OF THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL

In a shocking report released just last week, despite clear signs that North Carolina is in an economic recovery, African-American unemployment in the Tar Heel state was 17.3 percent – one in six black workers – during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Overall during that same period, the state’s rate was 9.2 percent (compared to 7.8 percent nationally).

The bad news doesn’t stop there. According to the Economic Policy Institute report, “Unemployment Rates Are Projected to Remain High for Whites, Latinos and African-Americans,” not only is the NC black jobless rate a full 3.3 percentage points worse that the estimated national black unemployment rate of 14.0, but it also gives the Tar Heel state the fourth highest rate of African-American joblessness among the top 24 states with significant black populations in the nation.

Only Michigan (18.7%), New Jersey and Illinois have greater, though not by much. Louisiana, at 9.5 percent, had the lowest.

Interestingly, black unemployment hovered between 17 to 20 percent between the first quarter of 2010 through the first quarter of 2012, hitting a high of 20.1 percent in the third quarter of 2011.

But the news gets even worse. In North Carolina, white unemployment during that same period stood at 6.7 percent 9in the fourth quarter of 2009, it was a high 9.5 percent). Because blacks and Hispanics are most likely to live in impoverished areas of the state, their unemployment rates are expected to be high.

But researchers say even there, there is a huge discrepancy. While blacks without work in North Carolina register at 17.3 percent, Hispanic unemployment is only slightly larger than white joblessness.

The Latino unemployment rate in North Carolina stands only at 7.4 percent, almost a full 10 points less.

“African-American families [in North Carolina] continue to bear the brunt of that pain,” write Mary Gable and Douglas Hall in the Economic Policy Institute report. They maintain that the racial jobless disparity has maintained since the “Great Recession” that hit the nation starting in 2007, and continued on for the next five years.

The black rate has been two-and-a-half times that of whites in the state for at least the last three years, the report continues.

So why is this happening?

The Economic Policy Report states that federal and state budget cuts have disproportionately impacted black and Hispanic families in the state. Many African-Americans, over-represented in state, county and city public-sector employment, lost those jobs during the recession when government began cutting back.

That one factor has apparently affected blacks more than Latinos, who were not as prominent working in the public sector.

Add to that that blacks and Hispanics are most likely to live in areas of North Carolina where industry is in the decline, like the east where poverty is near 20 percent, if not more, and the case for high unemployment begins to stack up.

North Carolina has had the second highest loss of manufacturing jobs since 1995, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Allan Freyer, public policy analyst for the NC Budget and Tax Center in Raleigh, says the NC General Assembly is making the dire unemployment situation for African –Americans worse by cutting off funding to nonprofit economic development groups that help create jobs in black and rural communities.

State Rep. Garland Pierce [D-Hoke], chairman of the NC Legislative Black Caucus, agrees.

“Earlier this week, the NC Senate released its 2014-2015 proposed budget plan,” Rep. Pierce said at a press conference Wednesday. “Components of the budget eliminated funding for organizations including the Community Development Initiative, the Institute for Minority Economic Development and Land Loss Prevention. Now is not the time to eliminate funding for programs that are providing resources for job creation in our state’s most economically distressed communities.”

Friday, May 10, 2013
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:

We write to urge you to overrule the FBI’s decision to put Assata Shakur, aka Joanne Chesimard, on the “Most Wanted Terrorists List, with $1 Million FBI Reward Offered for Information Leading to Her Capture and Return,” as phrased by the FBI’s May 2, 2013 announcement. This $1 million combines with the $1 million bounty already offered by New Jersey. We know of no support for the claims by the FBI in making that announcement that Ms. Shakur has used her asylum in Cuba to “promote” “terrorist ideology” and espouse “terrorism.” We ask that the FBI be directed to publicly produce documentation to support these claims, and that until and unless this is done, its officials be directed to withdraw these assertions. The FBI’s accompanying actions should also be immediately withdrawn for the following additional reasons.

President Obama, commenting on the Boston Marathon bombings last month, you declared “Anytime bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror.” This is consistent with the generally accepted view of terrorism as “the calculated use of violence or threat of violence against civilians for the purpose of intimidation or coercion or changing government policy.” There is no evidence that Ms. Shakur has taken part in any violence or threats of violence against civilians to intimidate or coerce changes in government policies. Going back 40 years, the May 1973 incident, which led to her only criminal convictions, was initiated by the New Jersey State Police. They pulled the vehicle she was in off the highway based on an allegedly defective tail light. This type of police action was consistent with tactics used to harass Black people generally, particularly Black males; and, sometimes provoke incidents particularly against members of Black militant organizations during that period. The loss of life on both sides ensuing from that stop was clearly regrettable; and, we do not intend to retry here her controversial trial and conviction before an all white jury. We know that there were serious questions of fairness sufficient to draw international attention and for Ms. Shakur to be granted political asylum in Cuba nearly 35 years ago, although Cuba has returned some others wanted by U.S authorities.

