The following infographic shows the scale of America's racial wealth divide. Since 1983, black and latino families have seen their wealth fall considerably from $6,800 and $4,000 to just $1,700 and $2,000 respectively in 2013. Even though white households took a hit during the financial crisis, they still boasted a median wealth of $116,800 in 2013. The research projects that the gap will widen even further in the years ahead with black household wealth declining 30 percent from today by 2024. The median latino household will see their wealth fall 20 percent while white households will experience a five percent increase by that point.
Even though the United States is on course to become "majority minority" by 2044, the country still has a huge and growing racial wealth gap. A new study by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies has found that white households in the middle-income quintile own nearly eight times as much wealth as middle-income black earners and ten times as much as middle-income latino earners. Last year, the same research claimed that if current trends continue, it will take 228 years for the average black family to reach the same level of wealth white families have today. For latino families, it would take 84 years. The following infographic shows the scale of America's racial wealth divide. Since 1983, black and latino families have seen their wealth fall considerably from $6,800 and $4,000 to just $1,700 and $2,000 respectively in 2013. Even though white households took a hit during the financial crisis, they still boasted a median wealth of $116,800 in 2013. The research projects that the gap will widen even further in the years ahead with black household wealth declining 30 percent from today by 2024. The median latino household will see their wealth fall 20 percent while white households will experience a five percent increase by that point.
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Nearly half of all Americans are affected by a cyber security breach at Equifax, one of the nation's three major credit-reporting agencies. Here's how to avoid being a victim. USA TODAY
(Photo: Mike Stewart, AP) 243CONNECTTWEET 13LINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMOREWhen a credit card gets stolen, it's easy for the victim of the crime to shut down the card, get a new account number and avoid monetary loss. But financial peril rises and can persist for years when personal data likely to stay the same forever -- like Social Security numbers, names and dates of birth -- get stolen like it did in the cyber attack on credit-reporting service Equifax. Once hackers gain access to these key pieces of personal data -- which is akin to the DNA of a person's online digital self -- it is at the cyber thieves' disposal forever to cause harm. "It's very problematic for hackers to have all that important information all in one place," says John Ulzheimer, a credit expert who once worked for Equifax and credit-score firm FICO. "This information is perpetually valuable. You are not going to change your name or date of birth or Social Security number. In five years they will be the same, unlike a credit card that takes five minutes to cancel over the phone." STORY FROM LENDINGTREE This mortgage management tip eliminates up to 15 years of paymentsAn estimated 143 million Americans, or nearly half of the U.S. population, had their personal data stolen in the Equifax cyber heist, according to the company. The bad news is "this data will be used for years," says Avivah Litan, a security analyst at Gartner. "So, as a consumer, you need to be hyper-vigilant." Instead of looking at your bank and investment statements monthly, for example, review them weekly, Litan advises. And if you see any fraudulent activity, report it immediately. More: Cyber breach at Equifax could affect 143M U.S. consumers More: What to do if you're one of the 44% of Americans hit by the Equifax breach With such a rich trove of personal data at their disposal, cyber thieves have a greater chance of successfully committing financial crimes against victims. "This opens the door for total identity theft," says Robb Reck, chief information security officer at Denver-based Ping Identity. The news from credit reporting company Equifax that 143 million Americans had their information exposed is very serious. Experts say once your personal data is out there, it's basically out there forever. (Sept. 8) AP Not only can hackers potentially gain access to your financial accounts, such as checking and savings accounts and 401(k)s, and withdraw money, "they can use this information to create a new 'you,' " warns Reck. Creating a new you Armed with your digital history, hackers can file tax returns using your name and social security number to claim a refund. Or file fraudulent medical expense claims. Or attempt to open credit cards, rent an apartment, apply for electric service or get a loan and buy a house in your name without you knowing. "These types of things can bleed over into your life," says Ulzheimer. That's why he advises people to check their credit reports on a "monthly basis," just like balancing a checkbook. Social Security numbers and addresses of millions of people were exposed during the Equifax breach. Video provided by Newsy Newslook