NVF seeks to build support for a number of advocacy issues important to African-American, urban, and low-income communities that have failed to be adequately addressed by the political structure during past presidential administrations. A major portion of our work will be elevating these key issues during the upcoming 2008 primary election campaign.

We have already seen the 2008 campaign degenerate into a personality contest rather than a serious dialogue with voters about what governmental remedies are being proposed to deal with the number of problems plaguing our communities. Some of the most critical issues include:
 

• The economic recovery of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.
  
  
• The ongoing disenfranchisement of voters through unfixed problems with our electronic voting systems.
  
  
• The growing poverty rate and income disparities among African Americans and low income people.
  
  
• The lack of health care access for nearly 47 million Americans.
  
  
• The crisis in our educational system with the assault on affirmative action and the lack of adequate funding of our urban school systems.
  

 
A unique opportunity exists in 2007 and 2008 to strengthen citizens' and community-based organizations' participation in the political process and to galvanize communities of color.