Preface

by Darrick Hamilton, Professor and Executive

Director, Kirwan Institute at The Ohio State
University; and incoming Henry Cohen Professor
of Economics and Urban Policy and University
Professor at The New School

This Contract with Black America strikes at the heart of racism and presents a blueprint to achieve racial economic justice.
It was written in the backdrop of the killing of George Floyd, which set off a wave of protests not seen since the Civil Rights Era of
the 1950’s and '60’s, and a global pandemic in which the Black mortality rate is more than double the White rate and in which 45%
(nearly half) of Black-owned businesses closed. That the impact of something presumably random, such as a pandemic, however
catastrophic, can be so linked to one's racial identity is highly problematic – and further evidence that, as a nation, we are failing
miserably. This links to a larger political and economic vulnerability, whether we’re in a pandemic or not: the immoral devaluation
of Black lives has been ingrained in America's political economy and is long overdue for a reckoning.

Authentic agency is grounded in resources, and America’s unjust racial wealth gap is rooted in a history that has privileged White
people with financial advantages to “buy” crucial, additional and intergenerational advantages for themselves and their children.
Government policy, and literal government giveaways, provided them with the finance, education, land and infrastructure to
accumulate and pass down wealth from one generation to the next. In contrast, Black people were largely excluded and, when they
were able to accumulate land and enterprise, it was subject to seizure by government-complicit theft, fraud and terror.

This Contract with Black America understands that this disparity is dramatic and that changes on the margin won’t cut it. To
reverse decades and generations of discrimination, we need a bold overhaul of our laws and economy. This contract rejects the
racist and unsubstantiated rhetoric that ignorance, so-called grit, and personal responsibility are the sources of racial disparity,
along with the accompanying “neoliberal paternalism” model in which government attempts to coerce or incentivize insinuated
“defective Black people” to behave accordingly and make better decisions. It is abundantly clear that the racial wealth gap has
nothing to do with Black behavior and everything to do with White privilege.

So as a nation, are we finally ready to reverse our enduring and immoral blight of racism and authentically live up to the creed
“...that all men [and women] are created equal”? I do not know...But, we have witnessed across all 50 states and, pretty much the
entire globe, civil protesters shouting with solidarity that “Black Lives Matter.” Younger generations and social movements may be
redefining economic good to embrace the principles of morality, humanity, and sustainability. This Contract with Black America is
a patriotic pathway to promote our shared prosperity and achieve racial economic justice.

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A CONTRACT WITH BLACK AMERICA:
ADDRESSING RACIAL INEQUALITY
After 400 years of unequal treatment, Black Americans have had enough with “gradual” reform in a nation that prides itself as the
world’s greatest democracy. While well- intentioned solutions may have been tried; it is simply too much to ask an oppressed
people to stay “patient.” To finally create the “more perfect union” all Americans deserve, it is time for a complete paradigm shift
in how we run our institutions and operate our country. While this Contract with Black America may seem radical to some, the
result will be a harmonious society that benefits EVERYONE rather than the more radical alternative which is watching the great
American experiment come apart at the seams.

The problems facing America are too deep and wide to simply reform one area or another. Long-lasting solutions demand a
comprehensive thorough “rethink” of America so that each new approach in each area supports the success of the others. This
Contract with Black America will provide conceptual approaches in several areas including addressing Black opportunity and
representation, bank lending and finance reform, judicial and public policy reform, expansion of 13th Amendment rights, police
reform, reform in Hollywood, and an approach to our confederate past. It will then present more in-depth proposals showing how
these guiding principles can be put into action, first through a plan for “Neo- Reconstruction” followed by the “America’s Job Pact”
AJP, a plan that addresses Jobs and Education.

Black Opportunity and Representation.

• The Case for “Neo-Reconstruction:” Neo-Reconstruction is an aggressive initiative meant to redress past wrongs
systematically imposed on Black Americans economically throughout many generations, wrongs that have had a severe
negative impact on African-Americans both economically and educationally. The specific case and plan for Neo-
Reconstruction is presented later in the document. A commission will immediately be formed and empowered to quickly
put the plan into action. Separately, a plan will also be devised to make Native Americans whole within the same timeline.
Black Americans will be compensated for the value of work contributed by their ancestors while Native Americans will get
back the true value or land promised to them in various treaties. For Black Americans to be eligible, they must provide
documentation proving their descent from at least one enslaved person. They must also prove they have identified as
Black or African American for at least 10 years prior to the institution of the reparations program.

• Affirmative action for all secondary schools, colleges, and universities public and private. Black enrollment must meet or
exceed the percentage of the Black population nationwide (13.4%). In addition, if the Black population in the county the
school is located in is greater than 13.4%, the enrollment must be increased to that higher percentage. However, 25% Black
enrollment will satisfy the county requirement if the school can prove they are a “national” school with less than 30%
enrollment from the state in which the school is located. The same guidelines that apply to students will also apply to
faculty. In the case of schools not deemed “national” which are in counties/States where the Black population is less than
13.4% (i.e., Idaho, Montana, etc.), the percentage required can be decreased down to a minimum of 5%. For clarity,
enrollments of Black Americans greater than the minimum thresholds required is always permitted.

• Local funding for schools will be determined by an equal per student fund for all schools throughout the state. There is also
extra funding for disabled and disadvantaged students. Change source of funding from property taxes to per student in
line with the practice of most advanced nations. Otherwise, poor communities suffer from underfunding perpetuating the
cycle of poor education.

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 • Mandatory civil rights and anti-racism classes in all elementary schools. Black scholars will write the textbooks and
curriculum adopted for these classes. Institute the Black History 365 curriculum. (African history highlighting the
civilizations of Mali, Ghana, Songhai, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nubia, Zimbabwe, and others are incorporated into all schools’
World History or “Social Studies” curriculums).

• Black representation on all government civil rights investigative bodies.

• Reform Gerrymandering. Districts cannot be designed to minimize the impact of the Black vote.

• More polling sites in minority and Black neighborhoods so that the number of polling stations provides equal access to
Black voters as they do in White and other communities. Lack of access violates the 1965 Voters Rights Act, and the Act
should be amended to give it more teeth since it is currently not working.

