Greene County Democrat

Tag: President Barack Obama awarding Dr. Joseph Lowery the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009

  • Newsire : VP Kamala Harris unveils extensive agenda for Black Men, promises wealth-building and opportunity as election nears

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    Vice President Kamala Harris has unveiled an extensive agenda designed to dismantle systemic barriers and foster new opportunities for Black men across America. The agenda, announced on October 14, spotlights wealth-building, health equity, criminal justice reform, and expanded education and job training access. Her plan follows recent controversial remarks by former President Barack Obama, who addressed concerns about voter turnout among Black men and stressed the importance of participating in the election.

    Obama’s comments in Pittsburgh were roundly criticized as scapegoating Black men, though he emphasized the high stakes of the 2024 election, noting that some African American males might hesitate to vote. He suggested that part of the reluctance could stem from discomfort with the idea of a woman president. Harris’s plan aims to address the specific needs of Black men, with initiatives focused on financial empowerment, healthcare, and education.

    Forgivable Loans and Wealth Creation

    Harris’s economic plan centers on wealth-building and supporting Black entrepreneurship. Her administration would provide one million forgivable loans, each up to $20,000, to help Black men and others who have faced significant barriers to starting a business. By partnering with community banks and mission-driven lenders, Harris aims to make capital accessible to Black entrepreneurs looking to launch or expand businesses in fields ranging from technology to landscaping and beyond.

    Additionally, Harris has proposed a significant expansion of the Small Business Startup Tax Deduction, increasing it from $5,000 to $50,000, which would allow Black entrepreneurs to offset startup costs. She also plans to boost access to venture capital, low-interest loans, and incubators specifically for Black-owned businesses. Recognizing that Black entrepreneurs are frequently denied credit, Harris’s plan includes reforms to expand affordable banking services and crack down on hidden fees that inhibit wealth accumulation in Black communities.

    Pathways to High-Demand Jobs and Expanded Education Access

    Harris’s agenda promotes education, training, and mentorship programs to equip Black men with the skills needed to succeed in high-demand fields. Her plan emphasizes registered apprenticeships and credentialing programs, which would provide hands-on training for jobs in sectors like cybersecurity, renewable energy, and healthcare. She also seeks to eliminate unnecessary college degree requirements for 500,000 federal jobs, making these roles more accessible to Black men who may not have pursued higher education.

    To increase the representation of Black male teachers—a crucial role model for young Black students—Harris said she plans to invest in teacher training programs through the Department of Education. By collaborating with HBCUs and MSIs, the Democratic presidential nominee hopes to build a pipeline for Black male educators, addressing the severe underrepresentation in this profession, where only 1% of teachers are Black men.
    Research has shown that Black students benefit academically and socially when they have Black male teachers, yet structural barriers have prevented many from entering the field. Harris also supports the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to attract and retain Black male teachers, ensuring they have a pathway to long-term careers in education.

    Financial Protections in the Digital Economy

    Harris’s plan includes protections for Black men who invest in cryptocurrency and other digital assets, acknowledging that over 20% of Black Americans have owned these assets. Among her goals is establishing a regulatory framework to safeguard digital investments, ensuring that Black men are protected as they participate in the burgeoning digital economy. The framework would set standards to protect investors from fraud and provide educational resources on digital asset management.

    Health Equity and Addressing Medical Debt

    Health equity remains a cornerstone of Harris’s agenda. She has introduced a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black men, which would address high rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, prostate cancer, and sickle cell disease. Harris proposes capping insulin costs at $35 per month and limiting out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs to $2,000 annually. Additionally, she said she would expand funding for sickle cell research and build a national database to improve prevention and treatment.

    To tackle the burden of medical debt, which disproportionately affects Black men, Harris proposes removing medical debt from credit reports and working with states to relieve outstanding medical debt. The effort would help Black men access better credit, opening doors for homeownership and business financing.

    Criminal Justice Reform and Economic Opportunities in Legal Cannabis

    The vice president also has committed to legalizing recreational marijuana at the federal level, which she argues will reduce incarceration rates for Black men and create economic opportunities in the emerging cannabis industry. By working with Congress to ensure the safe cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana, Harris would remove longstanding barriers that have disproportionately impacted Black men. Her plan would establish pathways for Black men to access licenses and jobs in the legal cannabis sector, providing a chance to build wealth in a market that has historically excluded them.

    Affordable Housing, Homeownership, and Financial Literacy

    Harris further proposes building three million affordable housing units during her first term to address the housing crisis. She would offer up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, aiming to triple the number of new Black homeowners annually by the end of her term. The initiative would specifically target those who have been unable to buy homes due to a lack of generational wealth, which disproportionately affects Black families.

    Still, another facet of her plan would tackle racial bias in home appraisals, a pervasive issue that often results in undervalued properties in majority-Black neighborhoods. Her proposal would mandate training and accountability measures for appraisers to ensure that Black homeowners receive fair property valuations, helping to close the racial wealth gap.

    Community Events and Outreach

    As part of her outreach to Black men, the Harris-Walz campaign is launching several community-centered events. The “Black Men Huddle Up” initiative will feature NFL and NCAA watch parties in battleground states, where Black men can discuss the upcoming election and its implications for their communities.

    In addition, the campaign will host a series of Economic Freedom Talks, with notable Black entrepreneurs discussing strategies for business growth and financial independence. Harris’s team is ramping up its Shop Talk series, Brother to Brother canvass events, and launching new testimonial ads to reach Black voters in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan.