We believe putting Ms. Shakur’s name on the FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorist List,” and increasing the $1 million bounty to a total of $2 million, 40 years after the fact, only makes sense in light of recent press reports regarding your administration’s consideration to take Cuba off the U.S. list of nations that allegedly sponsor terrorism – a designation which is so unfounded that it has become an embarrassment to our country. Opponents of steps towards normalization with Cuba have seized on this aged and disputed case in what we view as a transparent attempt to recast this history into today’s fears, using Assata Shakur as a pawn in their political maneuvering.

The FBI’s participation in this political maneuvering by joining with New Jersey to offer a $2 million bounty is a dangerous act, encouraging someone to try to kidnap her, breaking Cuban law as well as being a violation of International Law. Should the offer be taken seriously by someone, the foreseeable result would be bloodshed, if not also a major international incident. The FBI’s stated rationale for these actions is also regrettable and dangerous because it equates radical beliefs favoring fundamental social and economic change, with “terrorism.” These serve to intimidate and chill others who dare to speak out against United States’ domestic and international policies. In this regard, these actions directly undermine the protections given all citizens under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Finally, this decision continues to racialize the United States criminal punishment system, a system that since the enslavement of African peoples has targeted Africans and African Americans for harsher punishments than those given particularly to similarly situated whites. The accusation of terrorism has fallen prey to this continuing travesty of making the color of “crime,” now the color of “terrorism,” black. One needs only recall the early reports of who was suspected of the Boston Marathon bombing to support this conclusion: the first reports were of a darker-skinned male, possibly African American. This message scrolled continuously on CNN for a number of hours and then “African American male” was deleted, leaving darker skinned male. But the alleged perpetrators were far from “darker skinned.” In conclusion, we ask that you stand behind the statements made by Attorney General Holder when he became the Attorney General in 2009 in addressing assistant United States attorneys and make these statements applicable to the FBI: “Your job is in every case, every decision you make, to do the right thing. Anybody who asks you to do something other than that is to be ignored.” The FBI’s recent actions are far from the “right thing” for this country and we urge you to reverse them.

Please reply to:

Law Office of Arthur Heitzer
633 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1410
Milwaukee, WI 53203 USA
414-273-1040, ex. 12; fax 414-273-4859

Sincerely,

Rabab Abdulhadi
Vanessa Agard-Fones
Adjoa A. Aiyetoro
Cathy Albisa
Abdul Alkalimat
Adisa A. Alkebulan
Bettina Aptheker
Iván Arenas
Anjali Arondekar
Sara Atlas
William Ayers
Paola Bacchetta
Ajamu Baraka
Fr. Luis Barrios
Ellen Barry
Susannah Bartlow
Crista Bell
Alisa Bierria
Martha Biondi
Carl Bloice
Lisa Brock
Prudence Brown
Margaret Burnham
Lucy Burns
Judith Butler
Linda Carty
Monica J. Casper
Frank Chapman
Piya Chatterjee
Patricia A. Clark
Cathy J. Cohen
Marjorie Cohn
Brittney C. Cooper
Dara Cooper
Gary L. Cozette
Kimberlé Crenshaw
Lisa Crooms-Robinson
Otis Cunningham
Rev. Dan Dale
Angela Y. Davis
Nicole Melanie Davis
Michael Dawson
Gina Dent
Cindy Domingo
Barbara Engel
Evalyn Tennant
Mireille Fanon-Mendes
Kenyon Farrow
Roderick Ferguson
Bill Fletcher
Rhone Fraser
H. Bruce Franklin
Jane Franklin
Regina Freer
Rosa Linda Fregoso
David Gespass
Angela Gilliam
Stephanie Gilmore
Pat Gleason
Danny Glover
Van Gosse
Jaime Grant
Herman Gray
Kia Green
Farah Griffin
Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Beverly Guy-Sheftall
Jeff Haas
Rev. Graylan Scott Hagler
Sarah Haley
Rev. Dr. Lora. F. Hargrove
Cheryl Harris
Mark Harrison
Arthur Heitzer
Linda J. Holmes
Cheri Honkala
Byron Hurt
Rev. Dr. Nozomi Ikuta
Nicole Nicolette Ivy
Lynnette A. Jackson
Ricardo Jimenez
Joseph F. Jordan
Adam Juranishi
Robin D. G. Kelley
Alice Kim
Saul Landau
Rev. Phil Lawson
Lisa Yun Lee
Heidi R. Lewis
R. L’Heureux Lewis-
McCoy
Tamura A Lomax
Ana Lopez
José E. López
Toussaint Losier
Wahneema Lubiano
Saba Mahmood
Graciano Matos, Sr
Tracye A. Matthews
Erica Meiners
Jodi Melamed
Bernadine Mellis
William Minter
Roberta Meet
Chandra Mohanty
Alejandro Luis Molina
S. Mandisa Moore
Michelle Morales
Premilla Nadasen
Mark Anthony Neal
Alondra Nelson
Prexy Nesbitt
Bruce D. Nestor
Camille Odeh
Cheryl Johnson-Odim
Cara Page
Iris Dawn Parker
Tianna S. Paschel
MaryLouise Patterson
Charles Payne
Ted Pearson
Imani Perry
Rev. Chris Pierson
Erin Polley
Gordon Quinn
Ahmad Rahman
Carlos Ivan Ramos
Inez Ramos
Barbara Ransby
Raka Ray
Shana L. Redmond
Ronald Reosti
Beth E. Richie
Omar Ricks
Lynn Roberts
Jamala Roders
Michael Rodriguez
Charo Mina Rojas
Jada Russell
Luis Sanabria
Melissa Santana
Ora Schub
Raquelle Seda
Azadeh N. Shahshahani
Aishah Shahidah Simmons
Gwendolyn Zoharah
Simmons
Montague Simmons
Che Rhymefest Smith
Michael Steven Smith
Karen Sotiropoulos
Robyn C. Spencer
Pamela Sporn
Jill Stein
Neferti Tadiar
Heather Laine Talley
Salamishah Tillet
Leti Volpp
Alice Walker
Dan S. Wang
Eligan G. Ward
Sali Vickie Casanova-
Willis
Standish Willis
Dr. Jeremiah Wright
Charles Wynder, Jr.
Rebecca Zorach
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
International Association of Democratic Lawyers
National Boricua Human Rights Network
National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL)
National Lawyers Guild

