Washington Watch: "Obamacare???"

For better or worse, we are stuck with the term 'Obamacare' to describe the Administration's health care reform law.  (YES...it is a law, in spite of 40 attempts by the GOP-led House to overturn it.)

Obamacare will be part of the President's legacy, and once it kicks in, and premiums go down (I hope), and those with pre-existing conditions get coverage...well, maybe this will be a good thing.

In the meantime...there is still much misinformation and the roll-out has been at a snail's pace considering what is at stake.  Democratic office holders are starting to have town halls across the country to explain Obamacare to their constituents. Is this enough?

I've written a couple of blogs about what's in Obamacare and where to get more information. Health insurance and its ramifications are confusing for most people. Those with coverage may not want to make the effort to determine if there are more affordable plans available or tax-credits they are eligible for.

There are many people who have no coverage or inadequate coverage and they are going without needed treatment. Others are paying exorbitant premiums. All are wondering, what will change with Obamacare? A recent field-poll shows that many Californians don't understand Obamacare eligibility. The San Jose Mercury News reported (Aug 21):

"California may be at the forefront of implementing Obamacare, but it still has a mountain to climb informing people that they're eligible for the subsidized or free benefits that are a key part of making the controversial law work, a new Field Poll shows."

The article continues:

"With enrollment in the state's new health-insurance exchange beginning Oct. 1, fewer than half of Californians whose income, age and insurance status qualify them for coverage benefits under the health care reforms knew of their eligibility when the poll was conducted this summer.

Less than half of low-income voters eligible to receive free health coverage next year under the expanded Medi-Cal program knew they're eligible. And only one in three moderate-income voters who aren't covered under an employer, union or government health care program knew that they're entitled to tax credits to reduce their insurance costs."

Already the false information and propaganda has started because this is a political football. Just recently, an elderly friend told me her son-in-law had lost his job because of Obamacare. Others in the room expressed concern that people might lose jobs or existing coverage.

Are there companies choosing to fire workers instead of comply? Probably. Is the GOP going to paint a dire picture and discourage people from signing up? Probably. They don't seem to have any policy issues of their own to put forth.

This will be the hot-button issue going into 2014 and 2016.

Some recent Obamacare headlines:

--Are premiums coming down?

The Remarkable Slowdown In Health Care Costs Since The Passage Of Obamacare (Think Progress, Aug 20):

"A new survey of health care premiums for employer-sponsored health care coverage shows that health care inflation is slowing, further undermining critics’ predictions that costs would skyrocket in the aftermath of the Affordable Care Act."

--A pre-existing condition made former Republican staff member Clint Murphy reconsider Obamacare.

A Republican conversion to Obamacare  (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Aug 17)

"Obamacare isn’t perfect, the former political spear-carrier said. “But to even improve it, to make something work, you’ve got to participate in the process. [Republicans] are not even participating in the process.”

He makes a good point...what are Republicans proposing to fix our health care system? Instead, they are debating shutting down the government or delaying the funding of the Affordable Care Act. Until when?  2014, if they get control of the Senate?

In the meantime...while Congress is on recess...the battle for the public opinion on Obamacare rages on.

Democrats are right to get out in their communities this summer and try to get ahead of the curve.....or at least catch up to it.

Washington Watch: Week 28 - "2014"

2014. 

The mid-term elections are coming soon. (Soon as defined by the political world.) The scrambling has started (began months ago) and we are about to see the beginning of the post-Obama era in American politics.

Nevertheless, Barack Obama will remain 'the-elephant-in-the-room' for quite some time. On the GOP side, candidates will run solidly against him in the coming years. Never mind that their own base is shrinking and they are perceived as out-of-touch.

In the upcoming election cycle, Democratic candidate attachment to Obama will range from mild to lukewarm, depending on his poll numbers as he wraps up his term -- even though many Democratic office-holders were elected because of his coattails in 2008 and 2012.

So what are the challenges for both parties going into 2014 and does it matter to the average citizen? (From a woman who actually LIVES the issues the pundits debate and the politicians ignore. I realize, as do most Americans, it is not about us everyday people!) 

