Washington, DC – Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener, Black Women’s Roundtable Public Policy Network, issued the following statement about President Obama’s new initiative “My Brothers Keeper”:

“I was galvanized and honored to be present to witness the launch of President Barack Obama’s bold new initiative, “My Brothers Keeper”, that will focus on providing opportunities for boys and young men of color. “My Brothers Keeper” Initiative is committed to utilizing proven tools to ensure access to basic health and nutrition, provide high-quality early education, and help young men stay in school and find a good job.

“Clearly boys and young men of color have lagged behind for years. Data demonstrates that they are exceedingly at-risk from grade school through adulthood. Disparities remain in reading proficiencies proficiencies, unemployment rates, incarceration rates and murder rates. The school-to-prison pipeline is a reality for youth of color as they have disproportionately more contacts with police than whites – in school and on the streets.

“It will take the hard work of our entire village to tackle the issues facing boys and men of color in America. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Black Women’s Roundtable Public Policy Network are eager to work in collaboration with President Obama and his Administration, our partner organizations and others to provide ladders of opportunity for our youth. Empowering boys and young men of color will uplift girls and young women of color, strengthen communities of color, and fortify America as a whole. As Americans, we should all commit to being ‘My Brothers Keeper.'”

Washington, DC – Earlier this week President Barack Obama; Attorney General Eric Holder; senior advisor to President Obama, Valerie Jarrett; and director of the Domestic Policy Council, Cecilia Munoz; met with Black leaders of civil rights organizations at The White House to discuss jobs, income inequality, voter suppression, criminal justice reform and other issues that impact the Black community. Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener, Black Women’s Roundtable, participated in the meeting and issued the following comments about the conversation:

Melanie L. Campbell speaking at the White House in 2013

“My first observation when walking in the room was there were four women and three men representing the civil rights community and several women of the Obama Administration. It was a great way to close out Black History Month and gear up for Women’s History Month by engaging a substantive dialogue with President Obama and his Administration on issues that are important to the black community.

“I was honored to join our sister leaders in the meeting including Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Lorraine Miller, interim president, NAACP; Patricia Rosier, president, National Bar Association, alongside our colleagues Reverend Al Sharpton, president and founder, National Action Network; Marc Morial, president, National Urban League; and Wade Henderson, president, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.”

“After hearing President Obama’s agenda priorities, the group had the opportunity to present the 21st Century Agenda for Jobs and Freedom, a document created by Black leadership in 2013 detailing their priorities on economic opportunity, voting rights, education, healthcare and other issues.

“I had an opportunity to commend President Obama on behalf of Black Women’s Roundtable, for his strong emphasis on the gender-wage gap in his State of the Union Address and for his statement, ‘when women succeed, America succeeds.’ I urged President Obama to continue to encourage Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, The Family and Medical Leave Act and to also use his executive powers to address the gender-wage gap.

“The racial disparities in the criminal justice system have had an extremely destructive effect on Black and Latino families and communities across the country, so it was encouraging to hear President Obama and Attorney General Holder discuss their commitment to ending inequities in the criminal justice system.

“It was very clear that our 21st Century Agenda aligns with the president’s agenda in several areas that impact the African American community. The meeting was extremely productive and, as sister Lorraine Miller, said, ‘a great moment for the civil rights movement.'”

Washington, DC – In response to today’s Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of Black Women’s Roundtable said, “Today’s decision by the U. S. Supreme Court to invalidate Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is a travesty to justice for all Americans to have their voting rights protected. We believe the decision opens the flood gates for voter suppression tactics to go unchallenged in states that have historically suppressed our voting rights and the ability for minority voters to vote for their candidates of choice.”

“While many people want to say times have changed, many things remain the same. We witnessed widespread voter suppression efforts as recent as 2012,” Campbell adds. “We call on Congress to act urgently to establish a new coverage formula for Section 4 in order to ensure that the U. S. Justice Department will be able to continue enforcement of the Voting Rights Act now and for future generations.”

Campbell continues, “The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation is committed to our mission to eliminate barriers to civic participation. We urge Congress to repair and restore the Voting Rights Act now. Preventing racial voting discrimination will result in greater social and economic justice and enhance the quality of life for people of color and all Americans.”

Shelia Tyson, convener of The Alabama Coalition on Black Civic Participation, an affiliate of The National Coalition adds, “”I am deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling in this case. This is especially concerning for Birmingham residents since we are only nine weeks from municipal elections.”

“Voter suppression is alive and well in Alabama. Even in 2013, far too many Alabama voters face intimidation, prejudice, and discrimination at the polls. Strong voter protection laws are the only recourse for citizens – especially the underserved – to combat efforts to deny them from voting. The Voting Rights Act has been the soundest piece of legislation we’ve had to ensure equality at the polls.”

“This year, the City of Birmingham celebrates the 50-year anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement for racial equality and social justice. While it’s true that we’ve made huge strides since 1963; today’s ruling proves that we still have work to do,” Tyson adds.

Founded in 1976, The National Coalition (ncbcp.org) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing African American participation in civil society.

Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (The National Coalition), issued the following statement today on President Obama’s nomination of The Honorable Anthony Foxx, Mayor of City of Charlotte, NC, to serve as Secretary of Transportation:

On behalf of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, we are pleased to support President Obama’s nomination of The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx, Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, to serve as secretary of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Mayor Foxx’s exceptional public service background leading the City of Charlotte prepares him to lead the DOT with distinction. His leadership in the successful expansion of The Charlotte/Douglas International Airport and bringing modern electric tram service to the city of Charlotte improved the city’s transit infrastructure to compete in a global economy. Mayor Foxx clearly understands how to use public service projects that revitalize our nation’s crumbling infrastructure to increase opportunities for businesses and workers.

We encourage the U. S. Senate to swiftly hold confirmation hearings for Mayor Foxx in so he can begin his new role leading the Department of Transportation on behalf of the American people.

Founded in 1976, The National Coalition serves as an effective convener and facilitator at the local, state and national levels to address the disenfranchisement of marginalized communities through civic engagement, women and girls empowerment, youth civic leadership development and public policy. For more information on The National Coalition visit www.ncbcp.org