Buttigieg's black agenda roll-out..... 'We'll call it the Douglass Plan for Black America'

[Celerity]

from an official e-mail

Hi,

Yesterday I wrote an op-ed in the Charleston Chronicle (posted below) calling for bold investment in racial equity, as ambitious as the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II. We’ll call it the Douglass Plan for Black America, in honor of Frederick Douglass, who called America to better live up to its promise.

Next week, our nation will celebrate Juneteenth, which marks the day when enslaved Black people in Texas learned – almost two years after the fact – that the Emancipation Proclamation had granted them freedom. It is a fundamentally American occasion: a celebration of freedom, but also an acknowledgement of freedom delayed.

Black Americans are not yet fully free when Black unemployment is almost twice the national average, when the average Black eighth grader reads at a level far below their white peers, and when Black mothers are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.

We lack true freedom when so many schools are almost as segregated as they were before Brown v. Board of Education, and when identical resumes with stereotypically white or Black names lead to wildly different chances of being hired.

This is just the beginning. I’ll have much more to say about the Douglass Plan in the coming weeks, but for now I invite you to read my op-ed and share it with your friends, family, and community.

As Frederick Douglass once noted, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” So let’s work together to implement these ideas and bring greater freedom, security, and democracy to the communities that need it most. Doing so will enrich not just Black America, but all Americans.

Thank you,

Pete

Buttigieg’s Message Ahead of BET Black Economic Alliance Forum

https://www.charlestonchronicle.net/2019/06/11/buttigiegs-message-ahead-of-bet-black-economic-alliance-forum/

A week from now, our nation will celebrate Juneteenth. It marks the day when enslaved Black people in Texas learned–almost two years after the fact–that the Emancipation Proclamation had rendered them free people. It is a fundamentally American occasion–a celebration of freedom, but also an acknowledgement of freedom delayed. As we observe this day, we must be honest that the hopes stirred almost 160 years ago have still not been fully realized.

Black Americans are not yet fully free when Black unemployment is still almost twice the national average, when the average Black eighth grader reads at a level far below their white peers, and when Black mothers are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. We lack true freedom when so many schools are almost as segregated as they were before Brown v. Board of Education. And, we cannot have freedom when identical resumes with stereotypically white or Black names lead to wildly different chances of being hired. These persistent inequalities have compounded over hundreds of years. They hold back our economy and corrode the American soul.

Replacing racist policies with neutral ones will not be enough to deliver equality. We must actively work to reverse these harms, which is why I propose that we invest in equity with a plan as bold as the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II. Let’s call it the Douglass Plan for Black America, in honor of Frederick Douglass, who called America to better live up to its promise. Such a plan could help heal the deep wounds of America’s original sin and supercharge economic growth for every American.

Like my campaign, the plan is structured around three values: freedom, security, and democracy.

When it comes to freedom, America–with only about 5% of the world’s population–is home to nearly 25% of the world’s incarcerated population, and this population is disproportionately Black. We would be a safer and more just country if we did not harshly penalize the poor, or young people who’ve made missteps. By reducing sentencing disparities and ensuring that every returning citizen can reintegrate into society, I commit to using every tool possible to end unnecessary and discriminatory incarceration, with the result of reducing the number of Americans incarcerated by 50 percent. This is not a random target, but the hard math on how many Americans should not be locked up in the first place.

True security means being able to provide food, shelter, and a livelihood. Yet today–as a direct result of slavery, Jim Crow, and ongoing discrimination large and small–for every $100 in wealth a white family has, the average Black family only has $5.04. To combat this wealth gap and encourage greater economic security within the Black community, America should triple the number of entrepreneurs from underserved areas–particularly ones of color–within ten years. This would create over 3 million new jobs and more than $660 billion in new wealth for Black communities and our country, through a number of policies to support this goal. For example, I’m proposing a federal fund–modeled on a Maryland program–that would co-invest in entrepreneurs of color, particularly in low-income communities.

snip

[Funtatlaguy]

1. I'd love to hear what African Americans think of this.

[Celerity]

2. I think it is sincere, deeply thought out, and tackles the hard issues

I am also part black, not that that is that significant in terms of your question as I already am a supporter.

here are some more things he says


We want to increase the number of successful small businesses in Black communities by 50%, by reforming credit scoring, increasing access to credit, and supporting long-term growth. Under my administration, the federal government will also almost triple its contracting business with minority-owned firms, from just over 9% to 25%. This single proposal could inject more than $100 billion in communities of color. The Douglass Plan would further support the next generation of Black entrepreneurs by expanding access to capital, training entrepreneurs, and rigorously and tracking our progress.

