Black Unemployment in 21st Century America

"Where there is massive unemployment in the Black community, it is called a social problem. But where there is massive unemployment in the White community, it is called a depression."

Those words said by Martin Luther King, Jr in 1968 still resonate today as African Americans face a worsening job crisis. Black men are especially being hit hard by the recent recession. In a recent article in the New York Times Bob Herbert looked at the problem of Black unemployment:

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"A new study of black male employment trends has come up with the following extremely depressing finding: 'By 2002, one of every four black men in the U.S. was idle all year long. This idleness rate was twice as high as that of white and Hispanic males.'"
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In New York City the unemployment rate for young Black men is an unbelievable fifty percent. The attacks of September 11th and the recession hit the Black community much harder economically than any other group. This is a tragedy considering the monumental gains during the nineties in the number of poor African Americans raised out of poverty and their rising employment status.

BET.com has been one of the few outlets covering the economic fallout of the past few years for the Black community. Here is their special report.

Ronstadt Booted from Las Vegas Hotel for Praising Michael Moore
 
Rock the Vote is always on alert for when artists are attacked for their political beliefs.  And now in a case reminiscent of the Dixie Chicks Linda Rondstadt was thrown out of a Las Vegas hotel for praising filmmaker Michael Moore.
 
Apparently guests of at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas are not supporters of Michael Moore and his movie "Fahrenheit 9/11".  When Rondstadt performed a one-night show and dedicated her song "Desperado" to Moore she was greeted with loud boos and a very angry crowd.  She praised him as "a great American patriot" and "someone who is spreading the truth".  This led some in the crowd to tear down posters and throw their drinks while demanding their money back.  Rondstadt was promptly thrown out of the hotel and not allowed to return to her hotel room.  She was told to never come back. 
 
In response to this event Rock the Vote president Jehmu Greene released the following statement:

"The treatment of Linda Rondstadt in Las Vegas earlier this week is yet another frightening example of the climate of hostility that has sprouted up towards artists and free expression in the United States.  Ms. Rondstadt’s comments are an example of free speech, which is protected by the U.S. Constitution.  The way she was treated is an assault on free expression of all Americans and is a reminder to all why we must fight to protect it everyday."

P. Diddy Launches Citizen Change

P. Diddy wants to make voting cool and sexy - and by looking at his success in music, fashion, and all-around hipness it looks like he'll succeed.  Diddy launched his organization Citizen Change yesterday that plans to make responsibility and activism the new "in" for young people, and young minorities.  With a new line of clothing - which looks like the anti-Urban Outfitters - that sports lines such as "Vote or Die" and "Gone Voting" he aims to get his message on the chests of young men and women throughout the country.

Diddy was on CNN last night spreading his message:

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"The forgotten ones will be forgotten no more on November 2. Trust me when I say that.  That we know how to rile up and we know how to energize and we know how to motivate, we know how to synergize young people. We do it every day when we make clothing hot, we make cars hot, we make bling-bling hot and now we're going to make this voting process relevant and hot by, most importantly, educating people to the process to letting them know that if they vote they will be heard. And it may not happen overnight. I can't promise that. But just like the civil rights movement -- how we are reaping the benefits of that -- this movement that we started here today, our children would hopefully reap the benefits of it.We're going to have a lot of fun, and we'll bring some energy into this election that's never been seen before. I'm not a stiff politician. I'm a fun guy. We're going to have fun on my campaign trail, and you can come along if you want to."
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Go to www.citizenchange.com and stay on the lookout for Diddy's campaign heating up as the election draws closer.    November 2nd is the day to vote and change the perception of young people.  Rock the Vote's on board and so is Diddy.  Come along for the ride.

A Soldier's Take on the Draft
 
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"I went to war as a believer in the citizen-soldier. My college study of the classics idealized Greeks who put down their plows for swords, returning to their fields at the end of the war. As a Marine officer in Afghanistan and Iraq, however, I learned that the victors on today's battlefields are long-term, professional soldiers. Thus the increasing calls for reinstating the draft - and the bills now before Congress that would do so - are well intentioned but misguided. Imposing a draft on the military I served in would harm it grievously for years."
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Read a soldier's reasons for opposing a new military draft from today's New York Times.