cc: Mr. Eric H. Holder

ARIES

The link that you’ve established with your spiritual self will be strengthened by the people who come into your life this week. This week is a week for seriousness about a relationship. Discuss your deepest thoughts with others. They’ll understand and thank you for sharing intimate parts of yourself. Soul Affirmation: Faith keeps me calm in the storms of life. Lucky Numbers: 44, 49, 51

TAURUS

You’ve done some of your own love homework. Hopefully you’ve had an opportunity to learn a new way of seeing the world and in that way you’ve found a way of loving that is more natural for you.  The combination of sexiness and joyful focus can create you a wonderful love experience. Soul Affirmation: I get joy from giving good things. Lucky Numbers: 11, 17, 37

GEMINI

Share in the glory of your friend who has been recognized for outstanding work. Plan a small get-together to celebrate the occasion. Your time will come, and you will be placed on the pedestal. Your intimacy radar is sensitive. Watch out for a new romance that might come along. Expect the unexpected!  You will be pleasantly surprised! Soul Affirmation: Love is easier than breathing. Lucky Numbers: 16, 30, 50

CANCER

You’ve done a lot of things in life that no one has agreed with at the beginning. Finding agreement this week will be difficult, but it should not deter you from moving forward. Feeling sorry for your loneliness will discolor what you are doing. Be happy that you are alone. Soul Affirmation: I get joy from giving good things. Lucky Numbers: 2, 10, 31

LEO

Eternal optimist, eternity is now. Get in touch with your hopefulness and be a beacon to others. Try not to be taken in by promises made by others or promises you’ve made to yourself. Concerning your own affairs, avoid contemplating lofty subjects and seeking long ranged solutions. Soul Affirmation: Time is the greatest peacemaker of them all. Lucky Numbers: 14, 28, 39

VIRGO

Some say optimism is fantasy. Suppose the good thing you’re optimistic about never comes. This week you’ll know that the joy of anticipating it is joy enough. Just the certainty of coming goodness is present goodness. The joy of tomorrow is available this week. Soul Affirmation: This week is the week the Lord has made. I rejoice in it. Lucky Numbers: 22, 36, 38

LIBRA

You might be looking into the buying or selling of a piece of property, and this week seems to be a favorable week for this type of negotiation. Be careful with the intricacies of the matter. Pay attention to details or it could cost you a great deal later. Soul Affirmation: I care deeply about the feelings of others. Lucky Numbers: 11, 21, 35

SCORPIO

What a blessed week this will be. Spend it meditating on all that God has given you. This week think hard about some form of worship. Curtis Mayfield wrote a song called “Who Do You Love?” Someone should write one called “How Do You Love?” For your love lesson, the second song would be the one you should sing. Soul Affirmation: New intuitions create new plans and a new cast of characters. Lucky Numbers: 7, 16, 25

SAGITTARIUS

Your self-discipline helps you to do more this week. People will be watching as you zip around with style and grace! Broaden your cultural horizons by trying new foods and meeting new people.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised! Soul Affirmation: I am patient with all that comes my way this week. Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 14

CAPRICORN

The urge to chase off on a tangent may be strong this week. Take a few minutes to study the big picture and make sure any whims serve the bigger purpose. It’s a good week to do what needs to be done. Soul Affirmation: Luck is my best friend this week. Lucky Numbers: 5, 10, 15

AQUARIUS

You’ll be full of good ideas this week, so make sure you write down the ones you don’t have time to put into action. You’ll want to share your thoughts on a grand scale, and your mind will seem truly universal to you. Try to be patient with those who are staggered by your brilliance. Soul Affirmation: Light from my soul shines in many directions. Lucky Numbers: 2, 3, 9

PISCES

This week let your gentle spirit shine through. Your rough and tumble side is not appropriate for the relationships that you’ll encounter. Someone will need your understanding and sympathy. Give it with sensitivity. Soul Affirmation: My life itself is my greatest creation. Lucky Numbers: 30, 37, 44

(NNPA)- “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts has been named the most trusted woman in television, according to a new Reader’s Digest survey released this week.

