NO MARCH, NO PROTEST, AND/OR SPEECH Will Improve African-American Lives!

                                         


In their own words recorded in this video by me on October 16, 2011, in Washington, DC, President Obama and Rev Al Sharpton acknowledged ACTION and VOTING are the methods to CHANGE America.

According to the NAACP website on August 28, 1963, Leaders from civil rights, labor, immigrant rights and social justice organizations will speak after the march. Fifty years later the National Action to Realize the Dream March is scheduled for August 24, 2013, in Washington, DC.

                                    

I will not be attending the August 24, 2013, march in Washington for two reasons.  One I can’t afford to attend. Secondly, NO MATCH, NO PROTEST, AND/OR SPEECH Will Improve African-American Lives during this current political climate.That is a simple FACT!

In a Huffington Post article titled “Why We Need to March …Again” NAACP President Jealous stated in part: We need you there to help us gain a critical mass of voices, and prove once again that organized people can beat organized money any time. I respectfully disagree with Jealous.

I believe that those who are honest with themselves must accept the fact that at this time in our nation’s history “NO MARCH, NO PROTEST, AND/OR SPEECH is going to improve the lives of the poor, unemployed, underemployed, African-Americans, or the disadvantage in this country. Our time, MONEY, organization skills, and political activity should be spend trying to overcome the barriers to voting. Since President Obama’s historic 2008 election the Republican Party in general and Republican governors in particular have supported and passed voter registration identification laws to deny minorities, working class citizens, and the poor their constitutional right to vote.

If the NAACP and Rev Al Sharpton believes that a large gathering of people of all races, economic status, and sexes will change the mind set of those who oppose equality I present exhibit A – Picture of approximately two million people attending President Obama’s inauguration.

                                           

I would also remind Sharpton of his outstanding October 15, 2011, march in Washington DC for Jobs and Justice which I attended.


                                     

In Washington DC on October 15, 2011 for March for Jobs and Justice 

                                  My personal picture of MLK Memorial taken Oct 15, 2011

On October 8, 2012, I answered President Obama’s campaign and his organization OFA (Organization for America) call for volunteers. I volunteered for the Vote Corps program and report at my own expense to Norfolk, Virginia to help him win the 2012 Presidential Election.

I volunteered for the Vote Corps program and worked 31 days because President Obama is our Hope attaining a measure of equality unequal during any time in this nation’s history. I also believe that President Obama’s re-election would forever CHANGE America for the better.


                                           

November 2012 Pictured with Beau Biden in Norfolk, Va  OfA Office

On August 16, 2013, Lee Daniels' The Butler movie which stars Oprah and Forest Whitaker opened in theaters in America. Prior to the release date of the movie on August 12, 2013 CNN Suzanne Malveaux Digging Deeper into Lee Daniels' The Butler movie interviewed actor Forest Whitaker and Director Daniels. Malveaux’s interview drives home the fact that a cycle and circle of racism still continues in America. At the 7:50 mark and 8:37 mark in the video they discussed the current state of race relations in this country, Trayvon Martin, Supreme Court Voting Right Act of 1965 ruling, and the cycle of racism that we have been trying to break as a race of people. Director Daniels voiced irony of realizing that President Johnson was responsible for the Voters Right Act of 1965 and finding out the Supreme Court’s ruling on Voting Rights Act of 1965 after filming that part of the movie.

Whitaker believes that the cycle and circle is still going on. He believes that a dialogue can help break the cycle. I agree with Whitaker that cycle of racism is still happening but I believe that an honest dialogue on racism and ACTION from the executive branch of our government is needed to end the cycle.

What Americans especially African-Americans need NOW is concrete MEASURABLE action from President Obama. He can break part of the CIRCLE/CYCLE of racism by having the courage to boldly address and take ACTION to strengthen Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Act itself is a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against blacks and women, and ended racial segregation in the United States.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the bases of race and color, as well as national origin, sex, and religion. Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and to labor organizations, as well as to the federal government. Employment discrimination is a major reason that African-American unemployment rates is double that of Whites in some parts of America. It is also a reason that many African-American teenagers are unemployed and many African-American adults are either unemployed or underemployed.

President Obama has the same POWER, opportunities, and resources that were available to President Johnson when he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He also has the "dream" and the office of the Presidency to make real changes in our lives to include justice for all of America’s citizens. Additionally, he has already addressed and corrected part of the Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964.

On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act.  According to the New York Times: “In signing the bill, Mr. Obama said that it sends the message "that there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal, it's bad for business to pay someone less because of their gender or their age or their race or their ethnicity, religion or disability."

On August 16, 2013, Lee Daniels' The Butler movie which stars Oprah and Forest Whitaker opened in theaters in America. Prior to the release date of the movie on August 12, 2013 CNN Suzanne Malveaux Digging Deeper into Lee Daniels' The Butler movie interviewed actor Forest Whitaker and Director Daniels. Malveaux’s interview drives home the fact that a cycle and circle of racism still continues in America.

At the 7:50 mark and 8:37 mark in the video they discussed the current state of race relations in this country, Trayvon Martin, Supreme Court Voting Right Act of 1965 ruling, and the cycle of racism that we have been trying to break as a race of people. Director Daniels voiced irony of realizing that President Johnson was responsible for the Voters Right Act of 1965 and finding out the Supreme Court’s ruling on Voting Rights Act of 1965 after filming that part of the movie.

President should address employment discrimination once again because it is the RIGHT thing to do. I am an African-American female victim of employment discrimination who likes Lilly Ledbetter was denied justice by the Supreme Court of the United States for employment discrimination. I hope and pray that President Obama will take a similar interest in my case and act in a similar fashion. I hope that he doesn’t let politics prevent him from using my case to address Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, because my experience occurred in New York and involves Democrats Eliot Spitzer and Governor Andrew Cuomo.

                                       

  The salutary purpose of summary judgment and the rights of all Americans to fair and equal justice can both be accomplished with a well written and defined amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Amending the Civil Rights Act again would prevent one judge from having the absolute power to grant summary judgment motions that dismiss Title VII (discrimination and retaliation) cases. 

Click on link to preview my book including Chapter Early Years of  My Life:  Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer