To Be Equal #39
September 28, 2011
A Long Shadow of Doubt: The Execution of Troy Davis
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“When ... the Supreme Court gave its seal of approval to capital punishment, this endorsement was premised on the promise that capital punishment would be administered with fairness and justice. Instead, the promise has become a cruel and empty mockery. If not remedied, the scandalous state of our present system of capital punishment will cast a pall of shame over our society for years to come. We cannot let it continue.” Former United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
Last Wednesday, September 21, 2011 was a sad day for American justice. On that date at 11:08 PM Eastern Time the State of Georgia administered a lethal injection into the body of 42-year-old Troy Davis and put him to death. With his dying breath, Troy Davis maintained his innocence in the 1989 shooting death of off-duty Savannah police officer Mark Allen MacPhail. For 20 years, the shadow of doubt that hung over Davis’ conviction grew so large that it galvanized anti-death penalty advocates around the world, including hundreds of citizens wearing “I am Troy Davis” T-shirts who kept a solemn vigil outside the Jackson, Georgia prison until the final hour
Over the last 20 years, the National Urban League and dozens of other prominent organizations and leaders argued that Davis’s conviction was in serious doubt. Seven of the nine witnesses who originally identified Troy Davis as the murderer, later recanted their testimony. And no murder weapon or other physical evidence was ever found linking Davis to the crime. That is why we joined the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus, Amnesty International, former president Jimmy Carter, Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu, Al Sharpton, former FBI Director William Sessions, Pope Benedict, former Georgia Congressman, Bob Barr and others in calling for Davis’ exoneration or at least further investigation.
The racial subtext of this case cannot be ignored. Davis, a black man, was convicted of killing MacPhail, a white police officer. While African Americans make up only 13 percent of the population, more than 42 percent of death row inmates are black. Over 75 percent of the murder victims in cases resulting in an execution were white, even though nationally, only 50 percent of murder victims were white. .
Since 1973, a total of 138 man and women have been exonerated or had their death sentences commuted based on post-conviction findings that proved their innocence -- five of them in the state of Georgia. And, according to the Innocence Project, “Seventeen people have been proven innocent and exonerated by DNA testing in the United States after serving time on death row. They were convicted in 11 states and served a combined 209 years in prison – including 187 years on death row – for crimes they didn’t commit.” These disparities and problems cast a long shadow of doubt over our criminal justice system.
People of conscience can disagree on the death penalty, but it is unconscionable by every standard to execute someone who very well might be innocent. Our hearts go out not only to Mr. Davis’ family, but also to the family of Mark MacPhail who will never know for sure that his killer was brought to justice.
Legendary Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall was unequivocally against the death penalty and would have been a dissenter in last week’s 11th-hour Supreme Court decision allowing the execution of Troy Davis. Justice Marshall felt, as we do, that as long as questions of equity, fairness and fallibility persist, we must stop executions and give death row inmates every chance to prove their innocence.
###
Sep 8, 2011
Back to School and Back to Work on Creating Jobs
To Be Equal #36
September 7, 2011
Back to School and Back to Work on Creating Jobs
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
"A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining not just whether our kids can compete for the best jobs but whether America can out-compete countries around the world.” President Barack Obama
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and the start of another school year for more than 60 million public school students.
This year, the Labor Day weekend also coincided with the announcement last week that zero jobs were added in August, and African American unemployment has soared to 16.7 percent, the highest rate in 27 years.
It is my hope that with the return of Congress this week and the much-anticipated jobs speech by President Obama on Thursday, Washington is finally ready to make job creation its number one priority.
Education has always been the gateway to good jobs and a better life for the American people.
This has never been more true than today.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people who hold bachelor’s degrees earn on average $58,000 a year compared with just $31,000 for high school graduates and only $21,000 for those without high school diplomas.
We also know that a growing number of 21st century high-tech jobs require higher skills and more education than ever before.
That is why for more than 50 years, the National Urban League’s Education & Youth Development division has worked to improve educational opportunities for African-American and underserved students by developing innovative programs to support their academic achievement, encourage their civic involvement, and contribute to their healthy physical and emotional development. We have also made education a cornerstone of our 21st century empowerment agenda with a challenge to the nation that every American child will be ready for college, work and life by 2025.
The Urban League serves more than 200,000 children and youth each year through Head Start, after-school programs and charter schools.
As the nation struggles to find the right balance between fiscal austerity and necessary investments in our future, the education of our children must not be sacrificed in the process.
Doing so would not only shortchange their futures, it would cripple our ability to grow the American economy and remain competitive in the global economy.
We are encouraged by the Obama Administration’s commitment to education, including signing into law the largest investment in education in history as part of the President’s 2009 stimulus package – some $115 billion over two years to save education jobs, send young people to college, modernize America's classrooms, and advance education reforms.
We are also pleased that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has set aside this week for an “Education and the Economy” bus tour to urban centers, including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago to highlight the important connection between quality education and quality jobs. “No other issue is more critical to our economy and our way of life than education,” said Duncan.
So, as our children head back to the classroom, we urge students to do their part by studying hard and making the most of what their schools and teachers have to offer.
We ask parents to do their part by getting involved.
And we urge local school districts and Congress to do their part by ensuring that all our students have the resources and support they need to succeed.
September 7, 2011
Back to School and Back to Work on Creating Jobs
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
"A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining not just whether our kids can compete for the best jobs but whether America can out-compete countries around the world.” President Barack Obama
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and the start of another school year for more than 60 million public school students.
This year, the Labor Day weekend also coincided with the announcement last week that zero jobs were added in August, and African American unemployment has soared to 16.7 percent, the highest rate in 27 years.
It is my hope that with the return of Congress this week and the much-anticipated jobs speech by President Obama on Thursday, Washington is finally ready to make job creation its number one priority.
Education has always been the gateway to good jobs and a better life for the American people.
This has never been more true than today.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people who hold bachelor’s degrees earn on average $58,000 a year compared with just $31,000 for high school graduates and only $21,000 for those without high school diplomas.
We also know that a growing number of 21st century high-tech jobs require higher skills and more education than ever before.
That is why for more than 50 years, the National Urban League’s Education & Youth Development division has worked to improve educational opportunities for African-American and underserved students by developing innovative programs to support their academic achievement, encourage their civic involvement, and contribute to their healthy physical and emotional development. We have also made education a cornerstone of our 21st century empowerment agenda with a challenge to the nation that every American child will be ready for college, work and life by 2025.
The Urban League serves more than 200,000 children and youth each year through Head Start, after-school programs and charter schools.
As the nation struggles to find the right balance between fiscal austerity and necessary investments in our future, the education of our children must not be sacrificed in the process.
Doing so would not only shortchange their futures, it would cripple our ability to grow the American economy and remain competitive in the global economy.
We are encouraged by the Obama Administration’s commitment to education, including signing into law the largest investment in education in history as part of the President’s 2009 stimulus package – some $115 billion over two years to save education jobs, send young people to college, modernize America's classrooms, and advance education reforms.
We are also pleased that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has set aside this week for an “Education and the Economy” bus tour to urban centers, including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago to highlight the important connection between quality education and quality jobs. “No other issue is more critical to our economy and our way of life than education,” said Duncan.
So, as our children head back to the classroom, we urge students to do their part by studying hard and making the most of what their schools and teachers have to offer.
We ask parents to do their part by getting involved.
And we urge local school districts and Congress to do their part by ensuring that all our students have the resources and support they need to succeed.
Aug 5, 2011
National Urban League’s Boston Conference Urges President and Congress to Refocus National Debate on Jobs
To Be Equal #31
August 3, 2011
National Urban League’s Boston Conference Urges President and Congress to Refocus National Debate on Jobs
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“We face, therefore, a moral crisis as a country and as a people…It is not enough to pin the blame on others, to say this is a problem of one section of the country or another or deplore the facts that we face. A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all.” President John F. Kennedy
The National Urban League concluded the first conference of its second century of service and economic empowerment this past Saturday in Boston. By all accounts, this was one of the most successful gatherings in the organization’s 101-year history. Thousands of citizens from across the country came to the birthplace of America to rally support for jobs and to keep the American Dream alive.
This year’s conference which was themed, “Jobs Rebuild America,” gave voice to the concerns of 14 million unemployed Americans, including urban communities of color that have suffered the most during the great recession. The National Urban League has been a lifeline of support during this crisis, providing job training, foreclosure prevention, education and health services to a record 2.6 million Americans in 2010. But even with that assistance, our communities continue to fall further behind.
In a new National Urban League report released during the conference, “At Risk: The State of the Black Middle Class,” we found that the great recession has begun to dismantle the crown jewel achievement of racial advancement in America – a strong black middle class. Our analysis clearly shows that whether one looks at education, income or any other meaningful measure, almost all the economic gains that blacks have made in the last 30 years have been lost in the Great Recession that started in December 2007 and in the anemic recovery that has followed since June 2009. This means that the size of the black middle class is shrinking, the fruits that come from being in the black middle class are dwindling, and the ladders of opportunity for reaching the black middle class are disappearing.
Our conference was also held in the midst of the debt ceiling debate which for weeks has held the American economy hostage to demands for draconian budget cuts that would spare wealthier Americans from tax increases and further imperil Black America along with middle and working class families.
That is why on the first day of the conference we asked the American people to formally enlist in the war on unemployment. In the spirit of the “Shot Heard Round the World” that rang out from Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 and began the Revolutionary War, we fired an opening volley in the War on Unemployment by urging everyone at our conference and everyone in America to sign an open letter to the President and Congressional leaders. Our letter urges our political leaders to refocus the national debate from deficit reduction to putting America back to work. It calls for a national jobs summit and a national jobs plan based in part on the National Urban League’s 12-point jobs plan.
It is my hope that public pressure will achieve what political leadership has thus far struggled to deliver – a fair, balanced and effective solution to the issue of job creation and ballooning budget deficits.
Our thanks to Boston Mayor, Thomas Menino; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts CEO, Darnell Williams for making this year’s conference such a success.
August 3, 2011
National Urban League’s Boston Conference Urges President and Congress to Refocus National Debate on Jobs
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“We face, therefore, a moral crisis as a country and as a people…It is not enough to pin the blame on others, to say this is a problem of one section of the country or another or deplore the facts that we face. A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all.” President John F. Kennedy
The National Urban League concluded the first conference of its second century of service and economic empowerment this past Saturday in Boston. By all accounts, this was one of the most successful gatherings in the organization’s 101-year history. Thousands of citizens from across the country came to the birthplace of America to rally support for jobs and to keep the American Dream alive.
This year’s conference which was themed, “Jobs Rebuild America,” gave voice to the concerns of 14 million unemployed Americans, including urban communities of color that have suffered the most during the great recession. The National Urban League has been a lifeline of support during this crisis, providing job training, foreclosure prevention, education and health services to a record 2.6 million Americans in 2010. But even with that assistance, our communities continue to fall further behind.
In a new National Urban League report released during the conference, “At Risk: The State of the Black Middle Class,” we found that the great recession has begun to dismantle the crown jewel achievement of racial advancement in America – a strong black middle class. Our analysis clearly shows that whether one looks at education, income or any other meaningful measure, almost all the economic gains that blacks have made in the last 30 years have been lost in the Great Recession that started in December 2007 and in the anemic recovery that has followed since June 2009. This means that the size of the black middle class is shrinking, the fruits that come from being in the black middle class are dwindling, and the ladders of opportunity for reaching the black middle class are disappearing.
Our conference was also held in the midst of the debt ceiling debate which for weeks has held the American economy hostage to demands for draconian budget cuts that would spare wealthier Americans from tax increases and further imperil Black America along with middle and working class families.
