued, “Since he’s running as a business man, he should also show us where his business is and how they have worked with Blacks. Where are the contractors? Where are the subcontractors that he dealt with in his business? Where are the executives in the Trump organization?”

Trump skipped major national Black conferences, including the NAACP, the National Urban League and the National Association of Black Journalists, this summer. Then he began appealing to Black voters while standing before vastly White audiences.

“What the hell do you have to lose?!” Trump appealed to Black voters as he stood in front of predominately White audiences in late August and early September. That question became a common refrain as he pointed to crime and unemployment in Black communities. Trump then took his message to Black pastors, including a Black church in Detroit on Sept. 3.

Meanwhile attempts by the Trice Edney News Wire to obtain clarity on Trump’s own economic and Black participation records in his multi-billion dollar corporation have gone unheeded. Two questions requesting information on Trump’s Black hiring and contracting records and why he declined to attend the major Black summer conferences went unanswered by Omarosa Manigault, Trump’s director of African American outreach.

The questions went unheeded as Manigault, instead of giving Trump’s record as requested, sent a statement, Sept. 7, attacking Clinton and the Democratic Party, generally stating that they have taken Black voters for granted.

“We know our message is resonating as Black voters realize that they have been taken for granted. They see unemployment on the rise and home ownership on the decline. African American youth feel that the Dems have completely turned their backs on them. Look at what's happening in Chicago, President Obamas' hometown, nearly half of the young black men are neither in school nor employed. For far too long African Americans have been loyal to the Democratic Party but unfortunately the party has not been loyal to them!” she wrote. “What can she possibly offer young black men in Chicago that President Obama could not get accomplish in the last 7 years? Let me answer that for you... more of the same!! It's time for a change. Enough empty promises! Young People are dying in the streets of Chicago every day and yet she wants us to continue down the same path that we've been going? It makes no sense. Someone has to stand up and fight for those who the Dems have turned their backs on. Trump will fight for you!!”

Actually, despite the fact that the Black unemployment rate is still twice that of Whites, it is not on the rise as Manigault states. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Black unemployment rate is at 8.1 percent, the lowest since President Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009 at which time the unemployment rate was 14.4 percent.

Manigault continued, saying Trump “is committed to earning the African American vote with policies that will help with job creation, school choice and making the community safe. In terms of strategy, we will continue to work with faith leaders, churches, civic organizations, our HBCU network as well as our community partners to first bring attention to conditions that the Dems have swept under the rug and address these issues head on in order to improve in the Black community.”

Clinton is recovering from a bout of pneumonia this week as her husband, former President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama are on the campaign trail for her. She is expected to return to the campaign later this week.

While avoiding the questions about Trump’s record, Manigault insists that Trump is sheering Black votes from Clinton. But while Trump’s Black support has risen slightly from 1 percent in some recent independent polls, most show Clinton still holding fast to more than 90 percent of the Black vote.

Leaders of major Black organizations point to Trump’s record, saying they are not convinced he could ever win a significant Black following no matter what he says. They say that’s largely because of his record. The housing discrimination lawsuit mentioned by Sharpton refers to a 1975 settlement of a federal housing discrimination case against Trump in which his refusal to rent to Blacks while renting to White tenants in the same units was documented.

Black press coverage of the case in the New York Amsterdam News headlined the settlement story, “Minorities win housing suit,” and reported that “qualified Blacks and Puerto Ricans now have the opportunity to rent apartments owned by Trump Management,” according to a Jan. 23 Washington Post story by Michael Kranish and Robert O'Harrow Jr.

As questions about Trump’s current Black hiring and economic justice records go unheeded, other non-partisan Black organizational leaders also scrutinize Trump’s record in order to determine what he would do in the White House.

Michael Grant, president/CEO of the National Bankers Association, an organization of predominately Black-owned banks, compares the Trump candidacy to that of two-term President George W. Bush.

“If the country really wants to see what a Donald Trump presidency would produce, it need only to go back a few years and see what George W. Bush produced, which was nothing but disaster,” Grant said.

