October 15, 2010
Hello Friends:

It gives us great pride and pleasure to welcome you to Creating Opportunity – the Southern Region Rainbow PUSH and Citizenship Education Fund’s Annual Conference.  The purpose of the conference is to connect the Rainbow PUSH and CEF family from Miami to Birmingham to Memphis to Charlotte to Charleston as we emerge from a watershed election and a faltering economic outlook.  

In 2006 RPC picketed gas stations in Atlanta and challenged Wall Street about the looming foreclosure crisis. In 2007 we urged bankruptcy reform and mandatory mediation as an alternative to wholesale foreclosure.  In 2009 we proposed reforms to Georgia’ onerous foreclosure process.  Now the whole nation knows that the system is flawed.  And it is left to us to try to mop up the red ink. 

Unfortunately, more effort is needed to end the war, reinvest in America, put America back to work, build a level playing field for under-served businesses and under- utilized minority-owned firms, educate potential voters and reclaim our youth from low educational expectations and the criminal justice system. We teach financial literacy because every American needs the information to earn, save and invest a living wage.

One of the things we can do is a massive re-tooling of American infrastructure – from rail to clean energy to water to broadband.  Infrastructure investments provide the skeleton on which we can build economic recovery. We must also enforce common sense regulations like Title VI and other civil rights laws and consumer protections to assure that our system does not destroy itself.

Creating Opportunity is always an informative, enlightening and groundbreaking event.  This year, we are especially gratified to be joined by the Hon. Willie Burns (The Georgia Conference of Black Mayors), Rev. Samuel Mosteller (Georgia SCLC), the Hon. Emanuel Jones (Georgia Legislative Black Caucus) and the Hon. Tyrone Brooks (Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials – GABEO).  There may never have been a better time for our allies to unite to confront and conquer the challenges of racial reconciliation, economic security and educational opportunity.  So join Rainbow PUSH and get informed, get inspired and get involved!   You are needed on the battlefield.  Not in Afghanistan, but here at home.  Join forces with a progressive movement for social and economic change as we strive to create the opportunities
that our children deserve.