Make It Plain MIP with Rev. Mark Thompson

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, and Robert James, II, President of Carver Financial Corporation join.

Jobs

• The Black unemployment rate was 5.7% in September, near historic lows. The Black unemployment rate was 9.3% when President Biden took office.
• 2023 was the lowest year for Black unemployment on record.
• 16 million jobs have been created since President Biden took office, including nearly 2.4 million jobs for Black workers—achieving one of the lowest gaps between Black and White unemployment on record.
• Prime-age Black women have seen their labor force participation rates climb by about 3% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Wages/Wealth

• Real wages for Black Americans grew over 5% between 2019 and the four-quarters ending in Q3 2024.
• Black net worth is up 60% between 2019 and 2022 and the Black-white wealth gap is at its narrowest level in nearly 20 years.

Housing

• Black homeownership rates increased by 3.5 percentage points from 2019 through the four-quarters ending in Q2 2024. In the years of the Financial Crisis, Black homeownership had dropped 1.75 percentage points.
• As of Q2 2024, 37% of Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) homeowners self-identified as Black.
• In 2021, eviction filing rates in Black neighborhoods were less than half their historic average.
• 41% of ERA payments have gone to Black families as of Q1 2024.

Child Poverty

• Over 800,000 Black children were lifted out of poverty in 2021 through the expansion of the Child Tax Credit under the American Rescue Plan, helping drive the child poverty rate for Black children to its lowest level on record.

Small Business

• The number of Black households owning a business has more than doubled since 2019.
• Black business ownership is up 6.2 percentage points from 2019 to 2022 to 11%, the highest rate in history.
• In 2021, Black-owned companies employed 1.4 million people and paid over $50 billion in annual payroll.

·       The number of Black workers that were self-employed—a measure of entrepreneurship—increased by over 30% from 2019 through 2024. 

·       The number and dollar value of SBA-backed loans to Black-owned businesses have more than doubled since 2020. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has now surpassed the $1 billion mark in lending to Black-owned small businesses for the third year, almost double 2019 lending amounts.

Also, young men are attracted to the political strongman, yet they aren't showing up to early vote as much as women are. Also, how are Latino and Arab voters trending toward the candidates?

12 days til Election Day! Markos joins for Thursday Kos!

Monifa Bandele of Moms Rising joins,

TELL CONGRESS: Pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus!

Another Woman Dies During Childbirth at a Troubled Brooklyn Hospital

Family of woman who died after C-section plans legal action against Woodhull Hospital

Brooklyn Doctor Under Investigation in Sha-asia Washington’s Death During Childbirth

Doctors Give Black Women Unneeded C-Sections to Fill Operating Rooms, Study Suggests

Newly-elected and First African American Service Employees International Union President April Verrett joins and pays tribute to Coaliton of Black Trade Unionists Founder William Lucy,

Labor Secretary Julie Su joins.

Markos joins for this week's Thursday Kos, and breaks down the latest Cook Political Report which says Harris is leading in every battleground state, except GA.

She's erased Trump's six point lead and the two are tied for the most trustworthy to handle inflation.

The 37% of voters who thought the economy was getting better or was staying the same in May, has grown to 46%.

As the gap between those who think inflation is getting better or staying the same and those who think it’s getting worse has shrunk to eight points — a 17-point decrease in economic pessimism over the last four months, Harris leads Trump among the 46% of voters who who think inflation is getting better or staying the same.

And Trump's lead over Harris on immigration and the border shrunk five points since August to 51% - 42%.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention Deputy Director Greg Jackson and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Micheal Regan join Rev. Mark.

On this week's #ThursdayKos, Markos and Rev. Mark, assess current voter turnout, the strategies of both the Harris and Trump campaigns, and the importance of mobilizing key demographic groups, including African American, Latino, and young voters for Harris, and white voters for Trump. They also highlight issues within the current campaign strategies, particularly the lack of investment in African American media and voter turnout on the part of the Harris campaign. Also, the surprising competitiveness in the Nebraska Senate race with independent candidate Dan Osborne.

Markos joins for #ThursdayKos

The Democratic National Committee Member, the President of the National Urban League, and the former Mayor of South Carolina, respectively, join National Newspaper Publishers Association President the Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. and Rev. Mark at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.