African American
Related: About this forumtoday, I was asked what has Pres. Obama ever done for the African-American Community
This list is long and not all encompassing. Please feel free to add to it, so that I can have a more complete list.
Apart from getting rid of "No Child Left Behind", Liberating our Gay Brother and Sisters from a life of discrimination and on a Federal level, as well as the work done by Michelle in relation to school lunch nutrition and her "The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.", as well as her Let's Move campaign.....
and let us not forget, just rescuing the economy in general, and did it without any Republican help!
But most important of all, he has represented the African-American community superbly in how he has carried out his duties in the office, coming off as one of the most blemish free administration in recent history! And don't get me started with the role models that Michelle and the girls have been! Personally, I couldn't asked for better!
This is my partial list:
1) Passed Health Care Reform (Affordable Care Act)
More than 19 percent of African Americans did not have health care. When the highly debated health care reform bill was signed into law in March of 2010, millions of African Americans benefited. The ACA is Reducing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: The Affordable Care Act moves toward eliminating disparities that African Americans currently face both in their health and in their health care by investing in data collection and research about health disparities. The law also promotes increased racial and ethnic diversity of health care professionals and strengthens cultural competency training among health care providers. Building upon these provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched two strategic plans aimed at reducing health disparities
2) Expanded Funding For HBCUs
President Obama signed an executive order increasing funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to $850 million over the next 10 years. The funding is being administered through the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities that was, ironically, started by the late Ronald Reagan.
3) Awarded $1.2 Billion To Black Farmers
President Obamas administration oversaw the $1.2 billion settlement awarded to Black farmers who have been denied loans and assistance by the Agricultural Dept. for decades.
4) Signed The Crack Cocaine Bill (Fair Sentencing Act)
Crack users are disproportionately sentenced to longer jail terms than those who use powder. This unfair sentencing practice punished African Americans more severely than their white counterparts. With the signing of the Fair Sentencing Act, though, President Obama narrowed that disparity significantly.
5) Created The Civil Rights Division Of The Justice Department
The U.S. Justice Department is leading one of the most aggressive defenses of civil rights in recent memory. Whether it is clamping down on Arizona for its bias against Latinos or fighting unjust state voter ID laws, this Justice Department has been fully engaged in fighting for the rights of all minorities. When President Obama chose Eric Holder to lead the department, he picked a true champion of civil rights. For a rundown of how powerful the Civil Rights Division has become.
6) Set up "My Brother's Keeper", an organization that seeks to promote and help implement a coherent cradle-to-college-and-career strategy for improving the life outcomes of all young people to ensure that they can reach their full potential, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances into which they are born.
7) Introduced the Modification loan program, that helped millions of African-Americans save their home during the Housing Crash.
8) Reduced unemployment by creating millions of jobs all over America. In addition, wages have increased in many sectors of all job areas.
9) Saved the Auto Industry in Detroit, Michigan, thereby again saving thousand if not millions of jobs in the industry and all of those directly connected to it. An industry know to employ large numbers of African Americans.
10) Appointed a large number of African-American to Judicial posts throughout the United States. Named two Black Attorney Generals of the United States, back to back.
11) Via Executive Order, established a White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
Providing a complete and competitive education for all Americans from cradle to career a top priority. The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans works across Federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to produce a more effective continuum of education programs for African American students. The Initiative aims to ensure that all African American students receive an education that fully prepares them for high school graduation, college completion, and productive careers.
12) Help lower Gas prices, which has a direct impact on all Americans, including African-Americans
13) Provided Tax Relief for African American Families: In December 2010, the President signed a bipartisan tax cut agreement that not only secured vital tax relief and investments for our workers, but is also creating jobs and accelerating economic growth. Building off the Recovery Act, the tax agreement extended key expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that are benefiting an estimated 2.2 million African American families.
14) Expanded Access to Federal Contracting for Minority-Owned Businesses: More than 20 Cabinet and Senate-confirmed Obama Administration officials have participated in 19 small business matchmaking events around the country, which has helped more than 10,000 small, minority- and women-owned businesses by promoting access to capital and access to Federal government contracting opportunities. These efforts are part of the Presidents broader agenda to support small businesses, including his signing of 17 small business tax cuts into law and taking action to expand access to credit.