Looking for a job fighting for social justice? 
 
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"The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is the biggest and fastest growing labor union in the AFL-CIO, with 1.6 million members, diverse in membership and leadership and progressive in politics.  Right now SEIU is recruiting folks who want to join the struggle for justice.  Our Organizer-In-Training Program is a one year training and placement program for union organizers, and is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in a career in social change.  The salary and benefits are great, and the work is vitally important.  To learn more about job opportunities please go to www.seiujobs.org."
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Can you afford college? 
 
Tuition prices skyrocket while heavy loans sink students deeper and deeper into debt.  That seems to be the story every year and this year is no exception.  The average tuition for 2003-2004 was 14.1 percent higher than that of 2001-2002.  Meanwhile most estimates of average student debt range from $16,000 to $20,000.  No wonder 40 percent of graduating high school students who want to go to college will decide not to because of cost factors.  What this calls for is a good political debate on how to stop these soaring tuition prices and loans.  And we'll get one this year.  Go check out where the candidates stand on this issue at their respective websites www.johnkerry.com and www.georgewbush.com.
 
NPR's Morning Edition ran a story this morning on how this issue of college affordability will impact the election.  This is shaping up to be a huge issue and it's about young Americans.  See they are paying attention.

Young and Uninsured in Flint

"Myth : The uninsured are lazy and don't have jobs. Fact: In Genesee County, 74 percent of the more than 57,000 uninsured are working adults who make too much money to qualify for public programs or not enough to afford insurance premiums."

A recent Flint Journal article tells the story of Nathanael Monear, a young man working in Flint, Michigan, and his life without health insurance. There are millions of young adults in America like Nathanael who lack health coverage.

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"Myth: Young people aren't affected by an insurance crisis. Fact: Although they represent only 15 percent of the population, adults ages 19 to 29 represent 30 percent of the nation's 43 million uninsured, one of the biggest and fastest growing groups without insurance."
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Nathanael faces a problem that so many uninsured Americans deal with: health insurance plans offered at absurd premium prices.

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"Like most people his age, Nathanael was the picture of health. When he learned that buying into his company's health insurance program was going to cost him a whopping $80 a week - one quarter of his take-home pay - he declined."

"In February, Nathanael was diagnosed with testicular cancer, the same disease that famed bicyclist Lance Armstrong successfully fought."

"The family hasn't had the heart to tally a grand total, but with chemo costs at approximately $15,000 per week, cat scans at $1,200 each, surgery at $5,000 and lab tests, X-rays and medication yet to be added, they guess the final bill will be near $100,000. "
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There is a health care crisis among young people in this country. Rock the Vote, with your help, is urging the candidates for the Presidency and members of Congress to adopt a plan to cover millions of these uninsured young Americans. Our solution mixes private sector and public sector solutions to the health care crisis.  Please go our Health Care Action Page and take action.

In Kenya, Free Expression Brings a New Life for Music, Youth

Joni Mitchell wrote a song with the lyrics, "You don't know what you got till it's gone." Today in Kenya it's the exact opposite. Kenyan youth know what they have because they never had it before. After forty years of government censorship Kenyan youth can listen to what they want, they can run their own radio stations, and print their own magazines and this freedom is giving birth to a vibrant youth culture centered around African hip-hop.

This story in the Berkeley Daily Planet shows how important free expression is and how dangerous and stifling censorship is to culture. There are still threats to free expression in Kenya, but this story is a great tale of the power of music and culture to lift young people's spirits.

If you want to know more about Kenyan hip-hop and African hip-hop check out www.africanhiphop.com.
And don't forget to fight for free expression here in America. Go to the Rock the Vote Action page to learn more about censorship. We don't want to live out those Joni Mitchell lyrics.

Young People Answer the Call of Political Action

USAToday has a great story about young people running for public office across the nation. Check out the story to learn more about the people your age serving their communities as public representatives. You can learn about the 21 year-old state representative in Florida who won office when he was 18 or the controversial Green Party mayor, Jason West. It's great to see people your age giving voice to an often politically silent swath of America.

