Saving Freedom in Urban Centers

Diane Mannina / March 13, 2010

Rather than being inevitable cesspools of crime and sin,” says Howard Husock of the Manhattan Institute, “cities are, rather, the key foundations of prosperity and economic dynamism, the places where social and economic freedom [take] root and bear fruit.”

Husock joined a panel at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in DC—“Saving Freedom in Urban Centers”—where panelists discussed conservative solutions to inner city challenges such as poverty, crime and education.

The solutions focused on the need to restore human dignity and empower individuals by encouraging personal responsibility through relationships. Star Parker from the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) pointed out that “faith and market principles are key to curing poverty” and that we should “develop social policies that encourage individual merit and personal responsibility.” Niger Innis of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) emphasized the need for self-government and equal opportunity, rather than prescribing equal outcomes. (more…)