Night trying to do something. But weve got to turn america around to recognizing that when you deal with these issues, you are loving america, you are building america. And we should not take second class citizenship to say our issues should be pushed back and others be pushed forward. I thank you for being here tonight. Im going to come down in the audience. Tereasa v. Smith. Please raise your hand. Please come down to the front. Tereasas question members of congress is and i think this im getting a lot of these questions. You heard some solutions here tonight. How do you intend to work with established groups to have vision for helping young people to have an economic base for money for many years. How do you intend to work with established groups that have a vision for helping young people for having an economic base for many years . The solution this evening from many folks in the stage, how does the Congressional Black Caucus plan to work with the groups. How are you already responding to those groups . This is tereasa smith. Im asking that question because we always hear the term, unity, you know, theres strength. But if you dont have anyone listening to you, you cant have strength. So what im asking is that for you to look at the established groups that have already been working such as reverend al sampson whos a visionary, a civil rights worker. And he has had black tradesman council. Hes got a farmers market. Hes working so hard as the food desert as you mentioned, and we need to get rid of the division where everyone is doing their own thing and we need to come together and find out where these things are happening because being a former educator, i was an educator. I was alternative high school. And in that classroom, we had 16 up to seniors. And if you dont listen to the wisdom thats there among all people, okay, youre not going to accomplish anything. So in that classroom, we listen to the wisdom of the young people and we listen to the wisdom of the older people and its an each one teach one environment. Im so happy that theres all age people here. Because we wanted to hear from the people on the ground, from the people experiencing all of the things that are going on. But importantly, i wanted to hear from the people that are doing things pause we dont have to reinvent the wheel. We have a lot of good things going on now. I want to know how we can further support there you go. What im saying that there are all age of people here wheres my mic . I dont know . Im so glad there are all age people here and there are all ages earlier, because we want to hear from everybody. Everybody has ideas and suggestions living in the community. You can tell us what you think will work. The other thing is i was hoping people who are involve in good things have shared those because i dont think we need to keep inventing the wheel. We need to support whats going on in chicago now. There are a lot of good thingings. Were not connecting with each other. So sometimes we dont nope the good things going on. And i i think we need to give resources, people, money, im not sure what Everybody Needs to further those programs, expand the programs, duplicate those programs in whats been mention md. We want to take the show on the road. We want to go to new orleans, baltimore, other places. Its not just in chicago that these things are occurring. The plan when we leave here is going back to the rest of the caucus to let them know what went on here. You will hear from us. We are committed to you hearing from us. We need to hear from you. We cant do it alone. We want to help you. I want to thank you for that. Its also an established group, its the 1570 club. 1570 a. M. By harold davis. Were working with those two. Those are two established actionry groups happening in chicago right now. Thank you so much. Im looking for mr. Noel green. His question at the root of the violence issues within our communities as a Global Economic crisis, how will each of you, Illinois Congress people and the great congresswoman from texas work to foster the education of the economic plight of our communities to a destiny of economic vitality. Mr. Noel green, executive director of esquared Business Development fund. Ecubed, excuse me. Well, i guess we do it in many ways. Im one who believes in i have 20 advisory groups that i work with. In my congressional districts, ranging from everything Early Childhood development to business and Economic Development. We meet regularly. Some of them meet every month. Some meet every other month. Some meet twice a month. We are engaged all the time. Some of us are almost as old as sampson. Weve been working with sampson for a long time. So were actually engaged with the kind of activity anybody can join our groups. All you got to do is give us a call at 7735337520. Most of the legislation say that one more time, congressman. 7735337520. Most of the legislation that we have gotten passed originated with our groups meeting. One is the 5 million that people have gotten who have h. I. V. Aids organizations whose budgets are less than 100,000 a year. And the money comes from a lottery scratchoff. That came from one of our town hall meetings. Thats the idea was generated. The Second Chance act was generated at one of our town hall meetings. Thats where it came from. So were engaged in the ways that youre talking about. And we do it with consistency and regularity. Congressman, im committed to working with Small Business. What is wrong with this . I am committed to working with Small Business. Its Small Business thats the backbone. When you have a Small Business of this neighborhood, youre going to hire the neighborhood person. Im committed to keeping the governments feet to the fire if theres a local hometown project, we need to hire the hometown contractors, minority businesses and women businesses. Thats not done enough. And ive met with various people to ensure that thats going to happen, asking for a report. Also, im on science, space, and technology. We just had a