January 8, 2014
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Page 15
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Triumphs
Pointing the
way forward
2. George Zimmerman Acquittal: targets A frican Am ericans and
unemployment rate at 12.5 percent, of middle class and low-wage work
African Americans and people of Latinos, was unconstitutional. An
these cuts fell especially hard on ers are falling into poverty and strug
goodwill throughout the nation were appeals court subsequently over
African Americans, who still have gling to make ends meet. This phe
stunned by the July 13 not guilty turned that ruling. Mayor-elect Bill
double-digit unemployment. The 17- nomenon worsened in the wake of
by M arc H. M orial
verdict in the trial o f G eorge de Blasio has pledged to make
day
Government Shutdown in Oc the recession and has only widened
As the sun
Zimmerman, the man who shot and changes in the policy, which is prac
tober also had an out-sized impact through the recovery. This growing
rises over the
killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed ticed in communities across the
on
African Americans who make up inequality is not only unjust; it is
p ro m ise o f a
17-year-old high school student on country, and has appointed a new
a larg e sh are o f the F e d e ra l unsustainable for our economy. In
b rig h te r new
Feb. 26,2012. The killing reminded police commissioner.
workforce. Thankfully, Congress has 2013, Pope Francis, President Obama
year, we have
us of the persistent gap in racial
African American shoppers in taken necessary steps to avoid a
and a growing number o f econo
put together a
attitudes in America and generated stores across the country have also
repeat
in
2014.
However,
while
"gov
mists sounded the alarm.
list of the top 10
new calls for an end to racial profil been unfairly profiled. The New York
erning
by
crisis"
has
ended
for
now
9. The Death o f Nelson Mandela:
events of 2013
ing.
S tate A tto rn ey G e n era l has and there is partial relief from seques
On Dec. 5, the world lost one of the
that have particularly affected Afri
3. March on Washington Anni launched an investigation into se
tration
cuts,
a
major
flaw
of
the
bud
greatest champions for freedom,
can Americans and communities of versary: 2013 marked the 50th anni
curity practices at a few retailers get deal is its failure to include a
justice and peace ever to walk this
color over the past 12 months.
versary of the 1963 March on Wash after at least four customers claimed
crucial
extension
of
federal
jobless
Earth. After 27 years of political
Presented in no particular order, ington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s
they were unfairly targeted for po aid where more than 1.3 million work
imprisonment as a leader in the fight
this list is a mix of triumphs and historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
lice action while shopping in the ers will immediately lose unemploy
against apartheid, Mandela was re
tragedies that mark the progress On Aug. 24, the National Urban
stores. The National Urban League, ment benefits - a vital source of in
leased from prison in 1990. In 1994,
w e’ve made, highlight the problems League joined thousands of citi
National Action Network and other come that covers basic family needs.
he became South Africa’s first demo
that still plague us, and point the zens in a return pilgrimage to the
civil rights organizations were in
7.
African
American
Leaders
cratically elected president. His lead
way forward in 2014.
Lincoln Memorial and the new King strumental in working with several
Convening/Release
of
the
21
st
Cen
ership was marked by his constant
1. Voting Rights/V oter Suppres Memorial to commemorate that his
national retailers on the release of a tury Agenda for Jobs and Freedom:
reliance on forgiveness, reconcilia
sion: Despite an unprecedented toric moment in a march for Eco
"Customers’ Bill of Rights" aimed at At the National Urban League's
tion and unity in the building of a
outbreak of voter suppression ef nomic Power and Justice - and to
protecting customers from profiling "Redeem the Dream" Summit dur
new South Africa. His life and legacy
forts across the nation and the Su call for a continuation of the work
practices. We will continue to work ing the 50th Anniversary March on
will forever inspire the world.
preme Court’s appalling ruling in that remains undone.
with the retailers on recommenda Washington celebration in August,
10. Banner YearforBlackFilms:
June that Section 4 of the Voting
4. Affordable Care Act: While tions towards high standard, best-
national
civil
rights
leaders
joined
This year was a notable one for
Rights Act was unconstitutional, start-up problems have plagued the
in-industry store security protocols together for the first time for an
Black films ranging from the true
African Americans are going to the roll-out, the new law expands ac
and cultural sensitivity efforts that historic release of a policy agenda
event-inspired stories of the "The
polls in record numbers. In fact, cess to affordable health care to
can be adopted by retailers across addressing five urgent domestic
B u tler," “ 12 Y ears a S la v e ,”
Black voters were decisive in ensur more than 30 million people, includ the country.
