
By Joe Guzzardi
The Congressional Black Caucus doesnโt share Dr. Martin Luther Kingโs dream for African-Americans. 51 years ago, King outlined his hopes: that black as well and white men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. King despaired that blacks were exiled in their own American land and too often denied advancement opportunities.
The CBC has a different objective that would be extremely disappointing to Dr. King. One of the most powerful congressional caucuses has thrown its imposing weight behind comprehensive immigration reform, legislation that would expand the labor pool and thereby hurt unemployed black and Hispanic Americans more than any other demographic.
Fudge, writing on the CBCโs behalf, also stated unequivocally that it โunanimously supportsโ reform and โin particular,โ amnesty for millions of illegal aliens living in the U.S. today. Fudgeโs message seems clear: unemployed illegal immigrants who are black, Hispanic or Asian have the CBCโs support. But native-born black, Hispanic or Asian-Americans do not.
Americaโs leaders have lost sight of Kingโs dream. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20 percent of African-Americans are unemployed or underemployed; 17 percent of Hispanic-Americans canโt find work. Americans of all races havenโt seen a real wage increase in 40 years.
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