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jfdortlaiib (Dbserurr
August 3. 2011
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Refocus National Debate on Jobs
Giving voice to
the 14 million
who are jobless
bv M arc H.
M oriai .
The National Urban
League concluded the
first conference of its
second century of ser
vice and econom ic
em pow erm ent this
past Saturday in Bos
ton. By all accounts,
this was one of the most successful
gatherings in the organization’s 101-
year history.
Thousands of citizens from
across the country came to the birth
place of America to rally support for
jobs and to keep the American
Dream alive.
This year’s conference which was
themed, “Jobs Rebuild America,”
gave voice to the concerns of 14
million unemployed Americans, in
cluding urban communities of color
that have suffered the most during
the great recession.
The National Urban League has
been a lifeline of support during this
crisis, providing job training, fore
closure prevention, education and
health services to a record 2.6 mil
lion Americans in 2010. But even
with that assistance, our communi
ties continue to fall further behind.
In a new National Urban League
report released during the confer
ence, “At Risk: The State of the
Black Middle Class,” we
found that the great reces
sion has begun to dismantle
the crown jewel achieve
ment of racial advancement
in America - a strong black
middle class.
O ur an aly sis c learly
anemic recovery that has followed
since June 2009.
This means that the size of the
black middle class is shrinking, the
fruits that come from being in the
black middle class are dwindling,
and the ladders of opportunity for
reaching the black middle class are
disappearing.
Our conference was also held in
the midst of the debt ceiling debate
which for weeks has held the Ameri
can economy hostage to demands
for draconian budget cuts that
on unemployment.
In the spirit of the “Shot Heard
Round the W orld” that rang out
from Lexington, Massachusetts on
April 19,1775 and began the Revo
lutionary War, we fired an opening
volley in the W ar on Unemploy
ment by urging everyone at our
conference and everyone in America
to sign an open letter to the Presi
dent and Congressional leaders.
Our letter urges our political lead
ers to refocus the national debate
from deficit reduction to putting
America back to work. It calls for a
national jobs summit and a national
jobs plan based in part on the Na
tional Urban League’s 12-point jobs
plan.
It is my hope that public pressure
will achieve what political leadership
has thus far struggled to deliver - a
fair, balanced and effective solution
to the issue of job creation and bal
looning budget deficits.
Our thanks to Boston Mayor,
Thomas Menino; M assachusetts
Gov. Deval Patrick; and Urban
shows that whether one looks at would spare wealthier Americans League o f Eastern Massachusetts
education, income or any other from tax increases and further im Chief Executive Officer Darnell Wil
meaningful measure, almost all the peril black America along with middle liams for making this year’s confer
economic gains that blacks have and working class families.
ence such a success.
made in the last 30 years have been
That is why on the first day of the
Marc H. Moriai is president and
lost in the Great Recession that conference we asked the American chief executive officer o f the Na
started in December 2007 and in the people to formally enlist in the war tional Urban League.
This means that the size o f the black
middle class is shrinking, the fruits that
come from being in the black middle
class are dwindling, and the ladders o f
opportunity fo r reaching the black
middle class are disappearing.