“George Bush led us to a war that was absolutely disastrous in the loss of human life and the cost to the U. S. tax payer. He also drove our economy to the brink of collapse. This happened because this man did not have the command of the subject matter. There was nothing in his background that suggested that he was studious. Donald Trump is not studious. Nothing suggests that he has a disciplined approach to problem-solving. He just blusters out things and says whatever hits him for the moment, a knee-jerk reaction. George Bush was very much the same way. He just did not understand what a powerful position he was stepping into and he didn’t understand how complicated the job of president really is.”

Grant concluded, “This is really not about a Democrat or a Republican. It’s about choosing the best person to lead this country during these tumultuous times.”

National Urban League President Marc Morial says despite Trump’s recent appeal for Black votes, he has shown no interest in the National Urban League, a 105-year-old Black economic justice organization, which offered presidential candidates multiple opportunities for briefings and to give their perspectives on vital economic and civil rights issues beginning last year.

“We invited Donald Trump to such an opportunity. He did not respond,” Morial recounted “We invited him again to give a 25 minute speech and not have to answer any questions. He did not respond. In 2016, we again invited him to come to our conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Again he declined. We also sent him a 32-question questionnaire, which probes his thinking on issues not only in the Black community but also America’s urban community and America’s young people and he did not respond.”

Morial pointed out, “Mrs. Clinton responded to all of the above. I believe it’s not difficult to diagnose problems. What’s more challenging is to offer sound, serious solutions. And that’s what the voters are thinking about…And they’re not going to be fooled and tricked and bamboozled by what I would call hollow talk or long diagnosis or insulting characterizations of the community.”

Sharpton summed up Trump’s Black justice record even more concisely: “I never saw him stand up one time on a Black issue; and that’s when he was on the other side.”

Annual Week of Non-Violence Includes 16 U.S. and Global Cities

Sept. 12, 2016

Annual Week of Non-Violence Includes 16 U.S. and Global Cities

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from BW4PC

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Civic leaders in the U.S. and overseas are helping to launch the 4th Annual 2016 Week of Non-Violence, Justice and Opportunities, October 15-23, 2016, sponsored by Black Women for Positive Change (BW4PC) and the Positive Change Foundation.

"Over the past three years, we have organized events in 10 U.S. Cities and the United Kingdom, to promote violence prevention among youth, adults and law enforcement. This year we are pleased to see the network of cities expand to 16 cities to promote awareness of violence prevention," Dr. Stephanie E. Myers and Virginia Delegate Daun S. Hester, National Co-Chairs of Black Women for Positive Change, in a joint statement. "Our goal is to 'Change the Culture of Violence in America, and the World' and we invite people of all backgrounds, religions and ethnicities to organize local events in their cities. Everyone must work together to help youth and adults learn how to resolve conflicts and manage their anger without violence."

The National Co-Chair for the 2016 Week of Non-Violence is Kevin Judd, Esq. President of the National Bar Association. National partners are the National Black Nurses Association; National Bar Association, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) and Church of God in Christ, Inc. Elected officials supporting the 2016 Week of Non-Violence include: Congressman Elijah Cummings, MD, Congressman John Lewis, GA; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; WDC, Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak, Pittsburgh, PA, and former Alexandria, Virginia Mayor William Euille.

As of August 2016, organizations in the following cities are planning local, or on-line events including Phoenix, Denver, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, St. Louis, Albuquerque, Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Houston, Hampton Roads, Va.; London, UK; Port-au-Prince, Haiti (t); Pretoria and Johannesburg, South Africa.

"Since 2013, we have reached over 180,000 individuals directly at faith institutions, civic events, schools, youth clubs and through the media with violence prevention messages," said Karen Carrington and Bernadette Tolson, Co-Chairs of BW4PC Media and Events, in a joint statement. "We encourage more cities to organize non-violence activities to help build trust between youth and law enforcement, and to help youth with anger management, stopping bullying and other forms of conflicts."

Organizations desiring to join the 2016 Week of Non-Violence movement can sign up at: www.blackwomenforpositivechange.org or, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Obama Defends Kaepernick Protest as ‘Constitutional’ by Hazel Trice Edney

Sept. 6, 2016

Obama Defends Kaepernick Protest as ‘Constitutional’
Says 49ers quarterback raises issues that ‘need to be talked about’
By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - President Barack Obama has now weighed in on the Colin Kaepernick National Anthem protest; defending the football player’s right to do so under the First Amendment and crediting Kaepernick for raising issues that “need to be talked about”.

