in order to fully understand social exclusion, it was necessary to bring poverty, urban poverty in particular, back into the centre discussions on development.
The American Library Association approved Poor People’s Policy [61] passed in 1990. In 1996 SRRT formed a Task Force on Hunger, Homelessness and Poverty (HHP) to promote the “Poor People’s Policy.” Subsequently, the HHP Task Force mounted major conference programs, secured policy-support from ALA Presidential candidates, initiated a SRRT resolution on poverty-related subject headings, distributed resources and information, encouraged the Office for Literacy & Outreach Services Advisory Committee to create a Poverty Subcommittee, published a first-ever statement on class and libraries in American Libraries, and spawned an activist’s “cookbook,” Poor People and Library Services, edited by TF member Karen Venturella.
The “Poor People’s Policy” states, “The American Library Association promotes equal access to information for all persons, and recognizes the urgent need to respond to the increasing number of poor children, adults, and families in America. These people are affected by a combination of limitations, including illiteracy, illness, social isolation, homelessness, hunger, and discrimination, which hamper the effectiveness of traditional library services. Therefore it is crucial that libraries recognize their role in enabling poor people to participate fully in a democratic society, by utilizing a wide variety of available resources and strategies.” The policy objectives include training to sensitize library staff to issues affecting poor people and to attitudinal and other barriers that hinder poor people’s use of libraries, and promoting among library staff the collection of food and clothing donations, volunteering personal time to anti-poverty activities and contributing money to direct-aid organizations.
The U.S. House leadership has allowed a small band of extremists in the U.S. House of Representatives to steal H.R. 9, the bill aimed at renewing and restoring the Voting Rights Act (VRA). They are led by Charles Norwood (R-GA) and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and others. The House had been expected to vote on the bill on June 21, 2006.
The members who acted against the VRA represent retrogressive forces in America. Their actions would return us to a time when the rights of racial and ethnic minority Americans - specifically the right to vote -- were not protected or enforced.
Rarely does a bill have the bipartisan and bicameral support in the House and the Senate that H.R. 9 possesses. House leaders must move past this small group of obstructionists and get this bill back on track immediately. The bill should be moved back to the floor so that it can follow the democratic process of debate followed by an up-or-down vote.
Let's not lose anymore time and get this done! The nation's continued progress towards equality demands it. Representatives are scheduled to leave Washington soon for the July 4th recess. House members should not go home until they have finished the job of renewing the VRA.
We celebrated the VRA's 40th anniversary last year and noted the progress that's been made since its enactment. But we must rededicate ourselves individually and as a nation to uphold the promise of the act.
Despite the fact that African Americans and other racial and ethnic minority Americans are guaranteed the right to vote by the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was passed in 1870, states and local municipalities continued to use tactics such as poll taxes, literacy tests and outright intimidation to stop people from casting ballots. Thus the VRA was enacted, to insure that no federal, state or local government may in any way impede people from registering to vote or casting a meaningful ballot because of their race or ethnicity.
Most provisions in the VRA, and specifically the portions guaranteeing that no one may be denied the right to vote because of race or color, are permanent. But in 2007, key provisions of the VRA will expire unless renewed. These include the federal pre-clearance provisions, bilingual voting provisions, and the provisions that authorize the deployment of federal observers where there is potential for intimidation of minority voters on Election Day.
Extensive hearings in the House and Senate have shown some states, local municipalities and jurisdictions have proven records of discrimination and are still trying to use official means to discourage racial and ethnic minority Americans from registering and voting.
Without question, America is a better place today than it was in 1965 because of the VRA. But discrimination against minority voters still exists....
Our work is not finished. We have not reached our goal of every voter having an equal opportunity to determine the distribution of political power. We can see that America has improved, but we are not there yet. At a time of bipartisan support for creating a multiethnic democracy in Iraq, we need bipartisan support for a multiethnic democracy at home.
Unlike many other issues, reauthorizing the VRA is a 'no-brainer' for most Congressional members. The NAACP urges all members and friends to reach out to their Representatives and Senators to stress the urgency of passing a clean version of the bipartisan, bicameral Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 and reject all amendments.
In this election year, no elected official should want to be recorded as opposing one of this nation's most prized rights for all citizens-the right to vote. We urge Congress to move now to revalidate this monumental legislation that empowers all Americans.
A major focus of the regulations is on new uniform national requirements for how states document that a recipient has actually worked the hours reported, as well as internal controls that states must have in place to verify that information. States will not be allowed to use the long-standing practice of “exception reporting,” under which a service provider contacts the state when a recipient is not meeting the requirements, rather than regular reporting of a person meeting the requirements. The regulations also require that most of the allowable activities be supervised on a daily basis in addition to daily, weekly, or biweekly documentation. However, private-sector employers will only have to provide documentation every six months. States may accept pay stubs, timecards, sign-in/out sheets, and rosters with recorded work.
Libraries Can Help to Build Understanding
The complex relationship between African-Americans and the New Orleans government bears much analysis and open discussion. As Jay Arena has pointed out, “In the end, in this majority Black city, this world cultural treasure, it will take a Black working class-led movement to create a racial and economically just rebuilding.” 19 In these times of trouble libraries can play a role in civic engagement that will give community members an opportunity to engage each other.
Arena, Jay. “The Contradictions of Black Comprador Rule: Understanding the New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin’s “Chocolate City” Comment.” ZNet (January 26, 2006)
Posts
All Comments
