Blog Posts Related to the African American Community

  • An Historic Meeting at the White House with Memphis Sanitation Workers

    Posted by Jared Bernstein on April 29, 2011 at 2:04 PM EDT

    Civil rights, economic and social justice, the rights of workers to bargain collectively...the air here at the White House was thick with these sentiments today.

    They were brought to us by eight of the surviving members of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, who came to the White House today for the first time in their lives.

    President Barack Obama talks with participants from the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike, an iconic campaign in civil rights and labor rights history, during a meeting in the Map Room of the White House, April 29, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

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    If that long-ago strike sticks out in your mind, it’s because Dr. Martin Luther King went to Memphis to support the almost entirely African-American sanitation workforce as they struck for union recognition, better pay, safer working conditions, and, fundamentally, respect.

    It was there, on April 3, that Dr. King delivered his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.

    And it was there, on April 4, when that amazing man was taken from us.

    Please, if you do nothing else today, read (or reread) that speech.  Read it to yourself, to your partner, to your parents and to your kids.  You would be hard-pressed to find another document that so perfectly weaves together the beautiful yet all too fragile fabric of the historical struggle for basic human rights.

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  • Africa Society Hosts White House Officials, Michael Blake and Karen Richardson, for the 2011 Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series

    Posted by Nicole Young on April 28, 2011 at 10:59 AM EDT

    The Africa Society of The National Summit on Africa, in partnership with the Embassy of Ghana, will host Mr. Michael Blake and Ms. Karen Richardson, from The White House Office of Public Engagement as the featured speakers for the second installment of the 2011 Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series entitled, “Youth, The Vanguard for Change.”

    When:
    Thursday, April 28, 2011
    6:30pm Reception
    7:00pm Lecture

    Where:
    Embassy of the Republic of Ghana
    3512 International Drive, NW
    Washington, D.C. 20009

    This forum is in response to the overwhelming political activism of young people recently observed on the African continent and around the world. Both speakers will have the opportunity to address the power of youth leaders and movements that have only begun to show their political might. They will discuss how best to reach youth to influence positive change and the particular challenges facing burgeoning youth populations worldwide.  Both Ms. Richardson and Mr. Blake play significant roles in their present capacities at The White House and are proficient both in engaging Americans as well as individuals in the international community.

    The event is the second installment of The Africa Society’s Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series in 2011 and the first ever featuring two speakers. Now in its tenth year, the Lecture Series features distinguished speakers whose work has influenced and advanced awareness of U.S.-Africa relations. Named in honor of the former Chairman of The Africa Society Board, the Series was launched in 2002 and continues to hold at African embassies on a rotational basis.                

    The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa is a non-profit that engages and educates Americans about Africa and creates, through partnerships, a better understanding of its peoples, diverse cultures, histories, and economies. For more information visit www.africasummit.org.

  • Federal and Local Leaders Participate in Town Hall Highlighting D.C. Promise Neighborhood Initiative

    Posted by Nicole Young on April 26, 2011 at 10:08 AM EDT

    U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and America’s Promise Alliance’s Chair Alma Powell will join representatives from the D.C. Promise Neighborhood Initiative (DCPNI) for a town hall on Wednesday, April 27 at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools (CCPCS) for Public Policy’s Parkside Campus in Washington D.C. CCPCS is one of 21 grantees awarded a U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods planning grant last fall.

    What:
    D.C. Promise Neighborhood Initiative Town Hall

    Event Featuring:
    U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
    Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes
    D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray
    America’s Promise Alliance Chair and Honorary Chair of DCPNI Advisory Board Alma Powell
    DCPNI Project Director and CEO of Chávez Schools Irasema Salcido
    DCPNI Representatives

    When:
    9:30-10:30 a.m. EDT
    Duncan, Powell and Salcido will hold a brief media availability at 10:35 a.m. EDT.

    Where:
    Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools (CCPCS) for Public Policy
    Parkside Campus Gymnasium
    3701 Hayes St., N.E.
    Washington D.C.  

    Learn more by visiting the Department of Education's website. 

    Learn more about Education, Working Families

  • Attorney General Holder Announces Formation of the Oil and Gas Price Fraud Working Group

    Posted by Nicole Young on April 21, 2011 at 6:24 PM EDT

    Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the creation of the The Oil and Gas Price Fraud Working Group.  In March 2011, President Obama asked the Attorney General to work with federal and state agencies to monitor oil and gas markets for potential wrongdoing. The working group is a direct response to the President’s call for action and will focus specifically on fraud in the energy markets.

    Learn more by visiting the Department of Justice’s website.

    Learn more about Civil Rights, Energy and Environment, Fiscal Responsibility

  • Expanding Our Reach to Underserved Small Businesses

    Posted by Marie Johns on April 19, 2011 at 6:58 PM EDT

    Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with a small group of minority women business leaders at the White House.   We discussed the President’s job creation initiatives and talked about how we can work together to support America’s small businesses—especially companies located in historically underserved communities.

    At the SBA, I am focused on identifying and reaching small businesses in our underserved communities, including those owned by women and minorities.  The fact is that these companies are some of the fastest growing businesses in America.  For instance, African American-owned firms are growing at three times the rate of business overall.  And they are doing this despite the many roadblocks they face in accessing the tools they need to compete and thrive. 

    While the SBA is committed to helping all small businesses meet these challenges, we are particularly focused on assisting companies in underserved communities.  That is why we launched two new initiatives, Small Loan Advantage and Community Advantage, which help get lower dollar loans into the hands of small business owners.  Often, a small business does not need a $1 million or $2 million loan.  They simply need $50,000 to buy new equipment, or $100,000 to renovate a building.  This is especially true in underserved communities, where it is increasingly difficult for entrepreneurs to access capital.  These new initiatives make it easier and more cost-effective for our lending partners to make these important loans.

    Another way we are connecting with underserved markets is through our Advisory Council on Underserved Communities.  I am excited to be working closely with Cathy Hughes, the founder of Radio One, Inc., and a former SBA borrower, who is serving as the Council’s chairperson.  Under Ms. Hughes’ leadership, the Council will provide feedback and advice on how the Agency can expand our reach to the businesses that need it most.  The Council will hold its first meeting in a few months, and we will definitely want to hear from you. 

    The SBA helps small businesses get the tools they need, and that means that small businesses in underserved communities can turn to us for support.  The President and all of us throughout the Administration are committed to getting those tools into the hands the small businesses that are growing and creating the jobs America needs to win the future. 

    Learn more about Economy, Women

  • The President at Easter Breakfast: "Our Thoughts and Prayers are With All the Families" in North Carolina

    Posted by Jesse Lee on April 19, 2011 at 10:07 AM EDT

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    Watch the President's full remarks here.

    At his Easter Prayer Breakfast this morning in the East Room with Christian leaders from across the country, the President kept his remarks brief but still made a point to note the tough times in one area of the country right now: "as some of you know, obviously, North Carolina was ravaged by storms this past weekend, and our thoughts and prayers are with all the families who have been affected down there."

    Yesterday the President also spoke to two North Carolinians on the devastation.  One was Michael Hollowell, manager of a Lowes home improvement store hit by a tornado in Sanford, North Carolina, whose swift action saved lives and made him a hero across the country.  The second was David Crabtree, of WRAL in Raleigh, where the first questions in the interview were naturally about the storms:

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