In honor of Black History Month, a group of legends from the Civil Rights Movement, pioneering Democrats, and rising new leaders recently sat down to discuss the important role that African Americans have played in shaping this country. Professor Julian Bond, a civil rights leader and former Georgia lawmaker, talked about the unique history of African Americans: All Americans ought to have some consciousness that among us, there’s this population that has had a peculiar history—African Americans. Slavery, subjugation, discrimination, now freedom--now one of us is the President of the United States. That’s great, and we need to celebrate it, but we need to understand how we got here. Watch these history makers and future leaders, and then take a moment to share the story in African American history that inspires you and the work you do. … [Read more...] about Democrats Celebrate Black History Month in Video
Archives for February 2011
NY Anti-Abortion Billboard Loses Battle
A New York billboard running a picture of a young African American girl with the words, " the most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb", was hotly contested and ultimately removed from its site. Lamar Advertising agency ran the ad for Choose Life, a pro- life group, as a part of its anti-abortion campaign to reach black women. Statistics released by the New York City Health department states that over 41 % of all births are aborted in New York City and 59.8% for black women. Mayor Bloomberg said he was unsure if the figures were correct. The billboard was placed in lower Manhattan on February 18, 2011 and removed on February 24, 2011 amid outcries from various groups, including city leaders and community activists. The first amendment guarantees that the anti-abortion billboard was constitutionally protected. Yet, just because there was a legal basis for placing the advertising, doesn’t mean it was the right thing to do. It clearly was not the right thing. The ad … [Read more...] about NY Anti-Abortion Billboard Loses Battle
Rush Limbaugh Thinks Women Should be Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Size
Rush Limbaugh recently blasted first lady Michelle Obama about her size and body image. Apparently, according to Limbaugh, Michelle Obama is eating way too much and not looking thin enough. He said: “It doesn’t look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutrition, dietary advice. I’m trying to say that our first lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.” He further ranted about Michelle Obama eating ribs and her waist size which appears too large to him. Limbaugh believes that first lady Michelle Obama should have a smaller waist size to promote her anti-obesity program, Let’s Move, aimed at preventing childhood obesity and the associated debilitating diseases. He commented that her size is hypocritical to her anti-obesity stance. Now, women have Rush Limbaugh, a poster boy for Weight Watchers, commenting on how they should look and their public body image. If anything is hypocritical, it is Rush’s stance … [Read more...] about Rush Limbaugh Thinks Women Should be Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Size
Should Blacks Celebrate Civil War History?
Elsie Scott, Ph. D. shown in photo Dr. Carter G. Woodson started Negro History week in 1926. It later became Black History Week and has now become Black History Month. A proclamation is now issued by the President of the United States. And in 2011, some wonder why we still celebrate it. After all, we have our first African American president, our first African American attorney general, the third highest ranking congressional Democrat is an African American and the former chairman of the Republican National Committee is African American. Many argue that we are now living in a post racial society. So why do we still celebrate Black History month in February? Below are some reflections by Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D. Dr. Scott is president and chief executive officer of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) in Washington, D.C. The CBCF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization supported by an $11 million annual budget and a staff of 33 employees, including eight fellows who … [Read more...] about Should Blacks Celebrate Civil War History?
GOP Cuts Contraceptives for Women But Allows for Horses
Sometimes, life is stranger than fiction. The Republican controlled House voted to end all funding to Planned Parenthood for any contraceptive or other purposes. Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Burton (R. IN) introduced a spending bill amendment aimed at promoting contraception use by horses to control the population of wild horses. Burton’s amendment would prevent the Bureau of Land Management from holding wild horses in pens and offers “immuno-contraception” to the horses as an alternative. These same Republican politicians, who want to strip women of their right for any contraceptive resources through Planned Parenthood, offer an amendment to support funding for contraceptives for wild horses. Does anyone see the irony or better yet, hypocrisy in the two? Rep. Burton says wild horses are treated in an inhumane way and birth control will improve their treatment. I support treating horses and other animals in a humane manner. I just wonder how Burton and his fellow Republicans think lower … [Read more...] about GOP Cuts Contraceptives for Women But Allows for Horses
GOP Plays Hardball With Women and Planned Parenthood
The Republican controlled House voted to end all funding to Planned Parenthood for any purpose. This decision comes on the heels of their other decisions to gut programs for veterans, students, seniors and destroy 800,000 jobs in the process. The GOP House’s spending bill will hurt women, men, veterans, students, teachers and thousands of retires and disabled workers relying on social security checks. Cuts to health care reform alone will add $210 billion to the budget over 10 years. Have they no shame? The GOP House has now just about turned their backs on everyone. But worse, yet, the funds cut to Planned Parenthood and health care reform, if passed by the Senate, will also cost lives to men and women. Meanwhile, the American people are still screaming show us the money…meaning jobs. Republican Congressman John Kline (R. MN) said that “nobody should be comfortable with huge cuts like these” in referring to his colleagues’ cuts to education. Planned Parenthood federal funding … [Read more...] about GOP Plays Hardball With Women and Planned Parenthood