The National Black Agenda

[CrimsonTide4]

This is a poll question on http://www.bet.com

There are 7 overall categories and then subcategories for each.

Which area needs the most immediate attention for the Black Community?

How would you rank the 7 mentioned here? Are there others that you believe need to be included? What? Why?

1) EDUCATION
School Reform
Private School Tuition Vouchers
Closing the Achievement Gap
Financial Aid/Access to College

2) STRENGTHENING FAMILIES
Absent Fathers
Single Parenting/Births Outside of Marriage
Teenage Pregnancy
Foster Care and Adoption

3) PUBLIC SAFETY
Drugs
Crime
Gun Violence
Police/Community Relations

4) RACIAL ISSUES
Racial Profiling
Prison/Sentencing Reform
Juvenile Sentencing Laws
Voter Disenfranchisement
Reparations
Congressional Redistricting

5) HEALTH
HIV/AIDS
Health Insurance for All Families
Drug and alcohol addiction
Organ Transplantation

6) FAMILY SUPPORT
Affordable Housing
Child Care and After-school Programs
Support for the Elderly
Support for Needy Families

7) ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
Affirmative Action
Jobs and Job Training
Increase in the minimum wage
Black Entrepreneurship
Urban Development and Renewal
Personal Wealth Creation

[AKA2D '91]

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I think this should be a GENERAL agenda...

[Salience]

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[DoggyStyle82]

#2

Without making #2 Job 1, none of the other initiatives could ever really blossom.

[Honeykiss1974]

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I agree with Doggystyle that a familial support unit is of the utmost importance to our comunity!!!

[kiml122]

This is really hard, but I'm going with

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All the rest are tired for 3rd place.

[Blackwatch]

I think that strengthening the family should go first, then Economic empowerment, then education. Why, because people are creatures of environment. Sociologically and psychologically, a person's chances in life are most effected by the environment in which they are raised in. Even for children who are developmentally challenged, the environment is the most telling variable as to how their life will end up. Family supports and economic empowerment are the two biggest indicators of environment. Educational opportunity will do people no good if they are not taught to value education from family and environment.

I would like to add that the church becomming more socially, politically, and economically sound and active needs to be on the list as well. Not to proslytize on the net, but black people have historically, and still to today (though not as much) listen to what churches have to say. Church is the only institution that is black owned and operated fully, with no concerns about market trends or government restrictions. We can do with the church whatever we want to do and we will follow the church into the deep blue see if the church said so. So if we could channel the influence of the church to be more socially active and politically, economically, and critically sound, then the families would be better equipped to deal with themselves and their environments and elevate the quality of life for all black people.
Blackwatch!!!

[Steeltrap]

It must start with education. Education is the key, not just for self-improvement and mind improvement, but it leads to better-paying gigs.

Then I would say economic empowerment and family with a tie. IMO, the fact that young black men can't find decent-paying jobs has a lot to do with family dysfunction. I was raised in a mother-father intact family and feel strongly about it -- even though I'm getting up there in age, I will not have a child w/o marriage.

I'm not saying that all men should make major bucks -- but many black families with two college-educated adults heading them are holding their own financially.

The other categories are also important. But I think education, economics and family are particular standouts.

[stillwater15]

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