By Carrie Ritchie carrie.ritchie@indystar.com
The leader of a nonprofit that advocates for education and job opportunities for blacks kicked off a three-day jobs tour today in Indianapolis.
Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, encouraged Hoosiers to focus on jobs and education this afternoon at a luncheon hosted by The Economic Club of Indiana.
Morial said those two components will be crucial to establishing a successful economy in the 21st Century.
"These are, no doubt, difficult times for the nation," he said.
Most of the country's urban areas are struggling with high unemployment and the problems that come with it, but Morial, the former mayor of New Orleans, thinks urban areas can find new strength by focusing on job creation and incentives to drive it.
Training and educating people are a must, he said. Morial called for a long-term commitment to education, noting that other countries are ramping up their efforts to provide quality education to their citizens.
"Our children need to be in school more hours and more days," Morial said.
He also said the government shouldn't raise academic standards for students without giving them better teachers and technology and investing in initiatives that will help them learn.
Morial will travel to other Indiana cities during his jobs tour.
He's touting a 12-point plan that the National Urban League developed to boost job creation.
Follow Star reporter Carrie Ritchie on Twitter at twitter.com/CarrieRitchie. Call her at (317) 444-2751.
Source: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011102240357
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