We Need Pro-Active Professional Public Relations for President Barack Obama (Read Black)

by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

I rode down to Baltimore recently, on one of the Chinese Bus lines, to attend a special family reunion with my Uncle, who is nearly 80, and was visiting here from the left coast (a/k/a California).

Normally I do most of my travel at night, because it’s hard to get out of New York - we’re always doing something. So I generally take the last or next to the last bus out. But this time I did something different - and I’m glad I did. I left New York at 7:00 AM (needless to say I did not go to bed, because for me to leave at 7:00 means I had to be up by 5:00, to get out of the house by 6:00 to get there by 7:00 AM in the first place. No self-respecting night owl, such as myself, would ever do that. So, yes, I was up all night. Thank goodness you can do that in New York.)

As we were rolling down I-95, I began to notice miles and miles of heavy equipment and construction equipment. I noticed that certain portions of the turnpike were in various stages of repair (they need to do that in NYC as well, I can point out some pothole heavens that could easily destroy an axle.)

In Jersey, there was construction going on. In Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland -- highways being constructed, repaired, expanded, re-routed. What was up? Was it a coincidence that all the interstate highways seemed to be undergoing some sort of massive construction?

And it suddenly dawned on me -- these are some of the “shovel ready” projects that were being underwritten by President Barack Obama’s Stimulus funds, allocated to jump start a stalled economy. However, you would never know it because it was taking places in different states, and the signage you see when local government is doing the work was conspicuously absent from these projects.

So I want to propose something to help those who flap their gums about what the President hasn’t done, or needs to do: I want his public relations people to immediately construct and erect the same huge billboards with the name of the particular stimulus fund project on it, and the caption: THIS PROJECT OR EVENT OR BUILDING MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE FORESIGHT OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TO ALLOCATE $hundreds of trillions in stimulus funds for (THE NAME OF YOUR STATE/HIGHWAY HERE). Beside the billboard they must have a beautiful photo of President Obama smiling that wonderful smile of his, and signing the paperwork that got the Stimulus Fund started. And maybe on the other side have him with two thumbs up showing the progress is being made.

Every where there is a project that has benefitted from those funds, we must have signs saying: "Your stimulus dollars at work!!

I guarantee if we construct such a sign for each and every stimulus fund program or project that is benefiting from these funds, not only will the billboard industry benefit from an injection of stimulus dollars, but the ignorance and the lies will die down. Then to further promulgate his accomplishments, let's design little mini-comic books for our youth and those adults who never made it, also depicting his progress. He doesn't necessarily have to wear a super hero costume, but it can be IMPLIED, so that no one overlooks the inferences.

Now, I also propose that President Obama go beyond the White House staffers who routinely write, or synopsize his actions, and reach out to those of us in the media who live here in the communities who can also write good copy about his programs and their positive effect on our community and readership. We love him and we are very CREATIVE, and eager to set the record straight in his behalf (in point of fact, that's exactly what we do constantly and continuously; would be great to be paid for it).

We can call it BLOGGING FOR OBAMA!!!!! We are the frontline antidote for vicious mainstream media that would and often does, constantly and consistently distort, or block his messages.

That stimulus money would not only help us, but will make it possible for us to likewise help others who are interested in working with us in furtherance of speaking the truth to power, and providing essential information to a populace long suffering under decades of lies and propaganda foisted upon them by a media who has tried to be the only show in town.

The other billboard we need should be one that is a constantly updatable one that can be seen from the freeways, as well as on the streets. It should say “THANK YOU PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA FOR THE FOLLOWING:
It would then list his accomplishments, starting with the most recent first, and continuing to list them from the day he took his oath of office to the present date. Each time the President accomplishes something else, the billboard will list it, without eliminating the others that are also part of the accomplishments he’s done in such a short time.

Then, just for fun, let’s have a friendly reminder that appears in the Newspapers and on our blogs on a consistent basis:

THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW: Contrasting under “then” the economic down turn; under the NOW, the things the President has accomplished -- maybe with some animated or cartoon illustrations (we need good political satirists) who can help make this happen.

These are only a handful of things we, writers, speakers, and media specialists can do NOW in behalf of ourselves and our President, to make sure that these miscreants are no longer the strident voices being given the most focus.

You can also pledge to not reprint hostile or derogatory information about President Obama. I have made it plain that not only will I not accept or reprint it, but I will cut the writer off from my list. I am not supporting that so called “objective” crap -- since most of it is motivated by racism. Now of course, our President cannot make such accusations, no matter how true they are -- and the mainstream media is counting on this to be able to maintain a clear field in their nefarious move of character assassination and blatant propaganda.
They also prey on the gullibility factor that far too many Americans are guilty of, coupled with an inborn redneckism that some have hard wired in their dna.

We, on the other hand have a truth filter that will not allow this kind of reprehensible behavior to continue unchallenged. We need both head to head confrontation, hand to hand combat (via headlines and refutations) and guerilla warfare, via our churches, community centers, Sororities and Fraternities and all of our civil rights, civic and social organizations. We have to become and stay OBAMACIZED.

We have to be able to speak truth to power the way our president does, with that same assured smile on our face, but with just a little more oomph! To let the enemy know that we’re not playing.

Just so you know, this letter is definitely going to be posted on my blog; but it is also going to the National Newspaper Publisher Association (NNPA); the NYABJ and the ABJ - association of Black journalists; the National Urban League, the NAACP, CORE, National Black Public Relations Specialists Association (NBPRSA); Association of Black Social Workers; the Black Ministerial Alliance - and all the rest of those who should be standing shoulder to shoulder backing and advancing for President Barack Obama, and for those who are currently running for office or re-election who will be instrumental in making sure he has and maintains the conscientious majority in the Congress he needs to continue to get the job done.

Don’t think that you only have to come out and support President Obama in 2012. This is an ongoing battle. It requires each and every one of us diligently doing our job, taking out our time, taking the principled, hard line stand to back him and the people who support him as well.

By the way, when you see those bogus polls, like the one CBS is currently running, rating the President's performance thus far, make sure you take out time to complete it. But also let them know that we want to see a poll that ranks President Obama's performance in comparison to his predecessor. The poll is only valid when it's comparing appropriate categories. For instance, how Obama is doing in the economy should also be juxtaposed against the economy and how the predecessor had done over the same approximate time. It also helps to know what phase of the economy they're referring to. Bottom line, the more we respond to the so-called surveys, the less likely they are to continue putting that b.s. out there. Of course, we could also run some polls of our own.

There is a primary election here in New York. No doubt there are primaries around the US. We have to expose the devil (I.e. republicans and their so-called Tea Party/Sarah Palin/Bush hang over/Rove charlatans for who and what they are. WE HAVE TO VOTE THEM OUT of office, and make sure we VOTE IN those who walk the walk and talk the talk - OBAMA STYLE.

Unless you got forty more years to wander around in the wilderness waiting for the next great Black break through to come through, this is it -- so let’s make it the best 8 years with the best Black (or any other) President this country or the White House, or the world has ever witnessed.

Though the title says Black Public Relations for President Obama, I'm not closing the doors on our brothers and sisters who admire him from Japan, China, Africa, Latin America,India, Brazil and South America, Austrailia, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Germany and other parts of the world. We welcome your support as well. As long as it's positive, the message will definitely go forth.

Public relations people the world over, and here in the US, start your spin.
We’ve got a great and mighty work to do!

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

HANDS OFF CHARLIE RANGEL & MAXINE WATERS: Ethnic Cleansing And The Ethics Committee: McCarthyism in the 21st Century

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Well, it’s déjà vu all over again. The so-called ethics committee is going to “investigate” Congressman Charlie Rangel, for alleged unethical practices.

Don’t you find it interesting that this is similar to the b.s. investigation they leveled against Adam Clayton Powell Jr., when he became head of the House Ways and Means Committee, and attached more bills in favor of African Americans to any bill on the floor in the history of Congress? They came up with trumped up charges against him as well, and finally were able to use their bogus allegations to drive him out of office.

Interesting isn’t it that both men are Black, both from New York, both take principled stands, and both were head of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee?

Does anyone see the parallel between that and now? Is this a familiar issue to us? You bet your sweet a___ it is! Who here really believe that Charlie Rangel is guilty of anything egregious enough to be brought before the so-called "Ethics" committee. Who really understands that the same yellow journalism that has been leveled against President Obama, by mainstream media has been leveled against Congressman Rangel? The mainstream media have been used by the right wing to hound him, in much the same way they did Bill Clinton, to blow out of proportion issues that should not have even made a quarter inch column.

Compared to his track record, this is minutiae blown out of proportion. But, as with anything, we are not only ten times more talented, we are generally painted as ten times more guilty and culpable than any white (yes I said it) white congress person, white president, etc.

We have to see it for what it really is.

There is no ethics in the ethics committee. It’s in name only. It’s convenient when they have allowed the court of media-fanned public opinion to push them into knee jerk action.

Case in point: Where was the ethics committee when people like Strom Thurmond or Robert Byrd were around? Both were blatant racists; both card carrying members of the KKK. Both were segregationists, racists. Their just making an apology does not mitigate what African Americans suffered at their hands. How many were hung, burned, or castrated under their watch, while they were still in office?? Apology from them brought exoneration. Now isn't that special!

