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2A October 21, 2004 National World Poll: Kerry has wide support among blacks, though slightly less than Gore in 2000 WASHINGTON (AP) - Blacks prefer Democ ratic presidential candi date John Kerry over President Bush by a nearly 4-to-1 margin, though their support for the Democrat is down slightly from the back ing Al Gore received in 2000, according to a poll released Tuesday. Octo ber 19. Bush didn’t get good marks for his handling of the war in Iraq or for his overall job perform ance, according to the poll of black Americans from the Joint Center for Political and Eco nomic Studies. The cen ter is a Washington based research group that focuses on issues concerning blacks. Bush enjoys stronger support than in 2000 from those age 50 and older and those who consider themselves “Christian conserva Jackson and Jackson share spotlight By STARLA CHERIN Special to the NNPA FORT LAUDERDALE (NNAP) - A son follows in his fathers footsteps. He grows to manhood and yet, still secks the approval of his elders. On the occasion of the Fort Lauderdale Branch NAACPs Freedom Fund Gala, the Reverend Jesse Jack son, Sr. witnessed his son giv ing the keynote address for the first time. The honor of hav ing both men in attendance heightened the importance of Florida as a pivotal state in the upcoming presidential elec tion and the need to get out the vote. United States Representa tive Jesse Jackson, Jr, spoke decisively and forcefully of building a better union by using the vote. “We see rap moguls like Sean Combs and Russell Simmons on MTV advocating voting. They say vote or die. We're seeing the engagement of a new genera tion. They are learning the sig nificance of voting. They understand that failure to cast a ballot means we die. We Study says wealth gap By GENARO C. ARMAS Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The enormous wealtlr gap between white fami lies and blacks and His panics grew larger after the most recent recession, a private analysis of gov ernment data finds. White households had a median net worth of greater than SBB,OOO (eur070,519) in 2002, 11 *l';tlk . ‘wfi John Kerry tives.” That has helped the president narrow the still sizable gap with Kerry among blacks, who preferred the Mass achusetts senator over Bush, 69 percent to 18 percent. The group’s poll before the 2000 election found Gore with a 74 percent to 9 percent lead over Bush. The poll of 1,642 adults was conducted See Kerry, page 11A have to use what we've got or we are dead,” he said. But with nearly 600,000 unregistered African- Ameri can voters in Florida and seemingly constant attempts by state officials to undermine the vote, the situation is pre carious at best. The Fort Lauderdale NAACP has been instrumental in registering new voters and those who haven't voted in the last three elections. Rev. Jackson said he had been a member of the NAACP since he was 17 and lauded their work to get out the vote. “The suppression of the vote is real. We can't take for granted what we have. It still amazes me that we have to beg people to vote. Even when we vote, the odds can be against us. Statistically, out of 70 votes cast by Whites, only one will be spoiled. For African- American one in every seven votes cast are spoiled,” Rev erend Jackson said. Nationwide, recent elec tions show how easily the vote can be suppressed. Just last year in Virginia computers subtracted one in every 100 times more than Hispan ics and more than 14 times that of blacks, the Pew Hispanic Center said in a study being released Monday. Blacks were slowest to emerge from the econom ic downturn that started in 2000 and ended in late 2001, the report found. Net worth accounts for the values of items such as 2 home and car, check Galvanizing the black vote By CLAIRE ANDERSON Special to the NNPA NEW YORK (NNPA) - An 85-year-old, a homeless man and a group of ex-felons will be among first-time voters in the coming election. How ever, the group responsible for their registration cannot join them at the polls come Novem ber; none of the political activists are old enough to vote. “I'm 15 myself. I'm not old enough to vote, so I ask them to vote for me,” said Kimberly Singletary. She and a group of Harlem youth created POWER, Puttin’ Out daVi’lord to Exercise our Rights, to remedy the lowmix:mumbersdo% registered voters p many urban, impovcrilzgu:d communities like their own. The groups work did not end on Oct. 8, the last day to regi ter New YorKs voters. PO\%; will continue their efforts by conducting get-out-the-vote drives ff)t:‘:fie Nov. 2 election. Participants of Action for Community Empowerment’s (ACE) Youi;tto-po'lWork ca‘rinxi found ticians because of their So the formed PO% and %fi registering voters to show politicians that youth are a Erwerful and influendal tion. The youth wagu; door-to-door campaign and votes cast for one candidate. In New Mexico touch screen voting machines failed to count 12,000 out of 48,000 votes. In Indiana computers counted 140,000 votes for only 19,000 voters. “In Llinois 160,000 punch card votes were not counted. In New York they are still using the lever system. We have 20,000 municipal voting systems and they are all differ ent. Separate and unequal. The people in Afghanistan will have more election sup port before Americans. We are guaranteeing democracy in Iraq but not in America. “It has been 50 years since Brown vs. the Board of Edu cation. It’s been 41 years since Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. It's been 39 years since the Voting rights act of 1965. It's been 139 years since slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Yet, we ask our selves why is America still sep arate and unequal? “We as Americans have stopped running the race to build a better nation. On the North side of Chicago there is widened for blacks, Hispanics after recession ing and savings accounts, and stocks, minus debts such as mortgage, car loans and credit card bills. Greater wealth means a greater ability to weather a job loss, emergency home repairs, illness