And while worries about a damaged credit score, hijacked credit cards or thieves opening fraudulent accounts are among the first things cyber-crime victims think of after a data breach becomes public, there are other damaging uses of personal data they might not be aware of and is "far more challenging for consumers to detect and more costly and difficult to repair," warns Steven Bearak, CEO of IdentityForce, a Framingham, Mass., firm that offers identity, privacy and credit protection to consumers, businesses and government agencies. Some examples of non-credit related illegal uses of victims' personal data, Bearak says, include: *Medical ID theft. With the cost of health care rising, a new trend is for identity thieves to go into hospital emergency rooms with IDs created from stolen data to pay for surgeries and other procedures. This creates all sorts of problems for the identity theft victim, who can get stuck with the balance of the bill, see their insurance deductible used up as well as be stuck with flawed medical records. *Tax fraud. Fraudsters armed with names, addresses and Social Security numbers are increasingly filing fraudulent tax returns in an effort to profit illegally from refunds. This creates a major headache for the victimized taxpayer, who must resolve the theft with the IRS, wait for a delayed tax return they might desperately need and often pay an accountant to help resolve the issue. *Synthetic ID theft. In this scam, the fraudster takes different pieces of personal data from numerous victims and blends them all together to "create a new ID," says Bearak. For example, the hacker may use one victim's name, another's Social Security number, another's address, and another's birth date to create a fake identity. "That one is really hard to detect," says Bearak. "And the new ID impacts many people." Another risk is bad guys stealing your data and identity could get arrested, putting unsavory arrests, such as armed robbery or sexual assault, on your personal record. Getting your identity back and putting your financial life back in order is frustrating and can take up a lot of time. "It is very, very time consuming," says Chris Burchett, vice president of client security software at Dell. Trying to convince financial institutions that you have been a victim of identity fraud and aren't the one that ran up a fraudulent hospital bill or withdrew every penny from your bank account isn't an easy task, adds Ulzheimer. "To some extent, you are guilty until you can prove yourself innocent," he says. Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”
– Harry S. Truman I’m a proud nerd. I have always loved reading; to the exclusion of many things. It was only when I joined Toastmasters and started writing my speeches that I found my reading invaluable for ideas and conversation starters. However, as a leader, I found reading indispensable. Even though there was lesser time for reading on a regular basis, it seemed more crucial. Here’s my take on why ‘all leaders must be readers’. A. Reading Expands Your Horizons: How many leaders/ entrepreneurs/ achievers can you connect with and learn from? Books give you a fast insight into the journeys, learnings and mindsets of extremely successful people and companies; often from different cultures. B. Reading Gives You Innovative Ideas: Did you know about ten ways in which saying ‘Thank-You’ to your teams can boost productivity and morale by 30%? Did you know how to conduct ‘mind-mapping’ sessions? Did you know why you should walk and conduct meetings? Well, I didn’t either. Till I read books. C. Books And Ideas Are Conversation Starters: Oh, the bane of table topics! Or what to talk about at networking events? How to make an impression? “Did you read that book on....?” “ I love this author...his/her views on running is so amazing...” – reading helps you make a deeper connect. D. Reading Is A Stress Buster: Bill Gates famously reads for 15 minutes before going to bed. Disconnecting from your gadgets and reading is a great, economical stress buster. E. Reading Gives Us Perspective: Leaders sometimes get caught up in linear ways of thinking. Reading helps open up differing viewpoints and fresh perspectives to a subject – adopt it or not, it makes you understand the customer or the member viewpoint. F. Reading Makes Us Thinkers and Doers: In the age of constant consumption in social media, we have forgotten to ‘chew the cud’ – introspection and thinking is as important as executing the idea. Reading makes us thinkers as we have to visualize the idea/concept in our imagination and then figure how we can adapt it. G. Reading Makes Us Better Communicators: Reading gives you an amazing vocabulary – three times more than non-readers. You use better words, correct words and quotes in your communication. It presents scenarios and case studies that you can use in real life. H. Reading Challenges Us: Reading saves us from narcissism and self absorption. It gives us a macro-view of the world. It challenges our thoughts, feelings, ideas, judgements, biases, deeply held beliefs and perspectives. You can spark debates with your team with the reference of controversial topics and innovation might flow into your work. #win-win Watch this: Ted talk on how books can open your mind Here are some books specifically enabling leadership development. 