Philadelphia

Transcription

Philadelphia

Philadelphia
Observer
50 Cents
Vol. 02 No. 29
E-Mail
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Speaking Truth to Justice
July 23, 2009 - July 29, 2009
Complimentary issue
HUMILIATION
PAINFUL REMINDER — Famous Harvard academic Henry Louis Gates is led away in
handcuffs after “breaking into” his own house. The painful humiliation is a reminder of
how African-Americans are treated. The charges were later dropped. (See Story On Page 3)
Obama urges
NAACP to
continue the
civil struggle
Harvard U.
professor is
arrested for
‘breaking into’
his own house
HE THRILLS THEM — President Barack Obama wowed the audience at the NAACP
Freedom Fund Banquet.
(Credit: Courtesy/NAACP)
(See Story On Page 3)
Philly’s no-swim kids may get ‘Disney’ treatment
(See Story On Page 3)
Bills aim to help immigrants
acquire English, history skills
Philadelphia Observer, July 23, 2009 - July 29, 2009 philaobserver.com
2
By J. Zamgba Browne
Special to NY Beacon
Mathieu Eugene
Mathieu Eugene to host
Social Services forum
By Donna Lamb
Council Member Mathieu Eugene will host a Social Services
Forum at St. Mark’s United
Methodist Church, located at
2017 Beverley Road (corner of
Ocean Avenue) in Brooklyn on
July 28 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Along with informative presentations from a variety of City
agencies, attendees will receive
one-on-one assistance regarding such topics as eligibility for
food stamps, how to obtain lowcost health care coverage for
oneself and one’s children, help
in dealing with tenant/landlord
issues and where to get job
training.
“As so many people throughout the country are struggling financially in this economic downturn, New Yorkers, too, face
countless challenges and have
many needs,” stated Eugene.
“There is a wide variety of City
services available to help meet
those challenges, but all too often
people don’t know how to access
them. That is why, as a public servant, I want to do everything in
my power to make sure they know
about services and are able to benefit from them.”
For further information, please
contact Council Member Eugene’s
district office at (718) 287-8762
Thompson opposes closing
Presbyterian Medicaid office
New York City Comptroller
William C. Thompson, Jr. has expressed strong disapproval of
the
Human
Resources
Administration’s (HRA) plan to
close the Medicaid Assistance
Office within New York-Presbyterian Hospital on July 31, 2009.
“This decision is counterproductive, and will needlessly
burden low-income and disabled New Yorkers who rely on
this vital public program for essential health care,” Thompson
wrote.
In a letter to HRA Commissioner Robert Doar –available
at www.comptroller.nyc -Thompson noted that moving the
office from its current location
will cause New Yorkers with already limited incomes to spend
an additional $4.50 round-trip
every time they need to access
Medicaid administrative services. Furthermore, the extra
travel for those with limited
mobility would be difficult, if
not impossible.
“Asking hundreds of individuals a day to travel 35
blocks to access critical Medicaid services is both highly
burdensome and contrary to
New York State’s policy to increase enrollment in Medicaid and
to reduce the frequency of people
cycling on and off eligibility for
coverage,” Thompson said.
Currently the New York Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital provides the Medicaid Assistance
office, an office within the hospital at no charge to New York City.
The Washington Heights Medicaid office serves up to 300 people
a day, many from Northern New
York and the Bronx.
“By making it harder for those
most in need to apply for and
maintain Medicaid coverage, the
City is undermining some of New
York State’s most basic health care
imperatives: to increase enrollment and minimize the incidence
of otherwise-eligible individuals
losing coverage,” Thompson
said.
In the letter, Thompson stressed
that the burden on the public out
weighs advantages in terms of increased space and a more comfortable environment HRA.
“I strongly urge you to reverse
this decision and to retain the
Medicaid Assistance Office at its
current location in Washington
Heights,” Thompson said.
Rep. Yvette Clarke and U.S.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand have introduced legislation in their respective chamber that will give
immigrant communities the English language skills, and the
basic grasp of U.S. history and
civics they need to grow and
thrive in America.
As the daughter of Jamaican
immigrants, Rep. Clarke said she
has a special affinity for the
measure because she understands firsthand the immigrant
struggle.
“I know that having a strong
command of the English language is a necessity if you want
to succeed in today’s society.
However, many immigrants are
denied the opportunity to learn
English due to the limited number of English language learner
classes,” said Clark.
She explained that the bill
would increase the number of
English Language Learner
classes by providing tax brakes
for businesses that offer English language classes to their
employees.
Clarke said another goal of the
bill is to provide tax brakes and
incentives for teaching English
to immigrants. She said the bill
offers more than $200 million in
increased funding from the U.S.
Department of Education, which
Sen. Kristen Gillibrand
Rep. Yvette Clarke
will be used to assist in expanding access to English Language
Learner classes.
“This bill is a sound business
model: It gives companies the incentives to help immigrant workers be more productive, and it
gives new Americans the chance
to fully invest in the job opportunities and experiences of their
new home,” said Clarke.
Sen. Gillibrand underscored
that for centuries, families have
come to America from every corner of the globe looking for a
better opportunity to pursue
their dreams and become Americans – and in the process, “they
built our communities, our traditions, our way of life and our
economy.”
In return, Sen. Gillibrand said
only a small fraction of immigrant
is getting access to learn the skills
needed to integrate successfully
and be part of a growing economy.
“This legislation provides strong
federal investments needed to help
businesses offer English training
to their workers, generate the teachers needed to educate more English
language learners, and provide additional resources to give immigrant communities a path to becoming citizens and building a
brighter future..
Paterson allocates $31 million to
build affordable housing for poor
By J. Zamgba Browne
Gov. David A. Paterson has
made $31.4 million available to
support the construction of
nearly 2,000 housing units for
low-income individuals, senior
citizens and people with disabilities.
The Governor said at a time
when many New Yorkers are affected by the economic downturn, the government must ensure
that the State’s most vulnerable
are protected and provided with
the resources they need.
He said this critical funding will
provide affordable housing to
thousands of New Yorkers statewide. “I will continue to work to
target our State’s resources in a
way that provides relief to working families, who are struggling
during the current economic crisis,” said Governor Paterson.
The Governor said he has already awarded the $31.4 million
in grants to not-for-profit agencies and local municipalities. He
said the funds will be used in rural, suburban, and urban communities, across every area of the
State, to make necessary repairs
and modifications to the homes
of eligible low income households.
Deborah VanAmerongen, New
York City Commissioner of the Di-
Gov. David Paterson
Deborah Van Amerogen
vision of Housing and Community
Renewal said local governments and
not-for-profit housing agencies receiving these grants help her office
reach out to resident who (need) the
assistance most.
“By working collaboratively, we
can help senior citizens repair dangerous conditions in their homes and
allow people with disabilities make
their homes safe and accessible, so
they can remain in their communities and avoid unnecessary institutional care,” she added.
Sen. Charles Schumer hailed the
action and said that in these difficult
economic times, it is critical that the
government provides affordable
housing for those in need. “We cannot thrive without quality, affordable
housing, and these housing grants
will both create good jobs and construct and rehabilitate housing units
for thousands of families across
New York,” he added.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand agreed:
“This vital funding will help put more
families in homes they can afford and
create new good-paying jobs. This
is the right economic investment for
New York,” said Gillibrand.
Rep. Nita Lowey said that the economic downturn and unemployment
put many New Yorkers at risk of losing their home. “It is critical that
communities have the ability to provide housing and emergency shelter for families and individuals in
need,” she added.
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By J. Zamgba Browne
Tyler Perry
Philly no-swim kids
may get Disney treat
By Vinette K. Pryce
Thanks to real-life, Good Samaritan actor/director Tyler
Perry, 65 children in Philadelphia
may once again believe that
happy endings are still possible.
Reportedly, the funnyman
stepped up after reading about
the youths’ rejection by a suburban swim club and is now
funding a vacation to Walt
Disney World where they can
swim without discrimination.
Known for dressing in drag
onstage and in films to portray
a feisty, senior citizen named
Madea, Perry did not flip-flop
when he read how one of the
rejected youths heard the blatantly racist comments made by
parents.
Allegedly, the boy said he
heard a white woman say
“What are these Black kids doing here?”
According to reports, on seeing the arrival of Black and
brown people, white parents
scampered about whisking their
children from the pool.
It was then that the group
from Creative Steps was told
they would not be allowed to
swim despite the fact the trip
was pre-arranged and pre-paid.
The incident occurred on June
29 at the Valley Club in Hun-
tington Valley, Philadelphia.
Valley operators claim there
was no bias involved but that it
was concern for the children’s
safety that they were prevented
from swimming. They cited a lack
of sufficient lifeguards to protect
each minority child many of whom
they claim were non-swimmers.
Creative Steps director Alethia
Wright said otherwise.
She explained the swim club’s
defined ratio of children to lifeguards to being well over the allowable amount to ensure protection. She said there was “more
than enough” lifeguards present
to watch over the group.
She alleged “they had already
taken our money” however they
did not know their color until the
youths and counselors arrived.
Wright said her check was
promptly returned in the sum of
$1950.
On Monday Perry provided
sweet compensation by offering
an all-expense paid trip to the fantasy kingdom of the world,
Disneyworld.
Perry is humbly ensuring the
happy ending to a nightmarish
story that made headlines this
summer.
Soon the children will join the
ranks of winners who go south
to the resort declaring “I’m going to Disneyworld.”
Disorderly conduct charges
against celebrated Harvard University Professor Henry Louis
Gates, Jr. have been dropped. He
was arrested late last week at his
home in Cambridge by a white
police office, Sgt. James
Crowley.
Prof. Gates’ trouble began
when he returned home from filming in China and struggled to
open the door to his house. A
neighbor, Lucia Whalen, thinking he was a burglar called the
police and Sgt. Crowley responded.
The officer entered the house,
confronted Prof. Gates and
placed him under arrest, charging him with disorderly conduct
and “tumultuous behavior.” He
was led away in handcuff.
Prof. Gates’ arrest has become
a flash point in the debate about
post-Obama race relations. Although the charges against him
have been dropped, Prof. Gates
is demanding an apology, especially from the arresting officer.
“I believe the police officer
should apologize to me for what
he knows he did that was
wrong,” said Gates. “If he apologizes sincerely, I am willing to
Henry Louis Gates
forgive him. And if he admits his
error, I am willing to educate him
about the history of racism in
America and the issue of racial
profiling,” he added.
Prof. Gates sharply accused the
arresting office of having a
“broad imagination” based on the
report he filed. Gates denied making several inflammatory remarks
as indicated in the report filed by
Sgt. Crowley.
He said the police walked into
his house and asked for identifi-
cation. “I handed over my driver’s
license and didn’t get upset until
the police officer asked me to step
outside.
Prof. Gates said he is outraged.
“I shouldn’t have been treated this
way but it makes me so keenly
aware of how many people every
day experience abuses in the criminal justice system. No citizen
should tolerate that kind of poor
behavior by an officer of the law.
This is really about justice for the
least amongst us,” he declared.
Prof. Gates said he plans to make
racial profiling and prison reform
central intellectual and political issues he wants to explore. He is
also considering a new documentary on racial profiling.
The district attorney’s office in
Cambridge called the confrontation between Prof. Gates and the
police “regrettable and unfortunate.” He said the incident
shouldn’t be viewed as one that
demeans the character and reputation of Prof. Gates or the character of the Cambridge Police Department.
The Mayor of Cambridge, E.
Dennis Simmons said in a written
statement that the controversy illustrates “that Cambridge must
continue finding ways to address
matters of race and class in a frank,
honest, and productive manner.”
Thompson slams mayor’s vaunted
school high test scores and oversight
The New York City Department
of Education (DOE) lacks proper
controls over English and Math
testing, and standardized exams
are exposed to potential cheating and test manipulation, New
York City Comptroller William C.
Thompson, Jr. charges in a new
audit.
“The Department of Education
boasts that rising tests scores
prove that the achievement gap
is closing in our city’s public
schools and that New York
City’s children are better
equipped to achieve educational
milestones,” Thompson said.
“But if the Department doesn’t
even have appropriate measures
in place to prevent the manipulation of test scores, then how
can education officials truthfully
claim that these supposed improvements are grounded in reality? The integrity of the entire process is in question.”
The audit covered English Language Arts (ELA) and Math tests
for students in third, fourth and
fifth grades during the 2007-2008
academic year. Thompson’s audit
exposes glaring flaws that illustrate woefully inadequate monitoring of the administration of standardized tests.
“If standardized testing is considered the benchmark by which
the Department of Education and
the Mayor measure student
achievement, then the City must
William C. Thompson, Jr
(Continued on page 22)
Obama urges NAACP to fight ‘as long as it takes’
By. Hazel Trice Edney
NNPA Editor-in-Chief
Cheers, applause, laughter,
repeated standing ovations –
and even church-like shouts of
“Yes!” and “Amen!” at the
NAACP Centennial meeting
last week showed the world
that amidst the daily responsibilities of the Oval Office,
President Barack Obama has
not lost his rock star appeal in
the Black community.
“What an extraordinary
night, capping off an extraordinary week, capping off an extraordinary 100 years at the
NAACP,” he shouted his first
words to the applauding
crowd in New York City, the
founding place of the civil
rights organization.
He was speaking at the annual
dinner to award the Spingarn
medal, the highest justice award
bestowed upon a civil rights
warrior. This year it went to
NAACP Chairman Julian Bond.
“So Chairman Bond, Brother
Justice, I am so grateful to all of
you for being here. It’s just good
to be among friends,” the President gave his greetings.
He continued, “It’s a journey
that takes us back to a time before most of us were born, long
before the Voting Rights Act, and
the Civil Rights Act, Brown v.
Board of Education; back to an
America just a generation past
slavery. It was a time when Jim
Crow was a way of life; when
lynchings were all too common;
President Obama
when race riots were shaking cities across a segregated land.’’
The rapid fire speech, ticking
off many of the issues that
NAACP members and Black
America deal with daily, appeared
to pour from the president, who
for the past seven months has
been largely mired in economic
and international affairs.
He meshed his mantra of
“change” with the historic civil
rights progress of the NAACP.
“They also knew that here, in
America, change would have to
come from the people. It would
come from people protesting
lynchings, rallying against violence, all those women who decided to walk instead of taking
the bus, even though they were
tired after a long day of doing
somebody else’s laundry, looking
after somebody else’s children. …
It would come from men and
women of every age and faith,
and every race and region — taking Greyhounds on Freedom
Rides; sitting down at Greensboro
lunch counters; registering voters in rural Mississippi, knowing
they would be harassed, knowing
they would be beaten, knowing
that some of them might never
return.”
And he illustrated how that
work of years ago has affected
issues today.
“Because of what they did, we
are a more perfect union. Because
Jim Crow laws were overturned,
Black CEOs today run Fortune 500
3
Gates seeks apology after break-in
charges against him are dropped
Cong. Rangel leads Congress in
effort to introduce new health care bill
4
Rep. William Jefferson
Jurors see ‘cold cash’
in Rep. Jefferson trial
Special to the NNPA from the evidence in the bribery trial of
Louisiana Weekly
Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS (NNPA) - An He’s accused of accepting more
FBI agent has testified that it than $400,000 in bribes to broker
took federal agents about 30 business deals in Africa.
minutes to find $90,000 in cash
The FBI recorded the pickup
hidden in the freezer of then- from four different angles, all of
Congressman
William which were shown to the jury.
Jefferson’s Washington, DC
On the video, Jefferson seemed
home.
wary of accepting the money in
Jurors in the bribery trial of public. When asked by an FBI informer Rep. William Jefferson formant if he wanted to peek inwere shown photos of the infa- side the suitcase at the contents,
mous cold cash, recovered in he tersely replied, “No, I would
August 2005. The $100 bills not.”
were wrapped in $10,000
Jefferson’s siblings — Betty
bundles and concealed in boxes and Mose Jefferson — Angela
of pie crusts and meatless Coleman (Jefferson’s niece), and
burgers.
Mose’s longtime companion,
Prosecutors in the trial early former New Orleans City Counthis month say Jefferson re- cilwoman, Renée Gill Pratt, are
ceived more than $400,000 in currently under indictment for
bribes and sought millions more violating the Racketeer Influence
in exchange for using his influ- and Corrupt Organizations
ence to broker business deals (RICO) Act. On June 5, 2009 all
in Africa. Jefferson’s lawyers the defendants pleaded not
have said it was not illegal for guilty.
him to receive payment for acBrenda Jefferson Foster is
tions as a private business con- serving as a witness in the
sultant.
government’s case against them.
Earlier in the week, a federal Mose Jefferson is also facing a
jury was shown video of a separate trial for bribing Orleans
former Louisiana congressman Parish School Board president
accepting a suitcase filled with Ellenese Brooks-Simms. Archie
$100,000 in cash outside a Jefferson, another sibling, is a
northern Virginia hotel.
convicted felon. Jefferson lost
The videos are a key piece of his re-election bid last year.
Michael Vick’s federal
sentence ended Monday
Special to the NNPA from the Training camps for veterans start
St. Louis American
opening next weekend.
There has been communication
(NNPA) - The federal dog- between Vick’s camp and the
fighting sentence served by league about the process, alMichael Vick was scheduled to though neither side is making
end Monday and the world will substantive comments publicly
now watch with respect to his about where things stand.
“As we said in 2007, when he
future as a professional athlete.
NFL commissioner Roger was indefinitely suspended,
Goodell must decide whether Michael Vick’s status will be reVick’s suspension will end and, viewed following the conclusion
if so, when — allowing the of the legal proceedings,’’ NFL
former Atlanta Falcons quarter- spokesman Greg Aiello said.
Vick has kept silent and probback a chance to play in the
ably will continue to until Goodell
league again.
Goodell is expected to act fairly makes an announcement.
quickly, so Vick and teams know
his status for the coming season.
Democratic leaders joined Congressman Charles Rangel last
Tuesday
in
announcing
healthcare legislation that will
provide affordable, quality care
for the vast majority of all Americans.
“Reforming America’s health
care system to control costs and
improve access to quality affordable care is not only the moral
thing to do, it is also critical to
our economic recovery and the
long-term fiscal health of our nation,” said the Ways and Means
chairman in introducing the
American Affordable Health
Choices Act with the House
Leadership jointly with the Committees on Education & Labor
and Energy & Commerce
As chairman of the House
Ways and Means Committee,
Rangel has worked diligently
with the White House and his
Congressional colleagues to develop a solution that puts patients – not profits – first, while
reducing the burden of ballooning health care costs on American families, businesses and our
fiscal future.
President Barak Obama
thanked Rangel and the other
committee chairs for their continuing efforts. “I thank Chairmen Rangel, Waxman, and Miller
for their hard work on this bill
that fundamentally reforms the
health care system,” said the
President in a statement. “As
this process moves forward, I
look forward to continuing to
work with all House members in
ensuring this legislation helps all
Americans and plays an essential role in reducing deficits and
bringing fiscal sustainability to
our nation.”
Charles Rangel
The announcement comes
one day after Rangel met with
President Obama to advance
t h e W h i t e H o u s e ’s o v e r a l l
goals of strengthening employer-provided care while fixing what is broken. The proposed legislation is consistent
the President’s agenda by ensuring that 97 percent of Americans will be covered by a
health care plan that affordably
offers quality and standard
benefits.
Rangel has consistently promised that he would do all he
could to meet the President’s
summer deadline for an agreement.
“There’s an urgent need to get
something done because real
lives are at stake,” said Rangel.
“Thousands of Americans are
depending on us to give them
options, to give them hope that
they won’t have to go out into
the working world worried that a
slip here or a headache there will
lead to a lifetime of bills, heartache
or worse.”
Rangel said that the plan announced by Democrats is a strong
starting point to protect what
works in our health care system
and put the nation back on the
path to prosperity and fiscal responsibility.
“This plan tells every American
– if you have coverage and a doctor you like, keep it,” said Rangel.
“If you don’t, this plan will help
you find and afford quality care.”
The comprehensive proposal
promises to specifically:
·ð No more co-pays or deductibles
for preventive care
·ð An annual cap on out-of-pocket
expenses—keeping Americans
from financial ruin
·ð An end to rate increases for preexisting conditions, gender or occupation
·ð Group rates of a national pool if
you buy your own plan
·ð Guaranteed affordable oral
health, hearing and vision care for
kids
·ð If you like your doctor and current plan you can keep them
·ð More choice, with a public
health insurance option competing with private insurers
·ð End to denials for pre-existing
conditions like heart disease, cancer or diabetes
·ð Get needed care, no lifetime limits
·ð Job and life choices no longer
based on health care coverage
·ð Doctors, not insurance giants,
in charge
·ð More family doctors and nurses
entering the workforce, helping to
guarantee access
·ð Benefits must include mental
health
Mayors Against Illegal Guns oppose
bill allowing carrying concealed guns
The bi-partisan coalition of
Mayors Against Illegal Guns increased pressure on the US Senate to defeat the Concealed Carry
Reciprocity Bill, known as the
Thune Amendment, that is currently before Congress.
In USA Today, the group of 450
mayors wrote an open letter to
Majority Leader Harry Reid and
the members of the U.S. Senate
to strenuously oppose any attempt to strip cities and states
of the right to set minimum standards for carrying concealed
weapons. The Thune Amendment requires states to honor
concealed weapon carry permits
from other states, even if the individual carrying the weapon
would otherwise be ineligible to
do so.
The Mayors Against Illegal
Guns coalition has long believed
that the issue of concealed carry
regulation is one best left to cities and states. The policies that
legislators and law enforcement
officials adopt in rural areas may
not be best for urban areas – and
vice-versa. This legislation
would mean that the state with
the most lax conceal-carry requirements would effectively set
the policy for the entire nation.
“Under current law in most
Mayor Mike Bloomberg
states, if you have certain misdemeanor convictions, are an alcohol abuser, or haven’t completed a gun safety training program, you cannot carry a concealed weapon,” said coalition
co-chair Mayor Michael R.
Bloomberg. “This bill would effectively erase those rules. We
can’t destroy the common sense
safeguards states across the
country have put in place. The
Senate must stop this dangerous measure.”
“State and local officials on the
front lines of public safety have
developed concealed weapons
policies that make the most sense
for their communities,” said coalition co-chair Mayor Thomas M.
Menino. “Adopting national legislation that undermines local laws
and creates a one size fits all policy
would not only be counter-productive; it would threaten public
safety and needlessly put our police officers and our residents in
harm’s way.”
Joining the Mayors Against Illegal Guns in opposing the Thune
Amendment are two eminent law
enforcement groups, the International Association of Chiefs of
Police (IACP) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. The International Association of Chiefs of
Police is the nation’s largest association of chiefs of police, representing thousands of chiefs all
over America . Cities and counties represented by Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs in the Major Cities Chiefs Association include Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Boston, Buffalo,
Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Chicago,
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus,
Dallas, Denver, Detroit, El Paso,
5
Obama defends August deadline
for health care reform legislation
6
Steve McNair
Feds arrest felon
in McNair killing
Federal agents have arrested a
convicted murderer for allegedly
providing the gun later used to
kill ex-NFL quarterback Steve
McNair.
Adrian J. Gilliam Jr. was arrested
by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
A criminal complaint unsealed
Friday in Nashville says that
Gilliam — who was convicted of
murder and attempted armed robbery in 1993 in Florida — admitted he sold the gun to the woman
who later shot McNair.
McNair was shot to death on
July 4 at his condo by his 20-yearold mistress Sahel Kazemi, who
then turned the gun on herself.
The complaint, signed by ATF
agent Mickey French, charges
Gilliam with illegally possessing
a firearm, which he is barred from
doing as a felon.
Detectives traced the gun to its
2002 sale at a pawn shop, according to the complaint. Gilliam
eventually bought it from an individual for $100 about a year
ago. According to court documents, Gilliam admitted to detectives he sold the gun to Kazemi
for $100.
Federal prosecutors in Nashville planned to announce the
case at a press conference later
Friday.
Police announced in a news
conference last week that Kazemi
purchased “a fully loaded nine
millimeter pistol from a private individual” who met her in the parking lot of the mall where she
worked at a Dave & Busters restaurant.
Kazemi met the person when
she was trying to sell her car. She
mentioned to him that she was
looking to buy a gun and he told
her he had one for sale, police
said. The sale took place two
days before McNair’s shooting.
Authorities believe McNair was
asleep when Kazemi put the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. She put two more slugs into
his chest and a fourth bullet into
the other side of his head before
shooting herself.
McNair, a married father of four,
walked away from the NFL last
year. “Air McNair” was known as
a gutsy quarterback who played
through serious injuries and led
his Tennessee Titans to a Super
Bowl.
Though the gun sale in question did not involve a licensed
gun dealer, the ATF recently
warned all gun dealers in Tennessee that they must still comply
with federal gun laws despite a
new state law aimed at easing
such requirements for weapons
manufactured and sold in-state.
President Barack Obama is defending his relentless campaign
for a health care bill before
Congress’s August recess, saying “the default in Washington
is inaction and inertia.” The Republican Party chairman assailed
it as an “excessive push.”
The fault lines in the debate
emerging as Topic A in the capital remained intact Tuesday as
Obama defended the deadline,
saying the American people want
the overhaul done quickly, and
GOP Chairman Michael Steele demanded: “Take your time!”
At the same time, Obama remained noncommittal on a surtax
to pay for the overhaul, which
some experts have said could cost
over $1 trillion in the next several
years to reconstitute and incorporate some 46 million uninsured
into the system. He did reiterate
his opposition to taxing people’s
employer-provided health benefits, however.
The president noted in an interview on NBC’s “Today” show
that “the House has put forward
a surtax.” And he repeated his
feeling that wealthier Americans,
“such as myself,” should pitch
in and help reinvent the system
to spread coverage to those now
without it.
Obama has said that people
making over $250,000 a year
should have to pay more, and he
defended his insistence on getting a bill from lawmakers before
they leave next month on their
summer recess. Asked why he felt
so strongly about the timeline, he
replied, “because if you don’t set
a deadline in this town, nothing
happens.”
“And the deadline isn’t being
set by me,” he said. “It’s being
set by the American people.”
Whatever the pressure points
in the argument, Steele said it’s
all happening too fast.
“It took a year and a half for us
to create the Medicare system.
Now we’re going to do the entire
health care system in two weeks
or six weeks,” he said Tuesday
on CBS’s “The Early Show.”
“It is urgent and it is indisputable,” Steele said. “The problem
that I have with it is the rush that
is under way here.”
Obama acknowledged in the interview that lawmakers right now
are “not where they need to be.”
He has invited Democrats on the
House Energy and Commerce
Committee to a meeting at the
White House later Tuesday and
he has a prime-time news conference scheduled for Wednesday
night.
Asked about statements some
Republicans have made indicating they think health care will
damage his standing, Obama replied, “It’s typical. ... Somehow
people think this is about me. This
is all about politics. ... All I can
say is, this is absolutely important to me, but this is not as important to me as it is to the people
who don’t have health care. I’ve
got health care.”
“There is a constant sense of
hand-wringing in this town when
it comes to getting anything
done,” he said. “We can’t stand
pat and say we’re going to have
another 40 years of a system that
doesn’t work.”
Obama’s meeting at the White
House with House Energy panel
Democrats follows a committee
drafting session that lasted past
midnight Monday as panel members slogged through numerous
amendments, with majority Democrats turning back Republican attempts to change the bill.
But Committee Chairman Henry
Waxman’s bigger difficulties were
with his own party, particularly a
bloc of fiscally conservative
Democrats who oppose the legislation in its current form over
costs and other issues.
Waxman and his aides have
been deep in talks with these
conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats, and as the panel wrapped
up its work in the wee hours
Waxman announced he was canceling a drafting session planned
for Tuesday so negotiations
could continue.
“We’re having conversations
with different members to work
out some of the issues so we can
make this thing move forward,”
Waxman, D-Calif., told reporters.
He declined to elaborate.
The House bill would, for the
first time, require all individuals
to have health insurance and all
employers to provide it. The poor
would get subsidies to buy insurance and insurers would be barred
from denying coverage based on
pre-existing conditions.
Prior to his meeting with the
lawmakers, Obama planned brief
remarks on health care, something
that’s become a near-daily occurrence as the president has moved
swiftly from hands-off to deeply
engaged on his top domestic priority.
Obama’s increased personal involvement comes with Republican
criticism sharpening, outside
groups growing more strident and
sticker shock reverberating around
Capitol Hill in the wake of a bleak
prognosis from the Congressional
Budget Office last week saying lawmakers’ health proposals wouldn’t
hold down costs.
Sen. John McCain, Obama’s opponent in last November’s election,
said, “I do not underestimate the
power of the president” in increasing pressure on Congress to pass
a health care overhaul, but said he
thought most Americans had become “very skeptical” about the
proposal.