and other unexpected costs, as well as being able to save for retirement or a child’s college tuition, According to the AUGUSTA FOCUS covered the area between 110th and 155th Streets in Harlem. “Last election, 573" people made the difference. We regis swing it the other way,” Single tary said. Jobs with Justice, a New York economic justice organization, and the National Hip Hop Youth Summit adXedmorcdnnß,OOOncwly registered voters to POWER's total. “People arent used to some one coming up to them with a voter registration card. It might happen in Union Square or NYU, but it doesnt happen hat,”]uliaßanyofJobsmt'}t Justice said, referring to Harlem community. POWER concentrated its registration efforts on 18- to 30-year-olds and groups who are often disenfranchised. In New York, convicted felons are not allowed to vote until they complete their parole. African- Americans make up a dispro portionately large percentage of oonvmd'bomfdorhlrgscufl n:gdo not er re-registering to a tative of the Harlem pmkoflim “One guy said yes he would like to regster, then no, then yes,” Sim said of an ex felon she recenty approached. She pulled out a card and explained to the group that a high school with four Olympic sized swimming pools, tennis courts and a radio station. All the teachers have masters degrees and there are 15 students per class. This school sends more kids to Yale and Harvard than any other school in Illinois. “We want equal education for everyone. If we can amend the constitution to determine who marries who we can make an amendment for every child to receive an equal education and guarantee the right to vote. We care more about the right to own a gun than we do about health care,” said Representative Jackson. Jackson advocates a consti tuu'l:)lr&al referendgcr(;x that would guarantee education and health care. “People always tell me that will take too long Jesse. Some amendments have taken 200 years, some 10- months and others 10-days. But the power is not in Con it 1s in your hands. We mto believe in the power of change. We believe that some one can walk on water and part the sea then why cant we believe we can mazc a change in this world,” he added. More than 200 people group’s analysis of Census Bureau data, nearly one third of black families and 26 percent of His panic families were in debt or had no net assets, compared with 11 per cent of white families. “Wealth is a measure of cumulative advantage or disadvantage,” said Rod erick Harrison, a researcher at the Joint Center for Political and once parole is completed an mdmm can re-register. ‘A whole group was registered who dnfl’(t) know they could,” she added. However, not Wwas SO easy to mnm S%rn:lcu*3 tary found that when one per son in a group refused to regis ter, the others were more likely to follow suit. “Some dzg's you ask 10 people and all of them say no. Ask one who says yes, and it makes it worth it,” Sin gletary said. “Every day they threatened to quit and every day they came back,” ACE director Nia Mason-Francis said. Dominique Thomas, a 17- year-old member of POWER, made it her per sonal goal to refute the com munity’s stereotypes about voting. Thomas and other participants found many people refused to register because they thm?ht voting made no ifference. “I believe our apathy toward voting is like a slap in the face to the older generation who worked so hard so we could choose,” Thomas said. POWER is a non-partisan organization, but its mem bers are not without political persuasions. “No one wants Bush to win,” POWER member Carlos Martinez said. While members of the w _— . - A VS, @ ' Like father like son. Jackson duo mix up on the campaign trail. attended and Broward School Board Member Ben Williams said it showed a commitment to community. “The timing is right for an event like this. We have people from all walks of life here and it shows we can together under a common %heteme. It takes us back and makes us focus on our respon- Slblll?', especially for the young people here. It gives them direction on what to do in the future,” he said. The Freedom Fund Gala is Economic Studies, a Washington think tank that focuses on black issues. “The fact that black and Hispanic wealth is a fraction of white wealth also reflects a history of discrimina tion.” After accounting for inflation, net worth for white households increased 17 percent between 1996 and 2002 group acknowledge their lib eral perspective, Thomas woultf like either candidate to address the issues of jobs and education, the two top ics she believes most affect her community. The activists will continue their efforts by making sure those they register go to the polls on Nov. 2. Brian Applewhaite, a member of the group, designed a POWER voter guide, which the youth plan to distribute to the 600 people they regis tered. The voter guide includes comparisons of the presidential, state and local candidates’ issue positions. Beyond November, the members of POWER will initiate a Harlem-wide youth council that will be active in the community and with the community board. The youth are also working in conjunction with The Amsterdam News to develop a “youth section” of the newspaper. They hope this section will help educate their peers about jobs, class es and internships. “I've come to the realiza tion that politics affect me every day,” Thomas said. “I can complain till the day is done, but that doesnt do anything to change it.” the Branch’s annual event to garner membership support and honor thqsc wflose work out the year. “This is the time when we show our appreciation for those who riought less of themselves and more of oth ers,” NAACP first Vice Presi dent Bobby R. Henry said. “An old African proverb says the first man or woman stum ble so the others will have their wits about them.” : and rose for Hispanic homes by 14 percent to about $7,900 (eur06,331). It decreased for blacks by 16 percent, to roughly $6,000 (euro4,Boß). Regardless of race and ethnicity, the median net worth for all U.S. house holds was $59,700 (eur047,840) in 2002, a 12 percent gain from 1996.