1. Managing the Mental Game by Jeff Boss Former Navy SEAL Jeff Boss shows readers how to build self-confidence and fortitude. 2. Start With Why by Simon Sinek This book centers on an important business truth: People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. 3. The Go-Giver Leader by Bob Burg and John David Mann Great leaders 'give' before they 'receive'. 4. The Dip by Seth Godin The Dip proves that winners do quit, and quitters do win - till the right 'dip'. 5. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner The most 'fun' book about social economics and behaviour - how the world is shaped by minor changes. 6. Essentialism by Greg McKeown By going for “less,” we prioritize what is truly important in our lives. 7. Drive by Daniel H. Pink Daniel H. Pink states that our internal motivation drives things - at work and in personal life. 8. Getting Things Done by David Allen Focus, delgation and workflows - all there in this gem of a book. 9. Give and Take by Adam Grant Takers, matchers and givers - the new currency of success. 10. What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School by Mark H. McCormack Negotiate like a boss by reading people - an unconventional take. 11. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey The classic mindset shift. 12. Tribes by Seth Godin Communicate and motivate. To lead you must inspire others to follow your example or orders. Get them on board your proposal or idea. 13. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg Women of the world – how to get the corner office and lead your business; work and life. Men of the world – how to support and create a world for amazing women in business. 14. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown Show up, try and fail. Being vulnerable is a strength. 15. The War of Art by Steve Pressfield Procrastination - beat it and win the game. How? Read the book. 16. Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain If you are an introvert, you might be the next great leader – in – waiting. Cain shows the hidden power of how introverts function and win. So when are you picking up a new book? Add your books to the list. ShareShare Why Leaders Must Be Readers: The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, the 24th U. S. Secretary of Labor who served from 2001-2009, is the first American woman of Asian descent to be appointed to a President’s Cabinet in our nation’s history. On January 31, 2017, she was confirmed as the 18th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. An immigrant who arrived in America at the age of eight speaking no English, Secretary Chao received her citizenship at the age of 19. Her experience transitioning to a new country has motivated her to dedicate most of her professional life to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to build better lives. As the first U. S. Secretary of Labor in the 21st century, Elaine L. Chao focused on increasing the competitiveness of America’s workforce by restructuring department programs to empower workers and modernizing regulations to respond to the realities of the 21st century workplace. Under her leadership, the U.S. Department of Labor achieved record results in protecting the health, safety, wages, and retirement security of the nation’s workforce. Secretary Chao’s distinguished career spans the public, private and non-profit sectors. As President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of America, she restored public trust and confidence in one of our nation’s premier charitable institutions after it had been tarnished by financial mismanagement and abuse. As Director of the Peace Corps, she established the first programs in the newly liberated Baltic nations and the independent states of the former Soviet Union. Her government service also includes serving as Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, Deputy Maritime Administrator, and White House Fellow. Prior to her government service, she was Vice President of Syndications at BankAmerica Capital Markets Group and a banker with Citicorp in New York. 8/22/2017 Mark Zuckerberg Announces Woman of Color as New CFO of Chan Zuckerberg InitiativeRead Nowby Samara Lynn Mark Zuckerberg announced via his Facebook page that Peggy Abkemeier Alford has been appointed the chief financial officer for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Zuckerberg wrote that he was “excited” to welcome Abkemeier Alford and also discussed the challenges of running the initiative: One of the biggest challenges running a large philanthropic initiative is measuring results and deciding how to invest capital across different disciplines. For example, how do we know whether we’ll have a greater impact investing more into personalized learning to help students today, or long term science research that could cure diseases in the future, or advocacy for important issues like immigration reform? At a company like Facebook, the market provides a helpful feedback loop. We have a clear sense of how many people we can hire and how much infrastructure we can build to bring people closer together while creating a sustainable organization. But without that market dynamic in philanthropy, building a disciplined, large-scale effort to take on challenges in education, science, and advocacy is a novel challenge. Some fast facts about Abkemeier Alford:
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was created by the Facebook founder and his wife Priscilla Chan as a way to actively make investment in good causes, rather than just donating. The couple announced they would sink 99% of their Facebook stock holdings (approximately $45 billion at today’s rates) into these causes. Recently, The College Board partnered with the Zu Gabrielle McCormick’s journey started with a fall. In November of her senior year of high school, she tore her Achilles tendon during a basketball game. The injury simultaneously crushed her dreams of playing college basketball and any hopes she had of earning the athletic scholarship she was counting on. “My entire high school identity changed because I wasn’t a student athlete,” she said “I really struggled to let my basketball dreams go.” Fast forward 10 years, and McCormick has completely paid for her education with more than $150,000 in scholarships. She quickly found out there is a scholarship out there for everything — and everyone — including students with red hair, women over 5-foot-10 and lovers of the game Minecraft. And now the successful entrepreneur is helping others get on the path to a debt-free education. "It is possible. You just have to have a system in place," she said. Gabrielle McCormick figured out there is a scholarship for everything. She earned more than $150,000 in college scholarships, and now she's helping others get on a path to debt-free education. As a result of rising college tuition, student loan debt has reached an all-time high of $1.34 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. At private universities, families have to shell out $33,480 for one year of tuition on average. In-state public schools are a cheaper option, though still a major investment, at $9,650 per year. Without an athletic scholarship, McCormick wasn’t sure how she could afford it. That's when it clicked: “I said to myself, ‘Gabrielle, you’ve got to figure out how to win scholarships.’” McCormick seemed to be the ideal candidate. She was a three-sport athlete, No. 4 in her class, ran her own art business and participated in several extracurricular activities. But still, her hunt for scholarships came with roadblocks. McCormick's research began at a bookstore in her small hometown of Greenville, Texas, 45 minutes outside of Dallas. That netted little. She went to her college counselor almost every day, but she was only “as helpful as she could be.” “I did not know what I was doing, and because of that I wasted a lot of time,” McCormick said. She said through trial and error, she developed a winning strategy. McCormick didn't qualify for big national scholarships such as the Gates Millennium Scholars program, so she focused on small, local scholarships. "Everything under $2,000 was what really helped," she said. McCormick created a "scholarship profile" for herself, identifying important characteristics that could earn her money. "I literally typed in everything about myself, added the word scholarship and tried to find out if there were scholarships I could win," she said. McCormick also learned that telling her personal story resonated more with scholarship committees than generic essays about her academic goals. She used her scholarship essays like a form of therapy, sharing the pain of getting injured, her grandfather's death and her mother's battle with cancer. “I was so broken as a student,” McCormick said. “Scholarships allowed me to really express myself.” She applied for more than 50 scholarships, ranging from generic essay contests to merit-based scholarships to one for sportsmanship. "A good mix is really where the power is," she said. In total, she earned well more than 150,000 in scholarship money, but she estimates the true value of everything she received is closer to $200,000. She advised students to be open to any opportunity that can add value to their education, not just money. She put that money toward her undergraduate degree and her master's in business administration, all of which she completed in five years. McCormick studied accounting at Texas A&M University-Commerce, where she is now pursuing her doctorate. “They made me the best offer — which was free,” she said, laughing. Parents and students alike would come to McCormick for advice on how they could pay for college. She realized that school counselors often weren't able to give adequate attention to each student. McCormick worried that students felt vital information was "behind some hidden curtain that you have to pay admission for." "It shouldn’t be this difficult," she said. Right before graduation, she created a resource for students searching for scholarships. Her free online curriculum walks students through the scholarship application process from start to finish. A new survey reveals just how much racial misconceptions can impact people at work. Jason Shen, who came from China to the United States at the age of 3, hadn’t thought very much about the role of race in his life while he was growing up outside of Boston in a community that included a number of Asian Americans. Later he attended Stanford, which also includes a substantial Asian-American population.