stem meeting with various universities in my district and entrepreneurs and actually one of the Public Schools because the thing thats happening. Theres job openings, but what we keep hearing from the ford plant, from other manufacturing plants, they cant find enough skilled workers. I want to make sure we take the unskilled into skilled and we can do that through the Community College. You dont have to have a college education. You dont have to have a fouryear degree. Manufacturing is not what it used to be. The other thing im committed to is trying to find businesses to adopt the local high schools, even junior high schools so that we can build into the curriculum the skills that are needed to get the jobs of the future. Its not what it used to bchlt things are different. Congressman rush . You want to comment on that . I want to say we have some roles that we play as legislators. And one of the roles im on the energy and Commerce Committee. One of the oldest and most powerful committees in the congress. And im a Senior Member of that committee. And im the leading democrat on the subcommittee on power. And as part of my daytoday work as a member of congress, i have Energy Companies coming before the committee and coming before the meeting with me in my office because they have a particular concern and issues. And so i have the responsibility and i have so many responsibilities, courageously and enthusiastically, of making sure that every Energy Company that im in contact with, whatever their initiative is, that they have positions for minority participation. Contracts. We i had the i had the the head of the american gas association, the pipeline association. The american pipeline association. This is about six months ago. Came to them before the committee. I asked him because i was the only black on the subcommittee or im the Ranking Member on the subcommittee. I asked how many minorities were in his association . All right . And the guy couldnt answer that. He never had a question like that asked him of him by a member of congress. He turned beet red. Because he didnt have the answer. He told me he would get back to me. I knew that before i asked him. So the point im making is there is leverage if you have the conscious theres leverage to make sure that africanamericans are included in the discussion, in the consciousness of some of these major corporations and that they aggressively and affirmatively go out and help expand or create black business. And we had a lot of success along those lines. But thats not the only thing that you can do. Because you have youre in a position of influence. So i had to take off my hat as being the leading democrat or the Ranking Member on congress and corinne came and told me congressman that they are trying to take your money out of illinois and put it some place else. Thats got me focused on the whole create program. So we are getting that money refocused and channeled and protect that money. Once we protected that money, then i find out when i look i was told this that our 93 million, one black firm, a so comcast needed my support, other members support. Well, i told him i told the comcast folkings. If you are going to you want to get my support on this, then youre going have to create black forum television station. I had a hearing here in chicago. All right . And comcast in order to get support, they, in fact created a they signed a memorandum of agreement. Then you move from one level to the next. And from that level to the next. For every issue, theres not necessarily a great legislative remedy. Many legislative efforts take five to 10 years even when you get them passed. Im saying even when you work on an idea that youve put in to a proposal to become a bill. It may take five, it may take ten years before you get that passed. But there are always things that individuals can do right where they are, right in their communities, right in their neighborhoods and you cant always be looking out there somewhere for the solutions that can be found right here. If i could just add i wish that young man had not walked out. I can understand why they did. Because here we are they have some issues right in front of them right here, right now. And thats fear. Of being killed. All right . And what were focusing on right now for the most part is adult problems. We have walked right beyond the problems that our children are having. Were not talking to them. We have them here in the room. Were talking about adult issues. Why i didnt get no contract. Why i didnt get money for my business. And were walking past these children and therefore when we leave here, unless we switch the agenda back to the emergency part of this summit and Start Talking about our children, all right, and what we going to do now and tomorrow about the killings that are taking place as we sit in this room, then we have missed the boat because adults have the capacity and the selfishness the selfinterest, to look beyond the problems of the children and focus in on their issues and get the issues of the children expect to solve their problem. Children cannot solve the childrens problem because the childrens problem is the insensitivity and the callusness of the adults that say that they love them. Youve got children on your mind, but you dont have them in your heart. You got to have children in your heart. Right now, lets talk about the children. Well, congressman rush. The next question, a 9yearold man named Jermaine Young. Let me just add something while youre answering. Can Jermaine Young find me, please. Let me say that one of the answers is that we must use the word emergency one of the emergencies is the flow of guns. One of the ideas could be a National Emergency response to gun trafficking. Gun shootings range from chicago to washington to the west coast, the east coast, the south, and the north. We left washington, they were burying two teenagers, a brother and a sister that had been shot dead in the streets. You go to my hometown, you can find the same