Lastly, we must safeguard our democracy. Americans have lost faith in a political system where dollars outvote people, and where politicians fail to deliver even on ideas supported by an American majority.

This cynicism is nowhere more warranted than in the Black community, where systematic efforts are taking away the right to vote. To counteract this troubling trend, we commit to advancing a 21st Century Voting Rights Act, to ensure that every vote is counted everywhere, particularly in communities with a history of discrimination. This means banning practices like voter ID laws and ensuring that potentially discriminatory changes to voting laws first be reviewed by the Department of Justice. We are not a true democracy if certain Americans are restricted from voting because one party has decided they would be better off if fewer people vote.

I’ll have a lot more to say about these policies in the coming weeks. But the time to act is now. Frederick Douglass once noted that “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” So let’s demand greater freedom, security, and democracy for communities that need it most. Doing so will enrich not just Black America, but all Americans.

[Funtatlaguy]

3. Thank you.

[murielm99]

4. K&R

[crazytown]

5. First take

Last edited Thu Jun 13, 2019, 01:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Douglass? A white man’s plan appropriates a black legend? (Assuming permission) What about the Aretha Franklin plan? RESPECT..

[Celerity]

8. investment in racial equity, as ambitious as the Marshall Plan

It is an analogy to that, and it is HONOURING Douglass. I see zero 'assuming permission', and certainly no cultural insensitivity. There is nothing remotely fake or groan-inducing (no hot sauce in purse moment) whatsoever.

Just my two pence.......

[crazytown]

11. My reply was off the top of my head,

honoring black women. A Tubman or Parks plan would be highly inappropriate. As a white man, I get that I don’t get it. What I can offer, I hope, is respect.

[CrispyQ]

6. I love this young man!

Read this people! It's great & not too long.

[customerserviceguy]

7. Cleverly

he avoided the use of the "R" word, but will his opponents dare to use that word to describe "The Douglass Plan"?

[Politicub]

10. He has come out in favor of the proposed commission on reparations

Which will be important. It won't be a simple report -- it will be a modern accounting of the impact of slavery over the country's history.

[customerserviceguy]

19. Then he's taken on a Herculean task

Selling himself as President, and selling America on the idea of reparations.

It's dangerous, but bold.

[Politicub]

9. Great ideas -- rich with policy proposals

I think it will resonate, but how the proposals are received by the black community will be the true test.

[ecstatic]

12. He needs to add a police reform

plan that will enforced by the federal government. Legalized lynching/brutality is not OK, and it's been tolerated in this country for way too long.

Other than that, he seems to be off to a great start. Regarding the segregated schools thing, for me, that's irrelevant. I'd like more emphasis placed on making sure every public school has the same resources and budget, regardless of the school district's demographics or average income level.

[RicROC]

13. visit Rochester NY

Pete should roll out his new Douglas Plan in Rochester NY because Rochester was the home of Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony. There's a bridge named about both of them.

He should have a photo op standing next to Frederick Douglas' statue.

Moreover, the City of Rochester has very disturbingly poor and Black economic neighborhoods so that's a better reason for Pete to make a visit.

[RLG]

14. It's a start, but he has a long way to go.

Hopefully, he'll discuss "All Lives Matter" and why he said it.

I heard his first explanation, but it wasn't enough for me.

[Celerity]

15. I think he handled it fine, and he stopped using it 4 years ago, as soon as he was told

what some were using it as. I am part black and have zero issue with his explanation and his actions.


South Bend is almost majority-minority and he was re-elected after that with over 80% of the vote, so he certainly overcame it then.

Hillary Clinton was using it after Pete did. Neither she, nor Pete had a single atom of ill-intent.

Hillary Clinton’s ‘All Lives Matter’ Remark Stirs Backlash

https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/06/24/hillary-clintons-all-lives-matter-remark-stirs-backlash/

[RLG]

17. I'm African American and I still have issues with it.

I wonder why he didn't try this in South Bend.

[demmiblue]

16. ...

[SKKY]

18. I think Mayor Pete recognizes the steep hill he will have to climb with...

...African-American voters, and is trying to address their concerns through policy. Without looking at the details it is hard to opine, but anything that equates to a step forward would be positive.