Politics

Update: Now watch video from the event above.

On the announcement of her pending retirement, the Los Angeles Urban League and President & CEO Blair Taylor salutes the years of service of Congresswoman Diane Watson to Los Angeles, the state of California. Diane Watson and the League have worked together for the betterment of lives for decades. From her tenure on the Board of Education, to the California State Assembly to her service to the country as a member of Congress and ambassador to Micronesia, Watson has been an exceptional public servant, a trusted ally of the League and a fearless champion of the constituents we serve in the African American community and other minority communities.

The Los Angeles Urban League applauds the passage by the House of the landmark health care bill (H.R. 3962) that will extend insurance coverage to 36 million uninsured Americans. With respect to healthcare access, this legislation has the potential to help close the gap between people of color and the rest of the population - a gap that has continued to widen at an alarming rate.

Whether it is mortality rates, lack of prenatal care, life expectancy, the stratospheric rise of HIV among minority women, higher death rates from preventable diseases, or our rising number of families without health insurance, studies show that minorities continue to face alarming health statistics all across this nation. African Americans in particular face health disparities that literally threaten survival. It is time for serious action, and we are pleased to see the House answering the call.

The Los Angeles Urban League joins the Kennedy family and the nation in mourning the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a social justice giant, one of the nation's most effective and irreplaceable advocates for equality, a brilliant legislator and a tireless champion for those in need. Senator Kennedy's service to the United States Senate will forever stand as a citadel of legislative accomplishments and provides a template for future leaders in the fight for civil and human rights. Throughout his career in the United States Senate, Senator Kennedy was a friend of the Urban League Movement and all organizations that waged the battles to end inequality and discrimination in all areas of America society. By some accounts, he was responsible for supporting more civil rights initiatives than any other senator in US history.

Originally featured in the LA Times on July 17, 2008.

The cover of the New Yorker magazine this week drove home a stark reality that both columnist Tim Rutten and The Times editorial board missed: Although many Americans appear to be ready for an African American president, the question remains as to whether America itself is ready. The recent cover is the latest example of the willingness of the American media and thought leaders to openly demean African American leaders and play into the worst fears of some American people.

Now, before I am labeled "thinskinned," let me make some acknowledgments upfront. Yes, I know that the New Yorker is a purportedly "liberal" magazine with a history of satirical illustrations. And yes, I am aware that it has a constitutional right to publish a provocative cover image. But it also has an ligation to be wary of the line between provocative and scandalous. So, regardless of the magazine's political tilt or its intentions with respect to this or any other cover, in the end, the magazine and its staff must be held fully responsible for such reckless decisions.

This nation is mired in a housing market collapse. This nation is on the brink of a severe economic recession. This nation is faced with the largest gaps between rich and poor since the great depression. This nation is facing crumbling infrastructure, schools that do not work, and a rapidly deteriorating position in the world. This nation is now $9 Trillion in debt, and is bogged down in a war whose objectives are not clear, and whose costs now exceed $1 Billion per week. Yet in the midst of a Presidential election, for the better part of the last week we have scarcely debated these issues. We've instead spent an extremely large portion of our limited attention spans on the issue of Barack Obama and his pastor, Jeremiah Wright.

Why is it that the words from a fiery Black pastor have so stirred America that we seem to have little appetite for anything else? Candidly, I am non-plussed by the right-leaning media's assault over the past few days waged against Pastor Wright and Senator Obama. Their antagonism to this type of situation is both expected and predictable. But what is surprising and also interesting is the reaction of the so called liberals to the Reverend Wright situation. That is, the reaction of those who claim to be in "favor" of a more fair and just (or colorblind) America, but who are nevertheless somehow shocked and indignant by open expressions from the very people who have yet to see that fairness come to fruition.

What is truly fascinating to ponder is the reality of those who were previously supporting Senator Obama before this fiasco, but have decided against supporting him after.

This past week, the National Urban League held its 2007 Annual Conference in St. Louis. Among the more than 5,000 attendees at the four day event were African American leaders from all across the nation.

At one point during the conference, 2008 United States Presidential candidates addressed attendees. In the forum, each candidate had 20-­minutes to explain their vision for America and urban America to a packed house.

The Mayor of St. Louis was there, along with dozens of African-­American elected officials, hundreds of corporate executives and a myriad of press. Senator Barack Obama was on hand as a participant, as was Senator Hillary Clinton, former Senator John Edwards, and Congressman Dennis Kucinich. In fact, all that was missing were the Republicans: Not a single Republican candidate showed up, in spite of multiple, cordial and quite personal invitations.

The absence of any Republican candidate at this event was quite significant. Their absence reflects a powerful set of realities about the future of the Republican Party, the perceived strength of African Americans, and America itself.