One of Dr. King’s last efforts prior to his untimely death was the Poor People’s Campaign. Combating issues of economic justice and housing for the poor, the campaign included an ‘Economic Bill of Rights’, and efforts to lobby elected officials to pass progressive legislation. Because Dr. King intently understood that the most vulnerable and disenfranchised in society were the poor, he dedicated much of his own life to giving them a platform, fighting for their rights and creating a society where they would no longer be dehumanized. Today, as many politicians cut vital programs like food stamps and unemployment insurance, the poor are increasingly watching their concerns fall on deaf ears and their voices drowned out in a sea of political wrangling. That is precisely why we cannot sit silently in the face of oppression. Until the weakest among us are afforded the same opportunities as the wealthiest, we cannot in good conscious accept that the fight for justice is complete.

One of the greatest civil rights achievements we ever obtained was the capability to vote. Long denied the very basic ability to participate in the electoral process of the nation we helped construct, African Americans spent years post-slavery battling poll taxes and other discriminatory practices in order to secure the promise of one man, one vote. After some literally gave their lives so that others could one day participate in the democratic process of this nation, we are now watching that very core human right once again under attack. Passing ‘voter ID requirements’, several states have taken it upon themselves to alter the way in which citizens elect their next leaders. A poll tax by a new name, these voter ID laws are nothing more than intimidation tactics to keep the poor and people of color away from the polls. It is the most egregious and outrageous form of voter suppression we have ever witnessed in our lifetimes. And it is a blatant attempt to reverse the very work Dr. King dedicated his life to.

When it comes to communities of color in the U.S., one of the most tragic realities we face is the rampant rise in gun usage and violence. We can argue as to the root causes of this rise — whether it be poverty, lack of jobs, inadequate schools, lack of opportunities — but the fact remains that it is our children we are burying and our families that are being torn apart. The larger question is, why are these guns so readily available? As the national rise in violence reaches epic proportions, we must create strict national gun laws, and we must establish programs to diminish this senseless violence. Whether it’s conducting gun buyback events, creating more alternatives for people to resolve their disputes, providing counseling where it’s often needed and seeking increased employment/opportunities for the disenfranchised, we must work together to save all of our collective futures.

If Dr. King were alive today, another issue he would tackle head on would be increasing warfare around the world. As a man of the cloth and someone who embodied peaceful protest, he was always fervent in his anti-war stance. At a time when potential international warfare threatens stability in many nations and pushes us at home into deeper debt, we must look at potential conflicts through his lens.

And finally, no society can advance to the next level if all of its children do not receive the same quality education. As I’ve stated many times in the past, education is often times the key that opens the door to entirely new possibilities and helps to equalize the playing field like nothing else can. But when a child doesn’t receive adequate education because of his/her socio-economic status, then we have failed as a nation. As perhaps our greatest modern civil rights struggle to date, good education is something we must ensure all children receive regardless of their race or income status. We agreed that ‘separate but equal’ was separate and unfair; now let’s work to create a united, equal educational system for all.

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends,” were words spoken by the great Dr. King. As we gather to honor this civil rights advocate, let’s remember to pick up the mantle and continue the good fight, for there are many obstacles which remain. So let us not celebrate in silence, but commemorate with our actions; do something today to bring justice for tomorrow.

Reverend Al Sharpton is the president of National Action Network and host of PoliticsNation on MSNBC.

When certain individuals began chanting their mantra of ‘take our country back’, the rest of us hoped that it wasn’t a subliminal message to strip away this nation’s advancements and take us back to some sort of Jim Crow era. But in such a short span of time in office, many conservative elected officials have proved that their goal is precisely to implement regressive measures that begin to chip away at the core of the fundamental constructs of the civil rights movement. The latest enactment of voter ID laws across the country are a prime example of how the right is attempting to wrong us all.

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For those who like to pretend that racism never existed in our past, here’s another quick reminder: years after slavery was abolished, there were systematic ways to still deny African Americans civil liberties – not the least of which was a poll tax. After the 14th Amendment guaranteed equal protection for all, a poll tax was enacted as a prerequisite to voting. Because African Americans (and poor Whites for that matter) found it difficult to come up with the money required to vote, many were covertly disenfranchised from the process. It was a new measure, but it held the same underlying notion of racism and oppression of an entire group of citizenry that slavery itself did.

Today, thankfully, a poll tax does not exist, but as Republican leaders continue to champion and implement voter ID requirements, they are establishing a new form of voting prerequisites and voter suppression. When nearly 25% of African Americans lack ‘appropriate ID’ in order to vote, it’s clear who their target is. When college students are barred from voting in the state where they attend school and instead must return to their home state, it’s clear who their target is. And when the process of obtaining this ‘appropriate ID’ isn’t free by any measure, it’s distinctly clear who their target is.

Imagine you’re a hard-working American who holds two or three jobs just to put food on the table, and now you’re required to take a day (or more) off in order to obtain an ID. Not only does this person accrue lost work wages, but he/she also has to factor in the cost of traveling to obtain the ID, as well as fees associated with getting copies of documents like passports or birth certificates. For the individual enduring such difficult times as so many Americans today are, is all the hassle and extra expenses going to be worth it in their eyes? Or will they simply say, I wish I could vote, but I simply can’t afford it? And let’s not forget the long enduring lines, procedures and bureaucracy that will likely arise for folks in the process of receiving ID cards. It may not be a poll tax, but these new voter ID laws are just a polished version of the same oppressive measures designed to keep people of color and the poor out of the electoral process.

There are currently 13 states across the country that have adopted voter ID requirements, with more pushing for similar legislation. When so many Americans do not possess a driver’s license due to an inability to purchase a vehicle or because it’s simply not necessary in an urban environment, the amount of Americans without valid ID for the polls is staggering. Once again, African Americans, Latinos, the poor and other disenfranchised groups will clearly be impacted the most by these voting requirements. And it should come as no surprise that this sector of society votes Democratic a majority of the time.

If Republican officials and those who support them are so upset by the direction of the country and so insistent on the fact that we are a center-right nation, why don’t they prove it with fair elections? By conjuring up ridiculous requirements that are obviously designed to reduce the number of voters, they only validate the fact that their Party and their vision for the future is antiquated and the majority is not on their side. Instead of playing dirty politics, perhaps they should just run an election on the facts and allow everyone to freely vote. After all, what are they so afraid of?

Maybe it’s high time we, the majority, take our country back.

Check out the rest of our Troy Davis coverage here

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Despite the fact that there was a last minute delay in Troy’s execution last night that sent jubilation throughout the crowd, all of us collectively watched as he was eventually put to death. This time, even with an expansive global movement to save his life, the miracle unfortunately never arrived.

Ever since I was first introduced to the Troy Davis case several years ago, I have been perplexed as to how a man was convicted based solely on eyewitness statements and without any physical evidence. No weapon, no DNA and no proof other than the fact that some people stated he committed the alleged crime. But what makes Troy’s case an utter travesty in our legal system is the fact that 7 out of these 9 witnesses have since recanted their testimony and many said that they were coerced or pressured into pointing the finger at Troy. And yet, he was still executed last night.

One of the two remaining witnesses who did not recant his/her testimony was a man by the name of Sylvester ‘Redd’ Coles — another suspect in this case. And yet, Troy was still executed last night. A female witness even stated that she was threatened by Coles if she came forward, and yet Troy was still executed last night. Everyone from former President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu to former prison wardens and conservatives who are pro-death penalty pushed for a stay in this man’s death penalty, and yet Troy was still executed last night.

I will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Justice Department to push for a federal law that prohibits any state from prosecuting a capital case based solely on eyewitness testimony. Nowhere in America should an individual be executed again without any concrete physical evidence. And at this time, as we mourn the loss of Troy, we must continue to move as well — to mourn without moving only compounds this most egregious injustice.

Although it may be very difficult, especially for those that knew Troy and those that fought on his behalf for years, we all must push forward and ensure that his death was not in vain. A federal law is absolutely necessary, and whether one is pro-death penalty or anti-death penalty like myself, we need to set the bar to where concrete evidence must be required before taking a person’s life.

For those of us who were pushing for a stay in Troy’s execution, do not let anyone paint you as against the family of the slain police officer in this case, Mark MacPhail — for that is the furthest thing from the truth. Our deepest sympathies go out to the MacPhail family, and because they too deserve justice, a re-examination of this case was essential in order to truly determine who was culpable. That’s all Troy Davis asked for; a chance to halt his execution and receive a fair day in court. But tragically, that opportunity was diminished last night.

As I left Georgia yesterday to return to NY, I was consumed in the irony that so many heads of state were gathered at the UN and heard the U.S. stress the importance of human rights while we simultaneously executed this man. What did they think as they turned on the news, read the papers and watched how we behaved? In order to preach and advocate for rule of law and civil/human rights, we must first rectify our own miscarriages of justice at home.

Troy Davis died at the age of 42, after spending 22 years behind bars. As we know all too well, those with money and the ability to hire high-powered attorneys receive the best defense and fighting chance in court. Imagine if one day you woke up and someone accused you of murder and you were then sentenced to death for it. That’s pretty much what happened to Troy.

