Malveaux talks economics
Going to the book fair
Julianne Malveaux, president of Bennett College as well as a noted economist, author and speaker, will discuss her latest book, “Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History” from 5-7 p.m. at the office of State Seantor Curren D. Price, The special event, hosted by the California Legislative Black Caucus in collaboration with FAME Corporation and the Special Needs Network Inc., follows her appearance earlier in the day at the Leimert Park Book Fair.
Malveaux, who has earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in economics from Boston College and a Ph.D. in economics from MIT and who has been touring the country to spread the knowledge as part of the Black Economics History 101 Tour, became the 15th president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
Reservations can be made by calling (323) 730-7727.
I was among the millions who eagerly looked forward to President Obama’s speech on jobs last week, among the millions who hoped our president would finally get his arms around the issue that plagues millions of Americans. The official unemployment rates, after all, are nothing more than a pleasant fiction. The 9.1 percent unemployment rate for August is actually a whopping 16.2 percent.
The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book. —Ole Tyme Expression of unknown origin
Among all the myriad of stereotypes that Black people have been saddled with since their arrival upon American shores (natural athleticism, innate musical talent and rhythmic temperament, a predilection towards criminality, and—well you know the rest), intellectual pursuits have never been ascribed to the children of Africa.
When Beyoncé Knowles sang the Etta James song “At Last” at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, the song could have had several meanings. At last, we have an African American president? At last, the muscle of the Black vote has been flexed? At last, there is some hope for our country to come together with the mantra “Yes We Can.”
The Senate’s Gang of Eight have put together an 844-page monstrosity known as the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, legislation that President Barack Obama says he “basically approves” of.
The crafters of this essentially unreadable bill were senators Dick Durbin (Illinois), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Michael Bennett (D-Colo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.).
African American students achieve at a different level than White students. Test scores are lower, as are high school and college completion rates, and the number of African Americans attending four-year institutions is falling. The rate of African American suspensions and expulsions from K-12 schools is higher than that of other groups. By almost any metric, there are gaps between African American students and White or Asian students (Latinos achieve at about the same rate as African Americans).
