Source: Daily News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON – With a boost from President Obama, the Rev. Al Sharpton and new “Odd Couple” pal Newt Gingrich kicked off a five-city roadshow aimed at bridging the achievement gap for minorities in schools.
“We’re very appreciative that so far Newt’s been on good behavior,” Sharpton said of the combative former House GOP speaker at a rally on the White House Ellipse to launch their tour.
On the 55th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Brown decision overturning segregation, Sharpton said, “All of us are excited about trying to push an agenda” that would recognize equality of opportunity in education as a new civil right.
Obama, who met with Sharpton, Gingrich and Mayor Bloomberg on education last week, sent Education Secretary Arne Duncan to back Sharpton’s effort.
Fulfill the promise: Equal education for blacks is America’s great civil rights challenge
Source: New York Daily News
Fifty-five years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court gave legal force to the powerful principle that “separate but equal” public education was not equal at all, and therefore unconstitutional.
By unanimous decision, segregation by law was forbidden. But segregation in fact remained, and it persists to this day.
One legacy is that thousands of schools deny minority children the quality education that is their right – as shown by the achievement gap between them and white counterparts.
A drive to close that gap has become the preeminent civil rights crusade of modern America, and properly so.
It is unacceptable that nationwide, black and Hispanic fourth-graders are on average almost three years behind their white and Asian counterparts.
SHARPTON, GINGRICH, DUNCAN TO ANNOUNCE FIVE CITY TOUR TO UNITE AMERICA IN FIGHTING FOR EDUCATION EQUALITY
!!MEDIA ADVISORY!!!!MEDIA ADVISORY!!!!MEDIA ADVISORY!!
REVEREND AL SHARPTON, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NEWT GINGRICH, AND EDUCATION SECRETARY ARNE DUNCAN TO ANNOUNCE FIVE CITY TOUR TO UNITE AMERICA IN FIGHTING FOR EDUCATION EQUALITY FOR EVERY CHILDPRESS CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE SATURDAY BEFORE THE CLOSE THE GAP RALLY AT THE WHITE HOUSE ELLIPSE
WHEN: Saturday, May 16, 2009 – 10:15 a.m.
WHERE: White House Ellipse
As an outgrowth from last week’s White House meeting on education with President Obama, Rev. Al Sharpton and former Speaker Newt Gingrich will be joined by Education Secretary Arne Duncan as they lead civil rights leaders, conservatives, education reformers, mayors and other elect officials, parents and others in a five city tour to promote education equality for every child in America. Rev. Sharpton, Newt Gingrich and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will hold a press conference leading into the Close the Gap Rally on the 55th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Fifty-five years after the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education overturned segregation in public schools, our nation’s public education system continues to deny African American, Latino, and Native American students good teachers and schools. This creates an achievement gap that makes education equality the civil rights issue of our time.
Rev. Sharpton To Declare War on the Achievement Gap
REV. SHARPTON DECLARES WAR ON THE RACIAL EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN THE WAKE OF NEW FEDERAL TEST RESULTS SHOWING IT IS NOT CLOSING. HE ASKS AMERICA TO JOIN HIM IN WASHINGTON DC ON MAY 16 TO KICK OFF A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE THE GAP AND CHANGE EDUCATION FOREVER
Citing the stark new federal education test results that show the racial achievement gap remains large, Reverend Al Sharpton called on Americans of all “races, backgrounds, ages and philosophies” to join him on the 55th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education in Washington, DC “to end what those bold Americans began 55 years ago, namely the “back of the bus” education received by blacks and Latinos in American education that affects the entire education system and the future of this country.” Rev. Sharpton said, “55 years ago, the King era civil rights movement began when Americans of all colors demanded that every child have equality of opportunity in education.
Mrs. Minnijean Brown – Trickey will be speaking at the Close the Gap Rally in Washington, DC, on May 16th. Mrs. Trickey is a member of the courageous “Little Rock Nine.” The small group of African-American students who were prevented from attending Little Rock Central High School by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus and finally admitted after the intervention of President Eisenhowe.
Mrs. Brown Trickey has pursued a career committed to peacemaking, environmental issues, developing youth leadership, and social justice advocacy. On the 55th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, thousands of people from across the country will come together to demand that we finally bring true equality to our schools. We are thrilled to be joined by a hero of the civil rights movement — Mrs. Trickey — as we address the civil right issue of our generation.
Help Bridge the Achievement Gap
Join Us for Our Historic Rally at the White House Ellipse
From the Rev. Al Sharpton
Last week I met with President Barack Obama and I felt it very noteworthy that the President of the United States would agree to meet on an issue of such great importance as the race and economic gap in public education. We had asked for such a meeting after the White House sent Vice President Biden to address our National Action Network national convention on April 3rd in New York City. President Obama wanted people that don’t agree on specific issues but agree that there must be an open fight to close the race and economic gap to participate in the meeting. Also present was former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who spoke at NAN’s national convention and supports vouchers while I do not. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a participant in the meeting and he supports mayoral control and is running for re-election and I support neither. But what commonality we all share is our concern that the crisis in education is so significant that there must be alliances across all lines to close the gap. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was invited but due to intense labor negotiations he wasn’t able to make it, however he is a very strong advocate for education and we intend to work with him diligently on this issue in the near future.
By: T.I.
In a few weeks, I will begin a one-year prison sentence for being in the possession of illegal firearms. Where I come from, having a gun is just part of everyday life. But, through this painful process of going to court and being convicted, I realized that I had to make a change. I made some bad decisions. I broke the law and will accept my punishment. With deep reflection about where my life was headed, I have begun the process of redemption, and decided that before I go to prison, I want to speak to young people about responsibility as a lifestyle. I hope that through my mistakes, young people can begin to learn, as I did, that we have to put our guns down and start to give our guns back. It pains me inside to hear about so many of our people dying because of gun violence. Just in the past weeks, a 13-year old boy was shot in the head in Harlem, a 17- and a 19-year old were murdered in a double homicide in Queens and a 15-year-old was chased, beaten, shot and burned in Chicago.We will gather today in Harlem, with many mentors and supporters by my side, including Rev. Al Sharpton, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, GlobalGrind.com, Political Swagger, Mobile Regime and the C.H.A.N.G.E. Initiative to share the message that now is the time. Now is the time to speak out against gun violence. Now is the time to take responsibility for our actions. Now is the time to make our communities safer. Now is the time to support good legislation, like the S.N.U.G. bill in NY. Now is the time to give back our guns. Now is the time for me to lead by example.We can and we will do better.