Based solely on eyewitness testimony that is almost unanimously recanted, a man’s life was cut short last night. If laws are designed to protect us and establish a humane society, we must rectify them so that this sort of injustice never happens again.

Mourn we must, but we must continue to move. Carry on the fighting spirit of Troy Davis who till his last breath, proclaimed his innocence.

As the battle lines appear to be drawn and re-drawn in Wisconsin, a larger debate is brewing across the nation: the relevance and future of unions.

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Previously questioning the concept of monitoring the performance of teachers, National Action Network and I have worked with President Obama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and various mayors around the country trying to raise the notion of education reform. And as such, I take particular notice of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and their recent innovative breakthrough proposal.

With an increasing number of politicians and opportunists wrongfully attacking labor unions, one of the most harshly scrutinized has decided to take matters into its own hands. The AFT, comprised of more than 1.5 million educators, recently thwarted unjust opposition thanks to its president, Randi Weingarten, and her newly proposed evaluation plan. Tackling the issue of tenure head-on, this groundbreaking idea emboldens both the strength of the AFT and simultaneously protects students from ill-performing teachers. Let the critics now be silenced.

Read more at HuffingtonPost

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During his lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that the civil rights movement and the labor movement had to remain firmly united. He understood that there can be no real equality without economic security and that government must play a role in protecting our most vulnerable.

Dr. King had gone to Memphis, the city of his assassination, to preach that no job holder should live in poverty. Before the bullet struck him, he had joined striking sanitation workers to march for living wage jobs and a union contract.

It is hard to imagine that he would not be angered to see how little real progress we have made since then. Today almost 1 in 3 working families nationally are low-income, according to an analysis of the latest available Census data by the Working Poor Families Project. Many of these working families reside in communities of color.

The core issue now affecting many workers, and the unemployed who hope to find work, is the issue that animated King in his final hours: too many jobs barely allow people to survive. They go to work each day and still live in poverty. More than forty years later, the need for living wage jobs is as urgent as ever.

The urgency is very clear in a place like New York City, where a record number of working residents, nearly 1.8 million, now rely on food stamps just to get by. Many of them hold jobs in rapidly expanding sectors like retail where companies and developers often receive large taxpayer-provided subsidies and create low-wage jobs in return. But an economy with a growing number of impoverished workers is unsustainable and destructive: more workers will turn to government for help, strain already overburdened public services, contribute less to the tax base, and increase the shared costs of poverty.

A better way forward is to ensure that private beneficiaries of public investments act in the best interest of communities and neighborhoods where they are located. From Baltimore to Los Angeles and beyond, cities have begun to require companies and developers receiving taxpayer subsidies to create jobs that enable people to be self-sufficient and avoid destitution. New York City and the rest of the country should follow suit.

Establishing a living wage standard for economic development and growth strikes the right balance for our communities and neighborhoods. When companies and developers benefit from government support, they should provide something in return – jobs that allow people to live in dignity.

“It was no victory for black men to be allowed to sit in a formerly white-only theater or to rent hotel accommodations which had been segregated, when they had no jobs,” the historian Manning Marable has written. “It was cruel to permit black children to sit in all-white schools, when their mothers had no money to provide for their lunches.” All the marching and organizing during Dr. King’s lifetime was meant to build economic empowerment and security for millions of workers in this country.

Using the language of his time, King once put it like this: “Negroes are almost entirely a working people. There are pitifully few Negro millionaires, and few Negro employers… Our needs are identical with labor’s needs–decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing… conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community.”

Dr. King’s legacy of standing up for the working poor animates the growing living wage movement in this country. It is the nexus where the labor movement and the civil rights movement must come together.

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On the heels of President Obama’s self-professed “shellacking,” a renewed urgency for bipartisanship has emerged in Washington. One week later, a new study proves that the education gap between the races in the United States – specifically, the crisis facing young black men – remains as devastating as ever.
So why not immediately start working across party lines to rectify this, the greatest civil rights issue of our age?

“The nation’s young black males are in a state of crisis” is the opening sentence of the new study released on Tuesday by the Council of the Great City Schools. Emphasizing racial disparities beyond economic factors, the report highlights the catastrophic state of affairs facing an entire segment of the population.

Consider: Black children are twice as likely as whites to live in a home where no parent had full-time or year-round employment, and those aged 17 and younger are nearly 50% more likely to be without health insurance than white children.

Perhaps more striking is the fact that black boys drop out of high school at nearly twice the rate of white boys, and they compromised only 5% of all students in college in 2008 but were 36% of the total prison population.

This is a national calamity – which is arguably creating as large of a divide as institutionalized segregation ever did. Is the demise of the black man in effect a formula for the downfall of the entire race?

Last year, President Obama asked former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and me to join Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and conduct a national education tour. Visiting schools in cities and towns from coast to coast over a span of several months, we witnessed our crumbling system first-hand. Gingrich and I hail from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but we put our differences aside, for we understood the depth of the crisis.

So now, as incoming Speaker of the House John Boehner speaks of cooperation, perhaps he and other Republicans can cast aside party politics and begin to truly work with Democrats to rectify our education achievement gap.

That was the great promise of No Child Left Behind, passed with bipartisan fanfare in 2001 – but it has not done the job.

If we agree that education is the key to advancement, everyone – white and black, Republican and Democrat – should be disgusted by our current imbalanced state. In essence, we are saying to children born into poverty that they are doomed to remain in that state, no matter how hard they work.

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Without equal access to good education, children develop into adults without decent jobs and living wages. The end result is a spike in crime, a disproportionate rise in incarceration rates and a sense of hopelessness that lingers from one generation to the next.

So what might this bipartisan agenda look like?

Pre-K programs should be expanded and finally made available to all students across the country. Teachers should be truly held accountable and rewarded for good performance – important work that has begun under the Race to the Top competition. High-risk schools should be given additional funds to attract the best and brightest teachers.

Charter schools should serve not only as a choice for parents and students, but also as laboratories for new ideas and innovation; when an exemplary charter school is succeeding, we must spread its success to dozens if not hundreds more schools. And we should pledge that no child should ever forfeit attending college due to financial reasons.

Will all this take more resources? Possibly – though there may well be enough money in the system already, if we are prepared to reorient our priorities.

Regardless, we dare not fail.

As young black boys mature into black men with greatly diminished opportunities, so goes the black family structure. With the demise of the family structure, so goes the foundation for generations to come. It’s a vicious cycle. Let’s snap it before it’s too late.

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On Revernd Al Sharpton’s nationally syndicated radio show “Keeping It Real,” Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele was less than confident when asked about his future as the Republican chair.

“Well…we’ll see how it goes,” Chairman Steele responded to a direct question. “I’ve told them that they will get used to my leadership.”

To the idea that if Steele does lose his post, he will be the first African-American in government or elsewhere to lose a position after doing a good job, Sharpton offered jokingly to “march for him,” to which Steele responded with a nervous laugh: “Well, that would be very interesting.”

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He reminds the crowd of the struggle and fight our ancestors dealt with in order to give us the right to vote. He also talks of the struggle to get the same crowds that supported Obama, full force, in 2008 to show up at the polls even now.

VIDEO:

Early voting is happening now and election day is around the corner. Click here for more information on Local Voting locations and events.

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When the now infamous allegations against Bishop Eddie Long first surfaced, the world – and specifically the African American community – paused for a seemingly endless moment. Attempting to cope with the complexity of the situation, we began questioning everything from faith and leadership, to sexuality and civic responsibility.

Accountability and Responsibility

An ongoing issue within the Catholic Church, this was the first time that we within the Black Church were faced with the troubling notion of pedophilia and abuse of power. And though nothing has been confirmed nor denied at this point in time, this difficult period should serve as the quintessential teachable moment on a plethora of levels for everyone who cares about the future of our community, the Black Church and our children.

To be clear, let’s first remind ourselves that Pastor Long is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Our constitution affords all of us a just trial within the judicial system, and we should honor it no matter what the views in the court of public opinion may be. That being said, we can however highlight the need for growth within leadership, and the duty upon all of us to assess our own shortcomings and potential hypocrisy.

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Public figures – myself included – must be more committed to our cause than our own attractions or distractions in life. Throughout the years, I have learned that public figures must live and function to a higher standard or else they run the risk of getting in the way of what they represent. Whether that cause is political reform, immigration law or civil rights as is the case with me, all leadership must adhere to a greater code of excellence if we are to witness the progress we wholeheartedly champion in our day-to-day struggles.

Next, it’s time that the Black Church and the African American community begin engaging in an open and frank conversation over the issue of homophobia. For far too long, we have dodged the bullet on this reality, and the end result has been catastrophic for all of us. Because of a massive stigma and fears of castigation, many live dual realities – on the one end pretending they are fathers and husbands, and on the other, living on ‘the down-low’. Not only has such an existence denied people the opportunity to live openly and freely as they choose, but it has greatly contributed to the skyrocketing number of HIV/AIDS cases among African American women who may be unaware of the activities of their husbands/boyfriends. As we continue discussing Pastor Long’s alleged crimes, we must ask ourselves, would this have been such a big issue if it were a heterosexual allegation?

