April 26 2012 - The Mississippi Link

Transcription

www.mississippilink.com
Vol. 18, No. 27
April 26 - May 2, 2012
50¢
ESPN selects Callaway’s
Malik Newman as high
school Freshman of the Year
See page 16
First female Republican
mayor in Mississippi dies
United Healthcare and Alcorn
team for a healthier Mississippi
Launches ‘Farm-to-Fork’ Project
Yvonne Brown loved by many
By Gail M. Brown
Editor
There were “free” greens for
the picking by the bagful Monday, April 23, at the Jackson
Medical Mall thanks to United
Healthcare and Alcorn State
University Extension Program.
The two groups partnered to
kick off “Farm-to-Fork,” a project in which they will provide
healthy produce to citizens who
would not ordinarily have easy
and affordable access to them.
“We will deliver fresh vegetables to our Mississippi CAN
and our Mississippi CHIP
members on a weekly basis beginning May 2,” said Jocelyn
C. Carter, president of United
Healthcare Community Plan.
“We will distribute vegetables
at four locations throughout
the state: here in Jackson at
the Medical Mall, the Belzoni
Fire Station, in Indianola at the
Sunflower-Humphreys Com-
By Othor Cain
Managing Editor
Former Tchula Mayor Yvonne
Brown, the first black Republican female mayor in Mississippi, transitioned Monday, April
23. She died of cancer at Baptist
Memorial Hospital in Columbus, Miss. She was 59.
Brown was elected as mayor
in 2001 and served until 2009
in the heavily Democratic town.
Based on the 2010 census, Tchula has a 97 percent black population of about 2,100 citizens.
Brown stood out in this town.
“She was a very good woman,
and she did a lot for Tchula,”
said Charles Evers, the first
black mayor in Mississippi. “I
liked her and the things she was
able to accomplish for a town
like that.
Laverne Stegall agreed.
“Yvonne was innovative, resourceful and giving to the town
Jocelyn C. Carter, president of United Healthcare Community Plan,
left, and Rockiell Woods, Alcorn’s regional extension coordinator,
right, present a bag of greens to Patricia Washington and her grandson Brandon. PHOTO BY GAIL M. BROWN
munity Action Agency, and
in Clarksdale at the Care Station. The partnership is part of
our mission of helping people
live healthier lives and bring-
ing fresh vegetables and fresh
produce to our membership in
Farm-to-Fork
Continued on page 6
African American female
HIV rates now rival Africa
By Boyce Watkins
Yourblackworld.com
Inside
As results are
pouring in from
data collected during National Women and Girls HIV
Awareness Day
(March 10), a new
research study has served as a wake
up call for a community that might
have gone too far. The Center for
Disease Control now estimates that
one out of every 32 black women
will be infected with HIV during
her lifetime. Although black women represent only 14 percent of the
U.S. female population, they constitute 66 percent of all new HIV
infections. The infection rates of
black women in the United States
rival those in the Congo and Kenya.
After hearing about this alarming study and realizing that I have
daughters that I have to protect,
my mind starting racing. I thought
about the things I’ve observed after
countless conversations with other
black men and interacting with
black women in the dating pool. I
also thought about what I’ve read
and analyzed as a social commentator and scholar, thus coming to
these conclusions:
1) We must take a serious look
at the prison industrial complex:
The war on drugs sent hundreds of
thousands of black men to prison
for long periods of time. This dramatic move was no less devastating
to the black family ecosystem than
removing an entire species from
SCLC president out
Isaac Newton fired as
leader
Page 4
the animal kingdom. Women have
fewer men to marry, the children of
these men grow up without fathers,
and men come out of prison without the ability to provide for a family. Additionally, the fact that we’ve
decided to make prison rape into
some kind of joke at cocktail parties means that many lives are lost
when women are infected by the
men for whom they’ve been waiting.
2) Too many black men don’t go
to the doctor: A scholar reached out
to me stating that he does research
on heterosexual black men (not just
the downlow brothers that Oprah
likes to talk about). The researcher
took a random test for Chlamydia
at a local barbershop. During the
test, it was determined that nearly
half (45 per cent) of these men were
infected with the disease, and none
of them knew they were infected. In
a world where mass media encourages black men to have sex with
anything that moves, it’s frightening that there are men who’ve literally slept with five or 10 women per
‘Think Like A Man,’
No. 1 at box office
All-star comedy cast pulls
in more than $35 million
opening weekend
Page 19
year for the last several years and
have never taken an HIV test.
3) Most of the women in the
study didn’t know their own status or that of their partners: It was
bad enough when many men began
teaching each other to be irresponsible in their sexual choices. Things
got worse when women started to
behave like men. While we can
continue scapegoating gay and
heterosexual men for the problems
with the spread of HIV, many of
our so-called “good Christian black
girls” are “gettin it in” in their own
little sexual revolution. Not that sex
is a bad thing, but many of these
women have been led to believe
that you can do whatever you want
and are completely safe as long as
you wear a condom. So, the next
time you share your body with the
guy who swoons you with smooth
words and nice smile, remember
that there may be hundreds of other
women who’ve shared the same
man.
4) Many African Americans are
delaying or walking away from
“
marriage: I am not here to thump
a bible and promote the values of
marriage, for we’ve all seen the
tragedy and financial devastation
that occurs during divorce. But the
deterioration of the black family has
occurred largely because many of
us don’t know the first thing about
what it takes to keep a marriage together. The answer does not lie in a
damn Steve Harvey book (the last
thing we need is for women to start
thinking like men).
Without judging one way or the
other, the fact remains that when
people get married, they usually
have sex with fewer partners than
they did when they were single. So,
the 30-something year old black
woman who might have focused all
of her energy on one man suddenly
finds herself going through two or
three guys per year and promptly
ends up on the wrong end of an
STD exam. It happens regularly,
but this quiet epidemic is hardly
something that any of these women
would advertise on the six o’clock
news.
Life would be a lot simpler if every 25-year-old black woman was
assigned a 42 -year-old mentor who
could be honest about the consequences of her sexual choices. Unfortunately, sex is like going to the
bathroom: Everyone does it, but no
one talks about it. We then end up
repeating the mistakes of our predecessors.
HIV
Continued on page 6
Black women don’t
have the luxury of
staying at home,
”
- Julianne Malveaux
President, Bennet College for Women
Page 11
of Tchula and everyone that
she came in contact with,” said
Stegall, who serves as executive
assistant at The Mississippi Municipal League and first lady of
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in
the Tougaloo Community. “She
was very graceful and a very
strong leader.”
Current
Tchula
Mayor
Sharkey Ford, who served as
Brown’s police chief, said some
of the projects that she implemented are still ongoing including the newly renovated City
Hall Building.
Brown secured $5 million in
economic development for her
community and some of that
money was used for rebuilding
city buildings and other projects.
Johnny DuPree, mayor of
Hattiesburg and former Democratic nominee for governor
said Brown would be missed by
many.
Brown
“When she served as mayor,
she also served as chaplain for
our Association of Black Mayors. She was always forthright,”
Dupree said. “You always knew
where she stood on issues and
Mayor Brown
Continued on page 6
Zimmerman
released from jail
George Zimmerman, left, walks out of jail after posting a $150,000
bond April 22, 2012. (Brian Blanco/AP)
By George E. Curry
NNPA Editor-in-Chief
WASHINGTON (NNPA)
- George Zimmerman,
the
neighborhood
watchman who
killed 17-yearold Trayvon Martin in Sanford,
Fla., was released from jail on
bond shortly after midnight
Monday morning, April 23, and
left for an undisclosed destination.
Zimmerman, who wore a
brown jacket and blue jeans,
was fitted with an electronic
monitoring device before being
released. He was carrying a bag
as he left the facility with an unidentified man in a white BMW,
according to news reports. During a court hearing Friday, April
20. Zimmerman’s bond was set
at $150,000. Because he had to
put up 10 percent of that amount,
only $15,000 was required to secure his release.
Zimmerman has been charged
with second-degree murder and
had been held in custody at Seminole County Jail in Sanford,
Fla. after being arrested 45 days
after the Feb. 26 incident. Police
questioned Zimmerman after the
shooting of the unarmed black
teenager, but released him after
Zimmerman claimed to be acting in self-defense. Florida is one
of more than 20 states that have
enacted Stand Your Ground laws
that give broad protection to citizens who feel their life is being
threatened.
Zimmerman
Continued on page 6
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2 • the mississippi link
April 26 - May 2, 2012
April
Compiled by Othor Cain, Managing Editor
1
Proposed house
redistricting map revealed
A house committee has adopted a proposed redistricting map
which isn’t pleasing democrats. Under the plan, five pairs of
incumbents would fall in the same district, forcing them to run
against each other next election. Three of those pairs would be
democrat against democrat while the other two pairs would be
democrat against republican.
The plan also creates new districts in Desoto, Madison, Oktibbeha and Forrest Counties. Apportionment and elections committee chairman, Rep. Bill Denny, a republican from Jackson said
the plan would create 42 majority-minority districts and reduce
the number of split precincts from 537 to 172. Denny is one of
the republican incumbents who would be forced into another
incumbent’s district under the plan, with the other incumbent being
democratic representative Cecil Brown. Others include:
Kevin Horan, D-Grenada, and Linda Whittington, D-Schlater
• Robert Huddleston, D-Sumner and Tommy Taylor, R-Boyle
• Bennett Malone, D-Carthage and Jason White, D-West
• Bo Eaton, D-Taylorsville and Johnny Stringer, D-Montrose
House democrats plan to come out with their own map.
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Florence man gets
60 years for sexual
battery of a minor
A Florence man was sentenced to serve 60 years after he was
found guilty on two counts of sexual battery and one count of gratification of lust involving a 14-year-old girl.
Malcolm Clifton Weeks, 41, was sentenced following a multi-day
trial and will serve 45 years with the last 15 years suspended, according to Madison and Rankin counties’ District Attorney Michael
Guest
In September 2010, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a sexual assault on a minor.
Deputies learned an adult in the home saw Weeks come out of
the victim’s room. The victim confirmed Weeks had been molesting
her for several months.
DNA evidence matched Weeks’ profile, according to Guest.
“When a little girl cannot trust the person who is supposed to
keep her safe from harm and instead sexually abuses her, then he
deserves to go to jail for a very long time,” Guest said.
Renovations
complete at
Governor’s Mansion
Coleman
Work took 3 months, cost $425,000
After three months and $425,000, the renovations are
complete at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion.
Crews began work in January - a few days after Gov. Phil
Bryant was sworn into office - making major repairs and
upgrades to the 170-year-old building in downtown Jackson.
The outside of the building got a new coat of paint and
repairs were done inside, including modifications to the heating and cooling system and to the ceilings.
The mansion is the second oldest continuously occupied
governor’s residence in the country, and state officials said
preserving it is important.
The guided tours have resumed at the mansion, but it was
not immediately known when the governor and his family
plan to move in.
