Black and Green
Now expanding its reach to the national level, the Ella Baker Center recently launched Green for All, a new organization aimed at securing $1 billion to lift 250,000 people out of poverty with employment in sustainable industries. It scored a major victory last December when Congress, as part of the omnibus energy bill, passed the Green Jobs Act of 2007, authorizing $125 million for a federal program, modeled on Oakland’s, that will train 30,000 workers in new trades like installing solar panels. And that may just be the beginning: Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have touted “green collar” initiatives as being key to the future economy.
Now expanding its reach to the national level, the Ella Baker Center recently launched Green for All, a new organization aimed at securing $1 billion to lift 250,000 people out of poverty with employment in sustainable industries. It scored a major victory last December when Congress, as part of the omnibus energy bill, passed the Green Jobs Act of 2007, authorizing $125 million for a federal program, modeled on Oakland’s, that will train 30,000 workers in new trades like installing solar panels. And that may just be the beginning: Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have touted “green collar” initiatives as being key to the future economy.
As these victories turn increasing media attention to Jones, poster child of a new “black-green” movement, he’s trying to keep his head down. “Sure, everybody likes to get a standing ovation,” he says, “but I figured out a long time ago, nobody can eat your sound bite, and nobody can live in a house made out of newspaper clippings.”
