Skip to main content

President Obama Meets with African American Leaders At White House

The President met with African American leaders yesterday in the Roosevelt Room at the White House to continue their dialogue on his plan to strengthen the economy for the middle class and continue to build ladders of opportunity for those striving to get there.


The President reiterated his commitment to supporting policies that will directly impact those hardest hit by the economic crisis by making sure that America is a magnet for jobs, increasing access to job training programs, partnering with high-poverty communities to help them rebuild, and encouraging companies to invest in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The president also reiterated his call to reform education by expanding universal pre-K for every child as a way to significantly decrease the achievement gap.  The president and the leaders expressed a shared concern about the need to implement common-sense improvements to the voting process, reiterating his belief that our democracy works best when every American eligible to vote has the opportunity to cast their ballot and make their voices heard. 

The President called on the leaders to continue the national dialogue on the need for a balanced approach to deficit reduction.  He stressed the harm that the automatic cuts known as the sequester will have on thousands of jobs while cutting  services to children, seniors, mental wellness programs, small businesses, and those in our military. 

The President praised the participants for their steadfast leadership on a broad range of issues critical to improving the economy and strengthening our country. The leaders in attendance also highlighted their goals to continue to build momentum for Congress to act in the best interests of the American people by supporting policies that help move our country forward. 

Participants included Melanie Campbell, President, National Coalition of Black Civic Participation; Ralph Everett, President, Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies; Wade Henderson, President, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Ben Jealous, President, National Association of the Advancement of Colored People; Avis Jones-DeWeever, Executive Director, National Council of Negro Women; Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition; Al Sharpton, Founder and President of National Action Network; Rev Derrick Harkins, 19th Street Baptist Church, and Judith Browne Dianis, Co-Director of the Advancement Project.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Children Have a Right To Learn About Our Past"

Tracking CRT While many on the right have opposing viewpoints about the critically acclaimed phenomenon that is CRT (Critical Race Theory) that would teach the truth about the founding of America, groups like the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights say 'children have a right to learn about our past." In a press release on Wednesday, the LCCHR writes the following: WASHINGTON  – In light of the ongoing attempts to whitewash and erase the history of the United States, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, along with 79 civil rights and education organizations, today released a response condemning the attacks on critical race theory, culturally responsive curricula, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.  The full response is below and available  here .  “All students deserve access to an education that prepares them to succeed in college, career, and life and to fully exercise their social, political, and economic rights. Attempting to gag ed...
Post a Comment
Read more

National Action Network National Convention

The National Action Network , led by Reverend Al Sharpton , convenes this week at the DC Convention Center. The convention started off with the parents of Trayvon Martin speaking at the convention on the arrest of George Zimmerman, the murderer of their son. The event also hosted Magic Johnson and Department of Justice head, Eric Holder. The convention will continue through this week. Watch live streams below. officialnationalactionnetwork on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free
Post a Comment
Read more

Howard Dean, Phylicia Rashad, Sorry For 'Insensitive' Cosby Tweet

Phylicia Rashad , Howard alum and recently appointed Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University, offered her sincere apologies to the university’s parents and students after showing her support this week for Bill Cosby who was released from jail on sexual assault charges.  Bill Cosby with Phylicia Rashad for The Cosby Show. (Circa 1984) Shortly after Cosby’s release, Rashad tweeted (then deleted), “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!” along with a picture of her The Cosby Show TV husband with raised arm and fisted stance.  RELATED: Cosby Responds Her remarks got the attention of the Twitter-sphere who, along with her employer, thought Ms. Rashad’s comments were also “insensitive.” In a statement, Howard University wrote, “… her initial tweet lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault...” One Twitter user, @chellech, questioning the allegiance of Howard University to Rashad tweeted, "I wouldn't ...
Post a Comment
Read more