things. But what are they using . Guns that are coming in. So one of the things that can be done on a National Level is to stop the flow of guns and to stop getting in the hands of whether its gangs, someone wanting to perpetrate a crime against you walking down the street. Whether its somebody who wants to go to the grocery store. You have to stop the flow of guns. Thats one of the things that we can take to washington because there are jurisdictions like yours with good gun laws, but guns are flowing in because there are no restraints on who can traffic guns because there are restraints put on the investigation by those who dont want to fund in a crisis which is a flow of guns. Stop the illegal flow of guns getting into our childrens hands and causing them to kill or be killed. Stop the flow of guns. Thank you, congressman. Were looking for the 9yearold young man. In the meantime, ill ask his question to the four of you. He asked, Jermaine Young. Why do you all still assume that Gang Violence is from young youth gang banging . Why do you all still assume that Gang Violence is from young youth gang banging . Well, i heard something quite interesting today. Thats why i really want to listen to the young people. Because i think that those of my generation and maybe those of other generations, i dont know, i think were really missing the boat here. I was in on the when i was in the breakout session on Gang Violence. The young men one of the young guys that walked out, i said, you know, your definition of gangs has changed. See youre using the 1990 definition of gangs. He say the in the 90s, these gangs were more drug control. They were more drug directed. He said but thats not it anymore. Now its more turf directed. Its more turf driven. Now, we dont get that, were going be following the media. And its talking about gangs that are dealing drugs. And miss the drugs about the gangs killing over turf. When i heard that, the first thing that came to my mind is the spirit has been working with me on this, im talking about cha here in chicago. And the the forced migration of 40,000 families out of public housing. A Public Policy issue. Now, we all admit, poor housing, deteriorating housing. The worst kind of houses you ever want to live in. Warehouses, the effect of tearing them all down and the same time pushing them into chatle and westchesterfield and south fork, all right. Now what you got now . You got turf wars because you have those young ones who are not they dont have the pillars. They dont have the foundation in these communities so theyre trying to we can connect and fit in their world so this block is against this block and this block is against this block. That is why we have this killing because we dont have gangs no, maam. Weve got blocks and theyre all armed. Armed to the gills. The neighbor from the next block. Thats whats going on in this city and the fact is the fact is that we have to deal with that policy. The largest forced migration in the history of this country. We have to speak to that and understand that. Now, that the violence, the policy directed violence is followed just this year with opposing a onetime for schools. So its a war against our young people and were talking about, well, i aint got no contract, congressman. Lets focus on the real war. And that war its totally destroying our sense of community here in chicago. So we have to deal with that. Congressman, you go back to work in august in washington. Next week. What is the plan . What is the plan . So when you go back to washington and we certainly understand and have compassion for the friction that you all feel when you go back to washington. But what is the plan . When you go back, what are you heard from folks this evening, from today, you know the issue. You live the issue for decades. What is the plan . I think the plan is that were going to take three or four very concrete initiatives and ideas that we will promote and try to convince other people to the very same ones. We know what causes are. We know what problems are. We even know what solutions are. But what were not able to do is to implement those things that can solve and will solve the problems. Early childhood education, everybody agrees, is a good thing. That every child should have optimal opportunity to get the very best education that they can get. I dont know anybody who disagrees with that. But making it happen, making it real, making it work, becomes the challenge. Or there might be another issue. The things that schools can do, if were talking specifically about the question of violence, there is antibullying legislation that has been introduced as a matter of fact, Sheila Jackson lee as well as myself have bills calling for curriculum to be developed that actually help to teach young people that theres a way to resolve conflict without resorting to violence. Thats part of the long road home. But you have to take it and make use of it. Then we have all of these disparities that we know exist. Weve been fighting them since nat turner. Were aware. Not only are we aware, but the rest of society is aware. How do you generate the leverage that you need to bring about the change that you are seeking. Efforts are under way. Every day. Struggle is ongoing every day. And we meet with efforts of success. Dont ever think success never comes or much stays the same. So the struggle goes on. Well be struggling for years and years to reach the level of equality equal justice, equal protection, under the law. There is no quick and and dirty solutions. There are no easy answers. There are no panaceas. So theres no point to delusion ourselves into believing that there is. Struggle, strife, and pain are the prerequisites for change. Always has been, always will be. [applause] i have probably close to 100 questions here and ive read through most of them. There are some amazing questions here. In the interest of time, its friday evening. I want to be respectful of your time, certainly. Id ask the members of congress, do you have a ques