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July 27. 2011
Çortlanh ©baeruer
Page 9
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Helping Americans Navigate Hard Times
- nearly double the national rate.
While more urban families faced
job losses, smaller pay checks,
diminished health services and
the threat of foreclosure,
many Urban League af­
filiates filled the gap as
lifelines of opportunity.
The following is a sum­
mary of affiliate activi­
ties targeted to our four
empowerment goals:
Health Care: Every Ameri­
can should have access to qual­
ity and affordable health care
solutions.
T he g re a t re c e ssio n has
caused some families to choose
food over health care, thereby
exposing children and adults to
the potential of seriously esca­
lating illnesses.
With 31 states cutting funds
for health care services and pro­
viders, Urban League affiliates
managed to help more 1.4 mil­
lion Americans purchase medi­
Urban League
services grow
with need
by
M arc H. M orial
As depression-era
unem ploym ent rates
and a shrinking social
safety net continue to
plague urban America,
the annual N atio n al U rban
League census reveals that the
organization’s 98 community-
based affiliates served a record
2.6 million Americans in 2 0 1 0 -
a 25 percent increase over 2009.
L ast y e a r the A m erican
eco n o m y w as su p p o se d ly
transitioning from the great re­
cession to sustained recovery.
Instead. 14 million Americans
remainedjobless. 8 million more
were underemployed and un­
em ploym ent am ong A frican
Americans reached 16 percent -
cines, get necessary evaluations
and screenings and obtain other
critical health care services — up
from 792,000 in 2009.
Education: Every American
child should be ready for college,
work and life.
Education is always cited as
the cornerstone of A m erica’s
future. But last year, 34 states
sought to balance their budgets
by enacting cuts in K-12 pro­
grams. This resulted in fewer
participants receiving education
services from our affiliates in
2010. However, 172,000 clients
still b e n e fite d from U rban
League affiliate education ser­
vices. with 50.000 receiving pro­
fessional development and skills
enhancement training.
E conom ic E m pow erm ent:
Every American should have
access to jobs with a living wage
and good benefits.
Since 2009, unemployment
among African Americans has
increased from 14 percent to 16
percent. Last year, the affiliates
o f the Urban League placed
more than 18,000 people in jobs
through the operation of 548
economic, entrepreneurship and
housing programs. Those pro­
gram s served an astounding
608,852 clients — an increase of
232,000 from 2009.
Housing: Every American
should live in safe, decent, af­
fordable and energy efficient
housing on fair terms.
Urban League affiliates pro­
vided housing assistance to
441,493 clients in 2010, more
than double the clients receiving
assistance in 2009. This included
1.188 homes purchased, and
15,524 clients benefiting from
foreclosure assistance.
Finally, in 2010, the National
Urban League generated an
economic impact of $1 billion,
including $471.8 million in fed­
eral, state and local government
support for Urban League pro­
grams across the country. The
secondary economic impact of
$641.6 million is a measure of
the success of these efforts, with
18,000participants placed in jobs,
1,188 new homeowners, 357 new
business start-ups, $3.3 million
in business sales and $114 mil­
lion in new investments in eco­
nomically distressed communi­
ties.
C learly , the N ational U r­
ban L eague and its a ffilia te s
are helping m illions of A m eri­
c a n s n a v ig a te th e i r w ay
through these eco n o m ic hard
tim es. The serv ices we p ro ­
vide help stren g th en fam ily
b u d g e ts and c o m m u n itie s.
A nd, ju st as im portantly, they
allow people to m aintain their
d ig n ity and a sense o f h u ­
m anity.
Marc H. Morial is president
and chief executive officer o f
the National Urban League.
Hope for Two Nations to Form Lasting Peace
On the birth of
South Sudan
by
J udge G reg M athis
For decades, the na­
tion of Sudan has en ­
gaged in what has been
called A frica’s longest
civil war. The result: 2 m illion
lives lost and m illions o f dis­
placed people.
Sudan is located in north­
east A frica and is bordered by
Egypt, Ethiopia and the D em o­
cratic Republic o f the Congo;
it was, until recently, the larg­
est country on the continent.
In January o f this year, the
people of southern Sudan voted
overw helm ing for their inde-
pendence and seceded from
the north, form ing a new A fri­
can nation.
This m onth, the
results of that vote
were made real. The
w orld is now w atch­
ing both North and
South Sudan, praying
the two nations can keep the
peace and grow into strong
countries.
The N orth o f Sudan, which
is largely A rab and M uslim ,
and the largely C hristian South
o f the country, where the m a­
jo rity o f the citizens are black,
spent 40 plus years at war.
The North has been accused
o f war crim es and o f raiding
the South for oil. A2OO5agree­
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ment, brokered by the Bush
adm inistration, brought a tense
peace to the country. As part
o f that deal, the South was
able to decide its own future.
Now that the South has got­
ten its wish, its governm ent
m ust w ork strategically to pro­
vide for its people.
Currently,' South Sudan, a
nation with a population o f 8
million people, has a little more
than 120 m edical doctors and
ju st over 100 registered nurses;
only 16-percent o f the country
has access to healthcare. 90-
percent of the population lives
on less than one dollar a day,
drinking w ater is lim ited and
d is e a s e s lik e m e n in g itis ,
m easles and w hooping cough
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plague much of the nation.
The South Sudanese gov­
ernm ent has plans to attack
these and other issues but ac­
know ledges it will take the
nation about 20 years to meet
its goals. Though the South
Sudanese must, as any nation,
carry much o f that load alone,
other nations should support
their efforts.
A lre a d y , th e U .S . h as
pledged $300 million to be used
for development and infrastruc­
ture, along with $ 150 m illion in
food aid.
There is no way of knowing
how much aid South Sudan
will need over the long term,
but this initial support shows
the U.S. governm ent supports
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the nation’s independent.
It is a relief to see the nearly
half a century w ar betw een
North and South Sudan com e
to an end. Like many oppressed
people, the Southern Sudanese
desired their independence so
they could control their own
fate. L et’s hope that Southern
Sudan, now that it is no longer
being victim ized by the North,
will grow into a strong nation,
one much better o ff than it is
now.
We must also hope that these
two nations work proactively to
maintain the peace.
Greg Mathis is a form er
Michigan District Court judge
and current syndicated televi­
sion show judge.
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