goals for the nation - the 21 st Cen “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,”
ing the second inauguration of ing 6.8 million African Americans
6. Government Shutdown/Ef- tury Agenda for Jobs and Freedom.
and “Fruitvale Station” to the highly
Barack Obama last Jan. 20. African who make up the largest share of the
fects of Sequestration: The across- It covers critical areas including jobs
anticipated “Best Man Holiday” and
American voter turnout in the presi uninsured. This isn't about politics.
the-board “sequestration” budget and the economy, healthcare, edu
holiday classic “Black Nativity.”
dential election surpassed white It's about people.
cuts that went into effect in 2013 cation, voting rights and criminal
In the words o f Oprah Winfrey,
voter turnout for the first time in
5. S top-and-F risk/S hop-and- slashed funding for Head Start, justice system reform.
“Cheers to a New Year and another
history. As voter suppression ef Frisk: On Aug. 12, a District Court
youth job training, long-term unem
8.
Rise
of
Economic
Inequality:
chance for us to get it right."
forts grow more intense, African Judge ruled that the New York City
ployment benefits and other critical While the richest 1-percent have
Marc H. Morial is president and •
Americans must continue the fight police department’s stop-and-frisk
human service and safety net pro seen their incomes rise astronomi
chief executive officer o f the Na
where it matters most - at the polls. program, which disproportionately
grams. With the nation’s highest cally over the past 20 years, millions tional Urban League.
This Low-Carbon Diet is Good for You and the Planet
Reducing
consumption of
animal products
by
J ill R ichardson
2014. A new year.
The time to make reso-
lutions. It’s when we
all join gyms, sign up
for dating sites, and
start new diets —
only to quit them a
few weeks later.
If you’re into resolutions, I’ve
got one for you to consider: In 2014,
try a low-carb diet. Not a low -
carb(ohydrate) diet, but a low-car
bon one. As in carbon dioxide, the
main greenhouse gas causing the
climate crisis.
If you think it sounds a bit strange,
hear me out.
Humans produce greenhouse
gases several ways. The most obvi And a low-carbon diet is actually
ous one is burning fossil fuels. Heat, healthier and often cheaper than
air conditioning, transportation, and what most Americans eat already.
electricity all fall into this category.
How do you do it? The short
And I’ll be honest. I’d love to answer is “eat less meat.” But please
reduce the amount of fossil fuels I keep reading before you dismiss
use. But I have very little ability this as a vegetarian rant.
to make my city improve its pub
It takes 40 calories of energy to
lic transportation, walkability, produce just one calorie of beef,
and bike paths, Some people can with a similarly lousy ratio for eggs,
afford major investments like and an even worse one for lamb. It
solar panels or even better insu takes 14 calories to produce one
lation for their homes, but I can’t. calorie of either milk or pork, and
And neither can many other four calories to produce one calorie
Americans.
of chicken.
But an awful lot of greenhouse
That’s because we grow enough
gas emissions come from agricul grain to feed 800 million people, and
ture. Including the impacts of defor we feed it all to livestock. Those
estation due to agriculture, getting animals do produce meat, milk and
our food from farm to table accounts eggs, but they also bum a lot those
for more than 27 percent of global calories off as they grow.
emissions.
The amount of calories fed to
The good news: Changing your livestock is far greater than the calo
diet is affordable— even delicious. ries humans obtain from their meat,
We all eat three times a day, after all. milk, and eggs. It’s far more efficient
for humans to eat plant foods our hum mus for a snack. Have a bean
selves.
burrito or munch on fresh fruit.
There are also other paths to a
Personally, I think reducing your
low er carbon diet. Choosing lo animal product intake is easiest if
cally grown foods, buying o r you crowd out meat, milk, and eggs
ganic, gardening, and avoiding with plant-based food that you en
processed foods all help. But the joy. If you’re busy stuffing your
sim plest, most reliable, and most face with crisp apples or roasted
impactful way to shrink your foot butternut squash, you’ll be too full
print is by eating lower on the to feel deprived.
food chain.
Best o f all, y o u 'll help your
T his is n ’t new s. S c ien tific health as well as the planet. As it
Am erican wrote about it in 2011, turns out, vegetarians and near
and the United Nations Food and vegetarians are 24 percent less
Agriculture reported on it in 2006. likely to die of heart disease than
Anna Lappe published a book on meat eaters. That m eans a resolu
clim ate and diet called Diet for a tion to reduce your meat consum p
Hot Planet in 2010.
tion will help ensure that y o u ’ll be
If you aren ’t ready to go veg, around to enjoy many more New
d o n ’t worry. Baby steps are bet Years to come.
ter than nothing. T h at’s the idea
OtherW ords colum nist Jill
beh in d the M eatless M onday Richardson is the author o f Recipe
cam paign. Just avoid meat one for America: Why Our Food System
day a week. Eat some vegetarian Is Broken and What We Can Do to
chili or lasagna. Dip veggies in Fix It.