Dr. Comer Promotes Development at the 40th CBC Annual Legislative Conference

At the request of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-7), Dr. Comer participated in a town hall meeting, Door to the Future: Transforming Public Education for African-American Youth, at the 40^th annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference at the Washington Convention Center on September 16, 2010.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) moderated the panel that included Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League, Dr. Michael Lomax, President/CEO of the United Negro College Fund, Dr. Sidney Ribeau, President of Howard University, Dr. Joanathan Gueverra, President of UDC Community College, C. Diane Wallace Booker, Esq., Executive Director of the U.S. Dream Academy, and Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-9), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-3), and Donald M. Payne (NJ-10), a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.

"Most of the Congresspeople were concerned about real life issues like the cradle-to-prison pipeline problem, the fact that too many young black people are unprepared for the workforce, and a whole series of problems regarding the well-functioning of the African-American community," said Dr. Comer. "My point was that we need an education system where attention is given to development, so that our young people can manage not only academic issues, but all of the challenges and tasks that they are expected to be able to handle as adults."