15) Established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and in so doing, protected Families from Financial Abuses, Hidden Fees, and Deceptive Practices: Too many responsible African Americans have paid the price for an outdated regulatory system that has left families without adequate protections against financial abuses and deceptive practices. Thats why President Obama fought to overcome a furious lobbying campaign by big banks to pass the most far reaching Wall Street reform in history which created the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), to prevent mortgage companies, credit card lenders, and payday loan companies from exploiting consumers with hidden fees and other deceptive practices.
16) Improved the Quality of Education and Expanding Access to College: President Obama has improved the quality of education particularly in our lowest-performing schools and has expanded access to college because every child deserves an education that equips them with the skills to find a good-paying job and succeed in the workforce.
17) Fixing Our Lowest-Performing Schools: The Obama Administration has dedicated to challenge states and districts to transform the lowest-performing schools in America. School Improvement Grants have provided millions per school for 1,000 schools to change them into safe environments where students can learn.
18) Helped Students Pay For College: By re-directing subsidies from private lenders to students, the Administration has already raised the maximum Pell Grant awards and increased the number of Pell Grant recipients . Also, for families struggling with the cost of college, we have created the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC)a partially refundable tax credit worth up to $10,000 over four years of college.
19) Strengthening Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Community Colleges: The student loan reform bill signed by President Obama provided $2 billion for community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education to improve education and career training programs.
20) Transformed Distressed areas through Choice Neighborhoods: The Choice Neighborhoods program provided $126 million to 22 communities to plan and implement the transformation of high-poverty areas where distressed HUD-assisted housing is . The Recovery Act provided $7 billion in funding to communities to manage the vacant and foreclosed residential properties that are creating blight and bringing down local home values.
21) Ensuring Access to Healthy Food: The Administration is committed to ensuring families have access to healthy food through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. Several food retailers have agreed to build or expand over 1,500 grocery stores in underserved communities.
22) Combated Racial Discrimination: The Department of Justice (DOJ) is vigorously enforcing the law to combat racial discrimination in schools, housing, and the workplace. President Obama provided two years of double-digit budget increases to the DOJs Civil Rights Division, which was previously hamstrung by drastic budget cuts. DOJ has also reached three multi-million dollar settlements, including the largest rental discrimination and fair lending settlements in its history.
23) Proposed to provide two years of free community-college tuition to students who maintain good grades.
24) Deal with Iran counts, since nukes do not discriminate about where they land
25) Climate change pledge in Paris, because again, if the general population is positively affected, then the Black Population is affected 10X fold, as we know.
26) Restrictions on distribution of military-style equipment to police, banning local police departments from receiving a range of military-style equipment from the federal government -- from grenade launchers to bayonets to certain armored vehicles -- as he implements the recommendations of a panel that examined the controversial gear giveaways in the wake of the Ferguson riots.
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)FrenchieCat
(68,868 posts)thucythucy
(8,743 posts)I can't believe people think that any Democrat can win the general by smearing the most recent Democratic president.
It makes no sense. I'm a Bernie supporter, but I'm beginning to feel embarrassed sometimes to say so--not so much among people I know, but certainly here at DU, where the Obama bashing is almost as virulent as the Hillary bashing.
Don't people remember what happened when Gore decided to distance himself from President Clinton? When the primary in 1980 got so personal and ugly?
Or is it that some of our folks here, especially some of the newbies, would just as soon see a Trump or Cruz as president?
I read all these insanely hateful posts (for instance, one actually implying that Hillary was a prostitute) and wonder what the fuck has happened to this place.
Anyway, thanks again for injecting some reality into the whirlpool of holier than thou bullshit that DU seems to have become.
FrenchieCat
(68,868 posts)from some of the same suspect currently doing the most name calling on these boards!
Decided I wanted to enjoy living in the era of Obama, and realized soon enough that none were gonna
lift a finger in helping him, but point the finger in criticize his every move.
As for this election, I'm no BFF of either candidate in that sense,
I just know what the Republicans will do with each, and therefore, believe that Hillary has the best chance.
And yes, many of Bernie supporters really aren't helping their candidate, and may in fact end up hurting him greatly....
and unfortunately.
