All Dressed Up but No Where to Go
By Anita Sinha, Staff Attorney, Advancement Project
I attended a panel in September hosted by Congressman William Jefferson, a representative from Louisiana, entitled “Recovery by Whom, for Whom?” at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference. Invited speaker New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin answered the representative from Louisiana’s question as he auctioneered off New Orleans to the audience, presenting the city as a buffet. Nagin shamelessly invited deep pockets to eat all they can eat, to take advantage of the “schmorgesborg” that is New Orleans – there is enough for everybody. To read the rest of the article click here.
To Improve the Schools, Overhaul NLCB
By Monty Neill and Lisa Guisbond, FairTest
In this most wealthy of nations, the quality of education in low-income and minority communities is often woefully inadequate. Proponents of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act claim the law will change this unconscionable fact of American life. Unfortunately, NCLB has not pushed states to promote rich and varied educational experiences for all children. Instead, by attaching very high stakes to standardized test results in two subjects, NCLB has caused more harm than good. To read the rest of the article click here.
America: A Nation of Immigrants
By M. Aurora Vásquez, Senior Attorney, Advancement Project
For many months now we have been inundated with information on the 2008 presidential candidates and their views on a myriad of issues. Eventually the focus will come to include the views of congressional candidates as well. When this happens, their respective views will begin to serve as markers mapping the potential path the country could travel through 2012. When I contemplate that path, I cannot help but wonder how the ongoing immigration debate will impact its grade in light of the way the debate has unfolded over the last several years. To read the rest of the article click here.
Nooses and Zero Tolerance
By Monique L. Dixon, Senior Attorney, Advancement Project
“If you can figure out how to make a school yard fight into an attempted murder charge, I’m sure you can figure out how to make stringing nooses into a hate crime.” This was the sentiment of a 40-year old marcher who traveled hundreds of miles last month to demand justice for six Black high school students of Jena, La. – also known as the Jena 6. The school fight between the Jena 6 and a White student was the culmination of a series of incidents that exposed racial tensions within that small town and all that could go wrong in the administration of school discipline. The Jena 6 incident is a stark example of the injustices many parents, students, and education advocates have fought against in school discipline matters for decades, with some success. To read the rest of the article click here.