Reader’s Digest teamed up with The Wagner Group, a research firm, and polled more than 1,000 Americans to discover which 200 public figures inspire the most confidence. Roberts came in at No. 12 on the list, making her the most trusted television host on the list.

The publication defined a trustworthy person as “somebody possessing integrity and character, exceptional talent and a drive for personal excellence, a strong internal moral compass, a consistent message, honesty, and leadership.” And 56 percent of Americans believed that Roberts exemplified those qualities.

“I wish my mom and dad were here to see this,” Roberts said in an interview with Liz Vaccariello, editor-in-chief of Reader’s Digest. “It would mean so much to them because all they wanted was for us to grow up to be good people.

“They didn’t care that sister is a social worker and brother is a teacher and that two of us are on TV,” she added. “All they wanted was for us to be trustworthy citizens. And there’s a responsibility that goes with that, and it’s not something I take lightly.”

Roberts started gaining national attention as an on-air personality on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in 1990, winning over fans and also critics with her signature catch phrase, “Go on with your bad self!”, and capturing three Emmy Awards.

In May 2005, the journalist joined Diane Sawyer as co-anchor of ABC’s “Good Moring America.”

Later that year, her professional and personal worlds collided when Hurricane Katrina tore through the Mississippi Gulf Coast, her home, and Roberts traveled to the devastated area and did a series of emotional reports. In 2009 she teamed up with George Stephanopoulos, and the pair catapulted GMA to the No. 1 morning show in April 2012 for the first time in almost two decades.

But it is, perhaps, the resilience, strength and grace Roberts displayed during her public battle with cancer that has endeared so many Americans to the television host.

On the same day in April 2012 when Roberts received the news of her professional accomplishment as part of GMA’s number one ranking, she learned that although she had prevailed against her breast cancer, after being diagnosed in June 2007, the treatment had caused another serious medical problem, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

“I’ve always been a fighter, and with all of your prayers and support, a winner,” Roberts told her viewers at the time, and her determination inspired many others to join the fight against MDS, a disease of the blood and bone marrow.

On the day she went public with the announcement, Be the Match Registry, the national marrow donor program, experienced an 1,800 percent spike in bone marrow donors.

In her interview with Reader’s Digest, Roberts talked about this influence she has on the public—the inner light that shines out on the world.

“Every day before I leave my apartment—after I say my prayer of protection—I ask God, ‘Please let your light shine through me.,’” she said. “And I am lucky to have the resources to shine it—be it love, unity, or resilience—onto others.”

BY REBECCA NUTTALL

(NNPA)-Members of the Black intelligentsia let out a collective victory cry last week when hip-hop artist Lil Wayne lost a multi-million dollar endorsement deal with Mountain Dew as a result of lyrics comparing the beating of murdered teenager Emmett Till in 1955 to female genitalia.

Led by outcry from Till’s family, one by one the nation’s Black bloggers and columnists were sounding off. Their justice was swift. Or not. While the song, which featured Wayne’s lyrics, was released in February, it took until May for Mountain Dew to take notice and drop him.

Still Mountain Dew’s action, coupled with Reebok’s latest decision to sever ties with hip-hop artist Rick Ross because of his own offensive lyrics, could be indicative of the growing power of public opinion when married with social media. Perhaps if enough people stand up, in the form of blogs and twitter posts, these kinds of heinous lyrics will no longer percolate the airwaves.

“Artists now are going to be more careful about what they say,” said nationally known hip-hop artist Jasiri X from Pittsburgh. “They were so used to saying the most outlandish and ridiculous stuff.”

This certainly wasn’t the first time Wayne recorded offensive lyrics, but it was perhaps the first time the lyrics gained national attention. Now Jasiri X hopes Americans will begin to turn to conscious rappers, who promote more positive images of African-Americans as an alternative.

“I think it shows the power we have as a community. I think it’s a power we’ve always had, we complain, but we don’t really organize,” he said. “My only concern or critique is what we need to do is offer an alternative.”

However, Jasiri X and other conscious rappers say White CEOs are actually the ones pulling the strings behind these mainstream hip-hop artists.
In an effort to hold them accountable, one group, the Internet collective FAAN Mail, which stands for Fostering Activism and Alternatives Now, sent a letter to Universal Music Group. The letter was in response to a music video by rapper 2 Chainz that carries on the rap tradition of objectifying women.