What happens during elections has more to do with the money and the contributors. CBS's 60-Minutes anchor Leslie Stahl summed it up here: (The video is only about a minute. All the time that was needed to describe today's political and governing reality.)

Thanks to PDA, Progressive Democrats of America, for bringing this video, from 2011, back to the forefront this week, even though Stahl hammers (and rightfully so) both parties.

But back to 2014.

Currently, the big questions are will the Democrats be able to retake the House of Representatives, and will the Republicans capture the Senate? There is no shortage of headlines on this:

From TPM - How Republicans Can Win The Senate — And How They Can Screw It Up  (Sahil Kapur, August 12, 2013)

From the UK Guardian - Can the Democrats really win back the House in the 2014 midterms? (Harry J. Enten, July 11, 2013)

From the President - Obama says Democrats could win back U.S. House in 2014   (Reuters; Roberta Rampton, May 29, 2013)

And, from (fill-in-the-blank)_____________ - Rush Limbaugh: GOP could lose House   (Politico; Hadas Gold, July 2, 2013)

As of now, the Democrats would have to pick up an additional 17 seats to retake the House and net six seats to keep the Senate. Reportedly, there are about 50 to 65 Congressional Districts 'in play,' although it is still too early to tell.

Even if the Democrats are able to retake the House, I'm not sure how much this would help the Obama agenda because several of the winners will most likely come from moderate or somewhat conservative leaning districts. This is also absolutely true for Democratic Senate prospects.

While Senators are in place for six years, House Reps are elected every two years and might not want to upset the apple-cart. They will show their true colors on women's rights, gun control, and immigration reform -- voting against the Administration (or stalling) during Obama's final two years as President. Especially if his polling numbers stay low.

However, if the Democrats do win the House, we will not have 40 more Obamacare repeal votes!!!

Perhaps the Democratic Party can unify around a set of national issues that will bring out their base. These would include Voting Rights (in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling and North Carolina's oppressive voter suppression laws); Women's Rights (reproductive choice and equal pay); Immigration Reform; and...if the administration successfully gets the message out and gets people to sign up -- keeping Obamacare.

Speaking of unity...we can count on the GOP to be lock-step in their national platform and rolling it out locally. Their problem remains their far-right 'birthers ' and bigots (even GOP strategist Michel Steele had to call them out as being "asinine" recently) and their voting pool is shrinking. Unfortunately, on the right there seems to be more emphasis on restricting the vote than coming up with policies and solutions to the issues Americans care about. 'NOBAMA' is NOT a governing strategy. (I still see those bumper stickers and just yesterday I saw one that said "We must DEFEAT HILLARY.")

In the real world -- jobs, housing, and education remain critical to most Americans, yet both parties have proven they can win elections without focusing on these areas -- as long as the money is there for never ending campaigns. Politics is now an industry in America. Which goes back to Leslie's Stahl's comments on our broken political system.

Much can happen between now and 2014 that might change the national political talking points and strategies.

Not to be forgotten -- the other part of the equation is who is controlling the state houses? Many of the policy decisions that affect everyday Americans come from state and local government. Talk about winning the battle (the Presidency) and losing the war -- think North Carolina...Wisconsin...and Florida among others. Democrats need to focus on state governments and defeating voter suppression efforts. The GOP needs to focus on 2014 and not returning to 1950.

As they say...all politics is local. Stay tuned.

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President Obama's First Term

A Look Back at Week 28 - 2009:

From the National Scene blog by Linnie Frank Bailey

August 5 - 11, 2009

• A Supreme Appointment -- American Hispanics of various origins—from Mexico, Central America, South America, Puerto Rico, and Cuba—celebrated the swearing-in of Bronx-native Sonia Sotomayor as the 111th Supreme Court Justice. Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Sotomayor on August 8, 2009, as her Puerto Rico-born mother, an 82-year-old former nurse, held the Bible.
• Release of American Journalists from North Korea -- President Obama thanked former President Bill Clinton for his help in securing the release of American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling whom had been detained in North Korea since March. The women were reunited with their families at the Burbank Airport. President Obama contacted the women and their families and called the reunion a “source of happiness not only for the families but for the entire country.”

Read more of the blog, including a health care reform law myth vs reality section as the bill was being debated.