How can we be sure that Charlie Rangel is being dealt with ethically, equitably, with the same criteria the give their Caucasian peers. Why should we give credence to this trial; where they tie his feet to the fire, while the others are able to skulk around, flying low under the radar.

Where was the ethics committee when the Vice President Cheyney under George Bush, Jr., accidentally on purpose shot someone during a hunting trip? Where were they when Cheyney was running the White House and ruining America by fiat? Where were they when the entire bottom dropped out of our economy, under the advise and consent of key people in the Republican dominated administration?

I find it highly unethical that the ethics committee is basing its so-called investigation of Rangel on media hype and dirt digging; kind of funny, because I’d be willing to bet that most of our elected officials have one or more homes; have one or more business connections; and have raised funds in some of the most "creative" fashions..

My suspicion of this witch hunt grew even more when I found that they are investigating 8 (eight) Black congressmembers, among them the honorable Maxine Waters of California. It then begins to smell like exactly what is is. Not ethics - but a kind of ethnic cleansing under the guise of ethics. If it looks like a snake and hisses like a snake, it's a snake. Shades of McCarthyism running rampant in the halls of Congress, under the guise of ethics -- trying to assuage the yellow journalists -- we see you for who and what you are.

If the Democrats are worried about this splitting the party, they should be.

But the Republicans should be petrified with fear. Because we truly do recognize where this is coming from. These are the same people who tried to have Clinton impeached. These are the same people who brought you Sarah Palin, Richard TD Nixon, George Bush (1 & 2); Ford, Goldwater, and the ever unpopular Reagan. Each time they've had a hand on this country, we've been left eviscerated, disgraced, embarrassed and broke. And they leave with their pockets lined with our money, while they tread on our dignity and our trust. We have just had a blatant example of how little the Republicans care for Americans, when they filibustered over the extension of Unemployment funds to desperate families, who lost jobs as a result of their completely bankrupting the country under the Bush Administration. We know who you are.

We over understand the situation. That does not mean that so-called "blue dog Democrats" are not on our radar, but character assassination is the province of the Republican party. In either case, both parties will be walking on eggs if harm politically, socially, financially or emotionally comes to Congressman Rangel, Maxine Waters or any of the other Black congress members undergoing this ignominiously disgraceful grilling.

And always remember, there is the LARRY FLYNT FACTOR. The rep and office you save may be your own.

WE ARE WATCHING AND REGISTERING AND VOTING. Consider the consequences.

In case you missed my point, I reiterate, the blatant issue is that both Charlie Rangel and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. were and are Black, and in charge of the most powerful committee in the nation. So the racist hounds of hell went after them the way they do whenever a Black person wields power. The allegations are pure racist b.s.

Yes, I said it! It’s racist b.s.

Charlies apartments and real estate were purchased nearly 30 years ago. It wasn't an issue then, and it's not an issue now. Having a property in the Dominican Republic is not a crime. And as far as I know, no one has died as a result of either of these two acts. But, I can almost bet you that under KKK Byrd in West Virginia many a Black man and woman have become "strange fruit"; segregated, denigrated, violated. Where is the real standard? Where is the real moral compass? Since the ethics committee didn’t deal with Byrd, or any of the other characters who have committed egregious acts against America, Republican and Democrat, they get a vote of no confidence from me.

By the way, exactly what does the Ethics Committee’s standard, or code of ethics consists of? Share them with the world, so we can see if they are truly equitable. List them so we can all see them. Then I think we should have full disclosure as to where each member of the ethics committee stands or falls along that criteria. Additionally, who are their contributors? How did they get elected? Who’s in their closet? What’s their track record? If they can’t stand the litmus test, they shouldn’t serve on the committee.

Biblically speaking, he or she who is without sin can cast the first stone.

Otherwise, HANDS OFF CHARLES RANGEL, MAXINE WATERS AND THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS.

To all of you who are likewise reading this, don't just sit there and nod your heads in agreement. Pass this on, and get your people together to make sure that we are VOTING OUT OF OFFICE THOSE WHO WOULD UNDERMINE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORTING PRESIDENT OBAMA -- because this is really where it's coming from. Let's make sure we send home a few more Republicans. Let's not be sitting on our hands and sitting at home when we need to be at the polls. It's the bigger picture time. And it's time to let them know those days are over.

Time to take out the trash.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLESSED
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

STAY BLESSED

PS: ADDITIONAL NOTE

I mentioned that there were at least 8 Black Congress members under scrutiny via the so-called ethics committee, I decided to do some additional research. There are actually 9 African American and 2 Hispanics under investigation. (wikipaedia)

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Donna Christensen, Donald Payne, and Bennie Thompson are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for taking part in a private trip organized by the Carib News Foundation. The Carib News Foundation is an organization that focuses on closer ties between the United States and the Caribbean. The allegation is that the funds for travel were provided by businesses. The error is in trying to make it look as if big business and/or major Wall Street based corporations had a hand in their accomodations, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Additionally the Carib News Foundation is a Black, nonprofit organization, and each one of these congressmembers, in the interest of their constituency, were actually appropriately participating in the conference. What would happen had any of the caucasian congressional members visited Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland or Germany for a conference? Would that have likewise come under scrutiny? What about Greece, Italy, France?

The ethics committee is on a witch hunt, trying to legitimize their existence via bogus allegations. There are too many other things they need to be taking care of to put the country back on track. How about investigating the Republicans who filibustered to keep from expanding unemployment benefits while millions of Americans, white and Black, were twisting in the wind?

Stop wasting our time with this McCarthy Era type lynch mob mentality and get on with the business at hand.

The following are the Black Congressional Members who are being harassed by the (un)Ethics Committee:


Sen. Roland Burris (D-Illinois)

Currently Burris is under investigation by The Senate Ethics Committee and the Illinois Sangamon County State Attorney for continually changing his testimony regarding his appointment to the vacant Illinois Senate seat left by President Barack Obama. He has given more than three different explanations for his appointment to the seat. While Burris did not claim he spent money on legal fees, he has stated he has accumulated more than $500,000 in legal fees surrounding his appointment to the Illinois Senate seat. After being appointed to the Senate, Burris filed an affidavit stating that he had not had any contact with Blagojevich or anyone involved in the Blagojevich campaign concerning the vacant Senate seat. Three days later, Burris testified in person before the impeachment committee and when asked if he had spoken with anyone "closely related to the governor, including family members or lobbyists connected with him," Burris named only former Blagojevich chief of staff, Lon Monk. A month later, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Burris sent an additional affidavit to the head of the Illinois House impeachment committee revealing that Robert Blagojevich, Rod Blagojevich's brother, had spoken with Burris three times in October and November 2008 about raising funds for the then-Governor. Initially, Burris stated that he refused to contribute to the campaign. However, a few days later Burris offered yet another version, telling reporters that he had in fact contacted several people about holding a fundraiser, but that he had abandoned the idea. According to this version, it was not until their final conversation that Burris told Robert Blagojevich that his interest in the Senate seat prevented him from raising money for the then-Governor.

Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Georgia)
Sanford Bishop is under investigation for allegedly giving a local youth program, where his stepdaughter and her husband work, $200,000 of federal funds in which Bishop earmarked. Bishop did not know of his stepdaughter's, Aayesha Owens Reese, employment with the program and said he immediately asked the marshal to terminate her when he learned of her employment. Bishop claims he learned of his stepdaughter's employment on February 20, 2009, months after the earmark was proposed. An internal audit was performed on the program and revealed more than $7,000 was deposited into Bishop's wife's account on behalf of her son-in-law, Stephen M. Reese. The audit also showed Mrs. Reese received $7,575 from the program. In early 2009, a GBI agent claimed that while the FBI was aware of the situation, currently, there is not a criminal investigation.Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands)

Donna Christensen is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for taking part in a private trip organized by the Carib News Foundation. The trip was to an annual Caribbean business conference held on St. Maartens Island. The trip came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the conference was sponsored by businesses, a violation of new ethics rules passed in the 2007 Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Illinois)
Jesse Jackson Jr. is under investigation by the Office on Congressional Ethics and the Department of Justice in relation to his bid to fill the Illinois Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. Jackson was anonymous "Senate Candidates #5" "whose emissaries Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reportedly offered up to $1 million to name him to the U.S. Senate. Both the OCE and the DOJ have asked for documents showing correspondence between former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Jackson. The DOJ has subpoenaed several individuals who have knowledge of possible fundraising efforts by Jackson’s supporters to encourage Gov. Blagojevich to appoint Jackson to the Senate. In December 2008, Jackson stated that he denounces "pay-to-play politics" and that he had "no involvement in any wrongdoing, including authorizing or initiating any promise to Gov. Blagojevich."