Shen, who is now a product manager at Etsy, said as he entered adulthood, he became aware of some of the prejudices Asian Americans face through personal experiences and conversations with friends. In one particular conversation, a friend from high school explained the challenges he faced as a Chinese American in the medical field. Jason Shen is a product manager at Etsy and the creator of the blog, TheAsianAmericanMan.com. (Alexander Mayer)“He was just telling me about a number of situations at work and in his personal life where he feels that the fact that he’s Chinese makes him feel separate, like ‘other,’” Shen says. Shen’s friend encouraged him to start writing about these issues in his blog. To get a better grasp on the scope of discrimination beyond his friends’ anecdotes and his own personal experiences, Shen posted a survey, which about 350 Asian-American men filled out. About one-third reported that they “feel they are treated worse than white people,” and 88 percent reported experiencing a racial stereotype. The most common stereotypes were being good at math, followed by having a small penis and being good with computers. “The survey is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive,” he wrote in his summary of the findings on Medium. “But I hope it can shed light on some of the experiences of the nine million Asian men living in the United States and perhaps spark some important conversations.” Brian Wang, CEO of Fitocracy, says that many people are simply unwilling to accept that Asians are affected by prejudice. “That’s an unfortunate lack of empathy because people will look at the statistics, they’ll look at how well Asian Americans in general supposedly do in the U.S., and that ‘model minority’ myth, and I think that colors a lot of the discussion,” he says. Wang knows Shen—they’re in the “ecosystem of tech start-up land,” Wang says—and he took the Asian American Man survey. Wang said that the survey topics, which included challenges in the dating scene and the workplace, and bullying at school, were familiar to him. “All of these questions are inescapable for Asian Americans,” Wang says. In the comments respondents left on the survey itself, Shen said he noticed a couple of trends: one, respondents who thought the overall premise “reeks of victimhood,” and two, respondents who were excited to extend the dialogue on racism to include Asian Americans. Some of the prejudice may stem from the perception of Asian success. Asian Americans do outpace other American ethnic groups in terms of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, according to U.S. Census data. The overall picture, however, is more complex. Ascend, a nonprofit organization for Asian-American business professionals, released a study in May called "Hidden in Plain Sight: Asian American Leaders in Silicon Valley," which found that Asian Americans at five Silicon Valley tech companies represented a much larger portion of the professional ranks than the executive suite. The survey found that Asian Americans made up 27 percent of the professional workforce but less than 14 percent of executive positions. The study pegged a lack of awareness by employers, a need to change the behaviors of potential hirees, and an overall lack of role models to provide guidance on this issue. At first glance, it seems Asian Americans are entering the workforce in significant numbers, says Anna Mok, a partner at Deloitte who serves as executive vice president of Ascend. The superficial numbers lead people to believe that the “model minority” concept has validity. The “Hidden in Plain Sight” study, however, tells a different story: Asian-American professionals aren’t being promoted. “You look at the numbers and people say, 'There’s so many Asians going into the workforce or going into these companies,'” Mok says. “And that’s true. But when you really look at it, you see they get stalled pretty early.” Janet Wong, a coauthor of the report and board director for Enviva Partners, helps conduct training for companies and employees to help Asian Americans reach their career goals and help companies retain and promote Asian-American employees. Wong, an executive adviser at Ascend, worked her way up the ranks at KPMG, eventually becoming a partner, but only after she started to understand what it takes to get a promotion. “It took three or four years for me to realize that I needed to be building relationships in my company, with my clients, with people that could help,” she says. “And then I had to speak up and say that I wanted to be promoted, that I wanted to be in management.” Mok emphasizes that executives who ultimately have a major say in the trajectory of their employees’ careers need to understand the nuances of their talent pool. The entire focus, therefore, should not be changing the behaviors of individual Asian Americans. “We can’t move the needle until people that manage individuals really respect and understand those nuances and differences and actually appreciate it—not see it as a handicap but as a strength,” she says. Rather than blatant discrimination, report coauthors Denise Peck and Buck Gee say, this disparity is a result of implicit biases. They say that Asian Americans need to learn the leadership skills that corporate America values, such as adapting public speaking skills to fit their company, while the executives themselves need to learn how to best retain and promote Asian-American talent. “The expectations are not necessarily those of just white men,” Peck says. “It’s the corporate expectation, of which there are men and women of different colors, not just Caucasians.” “You look at the numbers and people say, 'There’s so many Asians going into the workforce or going into these companies.' And that’s true. But when you really look at it, you see they get stalled pretty early.” theasianamericanman.comMary Min disagrees. She leads global development for SEWORKS, a mobile-security company, and believes these biases and discrimination often go hand in hand. Min does say her upbringing in an Asian-American household provided a major emphasis on respect, and she wants to hold on to that. The workplace, however, can misinterpret respect. “In certain cases in Western society, especially at the workplace, respect can sometimes be taken advantage of,” she says. “Or people may perceive it as a weakness or deference rather than just respect.” Before moving to SEWORKS, Min spent about 17 years working in mobile gaming. Walking into a boardroom composed mostly of white men, she said her own insights were often dismissed—and sometimes would later be openly received if repeated by a male colleague. While many women in the workplace may be familiar with such situations, she said that being an Asian-American woman was a “double whammy.” She wouldn’t necessarily be penalized for speaking up, but she did notice that doing so surprised her male colleagues. “We either have to choose to be that meek, compliant Asian person or we have to be dragon lady,” she says. “There’s no middle ground.” The Asian American Man survey found that 62 percent of respondents believe that race plays a role in obstructing advancement in their careers. Only 4 percent, however, reported physical or verbal harassment at work. “I think it’s the job of everyone who’s in a position of privilege to realize that they have been given benefits that others do not, and try to accommodate or adjust behaviors to create a more equitable workplace and society,” Shen says. “It’s on both. But without Asians bringing this attention to people’s minds, it’s not going to magically happen on its own.” 8/18/2017 Verizon at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce National Convention announces opportunity for entrepreneurs to open local specialty storesRead NowNEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Today Verizon announced it has launched a new program aimed at providing multicultural entrepreneurs an opportunity to collaborate with Verizon by opening specialty stores throughout the United States. The specialty stores will deliver a unique experience to both current and future Verizon customers in communities with the most growth potential and provide a turnkey opportunity to aspiring business owners. Verizon will support these budding entrepreneurs through strategic funding, marketing initiatives and strong marketing support. Verizon will make a formal presentation directly to potential business owners during the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce National Convention (USHCC) National Convention on October 10, 2016; additional presentations will be held throughout the country. "We are fueling Hispanics' entrepreneurial spirit with a turnkey business opportunity with a known, trusted brand," said Walter Rodriguez, Multicultural Marketing Director at Verizon. "Now is the chance for those interested in self-employment to own a business in areas they know well and in their own communities." The launch of these new specialty stores is the direct result of two other recent launches by Verizon: The new Verizon plan and the Bienvenido a lo Mejor campaign, both of which offer customers simple pricing, access to America's largest and fastest 4G LTE network ever and targeted promotional offers for the Hispanic segment, respectively. Hispanic-owned businesses continue to grow in comparison to other minority groups and U.S. companies. According to the United States Census Bureau, there are 27.6 million businesses in the United States, with 3.3 million of those being Hispanic-owned. The Hispanic purchasing power was $1.3 trillion in 2015, with a projected reach of $1.7 trillion by 2020. As part of this initiative, Verizon will be hosting a series of informational specialty store presentations and webinars throughout the year. "This new multicultural store model offers many benefits to entrepreneurs like my partner and me. It truly is a turnkey approach when you factor in the support Verizon offers with the floor plan, fixture designs and the marketing support," said Harpreet Katari, co-owner of United Telecom USA Inc., a Verizon Indirect Agent. To see more of what Verizon is doing follow @Verizon via Twitter or visit www.verizon.com. About Verizon Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York City, has a diverse workforce of nearly 162,700 and generated nearly $132 billion in 2015 revenues. Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless network, with 113.2 million retail connections nationwide. The company also provides communications and entertainment services over mobile broadband and the nation's premiere all-fiber network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers worldwide. Latino Victory Project Laying the Ground for 2018, 2020 Elections This past week, Latino Victory named news members of its board and national committee, including New York political consultant Luis Miranda, father of Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda; actor Ana Ortiz, known for her role in “Ugly Betty,” and Julissa Arce, an immigrant rights advocate and former Goldman Sachs executive who started working on Wall Street while she was undocumented.