And finally, we must keep in mind that Clergy, like all other human beings, are imperfect and will make mistakes. But we cannot and will not allow for them to be hypocrites. When a man or woman assumes the role of religious leadership, or any leadership for that matter, we must ensure that they are leading by example and not by mere verbiage. Pastors and those who choose to guide others must be held accountable for what they preach and what they espouse from the pulpit. Their actions must coincide with their teachings, and if they do not, then the responsibility rests upon all of us to call them out on it.

As the legalities of Pastor Long’s case will eventually reveal the truth, in the meantime, we must ensure that we begin tackling some of our own half-truths and shortcomings. Public figures like myself must continue living and functioning to a higher standard, and the public must be ready to hold us liable if and when we do not. The African American community must begin to grapple with the very real existence of homosexuality, and it is the responsibility of everyone to hold our Clergy and leadership accountable to their words and actions.

Out of the turmoil, pain and shock of the Bishop Long situation, if we can master these challenges, then we in effect have mastered the teachings of this very real and very grave moment.

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We often see the images of starving children and impoverished families flashing across our TV sets. Many times, they are huddled in massive groups waiting for food handouts, safe housing or any other basic necessity. Whether it’s following a devastating natural disaster, civil unrest or sheer poverty, the scenes of chaos remain imprinted in our minds despite the fact that they are occurring in distant lands.

Until recently, most of us here in the United States remained lucky enough to never even fathom such desperation. But last week, when some 30,000 people near Atlanta, GA braved the tumultuous heat for hours just for a slim shot at housing relief, the rest of the nation watched on in horror as these acts of despondency occurred right in our own backyard. And just like all moments of human despair and misery, just a few minutes of that footage highlighted grave challenges that many wish would be swept under a rug somewhere.

The city of Atlanta is often referred to as the city of paradoxes. Comprised of the fastest growing millionaire population, it simultaneously has one of the highest child poverty rates in the country. Last week, just outside Atlanta in East Point, GA, these 30,000 folks gathered – many of them nights before – just to receive an application to be placed on a waiting list for Section 8 housing. The East Point Housing Authority currently has 455 vouchers that are all being utilized, so everyone who showed up last week can only hope to get on this list for a chance at affordable housing, and many will remain on the list for years.

The massive explosion of folks left over 60 in need of medical attention, and 20 transported to a hospital – including a baby who went in to seizure because of the excessive heat. There was yelling, screaming, pushing, cursing and chaos as the throng of folks fought to merely garner an application. And in order to receive these section 8 vouchers, a family must not make more than 50% of the areas’ median income, which stands at just around $31,847. In the end, about 75% of the housing vouchers will go to those who make less $9,500 a year.

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Now, let’s put this in perspective. Thousands convene in the extreme heat and fight their way to receive an application for just a chance at survival. This wasn’t a group of people fighting over mundane things, or even attempting to get a shot at the American dream. These were mothers, fathers and families who have fallen on hard times and make barely enough money to put food on the table.

How can we sit by idly and watch such catastrophic events take place? When Black unemployment rates are more than double the national average in many areas, how can we be complacent? When foreclosures have left our families homeless, how can we not speak up? When scenes of utter despair like East Point play out on our TV screens, how can we not do something? When the dream for freedom, equality, opportunity and advancement is yet to be fully realized, how can we not take a stand?

Join the National Action Network on August 28th in Washington, DC. as we RECLAIM THE DREAM that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned nearly 47 years ago. Enough is enough. We can no longer choose to ignore the harsh realities right before our eyes – for the tragic scenes like East Point, GA are now etched in our minds.

Join us on the 28th as we seek sustainable solutions to our housing crisis, economic woes and unemployment epidemic. Stand with us as we march for unity, freedom, justice and humanity.

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Forty-seven years ago, our nation was in the midst of uncertainty, trepidation, fear, frustration, anger and unrest. Forty-seven years ago, we were simultaneously hopeful, dedicated, ambitious, determined and resilient. Forty-seven years ago, people of all races gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to urge their federal government to live up to the standards and ethos embodied in our Constitution.

Forty-seven years ago, we demanded equal access to education, voting rights, desegregation across the board, just employment opportunities and equanimity in society. And forty-seven years ago, men and women from all walks of life, and from all ethnic persuasions rallied and marched for a larger federal government to intervene because states were failing to ensure our basic human civil rights. It was on Aug. 28th, 1963, that the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. unequivocally summarized the sentiments of the over 250,000 attendees and millions across the country at home when he delivered his ‘I Have a Dream Speech’. Now forty-seven years later, it is time to Reclaim that Dream.

National Action Network and I invite you to join us on Aug. 28th in Washington, D.C as we mobilize along with other progressive leaders, clergy, activists and dream keepers to unanimously Reclaim The Dream. We will meet at 11 AM at Dunbar High School and then march forward in the same peaceful manner as Dr. King did on that historic day.

When most people reflect on August 28th, 1963, they often forget the premise of why Dr. King and other leaders organized such a massive congregation to begin with. Billed as the ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom’, the Aug. 28th rally pushed for the federal government to take more direct action in enforcing laws and policies that would end institutional racism and create a level playing field for all people despite race, color or creed. The three-hour long program at the Lincoln Memorial united civil rights leaders like John Lewis and Dr. King himself to present a unified front in the quest for justice. And the following year, the success of that day and Dr. King’s relentless work were realized when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, and one year later passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Dr. King undoubtedly understood the necessity of immediacy. He knew that despite the emancipation of slavery, ‘One hundred years later, the Negro is still not free’, and that ‘One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity’. Today, with incomprehensible unemployment rates as high as 50% in places like NY, unequal access to decent education and housing, astronomical arrest and imprisonment rates, skyrocketing foreclosures and remaining strongholds of racial injustice, African Americans are still vying to fully realize Dr. King’s dream. With ridiculous state laws like Arizona’s anti-immigration SB 1070 bill, Latinos and other minorities are welcoming federal intervention to fully realize Dr. King’s dream. And as women still fight for higher wages and an end to discriminatory policies, the dream must still be fully realized.

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Join us at Dunbar High School at 11 AM as we mobilize once again those that refuse to settle for injustice and inequality. In honor of Dr. King, we will again march in the country’s capital as we call on our federal government to ensure our inalienable rights when states sometimes fail to do so. But we will in no way be deterred by those dividers like Glenn Beck and other Tea Party members who are attempting to tarnish the legacy of this historic day and our impeccable leader. We will not allow them to hijack the dream, nor destroy Dr. King’s mission. And we will not give credence to this disturbance, and distraction – for that is all that it is. In true non-violent Dr. King fashion, we will not be silenced.

We again are living in tumultuous, volatile times, but we again remain hopeful and vigilant that change is just around the corner. It begins with laws and policies that create opportunity and impartiality. And it begins with each one of us.
On Aug. 28th, 1963, Dr. King infamously stated: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”

Let everyone who believes in justice join us in Washington on the 28th as we RECLAIM THE DREAM.

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When we study the intense struggle for civil rights in this nation, we quickly – and rightfully so – find ourselves analyzing the life and legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We learn of his tireless efforts to achieve equality and justice for all of humanity, as we pass on anecdotes of sit-ins, marches and boycotts to our children. Our schools highlight the selfless sacrifice of Dr. King in rooting out the stains of racism and achieving integration across the country.

But what we as a collective sometimes forget to impress upon the next generation is the depth to which Dr. King was an advocate for federal government as he knew it was the only effective way to ensure a unified system of equality in every state. Today, the Tea Party stands to break that national stance on justice and in turn, break the crux of what the civil rights movement symbolized and what Dr. King fought and literally died for.

Long observing a consistent pattern of racist comments and behavior within the Tea Party, the NAACP recently voted on a resolution urging leaders of the Party to denounce such inflammatory elements of their organization. What has ensued is a back-and-forth between between the two groups with a national discussion surrounding race and race relations. But in this much needed conversation, we cannot glance over what the Tea Party as a whole stands for: smaller government and states’ rights. It is a group so ardently focused on state sovereignty that talk of secession and state self-regulation has become as commonplace as the bigoted signs visibly present at their gatherings. And it is an ideology that should raise alarm bells to anyone who believes in true freedom and justice for all.

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During the struggle for civil rights in the 1950’s and 1960’s, it was more often than not, the federal government that intervened when state policies failed us. At Clinton High School in Tennessee, it was National Guard troops that protected Black students as they entered a desegregated educational facility for the first time. And it was the federal Supreme Court that ruled segregation resulted in unfair and unequal practices to begin with in the infamous Brown vs. Board of Education decision. It was federal policies that allowed Blacks and other folks of color to exercise their right to vote and voice their opinion in the politics and social issues of the day. It was national regulation of discriminatory housing and zoning laws that afforded the marginalized a shot at the American dream. And if we take it all the way back to the days of emancipation, it was a President and a federal government that ended the abhorrent institution of slavery.