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Michigan)
Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for taking part in a private trip organized by the Carib News Foundation. The trip was to an annual Caribbean business conference held on St. Maartens Island. The trip came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the conference was sponsored by businesses, a violation of new ethics rules passed in the 2007 Honest Leadership and Open

Rep. Donald Payne (D-New Jersey)

Rep. Donald Payne is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for taking part in a private trip organized by the Carib News Foundation. The trip was to an annual Caribbean business conference held on St. Maartens Island. The trip came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the conference was sponsored by businesses, a violation of new ethics rules passed in the 2007 Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-New York)
On September 24, 2008, the House Ethics Committee launched an official probe to investigate discrepancies in his finances upon Rangel's request. The investigate subcommittee is looking into the following charges:

* Using official congressional stationery to solicit contributions for an educational center bearing his name.
* His living in four rent-stabilized apartments in his Harlem district while claiming his Washington, DC home as his primary residence for tax purposes.
* Failure to report $75,000 in rental income or pay taxes on a beach property in the Dominican Republic, which included a interest free loan deal.
* Storing his Mercedes-Benz in the House parking lot, contrary to House rules and tax laws.

It was also reported, that from 2004 to 2007,he funneled almost $80,000 in campaign cash to a company run by his son to build a pair of campaign websites that were riddled with misspellings and so poorly designed, an expert estimated the cost for making and operating the site at $1,000.

Since 1978, Rangel has also failed to report assets 28 times on his financial disclosure forms due to an investigation that revealed sums hundreds of thousands of dollars disappearing and appearing without notice from his disclosures.

In December 2008, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, expressed hope that the Rangel investigation would be completed by the end of the 110th Congress’ term on January 4, 2009. Following the defeat of a House GOP resolution to have Rangel removed, on February 10, 2009, the Ethics Committee voted to continue investigations into Rangel. In early 2009, Rangel paid approximately $445,000 in legal fees.Despite Rangel's hope that the investigation would soon clear him, on February 10, 2009, the House Ethics Committee voted to prolong the probe.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-California) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-California)
Loretta Sanchez and Linda Sanchez are currently under investigation by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. The Committee is reviewing whether Loretta Sanchez broke House rules when three of her aides were put on the payroll of Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, who also happens to be her sister, in late 2006. This occurred after an embezzlement scandal left Loretta Sanchez's office short on funds. Then-staffer Caroline Valdez embezzled somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 for personal use and pleaded guilty to a felony embezzlement charge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in May 2009. Loretta Sanchez's attorney, Stan Brand, confirmed on May 18, 2009 that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct was investigating her and her sister's behavior.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California)

Maxine Waters is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The committee has not yet disclosed why the congresswoman is under investigation, but it is believed to be related to her role in securing funds from the Treasury Department's TARP program for the bank, OneUnited. The congresswoman's husband was a board member and stock holder in OneUnited. The Treasury Department did not initially view OneUnited as eligible for TARP funds until Waters intervened.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi)

Bennie Thompson is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for taking part in a private trip organized by the Carib News Foundation. The trip was to an annual Caribbean business conference held on St. Maartens Island. The trip came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the conference was sponsored by businesses, a violation of new ethics rules passed in the 2007 Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.


Time to tell the truth and shame the devil. Time to expose the ethics committee for the ethnic cleansing machine they really are. We are not amused, nor are we sucked in by their authoritarian modus operandii. We have been the brunt of the media lies and manipulations for far too long and understand very well how character assassination works.


This has to go out coast to coast - North, South, East, West and Central. Wherever we are, we have to be vigilant about our rights, and have the backs of people who have been backing us. I urge you to pass this on - get the word out.


BY THE WAY, IS THERE A JOHNNY COCHRANE IN THE HOUSE? If so, you're very much needed. In fact, let's groom a series of Johnny Cochrane's; NAACP Legal Defense Council - whereever you are -- time to step out front and center. Your people need you.

Those of us who are not lawyers, remember we still have the right to vote. Thanks to so many who risked their lives in the 60's and before. This is no time to take it for granted. Register, get your 18 year olds registered. Get your neighbors and friends, and acquaintances registered. We have to get them any way we can, and some are no more powerful than the next vote. Check with your local political leaders, but realize that we are linking up nationally.

Don't sleep your upcoming local elections. They are key to the next major thrust - send the Republicans back under the rocks from whence they came.


Stay blessed &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

Gloria Dulan-Wilson

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE CELEBRATES ITS CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE (100 YEARS) 2010 IN WASHINGTON D.C.

BY Gloria Dulan-Wilson

The National Urban League, under the leadership of former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, just celebrated its 100th Anniversary via its Educate and Elevate! Centennial Conference 2010 in grand style in Washington, DC, from July 27 through July 31

Their theme, I AM EMPOWERED, echoed throughout the entire event, as they literally took DC by storm. They had a Women’s Empowerment Day, a Volunteer Empowerment Day, and focus on job opportunities, not only for recent college grads, but for seniors who were still looking for viable opportunities in their fields.

Empowerment, indeed, is definitely what is needed now, when so many African Americans are at a crossroads, individually and collectively. And the Urban League enunciated its meaning in a way that no organization has ever done before. I came away from that event truly inspired. And, Yes, I took the “I Am Empowered” pledge. It was an act of genius on their part. The goal is to get two million African Americans to take the pledge to BE EMPOWERED, throughout the US. And they are well on their way to doing so.

The venerable organization, which was founded September 29, 1910 in New York, has had a lifetime of service to the Black community. Few realize that the NUL was actually the consolidation of three organizations that, individually, experienced only marginal success, but collectively, became a force to be reckoned with. The Committee on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, the National League for the Protection of Colored Women, and the Committee for Improving the Industrial Conditions of Negroes in New York merged into the National Urban League. 

One can only imagine what it took to persuade the three to unite, instead of operating on the kind of ego-trips we generally witness today among our organization, businesses, and even some of our churches. Thank goodness these visionaries had the insight, and infinite wisdom to make it happen,

These visionaries, whom Morial called the original “odd couple”, were a Black man, George Edmund Haynes, and a white woman, Ruth Standish Baldwin. Now, despite the fact that they were in New York, where rules were somewhat more relaxed, Baldwin and Haynes were taking a big risk. It was during this era that Black people were fleeing the south to escape pervasive oppression, poverty, lynchings, KKK, and all that made the South a dangerous and undesirable place to live.

Black people who came to New York found out there were no jobs, housing conditions were abysmal, they didn’t have the requisite job skills for an industrialized society. Haynes and Baldwin formed an alliance to do something about it. That’s what Empowerment is all about.

For the entire week the National Urban League (NUL) focused on issues of concern to African Americans facing an economic downturn that has resulted in double digit unemployment for us nationally (the rate for Blacks is 23% or more, compared to the national average of 10%).

These challenges are nothing new for them. For 100 years they have focused on and advocated for equal employment, job and career training, equality in the workplace. In fact, per Morial, “In our first century, we beat back the Klan. We stopped the lynchings. We turned a climate of fear into a climate of hope. We helped a rural people transition to the industrial jobs of the north. In our first century, we began to tear down many of the ugly walls of segregation, injustice and inequality.

Every conference has their signature “giveaways”, usually a bag with their logo, and some gadgets that other organizations and corporations have donated. But the National Urban League’s 100 Anniversary bag included UPLIFT: Past Present and Future Magazine, “The Woodson Review: the Association for the Study of African American Life and History” (founded by Carter G. Woodson); Empower Magazine; as well as a complimentary copy of “MY PEOPLE” a pictoral collection by Charles R. Smith,Jr. based on a poem by Langston Huges.

The interesting part for me was the frame of reference in maintaining continuity between those who have paved the way, and our contemporary leaders. Naming the merchant’s pavilion after Ron Brown, the first African American to head the powerful US Department of Commerce, was a stroke of genius.

Bringing together Hugh Price, John Jacobs, Vernon Jordan (past NUL Presidents), the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ben Jealous, John Mack, Danny Bakewell, Xernona Clayton -- it was like having the pantheon of Black leadership all in one place. It was like being on hallowed ground.

Their honorees, which included the great Maya Angelou Poet, Writer, Intellect, Actress, Speaker, you name it, she is it and she deserves every accolade there is; Levar Burton, who, in addition to Reading Rainbow, Roots, and Star Trek, is a director, producer and writer (Levar Burton is a personal favorite of mine because of Reading Rainbow and Roots); Earvin “Magic” Johnson legendary basketball great, turned businessman, and founder of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE); Alfre Woodard, 16 time Emmy-Award winning actress, and founder of Artists For a New South Africa.

In addition to the forementioned, additional honorees included Angela Bassett, Laila Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali), UN Ambassador Susan E. Rice. Two of my favorite speakers, New York’s enigmatic Dennis Rahim Watson, and the iconic Sonia Sanchez , whose accolades are more than this article can encompass. Needless to say that her impact on the Urban League‘s Youth Town Hall was inspiring (where ever she went people were running up to her to thank her for her words of wisdom). TD Jakes, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Ed Gordon (who announced that he was returning to BET), Congresswoman Barbara Lee, (D. California), Cornell West, Geoffry Canada (of Harlem Children’s Zone), among others.

The NUL truly tapped into unsung heroes and sheroes who have made major contributions to our life and culture, but have been largely overlooked by the mainstream media.