“I got to confess that I haven’t been thinking about football while I've been over here, and I haven’t been following this closely. But my understanding, at least, is, is that he's exercising his constitutional right to make a statement,” the President said during a press conference after the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China on Monday. “I think there's a long history of sports figures doing so. I think there are a lot of ways you can do it. As a general matter, when it comes to the flag and the National Anthem, and the meaning that that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us, that is a tough thing for them to get past to then hear what his deeper concerns are.”

President Obama continued, “But I don’t doubt his sincerity, based on what I've heard. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. And if nothing else, what he's done is he's generated more conversation around some topics that need to be talked about.”

Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, has gained national attention – both applause and ridicule - as he remains seated and even kneeled alongside teammate Eric Reid during the National Anthem before pre-season games. Kaepernick says he is protesting because of widespread systemic discrimination against Black people in America as well as police brutality and other injustices in the Black community and says he will continue to do so until he sees significant change.

Because Kaepernick also wears socks with a design that depicts police officers as pigs, even those who agree with his protest, have questioned whether his attire may be undermining a legitimate protest.

“My suspicion is, is that over time he's going to refine how he's thinking about it, and maybe some of his critics will start seeing that he has a point around certain concerns about justice and equality. And that's how we move forward. Sometimes it's messy, but it's the way democracy works,” Obama concluded. “I'd rather have young people who are engaged in the argument and trying to think through how they can be part of our democratic process than people who are just sitting on the sidelines and not paying attention at all.”

The Black Vote Could Be the Difference by James Wright

Sept. 12, 2016

The Black Vote Could Be the Difference

By James Wright

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

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - According to John Bullock and David Bositis, two leading Black political scientists in the U.S., the Black vote, depending on turnout, could make the difference in some key battleground states. The pundits believe that on Nov. 8 millions of Blacks will go to the polls to vote primarily for president but will also vote for statewide and local offices.

Bositis said that Clinton, the former Secretary of State, is the favorite to carry the Black vote. “The important Black leaders and President Obama have embraced Clinton,” he said. “Black voters in Virginia have liked Tim Kaine and Black leaders on the national level have embraced him also.”

Bositis said Blacks won’t vote for the Republican nominee Donald Trump. “Blacks despise him,” he said. Several polls predict Trump will win only 1-2 percent of the Black vote, a drastic drop-off for a Republican candidate.

Bositis is one of America’s leading political scientists dealing with Black politics. He is the former senior research associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a nonprofit public policy organization that produces ideas, research, and policy solutions that have a positive impact on people and communities of color. He has also authored numerous articles and several books on Black political representation, voting patterns, and redistricting concerns.

“If there is a strong solid turnout among African Americans, they will make the difference for Secretary Clinton,” he said. “Those battleground states are Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. If Secretary Clinton wins all of those states, she is on her way to winning the election. Even if she wins the states that Democrats traditionally win and adds Florida and North Carolina, she will win the presidency.”

The battleground states that have strong Black populations are North Carolina at 21 percent and Pennsylvania with 10.9 percent. However, a number of political observers have stated that Georgia, a traditionally Republican state in presidential elections, could go for Clinton this year.

President Obama lost Georgia to Republican Mitt Romney by a slimmer than expected 7.82 percent in 2012. A recent Washington Post–Survey Monkey poll released on Sept. 6 showed that Clinton and Trump are both at 46 percent.

The last Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia was Hillary Clinton’s husband, Bill, who in 1992 defeated President George H.W. Bush by a 0.59 percent margin.

While many Democratic activists are salivating at Clinton winning the Peace State, Bositis advises caution. “I am not convinced that Georgia has flipped to the Democrats,” he said. “I will concede that it will be very close but there has to be an exceptional Black turnout for her to win Georgia.”

Georgia is 31 percent Black and is the beneficiary of Blacks moving back to the South from the North, Bositis said. He also noted that Georgia doesn’t have the growing Latino population that North Carolina has and that may be an impediment to Clinton taking the state this year.

As Bositis said, a strong Black turnout is the key for Clinton to win the White House but many in the political realm wonder why Black voters don’t cast their ballot as often as they should. John Bullock, a political scientist at Towson University in Towson, Md., told the AFRO that weak Black voter turnout has long been the subject of academic speculation.

