March 08, 2018
By Russell Contreras
Associated Press
Barriers to equality are posing threats to democracy in the U.S. as the country remains segregated along racial lines and child poverty worsens, says a study examining the nation 50 years after the release of the landmark 1968 Kerner Report.
The new report released Tuesday blames U.S. policymakers and elected officials, saying they’re not doing enough to heed the warning on deepening poverty and inequality as highlighted by the Kerner Commission a half-century ago, and it lists a number of areas where the country has seen “a lack of or reversal of progress.”
“Racial and ethnic inequality is growing worse. We’re resegregating our housing and schools again,” said former U.S. Sen. Fred Harris of Oklahoma, a co-editor of the new report and last surviving member of the original Kerner Commission created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967. “There are few more people who are poor now than was true 50 years ago. Inequality of income is worse.”
The new study titled “Healing Our Divided Society: Investing in America Fifty Years After the Kerner Report” says the percentage of people living in deep poverty — less than half of the federal poverty level — has increased since 1975. About 46 percent of people living in poverty in 2016 were classified as living in deep poverty — 16 percentage points higher than in 1975.
And although there has been progress for Hispanic homeownership since the Kerner Commission, the homeownership gap has widened for African-Americans, the report found. Three decades after the Fair Housing Act of 1968 passed, black homeownership rose by almost 6 percentage points. But those gains were wiped out from 2000 to 2015 when black homeownership fell 6 percentage points, the report says.
The report blames the black homeownership declines on the disproportionate effect the subprime crisis had on African-American families.
In addition, gains to end school segregation were reversed because of a lack of court oversight and housing discrimination. The court oversight allowed school districts to move away from desegregation plans and housing discrimination forced black and Latino families to move into largely minority neighborhoods.
In 1988, for example, about 44 percent of black students went to majority-white schools nationally. Only 20 percent of black students do so today, the report says.
The result of these gaps means that people of color and those struggling with poverty are confined to poor areas with inadequate housing, underfunded schools and law enforcement that views those residents with suspicion, the report said.
Those facts are bad for the whole country, and communities have a moral responsibility to address them now, said Harris, who now lives in Corrales, New Mexico.
The new report calls on the federal government and states to push for more spending on early childhood education and a $15 minimum wage by 2024. It also demands more regulatory oversight over mortgage leaders to prevent predatory lending, community policing that works with nonprofits in minority neighborhoods and more job training programs in an era of automation and emerging technologies.
“We have to have a massive outcry against the state of our public policies,” said the Rev. William J. Barber II, a Goldsboro, North Carolina pastor who is leading a multi-ethnic “Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival” next month in multiple states. “Systemic racism is something we don’t talk about. We need to now.”
The late President Johnson formed the original 11-member Kerner Commission as Detroit was engulfed in a raging riot in 1967. Five days of violence over racial tensions and police violence would leave 33 blacks and 10 whites dead, and more than 1,400 buildings burned. More than 7,000 people were arrested.
That summer, more than 150 cases of civil unrest erupted across the United States. Harris and other commission members toured riot-torn cities and interviewed black and Latino residents and white police officers.
The commission recommended that the federal government spend billions to attack structural racism in housing, education and employment. But Johnson, angry that the commission members didn’t praise his anti-poverty programs, shelved the report and refused to meet with members.
Alan Curtis, president of the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation and co-editor of the new report, said this study's attention to systemic racism should be less startling to the nation given the extensive research that now calls the country’s discriminatory housing and criminal justice systems into question.
Unlike the 1968 findings, the new report includes input from African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and women who are scholars and offer their own recommendations.
“The average American thinks we progressed a lot,” said Kevin Washburn, a law professor at the University of New Mexico, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and one of the people who shared his observations for the report. “But there are still some places where Native people live primitive lives. They don’t have access to things such as good water, electricity and plumbing.”
Like the 1968 report, the new study also calls out media organizations for their coverage of communities of color, saying they need to diversify and hire more black and Latino journalists.