What was most stunning, and inspiring, as the week zoomed ahead to culmination, was that there was truly something for everyone. Whether it was the Town Hall on Education; the Economic Development Forum, The Professional Employment Sessions (where for once they didn’t tell you to go on line, but actually took the time to interface with you); The Affordable Housing and Foreclosure Prevention Workshop (which was occurring at the same time that NACA was also there doing their 24/7 Save The Dream Foreclosure Prevention Program on the lower level), they were truly on point, and had their fingers on the pulse of their members.

The highpoint of the Conference was President Barack Obama’s appearance at the National Urban League. So, while he appeared on “The View,” fielding questions from the 5 female cohosts, covering everything from soup to nuts; the next day he covered issues concerning the paucity in education, and the moral necessity for developing a uniform standard to which all states must aspire. So while the front pages of most papers show President Obama on The View (where, by the way, he did a wonderful job), he covered issues of substance in D.C. at the National Urban League’s Centennial Conference. That, likewise should have made the front pages as well.

These following are excerpts from his speech. A more detailed account can be seen on my blog, ww.gloriadulanwilson.blogspot.com:

President Obama highlighted the steps his Administration has taken over the past eighteen months to improve the education system in America via Race to the Top and other programs. 

Per the President, education reform is a top priority for his Administration because: “The status quo is morally inexcusable, it’s economically indefensible, and all of us are going to have to roll up our sleeves to change it. I know some argue that as we emerge from a recession, my administration should focus solely on economic issues.  They said that during health care, as if health care had nothing to do with economics. They said it during financial reform, as if financial reform had nothing to do with economics. And now they're saying it as we work on education issues.  But education is an economic issue -- if not “the” economic issue of our time.  It’s an economic issue when the unemployment rate for folks, who’ve never gone to college, is almost double what it is for those who have gone to college.  It’s an economic issue when eight in ten new jobs will require workforce training, or a higher education by the end of this decade.  It’s an economic issue when countries that out-educate us today are going to out-compete us tomorrow.”

President Obama noted that the 21st century jobs will require higher education degrees. He noted that while obtaining a higher education is more expensive than ever, but is still an essential requirement for our progress. He cited the fact that the US has fallen from number one in education to number twelve. He also noted that “our Black youth have fallen tragically below most third world countries, and well below their own white counterparts here in the US.”

He continued: “Now, because a higher education has never been more important –- or more expensive -– it’s absolutely essential that we put a college degree within reach for anyone who wants it.  And that’s why we’re making higher education more affordable, so we can meet the goals I’ve set of producing a higher share of college graduates than any other nation by 2020.  I want us to be back at number one instead of number twelve. “

The President has eliminated taxpayer subsidies to banks that had served as the middleman, savings tens of billions of dollars and has used those savings to provide additional financial aid door for college to millions more students [Wish he had been president when I was struggling to put my three through college]. 

He further stated, “This is something that a lot of you may not be aware of, but we have added tens of billions of dollars that were going to bank middlemen, so that that money is now going to students -- millions more students who are getting scholarships to go to college.  That’s already been done.”

The Race to the Top program was designed to encourage states to reform their education laws and policies in order to compete for additional federal grand dollars. He made sure to make the distinction between Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind (which left millions of children behind):

Race to the Top provides real incentives. According to the President: “In an effort to compete for this extra money, 32 states reformed their education laws before we even spent a dime (as you will recall, for some inane reason, initially, New York was not one of them, until the communities and teachers read them the riot act-GDW). The competition leveraged change at the state level.  And because the standards we set were high, only a couple of states actually won the grant in the first round, which meant that the states that didn’t get the money, they’ve now strengthened their applications, made additional reforms.  Now 36 have applied in the second round, and 18 states plus the District of Columbia are in the running to get a second grant.”  

The President noted that some civil rights organizations had criticized the Race to the Top as not doing enough for Black students. There was also some controversy as to why, when he cited the need for increased parental responsibility, it appeared he was directing it at Black families. With his usual aplomb, he adroitly addressed those topics:

We can’t continue with the status quo. “Let me tell you, what’s not working for black kids and Hispanic kids and Native American kids across this country is the status quo.  That's what’s not working. What’s not working is what we’ve been doing for decades now. So the charge that Race to the Top isn’t targeted at those young people most in need is absolutely false because lifting up quality for all our children -- black, white, Hispanic -- that is the central premise of Race to the Top.  And you can’t win one of these grants unless you’ve got a plan to deal with those schools that are failing and those young people who aren’t doing well.  Every state and every school district is directly incentivized to deal with schools that have been forgotten, been given up on.” 

In terms of teachers, he noted that due to budgetary conditions, many quality teachers had dug into their on pockets to get the money for supplies to help their students. “… teachers are the single most important factor in a child’s education from the moment they step into the classroom.  So I want teachers to have higher salaries.  I want them to have more support.  I want them to be trained like the professionals they are –- with rigorous residencies like the ones that doctors go through.   I want to give them a career ladder so they’ve opportunities to advance, and earn real financial security.  I don't want talented young people to say I’d love to teach but I can’t afford it.”

The President stated he wanted to see some teaching superstars just like there are sports superstars. To see teachers on the front covers of magazines the way many athletes now are.

“So even as we applaud teachers for their hard work, we’ve got to make sure we’re seeing results in the classroom.  If we’re not seeing results in the classroom, then let’s work with teachers to help them become more effective.  If that doesn’t work, let’s find the right teacher for that classroom.“

In reference to the parental responsibility issue, he stated, “Michelle and I happen to be Black parents, who have the responsibility for our children’s education. So when I speak to other Black parents about their responsibility, I may put a little more oomph behind it.”

He humorously mentioned that having come from the South Side of Chicago, and having seen some of everything, he was well aware of the challenges Black parents face. They may need social services themselves, may need jobs, my need housing or have substance abuse issues, but education is not just a club for prosperity, it’s for all of us…“Our children have to understand that no one is going to hand you a future. No one is going to tip your head over and pour it (an education) in. You have to want it and you have to take it. I know life is tough in this country; I come from the South Side of Chicago, I know what you’re going through. Our kids have to wrestle with things no kids should have to go through. But as parents, when our kids say “no we can’t” it’s up to us as parents to say “yes you can.”

Finally, the President addressed the issue of raising standards for students, teachers and schools to help achieve better outcomes:
“So here’s what Race to the Top says:  Instead of Washington imposing standards from the top down, let’s challenge states to adopt common standards voluntarily, from the bottom up.  That doesn’t mean more standards; it means higher standards. I do not want to see young people get a diploma but they can’t read that diploma.” Thus far 30 states have come together to develop higher standards. Under No Child Left Behind, several states lowered their standards so that school districts wouldn’t be penalized when their students fell short.  Per the President: “And what’s happened now is, at least two states -– Illinois and Oklahoma –- that lowered standards in response to No Child Behind -- No Child Left Behind -- are now raising those standards back up, partly in response to Race to the Top.”

The President announced that 5,000 schools throughout the US that are functioning below average are now being assisted by Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, with a budget of $5 billion, to turn them around. They may or may not become charter schools, but the decisions are being made at the community level, bringing together teachers, administrators, parents to have an impact on their improvement. The President stated that he was not necessarily saying that he supported charter schools over public schools, but that he definitely was in favor of whatever it takes to make the schools more productive and effective for the youth.

He closed by pledging to keep fighting for nationwide educational standards and education reform; and to fight along side the National Urban League so that people can reach the American Dream. He left the audience totally in awe.

Urban League President, Marc Morial stated,

Marc Morial stated, “As we approach the 21st century, we are one Urban League and we are empowered. We are one Urban League and we are inspired. We are one Urban League and we are powerful, magnificent, courageous, and ready. We are one Urban League and we are servants. We are one Urban League and let the word go forth that we name and claim the leadership role in the 21st century. As our second century begins, some ask whether the National Urban League is still relevant. I say to them, as long as there are people out of work, as long as there are people in need of better schools, as long as there's a need for safe, decent and wholesome afterschool programs, as long as there are people who long to become homeowners and are looking for somewhere to turn, this National Urban League and Urban League Movement is not only relevant, but we are here to stay!”

Interestingly enough, there are many of our youth who are questioning the continued relevance of the Urban League and the NAACP, but have at the same time failed to come up with organizations or solutions to the violence that seems to plague their generation. It’s apparent that we have not done what we should to keep the history alive in our homes, schools, churches and institutions. Many of our youth don’t realize that, were it not for these organizations, as well as SNCC and SCLC, their ability to attend institutes of higher learning, have their own recording and production companies, even walk around with their pants hanging off their behinds (as reprehensible as it is to us) would not have happened. They would still be totin’ that barge and liftin’ that bale. (if there are any youth reading this and don’t know what means, ask your grandparents, they can bring you up to speed.)

We may have prematurely assumed that we had won the fight in the 70’s and 80’s, and so moved on to more mundane matters, such as job development and community building, thinking that we had delivered on our promises to our people; but we realized that 400 years of deprivation was not so easily mitigated. There are still many of our brothers and sisters in need of the leadership and intervention The National Urban League and NAACP have provided over the last century. This does not preclude the formation of other organizations, but it does speak volumes for the fact that they have rolled up their sleeves and have begun to retool to make sure that there none of us are left behind.