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And...back to 2013

President Barack Obama shakes hands with troops at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 7, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Washington Watch: Week 27: "Scared of Her?"

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton seems to be a target of opponents even though she has not yet stated if she is running.

First, there were the Benghazi hearings, now the Republican National Committee is threatening to pull their presidential debates from CBS and CNN because of documentaries the networks are planning to air on the former First Lady and Secretary of State.

RNC chairman Reince Priebus stated:

"It's appalling to know executives at major networks like NBC and CNN who have donated to Democrats and Hillary Clinton have taken it upon themselves to be Hillary Clinton's campaign operatives, their actions to promote Secretary Clinton are disturbing and disappointing."

The CNN documentary is being planned for TV and theaters. NBC Entertainment (separate from NBC News) is developing a Hillary Clinton mini-series with actress Diane Lane in the title role. Clinton has led an interesting life and the projects might be good TV. The concern is when the shows are being aired.

The GOP obviously thinks the networks are trying to boost Clinton's status prior to the 2016 election. They found support for this argument from a surprising source -- the liberal-leaning Media Matters group also questions the timing of the film projects.

I remember an anti-Obama movie that made the theater circuit prior to the 2012 election. Didn't seem to make a difference.

Obamacare Repeal...Again? Anything Else?

Before leaving for their August break, the House Republicans voted for the 40th time to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They wanted to make sure they did this one more time before returning to their conservative-laden districts and reporting that they are indeed working for their constituencies.  They didn't do too much else this past session.

The House finally voted on lowering student loan rates for entering freshmen, however a HuffPo analysis shows what they really did was kick the ball down the road (sound familiar)...raising the loan costs for future students.

Surely there could have been 39 other things to vote on during their exercise in futility (the anti-Obamacare bills will never pass the Senate or the President's veto).

Bills they didn't vote on:  Immigration Reform (we knew they would leave this one dangling) and ending the Sequester (YES...workers, including many at military bases, are still facing furloughs);

The GOP seems to be prepping for their 2014 talking points which will include the IRS and Obamacare --probably includes linking the President with the non-partisan IRS and putting forth all kinds of conspiracy theories. Coming soon to your mailbox and the airwaves.

It's gotten so bad, that some factions are encouraging young people not to sign up for Obamacare -- realizing the system is based on those with fewer health costs (young folk) signing up to balance the older generation which tends to have higher health-related costs.

Salon called it -- The most insane anti-Obamacare gambit ever. The article begins:

"In a last-ditch effort to stop Obamacare, Tea Party groups are trying to sabotage the healthcare law in a way that could leave young people without coverage and increase insurance premiums for everyone else. It assumes that the end of “repealing Obamacare” justifies the means of potentially years of worse health."

Not to be outdone...Organizing for Action released 40 Ways Obamacare is working, and because so many don't know and won't look it up, I'm going to list what is covered:  (from barackobama.com)

1. Say goodbye to lifetime limits: Insurance companies will no longer be able to place an arbitrary cap on coverage.
2. Children can no longer be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition.
3. Starting in 2014, adults will no longer be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition.
Free preventive care, including:
4. Annual check-ups
5. Contraception
6. Vaccinations
7. Gestational diabetes screenings
8. Mammograms
9. Screening and counselling for HIV
10. Cholesterol screenings
11. Colonoscopies
12. Blood pressure screenings
13. Cancer screenings
14. Osteoporosis screenings
15. Young adults can stay on their parents' insurance plans until the age of 26.
16. If insurance companies aren't spending your premium dollars on your health care—at least 80 percent—they've got to give you some money back.
17. Insurance companies can't raise your rates by double-digits without justification.
18. Insurance plans can’t require higher co-payments or co-insurance if you get emergency care from an out-of-network hospital.
19. Women will no longer be charged more than men just because they're women.
20. The health insurance marketplace will be ready to go in every state starting October 1 of this year.
21. No-hassle comparisons: The online marketplace provides easy access to information on all available plans, so you can do a side-by-side comparison and find a plan that works for you.
22. Many Americans will be eligible for financial assistance to help them buy health insurance on their own, so you can afford a plan that will be there if you get sick.
23. When you buy insurance through the marketplace, premiums can be determined based only on these four factors: where you live, how old your are, how large your family is, and whether or not you are a smoker.
24. In the marketplace, you can choose a plan that matches your budget and needs: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze.
25. By 2020, the Medicare prescriptions drug "donut hole" will be closed for good.
These are the essential benefits that all health plans in the marketplace must cover:
26. Ambulatory patient services
27. Emergency services
28. Hospitalization
29. Prenatal care
30. Neonatal care
31. Mental health services
32. Prescription drugs
33. Rehabilitative services and devices
34. Laboratory services like bloodwork
35. Preventive care
36. Wellness services
37. Chronic disease management
38. Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
39. Lower prescription drug costs for people on Medicare.
40. These states are already foreseeing dramatic drops in premiums: New York, California, Nevada, Connecticut, Oregon.