“It’s really about representations of Black people that these older white CEOs are comfortable with,” said Jasiri X, who runs the One Hood Media Academy where young Black males learn how to use the media to promote positive images of their peers. “At the end of the day, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross are really intelligent. Neither of them are really street guys, they’re playing a character for these White CEOs to make money so that’s really who we have to challenge.”

Jasiri X pointed to other conscious artists like Lupe Fiasco as examples of musicians making a positive impact on the Black community by promoting positive images. During a recent visit to Pittsburgh, Fiasco performed at Carnegie Mellon University and put students in Jasiri X’s One Hood Media Academy on the guest list so they could attend.

“If we have artists like that, that’s who I want to see Mountain Dew work with,” he said.

Some believe the Black community has the power to change the face of the music industry, but if Wayne is so abhorrent, why did he surpass Elvis Pressley last year as the leading male with the most entries on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart? Does Black America really care if Wayne’s lyrics are insensitive? And what about White America, whose buying power accounts for a great deal of Wayne’s success? Tell us what you think.

And if it’s a dilemma for our younger generation, imagine what it’s like for adults. Ask your mother or aunt what is their dilemma with Hip Hop and the question will ignite a long, drawn out conversation because in some way or another Hip Hop bothers them. Deeply.

I am writing this column, in part, because I want to help bridge the generation gap in our community. Just because our elders don’t like our music – and will admit that their elders didn’t like what they were playing when they were growing up – doesn’t mean I have to ascribe negative motives to them or they to us.

Civil Rights leaders just want us to use our power wisely and remember the battles from which we came. At the same time, the Hip Hop pioneers and legends just want to be recognized for their greatness and they want the true meaning of Hip Hop to be appreciated by all age groups.

True Hip Hop artists and fans have been preparing for the day real Hip Hop returns. In the meantime, a new school of young people are making their own way, making their own rules with the power that has been prematurely handed to them. .

What is Hip Hop?

If you ask most, it’s music gone wild. But it’s more than that. This art form represents a way of communicating – an attitude, a position, a swag, life lived freely. When people talk about Hip Hop, they say it’s a youth movement. This is our first dilemma.  Hip Hop will be 39 years old this year (it began August 11, 1973). That was the age of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was assassinated in Memphis.

More than half of African Americans were born after Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech at March on Washington. That was nearly 50 years ago! Instead of teaching the younger generation, some elders have left the youth to their own devices, expecting them to absorb the lessons of their movement without providing the needed guidance.

Consequently, some of our artists make missteps – Lil Wayne denigration of Emmitt Till is one example – because our music legends are not spending enough time with younger artists.

Who should be leading them?

Logically, legends such as Afrika Bambataa, Kool Herc, Grand Master Caz, Pebblee Poo, Roxanne Shante and Kangol Kid. They should be schooling the young people on respectful content, situations to avoid and direction.  The Tru School artists like Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, KRS-ONE, Del La Soul Brand Nubian, and Monie Love should be the body of A&R’s who are nurturing the music we know and love at the record labels and the radio stations.

Young people naturally look to their elders for direction, but what do they see? Do they see someone they want to model themselves after? They don’t see benefit and prosperity in what their parents are telling them? Or, do they see broken homes and gun shots? They can’t help but see the legends trying to get back in the game, the real Hip Hop heads fighting the power, and no one with solutions.

Where else can you have a job making $300 million with no educational requirements, no drug testing, no prior experience and your only responsibility is to come up with a slick line that everybody in the hood will repeat.

Hip Hop teaches them they can stay true to themselves and represent who they are in the streets.  The street is the place where they feel most comfortable because the streets are real with them; the streets don’t lie; the streets give them experiences that are relevant to the world they are growing up in.  The schools are not teaching at the pace and in the language that these young people are learning and absorbing information. So Hip Hop music becomes their outlet like generations before but today there is no agenda, no demand for progress.

We therefore render our entire community defenseless when we allow major entities to use the power of money to entice our young people with a false sense of reality. We are fed images that represent attitudes and personalities of cookie cutter artists who have no vision, who have no morals and who have no idea what kind of damage they are causing.  These artists, corporations, and record labels have access to the minds and ears of our most precious cargo.  When we don’t step in and protect our children from harm in any form, we ourselves are an accessory to the crime.

Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union, can be reached at jineea@gmail.com or Tweet her at @flygirlladay.

On its surface, the bill provides much-needed relief to many of the 11 million undocumented people who live in our country. The challenge is that it disadvantages some immigrants, especially African and Caribbean immigrants, while helping others.

Further, the Senators crafting the bill put goodies into the bill that only serve to advantage themselves or their states.  Senator Lindsay Graham wants more visas for the meat packing industry.  Senator Charles Schumer provided special provisions for Irish people with a high school diploma (why?), Senator Marco Rubio, the much touted possible presidential candidate in 2016, asked for more visas for the cruise ship industry, and Senators Michael Bennett wants more visas for workers in ski resorts.