On August 28th, 1963, Dr. King went to Washington and held a rally for the precise purpose of pushing for increased federal action and involvement to nullify all discriminatory state and local practices. As we prepare to mark the 47th anniversary of his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on this date, Glenn Beck and others push for an expansion of states’ rights – the exact antithesis of the civil rights movement and Dr. King’s legacy.

We can already clearly see the detrimental effects of state regulation with the recent passage of Arizona’s immigration bill SB 1070. And when members of the Tea Party like Rand Paul state that it is perfectly permissible for private businesses to discriminate on the basis of race, we have a serious problem. The NAACP was inarguably justified to call out racist elements of the Tea Party, but we must also ensure that we question the legitimacy of the Party’s foundation itself. As the chants for states’ rights and secession get louder, we must all ask ourselves if we would truly like to return to a period where there was less federal involvement??

In the tradition of Dr. King and the civil rights movement, I urge for more – not decreased – federal intervention. This is, after all, the United States of America; let’s start acting like it.

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It has been a year and a half since the fateful night a New Year’s celebration turned deadly for a 22-year-old Black man in California. He wasn’t engaged in a gang transaction gone wrong, nor was he evading police or hiding somewhere as a fugitive. No, Oscar Grant was handcuffed face down on the ground with a police officer’s knee pinning his neck when another cop decided to draw his weapon and shoot him in the back.

The single bullet ended his young life as his friends and a train station full of people watched on in horror. And now, on the heels of a verdict in the trial against the accused officer, Johannes Mehserle, the revulsion only intensifies.
Oakland, CA has long endured racial strife, and relations between law enforcement and the community can be described as uneasy at best. But for a handcuffed man to be killed in front of dozens as he lay on a train station platform floor, the calls for justice have taken on new heights. Unfortunately, in our still unequal criminal system, the cards are still largely stacked against Oscar, despite several bystander videotapes clearly depicting officer Mehserle discharging his weapon into Grant’s back. As everyone anxiously awaits the verdict in his trial, I ask, when will the system begin to work for us? When will people of color be respected and granted the same privileges as those who still choose to oppress us? And when will the individuals who are sworn to serve and protect us be held to the same standards they so readily impose on others?

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Almost immediately after the 2009 shooting took place, officer Mehserle fled California to Nevada – though his attorney maintains he wasn’t running away and ‘was not a flight risk’. Once his trial began, it was quickly moved from Oakland where the tragic death occurred, to far away Los Angeles because the defense ‘didn’t feel they could get a fair case in Oakland’. In Los Angeles, among the jury of his peers, not a single juror is African American. There are numerous reports of journalists, activists and others being kicked out of the courtroom and in some cases arrested – as was a correspondent from Youth Radio who was in contempt of court ‘for charging a device that had the ability to record’. The Judge in Mehserle’s trial, Judge Robert Perry has eliminated first-degree murder charges, and has instructed the jury to consider second-degree murder, manslaughter or an outright acquittal – all of this taking place in the same criminal courthouse where the infamously polarizing OJ Simpson trial occurred years before.

And then there are reports that officer Mehserle’s own track record of abusive behavior has been systematically left out of the court proceedings. Just weeks before Oscar Grant lost his life, an individual by the name of Kenneth Carrethers says Mehserle viciously beat him for criticizing BART police officers (which is where Mehserle served). Carrethers was treated at a hospital before Mehserle took him to jail, but following Oscar Grant’s death, the charges against him were dropped. As the jurors in Los Angeles deliberate, will this history of violence at the hands of police play in their minds? Just as victims have their entire lives dissected in courtrooms all across this country, should we not do the same to those with a badge and shield? Why are their lives held to a different standard?

It has been a year and half of mourning and immeasurable suffering for the Grant family. And with each passing day, each insulting act of disregard and each violation of their child’s civil rights, the quest for a semblance of justice continues. As we await this jury’s final decision, let us not rest until we do obtain justice in Oscar’s name. We will not take to the streets and riot should a negative outcome occur, but rather march peacefully and plan our next steps in a nonviolent strategic manner as the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have wanted us to.

As I always say: justice delayed is justice denied. Justice for Oscar Grant and the many other voiceless victims out there.

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UPDATE: Rev. Al Sharpton’s official statement on Arizona Immigration Law:

“The Arizona Immigration Bill is an affront to the civil rights of all Americans and an attempt to legalize racial profiling. As one who helped to make racial profiling a national issue and who has in the last year visited Arizona several times to rally against these draconian immigration policies, I am calling for a coalition of civil rights organizations to work with those in Arizona to resist and overturn this state law that violates the rights of Americans in that state.”

via National Action Network

From NYDailyNews.com:

New York activists, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, compared Arizona‘s new immigration law to apartheid, Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South – and vowed to shut it down with mass protests.

“We will bring Freedom Walkers to Arizona just like Freedom Riders went to the deep south 50 years ago,” Sharpton said yesterday.

Standing with local clergy, elected officials and a leader of the Hispanic Federation, Sharpton said he would mobilize people from across the country to march in Arizona – and get arrested, if necessary – to stop the controversial new law.

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“We cannot sit by and allow people to be arbitrarily and unilaterally picked off as suspects because of the color of their skin,” Sharpton said.

Gov. Jan Brewer (R-Ariz.) signed a bill last week authorizing police to question individuals about their immigration status if they suspect they could be in the country illegally.

It now faces a slew of legal challenges and a review by the U.S. Department of Justice that was ordered by President Obama.

The recent headlines were chilling: NBA players allegedly brandishing guns in the Verizon Center locker room. Gang and youth violence plagues U.S. cities, and people constantly ask: What are young Americans thinking? Well, when we look at today’s athletic and entertainment stars, we begin to see the answer.

Maybe young Americans are thinking like their role models: athletes or actors who, fairly or unfairly, have become the billboards of violent and destructive behavior.

The Washington Redskins’ Sean Taylor was killed in 2007 by gun violence. Last year, Delonte West of the Cleveland Cavaliers was reportedly found carrying weapons after an arrest following a traffic stop. Before that, former NBA player Antoine Walker was at least twice held at gunpoint because of an alleged gambling incident. Investigations continue into what transpired between the Washington Wizards’ Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, but it has been established that guns were in the locker room — which Arenas called “a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate.” The NBA was right Wednesday to suspend Arenas. But the league cannot stop at addressing the symptoms of this sickness. It must deal with the issue of violence in sports and figure out ways to mentor the players who emerge from this culture.

Guns are not a joke. Violence and recklessness continue to be treated as acceptable and even heroic behavior by part of our society. When I was growing up in the ghettos of Brooklyn, my peers and I knew unemployment, bad schools and social marginalization, but our athletic and entertainment heroes inspired us to beat the odds. Our ambition was to not submit to a subculture that would confirm the worst depiction of who we were and what our destiny would be

Suppose that the stars of past generations — Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Althea Gibson, Marian Anderson — had used the challenges of their day to justify dangerous actions. What if Bill Russell or Hank Aaron had used the wickedness of segregation as an excuse to brutalize their peers rather than raising an image of excellence to the world?

I have led vigils and rallies in almost 30 cities, all directed at getting young people to refrain from gang and youth violence. Some, such as the rapper T.I., have denounced the behavior that led them into trouble and have called on young people to refrain from similar actions. But this is not enough. When I talk to parents in the aftermath of a beating death at a school, or a mother whose 13-year-old son was killed by a stray bullet, I wonder how much the athletes and entertainment giants of our time could help change the atmosphere that led to these situations.

We have not seen the level of partnership that we should from record companies and sports associations, advertisers and sponsors (those that regulate and profit from sports and entertainment) with the community groups that work in modern war zones day in and day out, trying to create an atmosphere of civility.

I also feel a keen sense of guilt that black leaders have not raised our voices more dramatically. If the assailants in these incidents had been white, we would have been marching, but because this is same-race behavior, we shake our heads, say a few words and allow it to continue.

None of us — not the government, private industry, clergy, civil rights leaders or parents — has responded with the needed urgency. It is a crisis that youth today think they have more in common with Scarface than with Martin Luther King Jr., or look up to mobsters more than to Malcolm X. All of us must deal with the romanticizing of gunplay and denounce the idea that it is acceptable to resolve differences with destructive behavior. Our society cannot continue to reward commercial success while telling people that their private misdeeds have nothing to do with their public images. We must have and enforce a standard for American heroes

Two years ago, residents in much of the Southeast underwent an utter revamping of their lifestyle. Instead of blindly showering water across their lawns and leaving faucets running on end, they were forced to self-ration their own usage, and in many cases eliminate certain activities. In North Carolina, Governor Michael Easley urged his constituents to cease using water for all purposes not essential to public health and safety, while the nearly five million inhabitants of the Atlanta metropolitan area faced fines upwards in the thousands for violating certain water restrictions. For the first time in more than 100 years, the Southeast region of the United States faced the highest level of drought on record as water resources plummeted to dangerously low levels … and yet the Bush administration continued to turn a blind eye towards a catastrophe looming in virtually everyone’s future.