“Given this Trump era we are in, the political calendar has shifted earlier,” said Cristóbal Alex, president of Latino Victory. The Latino group is working to set up in Georgia, Arizona, Florida and Nevada, setting in motion its recruitment of and campaign support for Latino progressives who will back policies beneficial to the Latino community. Their political action committee, Latino Victory Fund, has put money into a campaign called “Run, Veronica, Run” to urge El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar to run for the congressional seat now held by Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who will be challenging Sen. Ted Cruz for his U.S. Senate seat. “We are in a challenging spot right now because of the leadership void and because the president has opened up opportunity for Nazis and others to come out freely in the country,” Cristóbal Alex said. “But when I look at leaders coming up and stepping up around the country, getting into the arena, I feel more and more optimistic about the future.” The group maintains that being successful in 2018 will position Latino Victory Project to influence and help elect a new president who will reflect their values. Despite the turmoil going on in the country, Latino Victory Project is optimistic about the outcome. 8/16/2017 With minority population growth, Not Investing in Students of Color Puts the Fabric of Society at StakeRead Nowby Sandra Timmons Posted: August 15, 2017
As public schools across the country begin their school year, they will be presented with a strange oxymoron: Minority students now make up the majority of their student bodies. In fact, the country will soon find itself in a similar position—the U.S. Census estimates that the white majority will be gone by 2043. These demographic changes bring a new sense of relevance and urgency to the debate about education and race. The achievement gap is as wide as ever—as of 2013, over 70% of students of color had failing scores on Advanced Placement exams—plus the countless public schools across the country that don’t offer Advanced Placement classes at all. As the college admissions process becomes increasingly competitive, low-income students of color suffer the consequences of their schools’ lack of resources. Minority Students Only Encouraged to Reach 50th Percentile Although improving educational access and quality is no doubt a priority for everyone, the new minority majority continues to be held back by a flaw in our discussion of their scholastic potential. While white students are encouraged to shoot for the stars, many students of color are given a far less inspiring goal: the 50th percentile. In its current form, the debate about education policy and the achievement gap is missing a crucial bit of nuance. While we focus our efforts on improving average scores, many of the most talented students of color are falling through the cracks. Of course, building the institutional capacity of these schools is a necessary step, but it is far from the only thing we can do. It is time for us to recognize that our efforts to advance education for students of color have been constrained by the implicit assumption that the best these students can hope for is to reach the mean. If we want these students to reach the highest heights of educational attainment, the onus is on us to present excellence as their goal. And today, “academic excellence” is demonstrated by acceptance to a top university. The opportunities for social mobility and career advancement at an elite university are unrivaled. Studies show that a college degree from a highly ranked institution confers far greater economic benefits on low-income students of color than on their white counterparts. For these students, elite universities are the gateway to much more than a higher income—they create networks and relationships that empower them to earn higher incomes and secure management and leadership positions. Investing in high-performing students has a significant return both inside and outside of low-income communities. It has never been more necessary for leaders in business, politics, and culture to reflect the changing demographic of the population at large. At stake is the fabric of our civil society and economic ability to compete globally. Promising Students Often Neglected All too often, we congratulate ourselves for obtaining “firsts” as we silently assume the opportunity cost of the many promising students we have neglected. Many notable leaders today were fortunate to receive access to challenging academic opportunities as well as the mentorship and resources they needed to be successful. Leaders like Deval Patrick, the first African American governor of Massachusetts, and Michele Roberts, the first African American woman to head the NBA Players Union, are an enormous source of inspiration for young people of color today. How many more of these leaders could there have been? How many more will there be? The answer depends on us. We must dedicate ourselves not only to the struggling student, but also to those young people of color who are performing well in under-resourced schools. Through our public discourse, we have painted a problematic picture in which nearly all students of color are struggling to catch up to their more privileged peers. In reality, many students of color are striving to be the best in their classes. They too are driven and diligent, hardworking and charismatic. These are the students with the greatest potential to transcend socioeconomic barriers to success. They represent a valuable future talent pool that is often overlooked or counted out. Spending resources on the best and the brightest students of color is a necessary investment in the future leaders of our communities. It is up to teachers to recognize their students’ potential and challenge them to strive for excellence. It is up to parents to encourage and support their children in achieving excellence. It is the responsibility of education advocates to expand the scope and approaches to educational excellence for all students. Discussions of race and education have for too long been premised on the idea that the best we can do is bring students of color up to the mean. This obscures a reality in which the best, most driven students of color have the potential to reach the same heights as students from all other races and socioeconomic backgrounds. If we want these students to believe in their own potential, then we need to provide them with a set of tools and pathways to high-quality educational opportunities that will allow them to reach it, rather than treating “average” as a victory. |