Don't forget! President Obama farewell speech January 10, 2017

Since George Washington, U.S. presidents have often delivered a final address to the American people as a way to share both their reflections on their time in office and their outlook on the future of our country.

As his time in office comes to a close, President Obama will return to Chicago to deliver his Farewell Address on January 10, 2017 at 8 p.m. CST / 9 p.m. EST.

How President Obama inspired me as a young black man to do more

By George L. Cook III African American Reports

Many including myself will miss President Obama when he is gone from the presidency. As a young black man who believed he was doing well and giving back to his community hear how I was inspired to do even more by President Obama.

President Obama to write another book after leaving office

During a recent sit-down on CNN with his former campaign manager David Axelrod, POTUS confirmed he'll release a book following the official end of his second presidential term.

"I'm gonna start thinking about the first book I want to write," he told Axelrod while speaking on his plans once he's no longer president. Although the current Commander-In-Chief will for sure be looking to get a head-start on his upcoming literary venture, he has something else in mind to focus on for the immediate future.

President Obama's upcoming book will be the latest of several he's penned in recent years, including 2004's Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, which was released in 2006.

[SOURCE: ESSENCE.COM]

Would you have voted for President Obama a 3rd time?

With just a few weeks left in his second term President Obama spoke with his former senior advisor, David Axelrod, on Axelrod’s podcast, “The Axe Files.” During the conversation President Obama floated the idea that if he had been able to that he could have won a third term.

"I am confident in this vision because I'm confident that if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could've mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it," Obama told Axelrod.

I know I would have voted for him a third time but would you? Take the poll below.

President Obama Signs 'Emmett Till Bill'

With only weeks left in office President Barack Obama signed the “Emmett Till Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016,” expanding the responsibilities of the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate and prosecute criminal civil rights violations that occurred before 1980 and resulted in a death. Read a summary of the bill from the Congressional Research Service below.

Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill reauthorizes the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007 (Emmett Till Act) and expands the responsibilities of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to include the investigation and prosecution of criminal civil rights statutes violations that occurred before 1980 and resulted in a death. (Currently, Emmett Till Act investigations are limited to violations that occurred before 1970.)

The bill expresses the sense of Congress that all authorities with jurisdiction should: (1) meet regularly with civil rights organizations, institutions of higher education, and DOJ-designated entities to coordinate information sharing and discuss the status of DOJ's Emmett Till Act work; (2) support the full accounting of all victims whose deaths or disappearances were the result of racially motivated crimes; (3) hold accountable under federal and state law individuals who were perpetrators of, or accomplices in, unsolved civil rights murders and disappearances; (4) keep families regularly informed about the status of the investigations; and (5) expeditiously comply with Freedom of Information Act requests and develop a singular, publicly accessible repository of these disclosed documents.

In investigating a complaint, DOJ may coordinate activities with entities that DOJ determines to be appropriate.

DOJ may reopen and review cases closed without an in-person investigation conducted by DOJ or the FBI.

DOJ must hold meetings with the Civil Rights Division, the FBI, the Community Relations Service, civil rights organizations, institutions of higher education, DOJ-designated entities, and state and local law enforcement to discuss the status of its Emmett Till Act work.

In an annual report to Congress, DOJ must indicate:

• the number of cases referred by a civil rights organization, an institution of higher education, or a state or local law enforcement agency;
• the number of such cases that resulted in federal charges;
• the date any such charges were filed;
• whether DOJ has declined to prosecute or participate in an investigation of a referred case;
• the outreach, collaboration, and support for investigations and prosecutions of violations of criminal civil rights statutes, including murders and disappearances; and
• any activity on reopened cases.

The Community Relations Service must provide technical assistance by bringing together law enforcement agencies and communities to address tensions raised by civil rights era crimes.

President and First Lady Obama's last Christmas address

In this week’s address, the President and the First Lady wished all Americans a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. They reflected on the honor of serving the American people as President and First Lady over the past eight years and the progress that has been made. Watch their statement below.

To those who ask what has President Obama done for African Americans

As we near the end of President Obama's second term there are many compliments and accolades being given to the first black president. There are also those who criticize him for not doing enough for black people. Here is my response to those individuals.

President Obama Grants 153 Commutations and 78 Pardons to Individuals Deserving of a Second Chance

Today, President Obama granted clemency to 231 deserving individuals — the most individual acts of clemency granted in a single day by any president in this nation’s history. With today’s 153 commutations, the President has now commuted the sentences of 1,176 individuals, including 395 life sentences. The President also granted pardons to 78 individuals, bringing his total number of pardons to 148. Today’s acts of clemency — and the mercy the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients — exemplify his belief that America is a nation of second chances.

The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use — or have already made use — of a second chance. While each clemency recipient’s story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them. For the pardon recipient, it is the story of an individual who has led a productive and law-abiding post-conviction life, including by contributing to the community in a meaningful way. For the commutation recipient, it is the story of an individual who has made the most of his or her time in prison, by participating in educational courses, vocational training, and drug treatment. These are the stories that demonstrate the successes that can be achieved — by both individuals and society — in a nation of second chances.

Today’s grants signify the President’s continued commitment to exercising his clemency authority through the remainder of his time in office. In 2016 alone, the President has granted clemency to more than 1,000 deserving individuals. The President continues to review clemency applications on an individualized basis to determine whether a particular applicant has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance, and I expect that the President will issue more grants of both commutations and pardons before he leaves office. The mercy that the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients is remarkable, but we must remember that clemency is a tool of last resort and that only Congress can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure over the long run that our criminal justice system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety.

[SOURCE: Whitehouse.gov]

Hail to the Chief: Ebony to Release President Obama Commemorative Issue

Chicago, IL, December 18, 2016 --(PR.com)-- To mark the political ascent and enduring legacy of President Barack H. Obama, Ebony has published a special commemorative edition, “Hail to the Chief: Saluting Eight Years of Excellence.” This stylish, thought-provoking issue (83 pages; $10.99) is a unique collection of exclusive photographs, archival Ebony articles and hard-hitting analyses from leading African-American writers including award-winning poet, author and civil rights activist, Nikki Giovanni; MSNBC award-winning journalist Joy-Ann Reid; culturally astute critic Eric Deggans; pop culture pundit Touré; and New York Times best-selling author Baratunde Thurston.

“Our readers know the utter importance of simple images of Obama and the first family in a White House that had been very literal with respect to its previous inhabitants,” says Kyra Kyles, editor-in-chief of Ebony. “But our team went well beyond the aesthetics and recruited the most sought-after Black thought leaders to candidly discuss the social context around his administration, his achievements over two terms and the impact he will have as our first but hopefully not our last.”

Among the highlights:

Editor’s Letter: EIC Kyles bids adieu to President Barack Obama in this touching reflection on his absolute grace under partisan fire.

Poetic Justice: Nikki Giovanni pens an exclusive poem for Ebony capturing the essence of the first African-American president.

The Legacy: From his electrifying ascent to the legislative imprint he leaves behind, Ebony examines President Obama’s undeniable impact on health care, race relations, gay and women’s rights.

The Love: They examine the love shared by President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama and its impact on uplifting Black families.

The Look: By combining haute couture with dashes of attainable attire, the first family embraced the power of fashion.

The Laughs: He could have occasionally been dubbed “comic-in-chief.” A look at Obama’s best clapbacks.

Famous Farewells: Supporters ranging from members of Congress to well-known entertainers offer their thanks and words of encouragement to the 44th U.S. president.

Ebony’s commemorative special commemorative edition will be available December 20 for purchase on newsstands only.

African American high school graduation rate rises under Pres. Obama

Next time someone asks you what has President Obama done for African Americans, you can come back with the FACT that under Obama high school graduation rates have risen for African American students and to an all time high among all students.

Graduation rates among black students have risen from 67% in 2010-2011 to 74.6% in the 2014-2015 school year. The 7.6% increase among African Americans was the biggest movement of any racial group. While there is still much to be done to get that rate even higher you can not ignore the tremendous work that has been done so far.

Here are some actions that were taken under President Obama's administration that have contributed to this welcome increase:

• Investing in Early Education: In 2013, President Obama put forth his bold Preschool for All proposal to establish a federal-state partnership that would provide high-quality preschool for all four-year-olds from low- and moderate-income families. After the President’s call, many states took action and today, 46 states and the District of Columbia invest in preschool programs. From 2009 to 2015, states enrolled 48,000 additional four-year-olds in preschool through their own investments. The Obama Administration has also invested an additional $4 billion in Head Start, the largest federal early childhood initiative, and $1.75 billion in Preschool Development Grants and Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grants, leading to hundreds of thousands more children having access to high-quality preschool across the country.
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• Reforming and Improving America’s Schools: The Obama Administration’s Race to the Top program spurred systemic reforms, incentivizing states to adopt college and career-ready standards for teaching and learning and to undertake meaningful change across their public education systems. The $4 billion competitive grant program served 22 million students in 18 states and Washington D.C. -- nearly half of all students in the country. Through the School Improvement Grants program, the Administration has also invested over $7 billion to transform America’s lowest performing schools. These efforts helped contribute to a decline in dropout rates, and over the last decade, dropout rates have been cut dramatically for Latino and African American students, while the number of high schools where fewer than six in ten students graduate on time has been cut by more than 40 percent.
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• Connecting America’s Classrooms: Launched in 2013, the President’s ConnectED initiative set a goal of connecting 99 percent of students to high-speed broadband by 2018; issued a call to action on the private sector and other stakeholders to develop quality, low-cost digital devices and content for teachers and students; and increased investments in professional development for teachers and school leaders so they can lead the transition to digital learning. Today, students and teachers across the country are realizing the benefits of personalized, digital learning; thousands of districts have taken steps to make their schools “Future Ready,” 20 million more students have gained access to high-speed broadband in their classrooms, and millions of students in all 50 states are leveraging new resources that support ConnectED, such as Open eBooks.
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• Spurring Innovation in Education: The Obama Administration has invested in new efforts to develop, test, refine, and scale a new set of solutions to close achievement gaps in America’s public schools. By investing more than $1.3 billion in nearly 160 projects, the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) has reached more than two million students across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Projects undergo rigorous evaluation and expand the knowledge base to enable educators across the country to use a new set of strategies and solutions that will help students make even greater progress in the years ahead.  Last year, the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act codified the new Education Innovation and Research program as a successor to i3. The Obama Administration has also invested almost $350 million in replicating high quality charter schools, serving predominantly low-income students.
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• Redesigning America’s High Schools: President Obama recognizes that we must do more to engage, prepare, and inspire college and career-ready students, and align high school learning to the experiences and opportunities that matter in young people’s lives. That is why in the President’s 2013 State of the Union address, he laid out a new vision for America’s high schools, proposing funding to scale-up innovative high school models and partnerships with colleges and employers so that all students graduate better equipped for the demands of the innovation economy. To build on this work the White House has hosted two annual summits on Next Generation High Schools in 2015 and 2016, announcing $375 million in private and public sector commitments and commitments from states and school districts estimated to impact more than 600,000 students to advance Next Generation High Schools.
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• Developing and Supporting Great Teachers and Leaders: The Obama Administration’s investments during the Great Recession saved and created an estimated 400,000 jobs, mostly directly in education.  The Administration has also invested over $3.5 billion in competitive grant programs since 2009 to prepare, develop, support and retain outstanding educators across America’s urban and rural schools -- through programs such as the School Leadership Program, Supporting Effective Educator Development, Teacher Incentive Fund, Teacher Quality Partnership and Transition to Teaching.
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• Promoting Excellence in STEM and Computer Science for All:America is on track to meet President Obama’s goal of preparing 100,000 excellent STEM teachers by 2021; 100,000 engineers are graduating yearly from American universities for the first time; and states and cities across the country are answering the President’s call to ensure that all of America’s students have the opportunity to learn computer science in their schools.  31 states now count computer science classes toward their high school graduation requirements, and a new computer science Advanced Placement (AP) course has launched in more than 2,000 classrooms.

[SOURCE]

Obama discusses discrimination, social change with students at North Carolina A&T University

In conjunction with ESPN's Undefeated, President Barack Obama held a town hall event at North Carolina A&T. He told the students, most of whom were athletes that social movements and activist activity is more likely to be successful if they know exactly what they are working for. Obama also discussed funding for HBCUs and how students could help with that funding. Check out some highlights of President Obama's responses below:

President Obama discusses how social movements begin with one person and then moves forward to deal with the bigger picture.

President Obama discussing funding for HBCU's and lowering cost for students:

President Obama's Full Speech At The Museum of African American History Opening Ceremony

Watch President Obama's complete speech at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Opening Ceremony on the Washington Mall.

Pres.Obama: Remarks at Reception for the National Museum of African American History and Culture

President Obama made the following remarks at a reception in honor of the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, welcome, everybody. (Applause.) This is an exceptionally good-looking group. (Laughter.) And there are just so many friends here that it feels like one of our house parties. (Laughter.) But there’s no dancing this afternoon. We’re here just to acknowledge what an extraordinary achievement has been accomplished by Mr. Lonnie Bunch -- (applause) -- and everybody who helped make this day possible.

Now, I want to just talk about Lonnie for a second. When Lonnie first came here from Chicago to start work on this museum a decade ago, he could not even find somebody to give him a key to his office. (Laughter.) Nobody had heard of this museum. And now you cannot miss it -- a breathtaking new building right in the heart of the National Mall. And that is what we call progress. It could not have been done without the persistence, the wisdom, the dedication, the savvy, the ability to make people feel guilty -- (laughter) -- the begging, the deal-making, and just the general street smarts of Lonnie and his entire team. So please give him a big round of applause for all the work that he has done. (Applause.)

But, of course, this is also about more than Lonnie. This is about people who, for more than a century, advocated and organized, and raised funds, and donated artifacts so that the story of the African American experience could take its rightful place in our national memory. It’s a story that is full of tragedy and setbacks, but also great joy and great victories. And it is a story that is not just part of the past, but it is alive and well today in every corner of America. And that’s certainly true today in this house -- a house that was built by slaves.

Now, I can’t name everybody that is here, but I’m going to have to give you a little bit of a taste. This room is like a living museum of its own. Right now, Madame Tussauds would be very jealous. (Laughter.)

We’ve got icons of the entertainment industry like Quincy Jones -- (applause) -- and Dick Gregory and Phylicia Rashad. (Applause.) We’ve got the first black woman in space, Mae Jemison. (Applause.) And we have the woman who owns the universe, Oprah Winfrey. (Laughter and applause.) We’ve got those drum majors for justice, like John Lewis and Andrew Young and C.T. Vivian, and Jesse Jackson. (Applause.) And we’ve got the next generation of warriors for justice like Brittany Packnett and DeRay Mckesson. We’ve got personal heroes of mine like Harry Belafonte -- (applause) -- who still is the best-looking man in the room at 90-something years old. (Laughter.) I’m just telling the truth. (Laughter.)

So this is an extraordinary group. But the thing about this museum is that it’s more about -- it’s more than just telling stories about the famous. It’s not just about the icons. There’s plenty of space for Harriet Tubman and Dr. King and Muhammed Ali. But what makes the museum so powerful and so visceral is that it’s the story of all of us -- the folks whose names you never heard of, but whose contributions, day after day, decade after decade, combined to push us forward and the entire nation forward.

It’s the maids who decided, you know what, I’m tired of segregation and I’m going to walk for my freedom. It’s the porters who not only worked tirelessly to support their families, but ultimately helped bring about the organization that led to better working conditions for all Americans here in the United States. It’s about our moms and grandparents and uncles and aunts who just did the right thing and raised great families, despite assaults on their dignity on every single day.

You see it in the dignity of the artifacts that are in the museum -- the dignity of an enslaved family, what it must have been like to try to live in that tiny cabin. Those slaves who dared to marry, even though it was illegal for them to do so. Folks who were forced to sit in the back of a train, but went about their business anyway, and tried to instill in their children as sense that this isn’t who we are, and there’s going to be more someday.

You see it in the men and the women who rushed to the warfronts to secure all of our freedom, understanding that when they came home they might not yet be free. The students who walked passed angry crowds the integrate our schools. The families huddling around the Bible to steel their faith for the challenges ahead. That quite, determined dignity and hope.

Everybody here has somebody in mind when we think of those kinds of folks -- who couldn't make it to this room, but whose stories are our stories, and whose stories are represented at this museum. It might be an ancestor who ran to freedom, or an aunt or uncle who pushed back against Jim Crow, or a friend who marched or sat in. Or it might be young people who were organizing against cynicism today.

But the point is that all of us cannot forget that the only reason that we're standing here is because somebody, somewhere stood up for us. Stood up when it was risky. Stood up when it was not popular. And somehow, standing up together, managed to change the world.

You know, the timing of this is fascinating. (Applause.) Because in so many ways, it is the best of times, but in many ways these are also troubled times. History doesn’t always move in a straight line. And without vigilance, we can go backwards as well as forwards.

And so part of the reason that I am so happy the museum is opening this weekend is because it allows all of us as Americans to put our current circumstances in a historical context. My hope is that, as people are seeing what’s happened in Tulsa or Charlotte on television, and perhaps are less familiar with not only the history of the African American experience but also how recent some of these challenges have been, upon visiting the museum, may step back and say, I understand. I sympathize. I empathize. I can see why folks might feel angry and I want to be part of the solution as opposed to resisting change.

My hope is that black folks watching the same images on television, and then seeing the history represented at this museum, can say to themselves, the struggles we’re going through today are connected to the past, and yet, all that progress we’ve made tells me that I cannot and will not sink into despair, because if we join hands, and we do things right, if we maintain our dignity, and we continue to appeal to the better angels of this nation, progress will be made. (Applause.)

I was telling Michelle -- many of you know I get 10 letters a day from constituents, and it’s a great way for me to keep a pulse on how folks other than the pundits on cable TV are thinking. (Laughter.) And I know it’s a representative group because sometimes people say, Mr. President, we just love you and we especially love Michelle. (Laughter.) And you’re doing such a great job and thank you. And then there are others who write and say, Mr. President, you’re an idiot. (Laughter.) And you’ve ruined this country. And so I know I’m getting a real sampling of American public opinion.

Last night, as I was reading through my letters, I’d say about half of them said, Mr. President, why are you always against police, and why aren’t you doing enough to deal with these rioters and the violence? And then the other half were some black folks saying, Mr. President, why aren’t you doing something about the police? And when are we actually going to get justice?

And I understand the nature of that argument because this is a dialogue we’ve been having for 400 years. And the fact of the matter is, is that one of the challenges we have in generating a constructive discussion about how to solve these problems is because what people see on television and what they hear on the radio is bereft of context and ignores history, and so people are just responding as if none of what's represented in this museum ever happened. And that's true for all of us, not just some of us.

And so when I imagine children -- white, black, Latino, Asian, Native American -- wandering through that museum, and sitting at that lunch counter, and imagining what it would be like to stand on that auction block, and then also looking at Shaq's shoes -- (laughter) -- and Chuck Berry's red Cadillac, my hope is, is that this complicated, difficult, sometimes harrowing, but I believe ultimately triumphant story will help us talk to each other, and, more important, listen to each other, and even more important, see each other, and recognize the common humanity that makes America what it is. (Applause.)

So that's a lot of weight to put on one institution.

MRS. OBAMA: We can do it. (Laughter

THE PRESIDENT: But Michelle and I, having taken Michelle's mom and our daughters to see it, we feel confident that it will not just meet expectations, but far exceed them. And it would not have happened without all of you. So you should be very, very proud.

Congratulations. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.) Thank you. (Applause.)

President Obama: Full 2016 Congressional Black Caucus Speech

President Obama's complete speech at the 2016 Congressional Black Caucus in which the President reflects on his eight years in the Oval Office and urges Americans to defend the legacy he has built by voting for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Watch his speech below.

Full Speech: Pres. Obama campaigns for Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia

President Obama spoke to supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia. Obama mounted a vigorous defense of Hillary Clinton, her campaign's transparency and her fitness for the presidency, and blasted Republicans as fanning "anger and hate." Watch his entire speech below.

Obama: Kaepernick exercising his constitutional right

While on a diplomatic visit to China President Obama said that he thought San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was exercising his constitutional right to protest when he sat during the national anthem. Watch more of Pres. Obama stating his views on Kaepernick below.

When will Donald Trump apologize for his role in the birther movement?

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]

With Donald Trump's recent push to attract black voters many of his surrogates have claimed that Trump has done nothing to turn off black voters. We will not mention the housing discrimination lawsuits brought against him or his call for the execution of five innocent black/brown men in the Central Park Five case, but instead focus on his much more recent role in the Birther Movement.

Donald Trump and his surrogates would like everyone to forget his role in that racist movement because they can't defend it. Even after Pres. Obama's official birth certificate was presented Trump continued to lead the racist charge on this issue. The movement simply tried to delegitamize President Obama for no other reason than that he was African American and that his name sounded like a Muslim one. That was both racist and bigoted, things America is not supposed to be about. It played to the worst fears of American society who are afraid of whites no longer being the majority here in this great melting pot we call the United States.

Donald Trump was chief among the various wingnuts leading this movement as seen in the 2012 video below:

Now Donald Trump can not say this different happen or that he was misunderstood, or that some clone did that interview. He knows what he did. If he wants black votes he can start by apologizing for his role in the birther movement. This angered black voters to no end.

Until he does there is no reason to continue trying to garner black support. You can't support a racist movement and then expect black people to listen to you let alone vote for you.

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]

Unlike Donald Trump, Pres. Obama is actually helping Louisiana flood victims

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]

Today (08/19/2016) Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence visited the flood ravaged areas in what amounts to a glorified photo op. While Trump wants us to think he cares about the flood victims this trip is really an attempt to embarrass President Obama who has yet to visit Louisiana. The conservative media is also trying to put this narrative out there that Obama just doesn't care about the people of Louisiana. There are just a few issues with that narrative that make it untrue.

One problem with that narrative is Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards  asked Pres. Obama not to come right now so that first responders can focus on the flood victims. The governor made the following statement:

It is a major ordeal, they free up the interstate for him. We have to take hundreds of local first responders, police officers, sheriffs, deputies and state troopers to provide security for that type of visit. I would just as soon have those people engaged in the response rather than trying to secure the president. So I’d ask him to wait, if he would, another couple weeks.
The other problem with that is our president has already taken action to help the flood victims. On August 14, 2016 he signed a Louisiana Disaster Declaration that allows the state and it's people to apply for federal aid.

President Obama Signs Louisiana Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning on August 11, 2016, and continuing.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to the state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work as a result of the flooding in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gerard M. Stolar as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more parishes and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated parishes can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online athttp://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.  

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV.

So boys and girls it looks like the truth has fioled those dastardly republicans/conservatives again.

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Book of the Week, The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America

Michael Eric Dyson explores the powerful, surprising way the politics of race have shaped Barack Obama’s identity and groundbreaking presidency. How has President Obama dealt publicly with race—as the national traumas of Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and Walter Scott have played out during his tenure? What can we learn from Obama's major race speeches about his approach to racial conflict and the black criticism it provokes?

Dyson explores whether Obama’s use of his own biracialism as a radiant symbol has been driven by the president’s desire to avoid a painful moral reckoning on race. And he sheds light on identity issues within the black power structure, telling the fascinating story of how Obama has spurned traditional black power brokers, significantly reducing their leverage.

President Obama’s own voice—from an Oval Office interview granted to Dyson for this book—along with those of Eric Holder, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, and Maxine Waters, among others, add unique depth to this profound tour of the nation’s first black presidency.

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President Obama's dynamic 2016 DNC convention Speech

Check out President Obama's dynamic speech at the 2016 DNC convention. A speech that reminds us why voters in America elected the man twice. A speech that reminds us that as a nation we have far to go but tells us how far we have come in the last 8 years. A speech that lets us know that although Hillary Clinton will be great president we will truly miss President Obama. Watch his speech below.