Obamacare is being rolled out across the country...finally!

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President Obama's First Term

A Look Back at Week 27 - 2009:

National Scene 7/29-8/4/2009
By Linnie Frank Bailey

• The “Beer Summit” -- Diffusing tensions, as well as the media frenzy that ensued following the President’s comments on the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates—Obama and Vice President Joe Biden sat down with Gates and arresting officer Sergeant James Crowley for a beer in the Rose Garden of the White House.
• “This Too Shall Pass” -- In his weekly address to the nation, President Obama reminded Americans of the progress the Administration is making in turning the economy back to positive footing. Describing the Recovery Act as, “helping to put the brakes on this recession,” the President continued to stress the need to weather the storm.
• Even in the face of an American success—the large number of Americans trading in cars through the “Cash for Clunkers” program—the critics find fault with Obama. Economic indicators however, show signs of hope that the country is moving past the recession Obama inherited when he became President.
• President Obama celebrated his 48th Birthday on August 4, 2009.

Read more of the blog, including an Obama health-care town hall in July of 2009, where he stated what the bill would include (compare to above list of Obamacare benefits.)


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And Once again...back to 2013

Happy Birthday Mr. President. (No, the birthers have not gone away...these same folk are also spotting Elvis across the country.)

A glance at the certificate reminds us that his mother was just 18...a teen mom...when she had him. 

Only in America folks!!

Washington Watch: "Return of the Old South"

Fannie Lou Hamer in 1964. From Wikipedia.

"I am sick and tired of being sick and tired."

Fannie Lou Hamer was a civil rights activist who fought for the right to vote in the 1960's. She faced many trials including being jailed and severely beaten. She fought not only the racists in the Southern States that did not want blacks to vote...but also her own Democratic Party that did not want to seat her "Freedom Democrats" at the 1964 convention -- instead choosing to appease the all-white Southern delegation.

Hamer was indeed a tireless fighter for voting rights, and her famous quote is: "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired." She is long gone but the fight continues, particularly after the Supreme Court overturned a key section of the Voting Rights Act.

Southern states (and some in the North that are controlled by conservative-leaning Governors or Legislators) are chomping-at-the-bit to restrict voting for large segments of the populace. Specifically, the groups that tend to favor Democrats. They say they are combating voter fraud...although there is little voter fraud taking place.

North Carolina struck last week with their own 'voter restriction bill.' North Carolina Policy Watch summarizes the draconian 'anti-voter' items in the bill:

• "The end of pre-registration for 16 & 17 year olds
• A ban on paid voter registration drives
• Elimination of same day voter registration
• A provision allowing voters to be challenged by any registered voter of the county in which they vote rather than just their precinct
• A week sliced off Early Voting
• Elimination of straight party ticket voting
• A provision making the state’s presidential primary date a function of the primary date in South Carolina
• A provision calling for a study (rather than a mandate) of electronic candidate filing
• An increase in the maximum campaign contribution to $5,000 (the limit will continue to increase every two years with the Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• A provision weakening disclosure requirements for ”independent expenditure” committees
• Authorization of vigilante poll observers, lots of them, with expanded range of interference
• An expansion of the scope of who may examine registration records and challenge voters
• A repeal of out-of-precinct voting
• A repeal of the current mandate for high-school registration drives
• Elimination of flexibility in opening early voting sites at different hours within a county
• A provision making it more difficult to add satellite polling sites for the elderly or voters with disabilities
• New limits on who can assist a voter adjudicated to be incompetent by court
• The repeal of three public financing programs
• The repeal of disclosure requirements under “candidate specific communications.”

