Congressional Black Caucus Presses Obama On Need For A Public Option; 7.4 Million Blacks Did Not Have Health Insurance In 2008, Census Study says.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are pressing President Barack Obama to include a "robust public option" in his proposed health care reform legislation because caucus members say many of their constituents lack adequate health insurance.

"As members of Congress who represent millions of disproportionately under- and uninsured Americans whose health and wellness have suffered because of numerous gaps in our nation's health care system reform is a top priority," said Barbara Lee, chairman of the 42-member caucus. "We support health care reform that includes a robust public option like Medicare--a component of health care reform for which we are unwavering in our support."

President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress Wednesday night in which he expressed his support of a public option, or a government-run health care plan for people who cannot afford to buy health insurance from a private company.

"Some have suggested that the public option go into effect only in those markets where insurance companies are not providing affordable policies. Others have proposed a co-op or another non-profit entity to administer the plan," the president said. "But I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans can't find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice."
President Obama said a strong majority of Americans still favor a public insurance option he has proposed. He explained, however, that the public option is only a means to an end and that progressives should be open to other ideas to accomplish that goal.

He warned Republicans, however, that he did not consider a public option part of a government takeover of health care.

The president discussed the public option a day before the U.S. Census Bureau released a report titled "Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2008."

The study reported that of the approximately 37.7 million African Americans, 19.1% or 7.4 million blacks did not have health insurance in 2008 compared with approximately 7.3 million blacks who did not have health insurance in 2007. This compares with 10.8% or 21.3 million whites; 30.7% or 14.6 million Hispanics and 2.2 million or 16.8% of Asians who did not have health insurance coverage last year.

Overall, the number of people without health insurance was 46.3 million in 2008, up 1% compared with 45.7 million in 2007, the Census Bureau reports. The number of people with health insurance was 255.1 million last year, up 1% last year compared with 253.1 million in 2007.

Lee, a California Democrat, noted that a public option would not take effect until 2013 but beginning in 2010 many positive changes will be enacted with passage of health reform legislation, such as prohibiting the practice of rescinding health care coverage to avoid future costs, increasing funding for community health centers and making prescription drugs more affordable.

She added that there are three reasons to support health care reform. They are: access, making health care accessible to all Americans; affordability, reducing costs, with a focus on prevention and wellness; and competition, ensuring stable costs and quality care through a robust option.
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Miller campaign poster

Opponent Raises $1 Million To Unseat Congressman Who Called President Obama A Liar

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's Democratic opponent says he has raised $1 million in 48 hours in his campaign to unseat Wilson in the 2010 election.

Wilson, a Republican who represents South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, called President Barack Obama a liar Wednesday during the president's nationally televised address to both Houses of Congress about health care reform.

Since the outburst, Rob Miller, Wilson's opponent, said 20,000 supporters have donated to his campaign. In an e-mail to supporters Friday night, Miller said he raised the money in small contributions in less than two days. The total dwarfs the $67,000 his campaign collected during the first six months of this year.

Miller, a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps who served two tours of duty in Iraq, also said he is now tied with Wilson in one poll. "A new Public Policy Poll shows this race in a dead heat," he wrote on his website. Miller ran against Wilson in 2008, losing to Wilson by eight percentage points. It was Wilson's closest contest.

After his outburst, Wilson apologized to the president, and the president accepted his apology.

But members of Congress want to forward a resolution condemning Wilson unless he takes to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and apologizes to the president. Wilson shouted,"You lie" when President Obama said that health reforms he is proposing would not apply to people who have moved to the U.S. illegally. Wilson told Fox News that he is through apologizing.

Despite the anger Wilson's comments provoked among some voters, he is popular with conservative supporters who consider him a hero for challenging the nation's first black president. Wilson's staff claims he also has raised $1 million from supporters.

Readers can contribute to Miller's campaign through the website www.ActBlue.com., a clearinghouse for Democratic candidates.
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Ludacris: tough look with a tougher social
conscience

Ludacris' Foundation Gives Away 20 Cars To Help People Find Jobs

Rapper and movie actor Chris "Ludacris" Bridges called it his own stimulus package.

Over Labor Day Weekend, The Ludacris Foundation and Nissan South car dealership gave away 20 used cars and 30 days of gas to individuals who needed reliable transportation to get back and forth to work.

To compete in the contest, applicants were required to write a one-page essay, explaining why they needed a car. More than 4,000 people submitted entries.

One of the most-touching stories Ludacris read was written by Mading Duor. Duor said he moved to the United States six years ago after his mother, father, five brothers and sisters were killed in the Sudan. A drunken driver in Atlanta also killed Duor's son.

"His story touched my heart," Ludacris said. "He's endured so much in life, and he's still here standing. I'm very proud to have helped him."

Ludacris handed keys to cars to Duor and 19 other winners September 6 at Nissan South in Morrow, Ga. Ludacris presented Duor with a Nissan Maxima. "I ask myself if this is really happening," Duor says.
The car owners are responsible for license plates, registration, tax and insurance.

Ludacris explained his reasons behind the giveaway.

"People are getting laid off, and now they are looking for jobs," he said. "To be efficient, you need some transportation of your own to get there." Ludacris has won two Grammys for Best Rap Album, "Release Therapy" and Best Rap Song, "Money Maker."

Ludacris founded the Ludacris Foundation in 2001 to help young people achieve "their dreams through the encouragement of principles of success." Black Enterprise magazine, The Robb Report and The Chronicles on Philanthropy have featured articles on the Ludacris Foundation.
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NAACP Asks For Federal Investigation Into Cop Shooting Inside Rockford, IL, Daycare Center

The NAACP has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the shooting death of a 23-year-old black man inside a daycare center by two white Rockford, Ill., police officers.

