Under President Trump, The African American Community Is Seeing Month After Month Of Record Unemployment, Unprecedented Support For HBCU's, And Game Changing Criminal Justice Reform

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The Facts:

AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE THRIVED UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP AS HE SCORES WIN AFTER WIN ON ISSUES THAT HELP LIFT UP MARGINALIZED GROUPS

The Trump economy has generated record low African American unemployment for three months in a row .

A provision in President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created "opportunity zones" to create jobs and spur investment into disadvantaged communities that contain as many as 1.4 million minority households.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN A LEADER ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

President Trump has already successfully pushed for criminal justice reforms through the First Step Act in a " significant victory " for the president who made the issue a "top priority" in his administration.

The First Step Act shortens mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes and provides judges greater liberty to go around mandatory minimums.

The Bill also allows offenders sentenced under racially motivated mandatory minimums to petition for their cases to be re-evaluated , helping "many African-American offenders who were disproportionately punished."

Thanks to The First Step Act, more than 3,000 Americans have been released from prison.

Many advocacy groups pushed for the First Step Act including the National Urban League whose president Marc Morial praised the bill.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS SUPPORTED SCHOOL CHOICE POLICIES FAVORED BY THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

In 2019, the Trump Administration once again renewed its commitment to school choice, proposing a $5 billion per year tax credit on donations that fund scholarships for private schools, apprenticeships, and other educational programs.

A 2016 survey found that 64% of African Americans support "a tax credit for individual and corporate donations that pay for scholarships to help low-income parents send their children to private schools."

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS WORKED TO SUPPORT HBCU's

In the first months of his administration, President Trump established a board of presidential advisors on HBCU's and brought the initiative to the White House from the Department of Education, a change leaders had requested under President Obama.

The Trump Administration has forgiven more than $300 million in outstanding debt for four schools impacted by natural disasters and the budget provided $10 million to defer loan payments for 6 school facing financial difficulties.

President Trump has appropriated more money than any other president to HBCU's.

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AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE THRIVED UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP AS HE SCORES WIN AFTER WIN ON ISSUES THAT HELP LIFT UP MARGINALIZED GROUPS

The Trump Economy Has Generated Record Low African American Unemployment For Three Months In A Row

CNBC: "The Unemployment Rate For African-Americans Nudged Lower To 5.4%, A New Record." ( CNBC , 11/1/19)

October's Record African American Unemployment Marked 3 Straight Months Of Record Low Unemployment For African Americans. "The black unemployment rate hit an all-time low for the month of October, making it three straight record months of record unemployment among black Americans. The jobs report, which was released Friday showed unemployment for black Americans at 5.4%, down from 5.5% the previous two months. The overall unemployment is at 3.6%, up from 3.5% in September. Unemployment is still near a 50-year low." ( The Washington Examiner , 11/1/19)

Opportunity Zones Created By The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Will Create Jobs And Spur Investment Into Disadvantaged Communities That Represent As Many As 1.4 Million Minority Households

Economic Growth In The U.S. Has Been Uneven And Much Of The Country Has Been Left Behind, Opportunity Zones Give Investors An Incentive To Put That Money Into Distressed Communities. "Economic growth in the U.S. has been uneven. A handful of cities are booming, while much of the country -- from rural counties to aging Rust Belt towns -- get left behind. Giving investors an incentive to plow some of their $6 trillion in unrealized capital gains into these distressed communities could help jump-start growth, create jobs and lift incomes. Nearly all of the opportunity zones have poverty rates north of 20 percent or family incomes that are lower than 80 percent of the state or metro median." ( The Washington Post , 2/14/19)

Minorities Comprise A Majority Of Opportunity Zones Residents, 1.4 Million Minority Households Who Could See Their Wealth Improve As A Result Of Local Reinvestment. "Minorities comprise a majority of Opportunity Zones residents, and one third of black and Hispanic households are owner-occupied. This translates to 1.4 million minority households who could see their wealth improve as a result of local reinvestment." ( Economic Innovation Group , 12/18)

Opportunity Zones Are "A Hidden Gem" Within The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act That Created Thousands Of Tax Havens In Distressed Census Tracts Across America That "Will Provide Potentially Huge Tax Savings For Investors While Creating Thousands Of Jobs." "Mention 'tax havens' and what often comes to mind are rich little countries with discreet, friendly bankers. But the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 created what amount to thousands of tax havens in the Tampa Bay area and the rest of the United States. They're called Opportunity Zones and they will provide potentially huge tax savings for investors while creating thousands of jobs. 'It's kind of a hidden gem in the tax act,' said Stephen Looney, an Orlando lawyer and expert in tax law. 'Not a lot of attention has been paid to it.'" ( The Tampa Bay Times , 4/5/19)