“This costs too much, taxes too
much and spends too much and the
American people are becoming
very aware of it.” the Arizona Republican said in an interview Tuesday on CNN.
A new poll, meanwhile, showed
that large numbers of people are
worried about whether they will
have future health coverage, with
nearly one in four concerned that
family medical bills will drive them
into bankruptcy.
The survey of 508 people was
conducted in June by the nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Meanwhile, House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi is floating an idea
that could make proposed tax increases more palatable to the Blue
Dogs. She would like to limit income tax increases to couples making more than $1 million a year and
individuals making more than
$500,000, Pelosi spokesman
Brendan Daly said Monday. The
bill passed by the House Ways and
Means Committee last week would
increase taxes on couples making
as little as $350,000 a year and individuals annually making as little
as $280,000.
In the Senate, negotiators seeking a bipartisan compromise reported progress Monday. Finance
Committee Chairman Max Baucus,
D-Mont., said there’s tentative
agreement on four big policy issues
out of a list of about one dozen. He
would not elaborate.
Health plan moving but will it meet Obama’s deadline?
By. Pharoh Martin
NNPA National Correspondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Giving a vote of confidence to President Obama’s push for health
care reform by August recess,
key Black leaders backed both
main health reform bills introduced in the House and Senate
last week.
Congressional Black Caucus
Chair Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) applauded specific tenets of the
bill for which the CBC had
fought.
“I am extremely encouraged by
the inclusion of a robust public
health option, the expansion of
prevention and wellness services and programming to bet-
ter identify and address health
disparities,” Lee said at a press
conference.
Showing his sensitivity to
these racial disparities, President
Obama told the audience at the
NAACP Centennial Meeting that
Blacks are suffering higher rates
of unemployment and are therefore disproportionately affected
by the current health care system, which many agree is broke.
Some 20.9 percent of AfricanAmericans in the U.S. were uninsured in 2007, compared to 12.2
percent of Whites, according to
Kaiser State Health Facts.
President Obama has asked
Congress to pass health care reform by August recess. Though
that is possible, that deadline is
Rep. Barbara Lee
seen as overly aggressive as the
bills move at a snail’s pace.
The Senate bill has passed the
Senate’s health committee while
the Affordable Health Choices
Act, introduced in the House,
was expected to begin hurdling
committees this week.
The House bill is strongly supported by two key medical industry advocacy groups. The American Medical Association, which
is the nation’s largest and most
influential physicians group, and
the National Medical Association have both endorsed the
House plan.
“The bill will provide unprecedented coverage for all Americans. This is especially important
for communities of color who are
a disproportionate share of the
uninsured,’’ said Carolyn Barley
Britton, M.D., president of the National Medical Association, the
country’s largest organization of
African-American physicians.
“There are several key components that will benefit our communities across the country,’’ Britton
said.
The NMA’s executive director
Mohammad Akter, M.D., said that
his organization is specifically
pleased with key provisions of the
bill that specifically relate coverage and choice, affordability, cost
containment, and prevention and
wellness.
“The Affordable Health Choices
By. Zack Burgess
ther celebrated and memorialized
Special to the NNPA from the in D.C. that it would never dawn
Philadelphia Tribune
on them to ask for a penny. King
would have been absolutely
(NNPA) - In November of 2006, scandalized by the profiteering
America took a bold step, behavior of his children.”
roughly a half-mile from
The memorial is tentatively
Lincoln’s iconic statue. For the scheduled to be dedicated somefirst time in history, an African- time in 2011 and the start of conAmerican, Martin Luther King struction is contingent upon
Jr., would be memorialized on the raising $120 million. Thus far,
National Mall in Washington, more than $104 million has been
D.C.
raised. Included will be a 28-foot
The exception finally has be- sculpture depicting King emergcome the rule. And although the ing from a chunk of granite.
act was a proud moment for this
The foundation has been payNew NASA Chief Charles Bolden
country, it has not come without ing the King family for the use
controversy.
of his words and image in its
Some have even gone so far fundraising materials. The famas to wonder if King’s legacy is ily has not charged for the use
being tarnished as the family of of King’s likeness in the monuthe slain civil rights leader has ment itself.
charged the foundation building
According to financial docuOthers say that Bolden’s biggest a monument to the civil rights ments reviewed by The AssociBy J. Zamgba Browne
task will be finding a way to get icon on the National Mall about ated Press, the foundation paid
astronauts back on the moon as $800,000 for the use of his words $761,160 in 2007 to Intellectual
Retired astronaut Charles cheaply and safely as possible. He and image, an arrangement one Properties Management Inc.
Bolden has formally taken over the reportedly inherits a bigger chal- leading scholar says King would (IPM), an entity run by King’s
reins of the National Aeronautics lenge than any of his predecessors have found offensive.
family.
and Space Administration and in the U.S. space agency his“I don’t think the Jefferson
Documents also show a “man(NASA) following his appoint- tory.
family, the Lincoln family ... I agement” fee of $71,700 was paid
Additionally, Bolden must also don’t think any other group of to the family estate in 2003. In a
ment by President Barack Obama.
He is the first African-American find a way to inspire a new genera- family ancestors has been paid statement to the AP, IPM said in
tion of scientists, engineers, tech- a licensing fee for a memorial in a statement the proceeds it reto hold the portfolio.
The 62-year-old Bolden is said nicians and astronauts.
Washington,” said Cambridge ceives go to the King Center in
“Today, we have to choose,” he University historian David Atlanta, Ga., where King and his
to be the second astronaut to
head NASA. President George W. said. “Either we can invest in build- Garrow, who won a Pulitzer Prize wife, Coretta Scott King, are enBush reportedly tried unsuccess- ing on our hard-earned world that for his biography of King. “One tombed.
fully to appoint Bolden as the is working diligently to push the would think any family would be
The statement said the arspace agency’s deputy adminis- frontiers of space,” said Bolden.
so thrilled to have their forefa- rangement was made out of contrator.
cern that fundraising for the
The Pentagon blocked the apmonument would undercut dopointment, saying it needed to
nations to the King Center.
keep Bolden, who was a Marine
“Many individuals believe all
general at the time and a pilot who
‘King’ fundraising initiatives are
flew over 100 combat missions
inter-related and don’t donate to
during the Vietnam War before
the King Center, thinking they
joining NASA.
have already supported it by doExperts say that Bolden will
nating to the memorial,” the
bring more balance to NASA, instatement said.
creasing spending on aeronautics
King’s son Dexter serves as the
and environment mission. Workcenter ’s chairman, and his
ing more with other nations in
cousin, Isaac Farris Jr., is presispace, and emphasizing educadent and chief operating officer.
tion, which President Obama ofKing’s two other surviving chilten speaks about.
dren, Martin Luther King III and
“Charlie knows NASA and the
Bernice King, are lifetime mempeople know Charlie; there is a
bers of the board of directors.
level of comfort, especially given
A review of the King Center’s
the uncertainty the space agency PRESIDENTIAL FLIGHT - President Barack Obama financial documents shows that
faces,” said retired astronaut chats with Baseball legend Willie Mays aboard Air Force public support for the nonprofit
Steve Hawley, who flew twice in
organization did decline each
One while enroute to St. Louise for the All Star game where year from 2004 to 2006, while
space with Bolden.
President Obama appoints
Black man to head NASA
the President pitched the first ball.
fundraising for the Washington
memorial was under way.
The monument will be on the
banks of the Tidal Basin, between
the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, and would be the first major
tribute to the 1964 Nobel Peace
Prize winner outside Atlanta.
For years, King’s family has
fiercely protected his legacy, suing for a share of the proceeds
from the use of his words and images in merchandise and publications.
In the 1990s, the family reached
settlements with USA Today and
CBS over their use of King’s “I
Have a Dream” speech without
permission. A federal appeals
court ruled in 1999 during the CBS
case that the speech was not in
the public domain.
But historians and the National
Park Service said they are not
aware of any other case in which
builders of a national monument
had to license the image of their
subject.
National Park Service spokesman Bill Line said licensing fees
are “unfamiliar territory” for a memorial that will eventually be
turned over to the government.
“It’s a shame, to see all the fighting that’s going within that family,” said Debra James of
Germantown. “At the end of the
day — and don’t get me wrong, I
understand and empathize that it
must be hard to share your parents with the public, but that’s
who he is, that is who they are,
public icons that belong to us all,
because of what they stood for;
the change he brought to this
country.
“I just wish they would understand that, considering their father and mother are so loved, by
Black and white, Asian and Jewish. All of the fighting doesn’t look
very good for his legacy, or for
them.”
The controversy doesn’t stop
with the memorial. A few months
ago, Dream Works announced that
it had acquired the rights to King’s
life story from the King estate,
which is led by son Dexter.
The film was to be produced by
Steven Spielberg only to have the
Billboard depicting Dr. King as GOP angers Houston leaders
By J. Zamgba Browne
Black religious leaders in Houston, Tex. are outraged over a
jumbo-sized political campaign
billboard proclaiming that the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
was a member of the Republican
Party.
The road-side political ad was
up for about a month until a local
Black activist took notice and
charged that the sign “unjustly
politicized Dr. King’s legacy and
was hurting his community by
telling a “diabolical lie.”
“Martin Luther King may have
very well believed in some of the
Christian principles of the Republican Party, but Dr. Martin
Luther King was not a Republican or a Democrat,” said Quanell
X, who heads the New Back Panther Party in Houston.
Quanell X said Dr. King was bigger than a political party – was a
humanitarian, and so to attach him
exclusively to any party is to devalue his humanitarian global status. “We were insulted by the billboard because it was a blatant
lie,” said Quanell X.
Quanell X said Dr. King had great
influence over Black voters and
carefully courted both Republicans and Democrats, but he never
officially endorsed a political party
or candidate.
However, the founder of
RagingElephants.org, the Black
conservative group that sponsored the sign, told reporters that
the sign was designed to get
Blacks to rethink their political affiliation.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We think it’s imperative that
the Republicans try and attract
more people from the communities of color to vote their values
– to vote conservative,” said
Claver Kamau-Imani, president of
the Corinthian Christian Empowerment Church, a small congregation in Houston.
Iimau-Imani told reporters that
Dr. King’s niece, the Rev. Alveda
King, has long agued that her
uncle was a Republican, though
she acknowledged there was no
documentation or voting record
to prove it.
The controversial billboard,
which Kamau-Imani said cost
$3,000 to display for a month,
came down shortly after a hastily
arranged press conference and
about three weeks ahead of
schedule, a move Kamau-Imani
attributed to the “spineless” response of the billboard company,
SignAd.
“The simple act that the leader of
the Black Panther Party here in
Houston called a press conference
and they spooked,” he said. Representatives for SignAd declined
comment over the billboard.
Quanell X said he was pleased
that he had succeeded in getting
the billboard removed. He stressed
that Dr. King would never have
embraced the present-day GOP,
which he said had “racist elements.”
“Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. would
not be with the party of Newt
Gngrich, he would not be with the
party of Sarah Palin, he would not
be with the party of Rush
Limbaugh, Michael Savage or Sean
Hannity,” Quanell X declared.
7
Dr. Martin Luther King’s family
puts a high price on his legacy
8
Editorial
Philadelphia
Observer
Walter Smith: Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Miatta Haj Smith: Co-Publisher & Executive Editor
President Obama’s other Hand
By. George E Curry
President Obama is causing
me to identify more and more
with President Harry S Truman.
After receiving advice from
economists who sprinkled their
projections with “on the one
hand…on the other,” Truman
demanded: “Give me a onehanded economist.”
Listening to the president’s remarks in Ghana earlier this
month and before the NAACP
last week in New York, I wanted
to yell, “Give me a one-handed
president.” Not a left-handed
president, not a right-handed
president. Just a president who
doesn’t offer “on the other
hand” comments.
The most glaring example of
this came during the Obama
family visit to Cape Coast Castle
in Ghana. In an interview with
CNN’s Anderson Cooper, the
president seemed genuinely
moved by the tour, connecting
his past to the “Door of No Return,” the last sight enslaved
Africans saw before departing
for a forced journey to a
strange, distant and brutal land.
Seeking to explain how he
would explain the unexplainable
to his two daughters, Obama
said he wanted the girl to imag-
ine the feelings of the slave masters as well as those subjected
to slavery. He stated, “I think it’s
important that the way we think
about it and the way it’s taught
is not one in which there’s simply a victim and a victimizer. And
that’s the end of the story.”
I have visited the Cape Coast
Castle, the site where captured
Africans were shipped to the
New World, and stared at the
“Door of No Return” there and
in Senegal. As any AfricanAmerican who has visited either
site will tell you – except Barack
Obama – the last thought that
enters your mind during such a
heart-wrenching tour is how the
slave masters felt.
It’s such an emotional and unforgettable experience that all I
could do was imagine the pain
and suffering that our ancestors
suffered. I could almost hear the
frightening screams as I stepped
into the dungeons. I imagined a
blood-drenched ocean. Silence
overtakes everything but the
voice of tour guides as they tell
one hallowing story after another one.
Years before visiting the slave
trading posts of West Africa, I
took my son, Edward, to
Jamestown, Va., where enslaved
Africans landed in 1619. He was
writing a research paper for
school on slavery and I thought
it would help him if we visited
Jamestown. Looking back, the
feelings I had in Jamestown were
similar to the ones I would later
share in Senegal and Ghana. It
was a profound sense of cruelty
and inhumanity. Yet, it was also
an unmatched sense of accomplishment: We had endured the
worst that the world could offer.
When I heard Obama tell
Anderson Cooper that he
wanted Malia and Sasha to put
themselves in the minds of those
doling out the punishment, I
wondered how he could make
such a quick and seamless transition from the plight of the oppressed to that of the oppressor. It was one of the strangest
comments I have ever heard.
I was also struck by the contrast between Obama’s remarks
at Cape Coast Castle and those
he uttered at Buchenwald Concentration Camp in Germany. His
speech in Germany was powerful. After touring the camp with
two survivors, Elle Wiesel and
Betrand Jerz, the president said:
“We saw the ovens of the crematorium, the guard towers, the
Obama at the NAACP
By. Ron Walters
Well, despite what we hear to
be something of a struggle within
his administration about how
close President Barack Obama
should be to the African-American community, he showed up at
the 100th Anniversary of the
NAACP and showed out.
At some points in his speech, I
couldn’t tell who Obama was and
who Ben Jealous, the new CEO,
was, as Obama turned country
preacher and got busy giving the
organization its marching orders.
He said that Blacks had made
extraordinary progress, but there
are still the barriers of HIV/AIDS,
disproportionate imprisonment,
unemployment and health care.
He seemed to understand that in
eliminating those structural inequalities, there was a balance
between what he could do and
what the Black community might
do. So, he talked about fixing the
economy and health care reform,
but featured his initiatives on
education. He gave the impression
that “No child left behind” was
left behind, not mentioning it
once, and changed the inference
that the state of our school “is an
African American problem” but
an American problem that is the
responsibility of our leaders.
In that vein, he wants to
strengthen community colleges to
bear more of the challenge of job
training, institute a “race to the
top” fund to give learning incentive to children in public schools
and pilot programs that feature innovative college preparation.
I liked his urging for us to elevate more examples of professional excellence in fields other
than athletics and entertainment
as the basis for educational
achievement.
True to form, he returned to the
familiar theme of personal responsibility. But this time I noticed that
the audience seemed somewhat
weary. Perhaps it is because most
Blacks have climbed up the rough
side of the mountain and have
mostly been very responsible considering the tremendous odds they
have faced. They therefore, may be
growing tired of the preaching and
expect that someone with a large
White House megaphone would
also remind America of this fact.
Nevertheless, while he presented
both halves of the balance of responsibility to energize Black
progress, both government the
Black community, the private sector seldom gets included (except by
those who discuss Reparations)
while it has the largest responsibility as providers of critical resources such as housing, employment and wealth.
He could have said more about
this in reforming the economy, by
sending some of that TARP money
to community banks to expand
credit for depressed neighborhoods.
The opportunity to have said
more about the private sector responsibility was missed even
though Obama’s NAACP speech
was given on the very day the Senate was discussing his nomination
of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the
Supreme Court and the major highlight of those hearings was the
Ricci case featuring Affirmative
Action.
Although Obama may have been
advised to take a pass because his
advisers believed that an errant
comment by him could have been
damaging to the judge, an NAACP
Adapting to change: Over compensating for success
By. Farrah Gray
We live in a world driven by
money and ideals, but most notably by fears. Fear of change,
fear of taking risks, fear of losing, and fear of failure. Fear is
why we can easily cling to false
beliefs and let them control our
way of thinking.
In the middle of struggle it’s
often difficult to stay convinced
that success is worth the price
that has to be paid. Something
tells you that “there must be an
easier way.” There is an easier
way, but not one that leads to
success. It depends entirely on
what you want. If you want to
retain the option to choose, then
part of the payment you make is
to be true to your choice.
You can’t just bail out when
the going gets tough. There
may be a point where you have
to admit that you made the
wrong choice or that you’re just
not up to the challenge.
You have to turn yourself into
the light to see what’s written
on each facet that goes into your
potential success
Your personal strengths and
weaknesses must be identified in
order to recognize where improvements are needed. Let’s
begin by taking your personal
assessment as a way to generate
the information necessary
for20you to create the best fit
possible between you and your
chosen lifestyle for success as
you would define it.
What’s the key to creating this
fit? Simply put, the secret to mastering your universe is, “Pay attention!” Look carefully at your
lifestyle and work situation are
choosing. Will you be rewarded
or penalized for being who you
are? What characteristics result
in rewards? Which ones bring
penalties? Practice utilizing
those attributes that bring
awards and refrain from displaying those that result in penalties.
By practicing this daily, and
having the courage to make the
required changes, you truly can
stretch the existing “good” fit to
a “perfect” fit, on your journey
toward successful self-employment can truly become a dream
fulfilled.
Pay careful attention to how
you respond when you see that
a mistake has been made.
Do you immediately blame
someone else? Do you make excuses? It takes a great deal of
confidence in yourself to admit
that a mistake has been made.
Self-Discipline
Most of us think we are selfdisciplined until we have to be!
Think of something you have
“been meaning to do” (losing
weight, exercising every morning, etc.) For those things that
require regular practice, set our
sights on doing them for one
week.
Observe how often you say to
yourself, or others, “I can’t.”
Resourcefulness springs from
developing an “I can” attitude!
Paying attention to how you
respond when you are required
to wait in line for a movie; for
our spouse or friend to get
ready; or to purchase something
you just can’t do without!
Give up something no steak for
a month; no shopping on the
weekend, no break during work
for a day. The stronger your attachment to the item of sacrifice,
the better!
Do something you’re not very
good at! Then, seek the opinio n
of someone whose honesty you
value. Pay careful attention to
how you feel and respond when
you are criticized.
Choose three routines that you
regularly adhere to (operational
procedures under your control at
work, the organization scheme of
your garage, etc.). Develop new
ways of doing things!
Join a local business group or
create your own. Include family/
friends in the development
phases of your business. The
more understanding the people
close to you have of your dream,
the easier it will be for them to
buy into it and provide the support you need.
For one week, get up an hour
earlier and go to be an hour later
than normal. Observe how this affects your mood and your performance.
The most important thing to remember in learning to take risks is
to carefully calculate the up and
down side to each potential opportunity. Begin slowly!
Personal attributes are both the
easiest and the hardest to change!
They are easy to change in that
we are the only ones who have
control over who we are and how
we behave. Practical application
will yield positive results!
Dr. Farrah Gray is the author of
The Truth Shall Make You Rich:
The New Road Map to Radical
Prosperity, Get Real, Get Rich:
Conquer the 7 Lies Blocking You
from Success and the international
best-seller Reallionaire: Nine
Steps to Becoming Rich from the
Inside Out. He is chairman of the
Farrah Gray Foundation. Dr. Gray
can be reached via email at
[email protected] or his web
site at http://www.drfarrah
gray.com.
Opinion
9
By. Marian Wright Edelman
Child Watch
As legislators on Capitol Hill
make crucial decisions right now
to reform America’s broken
health care system, thousands
of children across the country
raised their voices demanding
health coverage for all children
during the Children’s Defense
Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools
annual National Day of Social
Action.
A summer literacy enrichment
model, the CDF Freedom
Schools® program provides
free summer and after-school
reading and cultural enrichment
programs for thousands of children at sites from California to
Maryland and from Minnesota
to Texas and Florida. Each child
is required to engage in a service activity. They also are empowered to be an active citizen
and raise their voices for just
treatment for themselves and
others. All learn about the vital
role children played in the Civil
Rights Movement in ending legal segregation in our country.
During this year’s National Day
of Social Action, on July 13,
nearly 12,000 children in 27 states
from 135 CDF Freedom Schools
sites marched, held rallies and
health fairs, visited Congressional offices and conducted let-
ter-writing campaigns urging their
Senators and Representatives to
ensure real child health reform this
year for all nine million uninsured
children and the millions more who
are underinsured as part of national
health reform legislation for all.
Children used their own words
to tell their political leaders how
critical it is that health reform legislation ensure every child in
America accessible, affordable,
equitable, comprehensive health
coverage regardless of where they
live.
The CDF Freedom Schools program seeks to empower children
to make a difference in their families, their communities, their country and their world, through education, service and action. Our
college-age teachers deliver a
strong reading-rich curriculum
designed to help children love to
read and learn as well as motivate
them to serve others—a value we
hope will follow them the rest of
their lives.
Parents come to weekly workshops to learn about child development and how to support their
children’s school achievement.
And the importance of nonviolent
conflict resolution is shared with
children and adults.
We took it as a good omen that
the children’s National Day of Social Action coincided with President Obama’s announcement that
he is nominating the extraordinary Dr. Regina Benjamin to be
the nation’s next Surgeon General. A wonderful role model,
she is the founder of a health
clinic in the small shrimping village of Bayou la Batre, Alabama, on the Gulf Coast.
She rebuilt the clinic three
times following two hurricanes
and a fire. Many of her low-income patients lack health insurance or the money to pay for
care, but she served them anyway. She is the first Black
woman and physician under 40
to be elected to the American
Medical Association Board of
Trustees, and the first Black
woman to be president of a State
Medical Society in the United
States. She is the recipient of
numerous honors and awards
including a MacArthur “Genius’’ Fellowship.
In announcing Dr. Benjamin’s
nomination, President Obama
said, “I know there are those
who believe we should wait to
solve this problem, or take a
more incremental approach, or
simply do nothing. . . . Make no
mistake: The status quo on
health care is no longer an option for the United States of
America. . . . And now we in
Washington and across
America have to refuse to give
up on the goal of health care
that is affordable and accessible
for every last one of us.’’
I agree that the status quo is
no longer an option for our
nation’s children as well as the
tens of millions of other Americans who are uninsured and
underinsured. The thousands of
students who marched demanding a national health safety net
for all children are trying to
make adults and our political
leaders understand that health
coverage is a right, and that every child’s life is of equal value.
President Obama and Congressional leaders must make sure
that fixing our broken child
health system is a strong priority in any final health reform legislation.
The current House proposal
falls short and may leave millions
of children worse rather than better off on both affordability and
benefits. That is unacceptable
and we need to tell our leaders
so.
Children of color are disproportionately uninsured and are more
likely to be in poor health. The
recent expansion of the
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) left six million children still uninsured and millions
more underinsured without all
the medically necessary benefits
that Medicaid-eligible children
are provided.
Children understand how important health care is to them and their
families. I hope the students’ witness will help push adults to take
responsibility for providing them
the comprehensive, affordable
health coverage everyone—especially children—need.
Please add your voice to this
important struggle! You can help
make the CDF Freedom Schools
children’s call to action even
louder by sending an email today to your Members of Congress and to the White House.
They need to hear that now is
the time for real health care reform for all children and pregnant
women, that no child should be
worse rather than better off, and
that no child should be left to an
unjust 50-state lottery of geography where a child’s eligibility,
costs and benefits depend on
where they live.
Our children must have a basic
national safety net like senior
citizens and this is the year to
do it. Children cannot wait. They
have only one childhood.
Marian Wright Edelman, whose
new book is The Sea Is So Wide
And My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation, is president of the
Children’s Defense Fund. For
more information about the
Children’s Defense Fund, go to
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
.
Why did Senator Barbara Boxer go racial?
By. Harry C. Alford
Beyond the Rhetoric
Here we were in the Senate
Dirksen building participating in
a Congressional hearing on the
pending climate legislation
known as the Waxman/Markey
Bill.
This is a gigantic piece of proposed laws, taxes, regulations
that will change the way America
does business. There are many
costs involved and it appears
that the African American community will be paying a disproportionate share of the job loss
and increased energy costs.
No surprise as this is usually
the case because we have no political apparatus that addresses
that when it happens. The Congressional Black Caucus will go
with the flow or, in other words,
receive the orders from House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and act
obediently. If we allow business
as usual: We lose.
So, it is with great fervor that
the National Black Chamber of
Commerce attempts to change
this bill or contribute to its demise. The right way to do this is
through debate.
We got our act together by
commissioning a very thorough
study on the Waxman/Markey
Bill analyzing the economic impact on urban and rural communities. The study done by the
reputable Charles River Associates clearly points to our concerns.
We, the last hired and first fired,
will face the brunt of the costs and
there will be little or no benefits
achieved for it. So when the time
came for me and Senator Barbara
Boxer to go face to face about this
important issue, she did something that I would have never expected. She began getting racial.
Utilizing that old Jim Crow tactic of trying to pit my Black group
against another – thus destroying
ourselves, she went on an embarrassing rant.
First, she wanted me to attack
the NAACP. That didn’t work so
then she pulled out the 100 Black
Men. Still, I didn’t take the bait.
Finally, I went on the offensive
and blasted her for her condescending manner replete with racial innuendo.
I challenged her to argue against
the study not wander off talking
about any Black organization that
came to her mind. Within a short
time, there we were yelling at each
other on national television and the
Internet. In fact, there have been
over 500,000 views on YouTube
showing the verbal match. Radio
shows and television stations
have been covering it.
Yes, Barbara Boxer showed her
racial animus. A persona that probably has not been detected by the
general public until now and that
is mysterious. Her overall inference
was what is a Black organization
doing with a sophisticated study.
This is White folks business and
I got my Black groups to counter
your Black butt. It was Bigotry 101.
Barbara Boxer
This really shouldn’t come as
a surprise to anyone. Let us remember the political game that
brought her into prominence.
She is the mastermind behind
the “Anita Hill attack Clarence
Thomas scenario”. Remember
that, it pitted a Black female
against a Black male and distracted us from the main issue
– his legal talents.
This modus operandi (M.O.)
also appeared in the 2004 election in Ohio when she went after
another Black male, Secretary of
State Ken Blackwell using the
late Stephanie Tubbs Jones to do
the fighting.
Let us not forget that totally degrading attack on the Honorable
Condoleezza Rice. The personal
and heartless smears she put on
her own constituents were less
than moral. Yes, when it comes to
Black folks Senator Barbara Boxer
turns into a monster.
So it is an easy question: Why
did Senator Barbara Boxer go racial? That is what racists do. When
they get up against the wall, their
racial persona takes over and all
of the ugly comes out like a gusher.
How does a state like California
whose population is over 54% minority have such a person representing them as their Senator?
Something is going to have to
give. California is in a state of financial ruin and social upheaval.
What the people of my native
state need is leadership that is inclusive, positive and certainly productive. They need to start looking for new leaders and cultivating a process that will yield good
“fruits” and not nut cases like the
one they have now.
In my 16 years of testifying before Congress, I have never had
to deal with racial animus, direct
or indirect, until now.
It is a “bump in the road” if we
all deal with it now. If we ignore it,
it will turn into a cancer and fester
throughout our political apparatus to the detriment of America.
Former Senator Trent Lott made a
verbal slip and paid dearly. What
Senator Boxer has done is a major
revelation and we must act accordingly. God does not like ugly nor
should the American people.
Harry Alford is the co-founder,
President/CEO, of the National
Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
Website: www.nationalbcc.org.
Email: [email protected].
Demand real child health reform legislation
10
African Scene
Africa HIV city care questioned
King Sunny
Africa’s ‘Bob Marley’
enters Hall of Fame
By. Matthew Feick
Special to the NNPA from GIN
(GIN) - King Sunny Ade, often
billed as the “African Bob
Marley,” will be inducted into the
Afropop Hall of Fame this week
in Brooklyn, New York.
A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Ade
became an international spectacle
of world music while touring Europe and North America in the
early 80s, performing Nigerian juju
music.
From the mid 60s through the
mid 90s, Ade averaged an output
of three albums per year, culminating in over 120 albums to date.