These organizations have long been in the forefront of arming themselves against racist whites KKK, Jim Crow, etc., nolw face the task of confronting their own youth in the streets. This is quite a challenge. These venerable organizations have endured for a century only to find themselves confronted with an element of self hatred on the part of some of our youth that are turning on each other in violence, instead of turning to each other to work together. The challenge is how do they bridge that gap?

I can say without hesitation that NUL’s Be Empowered Movement is making a considerable difference in their approach to the challenges of bringing our youth back into the fold. In the weeks and months to come, it will begin to make a considerable difference, moving our kids from the streets to the schools, to the heads of business and community development.
But it was NUL President Marc Morial’s final address and charge to the Urban Leaguers that was truly inspirational. In point of fact, it was more of a charge, a call to action, than a speech. It left us inspired and ready to roll up our sleeves to do more:

“Wake up! Wake up! Urban League, we’ve got work to do. Wake up America, the time to change top priorities is now. Wake up Urban League, wake up America, the time to lead is now. It is time to stand on the shoulders of Baldwin and Haynes, Jones and Grainger, Young and Jordan, Jacobs and Price (referring to the founders and the subsequent presidents of the National Urban League).

“Wake up Urban League, we stand tonight upon the shoulders of Martin Luther King, and Fanny Lou Hamer, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baynes Johnson, Shirley Chisolm, Barbara Jordon, Molly Moon, Dorothy Height; and we stand on the shoulders of Benjamin Hooks, Roy Wilkins, Thurgood Marshall, Charles Hamilton Hughes, Constance Baker Motley. We stand on their shoulders of Ted Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Adam Clayton Powell, Ralph Metcalfe, Branch Rickey & Jackie Robinson.

And we stand on the shoulders of all of our mothers and fathers; all of our grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles. We stand on the shoulders of all who have struggled; who sweat, who bled, who yearned, who sacrificed, who have given; who toiled in the hot sun of Mississippi and Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia, who traveled to New York, Detroit and Chicago, and Cleveland, OHio almost 100 years ago looking for opportunity, we stand on their shoulders. And we stand on their shoulders because they shared our vision of one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice, and economic opportunity for all. Urban League, we are empowered! We are empowered to embrace our second century. We are empowered to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. Go back, go back to Los Angeles, Louisville, Kentucky, Stanford, San Francisco, Macon, Minneapolis and Milwaukee because we are empowered. Go back and serve those in need. Go back and touch the children, the weak, the disadvantage, the dispossessed. We must be inspired to lead in the 21st century.

As our second century begins, some ask whether the National Urban League is still relevant.  I say to them, as long as there are people out of work, as long as there are people in need of better schools, as long as there's a need for safe, decent and wholesome afterschool programs, as long as there are people who long to become homeowners and are looking for somewhere to turn, this National Urban League and Urban League Movement is not only relevant, but we are here to stay. We are one Urban League, and we are empowered.  We are empowered to embrace our second century. By the power vested in me, let the second century of the Urban League begin.
Thank you.  God bless you.  God bless America.  And God bless the National Urban League. “

In 1995, the Honorable Louis Farrakhan put together the Million Man March, which converged on Washington, DC. He called for one million, and two million showed up. In his closing speech, he urged the men to return home and become part of one of the traditional organizations that have worked to make a difference in the lives of Black people, citing the work of the National Urban League as well as the NAACP, CORE and others.

I am going to issue the same charge. And though I don’t have the charisma that Brother Farrakhan had, I think it is as important today as it was 15 years ago, that we support the organizations that have spent a lifetime supporting and fighting for us. For more info on the National Urban League, you can log on to www.nul.org. For the New York Urban League, log on to www.nyul.org. Next year the Urban League will be in Boston, Massachusetts.

The New York Urban League’s annual Whitney M. Young National Urban League Classics takes place Saturday, September 25, at the New Meadowlands Stadium in Rutherford, NJ. This year Howard University vs. Morgan State University. Tailgate party time!

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

PS: I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention the spectacular fundraising concert held at the gorgeous Warner Theatre, featuring Fantasia and Ronnie Isley. Needless to say it was a packed house. It was my first time seeing Fantasia, and I have to say, it won't be the last. Fantasia, my sister, you rock! You put on a show that ten sisters couldn't master.
And for brother Ronnie Isley, thanks for the wonderful trip through Isley Brothers land. I have and will always love you and your brothers music. GDW

Can WYCLEF JEAN be President of Haiti? YES HE CAN!

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

I have never met Wyclef Jean, even though, quite often we’ve been in the same room, at the same event, at the same time. Though I’ve never met him, I am an admirer of his. Not only for his music, but for the love, passision and dedication he has for his homeland of Haiti. He has been a supporter and an example for Haitians at home and abroad long before the deadly hurricane and the devastating earthquake.

I had the pleasure of living in Haiti for 6 months, in the 70’s during Papa Doc Duvalier’s “reign”. I was a kid, fresh out of college, touring with an African American dance troupe, and had the great good fortune to have been booked for an extended tour there (as well as in Guadaloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia).

My visit to Haiti absolutely changed my life! Never had I ever been in a place where Black people actually worked together without arguing, regardless of how big or small the job happened to be. And I was absolutely fascinated by the Tantanmecoute, the police/soldiers that enforced Papa Doc’s rules, and, by the way, kept white exploitation at bay, in Haiti.

I met Katherine Dunham there. She had expatriated to Haiti long ago, and was so happy there, I considered moving there permanently myself. Ms. Dunham was the reason I wanted to learn African dance and culture, and the reason I started college with a major in Cultural Anthropology (but after one year, I switched to Sociology - too much work!!)

I am saying all that to say that Haiti was often called “Little Africa”, because so much of Africa’s tradition remained intact there. According to history, Haiti is comprised of five African tribes that were brought there by the French during the transatlantic slave trade.

But unlike her neighboring Caribbean islands who likewise had Africans taken as slaves to work the plantation, Haiti did not stand for the cruelty visited upon them. Haiti has the distinction of being the only self liberated country in the Caribbean, having righteously kicked the French’s butts in 1804, and causing them to pull out the colonization business in that hemisphere -- couldn’t handle it.

[NOTE: That, by the way,is what sparked the Louisiana Purchase, where the French sold their rights to all the land they confiscated in America to President Andrew Jackson's administration. It is also what prompted the subsequent Trail of Tears that saw the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of Indian and Black families, who were then sent on the long march with small pox infested blankets to Oklahoma Territory - sorry, I'm a history buff, can't help it.]

Thanks to Toussaint and Dessalines, not to mention the thousands of Haitian Africans who walked through the ring of fire the French set to try to intimidate and destroy them. It must have really put the fear of God into them, because they turned tail after seeing all those Black men and women walk through that fire (I would have loved to have been there to see their faces -lol).

Despite the economic conditions Haiti found herself in, owing to Franco-American embargos, Haitians continue to maintain their autonomy from outside dictatorship.

While some have called Papa Doc a dictator, I didn’t find that to be the case during my stay. (Yes, I did meet him and his family. And he was well aware of racism in America. He was a very smart man). He merely didn’t want to happen to Haiti what had happened in the US Virgin Islands, Guyana and countries in the Caribbean where Blacks were also brought to work the land.

In the 20th century Black Caribbean people couldn’t grow or harvest their own produce, because foreign interest were taking them and selling them for their own profits. I remember going to a store in the USVI and finding tomatoes, that grow in plenty on the island, for $3.00 a pound! Duvalier didn’t want Haiti set up so that Europeans were able to go to places Haitians who lived and worked there couldn’t go to - which was the case in Martinique back in the day, where they were more French than Black, and spoke Patois - and looked down on those who spoke Creole. (similar to the brainwashing we face here in the US)

Haiti was economically poor, true. Not because they didn't have the industriousness and the wherewithal to create. I used to go to the Mahogany Mart and watch them make furniture, dishes, rugs, drums, by hand. They were economically disadvantaged because Papa Doc wouldn’t let Europeans come in and exploit the country, run it for their own pleasure, their benefit, with Haitians taking a subordinate position, in their own country. Papa Doc was "president for life" for a reason. It was a benign dictatorship.

The unfortunate truth is that Haiti’s problems really started, or escalated, when Papa Doc died and his son, Baby Doc was subsequently made “president for life.” From that point the country went to hell in a hand basket. (I often wonder what happened to Pa pa Doc's daughter, Jean, who was such a brilliant woman, and should have really succeeded her dad to lead the country).

It was so sad to watch the country devolve, with so many Haitians leaving, seeking asylum, in the US. Seeing Haitians become boat people, trying to escape the devolution of their country, and US Coast Guard often intercepting and sending them back; or so many drowning in vessels totally unfit to carry human lives.

