Wake Up! President Obama's Fact Sheet
As Election Day approaches, here are the eye-opening facts regarding what President Obama has done for the African American Community:
When the President took office, the economy was shedding approximately 750,000 jobs a month and millions of families were unable to make ends meet. African Americans were hit especially hard by the recession, struggling with significant economic losses and near-record high levels of unemployment.
Today, private sector job growth has restarted. We’ve seen 31 straight months of private-sector job growth – totaling nearly 5.2 million private sector jobs. But there’s more work to be done, especially in the African American community.
Unemployment for the African American community is still too high – and that’s why the President continues to call for action to put folks back to work.
Since day one, President Obama has fought to restore the strength of middle class, protect the interests of the low-income families, and allow those hardest hit by the economy access to the American Dream.
When the President took office, the economy was shedding approximately 750,000 jobs a month and millions of families were unable to make ends meet. African Americans were hit especially hard by the recession, struggling with significant economic losses and near-record high levels of unemployment.
Today, private sector job growth has restarted. We’ve seen 31 straight months of private-sector job growth – totaling nearly 5.2 million private sector jobs. But there’s more work to be done, especially in the African American community.
Unemployment for the African American community is still too high – and that’s why the President continues to call for action to put folks back to work.
Since day one, President Obama has fought to restore the strength of middle class, protect the interests of the low-income families, and allow those hardest hit by the economy access to the American Dream.
Small and Minority-Owned Businesses
President Obama has passed 18 tax cuts for small businesses; benefiting up to 1.9 million African American owned businesses.
Under President Obama, the Minority Business Development Agency has invested in 1,108 contracts and finances for African American owned businesses, totaling $3.4 billion.
President Obama passed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which supported $12 billion in small business lending, of which a 21% share of the loans went to minority-owned businesses.
President Obama established the Inter-agency Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses to ensure small businesses can participate in the nation's economic recovery, including small businesses owned by women, minorities, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and service-disabled veterans of our Armed Forces, as well as HUBZone small businesses.
President Obama has passed 18 tax cuts for small businesses; benefiting up to 1.9 million African American owned businesses.
Under President Obama, the Minority Business Development Agency has invested in 1,108 contracts and finances for African American owned businesses, totaling $3.4 billion.
President Obama passed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which supported $12 billion in small business lending, of which a 21% share of the loans went to minority-owned businesses.
President Obama established the Inter-agency Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses to ensure small businesses can participate in the nation's economic recovery, including small businesses owned by women, minorities, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and service-disabled veterans of our Armed Forces, as well as HUBZone small businesses.
Tax Cuts
President Obama passed a payroll tax cut for 2011, which put more money back in the pockets of 18.5 million African American workers, returning $800 to a family making $40,000 a year.
President Obama extended the payroll tax cut into 2012, and is calling on Congress to extend the cut for the entire year.
An estimated 2.2 million African American families will benefit from the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, giving those families a welcome financial break.
President Obama passed a payroll tax cut for 2011, which put more money back in the pockets of 18.5 million African American workers, returning $800 to a family making $40,000 a year.
President Obama extended the payroll tax cut into 2012, and is calling on Congress to extend the cut for the entire year.
An estimated 2.2 million African American families will benefit from the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, giving those families a welcome financial break.
Housing
More than 57,000 African American families have received permanent mortgage modifications because of the Obama Administration's efforts to help them stay in their homes through the Making Home Affordable Program.
The Obama Administration required mortgage companies to offer 12 months of forbearance to qualified unemployed borrowers with loans backed by the FHA, and extended the forbearance period on its Home Affordable Unemployment Program from 3 months to 12 months.
The Obama Administration has assisted over one million Americans with rental costs, moving costs, and utility bills through the homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing program.
President Obama signed into law the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which gives tenants the right, through 2012, to stay in their homes after foreclosure for 90 days or through the term of their lease.
More than 57,000 African American families have received permanent mortgage modifications because of the Obama Administration's efforts to help them stay in their homes through the Making Home Affordable Program.
The Obama Administration required mortgage companies to offer 12 months of forbearance to qualified unemployed borrowers with loans backed by the FHA, and extended the forbearance period on its Home Affordable Unemployment Program from 3 months to 12 months.
The Obama Administration has assisted over one million Americans with rental costs, moving costs, and utility bills through the homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing program.
President Obama signed into law the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which gives tenants the right, through 2012, to stay in their homes after foreclosure for 90 days or through the term of their lease.
Education
President Obama doubled funding for Pell grants, increasing the number of grants from 6 million to 9 million and supporting an additional 200,000 African American students. As of 2008, 46% of African American students received Pell Grants.
The Recovery Act included $5 billion for early learning programs, such as Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and programs for children with special needs.
The President also secured a $2.55 billion investment in HBCUs and minority-serving institutions across ten years to ensure more African Americans have access to higher education.
President Obama doubled funding for Pell grants, increasing the number of grants from 6 million to 9 million and supporting an additional 200,000 African American students. As of 2008, 46% of African American students received Pell Grants.
The Recovery Act included $5 billion for early learning programs, such as Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and programs for children with special needs.
