E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Locked in a tough re-election battle with Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama aimed to energize his core supporters – African American voters – by delivering a rousing speech and unveiling a new executive order at the Urban League’s annual convention in New Orleans Wednesday night.
The president told the largely African American crowd of roughly 3,700 people that the executive order will seek to improve educational achievement for African Americans at all levels “so every child has greater access to a complete and competitive education from the time they’re born to the time, all through the time they get a career” the president said to cheers.
An administration official tells NBC News the order will create a new White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African-Americans that will “work across Federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to produce a more effective continuum of education programs for African American students.”
President Obama addresses the National Urban League in New Orleans, La., on Wednesday. "If you still believe in me ... stand with me," he said.
The official added that the initiative would be housed in the Education Department, which will work with the Executive Office and other Cabinet agencies to identify practices that will improve African Americans’ achievement in schools and colleges. The administration official did not yet know how much funding the program would receive but said more information would be released Thursday when the president signs the executive order.
The president has previously received criticism from some black leaders for not doing enough to help the African American community as rates for school dropout and unemployment among African Americans continue to be higher than the national numbers.
For example, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the dropout rate for African American students ages 16 to 25 was 8 percent in 2010; by comparison, white students in that age range had a 5.1 percent dropout rate. Further, the unemployment rate for African Americans is 14.4 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 8.2 percent.
Last August, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) told a crowd of Congressional Black Caucus members in Detroit, “We want to give the president every opportunity to show what he can do and what he’s prepared to lead on. But our people are hurting and the unemployment rate is unconscionable.”
Obama has in the past responded to such criticism. In an interview on BET last September he answered a question about why he didn’t create more policies specifically targeted at African Americans: “That’s not how America works,” the president replied, “America works when all of us are pulling together and everybody is focused on making sure that every single person has opportunity.”
When asked if this latest executive order is timed to mobilize African American voters ahead of the election, one White House official said it is “one more step along a path that the president has been walking.” The official cited the fact that the president enacted the Race to the Top initiative and new flexibility on No Child Left Behind, actions aimed at improving educational opportunities for all students including minorities, according to the Official.
On Tuesday, the president admitted there was still a lot more work and asked the Urban League crowd for their continued support: “If we don’t keep fighting for better jobs and a better future, who will? That’s our challenge. We don’t quit.”
From the Romney camp, spokeswoman Tara Wall responded to the speech, saying, "As black Americans, we all take pride in Barack Obama's historic election - but unfortunately his performance as president has not matched that enthusiasm."
Exit polls show that 95 percent of African American voters supported president Obama in 2008. Analysts believe he will need them to turn out in similarly large numbers if he hopes to win key swing states such as Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina.
The president wrapped up his remarks with a familiar plea for voters to turnout in November; “I still believe in you and if you still believe in me I ask you stand with me. March with me. Fight with me and … I promise we will finish what we started, turn this economy around, seize our future and remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on earth.”
Leave a Comment:
What? Another epiphany on a social issue where the President has "evolved" in his position? Seriously? And such perfect timing - just a few months before the election. What a hypocrite . . .
Another give away by the magic negro to make sure he gets the negro vote. Goes with the handouts to the gays, illegals and unions. What's next - lepers and dwarfs?
If i had a dime for every time a presumed liberal confused a class room education with intelligence (common sense) on this vine i would surely be able to pay insurance on my vehicle.
chitown--I appreciate you caring weather my feelings were hurt or not, BUT i was just making a valid point, I think instead of saying that you could probably find a different definition for the word unintelligent, you would just admit that you were wrong in your characterization by definition.
If people could admit they made mistakes (instead of accusing people of having their feelings hurt) it would be the beginning of a better Govt.
Seriously grounded? I was wrong because I paraphrased the definition of unintelligent? "thought without reason" is different than "not endowed with a mind or intelligence" how other than it's said differently? Of the things I said in my post, THAT is what you've got your panties in a bunch for? You are NOT intelligent, nor do you have common sense and since you missed the whole point of what I said, let's be clear now. You are a cryin @ss b.i.**h. cryin @ss b.i.**h
cryin @ss b.i.**h (ˌʌnɪnˈtɛlɪdʒənt)
— adj
1.
grounded123,lacking intelligence; stupid; foolish
happy now?
god please help us the devil is ruining our country he is a muslim anti christ and a racist biggot
......and those are his good points. Boom shaka laka
If the kids, regardless of their skin color, actually have teachers and parents who care enough to find what kind of teaching a child responds to and is held accountable for completing school work, it would go a long way to having an adult who can actually think and perhaps even spell.
I feel for the teachers who spend much of the time in class getting their students ready for the next national test, which in some cases, does not even reflect what is supposed to be taught. There are many, many caring teachers who also spend quite a bit of their own income to provide basic school supplies to the kids whose parents can't afford it. Black children are not the only ones who come from poor families.
In the state I live in, kids are permitted to drop out of high school at 16, regardless of reason. As a taxpayer who shares in the cost to educate these kids, this is a real sore point. I am sure there are other states with this same rule in force.
I'm sorry, President Obama, but I don't still believe in you. Please step aside and let a true Democrat, one who doesn't think she's God, one who doesn't murder our teenage children, one who believes we should pull together and doesn't deride people who don't agree to his agenda, take your place as the Democratic nominee for President. Please.
Pretty soon, Obuma is going to run out of people to pander to.
what a racist piece of sh**t i cannot wait till romney kicks your black ass out of our house go back to keyna or wherever that fake birth cerificate is from all i can say be ready for a big race war when the blacks find out obama got his a@@ kicked out of the with house
I WOULD TAKE A DEMOCRAT ANY DEMOCRAT OVER THE LYER,Racist we have now wonder how much money obama has made since being in our house
Now what has Obama got on the plate for White children. They want a place at the table too.
