Black Independent Party (ARK) Archives

In the midst of the pandemic, there has been a heartbreaking increase in fraud and scams against our nation’s seniors. Last year alone, con artists stole $1 billion from older Americans online.  Yesterday, I held a U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing—along with Chairman Casey—on how to combat these heartbreaking crimes. We heard from several witnesses including South Carolina’s own Vee Daniel, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of the Upstate, who spoke on the increase in COVID-related fraud against seniors. Read more about the hearing here , and view the committee’s newly-released fraud book here . Image Click to watch my remarks at yesterday’s hearing Equipping Educators to Lead with Excellence The role that our nation’s educators play in shaping the next generation can’t be overstated. That’s why I introduced the Teacher and School LEADERS Act  with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle—to expand training programs for teachers who aspire to ...

I hope you, your family, and other loved ones are staying healthy during the ongoing pandemic. At the Clinton Foundation, we rely upon input from supporters and partners in our work to help guide our decision-making — and that includes you. As we mark the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, I hope you’ll take a moment to share your feedback on our work and where you want to see us focus our future efforts and resources. Please, take our new survey and tell us what you think. We’ll be sharing the results of the survey with President Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and other members of our leadership team, so even if you’ve taken one of our surveys before, we want to hear what’s most important to you at this time. Please, take our new survey and tell us what you think. Our team is hoping to hear from a broad range of voices, including supporters like you, so I hope you’ll take a moment to respond. Thank you for being a member of the Clinton Foundation community. With best wishes, Kevin Thurm Chief ...

Business as usual in our city changes when we take deliberate actions to change the status quo. The city’s spending panel — which hands out millions upon millions of dollars to government contractors every week — had an opportunity today to invest in the diversity, equity and inclusion that will drive better outcomes for our city. Instead, in a vote of 4-1, my vote being the only dissenting one, the Board of Estimates rejected the opportunity. For four months, I have pushed the administration to reach for equity before waiving minority- and women-owned business participation on a lucrative, longstanding contract with Motorola to ensure ongoing telecommunication between our emergency responders was not disrupted. As city leaders, we have pledged to our residents time and time again that we will improve the city’s patterns and practices related to government contracting. Still, despite our ongoing conversations, promises of equity, pledges to reimagine the role government can play in clo...

It’s the day we officially celebrate breaking ground on the Obama Presidential Center. And we wouldn’t be here without the unwavering support of people like you—people who donated, volunteered, shared stories, and supported our vision all along the way. Of course, our work has never been just about a building. We are dedicated to helping  community leaders develop the skills they need and build the relationships that will empower them to change the world. That’s why President and Mrs. Obama took a moment yesterday, as part of our groundbreaking celebrations, to sit down with the latest cohort of Obama Foundation Scholars from the University of Chicago.  This inspiring group is working to increase diversity in Chicago’s technology sector, support women entrepreneurs in India, promote arts education that revitalizes neighborhoods, and much more.  We’re just getting started. There are wonderful things in store for the Obama Presidential Center and the young leaders it will s...

  Right now, millions of families are at risk of being evicted from their homes because the right-wing Supreme Court blocked the eviction moratorium we helped win last month. I refuse to just stand by and watch our government ignore this crisis — especially now with the rise of COVID cases in this ongoing pandemic. I've been evicted three times in my life. I remember the stress, fear, and anxiety of being unhoused, living in a car with my two babies. I refuse to let more families go through what I experienced. That's why this fight is personal for me. That's why I was outside the Capitol for five days last month to demand a new eviction moratorium. And that's why today, Senator Elizabeth Warren and I introduced the Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 with support from Justice Democrats to give the Department of Health and Human Services the permanent authority to implement eviction moratoriums during public health crises.  It's urgent we take action especially now as C...

 commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. T he oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.   Dating back to 1865, it was on  June 19 th  that the Union soldiers, led by  Major General Gordon Granger , landed at  Galveston, Texas  with news that the war had ended and that the  enslaved were now free . Note that this was  two and a half years  after  President Lincoln’s  Emancipation Proclamation  - which had  become official January 1, 1863 . The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new  Executive Order . However, with the  surrender of General Lee in April of 1865 , and the  arrival of General Granger’s regiment,  the  forces  were finally strong enough to  influence  and  overcome the resistance. Later attempts to explain this  two...