Weeks
2012
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Cross-dressing shooting
suspect in court
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Bar dismisses
complaint against AG
Hood over political ads
The man wanted for firing shots at a state trooper at a Jackson mall
last Friday (April 20) appeared in Jackson Municipal Court Tuesday
morning (April 24). Wearing a purple skirt, Wilbert Coleman, 26, was
taken into custody on Bailey Avenue Monday morning (April 23).
Coleman is being charged with armed robbery of an individual
and aggravated assault. Jackson Police spokesperson Colendula
Green said, “it appears that he is a known cross dresser so he was
in ladies attire when he was picked up.”
Last Friday, a Mississippi Highway patrolman exchanged gunfire
with Coleman in a Metrocenter parking lot, after the officer saw him
attempt to rob an elderly woman. Coleman fled in a green Buick, but
jumped out on Highway 80 after getting a flat tire.
He fled north and officers gave chase, but they were unable to
find him. Police said they found stolen clothes in their vehicle which
is also under investigation. No one was shot in the incident. 21-yearold Erica Johnson was a passenger in Coleman’s vehicle. She was
arrested and charged with armed robbery.
Bond was denied Tuesday.
The Mississippi Bar has dismissed a complaint against Attorney
General Jim Hood over a political ad tied to the killing of a Louisiana
priest. Attorney Brian Alexander of Bay St. Louis filed the complaint
last November. It alleged Hood’s ad tainted the prospective jury pool
by referring to Jeremy Wayne Manieri as someone who “murdered a
70-year-old priest in cold blood.”
Manieri died in prison in January in an apparent suicide before
going to trial. Alexander was his lawyer.
The political ad was aired during last year’s campaigns. Hood, the incumbent Democrat, defeated Republican Steve Simpson in the Nov. 8
election. The commercial portrayed Simpson as being weak on crime.
The commercial showed a picture of Manieri while a narrator said
that Simpson, a former judge, let a “child molester” out of jail who
later “murdered a 70-year-old priest in cold blood.”
The bar dismissed the complaint April 13 because it said there
wasn’t “clear and convincing evidence” that a violation occurred.
COMMUNITY
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Belinda Kincaid named Breast
Cancer Survivor of the Year
THE mississippi link • 3
Rho Lambda Omega Community Service Awards
Thousands turn out for Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure
By Gail M. Brown
Editor
Organizers of the annual Susan
G. Komen Race for the Cure in the
fight against breast cancer say that
roughly 2,400 people participated
in this year’s Jackson, Miss. event,
held Saturday, April 14, downtown.
Among the thousands of walkers
and runners were Belinda Kincaid
of Grenada, Miss., an eight-year
survivor. “I’m a two-time cancer
survivor - breast cancer and another
cancer,” Kincaid told The Mississippi Link.”
During the event’s program segment, Kincaid was announced the
2012 Breast Cancer Survivor of the
Year by event organizers. “I am very
humbled and accept this award on
behalf of people that lost their battle
and on behalf of people that continue to fight the battle,” Kincaid said.
Kincaid said she is a 54-yearold factory worker and the mother
of one,d a son. “I have one granddaughter, and I’m just truly blessed,”
she said as her face beamed.
Kincaid’s niece submitted a letter
about Kincaid’s breast cancer and
her triumphant ordeal to the Central
Mississippi Chapter of the Susan G.
Komen Race for the Cure. The letter was chosen among the many that
were submitted as part of the award
process.
Friday night (April 13), prior to
the Saturday morning event, the
Central Mississippi Chapter held
a celebration to thank the sponsors
and those involved in the event.
This year’s honorary chairperson
is Mississippi’s First Lady Deborah
Bryant who spoke during the celebration.
According to a WLBT report,
Bryant stated: “Everywhere I go,
Overall Outstanding Achievement Award - Dr. Health Award - Mrs. Clara Reed
Horace L. Buckley
Holding her trophy, Belinda Kincaid, center, is joined by her family
and friends following the walk. PHOTOS BY GAIL M. BROWN
Baptist Health Systems and St. Mary’s Health Ministries collaborative
team.
everybody’s coming up to me. They
want to be a part of it. They’re a
breast cancer survivor or their mother or their sister. So, it’s just amazing
how many people are out there with
breast cancer, but they do survive.
We do get early detection now.”
People of all ages participated in
the race, including young Christopher Tillman who won third-place
in the children’s race. “It felt good
to walk to raise breast cancer awareness,” he said. Tillman and his family were a part of the Baptist Health
Systems and St. Mary’s Health
Ministries collaborative effort.
The Central Mississippi Chapter
serves 65 counties and gives back
75 percent of the funds raised to
breast cancer awareness education,
screening and treatment.
Kincaid said she would tell any
woman or young lady who may
have recently received a breast cancer diagnosis “to think positive and
just believe in the Lord.” “It is very
important to have positive people
around them,” she added.
Social Justice and Human Rights Award - Mr. Support of Women Award - Mrs. Rita Wray
Hollis Watkins
Support of Children and Youth Award - 100 Education Award - MINACT, Inc. (Jacqueline
Beasley)
Black Men (Shelton Swanier)
Pick Up
The Mississippi Link
At The Following Locations:
j a cks o n
Bully’s Restaurant
3118 Livingston Road
cash & carry
Capitol Street and Monument Street
City Hall
219 S President St
Garrett Office Complex
2659 Livingston Road
JJ Mobil
Northside Drive and Flagg Chapel
JSU Student union
1400 J. R. Lynch Street
Liberty Bank and Trust
2325 Livingston Rd.
lumpkins bbq
182 Raymond Road
McDade’s Market
Northside Drive
McDade’s Market #2
653 Duling Avenue
Picadilly Cafeteria
Jackson Medical Mall
350 W Woodrow Wilson Avenue
Piggly Wiggly
2875 McDowell Road
Shell Food Mart
5492 Watkins Drive
SPORTS MEDICINE
Fortification and I-55
Two Sisters Kitchen
707 North Congress - Jackson, MS
Upton tire
Countyline Road and State Street
Murphy USA
6394 Ridgewood Rd (North Jackson)
Dollar General
3957 Northview Dr (North Jackson)
Dollar General
2030 N Siwell Rd
Dollar General
4331 Highway 80W
Dollar General
5990 Medgar Evers Blvd
Dollar General
1214 Capitol St (Downtown Jackson)
Revell Ace Hardware
Terry Rd (South Jackson)
Dollar General
304 Briarwood Dr
Dollar General
2855 McDowell Rd
Dollar General
104 Terry Rd
Rite Aid
380 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave
Rite Aid
114 E. McDowell Rd
Rite Aid
6075 Old Canton Rd
C AN T ON
A&I
716 Roby Street - Canton, MS
B&B
702 West North Street - Canton, MS
Boutique Store
3355 North Liberty - Canton, MS
Bully’s Store
Church Street - Canton, MS
Community Mart
743 Ruby Street - Canton, MS
Fryer Lane Grocery
Martin Luther King Drive - Canton, MS
Hamlin Floral Design
285 Peace Street - Canton, MS
Joe’s Sandwich & Grocery
507 Church Street - Canton, MS
K & K One Stop
110 West Fulton Street - Canton, MS
Lacy’s Insurance
Soul Set Barber Shop
Trailer Park Grocery
22 Westside Drive - Canton, MS
B Y R A M
Dollar General
125 Swinging Bridge Dr.
HAVIOR’S AUTO CARE
5495 I-55 South Frontage Road
VowelL’s Market Place
5777 Terry Road
C L I N T ON
Dollar General
807 Berkshire St - Clinton, MS
R I D G E L AN D
Rite Aid
398 Hwy 51
T erry
Mardi Gras Café
106 West Cunningham Avenue
R a ym o n d
Hinds Community College
NATIONAL
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Voter ID law recalls days Racial profiling
is on ‘steroids’
of Civil Rights fight
By Eric Mayes
Special to the NNPA from the
Philadelphia Tribune
PHILADELPHIA - For Joseph C. Certaine, it’s like the
state’s new voter ID law has
turned the hands of time back to
1964, and he’s leading an effort
similar to those that helped turn
the tide during the Civil Rights
era - to make sure voters across
the state have the identification
they need to vote.
“It is not unlike those old voter registration drives,” said Certaine, co-convener of the Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition, a
former city managing director,
and long-time political activist.
“I was heavily involved, in my
younger days, in voter registration efforts here in Pennsylvania and in Georgia and Mississippi. We went through all of
this 50 years ago, 40 years ago,
30 years ago.”
The state estimates that onemillion people lack the identification needed to vote in the
general election.
The coalition, a group of
more than 70 organizations
from across the state, has taken
up the task of making sure that
every voter knows that they
need identification - and that
they have it in time to cast their
ballot in the Nov. 6 election.
“For all future elections, if
you want to vote … you must
present an acceptable photo
ID,” said Ellen Mattleman Kaplan, vice president and policy
director at the Committee of
Seventy, which is also part of
the coalition. “If you forget
your photo ID, you will have to
vote by provisional (paper) ballot. In order for your provisional ballot to count, you have six
calendar days after the election
to provide your county Board
of Elections with a copy of an
acceptable photo ID and an affirmation that you are the same
person who cast the provisional
ballot.”
If you don’t follow up, the
vote is not counted.
The coalition is urging voters
to get the ID needed to avoid a
bureaucratic nightmare.
There are a number of acceptable IDs. They include: a
valid driver’s license, a U.S.
passport, military identification
card, an employee ID card from
any municipality in Pennsylvania and a valid student identification.
For those without one of
those forms of ID, the state will
provide one through PennDOT.
In theory, the state will provide
the ID for free. But in practice,
getting a photo ID can cost
nearly $25.
Some people will be required
to submit a birth certificate to
get the state ID, something that
costs $10. It is also something
that can take months to get. According to Certaine, the wait,
because of a backlog, can take
up to 14 weeks. And, before
PennDOT will provide a free
ID card, the applicant has to
“attest” that they cannot afford
to purchase one. The word “attest” is key - because it means
that the applicant must swear
under oath they cannot afford
By Freddie Allen
NNPA Washington Correspondent
Joseph C. Certaine, co-convener of the Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition, speaks at a recent town hall meeting in Germantown, explaining the requirements of the state’s new law, which requires voters to
present a valid, state-approved ID before they can cast their ballot in
the Nov. 6 election. The coalition is looking for volunteers to station
at polling places across the city on April 24 as it seeks to educate
voters about the new law.
to buy one - a hurdle that could
scare potential voters away. If
they refuse to attest they will be
charged $13.50 for an ID.
In addition, the state has laid
out a series of rules that govern
the information needed to receive a state ID. It can be complicated.
As an example, Certaine said
that young adults, without a
valid ID, must be able to prove
to the state where they live - by
providing their address, and if
they are unable to provide documentation that they live there,
must bring a parent who is required to attest that the applicant does reside at that address.
Kaplan cites another example
of the red tape involved in the
law.
If a voter’s name changes,
say through a marriage, and it
no longer matches the name on
the ID, then a voter could be
requested to bring paperwork
- like a marriage certificate - in
order to receive an ID.
“PennDOT
recommends
bringing documents that ‘connect’ the names,” she said.
The red tape is expected to
reduce the number of people
who vote. But, Certaine said
he’s not going to let anyone
give him excuses. He’s heard
them all before - at the height of
the Civil Rights battle.