• “Juneteenth” to become a federal holiday.

• Equal health care facilities in all neighborhoods regardless of demographics.

• A formal admission and apology to Black Americans for past wrongs.

Massive Bank Lending and Finance Reform.

While capitalism is a good system, it requires capital to participate. For decades, Black and Jewish people and neighborhoods
(considered “hazardous”) were entirely, or largely, denied loans through the unscrupulous banking practice known as “redlining”.
While “redlining” was made illegal in 1968 with passage of the Fair Housing Act, and then again with the 1977 Community
Reinvestment Act (CRA), statistics show the perpetuation of de facto redlining in many of the same communities, most notably
Black communities, still exists. Studies consistently show Blacks are denied access to lending in roughly the same percentages as
before the Acts passage. The result is White families have nearly 10x the net worth of Black families today. As an example, even
when Black families get home mortgages, nearly 20% pay on average 1.5% points above the average offer to Whites. And although
the Black population is roughly 13.4% of the nation, approximately only 3% of loans and credit are given to Black people whether for
credit cards, home mortgages or Black-owned businesses. In addition, only 1% of banks are Black-owned or led.

• Rates on Black loans federally and from banks to be same average rates as Whites.

• For qualified Black Americans, Federal Reserve to allow a one-time interest free loan for home ownership. Federal Reserve
currently provides corporations with free or 1% loans and is flooding market with liquidity. Instead of it all going to prop
up the stock market, help create Black family wealth through property ownership.

• Federal Reserve to adopt a view employing Modern Monetary Theory with the goal of maximizing employment, housing,
and educational opportunities, as well as improving quality of living for Black and poor Americans. Spending will be
constrained only when ACTUAL inflation appears.

• Federal plan of “Baby Bonds” proposed by Darrick Hamilton will provide every child born into lower-wealth families with
accounts that will start with $1,000 and would continue to funded by the government based on family wealth up to $46,500
as proposed by Senator Booker and Representative Pressley. Accounts to be managed by the Treasury and use of funds
restricted to asset enhancing actions such as buying homes, starting businesses and funding education.

• Rates on Black loans federally and from banks to be same average rates as Whites.

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 • For qualified Black Americans, Federal Reserve to allow a one-time interest free loan for home ownership. Federal Reserve
currently provides corporations with free or 1% loans and is flooding market with liquidity. Instead of it all going to prop
up the stock market, help create Black family wealth through property ownership.

• Federal Reserve to adopt a view employing Modern Monetary Theory with the goal of maximizing employment, housing,
and educational opportunities, as well as improving quality of living for Black and poor Americans. Spending will be
constrained only when ACTUAL inflation appears.

• Federal plan of “Baby Bonds” proposed by Darrick Hamilton will provide every child born into lower-wealth families with
accounts that will start with $1,000 and would continue to funded by the government based on family wealth up to $46,500
as proposed by Senator Booker and Representative Pressley. Accounts to be managed by the Treasury and use of funds
restricted to asset enhancing actions such as buying homes, starting businesses and funding education.

• Change the decades old credit scoring model to mandate consideration of consumer data on rent, utility, and cellphone bill
payments.

• A “Cookie-Jar” company is any company that was knowingly involved in human trafficking, human bondage, slave
trading or slave labor at any point in its existence. Companies found to have directly benefitted by the private prison
system and those who perpetuated overtly racist policies will also be considered “Cookie-Jar” companies. Individual
negotiations will be conducted by a Commission formed for the singular purpose of assessing penalties and remedies from
these companies caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

• Venture Capital and Private Equity funds that take money from police unions or other public entities must invest 13.4% of
their total funds in Black owned businesses. According to Axios, only 1% of VC-backed founders were Black between
2013-2018.

• Government Pension Funds. Federal and State pension funds control over a trillion dollars. They must allocate 13.4% of
their investments into Black owned enterprises and businesses.

• Corporations are publicly regulated and as part of the certification process all past and current tax returns must be made
public.

• Create a transparent reporting mechanism for abuses to economic programs designed to benefit communities in need,
including federal programs such as Economic Opportunity Zones and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Audit of
“opportunity zones” to determine who is benefiting from disbursement of such funds and tax breaks and public disclosure
of the owners of projects granted such access.

Judicial and Public Policy Reform.

• Recognize racism as a public health crisis that mandates a federal response.

• Ban ALL privately run prisons. Fines established to be paid by companies that profited off the private prison system.

• Prisoner labor not allowed without consent. Prisoners to be compensated at the minimum wage and hazardous pay
provided for applicable duties.

• Declare the Ku Klux Klan a terrorist organization.

• Lynching to become a federal hate crime with a recommended federal sentence of life.
• Free nonviolent offenders incarcerated for 10 years or longer who have less than five verifiable write ups. Write ups can be
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challenged and given due process. OFFI C I A L FU L L VE RS ION 4
• Free all prisoners for marijuana possession.
• Eliminate laws establishing mandatory minimums.
 • Lynching to become a federal hate crime with a recommended federal sentence of life.

• Free nonviolent offenders incarcerated for 10 years or longer who have less than five verifiable write ups. Write ups can be
challenged and given due process.

• Free all prisoners for marijuana possession.

• Eliminate laws establishing mandatory minimums.

• Eliminate three strikes laws.

• First offense for illegal drug use or possession to require government payment for entry into an approved drug
rehabilitation program rather than imprisonment.

• Once a prisoner completes sentence, voting rights are restored.

• Personal Data. Most states publicly release bulk data about arrestees unchecked. Like the 1970 Fair Credit Reporting Act
regarding credit data, there must be guidelines that allow similar privacy and accuracy protections and the right to dispute
and correct inaccurate data.

• The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice reformed through stricter guidelines, so DOJ oversight of police
departments and other government institutions becomes more than a rubber stamp. DOJ can be sued for non- compliance
so that standards do not vary depending on Administration.

