Defining Economic Justice
"Economic justice, which touches the individual person as well as the social order, encompasses the moral principles which guide us in designing our economic institutions. These institutions determine how each person earns a living, enters into contracts, exchanges goods and services with others and otherwise produces an independent material foundation for his or her economic sustenance. The ultimate purpose of economic justice is to free each person to engage creatively in the unlimited work beyond economics, that of the mind and the spirit."
-- Center For Economic and Social Justice
http://www.cesj.org/thirdway/economicjustice-defined.htm
Films from the multiple Media That Matters Film Festival collections explore the issue of economic justice from an international perspective. Here's one example:
6:34 minDocumentaryDirected & Produced by Brent Joseph Winner of the Legacy Award
"This film follows Louis Harding as he rebuilds the community center he opened just one month before Hurricane Katrina hit and destroyed his work. Despite the setback, 72-year-old Harding refuses to give up on his mission to combat poverty in New Orleans. He discusses the importance of history, heroes and self-esteem in the black community and explains why making his dream a reality is more important now than ever before."
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/8/a_loud_color/
For even more films on this issue, visit MediaRights.org.
Media That Matters and Arts Engine
"The Media That Matters Film Festival is the premier showcase for short films on the most important topics of the day. Local and global, online and in communities around the world, Media That Matters engages diverse audiences and inspires them to take action."
"From gay rights to global warming, the jury-selected collection represents the work of a diverse group of independent filmmakers, many of whom are under 21. The films are equally diverse in style and content, with documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental work and everything else in between. What all the films have in common is that they spark debate and action in 12 minutes or less."
Media That Matters FOCUS
"Media That Matters FOCUS is a new series of curated collections that center on particular issues. Our first FOCUS release (October 2006) is Media That Matters: Good Food, a collection of shorts on food and sustainability. Following the model of our annual festival, the films stream online, screen around the country and are distributed on DVD. Stay tuned for new FOCUS collections on LGBT Rights, Criminal Justice and more in years to come."
Arts Engine
Arts Engine supports, produces and distributes independent media of consequence and promotes the use of independent media by advocates, educators and the general public. By fostering the production and use of independent film, video and new media, Arts Engine connects media makers and active audiences in order to spur critical consideration of pressing social issues. Learn more at www.artsengine.net.
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/about/
"This Is Change? 20 Hawks, Clintonites and Neocons to Watch for in Obama's White House"
By Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet. Posted November 20, 2008.
A who's who guide to the people poised to shape Obama's foreign policy.
from the conclusion of the article by Jeremy Scahill:
Barack Obama campaigned on a pledge to bring change to Washington. "I don't want to just end the war," he said early this year. "I want to end the mindset that got us into war." That is going to be very difficult if Obama employs a foreign policy team that was central to creating that mindset, before and during the presidency of George W. Bush.
"Twenty-three senators and 133 House members who voted against the war -- and countless other notable individuals who spoke out against it and the dubious claims leading to war -- are apparently not even being considered for these crucial positions," observes Sam Husseini of the Institute for Public Accuracy. This includes dozens of former military and intelligence officials who spoke out forcefully against the war and continue to oppose militaristic policy, as well as credible national security experts who have articulated their visions for a foreign policy based on justice.
Obama does have a chance to change the mindset that got us into war. More significantly, he has a popular mandate to forcefully challenge the militaristic, hawkish tradition of modern U.S. foreign policy. But that work would begin by bringing on board people who would challenge this tradition, not those who have been complicit in creating it and are bound to continue advancing it.
Read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/107666/this_is_change_20_hawks%2C_clintonites_and_neocons_to_watch_for_in_obama%27s_white_house/?page=1
I still HOPE for CHANGE and BELIEVE that President-elect Obama will lead us to real change. Although, sometimes lately I worry. I find that surrogates or advisors say or do things that make me cringe. All I know for sure is that it's time for peace and prosperity for all. We must expect and accept nothing less from ourselves or our leaders.
Stevie Wonder, "Love's In Need Of Love Today":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBz9OoeCdlA
Stevie Wonder & Take 6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXXqv2TgfnY
You Have Sown the Seeds: Now is the Time to Prepare for a Rich Harvest
Dear Mr. Obama,
Congratulations on your election as the next president of the United Sates of America. Millions of Americans and indeed many more millions around the world are eagerly looking to you and your administration to address many pressing crises facing your country and the world over. These include climate change and ecology, banking, credit and subprime mortgage lending, soaring cost of energy and food, hunger and infectious disease, international relations and cooperation, peace and justice, terrorism and war, armaments and unprecedented violence, crime and insecurity. Other major problems include the fear of getting sick, old, homeless and jobless.