Now at 62, Ade is considered an
architect of the juju style, bigband dance music. His impressive
song writing resume and charismatic performances have earned
him score composition jobs in
Hollywood - not to mention an
acting role in National Lampoon’s
O.C. & Stiggs. He is the only native African to ever be nominated
twice for a Grammy award.
In a 1987 New York Times review
of his Beacon Theater concert, Jon
Pareles asserts “His modern juju
is still the multilayered, intoxicating marvel that makes him one of
the world’s great band leaders.”
Today he remains active in Nigeria handling many business
ventures, including the King
Sunny Adé Foundation, a nonprofit designed to bring music and
performing arts to Nigerian housing communities.
More HIV/Aids patients in Africa could be treated if funds were
switched from expensive laboratory testing to local care in villages, research suggests.
Results from a six-year clinical
trial of 3,500 people showed that
lab tests of how anti-retroviral
drugs work and side-effects do
little to prolong life.
Money saved would enable a
third more people to be treated,
one doctor said.
In the West, laboratory tests are
routinely carried out. There is still
no cure for HIV/AIDS.
But anti-retroviral drugs can
stop the disease from developing.
Scientists in Uganda, Zimbabwe
and Britain followed almost 3,500
patients over six years for the
study, known as Dart.
Dr Peter Mugyenyi said more
than six million people in Africa
required care, but only 2.2 million
were currently getting it.
The laboratory tests are very
hard to carry out in most of Africa, the research suggests.
The difficulty for rural Africa is
that the regular laboratory tests
are expensive and require sophisticated laboratories that are often
only available in cities - many
hours’ drive away from the villages
where people live.
The trial results show the regular tests have either no benefit or
very little benefit to survival rates.
The results showed that 90% of
people who received anti-viral
drugs and three-monthly lab testing were still alive after five years
compared with 87% of people who
received the drugs without undergoing regular testing.
More patients could be treated in their villages, doctors
say.
If regular laboratory tests are not
needed, doctors say it will be much
easier and cheaper to give treatment in village clinics - rather than
making patients travel to cities,
where most treatment in Africa is
concentrated.
Practitioners say with trained
healthcare workers they can provide close supervision and support, and give HIV treatment to
many more patients close to where
they live.
Dr Mugyenyi told the BBC Network Africa: “I would describe
[this study] as a breakthrough,
because we now understand that
the intensive laboratory tests
which are routinely done in the
West only bring marginal benefits.
“We could actually do nearly as
well by very good clinical monitoring of patients, making sure that
trained healthcare providers look at
their symptoms and signs and determine whether treatment needs to
be changed or whether they need
to have any modification in their care
and treatment.”
British International Development
Minister Mike Foster said that while
anti-retroviral treatment saves lives,
the cost of the accompanying laboratory tests “significantly reduces
the number of people that this treatment can reach”.
“Crucially, the money saved from
paying for these tests could enable
more people to safely receive treatment, including those who for whatever reason are unable to travel to
the laboratories.”
Alarming male gay HIV rate
Sheikh
U. S. - Somali youth urged
to ignore Islamist calls to fight
(GIN) - A federal grand jury has
indicted two Minnesota men in
connection with the recruitment
of Somali immigrants to fight with
Islamic insurgents in their home
country
The two 20-year-olds are
charged with one count each of
providing material support to
terrorists and conspiracy to kill,
kidnap, maim or injure people
overseas. Reports of young men
of Somali descent joining an
anti-government Islamist faction, prompted a plea from Somali President Sheikh Sharif
Ahmed.
“I call on the Somali-American
community not to send their youth
to Somalia to fight alongside AlShabaab,’’ he said in a recent press
briefing.
Omar Jamal, head of the Somali
Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, said the recruiters had
found fertile ground in the U.S.
“They are here, recruiting young
children and brainwashing them,’’
said Jamal. “They do it in an intelligent way, by offering incentives
to hopeless street children and
teenagers who drop out of
schools.”
An estimated 150,000 to 200,000
Somalis live in the United States
with Somali-American population
centers in Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio.
HIV rates among gay men in
some African countries are 10 times
higher than among the general male
population, says research in medical journal the Lancet.
The report said prejudice towards gay people was leading to
isolation and harassment, which
in turn led to risky sexual practices among gay communities.
But the risks are not limited to
gay men, as many of the infected
also have female sexual partners.
The report called for greater education and resources in the fight
against HIV.
The Oxford University researchers found that the prevalence of HIV/Aids among gay
men in sub-Saharan African has
been “driven by cultural, religious and political unwillingness
to accept [gay men] as equal
members of society”.
Lead researcher Adrian Smith
told the BBC there was “profound
stigma and social hostility at every level of society concerning
either same-sex behaviours
amongst men, or homosexuality”.
“This has the consequence
that this group becomes ex-
tremely hard to reach,” he said.
Mr Smith said that gay male sex
had always been acknowledged as
being particularly dangerous in
terms of contracting HIV/Aids.
But gay men were also more
likely to be involved in other highrisk behaviours, including sex work,
having multiple partners and being
in contact with intravenous drug
use, he said.
Education crucial
George Kanuma, a gay rights activist in Burundi, told the BBC
many men “hide their sexual orientation” to get married and have children, but continue to have sex with
men.
“Most of them know that you can
contract HIV/Aids or any infection
when you are making sex with
women, but not when you are having sex with another man,” he said.
Mr Smith said there was “a desperate need for delivering a basic
package of prevention for HIV”, including ensuring supplies of
condoms.
“There is also a need to
sensitise, educate and train those
involved in HIV, the interface with
men who have sex with men, to
educate those involved in care and
prevention activities,” he said.
The United Nations Aids agency
The reports said more education was needed to combat estimates that 33 million people in
the world have HIV, of whom twoHIV among gay men.
thirds live in sub-Saharan Africa.
11
12
Opinion:
Is a recolonization of Africa underway?
In November last year, The
Financial Times reported that
South Korea’s Daewoo had
signed a 99-year lease for half
of Madagascar’s arable land.
According to the report,
Daewoo expected to pay
“nothing” for the lease.
The agreement covered 1.3
million hectares (3.2 million
acres - an area the size of Belgium). Daewoo said it planned
to plant corn on one million
hectares in the arid western
part of the island and 300,000
ha (740,000 acres) of oil palm
on the land on the tropical east.
The Daewoo announcement
came after the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
warned that the push by some
countries (notably China, Malaysia and Middle eastern nations) to secure farmland overseas could create a neo-colonial system.
I was relieved to hear that on
March 18, 2009, the new leader
of Madagascar cancelled the
deal.
Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia are joining a growing list of
countries in Africa, leasing
huge tracts of land to foreign
corporations for agricultural
use. Countries including China,
Kuwait and Sweden are snapping up land in poorer nations,
especially in Africa, to grow
food or bio-fuels for use in their
countries.
A few weeks prior to that,
there were reports in the Egyptian press that Uganda had
leased land to Egypt for the
purpose of growing food. This
report was denied in Uganda,
however, more recently there
were reports in The New Vision
that Egypt was soon to start
growing food in Uganda
though the details of the land
deal have not been made public
and the initial denial by local authorities makes the whole deal suspect.
A few weeks ago there were reports on the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) Africa Service
that an American businessman had
acquired a lease for large tracts of
Southern Sudan for agriculture.
The food crisis and the resultant
search for arable land for food security are sparking another
scramble for Africa’s land.
I wonder how many other behind-the-scenes transactions are
currently underway in the continent that will only be announced
when the deals have been signed
and perhaps money has exchanged hands. I am afraid that we
are selling our inheritance on the
continent for a pittance, or the
proverbial Esau’s bowl of stew and
when the time of need comes with
our fast growing population it may
not be accessible to us anymore.
All presidents on the continent
have recently been hosted in unprecedented numbers in China,
India and Japan. One reporter
commented that African presidents attended the China meeting
in numbers even better than is registered in the African Union Heads
of State summits.
It is quite clear that Africa is being courted once again; this time
especially by Asia whose large
population is in ardent search for
agricultural land, energy sources
and raw materials. Our continental
experience in relating with other
continents has been one of exploitation and judging from my reading of current trends I am afraid
we are heading for another season
of rape and exploitation.
It is not inconceivable that in a
few years that piece of real estate
in Madagascar would have been
developed with infrastructure,
ports, beaches and airports. It
would then be teeming with Koreans while the impoverished
Madagascans are looking in
over the fence; the seeds of increased social unrest would
have just been sown in that
country.
I have followed these developments with a troubled heart.
There are many questions I have
pondered:
· Have those who are giving out
these concessions considered
the strategic interests of the African peoples over the next 100
years?
· Do they know what is in the
ground that they are leasing
out? What if tomorrow there is
discovery of oil, diamonds and
other minerals in that piece of
real estate? Coming from more
technologically advanced countries, it would not be surprising
if the leassees already know
what is in the ground by the time
they seek a lease.
· Are they conceding that they
have failed to plan strategically
to utilise the land in such a way
that instead of other nations
coming and growing the food
themselves, the Africans can do
so and, therefore, earn from food
export?
· Isn’t the leasing of the land not
even worse than selling raw materials to the industrialized countries since the Africans are even
denied the chance of earning
what they could have, if they had
grown the food themselves?
· Have they exhausted the possibilities of joint venturing in
such a way that we do not lose
control of the land?
· What preparations are in place
for Africa’s burgeoning population, which is the fastest growing in the world today?
· How will we cope with the pres-
sures that will result from the demand for land as this population
grows?
· Why don’t Africans value their
land? Can an African country be
allowed the same access to land
in Asia or Europe that Madagascar had given Korea?
· How will future generations
judge us when faced with the
legacy of dis-enfranchisement
that this generation of Africans
is leaving behind?
· Can a mechanism be created on
the continent to check decisions
that are deemed to be dangerous
to the strategic interests of the
African people?
I am concerned that today’s
leaders in various parts of the
continent are following the same
path that the chiefs and kings of
the last centuries followed in failing to come together to resist the
colonization of the continent.
During the scramble for Africa
at the end of the 19th Century,
European powers staked claims
to virtually the whole continent.
French claims extended over
about 3.75 million square miles;
British claims over about 2 million square miles. In Zimbabwe,
Kenya, Namibia and South Africa, White settlers seized large
areas of land. Only Ethiopia managed to stave off the onslaught
of European occupation.
The Congo became the private
property of King Leopold II of
Belgium, an ambitious, greedy
and devious monarch whose lust
for territory and wealth was
largely responsible for igniting
the scramble for Africa.
In 1885, the Congo was internationally approved as the personal property of this devious
monarch, an area of nearly 1 million square miles, 75 times the
size of Belgium and one thirteenth of the African continent.
In 1931, half of the land of South
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) was stipulated for the use of White settlers
who, at the time, numbered no
more than 2,500. In South Africa
some 87% of the total area was
declared white land.
In the highlands of eastern and
southern Africa and along the
Mediterranean coast of Algeria
and Tunisia, European settlers acquired huge land holdings; in
Kenya, the fertile white highlands
were designated for their exclusive
use.
Today, just over a century later,
we are still experiencing the ripples
of these acts of greed, avarice and
theft in the social and political
upheavals currently being experienced in Zimbabwe, South Africa,
Kenya and Congo. With all the
news focus in the world press today on Zimbabwe, there is very
little mention about the unjust
wanton grabbing of land by the
White settlers, forcing off the indigenes from 80% of the arable
land. This is the historical root
cause of the troubles in that land.
I am afraid that we are witnessing another scramble for Africa’s
land and resources and the leaders of Africa who are entrusted
with the protection and enhancement of her peoples and resources,
seem powerless, voracious or too
myopic in their understanding to
save us from the recurrence of another catastrophe.
Isn’t it time to create non-political think tanks that will generate
ideas for the leaders on the continent, if they are willing to listen?
Some leaders on the continent
are often too entangled in politicking to either think or make
clear-headed decisions on behalf
of their people. Decisions made for
political expediency are often not
in the best long-term interests of
the African people.
An open letter to Obama from Nkrumah Foundation
Dear President Obama,
Let me take this opportunity
to welcome you most warmly
to Ghana, a warm haven at the
centre of the world and wish
you a memorable stay.
All the people of Ghana are
ecstatic over your choice of
Ghana as the first country in
sub-Saharan Africa to visit. It
is not by accident but by the
recognition of Ghana as the
shining Black Star of Africa,
the country which proclaimed
at the time of her independence
that it was meaningless unless
it was linked up with the total
liberation of Africa. It did not
however, rest on its oars but
worked tirelessly to see Africa
free.
At the time of independence
in 1957, then Vice President Richard Nixon was part of the
celebrations. Subsequently,
Presidents Clinton and George
W Bush also visited Ghana.
These visits are testimonies to
the cordial relationship that exists
between our two nations.
There is however, Mr. President,
one incident that for some of us
chills this relationship somewhat
and that is the lead role the United
States of America under President
Lyndon Johnson played in the
overthrow on the 24th of February, 1966 of the elected leader
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
That America was instrumental
in the planning and execution of
the coup d’état is not in dispute
as CIA declassified information
has shown.
A newly independent Ghana led
by its most inspirational and visionary leader was then on a
strong path of economic emancipation to give jobs and opportunities to Ghanaians. It had made
education and health care free and
was at the stage of industrialisation and creating the conditions
for a thriving economy. With the
help of America, the Akosombo
hydroelectric project had been
completed and commissioned ear-
lier on in the year and the Russians were in Ghana with all the
equipments to kick start the Bui
dam to give energy sufficiency
to the industries.
We were awakened in the early
hours of 24th February, 1966 to
a bloody coup while the President had been lured out of Ghana
on a peace mission to help end
the Vietnam War. The selfish collaborators who took over the
reigns of governance were to set
Ghana back.
Evidence also shows how the
World Bank and International
Monetary Fund provided the advice and technical aid that halted
and reversed work by the
Nkrumah Government that was
to bring relief and benefit to ordinary Ghanaians. Many have
died through the resulting poverty and Ghana has not progressed much since that time.
Silos that were built to store
cocoa and maize were abandoned to rot, industries that had
been built to ensure we produced
most of the essential things the
population needed were halted
and the Kwabenya Atomic Energy Project was stopped and the
reactor destroyed.
The Project had been initiated
to provide Ghana with nuclear
energy and also to be used
among others to reduce post
harvest losses. As a matter of
fact, Ghana’s progress as a nation was well and truly halted by
the action of America and many
Ghanaians have been denied
jobs as a consequence.
Ghana has been a victim of slavery, colonization, neo-colonization and the cold war. All of
which have helped create the
mental lethargy which has impeded progress and fuelled the
desire to escape poverty by
whatever means necessary that
has entrenched corruption in our
body politic and psyche. Change
must come to Ghana and Africa.
Mr. President, many Ghanaians
were part of the body of humanity who wished and willed you
on to win the US elections of 2008.
Some of us followed the counting
and collation of results and wept
when you gave your acceptance
speech. The dreams of our forefathers, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B du
Bois, Kwame Nkrumah, Martin
Luther King Jr. and many others
had come true.
Welcome to the mother continent, where it all begun for mankind but where resources have
been plummeted for the benefit of
others and the locals left in utter
poverty.
The change we need must also
come to this continent. The developed world must realize that the
world does not exist to satisfy them
alone and that the world is safer if
there is shared humanity. If we all
create a little space and create a
better world for the entire human
race, we will be healing the world
(to paraphrase the lyrics of Michael
Jackson’s “HEAL THE WORLD”).
We look forward to seeing under
13
14
YOUR MONEY MATTERS
“KISS Your Money”
By Michael G. Shinn, CFP
NNPA Syndicated Columnist
KISS is a modern day acronym often used as a substitute
for the phrase “Keep it Simple
Stupid.” It is sometimes aimed
at someone proposing a complex and convoluted solution to
a problem, when a simple
straight forward answer would
do.
One of my favorite Will
Rogers quotes is “I would have
written you a shorter letter, but
I did not have much time.” It is
easy to be verbose and run on,
but it is much more difficult to
be concise and to the point.
Computers have added a new
level of sophistication in the
use of spreadsheets, statistical
analysis, illustrations, charts,
graphs and color presentations.
Unfortunately, many times
these presentations go right
over the heads of the clients
receiving the presentation. If
clients don’t understand, the
what and the why of their plans,
those plans are likely to gather
dust and not get implemented.
There has got to be a better
way.
Take the time to track your family’s
income and expenses over the next
30 days. You can setup your own
spreadsheet or use online resources such as: www.moneycent
ral.msn.com ; www.mymoney
management.net or purchased software programs like Quicken or
Microsoft Money. If you are like
most Americans, your expenses
match your income. However,
when credit card expenditures are
included, many families are overspending their income.
The first savings priority
should be the creation of an
emergency fund. The purpose
of the emergency fund is to pay
for financial emergencies that
inevitably arise, such as auto/
home repairs, illness and job
loss. The fund should be the
equivalent of 3-6 months expenses and placed in a liquid account, such as a savings account or money market fund.
How can you reduce your expenses by 10-20% right now?
First, look at your cable/satellite
TV, mobile phone and computer/
game expenses? Next, look at items
such as clothing, entertainment,
eating out, transportation, etc?
Consider alternative ways to reduce expenses such as; buying
clothes during seasonal sale periods, cooking meals at home,
carpooling and using public transportation. Look at websites like
the National Endowment for Financial Planning website for additional
money saving tips: www.smart
aboutmoney.org.
The next priority is to develop a regular saving and investment program. This would
include 401K and similar contributory retirement plans and
other investments such as mutual funds, bonds and real estate. Finally, diversify your investments by placing them in
several different investment
areas.
KISS your money, by keeping
your finances simple and saving. The dollars that you save
and invest today can grow into
the future and be there to help
fund your future family goals.
Pay Yourself First-Save
Michael G. Shinn, CFP, Registered Representative of and
securities and investment advisory services offered through Financial Network Investment
Corporation, member SIPC.
Visit www.shinnfinancial.com
for more information or to send
your comments or questions to
[email protected].
© Michael G. Shinn 2009. Neither Michael Shinn nor Financial Network provides tax advice. The websites listed are
provided as a courtesy and are
not under the control of Financial Network Investment Corporation.
Investment Planning
Keep it Simple and Save
The KISS method for creating family wealth is simple and
straight forward. When using
KISS in this context, it means,
“Keep it Simple and Save.” A
simple, understandable and doable plan is the ultimate in financial sophistication. Let’s
see how this KISS method
works.
The first and most important
step is to spend less than you
earn. Sounds simple, but you
have to understand and track
your income and expenses consistently to know whether you
are over or under spending.
Establish a savings goal of between 10 to 20% of your gross income. You are probably thinking,
“Sure I want to save, but I can
barely pay my bills.” The secret is
to save first and spend what’s left
over. Savings must be the first
item in your budget every month.
Pay yourself first, because you do
all the work. Setup an automatic
saving withdrawal from either your
paycheck or checking account. If
you don’t see the money, you are
less likely to spend it. If you are
not saving now, start out with $100,
or $200 per month.
8-year-old child soldier
Liberian ex-president on
trial defends his record
(GIN) - Ex-Liberian President
Charles Taylor, standing trial
for a horrific list of war crimes,
has responded to the shocking
testimony of his alleged victims and survivors.
“This whole case against me
is a case of deceit, deception
and lies,” he told a packed
house at the Special Court for
Sierra Leone in The Hague.
Taylor, who allegedly directed
rebel groups from Liberia in order to seize control of Sierra
Leone’s diamond riches, denied all 11 counts against him
including murder, rape, amputation and torture, at the Special Court.
Mr Taylor, age 61, is the first
African leader to be tried by an
international court.
“It is very, very, very unfortunate that the prosecution, because of disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors, would associate me with such titles or des c r i p t i o n s , ’’ h e s a i d o f t h e
charges.
His indictment holds him accountable for the rebels’ use of
drug-crazed child soldiers who
hacked off limbs, ears or noses
to subdue civilians. No one
knows exactly how many people
were killed or maimed in the civil
war of the 1990s. According to
human rights groups, up to 3,500
amputees are believed to be still
alive while 4,000 have died. Numerous former child soldiers are
still in rehabilitation homes.
Former President Taylor’s testimony is expected to last several weeks. A verdict in the case
is expected some time next year.
ACLU demands disclosure of new parameters for immigration laws
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union filed a
Freedom of Information Act request Tuesday for new documents governing the continued
delegation to state and local law
enforcement agencies of federal
immigration enforcement authority. The fundamentally flawed
program has been associated
with serious civil rights abuses
and public safety concerns.
Secretary Janet Napolitano
announced Friday that the Department of Homeland Security
had developed a new standardized Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) for use when it delegates immigration enforcement
authority to specific agencies
under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
She also announced that DHS
had entered into new MOAs
with 11 additional law enforcement agencies.
However, DHS refused requests by journalists and the
public to release the 11 recentlysigned MOAs and the new standardized agreement, even
though DHS routinely made
287(g) MOAs public under the
Bush administration.
“No amount of tinkering with
the 287(g) program is likely to
solve the fact that it threatens
public safety and undermines the
basic guarantee of equal treatment by increasing profiling of
people who look or sound ‘foreign,’” said Omar Jadwat, staff
attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project.
“Still, DHS’s refusal to disclose
these new documents is a disappointing and legally unsupportable step back from with Bush administration practice and makes
it impossible to fully evaluate the
changes to this highly controversial program. DHS should immediately release the documents we
have requested.”
The ACLU has long sought to
end the 287(g) agreements between DHS and state or local
agencies that are, by design, fundamentally flawed. The 287(g)
agreements have encouraged illegal racial profiling and civil
rights abuses as well as the mistaken and unlawful detention and
deportation of U.S. citizens and
permanent residents, as reflected in a series of lawsuits, all
while diverting scarce resources
from traditional local law enforcement functions.
“Enforcement of immigration
law, like tax law, belongs exclusively to the federal government.
One body of immigration law
governs the entire country; those
laws are written and passed by
Congress and should be enforced
by federal law enforcement, not
by local and state police,” said
Joanne Lin, ACLU Legislative
Counsel. “There is a specialized
federal agency to focus on immigration enforcement – DHS – just
as there is a specialized federal
agency to focus on tax compliance and enforcement – the IRS.
“State and local police do not
pull drivers over for tax law violations; likewise they should not
pull drivers over for immigration
law violations. The 287(g) program has proven to be a failure —
resulting in rampant illegal profiling by local police under the cloak
of federal immigration enforcement
power. DHS needs to terminate,
not tweak, the 287(g) program.”
This past April, the Police
Foundation, a leading nonpartisan, research and training nonprofit dedicated to improving
public safety, reported that many
sheriffs and police chiefs across
the country disapprove of the
local immigration enforcement
program.
According to the Police Foundation study, law enforcement
executives believe that “immigration enforcement by local
police undermines their core
public safety mission, diverts
scarce resources, increases their
exposure to liability and litigation, and exacerbates fear in
communities already distrustful
of police.”
In recent months, Congress
held two oversight hearings and
heard from U.S. citizens who
have been profiled and detained
by local police acting under
287(g) programs. In addition to
charges of 287(g) program “mismanagement” by the Government Accountability Office, the
DHS Inspector General has undertaken an audit of the 287(g)
program and the Department of
Justice has launched a civil rights
investigation into the Maricopa
County Sheriff’s Office, which has
an extensive 287(g) program.
In February, a federal court decided that a class action lawsuit,
Ortega Melendres v. Arpaio, could
proceed against Sheriff Joe
Arpaio. In that case, the ACLU is
co-counsel for Latino plaintiffs
who were subjected to racial profiling and police misconduct by the
Sheriff ’s Office in Maricopa
County, Arizona, a jurisdiction
with the most aggressive 287(g)
program in the country.
In another case, the ACLU has
sued on behalf of Pedro Guzman,
a U.S. citizen born in California,
who was illegally deported under
Los Angeles County Sheriff
Office’s 287(g) program. These
cases are still pending.
“If the Department of Homeland
Security cannot recognize failure
when everyone else involved sees
it, Congress should exercise its
oversight and monitoring responsibilities to end the 287(g) program,” added Lin. “Minor modifications are not enough to fix this
fundamentally flawed program.”
15
Columbia to lead effort to prevent schizophrenia
Columbia University Medical
Center’s Jeffrey A. Lieberman,
M.D., a renowned expert in the
field of schizophrenia, has been
selected by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
of the National Institutes of
Health as principal investigator
of a nationwide effort to develop
an optimal early intervention
strategy for treating people experiencing a first episode of the
psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia.
Research has shown that early
treatment can alter the course of
schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders by dramatically
slowing progression; reducing
disability, mortality, and the expense of care; and increasing recovery. The Recovery After Initial Schizophrenic Episode
(RAISE) study, funded at $9.9
million for two years, has the potential to be extended to six years
and a total of $21.3 million if certain milestones are met.
“This award will enable researchers to demonstrate how a
strategically timed intervention
at the onset of symptoms can
prevent the debilitating effects
of one of humankind’s most
devastating and costly mental
disorders,” says Dr. Lieberman,
the Lawrence E. Kolb Professor
and chairman, Department of
Psychiatry, Columbia University
College of Physicians and Surgeons; director, New York State
Psychiatric Institute; and direc-
tor, Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Research. “This is a unique
and historic opportunity to bring,
more rapidly than we could have
imagined, research and clinical
efforts to bear on the question of
how to reduce the burden to patient, family and society of this
devastating disease.”
Dr. Lieberman will lead a team
of researchers from Columbia
University Medical Center, the
University of Maryland; University of North Carolina, UCLA,
Dartmouth College and Harvard
University.
Lisa B. Dixon, M.D., MPH, professor of psychiatry, University
of Maryland School of Medicine;
associate director of research for
the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center; and director of the Division of Health
Services Research at the VA Capitol Health Care Network, is coprincipal investigator of RAISE.
RAISE Study to Develop & Test
an Intervention That Limits Disability & Fosters Functional Recovery, While Answers to Fundamental Research Questions in
Schizophrenia are Still Emerging
The goal of RAISE is to develop an evidence-based strategic intervention for early psychosis that can be facilitated both
in community-based and public
mental health-settings, and in private clinical practice settings.
Since patient dropout and poor
continuation in treatment is a
major problem for schizophrenia
Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman
clinicians, the intervention will
encourage patients’ engagement
and adherence to treatment.
Drs. Lieberman, Dixon and their
research team will begin by testing and refining the battery of
assessments that will be used
with patients who have experienced first episode psychosis
(FEP) at two different FEP clinics, located at the University of
North Carolina and the University of California, Davis, and then
by testing the assessment model
in four community-based sites,
two in New York and two in
Maryland.
Next, a total of 330 participants will be randomly assigned
to one of two conditions in a
total of eight real world clinical
sites in Maryland and New York.
Those in the experimental condition will receive coordinated
treatment provided by a team
that will include a clinical case
manager, psychiatrist, nurse, employment/education specialist,
skills training specialist and a
team leader.
Culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions will
be tailored to each patient’s individual needs, with the goal of
maximizing patient engagement
and compliance. Individuals in
the comparison group will receive treatment services managed by a clinical case manager
who will link patients to appropriate community services and
other resources for support and
rehabilitation services. The case
manager will work to engage the
patient and their family in the
treatment process to encourage
patient retention.
“New Yorkers can be proud that
this intensive effort to forestall the
disability associated with schizophrenia will be led by researchers
in New York State,” says Michael
F. Hogan, Ph.D., Commissioner of
the New York State Office of Mental Health. “New approaches to
the treatment of schizophrenia
will be tested, emphasizing aggressive interventions as early as
possible.
These new approaches are aimed
at helping people and their families to live with the illness and successfully transition to adult life.
The Office of Mental Health intends to use the findings of these
projects to help transform the care
for all New Yorkers with serious
mental illness.”
Mount Sinai named one of the best hospitals in nation
The Mount Sinai Medical
Center has been named one of
the very best hospitals in the
United States by U.S. News &
World Report.
In the 2009-10 America’s Best
Hospital issue, Mount Sinai
ranked 19th nationally. A total
of 4,861 hospitals were analyzed
for this year’s guide, making it
the most extensive hospital
ranking to-date. Having scored
highly in 11 of 16 specialties examined by U.S. News, Mount
Sinai is featured on the
magazine’s elite list of “Honor
Roll” hospitals.
“This is the first time in the
20-year history of the rankings
that Mount Sinai has earned
Honor Roll status,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, president
and CEO of The Mount Sinai
Medical Center. “Our success
reflects our world-class leadership in research, education, and
treatment, and our commitment
to providing compassionate patient care. This is an extraordinary achievement.”
“In the past few years, Mount
Sinai has successfully recruited
some of the nation’s top researchers and physicians,” said
Dennis S. Charney, MD, dean of
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and executive vice president for Academic Affairs of The
Mount Sinai Medical Center.
“The incredible success over the
last few years of Mount Sinai
School of Medicine and The
Mount Sinai Hospital has propelled The Mount Sinai Medical
Center to the forefront as one of
the world’s leading healthcare
institutions.”
Mount Sinai’s ranking improved
substantially in the category of
Heart and Heart Surgery, where
this year it ranked 18; in 2008 it
had been ranked 41, and in 2007 it
had not been ranked at all. Other
specialties where Mount Sinai
made significant improvements
were Orthopedics (21st in 2009
from 38th in 2008) and Kidney Disorders (30th in 2009 and unranked
in previous years).
The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties – all but Ophthalmology,
Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, and
Rheumatology – are driven by indicators including reputation,
mortality index, patient safety
(new this year), and care-related
factors such as nursing and patient services. In these 12 specialties, hospitals have to pass
through several gates to be
ranked and considered a Best
Hospital:
1. The first gate determines
whether a hospital is eligible to
be ranked at all by requiring that
it must meet any of three condi-
Dr. Kenneth Davis
tions: be a teaching hospital;
have at least 200 beds; or have
at least 100 beds plus at least
four out of eight key medical
technologies such as currentgeneration CT scanners and precision radiation therapy.
2. The second gate determines
whether a hospital is eligible to
be ranked in a particular specialty. To be eligible, the hospi-
tal had to either have at least a
specified volume of certain procedures and conditions over
three years, or had to have been
nominated by at least one physician in the last three years of
our annual specialist survey.
3. The third gate is whether a
hospital does well enough to be
ranked, based on its reputation,
death rate, patient safety, and
factors like nurse staffing and
technology.
In the four other specialties
(Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, and Rheumatology)
ranking is based solely on nominations from the three most recent physician surveys.
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses The Mount Sinai
Hospital and Mount Sinai School
of Medicine. The Mount Sinai
Hospital is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most-respected
voluntary hospitals. Founded in
1852, Mount Sinai today is a 1,171bed tertiary-care teaching facility
that is internationally acclaimed for
excellence in clinical care.
Last year, nearly 50,000 people
were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients, and there were nearly
450,000 outpatient visits to the
Medical Center.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
is internationally recognized as a
leader in groundbreaking clinical
and basic science research, as
well as having an innovative approach to medical education. With
a faculty of more than 3,400 in 38
clinical and basic science departments and centers.
Mount Sinai ranks among the
top 20 medical schools in receipt
of National Institute of Health
(NIH) grants. For more information,
please visit www.mountsinai.org.
Health
16
NAACP saluted for urging
justice for Reggie Clemons
The Justice for Reggie
Clemons Campaign welcomed
the resolution of the Missouri
State Conference of the
NAACP, the nation’s leading
civil rights organization, in
support of the nationwide effort to secure justice for
Reggie. The resolution was
passed at the NAACP’s 100 th
Anniversary Conference held
in New York City.
In its resolution the rights
group announced that it has
launched a clemency campaign on Reggie’s behalf and
lauded the decision of the
Missouri Supreme Court to
appoint a special master to
look into the case and investigate claims that Reggie was
wrongly convicted and sentenced to death.
The Court acted in response
Reggie Clements
to a petition for habeas corpus
filed by Reggie’s attorneys on
June 12th.
Jamala Rogers, the coordinator of the Justice for Reggie
Clemons Campaign, called the
NAACP’S action, “critically important to the struggle for justice in Reggie’s case.” She
added, “we hope and believe
that Governor Nixon is paying
attention to the numerous and
important voices who are urging a fresh look at the very disturbing facts in this case.”
In addition to the NAACP,
groups including the ACLU, the
National Coalition to Abolish
the Death Penalty and high profile individuals including Congressman William Lacy Clay,
Danny Glover, Mike Farrell and
Bianca Jagger have spoken out
on Reggie’s behalf.
Reggie was sentenced to
death for the 1991 murder of two
young women who drowned after plunging from the Chain of
the Rocks Bridge into the Mississippi River. He was convicted on the theory that he was
an accomplice to the crime even
though prosecutors conceded
that Clemons neither pushed the
women nor planned the crime
and there was no physical evidence linking him to the murder.
M o r e o v e r, h i s c a s e w a s
riddled with numerous constitutional violations: Mr. Clemons
was physically abused by the
police, his defense counsel was
grossly incompetent, the prosecutor in the case behaved outrageously and was later convicted of criminal contempt for
his behavior. In addition, two
federal judges voted to overturn Reggie’s death sentence
and found that he was denied a
fair trial.
Tips for seniors to stay
well and cool in the heat
Special to the NNPA from the clear beverages that don’t conLouisiana Weekly
tain alcohol or caffeine. A good
way to measure if enough fluids
(NNPA) As Americans prepare are being ingested is to check
for hotter, humid weeks ahead urine color. If urine is a light yeland temperatures reach well low color, enough water is being
over 100 degrees in some parts taken into the body. If it’s darker
of the country, older adults are yellow, the body needs more waat higher risk of health problems ter.
if they don’t take the proper pre- • Take cool showers, baths, or
cautions to protect themselves sponge baths.
from the sweltering heat.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored,
About 200 Americans die of loose-fitting clothing and hats.
health problems caused by high Avoid:
heat and humidity every year, • Extended periods of sun expomost of them are 50 or older. Due sure.
to some of the physical changes • Walking long distances, lifting
that happen as we age, older heavy objects, or other strenuadults can’t cool down as easily ous activities.
as others.
Below are the most common
The AGS’ Foundation for health problems caused by heat:
Health and Aging (FHA) sug- • Dehydration: Weakness, headgests these steps for seniors to ache, muscle cramps, dizziness,
help stay safe in the summer confusion and passing out.
months:
• Heat stroke: A body temperature
• Use air-conditioning in the of or above 103 degrees; red, hot
home or go where it’s air-con- and dry skin; a fast pulse; headditioned — a shopping mall, ache, dizziness, nausea or vomitgrocery store, senior center, ing, confusion and passing out.
movie theatre, museum or li- • Heat exhaustion: Heavy sweatbrary, for example. (Fans are not ing or no sweating, muscle
effective enough to adequately cramps, tiredness, weakness,
cool down the body during in- paleness, cold or clammy skin,
tense heat waves.)
dizziness, headache, nausea or
• Drink a lot of water and other vomiting and fainting.
Panelists discuss new poll on immigrant women. Left to right: Sara Gould, Angela Kelley,
Karen Narasaki, Deborah Axt, Irasema Garza, Yasmeen Hamzeh, and Chung Wha Hong.
(Photos by Donna Lamb)
A look at women immigrants:
Stewards of the 21st century family
By Donna Lamb
When Americans think “immigrant,” the picture that most often comes to mind is a male without his family crossing the border in search of work. However,
beginning in the latter part of the
20th century, women have been
migrating to the United States in
increasing numbers as well, and
they are immigrating not as lone
individuals but as family members - sometimes even heads of
households - determined to keep
their families intact even as they
travel long distances and adapt
to a new culture.
This and much more was revealed at a July 15 roundtable
discussion on “Women Immigrants: The New Face of Migration in America,” hosted by New
America Media, the New York Immigration Coalition, the New York
Community Media Alliance and
the Ford Foundation.
The discussion centered on
the findings of a new poll entitled
“Women Immigrants: Stewards of
the 21st Century Family,” presented in outline by pollster
Sergio Bendixen, president of
Bendixen & Associates. It was
followed by a panel discussion
with Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy and
advocacy at the Center for American Progress; Karen Narasaki,
president of the Asian American
Justice Center; Deborah Axt, legal director for Make the Road
New York; Irasema Garza, president of Legal Momentum.
Also, Yasmeen Hamzeh, social
services program manager with
the Arab American Family Services Center New York; and
Chung Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. Sara Gould, president of the Ms. Foundation for
Women, moderated.
As the speakers explained, the
research was carried out by New
America Media (NAM), a consortium of more than 2,500 ethnic media outlets nationwide.
NAM interviewed over one
thousand immigrant women from
Latin American, Asian, Arab and
African countries, asking them
in-depth question about their
daily lives, their roles in their
families, and how their roles
have changed since coming to
the US.
The pollsters interviewed
women who arrived less than ten
years ago and those who have
lived here more than twenty
years.
When asked why they decided to come to the US, the
women’s answers were not too
surprising. The majority responded that they came to join
family members already here ninety percent of the respondents live with their husbands
and children - or to make a better life for their children.
What may be more surprising,
however, is the power of American culture and its influence on
newly arrived women. For example, 73 percent of immigrant
women consider themselves more
assertive in the US than they had
been in their home countries, and
33 percent said they consider
themselves the head of household - up from 18 percent in the
countries of their birth.
What’s more, 57 percent of
these women stated that many
of their current responsibilities
are handled exclusively by men
in their home countries. For instance, 82 percent said that they
now share family financial decisions with their husbands or
manage them by themselves,
and 91 percent indicated a similarly proactive role in family
planning, deciding when and if
to have additional children.
Along with many other
things, the research also provides
valuable insight into immigrant
women’s economic roles. A majority of the women described their
last job in their home country as
“professional.” However, perhaps
not surprisingly, a substantial percentage of them do not initially
find comparable employment in the
US. Instead, they end up in low
skill positions in hotels and restaurants, or as domestic and textile workers.
This brings up the question why
would these women leave positions as, for example, nurses to become nannies? The answer lies in
their motivation for coming to this
country in the first place: they are
willing to sacrifice their own status for their families’ future.
The good news is that most immigrant women quickly climb back
up the economic ladder. Almost all
reported success in increasing
their income levels (some more
than others, depending on differences in education levels), which
suggests that immigrant women
are successfully fitting into
America’s demanding workplaces.
Another interesting finding is
that women have an enormous impact on their families’ assimilation
process. One way this shows is
in their powerful motivation to
participate in America’s civic life.
In comparison to a little over 50
percent of immigrant men, approximately 84 percent of immigrant women urge their family
members to become citizens. They
cite “securing family stability” as
the number one reason for pursuing citizenship, followed by wanting to participate in the electoral
process.
The poll was funded in part by
grants to New America Media from
Atlantic Philanthropies, Carnegie
Corp., Ford Foundation, and the
Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund. It
can be read in its entirety at
www.newamericamedia.org.
Kendall Stewart
School identification cards
urged for undocumented
New York City is home to an
estimated 500,000 undocumented immigrants. There are no
hard statistics available about
the number of undocumented
parents but one thing is certain:
they number in the thousands.
These parents continue to
face the prospect of being locked
out of New York City’s Public
Schools system because they do
not have an identification card
that allows them to get past
school security. Councilmember
Kendall Stewart supports one
novel idea to solve this problem.
“What we have is thousands
of children either born here to
undocumented immigrants or
who came here very young with
their parents and who go to our
public schools. But their out of
status parents cannot enter these
school premises to interact with
teachers and others involved in
their children’s education because they do not have the required identification document.
“We need a specially created
identification card for these parents that will allow them to pass
security check-points at our
schools,”
Councilmember
Stewart said.
The Brooklyn lawmaker added that
“parents’ involvement in school are
extremely important to the success
of their children” especially for the
English language learners whose
dropout rates are very high.
Chancellor Joel I. Klein this
week visited the School of One,
a first-of-its-kind summer
school pilot program that uses
technology to provide students
with highly individualized and
innovative classroom instruction.
The School of One pilot program combines traditional
teacher-led instruction with
cutting-edge instructional software like virtual tutors and other
tools that customize instruction
to meet each student’s academic needs and learning style.
The School of One pilot program is part of NYC21C, a research and development project
launched at the NYC iSchool in
spring 2009 with the goal of innovating instructional practices to help schools better prepare students for careers in the
21st century. The two-month pilot program is being held in the
summer school of M.S. 131 on
Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
The School of One pilot program departs from the traditional classroom model. Rather
than one teacher and 25-30 students in a classroom, each student participates in a combination of teacher-led instruction,
one-on-one tutoring, independent learning, and work with
virtual tutors.
To organize this type of learning, each student receives a
unique daily schedule based on
her academic needs and recent
progress. As a result, students
within the same school or even
classroom can receive very different instruction, each lesson
tailored to the concepts a student needs to learn and the
ways she can best learn them.
Teachers acquire data about
Joel Klein
student achievement each day
and then adapt their lessons
accordingly.
“Particularly in New York City,
where students arrive at our
schools from diverse ethnic and
socioeconomic backgrounds,
with different skill sets and skill
levels, we must offer students
instruction that meets their individual needs,” Chancellor
Klein said. “The innovation at
the School of One represents
some of the most exciting and
promising work being done in
education today.”
“Cisco is pleased to be a part
of the School of One initiative,
which highlights New York
City’s commitment to creating
successful 21st century learning environments,” said
Michael Stevenson, Cisco vice
president of global education.
“Cisco strongly believes that
our education systems are in need
of holistic transformation in order
to arm students with the skills required in today’s global environment. The School of One’s innovative approach and use of collaborative technologies, coupled
with improved educator development and curricular and assessment reform, is a roadmap for
change that is working.”
“The world has changed dramatically over the past century, and using technology to expand learning
opportunities for students is both
necessary and promising,” said Joel
Rose, the founder of the School of
One. “Our hope is to provide teachers with a powerful tool that enables
them to meet the needs of each student and allows them more time to
focus on the quality of instruction.”
“The potential for School of One
is enormous,” said M.S. 131 Principal Phyllis Tam. “My teachers are always looking for better ways to personalize their instruction, especially
given all of the student data we now
have available. School of One not
only makes that possible, but it allows teachers to spend more time focusing what they do best – creating
and delivering great lessons for kids.
School of One has challenged my
thinking on how technology can enhance the role of teachers by extending learning beyond the four walls
of a traditional classroom.”
The School of One is supported
by a generous grant from Cisco to
The Fund for Public Schools, as
well as by a prominent network of
partners, including Wireless Generation, the Parthenon Group, and
many others. The expansion of the
program will be contingent upon
funding considerations, but the
School of One model is expected to
be implemented in selected schools
for the 2009-10 school year.
Paul Quinn gets support amidst accreditation loss
By. Gordon Jackson
side the school’s administration
Special to the NNPA from the building. “We’ve turned the corDallas Weekly
ner and we are going to become
one of this nation’s great small
DALLAS (NNPA) - Paul colleges.
Quinn College received a criti“We are going to be fine. We
cal shot in the arm last week to- will be here in the fall.”
ward its chances of regaining its
“We recognize the importance
accreditation status and the of Paul Quinn University, not just
overall future of the 137-year-old for the city of Dallas and just for
institution.
African Americans students, but
The oldest historically Black because of the value as an insticollege west of the Mississippi tution for the entire state of
River received strong support Texas,” said state representative
from the Texas Black Legislative Sylvester Turner (D-Houston),
Caucus, which brought in an chair of the TLBC, a coalition of
army of state elected officials Texas’ 14 African American state
and commissioners to initiate an representatives and the two Afattack strategy in response to rican American state senators.
State Representative Helen
their accreditation removal by
the Southern Association of Giddings, whose district Paul
Colleges and Schools (SACS). Quinn is located and who spearStrategies will include raising headed the union between the
$1.5 million by the end of Au- college and the legislators, said:
gust and expediting other certi- “I am optimistic about the future
fication alternatives if Paul of this institution. Let there be
Quinn does not win its appeal no mistake: Paul Quinn is bigger
than this district, this city and
in late August.
“As you can see Paul Quinn state. We have had difficult
has some great friends. We’re times, but we have turned the
incredibly humbled and flattered corner.”
In a series of July 13 meetings,
to have such wonderful support,” Michael Sorrell, Paul the Caucus flew in Texas Higher
Quinn College president, said at Education Coordinating Board
a July 13 press conference in- Commissioner Raymund Paredes,
who worked with State Representative Dan Branch (R-Dallas)
and State Senator Judith
Zaffarini (D-Laredo), both chair
of their respective Higher Education Committees. The $1.5 million fundraising campaign was
spurred by the Black legislators
while the commissioners looked
at taking advantage of other certification sources.
The group also started exploring to tap into stimulus dollars
that would help renovate or even
tear down and replace deteriorated buildings on the campus.
“We’re looking to expedite the
process of looking at a certificate of authority that will allow
Paul Quinn to offer degrees to
its students,” Turner said.
“We’ll do all we can to ensure
that Paul Quinn continues on
this path that President Sorrell
and his administration have
turned the corner and are moving in the right direction,”
Branch said. “This seems like
absolutely the wrong time to try
and shut down Paul Quinn. We
have this ship headed in the
right direction and it has such a
great history.”
Paul Quinn has seen enormous
gains over the past two years,
soon after Sorrell took the helm.
But the school was already
placed on probation by SACS
during that period. In spite
eliminating their non-compliance violations from 23 to 0 over
the past year, while increasing
donations 90 percent over the
past two years and skyrocketing their applications for admissions from 273 to 1,283 in a year
(a 600 percent increase), SACS
ruled two weeks ago that the
school still had critical issues
in financial resources, financial
stability and institutional effectiveness and had not done
enough to pull themselves out
of probation.
SACS President Dr. Belle
Wheelan said the commission
overseeing Paul Quinn recognized the improvements, but
just “ran out of time.”
“We do not accept SACS’s
opinion that we ran out of time,”
said Sorrell, who immediately
decided to appeal the decision.
“Our time has not yet ended, it’s
not over, there is still time left
on this clock. Beyond the appeal, we are more optimistic
about the friends and commitments that we heard this morning.
The law firm of Bickel and Brewer
has been hired to lead Paul Quinn
through the appeal process.
“We believe the facts fully support our belief that the
Commission’s claim, relative to Paul
Quinn’s accreditations, was arbitrary and capricious,” said partner
William A. Brewer III. “It is hard to
imagine this famed institution not
being a part of our community, or
the appellate process not upholding Paul Quinn’s appeal.”
A $50,000 donation was already
made by a donor who wished to remain anonymous at this time,
Giddings announced at the press
conference. TLBC will contact all
1,200 students who registered for
the next school year to ensure them
that Paul Quinn will not close.
“I think SACS will see that this
community and communities beyond Dallas geographically are committed to higher ed and to this university,” Turner said. “We will do
everything we can to join with Paul
Quinn to get that accreditation decision reversed and getting it back
on track. I think its future is even
brighter.”
State representative Al Edwards
(D-Houston) expressed the importance of saving Paul Quinn as a
HBCU.
17
School of One pilot program aims to
transform student classroom experience
18
AUDREY'S
SOCIETY
WHIRL
NAACP presents Chairman’s Centennial
Award to Moët Hennessy USA
By Audrey J. Bernard
Lifestyles/Society Editor
One could not help but notice
a sea of beautiful black people
walking along Avenue of the
Americas from July 10 to July 16.
They came from all parts of the
country to attend the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP) centennial celebration that took place
at the New York Hilton Hotel &
Towers.
During the historic civil rights
organization’s milestone celebration, on Tuesday, July 14, 2009,
the NAACP presented the
Chairman’s Centennial Award to
Moët Hennessy USA at a very
private dinner for NAACP board
of directors, officers, leadership
council members and trustees of
the special contributions fund
along with top executives from
Moët Hennessy USA. Guests
were entertained by The Sherry
Winston Band and veteran performer Thelma Houston who performed her classic “Don’t Leave
Me This Way” song.
The Chairman’s Centennial
Award is the NAACP’s highest
honor and no one is more deserving than Moët Hennessy USA.
The premium lifestyles company
was one of the first corporate supporters when the NAACP was
founded 100 years ago.
“Moet Hennessy USA is a
company that stood with us
when many would not, and continues to stand with us today,”
said NAACP chairman Julian
Bond as he presented Mark
Cornell, president of Moët
Hennessy USA, with the
Chairman’s Centennial Award,
an original print titled, ‘Keisha
M’ by famed sculptor and
painter Elizabeth Catlett-Mora.
“Because of the battles fought
by the NAACP, we’ve increased
our sense of self-worth and respect,” responded Cornell.
Formerly Schieffelin & Co.,
Moët Hennessy USA is perhaps
the only company that can date
its support of African American
causes to 1896. In that year, William Jay Schieffelin, the seventh
generation founder of the company, joined the board of what
was then Tuskegee Institute and
helped attract support from
wealthy northern industrialists,
which helped transform Tuskegee
into the world class university it
is today.
“William Jay Schieffelin was a
man of principle who stood up for
what he believed was right. He
fought the injustices of racial discrimination and was strong
and brave enough to do so at a
time when it was highly unpopular,” stated Cornell.
“As a member and activist of
the NAACP since 1909, he set an
example for each of us to follow.
NAACP Chairman Julian Bond presented Moet Chandon USA’s president, Mark NAACP president Benjamin
Cornell, with the Chairman’s Centennial Award, an original print titled, ‘Keisha M’ by Jealous with NAACP chairfamed sculptor and painter Elizabeth Catlett-Mora
man Julian Bond
Legendary singer Thelma
Hazel Dukes, Dr. Marcella Tuskegee Airmen Roscoe Brown and Lee Archer with Houston poses with budding
Maxwell
NAACP president Benjamin Jealous
singer Cheyenne Wright
Tina Wynn, Audrey J. Bernard, Thelma Houston, Sherry Julian Bond, Herb Douglas, Benjamin Jealous, Lea
Winston
Epperson Jealous, Mark Cornell, Noel Hankin
His incredible commitment to human rights and strong belief in education remains deeply rooted in our
company to this day,” expressed
Cornell.
“Moët Hennessy USA has continued his legacy by supporting a
number of educational institutions
including the Thurgood Marshall
College Fund, Jackie Robinson
Foundation, Medgar Evers College, York College and the Urban
League, to name a few,” stated
Cornell. “We are pleased to join in
the celebration of the NAACP’s
100th anniversary and honored to
receive their Chairman’s Centennial
Award.”
At the end of his moving remarks,
Cornell introduced his special
guest, Alan Newton, who was imprisoned for twenty-two years for
a vicious rape he did not commit.
DNA testing proved his innocence
and he was released as a free man.
The story caused a media frenzy
and Cornell was one of millions
who watched the story with interest.
“Our president (Cornell) saw
Alan on TV and was impressed
that he was not bitter and angry, but instead he was focused
on getting his life back on the
right track and completing his
college education,” stated Noel
Hankin, senior vice president,
multicultural relations, Moët
Hennessy USA. Mark called me
on a Saturday afternoon and
suggested we reach out to him.
I did and discovered that Newton was well spoken and extraordinarily civil for a man who
had gone through so much.”
Newton was then invited by
Moët Hennessy USA to the
NAACP convention in DC the
very next week and he agreed.
“There, we introduced him to the
NAACP leadership, had him speak
at a dinner and they made him a
life member on the spot,” stated
Hankin.
“We also arranged to give him a
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
scholarship and he was admitted
to Medgar Evers College. He already had two years of college
courses and graduated with over
a 3.0 GPA two years later,” added a
proud Hankin.
Newton is now looking forward
to attending law school. In the interim, Moët Hennessy USA continues to keep in touch with him
and invite him to various community events. “Society wronged
Alan and society owes him a debt.
Since we are all part of society, we
all owe Alan Newton,” concluded
Hankin.
The NAACP is the nation’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil
rights organization. Its victorious
legal battles and heroic protest methods that forcibly changed the abhorrent everyday practices and policies of racism in America are legendary and inspiring.
Moët Hennessy is the leading
luxury wine and spirits company in
the world and producer of some of
the world’s finest premium wines
and spirits. The Moët Hennessy
portfolio of internationally renowned brands includes: Hennessy
Cognac; Moët & Chandon, Dom
Pérignon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot and
Ruinart champagnes.
Also Belvedere and Chopin vodkas; 10 Cane Rum; Wen Jun;
Glenmorangie and Ardbeg single
malt Scotch whiskies; Cheval des
Andes, Green Point, Terrazas de Los
Andes, Cape Mentelle, Cloudy Bay,
Newton Vineyard and Domaine
Chandon California sparkling and
still wines.
(Photos: Ronnie Wright)
AARP’s first Black CEO aims to take organization to new level
AARP EXEC — Dr. H. Barry Rand, pictured here with
President Barack Obama, aims to lead AARP to a new
level in the Black community and the national stage.
“It doesn’t matter what you
called it; we were opening doors
to the American dream,” reflects Rand, who also serves as
volunteer chairman of the
Howard University Board of
Trustees. “What you were doing professionally was only
half of your brain. The other
half of your brain is to what do
I do to change America, and
your heart was 100 percent what
do I do to change America.’’
The tall, mild-mannered CEO
smiles reflectively, sitting in his
spacious
office
above
Washington’s populous downtown area. He has a direct view
to the U.S. Capitol, where
AARP fiercely lobbies.
Headquartered in D.C., AARP
is powerful not only because of
the sheer number of members
that it has, but also because –
at 51 years old – it represents a
demographic that is one of the
most active and sought after
voting blocs in politics.
If AARP achieves its mission,
then it will have helped achieve
the American dream for millions
of Americans, Rand says.
“We happen to be in a business that if we get put out of
business then America would be
a better place,’’ he smiles. “Our
real challenge is demographics.
If you flash forward, 40 percent
of the population will be people
of color. And so, we have to
make sure that we are relevant
and supportive. We must continue to make sure that we listen and represent the new de-
mographics.’’
This is a precarious moment for
Rand, AARP and its agenda. Financial security and health care
– two issues that have always
been central to AARP’s existence
– are now priorities for the President of the United States.
“Affordability and access,’’
says Rand as he describes what
he believes any viable health care
bill must have if it is to be passed
through Congress. “Without
those you cannot have the
American dream.’’
With the new health care bill
just introduced on Capitol Hill
last week, health care reform now
dominates the conversation on
Capitol Hill. This makes it a captious time for the senior lobbying group; older Americans are
facing runaway health care and
living costs compounded by
evaporated retirement savings.
With many unable to retire or get
work, 50+ America is being hit especially hard by the recession.
According to AARP, a quarter
of the one million Americans that
filed for bankruptcy last year were
aged 55 and older.
With the economy still plodding
along and a new health care bill
now on the table, AARP believes
that the final result should be
some combination of public and
private coverage instead of a
solely government option.
AARP has a powerful advocacy
engine at the state level. It has
over nine million volunteers and
activists across the country and
regional offices in all 50 states.
“We have some opportunity to
push forward,” Rand says. “As
an example, most of the states
control most of the long-term
health care legislation, as opposed to the federal [government]. We can give more support
(Continued on age 35)
14 ex-offenders become certified paralegals
By. Eric Mayes
room with applause.
Special to the NNPA from the
For $3,000, the program, which
Philadelphia Tribune
is run in partnership with the
Mayor’s Office for Re-entry, proPHILADELPHIA (NNPA) - vided participants with nine
Their debt to society paid, 14 months of high intensity schoolnewly certified paralegals, all ing from 6 to 9 p.m. two days a
ex-offenders, received their di- week and all day Saturday cramplomas at a ceremony at City ming what at some schools is a
Hall last week.
two-year program into less than
The class of 2009, graduates year. The curriculum included
from the Center for Community courses in business writing, caEducation at Eastern Univer- reer readiness, legal terminology,
sity, was the first class in a pro- law office management and Spangram designed to help ex-of- ish for the workplace.
fenders find jobs.
It did more than that for graduThe moment was a proud one ate Kimberly Truitt. It gave her
for the students, who set the hope.
standard for those who will fol- “This program is designed to give
low him in their footsteps.
us second chances and start
“At the beginning of this over,” she said. “It gives individujourney, I was told by individuals who have made a mistake the
als that I would never become opportunity to get an education
a paralegal, but I stand here as and develop the skills that are
a paralegal,” said Keith Ellis, necessary for a rewarding career.”
one of the event’s featured
The program’s founder and dispeakers, who said that he was rector, Judge Jimmie Moore, said
setting his sites even higher. it is vital to make sure people leav“For all the people who didn’t ing prison — who have paid their
believe in me, I need your sup- dues — get help when they need
port and vote now because I it most.
have my eye on the presi“We can assist these individudency.”
als to be taxpayers or we can
The audience of about 100 leave them in isolation and let
people showed their support, them be taxpayers,” he said. “Nine
filling the mayor’s reception months ago these individuals en-
14 Ex-offenders were applauded for their achievement of becoming certified paralegals.
tered this program, they are not
taxpayers. They will be very productive people.”
He also urged the community
to see the graduates of the program the way he does.
“When I look at these graduates, I don’t see re-entry,”
Moore said. “Because these individuals never left our community. Do we really believe they
were cut off from their families?
Do we really believe they had
no communications? They
never left our community. And I
don’t see ex-offenders because
who among us has not violated
a moral and or social law. What I
see is individuals who have been
sent to designated time out units
— when you misbehave, you get
sent to time-out, that’s what I
see.”
The graduates were: Bernadette
Brandie, Faith C. Burrell, Ellen B.
