(NNPA)—The greatest civil rights leader in history taught each and every one of us invaluable lessons throughout his short time on earth. Absorbing his teachings, readings and speeches, we have been able to peacefully highlight injustice whenever and wherever we see it, and demand equality in a forthright and sustainable way.

As a student of Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolent methods, I have witnessed the incomparable results of structured demonstrations and organized intellectual objection. All of us—Blacks, Browns, Whites and everything in between—have been blessed to see many of Dr. King’s dreams come to fruition.

(NNPA)—Last week, representatives from some 192 countries convened in Copenhagen to try to reach an agreement on worldwide reductions in greenhouse gases to mitigate the devastating effects of global climate change.

At the same time President Obama, prodded by the National Urban League and others, announced new measures to tackle record unemployment that has reached epidemic proportions across America, especially in urban communities of color. What do these two issues have in common?

It is becoming increasingly clear that the “green movement” is not only critical to the health of our planet and its people; it can be an engine of economic recovery and growth that brings desperately needed jobs and development to our cities.

My wife and I have big dreams for our children. We want nothing for them but health, happiness and success and we recognize that a good education can be a step towards realizing that goal. We also demand that our children perform up to their potential. The skills one learns in school—study habits, attention to detail and meeting deadlines—are essential for success in the work world. In this we are like every other parent in America.

However, we are also Black parents of a certain generation and so the subtleties of race continue to speak to us and they are very real. Sometimes we are not sure if we are responding atavistically to the faint smell of something in the air or if what we are hearing are the soft echoes of our own imaginations. It’s sometimes impossible to tell, which is why race and issues associated with race (to coin a phrase from the late Ralph Wiley) continue to make Black people want to shout.

Across this nation the unemployment situation is at an critical all time high and unless it is addressed and corrected it will accelerate the demise of our families, community and will send more Blacks, particularly men to penal institutions. It is commendable that President Barack Obama has the driving concern, commitment and integrity to asked proven community organizations for help.

A local organization, Your Sister’s Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public, charitable nonprofit organization has been invited by the White House to host a local community forum to provide Obama with some crucial answers to the massive unemployment. In a meeting the question was asked how will the local organization respond to this overwhelming problem?