Rev. Jesse Jackson Joins Black Lawmakers, Presses Obama for Direct Help to Black Communities
There’s no question that the entire nation is going through a time of economic decline. Empty storefronts, foreclosed homes, and long unemployment lines are visuals that serve as just a fraction of the evidence of of tough times in the economy. However, as some prominent black lawmakers and now the Rev. Jesse Jackson would like to address – the African American communities have been disproportionately affected in the time of the recession. Obama has resisted the idea that the administration should use racial- or ethnic-based qualifiers in determining where the aid is needed most, saying:
Jackson, a self-stated Obama supporter, expressed his concern that civil rights leaders were not as involved in the recent jobs summit as he thought they ought to be. The Obama-Jackson relationship has been tedious at times, with Jackson questioning whether Obama has shown enough concern in his past legislative duties towards the issues uniquely facing the black community; however, since Obama’s election, Jackson’s criticisms have been quelled. Since Obama’s election, though, he has not directly met with Jackson.
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jackson – who recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of his own run for the White House – has, independently of the White House, requested a meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner to discuss his ideas and the administration’s intention for economic aid for depressed minority communities across the nation – like the suffering Detroit and Milwaukee for example. A meeting has not yet been set.
Turning around a nation in an economic recession is certainly no easy task, and won’t happen overnight nor will it be decided by anything less than a large team of minds working together. What say you, Sojourn to the Past blog readers? Should extra attention be paid to communities and cities that have suffered the effects of the recession the most? Should the demographics of those communities be taken into account so that relief can be community-specific? Or should the government be blind to those characteristics?
Tags: civil rights, civil rights education, sojourn, sojourn to the past
