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Category: Political

Diverse Group of Women Leaders Support United Nations Ambassador

Nov. 29 News, Political, Press Releases no comments

A diverse group of women leaders and organizations have joined forces with the Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) to launch a campaign to express their unequivocal support of United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice and to encourage senate and congressional leaders to treat the esteemed public servant with respect. In addition to signing on to an open letter to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, nearly 100 women from across the country are promoting an online petition in support of Ambassador Rice via personal and organizational networks as well as online social media. The letter sent to Senate intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and committee ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said Ambassador Rice has been a role model to all women. “She has excelled throughout her career both in the public and private sector. Her commitment to international peace and the equality of all people should be heralded, not summarily dismissed for political gain and expedience. Hence, we urge all U. S. Senators to afford Ambassador Rice the proper respect appropriate for any other Cabinet-level member of a sitting Administration.” The letter continues, “We feel it necessary to remind the Senate of Ambassador Rice’s impeccable credentials because of the failure of some to respect her role as the United States Ambassador and leader in foreign policy. While some members of the Senate have pushed back on their rush to judgment in the press regarding Ambassador Rice’s prepared remarks on the attack in Benghazi, we feel that the public integrity and reputation of this brilliant woman, who serves our country with great dignity, has been unfairly and unnecessarily attacked.”

The Black Women’s Roundtable comprises an intergenerational membership of Black women civic leaders of international, national, regional and state-based organizations and institutions that works collectively to advance policies and strategic initiatives that help to improve the lives of underserved women and girls.

The range of Women who signed on to the letter include: Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO and Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable, NCBCP; Rev. Marcia Dyson, Partner, M & M Dyson, LLC; Ingrid Saunders Jones, Chair, National Council of Negro Women; Susan L. Taylor, CEO and Founder, National CARES Mentoring Movement, Susan Scanlan, Chair, National Council of Women’s Organizations & President, Women’s Research & Education Institute; Vivica A. Fox, President, Foxy Brown Productions; and Dr. Natalia A. Francisco, Founder/Executive Director, Women of Worth & Worship, LLC. For a full list go to: www.ncbcp.org/news/releases/susan_rice_letter_copy/. A full list of women supporting the letter, a copy of the letter to the Senate, a link to the petition, and a widget to post the petition to websites and social media are located at www.ncbcp.org/news/releases/susan_rice and Petition2Congress.com (http://tinyurl.com/c3oazfb). The twitter hashtag is #SUPPORTAMBASSADORRICE.

Signers to the letter include:

Melanie L. Campbell President & CEO and Convener

Black Women’s Roundtable, NCBCP

Rev. Marcia Dyson

Partner, M & M Dyson, LLC

Ingrid Saunders Jones

Chair

National Council of Negro Women

Susan L. Taylor

CEO and Founder

National CARES Mentoring Movement

Editor-in-Chief Emerita, Essence Magazine

Susan Scanlan

Chair, National Council of Women’s Organizations & President, Women’s Research & Education Institute Faye M. Anderson

Founder

Tracking Change

Angela M. Angel, Esq.

Member

Black Women’s Roundtable

Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq.

Convener, Black Women for Justice

Diane Babineaux

Chief of Staff to the Int’l President

International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Works

Arlene Holt Baker

Executive Vice President

AFL-CIO

Monifa Bandele

Campaign Director

MomsRising.org

Cora Masters Barry

Former First Lady Washington DC

CEO/Founder, RWLC

Lisa Fager Bediako

President & CEO Industry Ears

Dr. Lezli Baskerville

President & CEO

NAFEO

Dr. Michelle Battle Executive Director MIRA-National Youth Initiative

Salandra Benton

Convener

Florida Coalition on Black Civic Participation

Jillian Blackwell

Founder

My Girlfriends Business

Heather Booth

Democracy Partner

Donna Brazile

Vice Chair, Voter Registration and Participation, DNC

Roslyn Brock

Chairman

NAACP

Clayola Brown

President & CEO

A. Philip Randolph Institute

Jessica Brown

National Black Youth Vote! Coordinator

NCBCP

Latosha Brown

Principal

TruthSpeaks Consulting

Helen Butler

Executive Director

Coalition for the People’s Agenda

Cynthia M. A. Butler McIntyre

National President

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Yvonne V. Cook

Assistant to the Provost

And Vice President for Academic Affairs

Coppin State University

ShaRhonda Dawson

Director Chicago Coalition on Black Civic Participation

Edrea Davis

Executive Producer

DogonVillage.com

Felicia Davis

Director

UNCF SP Building Green*

LaKimba B. DeSadier

Executive Director

National Black Caucus of State Legislators

Vivica A. Fox

President

Foxy Brown Productions

Sandra Fowler

President & CEO

Brewton Enterprises

Dr. Natalia A. Francisco

Founder/Executive Director

Women of Worth & Worship, LLC

Andrea Gleaves

Chair

WIN (Women’s Information Network)

Patricia Green

Founder & Chief Strategist

IC Linkages, Inc.