Crawford, Keith D. Ellis, Yvette K.
Kamimura, Tammy J. Keitt, April
L. Kelly, Mercedes A. Powers,
Ronald E. Rivers, Phaedra
Saunders, Irma C. Smith, Robert M.
Smith, Kimberly Truitt, Tameka M.
Upshaw.
The group also got what appeared to be a surprise visit from
district attorney candidate Seth
Williams, who’s name did not appear on the program.
He offered words of encouragement.
“When others said you couldn’t
do it — you did,” he said. “I’m
proud that none of you gave up.”
By. Pharoh Martin
can-Americans to lead any ForNNPA National Correspon- tune 500 company – Avis – this
dent
son of the Civil Rights era
worked for Xerox for 30 years.
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - There he rose through the corSince taking over in April as porate ranks and spearheaded
CEO of AARP, the nation’s top Xerox’s corporate diversity initiaadvocacy group for people tives.
over 50, A. Barry Rand has been
In fact, Rand’s professional caasked the same question by re- reer began at 24 as Xerox’s only
porters, as well as others.
Black sales representative in
They want to know if a quint- Washington, D.C., and nationally
essential “grey suit” who has one of its top salesmen. After risbeen long-known as a corpo- ing through the echelons to vice
rate America change agent and president for worldwide operathe prolific leader of a Fortune tions, Rand helped Xerox to level
500 company can successfully the playing field for minorities
transition into somebody who and women and won numerous
can lead an advocacy group awards as he helped it become
with nearly 40 million members. one of the most diverse compaIt even became a discussion nies in the nation. But – to the
point with AARP’s executive advantage of AARP – his roots
board when they met with Rand always remained intact.
during their search process.
“When I initially grew up in
“Quite frankly, I didn’t un- Washington, D.C., it was a segderstand the question when it regated city. So up until the fifth
was first asked,’’ Rand mar- grade my color determined where
veled during an interview in his I lived and where I went to
office at the AARP national school,’’ he says about the upheadquarters in northwest bringing that shaped the prinWashington, D.C. “I never ciples that guide his life and ultithought what professional mately led him to this new posipath you took would determine tion.
in your heart what you felt so“We were all about community
ciety should be. I am a child of building. My grandfather was a
the Sixties. And in the Sixties Methodist minister. My parents
you had to be about social were all about two things –
change.’’
achievement and social change.
Unlike his predecessor, Bill That is what you were supposed
Novelli, who served in non- to do. And the theory was that you
profit leadership positions, had a better opportunity to drive
such as president of the Cam- social change if you were also
paign for Tobacco-Free Kids achieving, because people would
and as senior executive at the listen to you. So I was always inrelief organization CARE before volved in issues of that time.’’
becoming AARP’s CEO in 2001,
Those issues included civil
Rand hasn’t worked in the non- rights, rights for the aging,
profit sector.
women’s rights, and rights for the
Rather, before making history poor. They are issues that were
as the first Black CEO of AARP, intrinsic to the diversity prothe nation’s largest member- grams Rand set up at Xerox and
ship organization, and before are issues for which he now adbecoming one of the first Afri- vocates at AARP.
19
20
On The Scene
At Grand Central Terminal
Mrs. Graca Machel Mandela hosts
‘Mandela Day’ gala dinner in NYC
Mrs. Graca Machel Mandela
Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Russell Simmons
Gloria Gaynor
Alfre Woodard
(Photos: David Shellman)
Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s wife
Graca Machel Mandela and
former United States President
William Clinton, along with
46664 and the Nelson Mandela
Foundation hosted a gala dinner in celebration of Mandela’s
91 birthday, at New York City’s
landmark Grand Central Terminal,
following a star-studded performance headlined by Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Gloria Gaynor,
Wyclef Jean, Aretha Franklin and
scores more at Radio City Music
Hall.
The event celebrated Nelson
Mandela’s life and legacy and a
global call to action for people to
recognize their individual power
to make an imprint and help
change the world around them for
the better.
The fundraising dinner fea-
tured a number of auction item
including a Richard Stone portrait, a message handwritten by
Mandela, an impression of his
handprint in sandstone and
much more.
The gala was part of a series
of events including an installa-
tion inspired by Mandela also at
Vanderbilt Hall and week-long volunteer activities around New York
City encouraging people to embrace Nelson Mandela’s values as
they seek to improve their lives
through service of their communities.
At Gracie Mansion
Enjoying HARLEM WEEK Kick-Off reception
New York Beacon Publishers Walter and Miatta Smith (3rd and 2nd from left) with family members Mitchel Pinson (grandson), J.T. Harney (Diane’s
husband), Diane (daughter), Theresa (daughter) and Jai Wallace (son-in-law/Theresa’s husband), were among the hundreds of invited guests, who
attended HARLEM WEEK’S 35th Anniversary Kick-Off Reception held at Gracie Mansion, on Thursday, July 16th 2009 (SEE story on page 27)
(Photo: Marc Rasbury)
21
22
Thompson slams mayor’s vaunted school high test scores
(From page 3)
ensure that their efforts are both
transparent and verifiable,” Thompson said, adding “We must
make every effort to ensure that
test scores accurately reflect
students’
educational
progress.”
Among the audit’s findings:
· The Department failed to keep
track of monitors who were required to be at schools and
complete mandatory checklists
to ensure test integrity. Often,
those monitors showed up late,
or didn’t show up at all.
· Monitors indicated they oversaw certain activities that they
could not possibly have been
able to monitor. Seventy one
percent of monitoring forms indicated “yes” to questions that
were impossible for monitors to
answer.
· The Department stopped performing data trend or erasure
analysis to identify possible
cheating or testing irregularities
in 2002.
· Portions of tests remain at
schools for many days, increasing the risk of being inappropriately manipulated.
The DOE provides primary and
secondary education to more
than 1 million pre-kindergarten
to grade 12 students in more
than 1,400 schools. The Department seeks to teach students to
meet grade-level standards in
reading, writing, and math, and
then tests students to determine
how well they are meeting these
mandated learning standards.
Students in grades 3 through
8 take both the State standardized ELA and Math tests. The
ELA is a timed test containing
multiple-choice questions and
performance items, and it is
given over a three-day period in
grade 4 and two-day period in
grades 3 and 5. The Math test
consists of two or three test sections depending on grade level;
the first section of the test is
given on Day One, and the second and third on Days Two and
Three.
Auditors found that the Department does not keep track of
monitors assigned to visit
schools or their submission of
mandatory
checklists.
Thompson’s office did not receive
monitoring checklists for nearly
half (48%) of the monitors’ scheduled visits it requested for the
audit. The DOE could not determine whether monitors were
present at schools for which there
were no checklists or whether
monitors visited schools but
checklists were somehow missing.
“My office raised a number of
questions about inconclusive
records of monitor visits, checklists, and reporting of testing irregularities, and the Department
offered excuses equivalent to
‘the dog ate my homework,’ even
including explanations that monitors have other duties and often
have to cancel because of other
responsibilities,” Thompson
said.
Additionally, monitors did not
always ensure that test administration procedures were followed. Monitors are required to
arrive at assigned schools by
7:30 AM to ensure that test booklets are still in shrink-wrapped
packaging and secured in a
locked place.
However, auditors found that
32% of monitors arrived at the
schools after that time; 16% arrived at or after 8:00 AM; and, one
arrived as late as 10:20 AM.
Furthermore, the Department’s
checklists ask specific questions
that require monitors to observe
classrooms while tests are in
progress. Auditors noted that
some monitors did not observe
classrooms while tests were in
progress – so it would have been
impossible for them to legitimately complete checklists reflecting that they did.
“The presence of monitors can
be an effective tool used to minimize the potential for improper
conduct,” Thompson said.
“Since monitors are an important
part of the DOE’s efforts to identify testing irregularities, it is vital that it track monitoring activities and carefully review the submitted checklists.”
Auditors further found that the
DOE stopped performing data
trend or erasure analysis to identify possible cheating or testing
irregularities. Data trend analysis, although not required by the
New York State Education De-
Chancellor Joel Klein
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
partment (NYSED), would allow
the DOE to strengthen internal
controls in the areas where
weaknesses are identified and
help the DOE in targeting the
schools that should be monitored, rather than relying on its
current practice of randomly selecting schools.
The DOE officials said erasure
analysis is used when appropriate during the course of specific
investigations of testing irregularities. However, since the Department couldn’t provide any
supporting evidence, auditors
couldn’t ascertain the extent to
which erasure analysis is currently being used.
“The DOE has created an environment that encourages
cheating and allows the Mayor
to claim unverifiable successes. The incentive to manipulate test scores, and the
risk that this may occur, has increased in recent years, particularly as the Mayor continues to
emphasize the DOE’s supposed
success,” Thompson said. “In
such an environment, tools
such as erasure analysis are
needed to help the DOE more
effectively identify possible
testing irregularities.”
Thompson’s audit further
noted that the Day Two and Day
Three portions of the ELA and
Math exams remain at schools
for a number of days, increasing the risk of manipulation. After completion of the Day One
sections, schools are required to
deliver the student-answer
documents to the Integrated
Service Center (ISC) in the
school’s borough by 3:p.m..
However, the Day Two and Day
Three sections are maintained at
the individual schools until the
completion of make-up exams –
up to six or seven days from the
initial administration of the
exam.
Because the tests are maintained at the schools for many
days, there is an opportunity for
answers to be reviewed and
changed from incorrect to correct answers, Thompson said,
adding that school officials can
review the tests and return them
to students who did poorly so
that answers can be revised.
During the course of the aud i t , T h o m p s o n ’s o ff i c e a t tempted, but was unable, to
track the late delivery of answer documents to the ISCs, as
well as the number of make-up
exams taken by schools over
the last few years. The Department maintains this information
for only one year from the exam
date.
Thompson’s office also discovered that the Department
doesn’t have a formalized process in place to ensure substantiated allegations of cheating are
shared with the Office of Accountability (OA), which is primarily responsible for ensuring
that test administration is in com-
Philadelphia
New
York Observer
pliance with City and State guidelines.
Thompson’s review of 13 allegations substantiated by the Office
of Special Investigations (OSI)
from 2006 – 2008 revealed that nine
- or 69% - were instances of improper proctoring in the classroom
by school officials. In addition,
there were instances where the
tests were easily accessible because they were left in an unsecured location.
“Since improper proctoring was
identified as a significant issue
during the course of these investigations, the OA needs to develop
controls to address it,” Thompson
said.
Overall, the audit found that the
DOE has adequate controls with
respect to ensuring that schools
are familiar with established procedures when administering State
standardized tests at elementary
schools. Additionally, schools visited by auditors generally complied with New York State testing
guidelines.
As a result of the audit Thompson made 14 recommendations,
including that the DOE should:
· Accurately track the assignment
of testing monitors.
· Coordinate with the NYSED to
obtain test answer keys promptly
following the administration of
each test thereby enabling the
DOE to perform a timely erasure
analysis. However, the DOE
should perform erasure analysis to
identify possible improprieties regardless of when it receives the
answer key.
· Compile, maintain, and track data
on the number of make-up exams
that are taken for the Day Two and
Day Three ELA and Math exams.
· Identify indicators to detect unusual patters that may indicate test
tampering or irregularities and collect sufficient data to adequately
track those indicators. Based on
the information collected, the DOE
should target those schools with
unusual patterns for further follow-up.
Ensure that the OSI formalizes a
process ensuring that all instances of substantiated cheating
are shared with the OA, so that
the OA can strengthen existing
controls or develop new ones in
an effort to prevent the occurrence
of cheating.
Showingthe
theWay
Way to Truth
and
Justice
Showing
Truth
and
Justice
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Fashion, Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .& Stuff
By Audrey Adams
Sun sense
Audrey Adams
Ah, the weather is beautiful
and the sun feels so good on
your skin. This week I want to
talk a bit about protecting the
one major organ that protects
all the other organs in your
body . . . your skin! Needless
to say your skin’s got ya’ covered! But do you have it covered as well? If not then you
may be putting your health at
risk each and every day.
There has been a great deal
of talk over the years about the
increased risk of skin cancer
and the affect that over-exposure to the sun has on the appearance and texture of the
skin. Yet, for some reason there
are people who still sunbathe
or are “just out in it” without
protection. Why risk it?
Your skin is the one organ
that is constantly exposed to the
elements—rain, wind, cold and of
course, the sun’s rays. It is up to
you to look out for your skin’s
best interests by protecting it
from things that might harm it and
ultimately . . . your health.
A few things to remember:
Skin is skin regardless of complexion. The consequences of
over-exposure are the same, the
increased risk of certain types of
skin cancers, sunburn, wrinkles,
freckles etc . . . whether you are
lying out by the pool or going
about your daily activities.
The key to using any kind of
sunscreen product is to use it
properly and apply it to all areas
exposed to the sun, and to reapply sunscreen throughout the day.
There is no such thing as a
“safe tan.” The only guarantee
of 100% protection is to stay indoors in a darkened room.
If you prefer a tanning salon,
don’t be lulled into a false sense
of security. Tanning salons use
UVA rays, which penetrate
deeper than UVB rays. According to dermatologists, prolonged
and long-term exposure to UVA
rays may result in an increased
risk of developing skin cancer,
sun spots, premature wrinkling as
well as developing leathery skin.
Other possibilities include the
risk of photosensitizing, which
occurs if you take any one of
more than 200 prescribed or
over-the-counter medications,
which include diuretics, antibiotics and some pain killers.
Why risk a sun burn or worse
when you can protect your
skin? It’s so much easier to take
advantage of some of the preventive and sensible options
available to help you maintain
youthful looking skin for as
long as possible. Be good to the
skin you’re in! Think about it.
See you next week. Visit my
website, TheAdamsReport.com
and checkout my online radio
and TV show, Talk! with Audrey
for a series of interviews that
will inform, motivate and inspire
you.
Audrey Adams, former director of corporate public relations and fashion merchandising for ESSENCE continues to
motivate and inspire women
through her syndicated columns and motivational speaking engagements. E-mail your
fashion, beauty and lifestyle
questions or comments to her at
Audrey@THEADAMS
REPORT.com THE ADAMS
REPORT©
Back through the ‘Door of No Return’ –
A reflection on Obama’s trip to Africa
By. Richard B. Muhammad
Special to the NNPA from the Final Call
ACCRA, Ghana (NNPA) - The
Obama family took a historic visit
to an oceanside slave castle in
the Cape Coast region of Ghana,
where TV cameras captured the
family’s exploration of the place
where the ancestors of First Lady
Michelle Obama may have been
stolen from.
With a guide pointing out the
history and the sections of the
castle, with its dungeons, cannon
turrets and white-washed walls,
the Obamas were able to hear
about and pay homage to those
ripped from Africa and scattered
throughout the Diaspora.
“One of the most striking things
that I heard was that right above
the dungeons in which male captives were kept was a church, and
that reminds us that sometimes we
can tolerate and stand by great
evil even as we think that we are
doing good,” said President
Obama in brief remarks after the
July 11 tour.
President Obama told the media
the trip was especially important
for his daughters, Malia and
Sasha, to see and learn lessons
from history and heighten “their
sense of obligation to fight oppression and cruelty wherever it
appears. And any group of people
who are degrading another group
of people have to be fought with
whatever tools we have available
to us. Obviously it’s a moving experience, a moving moment,” said
the president.
“It has to teach all of us that we
(Real People, Real Advice)
Ask Deanna! Is an advice column
known for it’s fearless approach
to reality-based subjects.
Dear Deanna!
My husband of 12 years and 3 children dropped the bomb on me
that he had an affair and a pregnancy occurred. The woman didn’t
tell him about the baby until it was 4 years old. I didn’t want him to
have anything to do with the child. The child now calls asking for her
daddy but I think the mother is behind this. Our kids talk about
meeting their new sibling but I don’t want to consider it. What do I
do?
Keep it Real
Jacksonville, FL
Dear Real:
Your husband had a party without the balloons and now he’s caught.
The child is here and he has to pay child support, be a father figure
and maintain his marriage and family. You can’t punish the child and
need to prepare yourself and children for their new sibling. Although
you aren’t feeling it, you need to be on civil terms with the baby’s
scandalous mother because it’s your husband’s child. Seek forgiveness, embrace counseling and lead and live by a Godly mother example and you’ll get through this.
Dear Deanna!
I noticed that since high school my friend list has been reduced. I’m
now over 40 year with no friends. I’ve put a lot of strain on my
husband due to not having anyone but him. When he goes out with
the guys, he looks at me and knows how much I want a friend. He’ll
cancel his plans and we’ll do a girly thing like shop or see a movie.
Other than work and church how can I make new friends?
Friendless
Anonymous On-Line Reader
Dear Friendless:
Get out of the house, join the gym, go the library and do something
with yourself other than complain and stay under your husband. You
can make new friends by talking to people while in line at a restaurant,
talk to women at the hair salon or join a book club. You’ve outgrown
your friends which is common and now you can start a new circle of
friends who do some of the same things you enjoy. Stop being scared
and keep it moving.
Dear Deanna!
After being married for 10 years I love my wife but I think I’m in love
with someone else. I’m ready to file for divorce because I want to be
with the other woman. My wife and I don’t have any children and I
would be willing to split our assets in order to be happy. How do I
make sure the love is gone with my wife?
David
Memphis , TN
Dear David:
Check on your love through prayer to seek forgiveness for your
adultery and violation of wedding vows. You’re confused and sound
selfish because things may not be going your way in the marriage.
The other woman has no place in this decision and you need to make
her disappear. Seek professional marriage counseling so your wife’s
story can be heard and a decision made together about your future.
The Obama family in Ghana
have to do all we can to fight against
the kinds of evils that sadly still
exist in our world, not only on this
continent, but in every corner of
the globe.
African-Americans obviously
there is a special sense on the one
hand this place was a place of profound sadness, on the other hand,
it was here where the journey of
much of the African- American experience began,” he said.
To see the portal where the
Diaspora began, visit with the
people of Ghana and celebrate
progress as Blacks and Whites
fought to end slavery, and win civil
rights for all people “reminds us as
bad as history can be, it is also
possible to overcome,” said Mr.
Obama. He also thanked the people
of Ghana for preserving the slave
castles and organizers of his trip
for the invitation to visit. The president unveiled a plaque to mark his
sojourn.
The first couple received traditional African names, were pre-
sented with honorary doctorate
degrees from the University of
Cape Coast, and President
Obama was offered land to develop.
The street in front of the castle
was renamed in his honor. A traditional leader “bestowed on the fi
rst couple of the U.S.A. the titles,
Okukurdofo Kofi Obiekwan and
Obatan Efua Nyamekye,” the
Daily Graphic reported July 13.
“Cape Coast castle dungeon is
one of the great symbols of African enslavement and is a documentation for reparations,” said
Dr. Leonard Jeffries, a Black studies scholar at the City Colleges
of New York, who has been traveling back and forth and bringing people to Africa since the
1960s.
He is part owner of the Sanaa
Lodge not far from the Cape
Coast slave castle and came back
to witness President Obama’s
visit to “the slave dungeons
where our ancestral spirits are so
Ask Deanna is written by Deanna M. Write Ask Deanna!
Email: [email protected] or write:
Deanna M, 264 S. La Cienega, Suite 1283, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Website: www.askdeanna.com
powerful and so strong.”
He said, “Cape Coast was built
by the Swedes and taken over by
the British in the 1660s and became their base for enslaving on
the coast of Africa for several
hundred years, eight miles away
at Elmina Castle dungeon started
by the Portuguese in 1482. In the
1630s the Dutch and the English
allied to try to take the slave system away from the Catholic nations of Spain and Portugal.”
The Dutch took control of Elmina
in 1637, and these Protestant nations emerged as powers and used
their power to control the slave
system, Dr. Jeffries explained. The
captured Africans were taken
across the Atlantic Ocean, “the
greatest graveyard in the history
of the world,” and into the Western world.
“Most of the people who come
through don’t have time to visit
the slave dungeons. They may
make a ceremonial presentation at
the airport, or even in a square in
Accra, Black Star Square. Some may
go to Christianbourg Castle dungeon, which was the Danish headquarters, but it’s the state house.
But it is rare for someone to go out
of his way to accept the invitation
to go into the slave dungeons.
We have to, as African peoples,
understand what slavery was, how
it lasted from 1482. In Brazil it lasted
into the 1880s,” Jeffries said. Then
there is the post slavery impact of
colonialism and neo-colonialism,
which raped the continent, he said.
Reparations have to be discussed,
said the respected author and researcher.
“Certainly if we don’t get a dime we
have to know we are not debtors and
people owe us for hundreds of years
of exploitation and genocide really,”
Dr. Jeffries said. “If we only get internal reparations, how we manage our
world, how we manage our wealth,
how we manage our resources. If we
give ourselves internal reparations,
we’ll move a long way towards development of African people.”
THE ADAMS REPORT Ask Deanna!
23
24
YOU GO, GIRL!
Cheryl ‘Coko’ Clemons wants you
to connect with ‘The Winner In Me’
“I remember when I left SWV, I didn’t know where I fit
in and didn’t know how to move forward … but something pushed me forward. That was Jesus pushing me
forward … that was the ‘winner in me.’ ‘The Winner In
Me’ reminds us that we don’t walk alone and that Jesus
is there to push us forward and sometimes carry us when
we feel we can’t go on.” — Cheryl “Coko” Clemons
Edited by Audrey J. Bernard
Cheryl “Coko” Clemons returns with her sophomore gospel effort, The Winner In Me, out
on Light Records July 2009. The
seasoned veteran retains her signature vocals and her deeply
rooted anointing on the new
body of work that is chock full of
amazing music.
Clemons’ warm persona,
power-house vocals and experienced delivery make The Winner
In Me the album of the summer.
The first single, “Wait,” is a
sweeping and awesome anthem
about waiting on God’s faithfulness. Classically gospel, the uplifting single solidifies her position in the gospel world and is
brimming with emotion and inspiration.
The singer’s smooth style creates a pop-oriented sound that is
equal parts Gospel and R&B. Her
sophistication and subdued soulfulness shines through on the
stellar “Rescue Me” and on the
big ballad title track, “The Winner In Me.”
She shares her spotlight with
several of her friends who join
her on the project including fellow songstress Kelly Price, along
with whom she revives their R&B
roots with the groove-infused
“Oh Mary,” a song with an important message for young women
today.
Other highlights include the upbeat Israel Houghton duet “Joy
Of The Lord,” and the hip-hop
soul collaboration with Canton
Jones on the sensational “Made
a Way.”
From its Urban inspirational,
contemporary pop tracks and
worship ballads, The Winner In
Me, is decidedly Gospel. Its universal appeal is evidence of
Clemons’ ability to offer diversity
and range.
Clemons returns to the music
scene with a truly distinctive body
of work that reveals an intimate
portrait of her heart and her love
for God. The Winner In Me is the
second gospel album from
Clemons.
She made a smooth transition
from R&B to Gospel with the debut release “Grateful” in 2006.
That album gained Clemons her
first solo Grammy nomination, solidifying her position on the gospel music scene. This summer she
presents The Winner In Me as her
most cherished and personal recording.
The album is heart-felt and with
an added personal touch of a
shared experience resulting in a
special album that is both passionate and transparent. Clemons’
smooth style creates a pop-oriented sound that is equal parts
Gospel and R&B while emotionally drawing inspiration from the
struggles of her past and
present. The outcome is The
Winner In Me, a project that is
individualized yet universal all at
the same time.
The Winner In Me speaks to
those who may journey through
a dark and difficult time –
Clemons presents them with
hope and encouragement
through the music, which is replete with messages for the discouraged and depressed, for
people dealing with insecurities
and frustrations.
The title track, “The Winner In
Me,” embodies all that the album
hopes to accomplish.
A song tailor made for today’s
times, it is an encouragement anthem that all of us can relate. By
far it is her most personal and favorite songs.
The song written by her pastor, spoke exactly how she felt.
“I remember when I left SWV, I
didn’t know where I fit in and
didn’t know how to move forward … but something pushed
me forward. That was Jesus
pushing me forward … that was
the ‘winner in me.’” “The Winner In Me” reminds us that we
don’t walk alone and that Jesus
is there to push us forward and
sometimes carry us when we feel
we can’t go on.
The lead single off The Winner In Me is the sweeping orchestral ballad “Wait.” Written
by friend David Caton, this song
establishes Clemons’ position as
a true gospel vocalist. “I wanted
something just for the Church
and this was the perfect song.
Some times we act on our own
timetable or question God … I
wanted to encourage people to
Wait on the Lord … we can’t rush
God” she said.
Her sophistication and subdued soulfulness shines through
on “Rescue Me,” and her clear
and bright soprano vocals are
wonderfully presented on a song
that ministered to her as she was
even recording it.
“I remembered a time when I
was depressed,” explained
Clemons. “There wasn’t anyone
around … “no one” I felt “I”
could turn to … and all I could
say was Lord, rescue me and He
was there.”
Family and friends join
Clemons on The Winner In Me
with exciting collaborations. As
always the proud daughter invited her mom, Lady Tibba, a
singer / songwriter in her own
right. Mother and daughter come
together on ”Renew My Mind,”
a song that was written by Lady
Tibba.
“My mom was a praise and
worship leader when I was
younger and we used to do this
particular song all the time in
church,” admits Clemons. “I
think she really touches a chord
and speaks to people’s hearts
with this song … we all need to
renew our minds and present ourselves with a clean heart.”
Another highlight is the hardhitting “Make A Way,” featuring
breakthrough star Canton Jones
and rivals any urban club hit on
radio today. Here, she had the
chance to team up with her husband, producer and drummer,
Mike Clemons on this track.
“Mike is a great producer and
it was cool to work with my husband in the studio; at first it was
hard to separate the husband and
wife thing … he’s very bossy,”
Clemons said laughingly, although the chemistry is evident.
Long-time friend Kelly Price
lent her talents on the riveting
and ultra-relevant, “Oh Mary.”
The sisters-in-Christ come together to sing empowerment,
strength and self-esteem into the
lives of today’s young women.
“So many young women and
teens suffer from confusion, selfdoubt and insecurity issues,”
said Clemons. “We wanted to
reach out to them with this song
… it speaks about peer pressure,
depression. We say they are
beautiful, tell them there’s a better day ahead and no matter what
they are a child of God.”
“This Is Me” is an honest and
open song where she speaks her
mind. “I was very transparent on
this song,” confesses Clemons.
“I remember the times when I was
on top, people were calling a lot
and wanted to be around me …
but when I wasn’t the phone
wasn’t ringing so often,” she
said. “It is my real story and it
really echoes the theme of selfesteem that is throughout the album.”
The Winner In Me offers a
great balance of straight up and
down gospel with contemporary
mainstream-friendly songs.
Clemons proves she can still
make hits with an intrinsic R&B
swagger she carries while maintaining a very real Gospel message in all she does.
Both “Let Me Go” and “Maybe
The Last Time,” are bona-fide
hits for Gospel radio and beyond.
It is music for Clemons’ audiences
old and new with head-nodding
tracks and her amazing vocals.
While on the more traditional end
of the pool she gives us “Just Like
You,” a melodious rendition of
“Create In Me A Clean Heart,”
and the big choir Sunday-morning ready “Surrender.”
Most recognize Cheryl “Coko”
Clemons as the elegant statuesque beauty of the R&B group
Sisters With Voices, better known
as SWV. As she takes the gospel
music industry by storm, the
world will be anointed by the
smooth velvety vocals of this
powerful songstress.
Though widely known for her
accomplishments in the R&B
world, Clemons has always main-
tained a connection to the church.
“I’ve always been active in my
church despite my profession in
R&B music. Many R&B singers
say, ‘I was reared in the church,’
but they’re no longer active.
Church was more than a breeding
ground for me to sing, it’s where I
nurture my soul.” She proclaims,
“It’s a lifestyle for me.”
Clemons’ debut gospel album
“Grateful,” mixes gospel with an
upbeat R&B flavor. Through her
music, she anticipates drawing fans
and listeners closer to God. “I just
want to inspire people to live a better life and get to know the Jesus
that I sing about,” says Clemons.
Born and raised in the Bronx,
New York, she recalls always being
very active in her church community. As a child, she performed with
the church choir and assisted the
church’s nurse unit. A former member of The Lord’s Church in the
Bronx, she recorded the song
“Some How, Some Way” on a live
recording for The Lord’s Church
Cathedral Choir’s “We Are Healed”
release.
She also recorded the breakout
gospel song “Midnight” on EMI
Gospel group Brent Jones & T.P.
Mobb’s 2002 release “Beautiful.”
Additionally, she is featured on
“Up There,” a track by Evidence
Gospel/Light Records artist Youthful Praise.