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From December 7th-18th , about 75 world leaders will congregate in Copenhagen, Denmark as they undertake the complex and ever urgent dilemma of climate change. Luckily for the United States – and for the world at large – President Obama himself will attend and address the summit on December 9th as he pushes forth his goals to reduce carbon emissions 83% by 2050. As the first sitting U.S. President since George H.W. Bush’s 1992 trip to Rio de Janeiro where a global warming treaty first began this process, Obama will address the annual U.N. conference and finally propose an emissions reduction target that will undeniably save lives and our planet.

As hurricanes grow in intensity, floods wash away entire towns, tsunamis erase generations, droughts leave children starving and the number of respiratory diseases around the world continues to exponentially rise, there are those that would still chose to deny the existence of a dire global warming crisis. And the sad reality is that even though developed nations are largely to blame for growing environmental damage, it is poorer, underdeveloped countries which suffer the most repercussions. Many times lacking the appropriate resources and infrastructure to combat natural disasters and emerging catastrophes, these countries almost always experience disproportionate levels of death, starvation and destruction. And a majority of the time, it is children who fall victim to the devastating outcomes of an increasingly volatile environment.

RELATED: Climate Change “Could Spark African Civil Wars”

Despite the mounting evidence and countless examples of global warming, those with their own financial or personal incentives would choose to deny its existence. Following eight years of the Bush administration’s rejection of the 1997 Kyoto climate accords, and its continued refusal to reduce greenhouse gases, President Obama will finally make a concerted effort to rectify an overly neglected and increasingly troubling situation. For the first time, the American delegation to the climate summit will have a U.S. Center set up at the conference where keynote speakers will address topics ranging from the investment of $80 billion in clean energy via the Recovery Act, to the President’s gas emissions standards for cars and trucks. Obama will also be accompanied by several Cabinet officials, including the head of the Environmental Protection Agency – marking this as the highest profile contingent of U.S. officials to ever partake in international climate discussions.

When the majority of Americans elected Obama as the 44th President of our great nation, they did so with the conviction that he would not only alter our stance on the world stage, but that he would finally transform political rhetoric into ardent actions. With real, sustainable goals of reducing emissions that have unfortunately grown at a rate of 3.5% annually since 2000, President Obama is once again defining what true leadership should in fact entail. After decades of abuse and neglect, our planet and all the world’s inhabitants will take comfort in knowing that we finally have a President that is making a concerted, meaningful and decisive effort to combat an emergency that impacts us all. It is no surprise then that he is leaving Copenhagen to travel to Oslo, Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Less than 300 miles from the Japanese capital of Tokyo rests a small town named ‘Obama’.  And in that tiny neighborhood, both young and old danced in the streets and celebrated last November when Barack Obama took home the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.  Just off the heels of the one-year anniversary of that historic day, our country’s first Black President embarks on a bold, complex and challenging trip to Asia.  Unlike past Presidents, Obama must maintain a delicate balance between our economic interests in the region during such a critical global financial crisis, and broader human rights concerns in countries like China.  Our country’s 44^th however, has one secret weapon that just may assist him on this ambitious mission:  his own personal Asia-Pacific connection.

In addition to his days in Hawaii, young Obama spent several years as a child in Jakarta, Indonesia, fully immersing himself in the culture and livelihood of the people.  Thanks to his mother’s humanitarian aid work, he received exposure to the world from the onset, which unquestionably shaped his diplomatic prowess, intellectual depth and ability to open – and expand – dialogue.  And it is precisely those unique characteristics that are shaping and driving the President’s goals as he forges new relationships with emerging countries, and reinvigorates some old ones.

As if two wars with no clear end in sight weren’t difficult enough, our President also inherited the worst economic crisis in modern history, and a larger, global financial catastrophe.  After years of Wall St. greed, lack of oversight and unregulated loopholes, the United States will attempt to focus on developing and maintaining ties in a region that leads the way in economic growth.  Obama’s challenge is in essence twofold:  tackle key global issues like clean energy and job growth, while simultaneously maintaining our stamp as a leader in Asia.

It’s an extremely tough and unfair predicament for a new President.  Facing unprecedented hurdles that were in many ways created or exasperated by the last administration, Obama will now have to welcome emerging powers like China, with reassurance that they will continue to have our back.  Virtually indebted to the communist superpower, the U.S. – and in turn Obama – are forced to push other issues like human rights to the backburner as we continue to maintain our vital relationship.   Delaying a meeting with his Holiness the Dalai Lama for this precise reason, Obama must now instead stress the importance of China’s role on the world stage and our intricate ties to one another.  Because of policies and practices he again inherited, the President will also have to bypass discussions surrounding free-trade agreements in South Korea or the issue of Tibet itself.

As Obama leads this seven-day trip to places like Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, let us not underemphasize the enormous task at hand.  And let us underscore the fact that many of these complex problems were in large part created under Bush policies that this President must now rectify.  But thankfully, if there was ever anyone who could poignantly juggle this delicate Asian relationship, it is none other than the man who met the world with open arms as a child, and who the world now in turn embraces everywhere he goes.

Most Americans forget that there’s a war going on outside – or rather more than one.  In the midst of chasing after celebrities and keeping up on the latest gadgets, we’re often pushed into some sort of forced seclusion that bars us from the ongoing reality of two active wars.  And for the last 18 years, a ban on coverage of dead soldiers brought back home only further masked the harsh truth of conflict.  Dating back to the 1991 Gulf war, the bodies of young men and women killed overseas were blocked from media coverage – that is, until now.

After lifting the media coverage ban earlier this year, President Obama himself made it a point to stand throughout the midnight hours last week as the newest casualties of the Afghan war were lifted off of a cargo plane one by one at Dover Air Force Base.  Saluting each flag covered casket as it was carried out, the President witnessed first hand the human cost of war, something our previous President never did.  And the American people were also able to observe this somber ceremony where 15 soldiers and three D.E.A. agents were brought home for their final resting.

Following the deadliest month of the inherited war in Afghanistan, where some 55 Americans were killed in October alone, President Obama faces an extremely complex and no doubt intense decision as to how we should proceed.  Is it best to pull out our troops immediately?  Should we send in more support for the ones that are already there?  And what exactly does ‘victory’ in that region mean?  Conducting routine war council meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and regularly listening to the advice of generals on the ground, the President is once again assessing an issue from all possible angles – including the human angle.

“It was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day, not only our troops but their families as well,” stated the President following the ceremony at Dover.  Admitting that this very evident human sacrifice was going to way heavily on his decision in Afghanistan, Obama once again broke from the past.  Refusing to dismiss the conflict as something in a distant land removed from American society, the President brought home the rough reality of this 8-year-long engagement and how any future action will directly impact people’s lives.

Breaking with his predecessor’s tradition, Obama has not only taken a hands on approach with honoring fallen soldiers, but he is proving yet again that constructive, well-thought out decision making yields the best results – and not arrogant, ego-driven rash behavior.  When more and more of our dead children are being flown home, it’s amazing that some would criticize the President for not making a quicker decision.  Instead of recognizing the complexities involved in such a matter, these critics want nothing more than to use any excuse to attack Obama and divide the country at a time when we need to be unified more than ever.

I support Obama, and whatever final decision he will arrive to because I know that it will not be done in haste.  I know that he personally stood for hours and saluted fallen men and women, met with their families and did not return to the White House till 4:45 AM that day.  And perhaps, most importantly, I know that he wants all of us to be aware of the daily sacrifices being made, and to be well informed of what we in turn have all inherited.  It’s time to get out from our seclusion and start paying attention.

Last week, when conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh lost his bid for partial ownership of the St. Louis Rams, many adjectives were used to describe his possible state of mind. Several news outlets commented on his anger and frustration, while the right-wing had a field day with the ‘injustice’ of it all. But perhaps the most precise word to summarize Mr. Limbaugh’s reaction to news that his inflammatory commentary of the past excluded him from ownership in the NFL is pure and simple “fear.” Fear that activism is alive and well, and fear that activism worked.

Almost as quickly as news broke of Limbaugh’s football dreams, I was contacted by members of the NFL Players Association over concern they had regarding ownership from a man who previously equated the NFL to a game between rival gangs the Bloods and the Crips. A man who in 2003 stated that Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media just wanted to see a Black athlete succeed. And a talk show host whose controversial, divisive statements about African Americans and other minorities had no place in a sport that was primarily comprised of Black players and epitomized unity.

Without hesitation, I drafted a public letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, voicing the shared apprehension that I and other progressive individuals ready to move beyond antiquated and offensive rhetoric felt about the matter. We took bold and immediate action because that is precisely what this situation demanded; for silence equals acceptance. And as a result of our active engagement, we were able to halt an immense wrong from ever transpiring. Cornered and defeated, Limbaugh has resorted to once again launching personal attacks against me because, simply put, he is virtually powerless to do anything else.

