Tag Archives: Congress

All Races, All Faces


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We at The Black Institute want to thank all of those that were able to join us for the launch of our first book, “All Races, All Faces: A Guide to New York City’s Immigrant Communities.” We had a great evening celebrating the diversity of our great City and hearing from many of the communities who will be positively impacted by this book.

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Our book launch event brought together those who feel the urgency of these ever present issues, including Senators Jeffrey Klein and Diane Savino, Assemblymember Mark Gjonaj and Joy-Reid, Host at the Reid Report, MSNBC, who all spoke eloquently on the issue of immigration in the United States.  As our speakers mentioned, this directory will become a handy resource for government officials, educators, community organizers, immigrants, and all others who have personal or professional interest in the diversity of our City.

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The Black Institute has printed and distributed the first publishing of the Immigrant Integration project, but we need your help to make sure it’s not the last.

Please click here to donate $25, $50, $100, or $250 to allow us to continue printing this important educational resource.

Today’s immigrants are facing major challenges, from the threat of deportation for the undocumented to anti-immigrant bias and barriers to economic integration that affect even many naturalized citizens.  The Black Institute has been at work to address this problem through a strategy of increasing the visibility of smaller and medium-size immigrant communities and helping them acquire their own voice in the immigration debate, thus advancing their integration into the wider society.

Your support will allow us to conduct the highest levels of academic research, develop leadership in Black communities throughout the United States and implement strategies and tactics for issue-based campaigns.  Please click here and make an end of year tax-deductible contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or more.

Thank you for your support, and I look forward to working with you on future endeavors,

Bertha Lewis and The Black Institute

P.S. – In case you missed it, check out these videos from a group of diverse immigrants as they talk about why our new guide “All Races, All Faces” is so important to them.

Tell Congress: No expiration date for clean energy


 No Expiration Date for Clean Energy

Unless Congress acts now, more key tax incentives for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean vehicles will expire at the end of the year. Meanwhile, fossil fuels will continue to profit from permanent subsidies that are not available to clean energy.

When veterans like me come home from war


VoteVets.org

After returning from Iraq, transitioning back to civilian life was a real challenge.

I struggled with anxiety, depression and an aversion to crowded areas. And while I have always found peace in the outdoors, it was never more evident than when I returned home. My road to recovery was not just spent in VA offices, but also on hiking trails and the cold water streams in some of our country’s national parks.

That’s why I eagerly testified before Congress last week in support of a bill that would allow all veterans with any disability rating FREE access to national parks for life.

For many veterans, the financial cost of accessing these parks is a prohibitive barrier to spending time alone, or with friends and family, hiking, rock climbing, rafting, camping, or just decompressing. But Congress is considering legislation to change that.

Can I count on you to send a message to your Representative telling them to support the bill granting free access to our national parks for veterans with any disability rating?

Sending a message using our tool will deliver it straight to your reps office, and it would mean a lot to the many veterans — including thousands of VoteVets members — who are counting on passage of this bill.

There’s also science to support why this legislation is important.

Last year, a University of Michigan study found that “Veterans participating in extended outdoor group recreation show signs of improved mental health, suggesting a link between the activities and long-term psychological well-being.”

This issue has bipartisan support in the notoriously partisan House of Representatives, and taking a moment to write your Representative today can push it across the finish line.

http://action.votevets.org/national-parks

Thanks for making your voice heard on this issue.

All the best,

Garett Reppenhagen
Iraq War Veteran
VoteVets.org

Petition update – Wells Fargo: Stop the foreclosur​e on a stage 4 cancer victim’s home


Correction from Cindi’s husband

Kate Livingston just posted an update on the petition you signed, Wells Fargo: Stop the foreclosure on a stage 4 cancer victim’s home.

Oct 13, 2014 — Today God accepted a very special angel into the heavens. Cindi was taken approximately 1634 hours this afternoon. Her battle with HER2 Positive Breast Cancer was in check. It was… Read more

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Chart of the Week: SHOP Marketplac​e Premiums Flat in 2015


whitehousebannerChart of the Week: SHOP Marketplace Premiums Flat in 2015

On November 15, the Health Insurance Marketplace opened for the 2015 enrollment season on HealthCare.gov. But November 15 also marked the beginning of online shopping through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP).

Historically, small businesses have paid as much as 18 percent more than their larger competitors for the same coverage. However, SHOP now tackles these problems by creating a competitive marketplace where small businesses can shop for coverage that meets their needs via a convenient online application.

Find out more about the Chart of the Week and SHOP here.

Find out more about the Chart of the Week.

 

 

Weekly Address: Immigration Accountability Executive Action

In this week’s address, the President laid out the steps he took this past week to fix our broken immigration system. Enacted within his legal authority, the President’s plan focuses on cracking down on illegal immigration at the border; deporting felons, not families; and accountability through criminal background checks and taxes. These are commonsense steps, but only Congress can finish the job.

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The Faces of Health Care: Amy W.

Amy and her husband are self-employed, operating a semi-truck out of Augusta, GA. As self-employed Americans, they had to purchase health insurance on their own. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, they were able to keep a significant amount of their business profits in their pocket by purchasing an affordable, quality plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace.

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What You Need To Know: The President’s Actions on Immigration

Here’s what you need to know about President Obama’s new steps to fix our broken immigration system.

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