The only provision missing from this list is the infamous Grandfather Clause limiting voting to only those whose ancestors could vote before the Civil War.

The GOP-led state house in North Carolina seems determined to take away the vote from what many call the 'Obama-coalition' of black, brown, elderly minorities, women, and youth voters. Some of these new provisions point to outright intimidation tactics coming to the polls in North Carolina, such as: "allowing voters to be challenged by any registered voter of the county in which they vote rather than just their precinct."

Just prior to the Governor's signature of this bill the UK Guardian headline read: "North Carolina Republicans slammed over 'suppressive' voting bill" and stated:

"North Carolina is set to introduce what experts say is the most "repressive" attack on the rights of African American voters in decades, barely a month after the US supreme court struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act."

Salon's Joan Walsh reports: "New war begins: Beating voting rights bigots" and suggests Attorney General Eric Holder may be the last line of defense for voting rights for all Americans. She states that the Administration is looking to the Justice Department to fight some of these new measures aimed at restricting voting. Walsh summarizes by saying:

"It’s a shame we have to defend rights we already fought for and won, rather than securing new rights, but history usually involves a two steps forward, one step back kind of progress. I’m hoping that voting rights defenders can put together a bipartisan coalition to restore Section 4 or some other kind of preclearance power to the Justice Department, but even without it, I’m glad the southern triumphalists know they can’t push their agenda without some legal pushback."

I agree with her...it is a shame we are still fighting these battles. However, now is not the time to be "sick and tired." We must continue in Fannie Lou Hamer's footsteps.

Washington Watch: Week 25 -- "Obama Steps Up"

On Week 25 of his second term, President Obama spoke to the nation as a black man living in America. Reminiscent of the speech he gave on race during his first campaign, this 'impromptu' and unexpected talk before an afternoon press briefing surprised even the reporters who were gathered. They did not expect to see him, and neither did we. So glad he showed up.

NPR's "Obama Explains Black America To White America," sums it up best:

The president did something no other holder of his office has ever had the life experience to do: He used the bully pulpit to, as an African-American, explain black America to white America in the wake of last week's acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.

Appearing unannounced before surprised reporters who were expecting the White House press secretary, it was Obama — "the bridge" as New Yorker editor David Remnick has called him — trying to span a divide. It was Obama trying to help white Americans comprehend black America's reaction to the Martin-Zimmerman tragedy.

READ MORE

The President confirmed what we all know. As an American of African-descent he has experienced racism and profiling. He spoke of instances before he was President, however, many in the black community believe the vitriol and disrespect shown him as President is also tainted by racism.

For goodness sake, he HAD TO SHOW HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE to quiet the rantings of fools who never should have been taken seriously! He WAS CALLED A LIAR from the House floor while giving a state-of-the-union-address! You had parents in an uproar because he wanted to address students at the beginning of a school year and encourage them to succeed!

But more ominously, you have a group of Republicans in the House who oppose EVERYTHING he puts forward (even if they were once for it) and who go to great lengths to keep the President from succeeding.

Politics as usual? No.

The recent New York Magazine piece "Anarchists of the House" describes this rampant dysfunction. among House Republicans. The subtitle says: "The Republican Congress is testing a new frontier of radicalism—governmental sabotage." In describing GOP strategy at the beginning of the president's first term:

"If some of them supported Obama’s proposals, they would only help the proposals seem more sensible. “It was absolutely critical that everybody be together,” Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell later said, “because if the proponents of the bill were able to say it was bipartisan, it tended to convey to the public that this is okay.”

And so the Republican strategy during Obama’s first two years was almost total gridlock. Republican leaders aggressively pressured their members to withdraw support for any major Obama initiative, even denouncing ideas they themselves had previously endorsed."

READ MORE 

It would be naive to think this anti-Obamanism does not have at least some racial undertones. As do the cartoons and caricatures of the President displayed in conservative-leaning papers across the country.