    In Stark Contrast to Trump’s Agenda

    Harris’s proposals directly counter Donald Trump’s Project 2025, which she argues would dismantle progress for Black communities. Trump’s plan includes:
    Reinstating stop-and-frisk practices.
    Cutting funding for urban education.
    Eliminating critical programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, which many Black families rely on.

    Harris’s agenda seeks to offer Black men a comprehensive path to economic stability and success, positioning her as the candidate dedicated to addressing their unique challenges.
    Harris’s detailed plan appears to offer Black men a vision of leadership, opportunity, and economic empowerment, which she argues is essential for the future of Black communities. She believes investing in education, health, and wealth-building would help address systemic inequities and build a path to prosperity for Black men nationwide.

    “Donald Trump could care less about equipping hardworking Americans with the tools needed to get ahead,” campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond stated. “While Vice President Harris is promising to equip Black men with the tools needed to pursue our dreams and aspirations, Donald Trump is promising Black men in America a national nightmare.”

  • Newswire: Joseph Lowery: Veteran US civil rights leader dies aged 98

    President Barack Obama awarding Dr. Joseph Lowery the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009

    ATLANTA (AP) — The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, a veteran civil rights leader who helped the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and fought against racial discrimination, died Friday, a family statement said. He was 98.

    A charismatic and fiery preacher, Lowery led the SCLC for two decades — restoring the organization’s financial stability and pressuring businesses not to trade with South Africa’s apartheid-era regime — before retiring in 1997.
    Lowery, considered the dean of civil rights veterans, lived to celebrate a November 2008 milestone that few of his movement colleagues thought they would ever witness — the election of an African American president.
    At an emotional victory celebration for President-elect Barack Obama in Atlanta, Lowery said, “America tonight is in the process of being born again.” An early and enthusiastic supporter of Obama over then-Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, Lowery also gave the benediction at Obama’s inauguration.

    “We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more perfect union,” he said. “Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back; when brown can stick around; when yellow will be mellow; when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right,” Lowery prayed. “Let all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen! Say Amen! And Amen!”

    In 2009, Obama awarded Lowery the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
    In another high-profile moment, Lowery drew a standing ovation at the 2006 funeral of King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, when he criticized the war in Iraq, saying, “For war, billions more, but no more for the poor.” The comment also drew head shakes from then-President George Bush and his father, former president George H.W. Bush, who were seated behind the pulpit.

    Lowery’s involvement in civil rights grew naturally out of his Christian faith. He often preached that racial discrimination in housing, employment and health care was at odds with fundamental Christian values such as human worth and the brotherhood of man.

    “I’ve never felt your ministry should be totally devoted to making a heavenly home. I thought it should also be devoted to making your home here heavenly,” he once said.

    Lowery remained active in fighting issues such as war, poverty and racism long after retiring, and survived prostate cancer and throat surgery after he beat Jim Crow. His wife, Evelyn Gibson Lowery, who worked alongside her husband of nearly 70 years and served as head of SCLC/WOMEN, died in 2013.
    “I’ll miss you, Uncle Joe. You finally made it up to see Aunt Evelyn again,” King’s daughter, Bernice King, said in a tweet Friday night.
    Lowery was pastor of the Warren Street Methodist Church in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1950s when he met King, who then lived in Montgomery, Alabama. Lowery’s meetings with King, the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy and other civil rights activists led to the SCLC’s formation in 1957. The group became a leading force in the civil rights struggle of the 1960s.
    Lowery became SCLC president in 1977 following the resignation of Abernathy, who had taken the job after King was assassinated in 1968. He took over an SCLC that was deeply in debt and losing members rapidly. Lowery helped the organization survive and guided it on a new course that embraced more mainstream social and economic policies.
    Coretta Scott King once said Lowery “has led more marches and been in the trenches more than anyone since Martin.”
    He was arrested in 1983 in North Carolina for protesting the dumping of toxic wastes in a predominantly black county and in 1984 in Washington while demonstrating against apartheid.
    He recalled a 1979 confrontation in Decatur, Alabama, when he and others were protesting the case of a mentally disabled black man charged with rape. He recalled that bullets whizzed inches above their heads and a group of Klan members confronted them.
    “I could hear them go ‘whoosh,’” Lowery said. “I’ll never forget that. I almost died 24 miles from where I was born.”
    In the mid-1980s, he led a boycott that persuaded the Winn-Dixie grocery chain to stop selling South African canned fruit and frozen fish when that nation was in the grip of apartheid.
    He also continued to urge blacks to exercise their hard-won rights by registering to vote.
    “Black people need to understand that the right to vote was not a gift of our political system but came as a result of blood, sweat and tears,” he said in 1985.
    Like King, Lowery juggled his civil rights work with ministry. He pastored United Methodist churches in Atlanta for decades and continued preaching long after retiring.
    Born in Huntsville, Alabama, in 1921, Joseph Echols Lowery grew up in a Methodist church where his great-grandfather, the Rev. Howard Echols, was the first black pastor. Lowery’s father, a grocery store owner, often protested racism in the community.
    After college, Lowery edited a newspaper and taught school in Birmingham, but the idea of becoming a minister “just kept gnawing and gnawing at me,” he said. After marrying Evelyn Gibson, a Methodist preacher’s daughter, he began his first pastorate in Birmingham in 1948.
    In a 1998 interview, Lowery said he was optimistic that true racial equality would one day be achieved.
    “I believe in the final triumph of righteousness,” he said. “The Bible says weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
    A member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Lowery is survived by his three daughters, Yvonne Kennedy, Karen Lowery and Cheryl Lowery. He died at home in Atlanta from natural causes unrelated to the coronavirus outbreak, the family.

    Errin Haines, a former staffer of The Associated Press, was the principal writer of this obituary.