Roadtrip Nation

Frustrated with the conventions that they had been raised with, a group of recent college grads set out to find less traditional roads they could travel. In the fall of 2001 they set out on a 17,000 mile road trip across America in a neon green 1985 RV bus, which would be their home for the next three months.

The graduates conducted interviews with chefs, non-profit directors, musicians, magazine editors, artists and other professionals who didn't conform to standards set by previous generations regarding their careers. Among the interviewees was Rock The Vote's own president Jehmu Greene, who spoke of her aspirations as child: "When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer would be that I wanted to make a difference. It was always to make a difference and to help people- and I really think that public service and politics is the most direct way to have an impact on a very large number of people."

Since the initial road trip, Roadtrip Nation has published a book entitled "Destination Unknown" featuring transcripts from the interviews and has secured a deal with PBS for an eight episode series of the 2001 roadtrip which started on July 8 at 7:30 pm, PST. Roadtrip Nation has also created "Behind The Wheel," a program at college campuses which not only spreads the non-comformist message of the organization, but also gives students the opportunity to apply to climb aboard the next RV to explore the alternatives discovered by Americans from coast to coast.

Check out the Roadtrip Nation online at www.roadtripnation.com, and pick up "Destination Unknown" at a Starbucks near you!

Close the Health Care Gap!

Are you one of the 13 million young Americans who have no health insurance today? Have you gone without health insurance at some point over the last year or two? Well, you're in good company----fifty percent of young adults went without health care over the past two years.

It's time to take action. In politics, you have to make noise to get the politicians' attention. Join us in demanding that politicians address this disparity in our health care system and "close the health care gap" for young people.

The politicians can come up with any proposal they like. We have one that we like-----allowing young people to stay on their family plans until age 26. That's what we are asking the candidates to support. But there could be other approaches, too.

Bottom line: At Rock the Vote we want to close the health care gap and we need your help. Don't take it from me: look at your wallet, or the last bill you got from the doctor, or the last time you had to wait it out or figure out where the "free clinic" was because you don't have a doctor.

Go to our Action Center and send a letter to President Bush, Senator Kerry, and your members of Congress to close the health care gap.

You only live once, make it last.

Bush Twins Political Debut

Barbara Bush joins her father, President George W. Bush, on the campaign trail. The Bush twins, Barbara and Jenna, made the decision themselves to campaign for their father's reelection. Jenna commented, "They've never wanted to throw us into that world and I think our decision probably shocked them. But I love my dad and I think I'd regret it if I didn't do this." Jenna Bush is currently campaigning with her mother Laura. While the twins are obviously excited about campaigning for their father it also seems that the President is just as excited saying, "the thing I'm most excited about is that I get to spend the last campaign of my life with two girls I love." The sisters will be featured in the upcoming issue of Vogue magazine to talk fashion, life, and politics.  

Eminem Allowed to Speak his Mind

Not long ago, before Janet Jackson's breast freaked out America, the political spotlight was on a rookie MC out of Detroit named Eminem. In post-Columbine America, where music is mistakenly blamed for psychotic episodes, it seemed that the censorship police would be out in full force stopping artists like Em. But Eminem has proved his staying power and now, thanks to the awesome power of satellite radio, Eminem is starting his own 24-hour all-hiphop radio channel.

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"Once upon a time not too long ago, the feds wanted all my music off the air. Now we'll be on Sirius 24 hours a day, playing the best Hip-Hop featuring me and everyone else, freely saying whatever the hell we want."
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Thank you Sirius for satellite radio and its FCC-avoiding, free expression-providing power.

The Ave Magazine

The Ave Magazine calls itself "A Street Movement in Print". The cover story in the new issue covers the 2004 election from the street, looking at young black and Latino voters and the impact of the hip-hop generation. Both Rev. Al Sharpton and former Black Star and Reflection Eternal MC Talib Kweli grace the cover to offer different perspectives on the upcoming election.

The magazine also offers an interview with Fat Joe and the Terror Squad and an interview with Jadakiss. The more political content includes articles about the sterilization of crack-addicted women, neighborhood cop watches, domestic violence, and same-sex marriage.