It is precisely in times like these – unstable and confusing though they may be – that people everywhere need to keep their eyes on the better side of human nature, the side of love and compassion, rather than hatred and injustice; the side of the common good, rather than selfishness, individualism and greed.
With your election a seed of hope has been sown. Now it’s the time to ensure this seed will grow into a most wonderful and rich harvest by insisting that the abundance that comes from God and earth and human effort must be shared, lest its concentration in the hands of the few become a blood-clot endangering our lives- as indeed has happened.
To do this, your government needs- as I am sure, it will- to adopt a new strategy of generosity toward all the people of America, as well as to all other people and nations around the world, by replacing the strategy of domination that has so long been the policy paradigm. Your administration needs to transform all institutions including the U.S. government to act not merely for economic benefits and the highest return to the shareholders, but also to encourage people’s natural inclination toward love, generosity, compassion, imagination, and wonder at the beauty of the planet Earth and the universe in which we live, by encouraging us all to know and serve the common good.
Those who may not have your best interest at heart may say this is too idealistic. But today, idealism is the new realism. So-called realism, through the strategy of domination, has only led to endless wars, needless suffering, and exploitation, seriously compromising the moral and spiritual standing of the U.S., both at home and abroad.
"The first place I heard the blues was in Kansas City." Langston Hughes
"Kansas City has a rich history of music, especially jazz. While most of the music was created by professional musicians at various performance venues in and around the city, there were also the up and coming musicians at the local schools. One such school with an extremely rich musical history is Lincoln High School, often referred to as the 'castle on the hill'.” http://lcpabands.org/Links/history.htm
President-elect Obama understands the importance of arts in the schools which includes music education. Quality music education programs need financial support in every school district in order to provide the world class education that every student deserves.
"What we can’t have is the creation of a cultural caste system where only the children of the affluent will have the opportunity to have an arts education. The only way the children of the non-affluent are going to get an arts education is in the public school. But the quality of education in the public schools is inconsistent, so that’s an issue we’ve got to deal with".— Denny Senseney, President of Senseney Music. Source: http://www.supportmusic.com/smc_report.pdf
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy's Wind Ensemble, a 45-student concert band has been invited to participate in a special rehearsal and recital program at Carnegie Hall in New York City in April 2009.
The Band Boosters are seeking community financial support in order to make this dream music experience a reality for students.
Lincoln High School is located in the 18th & Vine Historic District of Kansas City, Missouri. The history of Lincoln is summarized on the Tiger Bands' site: http://lcpabands.org/Links/history.htm Lincoln, a public school in an urban neighborhood, provides a college prep education (including an academic music program) to students from across the city.
The performance program at Carnegie Hall annually attracts talented youth and young adult musicians from across the country. Students, Band Boosters and other supporters are seeking to raise the $75,000 needed to arrange the one-week trip and performance program in New York.
This is an appeal for your support!
LCPA Band Boostersc/o LCPA Bands2111 WoodlandKansas City, MO 64108
For more information about the Lincoln College Prep Band Program and the students' efforts to get to New York City in April 2009, visit www.lcpabands.org.
Musical Kansas City: From Rags to Classic Jazz to the Classics
http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/parisoftheplains/webexhibit/page4.htm
Sometimes when everyone agrees that something is a good idea -- like supporting music education or sending students to Carnegie Hall -- then everybody assumes that everyone else is already doing something to help which may result in nobody doing anything at all -- so, please donate if you are able.
Thank You!
YES!
World Public Forum's Meeting in Vienna Theme:
The participants in the Vienna meeting of WPF have agreed to establish a working group of experts that is to research the problem of creating a new paradigm of the global society.