Meanwhile, the legislation would eliminate the Diversity Visa Program, which allows a visa lottery for countries that have low levels (less than 50,000 people) of immigration to the United States.   Many African immigrants come here through this program (Ghana and Nigeria each had 6,000 immigrants through this program in 2011; African immigrants are 36 percent of those receiving diversity visas).  Thus, while Senator Schumer pushes for special provisions for Irish immigrants, there is no one on the Senate side pushing for special provisions for African and Caribbean immigrants.

Instead of the Diversity Visa Program, the Senate Bill 744 creates between 120,000 and 200,000 visas on a “merit based” system, which gives highest priority to those who have future employment opportunities.  Because employers do not seek out African and Caribbean immigrants for employees (as they seek out Indian and Chinese employees), the merit-based point system is likely to provide fewer opportunities for those from Africa and the Caribbean.  Senator Schumer’s special provision for the Irish carries no stipulation that these people be employed, essentially granting them a pass from the merit-based point system.

Many hi-tech companies use the H-1B visa program on the grounds that there is a shortage of skilled workers in the United States. There is evidence that this claim is specious and that employers prefer foreign workers who they can pay less and control more.  The new legislation will prevent employers from holding workers hostage because their continuing employment is necessary in order to keep their visa.  The new legislation gives H-1B 60 days to find a new job.  But why do we have H-1B visas at all.  With unemployment over 7 percent, and Black unemployment over 13 percent, surely there are unemployed people who could work effectively in technology companies. Howard University economist Bill Sprigs has written that there are proportionately more African American students majoring in computer science than White.  Many of these graduates cannot find jobs.  Meanwhile, African and Caribbean immigrants get just a small percentage of H-1B visas.

The Immigration Modernization bill will spend $4.5 billion in an attempt to secure the southern border, which will “secure” our country from Mexican immigrants, but ignores the northern border, which makes our country more open to Canadian immigration.  Of course, Canadian immigrants are more likely to be White, and thus less feared, than Mexican immigrants.  The Congressional Black Caucus is one of many groups that suggest that this $4.5 billion could be more effectively spent, perhaps on STEM education.

The immigration bill is by no means final. The House of Representatives still has to vote on it, and many of them will add amendments and exceptions to take care of their “pet” causes.  Meanwhile, President Obama has been urging Democrats to accept the immigration bill as it is, because too many amendments may jeopardize the bill.  For example, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) would like to propose an amendment that would allow gay Americans to sponsor their partners for green cards.  The Judiciary Committee is likely to pass this amendment, but the whole Senate might not pass it.

President Obama has had a bad year, so far.  He didn’t get his way on gun control, and he’s been kicked around by an obstructionist House of Representatives.  He needs immigration reform to fulfill promises he made to the Latino community during his campaign.  But the unwieldy 844-page piece of legislation contains lots of provisions that don’t pass the smell test.  It makes it more difficult for African and Caribbean immigrants to become citizens of the United States.

The African American community must take a closer look at this legislation.  If Senator Schumer can give 10,000 Irish immigrants the open door, how many Africans and Caribbeans will he make exceptions for?  At the very minimum, Congress should restore the Diversity Visa program.   The bill is called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act.  Exactly who will have more economic opportunity?  And is immigration really being modernized when it locks foreign-born Black people out of the process?

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer.  She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.

Editor’s note:  Willie Jerome Manning was scheduled to be executed by the state of Mississippi on Tuesday evening.  The  community’s  outcry paid off.  The Mississippi Supreme Court  blocked the execution of Manning just hours before he was scheduled to die. The court voted 8-to-1, with Justice Michael Randolph objecting. The case attracted national attention after the FBI admitted that its original analysis of the evidence in Manning’s case contained  errors. Just last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court refused to allow new DNA testing that could prove Manning’s innocence.  Below is the story written before the stay.   This story provides background information on Manning’s case.

BY TERRELL JERMAINE STARR
SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM NEWSONE

(NNPA)- Test the evidence.

That’s what Willie Jerome Manning (pictured) and his legal team have been asking the state of Mississippi to do for the past 10 years, since being sentenced to death in 1994 for killing two White Mississippi State University students.

Jon Steckler‘s and Tiffany Miller‘s bodies were found in Oktibbeha County Dec. 11, 1992.

Both were shot to death.

Miller’s car was missing but was located the next day. Manning was arrested after allegedly trying to sell the victims’ items. The evidence used to convict him was incriminating but not exact.

While hairs from an African-American male were found in Miller’s vehicle, DNA analysis was not sophisticated enough at that time to determine if they actually belonged to Manning.

It didn’t matter.

Manning was convicted for both murders and sentenced to death, even though he maintained his innocence throughout the case.

And after nearly 20 years, Manning is set to be executed on May 7th even with new testing technology that could exonerate him and point to the real killer if he is indeed innocent as he claims.

Unfortunately, Manning’s case is tragic but not uncommon.