A large part of the response to President Obama probably has to do with fear of the diverse coalition that elected him.  America is changing. We now live in a multi-ethnic society. Many of us have family members who are of a different race. Census figures show a younger, more diverse nation in the years ahead. These Americans will demand a 'seat at the table'...and the right to walk home without being followed and attacked.

So with this backdrop, the President personalized the plight of black men in this country without castigating the system that gave us the verdict. He simply described the real world -- reminding us who we are and how we got here. Illustrating that even though he has reached the highest office in the land, he understands from personal experience the legacy of discrimination.

Here is the transcript of his speech.  Here is the video:

Touré did a fine job of explaining the risks the President took with the speech in a Time mag op-ed entitled: The Bravery of Obama’s Trayvon Speech, saying:

"It was a treacherous speech politically because for one part of the divide the answer to black pain is: get over it, as Representative Andy Harris recently said. Racism is in the past, white privilege is a myth, profiling is a ghost: Doesn’t Obama’s election prove we’re beyond all that? The President knows better. He asked, in his 19-minute address, that black pain be acknowledged, that internalized bias be taken seriously, that history be understood as not done with us yet."

READ MORE

The President, who was raised by a white mom and white grandparents, understands our differences and the need to 'explain' us to each other. In addition, he continues his quest to unite us. He did so with this recent speech, as with his first speech on race, "A More Perfect Union" in 2008, in which he stated:

"I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one."

Washington Watch: Week 24 -- "After Trayvon Does it Matter?"

Following the verdict in the Trayvon Martin murder case, and recent news concerning the status of people of color in the country (particularly African-Americans), we are tempted to wonder if what happens in Washington really matters.

Let's look at both sides of the battle -- what we face, and why we keep going:

Being Black in America Today

There is no doubt we suffered greatly from the effects of the recession. So much black wealth -- mostly tied to home ownership -- was lost.

Here are some recent headlines that bring home our challenges in the years ahead: (Click on links to read full stories.)

Young, black and buried in debt: How for-profit colleges prey on African-American ambition --

Kai Wright, Salon, 6/9/2013

"It’s true that the country’s middle class is collapsing for everyone, but that trend is most profound among African-Americans. In 2008, as black folks flocked into higher ed, the Economic Policy Institute found that 45 percent of African-Americans born into the middle class were living at or near poverty as adults."

Middle Class Jobs, Income Quickly Disappearing (INFOGRAPHIC)

Jan Diehm & Kay Hall, Huffington Post, 6/7/2013

"Deep job losses in occupations such as construction, information technology, manufacturing and insurance are not likely to recover. Middle-class families also saw nearly 30 percent of their wealth disappear over the past decade, while the cost of goods and services they rely upon steadily climbed."

Newsroom Diversity: A Casualty of Journalism's Financial Crisis --  

Riva Gold, The Atlantic, 7/9/2013

"At a time when non-whites make up roughly 37 percent of the U.S. population, the percentage of minorities in the newsroom has fallen to 12.37 percent from its 13.73 percent high in 2006." 

"This means that fewer minorities are getting the opportunity to work in news, and news organizations are losing their ability to empower, represent, and -- especially in cases where language ability is crucial -- even to report on minority populations in their communities."

Racial Diversity Efforts Ebb for Elite Careers, Analysis Finds 

Nelson D. Schwartz and Michael Cooper, New York Times, 5/27/2013

"While about 12 percent of the nation’s working-age population is black, about 5 percent of physicians and dentists in the United States are black — a share that has not grown since 1990, according to an analysis of census data that was prepared for The New York Times by sociologists at Queens College of the City University of New York. The analysis found that 3 percent of American architects are black, another field where the share has not increased in more than two decades.

The share of the nation’s lawyers who are minorities and women, which had been growing slowly but steadily for years, fell in 2010 for the first time since NALP, the National Association for Law Placement, began keeping statistics in 1993."

Black Chefs Dig Into Restaurant Industry's Lack Of Diversity....

Huffington Post, 7/11/2013

"It's difficult to get in the door in a lot of upscale places," sous chef Karl Adams told Redd. "A lot of time, they'll see my resume and when I step in I'll get the eye, like they can't match up the resume to a black person."