Raised by her mother Clyde
“Lady Tibba” Gamble, Clemons’
singing career began at the tender
age of 12, when she performed as a
member of the New York Community Choir. She later joined
Hezekiah Walker’s Love Fellowship
Crusade Choir.
While singing with Walker’s
award-winning choir, Clemons
teamed up with two childhood
friends – Leanne “Lelee” Lyons and
Tamara “Taj” Johnson – to form the
sensational R&B group SWV.
Once the group landed a deal
with RCA records, their music career took off. Among the group’s
many mega-hits are “I’m So Into
You,” “You’re The One,” “Right
Here,” “Weak,” and “Rain” – just
to name a few.
With their New Jill Swing style,
SWV conquered the urban music
scene with many chart topping hits.
During their reign in the 1990’s, the
platinum selling group recorded
five albums: It’s About Time (1992);
Remixes (1994); New Beginning
(1996); and Release Some Tension”
(1997) and A Special Christmas
(1997).
After SWV disbanded, Clemons
recorded her solo debut Hot Coko,
which featured the notable single
“Sunshine” that was later featured
on the compilation Street Vibes,
Vol. 4. The song’s dance remix appeared on the ever popular 2000
import compilation “Ayia Napa.”
Clemons, who states that she was
most inspired by Tremaine Hawkins,
recorded a remake of the gospel
legend’s “Holy One.” Initially, she
hoped to use the remake as her introduction into the gospel genre.
CATWALKIN’ with Fashion & Beauty Editor Audrey J. Bernard
Christine Quinn
The beauteous Temple of
Dendur in The Sackler Wing of
The Metropolitan Museum Of
Art was the place to be on Monday, July 13, 2009, for a cultural
celebration in honor of the
NAACP Centennial anniversary. The classy reception was
hosted by New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn
and the Black, Latino and Asian
Caucus.
The dazzling Dendur was
packed to the rafters and
guests were having such a
lovely time that organizers
found it a difficult decision to
break into their fun for remarks
— but they did and Emily K.
Rafferty, president of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and
Cheryl Wills, anchor/reporter, NY
1 News, kept their warm remarks
“KISSED” – kept it short and
sweet.
During the brief program,
Speaker Quinn presented
NAACP chairman Julian Bond
with a proclamation “Celebrating
100 years of Bold Dreams, Big
Victories!” Then it was back to
hobnobbing for notables such as
Inez Dickens, Hazel Dukes, Albert
Vann, David Weprin, Robin
Verges, Melinda Katz and Sherry
Bronfman.
Also NAACP president Benjamin Jealous, Ruth Clark, George
Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Co., director of the Museum Thomas
Campbell, Tonya Lewis Lee,
former Mayor David N. Dinkins,
Donna Williams, chief audience
development officer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many,
many more.
Inez Dickens, Christine Quinn, David N. Dinkins
Robin Verges, Joe Barnes, Donna Williams
(Photo by Audrey J. Bernard)
Melinda Katz, Inez Dickens, G. Oliver Koppell, David Weprin, Hazel Dukes, Albert
Vann, Julian Bond, Christine Quinn, James Sanders
Thomas P. Campbell and Harriet Michel talking to Julian
Bond
Emily K. Rafferty, Benjamin Jealous, George Fertitta
Judge Tanya Kennedy, Donna Williams, Robin Verges, Deesha Hill
(Photos Credit: Ryan Wong)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
throws a party for NAACP
25
26
WHAT’S GOING ON
By Victoria Horsford
MEN IN THE NEWS
While the charges have been
dropped against the Dr. Henry
Louis Gates, 58, it will dominate
conversations this weekend all
over Black America. Everyone in
America knows about the July
16 arrest of Dr. Henry “Skip”
Louis Gates, at his Cambridge,
Massachusetts home. I have
read media accounts in the Boston Globe, the Harvard Crimson,
NYTimes, NY Post, Bloomberg
News, ebonyjet.com, and the
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, all of
which stated the same facts.
One of Dr. Gates white female
neighbors called the police to
report a presumed robbery in
progress. Presumed robbers
were Gates, returning from a
week-long business visit to
China, who learns that his
house’s door is jammed and the
Black driver who brought him
home from the airport.
Gates goes to back of his
house, turns off alarm, enters
then opens the jammed front
door. Gates is home when Cambridge police arrive; and he acknowledged home ownership
and that he was a Harvard Professor.
What happened next differs
depending upon who relates
the story, Dr. Gates the police.
Police tell Dr. Gates about presumed robbery call and ask for
identification. Dr. Gates provides identification and asks
policeman for his name and ID.
Police never answered Gates.
The disorderly conduct arrest was based on a white
officer’s perception of Gates’
impertinence, referencing racial
profiling and the officer’s mama.
Dr. Gates was taken from his
house handcuffed to the precinct and charges with disorderly conduct. Dr. Gates retained Harvard law professor/
scholar Charles Ogletree,
whose students included
Michelle and Barack Obama,
who was allegedly on Obama’s
US Attorney General short list.
Attorney Ogletree released a
written summary of the Gates’s
case for media consumption
earlier this week, stating that
his client wanted the disorderly
conduct charges dropped.
There was a deep sigh of relief on Tuesday, July 21 when
Massachusetts authorities
dropped the disorderly charges
against Professor Gates, who
ironically was returning from
China where he worked on a
documentary titled FACES OF
AMERICA.
He came home and lived a
chapter last Thursday. The
Gates arrest calls attention to
police culture, USA vis-à-vis
Black men. Didn’t NYT editorial page essayist Brent Staples
write a piece on 6/15/09 about
Driving While Black? If an accomplished Black scholar, who
heads Harvard’s W.E.B. DuBois
Institute for African and African-American Research, can be
arrested at his home, then what
sort of power does the Black
underclass have germane to
police culture and racial profiling.
No, America is not a post ra-
Dr. Henry Louis Gates
cial society as mainstream media
would like to believe. Dr. Gates
has confirmed that next documentary will focus on law enforcement and racial profiling.
Wonder how the Gates episode
will impact the perspective of
CNN’s BLACKS IN AMERICA
2?
In Princeton Professor Lissa
Harvis-Lacewell’s thought provoking piece in the Nation titled
“Skip Gates and the Post Racial
Project,” she concludes. “My
distress is squarely rooted in feeling that I watched the police
handcuff American possibility.”
Read it online www.thena
tion.com Ms. Lacewell is working on a book “Sister Citizen: A
Text For Colored Girls Who’ve
Considered Politics When Being
Strong Isn’t Enough”
There is more good news about
Harvard Law Professor Charles
Ogletree and Boston. Professor
Ogletree put a group on 12 investors to rescue the Bay State Banner, a 44-year old Black newspaper, threatened with extinction. On
the heels of that Ogletree initiative, Boston Mayor Thomas
Menino announced that the city
would loan $200,000 to BAY
STATE BANNER, which on more
than one occasion has been highly
critical of his administration.
SUMMER CONVENTIONS
The Greater Allen AME Cathedral of NY Young Adult Conference 2009, July 24-25, in Jamaica,
NY. Call 718.206.4600 or visit
wwwlallencathedral.org….. The
National Dental Association Annual Convention, July 24-29, in
Jacksonville, Florida. Call
202.588.1697 or visit www.ndaonl
ine.org……The National Medical
Association NMA Annual Convention & Scientific Assembly
meets in Las Vegas, NV, July 2529. Call 202347.1895 or visit
www.mnanet.org……The National
Urban League Annual Conference
meets in Chicago, Illinois, July 29
to August 1. Call 212.558.5300 or
visit www.nul.org ………National
Bar Association 84th Convention
meets in San Diego, August 1-9.
Call 202 842.3900 or visit www.
nationalbar.org….. National Association of Black Journalists 34th
Annual Convention and Career
Fair meets in Tampa, Florida, August 5-9. Call 301.445.7100 or visit
www. nabj.org.
SUMMER PLEASURES
NY African Film Festival:
Cinema Under The Stars series begins on Thursday,
July 23 with two gems: 1)
Bill Greaves 1966 documentary, “World Festival of Negro Arts,” which was filmed
in Senegal. More than 30
countries participated and
today reigns as the largest
festival of its type and 2)
“Yande Codou, The Griot of
Senghor.”
Live entertainment includes
performances by Jonathan
Russell, a young jazz prodigy
and Joe Ascione. July 23
event will be held at the Harlem
Meer, Central Park North, between Fifth and Lenox Avenues. July 30 is rain date. Free
admission. For full schedule
visit www. africanfilmny.org.
The Dwyer Cultural Center,
Harlem’s new arts and culture
spot at 258 St. Nicholas Avenue
at 123 Street, offers a broad
menu of summer delicacies,
which begins with the Harlem
Wood Film Festival and a
screening of “Hughes’ Dream
Harlem” about Langston, directed by Jamal Joseph, on
Thursday, July 23.
For lovers of the visual arts,
see “Harlem Sewn Up 2009,
Quilted Reflections of A Community,” which is curated by
Laura Gadson; and “harlem
is….Music” which boasts live
performances by classical music, jazz, gospel, R&B, rap and
HIPHOP virtuosos. For full
schedule and reservations,
call 212.459.1854 or visit
www.dwyercc.org.
Correction: Last week’s article listed the wrong HARLEM
BOOK FAIR panels. Info was
lifted from the HBF 2009
website, which I visited and hit
all of the right links, which reverted to the 2008 lineup.
SORRY.
The 2009 C-SPAN Book TV
panels were anemic in content
and audience turnout. I hope
that this is not last year for
CSPAN/HBF interface. However, I happily report that the
HBF street component was
teeming with book authors,
lovers, the pavilions and a
plethora of book, arts and culture vendors.
Anti-war protesters target
NAACP for ties to recruiters
By. Saeed Shabazz
vention in Detroit, Michigan
Special to the NNPA from the Bond said “Katrina served to unFinal Call
derscore how the war in Iraq has
weakened, rather than strengthThe World Can’t Wait anti- ened our defenses.”
war coalition based in New
So, that is why observers are
York City says that while re- p e r p l e x e d t h a t i n 2 0 0 9 , t h e
spect is due to the NAACP for NAACP would allow the military
their 100-year tradition of in the door.
“standing up to White lynch
“For the NAACP, it should be
mobs and sheriffs’ dogs,” there especially obnoxious to have
is no excuse for continuing the anything to do with the military
relationship they have with mili- when recruiters take advantage
tary recruiters.
o f t h e d e s p e r a t i o n o f p o o r,
The anti-war community is young people,” Howard Zinn, an
demanding that the NAACP anti-war and civil rights activist
“dis-invite recruiters from its and playwright said in an email
functions” starting with the to the The Final Call.
100th anniversary celebration
“I think of what a violation it
in New York City that took would be of the spirit of Martin
place July 11 to July 16.
Luther King Jr., who opposed
“It’s a matter of principle and militarism with all his heart, who
w e c a n n o t s t a n d b y a s t h e connected it with racism, and
NAACP and the U.S. Army pull also today would be deeply ofmore youth into the unjust wars fended if he knew the NAACP
in Iraq and Afghanistan,” ar- was giving any help to the miligues Debra Sweet, national di- tary,” Zinn said.
rector of the anti-war coalition.
“We are not giving help to the
“Does the NAACP not under- military in that context, we constand how dangerous Afghani- tinue to oppose the Iraq war and
stan is becoming for our sol- want it to stop, but a military is
diers; why July 6 was one of necessary to protect the counthe bloodiest days with seven try; and the NAACP wants to be
o f o u r t r o o p s l o s i n g t h e i r at the table to insist on transparlives,” she told the Am-News. ency by recruitment entities,”
“Is the NAACP saying these Shelton said.
u n j u s t w a r s a r e o k a y, a n d
He said that for the past 60
didn’t the NAACP executive years the NAACP has demanded
board pass an anti-war in Iraq input on what the nation’s armed
resolution?” she asked.
forces looks like in terms of equal
“Yes, we passed a resolution opportunity.
back in 2001,” said Hilary
Condemning, but at the same
Shelton, vice president and di- time facilitating new recruitment
rector of the NAACP’s Wash- into the military, makes one party
ington, D.C., bureau, in an in- to the war crimes “of a governterview with The Final Call. “It ment carrying two wars of agwas a unanimous decision by gression on the basis of thorthe 64-member board to accept oughly exposed lies,” Sweet
the resolution that was spon- said.
sored by our youth division,”
“We are a very strong supShelton said.
porter of free speech,” Shelton
The resolution stated that the told The Final Call, adding, “I
“President of the United States have been trying to contact the
had not made a conclusive ar- leaders in the anti-war commugument for using deadly force nity to let them know we underin Iraq; and that African-Ameri- stand their position; and we want
cans and other minority youth to communicate our position to
and young adults are enrolled them.”
into service at disproportionOskar Castro, a program anaate rates to defend their na- lyst at the national headquarters
tion.”
for the American Friends Society
The NAACP continued to in Philadelphia explained that the
challenge the war in Iraq when anti-war community is not trying
board chairman Julian Bond to disrespect the NAACP’s right
chided the Bush administration to associate with whomever they
i n 2 0 0 4 , c o n d e m n i n g h i s wish, “But, the Army has an overt
administration’s policies on campaign to trick young Blacks
education, the economy and into the military; and we must be
the war in Iraq. And again in there to protest what they are do2007 during the NAACP con- ing.”
Support
The Black Press
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(212) 213-8585
NNPA Award Winner
27
By Don Thomas
th
Harlem Week 35 anniversary kickoff reception held at Gracie Mansion
The sun brightly shined on
Thursday, July 16 th as a capacity crowd of invited guest converged on the great lawn of
Manhattan’s Gracie Mansion,
to celebrated Harlem Week 35th
Anniversary Kick-Off Reception.
Hosted by Mayor Michael
Bloomberg along with Lloyd L.
Williams, CEO of The Greater
Harlem Chambers of Commerce,
this years annual event is
themed “Historic Celebrations.”
During the festive occasion
a proclamation was presented
to Mercedes Ellington, granddaughter of the late legendary
composer/bandleader Duke
Ellington, celebrating his 110 th
birthday, and Sylvia Waters accepted honors on behalf of the
50 th anniversary of the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater.
Other special recognition
honors were presented to
Grammy Award-winning producer Tommy LiPuma, who has
produced for Barbara Streisand,
Nat King Cole and Quincy
Jones. A (posthumous) honor
was presented to renowned
Latin Musician Joe Cuba and
Chuck Scarborough, veteran
television Anchor Newsman
(who is very much alive) was
also honored. The honorable
former New York City Mayor
David N. Dinkins accepted the
Harlem Week honors.
Following the awards presentations there were outstanding
musical performances by the
National Jazz Museum in Harlem
Quintet, which delivered a special tribute to the arrangements
of Duke Ellington, and the national cast of the play
“Dreamgirls,” that will open at
Harlem’s landmark Apollo Theater in November 2009.
Harlem Week will continue its
“Historic Celebrations” through
Wednesday, August 26. It has
built a reputation in the community since its creation as just
Harlem Day in 1974, having since
grown to become New York City
and the Northeast’s largest festival attracting more than 3 million people annually.
On Sunday, August 16 during
this year’s Harlem Day celebration, there will be a New York
City salute themed “We Are The Lloyd L. Williams, CEO of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce greets invited
World,” to the late King Of Pop guests, during his welcome address to the Harlem Week Kick-Off Reception held at
Michael Jackson.
Gracie Mansion
(Photo: Louis Boone)
Artcrawl Harlem previews summer tour
The Harlem Arts Alliance presented a capsule tour for the
media of four of the seven galleries involved in the Saturday
August 8, 2009 Artcrawl Harlem
Summer tour. The galleries included in the preview tour included the Heath Gallery across
from Mt. Morris Park, Canvas
Paper and Stone Gallery on
Frederick Douglass Blvd., Essie
Green Galleries on Convent Avenue, and ended at Rio II Gallery at Riverside and 135th Street.
The preview began at 10am
with curator/owner Saundra
Heath of the private Heath Gallery, whose parlour floor gallery
showcases paintings by Thomas Heath and other emerging
and established artists, then
traveled by private car to Canvas Paper and Stone Gallery
whose owner Averlyn Archer
previewed the Otto Neals exhibit
on view there and talked about
the importance of educating patrons about collecting art.
The next stop was Essie Green
Galleries on Convent Avenue,
home of the “Black masters,”
where owner Sherman Edmiston
talked about the Georgia
McCullough exhibit of sculpture
and paintings currently on display as well as the influence of
Romare Bearden on the founding of the gallery itself, and of
Alain Locke on Black artists using Black images in their work.
The final stop on the preview
tour was Rio II Gallery which is
located on the penthouse level
of the Broadway Housing Communities at Riverside Drive and
135th Street. Curator Ana-Ofilia
Rodriguez spoke of the many
programs for artists of all ages
and skill levels that are in a rotating schedule of exhibits in
what is easily one of the most
breathtaking indoor/outdoor
spaces in all of Manhattan.
The preview tour concluded
with lunch from Caridad on the
terrace of Rio II overlooking the
Hudson River. The preview tour
was hosted by Averlyn Archer,
Jacqueline Orange and tour guide
George Lee Miles. For the summer
tour, HAA has announced a special price for early ticket buyers,
which is $25 per ticket until July
25 and $40 per ticket after that.
The full list of galleries participating in the August 8, 2009
summer edition of the popular
ArtCrawl Harlem include Canvas
Paper and Stone Gallery, Essie
Green Galleries, Gallery One (a/
k/a Donna Dove), Heath Gallery,
Indigo Arms Guest House Gallery, Rio II Gallery, and Simmons
Gallery.
The guided trolley tour to these
seven Harlem galleries ends at a
private catered reception with
food, wine, and music on the penthouse terrace of the Rio II Gallery. There is limited seating and
advance booking is required.
A program of the Harlem Arts
Alliance, ArtCrawl Harlem is a private guided tour of private and
public art galleries in Harlem, and
was created by Averlyn Archer
and Jacqueline Orange, owners
of Canvas Paper and Stone Gallery and A Taste of Harlem Food
and Cultural Tours.
An ArtCrawl Harlem gallery
tour, led by a professionally licensed New York City tour guide
who is conversant with the
Harlem gallery scene, also includes guided tours within the
tour, at each tour stop. Because
of the trolley bus, the tour takes
place rain or shine.
A Taste of Harlem Food and
Cultural Tours was created to
showcase Harlem through its
food, history, and culture. A
food, culture and Harlem Renaissance enthusiast, founder and
New York City tour guide
Jacqueline Orange leads tour
groups on fun filled excursions
through Harlem. Visit www.taste
harlem.com for more information.
Canvas Paper and Stone Gallery is a contemporary fine art
venue located in Harlem and focused on emerging and established artists in all visual media.
One of its core values is educating existing and potential clients
about contemporary visual art.
Visit www.CanvasPaperand
Stone.com for more information.
The Harlem Arts Alliance
(HAA) is a not-for-profit membership organization committed to
nurturing the artistic growth and
organizational development of
artists and arts organizations primarily in Harlem and its surrounding communities. Com-
prised of more than 400 individual
artists and arts organizations,
HAA is the only service organization of its kind in Harlem and
plays an essential role by helping to build the resources, network and capacity of its richly
diverse membership.
Counted among is members are
young emerging artists as well as
established and internationally
recognized artists. Also represented are small grassroots organizations and major cultural institutions in Harlem and beyond.
Major funding for HAA is provided by the Upper Manhattan
Empowerment Zone Development
Corporation, the New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs,
the Booth Ferris Foundation and
the New York City Council.
Additional support is provided
by TD Bank. HAA is a member of
the Greater Harlem Chamber of
Commerce. For more information
visit www.harlemaa.org. All tickets must be purchased in advance; there are no day-of-tour
sales. For tickets and more information visit www.artcrawlhar
lem.com.
Celebrate Harlem Week 2009
Enter tainment
28
MELLOW FELLOW
Calvin Richardson delivers vocal firepower
on his soulful tribute to Bobby Womack
Edited by Audrey J. Bernard
Calvin Richardson is all
about soul. Having come of age
in the hip-hop era, he is nonetheless totally dedicated to carrying on great traditions of classic soul music into the contemporary era and the future. So it
makes perfect sense that Calvin
would want to do an album of
his interpretations of songs by
Bobby Womack, the legendary
singer, songwriter, guitarist, and
producer known as “the street
preacher.”
Revered by many and recently
elected to the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall
Of Fame, Bobby Womack —
who was mentored by Sam
Cooke — helped define soul
music. Womack enjoyed a fifteen year run of major hits as an
artist while such notables as
Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett,
The Rolling Stones, George
Benson (he wrote Benson’s signature hit “Breezin’”), Millie
Jackson, Janis Joplin and countless others have had hits with
his songs.
Indeed Richardson himself
covered Bobby’s “I Wish He
Didn’t Trust Me So Much” on
his debut album. For that reason, Richardson embraced the
idea of recording an album of
Bobby Womack’s songs. The
concept was to record the old
school way, with live musicians
in the studio. The splendid results are heard on Facts Of Life:
The Soul of Bobby Womack,
Richardson’s fourth album, to
be released on August 25, 2009
by Shanachie Entertainment.
“Bobby Womack to me is a
pioneer who is very important
to the type of music that I do,”
Richardson says. “He’s a great
artist who I have great respect
for, who I built my sound around
and as a result I feel I have a
direct connection with him. He
sang about things I want to sing
about. I feel like he is definitely
less appreciated than he should
be, although he is a Rock ‘N’
Roll Hall Of Fame inductee. It
was an honor to pay tribute to
him…I’ve stood on Bobby’s
shoulders my whole career.”
Richardson’s sense of connection to Bobby Womack carried over to the photo shoot,
where he made a conscious effort to reference some of
Bobby’s classic album cover
images. “Since I was paying tribute to Bobby,” he explains, “I
thought it was important to go
into that space that he was in at
the time. I had to get into a certain headspace and try to feel
what was going on in his head
at the time he made this music.”
Facts Of Life was recorded
over a few days in a studio outside of Atlanta, using musicians
from inspirational R & B/gospel
singer Ann Nesby’s band. Produced by Tres Gilbert, Facts Of
Life delivers an organic mix of
“Bobby Womack to me is a pioneer who is very important to the type of music that I do. “He’s a great
artist who I have great respect for, who I built my sound around and as a result I feel I have a direct
connection with him. He sang about things I want to sing about. I feel like he is definitely less
appreciated than he should be, although he is a Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame inductee. It was an
honor to pay tribute to him…I’ve stood on Bobby’s shoulders my whole career,” says Calvin Richardson
classic Womack songs (“A
Woman’s Gotta Have It,”
“Across 110 th Street,” “I Can
Understand It,” “Harry Hippy”)
and lesser-known gems
(“American Dream,” “Daylight,”
“I’m Through Trying To Prove
My Love To You”). Many of the
selections embody Womack’s
gritty, streetwise philosophizing
with lyrics that are surprisingly
relevant today, such as on
“Across 110th Street.”
“There are still ghettos and
that stuff is going on in every
city you go to,” Richardson
notes regarding “Across 110 th
Street.” “And it’s not just 110th
Street. I had uncles and relatives
living in Connecticut that had
those kinds of experiences.”
“American Dream,” which in
Bobby’s version interpolates Dr.
Martin Luther King’s I Have A
Dream speech, seems particularly timely in light of President
Obama’s recent election (in fact,
Richardson wanted to substitute
an excerpt from Obama’s “A
Change Is Gonna Come”
speeches, but the necessary
clearances could not be obtained). “It’s the craziest thing,”
he says. “It is a song that I
didn’t know but once I heard it,
it just automatically pulled me
in, with the Martin Luther King
speech it was just very compel-
ling.”
Richardson incorporates many
of Womack’s “raps,” one of the
signature elements of his style.
“I approached them from the
standpoint of what was there already,” he notes. “Bobby is such
a visionary that what he was saying is still relevant. I just said it
my way.”
One highlight of the album is
the duet between the soul singer
and guest vocalist Ann Nesby
on the ballad “Love Has Come
At Last.” Patti LaBelle had sung
the female part on the original
and Ann Nesby is one of the few
vocalists around who could deliver the vocal firepower to stand
up to the original.
“I always loved that song with
Bobby and Patti,” Richardson
relates. “Even today anyone
who is looking for love, it has
meaning for. To have an opportunity to work with Ann is something I’ve always longed to do.”
Calvin Richardson came by his
soulful style honestly. Born in
Monroe, North Carolina, the first
of nine children, he had a strong
musical upbringing. His mother
sang in the local gospel group,
The Willing Wonders, and he
sang with them as a youth. But
he was able to listen to secular
soul music and funk and was particularly inspired by Bobby
Womack, Sam Cooke, Otis
Redding and Donny Hathaway.
Singing on the gospel circuit
he met and became friends with
Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey and Joel “Jo
Jo” Hailey, who went on to form
the hit-making group Jodeci in
the early Nineties and, later as KCi and JoJo, scored numerous
hits.
Richardson was encouraged
by their success to form the urban contemporary vocal group,
Undacova, whose song “Love
Slave” was included in the New
Jersey Drive soundtrack in 1995.
When Undacova folded, he
launched a solo career that resulted in his debut solo album
Country Boy on Uptown/Universal Records in 1999.
Despite strong material, including a great cover of Bobby
Womack’s “I Wish He Didn’t
Trust Me So Much,” the album
failed to sell, despite notable
guests such as Chico DeBarge,
Monifah and K-Ci, possibly due
to confusion occasioned by the
album title.
While Richardson was working on his follow-up, Angie Stone
heard a demo of his song “More
Than A Woman” and invited him
to duet with her on a version of
the song for her album Mahogany Soul. A second album
for Universal was shelved before
release but his second album release 2:35PM, named after the
time one of his children was born,
was released by Hollywood
Records in 2003.
The album went on to sell more
than 250,000 copies and generated
significant adult urban radio play.
Though lumped in with the rising
crop of new-soul singers, 2:35PM
revealed Richardson as an authentic soul singer bringing a classic
vocal style to a contemporary production sound.
In 2008, Richardson released his
debut on Shanachie Entertainment, When Love Comes, which
was a compelling statement of his
true artistic identity. An accomplished songwriter, the accomplished artist has recently been
enjoying success with the Charlie
Wilson hit “There Goes My Baby,”
which he co-wrote.
The feeling and strength of the
singer’s singing re-affirms his
place as one of the finest soul singers of the current era. He was inspired by both the material and the
organic approach to recording.
“It was definitely a great experience,” Richardson says. “I love
performing with a live band anyway, so automatically I was all into
it. It was a natural kind of thing. I
think it’s how all records should
be made, in my style of music anyway.”
Starre Moss
Michael Jackson
Memories of Michael…. I remember seeing Michael Jackson
and The Jackson 5 at Madison
Square Garden when I was 12
years old. My dad bought the
tickets and my mom was the lucky
one to take me and my sister,
Robin, to the show. When those
boys came out on that stage we
screamed and yelled and went
absolutely berserk….along with
everyone else!! My poor mother! I
will never forget that moment and I
will never forget Michael Jackson.
He will live on in our hearts forever.
There will never be another one like
him. Rest in peace Michael Joseph
Jackson.
**********
Janet and Jermaine…A few
weeks ago it was reported that
Janet Jackson ended her relationship with music producer and
long-time boyfriend Jermaine
Dupri. Her main reason for ending things, according to a Jackson family insider – was that she
didn’t think Jermaine was supportive enough. But that was
before the death of Michael Jackson.
Jermaine was a no show at
Michael Jackson’s memorial service, even though he was in Los
Angeles at the time. Since then,
we hear that Jermaine stepped up
and has been there to help support Janet through this crisis.
A Jackson family insider told
MediaTakeout.com, “Jermaine
has been an angel for Janet; I
don’t know how she’d manage
without him.” They’re like any
other couple having ups and
downs. We think they need to
just go on and get hitched!
***********
Janet Puts Her Bid In… Janet
Jackson has put her bid in for
custody of the late singer,
Michael’s, three children.
Michael allegedly discussed his
wishes for his children with
Janet before his passing. The
singer was even planning to
draft a new will with different
custody details in relation to
Paris, 12, Prince Michael I, 11,
and Price Michael II aka Blanket, 7, in the event he passed
Janet Jackson and Jermaine
Dupri
away, according to Contact
Music.com.
An unidentified source told
ContactMusic.com, “There was
a lot of rifts in the family, but
Janet was the one person he
spoke to regularly and he made
sure the children kept in touch
with her too. “Ultimately, he
wanted Janet to look after the
Lisa Lisa is muy caliente at
Garden’s WaMu Theater
By Starre Moss
When one thinks of Latin
pop icons with distinct vocals
and a large influence on the
music and world communities,
it’s not surprising that the legendary Lisa Lisa is the first
name that comes to mind. It’s
obvious that her music is as
relevant today as it was in the
1980’s as hundreds of fans
packed the WaMu Theater at
Madison Square Garden recently for a freestyle extravaganza that the singer headlined.
