The Washington Informer August 5, 2010 Education Remains Underlying Theme at Urban League's 100th Anniversary Written by James Wright - WI Staff Writer The nation's educational system and its improvement to benefit children of color emerged as the unofficial theme at the National Urban League's Centennial Conference recently. The conference, held from Wed., July 28 to Sat., July 31 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest, was attended by thousands from across the country and highlighted with an address from President Barack Obama. National Urban League President Marc Morial said his organization has consistently stressed that education makes the difference in the lives of African-Americans. "Education is the great equalizer in our country, but in many of our country's urban centers a significant number of our young people are not earning high school diplomas, which fuel unemployment rates in our country," Morial, 52, and a former mayor of New Orleans said during his opening press conference on July 28. "This must be corrected if we are to obtain economic equality in the National Urban League's second century." When Obama addressed a plenary session on July 29, he said that the quality of education is "an issue that I believe will largely determine not only African-American success, but the success of our nation in the 21st century, and that is whether we are offering our children the very best education possible." Obama, 48, said that the quality of education was "the economic issue of our time." "It's an economic issue when the unemployment rate for folks who have never gone to college is almost double what it is for those who have gone to college," the president said. "It's an economic issue when eight in 10 new jobs will require workforce training or a higher education by the end of the decade. It's an economic issue when countries that out-educate us today are going to out-compete us tomorrow." Obama bemoaned recent statistics that indicate that the United States plummeted in a single generation from number one to 12th in college completion rates for young adults and that U.S. eighth graders trail 10 other nations in science and math. The president said for African-American students, the numbers are disturbing. "When it comes to Black students, African-American students trail not only almost every other developed nation abroad, but they badly trail their White classmates here at home --> "We've talked about it, we know about it, but we have not done enough about it. And this status quo is morally inexcusable, it is economically indefensible, and all of us are going to have to roll up our sleeves to change it." The president talked about the measures his administration has implemented, such as streamlining the student loan payment process so that college graduates will not have to face thousands of dollars of debt in their formative work years. He said that his administration will re-invest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities; reform and strengthen the community college system and work with states to expand early learning options. The Race to the Top program, Obama’s signature education initiative which rewards states with grant money for improving students' performance on tests, has come under fire from civil rights leaders for its standards which some said were not obtainable in many urban, minority school districts. Obama addressed those concerns by saying that pre-Race to the Top programs were not benefitting children of color. "Let me tell you, what's not working for Black kids and Hispanic kids and Native American kids across the country is the status quo," he said. "What's not working is what we've been doing for decades. And you can't win one of those grants unless you've got a plan to deal with those schools that are failing and those young people who aren't doing well." Administration officials who included Education Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice also talked about the importance of education during the conference. In his State of the Urban League address on the evening of July 28 at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Upper Marlboro, Md., Morial said that Urban Leaguers and Americans must embrace education. "We must be one nation, empowered to ensure that every American child is ready for college and work and life," he said. "Fifty percent high school graduation rates in Black communities and the cradle to the prison pipeline are intolerable and we must end them." In a sermonic fashion, he said "let's say no..." to gaps in achievement, graduation, resources and to the fact that there are more Black men in jail than in college. He continued with "let's say no"... to "where a majority of all children cannot read or do math at grade level in fourth, eighth or 12th grade. Morial then changed course, with a litany of "let us say yes..." statements. "Let us say yes to a future where we can bulldoze prisons," he said. "Let us say yes to universal early childhood education and longer school days and longer school years. Let us say yes to schools which have art, music and physical education because we must develop the total child." Morial said that "teachers should be well-paid and accountable for results." In his closing statements on education, he said "let us say yes to a future where there is a guarantee of equal educational opportunity for all." Prominent leaders who included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Allan C. Golston, president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, actor Louis Gossett Jr., actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, educator Cornell West and radio show host Tom Joyner of the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” mentioned the importance of education in their remarks in the workshops they participated in. The conference featured a Project Ready Invitational College Fair on July 31 that included more than 40 colleges and universities. Activities included information sessions for students and parents on college admissions, financial aid, college life and readiness. Hugh Price, a former National Urban League president, said that education is the key to the success of the Black race in the future. “Approximately half of Black students drop out of high school and the rates of college and community college completion are woefully low,” Price, 68, said. “So we have to boost the achievement levels of Black children across the board. Education is central to the future and fate of African-Americans in the 21st century and key to our ability to function as well-informed, engaged citizens.” SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org www.hbculibraries.org 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/meeting-form.html for the October 24-26, 2010 HBCU Library Alliance 4th Membership Meeting and the "Conference on Advocacy" pre-conference in Montgomery, AL. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.