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Head Start Is a Jump Start for Women’s Economic Security

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Children in HeadStart by Vince Alongi

Head Start Is a Jump Start for Women’s Economic Security

By Christian F. Nunes, MBA, MS, LCSW

Since 1964, the Head Start program has been a lifeline for generations of women and families, providing free, high-quality educational, health, social-emotional, and nutritional services and opening doors to opportunity and economic justice that had long been kept shut. Now, as Head Start approaches its 60th anniversary, it’s a great time to look back on all that the program has achieved — and look forward to what our country could look like if Head Start was strengthened. It’s been said that when it began, Head Start was not simply an “innovation” but also an “invention,” and a radical one at that. President Lyndon Johnson, a former teacher in a one-room schoolhouse, believed strongly that education was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and Head Start was one of the earliest elements of the “War on Poverty” launched by his administration.

He put the whole engine of government to work on disrupting the cycle of poverty that endured from one generation to the next and advanced a social justice agenda in areas where educational opportunity was denied based on race. Naturally, this intersects with the issue of economic justice for women. As Marian Wright Edelman — the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar and the founder of the Children’s Defense Fund — described it, “After the Mississippi Summer Project, the Freedom Summer of 1964, without a doubt, Head Start coming to Mississippi in 1965 was the most important follow-up and aftermath. It led to a bunch of independent people getting jobs outside of the plantation structure, not going through the state structure — where they wouldn’t have gotten jobs anywhere, except as janitors. And creating this Head Start program, those 3,000 people multiplied into many of your hundreds of elected officials today. It was the next phase of trying to build the movement.” The experts, scientists, and officials who crafted Head Start believed that a child who is physically or mentally unwell, or who is hungry, would not be able to learn, and they made health and nutrition integral parts of Head Start.

By now, Head Start has served nearly 40 million children (about twice the population of New York), birth to age five, and their families. In 2023, that included more than 833,000 children and pregnant people in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Head Start protects the healthy development of children living in poverty and it frees parents to pursue their education or employment, opening doors to middle-class security. What’s more, Head Start is an essential building block on the path to universal pre-K, with many states integrating Head Start programs into their state pre-K system. But not everyone sees it that way, with some pushing to eliminate Head Start from state and federal budgets. That would slash pre-K, cut the number of available childcare slots, cause childcare costs for families living in poverty to skyrocket, thwart economic growth, and widen income inequality. Roughly 68% of children under age six have all available parents in the workforce, making access to childcare both a necessity for families and the nation’s economy. It’s been estimated that lack of access to reliable, affordable infant and toddler care costs $122 billion every year due to lost earnings, productivity, and tax revenue.

Childcare is work that supports all other work. Mothers, who do most of the caregiving, too often must choose between staying home reducing their paid work hours to care for their children, or arranging childcare that can be so expensive that continuing to work may not be worthwhile. The cost of childcare can be a “tax” on wages — for every hour a single mother works, she must pay someone else to take care of her children. Head Start saves women money and connects them to a support network of other parents and service providers to help them rise the economic ladder. At a time when most Americans live in childcare deserts, areas with an insufficient supply of licensed childcare, women can’t afford to lose the hundreds of thousands of childcare places and the network of services provided by Head Start. This is especially true in rural communities. A 2018 survey of ten states (Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, and Texas) found that Head Start programs provided 22% of the overall childcare supply in rural areas, including more than one-third of the center-based child care in Georgia counties and more than 40% in frontier counties (those with a population density of fewer than six people per square mile) in Michigan.

The rising cost of childcare takes a painful, daily toll on women’s economic security. The national average price for childcare in 2023 was $11,582. For families at the poverty level, which is the income eligibility threshold for Head Start, that represents 38.6% of their income and is more than five times greater than the threshold the government has said is affordable for families to pay for childcare. Dozens of studies have shown how Head Start children and their families benefit over the long term across health, education, parenting, high school graduation rates, participation in college, employment, and earnings. One study even found positive impacts on the children of Head Start graduates. The numbers are clear, and the facts are plain. Head Start is a great example of a government that works for women and children. It must be protected, strengthened, and expanded.

