All Articles Tagged "Black leaders"
What Leaders Really Speak For Black America Today?
Source: WENN
Is there a leadership crisis in black America? A new poll suggests African-Americans think so.
The poll was commissioned by BET founder Robert L. Johnson, also the chairman of The RLJ Companies, and was released by Zogby Analytics. And the results are shocking.
According to the online survey of 1,002 African-Americans, when asked the question “Which of the following speaks for you most often?” 40 percent said that no one speaks for them, while 24 percent said the Reverend Al Sharpton of the National Action Network and MSNBC speaks for black people, and 11 percent said the Reverend Jesse Jackson of Rainbow PUSH.
Meanwhile, 9 percent of black respondents named Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D‐CA), 8 percent said NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous speaks for them, and 5 percent mentioned Assistant Democratic Leader, Congressman James E. Clyburn (D‐SC). Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele each received 2 percent.
Read more on TheGrio.com.
Al Sharpton Tames His Game
(CBS News) — Say “Al Sharpton” and most people probably think loud mouth activist and provocateur. That certainly was his image in the 1980s and 90s. Well, the Reverend Al has gone through something of a metamorphosis: today he’s down right tame. So much so, that he has made his way into the establishment. It’s been quite a trajectory: from street-protest agitator, to candidate for president in 2004, to now a trusted White House adviser who has become the president’s go-to black leader campaigning around the country for President Obama and his agenda. Today, Sharpton looks and sounds like a totally different person. But 20 years ago in New York, Sharpton, hot-headed in his jogging suits and larger than life in every way, was spreading hate and dividing the city. “No justice, no peace!” he shouted at one protest. But today, Sharpton – 83 pounds slimmer and looking stately in his tailored suits – is commanding a national stage. Not only does Sharpton travel to see the president, the president travels to see him. In April, President Obama was a keynote speaker at Sharpton’s civil rights organization, the National Action Network’s 20th anniversary fundraiser in New York. This presidential endorsement — this validation — is acknowledgement of Sharpton’s influence with the president’s African American base.
Obama Taps Bronx Pastor as Ambassador for Religious Freedom
(New York Daily News) — A pastor with Harlem and Bronx roots who calmed religious tensions after 9/11 was sworn in yesterday as President Obama’s ambassador for religious freedom. The Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook is the first woman and first African-American to hold the post. Critics questioned whether she was too much Oprah – with a website and nearly a dozen spiritual books – and not enough ambassador. She said doubters should read her résumé more carefully. ”I have certainly learned to navigate political waters,” Johnson Cook said with a laugh. She was the first woman to serve as a chaplain for the NYPD, a position she has held since 1990. After 9/11, she helped traumatized police officers and worked with the city’s Muslim leaders.
Obama’s Meeting With Black Leaders: A Little Too Laid-Back …
(The Root) — Less than two months after his last sit-down with the National Policy Alliance, on Tuesday President Obama met again with the group of African-American advisers. A coalition of 10 — nine of which represent black public officials, including the National Conference of Black Mayors and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, plus the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies think tank — NPA also met with Cabinet members and senior administration officials. Countering the perception that the White House steers clear of such organizations, lest the president appear “too black,” NPA additionally holds weekly phone conferences with White House advisers. So what did they discuss with Obama on Tuesday? According to its members, roughly: “Keep on doin’ what you’re doin’.” ”The president has established priorities, and we’re here to support what he’s doing,” said Mayor Robert Bowser of East Orange, N.J., and head of the National Conference of Black Mayors. He was one of several NPA representatives who participated in a post-meeting media roundtable that mostly applauded Obama’s efforts. Certainly, the body acknowledged that many African-American communities are struggling, with 15.7 percent unemployment, drastic foreclosures and a crumbling infrastructure. And their overall response was to tout existing dollars from Obama-led initiatives that are designed to address such concerns — things like green-job training, prisoner re-entry programs, and increased funding for community colleges and trade schools. “We found out about a lot of programs today that we didn’t know about,” Bowser said.
Black Leaders and For-Profit Schools
(Campus Progress) — Recently the Atlanta Post ran an excellent piece criticizing some African-American leaders for opposing new regulations proposed by the Department of Education that would improve accountability of for-profit schools. The idea behind the proposed regulations, which Campus Progress supports, is to remove federal financial aid from college-level training programs if a large percentage of their students fail to find work or end up with high levels of debt. Seems like a good idea for all students—including students of color, right?
Black Leaders Criticize Beck For Holding Rally On King Anniversary
(Wall Street Journal) – Some African-American leaders are criticizing talk show host Glenn Beck for the date and location of his planned rally in Washington this weekend. The rally will be at the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream Speech,’’ 47 years after King’s famous address. Beck has said he didn’t know that Aug. 28 was the anniversary of King’s speech until after he announced the event, but that he believed the rally was in keeping with King’s ideals. One of King’s nieces will address the rally, says a statement by organizers on Beck’s web site. Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, is also scheduled to speak.