My love of Haiti has continued unabated over the last 30+ years, thru Cedras, thru Aristede, to now. Essence Magazine, in 2003 had announced a cruise to Haiti in 2004 to celebrate their 200th Anniversary of Self Liberation, and President Bush found an excuse to have him removed from his office. We all knew it was to prevent Black people in Haiti and the US from coming together to celebrate and consolidate our unity and love for each other. None of us were truly surprised -- outraged, yes -- surprised? No. We’ve long been aware of efforts to prevent the Eclectically Black Community from communicating and uniting. Just as we are aware of their trying to conceal Haiti’s self-liberation from African Americans. However, our DNA, our interconnectivity, through what Prof. Len Jeffries calls “The African Holy Ghost” overcame their machinations. We always look upon Haiti with love, pride and awe.

And now Brother Wyclef Jean is running for president of Haiti Cherie! How wonderful! How appropriate! He can bridge so many things for Haitians, Haitian Americans, African Americans and Africans. He has done so already. He’s had the opportunity to learn and experience many things through his craft, through his celebrity, that he can now share with Haitians in helping them once again establish their autonomy.

The political thing is a “non issue” in the grand scheme of things. It’s the human condition that trumps politics, particularly no. It’s the insight he has gained from having had the opportunity of stepping outside the situation, living in a foreign country, learning about resources and recourses that can be applied appropriately. In 2008 I was so happy to see him and the Haitian community participate in the West Indian Day Parade (WIADCA) for the first time. I was even prouder when he got on the loud speaker and announced that Haiti was in the house, and then chanted so that it was heard throughout Brooklyn and the world OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! None of the other participants had done so until he did it. He is a leader in the true sense of the word.

Leadership is about about wisdom, compassion, but above all, discipline. It’s about insight and his ability to separate the needy from the greedy. If he can surround himself with the appropriate people, both from Haiti and other areas, to move his country from devastation to developed; from striving to thriving, and include mainstreet and upcountry Haitians in the process as well, then he and Haiti‘s got it made in the shade.

Can he do it? As one Black man said, when he ran for President of the US -- Barack Obama: YES HE CAN!!!

Below is the copy of Brother Wyclef’s statement emailed to me from The BlackList. I am sharing it with you, so you can likewise be informed. I’m already hearing some of us say that he should not run for President because he lacks experience. Which I found ludicrous, considering the fact that the son of a former president here in the US just recently took this country to wreck and ruin (and he had experience via association). So, my peeps, I am sharing this with you, as I said earlier, so that you may likewise share this with those among us who are residual negroes, and still have the view that we lack - whatever. It's time to put that madness to rest.

Brother Wyclef has my full and total support. "Haiti Cherie, le plus belle payee des mon freres" has my full and total support. Just as my people -- the Eclectically Black Community - has my full and total support in everything positive and empowering we do individually and collectively to move ourselves closer forward, and at the same time, closer together regardless of where on this planet we happen to have landed.

Brother Wyclef Jean's Statement:

My Vision for Haiti
We need to cultivate our rich culture of entrepreneurship by increasing the availability of microcredit and simplifying laws and bureaucracy.

By WYCLEF JEAN

I was nine years old when I left Haiti for New York City, taking with me memories of long days spent playing with cousins and friends. We were happy-go-lucky kids even though we were surrounded by poverty and deprivation. As I grew up, I realized that my childhood was like Haiti itself: full of optimism despite storms of economic, political and environmental adversity.

I am running for president because this little nation with big problems and even bigger heart can no longer wait to turn a corner. After the January earthquake, people around the world were glued to their TVs, awed by the grace, dignity and hope of the Haitian people as their capital crumbled around them. And while I don't pretend to be a miracle worker, I wholeheartedly believe that at this important time in Haiti's history, I am the right person to put the country on the road to the brighter future it so desperately needs and deserves.

Some will question my lack of political experience. I will tell them that being a nontraditional candidate is one of my greatest advantages. My only loyalty is to the well-being of the Haitian people; my only agenda is to help the country I love grow and prosper. And while running for office may be new to me, my commitment to Haiti is part of my DNA.

Throughout the world, my efforts on behalf of Haiti are as well known as my musical accomplishments. Yéle Haiti, the NGO I co-founded in 2005, has given me a unique opportunity to work side by side with Haitians from all walks of life, to hear their concerns, ideas and dreams, and to see their daily challenges with my own eyes.

Though the needs are many, I believe there are four basic but urgent priorities we must address first in order to begin transforming Haiti socially, politically and economically.

Security: People cannot even consider building better lives unless they feel safe. In Haiti, more than a million earthquake victims are still living in tents and other temporary encampments. The harsh and unsanitary living conditions increase the risk of injury, disease and crime. Though the ultimate goal is permanent housing, of course, we must at a minimum put people in secure shelters as soon as possible.

International aid: Foreign governments pledged $5.3 billion to Haiti after the earthquake, but only 9% of it has shown up. Haiti needs a president who can turn promises into reality—someone who will crisscross the earth and convince world leaders to deliver on their promises to the Haitian people.

Job creation: Haitians need jobs, and there are jobs to be done in Haiti. We must train a generation of engineers, tradesmen and carpenters who can improve our roads, water, sewers and other infrastructure while supporting themselves and their families. We also need to cultivate Haiti's rich culture of entrepreneurship by increasing the availability of microcredit and simplifying laws and bureaucracy.

Education: Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet 90% of students must pay for school after first grade. Moving forward means changing education from a privilege to a birthright, and establishing schools to teach technology and other 21st-century skills.

I have already begun to make progress in all of these areas. Since the earthquake, Yéle's emergency relief and community programs have distributed about 500,000 gallons of water per month and fed between 4,500 and 7,000 people every week. Yéle's scholarship program has put thousands of children in school. As Haiti's goodwill ambassador—a position to which I was appointed by Haiti's president in 2007—I have tapped my contacts, recognition and resources to bring money and publicity to Haiti. The presidency is a springboard to do even more for Haiti's nine million people.

The presidency will also give me a chance to help redefine Haitians' role in the political process and empower them to take a more active part in shaping their future. The most valuable lesson I learned from running Yéle is that Haiti's greatest asset is the energy of its people, at home and throughout the diaspora. By turning government of the people into a movement by the people, I know we can overcome challenges that may have seemed impossible in the past.

There is a reason why our national motto is "L'union fait la force"—"Strength through unity." There are no instant fixes or easy solutions, but there are plenty of creative new approaches to explore as we work together to make Haiti better.

Mr. Jean, a Grammy Award-winning musician, is co-founder of the Yéle Haiti Foundation.  
 
TheBlackList for All-Points-Of-The View
http://www.theblacklistpub.ning.com
Now you know. What now?

Both the Blacklist for All-Points-Of-The View and I would love to receive your feedback. Tell us what you think, and what, constructively can be done to help Haiti move forward?

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK,
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery usher in SONYMA-Insured Refinance of “Overleveraged” Apartment Buildings

by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Governor David Paterson signed into law a legislation that Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries has been working on for quite some time. The legislation will enable the state to help refinance apartment buildings facing severe financial difficulties, as a result of a massive housing crisis, brought on by greed and unscrupulous real estate deals, that aimed at pushing out families from low and moderate income neighborhoods, so that huge overpriced leviathans could be constructed.

Jeffries and the bill co/sponsor, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, represent central Brooklyn districts where most of the multifamily buildings are located.

In fact 66 vacant or low occupancy buildings are in Jeffries district. It was the reason he sponsored the bill, making the announcement in his 2009 State of the District Address at Pratt Institute; and reiterating the necessity in 2010.

Assemblyman Jeffries said, "As a result of the housing market collapse, there are thousands of empty luxury condominium apartments all throughout New York City. At the same time, working families and middle class communities are being suffocated out of existence by the squeeze of the affordable housing crisis. By signing this bill into law, Governor Paterson has provided us with a powerful tool to help convert excess luxury apartment inventory into affordable homes for those most in need."

Many owners of rental apartment buildings in New York City acquired or refinanced during the housing boom have since fallen behind on their mortgage payments or defaulted. As a result, building services have not been maintained and the quality of life in those buildings has deteriorated.

The new law will allow the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) to insure loans that refinance these "overleveraged" (read over priced) buildings that are now struggling to pay their debt service. The legislation signed by the Governor removes a requirement that refinancings of multifamily mortgages insured by SONYMA include renovation of the property. Under the new law, SONYMA will be able to insure refinanced mortgages of up to $150 million for properties originally financed between 2004 and 2008.

In addition, many recently-built, overpriced multifamily condo apartment buildings, erroneously designed to transform Brooklyn into the “new Manhattan,” remain unoccupied as developers have run into financial difficulties. Not only were the prices set so high that moderate income families could not afford them, in the long run they even proved to be too expensive for the Wall Streeters many of these units were designed to attract.

While the result has created eyesores that hover over the communities like giant ghosts, many long time Brooklyn residents are breathing a sigh of relief, as it appears that at least for now, rampant gentrification has been stopped in its tracks. At the same time, they are also wondering if any of these units will be made available for those who have been pushed out of their homes, or who have found housing prices to be so out of reach that they are stuck.

According the legislation, refinancing these buildings would allow rental properties to be properly maintained and enable unoccupied condos to be turned into affordable rental apartments. Actually, while this is a good thing, it would make better sense to make the condo units lease to own units, as oppose to rentals; so that the goal of home ownership could continue to be a viable option. It also expands the tax base, maintains pride of ownership, and builds a stake in the community. It is something that has been done successfully in other areas, and can work very well in this situation.

