Good public policy must be paired with committed voluntary action.

Political empowerment requires full engagement.

Dr. Brian Perkins, Chair of the National Black Caucus of School Board Members, a member of the New Haven, Connecticut school board, and a member of the faculty at the Columbia University Teachers College, reviews the education policy proposals of Senators McCain and Obama and argues for re-structuring and full funding of the No Child Left Behind Act.

This analysis is a brief review of some available evidence regarding the November 4, 2008 election. In particular, this review focuses on the election of President-elect Barack Obama, the behavior and significance of African American voters in the 2008 elections and the profiles of black candidates for federal office.

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Publication date: December 2008

For nearly 16 years, Paul Martodam has helped Catholic Charities assist people throughout Phoenix with food, shelter and many other parts of daily life.

World War II brought a wave of unity America.  Service became an expectation of all citizens--whether it was serving in the armed forces, volunteering at home, working overtime in war production or participating in the daily work of the American Red Cross.

In this issue:

- The New Era of Broadband and Democracy--A Pathway to Digital Inclusiveness

- Secretary Slater Calls for a National Vision for Transportation

- Can Infrastructure Investments Promote A More Inclusive Economy .

It seems that the spring won't be much more favorable to the economy than the winter--while the April showers may have brought May flowers, according to recent job data, they also brought another 500,000 pink slips.

In this edition:

Promising Practices In Asset Building For Low-Income Communities of Color

Obama and The Burden of Race

A Complete and Accurate Count in The 2010 Census

The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (FMWA), which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, January 10th and taken up by the U.S. Senate the week of January 22nd, will raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour by 2009. The minimum would be raised in three steps: to $5.85 within 60 days of becoming law, then to $6.55 a year after that, and finally to $7.25 the following year.

How many workers might the Act affect if it is passed this year and if the minimum is then raised to $7.25 by 2009? How might the effects differ by race and ethnicity?

These important questions have no simple answers. Informative estimates can nevertheless be produced through analysis of the hourly wages that workers reported in the most recent Annual Demographic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), which was conducted in March 2006. Workers who reported earnings between $5.15 (the current federal minimum wage) and $5.85 might be affected by the increase that the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 would implement within 60 days of its passage; those earning between $5.85 and $6.55, and between $6.55 and $7.25 might benefit from the second and third increases proposed in the Act. Workers who reported earnings greater than the proposed federal minimum wage of $7.25 by 2009 may also see their wages increase by that time, as some states implement planned increases in their minimum wages that exceed the federal minimum.