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Democrats Spar Over Domestic Issues at Howard

John Harrington/PBS Hillary Clinton, left, Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich were among candidates on stage at Howard University.

By Drew Costley
Black College Wire

Tavis Smiley said he wanted to have the Democratic presidential candidates at historically black universities. "I wanted them to come to our institutions to answer our questions," the broadcast personality said.

And so Howard University became the battleground June 28 as the eight Democratic candidates debated domestic issues.

The first presidential forum to have three questioners of color attracted black luminaries Cornel West and Michael Eric Dyson from academia, activist performer Harry Belafonte, actress and dancer Debbie Allen, a Howard alumna, and activist the Rev. Al Sharpton.

DeWayne Wickham of USA Today and Gannett News Service, Michel Martin of National Public Radio, both African American, and national syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr. of the San Diego Union Tribune, who is Latino, comprised the panel.

"This is where Thurgood Marshall and the Brown team worked on Brown v. Board of Education," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said in reference to the historic 1954 case that struck down "separate but equal." Arguments for the case were planned at Howard's School of Law. "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the ruling in that case."

After the debate, West said Obama's reference should have prompted a moment of silence.

"We want people to know that Howard is a huge part of the history of gaining equal educational opportunities,"said West, professor of religion and African American studies at Princeton.

The forum came on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against integration programs in public school systems in Seattle and Louisville, Ky.

Howard students demonstrated Dec. 4 to support the continued use of race as a factor in maintaining racially diverse schools. Despite the outcome of those cases, some say the school remains a juncture of social awareness.

Tonight "is a beautiful moment for Howard University," said Dyson, author and University Professor at Georgetown University. "It shows that it can be a political powerhouse that it once was."

Obama said that despite the progress made since the landmark ruling, a "sense of mutual responsibility" by Americans is necessary to provide equal educational opportunities. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut echoed Obama's sentiments.

Other candidates blamed Supreme Court justices and the tone set by the president as reasons for racial inequality.

"We weren't tough enough on Justices Roberts and Alito," said Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, referring to Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. "And they have turned the Court upside down."

Economic opportunity and access to universal healthcare were also hot issues. Candidates blamed the lack of economic opportunities for blacks on the educational system and uneven tax cuts.

"I don't think that we can separate the education issue and the economic issue," said Clinton, who reflected on a career focused on improving child welfare. "There are people that are qualified for jobs that are being turned away." Poverty and education "is a broader issue," she said.

John Edwards, former senator from North Carolina, said tax cuts should be more evenly distributed among tax brackets, a sentiment that most candidates agreed with.

But Mike Gravel, a former senator from Alaska, said, "What these people are saying is not going to make any difference in the tax system."

Obama said that tax money should be reallocated to make universal healthcare a possibility. He also said tax money "should be allocated fairly and in the right places."

The percentage of African American youth with HIV/AIDS was attributed to a lack of healthcare education and limited access to healthcare. All candidates proposed universal healthcare as a solution.

They all said the issue of HIV/AIDS in the black community is being neglected.

“If HIV/AIDS were the leading cause of death in [young] white women,” Clinton said, "there would be an outrage." The crowd, mostly African American, responded with thunderous applause.

Sade Faulkner, a junior political science major at Howard, said the candidates need a more definite plan for solving African American problems.

"It seems as if the candidates understand the issues, but there isn't a definite plan to make changes," Faulkner said. "A definite plan needs to be put in place once and for all."

Syndicated radio host Tom Joyner opened up the forum, sponsored by PBS, where Smiley hosts a talk show. He thanked Smiley for pulling together the event.

"I am also glad that this is taking place at the historically black Howard University," Joyner said. "Thanks for doing something that we do everyday; making black America a priority."

Drew Costley, a student at Howard University, is editor in chief of the Hilltop. Sakita Holley of Howard University contributed to this report. To comment, e-mail .

Posted June 29, 2007

I Don't Want to Depend on Government

I was born in Honduras, but I have lived in the U.S. for the last 10 years. I have a sociology degree from Eastern Mennonite University. I am more than grateful for this country, which now I call my country. There is no other place I want to live.

I watched part of the debate at Howard University and after I read this article I believe that Democrats use any issue for their own agenda. You wrote, “African American youth with HIV/AIDS was attributed to a lack of healthcare education and limited access to healthcare. All candidates proposed universal healthcare as a solution." I believe that is a way to take the responsibility away from the black community. It is also an insult to you, because they assume that blacks will continue getting sick. I did not hear about "a behavior issue among blacks."

HIV/AIDS is a behavior issue. You get sick if you have sex with an infected person. Democrats did not talk about changing behavior in order to stop the problem. They just talked about treatment after you get sick, and who's going to pay for that treatment? I am going to pay for that! Democrats will get the money from taxpayers like me. I do not want to pay for other people's behavior.

Democrats want blacks and Spanish-speaking people to depend on the government. I do not want to depend on the government. I want to have full control of my destiny. I have the right to choose my own desires, needs, goals and dreams. And I can only do that by being free!

Republicans share those principles and that is the reason I support Republicans and reject the Democrats' agenda.

Luis Padilla
Broadway, Va.
July 8, 2007