That is why on the first day of the conference we asked the American people to formally enlist in the war on unemployment. In the spirit of the “Shot Heard Round the World” that rang out from Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 and began the Revolutionary War, we fired an opening volley in the War on Unemployment by urging everyone at our conference and everyone in America to sign an open letter to the President and Congressional leaders. Our letter urges our political leaders to refocus the national debate from deficit reduction to putting America back to work. It calls for a national jobs summit and a national jobs plan based in part on the National Urban League’s 12-point jobs plan.
It is my hope that public pressure will achieve what political leadership has thus far struggled to deliver – a fair, balanced and effective solution to the issue of job creation and ballooning budget deficits.
Our thanks to Boston Mayor, Thomas Menino; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts CEO, Darnell Williams for making this year’s conference such a success.
Aug 3, 2011
National Urban League and NAACP Presidents Meet With President Obama
To Be Equal #30
July 27, 2011
National Urban League and NAACP Presidents Meet With President Obama
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“It is clear that the unemployment numbers throughout the country require effective legislation and tangible action to address the crisis. To address the unemployment crisis and the need for job creation solutions in underserved communities, the CBC has called upon the private and public sectors to immediately remedy the crisis by going into communities with legitimate, immediate employment opportunities for the underserved.” U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II
This past week, NAACP President Ben Jealous and I forcefully entered the debt ceiling debate during a meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office. During our meeting, we made it clear that as a final deal is hammered out to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the nation from defaulting on August 2nd, no steps should be taken that will shred the social safety net -- the last line of economic defense for millions of working class and middle class Americans. With African American unemployment at 16.2 percent and the jobless rate for Hispanics also in double digits at 11.6 percent, it would be unconscionable to cut Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare benefits, education, job training or housing services now, especially while businesses and wealthy Americans are protected from any tax increase.
The President has insisted from day one that a final agreement must involve shared sacrifice. After our meeting he issued a statement which read in part: “We cannot afford to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable Americans, including the middle class, low-income families, seniors and students.” Ben Jealous and I wholeheartedly agree with the President, and we intend to stand with him as he steadfastly defends that position.
The President also agreed with us that we need to complete a debt ceiling deal quickly so we can turn our full attention to the most pressing issue facing the nation – high unemployment and the lack of jobs. I urged the President to act on the job creating solutions contained in the National Urban League’s 12-point Jobs Rebuild America plan. We also urged support for New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Urban Jobs Bill which would make critically needed investments in education and training to prepare young people most in need for jobs.
One day after our meeting, the debt ceiling talks broke down over the refusal by those on the other side of the negotiating table to pursue a balanced approach. They continue to insist on a one-sided plan of spending cuts, including cutting benefits for the most vulnerable Americans, and no tax increases for the wealthy. It should be noted that this is the first time in almost 100 years that a raise in the nation’s debt ceiling has been linked to deficit reduction.
Ben and I agree: America must get its fiscal house in order so we can invest in job creation and maintain the benefits that protect our must vulnerable citizens. And we adamantly disagree with those who would jeopardize the nation’s credit worthiness and risk a financial meltdown much worse than the recent great recession – all because they refuse to compromise.
The NAACP President and I came away from our Oval Office meeting convinced that President Obama understands fundamentally that deep budget cuts to safety net programs and programs that affect urban communities would be harmful, not just to our constituents, but for the nation at large.
We will continue to insist that the concerns of Black and urban America have a voice in this debate.
###
July 27, 2011
National Urban League and NAACP Presidents Meet With President Obama
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“It is clear that the unemployment numbers throughout the country require effective legislation and tangible action to address the crisis. To address the unemployment crisis and the need for job creation solutions in underserved communities, the CBC has called upon the private and public sectors to immediately remedy the crisis by going into communities with legitimate, immediate employment opportunities for the underserved.” U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II
This past week, NAACP President Ben Jealous and I forcefully entered the debt ceiling debate during a meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office. During our meeting, we made it clear that as a final deal is hammered out to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the nation from defaulting on August 2nd, no steps should be taken that will shred the social safety net -- the last line of economic defense for millions of working class and middle class Americans. With African American unemployment at 16.2 percent and the jobless rate for Hispanics also in double digits at 11.6 percent, it would be unconscionable to cut Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare benefits, education, job training or housing services now, especially while businesses and wealthy Americans are protected from any tax increase.