News companies could become desensitized to inequality if they lack diverse newsrooms, and they might not view the issue as urgent or newsworthy, said journalist Gary Younge, who also gave input to the report.
“It turns out that sometimes ‘dog bites man’ really is the story,” Younge said. “And we keep missing it.”
March 01, 2018
By Freddie Allen
NNPA Newswire
As industry insiders tout the growing opportunities for Blacks and other minorities in the oil and natural gas sector, breaking into the industry can still present challenges.
From access to capital and understanding the industry jargon to knowing how and when to pursue business opportunities, the learning curve can be steep.
The industry’s impact on the U.S. labor force is undeniable.
The natural gas industry supported more than 4 million jobs across the U.S. in 2015, from production to end uses such as manufacturing, according to the State of American Energy 2018 report. That number is expected to rise to 6 million jobs by 2040.
When it comes to hourly wages, Black workers also fare better in the oil and natural gas (ONG) industry.
Blacks in non-ONG industries make $20.18 in hourly wages compared to Blacks that work in the ONG industry that earn $24.87 in hourly wages. Whites in non-ONG industries make about $27.77 in hourly wages compared to $32.58 in hourly wages inside the industry.
Blacks with STEM degrees earn about $17 more in hourly wages in the oil and natural gas industry, than they earn outside of the industry, according to a recent RAND report.
Whether you’re looking for a career or business opportunities, it pays to be prepared.
Do your research and learn the business.
Tyra Metoyer, the external mobilization manager for the American Petroleum Institute (API), said that it’s essential for business owners looking to break into the oil and natural gas industry, to learn as much as they can about the industry, before they start going after contracts.
Being knowledgeable about the supply chain, payment cycles and staying up-to-date about industry-related innovation can really separate new business owners from their competition.
She said that companies also need to think about how they can supply ancillary services to the oil and natural gas industry like financial services, transportation, catering and custodial services.
Networking is important in the oil and natural gas industry.
Metoyer said that job seekers and small business owners have to network at conferences, at trade shows and online.
“Keep talking to people and asking questions,” said Metoyer. “You've got to find your champions in the industry. Sometimes your champion isn’t necessarily the one that opens the door; your champion might be the one that explains something to you— that is the key to finding the right opportunity or connecting to the right person.”
Metoyer continued: “The relationships are critically important; so, network, network, network.”
Avoid the pitfalls.
One of the worse things that can happen is for a business to land a big contract, then fail to deliver the goods. To avoid that mistake, Metoyer recommended that minority and women business owners partner with other companies to go after the more complex contracts.
Metoyer also warned against business owners focusing only on “Tier 1” direct-to-client business relationships, especially, when they can gain more experience and credibility as a subcontractor.
As the external mobilization manager for API, Metoyer said that she knows that the work she does every single day makes a difference as she connects women, African Americans, Hispanics, young professionals and other diverse communities to opportunities in the oil and natural gas industry whether that's for a job or a business.
API plans to work with its member companies to develop an industry specific supplier diversity education program that will include an “oil and gas 101” that will help participants understand the supply chain better and learn additional steps of identifying goods and services that might fit within industry.
Partnering with community groups like the local urban league affiliate or the local chambers of commerce, officials with API said that they also want to establish relationships with community stakeholders to provide training about the ins-and-outs of the oil and natural gas industry and to address some of the challenges that minority and women-owned businesses face.
“In addition to the work that we do every day, we spend millions of dollars on research, because we want to make energy cleaner and more efficient,” Metoyer said. “We're also looking to be safer.”
Metoyer said that the ONG industry thrives on innovation.
“There are tremendous opportunities especially, when you can bring innovation to us. That’s the challenge,” said Metoyer. “If you can learn the business and bring innovation to the industry, you can find your place and really make a difference.”
February 08, 2018
LAWT News Service
As the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) gears up for its inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) season, Councilman Curren Price is organizing a job fair Feb. 9 to fill more than 1,000 jobs coming to South L.A.