Upon signing the bill, Governor Paterson stated: "The housing crisis created many victims, including the tenants of apartment buildings that were often recklessly financed during the housing boom," Governor Paterson said. "This legislation will enable both rental and condo buildings to be refinanced so their tenants can help their communities grow and prosper."

Senator Montgomery, who has likewise been involved in the struggle to retain affordable homes in her district, stated: "From the roof of my district office I can see dozens of new luxury condominium towers standing empty, or so undersold their continued existence is in jeopardy. Thousands of empty units, many of which were built on sites where affordable and low-income housing was displaced so these new structures could rise. Failed buildings are disastrous for a neighborhood, so I was very happy when Assemblyman Jeffries approached me with his idea to save the neighborhoods, the buildings, and many units of affordable housing with this bill. I am proud to have carried it in the Senate. By signing this bill, the Governor can provide confidence and stability to the housing markets and our neighborhoods."

Majority Conference Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, said, "In the current economic climate, people need adequate and affordable housing. I am proud that we have provided the tools necessary to refinance overleveraged apartment buildings and convert unfinished condos into affordable rental housing. This measure will improve the lives of everyday New Yorkers."

Brian E. Lawlor, President and CEO of "nyhomes," SONYMA's parent agency, and Commissioner of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), said, "We were proud to work with the Legislature and the Governor to craft legislation that will preserve affordable housing in New York. Strengthening communities is one of the core missions as we continue to integrate our agencies. We look forward to working with the development and lending communities to help refinance multifamily housing in distress."

SONYMA's Mortgage Insurance Fund was created in 1979 to provide insurance on multifamily mortgage loans for affordable housing made by commercial and public lenders.

The legislation signed into law continues SONYMA's efforts to help New York City neighborhoods put at risk by the financial crisis. The Mortgage Insurance Fund has already insured the mortgages of several unsold condo buildings that have converted to rental apartments. In 2009, SONYMA's single-family mortgage program lowered its presale requirement for potential homeowners looking to finance the purchase of condos located in "target" areas. "Target" areas are neighborhoods that are considered economically distressed. Under the new policy, only 40% of the units in a condominium development must now be sold for an individual condo to become eligible for a SONYMA mortgage.

Assembly Housing Chair Vito Lopez, D-Brooklyn, said, "This legislation is an important step toward resolving the critical issue of overleveraged apartment buildings in New York City. As Chairman of the Committee on Housing, I was proud to work closely with Assemblyman Jeffries, SONYMA and the Governor's office to ensure that we gain this critical tool to help us improve and protect affordable housing in the city."

Historically speaking, New York State, beginning in 1932, set a record in constructing the most quality, affordable homes for its residents, in the US. Many of these developments stand today, a testament to the efforts in New York to provide a home for all its citizens. Under the Pataki administration, the dismantling of affordable housing began, with many contracts going to his supporters to build what ultimately have become these overpriced properties standing empty today.

It could be said the reverse of New York’s affordable housing record was set between 2002 and 2008, when the most expensive, least affordable homes were constructed, and when the most families were displaced by unscrupulous, greedy developers, who are now crying crocodile tears, while many families are still facing homelessness as a result of their callous disregard for their well being.

Let’s hope that the legislation signed into law, and Assemblymember Jeffries and Senator Montgomery’s efforts in part mitigate some of what has been lost.

The other side of the line also has to be in rolling back those exorbitant rents that people have been forced to pay as the prices were driven higher and higher. Families forced to pony to rents of $1100 to $2000 or more a month, when their salaries are no where near that amount, need a break as well. Properties whose rents have been pushed above the $2000/mo mark, are decontrolled, leaving tenants at the mercy of landlords whose greed has long exceeded the need for increase.

Rolling back those rents in those properties by 35%, would make a great difference in their quality of life as well. With a rent guidelines board totally ignoring the fact that we are indeed in a recession, many are caught between putting food on the table or paying rent. It’s time to also turn attention to these victims as well. And I’m sure in the next weeks and months, this will indeed be the focus, returning Brooklyn to a real neighborhood, not the target of voracious overdevelopment by developers who are more concerned with their bottom line than the lives of thousands of hard working people.

Kudos to Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery for staying the course and striking the first blow. Kudos to Governor Paterson for signing it into law. More such diligence and legislation is needed to make New York liveable again. But this is definitely a great beginning.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Pernon Dunston President of Kiwanis Club of Bedford Stuyvesant Awards Scholarship to Boys & Girls High School Grad

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Pernon Dunston, President of the Kiwanis Club of Bedford Stuyvesant recently awarded the Joel Samuels Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500.00 to Darrel Desilva, a recent grad of Boys and Girls High School. The award ceremony and dinner were held at Two Steps Down restaurant at 240 Dekalb Avenue, in Brooklyn.

Desilva was one of several candidates, who were nominated by various community leaders throughout Bed-Stuy. However, it was probably a combination of the glowing letter of support from Boys and Girls High Principal, Bernard Gassaway that caught their eye. Gassaway heaped accolades in the letter, describing Desilva’s exemplary behavior as a student.
(PHOTO L-R: Kiwanis Pres. Pernon Dunston, Darrel Desilva & his Mother, Cleveland Vaughn, Kiwanis Exec. Sect'y)

According to Kiwanis president, Pernon Dunston; Gassaway’s letter was very compelling. “But more than that, when you meet him, you immediately understood why the principal was so enthusiastic about him. He’s really a nice kid!” Said Dunston, with that ever present smile that indicates that he was pleasantly surprised.

“Mr. Desilva truly is a role model, and has earned the scholarship as a result of his tireless efforts to be of service both in school and in his community. In the Kiwanis Club of Bedford Stuyvesant, it is our job to grow and reward those who are trying to be of service. We have to recognize them when we see them, and let them know that we appreciate them. “

The criteria for being nominated for the award are Community Service, Academic Excellence and good character, integrity, personality, positive attitude.

Gassaway in his recommendation letter stated that Darrel Desilva was an “exceptional candidate for the scholarship. He possesses the requisite qualities, academically and socially. I have complete confidence in Darrel’s ability to succeed. He has always been open. He has always been engaged in purposeful learning. Unlike many of his peers, he never engaged in excessive TV, viewing or playing video games for hours, Darrel had a sense of balance for his life. Darrel has served as a role model for his peers, and strives to excel academically and socially.”

"Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. They have adopted six "Objects" to help guide activities:
To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life. To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships. To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards. To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship. To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities. To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill (wikipedia online).

Mr. Dunston, who recently became president of the Kiwanis Club of Bedford Stuyvesant, is himself a role model, and exemplifies the principles for which the organization is famous. It is indeed rare to find a young person who is intelligent, educated, accomplished, and developing his own entrepreneurial skills. At age 23, Mr. Dunston is well on the way to distinguishing himself as an entrepreneur.

Like Desilva, he has had the benefit of having his father, Samuel Dunston, president/CEO National Allotment Insurance Association (NAIA), as a mentor and confidant.

Darrel Desilva’s father instilled qualities of discipline and determination, coupled with good manners (yes they do still matter) and a sense of service to his community. Desilva will be attending Kingsborough Community College in the fall, with a major in physical therapy.

The Kiwanis Club of Bedford Stuyvesant meets the second Thursday of the month at Two Steps Down, from 6:00P to 9:00P. The membership is open to youth in the neighborhood, and is powerful and positive alternative to the streets.

In addition to scholarship awards, Mr. Dunston indicated there are several activities for the youth in the Bed-Stuy community. The National Night Out, on August 3rd, at Von King Park, is held annually to bring the community together against crime.

Additionally, an activity he’s extremely enthusiastic about is the upcoming Barnyard Tour that takes place in late August. “We will be taking 30 children from the community out to the Federation of Black Cowboys horse ranch in Howard Beach. They’re going to ride horses, they’re going to learn about lariats, and other tricks cowboys of the old days used to do. They will go on a tour of the facility, meet several rodeo riders and Black cowboys. This will be a day of fun, adventure and learning.”

Dunston’s father, Sam Dunston, President and Founder of the National Allotment Insurance Agency (NAIA), pulled out a treasured photo of him at age 5, at the Federation of Black Cowboys with Rodeo Rich Washington, standing in front of one of the stables. Of course the smile is unmistakable.

Kiwanis is a service organization that was founded in 1915 to serve children and youth using two approaches. The first approach attempts to improve the quality of life directly through activities promoting health, education, etc. The second approach tries to encourage leadership and service among youth. Currently, Kiwanis sponsors about 7,000 youth service clubs with nearly 320,000 youth members.

Kiwanis members have tried to help shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, mentor the disadvantaged, and care for the sick. They have built playgrounds and raised funds for pediatric research.

Builders Clubs, Key Club, Circle K, and K-Kids are part of Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs. They are sponsored by a local Kiwanis Club and receive funding and professional guidance from Kiwanis. K-Kids (elementary school), Builders Club (middle school) and Aktion Club (for people who have disabilities) are considered Kiwanis-led programs. Key Club and Circle K, college level versions of Kiwanis, elect their own club, district, and International officers each year to lead the organization.