• Currently the Black population is overrepresented in the military as 17% of soldiers are Black. The percentage of Black
enlisted soldiers is even higher. To compensate for this disproportionate contribution to our national defense, 5% of the
Defense Department budget will be allocated towards beautification, education, and youth programs in predominantly
Black neighborhoods. Such programs will build goodwill towards the country resulting in greater patriotism, more
successful recruitment efforts, and a generally more enthusiastic military population.

• EPA to inspect water supplies in ALL communities nationwide for lead and other forms of contaminates. Fixing polluted
water systems to deliver clean water will take priority in any future infrastructure spending bill.

• Technology Action Plan that provides for computers and broadband in poor communities. Work with Technology
companies to set up high security 24-hour computer lab/learning centers in the heart of “technology deserts.”

Constitutional Amendment Codifying Expansion of the

13th Amendment by the Courts.
Amendment will abolish slavery IN ANY FORM including as a punishment for crime as allowed by the 13th Amendment for prison
inmates. Further, it will declare unconstitutional any government run system (including justice, policing, education, health, and
welfare, etc.) that does not provide services on an equal basis to all citizens and communities. If provided public services fail to
meet minimum standards, they will be considered on their face unconstitutional unless proven special circumstances. Reverses
burden of proof to those in noncompliance instead of civil rights lawyers having to prove systems are racist. While courts have
expanded the interpretation of the 13th Amendment to provide some of these rights, this Amendment will eliminate any
uncertainty.

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Police Reform.

• Qualified Immunity will be eliminated. Legislation to reverse Supreme Court case Plumhoff v Rickard 572 U.S. 765 (2014) in
which the immunity was upheld. Before legislation is passed, the Democratic Party should oppose qualified immunity
when the official party platform is drafted in August. This will pressure mayors to instruct city attorneys not to assert
qualified immunity as an affirmative defense. Police lawyers can still argue why they should not be charged because they
acted in good faith, but the presumption must be reversed.

• Mandatory Malpractice Insurance to be carried by Police officers like lawyers and doctors do. This protects victim’s ability
to collect on bona fide claims. Insurance to be paid for by Police Departments. As a result, an officer who creates too many
legal actions will be dropped because of financial pressure by rising insurance rates rather than requiring another officer
to “cross the blue line.” Insurance companies will also demand de-escalation training to lower rates.

• Municipalities Liable for Officer’s Unconstitutional Actions. Overturn with legislation Monell v Department of Social
Services Supreme Court case, 436 US 658 (1978) that protected municipalities from unconstitutional actions by Police. This
will add skin in the game for cities which have the most direct power to reform policing.

• Federal Laws Regarding Police Misconduct to Change Standard From “Willfulness” To “Recklessness.” While
“recklessness” still poses a high bar to identify and prosecute police misconduct, it will make it more possible.

• Police Unions Can Be Held Liable and Sued for shielding bad cops, suppressing evidence and testimony to that effect, and
for knowing and reckless disregard of material evidence that an officer is unfit mentally for the job.

• Mandatory Dashboard and Body Cams. In the event they are turned “off” and the incident results in a serious injury or
death to any suspect or witness, it will be considered a FELONY punishable by prison unless proof of malfunction. If there
is a claim of excessive force or abuse and the cams are “off”, the first incident will result in a warning, the second will be a
suspension, and third will require firing.

• Cam footage (body and dashboard) to be released within a week for incidents resulting in death, serious injury or that give
rise to charges of excessive force.

• Elimination of No-Knock Warrants. They are unnecessary as police can secure the scene.

• Mandatory Name Tags and Affiliation Requirements. Applies to all police and law enforcement authorities at the local,
state, and federal level with non- compliance resulting in disciplinary action. (Undercover assignments not requiring
compliance must be approved by a court).

• Chokeholds Illegal Nationwide. This will apply to any maneuver resembling a choke hold or designed to cut off airways to
affect breathing.

• Whistle-Blower Protection Expanded within the active police force or for those enrolled in a Police Academy. Discouraging
officers under 5 years on the job to report bad behavior will be grounds for dismissal. It will be a criminal offense to reveal
the identity of a whistle-blower.

• Tampering with Evidence results in automatic dismissal from force.

• Crime to intentionally withhold exculpatory evidence by police or prosecutors.

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 • Newly discovered DNA evidence must be immediately considered to reverse wrongful convictions. Not to do so is a crime
and applies to police, judges, and prosecutors. (Failure to act will come under the Office of Independent Prosecutors
discussed below).

• Federal Database open to public scrutiny containing all complaints both internal, from the public, or related to disciplinary
actions. Automatic federal DOJ review of any police officer exceeding a predetermined amount of complaints.

• Once Fired for Cause, Cannot Be Rehired. A Police Officer fired for use of excessive force, violent or inappropriate actions
directed at a citizen, non-use of body cams, or for any felony are not allowed to be hired in any other jurisdiction.

• Creation of Office of “Independent Prosecutors”. These prosecutors will solely focus on prosecuting police accused of
wrongdoing. This will eliminate the conflict of interest of DA’s who must charge police although they have an inherent
and unwaivable conflict as they require police testimony to charge other criminals.

• Attorney Generals and District Attorneys can no longer accept contributions or endorsements from law enforcement
bodies especially police unions.

• Loss of pensions if convicted of a Felony or greater while on the job.

• Budget Re-Allocation. In what has been referred to as “Defunding the Police,” 20% of 2020 budgets, then going forward
adjusted to inflation, to be dedicated to improving conditions in lower class and Black neighborhoods. 20% of all police
department budget increases will also flow to the community organizations tasked with spending such funds.

• Residency Requirements. 90% of Police must live within 25 miles of the jurisdictions they work in. 65% must live within
the jurisdiction itself. Police forces should demographically reflect the communities they serve. In the case of partners, at
least one lives within the jurisdiction.

• Mandating a certain number of police department paid hours of community service for all street police in the communities
they police.

• Community Policing. Non-armed personnel set up to handle most cases. These include taking reports for crimes already
committed, non-active situations, filing of complaints, non-violent crimes or disputes, disputes between neighbors, etc.

• Remove permanent placement of Police officers from all grade, middle and high schools.

• Domestic Abuse. Create Domestic Abuse Services, analogous to Child Protective Services. Personnel trained to deal with
Domestic Abuse will be sent on such calls. Like CPS cases, a Domestic Abuse Service member can ask for police backup if
they feel the situation is dangerous and warranted.

• De-Escalation Police Training. Require training in de-escalation techniques (similar to Daytona Police training based on
Scotland police procedures) and showing cases of police abuse and what is non-acceptable during training. Currently,
most Academies only show footage of cop killings and train police in aggressive techniques (a popular saying among police
is “I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6”)

• Continuation of Training. Training to be updated every three years in use of excessive force and dealing with mentally or
disabled ill people. Such training will also include racial sensitivity training and update Police on new laws locally and
federally.

• Any police officer who discharges his weapon five or more times on the job must go back to police academy for retraining
and take mandatory course on Anger Management. This threshold of weapon use can be increased or decreased depending
upon jurisdictional averages. The intention is to identify and retrain “outliers” as most police officers rarely utilize their
guns more than once if at all.

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 • Civil Rights History will be taught the first month in the Police Academy or other Training. These classes should include
history of “Black Codes” and Jim Crow laws.

• Reason for Contact: Upon Initial Contact of Any Kind with A Citizen, officers must state reason for contact when an
individual is first approached.

• No Duty to Speak. Police not allowed to escalate a situation merely because a person refuses to talk to police or answer
questions without an attorney.

• Misstating the Law by police to suspects not allowed to elicit testimony. Knowingly threatening people with greater
charges then the situation dictates gives rise to disciplinary action. When defining “knowingly,” the standard applied will
be what a reasonable police officer should have known.

• Reduce Contact During Traffic Ticketing. Officer must IMMEDIATELY tell the driver why he/she was pulled over. Cannot
search a vehicle without an independent warrant. No need for those cited to “sign” tickets. Efforts made to reduce time
and contact between officer and driver which benefits both (i.e., digitally limiting contact as technology allows). Tickets
issued and sent by mail where possible. If the officer believes the driver is driving recklessly or suspicion of a DUI, they
may pull over the car, but pullovers can be challenged by Dash Cam footage. If the footage does not show cause for
concern, the officer can be disciplined.

• Stealing. Police officers caught stealing from a person’s house or vehicle will be charged with double the penalty a non-
officer would be charged with for the same crime.

• Military Grade Weapons. Will not be brandished in public unless gunfire or deadly force required.

• Eliminate Civil and Criminal Asset Forfeiture as it gives police departments economic incentive to charge crimes which
conflicts with the goals of serving justice. Only exception is if the Assets are related to the crime.

• It will be illegal for a police officer to have Sex with A Detainee or Suspect under their charge. It will be considered
statutory rape because it is unreasonable to assume consensual sex due to the power dynamic.

• Shoot to Wound policy in event of unarmed suspect, fleeing suspect (that poses an imminent danger only) or if deadly
force is unnecessary.

• End all Quota-based policing.

Entertainment Industry Reform and Reparations.

• Mandatory funding of “Black Studios” by the largest Hollywood studios, record companies, and Television studios and
Networks to compensate for years of lack of support, stereotyping, and damage to black culture. Each will be required to
fund an amount yearly. Black Studios will own and produce content by Black creators and will be run primarily by Black
leadership. Content can be licensed to major studios. For a race to thrive, it must be able to create art that reflects its own
views of the world. Racism still runs rampant through our society and Hollywood is providing the instruction manual.

• Licensing of public airwaves to broadcast networks such as NBC, FOX, CBS, and ABC MUST require Black produced content
equal to 20% of the total content on the network as measured by time. Time slots MUST be of similar quality to other
content. The same applies with radio stations and any other media given access to publicly licensed airwaves by the FCC.

• Minimum 13.4% Black cast and crew on all major Television and Film productions. The crew requirement cannot be waived
but casts that are overwhelmingly White, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, etc., can be waived as reasonable for TV
shows and films to be more reflective of reality.

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Monuments and Institutions.
• Eliminate all Confederate statues. Rather than destroy them, they are to be kept by the National Archives, Smithsonian
Institute, and/or analogous State facilities. They are to be used only in displays and exhibits designed to investigate our
racist past. This is not sanitizing our past as history exists in books and online; there is no need to display monuments of
these types (just as we allowed the Saddam Hussein Statue to be removed as well as the Berlin Wall, where doors easily
could’ve been inserted).

• All uses and displays of Confederate flags on government grounds or on property with public access is illegal.

• Rename all streets, schools, public structures, towns, scholarships, etc. named after Confederate soldiers or leaders.
Rename with names of Black heroes or White abolitionists.

• Memorial built in Washington D.C. to victims of police excessive force resulting in death or permanent disability.
Analogous to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in that all names and ages are included.

Black Americans Responsibility.

Chronic poverty creates an atmosphere full of negativity, frustration, hopelessness, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, and
violence. These are some of conditions that plague the Black Community which is dealing with extreme generational poverty. As we
begin to gain social & economic equality it is our duty to clean up ourselves and our community. This contract is a 2-way street. As
we gain social and economic equality, we must begin to dissolve any bitterness in our hearts for past wrongs. We must become
better citizens who are more productive on all levels of American society. We really must step up after we pass the Contract with
Black America with no more excuse left in the kiddie. Our entertainers should be persuaded to deliver more positive content that
leads our youth to make better choices in life. A new pride must develop with these new opportunities and we must fight against
negativity, frustration, hopelessness, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, and violence.

• Falsifying documentation to establish descent from an enslaved person punishable as a crime.

• Black businesses who receive loans per lending reforms with over 100 employees will employee at least 50% non-Black
employees.

• For all Americans, completion of rehabilitation programs for at least 28 days for first offenses for illegal drug use of
possession. Failure to complete results in imprisonment.

• As part of the 20% of diverted police budgets, community groups will be organized to work with troubled youth and will
have a specific mandate to also decrease Black on Black violent crime, other crime, and address gang violence. Community
groups will make themselves available in their neighborhoods to provide mentoring and community-based leadership.

• All Americans guilty of a crime and apprehended, agree not to unreasonably resist arrest putting others in danger.

• When enrolled in the AJP and other programs designed to assist in education and employment, to meet the requirements
expected of all enrollees and to work diligently to succeed.

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

The Case For Neo-Reconstruction

We are proposing a Black Agenda, a “Neo-Reconstruction,’’ that would

empower African Americans economically and educationally, as well as
provide justice and equal protection under the law.

The Marketing of Neo- Reconstruction

At the end of slavery, the Republican party took the lead on attempting to fairly and justly integrate African Americans into
American life. This was done through a government-led effort called “Reconstruction,’’ a period that lasted roughly from the
passing of The Reconstruction Act of 1867 to The Compromise of 1877. During that decade of Reconstruction, African Americans
were enfranchised, legally given Voting and Civil Rights. Nearly 2,000 African Americans were elected to public office, and the black
representation in the South Carolina State Legislature was a robust 59%. In 1876, Republican Presidential candidate Rutherford B.
Hayes reached a compromise with the Democratic Party that ceded control of the South to the Democrats, ending Reconstruction
and eventually leading to the institution of a Jim Crow era that placed African Americans in a form of de facto slavery for
approximately the next 100 years. Had Reconstruction continued, the African American condition and race relations in America
would be far beyond what they are today. Recognizing this unfortunately lost opportunity, we propose Neo Reconstruction, an
aggressive initiative that has the purpose of redressing past wrongs and revitalizing the black community economically,
educationally, judicially and in every other way necessary to assure that African Americans have full and equal opportunity and
status within our country.

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

Two Key Areas to Address:

1 / ECONOMICS
Economic Impact
Through the institution and racist enforcement of laws and policies such as The Homestead Act of 1862, the Social Security Act of
1935, the GI Bill of 1944, and the Federal Housing Administration loans - and its related “redlining’’ - of the 1930s-1960s, White
Americans were granted advantages and opportunities that African Americans were not. All but 2 percent of the $120bln of
government-backed mortgage loans that were awarded were given to whites. This reality undeniably helped create the incredible
wealth gap between blacks and whites today. According to the Federal Reserve, the median white household ($171k) has nearly 10
times more wealth than the median black household ($17.6k). A white person without a high school diploma has nearly as much
wealth as a household led by a black peson with a bachelor’s or advanced degree. A household led by a white person with a high
school diploma has more wealth than a hosehold led by a black person with a bachelor’s or advanced degree.

According to the real estate app Redfin, African American families have lost out on at least
$212,000 in personal wealth over the last 40 years because their home was redlined. The
results of these policies leave African American families with
10% of the net wealth of white families.

$171 k Median Lingering Costs of

Household
Wealth
Race-Based Policy
According to the real estate app Redfin, African American
families have lost out on at least $212,000 in personal wealth
over the last 40 years because their home was redlined.Because
$20.7k
$17.6k of these historic wrongs, masses of African Americans need
economic revitalization and relief, including though not limited
to more home ownership, less debt, better credit and higher
White Hispanic Black
incomes.

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

"Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty
and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong
they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged."
Numbers 5:6 (NIV)

Who Should Receive Restitution?

Our goal is to propose economic strategies and processes to address the concerns of the 40 million living descendants of American
slavery. As a group they range between 3-5 generations away from this legalized economic atrocity and are current victims of post
civil-rights discrimination such as:

• Racial policing and increased costs of court and legal fees

• Credit discrimination and higher costs of interest
• Housing markets discrimination and depressed home values
• Job discrimination and persistent wage gaps
• Mass incarceration and loss of wages
• Subprime mortgage collapse and race-based exploitation
• Student debt disparities that are impacted by race

What are the Economic Targets?

To use a measurable and fair calculation (similar to those suggested above) to address the economic implications of the above
infractions and to lead the country to a better and more inclusive economic infrastructure.

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

Calculation Metrics

Compensation for Lost Wages

Economist Larry Neal calculated the differences between average wage paid to non-black laborers and the expenditures for expenses paid for slaves,

such as clothing and housing. This calculated to $1.4trln in 1983, now estimated between $5-8trln with 5% assumed interest.

Compensation for Market Value of Slavery

Confederate senator Judah Benjamin estimated the market value of slaves to be $4bln in 1860. Compounded to 2019, that would equate to $9.3trln with

5% assumed interest.

Freedman's Bank and the Seneca Stone Ring Scandal

Payment to the descendants of the depositors of the Freedman’s Bank due to the fact that the bank leader and noted Republican politician, Henry

Cooke, used the former slaves' funds during a financial collapse, and the federal government didn’t insure or support it. The Net Present Value (NPV to

account for interest) of the capital was approximated at $65million in 2018 dollars.

Job Market Discrimination Calculation

Between 1929-1969 if you just account for 40% of pay gap due to race-based labor market discrimination, gains accrued to whites were about $1.6trln.

Considerations for Disbursement

Recognizing that the GDP of the overall US economy is $20.5trln, we are not suggesting the above amounts be disbursed as a one -time lump sum

payment which could adversely affect the American economy and treasury functions, not to mention cause staggering inflation. Instead, the above

calculated amounts could be distributed in several forms including annual cash installments over a 10-year period, tax breaks, tax credits, interest-

free loans to spur home ownership, and/or funding the additional proposals made below.