The President has insisted from day one that a final agreement must involve shared sacrifice. After our meeting he issued a statement which read in part: “We cannot afford to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable Americans, including the middle class, low-income families, seniors and students.” Ben Jealous and I wholeheartedly agree with the President, and we intend to stand with him as he steadfastly defends that position.
The President also agreed with us that we need to complete a debt ceiling deal quickly so we can turn our full attention to the most pressing issue facing the nation – high unemployment and the lack of jobs. I urged the President to act on the job creating solutions contained in the National Urban League’s 12-point Jobs Rebuild America plan. We also urged support for New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Urban Jobs Bill which would make critically needed investments in education and training to prepare young people most in need for jobs.
One day after our meeting, the debt ceiling talks broke down over the refusal by those on the other side of the negotiating table to pursue a balanced approach. They continue to insist on a one-sided plan of spending cuts, including cutting benefits for the most vulnerable Americans, and no tax increases for the wealthy. It should be noted that this is the first time in almost 100 years that a raise in the nation’s debt ceiling has been linked to deficit reduction.
Ben and I agree: America must get its fiscal house in order so we can invest in job creation and maintain the benefits that protect our must vulnerable citizens. And we adamantly disagree with those who would jeopardize the nation’s credit worthiness and risk a financial meltdown much worse than the recent great recession – all because they refuse to compromise.
The NAACP President and I came away from our Oval Office meeting convinced that President Obama understands fundamentally that deep budget cuts to safety net programs and programs that affect urban communities would be harmful, not just to our constituents, but for the nation at large.
We will continue to insist that the concerns of Black and urban America have a voice in this debate.
###
National Urban League Affiliates Serve 2.6 Million Americans in 2010
To Be Equal #29
July 20, 2011
National Urban League Affiliates Serve 2.6 Million Americans in 2010
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“From your founding amid the great migration, to the struggles of the civil rights movement, to the battles of today…America is a better place because of the Urban League.” President Barack Obama
As depression-era unemployment rates and a shrinking social safety net continue to plague urban America, the annual National Urban League census reveals that the organization’s 98 community-based affiliates served a record 2.6 million Americans in 2010 – a 25 percent increase over 2009.
Last year the American economy was supposedly transitioning from the great recession to sustained recovery. Instead, 14 million Americans remained jobless, 8 million more were underemployed and unemployment among African Americans reached 16 percent -- nearly double the national rate. While more urban families faced job losses, smaller pay checks, diminished health services and the threat of foreclosure, many Urban League affiliates filled the gap as lifelines of opportunity. Following is a summary of affiliate activities targeted to our four empowerment goals:
Health Care: Every American has access to quality and affordable health care solutions
The great recession has caused some families to choose food over health care, thereby exposing children and adults to the potential of seriously escalating illnesses.
With 31 states cutting funds for health care services and providers, Urban League affiliates managed to help more 1.4 million Americans purchase medicines, get necessary evaluations and screenings and obtain other critical health care services -- up from 792,000 in 2009.
Education: Every American child is ready for college, work and life
Education is always cited as the cornerstone of America’s future. But last year, 34 states sought to balance their budgets by enacting cuts in K-12 programs. This resulted in fewer participants receiving education services from our affiliates in 2010. However, 172,000 clients still benefited from Urban League affiliate education services, with 50,000 receiving professional development and skills enhancement training.