Historically acknowledged
as the originator of the Latin Hip
Hop/Freestyle genre, Lisa Lisa
paved the way for powerhouse
Latina divas such as, Gloria
Estefan, Shakira, Selena, and
Jennifer Lopez. Born and raised
in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen,
Lisa Velez had grown up dreaming of someday being a performer.
Lisa fearlessly pursued those
dreams and at the age of 16, she
started hanging out at a local
club called The Fun House, a
haven for local break dancers
and rappers back in the day. It
was at The Fun House that Lisa
gained the attention of Mike
Hughs, a member of Full Force.
“I met Mike Hughs at The Fun
House, one of Madonna’s old
hang outs and where she was
discovered. He said he heard I
could sing and I told him, I
could.” Lisa Lisa recalls.
“He told me to come back the
Lisa Lisa will perform with Full Force at Grant’s Tomb,
during the Harlem Week celebration on Sunday, July 26th.
children, with help from his
mother Katherine, and was planning to draft a new will to reflect
those wishes. He trusted Janet
implicitly.
“When he had health concerns, he had a talk with Janet
about how much she meant to
him and the children, and how if
anything happened to him, he
wanted her to make sure the children would be loved and cared
for in the same way he was raising them. She told him of course
she would.”
Michael’s most recent will was
written in 2002 and named the
family matriarch, Katherine, as
the guardian. However, Janet,
who took the children to the family home to gather their belongings after the singer’s death last
month, has the support of her
siblings to take custody of the
children.
The source added to Britain’s
Grazia magazine: “The family
thinks this could be a great idea
- they are supportive of
Katherine, but although she is in
good health, she is nearly 80 and
they are worried she is not up to
the task. Janet is blossoming
into a woman with tremendous
untapped maternal instincts. The
children automatically turn to her
for comfort and direction.”
The TV show “The View” reported on July 14th that Katherine
Jackson paid Debbie Rowe, the
biological mother of Prince
Michael I and Paris, a hefty sum
of $4 million dollars to give up her
custody battle for the children.
Maybe now that Debbie Rowe
is out of the picture Janet could
possibly raise the children if
Katherine is unable to do so. We
think this would be great for
Janet and for the children. It
seems that she would be the
most logical guardian for
Michael’s children after Katherine.
Good luck Janet!
*************
Back Off Joe….Joe Jackson is
already eye-balling Paris, Prince
Michael I and Blanket to become
the Jackson 3. In a recent interview he talks about the talent he
can already see in them. Just a
couple of days after his son’s mys-
Joe Jackson
terious death, he took the opportunity to announce that he is looking for talent for his new record
label!
It’s been reported that Katherine
Jackson and Debbie Rowe are
working together to make sure
that Joe Jackson has nothing to
do with the children. Joe was paid
$200 thousand for footage of a
Jackson family reality TV show
pilot and an interview.
Joe Jackson is just wrong on so
many levels. Didn’t he do enough
damage to his own children?
Maybe he’s the one Michael was
hiding the children’s faces from!
That’s it for now…more Star
Chattin’ next time. Got any info
on celebrity sightings? Hot gossip? Starre wants the scoop! Email
us at [email protected].
Star Chattin’ with Starre Moss
29
30
Disc-Chat
Harlem’s Hugo Montrose 18, more than a rapper
Compiled By Don Thomas
Hugo Montrose, a/k/a Hugo Da
Boss is the next big thing. That’s
a huge statement, but this talented
rapper, who plays piano and
sings, too, is ready to live up to it.
The music that the Harlem rapper is doing for his debut CD, is
called “swag music,” but if you
think that he is just about rap
music, you would be seriously
mistaken. His “swag music” is
about flava and musical instrumentation, plus some strong musical intelligence.
The piano prodigy, who as a
young teenager, attended the
world renowned Juilliard School
of Music in New York City, and is
a trained classical pianist who
learned music theory and took
vocal classes. As a kid, he listened to his brother deejaying and
the music of P.Diddy and Mase,
both from his native Harlem,
spilled out of the room, mixing
with the sounds of Scott Joplin,
whose life story and musical innovation pierced Hugo’s ears
when he saw the classic movie
starring Billy Dee Williams and
got him interested in piano.
The gifted musician has played
the legendary Carnegie Hall,
where he wooed the crowd. All
of these intricate sounds and
beats mixed in Hugo and he wants
to blend hip-hop with the various
styles of music (jazz, blues, pop,
et al.) that he has learned to ap“Having my parents’ support definitely made it easier to preciate while studying at the
prestigious music school.
dream,” says Hugo.
“I like to call what I do ‘swag
music.’ It’s the music that
Ludacris, Akon and Fabolous
(among others) do, artists who
brought the party back to music. I
want to do that kind of music so
that hip-hop can be the music of
the people again and not just
about bling-bling and places that
people might never see.
“I want to get back to music that
you hear in the club and music that
just makes you want to dance. I
make music for the ladies, like any
young artist does, but I consider
everybody. I think about the party.
I feel like only a certain amount of
people can keep talking about violence and be relevant. The party
and fun, that’s always relevant!”
With supportive parents who
believed in his talents but also
enforced the importance of school,
Hugo Montrose became Hugo Da
Boss and he’s daring to change
the face and style of hip-hop. He
began writing lyrics and producing his own songs at 14, mixing
his classical music background
with his Harlem hip hop swag.
Soon, he found himself doing
shows and gaining fans. Of
course, time in the studio soon
followed and now, Hugo is developing his style and his sound,
which has already been heard by
almost 1.6 million listeners on
MySpace. (“WOW” is Hugo’s
signature swag call and you will
soon hear it on tracks and in clubs
everywhere. “WOW” means this
track is so sick or “WOW” this is
so good, I can’t believe I did it!)
“I can talk about harmony and
melody because I sing and know
music well.” Hugo shows his style
on songs like his first track, “Love
Potion” where he flipped his flow
and added Caribbean influences,
which he gets from his father, to
show his dexterity as an artist.
“My pop’s is from Trinidad and I
thought that would make the track
more interesting.” He shifts and
changes his style track-by-track and
as an artist, Hugo hopes to show
off all of his skills. Whether on joints
like the club-banger “Got ‘Em Both”
or “When I Get Home,” he shows
that he can be what’s hot in music
and take that up a notch or ten.
“I want to be seen like a male Alicia Keys, because she flips styles
from classical to pop to R&B and
plays piano,” which she does with
the same skill. Hugo is in the studio, working on songs and tracks,
while doing shows because he
loves to perform.
“I am working hard to really
gather up my sound and concepts
so that ‘swag music’ takes hip-hop
to another level.” Hugo says, with
his own skillful intelligence that
“what makes hip-hop interesting is
the metaphors and the ability to
paint pictures with words, so that
you can tell the story at so many
levels.
“My mom’s advice that I keep
up my education definitely pays off,
because knowing how to write and
read lots of different things, so that
you have a larger range of information, helps so I can take it to the
next level.
Theater/Review
“Tartuffe,’ fast moving, hilarious musical’
By Ernece B. Kelly
Theater Critic
It really wouldn’t matter if 17th
century, French playwright
Moliere failed to recognize his
play, “Tartuffe” in the current,
souped-up version entitled,
“Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe”.
The Classical Theatre of Harlem
has succeeded in mixing song
and dance in this fast moving,
hilarious musical.
Award-winning actor, director
Andre De Shields stars as the
Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe,
and shows an uncanny comic
sense in his role as a money-grabbing minister whose motto is,
“Lack of money is the root of all
evil.” His prime victim, Orgon, is
convincingly played by veteran
television star, Ted Lange (He
was Isaac Washington on the
long-running “The Love Boat”).
“Archbishop…” opens with a
stirring song and dance number
extolling the virtues of owning a
Cadillac—once the preferred car
of successful African-American
preachers. A chorus of scantily
dressed women—Jennifer
Akabue, Gina Rivera, Charletta
Rozzell and Kisa Willis—join the
Archbishop who quickly throws
off his regal robes to kick up his
heels. They return to the stage
with lit headlights on their bras.
“I need money for you—I represent you”, the Archbishop insists as he takes up a collection
while explaining his need to
wear silk underwear and shop at
Tiffany’s. His naked materialism
even takes a sacrilegious turn
when he dashes over to a cross,
stretches out his arms and bends
his head in the classic Christ-like
position.
Moving alongside him are his
electrifying song-and-dance
partners, Tyrone Davis, Jr. as
Little Jerome and Rejinald Woods
as Big Jerome. Tracy Jack’s exciting choreography ranges from
tap to acrobatics to vaudevillian
soft shoe with De Shields never
missing a beat. The lighting of
Aaron Black is appropriately garish, matching the scenic designs
of Greg Mitchell which include
self-indulgent oil portraits of both
the Archbishop and Orgon.
While definitely not a destination for a true believing churchgoing audience, “Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe” is a refreshing
and outrageous send-up of religious leaders who take advantage
of their congregants’ faith.
Lisa Lisa is muy caliente at Garden’s WaMu Theater
(From page 29)
following week on a Tuesday at
11:30 p.m. for an audition. I
snuck out of the house that
night and my parents didn’t
know where I was and sent the
police looking for me. The rest
is history.”
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam were
one of the most musically diverse and successful recording
acts of the 1980’s with hits produced and written by Full Force,
the six-man performing/
songwriting team from East
Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York.
The band consisted of lead
singer Lisa Lisa and Mike
Hughs and Alex “Spandor”
Moseley as Cult Jam. Their influence on today’s music is un-
mistakable and sampled by such
groups as Nina Skye with “Can
You Feel the Beat.”
Lisa’s modesty about the undying love of her fans and the
admiration of her peers makes her
even more likeable, considering
the fact that she has six top selling albums under her belt and has
sold more than 20 million records
worldwide. “It’s crazy to know
that people still love the music
after all these years. I’m flattered
that an artist would want to
sample our songs,” Lisa said.
Lisa not only played a major
role in influencing music at the
height of her career she also set
fashion trends, particularly with
her asymmetrical hairstyle. “I
was trimming my hair one day and
made a mistake and cut off too
much on one side. It turned out
to actually look kind of cute, so
I just left the other side longer.
It was crazy to be doing a concert and see all these young girls
with their hair cut like mine and
it was all a mistake,” she said.
During the course of her career,
Lisa has also been featured in
many television shows, starring
for two years on Nickelodeon’s
hit series “Taina” and has appeared in numerous Broadway
and Off Broadway shows. “I’ve
been touring all over the country,
doing a lot of shows overseas. I
played the role of a mother in
“Taina,” a show on Nickelodeon
and I did a guest spot in Law and
Order,” Lisa said.
Still making records and performing today, Lisa Lisa is far
from finished. Her latest CD was
released on July 14. She gave
the audience a little taste of it
during her performance at Madison Square Garden leaving them
wanting more. But, it was her performance of her hit club-bangers,
“I Wonder If I Take You Home,”
“Lost in Emotion,” “Head to
Toe,” and the beautiful ballad
“All Cried Out” that sent the audience into a frenzy.
Lisa enjoys the music of
today’s artists but, would like to
hear more live bands backing
them up. “To be truthful, I miss
the sound of a live band. A lot of
the new stuff seems boring. We
need something new,” she explains. “I like Lady GaGa and Alicia Keys but I still listen to the
classic groups like Blue Magic,
Stevie, Patti and Teena Marie who
is phenomenal.”
Her advice to artists coming up
today is, “Keep it real. Stick to
what you truly believe in. Do you
and be honest with your career
and with your craft. You can’t last
in the business if you don’t love
what you do because it’s a hard
business.”
Lisa’s genuine persona exudes
through her music, embracing her
fans and luring them into a carefree environment. Although her
career is still going strong she
wants her legacy to be her music.
“I would like to be remembered for
my music. What I made you feel
when you listened to my music.”
It is no wonder Lisa Lisa has and
will continue to reign as the
Queen of Latin Hip-Hop.
On Monday, July 13, Ogilvy
& Mather New York hosted a
fun-loving reception in tribute
to the NAACP’s Centennial Celebration on the rooftop of the
company’s stunningly beautiful
worldwide headquarters on Ninth
Avenue.
Once on the roof, guests were
greeted by party organizers John
Seifert, chairman of Ogilvy &
Mather North America, Shelly
Lazarus, chairman of Ogilvy &
Mather worldwide, Reverend Al
Sharpton, president, National
Action Network, and Rachel
Noerdlinger,
president,
Noerdlinger Media, and executive vice president of communications for Rev. Sharpton and
Terrie Williams, Kathy Sledge, Ty Stone-Adams
National Action Network.
“We are family” was the theme
of the exclusive commemorative
celebration and that’s just how
Seifert made everyone feel with
his high-spirited remarks. If you
have to have a boss, Seifert appears to be the prototype for a
perfect one.
During the heavenly happening, Seifert presented the New
York chapter of the NAACP with
a corporate contribution and formalized an annual internship program with the historically rich
civil rights organization.
Following glowing remarks
from Rev. Sharpton, Seifert in-
troduced his “partner in crime”
Donna Pedro, senior partner,
chief diversity officer, organizational development, Olgivy &
Mather, who was accompanied
by her daughter Rachel who was
all aglow having received her
acceptance letter from Cornell
University.
The idyllic view from the top
was so soothing. When you’re
up that high it’s hard to imagine
anything topping that unless
you have a member of the legendary sister group — Sister
Sledge — in the house.
Ogilvy & Mather surprised
guests with a special perfor-
mance by one of the members from
that iconic group, Kathy Sledge,
who took partygoers a bit higher
with a celestial performance. In
addition to Kathy, the spicy soiree also featured finger lickin’ good
eats and drinks.
Olgivy & Mather is an international advertising, marketing and
public relations agency that was
founded in 1948. The company
has a long-standing history of giving back to the community. The
company’s culture provides an environment that allows grassroots
movements to flourish when a few
employees get together with a
passionate vision in mind
(l-r) Ty Stone-Adams, Thomas J. Knott II, Brenda Scott, John Seifert with Macy's top
executives, Iasha Rivers and Josefina Aguayo
John Seifert, Shelly Lazarus, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rachel Herman Merritt, Shanda Assemblyman & Mrs. Michael
Kevin Liles, Jerri DeVard Noerdlinger
Smith
Benjamin
Iasha Rivers, Thomas J. Knott II, Patti Pitt
Rachel Pedro, Donna Pedro, John Seifert, Jerri DeVard
(Photos: Audrey J. Bernard and Jeffrey Schifman/Courtesy Ogilvy & Mather)
31
KICKIN’ IT with Audrey J. Bernard
Ogilvy & Mather hosts rooftop party for NAACP
32
Jamaica invites Jacksons to island vacation
By Vinette K. Pryce
A brother of Michael Jackson will accept a posthumous
Lifetime Achievement Award
from Jamaica’s Prime Minister
Bruce Golding Saturday when
he performs at the biggest
summer music festival in the
Caribbean. Invited by the
leader, Tito will represent his
family at a tribute during the
annual Reggae Sumfest music
series which is dedicated to the
memory of the iconic personality.
Ironically, Tito will accept
the plaque in Montego Bay
exactly one month later and on
the same date his brother
Michael died June 25. “Jamaica
is proud that members of the
Jackson family have chosen
our wonderful island at this
time in their lives,” Minister of
Culture Olivia Grange stated.
On the island preparations are
in place to stage a first rate, oneof-a-kind Jamaican welcome for
the Jacksons. Tito and his band
will be flown to Jamaica aboard
the private jet of the Sandals hotel chain boss Butch Stewart.
“Jamaicans, like much of the
world, have been saddened by
Michael Jackson’s passing,”
Grange said.
She noted that “Jamaicans
signed condolence books
which were opened by the Culture Ministry to allow people
to express their regrets and
best wishes to the Jacksons.”
The minister spoke with Tito
soon after the memorial celebration in California and re-
Tito Jackson
ported to the Beacon.
“I told the family about the
condolence books that were
opened at the Institute of Jamaica and about the response of
the public. They were touched
at the expression of love by the
people of Jamaica; and very
pleased that the festival was being dedicated to Michael’s
memory.”
“I think those gestures might
have influenced Tito to express
the desire to perform at Reggae
Sumfest this year,” she added
The books are to be presented
to the Jackson family. According to Grange, Tito plans to
make a presentation to the prime
minister, at the festival, in appreciation of the expression of love
and affection by the Jamaican
people.
In a statement released to the
press the minister of culture explained how the visit transpired.
She stated that “On behalf of the
people of Jamaica,” the PM offered condolences to the Jackson family and in a telephone
conversation with Michael
Jackson’s brother Tito extended
an open vacation to members of
the bereaved family.
Thirty-four years ago the Jackson 5 performed in the capital city
of Kingston. During that visit, the
Jackson brothers headlined a
concert with Bob Marley providing a reggae-lead-in to the
rhythm and blues renditions of
the young Motown hit-makers.
At that time, the youths visited the home of a former prime
minister, played soccer with a
high school team and visited a
depressed area in Kingston. In
acceptance of the invitation,
Steve Manning, a spokesperson
for the family wrote: “It is a pleasure for members of the world
famous Jackson family to visit
your beautiful country of Jamaica.”
“Mr Jackie Jackson along with
his wife were thrilled by the
invitation of your Honourable
Prime Minister Golding to visit
Jamaica for some well needed
rest and relaxation after the loss
of their beloved brother
Michael.”
Initially, Jackie Jackson
planned to also attend the festival but later postponed his visit
Bob Marley is surrounded by the youthful Jackson 5, during their visit to the beautiful island of Jamaica
citing timing as a factor against
his intentions. Manning said
that although the entire family
would appreciate a visit, it was
inconvenient to make the trip
immediately but would take up
the offer at a later date.
“Michael’s mother, Katherine,
with her grandchildren and
other members of the family
would be honoured to take up
the Prime Minister’s offer to
visit Jamaica, at a later date,”
the letter stated.
Manning’s letter confirmed
Tito’s performance at the festival.
“Mr Tito Jackson along with his
band are looking forward to performing at Reggae Sumfest,”
Manning wrote.
Also slated to perform are: Toni
Braxton, Nas, Ne-Yo, Damian
Marley, as well as a roster of local Jamaican artists including
Beenie Man who is celebrating 30
years in the music business.
Justin Tuck, wife and celebs pool it for literacy
With the support of titled
sponsors, The Ritz-Carlton
Residences, North Hills and
premium sponsor Subway Restaurants, Super Bowl Champion
and New York Giant’s Justin
Tuck and his wife Lauran, hosted
the first “Tuck’s Celebrity Billiards” charity benefit.
The Tucks welcomed some of
the brightest celebs in the worlds
of sports and entertainment to
Slate-NYC club in Manhattan to
participate in the competitive pool
tournament for charity.
All the proceeds from the event
benefited Tuck’s R.U.S.H. for Literacy, which last year through its
first “Sack Challenge” donated
more than $100,000 toward purchasing new books for
underserved children in New
York City and Central Alabama.
Through Tuck’s Celebrity Bil-
liards and R.U.S.H. for Literacy’s
other initiatives, Justin and his
wife strive to encourage children
to read, understand, succeed,
hope embrace literacy throughout
their lives.
N.Y. Jets Kerry Rhones
N.Y. Giants Justin Tuck and wife Lauran
Kelly Rowland
Anthony Anderson and Vivica A. Fox
John Legend
(Photos: David Shellman)
Alcatel, a French telecommunications company, and Cingular,
an American telecom group, selling them permission to use portions of the “I Have a Dream”
speech in commercials.
“These are the most opportunistic people I have ever seen.
Their dad is probably turning
over in his grave. They are
cheapening the dream; never
mind that their dad gave his life
for this very dream,” wrote the
blogger Ebony on BET.com.
“Instead of them seeing their
dad’s death as not being in vain,
they see the dollars they can get
from it. It’s truly a shame. The
only thing the King foundation
supports right now is them. They
are sorry, and fighting over
money that none of them
earned,” the blogger continued.
“It is truly sad. And for that matter, let’s see them get money from
the thousands of street vendors
who make these shirts in their
homes!
“If these dummies would think
about it, these shirts aren’t selling because of the likeness of
President Obama’s other Hand
audience still needed to hear that
Affirmative Action was not dead,
that it is still needed and that his
Administration was committed to
it.
I liked the strategy that
Obama laid out which gave the
NAACP the role of making the
White House do what is right,
in other words, being the legitimate protagonist for an agenda
of civil and human rights. It
strikes me that is the right posture, not just for a Black president but for any president, as
was discussed during the campaign about his fidelity to the
Black Agenda.
But being a protagonist at a
time when there is a history-making event such as a popular Black
man sitting in the White House
takes courage and thus far, little
courage has been in evidence by
any of the Black leadership.
Maybe that is because when
you attempt to broach the issue
(From page 7)
project put on hold, after
Bernice and Martin Luther King
III threatened litigation, which
has only added to an ongoing
public battle over projects concerning their father and mother’s
(Coretta Scott King) legacy.
There was even the proposed
sale of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change for $11
million, just before the death of
Mrs. King, in order to cover
mounting losses, which again,
was challenged by Bernice and
King III.
The family has also publicly
(From page 8)
barbed wire fences, the foundations of barracks that once held
people in the most unimaginable
conditions.” He noted, “Now
these sights have not lost their
horror with the passage of time.”
His four paragraph speech at
the Cape Coast Castle did not
come close to striking the same
emotional chord. He said, “One
of the most striking things that
I heard was that right above the
dungeons in which male captives were kept was a church and
that reminds us that sometimes
we can tolerate and stand by
great evil even as we think that
we’re doing good.”
Yes, that was a stark contrast,
but as any other visitor will tell
you, it does not rank as one of
the most striking things you’ll
said that they should be paid from
T-shirts and other merchandise
depicting their father along side
president Barack Obama.
King’s nephew, Farris, has gone
so far as to say that hundreds of
thousands — maybe millions —
is being made, and the King estate is entitled to its share.
“Some of this is probably putting food on people’s plates,”
Farris said. “We’re not trying to
stop anybody from legitimately
supporting themselves, but we
cannot allow our brand to be
abused.”
A few years ago, the family made
multimillion-dollar deals with
hear on the tour.
On the other hand – I had to say
that in deference to President
Truman – Obama’s NAACP
speech hit many of the right notes,
praising W.E. B. DuBois, my hero;
acknowledging women who “decided to walk instead of taking the
bus, even though they were tired
after a long day of doing somebody else’s laundry, looking after
somebody else’s children;” declaring that “the pain of discrimination is still felt in America” and
proving that he is familiar with an
“Amen corner.”
Yet, as he often does before predominantly African-American audiences, he felt compelled to lecture African-Americans on their
personal responsibilities.
“To parents, we can’t tell our
kids to do well in school and then
fail to support them when they get
home,” Obama said, sounding
like the president of a local PTA.
“You can’t just contract out
parenting. For our kids to excel,
we have to accept our responsibility to help them learn. That
means putting away the Xbox,
putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent-teacher conferences and reading to our children and helping them with their
homework.”
I agree with President Obama’s
advice. On the other hand, it’s not
a lecture he should give only when
speaking to Black audiences.
George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine
and the NNPA News Service, is
a keynote speaker, moderator,
and media coach. He can be
reached through his Web site,
www.georgecurry.com.
their dad, they are selling because
of the likeness of Obama and he’s
not seeking payment. If they
don’t change their ways soon,
they will all be broke (it wouldn’t
be a surprise if their already broke
now, with the way they’ve been
acting for the last couple of
months). They are a disgrace and
a disappointment to their dad (and
mom’s) legacy!”
The Associated Press Contributed to this report.
Obama at the NAACP
(From page 8)
of accountability, even by accident, you are disbarred from the
black community – ask Rev. Jesse
Jackson, Tavis Smiley, and others.
Will the NAACP be up to the role
of the legitimate protagonist? I
don’t know because historically, it
has also depended upon access to
the White House as a currency of
its leadership, and that currency
could be eroded by the alienation
that naturally comes from strong
opposition.
So, maybe this is not just a role
for the NAACP, but all of our organizations to take seriously the task
of “tough love” toward the administration, a role that gives strong
support when it is right on our issues and strong opposition when
the need is clearly there, but nothing happens. What more can anyone ask?
Dr. Ron Walters is Professor
Emeritus at the University of Maryland College Park. His latest book
is: The Price of Racial Reconciliation (University of Michigan
Press)
Health plan moving but will it meet Obama’s deadline?
(From page 6)
Act is a bill that exemplifies true
consensus amongst leaders in
a timely and efficient manner,”
he said.
Meanwhile, the Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee passed a health bill
that was voted on along party
lines that immensely expands
health care insurance coverage
for Americans.
The “Quality, Affordable
Health Coverage for All Americans” bill creates a governmentsponsored “public option’’ insurance program that is meant
to compete with private companies and will require all individuals to be covered under an insurance plan, either public or
private. It will also require most
employers to provide coverage
If they are passed by both
Houses of Congress, they will
then be reconciled in a conference before becoming one bill
to be signed by the President.
The United States is the only
developed nation without universal health coverage. As
much as one-sixth of America’s
population is uninsured, according to widespread reports.
Overhauling the country’s
health care system is now priority on President Obama’s domestic agenda. He wants to
have a bill ready to sign in October and so, he has been
mounting aggressive pressure
to meet the August deadline.
In a speech made in the White
House Rose Garden the President threw his arms around both
measures being considered in
Congress.
“Both proposals will take
what’s best about our system
today and make it the basis for
our system tomorrow - reducwas cut less than five years after ing costs, raising quality, and
signing a $130 million, 10-year con- ensuring fair treatment of contract.
sumers by the insurance indusWith Vick’s release from federal
custody, he can stop wearing an
electronic monitor as he begins
three years’ probation. He is finishing a two-month home confine(From page 4)
ment in Hampton, Va., which completes a 23-month sentence after Fairfax County, Fort Worth,
he admitted bankrolling a dog- Honolulu, Houston, Indiafighting operation.
napolis, Jacksonville, Kansas
Information from the Associated City, Las Vegas Metro, Long
Press contributed to this report. Beach, Los Angeles, Los Anor face monetary penalties.
The measure, the first to pass a
committee, would also federally
subsidize health care for people
and families that make less than
the four times the poverty level
and impose penalties on businesses that have more than 25
employees if they do not provide
coverage for their workers.
House Democrats proposed a
$1.5 trillion plan that will be paid
for by adding a federal surtax to
the Americans that file in tax
brackets. Individuals making more
than $250,000 a year will have to
pay the surtax, which tops at 5.4
percent for people earning more
than $1 million annually and slides
down incrementally for people
making less but at least $250,000.
The house proposal also calls
for penalties for employers and individuals that are not covered.
Michael Vick’s sentence
(From page 4)
Once Goodell’s ruling is rendered, NFL clubs will have to determine what, if any, interest they
have in Vick. Among the questions teams will ponder: What
kind of shape is he in? What position should he play? What
type of public relations hit might
he bring?
NFL teams are allowed to initiate talks with Vick, because the
Falcons released him in June. He
try,’’ Obama said.
“The naysayers and the cynics still doubt that we can do
this,’’ the President said. “But
it wasn’t too long ago that
those same naysayers doubted
that we’d be able to make real
progress on health care reform. And thanks to the work
of key committees in Congress, we’re now closer to the
goal of health reform than we
have ever been.’’
Republicans call the bills partisan and argue that, as they
stand, they are another government takeover initiative that will
kill jobs and bankrupt the nation.
Most Republicans and even
some conservative Democrats
are urging the president to taper
his expectations of getting a bill
signed October so that the result is not rushed.
The Congressional Budget Office, which analyzes the costs of
legislation, estimates that under
the current plans 97 percent of
all legal residents will be covered
by health insurance.
But the office warned that gov-
ernment spending on health
would increase dramatically over
the next decade unless Congress
makes additional cuts or find other
ways to come up with additional
revenues needed to cover the exuberant costs.
Douglas Elmendorf, the Congressional Budget Office chief,
also forecasts that individuals
under employer-sponsored coverage will not initially see lower premiums.
Still, Obama pushes, still arguing his platform of change.
“Deferring reform is nothing
more than defending the status
quo - and those who would oppose our efforts should take a hard
look at just what it is that they’re
defending,’’ he counters. “Over
the last decade, health insurance
premiums have risen three times
faster than wages. Deductibles
and out-of-pocket costs are skyrocketing. And every single day
we wait to act, thousands of
Americans lose their insurance,
some turning to nurses in emergency rooms as their only recourse.’’
Mayors Against Illegal Guns oppose
geles County, Louisville, Memphis, Miami-Dade, Milwaukee,
Minneapolis, Montgomery
County, Nashville, Nassau
County, New Orleans, New York
City, Newark, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoe-
nix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Prince
George’s County, Salt Lake City,
San Antonio, San Diego, San
Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, St.
