By Pharoh Martin
NNPA National Correspondent
Atlanta Daily World
April 2, 2010
It's been a contentious year, but now that supporters of health care reform finally got their day, Black political and civil rights leaders, as well as other health care reform advocates, are applauding the bill's passage for a variety of reasons.
Civil rights leaders have been some of the most vocal backers of the bill because African Americans are among the most disparately impacted by lack of insurance, chronic diseases and other health-related setbacks.
"Like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and civil rights laws in the past, today's vote will forever be a threshold moment for the nation," said Marc Morial, president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League on the day of the presidential signing on March 23. "Generations to come will look back to this day as one where the American dream was more fully realized."
In the days leading up to the final House vote, congressional members were verbally attacked by opponents of the bill. Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) was one of the individuals at the receiving end of a protester's racial slur. Of course, Lewis, a veteran of the civil rights struggle, still voted in favor of the bill.
"The last 24 hours have witnessed a chaos and disorder that reared its ugly head in nasty language and hostile attacks," Morial said in a statement. "Despite attacks upon civil rights icons in the Congress, justice and truth continue to march on."
Some key provisions pushed by Black leaders and the Congressional Black Caucus, such as the public option, failed to make the final bill, but other measures were included to bring additional medical insurance-related protections for people, bring down costs and lower the number of uninsured Americans.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that more than 15 percent of all Americans are uninsured. According to a February Gallop poll, about one out of five African-Americans are without medical coverage.
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