In an unprecedented initiative, the leaders of four prominent groups in the 111th Congress – the Progressive Caucus (CPC), the Black Caucus (CBC), the Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) – have sent a joint letters to President Obama (ATTACHED) and the Democratic Leadership of the House and Senate stressing that ‘our support for enacting legislation this year to guarantee affordable health care for all firmly hinges on the inclusion of a robust public health insurance plan like Medicare.’

Dear Chairman Waxman,

As you draft and consider comprehensive energy legislation to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and to curb greenhouse gas emissions, we the undersigned Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) respectfully request your consideration of the issues discussed in this letter.

Climate change represents a tangible threat to the communities we represent as well as the United States as a whole and we, therefore, encourage and support your efforts to address this critical issue. We support science-based legislation to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The United States must be a leader on this global issue, and this target is consistent with the proposals of the Obama Administration.

Comprehensive energy legislation will revolutionize our economy and energy infrastructure, spurring us to become more innovative and efficient. The growing “Green Economy” presents an opportunity to create large numbers of quality green-collar jobs for American workers, to grow emerging industries, and to improve the health of low- and middle-income Americans. Any public investment in the Green Economy should include serious efforts to train, employ and provide public service opportunities that lead to full-time employment in these industries. This is a significant opportunity to make cost-effective public and private investments to rebuild and retrofit our nation. We recommend the following:

Read the full post by Rev Lennox Yearwood, Jr. on the Huffington Post

Forty-one years ago today, on a balcony in Memphis, TN, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was taken from us. His dream, however, did not die on the balcony.

One year ago, on the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, I was in Memphis at a very special and important gathering, the Dream Reborn Conference organized by Green for All. This gathering jumpstarted a nationwide movement for an inclusive green economy. Over the course of a year this movement grew so quickly and became so powerful, that we got $500 million dollars for green jobs training in President Obama's economic recovery plan.