The President also secured a $2.55 billion investment in HBCUs and minority-serving institutions across ten years to ensure more African Americans have access to higher education.
Job Training
The President’s Recovery Act provided more than a billion dollars for job training and summer jobs programs for youth ages 14-24.
The Recovery Act allotted $1.25 billion in funding to help re-train the unemployed and find them work.
The President’s Recovery Act provided more than a billion dollars for job training and summer jobs programs for youth ages 14-24.
The Recovery Act allotted $1.25 billion in funding to help re-train the unemployed and find them work.
Manufacturing
Under President Obama, the manufacturing sector grew in both 2010 and 2011. Until then, there had not been a single year when manufacturing employment rose since 1997.
Under President Obama, the manufacturing sector added 334,000 jobs from December 2009 through December 2011.
Under President Obama, the manufacturing sector grew in both 2010 and 2011. Until then, there had not been a single year when manufacturing employment rose since 1997.
Under President Obama, the manufacturing sector added 334,000 jobs from December 2009 through December 2011.
Auto Industry
President Obama provided rescue loans to the American auto industry, which an economist called “one of the engines of the African American middle class,” saving more than 1.4 million auto industry jobs. Experts said that had the industry been allowed to collapse, the consequences would have been “nothing less than catastrophic for African Americans.”
President Obama provided rescue loans to the American auto industry, which an economist called “one of the engines of the African American middle class,” saving more than 1.4 million auto industry jobs. Experts said that had the industry been allowed to collapse, the consequences would have been “nothing less than catastrophic for African Americans.”
Health Care
Because of the Affordable Care Act, all uninsured Americans will have access to affordable health insurance, including seven million more African Americans who will gain coverage.
The Affordable Care Act expands access to preventive care. This will help to reduce health disparities for 41 million African Americans by helping to prevent many diseases that have a disproportionate impact on the African American community. The death rate for African Americans is higher than that of whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Early detection and preventive care can help catch these life threatening ailments.
The Affordable Care Act makes sure insurance companies can’t take advantage of their customers. They can’t arbitrarily place caps on coverage or cancel your coverage when you get sick. And in two years, no insurance company will be able to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.
President Obama’s agenda provides $11 billion for infrastructure enhancements to community health centers, which will allow them to provide access and treatment to 40 million patients by 2019.
Because of the Affordable Care Act, all uninsured Americans will have access to affordable health insurance, including seven million more African Americans who will gain coverage.
The Affordable Care Act expands access to preventive care. This will help to reduce health disparities for 41 million African Americans by helping to prevent many diseases that have a disproportionate impact on the African American community. The death rate for African Americans is higher than that of whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Early detection and preventive care can help catch these life threatening ailments.
The Affordable Care Act makes sure insurance companies can’t take advantage of their customers. They can’t arbitrarily place caps on coverage or cancel your coverage when you get sick. And in two years, no insurance company will be able to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.
President Obama’s agenda provides $11 billion for infrastructure enhancements to community health centers, which will allow them to provide access and treatment to 40 million patients by 2019.
Ending Abuses by Wall Street and Predatory Lenders
Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protections passed by President Obama put an end to the predatory lending practices that disproportionally targeted African Americans.
President Obama passed the Credit CARD Act, to put an end to unfair and hidden credit card fees, helping save money for cardholders, including the nearly half of all African Americans who hold credit cards. All told, the Credit CARD Act will work to protect consumers from the billions of dollars in fees card companies charge each year.
Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protections passed by President Obama put an end to the predatory lending practices that disproportionally targeted African Americans.
President Obama passed the Credit CARD Act, to put an end to unfair and hidden credit card fees, helping save money for cardholders, including the nearly half of all African Americans who hold credit cards. All told, the Credit CARD Act will work to protect consumers from the billions of dollars in fees card companies charge each year.
Equal Opportunity
The very first bill President Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act that ensured all people are able to receive the same pay for the same work.
President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act into law, narrowing the disparity between those convicted of possessing crack cocaine and powdered cocaine, the new law will reduce sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1.
President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, to strengthen protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth, and to add protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
The Obama administration announced the settlement of the longstanding Pigford II litigation and signed a bill providing more than one billion dollars in funding for African Americans who were discriminated against by the USDA.
The President launched the first ever White House Office on Urban Affairs.
There is so much more that needs to be done. Be sure to vote as if this list depends on it, as if you depend on it…because it does!
Mike Muse can be reached at mike@iammikemuse.com, www.IamMikeMuse.com, and on Twitter @iammikemuse.
The very first bill President Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act that ensured all people are able to receive the same pay for the same work.
President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act into law, narrowing the disparity between those convicted of possessing crack cocaine and powdered cocaine, the new law will reduce sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1.
President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, to strengthen protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth, and to add protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
The Obama administration announced the settlement of the longstanding Pigford II litigation and signed a bill providing more than one billion dollars in funding for African Americans who were discriminated against by the USDA.
The President launched the first ever White House Office on Urban Affairs.
There is so much more that needs to be done. Be sure to vote as if this list depends on it, as if you depend on it…because it does!
Mike Muse can be reached at mike@iammikemuse.com, www.IamMikeMuse.com, and on Twitter @iammikemuse.