Kamran Mofid: Globalisation for the Common Good and the “Dialogue of Civilizations”
"The question of the scope and potential of dialogue among cultures and civilizations is achieving unprecedented significance, especially in the present international context. More than ever before, dialogue poses a fundamental challenge and must be based on the unity of mankind and commonly shared values, the recognition of the world’s cultural diversity and the equal dignity of each civilization, culture and individual. Why is it necessary to engage in a Dialogue of Civilizations? What can we learn from past dialogues? What effect could an increased dialogue have on the substance and process of international relations? Could there be any such thing as a global ethos, a common overarching human value system, a globalisation for the common good that transcends cultural and civilizational differences? In my presentation an attempt is made to show how the "Dialogue among Civilizations and Globalisation for the Common Good" can be a path towards building a world that is just, free and prosperous." -- Dr. Kamran Mofid, 11/14/08
Read the Text of the Speech by Kamran MofidDelivered at the First Summit of the World Public Forum (WPF)“Dialogue of Civilizations” November 09-11, 2008Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria
http://www.dialogueofcivilizations.org/
Kamran Mofid PhD (ECON)Founder, Globalisation for the Common Good Initiativewww.globalisationforthecommongood.infoCo-editor, Journal of Globalisation for the Common Goodwww.commongoodjournal.comGlobalisation for the Common Good, Chicago 2009http://www.gcgchicago2009.info/
The selection of Bill Richardson as Secretary of State is the best choice among the names that are reportedly under consideration.
Gov. Richardson has communicated a world view that is more closely aligned with the voters who elected Barack Obama for Change We Can Believe in.
The world is watching and waiting for a new approach from The UNITED States -- not more Bush/Cheney era rhetoric toward Iran or a resurrection of the Clinton Administration.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/global/29882234.html
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From: Indian Country Today
2008 World Indigenous Peoples Conference focuses on education
By Brenda Austin, Today correspondent
Story Published: Oct 1, 2008
Story Updated: Sep 29, 2008
MELBOURNE, Australia – Preparations are under way for the World Indigenous Peoples Conference: Education (WIPC:E), to be held on the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne Dec. 7 – 11. The conference is a triennial event attracting people from around the world to celebrate and share cultural diversity, traditions and knowledge with a strong focus on world indigenous education.
This year’s conference is expected to bring more than 3,000 people from countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Norway, Bangladesh, Botswana, Vanuatu and many others.
(Prepared for the United States Department of Defense by CEHIP Incorporated, Washington, DC, in partnership with Native American advisors, Rodger Bucholz, William Fields, Ursula P. Roach. Washington: Department of Defense, 1996.)
American Indians have participated with distinction in United States military actions for more than 200 years. Their courage, determination, and fighting spirit were recognized by American military leaders as early as the 18th century.
I think they [Indians] can be made of excellent use, as scouts and light troops. --Gen. George Washington, 1778
Many tribes were involved in the War of 1812, and Indians fought for both sides as auxiliary troops in the Civil War. Scouting the enemy was recognized as a particular skill of the Native American soldier. In 1866, the U.S. Army established its Indian Scouts to exploit this aptitude. The Scouts were active in the American West in the late 1800s and early 1900s, accompanying Gen. John J. Pershing's expedition to Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa in 1916. They were deactivated in 1947 when their last member retired from the Army in ceremonies at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. Native Americans from Indian Territory were also recruited by Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and saw action in Cuba in the Spanish-American War in 1898. As the military entered the 20th century, American Indians had already made a substantial contribution through military service and were on the brink of playing an even larger role.
It is estimated that more than 12,000 American Indians served in the United States military in World War I. Approximately 600 Oklahoma Indians, mostly Chotaw and Cherokee, were assigned to the 142nd Infantry of the 36th Texas-Oklahoma National Guard Division. The 142nd saw action in France and its soldiers were widely recognized for their contributions in battle. Four men from this unit were awarded the Croix de Guerre, while others received the Church War Cross for gallantry.
As the 20th century comes to a close, there are nearly 190,00 Native American military veterans. It is well recognized that, historically, Native Americans have the highest record of service per capita when compared to other ethnic groups. The reasons behind this disproportionate contribution are complex and deeply rooted in traditional American Indian culture. In many respects, Native Americans are no different from others who volunteer for military service. They do, however, have distinctive cultural values which drive them to serve their country. One such value is their proud warrior tradition.
In part, the warrior tradition is a willingness to engage the enemy in battle. This characteristic has been clearly demonstrated by the courageous deeds of Native Americans in combat. However, the warrior tradition is best exemplified by the following qualities said to be inherent to most if not all Native American societies: strength, honor, pride, devotion, and wisdom. These qualities make a perfect fit with military tradition.
To be an American Indian warrior is to have physical, mental, and spiritual strength. A warrior must be prepared to overpower the enemy and face death head-on.
We honor our veterans for their bravery and because by seeing death on the battlefield, they truly know the greatness of life. --Winnebago Elder
The real secret which makes the Indian such an outstanding soldier is his enthusiasm for the fight. --U.S. Army Major, 1912
More important, however, is the warrior's spiritual strength. Many traditional cultures recognize that war disrupts the natural order of life and causes a spiritual disharmony. To survive the chaos of war is to gain a more intimate knowledge of life. Therefore, military service is a unique way to develop an inner strength that is valued in Native American society.