“Back then we would have
people tell us ‘it’s going to
get us in trouble,’ ‘it’s going
to make life difficult for my
family,’ ‘That their one vote
wouldn’t make any difference,’” he recalled. “We had to
beat back the nonsense of it not
being worth it to get people to
understand that regardless of
what they do they are going to
have be represented.”
He points to the ID law as
an example.
“I submit to you, that had
more people voted in 2010
we might not have the people
right now who enacted this
legislation and signed it into
law,” he said. “So, voting is
very, very important. It’s critical … it has an impact on your
day to day life. Saying it’s too
much trouble is no excuse
whatsoever.”
The coalition is looking for
volunteers to help out at polling places in the April 24 primary, when it hopes to have a
representative in about 1,300
polling places across the city.
Volunteers will be asked to
help educate voters about the
new law, and what they need
to do to comply.
Contact staff writer Eric
Mayes at (215) 893-5742 or
[email protected].
WASHINGTON - “Well, who
are they coming to get now?” That’s
what Norman Murray thought as police officers ran in his direction with
guns drawn. Murray, a native Washingtonian with a slim build and matted dreadlocks, looked around to see
who the cops were chasing through
his neighborhood in the Trinidad
section of Northeast Washington,
D.C.
Then the officers started firing questions at him. “Where’s the
heroine?” The female police officer
barked, “You’re a dread. Where’s
the weed at? We know you called
somebody to sell some weed. Who
did you call?”
Murray, who was neither using
nor selling marijuana, couldn’t believe what was happening.
Before he could make sense of the
senseless, another officer snatched
the can of ice tea Murray was drinking out of his hand and sniffed it for
the scent of alcohol. When there was
no hint of alcohol, he tossed the can
to the pavement, spilling tea on the
sidewalk. Unsatisfied, the officers
continued to rifle through his pockets. They found his house keys and
tossed them aside, too. They found
a cell phone, a bag of M&Ms and
$1,000 he had to purchase a money
order to pay that month’s rent. No
drugs. No alcohol. No reason to take
him to jail.
Murray watched helplessly as
one of the officers stuffed his rent
money into his pocket. Murray said
they kept his cell phone for a month.
It took eight months to get his rent
money back, and when he did, Murray said, $250 was missing.
“It’s not like they don’t know who
sells drugs,” Murray said, recalling
the shocking events that took place
a little over a year ago.
It’s an all too familiar scene played
out on the corners of our nation’s
most impoverished neighborhoods:
black men targeted by law enforcement without cause.
In his 2010 book, “The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry
Louis Gates Jr. and Race, Class, and
Crime in America,” Harvard Law
School professor Charles Ogletree
found that racial profiling cuts across
class and racial divides. Ogletree
recounted stories that many prominent Africa-American leaders shared
with him about their experiences.
“The examples of it affecting
people that were doctors, teachers,
lawyers, entrepreneurs, clergy and
other professions was a profound
reminder that it’s very widespread
and deeply affects our community,”
Ogletree said.
Professor Ogletree’s book highlights example after example of Africa-American men who were not engaged in any type of criminal activity
yet were still profiled by police.
Even Eric Holder, now U.S. attorney general, wasn’t able to avoid
a plight experienced every day by
black men in America.
Holder shared an experience he
had in the 1980s as an undergrad at
Columbia University in New York.
As he traveled home to Washington,
D.C., he was pulled over by police.
Even though they told him he had
done nothing wrong, they still wanted to search his car for drugs.
A 2008 study conducted by the
Bureau of Justice Statistics illustrated the perils of DWB - driving while
black.
Although blacks, whites, and
Hispanics were stopped by police at
similar rates, blacks were three times
(12.3 percent) as likely as whites
(3.9 percent) and twice as likely as
Latinos (5.8) to be searched during
a traffic stop. Blacks were also more
likely to “experience the use or threat
of force” than other groups.
Other studies have shown that
stopping more blacks doesn’t stop
more crime.
“The data on racial profiling is
unequivocal and it comes from all
across the country,” said David Harris, a professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh and an expert on
racial profiling.
“When police use race, or ethnic
appearance, or religious appearance
in this way, they do not become more
accurate. In fact they don’t even stay
as accurate, they become less accurate than police officers and security
agents who do not use these practices,” Harris said.
More police need to be asking,
what makes a person suspicious, said
Ronald Davis, chief of police for the
City of Palo Alto, Calif.
“Is it their behavior? Are they engaged in criminal activity? Or, is it
because they’re wearing a hoodie
and they’re black?”
At a recent Senate hearing Captain Frank Gale, national second vice
president of the Fraternal Order of
Police, scoffed at the idea that racial
profiling even exists
Despite admitting that he, too,
had been a victim of racial profiling,
Gale, who is black, said that racial
profiling was just “hyped up by activists, the media and others with a
political agenda.”
Laura Murphy, director of the
Washington, D.C. legislative office
for the American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU), said the problem extends the black community to other
groups such as Latinos, Muslims and
Asians.
“The only way that we’re going to
deal with this is to embrace groups
outside the black community,” she
said. “We have racial profiling on
steroids now. It’s hard out here, even
when you’re trying to do the right
things.
Farris out as SCLC president
Special to the Atlanta Voice
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) national president Isaac Newton
Farris Jr., who accepted the
group’s top leadership post just
nine months ago, has been replaced as head of the venerable
civil rights organization, officials announced Friday (April
20).
SCLC board president Dr.
Bernard LaFayette would not
say whether Farris resigned or
was removed, choosing instead
to characterize the move as a
“change in leadership” and a
“transition” in the group’s history.
LaFayette thanked Farris for
stepping up to help lead the organization after the untimely
death of its president Howard
Creecy last July, but said the
SCLC now is looking for new,
younger leadership.
“Isaac Farris stepped in and
did a magnificent job. He gave
us the best that he could and all
that he could during this point
in time,” LaFayette said. “Now we
want to move forward with young
leadership
and
encourage young
people to carry
out and expand the
mission” of nonviolence.
LaFayette also
would not comment substantially
on speculation that
Farris and board
members frequently clashed over
policy or about
rumors that the
board was growing
increasingly dissatisfied with Farris’ leadership.
Farris
SCLC
vicepresident C.T. Vivian - who accepted that role in January - will
take over as interim president,
LaFayette said.
A search committee to identify a permanent replacement
for Farris will be named in the
coming weeks, he said. SCLC
officials hope to identify a new
candidate for the top post by the
group’s annual convention this
summer, he said.
STATE
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Rankin County Schools’ lawn care
News Briefs
provider gets 5 years for fraud
From Across The State
By Monica Land
Contributing writer
State Auditor Stacey Pickering
said that Malcolm Sanders, the
former lawn care provider for the
Rankin County school system, will
spend the next five years behind
bars for billing the school for work
he did not perform.
Sanders was arrested April 11,
2011 by special agents with the
state auditor’s office after a thorough investigation revealed that
Sanders was not performing the
work or providing the purchased
product as detailed in his contract
or invoices he submitted to Rankin
County Schools.
“Our investigation uncovered
invoices from Sanders Lawn Service for $80,260.30 for pine straw
purchased that was never provided to Rankin County School
District,” said Pickering. “Sanders
Lawn Service created documents
that concealed the fact that the
pine straw was not provided to the
Rankin County School District as
reflected on the invoices submitted
for payment.”
Sanders pleaded guilty to two
counts of wire fraud in Rankin
County Circuit Court. He was
ordered to make full restitution,
$141,331.06, which includes principal, interest, investigative costs
and court costs. Full restitution
must be repaid within four years
after his release from prison.
Sanders was sentenced to serve
10 years with five years suspended
in the custody of Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).
At the time of the investigation,
Sanders was the owner of Sanders
Lawn Service and had a service
contract with the Rankin County
School District, along with other
school districts in the Jackson area.
“It is very important to me as
state auditor that we send a message to the public that we hold
criminals accountable,” Pickering
said. “Especially when they steal
County Circuit Judge Swan
Yerger denied such a request
from the defense. Instead of
life in prison, Cole would then
have faced a maximum 20
years.
The case drew widespread
attention for two weeks in
November 2007 while police
searched for the missing student.
Norman went missing after
a class on Nov. 13, 2007. Her
body was found Nov. 29, 2007,
in a wooded area of north Jackson near Tougaloo College.
About a month before her
disappearance, Norman filed
an assault charge and accused
Cole of hitting her in the face
in a Pearl restaurant’s parking
lot.
Cole’s attorney, then-Assistant Public Defender Matt
Eichelberger,
argued during
Cole’s
trial
that Norman
and Cole’s relationship had
been rife with
violent
episodes. He said
Cole
loved Cole
Norman and
would not have
intentionally killed her.
“What happened wasn’t
murder,’’ he told the jury.
Now Eichelberger will argue that same thing before the
Court of Appeals. He will also
argue that Cole’s trial should
have been moved out of Hinds
County because of pre-trial
publicity. He said there are other issues as well.
“I’m very much looking for-
Contributing Writer
Man sentenced to life as habitual offender
Rickman has prior charges of armed robbery
A Pearl River County man has been sentenced as a habitual offender to spend the rest
of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Hattiesburg American reports that District Circuit Court Judge Anthony Mozingo imposed the sentence on Matthew Thomas Rickman during a hearing Friday, April 20.
Rickman had been convicted by a Pearl River County jury April 12 of armed robbery,
aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Texan gets 40 months for smuggling $109K
Sanders
taxpayer dollars and money that
could be used for our students in
the classroom.”
Court sets arguments in appeal in student’s death
The Associated Press
The Mississippi Court of
Appeals has scheduled oral arguments in the case of a man
convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Jackson State University student Latasha Norman.
A Hinds County jury convicted Stanley Cole of murder
in February 2010. Cole, now
28, acknowledged killing the
20-year-old woman, but maintains it was an accident. He said
the two were fighting in the car
when Norman hit her head and
he couldn’t resuscitate her.
The Clarion-Ledger reports
that oral arguments are scheduled for May 16 in Cole’s appeal.
Cole’s attorney will argue
that the jury should have been
allowed to consider a manslaughter verdict. Then-Hinds
by Monica Land,
Norman
ward to presenting Mr. Cole’s
case to our Court of Appeals,’’
Eichelberger said. “I’ve got a
lot to say.’’
Since her death, a counseling
center at JSU has been named
after Norman.
Also, her case was cited in
the passage of two new laws to
widen the protections provided
for domestic violence victims
and increase funding for efforts
to fight domestic abuse.
A 23-year-old Brownsville, Texas man will spend 40 months in prison for smuggling more
than $100,000 from Georgia to Mexico after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transport currency out of the United States.
The Sun Herald reports U.S. District Judge Walker Gex III imposed the sentence against
Gilbert Cuello III Wednesday, April 18, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
A Jackson County deputy stopped Cuello Oct. 6, 2011 in an SUV on Interstate 10 for a
seat-belt violation. Cuello and his wife told the deputy they were returning home to Texas
after a trip to Georgia.
Inside the vehicle, deputies found bundles of cash wrapped in plastic. More bundles were
later found stuffed into a lead-lined stereo speaker. The total seized was $109,131.
3 sentenced for threatening informant
Three people have been sentenced in a case in which reputed gang members and associates were accused of threatening informants in a methamphetamine investigation.
U.S. Attorney John Dowdy announced in a news release that Ervie Lee Fairbanks, 29,
was sentenced to almost three and a half years and Chasity Arulize Huff, 24, was sentenced
to just short of three years. Dowdy said both are from Waveland and are ranking member of
the Simon City Royals street gang.
Yvette Janel Hayden, 25, of Pass Christian, an affiliate of the gang, was sentenced to
about 2-1/2 years.
All three had been charged with conspiracy, witness tampering and retaliating against a
witness. They were accused of obstruction in Harrison County and making threats by phone
calls, text messages and posts on Facebook.
Catholic school to shut doors
Canton’s only Catholic school will close its doors at the end of the academic year.
Church leaders tell The Clarion-Ledger that Holy Child Jesus Catholic School has struggled with enrollment the last several years, which caused the school to reduce grades to the
current pre-K through second-grade.
In addition to the resulting reduction in tuition income, the Catholic Diocese of Jackson
said last week the recession hurt the school’s funding partners, leaving them unable to provide additional funding.
Holy Child Jesus Catholic School was established in 1947 for kindergarten through second grade students in rural Madison County.
The school currently has 43 students. At its height, the school had more than 300 students in kindergarten through 12th-grade and a teacher and support staff of more than 25.
Peoples Funeral Home Bryant approves state
Just an honest, quality and affordable service.
takeover of Aberdeen schools
In recognition of 86 years of service,
we are offering an affordable
complete funeral service for
$2,450.00 or $3,800.00 with
cemetery space and grave line.
Earl S. Banks • President
James “Jimmy” Stewart III • Vice President
Kimberly Banks • Secretary-Treasurer
You have our promise and
we ask for your trust.
886 North Farish St.
Jackson, MS 39202
601-969-3040
Note: Prices subject to change without notice.
The Associated Press
How bad were management problems in the Aberdeen school district,
where Gov. Phil Bryant approved a
state takeover Friday, April 20?
Consider this example, cited in
a state investigation, of how school
board intervention in graduation decisions usually made by administrators helped cost the district its school
resource officers:
Aberdeen school board members
decided in spring 2011 to admit
all comers to the Aberdeen High
School graduation, instead of following the administration’s previous practice of giving each senior
a limited number of tickets to invite
guests. The board also mandated the
ceremony move from the football
field to the gymnasium, which holds
fewer people. After people were
left outside an overflowing gym,
a school board member went outside to single out another person to
be let in. Other locked-out relatives
protested, culminating in a school
resource officer using a stun gun to
subdue one person.
The city of Aberdeen subsequently ended its agreement to provide school resource officers to the
district, apparently because of the
fracas. And in December, the board
terminated
then-Superintendent
Chester Leigh, citing him for buying
two vehicles for a new district-run
security force without board approval.
It was the firing of Leigh and the
district’s business manager on the
same day that set off alarm bells for
state authorities, leading to an investigation that found Aberdeen was
violating 31 of 37 state accreditation
standards.
Bryant ousted the current school
board, hours after the state Board of
Education asked him to sweep aside
the current leadership. The Board
of Education approved hiring Bob
Strebeck to act as conservator in the
district, in place of a local superintendent.
Strebeck will be paid $170,000
a year, plus $29,000 in travel expenses. A retired Newton County
administrator, Strebeck has been
conservator in four other districts,
most recently Sunflower County.
Strebeck could take control as
early as Monday, April 23. The
move abolishes the current school
board, and state officials said the
interim superintendent would be
demoted to his former post of operations manager.
Bryant said in a statement that
it was “imperative’’ for the state to
take the reins of the district, which
educates more than 1,400 students
in parts of Monroe County.
“Accreditation violations, state
and federal law violations and a
continued pattern of poor student
performance are unfortunate and
will not be tolerated,’’ Bryant said in
a statement. “The students and community of Aberdeen deserve better.’’
Aberdeen becomes the eighth
Mississippi school district under
state control, joining Drew, Hazlehurst, Indianola, North Panola,
Okolona, Sunflower County and
Tate County.
State Superintendent Tom Burnham said the state’s first focus would
be to examine the records of high
school seniors to make sure each met
the requirements for graduation. The
state found that Aberdeen, despite
what the state says has a 64 percent
dropout rate, allowed some seniors
to graduate last year even though
their files didn’t document that they
met graduation requirements.
Burnham said Strebeck has done
well as a conservator in taking stock
of districts and setting up new structures.
The state moved to take over the
Aberdeen district after an investigation found rampant interference by
local school board members in the
affairs of the low-performing district.
In moving ahead, the state ignored Aberdeen Mayor-elect Cecil
Belle’s request, in a letter to Burnham, to give him a chance to clean
up the mess and retain local control.
Belle wrote that he and the incoming Board of Aldermen would seek
the resignations of the three school
board members appointed by the
Former Aberdeen School District
Superintendent Chester Leigh (pictured) was fired in December 2011 for
reportedly buying two vehicles for a
new district-run security force without
board approval. Leigh’s termination
set off a chain of events that led to the
state taking over the school district
Friday and Gov. Phil Bryant removing
the entire sitting school board.
city. The other two are elected.
The state review indicated the
school district was paying for home
Internet service for school board
members, a possible ethics violation. Burnham said he wasn’t aware
of any criminal or state auditor’s investigation into Aberdeen.
The inquiry also found that the
board’s hiring, firing and promotion decisions were influenced by
a “system of favoritism and retaliation.’’ The state said that at least two
board members “frequently’’ visited
schools as if they were supervising
teachers and that board members
took complaints from employees.
The state said Aberdeen didn’t
follow federal law on special education and must repay $215,000 in federal money. The state said Aberdeen
would also have to repay $52,755
in state money, because the district
didn’t document time worked by
some employees.
The state found that one elementary school lacked a librarian and
that high school students were getting no career and college counseling. High school science labs were
marked “closed until further notice’’
in March and no students had gotten
lab time this year.
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Farm-to-Fork
HIV
Continued from page 1
areas that have been identified
as food deserts.” Carter said the
program will last from May until
September, but the group does
anticipate it being an annual
program. “But right now, we’re
just scheduled for the crop season from May to September. We
are helping people make healthy
choices.”
Alcorn’s end of the partnership is to produce the vegetables. The bag of vegetables are
free for those who can present
their United Healthcare identification cards. Additional bags
may be acquired for $5 per bag
by members and by non-United
Healthcare-card-holding members.
Rockiell Woods, regional extension coordinator for Alcorn,
defined food deserts as usu-
ally those small towns that are
not able to have access to fresh
healthy fruits and vegetables
within a 10-mile radius; within a
city, it’s a one-mile radius. “We
have off-campus centers or demonstration farms. One is located
in Mound Bayou, Miss. which
is the Mississippi Delta, and the
other one is located in Preston,
Miss., which is in East Mississippi. We also have a processing
facility located in Marks, Miss.,
and it is also in the Delta,” he
said.
Bob Williams of United
Healthcare said they are so excited about the program. “We
are excited to not only be able
to provide this food that they
can utilize, but also help teach
people about health and wellness
and how to prepare this food in a
more healthy way. So, we think
it is a plus for Mississippi, as
well as for United, the Division
of Medicaid and DFA.”
Mattie Pearl Runnels of Jackson was one of the many individuals who attended the “Farm-toFork” kickoff. She said, “It feels
good to receive these vegetables.
I think the program is wonderful.” Recipient Patricia Washington concurred.
The Mississippi Link Managing Editor Othor Cain, a health
advocate, served as program
guide for the kick-off event.
For more information about
the United Healthcare and Alcorn State University “Farm-toFork” Project, contact Tangela
Parker, United Healthcare manager of business development at
(601) 718-6612.
“I loved her spirit, she was
just a beautiful person inside
and out,” DuPree said.
Brown is survived by her
daughters, Nichole Barnett of
Madison and Alyia Barnett of
Jackson; mother, Hilda Rayford
of Lexington; sisters LaVonne
Rayford Chestang of Lexington
and Gail Rayford Ambeau of
Jackson; and two grandchildren.
Homegoing services have
been set for Saturday, May 5
at 10 a.m. at New Jerusalem
Church, 5708 Old Canton Road
in Jackson.
Mayor Brown
that is a very rare quality in today’s world.”
Brown was born in Chicago,
but her parents are from Mississippi. In 1995, she and her
husband moved to Tchula and
started a ministry to be near her
parents.
TM
Volume 18 • Number 27
April 26 - May 2, 2012
© copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Chairman.................................................L. Socrates Garrett
Publisher.................................................Jackie Hampton
Managing Editor.....................................Othor Cain
Editor.......................................................Gail M. Brown
Religion Editor........................................Daphne Higgins
Photographers........................................Kevin Robinson & Jay Johnson
Graphics..................................................Marcus Johnson
Writer.......................................................Monica Land
Member:
The Mississippi Link [USPS 017224] is published weekly
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P.O. Box 11307, Jackson, MS 39283-1307 or e-mail us
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The Mississippi Link accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials and in general does not return them
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of editorial or graphic content, is prohibited.
5) We seem to forget that there
are STDs other than HIV: While
everyone loves to focus on the
deadliest and most highly publicized sexually transmitted disease,
HIV, we often forget that there
is an equally-alarming rise in the
percentage of black folks being diagnosed with Herpes, Gonorrhea,
Chlamydia, HPV and Syphilis. So,
checking your partner’s HIV status, quite frankly, isn’t enough. The
sexually promiscuous person who
brags about his/her negative HIV
test may be carrying other “goodies” that can be yours for just one
drunken night in the sack.
The fact is that sex in America
has become dangerous and serious. While getting tested, checking
your partner’s status and protecting
yourself are incredibly important,
this may not be enough. Instead, we
must reconsider the systemic, cultural and personal factors that keep
us from building sustainable families. We must also think about how
these factors encourage us to engage
in risky behavior (yes, black men
and women are influenced by hip
hop artists who brag about having
sex with hundreds of women at the
same time). There is no such thing
as 100 per cent safe sex, so perhaps
the old fashioned idea of respecting
your body might apply from here on
out. Either way, something needs to
change, and following the crowd is
a great way to end up dead.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a professor
at Syracuse University and founder
of the Your Black World Coalition.
say he looks?
Zimmerman: … late teens.
Dispatcher: Late teens, OK.
Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark
O’Mara, said on “CBS This
Morning” that Zimmerman would
not have apologized to the Martin
family if O’Mara had known the
family felt it was the wrong time.
The nationally-televised bond
hearing raised as many questions
as it answered.
Supporters of Trayvon were
disappointed that Dale Gilbreath,
one of state’s lead investigators,
performed so poorly on the witness stand.
An affidavit of probable cause,
signed by Gilbreath and another
investigator, T.C. O’Steen, stated:
“Zimmerman confronted Martin
and a struggle ensued.”
Under questioning by defense
attorney Mark O’Mara, the investigator acknowledged that he did
not know who initiated the fight.