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Recommended Tactics for Restitution

• Mandate that descendants of African-American veterans of WWII who where unable to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by the
GI Bill of 1944-1956 should receive the NPV of those benefits today calculated at a 5% interest rate

• Start Trust fund for asset-building grants for home ownership, education, business start-up funds, or vouchers for purchase of financial
assets along with a governing body to establish rules and protections for proper allocation of capital for long-term development

• Mandate that all American corporations that benefitted financially from slavery start management trainee programs for African-
American college graduates, with the goal being to increase the number of blacks in management/executive positions to one of equality with
the black population (13%) within a given number of years, and donate a federally- mandated percentage of their profits to black-owned
businesses over a predetermined period of time

• Launch a user-friendly national website and app for support in rolling out this plan along with networking, training and educational
components

• Create a pension system for purposes of investment and growth where only interest payments are currently accessible (a variation of
this was earlier suggested by Callie House and the 1898 Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association)

• Make a significant capital investment in financial infrastructure, as currently 70% of African-American communities
don’t even have a branch or bank of any type and are subject to predatory lending

• Develop a commission and a timeline in which commission will address particular economic infractions over time to bring closure on a
case-by-case basis

• Create and support endowments for HBCUs, which still educate the majority of black doctors and engineers

• Create a transparent reporting mechanism for abuses to the restitution program to ensure systems remain efficient and effective,
including federal programs such as Economic Opportunity Zones and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)

• Mandate private equity, pension funds, mutual funds and venture capital firms to divest from privatized prisons and to be accountable
for increasing black venture capital allocation from the current 1% to one closer to equality with the black population (13%) within a given
number of years

• Mandate corporations to increase the number of blacks in management/executive positions to one closer to equality with the black
population (13%) within a given number of years

• Mandate corporations through tax incentives or law to spend a percentage of their profits with black-owned businesses over a
predetermined period of time. For Example: If the tech and banking sector were to spend just 2% of their net profits for the next 10 years,
that would equate to $25bln and $19.4bln respectively. (Forbes “The 2% Solution Inside Billionaire Robert Smith’s Bold Plan” June 19, 2020)

Implementation Timeline:
Begin Phase 1 Payments

Data Gathering

Committee Formation

Q2 2020 Q4 Q2 2021 Q4 Q2 2022 Q4

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

Two Key Areas to Address:

2 / EDUCATION
Education Spending
Many of our hearts are being called to a new level of commitment in the fight against racial injustice. As a nation and as individuals,
it’s not always easy to know how to invest in the change we long to see. One of the most impactful ways to make a difference is to
address the inequities in education. For example, predominantly white public school districts (K-12) receive $23 Billion more
funding than school districts that are predominantly non-white, according to EdBuild. Even when adjusted for income levels, white
students receive roughly $1,500 more per year than non-white students. Black students face more challenges in the U.S. public
education system and higher education. Innovative policy change, financing, and equal access to quality learning and leadership
development opportunities are necessary to increase the level of racial equity in our country and achieve greatness.

Race Based Spending

According to the real estate app Redfin, African American Due to the
spending differentials, African American students receive a lower
value education even in 2020. Educational spending was the key
metric used to argue the pivotal Brown Vs Board of Education case.

$13,908
2019
Yearly
Predominantly White Districts

$11,682

Predominantly Minority Districts

Education
Spending Per
$13,118
Pupil
Total Average Per Pupil

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

Education Metrics

Increased educational opportunities and empowered institutions are musts if African Americans are to approach anything
resembling racial equality. Historically Black Colleges and Universities fit both the educational and institutional criteria so
strengthening these schools should be foremost in any Neo-Reconstruction plan. HBCUs, however, are woefully underfunded and
any sincere attempt to improve Black America’s post-secondary educational opportunities must include bolstering their financial
outlooks. For instance, the total endowment of all 102 HBCUs combined is $2.1 billion. That’s slightly more than 5% of the
approximately $40 billion endowment of Harvard University alone. In fact, 54 predominantly white institutions (PWIs), many if not
most of which profited greatly from slavery, have endowments of $2 billion or more. Considering their drab financial plight, HBCUs
have done an admirable job of educating African-American students. While making up only three percent of the nation’s schools
and educating 10 percent of black college students, they have produced nearly 20 percent of black college graduates, including 50
percent of black doctors.

Like black institutions, black students often find themselves in financial peril, as 65 percent of African American college students
are independent, meaning they must balance pursuing a degree with full-time work and family responsibilities, according to the
United Negro College Fund. This challenging juggling act is a major factor in the low retention rate of African American students,
only 45.9 percent of whom graduate within six years, the lowest rate among any demographic in the country. Another factor? The
sad reality that just 57 percent of black students have access to all of the math and science courses necessary to prepare them for
college, compared to 81 percent of Asian Americans and 71 percent of white students.

No matter how you slice it, from kindergarten to college, African Americans, often already battling economic hardships, fight an
uphill battle when it comes to getting the quality education needed to compete in the American mainstream.

Prospective Education Proposals

Achieve Equal Per-Student Public School Funding based on state general tax revenues rather than local property tax revenues

• Americans are committed to the welfare of children and the ideal of equal opportunity creating a level playing field for all
students but many are unaware that inequities exist in public school funding across our country

• Funding differences from state-to-state and intrastate vary widely because much of the financial support for public
schools comes from local property taxes, which means the amount of funding that communities are able to provide for
their schools varies according to community affluence

• Although most people in the United States are not aware of it, other advanced nations do not fund public schools with local
property taxes. Instead, they provide equal per-student funding from general tax revenues for all schools throughout the
country. Some nations also provide extra funding for disadvantaged students

• Adequate and equitable resources are important to the future success and development of black students. Far too often,
black students—males in particular—are unnecessarily placed in special education classes, while the number of black
students who take honors and advanced courses remains significantly below that of other groups

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

Freedom Grants
Create Freedom Grants to provide African American students the freedom to pursue undergraduate and/or graduate education for
zero out-of-pocket tuition

• Findings suggest that racial diversity matters for learning, the core purpose of a university. Increasing diversity is not only
a way to let the historically disadvantaged into college, but also to promote sharper thinking for everyone

• American colleges and universities contribute at least 1 percent of their total endowment market value (~$6-10 billion) to
fund this

Guaranteed Set-Asides
Leverage Guaranteed Set-Asides from the National Lotteries specifically designated for HBCUs and predominantly black colleges
and universities, scholarship programs for African-American students, and a special 529 college savings seed and/ or matching
funds plan for U.S. African-American families

• Lotteries were used not only as a form of entertainment but as a source of revenue to help fund the colonies. Each of the 13
original colonies established a lottery system to raise revenue

• Two major lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball, are both offered in nearly all jurisdictions that operate lotteries
and serve as de facto national lotteries

• Mandate using the set-aside proceeds for black communities educational empowerment initiatives/programs as opposed
to the current system where most state legislatures use the lottery money to pay for a portion of the state public education
budgets and spend the money that would have been used had there been no lottery cash on other things

• All colleges and universities with an endowment above $1 billion that benefitted from slavery must give a government-
mandated percentage of their endowment to HBCUs

Institute S.P.U.R.S.
Institute S.P.U.R.S. (Summer Program for Under-represented Students) initiative at major colleges and universities primarily in the
STEM/STEAM disciplines for under-represented students from predominantly minority communities. Often during summer
periods, disadvantaged students fall behind their wealthier peers.