Christian F. Nunes is the National President of the National Organization for Women

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Six Decades after King’s Historic Speech, Report Shows Black Economic Equality is ‘Still a Dream’

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Mainstream media often ignores Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fight for economic justice and his strong relationship with the Black Press. (Wikimedia Commons)

The report exposes that in 2021, African Americans earn 62 cents to every dollar earned by white families.

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Sixty years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a groundbreaking new report has laid bare the stark truth of ongoing black economic inequality in the United States.
Titled “STILL A DREAM: Over 500 Years to Black Economic Equality,” the report, co-authored by prominent experts Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chuck Collins, Omar Ocampo, and Sally Sim, and published by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), underscores the enduring disparities faced by Black Americans and highlights the pressing need for concerted action to address these disparities.
“Sixty years ago, Dr. King observed that America has defaulted on this promissory note to Black citizens,” stated Chuck Collins, an IPS senior scholar who directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good in Washington, DC.
“Six decades later, despite incremental progress on some fronts, the check of opportunity has still come back with insufficient funds.”
Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chief of Race, Wealth, and Community for NCRC, lamented, “It is deeply troubling that, sixty years after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Black economic equality remains nothing more than a dream for most Black Americans.”
“The revelation that it would take more than 500 additional years to close the economic gap for black Americans is a stark reminder of the systemic inequities that persist,” Asante-Muhammad asserted.
Sally Sim, a senior organizer, and project specialist at NCRC, emphasized the urgency of the situation.
“The sobering projection and findings of our report sixty years after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom reinforce that the dream for economic equality for Black Americans remains unfulfilled,” Sim stated.
“On this historic anniversary, let us turn this report into a catalyst for meaningful action towards comprehensive solutions and public support for policies and initiatives that promote black economic equality.”
Some key findings from the comprehensive report were that, despite modest advancements made by African Americans since the 1960s, including reduced poverty rates, increased high school attainment, and lower unemployment rates, income disparities between Black and white Americans have only slightly improved.
The report exposes that in 2021, African Americans earn 62 cents to every dollar earned by white families.
The report’s authors said, at this rate, achieving income parity would take an astonishing 513 years.
Further, the wealth gap between Black and non-Black Americans has experienced only marginal growth, with African Americans possessing 18 cents for every dollar of non-Black wealth in 2019.
If this pace continues, it will take approximately 780 years for Black wealth to match non-Black wealth.
Median household income for African Americans has shown minimal growth, growing just 0.36% since the turn of the century.
Strikingly, it remained lower than white median family income in 1963.
Even after over six decades, the Black-white homeownership divide persists.
Black homeownership has grown from 38% in 1960 to 44% in 2021, while white homeownership surged from 64% in 1960 to 74% in 2021.
The report outlined a series of recommendations to combat black economic inequality:
1. Advocate for full employment and guaranteed jobs to ensure equal economic opportunities for all.
2. Enact a substantial land and homeownership program to address the enduring homeownership gap between Black and white Americans.
3. Commit to individual asset building, including financial education, asset matching programs, and supportive policies, to facilitate access to wealth-building opportunities for Black Americans.
4. Implement policies to reduce dynastic concentrations of wealth and power, tackling the structural barriers that impede economic progress for Black Americans.
5. Explore targeted reparations to address historical injustices and provide meaningful redress for the economic disparities Black Americans face.
The authors noted that, as the nation reflects on King’s enduring vision for equality and justice, the report serves as a sobering reminder that pursuing Black economic equality remains an unmet challenge in America.
“The findings of this report are sobering and demand immediate and comprehensive action to address the economic disparities faced by African Americans,” remarked Omar Ocampo, a researcher for the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at IPS.
“We must invest in transformative policies that address systemic racism and create an equitable society.”
View the full report here.

OP-ED: Addressing the Issues Around Public Safety and Policing

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Congressman James E. Clyburn

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

Following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020 at the hands of law enforcement—two in a long line of avoidable tragedies—Democrats reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that law enforcement truly protect the communities they serve. House Democrats passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to prevent police misconduct by improving law enforcement practices and enhancing accountability. Regrettably, the bill stalled in the Senate due to Republican opposition. Since taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden has restricted the transfer of military equipment to police departments and directed federal law enforcement agencies to end the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants.

Now a renewed call for action has emerged as the country mourns the violent death of Tyre Nichols, yet another unarmed Black citizen murdered by police. It has become undeniable that the culture of policing must improve. To reform this violent culture, we must enact public safety reforms that address the lack of accountability and transparency in policing while increasing the standards for those who wear the badge.

Our communities deserve meaningful change in how they are policed, and increased accountability will further that goal. It is unconscionable that a police officer can be fired from their local department for misconduct only to find employment in another department without consequence. Lawyers, doctors, public school teachers, and nearly all other professionals face accountability. Police officers have a sacred responsibility to protect the public—they should certainly not be immune from it.

Increased accountability goes hand in hand with increased transparency. Police department data, information, and policies should be made available to the communities they serve. There are more than 18,000 local police departments in the United States. However, there is no national requirement for collecting and sharing use-of-force data. Nor is there a nationwide database or registry that tracks problematic officers, preventing those who have been fired from moving on to another jurisdiction without accountability. The lack of transparency erodes public trust and allows dangerous actors to patrol our streets.

Increasing the professional standards for those who serve involves setting national practices and instituting mandatory trainings to ensure officers have the communication and de-escalation skills they need to better connect with their communities and prevent the deadly escalation of force. Training officers in these areas would improve police conduct and help officers better serve their communities.

In his January 7, 2023, State of the Union Address, President Biden urged us to “rise to this moment. We can’t turn away. Let’s do what we know in our hearts we need to do. Let’s come together to finish the job on police reform.” It is time for us to enact the reforms necessary to save lives. I call on our colleagues across the aisle to join in this critical effort.

To those who have lost loved ones to police violence, know this: just because you’re not in the headlines doesn’t mean you’re absent from our hearts and minds. South Carolina remembers Walter Scott, who was shot in the back and killed by a North Charleston police officer the morning of April 4, 2015. His brother, Anthony Scott, was my guest for this year’s State of the Union Address. Together, we heard President Biden’s call for action, and I can assure you that I will do all within my power to answer that call.

2nd Chronicles 15:7 urges, “be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” The road to achieving police reform may be long, but we must not tire. Instead, we must press on in honor of those we have lost and to prevent more Black men and women from falling victim to the same fate.

COMMENTARY: Is the Economy Rebounding?

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Economic recovery is dependent on the development of a COVID vaccine, which the current President says will be ready in October or November. More realistic, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, say a vaccine might not be ready until next summer or even later. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Hundreds of thousands of small businesses, including 40 percent of Black-owned companies, have closed, resulting in permanent job loss. Some of the hardest-hit industries include the leisure industries — travel, dining, and more.

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor

On the Friday before Labor Day, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly report, The Employment Situation. It reported good news – the unemployment rate dropped to 8.4 percent, higher than in February before the pandemic hit. We added 1.4 million jobs last month, the highest gain since the corona recession began. But while this is progress, it is no cause for celebration.

The Black unemployment rate remains double-digit and has not dropped as rapidly as either the overall rate or the white rate, 7.3 percent. Eleven million fewer people held jobs in August than in March. And the “rebound” is not spread evenly across populations. The top 10 percent have already recovered. The bottom 40 or 50 percent are still struggling.

Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris told CNN that “one in five mothers is describing her children as hungry.” The lines at the food banks have not gone down, and in some communities, they are getting longer. Once thought to be relatively immune to the virus, small-town America is now being hit, and forcefully. The challenge is that there are fewer hospitals or health care facilities in rural areas.

Economic recovery is dependent on the development of a COVID vaccine, which the current President says will be ready in October or November. More realistic, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, say a vaccine might not be ready until next summer or even later.

The bottom line is that the macro indicators may show some progress, but a deeper dive is far less optimistic. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses, including 40 percent of Black-owned companies, have closed, resulting in permanent job loss. Some of the hardest-hit industries include the leisure industries — travel, dining, and more.

Women, especially women of color, heavily populate some of these industries. While COVID hit women of color harder than others, recovery will not make these women whole.

The economy will not regain its position from early March. Indeed, the slight comeback in leisure industries has been partly a function of people enjoying safer, outdoor dining. The colder it gets, the more likely it is that people will choose to pass up dining out in favor of eating at home.

People bought more groceries between March and August, not wanting to risk the possibility of contagion. Many have cautiously begun to eat out again, but restaurants lose money when they reduce seating because of social distancing.

By mid-September, we will know whether the Labor Day weekend will spark another COVID outbreak. And if there is another outbreak, count on the economy to slow again. Congress could at least prevent some of this if the Senate passed the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act, which would extend unemployment insurance, provide relief for cities and states, and provide money for schools.

The HEROES legislation has been caught in partisan drama, with a bipartisan group of Congressional representatives passing it, but with Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell failing to even put the legislation up to a vote. Some Republicans dispute the need for the HEROES Act because of the latest unemployment rate data. But many states and local jurisdictions will lay off public servants – teachers, police officers, sanitation workers, transportation workers, health care workers, and others, pushing the unemployment rate back up.

The August Employment Situation report has more good news than bad. It indicates that for the fourth month in a row, things are improving. But this improvement is not enough, and it could be much better if our legislators would offer some assistance, especially to those at the bottom.

Even though 45 has made the economy his issue, repeatedly proclaiming that he created “the best economy in the world” until COVID, his inability to grasp the many ways that COVID will continue to plague the economy raises issues about his sagacity and discernment.

Don’t celebrate the rebound yet. Don’t stop the pressure either. The Senate must pass the HEROES Act or face the consequences. If we want economic recovery AND economic justice, we must vote.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. She can be reached through http://www.juliannemalveaux.com

Job-Hunting Tips To Restore Your Hope Despite The Pandemic

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This can be an especially frustrating and worrisome time for job seekers. Massive unemployment resulting from the coronavirus pandemic reflects decline and uncertainty in many industries. With fewer companies hiring, some workers who were laid off or furloughed face a more competitive job search.
But while it’s easy to get discouraged, employment numbers are creeping back, and retooling the job search method can help them stand out in the crowd and find desirable employers, says Jack Whatley (www.humancodeofhiring.com), a recruiting strategist who specializes in creating employer-branding campaigns.
“Many companies still are actively recruiting and looking for people with the right skill set and mindset to fit these changing times,” Whatley says. “People seeking employment not only to pay the bills but also to find work that is meaningful to them can leverage this time to be strategic and nimble.
“While there are factors job seekers can’t control, they can choose to equip themselves with more information, skill, and overall preparation, and in the process conduct a successful job search.”
Whatley offers five tips to help job seekers navigate their job search during the pandemic:
Gather intel. Whatley says the pandemic can reveal the essence of a company’s culture, which is a priority for many job candidates today. In the process of searching companies, pay attention to their social media sites and websites, reviews by former employees, and how they are handling things now, Whatley says. “How are they treating employees during this continuing emergency? How have they adapted? Are they working from home? Did they lay off people, and if so, how quickly? Is there a community-mindedness to the business?”
Expand your skill set. With fewer positions or expanded roles in different positions, versatility is key. “This is an ideal time to take online courses to expand your professional toolkit,” Whatley says. “Acquiring new certifications will be helpful when applying for new roles. Use online learning modules for platforms such as Zoom and Skype, which help practice interview skills and remote work. Hiring managers want to know you have the capabilities to navigate the tools and platforms for remote work.”
Expand your network. Data shows that networking remains a frequent factor in getting hired. Whatley says this is the time to make new connections and re-establish existing ones. “First, paint a complete, updated picture with your profile on the job search site,” Whatley says. “Does your headline create a strong brand, and does your profile highlight your accomplishments and capabilities? Include keywords that might appear in job descriptions. Post content on your social media sites to show you’re engaged in meaningful conversation. And challenge yourself to reach out to new people by  sending customized invitations.”
Be flexible in career paths. The kind of work one has been accustomed to may not be feasible given the current economic climate and the changes some industries are undergoing. “Research what industries are hiring, those in which you could apply your skills, and consider taking something that may not be on your Plan A list, but rather might be Plan B or C,” Whatley says. “Consider temporary opportunities. Search for opportunities in which you can leverage your transferable skills in a different capacity.”
Be prepared for the virtual interview. Virtual interviewing is the new normal. “Dress appropriately, as though you’re in the company’s office,” Whatley says. “Make your environment clean, appealing, and well-lit. Treat the video interview as though it were in-person. Be aware of making eye contact through the monitor, your tone, and your mannerisms.”
“Be proactive and persistent, but also be patient,” Whatley says. “Hiring processes may go slower for some companies, but there is a lot a job seeker can do to be ready when they call.”
About Jack Whatley
Jack Whatley (www.humancodeofhiring.com) is a recruiting strategist who specializes in creating employer branding campaigns that position companies as the employer of choice in their market. He is the author of the upcoming book Human Code of Hiring: DNA of Recruitment Marketing. Whatley is known for creating successful recruiting and employer-branding campaigns and delivering highly qualified applicants. His Driver DNA Hiring System has made Whatley the No. 1 people ops recruiting strategist for truck driving recruitment in the world. Together with his partner, daughter and innovation wizard Anika Whatley, they have expanded into other industries and have been working to perfect the Human Code DNA Hiring System, which uses the latest technology to improve the quality of worker life and enhance recruiter productivity.

Is My Job My Career?

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Employment has always been a necessity for most of us to survive. In Milwaukee, over the past ten years our unemployment rate has dropped drastically. In 2009, our unemployment rate was over 12% while today we are at 2.8%, according to Fox6now. That’s just shy of a 10% difference.

This means that many people have now gained employment. More jobs have been created and more opportunities have presented themselves. More income opportunities reduces the level of crime and it’s safe to say, we are slowly but surely bridging the gap.

These numbers are indeed something to be excited about simply because it means that, as a community, we are moving. But as I think of the many families that are currently dealing with depression and the lack of finances I begin to wonder, “But are we happy? Do we work solely for the check or are we setting ourselves up for a greater future?” I invite you to ponder with me for a second.

By definition a job is a paid position of regular employment. This simply means that where we work is our job. I remember my first job. I worked in a fast food restaurant because that’s who hired me at 16. I didn’t feel I had many choices. I just knew I needed to get working. While in fact we do need money to survive, how do we choose a career? Or better yet, how do we know the difference?

A career, by definition, is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress. This means there’s typically a greater goal in mind—a purpose. With a career it’s more than just about the money. A career is something you look at for your life from a long term perspective.

For instance, you may have dreams of becoming a loan officer. If you don’t have the experience necessary, you have to start somewhere. Now, of course you have the option to work a job in retail or maybe a local grocery store, but why not instead find something in the banking industry—even if it’s starting out as a teller?

When I decided that I wanted to become a local speaker, I began to look for opportunities to speak, host, and even write poetry. Since many of my skills are in communication and writing, I began to look for part time writing gigs that would accommodate my school schedule, yet put me in a place where I could exercise my voice.

Now, aside from writing, I currently work for an organization that helps people to achieve their goals as it relates to employment. To me, it’s the perfect job for my career path. When I go to work, I love it because I’m doing the exact thing that I desire to do.

I want to challenge you to create a plan for your life. Take them time to think about your goals. What’s your dream job? Do you currently possess the skills it takes to take your dream on full fledged? If not where can you start? Where are some places you would like to work? What role do you want to play? Do you need licensing, a degree, or certification? If so, what’s been holding you back?

You only have one life to live and you deserve to live abundantly. But patience is key. Know where you’re going and create a plan to get there. Write it down and execute. You deserve to be happy, on the job.

-LaShawnda S. Wilkins (@speaklifeshawnie)