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)racism started, and her fanatics began talking down to blacks and other voters who were supporting Obama.
I see the same happening with Bernie Sanders's supporters.
I belong to several black discussion boards, any many are making similar declarations about Sanders and his fans. They are hurting their candidate with their arrogance and condescending attitudes.
Response to Liberal_Stalwart71 (Reply #15)
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Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)It makes it looks like he's one of those benevolent liberal white people who are patronizing blacks.
The majority of black people don't commit crimes, are not on welfare, and in the larger scheme of things, really don't care about universal healthcare--not when other, more important issues, are affecting their lives.
Also, he needs to stop using economic equality as the be-all, end-all. While important, that issue does not transcend race. He needs to face the racism issue full on and not use class to deflect from that conversation.
I think reparations, in the way that Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses it, would be a major start in that direction. I'm being honest. I think Bernie lost a major opportunity on that issue; instead, talking about how "divisive" the issue is. Bullshit! It's a deflection.
A true transformative, revolutionary change agent would have the guts to discuss this in the same way he has the guts to discuss free college or universal healthcare.
The fight against systemic racism/discrimination needs to start somewhere and that requires more than just platitudes.
stephensolomita
(91 posts)Just as Bernie hurt Hillary by carrying forward the Republican charge of corruption.
sheshe2
(87,868 posts)You hit it out of the park.
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)Had an argument about that IRL recently.
IbogaProject
(3,710 posts)Snap when redeemed for farmer's market tokens get up to $10 extra tokens matched 1 to 1 against snap. Small but we really stretched the snap we got from the pandemic. It really helped us and the farmers during that whole pandemic phase.
Cha
(305,693 posts)Thank you for your most comprehensive list as to what President Obama has done for the African American Community.
And, appointing AG Eric Holder. for what he has Accomplished is invaluable..
Americas first black attorney general: Eric Holders legacy
Holder has attacked Republican efforts across the country to pass voter ID laws that would disproportionately suppress African-American and Latino voters. He issued new guidance to schools and the zero-tolerance discipline policies that have sent minority students on a fast track to the criminal justice system. He has urged the reduction of harsh sentences for low-level drug offenders a move seen as a way of remedying the decades-long war on drugs that has filled U.S. prisons with black and brown bodies
When Holder was appointed the nations top lawyer in 2009, he promised to use his office to aggressively enforce civil rights law. And while he has been criticized for his role in a number of controversial policy matters involving civil liberties and a well-publicized botched gun trafficking sting, his work in enforcing rights and balancing the scales of justice, especially for minorities, has earned him high praise.
snip//
Ifill called Holders vision for the civil rights division of the Department of Justice one of restoration and transformation, from his leadership on voting rights, to legal services for the poor, to criminal justice reforms and, in recent weeks, to his forceful response to the tragic events in Ferguson.
snip//
When the history of his tenure is written, Eric Holder will ultimately be recognized as one of the finest attorneys general this country has ever known.
Much MOre~ http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/americas-first-black-attorney-general-eric-holders-legacy
JustAnotherGen
(33,732 posts)I asked Frenchie to post this to the AfAm Group - as it serves as a direct comprehensive list of accomplishments of ways Obama impacted the the black community. 11 More Months!
Spazito
(54,696 posts)Far too often some forget the incredible accomplishments of this President in spite of the historic obstacles placed in his way.
JustAnotherGen
(33,732 posts)Kind of Blue
(8,709 posts)Number23
(24,544 posts)And did you know that he provided sanctuary for West Africans affected by ebola?? I just learned about that one a few weeks ago.
FrenchieCat
(68,868 posts)But I see that the GDP group still can't contain their contempt for this President...although some are trying hard to contain themselves since they need Obama's voting coalition!
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)people who claim that Obama hasn't done anything for blacks, simply because he couldn't fix ALL that ails the black community.
Imagine what he would've been able to do were it not for the unprecedented levels of obstruction from both Democrats and Republicans.
History WILL treat this president has one of the greatest in history.
Blue_Tires
(56,230 posts)rtm_trium
(4 posts)I wish I had time to address each of those points, but many blacks feel that Obama hasn't done enough. Especially for black men. Heck, even millions of black women and families either lost their homes because Obama let the banks off the hook, or got insane mortgage modifications (50 years) so there homes will NEVER be paid off, and their families will ALWAYS be indebted to the banks.