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN A LEADER ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

President Trump Has Already Successfully Pushed For Criminal Justice Reforms Through The First Step Act In A "Significant Victory" For The President Who Made The Issue A "Top Priority" In His Administration

In December 2018, The Passage Of The Bipartisan First Step Act, A Law That Makes Important Criminal Justice Reforms, Was Called A "Significant Victory" For President Trump Who Has Made The Issue A Priority For His Top Advisors. "President Trump on Friday signed into law a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill after it overwhelmingly passed both chambers earlier this week. The bill, called the First Step Act, reduces mandatory minimum sentences in certain instances and expands on 'good time credits' for well-behaved prisoners looking for shorter sentences. It also instructs the Department of Justice to establish a risk and needs assessment system to classify inmate's risk and provide guidance on 'housing, grouping, and program assignment.' The Senate approved the bill in a vote of 87-12 on Tuesday while the House approved it 358-36 on Thursday, sending it to Trump's desk. The bill's passage was a significant victory for Trump and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who was involved in negotiations over the bill. Criminal justice reform was one of Kushner's major policy goals since arriving in the White House." ( The Hill , 12/21/18)

The Legislation That Was "Overwhelmingly Approved" In The House, Represents "The Most Far-Reaching Overhaul Of The Criminal Justice System In A Generation." "In a ceremony at the White House, Trump touted the First Step Act a day after the House overwhelmingly approved the most far-reaching overhaul of the criminal justice system in a generation." ( The Washington Post , 12/21/18)

The First Step Act Shortens Mandatory Minimum Sentences For Nonviolent Drug Crimes And Provides Judges Greater Liberty To Go Around Mandatory Minimums. "In all, it includes four changes to federal sentencing laws. One would shorten mandatory minimum sentences for some nonviolent drug offenses, including lowering the mandatory 'three strikes' penalty from life in prison to 25 years. Another would provide judges greater liberty to use so-called safety valves to go around mandatory minimums in some cases. The bill would also clarify that the so-called stacking mechanism making it a federal crime to possess a firearm while committing another crime, like a drug offense, should apply only to individuals who have previously been convicted." ( The New York Times , 12/18/18)

The Bill Allows Offenders Sentenced Under Racially Motivated Mandatory Minimums To Petition For Their Cases To Be Re-Evaluated, Helping "Many African-American Offenders Who Were Disproportionately Punished For Crack Dealing While White Drug Dealers Got Off Easier For Selling Powder Cocaine." "Finally, the bill would allow offenders sentenced before a 2010 reduction in the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine to petition for their cases to be re-evaluated. The provision could alter the sentences of several thousand drug offenders serving lengthy sentences for crack-cocaine offenses. That would help many African-American offenders who were disproportionately punished for crack dealing while white drug dealers got off easier for selling powder cocaine." ( The New York Times , 12/18/18)

The First Step Act Was Supported By Democrat And Republican Leadership, As Well As The ACLU, Conservative Groups And Several Law Enforcement Agencies. "It's supported by party leaders on both sides of the aisle, the ACLU, the Koch brothers, several law enforcement agencies and, as Rolling Stone learned Wednesday morning, a list of over 50 celebrities that have signed a letter addressed congressional leaders urging them to take the steps necessary to sign the bill into law before Congress breaks in mid-December." ( Rolling Stone , 11/14/18)

Thanks To The First Step Act, Thousands Of Americans Have Been Released From Prison And Given A Second Chance, Including More Than 2,000 Who Have Benefitted From The Easing Of Harsh Mandatory Minimums

Nearly 3,100 Federal Inmates Have Been Released As A Recalculation Of The Number Of Days Inmates Accrue Each Year For Good Behavior That Was Applied Retroactively Under The First Step Act Took Effect. "Nearly 3,100 federal inmates will walk out of prison on Friday as a provision of the sweeping criminal justice reform act passed by Congress takes effect. The mass release -- the largest since the First Step Act was signed into law after a rare bipartisan push last year -- applies mostly to drug offenders and inmates serving sentences for weapons charges. It was initiated by a recalculation of the number of days inmates accrue each year for good behavior that was applied retroactively under the new law." ( CNN , 7/19/19)

