CNN reports that Rev. Al Sharpton, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and National Urban League President Marc Morial sat down with President Obama to discuss a plan involving dedicating $150 billion of TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) money to under-served communities.

The plan, which involves hiring government workers to provide services to key urban areas, does not currently match with White House plans for any TARP money.

Despite the historic precedence of meeting with the nation’s first Black U.S. President, Sharpton noted that while “We do not seek any special kind of edict or special kind of thing from the president because he’s African-American . . . [we] expect to be included in the process.”

The plan also includes an expansion of the small business administration’s Community Express Loan Program; more attention on communities with high unemployment; $500 million investment for housing counselors to manage delinquent loans; an expansion of summer youth jobs programs by investing up to $7 billion to employ 5 million teenagers; Creation of 100 “urban job academies” to train the chronically unemployed.

TELL US: With Black unemployment reaching as high as 15 percent, do you think it’s time for President Obama to focus some money on the Black community?

Image Courtesy of Chicago Tribune

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan came by Washington Watch to express President Obama’s full support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities with $98 million dollar of support.

TELL US: Does this show that Pres. Obama does have a specific plan for African Americans?

In an upset that will kill the Democratic filibuster-proof majority, Republican candidate Scott Brown beat Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley for that state’s senate seat left after Sen. Edward Kennedy’s death last year. This marks the first time a Republican has won such a seat in Massachusetts since 1972.

With Brown in, it is very likely that the 60 votes needed for President Obama’s proposed health care reform will be blocked by Republicans who have, thus far, been essentially powerless to stop the measure.

TELL US: Do you think this loss reflects on Pres. Obama/Democrat’s reputation or just part of the political cycle?

You’ve heard the news about the devastating 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti with untold deaths, injuries and disaster. Earlier today, Roland spoke to Joe Baptiste, president of the National Organization of Haitian Americans and former colonel in the U.S. Army, who sheds more light on the developing news there.

Click here to listen to the interview

For more Roland, go to rolandsmartin.com

There’s only one place to see President Obama talk candidly about the Harry Reid debacle and that’s right here on TV One. Roland Martin sat down with the president to talk about his first year in office, the continuing issue of race and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. See the full interview on January 18 at 8pm and 11pm(ET).