Individuals interested in the activities of the Kiwanis Club, or are interested in becoming a member, contact the Kiwanis Club of Bedford Stuyvesant at (718) 622-3899 or pd.kiwanis@gmail.com.

The Kiwanis Club of Bedford Stuyvesant has dedicated its life to helping our youth realize their potential in their communities, but they can't do it alone. It's up to the adults in the community to provide the assistance needed in the form of role models, mentors, activity directors. The more positive activities our youth have to engage in, the less opportunity they have to become victims of the street.

Stay blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

FRASERNET COMMITS $350 MILLION TO HELP BLACK STUDENTS BUILD THEIR PERSONAL NETWORK

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Though I only see him once or twice a year, usually at the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, DC, I consider George Fraser a friend. His SuccessNetwork, and his seminal book, "Success Runs in Our Race" were real eye openers for me and so many others.

I recently received this press release from him that I'm sharing with you. In turn, I want you, who are parents, teachers, uncles, aunts, grand parents, to share it with your 17 to 25 year olds immediately. Don't sit on it, this is a unique opportunity, and we must avail ourselves of it immediately, if not sooner.

"George C. Fraser, Founder and Chairman of FraserNet, Inc. and the PowerNetworking Conference makes nearly a $350 million dollar commitment to help Black students build their personal support network of relationships. The program is entitled, TheYESNet: The Youth Empowered to Succeed Network.

The Network's goal is to provide 1 million Black students (ages 17-25) with free and easy access to critical contacts and other networking products and services over the next 5 years. A student membership is valued at $349 each, but will be underwritten by FraserNet, and provided free of charge to students 17-25 years old. TheYESNet memberships will enhance student's development at an earlier stage in life, and help them advance beyond just a college education or additional training. It's structured to help students to not only excel in their education, but to also build the key relationships/network they will need to succeed at work, home and in the community.

Students will get a jump on their success by accessing FraserNet's network of 51,000 top Black professionals, business owners and community leaders. A network Fraser built over the last 25 years.

"One good contact in our network, plus the total membership experience could be priceless for students as they move forward in life," says George Fraser. Student members will benefit free of charge from FraserNet's products/services to include:

* Access and connectivity to FraserNet's "state of the art" mobile and texting platform

* Blog to post questions regarding networking, building wealth, career and business development for "real time" experts to answer

* Access to a web-based SuccessGuide Worldwide directory, listing over 10,000 top Black professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders

* Weekly PowerNetworking Minute e-zine and texting with tips, facts and ideas on how to succeed

* Quarterly PowerTalk SkypeConference featuring "A" list experts who will instruct students on building wealth, their career or entrepreneurship

* Admittance to the annual national PowerNetworking Conference for the first 500 students with a 3.5 GPA (value $695 each)

* Bestselling Success Runs in Our Race audio book download (the Bible on building effective relationships and how to properly network)


"Our students have untapped and unharnessed potential waiting to be unleashed and may not be where they want to be regarding their network of key contacts. In addition, most students are not sure of how to get access to key contacts to answer their questions and give them guidance and motivation. By participating in the TheYESNet Student Membership Network free of charge, the answers are right there in our network. If we're not helping them and giving back, then what in the world are we doing? We must be willing to share our success and to help others succeed," Fraser says.

"We plan to seek corporate support and partner with mentoring groups (i.e. 100 Black Men, National Cares Mentoring Movement, etc.), community service organizations, churches and colleges to provide free memberships as value added benefits to the students within their influence," says Fraser.

"Student members will have access to Black America's best networking tools and resources. They'll be able to gain key contacts and new opportunities early on and be part of a community of people helping people and adding value to each other's lives. The most potent combination in the 21st Century for Black children will be education/skills and building productive and meaningful relationships. As part of the FraserNet core values students will also be encouraged to reach down and lift up those who are younger and less fortunate," says Fraser.

"We need as many positive young people as possible joining to offset the negative image often portrayed of Black youth in the mainstream media. Together we can all help to make a change," says Dr. Fraser. To sign up, students ages 17-25 simply need to go to www.frasernet.com or on your mobile phone go to www.frasernet.mobi and click on "TheYESNet" and fill out a short form to become an official member and receive free benefits.


About FraserNet
FraserNet, Inc. is a 23 year old, Cleveland based communications company focused on networking, training, economic and business development in Black America. It produces public events, social media, publications, authored books and articles to facilitate its vision, mission, goals and objectives. It is membership based and supported. Currently 51,000 Black professionals, business owners and community leaders and 40 corporate partners support the products and services and variety of community based activities produced each year by FraserNet, Inc.

Upscale magazine named George C. Fraser one of the "Top 50 Power Brokers in Black America". Black Enterprise magazine called him "Black America's #1 Networker" and featured him on a cover issue. Personal Growth "guru" Stephen Covey called Dr. Fraser "a masterful teacher". Television host and journalist, Tavis Smiley called him a "visionary with the rare combination of leadership and management skills." Fraser has been featured on the cover of nine national magazines, is a member of 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters from Jarvis Christian College in 1999.

He is also the author of three critically acclaimed books: Success Runs In Our Race: The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African American Community (William Morrow, 1994); Race For Success: The Ten Best Business Opportunities For Blacks In America (HarperCollins, 1998); and CLICK: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships (McGraw-Hill, 2008).

If you are interested, or need additional information contact: George C. Fraser, 216-496-1287;gfraser@frasernet.com
www.frasernet.com or www.TheYESNet.com.

This is something uniquely for our youth. Make it happen.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

A Preview of the President's Forum With Young African Leaders

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

I received this via the White House Blog, which keeps us updated on the activities of President Obama. This is so much better than getting the distorted information via Fox, CNN, and some of the other news venues that seem to somehow get it twisted.
Since I also occasionally write for THE AFRICAN SUN TIMES and OUR TIMES PRESS, I found this information especially interesting and positive. So, I'm sharing it with you.

The White House Blog
A Preview of the President's Forum With Young African Leaders
Posted by Maria Otero on August 02, 2010 at 03:24 PM EDT

Cross-posted from the State Department's Dipnote blog.

This year, 17 sub-Saharan African countries celebrate 50 years of independence, and the Obama Administration is ready to look forward towards greater partnerships with African nations. Acknowledging the value of engaging young leaders in the discussion of the future of Africa, President Obama has invited 115 young leaders from 47 nations of sub-Saharan Africa to the President's Forum with Young African Leaders. The Forum is an opportunity for the participants to engage with each other, their American counterparts, and U.S. government officials on key themes of youth empowerment, good governance, and economic opportunity.

I have worked closely with my African counterparts, civil society leaders, and colleagues at the State Department on each of these themes and am looking forward to interacting with the future leaders of Africa through this unique opportunity. On numerous occasions, I have been inspired by the passion and ingenuity of Africa's young leaders. At Kenya Polytechnic University, I learned from innovative students the value of mobile and other technology and scientific advancement for youth empowerment and social change. In Uganda, I met with young human rights advocates fighting for tolerance and inclusion. I was moved by their courage and inspired by their passion. Young women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia reminded me that glass ceilings were meant to be cracked.

Through the Forum, these young leaders will have a great opportunity to learn from one another, and we have a unique opportunity to learn from them. People to people connections like this have the power to change lives and the future of nations and are where lasting partnerships begin. As policymakers, we in the U.S. government hope to learn how best to support African youth's vision for the future of Africa. Personally, I have seen how enhanced mutual understanding of ideas and cultures can create the foundation for long term peace, security, and prosperity.

Technology is going to connect this Forum to an even wider audience, enabling every person that has access to the internet to virtually participate in the Forum through live online streams of select segments of the conference. Stay tuned to www.state.gov and DipNote for updates.

Take a look at what the next few days have in store:

DAY 1: The President's Forum with Young African Leaders opens in Washington, DC at the State Department where participants will attend a number of small discussion sessions to explore topics including transparency and accountability, job creation and entrepreneurship, rights advocacy, and the use of technology to empower individuals and communities. President Obama will then welcome the delegates and host a town-hall at the White House.

DAY 2: Participants meet with leaders of Congress on Capitol Hill, participate in leadership and empowerment discussions with Peace Corps, and share in service experiences across Washington, DC.

DAY 3: Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale and I co-host “The Way Forward Plenary” at the Newseum where delegates will share their ideas from the forum. Participants will also have an opportunity to network with American civil society leaders and resource organizations at an “unconference” following the plenary. The Forum will close with a featured speaker.

Each night, participants will have the opportunity for peer to peer exchange at partner events hosted by the Aspen Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, McKinsey, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.

Maria Otero is Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs


NOTE: This is such wonderful news, and as far as I know, a first for any sitting President. As a graduate of Lincoln University (PA), that educated many African brothers and sisters - many of whom came here for political asylum back in the day, inluding Namibia, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, the Congo, Zimbabwe - and who have since returned home to help their people, I know this is a truly special time for them -- actually, for us all. GDW

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson