RNC kicks off new programs to reach out to black voters

The Republican Party is making an attempt to reach out to black voters via a a partnership with Radio one. We will soon see if this is a legitimate effort or just a token effort so RNC leadership can claim they tried. To be honest I'm doubtful about this attempt since not even 4-5 years ago reaching out to a particular group was considered pandering by the RNC. Who will the RNC get to deliver this message since many of their current black operatives have no credibilty or standing in the black community? Can the RNC enter black neighborhoods and get their message out without using the "Democratic plantation" rhetoric? We shall see. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Republican National Committee (RNC) announces the launch of a voter mobilization campaign. #CommittedToCommunity: Engage, Empower, Uplift is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the RNC and a black media outlet – Radio One. The #CommittedToCommunity campaign includes recruiting, activating, and mobilizing black voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election through a series of engagement activities, issue forums and other events in communities of color. The campaign also digitally enhances the RNC’s black engagement strategy with geo-fenced mobile targeting and includes a significant radio ad campaign on Radio One stations in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus.

In addition to participating in several Radio One-hosted events such as the Heritage Concert Series and Women’s Empowerment Conference, RNC staff will also be present at churches throughout Ohio highlighting issues of particular concern to black voters that include job creation, education opportunities, strong families and safe communities. This initial phase of the multi-city initiative kicks off with a faith-based mobilization on July 12, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. It culminates in Cleveland, Ohio on August 6, 2015 – the host city of the first GOP presidential debate and 2016 Republican National Convention.

Subsequent cities and activities will be announced accordingly over the course of 2015-2016. As part of the campaign, the RNC will also announce metrics-based engagement results and incorporate best practices into our overall strategy, so that we position the Republican nominee for President with the best opportunity to win over new voters and ultimately the White House.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Co-Chairman Sharon Day and Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins released the following statement:

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said, “We are on the move. As Chairman of the RNC we are engaging every voter, not taking any voter for granted, and not overlooking any opportunity to share our message. For too long, some have peddled the idea that only one party cares about communities of color. Not true. We have stepped up our ground game in communities of color. Expect to see more RNC staff in diverse communities, discussing our shared values and actively recruiting people from across the country. Voters will hear from us often and in black media outlets like Radio One to share our message, mobilize new activists and ask for their vote.”

RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day said “By selecting Radio One we are able to uniquely engage black voters and impact the way issues are viewed and discussed.”

Alfred C. Liggins, CEO of Radio One said, “The RNC wants to tell its story to the African-American community.  Radio One reaches 82% of black Americans with our television, radio and digital multi-media platforms. We view ourselves as the link to our audience. Our reach, relationships with black churches, organizations, entertainers, and our unique understanding of our primary audience makes us a high-value partner to organizations like the RNC. We want the black electorate to be as informed as possible going into the 2016 election season. “

For continued updates on sessions in your community click here:www.gop.com/committedtocommunity

Full President Obama Speech to the NAACP (2015)

On July 14, 2015 President Obama spoke at the NAACP annual convention. He talked about criminal justice reform, prisoner rehabilitation, community policing, and poverty. Watch his speech below.

Hey conservatives, black people can deal with more than one issue at a time.

George L. Cook III

Hey conservatives, black people can deal with more than one issue at a time. By George L. Cook III

This post is written about conservatives regardless of race. I have read post by African American conservatives and heard them on radio doing some of the very things mentioned is this post, so don't try to make this a race issue. It's an ideological one.

During the recent debate over whether the Confederate Flag should fly near the South Carolina capital or anywhere on government property conservatives turned to their tried and true method of debate.

They brought up other issues that yes are more important, but that had nothing to with the debate over the Confederate Flag.

Suddenly when confronted with the fact that there was no good reason to fly the flag on government grounds conservatives started to point out black unemployment, black dropout rates and black murder statistics as red herrings.

The one thing you will notice is that these are things that conservatives don’t talk or pretend to care about these issues until there is an incident involving race.

They don’t bring these things up because they care, they bring them up to divert focus from the situation at hand. If they cared, these issues would be part of their platform on a consistent basis.

But what really bugs me is that they seem to think that focusing on one issue somehow means that African Americans can’t focus on other issues in our community.

If they did some actual research, they would learn that there are groups and individuals fighting against many of the ills that face the Black Community. Many of these groups and people get no publicity from liberal or conservative media, but they continue to fight every day to make things better in their communities.

Many issues of employment, education, incarceration, voting rights, and crime are important and being focused on individually. Of course, someone or a group focusing on one of these issues alone doesn’t help with the other issues. Of course, these issues may be more important than a damned flag but maybe that flag was the low-hanging fruit at the moment.

Maybe taking down that flag and claiming a victory can be the momentum changer to drawing attention to other issues and those that are addressing them.

But best believe these issues are being addressed and were being addressed long before conservatives pretended to give a damn. If you want to make the argument that in some situations things could be done better that would be honest but saying that these issues are not is simply being dishonest and telling an outright lie.

George L. Cook III georgelcookiii@gmail.com

Marvel reveals the new Blade #1, Blade has a daughter?

Press Release: "New York, NY—July 13th, 2015— She’s lean, she’s mean and she has no idea she’s the daughter of a monster killing machine! This October, it’s the Marvel Universe’s resident vampire hunter like you’ve never seen before in BLADE #1 – a brand new ongoing series from writer Tim Seeley (Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy) and artist Logan Faerber (Secret Wars: Battleworld)!

Meet Fallon Grey. A normal sixteen year old girl from rural Oregon. Nominated for Prom Queen, Captain of the Debate Team, most popular girl in her class. But there is another side to Fallon. A feeling like there’s something else going on inside. When terror strikes her small town, she’ll find out just how right she was. As fearsome supernatural forces invade her town, hunting her down – she’ll come face to face with something even more shocking than the monsters on her tail.

Eric Brooks…Blade…her father?!

“[Fallon’s] sort of ‘anti-Peter Parker’,” says Tim Seeley in an interview with Marvel.com. “She’s popular, she’s well-liked, and it seems like the world is her oyster. But, the expectations that come with being so damn perfect are starting to break her down, and that’s before she learns she’s the heir to a Daywalking-Monster-Stabbing-Empire.”

But there is a new evil brewing deep in the forests of Oregon. A new cult of monster scientists, twisting and mutating demons, vampires, werewolves and more into even powerful new creatures. To stop them it will take more than one Daywalker. And in each other, Eric and Fallon may just discover the purpose they’ve each been struggling to find. Don’t miss the highly anticipated new series when it debuts this October in BLADE #1!

BLADE #1

Written by TIM SEELEY

Art by LOGAN FAERBER

Variant Cover by TIM SEELEY

On Sale October 2015!"

In Search of an African American Bone Marrow Donor

Did you know the African American community has the toughest time finding treatment for blood-related cancers? According to Be The Match.org, the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors, donating marrow can cure someone with sickle cell anemia or life-threatening blood cancers—someone like 3-year-old Judah Wilks.

When he was 11 months old, Judah was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. A few months after his diagnosis, little Judah suffered a stroke—a side-effect of his sickle cell disease. Judah’s doctors are now pursuing a marrow transplant as his best chance for a cure, but first he needs a donor. Because he is adopted with no related siblings, his doctors must rely on the national Be The Match Registry to find a matching donor. So far, no match has been found.

When it comes to finding a bone marrow match, race and ethnicity are important factors. The tissue types used for matching patients with donors are inherited, so patients are most likely to find a match within their own racial or ethnic heritage. Although there are 9 million people on the Be The Match Registry, only 7 percent are African American.

To help spread awareness about the need for more African American donors, BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Judah’s dad, Bryce Wilks, to share his family’s search for a donor.

Read more: A Family’s Story: In Search of an African American Bone Marrow Donor