Many black men are "blue collar " workers or unemployed and NONE of these policies targeted them. What good is subsidized healthcare to an unemployed black man in a State that DIDN'T expand medicaid? We should have gone for "Medicare for All" as Bernie and Kusinech suggested.
You're talking a few BILLION in gov't spending for 40+ million African American???
Mostly white State Land grants get billions of dollars each, yet 1.5 billon for ALL black HBCUs is an accomplishment??? That's literally $40 per black person for education that will STILL cost them $30,000+ !!! Obama has severely LOWERED our expectations of what black people are due.
Black men are always the first to be thrown under the bus by Democrats. The only time black men thrived in this country was when they were self reliant and actually PRODUCED goods and services instead of relying on corrupt Dems to distribute it. Black men always eat last at the Democratic table.
Tavis Smiley knew Obama the best and he had it right. I wish we would've listened. Obama did not deserve the black man's vote, nor does Hilary. Bernie MAYBE deserves it, but only if he can articulate how his policies will help black men and black families unlike that feminism stuff Hilary is selling.
JustAnotherGen
(33,732 posts)Has a net worth of ten million dollars.
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/tavis-smiley-net-worth/
FrenchieCat
(68,868 posts)FrenchieCat
(68,868 posts)Example:
House is purchased at the height of the Boom Market for $250,000 with no money down,
with a 7% interest rate, 30 year terms.
House after the crash is valued at $150,000.
The modification would reduce the balance of the mortgage owed to $150,000.
The Interest rate offered, especially back in 2009-2010 was a little over the prime rate of 0%,
so most folks who did modifications around that time period ended up with a 2%-3% fixed rate loan.
There was no 50 year option that I recall offered.
The only qualifiers was that one had to show their income, as part of the reason for the modification
was to show that your mortgage payment as it was, was over 31% of your income, and the value of your home underwater.
Millions of people of color got such loans, although it is true that early on in the process, it was quite time consuming,
especially contrasting how easy it had been to purchase during the boom, since only a minimum of documentation had been required.
Folks would receive their notice of acceptance, be put on a 4 month probation, where one had to show that they
could make the payments, and once that was done, the loan became permanent, along with the fixed interest rate.
People could also, once the loan was made permanent, prepay without penalties...so if someone, once they were in a better position, could make a bigger payment each month....thereby reducing their principal at a decent rate.
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/nsc/faqlm
Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)to come on here to post that nonsense. God grow up already
Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)President Obama has done a lot for our people and folks like you do nothing but attack the man.
stone space
(6,498 posts)DemocratHeart
(5 posts)I love him so much. I pray he considers running again in 2020.
Response to FrenchieCat (Original post)
YoungDemCA This message was self-deleted by its author.
brush
(57,939 posts)lamp_shade
(15,096 posts)it the first time around. I'm doing it now. This is a GREAT reference piece.
tblue37
(66,035 posts)4Q2u2
(1,406 posts)Did all of this with non-stop opposition from the party of NO.
A Battle and Fight at every turn.
Also while his first year at least was filled up with fixing what that idiot Bush destroyed.
forjusticethunders
(1,151 posts)and the fact that he's a true moderate centrist ideologically which is way too far right for my tastes. But dammit he has gotten a SHITLOAD of done in the face of historic hatred directed against him, without the margins in Congress that other great progressive POTUSes had (and a lot of his "Democrats" were Blue Dogs who were ideologically more like 1990s conservatives, and may well have been just as racist as the GOP opposition, or at least had to respond to the racism of their districts).
I just wish he had pushed the Senate to pass the Public Option via reconciliation though, and I wish his stimulus had been bigger and had less tax cuts and I feel he could have pushed harder and taken more risks here and there. But those are relatively small potatoes, not the dealbreakers that other people on the left make them out to be. A lot of his shortcomings were a product of the political system we live in, not a product of him.
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Canesfan
(24 posts)Oil and gas markets are speculative. Presidents get unfairly blamed when gas prices rise and unduly praised when gas prices decline. Otherwise a truly outstanding list.
http://www.businessinsider.com/factors-that-determine-gas-price-2012-5?op=1
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Not just recent history, he's been more effective since anyone after LBJ... Although LBJ was unable to escape the power structures and the philosophies that insisted on the Vietnam War continuing.
