Blog Posts Related to the African American Community

  • The President and First Lady Honor Nelson Mandela on his 93rd Birthday

    Posted by Kori Schulman on July 18, 2011 at 11:10 AM EDT

    Ed. Note: In 2009, the United States joined the United Nations General Assembly in declaring July 18th Nelson Mandela International Day. Today, the global community honors Nelson Mandela through acts of service. You can find service opportunities in your community on Serve.gov.

    "As the people of the world celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday on July 18, Madiba continues to be a beacon for the global community, and for all who work for democracy, justice and reconciliation," President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama said in a statement, "On behalf of the people of the United States, we congratulate Nelson Mandela, and honor his vision for a better world."

    The President and First Lady continued:

    Nelson Mandela said, ‘There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.’ A man who devoted 67 years of his life to public service, Madiba sets the standard for service worldwide, whether we are students, shopkeepers or farmers, cabinet ministers or presidents. He calls on us to serve our fellow human beings, and better our communities.

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  • President Obama Meets Civil Rights Icon Ruby Bridges

    Posted by William Allman on July 15, 2011 at 6:54 PM EDT

    Watch the video of President Obama and Ruby Bridges here.

    When Ruby Bridges visited the Oval Office on July 15, President Obama told her, "I think it's fair to say that if it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be here today."

    November 14, 2010 marked the 50th anniversary of six-year-old Ruby's history-changing walk to the William Franz Public School in New Orleans as part of court-ordered integration in 1960. Six years after the 1954 United States Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education declared that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional, this event represented a victory for the American Civil Rights Movement.

    Bridges was at the White House to see how a painting commemorating this personal and historic milestone looks hanging on the wall outside of the Oval Office. American artist Norman Rockwell was criticized by some when this painting first appeared on the cover of Look magazine on January 14,1964; now the iconic portrait will be on display throughout the summer of 2011 in one of the most exalted locations in the country. 

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  • Treasury Focuses on Revitalizing America’s Cities

    Posted by Tricia Kerney-Willis on July 14, 2011 at 11:00 AM EDT

    Living Cities Symposium

    The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) hosts a symposium on the Living Cities Integration Initiative. July 7, 2011. (by Living Cities Symposium)

    On July 7, 2011 the U.S. Department of the Treasury hosted a symposium to discuss economic revitalization through investment in community development financial institutions (CDFIs).

    The event was a partnership between the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund and Living Cities, and the focus was on the role of CDFIs in the Living Cities Integration Initiative. 

    The CDFI Fund supports financial institutions that provide loans, investments, and technical assistance to underserved communities. Since its creation has awarded $1.11 billion to community development organizations and financial institutions. It has awarded allocations of New Markets Tax Credits, which will attract private-sector investments totaling $26 billion, including $1 billion of special allocation authority to be used for the recovery and redevelopment of the Gulf Opportunity Zone.

    Living Cities is a collaborative of 22 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions who are working to revitalize American cities.  The Integration Initiativewill provide $85 million in grants, below-market interest rate loans and commercial debt to spur public-private partnerships in Baltimore, MD, Cleveland, OH, Detroit, MI, Newark, NJ, and the Twin Cities region of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. In each community, the public, private, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors have agreed to tackle critical issues impeding access of low-income residents to education, housing, health care, transit, and jobs.

    CDFIs play a pivotal role in the Integration Initiative. Living Cities' members from the financial services sector are providing the CDFIs with $55 million in commercial debt, and the Living Cities Catalyst Fund is providing an additional $16 million in below-market rate loans. 

    Those in attendance included: Derek Douglas, Special Assistant to the President for Urban Policy, White House Domestic Policy Council; Michael Strautmanis, Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, White House Office of Public Engagement; The Honorable Rosie Rios, Treasurer of the United States, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Donna J. Gambrell, Director, CDFI Fund,  U.S. Department of the Treasury; Ben Hecht, Chief Executive Officer, Living Cities; and other federal officials from the Departments of Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Transportation, the Small Business Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. 

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  • Supporting Strong Cities and Strong Communities Around the Country

    Posted by Nicole Young on July 11, 2011 at 9:41 AM EDT

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    Today, the Obama Administration launched Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2), a new and customized pilot initiative to strengthen local capacity and spark economic growth in local communities, while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely and efficiently. To accomplish this, federal agencies will provide experienced staff to work directly with six cities: Chester, PA; Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Fresno, CA; Memphis, TN; and New Orleans, LA.  These teams will work with local governments, the private sector, and other institutions to leverage federal dollars and support the work being done at the local level to encourage economic growth and community development.

    Additionally, communities nationwide will be eligible to compete for comprehensive economic planning assistance through a grant competition designed to spark local innovation. By integrating government investments and partnering with local communities, SC2 channels the resources of the federal government to help empower cities as they develop and implement their vision for economic growth.

    Through this pilot, the Obama Administration will focus on three key goals:

    • Improving the way federal government does business:  Cutting through red tape and rationalizing the federal bureaucracy to help deal with the overlapping maze of agencies, regulations and program requirements that are sometimes confusing to local governments; 
    • Providing assistance and support – working with local communities to find ground up, not top down solutions:  Providing on the ground technical assistance and planning resources tailored to local governments’ needs and helping them use the federal funds they already receive more efficiently and effectively; and
    • Partnering for growth:Developing critical partnerships with key local and regional stakeholders that encompass not only municipal and state governments, but also new partnerships with the business community, non-profits, anchor institutions, faith-based institutions, and other public, private, and philanthropic leaders.

    SC2 pilot cities were selected on the basis of economic need, strong local leadership and collaboration, potential for economic growth, geographic diversity, and the ability to test the SC2 model across a range of environments.  Federal assessment teams spent time on the ground working directly with mayors and other local officials to determine needs, opportunities and gather input for the pilot initiative.

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  • HUD Announces Additional Mortgage Relief for Unemployed Homeowners

    Posted by Nicole Young on July 7, 2011 at 2:25 PM EDT

    Today, the Obama Administration announced adjustments to the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Special Forbearance Program requiring servicers to extend the forbearance period for unemployed homeowners to 12 months. These changes will allow unemployed homeowners more time as they seek employment and attempt to stabilize their income.

    Learn more about today's announcment by reading the FHA fact sheet.

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  • Join Today's Conference Call on the African American Labor Force in the Recovery

    Posted by Nicole Young on July 7, 2011 at 11:01 AM EDT

    Today, at 1:30pm, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will host a conference call to discuss highlights from the recent Department of Labor report, The African American Labor Force in the Recovery.

    To receive the call-in phone number, please RSVP.

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