The Committee on Equity (COE) would like to say Happy New Year to all and to welcome our newest COE member, Frank Bott III. Anyone else interested in committee membership, please contact the Advisor, Anita Blackwell, at the Local 4340 office.

A mini open house was held for the Lake Geauga United Head Start organization, reaching out to our members as a resource. The COE presentation given by Nate Delaughter and Vernice Cole was well received by the members on location.

The Committee would like to say farewell and thank you to Nate Delaughter for his dedication and participation as a COE member.

And in closing, the Committee on Equity would like to add President Barack Obama to our honor roll for Black History Month 2010. Elected in 2009, he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961. During his childhood years he attended schools in Hawaii and Indonesia. While living in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather, he learned the Indonesian language. Barack later returned to Hawaii and while attending 5th grade won a scholarship to the most prestigious Prep School of Punahou Academy.

After completion from the Academy, he attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, transferred and later graduated from Columbia University in New York. In 1985, Barack accepted a position as a community organizer and in 1988 attended Harvard Law School.

He met Michelle Robinson, his mentor, at the law firm where he served his internship. She later would become Mrs. Barack Obama, who was also working to assist young people to find employment in public service via the Chicago Office of Public Affairs. In 1992, Barack became the Director of Illinois Project Vote and helped to register nearly 50,000 voters. The following year he worked at a public interest law firm concentrating on civil rights, employment discrimination, fair housing and voting rights.

Historically speaking, our President has been involved and cared about the rights of the American working people long before he became a US Senator and now President. President Obama is facing the toughest economic crises in history, getting America back-to-work and helping the working families . We, as a Union, must help by getting involved in your Union, community and other organizations or programs pushing for goals to fix our economy.

A note of thought: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr marched for civil rights and equality for all; Sister Rosa Parks sat for justice; and because of them, President Barack Obama can fly coast to coast seeking civil rights, equality and justice for all.

In Total Solidarity,

Vernice Cole, Chairperson
Committee on Equity