Obama has set us on the path to world peace and people invested in the war business or complaining about it hate him for doing so, when all is said and done. I've found, oddly enough, that the same energy infects boths. Nothing will ever be able to satisfy or please them.
The thing I have noticed most is the attitude of the administration in handling the public. Much more respect and flexibility. During the Bush years, when one had to get help for a family member in the social services, one was treated as suspect, almost a criminal.
The change was dramatic and it felt good to see the way the word came from on high (Obama) to focus on that. I talked with a HUD guy who told me on the side that Obama was the best, he was determined to get people into housing. Of course the GOP has fought him tooth and nail.
I found that the ignoratti, who kept on accusing Obama no matter what he did, gave him no credit for what Obama was getting done. Including his work to get alternative energy, wind and solar, etc., going. Or anything else he did, the economy, or social justice. They did not follow the day-to-day events that he did, only focused on what could be negative.
Like Keystone, which if they had looked into his words, reasoning and deeds, was always going to prevent it happening. Part of the reason for he creation of the Koch front group, the Tea Party, to siphon off 'liberal, green' voters was their use of the dread of what it would do. The fact that we are being sued by a firm in Canada for his vetoing the pipeline, is now seen as another of his faults.
Really, these folks ought to listen to what they have said and decide what they want. This means that Obama definitely stopped it and of course everyone else knew there would be repercussions. The fact is that Obama has not lost ithese suits, and they may not win this one. It is also proof Obama is not a tool of the fossil fuel industry, a corporatist, etc. Eventually they will run out of things to smear him with... No, not really.
He took the beating on that, like everything else, but kept on his goal. They still trot a lot of lies out about his good works that shows they are just parroting rightwing or leftwing memes or else have deep seated prejudices.
Obama is the best president we have ever had. Period. And when I was born Truman was POTUS. He couldn't stand up against the MICC and he could do half of the things Obama has.
Obama really cares about this country, African Americans, and POC, women and all those who lived through generations of exclusion, discrimination and outright disrespect and the voters who hate him. That's called being a democrat, being in equality and that all people should be treated the same by government. He is a much better man than his detractors.
I hope some of this post is fitting to your list, it's not as specific as your OP is Frenchie.
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)FrenchieCat
(68,868 posts)ONLY for Black folks, as long as Black folks benefit from the policy!
The title of OP is I was asked what had he done for the Black Community....
NOT...what had he done specifically that ONLY benefited the Black Community and no one else.
True that the list is dated, and there are updates that should be done,
but till then, e.g., if Black folks benefited from Obamacare, why shouldn't it be on the list....
just cause it also benefited other races, it's ruled out as a policy helping Black folks? Please explain your logic on this....
thanks!
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)straight person but it applies to everyone so it doesn't make sense for it to be listed as something good for say hispanics when it was aimed specifically at LBGT. If Obama got a law passed dealing with giving additional reproductive rights to women, everybody would be happy but I'm not going to pretend that it effects me. Since this is the AA forum it only makes sense to talk about things that only benefit the black community. It's the same logic that goes into having 1 part of this site dedicated for issues directed towards the election (general discussion 2016) and another part dedicated to any random discussion we can think of (general discussion). This site doesn't allow crossover there so this list here should be amended to include policies that ONLY effect black people.
FrenchieCat
(68,868 posts)I'll let my Gay Brothers and sisters know that they have to pick just one thing to be.....
Thanks!
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Just because you don't get how society benefits doesn't mean that they don't understand. Your replies are as wrong headed as men who don't realize that feminism is for men's benefit as well. SMH
Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)does not mean it did not affect those of us who are gay. I have the right to marry a man today thanks to this man.
Pebbie
(3 posts)Your list is fabulous and I love it .
oasis
(51,735 posts)Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)this could be shown to our young black men and women who think he hasn't done anything
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totodeinhere
(13,337 posts)He could have accomplished much more if the Democrats had been able to retain control of Congress, but sadly that want't to be.
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LoisB
(8,866 posts)intelligent two-parent Black households where beautiful, classy, intelligent children are raised. Class, grace, love are not absent in Black families.