Economic Empowerment: Every American has access to jobs with a living wage and good benefits
Since 2009, unemployment among African Americans has increased from 14 percent to 16 percent. Last year, the affiliates of the Urban League placed more than 18,000 people in jobs through the operation of 548 economic, entrepreneurship and housing programs. Those programs served an astounding 608,852 clients -- an increase of 232,000 from 2009.
Housing: Every American lives in safe, decent, affordable and energy efficient housing on fair terms
Urban League affiliates provided housing assistance to 441,493 clients in 2010, more than double the clients receiving assistance in 2009. This included 1,188 homes purchased, and 15,524 clients benefiting from foreclosure assistance.
Finally, in 2010, the National Urban League generated an economic impact of $1 billion, including $471.8 million in federal, state and local government support for Urban League programs across the country. The secondary economic impact of $641.6 million is a measure of the success of these efforts, with 18,000 participants placed in jobs, 1,188 new homeowners, 357 new business start-ups, $3.3 million in business sales and $114 million in new investments in economically distressed communities.
Clearly, the National Urban League and its affiliates are helping millions of Americans navigate their way through these economic hard times. The services we provide help strengthen family budgets and communities. And, just as importantly, they allow people to maintain their dignity and a sense of humanity.
###
July 20, 2011
National Urban League Affiliates Serve 2.6 Million Americans in 2010
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“From your founding amid the great migration, to the struggles of the civil rights movement, to the battles of today…America is a better place because of the Urban League.” President Barack Obama
As depression-era unemployment rates and a shrinking social safety net continue to plague urban America, the annual National Urban League census reveals that the organization’s 98 community-based affiliates served a record 2.6 million Americans in 2010 – a 25 percent increase over 2009.
Last year the American economy was supposedly transitioning from the great recession to sustained recovery. Instead, 14 million Americans remained jobless, 8 million more were underemployed and unemployment among African Americans reached 16 percent -- nearly double the national rate. While more urban families faced job losses, smaller pay checks, diminished health services and the threat of foreclosure, many Urban League affiliates filled the gap as lifelines of opportunity. Following is a summary of affiliate activities targeted to our four empowerment goals:
Health Care: Every American has access to quality and affordable health care solutions
The great recession has caused some families to choose food over health care, thereby exposing children and adults to the potential of seriously escalating illnesses.
With 31 states cutting funds for health care services and providers, Urban League affiliates managed to help more 1.4 million Americans purchase medicines, get necessary evaluations and screenings and obtain other critical health care services -- up from 792,000 in 2009.
Education: Every American child is ready for college, work and life
Education is always cited as the cornerstone of America’s future. But last year, 34 states sought to balance their budgets by enacting cuts in K-12 programs. This resulted in fewer participants receiving education services from our affiliates in 2010. However, 172,000 clients still benefited from Urban League affiliate education services, with 50,000 receiving professional development and skills enhancement training.
Economic Empowerment: Every American has access to jobs with a living wage and good benefits
Since 2009, unemployment among African Americans has increased from 14 percent to 16 percent. Last year, the affiliates of the Urban League placed more than 18,000 people in jobs through the operation of 548 economic, entrepreneurship and housing programs. Those programs served an astounding 608,852 clients -- an increase of 232,000 from 2009.
Housing: Every American lives in safe, decent, affordable and energy efficient housing on fair terms
Urban League affiliates provided housing assistance to 441,493 clients in 2010, more than double the clients receiving assistance in 2009. This included 1,188 homes purchased, and 15,524 clients benefiting from foreclosure assistance.
Finally, in 2010, the National Urban League generated an economic impact of $1 billion, including $471.8 million in federal, state and local government support for Urban League programs across the country. The secondary economic impact of $641.6 million is a measure of the success of these efforts, with 18,000 participants placed in jobs, 1,188 new homeowners, 357 new business start-ups, $3.3 million in business sales and $114 million in new investments in economically distressed communities.
Clearly, the National Urban League and its affiliates are helping millions of Americans navigate their way through these economic hard times. The services we provide help strengthen family budgets and communities. And, just as importantly, they allow people to maintain their dignity and a sense of humanity.
###
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