Having a strong sense of inner spirituality is also a part of the Indian character. Many Native Americans are raised on rural or remote reservations, an environment that fosters self- reliance, introspection, and a meditative way of thinking. These character traits can be very beneficial when adapting to the occasional isolation of military life in times of both peace and war.
Warriors are honored - honored by their family and their tribe. Before going into service and upon their return, warriors are recognized by family and community. Recognition takes place through private family gatherings, or through such public ceremonies as tribal dances or intertribal ceremonies.
My people honored me as a warrior. We had a feast and my parents and grandparents thanked everyone who prayed for my safe return. We had a "special" [dance] and I remembered as we circled the drum, I got a feeling of pride. I felt good inside because that's the way the Kiowa people tell you that you've done well. --Kiowa Vietnam Veteran
Being a warrior in traditional American Indian society gives one a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment at a time in life when self-esteem is just developing. Becoming a warrior brings status to young men and women in their culture. The ceremonies that honor the warrior create a special place in the tribe's spiritual world.
After I got home, my uncles sat me down and had me tell them what it [the war] was all about. One of them had been in the service in World War II and knew what war was like. We talked about what went on over there, about killing and the waste, and one of my uncles said that God's laws are against war. They never talked about those kinds of things with me before. --Cherokee Vietnam Veteran
United States military service provides an outlet for Native Americans to fulfill a cultural purpose rooted in tradition -- to fight and defend their homeland. This purpose is particularly important since it comes when young people of the tribe are normally not old enough to assume a leadership role in their traditional culture. The cultural expectation to be a warrior provides a purpose in life and is an important step in gaining status in Native America culture.
When I went to Germany, I never thought about war honors, or the four "coups" which an old-time Crow warrior had to earn in battle....But afterwards, when I came back and went through this telling of war deeds ceremony... lo and behold I [had] completed the four requirements to become a chief. --Crow World War II Veteran
Native American warriors are devoted to the survival of their people and their homeland. If necessary, warriors will lay down their lives for the preservation of their culture, for death to the American Indian warrior is but another step in the advancement of life. It is understood that the warrior's spirit lives on eternally. So, warriors do not fear death, but rather regard it as the ultimate sacrifice for their own and their people's continued survival.
The warrior seeks wisdom. Wisdom, as used in this context, means the sum total of formal learning and worldly experiences. In wartime, those Native Americans seeing heavy combat had to learn how to survive, often using skills that may unit commanders thought were inherent to the American Indian's cultural background. A Sac and Fox/Creek Korean veteran remarked:
My platoon commander always sent me out on patrols. He. . . probably thought that I could track down the enemy. I don't know for sure, but I guess he figured that Indians were warriors and hunters by nature.
Many American Indians (as well as non-Indian volunteers) joined the military in World War I to satisfy their sense of adventure. Most had never left the confines of their hometown, much less marched on the battlefields of Europe. These experiences provided a wisdom through exposure to other people and cultures. This was sometimes threatening to the elders of a tribe, who feared that this newfound worldliness would cause unwanted change to their culture. Over time, however, this wisdom of worldly events and peoples was accepted by tribal leaders. Today, Native Americans are increasingly exposed to the non- Indian world through movies and television. Although the military is still an avenue for seeing the world, it has, in the latter half of the 20th century, also provided other types of wisdom. Military service offers excellent educational and job skill opportunities for Native American me and women who frequently come from educationally disadvantaged communities.
Wisdom can also be gained from interaction with others. Military policy in the 20th century has preferred assimilating the American Indian into regular units. Although some divisions had more Native American troops than others, there were never all-Indian units. This meant that Indians and non-Indians were placed in close-knit groups, perhaps each experiencing each other's culture up close for the first time.
There was a camaraderie [in the Air Force] that transcends ethnicity when you serve your country overseas in wartime. --Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Cheyenne Korean veteran
Similarly, intertribal relationships were developed, sometimes with a person who was a traditional "enemy." Many times these intercultural and intertribal contacts broke through stereotypes and resulted in lifelong friendships, friendships that otherwise might never have been cultivated.
