New Coalition Update

Walker Helps Defender Celebrate

On May 5, 2005, the Chicago Defender--the only black daily newspaper in the country--celebrated its 100th anniversary. Lee Walker, president of The New Coalition for Economic and Social Change and a Heartland senior fellow, sits on the newspaper’s editorial board and attended events celebrating the centennial.

The April 8-10 issue of the Defender printed Walker’s column, “A Fresh Look at Dr. Booker T. Washington’s Legacy.”

On April 21, Walker’s “We Should All Be Proud of Tiger Woods” ran as the newspaper’s own lead editorial. Walker writes, “The life lesson here ... is to never stop challenging yourself to do better, and don’t measure yourself against someone else. We all have different talents.”

Walker’s “A Conflict of Vision?” ran in the May 27-29 edition.

All of Walker’s Defender writings are available on the New Coalition Web site at http://www.newcoalition.org.

Meetings and Events

On April 22, Walker attended a conference hosted by the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, focused on “Social Work and Social Welfare Responses to African American Males.” The event’s keynote speaker was Lawrence E. Gary, a professor at the School of Social Work at Howard University and author of Black Men, published in 1981, a classic work discussing the status of black men in America.

On April 29-30, Walker attended and addressed the Spring Conference for African-American Journalists of Faith, hosted by the World Journalism Institute at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

On May 6, Walker attended a by-invitation-only lunch meeting hosted by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations featuring the president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Walker, has been invited to join the council, which aims to further awareness and broaden understanding of international relations and foreign policy and to promote Chicago as an important international center.

On May 9, Walker met with two high school seniors from Trinity High School in Oak Park, Illinois. In preparation for a debate on affirmative action, the students interviewed Walker to learn why he opposes government-run affirmative action programs.

Media Appearances

On April 16, Walker appeared on “UpFront with Jesse Jackson” to discuss “The State of Black America.” Also appearing were Roland Martin of the Chicago Defender, Cliff Kelley of WVON Radio, and Dr. Michele Goodwin of the DePaul University School of Law. The show was re-broadcast on May 7.

Walker’s “Is Bill Cosby a Conservative Black?” was published in the Chicago Independent Bulletin in two parts, in the April 28 and May 5 editions.

On May 21, Walker again appeared on “UpFront with Jesse Jackson,” to discuss judges and Senate filibusters, and on May 28 to discuss the anniversary of Bill Cosby speaking out.