blogging the beltway

The simplest ideas are often the ones that catch on. That has certainly been the case for Beverly Bond, the DJ and founder of Black Girls Rock! — a movement that was first conceived as a T-shirt slogan. Since 2006 Bond has headed her New York City-based arts and mentoring program, designed to develop girls into future…

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 41st Annual Legislative Conference — CBC Week for short — kicked off on Wednesday. The massive event draws thousands of elected officials, business leaders, scholars, activists and celebrities for four days of policy forums, power networking and parties. Although organized by the CBCF — a nonprofit policy institute that sponsors…

In case you missed it, it’s National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. In a presidential proclamation observing the occasion, President Obama remarked: HBCUs continue a proud tradition as vibrant centers of intellectual inquiry and engines of scientific discovery and innovation. New waves of students, faculty, and alumni are building on their rich legacies and…

Introducing his proposal to rein in the nation’s debt, on Monday President Obama essentially pitched congressional action as a choice: between the “wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations” and the “middle class and the poor.” The plan calls for more than $4 trillion in budget savings over the next decade, paying for the president’s $447 million…

Since launching her Let’s Move! campaign targeting childhood obesity a year and a half ago, first lady Michelle Obama has made headway on school nutrition and access to fresh food. Among other undertakings, she’s successfully advocated for the authorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which sets tighter nutrition standards for foods regularly sold in…

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) had a bit of a “Moment” in August. Along the five stops of the Congressional Black Caucus’ “For the People” Jobs Tour, she made headlines for a series of heated town hall remarks and media interviews challenging the Obama administration to direct more targeted help for black communities with high unemployment, pushing…

In his Thursday-night jobs speech, a pumped-up President Obama — sounding more like the inspirational, powerful political force that we haven’t seen in a while — put forward his much-anticipated plan for economic growth and job creation. “The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus…

Among the many criticisms of President Obama’s leadership style is an admonishment that he doesn’t use the bully pulpit enough to take his case to the people. Running counter to that argument, this week the president embarked on a three-day bus tour through the Midwest with a laser focus on the nation’s flagging economy and…

On Aug. 28, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial makes its debut on the National Mall with a star-studded concert and dedication ceremony featuring President Barack Obama, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx. The 30-foot granite sculpture, enclosed by a wall etched with 14 of King’s most notable quotes, is a…

The Republican contenders for president gathered at Iowa State University Thursday night, going toe-to-toe in the latest Fox News debate. Coming at the tail end of what has been labeled the worst period of the Barack Obama presidency — record-low approval ratings, an S&P credit-rating downgrade, stock market hysteria and the death of 30 U.S.…