Gilbreath was also unable to defend his assertion that Zimmerman had profiled Trayvon.
For tactical reasons, prosecutors
typically try to disclose as little information as possible during pretrial proceedings, such as a bond
hearing. However, because the
state requested that Zimmerman’s
bond be set at $1 million, they
were expected to make a stronger
showing in court. The defense requested a bond of $15,000, which
is the amount he ultimately paid to
secure his release.
The decision to put Zimmerman
on the stand at his bond hearing
could later be problematic for the
defense. If a decision is made to
not let Zimmerman take the stand
at his murder trial, some jurors
may hold that against him, though
the judge will certainly instruct
them not to infer anything from
that decision.
Until his trial, Zimmerman will
be out on bond but will have his
whereabouts monitored via satellite by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr.
imposed a 7 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew on
Zimmerman, lifted his passport,
and said he cannot have access to
guns or alcohol, and must not have
any contact with Trayvon’s family. A GPS tracking device will be
used to monitor his movements.
The teen’s parents placed a
‘‘Card of Thanks” advertisement
in the Miami Herald’s obituary
page on Sunday, April 22.
In the ad is a photograph of
Trayvon wearing a hoodie, a garment he was wearing when he was
killed.
The parents said they “wish to
express their heartfelt appreciation
for all your words of encouragement, your peaceful rally support,
the millions who signed petitions,
poems, painting, music, video
tributes, monetary gifts to our defense fund (Wepay.com) and all
other acts of kindness shown to
them during this difficult time.”
Zimmerman
It was only after widespread
protests, many led by students,
Al Sharpton and other civil rights
leaders, that a special prosecutor
was appointed by the governor.
The prosecutor skipped impaneling a grand jury and filed the second-degree murder charge against
Zimmerman.
Attorneys for Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy
Martin, have argued that Zimmerman was the aggressor, following
the youth on a rainy night after being instructed by a police dispatcher not to trail the teenager. On one
tape of a call Zimmerman made to
police the night of Feb. 26, the dispatcher specially told Zimmerman
not to follow the teen. He replied,
“Okay,” but pursued him anyway.
After a physical confrontation,
Zimmerman pulled his 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol and fatally shot Martin once in the chest.
While being questioned by his
attorney, Zimmerman apologized
to Martin’s parents, who were in
attendance at the bond hearing.
“I wanted to say I am sorry
for the loss of your son. I did not
know how old he was. I thought
he was a little bit younger than
I am, and I did not know if he
was armed or not,” Zimmerman
said.
However, that directly contradicts what Zimmerman, 28, said
on police tapes. There was this
exchange:
Dispatcher: How old would you
BUSINESS
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Racially profiling black businesses
By Ron Busby
NNPA Chairman
The positive
demonstrations
of support for
the family of
Trayvon Martin
following
his tragic death,
and the nationwide evidence
of unified response (hoodies
everywhere) and the call for
justice are inspiring signs of
a renewed spirit among African Americans and others
committed to correcting the
obvious inequities exposed in
the wake of this travesty.
Clearly, nothing we encounter in the world of business can be equated to the
senseless slaying of this
young man. And as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught
us in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” “… injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere…”
We are clear that there is
no way the shock, hurt and
grief Trayvon’s family endures because of the absolutely inhuman conduct of
one misguided individual can
be compared to the struggles
of businessmen and women.
We can’t help, however, but
draw parallels to the inequity
black business owners must
contend with each and every
day.
The deck is stacked against
you: When the courts rule
against you… when financial institutions refuse to extend credit to you… when
even governments you support through your tax dol-
T O
B E
lars can’t bring themselves to
provide equal opportunity…
well, you get the picture. As a
class, the businesses we work
hard to represent face odds
no other group faces in this
country.
And just as there are incredulous voices that somehow defend the series of bad
decisions that resulted in the
senseless snuffing out of a
young life, there are those
who believe there is nothing
wrong with a marketplace
that delivers fractional percentage points of opportunity
to black-owned businesses.
You’ve seen the numbers
in this space before. According to the Census Bureau,
there are 1.9 million privately
held black-owned businesses
across every industry sec-
E Q U A L
National Urban League earns
top ratings for management
and accountability
By Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“It is not only
what we do, but
also what we do
not do, for which
we are accountable.”
- The great
French Playwright, Moliere
The National Urban League,
now in its 102nd year, has
played an indispensable role in
the empowerment of African
American and working class
citizens, while challenging the
nation to live up to its promise
of liberty and justice for all.
[The] arrest of George Zimmerman, a first step towards
justice for the family of Trayvon Martin, was a reminder
of what we as Americans can
achieve when we collectively
stand up and speak out for fairness, common sense and the
rule of law.
The National Urban League
is also lending its voice and
expertise to efforts to improve
the education of our children,
the health of our families, and
the economic vitality of our
communities. But even as we
celebrate these accomplishments, I am determined that
the organization never lose
sight of its responsibility to be
a good steward of the public’s
trust and support. That is why,
as the League prepares for its
July 25-28 annual conference
in New Orleans, I thought I
would take a moment to thank
our many supporters and to remind everyone of our unwavering commitment to financial
and organizational accountability. It is a record we can
be proud of. But don’t take my
word for it.
Last year, the Chicago Tribune named the National Urban League the top charity
serving African Americans. In
addition, Charity Navigator, an
independent evaluator of more
than 2000 charities, gives the
National Urban League four
stars, its highest rating. This
rating signifies that the National Urban League exceeds
industry standards and outperforms most comparable charities in the area of strong fiscal
management.
CharityWatch, formerly the
American Institute of Philanthropy, an organization the New
York Times has called, “the pit
bull of watchdogs,” also gives
the National Urban League its
top “A” rating. The organization explains, “Of the approximately 600 charities currently
rated by CharityWatch, only a
select number qualify for our
listing of Top-Rated charities
based on our rigorous analysis.
Groups included on the TopRated list generally spend 75
percent or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25
or less to raise $100 in public
support, do not hold excessive
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assets in reserve, and receive
“open book” status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to CharityWatch.”
The National Urban League
is also accredited with the Better Business Bureau, meaning
that the organization meets the
BBB’s 20 standards for charity
accountability.
The ratings of all these independent evaluators give donors and potential donors the
information they need to make
intelligent giving decisions. In
these tough economic times,
charitable organizations are
being scrutinized more closely
and donors have a right to expect that their contributions
are being properly spent. The
National Urban League is
pleased that our fiscal soundness and the effective management of our resources have
been recognized by these
trusted watchdog organizations. It demonstrates that a
donor’s investment in the National Urban League is safe
and sound and is being used
for the mission-related purposes for which it was intended. Our commitment to good
stewardship and accountability remains strong. Together,
we have a lot of work to do
and we are grateful for your
continued support.
Marc H. Morial is president
and CEO of the National Urban League.
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tor in the United States. We
employ more than 921,000
people and generate $137.5
billion in annual revenue.
According to a report by the
Nielsen Company, African
Americans spend more than a
trillion hard-earned dollars in
the U.S. economy. Tragically,
even this spending does not
translate to reciprocity in the
form of contracting/vendor
relationships from the corporations that benefit from our
dollars.
Tragically, the giant loopholes in regulations guiding
federal, state and local uti-
lization of ethnic minority
suppliers allow for interpretations that boggle the mind and devastate our businesses
and their hope for a brighter
future.
It is beyond unfortunate
that it takes the senseless
slaying of a future businessman, a future lawyer, a future
elected official, a future husband and father to cause us to
take stock of all the inequity
around us.
But it is the re-awakened
sense of outrage that will fuel
our commitment to correct
the wrongs we see around us.
And though our commitment to improving opportunities for black-owned businesses across this country
is solid and sincere, the outpouring of support for justice
in Florida fortifies us and
strengthens our resolve to
stay on the battlefield.
There is no doubt that the
same energy that awakened
so many of us to Trayvon’s
murder is the same energy
that will drive our achieving
economic parity in America’s
marketplace.
Ron Busby is president of
the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc.
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Bates Elementary honors 72 male students
From left, fourth-grader Alphonso Johnson, Bates Elementary 2012 Man
of the Year; Mitchell Shears, principal; and second-grader Zion Montgomery, Bates Elementary 2011 Man of the Year
The Mississippi Link Newswire
Bates Elementary School
honored 72 male students
(69 African-Americans, two
whites and one Hispanic) April
17, 2012, for outstanding academic achievement this school
year.
“This is our second year to
host a program as this one, and
we have designated it as our
annual Men of Honor Program
that celebrates all male students who have achieved honor roll status at least one term
in grades first through fifth,”
said Mitchell Shears, principal.
Shears decided last school
year (2010-2011) to have a special program for all the young
males who exhibited high academic achievement throughout
the school year.
In 2010-2011, 55 male students were honored. This year,
2011-2012, there is an increase
of 17 students, making the total 72. “As you can see, we are
increasing the number of males
performing well at Bates Ele-
The 2012 Class of Bates Elementary Men of Honor
mentary School,” said Shears.
The Honorees are: Alphonso
Johnson, Kortlin Lewis, Kameron Lewis, Jordon Bailey,
Jonathan Mason, Mario Martin,
Zion Montgomery, Jah’Myan
Daniels, Marcterrion Dear,
Semaj Jefferson, Tyson Martin, Xavier Neal, Joseph Summerlin, Darrian Wilson, Craig
Gaines,Edison Griffith, George
Marshall Jr., Derius Rodgers,
Marquis Wilson, Zamorrein
Harvey, Jordon Luckett, Dakota Padgett, Cadarius Skipper,
Murrah students receive
$1,000 scholarships
Four seniors at Murrah
High School have each been
awarded a $1,000 scholarship
from the Get2College Center
to attend the college of their
choice. They were selected
from 1,278 entrants statewide.
ESF Get2 College staff
made a surprise visit April 11,
to Sarah Ballard’s AP English
Literature class to award the
scholarship winners. They are
Travis Reginal, Karenza Denson, Justin Porter, and Jean
Paul Assad.
Each applicant was required
to write an essay on the topic,
“If you had one thing in your
life that you could do over,
what would it be and why?”
The Get2College Center
is Mississippi’s nonprofit resource for free assistance with
planning and paying for college.
From left, scholarship recipients Travis Reginal, Karenza Denson, Justin Porter and Jean Paul Assad.
Xavier Wright, JaQuarius Bell,
Se’Quorian Cain, Jabari Proby,
Jayden Spencer, Reashad Ward
Jr., Justin Dent, Joseph Dupree,
Jaden Williams, Randy Avery,
Braden Hughes, Tayshawn
Pellman, Cameron Torns, Calvin Cassell, Treveon Earvin,
Jemorian Hicks, Rashad Hicks,
Vic’Tavis Hobson, Anthony
Jacobs Jr., Jaquandre Kelly,
Nicamerean King, Kameron
Lewis, Gemari Marshall, Deiondre Hopkins, Jaden Bridgeman, Daniel Mason, Nicholas
Middle School.
The middle school academic
challenge bowl is similar to college quiz bowls. Student teams
earn points competing against one
another based on their responses to
academic and current event questions.