Amnesty International reports that since 1977, the overwhelming majority of death row inmates have been executed for killing Whites, even though Blacks make up about half of homicide victims. Diann Rust-Tierney, executive director of the National Coalition to Abolish The Death Penalty, told NewsOne that Manning and other people of color are at an extreme disadvantage when they are accused of killing Whites.

“You can have a case where there is circumstantial evidence,” Rust-Tierney said. “There’s evidence that hasn’t been tested and you can still get a conviction. So I think one of the things we see is that the death penalty and the way it operates actually increases the risk that the wrong person will be subjected to the death penalty by the very nature of the process.”

Over the years, Manning’s legal team has filed countless motions citing faults with the process used to convict their client. One is of a jailhouse witness who claims Manning confessed to the murders but later admitted that he lied. Perhaps the most disturbing complaint was with the approach the prosecution used to select jurors. Some Blacks were reportedly disqualified from sitting on the jury because they read Black magazines.

Unfortunately, each time Manning has presented the aforementioned arguments, among others, judges have sided with the defense.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Manning’s case as well.

But there was a glimmer of hope that their losing streak would end two weeks ago, when the the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled on whether to allow evidence from the murder case to be tested. The court narrowly ruled 5-4 in favor of the defense. In the majority opinion, Associate Justice Michael Randolph said Manning’s conviction was based on more than what his defense was challenging.

“The absence of Manning’s DNA does not preclude his participation in the crimes charged,” Randolph said. “Manning fails to demonstrate a reasonable probability that he would not have been convicted or would have received a lesser sentence if favorable results had been obtained through such forensic DNA testing at the time of the original prosecution.”

In a dissenting opinion, however, Associate Justice Leslie King found fault with the prosecution’s handling of the hairs.

“Should a DNA test demonstrate that the African-American hairs found in Miller’s cart did not belong to Manning, then the infirmity in the prosecution’s emphasis on the importance of the evidence would be exposed. And it would certainly raise reasonable questions regarding Manning’s guilt,” King said.

With less than one day left until Manning’s execution, his legal team has run out of options.

Robert Mink, one of Manning’s attorneys, told NewsOne that they’ve taken their case to Gov. Phil Bryant, hoping Mississippi’s top executive will do what the courts so far have refused to do.

“We’re hoping that the governor will stay the execution long enough to allow the DNA testing to occur,” Mink said. “It won’t take long. We’re talking about something that can be accomplished in 30 days. We see no good reason not to do the testing when there is evidence that could be highly probative. It could identify the real perpetrator.”

According to the Innocence Project, 306 people have been exonerated post-conviction after DNA testing proved their innocence; 190 of those exonerated were African American. The true perpetrators or suspects were identified in 148 of the 306 exonerations.

Supporters have set up a website, “Justice4Willie,” with a Change.org petition asking Gov. Bryant to stay Manning’s execution. So far it has 984 signatures as of press time. In a recent interview with the Natchez Democrat newspaper, Steckler’s sister, Suzanne, said Manning’s death will not help her feel any better.

“This is just my personal opinion, and I won’t speak for the rest of the family, but it doesn’t bring our brother back,” she said. “Because of that, we don’t wish that ill will on anyone else’s family. I don’t believe [Manning's] death helps us in one way or another.”

BY CHARLENE CROWELL

NNPA COLUMNIST

(NNPA)-According to a new research report, America’s racial wealth gaps will persist until public policy reforms provide every family the opportunity to build wealth.

Less than Equal: Racial Disparities in Wealth Accumulation, from the Urban Institute’s Opportunity and Ownership project, analyzed data and trends from 1983-2010. Over these years, the average household income of Whites remained double that of either Black or Latino families.

But when wealth was considered, the amount of available assets remaining after all indebtedness was deducted, White families’ wealth grew six times that of either that for either Black or Latino families.

“When it comes to economic gaps between whites and communities of color in the United States, income inequality tells part of the story. But let’s not forget about wealth. Wealth isn’t just money in the bank; its insurance against tough times, tuition to get a better education and a better job, savings to retire on and a springboard into the middle class. In short, wealth translates into opportunity.”

The report also found that although the Great Recession of (2007-2009) hit communities of color particularly hard, the type of financial losses varied. With Black unemployment double that of the rest of the nation, Black retirement assets fell by 35 percent during these years. This data suggests that lower-income Black families withdrew money from retirement savings following a job loss or other adverse events. For Latinos, the average retirement asset decline was 18 percent.

By contrast, the Great Recession years took half of Latino family home equity, compared to an average 25 percent for Black and White families. To better understand this lost wealth, it is relevant to note that in 2010 only half of Black and Latino families owned their homes, while 75 percent of Whites were homeowners.

With more assets and diversified income streams, white wealth declined 11 percent during the Great Recession. But Black wealth dropped 31 percent during these same years and Latino families dropped the greatest at 44 percent.