In op-eds and on his radio show, the multimillionaire has inaccurately interjected my name in riots such as Crown Heights in 1991 and Freddie’s Fashion Mart of 1995. He accused me of playing a ‘leading role’ in these incidents, when in fact I urged calm and peacefully defended victims. In fact, in 2000, RNC Chairman at the time Jim Nicholson himself publicly recanted similar erroneous allegations, but unfortunately Limbaugh has not taken a lesson from the history books.

Many in conservative media continue to harp on Limbaugh’s other false claim — that I somehow created the Tawana Brawley case of 22 years past. Instead, I trusted official police reports indicating their own findings of a battered and sexually assaulted woman. That is why people like Bill Cosby put up a reward for information on the case even before I got involved. It was a civil jury that did not believe Brawley’s attorneys, just like a criminal jury didn’t believe OJ Simpson was guilty during his trial. But let’s remember that not all of those who believed OJ was innocent are racist, just like my belief in Brawley did not make me a racist. Even after paying damages of $65,000, I am still wrongfully accused of creating a hoax, when the jury itself wasn’t convinced by evidence presented by attorneys, and the facts proved that I was simply defending someone I honestly believed was a victim.

But this type of vitriol is nothing new from the Limbaughs of the world who are fearful of truth, justice and change. They are weary of our ability to step in for the downtrodden in situations like Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, the Jena 6 and in our capability to curb harmful speech from Don Imus and yes, from Rush Limbaugh.

The greatest civil rights leader of all time, Martin Luther King Jr., taught everyone that activism is a necessity to effect progress in society. MLK isn’t notorious for passing legislation or enacting laws, but for his sheer amazing ability to raise issues of concern and shed light on injustice. In no way can I, nor anyone else compare to MLK, but as a student of his, I work diligently to carry on his legacy and speak out on intolerance in whatever form it may appear — and that includes Limbaugh’s dangerous words.

Despite the outright lies that Limbaugh and others may spread, I and the National Action Network will not cease in our unwavering duty to speak for the voiceless. And I take comfort in the notion that the people will continue to turn to us if and when they need assistance, for people reach out to those that are effective.

I can proudly attest that we were indeed victorious in this most recent incident of rectifying a potential wrong and garnering justice. Activism once again prevailed; awareness once again succeeded. And perhaps most importantly, we collectively proved that more involvement is needed in a climate of hate created by certain entities on the right. It’s time for even more renewed activism — for it works.

Rush Limbaugh and others be very very afraid.

Every time a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan is killed, it makes headlines.  Whenever a police officer or firefighter dies, we hear about it.  If there’s an unfortunate shooting at a prestigious university or small town all-American school, society pauses and grapples with the notion of how this could have happened there, in middle America, far removed from the mires of urban life.  But what about the countless young children whose lives are cut short daily in cities across this nation?  Who hears their cries?  Who listens to the plight of suffering mothers and fathers mourning the dead?  And who will step in to curb the extreme rise in violence and utter disregard for human life that is so pervasive now in our community?

RELATED: Four Charged With Beating Murder Of Chicago Teen

The world was recently fixated on a disturbing video clip which captured the brutal, senseless murder of 16-year-old Chicago honor roll student Derrion Albert.  Apparently caught in between two rival student groups on his way home from Fenger High School, young Derrion was beaten with wooden planks, kicked, stomped upon and beaten some more till his lifeless body was dragged away.  In what appeared to be an all-out ‘brawl’ outside of his school, the horrific incident was followed by more incomprehensible unrest at what was supposed to be a peaceful memorial for Derrion a few days later.

Watching this graphic video will make anyone shudder at the amount of young people involved, the extent of violence that erupted and the complete lack of respect for humanity on display.  Because this horrific incident was in fact caught on tape, the media and those who normally turn a blind eye towards the downtrodden had no choice but to take note.  But what we must keep in mind is that in addition to Derrion’s violent death, over 30 Chicago students lost their lives in 2008 alone, when some 290 shootings took place.  And this epidemic isn’t unique to Chicago alone.  The same week that the this brawl occurred, a 15-year-old in Arizona died after being stabbed repeatedly following an argument with another student.  And all across the country, young children – specifically children of color and those in poorer disenfranchised neighborhoods – may have lost their lives, and we will likely never hear about these young souls because their incident wasn’t captured on tape.

Now we must ask ourselves, what are we doing to curb this most pressing issue?  If children are in fact the bearers of the torch for tomorrow, what are we doing to train, protect and guide them to lead the way?  Why are more and more of our youth acting out in such vicious, destructive methods?  Ask any psychologist and he or she will tell you that the first place a child learns behavior is from their parents.  With more and more broken homes, and parents/grandparents struggling to make ends meet, young people often find friends and the streets as their mentor.  Turning to music and entertainment that also often times glorifies violence and the superficial, our neglected youth quickly adapt behavior they deem will protect them in neighborhoods where authorities sometimes fail to do so.  Attending poorly funded and inadequately staffed schools, these children grow up in an environment of hopelessness, anger and frustration which no doubt contributes to the rise in aggression so prevalent around the country.

RELATED: Four Charged With Beating Murder Of Chicago Teen

The breakdown of a family structure, high incarceration rates and poverty unequivocally leads to violence.  Easy access to firearms contributes to violence.  An environment of crime, glorification of negativity and a lack of structure leads to violence.  Lack of opportunity and proper education sooner or later results in violence.  It’s a horrific cycle that must be shattered, and must be addressed immediately.  We are losing too many of our young – those like honor roll student Derrion who may have gone on to find the cure for AIDS, or created a new life saving vaccine.  Unfortunately he, like so many of our children, have been robbed of their opportunity.

Everyday, parents from around the world come to the United States with the hopes of giving their children better education, and a chance to improve their lives.  Let us not fail the millions who are already here and in desperate need.  We all need to take bold action this instant, for the cameras won’t always be there, but the tears and heartache of grief can be heard everywhere.

Just listen.

RELATED: Four Charged With Beating Murder Of Chicago Teen

It was the 1960s, and after decades following the abolishment of slavery, African Americans were still vying for simple fundamental human rights including the most basic form of involvement in society – voting.  Routinely disenfranchised from the process via underhanded tactics such as literacy tests, and more blatant intimidation methods like outright murder and violence, the Black community found itself intricately excluded from actively participating in any discourse that may have altered their lives for the better.  Following the murder of voting-rights activists in places like Mississippi and Alabama, the President and Congress finally passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that aimed to ensure equality in our election process.  Though we may not be physically attacked at voting stations or forced to pay fees at the ballot box, people of color are once again being excluded from the process in much more underhanded and disturbing ways.  And the campaign to end ACORN is the clearest, prime example before our eyes.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, better known by its acronym ACORN, was established in 1970 and through the years has worked diligently to register individuals from disenfranchised neighborhoods, help construct schools, find affordable housing for the poor and more. It is in fact the largest membership organization of low and medium income people, and it has itself employed more than 13,000 registration assistance workers throughout the country.  Its housing corporation has assisted over 50,000 families facing foreclosure, and its tax and benefit centers have helped over 150,000 low-income families receive over $190 million in Earned Income Tax Credits and other refunds.  But perhaps most impressive under ACORN’s extensive accolades has been its ability to register some 1.3 million to vote – and hence help give a voice to those who have been silenced for much too long.

For the past few weeks, the media has been fixated on a video that depicts ACORN workers allegedly giving advice to a man and a woman posing as a pimp and prostitute.  While the authenticity of this tape is still being investigated, let’s not underscore the fact that the man behind the footage, James O’Keefe, is a longtime right-wing agitator and instigator who has a lengthy history of targeting reform institutions.  Let’s not forget that FOX News, upset over its dwindling viewership and simultaneous dwindling advertising dollars, has made it a point to attack anything that may have helped the first Black President win office.  And let’s not dismiss the persistent and consistent efforts of conservatives to take down ACORN throughout the years, with trumped up voter fraud charges and more.

Even if we were to pretend that the footage of this tape has been authenticated, it still does not justify a cease of Federal funds to this vital organization.  In no way am I condoning the behavior of these ACORN employees if they were in fact violating legal and ethical rules.  But a few bad employees cannot account for the elimination of an entire institution that is so integral in our most underserved communities.  Without grants from the Housing and Urban Development Department, ACORN would not be able to provide counseling on housing, education and outreach.  And without governmental funds, it could no longer work with partners like Health Care for America Now to win the campaign on health reform.

It’s time to be brutally honest about the ACORN debacle.  It’s about politics; it’s about the 2010 mid-term election; it’s about power and maintenance of the status quo; it’s about the right to vote; and it’s about the continued oppression of an already suppressed group.  I haven’t forgotten about the attempts to juxtapose President Obama with ACORN during the campaign.  I don’t ignore the fact that ACORN has consistently been depicted as a Black institution, when in fact it is not.  And I shudder to think what would happen if we continue down this dangerous course of eliminating any individual or group that fights for the empowerment of the weak.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was established to level the playing field and remind everyone of our constitutional guarantees.  Let us not regress now.

It’s hard to imagine that less than a century ago, police sergeants and sheriffs were overseeing the burning of crosses and ensuring the safety of Ku Klux Klansmen in places like Queens, NY and that fifty years ago, people of color were still fighting for the ability to use public bathrooms and drink from water fountains at will.  And today, in 2009, despite having the first African American President in the White House, Blacks and Latinos still suffer from institutional racism, blatantly discriminatory attacks, profiling and disproportionate levels of incarceration.  Despite the plethora of issues we still must surpass, the President has diligently worked to unite the American body and transcend the conversation beyond race.  Unfortunately, his opponents often see nothing but skin color and an opportunity to conjure up age-old sentiments, fears and stereotypes.

The issue of race in America is so complex that even analyzing and assessing it requires the breakdown of multiple layers.  Former President Jimmy Carter recently expressed his view on the rage being hurled towards Obama in an extremely forthright and candid manner.  Following Congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst during the President’s speech on health care in front of Congress, Carter was compelled to say the following in a television interview:  “I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a Black man.”

Now this isn’t an ‘angry Black person’ touting these words, nor an advocate who has fought against discrimination their entire lives, but rather a White, former President who didn’t hesitate to call out what he deemed dangerous behavior.  Carter’s insightful words have sparked yet another debate on Obama’s ethnicity and the state of racial tensions in America.  Can we recall a time when the President’s citizenship was ever called in to question?   When was the last time we heard words like ‘socialist’ and ‘Marxist’ utilized?  Have people ever second-guessed a sitting President so openly?  Can we remember a moment where folks were yelling to have ‘their country back’?  And when was the President of the United States ever interrupted, belittled and disrespected by a member of Congress in the House chambers?! After all, the rules themselves prohibit lawmakers from “unnecessarily and unduly exciting animosity among its members or antagonism from those other branches of the government.”

Let’s take it even one step further: Carter didn’t hesitate to address the rise in anger and troubling sentiment circulating around the country and in Washington itself.  But not too long ago, Governor David Paterson of NY juxtaposed virtually the same concept and was immediately castigated for it.  Criticized for playing the ‘race card’, Paterson was instantaneously dismissed when he too highlighted bias and deep-seated hatred for the way in which both he and the President were being treated.  So how is it that when a White official mentions a controversial topic, it sparks an in-depth debate and analysis of society and the treatment of the President.  But when a Black leader says virtually the same, he is immediately touted as a race-baiter and shunned from the conversation?

As we await Joe Wilson’s next step – whether that includes a formal apology on the House floor remains to be determined – we must not take our own next steps in vain.   The next time anyone is so quick to dismiss race and bias, let them not forget the lessons of the past, and – more importantly – the lessons we’re still constructing today.

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For the past several weeks, all we have been inundated with is negativity; a decline in President Obama’s approval ratings, scare tactics, weakening support for health reform and an overall sense of pessimism and frustration with regard to change.  Pundits, critics and the like spent the month of August focusing on town hall uproars and the notion that this President, like many reformists before him, would fail in the battle for health coverage for every American.  But unlike his predecessors, President Obama silently and diligently proceeded despite the vitriol and criticism, and then shut them all down with one historic, bold speech.

“I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last,” articulated Obama last Wednesday in front of Congress and the American people.  Answering his critics directly, he passionately dismissed blatant lies like ‘death panels’, but continued to encourage bipartisan input and support.  In an unprecedented move, he outlined a plan in which insurers could no longer deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, or drop people after they become ill.  He addressed concerns from both the right and left, while intricately explaining his marketplace concept, costs for such health care reform and a projected timeframe for change to finally be implemented.

Single-handedly shifting the debate, President Obama has once again silenced doubters and brought the focus back on the real issue – an inadequate system that is failing the nation.  A system where 14,000 Americans lose coverage every day, a system where individuals have died after being dropped for the most inane justifications and a system where the highest number of uninsured are between the ages of 18-29.  We cannot continue to fail our youth who will be responsible to carry the baton for the sustainability of our country on every level.

During the civil, ever-pertinent speech by our President, there was an outburst by Republican Representative Joe Wilson that by now we are all unfortunately familiar with.  This sort of disrespectful, unwarranted and ill-informed attack on Obama is in effect a reflection of a dwindling segment of the population that has no resort but to yell.  Exhausted from fear mongering and a lack of solutions, Americans themselves are no longer giving in to this type of hate, and they are ready, willing and able to stand behind the President.

The day after Obama’s impassioned speech, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showed that 2/3 of those surveyed said they supported Obama’s health care proposals, and about one in seven changed their minds on his ideas.  Unfortunately, by Thursday, the number of uninsured also rose to nearly 46.3 million as a result of our continued recession.  As more and more people lose their jobs, or are forced to take jobs without health benefits, the people cannot be fooled any longer.  As they watch family members suffer or die due to a lack of adequate care, the people are adamant in their support for reform.

I echo our President’s steadfastness and continued call for action.  Just as Medicare revamped health care for our seniors, it is high time to deliver the same amenities to all of our citizens.  As Obama aptly stated:  “That large-heartedness – that concern and regard for the plight of others – is not a partisan feeling.  It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling.  It, too, is part of the American character.”  And it’s time to sustain our character.

In April of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. intellectually and emphatically asserted that ‘freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed’ as he diligently wrote from a rotting prison cell.  His now infamous Letter from a Birmingham Jail called for a restoration of human rights, liberty and justice for all of humanity.  Speaking over 2,500 times, arrested upwards of 20 and assaulted at least four times, MLK would likely do it all one more time were he alive today in the cause of another impeding civil right’s issue:  lack of adequate health care for our citizenry.

Every day, countless children are born into poverty without proper health care that sooner rather than later diminishes his or her chance at succeeding in school, obtaining work, leading productive lives, improving his or her condition and altering a devastating cycle.  And every day, many children are blessed to be born into middle class homes with health coverage and opportunities for advanced education, but find themselves helpless when they too cannot find work or are struck by the unlucky fortune of a serious illness and their insurance suddenly drops them.  Each and every day some 14,000 Americans are losing their health coverage as our economy continues to struggle, and as a result, people are literally dying from either lack of insurance, loopholes in coverage or an inability to maintain regular check-ups and screenings that are so vital to staying healthy.
It’s an atrocity that in a country as powerful as the United States, people are falling ill, losing their homes and going bankrupt all because of a corrupt system that only benefits insurance conglomerates and those in their pockets.  Why is it that the U.S. life expectancy today still lags behind 30 other nations?  Why does a hard-working factory worker in the Midwest have to choose which finger to amputate because he could not control his diabetes in time?  Why does a teenager in California have to die because her insurance company gave her the run around when she was seeking treatment for her aggressive cancer?  And why are so many forced to travel to Mexico, Canada and England to get cheaper medicine and better treatment for their ailments?

President Obama recently spoke with a diverse body of religious leaders where he stated that health reform was a ‘core ethical and moral obligation’.  If MLK was able to walk and march through our streets today, he too would likely preach for the urgent and dire need for change.  Now of course neither I nor anyone else can unequivocally say what this great man would definitively do, but as a student of his, I can make a calculated assumption.  Listening to the cries of babies, watching innocent children suffering and observing the inhumane corporate lobby of our health industry, our nation’s greatest civil right’s leader would not hesitate to begin a new nonviolent campaign to end this destructive pattern of injustice and abuse.

Since our most recent recession began, an additional four million+ Americans have lost their health insurance, and the numbers are undoubtedly going to rise.  Another 3.2 million+ rely on Medicaid or the SCHIP program to assist them, and yet many on the right would have you believe that health care isn’t an urgent issue for ALL.  The amount of blatant lies – from ‘death panels’ to ‘government takeover’ – spewed by those whose financial motives are questionable at best, would make MLK shutter.  Unfortunately there are some who are busy playing on the fears of people who have lost their jobs, livelihoods and a sense of stability.  President Obama and Congress must not give in to these scare tactics, for health care is a fundamental human right’s issue that must be guaranteed to everyone if we are to remain a civil society.  MLK had urged for young high school and college students, young ministers and religious leaders – and their elders – to ‘courageously and nonviolently sit in at lunch counters and willingly go to jail for conscience’ sake’.  Perhaps it’s that type of movement that needs to take place, that needs to silence the ridiculous mistruths and that needs to once again deliver equality for all.

MLK used to preach that we end poverty through assisting those poorer than ourselves.  As human beings, we have to make a moral commitment to others, and that moral commitment today encompasses immediate health reform.  Let’s continue Kingian nonviolence and let’s continue fulfilling this selfless man’s dream:  for ‘we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream’.

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OPINION: The Attacks On Obama

As the battle lines for health care reform are being drawn – and redrawn – a silent segment of the population is strategically left out of the conversation.  A group of individuals who have been deemed enemies of society, and cast away behind iron bars to fend for themselves.  In California, health care in the state’s 33 prisons is so inadequate that one unnecessary death takes place per week, as inmates are often stacked in triple bunk beds in hallways and gymnasiums.  With nearly twice the number of prisoners than it was designed to hold, California prisons will have to be cut by about 40,000 in the next two years – and it’s about time.