As in television game shows,
students have a limited amount
of time in which to respond. The
team with the first accurate response within the time limit earns
points. Awards were presented by
the Beta Delta Omega Chapter of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Brinkley Middle School had
several local professionals share
their experiences with students
during its third annual Career
Discovery Day, April 18.
Some of the guests included
Councilman Charles Tillman,
Councilman Frank Bluntson,
and Councilwoman LaRita
Cooper-Stokes.
The theme for the program
was “Career Discovery 2012:
Thinking Outside the Box.”
During the program, approximately 30 students learned
about uncommon career paths
from a panel that consisted of
professionals such as a mortician, FBI agent, coroner, web
designer, news anchor, architect, U.S. Marshall and veterinarian.
Brinkley students were encouraged to think outside of
the box when choosing career
paths.
Many of them expressed that
they were excited to meet and
talk with the various participating professionals. The event
inspired them to work harder
toward their career goals.
They were also given advice
on what to wear during job in-
Siwell Middle School – 2nd Place
Powell Middle School – 3rd Place
Chastain Middle School – 1st Place
is important to recognize male
students’ achievement, it is extremely important to recognize
black male students’ achievement. He said that despite published reports that taxpayers
are spending $25 million a year
to imprison people from neighborhoods in two zip codes in
west and south Jackson.
“Bates, a south Jackson
school, is determined to show
our taxpayers that they need
to invest their money into academics,” said Shears.
Brinkley students get career advice from
group of local professionals
Chastain wins 2012 JPS
Academic Challenge Bowl
Chastain Middle School is the
winner of the 2012 Academic
Challenge Bowl. Students from
three other JPS middle schools
- Powell, Siwell and Cardozo competed in the final round of
the competition April 4 at Powell
Shelby, Norman Williams,
Rhodarian Coleman,Orlando
Barnes, Dennard Brown Jr.,
Johnny Flowers, Daniel Johny,
Timothy
McInnis, Albert
Jackson, Cameron Robinson,
La’Darius Williams, Micah
Bennett, Aaron Davenport,
Marquez Townsend, Jalen Winters, Mykell Rayford, Khamari
Banger, Leon Franklin, Cheyenne Johnson, Herman Mack,
Jordon Jasper, Isaiah Williams,
and Ka’Darius Williams
Shears stated that, while it
Cardozo Middle School – 3rd Place
The panel included (pictured from left) Professor and Actor Yohance Myles,
Web Designer Adrian Jones, Special Agent with the FBI Jeffrey Artis, WJTV
News Reporter/Anchor Melissa Faith Payne, Mortician Gladys Hobson, Coroner
Sharon Grishom Stewart, Veterinarian David Powell, Architect Greg Durrell and
United States Marshall George White.
MADDRAMA, a student theater group from Jackson State University, performs
for Brinkley students.
terviews and a What Not to
Wear (to a job interview) Fashion Show.
The students were also
treated to a performance by
MADDRAMA, a student theater group from Jackson State WJTV News reporter/anchor give students advice on choosing a career path.
University.
EDUCATION
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Alumni donate record $2.56 million
to Jackson State University
Judge Glenda
Hatchett named MVSU
Commencement speaker
Jackson State University alumni
presented JSU President Carolyn
W. Meyers with a record $2.56 million in cash and pledges during the
university’s inauguration events in
March.
“Along with our students, our
alumni are the best ambassadors
Jackson State University has,”
Meyers said. “When they show
such strong support for their university, it fosters a culture of giving.”
The record contributions were
the result of JSU’s “Alumni Challenge,” which launched just six
months ago. The campaign aimed
to raise at least $1 million from JSU
graduates before Meyers’ March
2012 inauguration. To date, alums
have contributed $2,561,093 in cash
and pledges.
The JSU National Alumni Association took the lead in fundraising
Judge Glenda Hatchett is the
speaker for the 2012 Commencement at Mississippi Valley State
University, May 7 at 10 a.m. in
the R.W. Harrison HPER Complex
In addition to presiding over the
syndicated show, “Judge Hatchet,” now in its 10th season, she is
the founder of Parent Power Now,
the premiere online parenting network, and author of two national
bestselling books, “Dare to Take
Charge,” and “Say What You
Mean,” “Mean What You Say.”
efforts.
“Our alumni love their school
and are proud of all that is happening at Jackson State,” said alumni
association president Terry L. Woodard. “This year they stepped up
as never before to show how much
they support Jackson State and its
students.”
Two alums - JSU graduate Cortez Bryant and an anonymous donor - each made a contribution of
$500,000 in gifts and pledges.
Though alumni have already
made record donations this year,
the fiscal year is still not over, said
David Hoard, JSU’s vice president
for Institutional Advancement.
“We’re hoping to get to $3 million before the end of June,” Hoard
said. “That will really build momentum for next year. Our alumni
have proven they want to help the
next generation of students.”
The Liddell Endowment presentation
Alcorn to honor largest
graduating class in history
Hinds CC nursing student receives
annual McCulloch Scholarship
RAYMOND - Larissa Stinson Garner of Vicksburg is the
recipient of the annual Carla
McCulloch Scholarship for
fall 2012 at Hinds Community
College.
The scholarship is awarded
each year to a second semester student in the Associate
Degree Nursing program at
Hinds Community College.
Garner is currently a student at
Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center and previously received a Hinds degree
while enrolled at the Vicksburg-Warren Campus.
The scholarship was created
by the McCulloch family in
memory of their daughter Carla, a Simpson Academy graduate who was a Hinds nursing
student at the time of her death
in an April 1991 accident. The
family formerly lived in Magee.
The award is made annually to a second semester nursing student who demonstrates
the caring and enthusiasm for
nursing that Carla embodied. “We wanted to keep her
memory going as long as we
can, and hopefully that will
be forever,” said her father
Larry McCulloch of Roanoke,
Va. “And we want to be able
to help other students out that
may be needing a little assistance.”
Carla’s mother, Carol McCulloch, said it’s important
to award the scholarship to a
nursing student who has the
right heart. “We are looking
for a person who’s called to
be a nurse - a calling, because
that’s the way Carla felt,” she
said. “Someone who is compassionate, kind. A fun-loving
person who takes the job seriously and treats it more like a
calling.”
When Garner first enrolled
at Hinds, she initially planned
to become a teacher. “I just
have this need to help people.
I was going to be a teacher, a
minister or do social work or
nursing. I was just having a
hard time deciding between
those,” she said. “I just knew
that nursing was for me because it’s the only thing that
does it all.” Garner has received numerous recognitions
at Hinds Community College.
In 2011 she was selected
as a Phi Theta Kappa AllMississippi Academic Team
Member. She was also the
student honoree in 2010-11 for
the Legislature’s HEADWAE
(Higher Education Appreciation Day - Working for Academic Excellence) program
when she was at the VicksburgWarren Campus. She has been
on the President’s List for a
perfect 4.0 GPA a number of
times. She received the 20092010 Leadership Award.
Her campus activities included serving as president of
Vicksburg-Warren Campus Associated Student Government
and as vice president of membership recruitment and development for Phi Theta Kappa.
She served as a volunteer in the
campus writing and computer
lab. Garner lives in Vicksburg
Larissa Stinson Garner, center, of Vicksburg received the annual Carla McCulloch Scholarship at Hinds Community College. With her are, front from left, Larry and Carol McCulloch of Roanoke, Va., formerly of Magee;
Garner; husband Mike Garner, her parents Charlotte and Clyde Stinson of Vicksburg; back, Julia Cannon of
Fulton, the McCullochs’ niece, and Robin Greenlee of Kilmichael, Carol McCulloch’s sister.
West Tallahatchie School
District administrators tour
Delaware education system
West Tallahatchie District
administrators spent spring
break as guests of the Delaware
Department of Education. Delaware received the first round
of the coveted Race-to-theTop (RTTT) funds.
The educators toured schools
and met with several focus
groups on how RTTT funds
were used to implement Common Core standards, teacher
leader evaluations, the Delaware New Tech Academy, Big
Picture High School Models,
an elementary musical academy, charter school collaborations, and how to build partnership zones with businesses.
In 1990,
Judge Hatchett was appointed Chief
Presiding
Judge of the
Fulton County (Atlanta,
Georgia) JuHatchett
venile Court
- becoming
the first African-American Chief
Presiding Judge of a state court
in Georgia, and head of one of the
largest juvenile court systems in
the country.
with her husband Michael Garner, and sons, Joshua, Jacob and
Jessie. Garner commutes 100
miles a day for school. She was
working two jobs while going
to school full time, but has had
to stop working for now. “With
nursing school, it’s pretty much
all consuming,” she said. “The
scholarship is a huge help; it’s a
blessing. It’s just God stepping
in and taking control.”
As Mississippi’s largest community college, Hinds Community College is a comprehensive
institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with more than 170
academic, career and technical
programs. With six locations in
central Mississippi, Hinds enrolled more than 13,000 credit
students in fall 2011.
To learn more, visit www.
hindscc.edu or call 1.800.
HindsCC.
ALCORN STATE - When
Alcorn State University first
opened its doors in 1871 with
eight faculty members and
179 eager students, the institution’s future and impact
could not have been foretold.
Today, Alcorn serves as the
epic-center for academic excellence and is a major economic generator for southwestern Mississippi.
Alcorn is now home to more
than 4,000 students, and will
honor its largest graduating
class in the University’s 141year history at its Commencement Convocation May 12 in
the Davey L. Whitney HPER
Complex. Beginning at 8:30
a.m., President M. Christopher Brown II will confer
833 degrees on students who
have applied to receive 609
bachelor’s and 224 master’s
degrees.
“Alcorn will enthusiastically celebrate the accomplishments of 833 outstanding graduates of the Class
of 2012,” President Brown
proudly said. “This marks another major milestone for our
students and in the history of
Alcorn.
“I am certain this class will
continue to reach new heights
and inspire people around
the world as fellow Alcorn
alumni have been doing for
generations.”
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees will
be presented to two distinguished recipients, Xernona
Clayton (founder and CEO
of Trumpet Awards) and Dr.
Randal Pinkett (chairman and
CEO of BCT Partners), both
will address graduates during
the convocation.
The 2012 Baccalaureate
Exercises is scheduled for
Friday, May 11 at 3 p.m. in
the Davey L. Whitney HPER
Complex featuring Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant as the
keynote speaker. Gospel recording artist, Dathan Thigpen, will perform at Alcorn’s
Baccalaureate Exercises and
the Commencement Convocation.
Family members and guests
attending the ceremonies are
asked to arrive early as event
locations traditionally fill to
capacity. Overflow areas will
be provided.
HEALTH
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Chapman shares the success of health
center at Chamber’s coffee house forum
“Jackson-Hinds
Comprehensive Health Center
(JHCHC) is a success story for
the nation,” Dr. Jasmin Chapman, CEO of the center, said
to attendees at the Jackson
Chamber of Commerce’s Friday Forum at Koinonia Coffee
House recently.
Chapman
became
the
JHCHC chief executive officer in 1999.
Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center is the largest provider of primary health
care services to the uninsured
and under-served in Central
Mississippi.