"We thank the Department of Justice for taking this case seriously through the outreach efforts of its Community Relations Services," Ben Jealous, NAACP president and CEO, said. "But to help re-establish trust in the community and to ensure that the Rockford Police Department is operating with integrity, we need a federal investigation into the case."

Jealous also participated in a rally Saturday in Rockford to demand justice for Mark Anthong Barmore, who was shot to death by Rockford cops Oda Poole, 37 and Stanton North, 47, Aug. 24 inside the House of Grace Daycare and Preschool. Witnesses said North and Poole, who have been involved in previous shootings, shot Barmore in front of children inside the daycare center. The gunfire did not injure any of the children.

The cops shot Barmore as he raised his hands to surrender, and they shot him three more times in the back as lay face down on the floor, according to witnesses. Police shot and killed Barmore during a struggle over one of the officer's guns, said Police Chief Chet Epperson. The cops went to the daycare looking for Barmore following a report of domestic violence. The department placed both cops on paid leave, and it has asked the Illinois State Police to conduct and investigation.

Barmore had a long criminal record, said Epperson, who did not detail any of Barmore's alleged crimes or convictions.

Since the murder, witnesses charge that police have intimidated them by sitting in patrol cars outside their homes or driving slowly by their homes.

The NAACP is working with Congress to require establishment of national standards for use of force and training in the use of [deadly] force for law enforcement officers," Jealous said. "Currently, there are as many use-of-force and training policies as there are law enforcement agencies in our nation today, and there are as many interpretations of those policies as there are law-enforcement officers. This lack of uniformity is one of the core reasons behind the tragedy in Rockford and in too many other instances across the nation."
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Gertrude Baines (in a wheelchair) voted for Obama
when she was 114 years old.

World's Oldest Person Dies At 115

Last November, Gertrude Baines became the oldest black person to vote to elect Barack Obama president of the United States. She was 114 years old.
Baines said she planned to vote again for President Obama when he ran for reelection in 2012.

Sadly, she won't get that opportunity.

Ms. Baines, who was 115 years old and the oldest person in world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, died Friday in the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had lived for more than 10 years.

She was born in 1894 near Atlanta. Grover Cleveland was president and whites prevented most blacks from voting.
In April, when she celebrated her 115th birthday, President Obama wrote Ms. Baines a letter, and the Guinness Book of World Records presented her with a certificate certifying that she was the world's oldest person. The granddaughter of slaves, Ms. Baines worked as a maid in Ohio State University dormitories until she retired. She attributed her long life to believing God and not smoking or drinking. Ms. Baines said she voted for Obama because "he was for colored people." She said never believed a colored man could become president.

Obama Nominates Head Of The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

President Barack Obama nominated Jacqueline A. Berrien, associate director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. "Jacqueline Berrien has spent her entire career fighting to give a voice to underrepresented communities and to protect our most-basic rights," President Obama said when making the announcement July 16. The goal of the commission, which is based in Washington, D.C., is to end employment discrimination based on a person's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, and disability. If her nomination is approved, Berrien will replace acting chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru. Berrien joined the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in 2004. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Berrien's first job out of law school was serving as a law clerk for U.W. Clemon, the first black judge appointed to U.S. District Court in Birmingham, Ala.

Gov. Patrick Resumes His Duties

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick resumed his duties September 4 after undergoing surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Doctors replaced Gov. Patrick's left hip during 1 1/2 hours of surgery. He injured his hip during a truck accident in 1978 in Sudan's Darfur region. Patrick was living in Sudan while working on a United Nations youth training project. Over the years, the hip had grown increasingly painful and debilitating due to arthritis. Doctors admitted Gov. Patrick, 53, to the hospital September 1, and he remained in the hospital until September 6, when doctors released the governor so he could recover at home. "I am on the road to a complete and speedy recovery, and I am deeply grateful to the citizens of our Commonwealth for their outpouring of support and to the team of health care professionals at Massachusetts General Hospital for their expert care," the governor said in a statement. Patrick is one of two U.S. governors who are African American. David Paterson is governor of New York.

Promoter Reschedules Tribute Concert For Michael Jackson

A promoter has postponed a tribute concert to the late "King of Pop" Michael Jackson until June 2010. Jermaine Jackson, Michael's brother, and promoter Georg Kindel said Friday they needed more time to put together the show, which was scheduled for September 26 in Vienna, Austria. The promoter has scheduled the new show for London. Michael Jackson died June 25.

Johnson Publishing Cancels Ebony Fashion Fair's 2009 Season

Ebony Fashion Fair models won't be strutting down the runway this year. Linda Rice Johnson, chairman and CEO Johnson Publishing Co., the show's owner, recently announced that it was canceling the show's 2009 season because of the economy. "In light of the overall economic challenges that are affecting many, including our potential corporate sponsors, we have arrived at a most-difficult decision to cancel Ebony Fashion Fair's fall 2009 season," Johnson said in a statement. Johnson Publishing, which is based in Chicago, however, is planning for Ebony Fashion Fair's return next year, she says. "In the coming months, we will develop a new business model to ensure that the show is a mutually beneficial endeavor." Ebony Fashion Fair, which was founded in 1956, is billed as the world's largest traveling fashion show, and money raised from the event is used to provide funds for college scholarships to various groups. ^ Top|Share