Forget it. He's already told you to sit at the back of the bus.
There he goes again...
We must vote him out
That's Oblamya. He wants to help Certain people...those that are certain to vote for him. Obama is the WORST thing to set foot in the WH
Can you say 'Desperate"? As well he should be!! Isn't this racist to offer only special help to blacks? There are many white,, Hispanic, etc. poor children that need help. I hope this turns off his 'other than black' voters. This deplorable POS continues on a daily basis to divide this country along lines of race, religion, age, status, wealth, etc. I can no longer stand the sight of him, his voice, his fake smile or the sound of his name. He is despicable and I can't wait for him to be kicked out the back door.
Amen to that Mary. Instead of bringing us together as a country..."United" states...he has driven even a bigger wedge between the people of this nation
BTW Travon could have been his son....well done dingle Bary.
You had the bully pulpit Mister Obama. You had both houses Mister Obama. You could have told the black community to stop the fornication, gang-banging, drugs, dropping out of school, unwillingness to work. But No-o-o-o! Too scared of offending anyone.
You're a snake-oil salesman MISTER Obama and anybody who buys your product is nothing but a fool!
He could have given them a Bill Cosby or Allen West lecture. Instead of a NAACP, Jackson, Sharpton type speech.
Obama wants to spoon fed another generation of african americans in a new education program?
What about vocational trade school training for all americans ?
That would really help a lot. Instead of hanging out on the street or playing video games all day, they could be learning a trade. And instead of Obamacare he could have just built a lot more low cost and free clinics to take the burden off the Emergency rooms. Other problems with healthcare could be handled one at a time instead of this 2700 page unconstitutional mess he calls Affordable Healthcare.
bevvar,
obama should introduce a bill that allows for free training after high school graduation to prepare all americans with necessary skills to be employable. Like electrician, plumbing, mechanics, auto-mechanics, short order cook, etc. as free one-time training paid for by government after getting a high school diploma (no age limit).
On the obamacare topic, It seems to be a start that could evolve to with what you say to want: more low cost and free clinics to reduce healthcare cost by making them (citizens) pay for it. This reduce the burden for emergency rooms too. In a sense "Affordable healthcare by Obama", will allow government power to separate various healthcare coverage into low risk coverage and high risk coverage and focus free healthcare on low risk coverage and on the scale that everyone (citizens) are paying their share of it. It's like if everyone pays for it, then cost of healthcare is low per individual and there's no marketplace competition/corruption for individual's healthcare insurance. Before obamacare, no body got a place or a base to start evolving.
So from the evolution viewpoint, obamacare now gives USA a base to start evolving for healthcare for all american citizens under supervision of government.
Another example of how much of a failure the Presidency of Barack Obama has been.
Knowing how dire his current situation is, in terms of getting reelected, he panders to every special interest group or minority he can think of. In this case, he panders to a group that conveniently also makes him at minimum appear to be thinking along racial lines, and at worst makes him appear to be racist.
This, in and of itself, is not as offensive as the fact that the President continues to think that everybody but himself is so stupid as to not see what he is doing - he in fact appears to expect that we will all just buy the story line he attempts to present.
I have to wonder - at what point will the minorities, the so called downtrodden or suppressed folks, finally figure out that they are actually being insulted on a grand scale with this sort of action? The unmistakeable message is this - you can not do it on your own - you can not succeed. At what point will you "disadvantaged" folks start to understand that you can succeed, and through your own hard work?
It is interesting, to say the least, that the people who are most likely to scream about being respected properly are the folks most likely to be insulted in that fashion, and even welcome it.
It is also telling, to say the very least, that the great community organiser - the uniter of people, and the self proclaimed healer of what is wrong in DC - has been forced to descend to this level, and in such a nakedly begging fashion.
You know that Obama gave a Spanish company the contract to count the votes for 26 of the states. And since then Soros has bought the company. Do you think that is ripe for fraud? I don't see Obama winning fairly but what will we do if he steals the election? I wouldn't be surprised at anything he does.
Bevvar -
I can only speak for myself in this, of course, but I am far more concerned about the already occurring fraud happening in the media.
Stories that are not in favor of Obama are already regularly buried, and anti Romney stories are already magnified beyond comprehension.
Far easier to create fraud in advance, rather than on the day of elections, I think.
Absolutely RACIST! I DEMAND a program to help white students. Matter of fact, also one for Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and Dwarfs.
HR Pufnstuf -
Now now now.....
You understand that calling people that are height disadvantaged, or vertically challenged, "Dwarfs" is very politically incorrect, right?
It is possible that you might offend someone with that type of language......
Me too, since I am white and have white grandchildren and one Asian grandaughter.
You can lead a horse to water.
But wait folks there's more!!! Rumor has it that he's going to initiate another housing loan scheme geared exclusively for Hispanics and Blacks. Hey, it worked out so well last time, so what the heck!!!! Once again I say, white folks ya'll being played for fools. You better wake the *uck up!!!!
How about a program for ALL Americans?
stevenso===It was bad in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I guess we will have to get ready from that Federal Government Hurricanecalled Obama. The silly white people that voted for Obama didn't think that he seek revenge on this country because of his life. He took everything thiscountry had to offer and now he has declared war on America. I don't think that they Democrats like the idea that can not control this fool of president.
Welfare from Birth to death I guess that's how the blacks want it because now if they don't start a creer they have it made from birth to death lazy no good for nothig Obama. P.O.S.
Screw November. Impeach his racist ass right now!
Just more plain old discrimination.