Talking Points The Opportunity Agenda



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African Americans
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans
Latinos
Low-Income Families
Opportunity in America
Policy Recommendations
Women and Opportunity
Immigration Reform Talking Points
School Diversity Cases
Katrina - One Year Later

What Does Opportunity Mean to you?
Three Americans - a waitress, a social worker, and a health care administrator - tell us what opportunity means to them.

Lily Talks About Education
An elementary school teacher in the Bronx shares stories of students who struggle against huge odds to stay in school.

Brian on Equality
A contractor from Long Island talks about equality.

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Talking Points

Affirming Diversity: The Supreme Court School Cases

We just received news of the Supreme Court’s decisions in the school diversity cases (Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District, 05-908 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education, 05-915). The Court struck down the specific policies used by the Louisville and Seattle communities, but ruled that educational diversity and combating segregation are compelling governmental interests that governments may pursue through careful race-conscious efforts. And the Court endorsed specific alternative race-conscious methods.

Immigration Reform: Promoting Opportunity for All

The immigration-reform debate in Congress and the dynamic street protests across the country this past spring offered an important chance to promote positive immigration policies, while building lasting support for broader social change. Efforts to achieve comprehensive reform are likely stalled until after the midterm elections, yet immigration reform continues to be an important issue in the minds of the public; in some districts it continues to be a central issue. In the past months we’ve learned much about the way that this debate is framed in the media and in the minds of the public. These talking points provide a summary of the current framing of the debate and our recommendations for building support for positive immigration reform.

Katrina: One Year Later

August 29 marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As media outlets, political commentators, and everyday Americans refocus briefly on the disaster and its aftermath, it’s an important chance to reopen the discussion of opportunity in America and to promote a positive role for our government in expanding opportunity for all. What follows is a set of recommended themes and messages that can help to build support for those goals. Communicators using these messages should, of course, adapt them to their own voice, audience, and circumstances.

African Americans and Opportunity

Opportunity for African Americans has expanded in some areas.
But African Americans continue to face multiple barriers, at rates much higher than the national average.
Discrimination based on race persists, stifling the opportunity of millions of African Americans.
Bold Action by our government and national institutions is needed to expand opportunity for all.

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Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans and Opportunity

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face multiple barriers, at rates much higher than the national average.
Discrimination based on race persists, stifling the opportunity of millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Bold Action by our government and national institutions is needed to expand opportunity for all.

Continue Reading>> | Download the pdf>>

Latinos and Opportunity

Opportunity for Latinos has expanded in certain areas
Latinos face multiple barriers, at rates much higher than the national average.
Discrimination based on race and nationality persists, stifling opportunity of millions of Latinos.
Bold action by our government and national institutions is needed to expand opportunity for all.

Continue Reading>> | Download the pdf>>

Low-Income Families and Opportunity

Low-income families face multiple barriers to opportunity
Bold action by our government and national institutions is needed to expand opportunity for all.

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Opportunity in America Talking Points

Opportunity is either stagnant or declining for millions of Americans.
Many groups of Americans are facing multiple barriers to opportunity, and racial and gender discrimination continue to thwart equal opportunity.

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Policy Recommendations Talking Points

Planning for Opportunity
Modernizing the Safety Net
Updating Skills in a Changing America
Renewing America's Commitment to Human Rights
Prioritizing Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Reentry
Strengthening our Democracy

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Women and Opportunity

Opportunity for Women has expanded in certain areas.
Women continue to face multiple barriers to opportunity.
Exclusion based on gender persists, stifling the opportunity of millions of Americans.
Bold action by our government and national instituations is needed to expand opportunity for all.

Continue Reading>> | Download the pdf>>

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