Yet despite these findings, it is equally true that many families of color still desire to own a home and their own piece of America. Their dreams may be deferred, but still remains strong. As the nation’s economy continues to struggle towards prosperity, tightened mortgage lending, higher FHA fees, and continued discussions of federally-mandated down payments do not bode well for more families of color reaching the American Dream.

For the Urban Institute, the answer to these growing and disturbing disparities is reconsidering public policies.

“Families of color were disproportionately affected by the recession. However, the fact that they were not on good wealth-building paths before this financial crisis calls into question whether a whole range of polices (from tax to safety net) have actually been helping minorities get ahead in the modern economy,” according to the study.

Contrasting programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (SNAP) as two social safety programs designed to provide basic essentials; the report noted how tax subsidies for homeownership and retirement policies actually help to build wealth.

“The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year to support long-term asset development. But these asset-building subsidies primarily benefit high-income families, while low-income families receive next to nothing.”

The Urban Institute’s conclusions are strikingly similar to those reached earlier this year by the Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Policies.

“The evidence points to policy and the configuration of both opportunities and barriers in workplaces, schools and communities that reinforce deeply entrenched racial dynamics in how wealth is accumulated and that continue to permeate the most important spheres of everyday life,” the Brandeis report stated.

Here’s hoping that those entrusted with policy decisions are listening.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

Your agreement with co-workers should improve as you take steps to strengthen emotional connections. Keeping things to yourself will not pay off for you this week. Love waits for you if you ask. A message from a distant source contains a clue. Soul Affirmation: Communication is a skeleton key that fits many doors.
Lucky Numbers: 48, 51, 54

TAURUS

Dealing with smaller issues is the order of the week. Your soul vibrations will not attune easily to lofty subjects, long ranged plans and the other aspects of the bigger picture. Attention to details will however, give a sense of accomplishment. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy looking at the road of life sweeping just in front of me. Lucky Numbers: 33, 49, 51

GEMINI

Matters relating to health need attention. Prevention is more valuable than cure. Rest and eat well this week. Your stress will be lower by knowing that you do not have to fix a relationship that has gone sour. Feel your independence and ability to travel alone. Soul Affirmation: People love me, yes they do.
Lucky Numbers: 18, 22, 40

CANCER

Use better judgment with regard to financial matters. Stop rationalizing. Money is important. Do something about the fact that you might find yourself broke more often than you wish. Continuing to deny it will delay doing something about it. Soul Affirmation: I find comfort in the familiar. Lucky Numbers: 1, 14, 19

LEO

Move slowly concerning relationships this week. People are a little edgy and they don’t know exactly where you are coming from. Make full explanations. Don’t assume that they know what’s on your mind.  Most of all, stay positive no matter what. Soul Affirmation: Clinging to the old will inhibit my growth this week.
Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 20

VIRGO

You can’t be right all of time. Instead of always trying to be right, try to find the logic in other’s viewpoint whether you happen to agree or not. Endear yourself to a loved one real soon, by really listening to what they have to say. Don’t be so stubborn, that you deny yourself what you really want. Soul Affirmation: I celebrate will those around me. Lucky Numbers:  19, 27, 34

LIBRA

This week is a good week to dump any extra baggage that has been pulling you down. You have too much potential to throw away and waste your time on issues that will amount to nothing. Stay focused on your goals. Meet and spend time with people who will be able to help you reach them. Soul Affirmation: The truth is in me. I bring it forth. Lucky Numbers:  12, 27, 44

SCORPIO

Your spiritual vibes will give you insight on a situation that’s been on your mind.  Share your thoughts with someone close to you.   Spend time with friends and family that will provide support and guidance when you make an important decision. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy looking at the road of life sweeping just in front of me. Lucky Numbers:  30, 40, 55

SAGITTARIUS

Your careless ways with money are going to be apparent this week. Financial mistakes you’ve made in the past will be especially painful. Don’t conceal the pain from yourself. It is a warning that you should take steps to prevent future financial crisis. Soul Affirmation: I let my friendships guide my way. Lucky Numbers:  13, 22, 35

CAPRICORN

Take advantage of the great weather and spend time outdoors enjoying and relaxing with Mother Nature. Learn a new sport, and spend time with family and friends. Don’t take travel matters into your own hands. Seek a professional who will be able to plan a wonderful vacation for you without breaking your bank. Cook up some goodies for your loved ones. Soul Affirmation: I change who I am by changing where I am going.
Lucky Numbers:  2, 12, 23

AQUARIUS

Stay positive, don’t let negative people get inside your head. You know that things will work out well. Ease rapidly away from anyone who is a naysayer. During the week, things may seem hard at times but soon life will be filled with fun. Enjoy! Soul Affirmation: The slowness of my week gives me time to refresh my energy. Lucky Numbers: 15, 26, 36

PISCES

The bond that you established with your spiritual side works well in your relationship with a special person. Speak of the reality of the intangible qualities of life. Your lover will understand. Keep attention on the financial matters you’ve been dealing with. Soul Affirmation: I obey the rules this week and avoid hassles. Lucky Numbers:  1, 14, 24