General Wesley Clark's Agenda for African Americans

Protecting each citizen's fundamental right to equal opportunity

We can tap the spirit of the New American Patriotism to build a better country, to grow our economy, to expand health care coverage, to improve education, and to make this nation safe and secure. We will only succeed in this endeavor if African Americans participate fully in the rebirth of our national spirit - and benefit fully from it as well. For too long, African Americans have been among the last to benefit from good times, and among the first to suffer in bad ones. And that's just wrong.

I saw what could be accomplished when the doors of opportunity are fully opened to all. We had such a system in the U.S. military, through our strong affirmative action program. I was honored to serve with, and serve under, some outstanding African American leaders. I saw many proud young African American men and women thrive when treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. And through their service, they prepared for college and for careers, using their talent and determination to compete fairly and equally with others. As President, I'd do everything I can to make sure that the people of the rest of our nation - in government, in the business sector, in education, in health care - are treated fairly and equally as well.

Specifically, I will focus on:

• Job creation and economic security. Eleven percent of African Americans are currently unemployed; that's almost twice the national average. Opportunity starts with jobs-which is why I want to repeal Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy and invest $100 billion in a job creation plan. My first policy proposal in this campaign was an ambitious program to create millions of new jobs in this country. Job creation must be our top economic priority.

• Health care. Parents shouldn't have to choose between necessities and health care for their children. I will fight to ensure that everyone has equal access to affordable, high quality health care. I have proposed a health care plan that will provide health insurance for every child and affordable access for every family. We also need to address the inequities in access and care for minorities. My plan increases funding, for example, for the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and for the Minority HIV-AIDS program.

• Education. Until we have equal access to quality education, this country won't be able to reach its full potential. I am committed to working to fully fund programs that target necessary resources to the schools that need them. We need to fix No Child Left Behind so that children aren't left behind in schools crippled by lack of resources. We must also invest in hiring, training, and retaining new teachers - instead of cutting the funding, as the Bush administration has done, for the resources they need to teach our children. And we need to invest in school construction and renovation so that teachers and students have safe, modern facilities in which to work and learn. My commitment to education doesn't end with high school. Now more than ever, higher education is an important component of success. I recently announced my jobs program, which includes a $40 billion dollar state and local tax rebate fund to help keep tuition increases at public colleges down. I also support increasing the maximum for Pell grants and expanding work study.

• Retirement Security: I strongly believe that Social Security is one of the government's most important programs. For 20 percent of elderly beneficiaries, Social Security represents their only source of income. The program faces a long-term deficit that must be addressed. As President I would work in a bipartisan way to save Social Security-not by ending it as we know it, but by putting it on sure financial footing. My plan to save $2.35 trillion over the next ten years and reduce the deficit every year is a first step in the right direction. Putting America on a course for more fiscal responsibility in the future is good for the economy and crucial to ensure that America meets its obligations in the future.

• Homeownership. Homeownership is a part of the American dream. Every working family should be able to have a place they call their own. Yet too many minorities - especially African-American families - are unfairly steered away from conventional credit into into high-interest, subprime loans. It's redlining, and it's wrong. Three straightforward steps would help ensure that every family is able to seek home ownership on equal terms. First, we need to get the economy going again - economic growth is the key to continuing to expand home ownership. Second, we need to crack down on predatory lending. Third, we must support minority lending institutions and other financial institutions that serve minority communities.

• Environmental justice. African-American communities, and all citizens of this country, should receive the full protection of our environmental laws. This administration's record on environmental protection and enforcement is abysmal; I'll promote better enforcement for everyone. I'll re-invigorate action on environmental justice at EPA, where it's languished under President Bush, and ensure that it once again becomes a priority. And of course, I'll make sure that protecting minority communities from toxic chemicals and other pollution doesn't come at the expense of economic development. I'll provide adequate funding for safely developing "brownfields" sites, and ensure that those sites are developed in a manner that respects the nature of the communities where they are located. Dennis Archer did a service years ago by raising this concern. I would consult with Mayor Archer and others to be sure we both protect the environment and promote redevelopment in our inner cities. I'm convinced it can be done.

• Voting rights. I am concerned that so many Americans who are legally entitled to vote have had their right to vote impaired or their ballot ignored. I am astonished that the votes of thousands and thousands of African-American ballots were discarded in Florida. I was proud to lead a multilateral force in Bosnia and Kosovo, seeking to restore free and fair elections to the Balkans; what many Americans - and many African Americans - put their lives on the line for in Europe simply must be guaranteed here at home. I will fight to make sure that African Americans are never again unlawfully disenfranchised. In addition, I would encourage the states to look at the laws that strip voting rights from those who have served their time. Many thousands of these citizens are veterans who have also served their country, and disproportionate numbers are African Americans. When the right to vote - the basis of government - is at stake, the states should reexamine their answers to the hard questions: who is excluded, why they're excluded, for how long they're excluded, and whether the law as it stands serves justice for all.

• Racial profiling. I strongly condemn the unjustified use of race in making routine law enforcement decisions like traffic stops. I would support federal legislation to try to help end racial profiling, and to provide support and training for police departments that tackle the issue. And I would reinstate various programs that President Clinton put in place, to provide more opportunity for young people from minority communities to become police officers in the first place. Most of our police officers - from every racial background - are heroes who do a great job each day. And better-integrated police departments would help even more.

• Affirmative action. Throughout my career, I have seen the meaning, consequence, and importance of affirmative action firsthand. I was proud to join a group of retired military officers who filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of affirmative action at the University of Michigan. I think such policies are necessary to facilitate diversity within, and thus the legitimacy of, the nation's leadership. And the Supreme Court agreed on the importance of diversity, relying on the successes of the military model. America cannot be a great nation without the leadership of our very best - of all races, from all parts of the country. Affirmative action ensures that future leaders who might otherwise never get a chance are brought to the forefront. As a result, Americans - all Americans - benefit.