And we can't forget the Rock the Vote ad on page three. That's page three. Peep it and tell us what you think.

Check this magazine out. It combines the cultural and the political into a tight 80 page package. It's quality material for the hip-hop generation.

Rock the Vote Bus meets up with Bush campaign in Polk, PA

President Bush is touring the battleground state of Pennsylvania this week, including a stop today in Polk, PA----where the Rock the Vote bus will meet up with the campaign! The president's daughter, Jenna Bush, will be there as well. This is the first time that the Rock the Vote bus has rolled into an official campaign stop for Bush or Kerry, and things are starting to heat up.

See more about the bus tour here at our website.

NAACP Convention: Rock the Vote Bus Yes; President Bush No

President Bush declined to attend the annual National Assosiation for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Convention for the fourth consecutive year. Convention spokesman John White issued this response, "With the exception of (Herbert) Hoover and Calvin Coolidge, every president since Warren Harding has met with the convention."

Well, he's going to miss us there! The Rock the Vote Bus Tour will be stopping in Philadelphia for the convention to continue to register new voters and spread the word. Aside from the Rock the Vote Bus, Sen. John Kerry will be speaking along with the (now controversial) Bill Cosby. Convention organizers expect 8,000 attendees. The convention's central focus will be on voter education and registration to increase the African American vote. Meanwhile strategy sessions will be held to prevent a repeat of the purged voter rolls in Florida during the 2000 election. The convention begins tommorrow in Philadelphia. Go to the NAACP's Convention page to learn more.

Congress to Debate Gay Marriage Ban

Congress is expected to start debated proposals to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage. The legislation seems doomed to fail as it requires 67 votes to pass the Senate, estimates put the number of votes at around 40 to 50 right now. The Washington Post quotes House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi criticizing the push for a ban:

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"That they would move forward with an amendment to the Constitution that they knew was doomed to fail," she told reporters, is "red meat for their constituents. They find it necessary because even their own constituents are catching on" to problems in the economy and elsewhere.
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Republican Majority Whip Tom DeLay has said that marriage "is under attack" and "we intend to fight it on all fronts."

While national polls show the majority of Americans against gay marriage, the majority are also against an amendment to the Constitution to ban it. Young voters are much more open to gay marriage than older voters. According to a Newsweek GENEXT poll 50% of young voters are in favor of legalizing gay marriage while 47% oppose. Along those same trend lines 54% of young people oppose the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage with only 43 percent supporting it.

Rock the Vote Bus Hits the Carolinas

Check out this news report and video of the Rock the Vote Bus in North Carolina! The Rock the Vote Bus Tour will be hitting events and cities across the country this summer to help register and motivate young people. Find out when the bus tour is coming to an area near you.

Military Conscription Around the World

With all of the talk about a possible military draft we thought that we would look at how other nations field their militaries.

Currently there are 70 nations/territories which do not have conscription. Sixteen nations have mandatory military/national service, while 71 nations still employ some form of selective conscription (link here).

It does not seem that there is a trend away from conscription when looking at those numbers. However, there is definitely a recent trend among Western nations to end conscription and move to an all-volunteer military.

In 2001 France ended conscription, in 2002 Spain ended conscription, Italy will end in 2006, Austria and Greece are considering ending mandatory conscription, Australia ended conscription, Canada and Britain ended conscription a long time ago, and the United States stopped conscription in 1973.

Beyond Western nations there is no real trend toward ending conscription for a number of reasons. Most of the countries that maintain conscription or mandatory service are militaristic (China, North Korea, Singapore); face a constant national security threat (Israel, Colombia, South Korea, Lebanon); have a long tradition of national service or past militarism (Russia, Germany, Scandanvia, former Soviet states); or, in Switzerland's case, do whatever they want.

It is hard to think that any of these countries would shift to an all-volunteer military when conscription is so ingrained in the fabric of society.