Sharon Hanshaw

Executive Director

Coastal Women for Change

Dr. Cynthia Hale

Senior Pastor

Ray of Hope Christian Church

Decatur, GA

Chanelle Hardy

Senior Vice President for Policy

National Urban League

Nancy Harvin

Member Black Women’s Roundtable Bonita M. Herring

International Grand Basileus

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority

Dr. Patricia Hobson

Chair Local Host Summit Committee The Black Women’s Roundtable

Tanya Clay House

Chair, Civil Rights Law

National Bar Association

Eleanor Hinton Hoytt

President & CEO

Black Women’s Health Imperative

Janaye Ingram

DC Bureau Chief

National Action Network

Dorothy R. Jackson, Esq.

Board Member, NCBCP

Letetia Daniels Jackson

President/CEO

Tandeka LLC

Dr. Sabrina Jackson

CEO

Sabrina Jackson Enterprises Dr. Lorretta Johnson

Secretary-Treasurer

American Federation of Teachers

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever

Executive Director

National Council of Negro Women

Stephanie Jones

President

Stephanie Jones Strategies

Carol Joyner

National Political Director

Labor Project for Working Families

Julian B. Kiganda

President

African Diaspora for Change

Dr. Bernice A. King

CEO

The King Center

Nicole Lee

President

TransAfrica Forum**

Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks

Executive Director/CEO

National Black Justice Coalition

Dr. Evelyn Gibson Lowery

President, SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. Inc.

Leslie Watson Malachi

Director

African American Ministers in Action

Tamika Mallory

National Executive Director

National Action Network

Dr. Julianne Malveaux

Economist, Scholar & Author

President & CEO, Last Word Productions, Inc. Barbara Miller

Professor of Anthropology & International Affairs and Director, Institute for Global & International Studies

The Elliott School of International Affairs George Washington University

Dr. Judith C. Moore

Executive Director,

Sisters Saving Ourselves NOW

Pastor, First AME Church-Clairton, PA

Minyon Moore

Former Assistant to the President Bill Clinton and Director of Public Liaison

Karen Mulhauser

President

Mulhauser and Associates

Dr. Claire Nelson

President & CEO

Institute of Caribbean Studies

Sophia A. Nelson, Esq.

Author Black Woman Redefined

Journalist, Speaker

Sima Osdoby

Consulting Democracy, Governance and Civil Society

Terry O’Neill

President

National Organization for Women

Kimberly Otis

Senior Advisor, Center for Partnership Studies, Director, Caring Economy Campaign

Stephanie Parker-Weaver

Founding President and CEO

Rebirth Alliance and Co-Convener, MSCBP

Barbara A. Perkins

President

International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute

Amy Pritchard

Principle Mission Control and

President Democratic GAIN

Rene Redwood

CEO

Redwood Enterprise, LLC

Deidra Reese

State Coordinator

Ohio Unity Coalition

Jena Roscoe

SVP, Government Relations, Public Policy, Operation HOPE

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

CEO and Co-Founder

MomsRising.org

Deborah Robinson

Convener, MS Black Women’s Roundtable

Co-Convener, MSCBP

Delisa Saunders, Ph.D.

Former Board Member, NCBCP

Rita Jackson Samuels Founder Georgia Coalition of Black Women, Inc.

Carlottia Scott

Board Member, NCBCP

Deborah Scott

Executive Director

Georgia Stand Up!

Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D.

Director Ronald Walters Leadership & Public Policy Center, Howard University**

Kimberly Scott

President

Conklin Scott

Karen J. See

President

Coalition of Labor Union Women

Traci Siegel

Senior Vice President

GMMB

Dr. Yvonne Scruggs-Leftwich President & CEO

Center for Community & Economic Justice

Makeda Smith

President Jazzmyne PR

Carolyn House Stewart, Esq.

International President

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc

Pierrette Talley

Convener

Ohio Unity Coalition

Makani Themba

Executive Director

The Praxis Project

Sheila Tyson

Convener

Alabama Coalition on Black Civic Participation

Tonya Tyson

Member

Black Women’s Roundtable

A. Shuanise Washington

Founder and Principal

Washington Solutions, LLC

Management & Political Consulting Firm

Robin Williams

Associate Director

Civil Rights & Community Action

UFCW

Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner

President

Skinner Leadership Institute

Dr. E. Faye Williams

National Chair

National Congress of Black Women

Thomasina Williams, Esq.