Thanks to my military service [in the Navy], I now have friends in 500 tribes. --Lakota Korean veteran
The requirements for successful military service -- strength, bravery, pride, and wisdom - match those of the Indian warrior. Military service affords an outlet for combat that fulfills a culturally determined role for the warrior. Therefore, the military is an opportunity for cultural self-fulfillment. By sending young tribal members off to be warriors, they return with experiences that make them valued members of their society. Finally, the military provides educational opportunities, which allow Native American veterans to return to their community with productive job skills to improve their quality of life.
With the 21st century on the horizon, the United States military can be expected to provide continuing opportunity for Native American men and women. For their part, Native Americans can be expected to carry on their centuries-old warrior tradition- serving with pride, courage, and distinction."
FROM:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-1.htm
Yes indeed and for the sake of posterity, it was in my generation that we saw the emergenc of a minority candidate in the person of Senator Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States of America.
I was part of the generation that turn down the politics of discrimination, dogmatism and hegemony for broadmindedness, nationalism and objectivity.
I was part of the larger society that decided enough is enough and it is now time to become truly united around a common purpose and commitment to build the country.
I was in that generation that help redeemed the country's image a forever shape the mentality of racism and other forms of man inhumnity to man.
Mine was the generation that transcend sentimentailty and the myopia of narrowmindedness and instead lived up to the expectation of the almighty God in that we decided to live together as one rather than tear ourselves apart as different.
Retrospectively, America has spoken, and the world is listening indeed.
We must now join hand with Obama in making the world a better place beginning from home.
It was in my generation that the unthinkable became a reality.
Thank you America of all race, ethnicity, conviction, creed and ideology.
God bless USA
God bless Obama & Biden
Early this morning near 18th & Vine in Kansas City, MO a citizen of one of the wealthtiest nations in the world pushed a shopping cart containing all his worldly goods up the same steep hill he climbs each day after freshing up in a water fountain at a nearby park.
The man on the hill who lives his life on the street could detect on election day something special in the air...maybe the righteous wind. Believing in the power of one voice, and community organizing Obama volunteers were canvassing door-to-door even when there was no door, and so the man with the cart received an "Obama '08" sticker.
A moment passed as he studied the sticker. Then, without saying a word this American Patriot moved slowly to the front of his cart and balancing the overflowing cart against his hip, he paused then smiled slightly.
With great care and a look of reverence for what today represents, he carefully placed the OBAMA STICKER front and center on the plastic tarp that protected the contents of the cart.
In the early morning light on Election Day 2008, in a quiet Obama-inspired moment there was shared hope and belief in Barack Obama and in ourselves. A New Day is on the way.
"I am my sisters' keeper. I am my brothers' keeper."
One Voice...
One Love...I am grateful.
Now, let's get back out there and make this happen. The world is watching. We can do this!
A Garden Beyond ParadiseEverything you see has its roots in the unseen world.The forms may change, yet the essence remains the same.Every wondrous sight will vanish,every sweet word will fade. But do not be disheartened,The Source they come from is eternal—growing, branching out, giving new life and new joy.Why do you weep?—That Source is within you,and this whole world is springing up from it.
The Source is full,its waters are ever-flowing; Do not grieve, drink your fill!Don't think it will ever run dry—This is the endless Ocean!From the moment you came into this world,a ladder was placed in front of you that you might transcend it.From earth, you became plant,from plant you became animal.Afterwards you became a human being,endowed with knowledge, intellect and faith.Behold the body, born of dust— how perfect it has become!
Why should you fear its end?When were you ever made less by dying?When you pass beyond this human form,no doubt you will become an angeland soar through the heavens!But don't stop there.Even heavenly bodies grow old.Pass again from the heavenly realm and plunge into the ocean of Consciousness.Let the drop of water that is you become a hundred mighty seas.But do not think that the drop alonebecomes the Ocean— the Ocean, too, becomes the drop!
~RUMI
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gGgzbW/commentary#comments
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"American Indian voters, especially those who support Obama, seized their right to vote like never before and have embraced political participation as a new ethic. We are certain that Native voters will make a noticeable difference in the presidential race and in local ones as well." Indian Country Today
The following is from THE NATIVE AMERICAN TIMES/NativeTimes.com
CHICAGO – On an Oct. 14 conference call with reporters, two Indian Country leaders discussed how an Obama-Biden administration would help millions of First Americans looking for affordable, quality health care.
Councilman Robert Moore of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe spoke about the health care challenges facing many people in the First American community. Moore noted that any discussion on reforming America’s broken health care system had to include a discussion about First Americans and Alaska natives.
