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Julian Bond

From: List Manager
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 8:40 AM
To: JULIAN BOND
Subject: Despite blacks' gains, battle is far from won

baltimoresun.com

Despite blacks' gains, battle is far from won

By Steny Hoyer, Elijah Cummings and Kweisi Mfume

February 24, 2004

THE REV. MARTIN Luther King Jr. once observed that "injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere."

And today, as we reflect on the past, present and future of the African-American community, Dr. King's wise words ring truer than ever.

February holds special meaning. During the month, and indeed throughout the year, we encourage all Americans to honor the lives of African-American trailblazers who have helped pave the way for future generations. We commemorate Black History Month and the advances our nation has made due to the civil rights movement.

On Feb. 12, we marked the 95th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. And on May 17, we will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic Brown vs. Board of Education decision.

We have good reason to celebrate the victories of the last century. However, the undeniable and indefensible economic and social disparities in American society compel us to look honestly at the challenges that confront America's minority families.

The job market in America is a very tough neighborhood. This morning, 9 million of our fellow Americans woke up without a job. Another 5 million are working part time when they'd rather have full-time employment. The manufacturing sector has lost more than 2 million jobs in the last three years and has suffered job losses for 42 consecutive months.

Minority households have borne the brunt of our so-called jobless recovery. In January, for example, the national unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent. However, unemployment in the black community rose to 10.5 percent, more than double the white unemployment rate of 4.9 percent.

The challenge for middle-class families is not limited to jobs. black families have seen their median household income fall by 3 percent, nearly twice the reduction experienced by white families (1.7

2/25/2004