Research Affiliate

MIT Community Innovators Lab

Vanessa Williams

Executive Director

National Conference of Black Mayors

Sharon Zimmerman

Interim Executive Director

Women’s Action for New Directions

Journalist Toure’ Calls Tyler Perry, “Worst Director in Hollywood”

Oct. 03 Commentary, Film Features, News, Political, Top Stories Comments Off

The controversy ensues on whether Tyler Perry and his movies are deemed worthy enough for Hollywood and the like. Many critics have bashed Perry’s movies and directing style as he portrays the irreverent character “Madea” the driving force in his films. Director and controversial filmmaker himself Spike Lee, indirectly referred to the films as “coonery and buffoonery”. In a commentary interview with Dr. Boyce Watkins who defends Perry, Toure’ opposes and calls Perry’s movies “Cinematic malt liquor”…

“Tyler Perry is one of—if not the worst—director in Hollywood. He’s willfully ignorant of the craft, and I can think of no aspect of the film making craft that he excels at, certainly not acting or writing or cinematography or directing or set design.

He perhaps excels at marketing but that’s not really a film making craft. But what’s really dangerous about the product he puts out is that he’s celebrating a certain victim hood. I see this especially in For Colored Girls—which was a fantastic play but a horrible movie—and celebrating this victim-hood and sort of telling Black women that it’s okay to feel like a victim and to wallow in the pain of your life. It’s like cinematic malt liquor for the masses.”

Watch video clip here.

Don’t Believe The Hype! Black Folks Voted On November 2

Nov. 05 Commentary, News, Political 1 comment

By Melanie Campbell.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all voters for taking the time to exercise their right to vote in the November 2nd Mid-Term Election.

On Election Day, the NCBCP (www.ncbcp.org) managed the Black Women’s Roundtable Power the Sister Vote National Command Center, in partnership with the A. Philip Randolph Institute, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, The Praxis Project, National African American Clergy Network and Girlfriends Pray to monitor Black voter turnout and voter suppression in 12 states.

The preliminary reports we received from the ground reflected that Black folks voted, especially women, in strong numbers in many states, contrary to some media reports stating the minority and youth vote was low based on exit polls. Let us not forget that exit polls have not been very reliable in past national elections.

It is amazing to me how pundits jump to the same conclusion when democrats lose that ‘Black folks and youth must have stayed home,’ only to find that when the official numbers come out weeks later, it usually turns out to be just the opposite that we in fact voted much higher than exit polls reflected.

Don’t believe the hype, Black folks voted!

No matter what the final official Black voter turnout shows, we know that it could have been even higher if resources were made available much earlier for our Black civil rights, civic sector and trusted voices to do what we do best—Get Out the Black Vote!

We cannot wait for someone else to fund our politics. The late Dr. Ronald Walters challenged Black leaders for years saying “he who funds our politics, controls our politics.” Dr. Walters also gave us the road map over 10 years ago, a Unity strategy to maximize the impact of the Black vote. This would involve the Black civic sector coming together to create a Unity Civic Engagement Fund to ensure we are empowered to mobilize and leverage our vote so that our issues are addressed by the people we elect to public office on a national, state and local level. I truly believe, now is the time to take up Dr. Walters challenge to fund our politics to ensure the Black vote is no longer taken for granted by any party.

We did not underestimate the power of technology in getting the vote out. Our Black Women’s Roundtable and Black Youth Vote! organizers tweeted, blogged, utilized Facebook and other sites to reinforce the necessity to let your voice be heard by voting in 2010.

Building the capacity of the Black civic sector will require increasing the use of technology to register, educate, engage and mobilize Black youth and the broader Black electorate.

We also witnessed several historic moments in American politics for democrats, republicans and women including:

* A major shift in political power with republicans taking control of the U. S. House of Representatives and winning several statewide races in key battleground states. We also witnessed the democrats retaining control of the U. S. Senate.