Federal judges just released a 184-page order demanding that California’s inmate population be reduced by 27%, and gave the state 45 days to come up with a plan.   In what they termed an ‘unconstitutional prison health care system’, the three-judge panel concluded that disease was spreading rampantly and prisoner-on-prisoner violence was all but unavoidable.  Forced to close a $26 billion dollar budget gap, California will now have to look at mechanisms to reducing its extensive prison spending, which in 2007 topped out at nearly $10 billion (approximately $49,000 for each inmate).

Whether it’s for pure economic reasons or for an actual concern over the well being of prisoners, California will hopefully serve as an example for a reversal of the ever-growing prison industrial complex.  A system that unfairly profiles and detains minorities, American jails produce a vicious cycle of recidivism and community breakdown.  Last year, the Pew Center on the States released a scathing report stating that one in every 100 American adults was in jail, and that an astonishing one in 15 Black adults was behind bars.  According to government reports in 2007, there were three times as many Blacks in jail than in college dorms, with Latinos not far behind at 2.7 times more behind bars than in secondary schooling.

In order for us to truly amend our incarceration culture where one in four prisoners in the entire world are in the United States, we have to take a look at the root causes of the dilemma.  Why is it that more than half of all Black men in America don’t finish high school?  Why is the unemployment rate in powerful cities like New York at 50% for Black men?  Why did Congress abolish Pell grants for prisoners in 1994 that virtually eliminated all 350-incarceration college programs across the country?  Is it any coincidence then that six out of 10 Black men who drop out of high school have spent time in jail by their mid-30s?  With unemployment rates on the rise (and many would argue well in to the double digits among people of color), arrests for nonviolent infractions and petty crimes are leaving families motherless, fatherless and hopeless.

We live in a world that promotes law, order and justice, yet our actions often times prove otherwise.  As if the implementation of ridiculous drug laws and the ‘three strike rule’ weren’t enough to catapult our prison population, now our children are increasingly finding themselves in handcuffs at an early age.  In 2006, a 14-year-old Black student in Texas was sentenced to seven years for shoving a teacher’s aide, while in 2007, an eighth grader in New York found herself handcuffed to a pole above her head for three hours while being questioned by police for writing on her desk at school.  In Chicago it’s no better, as 77% of all student arrests were Black, although Blacks make up just half of the city’s student body.

And let’s not forget women, who are in fact the largest growing segment of the prison population.  According to Prisoners for Children, 85% of women are now serving time for non-violent crimes, with Black women six times as likely to go to jail than their White counterparts.  These women, often the heads of their households, are forced to withstand dire circumstances including giving birth while in shackles.

In 2006, the state of California spent about $500 million in overtime for its incarceration system, and in 2007, states spent $44 billion in American tax dollars on prisons.  Whether it’s because of our diminishing economy, or if it’s out of genuine concern, California is leading the way – or rather being forced to lead the way – in amending our unjust prison industrial complex.  If we truly care about the future our nation and all its inhabitants, each and every state needs to follow suit immediately.

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OPINION: What Gates Will Teach Us
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We often teach our children that if you study, go to school, work hard and remain focused, you will be able to transcend the many racial and social boundaries that permeate in society.  That if you stay away from drugs, violence and criminal activity, the law will serve and protect you.  So what do we tell young people today when they see an Ivy League Professor, a writer and producer for PBS documentaries, a renowned author, an editor of several influential anthologies, a board member of esteemed institutions like the New York Public Library and much much more get arrested in his own home?  How do we even begin to explain the still evident and troubling notions of racism, injustice and institutional bias that exist in a country with an African American President?

Professor Henry Louis Gates, Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African American Research at Harvard University, was returning home to Cambridge, MA from filming a documentary in China last week when he and his driver had trouble getting in to his home.  After fiddling with the door and eventually gaining access, Professor Gates and his African American driver entered the house, only to discover police arrive a short while later on reports of a  burglary.  The 58-year-old mild mannered professor with a leg disability then produced his ID in order to prove his residence in the posh neighborhood – in other words having to prove his worthiness despite his accolades of achievements.  And yet still, somehow, this distinguished Ph.D. scholar was handcuffed, humiliated, belittled and arrested for ‘disorderly conduct’ on his own front steps.

Almost immediately, Cambridge police – and some in the media – began painting Professor Gates as an angry Black man who became ‘irate’ or was ‘irritable and exhausted’ from his long voyage.  Once again, many began drawing their own conclusions based off of one-sided police reports and statements that don’t take into account Professor Gates’ version of the incident.  Yet again, many have taken the police departments’ words at face value and given a clear pass to any notion of agitation, harassment, instigation and abuse by the officers themselves.  In 2009, we are again witnessing nothing other than racial profiling at its best.

In April of 1998, three Black men and one Latino were driving down the NJ Turnpike when their vehicle was pulled over and police fired 11 shots at the unarmed men.  The late Johnnie Cochran and I fought diligently on behalf of these four innocent men and we pioneered a thorough investigation into police practices, protocol and an ingrained mentality we referred to as racial profiling.  Defined later by the ACLU as any police-initiated action (including surveillance, search, detention, arrest or any other intervention) that relies to any degree on the race, ethnicity, religion or national origin of a person, racial profiling has virtually been in existence in some way, shape or form since the days of slavery.  Countless studies on racial profiling stats and discriminatory behaviors have since emerged following the NJ Turnpike incident, and yet we see the practice still in effect on our streets, in our cities and in our towns.  Time and again, history has proven that race-based policies do not make us safer.  And time and again we see the vicious results of over-zealous officers who belittle individuals based on preconceived ideas – no matter how esteemed, educated or accomplished he/she may be.

I commend President Obama for personally acknowledging and defending Professor Gate’s honor at his press conference last week, and for highlighting the breath of work that still needs to be done in order to advance our nation into a true post-racial entity.  Perhaps providing hope and urging young people to continue the good fight is the best thing we can do for the next generation.

It’s been just over six months since the first African American President assumed the reigns of leader of the free world, and thus became arguably the most powerful man on earth.  Following slavery, centuries of institutional racism, unequal access to education, jobs and the pursuit of prosperity, America voluntarily voted for a Black man to hold the highest office in the land.  And after running on a platform of unity and staying above the fray of racial divisiveness, President Obama finds himself at the center of bigotry, race-baiting and hatred – and this time the right wing fringe is attempting to portray him as the racist.

A few weeks back, Fox News anchor Glenn Beck engaged in an all-too familiar rant where he began attacking the President of the United States.  Literally pulling out a wobbling Black doll holding an umbrella that he called ‘Obama’, Beck went on a tirade over how the President’s proposed health care reform would ‘remake America’ and that people should be very, very afraid.  With neurotic-type gestures, Beck espoused that Obama was taking the “beacon of freedom and turning it into an apologetic, hey, what can you do for me, wannabe European, spread the wealth, socialist wonderland”.  As if such vitriol and fear mongering wasn’t incomprehensible enough, the Fox loud mouth went one step further last week in a move that even astonished his bosses when he called Obama a flat out ‘racist’.

Following the election in November, the nation was immersed in the progress of finally electing an African American into a house that was literally constructed on the backs of slaves.  Many, in an idealistic manner, hoped that society would now advance into a post-racial environment where skin color, ethnicity, creed and religion wouldn’t play such intense roles, and discrimination would subside.  Unfortunately, what we must remember is that despite having a Black President, inequities in education, housing and work still exist, and that the institutional structure of society hasn’t shifted all that much.  The CEOs of most corporations are still White, the hiring managers are mostly White, the heads of police departments are predominantly White and the executives in media (and that’s TV, print and radio) are more often then not White.  Yes, we have made some advances, but there is a tremendous way to go before anyone can even begin to speak of equality and a fair playing field.

In January, President Obama inherited an exacerbating housing crisis, two wars and the worst economy in years.  And as people continue to lose jobs and face tough times, those on the right cease to exploit the fears of the downtrodden.  Several in the GOP have utilized health reform as a wedge to scare White folks – especially poor Whites – that Obama is using health care as ‘reparations’, when in fact those same poor Whites would be among those who benefit the most from this reform.

Just last week, two officers in Georgia were put on leave after being accused of running a criminal check on the President.  This outrageous behavior followed last year’s security breach of then Senator Obama’s passport.  And since inauguration we have witnessed dangerous words like ‘socialist’ and ‘Marxist’ touted around as if they didn’t hold an ugly and troubling history.

Never before in our nation’s history has the President of the United States been undermined and attacked so blatantly in the media, on Capitol Hill and in the court of public opinion.  It happens in small manners when someone refers to him as ‘Mr. Obama’ rather than ‘President Obama’, and in more blatant manners by the Glen Becks and Rush Limbaughs of the world.  Instead of supporting the President as he undertakes the daunting task of resurrecting the country out of our plethora of challenges, some chose to divide, incite fear, push their own agendas and reinforce age-old stereotypes.  Now I ask you, who is the real racist?