This month’s edition of The Bridge
I N S I D E
Black Leaders Push Apple to Improve Diversity, Pg. 12
VOL. 1, NO. 8
SEPT. 2015
A NEW SEASON
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PG Council Says ‘No’ to WalMart Proposal, Pg. 14
I N S I D E
Vol. 50, No. 50 SEPT 24 - SEPT 30 , 2015
Scenes from the CBCF Legislative Conference, Pgs. 28, 29
Viola Davis Makes Emmy Award History, Pg. 30
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell advocated for the third Open Enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, September 22, at Howard University Hospital in Northwest.
HHS Secretary Pleads Case for Uninsured Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Begins Soon By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer As the third open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) approaches, over 17.6 million Americans have gained coverage since the law has taken effect. However, there remains work to do with millions more to reach. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell presented both the accomplishments and challenges of the law, reflecting on its impact on access, affordability and quality, on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at Howard University Hospital’s Walter Lester Henry Auditorium in Northwest. “Howard University College
President Barack Obama speaks at the Phoenix Awards Dinner for the 45th Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Inc., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest on Saturday, Sept. 19. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
of Medicine has been a great partner to us and part of our efforts to bring healthcare to more Americans of all backgrounds,” Burwell said. Open enrollment, which begins Nov. 1, allows applicants to enroll for a qualified heath plan in the Marketplace without regard to health history. For communities of color, great strides have been made with healthcare coverage. “The uninsured rate for African-American adults has declined by more than 10 percentage points, compared to about 7.7 percent for the total population,” Burwell said. For the Latino population
Obama Celebrates Black Women in Phoenix Awards Dinner Speech
WIZARD Page 8
OBAMA CBC Page 8
By Freddie Allen NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent During his speech at the 45th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) Phoenix Awards Dinner, President Barack Obama celebrated the critical role that Black women have played in “every great movement in American history” and pledged to address challenges they face in the workplace and in the criminal justice system. Blacks from across the coun-
try packed the ballroom at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest on Saturday, Sept. 19, eager to hear the comments from the president. The Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation focuses on issues affecting the Black community, domestically and abroad, and included policy forums on health, education, economic empowerment, Blacks in media and the criminal justice system. In prepared remarks, President
Obama touted national economic success following the Great Recession in the U.S. and the millions of people who gained access to health care through the Affordable Care Act. He also noted that none of it would have been possible without “CBC taking tough votes when it mattered most.” Obama continued: “Whatever I’ve accomplished, the CBC has been there.” During this year’s ALC Phoenix Awards Dinner the foun-
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