• Many first-generation college students come from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In order for these
students to succeed and for society to benefit, it is crucial that we provide the means for these students to gain access to
the same careers as their white counterparts

• This program will play a pivotal role in advancing education for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged African
American students. Additionally, SPURS will create diversity of representation among the future ranks of doctors,
investigative scientists, technologists, and design experts

• Funded by the Federal Department of Education as renewable grants

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 NEO-RECONSTRUCTION

Institute The Black History 365 Curriculum

According to studies, there is a direct correlation between students' self awaren- ess and exposure to positive imagery of like
groups and their academic achievement

• We should adopt this existing program into our school curriculum on a national level

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ADDENDUM #1
Focus on the Black Family

Any agenda that sincerely seeks to promote the best interests of the African
American community must strive to restore the Black family unit of man, woman
and child/children. Whether in the nuclear family or the extended family version
that has also been prominent throughout history, the father-mother-child
paradigm has always been the hub of any strong people, society and civilization.
Indeed, that is why those opposed to African American advancement have long
focused on destroying the black family, largely through the disempowerment of
the black male. To highlight and grumble about fatherlessness while

handicapping black males with presumed criminalization, inferior educational and career opportunities, and mass incarceration is
at best counterproductive and at worst hypocritical and duplicitous. As policies are implemented to improve the economic,
educational and judicial realities of African Americans, the intentional restoration of black boys and men is imperative. A Brookings
Institute article published in 2017 stated: “One thing is clear - educational and economic outcomes for black men have profound
implications for the prosperity of black families and the prospects of black children, and for racial equity more broadly."

Watch Dog
This user-friendly interface will provide the socially-conscious consumer free access to company and business ratings that are data
driven, transparent, and accurate. We will provide a Heatmap that displays ratings for mid and large cap companies at a glance
based on reported data highlighting hiring practices, board representation, black business spending, and other relevant diveristy
and inclusion metrics.

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JOBS AND EDUCATION: AMERICA’S JOB PACT (AJP), AN EXAMPLE
OF WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED UNDER THE CONTRACT WITH
BLACK AMERICA
It is possible to have a Jobs and Education plan that serves the needs of ALL poor people, government, and Corporate America. As
the infrastructure of our inner cities crumbles so too does hope in the hearts and minds of the chronically poor who feel
permanently disenfranchised from their own place of birth. The American dream and promises of the free market system simply
are not working where cycles of poverty and often racism have left large swaths of otherwise potentially productive citizens behind.
Dating from the time of the Great Migration, former slaves moved out of the south and populated many of our industrial cities
(Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, DC, Baltimore). Since that time minorities have been systematically excluded from building the
security of long term equity in their communities and suffered the pressures of economic discrimination entrenched first through
the redlining practices of the early 20th century and now through the gentrification pressures of globalized capital flows which
continue a legacy of systemic discrimination. Their education systems do not exhibit a clear path from educational success to
meaningful employment. While a myriad of existing programs attempts solutions, they are not working, and people are often
unaware of how to take advantage of them. When people have no hope, they have nothing to lose. This can and has led to tragic
results including increases in crime, an exploding jail population and escalated gun violence. Disenfranchised people are angry as
they see others getting ahead even as their own community’s human resources remain untapped. At the same time numerous US
companies cannot find enough skilled employees to meet their needs, dampening US productivity and resulting in anemic growth.
Companies would be willing to invest in people if their needs could be fulfilled. And all of this is unraveling against the backdrop of
an America that is in desperate need of new infrastructure.

• We must acknowledge that there is a mismatch between the companies’ needs and the skills available in the inner city –
this continues a vicious cycle of gentrification and disenfranchisement. Under-invested neighborhoods in the inner city
become settlement areas for an influx of workers trained to address the skills gap, and those already living in those
communities are unable to get those jobs and earn the wages needed to remain in their homes. And so, even as growth
occurs in the very communities which need it the most, the people that need it the most are not receiving the benefits
afforded by growth.

• AJP will help American companies avail themselves of vast resources of untapped potential in people. AJP will give people
willing to work hard to get access to education, trades and skills that will lead directly to real jobs. Through a
groundbreaking public/private partnership, companies will gain access to a workforce that can fulfill its needs while at the
same time allowing people to gain the skills required for such jobs. Different people have different skill potentials and
desire different job opportunities; AJP addresses diversity of potentialities and maximizes the benefits to both the
communities and the individuals motivated to enter the program and do the work required. The results are dramatic
benefits to the country at large.

The America’s Job Pact (AJP) Along with The Contract with Black America Is an Example of How Systematic Change and
Rethinking of American Institutions Can Help Everyone Benefit. The AJP is a vision for a national scale program to provide
solutions to problems with jobs and education through the creation of Cream of the Crop Training Centers (“CCTC”).

• Help American companies including those in technology and infrastructure avail themselves of vast resources of untapped
potential in the inner-city human capital.
• Teach students a new trade or help them to acquire marketable skills along with life, communication, and organizational
skills for other job opportunities outside the AJP family.
• Force students to learn discipline of attendance or risk losing participation in the program.
• Create pathways to employment for those people willing to work hard; and
• Link these pathways through access to education, trade-schools and affordable skills- building that will lead directly to
real jobs, since companies will help sponsor these programs as they have on a more localized level.
• Participants will get first shot at open jobs and they will have a duty if offered jobs from participating companies at
competitive rates to work a certain number of years in exchange for the education and stipends they received. Both
parties’ benefit.