Get Out the Vote Zine

Want to tell your peers why they should vote or why voting is important to you? Get Out the Vote Zine, a publication to feature content by young voters on the importance of voting in 2004, is looking for material. If you want to tell other people your age why you're voting or why they should vote this is a great opportunity. Get Out the Vote Zine is accepting essays, cartoons, and any other content that you would consider relevant to voting. Please send your written pieces by e-mail (mail to cstoscheck@macalester.edu) and visual pieces by snail mail (Get Out the Vote Zine c/o Claire Stoscheck 207 W. Clinton St. Ithaca, NY 14850). The deadline is July 26th, but the sooner the better.

Newsweek Covers Young Voters

Imagine that! A newsweekly that devotes an entire section to young voters. That's what Newsweek does with it's GENEXT section. Here are some of the recent articles.

-Young grassroots activists of all political stripes move to motivate and register young voters. From Christian rock to indie hip hop shows and all across campuses young people are getting out the vote in 2004.

-Traci Carpenter is the youth vote. She's also the winner of the Newsweek/MTVU college journalist essay award.

-A student in Minnesota writes of the fears of a military draft on his campus.

Rumsfeld to Military Draft: "I Just Can't Imagine It"

Defense Secretary Donald Rumselfd declared that he "can't imagine" the revival of a military draft. Top military officials and some members of Congress have complained of the over-deployment of troops, especially the Reserves, who make up 40 percent of the force in Iraq. While there is little doubt that our troops are stretched thin and, according to many experts, we do not have nearly enough troops on the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan, there are not many politicians calling for a new military draft. Which is hardly surprising given that this is an election year and a real effort to revive the draft could be political suicide. For example, Sen. John Warner, appearing on Meet the Press this weekend, stated his opposition to a military draft:

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"The answer is no. You just can't go out equitably and grab 5 percent of the young people and force them into uniform without making all of the young people begin to do something comparable ... suddenly you've got one of the more enormously expensive programs where we're giving GI bill (benefits) to military people and those who are brought in to perform other tasks."
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On the flip side the Pentagon has called up 5,600 retired soldiers from the Individual Ready Reserve to serve in Iraq. Plus tens of thousands of soldiers serving in Iraq will have their service extended when their voluntary service commitment ends. Many, including presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, are calling this a "back door draft", forcing soldiers into involuntary service. These measures create worries that our military may stretched too thin to deal with unforseen events.

Is it really possible that there would be a new military draft? Well, its up to you. We have 120,000 troops on the ground in Iraq-and we don't have many more to send over. Situations that might require a massive increase in troops would include a drastic deterioration in Iraq (i.e., civil war), or perhaps if the regimes in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan fell to radical Islam.

Some argue, on the other hand, for a new draft not necessarily on the grounds of military necessity, but rather of fairness and to promote social cohesion. That's an entirely different position. Though it seems to have a somewhat broader constituency.

Newsweek GENEXT Poll: Rally Around Kerry

Young voters give President Bush his lowest approval rating in the new Newsweek GENEXT poll of 18-29 year olds, which also shows strong support for Sen. John Kerry. Fifty-five percent of young voters disapprove of the president's performance.

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In May, more than half (55 percent) of voters 18 to 29 supported the president's handling of foreign policy issues and the war on terrorism, but since then his numbers have reversed. Now just 47 percent approve and half of the respondents say they (52 percent) disapprove. More potentially challenging to the Bush campaign is the fact that more than half of young voters (60 percent, up from 55 percent in May) now disapprove of the president's handling of Iraq, and more than one third (37 percent) strongly disapprove.
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More than half (56 percent) disapprove of his handling of health care, education, the environment and energy while just 40 percent approve (down six points from last month). Similarly, 56 percent of young voters disapprove of his handling of the economy, with 43 percent approving.
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On Kerry:

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Half (53 percent) of self-described Kerry supporters now say they will "definitely" vote for their candidate in November, up from just over a third (37 percent) a month ago. "Strong" support for Kerry is also up significantly from May. One-quarter of all young registered voters, up from 16 percent in May, say they strongly support the candidate.
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One of the most important numbers in this poll is the percentage of young voters following the election. Eighty percent say that the outcome of this election matters a lot and seventy percent are closely or somewhat closely following the election. Meanwhile support for Independent Ralph Nader has dropped since he threw his hat into the race. He now stands at 7 percent (down from 12 percent in February) among young voters.