The Council District 9 hiring event will be held from 4-8 p.m. at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles 90037 (in the building west of the California African American Museum). Job seekers are encouraged to dress in business casual attire and bring copies of their resumes as the LAFC is expected to make some job offers on the spot.
The hiring spree comes ahead of the LAFC’s first MLS game against the Seattle Sounders on April 29 at Banc of California Stadium in Expo Park.
“I am deeply committed to expanding access and opportunities to employment in the 9th District,” Councilman Price said. “My Office consistently advocates for strong local hire programs that allow our neighbors to provide for themselves and their families and build a brighter future.”
Councilman Price negotiated a 40 percent local hiring agreement with the LAFC that provides livable wages jobs in South LA. The 22,000 seat, $350 million development will create more than 3,000 jobs for the community. It has also provided significant job training and placement for local residents.
At the upcoming LAFC job fair, candidates will have the opportunity to learn about more than 1,000 part-time and full-time jobs that will be available. Open positions include: Guest Experience Representative; Safety Officer; Food Services; Housekeeping, and others. Free parking will be available in the California Science Center parking structure, off 39th and Figueroa.
“This is a chance for anyone who’s looking for employment to work at a state-of-the-art venue and be a part of Los Angeles’ history,” said Councilman Price. “I want my constituents to benefit from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which is why I’m holding this job fair dedicated to people living in the Ninth District.”
For more information on the LAFC Job Fair for CD 9, contact Councilman Price’s Constituent Service Center at (323) 846-2651.
February 08, 2018
LAWT News Service
The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) will mark 25 years of honoring individuals, small businesses and corporations who have contributed to the economic growth and development of the African American small business community. GLAAACC’s 25th Annual Economic Awards Dinner will be held on March 30th at the JW Marriott LA Live, 900 West Olympic Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years,” said GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. “Each year, we’ve taken an evening to recognize those who are blazing a trail for the next generation and making a significant difference in our community as well as the city at large. It has been a privilege to commemorate their accomplishments for over two decades.”
Sam Iacobellis, former chief operation officer for Rockwell International and the person responsible for development of the B-1 bomber, chaired the first Economic Awards Dinner in 1994. Daniel S. Goldin, NASA’s longest tenured administrator was the first keynote speaker. Over the past two and a half decades, the Economic Awards Dinner has had many illustrious guests and keynote speakers from a variety of industries such as presidential appointees, elected officials, executives from private and public sectors and sports.
Notable keynote speakers have included Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Los Angeles County Supervisor (1998); California Governor Gray Davis (2001); Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (2008), Earvin “Magic” Johnson, chairman & CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises (2009); U.S. Small Business Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet (2011); U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis (2012); U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Manufacturing and Services Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale (2013), and Steve Ballmer, owner of the LA Clippers (2017).
Mistress and masters of ceremonies have greatly contributed to making GLAAACC’s Economic Awards Dinner a premiere event. The late Johnnie Cochran, the legendary defense attorney for Michael Jackson and O.J. Simpson, was the first master of ceremonies. More recently, actresses Dawn Lewis (“A Different World,” “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper”), Vivica A. Fox (“Independence Day,” “Soul Food,” “Set it off”), Terri J. Vaughn (“Steve Harvey Show,” “All of Us”), actor and comedian Flex Alexander (“Uptown Comedy Club,” “Girlfriends”), KABC7 Anchor Mark Brown and Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson are a few of the professionals that have kept the audience entertained and the evening running smoothly.
This year, recognition will be given in categories such as African American Business of the Year, Banking and Financial Institution of the Year, Public Service, Purchasing Executive, Construction Company of the Year, Small Business Advocate, Public Works Contractor of the Year and Corporation of the Year.
“In addition to recognizing deserving individuals and corporations, we have some very special surprises in store for our 25th Annual Economic Awards Dinner,” said Hale. “It will be a night to remember.”
For more information on GLAAACC’s 25th Annual Economic Awards Dinner, visit GLAAACC.org or call (323) 292-1297.