Professors Prescribe “Baby Bonds” To Deal with the Racial Wealth Gap
Cutting social security benefits is under consideration once again as the US Congress and the White House hurtle toward a full embrace of austerity. The rationale they offer is the professed bankruptcy of the social security system. Undoubtedly, reducing benefits from a program that keeps an estimated 40 percent of elderly Americans out of poverty [...]
Solving Poverty: Atlanta in Black and Green, the Tale of Two Cities
As I noted in another ‘Solving Poverty’ piece for The Huffington Post, the new racism today is actually poverty. Yes, it feels really bad if a racist calls you a highly offensive name, but it is completely un-dignifying when you cannot pay your rent, make your mortgage payment, or you find that your car has [...]
Moynihan Revisited and the Ongoing Black-Poverty Debate
African Americans are still impoverished nearly 30 years after a controversial report inspired the phrase “blaming the victim,” Kenneth Braswell writes at Ebony. A few weeks ago, Fathers Incorporated, Open Society Foundations Campaign for Black Male Achievement and the Urban Institute held a research forum to reexamine a controversial report by the Department [...]
Creating ‘ladders of opportunity’ in Harlem and communities across the country
A child’s zip code should never determine her destiny. But today, a child’s health, educational outcomes, and lifetime economic opportunities are often negatively impacted when she grows up in a high poverty community. Harlem Children’s Zone is working to change that. This week, I visited this neighborhood nonprofit, with its president and CEO, [...]
Solving Poverty: Dr. King’s Dream and Silver Rights Not Such a New Idea
As we reflect this year on the 84th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the 50th anniversary of the “I Have A Dream” speech, I think about the vast unfinished agenda of Dr. King, launched as the third phase of his vision for a world better. Dr. King had focused first [...]
Should Welfare Checks be Tied to Kids’ School Grades?
Yesterday afternoon, Fox News hosted a discussion on whether a Tennessee proposal to tie welfare checks to kids’ school grades was a good idea. The debate was between the writer of the Tennessee law and a former school superintendent who isn’t a fan of the proposed law. Republican State Rep. Stacey Campfield said the proposal will [...]
Tavis Smiley Asks: Is It Time For Poor People Yet?
Tavis Smiley has been basically blacklisted by most of the African-American comminity, many of who feel that he’s been “hatin’” on Obama, talking all that poverty nonsense, but Smiley isn’t done yet. He’s still asking the question that no one is willing to answer; what about poor people? As Congress continues its fixation with the [...]
While You Were Cheering For Obama and Biden, This Happened…
by Yvette Carnell In a plastic society, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s real. It’s comfy to begin to believe that Romney and Obama are polar opposites, but the problem is that the two men are more alike than different. Is President Obama marginally better than Romney? Eh… somewhat..yes. And yes, that may actually [...]
Romney: Obama Voters are ‘Dependent on the Government’ [Video]
![Romney: Obama Voters are ‘Dependent on the Government’ [Video]](http://www.kulturekritic.com/wp-content/themes/city-desk/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kulturekritic.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F09%2F18%2FRomney-naacp.jpg&q=90&w=160&h=106&zc=1 "Romney: Obama Voters are ‘Dependent on the Government’ [Video]")
Mitt Romney doesn’t believe you’re voting for President Obama because you agree with his policy positions, but because you want more free stuff. At a private reception with wealthy donors, Mitt Romney described approximately half of Americans as “people who pay no income tax” and are “dependent upon government.” Those people, said Romney, would probably support President [...]
Julianne Malveaux Testifies that Federal Contracting Promotes Inequality
by Dr. Julianne Malveaux On May 21, I had the opportunity to testify before a Congressional Progressive Caucus, meeting on the fact that federal dollars drive inequality by paying contractors who pay too many of their workers very little. The hearing was driven by a study from Amy Traub and her colleagues at Demos, a New [...]
May 29, 2013No CommentRead More