Of course, polls are only a measure of where voters stand today. There are still many more months for events to unfold and young voters attitudes to shift.

Kerry-Edwards 2004

This morning Sen. John Kerry selected fellow Sen. John Edwards to be the Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate. Sen. Edwards was the popular choice in polls across the country. His popularity stems from his strong campaigning and speaking abilities showcased in the Democratic primaries earlier this year where he had a number of suprising second place finishes. Sen. Edwards, North Carolina, is a one-term Senator and former lawyer born in South Carolina and raised in North Carolina. For more on Sen. Edwards, see this profile.

Computer Experts, Civil Rights Groups Call for Fixes in E-Voting

Controversy has surrounded the introduction of electronic voting machines, known as DRE voting machines, across the nation. Fears abound that hackers could fix elections, unscrupulous voting machine corporations could fix the machines themselves, and that there would be no verifiable paper trail in case of a recount. The Brennan Center for Justice and the Leadership Council on Civil Rights, along with numerous computer experts, have laid out a list of steps to ensure that e-voting machines function properly and instill confidence in voters. E-voting machines will be used by one-third of the nation during this election and experts still believe there is a long way to go to ensure that all votes will be protected. From the NY Times:

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Aviel D. Rubin, a computer security expert at Johns Hopkins University who consulted with the authors of the report and endorsed its conclusions, said the machines have a long way to go before they can be considered reliable. "If your child was going to drink and drive no matter what you did," he said, carrying out the recommendations of the report "would be like convincing them to wear a seatbelt."
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The report has been endorsed by the highest election officials in the nation and hopefully will ensure that hackers are kept out of the voting machines. However, the report does not call for a voter verifiable paper trail. To learn more about e-voting and verified voting check out www.verifiedvoting.org.

Astonishing Number of Uninsured Young Adults

A new report out by Families USA, a non-partisan non-profit dedicated to high quality, affordable health care for every American, shows that an astonishing number of Americans have spent part of the last two years without health insurance. There were 81.8 million people under 65 years of age who were uninsured at some point over the past two years (2002-2003). That's one in every three Americans under 65. For young adults the numbers are astounding. Among people 18-24 years of age 50.3% were uninsured at some point within the two-year period. An obvious reason for this is that young adults are employ in entry-level jobs that pay relatively low wages and offer few benefits.

CNN Wins Right to Florida Felon Purge List

In the 2000 election in Florida thousands of innocent people, most of them happened to be African-Americans, were put on a list of ex-felons to purge from the statewide voter rolls. Florida, a state which bans ex-felons from voting unless they complete a complicated process of asking the Governor for their civil rights back, has completed another felon purge list for the upcoming election and tried to keep media outlets from obtaining copies. CNN filed suit and won the rights to view and make copies of the felon purge list.

The denial of voting rights to innocent people shouldn't happen here in America anymore. Unfortunately, it happens to 4.7 million ex-felons who have served their time across the nation. Here at Rock the Vote we believe in expanding democracy, not restricting it.

Op-Ed Calls for Military Draft

Former Nixon speechwriter Noel Koch penned an op-ed for the Washington Post today calling for the reinstatement of the military draft:

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The resurrection of the draft, so vitally necessary to restore the depth of ready manpower we need in our force structure, is self-justifying despite the arguments of a succession of defense secretaries who feel obliged to defend our "volunteer military" with technical arguments that mask political squeamishness.

But the nation also needs a draft because it is one proven mechanism to bring unity to our rapidly separating parts. It needs a draft to provide that common civic grammar that encompasses those who have served and their families and friends. It needs a draft to honor, and to even out, the sacrifices we call upon our young to make for our nation.

Finally, America needs this fund of experience to expand the pool of people likely to find their way into the corridors of power and, when they get there, to bring with them a bone-deep appreciation of the true costs of conflict. Thus might we reduce the risks of counsel from those who have never had to learn the difference between a war and a cakewalk.
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To learn more about the possible return of the military draft go to our action center.