7 NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUEThe Main Street Marshall Plan is a bold, strategic investment in America’s urban communities that protects our progress. From universal early childhood education to a comprehensive urban infrastructure initiative, the Main Street Marshall Plan is a sweeping and decisive solution to our nation’s persistent social and economic disparities. The plan would protect our progress in:EDUCATION• Increase federal funding for public schools, with a focus on equity to eliminate resource gaps• Expand the ESSA pre-K program, so that every child has access to a high-quality, full-day pre-K program• Double the nation’s investment in the Pell Grant program to expand the number of students receiving funding, and increase the maximum Pell Grant awardJOBS AND THE ECONOMY• Enact a federal living wage of $15 per hour, indexing wages to inflation• Create a new Main Street Small and Micro-Business Financing Plan• Expand summer youth employment programs HOUSING AND WEALTH-BUILDING• Expand financial literacy, homebuyer education and counseling• Broaden access to low-income housing rental assistance• Make the New Market Tax Credits Program permanentHEALTH• Fully fund the Medicaid, Medicare and Children’s Health Insurance Program, and prevent a switch to block grants• Protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, The National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and the Summer Food Service Program• Incentivize more doctors to accept Medicaid, particularly in states with a high percentage of Medicaid recipients and a lower percentage of doctors who accept MedicaidWhile the Obama years were no panacea for America’s long-standing racial inequities, they were a steady climb toward improvement, and we are determined to keep moving forward to protect our progress.To learn more, access the entire list of proposed solutions in the Main Street Marshall Plan at www.stateofblackamerica.org.7 NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
< Page 6 | Page 8 >