* First African American woman elected to the U. S. Congress in Alabama (Terri Sewell-Democrat)

* First African American republican elected to Congress since 2003 in South Carolina. (Tim Scott)

* First African American woman elected State Attorney General of California. (Kamala Harris–Democrat)

* First Black immigrant woman elected Lt. Governor of Florida (Jennifer Carroll-Republican, born in Trinidad)

* The only African American governor was reelected to a second term in Massachusetts (Governor Deval Patrick-Democrat)

* First African American republican elected to Congress in Florida (Alan West-Republican)

* First Hispanic woman elected governor in New Mexico. (Susana Martinez-Republican)

* First woman elected governor of South Carolina (Nikki Haley – Republican, whose parents were born in India)

* Majority-minority district elects an African American to the U. S. Congress in Louisiana. (Cedric Richmond-Democrat)

Many pundits also believe the results of the 2010 Mid-Term Election, was a vote against President Obama and his bold policy agenda. Others believe that the American people want our elected officials to find common ground to work together to turn our economy around to create jobs, educate our children to compete in a global society and other solutions to our nation’s challenges.

One thing that is for certain, your vote counted and it’s up to each of us to hold our elected officials accountable, no matter the party, to serve our interests, not just for the few, but for all of the American people.

I thank you again for raising your voice by voting. Remember, together, we are the change we are looking for.

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Melanie Campbell is the president & CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of Black Women’s Roundtable. She is a nationally recognized expert in Black civic engagement, voter participation and coalition building.

Republicans Think They Have The Power…Seriously??

Nov. 03 Commentary, News, Political, PUB Exclusive 2 comments

Let’s make this clear and simple People! The way I see it President Obama was a pawn for the previous party that so-called had the power of the United States in their hands. What is happening, is that they (meaning republiCONS or Tea Party Bags) knew how to divert the negatives from their party by putting all blame on the current administration. Let’s not forget that President Obama inherited 2 wars and an economical disaster not to mention the housing market, jobless. Need I go on?

It amazes me how people put faith into the TV personalities and believe everything they hear on the networks. I actually had someone tell me and I quote “I believe everything Fox News says” I about went through the roof, that someone with whom I thought was so smart could really be that stupid. Come on!!!!

We (meaning All People) really need to go back to the school ways of doing things for example, studying and research. We need to put our emotions aside, I know a lot of people are struggling and it is hard but to vote merely on emotion does nothing but more harm. I can tell you this that having a gridlock will do nothing for our Country and it will bury us even more.

We need to educate ourselves and make better voting decisions!!!!!

With all this said, we are in for a world wind of mayhem. Hold on to your seats folks!

Republicans Win Big, America-Divided We Stand

Nov. 03 Commentary, News, Political 1 comment

A divided government was the theme as Republicans gained control of the House and strength in the Senate Tuesday night. President Barack Obama will now face a conservative front aimed at trimming government and cutting public aid programs such as welfare, unemployment, and healthcare. By passing socio-economic legislation such as equal pay for women, healthcare reform, extending unemployment, and the auto bailout, to name a few, the Democrats and President Obama aimed at helping those directly affected by the economy.

Many sources blame the President for his disconnect to the people and inability to “reach across the aisle”. Mid-term voters have stated that they are unhappy about unemployment, finances, the political parties, and the federal government.

Did America make the right decision by putting the party responsible for the financial meltdown back in power?

Here are some key results from Tuesday’s election:

Republicans scored the biggest party turnover in more than 70 years Tuesday.

Incomplete returns showed the GOP picked up at least 60 House seats

Republicans also gained at least six Senate seats, and Tea Party candidates Paul in Kentucky, Mike Lee in Utah and Marco Rubio in Florida were among their winners.

The GOP also wrested 10 governorships from the Democrats, Ohio and Pennsylvania among them, and gave two back, California and Hawaii.

Seizing control of the House and gaining strength in the Senate, triumphant Republicans ushered in a new era of divided government Wednesday and served notice they will confront President Barack Obama with a conservative agenda to cut government and spur private-sector jobs.

“We’ve been given a second chance and a golden opportunity,” Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, No. 2 Republic

“We’ve been given a second chance and a golden opportunity,” Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, No. 2 Republican in the House, said as his party reaped a windfall from independent voters and tea party activists. He called the outcome a rejection of Obama more than an endorsement of the GOP, cautioning fellow Republicans they must to work to win public confidence.

“People want to see results,” he said on CBS’s “The Early Show.” “They want to see the government go on a diet just like they have.”

Republicans scored the biggest party turnover in more than 70 years Tuesday with their win in the House and, in doing so, will dethrone Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi — a prime target of their campaign — who had crashed a political glass ceiling and made history with her elevation to speaker four years ago.

an in the House, said as his party reaped a windfall from independent voters and tea party activists. He called the outcome a rejection of Obama more than an endorsement of the GOP, cautioning fellow Republicans they must to work to win public confidence.

“People want to see results,” he said on CBS’s “The Early Show.” “They want to see the government go on a diet just like they have.”