The Department Of Justice Also Announced That $75 Million Was Being Redirected From Existing Justice Department Programs To Fund The First Step Act, Addressing Concerns By Liberals Who Questioned The Department's Commitment To Reform. "At a news conference at the Department of Justice Friday morning, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen also announced that $75 million was being redirected from existing Justice Department programs to fund the First Step Act for the remainder of the fiscal year that goes through September, a move that could begin to allay the fears of some advocates who had questioned the department's commitment to reform." ( CNN , 7/19/19)

The First Step Act Is A Reversal Of Criminal Justice Policies, Including Those Pushed By Vice President Joe Biden In The 80's And 90's That "Advocated For The Harshest Punishments Possible For Offenders.. "The new law represents a sea change in criminal justice policy which once advocated for the harshest punishments possible for offenders, including non-violent drug addicts who were swept up in en mass during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s. The reversal, largely driven by spiraling prison costs and racial disparities in the enforcement of such punitive measures has garnered support of an unusual political alliance that includes Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, and the man he hopes to unseat, President Donald Trump." ( USA Today , 7/19/19)

Reforms Addressing The Disparity Between Sentencing For Those Who Sell Crack Compared To Powdered Cocaine Has Already Freed Over 1,000 Inmates And Led To Shorter Sentences For 1,600 Others. "The law gives judges more discretion in sentencing non-violent drug offenders, and eases some of the long mandatory-minimum sentences for convicts with only minor criminal records. It allows the government to more easily release seriously ill inmates and seeks to reconcile extreme sentencing disparities between people who sell crack compared to powdered cocaine. That provision alone has already freed 1,093 inmates and led to shorter sentences for 1,600 others. Most of those freed Friday, officials said, were released from halfway houses where they were completing the last portions of their sentences." ( USA Today , 7/19/19)

Many African American Advocacy Groups Including The National Urban League Praised President Trump's First Step Act Including The National Urban League

Many Advocacy Groups Pushed For The First Step Act Including The National Urban League Itself Whose President Marc Morial Who Praised The Bill. "Several advocacy groups, including #cut50, and national civil rights groups, including the National Urban League, have been a part of a massive push to get the legislation passed. 'It's been a long time in raising the awareness of how the system of mass incarceration is so destructive and needs to be fixed and reformed,' said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. 'There's been a lot of groundwork that has been laid over the years.'" ( Press Release, Sen Cyndy Hyde-Smith, 12/18/18)

More Than 90% Of Individuals Whose Sentences Were Shortened Were African American And 98 Percent Were Male, Thanks To The Reset Of The Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparity That Tackled The Disproportionate Racial Impact On Nonviolent Drug Offenders. "Over 91 percent of the individuals whose sentences were shortened were African American and 98 percent were male, the USSC said. The average age of those granted resentencing motions was 45 - and the average age at the time of the original sentence was 32. 'The 2010 re-set of the crack-powder cocaine disparity, under the Fair Sentencing Act passed that year, disparity was aimed at tackling the disproportionate racial impact on nonviolent drug offenders,' according to the Criminal Justice Network's Crime Report." ( The Charleston Chronicle , 7/21/19)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS SUPPORTED SCHOOL CHOICE POLICIES FAVORED BY THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

The Trump Administration Has Fought For A Federal Tax Credit On Donations That Fund Scholarships To Private Schools, A Proposal Supported By 64% Of African Americans

In 2019, The Trump Administration Once Again Renewed Its Commitment To School Choice, Proposing A $5 Billion Per Year Tax Credit On Donations That Fund Scholarships For Private Schools Apprenticeships And Other Educational Programs. "The Trump administration renewed its push for school choice on Thursday with a proposal to provide $5 billion a year in federal tax credits for donations made to groups offering scholarships for private schools, apprenticeships and other educational programs." ( The Associated Press , 2/28/19)

The Education Freedom Scholarships And Opportunity Act Would Allow States To Determine Eligibility For The Credits Including Which Students Are Eligible For Scholarships And Where They Could Be Used. "The plan, called the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, would allow states to set their own rules around the credits, including which students are eligible for scholarships and where they could be used. Possible programs include apprenticeships, private schools, home schooling, special education, tutoring or public virtual schools. The proposal would offer a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for individuals and businesses that donate to scholarship groups approved by the state, meaning that every dollar given takes a dollar off the donor's tax bill." ( The Associated Pres s , 2/28/19)

A 2016 Survey Found That 64% Of African Americans Support "A Tax Credit For Individual And Corporate Donations That Pay For Scholarships To Help Low-Income Parents Send Their Children To Private Schools." "The journal Education Next has for several years asked questions both neutral and not so neutral to gauge school choice support. As I noted in my initial response to the CAP paper, the 2016 survey found 'a whopping 64 percent of African Americans supported 'a tax credit for individual and corporate donations that pay for scholarships to help low-income parents send their children to private schools.'" ( CATO , 7/5/17)

The Non-Partisan Joint Center For Political And Economic Studies Found That 63% Of African Americans Support School Vouchers. "But some of the longest running evidence of African-American support for choice comes from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 'a non-partisan, non-profit public policy organization that supports elected officials and policy experts who serve communities of color across the country.' Over many years it has consistently found plurality to significant majority African-American support for choice. Its most recent poll of which I am aware, conducted in 2008, reported that 63 percent of respondents said 'yes' when asked if they 'support vouchers.'" ( CATO , 7/5/17)

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS WORKED TO SUPPORT HBCU's

The Trump Administration Has Made HBCU's A Priority, Appropriating More Money Than Any Other President To Support The Schools And Establishing A Long-Awaited White House Advisory Board

In The First Months Of His Presidency President Trump Established A Board Of Presidential Advisors On Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCU's) And Brought The Initiative To The White House, Rather Than The Department Of Education. "On Tuesday afternoon, Trump signed an executive order moving the federal initiative HBCUs into the White House from the Department of Education, where it was housed under President Barack Obama's administration. It establishes a President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs, though much of the administration and budgeting will remain in the Department of Education. It was officially titled Presidential Executive Order on The White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 'With this executive order, we will make HBCUs a priority in the White House - an absolute priority,' Trump said. 'A lot of people are going to be angry that they're not a priority, but that's OK.'" ( The Undefeated , 3/1/17)

Additionally President Trump's Executive Order Appointed A Executive Director Of The White House Initiative On HBCUs To Strengthen The Schools Through Enhanced Planning And Development. "The order establishes an executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, which will be in the Executive Office of the President. Part of that person's responsibilities will be to strengthen schools through enhanced planning and development, collaboration with the private sector, participation in federal programs and upgrading infrastructure." ( The Undefeated , 3/1/17)

Johnny C. Taylor, President And CEO Of The Thurgood Marshall College Fund Noted That "The Black College Community Assumed Would Have Been Easily Accomplished" Under President Obama Who Ignored Their "Repeated Requests." "Johnny C. Taylor, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, who worked with White House officials drafting the order, shares Haynes' jubilation - but admitted to mixed feelings. 'This was something that, frankly, the black college community assumed would have been easily accomplished with the first African-American president, and after over eight years of repeated requests, to think that within 45 days of his presidency we were able to convene all of the [HBCU] presidents in the Oval Office [Monday] and [on Tuesday] a subset of us were able to come back and sign the executive order the same day that the [president] is preparing for first State of the Union address. [That] gives this tremendous importance. It's bittersweet, but at the end of the day, we focus on the sweet.'" ( The Undefeated , 3/1/17)

HBCU Advocates In Washington Have Claimed Several Victories Under The Trump Administration Including The Return Of Year-Round Pell Grants And "Most Importantly, They Say, Concerns Of HBCUs Are Registering With Top Officials In The Administration." "But the sector's lobby groups have claimed victories on financial aid policies, particularly the return of year-round Pell Grants. They also point to more symbolic steps involving federal support, such as the transfer of the White House HBCU Initiative from the U.S. Department of Education to the administration's executive offices. Most importantly, they say, concerns of HBCUs are registering with top officials in the administration." ( Inside Higher Ed , 2/28/18)

The Trump Administration Has Forgiven More Than $300 Million In Outstanding Debt For Four Schools Impacted By Natural Disasters And The Budget Provided $10 Million To Defer Loan Payments For 6 School Facing Financial Difficulties. "The federal government has tried to ease the burden of loan payments for some schools, including forgiving more than $300 million in outstanding debt for four schools hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The latest federal budget also provided the Education Department with $10 million to defer loan payments for up to six years for some schools facing financial difficulties." ( The Wall Street Journal , 6/6/19)

President Trump Has Appropriated More Money Than Any Other President To HBCU's. "We went straight to the Department of Education and according to their records, Trump gave the most to historically black institutions for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Obama held that record back in 2010. But in 2018, Trump appropriated more than three hundred and sixty million dollars--thirty two million more than Obama. So we can verify, Trump has spent more than any other president on HBCUs." ( WUSA 9 , 4/9/18)

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