“There is a great deal of literature devoted to that subject,” Bullock said. “There are theories that voter turnout is related to a person’s social class, educational attainment, and income. The higher the income, the more likely a person will vote.

“A lot of people, particularly Blacks, who don’t vote say ‘the system doesn’t work for me’ or ‘voting doesn’t matter’. As a result, politicians generally respond to people who vote.”

Black Caucus Foundation Set to Hold 46th Annual Legislative Conference Zenitha Prince

Black Caucus Foundation Set to Hold 46th Annual Legislative Conference

Zenitha Prince

A. Shuanise Washington, president/CEO, CBCF

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

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - About 10,000 policy makers, activists, business executives, and others are expected to gather Sept. 14-18 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 46th Annual Legislative Conference. The yearly conclave is one of the premier platforms for examining critical issues facing the Black community and setting an agenda for its empowerment.

“The ALC is one of the nation’s most influential conferences of African-American entrepreneurs, business leaders, legislators, and community activists,” said R. Donahue Peebles, chairman of the CBCF board of directors, in a statement. “This year more than ever, it is imperative that beyond measuring the status of racial democracy and economics we take actionable steps towards equalizing those disparities. We intend for this conference to accelerate solutions to the most threatening problems facing African Americans.”

Reflecting this year’s theme, “Defining the Moment – Building the Movement,” the conference will look to the past – highlighting key moments in American history that define the Congressional Black Caucus and the Foundation – as it seeks to define a clear path to an economically, politically, and socially brighter future for the Black community in the U.S.

“During ALC, we will learn from our history and leverage those lessons towards a movement that builds mutual understanding and can help us safeguard our contributions to the social and economic development of our communities,” said U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay (D) of Missouri, a co-chair of the convention.

The five-day event will feature more than 70 public policy forums, with a particular emphasis on concerns around voter suppression, police brutality, and economic opportunity. Additionally, the ALC will feature a variety of events including an on-site employment fair and authors’ pavilion, the National Town Hall, Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts awards ceremony, Gospel Extravaganza, Black Party, the annual Prayer Breakfast, a jazz concert, exhibit showcase, and the culminating event, the Phoenix Awards Dinner, where President Obama is expected to give his last address before he exits the White House.

"ALC offers an interactive and engaging learning environment using a flexible platform of constructive exchanges about social justice and economic empowerment. Creating change that tackles social injustice, strengthens leadership effectiveness and uplifts populations is of monumental importance to the CBCF," said A. Shuanise Washington, president and CEO of the CBCF. "As we celebrate CBCF's 40th anniversary and reflect on our journey thus far, we realize now is the time to reassert the changes needed to contribute to a sustainable future."

SCHEDULE OF HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS

Sept. 14

*The Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts, 8-10:30 p.m.: The event recognizes inspirational Black luminaries in the fine arts and raises scholarship funds for students who have demonstrated exceptional talent in the arts. The 2016 honorees include musical legend Dionne Warwick, actress and Broadway star Cicely Tyson, and actor Richard Roundtree.

Sept. 15

*National Town Hall, 9-11 a.m.: Moderated by CBC Chairman Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.

Gospel Extravaganza, 8-10:30 p.m.: Featuring several choirs including: The Georgia Mass Choir, of Atlanta, Ga.; Word Tabernacle Choir, of Rocky Mount, N.C.; The Coahoma Community College Gospel Choir, of Clarksdale, Miss.; and the E. L. Clyburn Memorial Choir, of Sumter, S.C.

Jazz Concert: 8-11 p.m.: Featuring saxophonist Yosvany Terry

Sept. 17

Prayer Breakfast, 7-10 a.m.

Phoenix Awards Dinner, 6-9:30 p.m.: Hosted by Trevor Noah, host of {The Daily Show} on Comedy Central, and actress Sanaa Lathan, the event will honor Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton, U.S. Reps. Charles B. Rangel and Marcia L. Fudge, business magnate and philanthropist Robert F. Smith, and Emanuel A.M.E. Church. President Obama will offer his seventh and final keynote address.

Sept. 18

Donald M. Payne Memorial Fellowship Cruise, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

For more information, including tickets and a full schedule of events visit: https://www.eventscribe.com/2016/ALC/