A Statement from United for a Fair Economy Executive Director Jeannette Huezo regarding State of the Dream 2018 (Jan 14, 2018):
Every year, United for a Fair Economy (UFE) issues a “State of the Dream” report, in honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that looks at the state of racial economic inequality in the US. Each year, the report has a different theme (see http://www.faireconomy.org/reports for a compilation of past reports). For 2018, we decided to focus on the effects of the recently-passed Trump/GOP tax bill, particularly the likely effects on different racial groups. While we believe this will be an important and under-reported aspect of the new tax legislation, we need more time to research the issue, find racial data, and learn more about likely Congressional budget decisions in the wake of the lost revenue from the bill.
We understand that many of our supporters and friends look to us for insight into the evolving and deepening racial wealth divide in the US, and we apologize for the delay in issuing this year’s report (typically released on MLK Day). We at United for a Fair Economy also recognize that this political moment is fraught with stress, anxiety and uncertainty, and we share those emotions with you.
We are living in a divisive time. The President frequently makes inflammatory, racist remarks directly from the White House and unabashedly promotes policies that favor certain ethnic and racial groups over others. Meanwhile, Congress has ushered in a new era of brinkmanship and partisanship. At the time of this statement, some 1.7 million children are set to lose health insurance – many of whom are receiving life-saving treatment they otherwise couldn’t afford – as the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is set to expire within the next week.
We encourage all of our supporters to take action in honor of Dr. King’s legacy by defending our children. Call 202-224-3121 to tell your members of Congress that you support fully funding the CHIP program. We must remain vigilant in these troubling times. In the words of Dr. King, “Now more than ever before, America is challenged to realize its dream, for the shape of the world today does not permit our nation the luxury of an anemic democracy... For the hour is late. And the clock of destiny is ticking out. We must act now before it is too late.
Stay tuned for State of the Dream 2018, and in the meantime, we encourage you to peruse UFE’s past State of the Dream reports, infographics and website.
Thank you for your support of a fair economy.
En Solidaridad,
Jeannette Huezo
UFE Executive Director