“We know that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed to honoring health care treaty obligations to our tribal nations,” said Moore. “Obama and Biden support sufficient funding for Indian Health Services and proper staffing and maintenance for IHS facilities. By comparison, John McCain has consistently voted against funding for Indian Health Services. Senator Obama’s willingness to bring tribal nations to the table empowers us to shape what happens to the IHS so that we have a very modern medical experience.”
Larry Curley, executive director of the Indian Health Board of Nevada, observed that First Americans simply cannot afford John McCain’s extreme health care plan. The McCain health care plan is a “radical deconstruction” of American health care that would dismantle our employer-based health care system upon which many Native Americans rely for coverage and force more Americans into the individual insurance market where they would have to fend for themselves and raise taxes on tens of millions of families.
“Under the Obama-Biden plan, First Americans who have coverage today will be able to maintain their current coverage, have access to new affordable options, and see the quality of their health care improve and their costs go down,” said Curley. “Senator Obama understands the importance of programs such as Medicaid, which currently provide health insurance cover to over 22 percent of American Indian adults and 46 percent of American Indian children. That is why an Obama-Biden administration would expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function and work at all levels of government to ensure greater communication.”
Source:
http://nativetimes.bizweb5.tulsaconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=410&Itemid=1
Achievers Obscured by History By Frank T. Manheim and Eckhard Hellmuth Jul 27, 2006
Retired geochemist Frank Manheim, now adjunct professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and Emeritus professor of chemistry, Eckhard Hellmuth at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, were interested in science education. They tracked down a rumor about special achievements in chemistry at Kansas City Missouri’s formerly segregated Negro high school. Exploring a subject that has involved controversies and sensitivities, their research revealed an important story that was obscured for 50 years.
Topeka and Kansas City
In 1954, an eight-year old Black girl from Topeka, Kansas made national headlines. The NAACP, led by Thurgood Marshall, a rapidly rising Black lawyer who had achieved a succession of court victories, won Oliver Brown’s suit against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Brown’s daughter, Linda, who was in third grade, had to walk across Topeka to her segregated school. Her white friends could go to school a few blocks away. The landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision outlawed legal imposition of segregation in the United States.
Science Awards Confirm Forgotten History
Around the time of the Topeka decision, students of Sumner High School, a segregated Negro high school in Kansas City Kansas, accomplished something not only unexpected, but also improbable, considering the prevailing conditions of discrimination, the sub-standard school funding, and the educational and socioeconomic background of the Negro population that Sumner served. The accomplishment was this: Sumner dominated all Metropolitan Kansas City high schools (then more than 75 percent white) in awards for science presentations in the newly initiated National Science Fairs program.
It was not a fluke. Sumner would dominate top science prizes for much of the 1950s. Later, Lincoln High School, a Negro high school until 1954 on the Missouri side, dominated science awards in the Kansas City, Missouri school district well into the 1960s.
Read the story: http://www.sciencespectrumonline.com/artman/publish/printer_150.shtml
"The story of the schools should add to their legacy in Greater Kansas City history. It offers insights for education today, though we neither can nor would wish to recreate some of the conditions that influenced the developments. The story also points to an urgent need to research educational history and circumstances in African-American communities prior to the mid 1960s, while the personal experience and documentary resources of surviving educators and other knowledgeable observers are still available." -- Manheim & Hellmuth, 2006
Senator Obama often speaks of the value placed on education by his parents and grandparents. Reform of No Child Left Behind is one of the important changes that will be achieved in an Obama administration.
Barack Obama has offered a detailed plan to get America’s economy back on track, by creating new jobs and easing the burden on hardworking Americans by offering middle-class tax cuts three times the size of McCain’s.
Wages are Stagnant as Prices Rise: While wages remain flat, the costs of basic necessities are increasing. The cost of in-state college tuition has grown 35 percent over the past five years. Health care costs have risen four times faster than wages over the past six years. And the personal savings rate is now the lowest it's been since the Great Depression.
Tax Cuts for Wealthy Instead of Middle Class: The Bush tax cuts give those who earn over $1 million dollars a tax cut nearly 160 times greater than that received by middle-income Americans. At the same time, this administration has refused to tackle health care, education and housing in a manner that benefits the middle class.
Learn More
John McCain’s economic policy is the same as George Bush’s. It ignores middle class Americans, giving $200 billion in tax cuts to corporations, including $4 billion in tax breaks to Big Oil, while leaving over 100 million middle-class Americans with no relief. Economists say McCain’s plan will add $3.4 trillion to the national debt.