Louis, Suffolk County, Tucson,
Tulsa, Virginia Beach, and Washington D.C.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s family puts
33
34
Entertainment Special
Cynthia Marie Horner weds Kenneth Harris
By Audrey J. Bernard
They say that if it rains on
your wedding day that it’s a
sign of good-luck. Such being
the case, a heap of luck will follow award-winning journalist
Cynthia Marie Horner and photojournalist Kenneth Harris, as
it poured down rain.
However, the inclement
weather did not deter 300
guests from attending the beautiful ceremony that took place
at the Robert Treat Hotel in
Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, June 13, 2009, followed by
a catered reception in an adjourning ballroom.
As dressed to the nines
guests waited for the bride to
make her grand entrance, the
groom was doing a remake of
Jumping Jack Flash from anticipation to the delight of the
star-studded crowd — many
of whom were fellow photographers, journalists, and music and entertainment industry people who count on him
to provide excellent photographic coverage of their
events.
Hence his moniker, “Kenthephotographer,” who looked resplendent in a Calvin Klein tux,
Russell Simmons shirt and Italian designer Mercanti Fiorentini shoes. Ken was tight!
Then, as lovely bridal music
filled the air, Ken’s beautiful
bride, Cynthia Marie Horner,
was escorted down the isle by
her proud father Lawrence
Horner Sr., former Mayor of
Thousand Oaks, California.
The blushing bride looked
gorgeous in an exquisite
designer’s gown with matching
long train that brought tears of
joy to her groom’s and many
guests’ eyes. The celestial ceremony — consisting of private
vows recited by the blissful
couple — was performed by
Harlem’s Grace Congregational
Church Pastor Nigel Pearce who
congratulated the perfectly
matched couple after having
performed a delightful ceremony.
The happy bride and groom
and their high-spirited wedding party joined guests at a
cocktail reception sponsored
by Nuvo followed by a soul
food dinner catered by Two
Fish, Five Loaves of Irvington,
New Jersey, featuring non-alcoholic beverages by Sprite
Green.
Soulful entertainment was
provided by WBLS’s Dr. Bob
Lee, and Fayetteville, North
Carolina native Mz. Von performed an incredible twenty
minute set accompanied on guitar by Kennedy, formerly of
Naughty By Nature.
During the joyful reception,
members of Sigma Gamma Rho
Sorority, Inc. honored the
blushing bride who is the presiding Basileus of the New
York City alumnae chapter (that
The Bridal Party: Adimu Harris, groom’s son/best man; Mrs. Hal Jackson (Debi B from WBLS), matron of honor;
Brian Harris, relative; Kymberly Horner, maid of honor; Betty Horner, mother of the bride; Kenneth Harris, groom;
Cynthia Horner, bride; Lawrence Horner Sr., father of the bride; Derrick Horner, Esq., relative; Lawrence Horner Jr.,
bride’s brother; Steve Manning, groomsman; Hal Jackson (radio personality, WBLS), groomsman; Gregory Williams,
founder of R&B group Switch, groomsman; and Autumn Williams, bride’s goddaughter
Rev. Nigel Pearce, officiating wedding nuptials to Cynthia & Ken
Bride & Groom cut their designer's wedding cake
The bride has her first dance with her father Lawrence The Bride's Family: Kymberly Horner, Betty Horner, Cynthia
Horner Sr., former Mayor of Thousand Oaks, California
Horner, Lawrence Horner Sr., Lawrence Horner Jr.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorrors honor presiding Basileus of The beautiful bride Cynthia surrounded by her sorority sisNew York alumnae chapter and new bride Cynthia with roses ters from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority
meets at Grace Congregational
Church) of Kappa Sigma Chapter by serenading her with a
song and presentation of ceremonial yellow roses which were
later made into a bouquet that
appear in her official wedding
portrait.
In addition to presiding over
the local chapter, the bride is a
member of the International
Board of Directors of Sigma
Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
The bridal party consisted
Mother of the Bride Betty Horner
and Mother of the Groom Ethel
Harris; Brother of the Bride
Lawrence Horner Jr.; relatives
Brian Harris and Derrick Horner,
Esq.; Groomsmen: Steve Manning, Hal Jackson (radio personality, WBLS) and Gregory Williams (founder of R&B group
Switch); Maid of Honor Mrs. Hal
Jackson (Debi B from WBLS);
and Matron of Honor and Bride’s
Sister Kymberly Horner.
Also Bridesmaids: Michele
Roy and Donna Torrence; Flower
Girls: Journey Berry (daughter of
Jackie and Clay Berry) and Toni
Grey; Best Man and Groom’s Son
Adimu Harris; and Ring Bearers:
Floyd Grey and Joel Holloway
(who read from First Corinthians
during the ceremony).
(Photo: Tyrone Rasheed)
An open letter to Obama from Nkrumah Foundation
your watch the fusion of the energy and intellect of African
Americans and that of the brothers and sisters on the mother
continent to advance the cause
of Africa for the benefit of Africans and the rest of the world.
Mr. President, it goes without
saying that the Central Intelligence Agency and the United
States of America Government
owe Ghana and Ghanaians an
unreserved and unqualified
apology for the plotting, planning and execution of the 24th
February, 1966 coup and in particular to the families of the
many who died on Ghana’s day
of shame in this the centenary
year of the birth of Osagyefo
Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
It is important that all countries of the world be allowed
space to chart different courses
to achieve progress for their
people. It is remarkable the rise
of China and the relationship
that exists between America and
China now and the emerging re-
lationship with Russia following
your just ended visit.
America must contribute willingly to get Ghana’s industrialization back on track particularly
in the areas of research and development of new energy initiatives which will provide jobs for
our people. Create effective collaboration with our Medical and
Research Institutes, and the
Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and their counterparts in
America to enrich each other.
America must help revamp the
Atomic Energy Project to realize the
noble dreams of Osagyefo to provide nuclear energy for Ghana in
these times of energy deficiency
and assist in whatever way necessary to finish the Bui project which
will have given Ghana energy for
the past thirty-eight years.
Welcome once again to Ghana,
the true gateway to Africa.
Please permit me to say a few
words to First Lady Michelle
Obama. I am certain that Ghana is
your ancestral home and for some
reason think you were instrumental in the choice of Ghana.
Feel at home even though the
period is very short. I will urge
the Robinson Family to consider
coming home and spending a
little more time to get to know
Ghana well.
God bless Ghana and may God
bless the United States of
America in our new relationship
based on true partnership to advance the course of shared humanity.
Nkrumah F'dtn letter
School identification cards urged for undocumented
(From page 17)
He said that this negative statistic will continue because without proper ID to get into the
schools to meet with the principals, attend PTA meetings, other
school activities or simply to pick
up their kids, undocumented parents will be further disconnected
from their children’s education.
The ID issue has been bothering immigrant parents for a long
time but both the Department of
Education and Mayor Mike
Bloomberg – who control New
York’s public school system –
have been stymied by what they
legally can and cannot do in these
circumstances, given the sensitive
issue of handing out identification cards to non-citizens.
But the issue is not going away
anytime soon and there must be
a solution to the problem. A recent report came up with an idea
that would require the Department
of Education to issue a parent ID
exclusively for use within the
public schools system. This
would solve the mayor’s problem while allowing him not to
compromise important levels of
school safety protocols.
“I support this idea 100%. It’s
been tried elsewhere with positive results. We can run a pilot
project to see how it works in a
limited number of schools, do an
evaluation, and then issue these
cards so that undocumented
parents can be part of their
children’s education.
“When we lock out parents
from entering our schools we’re
sending the wrong message. Undocumented parents do care about
their children’s education but they
are fettered by not having a recognized ID that would allow them
to enter the schools’ premises.
“However, I am opposed to the
idea that already cash-strapped
schools in the system should individually pay for these IDs as
some suggest. No, I think that the
DOE should be responsible for
these costs and is the right
agency to handle this issue,”
Councilmember Stewart said.
AARP’s first Black CEO aims to take organization to new level
(From page 19)
to the states in their efforts to
bring about change. The volunteer work that we have is
best at the ground level, in the
communities.’’
While spurring social
change on the outside Rand
and his executive team must
also address the lack of diversity that exists within its member ranks. AARP’s membership
is 88.5 percent White while its
Black membership is less than
5 percent, according to Edna
Kane-Williams, AARP’s vice
president of African-American
member outreach.
Months before hiring Rand,
AARP resolved that it must
strengthen its recruiting efforts
in order to attract more members
of color. Kane-Williams is one of
two executives who reach out to
Black and Latino communities
and spearhead initiatives that
will increase minority membership.
“[Rand] almost becomes a
billboard for our efforts,”
Kane-Williams said. “He’s not
the CEO of the African-American community but certainly
him being African-American
helps us make the point that
AARP is an organization that
cares about the AfricanAmerican community and that
we are ready to work hand-inhand to improve the quality of
lives of older African-Americans.”
Like any change agent, Rand
employs all of his life’s experi-
ences when pursuing goals –
whether on the Hill, at the White
House, or at the helm of AARP.
From those experiences, he has
devised strategies for accomplishing missions.
“If you’re smart, the first thing
you do when you come in is listen,’’ he says as his smile breaks
into laughter. “You don’t come
in with an agenda. After you listen you start to get a strong indication of the culture and the
diversity of opinions.”
He laughs reflectively as he
recalls the rapid pace by which
the President has moved since
his January inauguration.
“I will say that that process
was a little truncated because
when you look at what Obama
did in 90 days - you have to do
more than listen. So I was both
listening and figuring out the
issue of challenges.’’
Those challenges are mountainous as AARP moves to diversify its ranks. “But I don’t see
it as an issue,” he says. “I’m actually thrilled.’’
Obama urges NAACP to fight ‘as long as it takes’
(From page 3)
companies. Because civil rights
laws were passed, Black mayors,
Black governors, and members
of Congress served in places
where they might once have
been able [sic] not just to vote
but even take a sip of water.
“And because ordinary people
did such extraordinary things, because they made the civil rights
movement their own, even though
there may not be a plaque or their
names might not be in the history
books because of their efforts I
made a little trip to Springfield, Illinois, a couple years ago where
Lincoln once lived, and race riots
once raged - and began the journey that has led me to be here tonight as the 44th President of the
United States of America,” he
said to thunderous applause. “Because of them I stand here tonight
on the shoulders of giants. And
I’m here to say thank you to those
pioneers and thank you to the
NAACP.”
These words of thanks were
familiar. In March, President
Obama and First Lady Michelle
gave a similar thanks to the publishers of the National Newspaper Publishers Association at a
White House reception honoring his historic win as well as
the role of the Black Press in
his success.
In his speech to the NAACP,
the President – a civil rights lawyer who, as a U. S. Senator, consistently got the grade of “A” on
the NAACP civil rights report
card, also made it clear that the
struggle is not nearly over. Facing racially disparate unemployment rates, poverty rates, health
care rates, crime rates, incarceration and poor quality education
rates in the Black community,
Obama encouraged the civil
rights organization to continue
its work.
“Even as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the past
100 years; even as we inherit extraordinary progress that cannot
be denied; even as we marvel at
the courage and determination of
so many plain folk - we know that
too many barriers still remain,” he
said. “We know that even as our
economic crisis batters Americans
of all races, African-Americans are
out of work more than just about
anybody else ...
“We know that even as spiraling health care costs crush families of all races, African-Americans are more likely to suffer
from a host of diseases but less
likely to own health insurance
than just about anybody else.
We know that even as we imprison more people of all races
than any nation in the world, an
African-American child is
roughly five times as likely as a
White child to see the inside of
a prison.
“We know that even as the
scourge of HIV/AIDS devastates nations abroad, particularly in Africa, it is devastating
the African-American community here at home with disproportionate force. We know
these things.”
Comparing today’s battles to
those of the past, he continued,
“What’s required to overcome
today’s barriers is the same as
what was needed then. The
same commitment. The same
sense of urgency. The same
sense of sacrifice. The same
sense of community. The same
willingness to do our part for
ourselves and one another that
has always defined America at
its best and the African American experience at its best.”
“Make no mistake,” he lectured the applauding audience.
“The pain of discrimination is
still felt in America. By AfricanAmerican women paid less for
doing the same work as colleagues of a different color and
a different gender. By Latinos
made to feel unwelcome in their
own country. By Muslim Americans viewed with suspicion
simply because they kneel
down to pray to their God. By
our gay brothers and sisters,
still taunted, still attacked, still
denied their rights…Prejudice
has no place in the United
States of America. That’s what
the NAACP stands for. That’s
what the NAACP will continue
to fight for as long as it takes.”
With all the focus on civil
rights, it was actually the issue
of racial inequities in education
that got the biggest ride in the
President’s speech before the
oldest civil rights organization.
“There’s a reason the story of
the civil rights movement was
written in our schools. There’s a
reason Thurgood Marshall took
up the cause of Linda Brown.
There’s a reason why the Little
Rock Nine defied a governor and
a mob. It’s because there is no
stronger weapon against inequality and no better path to
opportunity than an education
that can unlock a child’s Godgiven potential,” he said.
“And yet, more than half a century after Brown v. Board, the
dream of a world-class education
is still being deferred all across the
country. African-American students are lagging behind white
classmates in reading and math an achievement gap that is growing in states that once led the way
in the civil rights movement.
“Over half of all African American students are dropping out
of school in some places. There
are overcrowded classrooms, and
crumbling schools, and corridors
of shame in America filled with
poor children - not just black children, brown and white children as
well.”
He resolved that the responsibility to remedy this problem is
not just on Blacks.
“The state of our schools is not
an African-American problem; it is
an American problem. Because if
Black and brown children cannot
compete, then America cannot
compete. And let me say this, if Al
Sharpton, Mike Bloomberg, and
Newt Gingrich can agree that we
need to solve the education problem, then that’s something all of
America can agree we can solve.
“Those guys came into my office. Just sitting in the Oval Office
— I kept on doing a double-take,”
he said, slightly crouching and
weaving his head as if to see closer.
“So that’s a sign of progress and it
is a sign of the urgency of the education problem. All of us can agree
that we need to offer every child in
this country - every child.”
When one shout of “Amen!”
rose from the audience above all
others, the president concluded
like a preacher, “Got an ‘’Amen
corner’’ back there … every child
… every child in this country [deserves] the best education the
world has to offer from cradle
through a career.”
(From page 12)
35
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HOROSCOPE
ARIES
People often forget about the roaming side to your personality.
This week is a week when you’ll love thinking about “far away
places with strange sounding names,” as the song says. What
you do about your urges is yet another matter. Home calls too.
What a week!
TAURUS
Move slowly concerning relationships this week. People are a
little edgy and they don’t know exactly where you are coming
from. Make full explanations. Don’t assume that they know what’s
on your mind. Most of all, stay positive no matter what.
GEMINI
Exercise will work off some of your excess energy this week.
Take a walk and remember that your world is made up of many
beautiful parts. The part you are focusing on so intently this
week is not your entire world. Proceed accordingly!
CANCER
This week is a good week to dump any extra baggage that has
been pulling you down. You have too much potential to throw
away and waste your time on issues that will amount to nothing.
Stay focused on your goals. Meet and spend time with people who
will be able to help you reach them.
LEO
This is a good week for exercising that clever mind of yours.
Luck will be with you in all endeavors you start. Luck is with you
always because positive outlook attracts positive vibrations.
VIRGO
Your careless ways with money are going to be apparent this
week. Financial mistakes you’ve made in the past will be especially painful. Don’t conceal the pain from yourself. It is a warning that you should take steps to prevent future financial crisis.
LIBRA
Take advantage of the great weather and spend time outdoors
enjoying and relaxing with Mother Nature. Learn a new sport,
and spend time with family and friends. Don’t take travel matters into your own hands. Seek a professional who will be able to
plan a wonderful vacation for you without breaking your bank.
Cook up some goodies for your loved ones.
SCORPIO
Everything seems to be moving along in a very pleasant way this
week. Friends are helpful, family is supportive, even the sun
seems to be shining just for you! Enjoy this harmony and count
your blessings. Finish a task at work.
SAGITTARIUS
The bond that you established with your spiritual side works
well in your relationship with a special person. Speak of the
reality of the intangible qualities of life. Your lover will understand. Keep attention on the financial matters you’ve been dealing with.
CAPRICORN
If you need some time to yourself this week, take it. You’ll be
doing yourself an act of kindness. Since you do so much for
others, why not treat yourself as well as you treat them? Your
world is the way you are living. Live with love.
AQUARIUS
Remember that exercise is a wonderful tension-reliever if things
get too intense this week. A walk over your lunch hour could
make all the difference in how you feel this afternoon. Love
yourself and reward yourself with perfect health and happiness.
PISCES
PISCES
You’ve done some of your own love homework. Hopefully you’ve
had an opportunity to learn a new way of seeing the world and in
that way you’ve found a way of loving that is more natural for you.
The combination of sexiness and joyful focus can create you a
wonderful love experience.
LEGAL NOTICES
37
SPORTS
38
Q proves his point at the N.B.A. Summer League
By Dr. Ira Warheit
Quincy Douby, the enigmatic point guard of the
Toronto Raptors had a point to
prove at the N.B.A. Las Vegas
Summer League.
The Brooklyn born guard,
who was All-City as a senior at
William Grady H.S. in only his
second year playing organized
basketball, helped the Raptors
to a 3-2 record in the 10 daylong league.
The irony here was the New
York Knicks hungry for a talented point guard passed on
Quincy after a one day tryout
earlier this spring. Douby who
had been released by the talent
starved Sacramento Kings in
February, was playing for Erie
in the “D” League when
the Raptors G.M.
Bryan
Colangelo brought him up to
replace the injured Marcus
Banks. The thin point guard did
well during his first 10 day tenure and earned another look.
After ten more good days, Q
was signed to a contract that
would be guaranteed through
the 2009-2010 season.
Colangelo’s insight was re-
warded in Las Vegas as Douby
finally getting a chance to play
consistent minutes led the Raptors in scoring with 18.0 ppg,
assists 3.8 apg, and was second
in rebounding at 4.0 rpg.
Playing with DeMar DeRozan
the Toronto first round selection, the Raptors won their final
three games after two heart
breaking losses to the Lakers by
one and the Pistons by four.
DeRozan was often spectacular
finishing off some perfect alleyoops from his point guard
Douby.
At shooting guard, Q teamed
up with the well travelled
“Prince of West 4th Street”,
Smush Parker. As a tandem
looked like they could spend
many happy years together in
the Raptors backcourt. Maybe
the combo is exactly what both
of them need to reach the expectations that many knowledgeable New York hoop fans had for
them at the start of their professional careers.
Quincy came into the N.B.A.
as the 19th pick in the 2006 draft
after a stellar career at Rutgers
where as a shooting guard he
became one of the top guards
Quincy Douby
in the Big East and was named to
the All Big-East team in his junior
year. He led the Big-East in scoring with 25.4ppg, being the first
Rutgers player ever to lead the
league in scoring.
Coney Islanders were never
surprised by these exploits, as
the 6’3", 175 lb. Douby was already considered to be the best
shooter and pure scorer to ever
come out of the basketball-rich
area that has also produced
Stephon Marbury, Sebastian
Telfair and the latest wunderkind
“Born Ready” Lance Stephenson.
At Grady Quincy, in his senior
year, had three games in the sixties, including the game that he
set the P.S.A.L.record for
treys hitting 17of 21 in one of his
sixty-point efforts which was
a much more significant feat than
the other Islanders whose high
scoring performances came at
significantly closer distances
called lay-ups.
The irony here, of course, is
that the Knicks and the Kings
combined for a 1-11 Summer
League record.
I guess “I Doubylieve” t-shirts
were never bought by either organization.
Rookie Giants have something to prove at camp
By Jason Clinkscales
Just about a year ago in Albany, the New York Giants
opened training camp as the
defending Super Bowl champs
with brimming confidence and
the chance to be an even better team than the one that
downed the New England Patriots almost six months earlier.
Yet, the challenges the 2008
season presented were too
much for even the most dominant of championship teams to
overcome. General manager
Jerry Reese sought out the
remedy what ailed the team in
the second half of ’08; bigger
wide receivers, a bolstered
linebacker corps and a deeper
roster of defensive linemen.
What may come of these
moves for the 2009 campaign
begins to be understood when
camp opens at SUNY-Albany in
less than two weeks.
Training camps are proving
grounds for the unknown; rookies drafted high because of a
pressing need for youth and
skill; veterans looking to show
no ill effects of wear, tear and
repair and coaches trying to
leave their mark at the next
level. Yet, the most scrutinized
positional battle at this year
camp will focus on wide receivers as quarterback Eli Manning
will have two different starters
to throw to this year.
Gone are franchise-leading
wideout Amani Toomer because
of the need to get younger and
franchise-testing Plaxico
Burress because of his legal
The Giants need Hixon to show that he is legit WR and Giants 3rd year WR has to come up big for the G-Men this
not a special team demon.
year.
(Photos by Marc Rasbury)
troubles. Enter rookies Hakeem
Nicks and Ramses Barden, both
whom are expected to compete
in order to provide Manning the
tall, deep play threat that Burress
was in his time in New York.
Steve Smith, Toomer’s heir apparent for the last two seasons
and Burress’ immediate replacement last year, Domineck Hixon
are considered starters, but
Hixon’s placewould appear to be
more tenuous based on the lack
of expected production from last
year.
There’s no question that at every position, there’s some competition to secure a place as ei-
ther a starter, rotating skill player
or as the primary backup. Over the
next few weeks, we will take a look
into several others in depth while
tracking who will be Manning’s
men along the sidelines in 2009.
SPORTS
39
Brazilian import Rosana is a live wire in the attacking line.
Stunning strike from Hanks lifts Sky Blue FC over Red Stars
Since joining Sky Blue FC in
a trade just over three weeks
ago, Kerri Hanks has been patiently waiting for her chance
to make an impact with her new
team. With a dramatic stoppage-time goal that gave her
team’s playoff hopes a major
boost, Hanks finally broke
through as Sky Blue FC
notched a 1-0 victory over the
Chicago Red Stars at Yurcak
Field.
The stunning strike by
Hanks lifted Sky Blue FC’s
record to 6-6-4 for 22 points the first time the team has
reached the .500 mark all season. Sky Blue FC currently sits
in third place - one point ahead
of the Boston Breakers (6-6-3,
21 pts.).. Chicago fell to 4-8-5
for 17 points and dropped to
sixth place.
With the victory, Sky Blue FC
continued its run of good form
with a 3-1-1 mark in its last five
games. With just four games
left in the regular season, the
victory was a crucial one.
The goal by Hanks provided
big relief for Sky Blue FC,
which couldn’t take advantage
of numerous scoring opportunities throughout the game.
The winning play started with
Keeley Dowling carrying the
ball up the right side before sliding a cross through the box.
Hanks took a touch forward and
nailed a right-footed shot from
just inside the box into the right
side of the goal.
“It’s very exciting,” said
Hanks, who came into the game
as a substitute in the 62nd
minute. “It’s not only great for
me but great for the team coming out with a win. We go into
every game looking for three
points and I’m glad I could provide help for the team. Keeley
played a great ball and I took a
touch and just hit it.”
The goal was the second of
the season for Hanks, whose
first goal came as a member of
Saint Louis Athletica. The appearance was her third for Sky
Blue FC - all off the bench.
With the win, Sky Blue FC finished the season series against
the Red Stars with a 3-0-1 mark
including a 4-0 advantage in
goals. Both teams were missing
multiple players in the game
due to international call-ups.
The game started slow as both
teams took the field for the third
time in eight days on a hot afternoon in New Jersey. The win
gave Sky Blue FC a 2-0-1 mark
in that stretch while Chicago
dropped to 1-2 since last Sunday. In the first half, neither
team really threatened with Sky
Blue FC earning the best
chance - a great breakout
started by Julianne Sitch with
Kacey White feeding Natasha
Kai in front for a shot that just
missed the left post in the fifth
minute.
In the second half, the teams
threatened more with Chioma
Igwe just missing the far post
for the Red Stars on a flick
header in the 57th minute.
The teams traded end-to-end
chances in the 67th minute as
Kai had a diving header
blocked off a cross from Kacey
White for Sky Blue FC. At the
other end, Danesha Adams just
missed the right post from 20
yards out. Two minutes later,
Adams went close again blazing
a shot over the crossbar from
distance.
In the 72nd minute, Jen
Buczkowski played through for
Kai but Red Stars goalkeeper
Caroline Jönsson made a spectacular point-blank save to keep
game scoreless. Kai missed again
eight minutes later as Hanks
played in behind but her volley
went over the goal.
Sky Blue FC hits the road for
two games before returning to
Yurcak Field on Wednesday,
Aug. 5th at 7 p.m. for a matchup
with FC Gold Pride. For ticket information, call 888-SBFC-TIX or
visit www.SkyBlueStore.com.
40
OBSERVER
SPORTS
There is no bull in this pen
By Marc Rasbury
the pen.
Hughes struggled out of the gate
as a starter. However, he may have
found a home as a reliever. He has
a .231 avg. against and has struck
out 58 this season. It seems as
Hughes has assumed the lead role
in the bullpen vs. starter controversy.
Robertson and Coke might end
up being the final pieces of the
puzzle. Robertson, the sophomore
righty, has given Girardi solid performances time after time. The kid
sports a .193 avg. against and has
struck out 34 batters in only 23 innings. Coke, the young lefty, has
recorded some of the most exciting outs of the season.
If you need any evidence on how
effective this unit has been, just
take a look at this current home
stand. The Yankees won four
straight games at a 2-1 clip. You
cannot do that without a solid
bullpen. The Yankees are also 10-1
when they go into seventh inning
with a lead. The Yankees’ bullpen
has been perfect since the All-Star
Break, including shutting down the
red-hot Detroit Tigers.
After Joe Torre burned out members of this unit for his last four
years, it is nice to see Girardi manage this young group so effectively. Hats off to the skipper who
appears to emerging from Torre’s
shadow and putting his own stamp
on this squad.
As this unit transforms itself from
a liability to an asset, Yankees management can turn their attention to
other areas. With all Cashman and
Girardi have to worry about in the
Bronx, the Bullpen is nowhere on
that list.
For years the Yankees’ Achille’s
heel has been their bullpen. Joe
Torre spent the latter days of his
tenure in pinstripes trying to find
the right combination to close out
games. Joe Girardi inherited quite
a mess due not only to their inconsistent performances but due
to the Yankees’ bullpen having
been hit with the same injury bug
as their cross-town rivals. But,
through it all, Girardi has assembled an unit that has gone
from a liability to an asset.
There were many questions
coming into this campaign regarding the Yankees’ Bullpen.
First, there was the debate about
“What to do with Joba” If
Chamberlin starts, who will serve
as the bridge to Mariano Rivera?
Brian Bruney was supposed to
be the answer, but the jury is still
out on his keeping the set up role.
What no one can deny is that
Bruney has been very effective
of late and is coming into his own.
Injuries have forced to Girardi
to juggle his pen and go with a
Bullpen-by-Committee. Yet, along
the way the second-year skipper
has come up with a nice combination that has helped propel the
Yankees to the top of the A.L.
East.
When Damaso Marte struggled
early and eventually went on the
DL with shoulder tendinitis, the
red flags went up in earnest.
However, a crop of relatively
young unknowns has more than
held down the fort.
Brett Tomko and Jose Veras
It appears that Phil Hughes has found a home in the Pen.
were supposed to be a big part of
this year’s pen. Now, they are not
even a blip on the radar screen.
After spending a boatload of
money on established relievers
like Kyle Farnsworth and Tom
Gordon, it looks like GM Brian
Cashman has finally come up with
a dependable group of firemen to
be counted on to hold tight leads.
That group includes the likes of
Alfredo Aceves, Philip Hughes,
Phil Coke, David Robertson, and
Bruney. Sergio Mitre, who was
been penciled in as the fifth
starter, could be used to shore up
the pen if Chien-Ming Wang returns or when bodies are added
for the playoffs. Rivera has been
a mainstay for years but, yet it
has been the performances of
Aceves, Bruney, Coke, and
Robertson that have the Yankees
rolling this season.
Aceves is probably the most
versatile member of the pen. He
can get both righties and lefties
out consistently and do it for a
number of innings. Aceves’ endurance also allows Girardi to use
him as an occasional starter like
he did in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over
Baltimore.
Bruney’s ability to keep the Yankees in close games has been one
of the pleasant surprises this sea- Mo has been the pillar of the Yankees bullpen for the last Brian Bruney struggled as a starter, but has found his
son as he has a 3-0 record out of decade.
(Photo By Marc Rasbury)
groove as a reliever.

Philadelphia

Transcription

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