The whispers are getting louder about whether implementation of the economic stimulus plan is fair and equitable.
To address the growing concerns, the White House released a special report, “African Americans and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”:
Since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 100 days ago, resources have made their way into African American communities with investments in schools, health care, clean energy and other infrastructure projects saving or creating thousands of jobs. The Recovery Act is providing relief in hard hit areas and extending opportunity to those out of work and looking for a new path to prosperity.
Here is a sample of the projects from the “100 Projects, 100 Days” report that have impacted the African American Community:
Jobs and Training:
“A portion of the federal stimulus package funds will put up to 89 people to work in Macon County for six weeks beginning June 1. The Summer Youth Program falls under the umbrella of the Alabama Department of Labor to target those from 16-24 who are out of work.” [The Tuskegee News, 5/21/09]Supporting Communities:
The Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grant program provides funding for two years to Health Centers to increase health center staffing, extend hours of operations, and expand existing services. Using $147,000 in IDS funds, the Stewart County Community Medical Center in Tennessee will address two significant problems: deaths due to untreated diabetic conditions (Tennessee ranks 5th in the nation) and a lack of dentists. The Stewart County health center will use Recovery Act funds to provide free retinal eye screens for hundreds of their residents, as well as a full-time dental assistant, a part-time dentist to help their full-time staff clinician, and a bus service to get local children to and from the clinic.
The full report is available at Tracking Change Wiki.
For more info on the Recovery Act, check out the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's resource guide for African Americans.