And while opportunities aren't handed out to African Americans at the same rate they are to chefs of other ethnicities, they're also often taken away, Adams adds. "We don't get the promotion, we don't get the experience or we're stuck in one station for one year, two years," he said."

My climb out of poverty wouldn’t be possible today
Bernardine Watson, Washington Post, 6/27/2013

"The welfare benefits I received under the old Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program were barely enough to live on, but they paid for housing, food and medical care while I pursued my education. I was poor, but hopeful about the future.

I don’t see the 1970s as a panacea for the disadvantaged in this country. I also know that policy makers and social scientists disagree about whether the social programs of the 1960s and ’70s had much impact on poverty. Still, if I had to be a poor, single mother in this society, I’m glad it was then and not now."

Yet, Still We Rise

In spite of....and BECAUSE of what we as African-Americans face in today's America -- giving up is not an option. Here is why:

If men, women, and children brought here in chains, and treated as chattel, did not give up their fight for dignity, neither will we.

If the civil rights workers who were spat on, beaten, jailed, and killed so that we could have the right to vote, did not give up their fight for equality, neither will we.

If the masses who spent MANY hours in line to vote in Florida in 2012, in spite of those who try to take away our voting privileges...well they did not give up.  Even when they were told Barack Obama had won, they still stood in line to cast their ballot.  They did not give up their right to vote, neither will we.

We will not give up.

For our future....
For our children...
For Trayvon Martin...

We will not give up on the promise of America.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Washington Watch: Week 23 -- "The Greatest"

This past week we celebrated the 237th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence.

Yes...our issues are many, and our Congress is in gridlock, and there are those who will never accept the diversity of our country....still, we can fight for our freedoms in ways others around the world cannot.

And, despite all those who disparage him simply for who he is...America ELECTED Barack Hussein Obama, as our President -- TWICE!!

The ideals upon which our country began are to be remembered, celebrated, and always held in esteem as our battle cry.

As described so eloquently by Jefferson, (who penned the first draft)....and subsequently edited by the Congress at the time, led by chosen editors, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin -- the opening of our Declaration of Independence speaks to our goals as a nation:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Surely, some of the founders of our great country understood the hypocrisy of slavery as juxtaposed with the above line...and yes, they had to have known there would one day be judgment.

Indeed, the famous statesman, abolitionist, and former slave Frederick Douglass described it adequately in his speech and essay:  "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?"

Still -- the document...the words...stand as our goal.  Equal rights for ALL remains our ideal. The fight continues...

Celebrate with Red, White, and Blues

The White House has made available videos of "Performances at the White House" where the East Room of the White House has been transformed into a concert stage many times the past few years..  

Here's are some performances from "Red, White, and Blues" a salute to the blues,featuring: (each performance is a separate video on the White House site)

B.B. King & Ensemble  "Let the Good Times Roll"

Trombone Shorty  "St. James Infirmary"

Buddy Guy & Jeff Beck    "Let Me Love You"
Mick Jagger & Jeff Beck   "Commit a Crime"
Shamika Copeland & Gary Clark Jr.  "Beat Up Old Guitar"
Gary Clark Jr.   "Catfish Blues"
Keb' Mo'  "Henry"
Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, & Warren Haynes  "I'd Rather Go Blind"
Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger, Gary Clark Jr., & Jeff Beck  "Five Long Years"
Buddy Guy & Ensemble (Finale)  "Sweet Home Chicago"   Watch the President sing.

PBS (not just the home of Big Bird) also has the entire show as well as other White House Performances shows celebrating jazz, Motown, country, classical, Latin, Memphis soul, spoken word, etc.)

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President Obama's First Term

A Look Back at Week 23 - 2009:

National Scene 7/1-7/7/2009

By Linnie Frank Bailey

After celebrating the nation’s birthday with military families at the White House, the Obama family left the country for a trip to Russia, Italy and Ghana. In what will be one of the most moving experiences for people of African descent the world over—in Ghana on Friday, President Barack Obama will visit the Cape Coast Castle, where enslaved Africans were once held before being loaded into ships and traded in the Americas and Caribbean. READ BLOG.