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Companies will gain access to a workforce that can fulfill its needs while at the same time allowing people to gain the skills required
for such jobs. In each city, we will recruit the “cream of the crop" from troubled neighborhoods and cities through a variety of entry
points including the Mayor’s office (and those of local elected officials), local economic development entities and civic action
groups. Local leaders can be enlisted to recruit people who will be admitted to the program based on performance in schools or
testing to determine suitability for the program. Invitations to attend the area CCTC would be given to students and adults who
show exceptional discipline, focus, passion, and talent. CCTC education and training centers would be located in or near at risk
neighborhoods for graduates from middle and high schools, community colleges, universities and even non-graduate adults to
attend and get top- level education and training and get preferred access for a job that will work for both the students and these
companies or agencies.

Cost sharing can be attained by looking at beneficiaries in society, and equally borne by both the country at large as well as the
nation’s corporations, both of whom would benefit immensely from successful implementation. Companies will lower their cost of
acquiring and training employees (while reducing turnover, one of the largest costs faced in expansion), and if necessary, any
financing gap could be closed via government assistance with the start-up and management of the program. As seen in individual
programs, immense goodwill is sure to accrue to these companies as we make a reconnection between capital, people, and place.

Cream of the Crop Training Centers (CCTC) will be set up in low income areas and inner cities where citizens who are serious
about their future can make their dreams come true. These CCTCs are not unlike the Small Business Development Centers
(SBDCs) in NYC, although we plan for them to be more effective through the participation of local leaders. We empower the local
community to be directly involved from cradle to job, through the trials of each stage, with multiple layers of support and direct
connections with companies and their needs for employment. The CCTC will:

• Unite community leaders, businesses, local agencies, and skilled professionals to process applicants and coordinate
individual plans to meet their individual needs.

• Train and educate the most qualified to acquire the skills they need to join the work force.

• Provide a “21st Century Life” program that teaches the basics of how to pay taxes, balance a bank account or budget,
invest, participate in government, or know how to deal with adversity of all types that we all face at one time or another
while becoming better American citizens overall.

• Refer applicants to partner trade schools, certificates, or tracks within colleges of higher learning, or CCTC facilities in
other regions with the specialty training needed for the individual.

• Provide training and education as long as entrants agree to abide by standards of performance that will include
maintaining grades (as applicable), strict attendance levels, workplace level conduct and volunteer service to the
communities in which they reside.

• Build trust with local communities who in many places are intimidated or don’t trust existing government programs; the
building of a CCTC in their neighborhood provides an access point to getting help and learning about the AJP (as well as
getting information on existing programs existing outside the AJP if they are better suited to help the individual).

The AJP will work in coordination with local middle and high schools and community colleges to ensure the best students see a path
to success. In addition, adults of all ages could qualify for an invitation by taking a test. We envision an opportunity for the formerly
incarcerated who have exhibited the hallmarks of actual reform (such as by the completion of prison programs) to elect to become
productive citizens and enter the AJP by applying to the local CCTC. Providing a path for former prisoners and juvenile offenders to
exit the revolving “system” of imprisonment through hard work would also reduce prison populations and turn criminals destined
for a lifetime of criminal activities into productive citizens instead of being a strain on our lagging economy.

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Four critical components of the AJP/CCTC program that bring this
beyond a pure education play are: mandatory community
volunteering, workplace discipline training, 360-degree support,
and a living stipend.

1. Mandatory Community Volunteering. All enrollees MUST participate in approved community volunteering in their
neighborhoods. It teaches the importance of giving back as well as providing a local “face” to the AJP. Volunteer efforts
will primarily focus on activities with broad community impact such as: beautifying and improving the physical
environment, supporting the expansion of local kids programs such as local sports leagues and patrolling playgrounds to
ensure safety. Just like when communities rally around an athlete because they know he or she has a chance to make it
out, local citizens will encourage students to succeed as there will be a direct connection between success of the AJP and
improvement in their lives.
2. Teaching Workforce Discipline. Strict standards of discipline must be maintained to attend the AJP and CCTC centers;
this is no free ride as participants must work hard and maintain strict attendance and performance levels. (I.e., if it's not
allowed in the workplace, it's not allowed at the AJP).
3. 360 Degree Support. Many local examples throughout the country prove that a 360- degree view of each student is
essential to success. The AJP will also provide counselors, social workers, urban mentors and life coaches to help students
deal with the varied social and mental issues that many struggle with in these at risk communities. As an example, PTSD is
an undiagnosed problem in many of these communities and we need to invest in the well-being of these students so they
can achieve at high levels and fulfill their potential.
4. Living Stipend. Lastly, beyond providing education and training, students who fulfill ALL requirements will be entitled to
a “living stipend.” For many young adults in the inner cities providing education is not enough because many come from
broken homes that rely on them to support the family. In the same manner that companies often send their employees to
get additional degrees or skills while on the payroll that they then bring back to the benefit of the company, our students
who show need will be able to pay their bills and will not be precluded from taking advantage of the AJP. By doing this we
are addressing a cycle of inter-generational poverty—years of neglect caused by racism, classism and socio-economic
disadvantages and will break the cycles of poverty and lack of opportunity. We enable maximum participation and not only
change the lives of the individual enrollees but change the destinies of whole families. The value systems of communities
are altered, and we bring these people and their communities into the free market economy that rewards them for hard
work and investing in themselves. Ultimately, they are taught the skills to participate on an equal playing field in the
economy.

THE AJP IN CONCLUSION:

Infrastructure includes our citizenry. The AJP will be a pillar of hope for otherwise hopeless communities. Citizens will have choices
to do the hard work that will put them on a clear path to becoming working citizens and local companies will have a homegrown,
motivated, and qualified workforce to fill jobs that are needed for them to grow. Each community will benefit from the volunteer
work being done by every CCTC student in and around the area. Decaying cities will begin to thrive, and people will be once again
invested in and proud of their communities. Inner cities benefit enormously, and people feel better about themselves and about
their government as their hard work is rewarded and they are prepared to meet the challenges of their world. We believe it is time
to connect good students with good jobs without reference to racial and economic identity instead of the continued frustration
created by a systemic lack of opportunity afforded inner city residents. AJP will provide hope to current and future generations and
provide tangible, foreseeable reasons to stay in school and perform at higher levels.

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