“From the beginning, our
goal was to make sure the uninsured had quality health care
and that continues to be our
goal,” she said.
JHCHC was incorporated
in October 1970 as a nonprofit organization to engage
in planning and development
of comprehensive health services for residents of poor
communities in Jackson and
surrounding areas.
Since its inception, JHCHC
has grown from a “one-busand-Sunday
school-class-
room” operation to become
a multi-site, multi-discipline
provider of health services in
Hinds, Warren, and Copiah
counties. JHCHC is one of
only two federally qualified
health center (FQHC) in the
state operating a clinic for the
homeless and the only FQHC
operating a HUD housing
complex for low-income elderly and disabled residents.
Chapman told attendees that
to operate they must have a
community board and 51 percent of the board must be users
of the center. The center also
must operate under a sliding
fee scale according to the patient’s ability to pay. JHCHC
also is comprehensive.
“We are one of the largest
and oldest community health
centers in the State of Mississippi, serving over 30,000
patients at 15 different sites
in Hinds, Warren and Copiah
counties,” Chapman said. “For
over 38 years, Jackson-Hinds
has been the leader in providing high quality, affordable,
primary and preventive services to Central Mississippi
residents.”
Chapman, who is a dentist
Pictured (from left) Glendora Singleton, JHCHC director of Nursing; Hilda
Wansley, JHCHC administrative assistant; Dr. Jasmin Chapman, CEO of the
Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center; and John Ratliff, JHCHC director of Purchasing. COURTESY OF JACKSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
by profession, was the first
woman to be CEO of the Center. She began as interim director and has been there ever
since.
She said that during that
difficult transition time, the
national government began
to recognize the good things
that community health centers
were doing.
“We were one of top 10 programs in America,” she said.
During that time, President
George Bush realized if they
Eating fish may help protect the brain
Napsnet.com
(NAPSI) - A new and largescale study said that enjoying a
diet that includes fish and other
foods that are rich in omega-3
fatty acids can be a bright idea.
That’s because research indicates these fatty acids can help to
protect the brain against the effects of aging.
Dr. Zaldy Tan, a researcher at
UCLA and the lead author of a
study on the effects of omega-3s
on cognitive functions, said that
even after controlling for participants’ age, gender, education,
body mass index and smoking,
“The relationship was still there.”
Tan and others believe fish oil
provides the greatest concentration of dietary omega-3 fatty acids.
The types of fish that provide
the highest concentration of the
fatty acids are mackerel, lake
trout, herring and sardines, such
as the type sold under the King
Oscar brand.
Dr. Brian Appleby of the
Cleveland Clinic thinks the find-
ings provide an important link
between brain health and cardiovascular health.
To learn more, visit www.
kingoscar.com.
Jackson health care experts use speech
therapy to battle swallowing disorders
FLOWOOD - The simple act
of swallowing is something many
of us take for granted. Yet every
year, approximately 10 million
Americans are diagnosed with
swallowing disorders, also known
as dysphagia. Nearly all dementia
patients develop dysphagia, and
swallowing disorders are associated with stroke, progressive neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s, as
well as respiratory and other medical conditions.
In Flowood, the speech-language pathology program offered
by Amedisys Home Health works
with patients to recover their swallowing and communication skills.
Last year, Amedisys’ speechlanguage pathology team helped
patients meet nearly 71 percent
of their treatment goals, compared with the national average
of nearly 52 percent, according to
the American Speech-Language
and Hearing Association National
Outcomes Measurement System
report.
“People who have difficulty
swallowing food and liquids
open themselves up to a range of
health problems, such as weight
loss, poor nutrition, dehydration,
choking and aspiration pneumonia, which happens when food or
drink gets into the lungs. These
conditions can erode a person’s
quality of life and in some cases
even threaten their life,” said
David Hutchings, CCC-SLP.D.,
managing director of rehab services for Amedisys. “It’s crucial to
help patients recover the ability to
swallow.”
Over the past decade, the number of elderly Medicare patients
who were admitted to the hospital for aspiration pneumonia increased by nearly 94 percent, said
Dr. Hutchings. Aspiration pneumonia is one of the main types of
pneumonia and hospitalizations in
the elderly population.
Amedisys Home Health in Flowood urges seniors and their loved
ones to watch for, and talk to a
health care professional about, the
following symptoms of swallowing disorders:
• Reports of a feeling that food
is “sticking in the throat or
chest.” This is the most common symptom of dysphagia,
the sensation that food is
stuck in the esophagus.
• Coughing during or after
eating or drinking. If food
sticks in the throat or larynx,
the body tries to dislodge
the item through expectoration. In some severe cases,
food may come back up in
the mouth after being swallowed.
• Gurgled speech. Swallowing
disorders may cause adults to
develop a “wet” vocal quality after eating or drinking.
• Weight loss. Difficulties in
swallowing food can lead to
adults not getting proper nutrition, because they can’t eat
enough to meet their dietary
needs.
• Pain in the chest or back. Retaining food in the esophagus
can lead to heartburn-like
symptoms. In some cases
the pain can be so severe,that
patients may think they are
having a heart attack.
“By proactively treating swallowing disorders and using specialized feeding techniques, we
can help to reduce unnecessary
hospitalizations and improve the
overall quality of life for our home
health and hospice patients,” Dr.
Hutchings said.
For more information about
the Amedisys Speech-Language
Pathology program and to locate
an Amedisys care center in your
area, please visit www.Amedisys.
com/SLP.
For more information about the
2011 National Outcomes Measurement System report by the
American
Speech-Language
and Hearing Association, please
visit http://www.asha.org/members/research/noms/.
put money in community
health centers, they would be
able to save a lot of money, according to Chapman.
“The government found that
for every $1 you spend, you
could save $7,” she said. “We
are now looked upon as an
economic engine.”
A $16 million per year operation, JHCHC has an annual
economic impact of approximately $32 million on the
community. It staffs between
225-240 employees through-
out its three-county service
area.
“We hire in the community so that staff look like patients,” she said. “We are comprehensive.”
JCHCH offers dentistry,
adult medicine, pediatrics,
X-ray, pharmacy, laboratory,
Medicaid screening, obstetrics
and gynecology, transportation, WIC Certification, social
services and an elderly housing complex. “We are also the
first in the state to offer optometry,” she said.
JCHCH has five schoolbased clinics and two mobile
units that go to 19 schools.
“We also have a homeless
clinic,” Chapman said.
“We are building three new
clinics in Utica, South Jackson
and on Woodrow Wilson. Our
next clinic will be in Edwards.
“We are expanding at the
Medical Mall. Jackson-Hinds
is the operator of the primary
clinics,” she said. “We train
over 100 residents.”
JHCHC has been recognized
as a national model in the delivery of culturally competent
care and has been accredited
by the Joint Commission since
2004.
A patient must bring two
forms of income, and the center will take that and decide
what they should pay.
“They could pay $20 of
$400 worth of service,” she
said. “We are proud that we
are the safety net for the poor
and uninsured.”
Dr. John Perkins said that
people don’t know the impact this center has had on
this nation. “This is the model
throughout the nation for the
poor,” he said during the question and answer period of the
forum.
Preventive care also is a major part of what the JCHCH
does, according to Chapman.
“Seventy percent of chronic
illness is preventative,” she
said. “We are trying to teach
nutritional habits to children
so when they go home they
were make better choices and
they will teach their parents.”
Chapman said her skill is organizing a good team and her
philosophy is collaboration.
“If you see an unmet need
and you see something we
should be doing, we want you
to tell us.
Drink Water - To Your Health!
Napsnet.com
(NAPSI) - Are you looking for a simple way to lead a
healthier life? Skip the fad diets
and trendy health fixes and focus on drinking enough water
every day. Several health organizations recommend drinking
eight 8-ounce glasses a day to
help your body run more efficiently.
When you consider that your
blood is 92 percent water and
your brain and muscles are 75
percent water, it only makes
sense that you need to stay hydrated. Here are some reasons
why drinking water will have
you feeling and looking better,
while also making you healthier.
• Nature’s energy drink. It’s
easy to down an energy drink or
pop some vitamins when you’re
feeling sluggish. However, water balances your electrolytes,
controls your blood pressure,
cleans the toxins from your kidneys and gives you more energy
by helping your blood maintain
a healthy volume. Proper hydration also regulates your body
temperature and can help prevent heat stroke or hypothermia.
• Improve your moves with
water. If you ache more than
usual after a workout, you may
need to up your water intake.
Water acts as a natural shock
absorber for your organs and
helps lubricate your joints.
Proper hydration also improves
concentration and reaction time
and helps you burn more calories during a workout.
• Natural boost for dieters.
It’s common to mistake thirst
for hunger pangs and to combat
thirst with food instead of water.
Before grabbing a snack or an
extra helping, try drinking water between meals or a half hour
before meals. An extra glass of
water will keep your cravings in
check while also helping to reduce fat deposits in your body.
• Beauty is more than skin
deep. If your skin is feeling
dry and moisturizers aren’t doing the trick, consider drinking more water. Water filters
through your other organs first,
reaching the skin last. So if your
other organs aren’t hydrated
enough, your skin will pay the
price. Your skin repays hydration by being smoother, softer,
more supple and healthier.
• Improving water in your
home. If you skip drinking water at home because you dislike the taste, try a water filter
for high-quality drinking water. When looking for filtration
products such as water soften-
ers, water filtration systems and
water purification systems, you
may want to consult water treatment experts such as Culligan, a
company that has a long history
of providing whole-house water
treatment and softener solutions
for the home. Culligan has dealerships nationwide, and each
dealer is a local expert in his or
her area because water varies
across cities and regions.
Though water quality varies across the nation, expert
opinions do not. Several health
organizations - the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics, the American
Heart Association and the Water
Quality Association - have all
agreed for many years that eight
8-ounce glasses a day are optimal for your health.
For more information, visit
www.culligan.com.
OPINION
April 26 - May 2, 2012
SNAP: Cutting what works Every Republican in
By Marian Wright Edelman
NNPA Columnist
[Last] week has
been a devastating
one for children and
the poor. It began
with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urging
members of the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee
for “moral and human reasons” to
“protect programs that serve poor
and hungry people over subsidies
that assist large and relatively welloff agricultural enterprises.”
Despite urgent pleas from a broad
spectrum of faith leaders and advocates for the poor, the House committee voted to protect all the agricultural farm subsidies which primarily
benefit the most well-to-do farms
and to cut billions of dollars of benefits from programs that feed poor
children and their families. The draconian cuts would affect all 46 million people who receive food stamps,
including 23 million children.
As the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities explains, “No other program under the Committee’s jurisdiction would face any cut under the
proposal, despite frequent calls for
reform of the nation’s farm subsidies
- 74 percent of which go to the largest, most profitable farms, according
to the Agriculture Department based
on 2009 data. These large commercial farms received an average annual government payment of more
than $30,000 a year in 2009, while
having an average annual household
income of over $160,000.” Who do
we want our leaders to protect - nonneedy farmers or hungry children?
The Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program (SNAP) or food
stamps provides targeted assistance
for families when they need help
most. Since the beginning of the recession, millions of low and middleincome parents have lost their jobs
and the security of knowing their
children would not go to sleep or to
school hungry. With record numbers
of families living in poverty and food
prices increasing more rapidly than
in decades, SNAP has been a critical support for millions of children
while their jobless parents struggle
to get their family finances back on
track.
A recent study by the Agriculture
Department shows how essential the
food stamp program is: it reduced
the poverty rate by nearly 8 percent
in 2009, the most recent year in the
study.
Hunger and malnutrition have
especially been devastating consequences for children, because their
developmental well-being depends
on adequate nutrition. Hunger has
been linked to low birth weight and
birth defects, obesity, mental health
problems, oral health problems,
and poor educational outcomes.
But SNAP makes a difference. The
overwhelming majority of SNAP recipients - three quarters - are families
with children. SNAP lifted 5.2 million Americans above the poverty
line in 2010 - more than any other
benefit program.
SNAP is also a strong economic
recovery policy. As the economy
struggles, getting food stamps and
other payments to low-income families is an effective way to stimulate
the economy quickly.
Families living paycheck to paycheck spend the money almost
immediately on basic necessities,
pumping dollars back into the local
economy. Just one dollar of SNAP
benefits creates a “ripple effect”
through the economy, and research
shows each $5 of federal SNAP
benefits generates nearly twice that
amount in economic activity.
Despite its proven success, SNAP
remains a consistent target at budgetcutting time. This latest assault by
the House committee means 2 million people would be cut off from
food stamps completely and millions
more would have reduced benefits.
Hundreds of thousands of children
would lose free school meals on top
of their SNAP benefits. These additional changes on top of already
enacted cuts will increase child and
family hunger.
The House of Representatives’
new budget - labeled the Ryan budget
- for Fiscal Year 2013 would fundamentally change SNAP by converting it into a “block grant” program
and cut its funding by $133.5 billion
- more than 17 percent - over the next
10 years (2013-2022). A block grant
would allow states to cap eligibility,
create waiting lists, and/or sharply
reduce or end benefits for millions
of children and families still struggling to recover from the recession.
It threatens the program’s ability to
respond when the American people
need help most.
At the exact same time the House
was making these decisions, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a new report predicting
the need for food stamps would keep
growing through 2014 as American
families continue to recover from
the recession. The impact of more
cuts on children and families who
now receive a nutritionally adequate
diet from SNAP would be devastating. Where is the justice in a vote to
protect wealthy farmers over hungry children? Tell your Members of
Congress that SNAP needs to be preserved as a lifeline for hungry Americans in hard times. There should be
no hungry people - especially children - in rich America.
Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund
whose Leave No Child Behind®
mission is to ensure every child a
Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair
Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start
in life and successful passage to
adulthood with the help of caring
families and communities.
For more information go to www.
childrensdefense.org.
Devilish neighborhood
gentrification
By Harry C. Alford
NNPA Columnist
“Oh,
what
wicked webs they
weave. Members of
the Poverty Industrial Complex have
various methods
of profiteering off
government money spawned from
the War on Poverty in the mid-1960s.
One, gentrification, has proven to be
an effective way to keep poor people
poor and greedy people rich. The
poor remain that way so that federal
money designed to help the impoverished keeps coming in and is transferred to the manipulators.
Webster’s dictionary defines gentrification as, “The process of renewal
and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often
displaces poorer residents.” This term
was first used in 1964 - exactly the
same time the War on Poverty started
kicking in. Trillions of dollars have
come down the pike, and we have
little to show for it. In fact, we are
worse off demographically today
than in 1964.
Let me give you an example of
how this works and what we did in
Indianapolis in the early 1990s to
fight back. A group of small contractors complained to the Legislative
Black Caucus about how they were
being banned from any housing construction in inner city Indianapolis.
The great State Rep. Bill Crawford
called a meeting among elected officials, church leaders and the Hoosier
Minority Chamber of Commerce (me
and Kay, my wife). It was amazing
what we unraveled.
There were 14 neighborhood associations with distinct boundaries in
the city of Indianapolis. Wikipedia:
“A neighborhood association is a
group of residents or property owners
who advocate for or organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and
voluntary dues.”
Theoretically, a neighborhood association policed the neighborhood
to correct blight and turn vacant
land into homes or businesses. Each
neighborhood association worked
hand in hand with a Community
Development Corporation, a not-forprofit organization that spearheads
neighborhood development.
The CDCs got the federal money
such as Community Development
Block Grants (HUD funds) through
the City Council and mayor and
also various War on Poverty funding agencies. They would fund the
construction projects in the neighborhoods through the neighborhood associations. In the process, they would
also pick the contractors.
We told the predominantly black
neighborhood associations that going
forward, the majority of construction would be carried out by black
contractors based in those same
neighborhoods. Any license plate of
a contractor that was not Indianapolis-coded would trigger an alarm
and any out-of-state plates would be
cause for a tow truck to arrive. We
told the CDCs that their officers, especially the chairpersons, would have
to be residents of the very neighborhood they were overseeing. At the
time, most of the leaders were from
the suburbs, and we demanded their
resignations.
The biggest thing we came across
was overpricing the cost of refurbishing older homes and building newer
homes. Why? They were setting the
“comparable pricing” of a neighborhood upwards and out of reach of
the current residents of the neighborhoods. Consequently, the residents
could not afford new housing and the
accompanying rising property taxes
and apartment rent would force them
out. White contractors would make
quick cash; white realtors would have
higher commissions; bankers would
have higher returns on financing and
mortgages. In other words, whites
made the big bucks and blacks became destabilized.
Public housing authorities would
also get in on the action. They would
offer Section 8 vouchers (rental assistance) to targeted residents, with the
stipulation that they would move. In
Chicago, they were sending Section 8
residents as far away as Danville, Ill.
(150 miles south).
In Washington, D.C., they were
sending them to Hagerstown, Md.,
which was (90 miles away. I heard
this from the lips of a former Secretary of HUD. I remember our chapter
in Danville saying, “all of a sudden
we have car jackings and crack houses from these new hoodlums from
Chicago”.
Bankers would offer very attractive mortgage rates to Yuppies who
would move into these targeted
neighborhoods and take Community
Reinvestment Act (CRA) credit for
it. They were pretending to address
affordable housing and helping eliminate poverty when, in fact, they were
fanning the flames. They could have
been more efficient if they had held a
special convention and outline how to
simultaneously displace Blacks and
grab that federal money.
We slowed the gentrification in
Indy, but we didn’t end it. It was
growing all across the country. Greed
has no end and as long as there is evil,
we must be vigilant and fight it wherever we see it. Gentrification is the
work of the devil.
Harry Alford is the co-founder,
president/CEO of the National Black
Chamber of Commerce®. Website:
www.nationalbcc.org. Email: [email protected].
Congress fails blacks
By George E. Curry
NNPA Columnist
The
new
NAACP Report
Card for the first
session of the
112th Congress is
out, and it shows
that every graded
Republican member of the House
and Senate received an F on issues
considered important to the nation’s oldest civil rights group.
In the Senate, all 46 GOP senators received Fs from NAACP.
Of those, 34 voted against the
NAACP’s position every time,
including Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell and former presidential candidate John McCain.
In the House, all 238 Republicans
graded also received Fs. Although
GOP House members have a reputation but being more conservative than their Senate colleagues,
only 10 House Republicans voted
against the NAACP every time.
In stark contrast to Republicans,
47 Democrats in the Senate earned
As, three received Bs, one got a D
and none received an F. The two
independents in the Senate, Connecticut’s Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, received a
B and an A, respectively.
In the House, all 238 Republicans graded earned an F. House
Democrats voted like their counterparts in the Senate: 159 earned As,
22 got Bs, four earned Cs, one got a
D and four received Fs.
I have been studying NAACP
legislative report cards for a couple
of decades, and I can’t remember
a time when Republicans in Congress have been this solidified in
their hostility towards civil rights.
About eight years ago, Republican
Congresswoman Mary S. Leach of
Iowa earned a C. More recently a
couple of Republicans have earned
Ds as the rest flunked.
In the session of Congress that
lasted from Jan. 5, 2011 to Dec. 23,
2011, only one Republican - Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) - voted
with the NAACP 40 percent of the
time. The GOP’s so-called moderate senators - Olympia J. Snowe
and Susan Collins of Maine - supported the NAACP 33 percent of
the time.
The NAACP graded members of
Congress on votes taken on such issues as repealing funding for health
care reform, judicial nominations,
deep budget cuts, job creation and
criminal justice reform.
This NAACP Report Card
should put to rest the lie that there’s
no difference between Democrats
and Republicans. There is a difference - a huge difference at that.
Even the black Republican alternatives are not viable alternatives.
Congressman Tim Scott of South
Carolina backed the NAACP only 5
percent of the time. The only other
black House Republican, Allen B.
West, also earned an F, supporting
the NAACP 25 percent of the time.
It hasn’t always been this way.
In fact, most blacks voted Republican until switching to Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Dwight D. Eisenhower
received 39 percent of the black
vote in 1956. In his close election
with John F. Kennedy in 1960,
blacks gave Richard Nixon 32 percent of their vote.
In the bygone years, the Republican Party had such moderates as
New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, Mayor John Lindsey of New
York City and Connecticut Sen.
Lowell Weicker. It even had black
Republicans who fought for civil
rights. But the GOP began the political equivalent of ethnic cleansing in 1964 with the nomination
of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater,
who made an open appeal to segregationists. Goldwater’s “Southern
Strategy” went up with flames, with
blacks giving Lyndon Johnson 94
percent of their vote.
Over the last half century, GOP
moderates, such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell have either been pushed out of the party or
marginalized. Moderates have been
replaced by rabid Tea Party activists
who have pushed an already conservative party to the extreme right.
The voting records of Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress illustrate the gap in support
of African Americans in the two
parties. Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid, a Democrat, earned
an A on the NAACP Report Card
(93 percent) as did Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (100
percent). Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell, a Republican from
Kentucky, got an F (zero percent
support of the NAACP). So did
Assistant Minority Leader John
Kyl of Arizona (zero percent).
All Democratic leaders in the
House earned As: Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (100 percent), Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (100 percent), Assistant Democratic Whip
James Clyburn (100 percent) and
Democratic Caucus Chair John
Lucas (95 percent).
Each Republican leader in the
house, on the other hand, got Fs:
Majority Leader Eric Cantor (5
percent), Majority Whip Kevin
McCarthy (10 percent), Republican
Conference Chair Jeb Hensarling
(5 percent) and Republican Policy
Committee Chair Tom Price (5 percent).
In 2004, the Republican Party
announced a goal of quadrupling
its share of the black vote to 25 percent. It has obviously abandoned
that goal.
The Republican Party’s hostility
to civil rights reminds me of a comment made by the father of former
GOP Congressman J.C. Watts, an
African-American from Oklahoma. His father said a black voting
Republican is like a chicken voting
for Colonel Sanders.
George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine,
is editor-in-chief of the National
Newspaper Publishers Association
News Service and editorial director of Heart & Soul magazine. He
is a keynote speaker, moderator,
and media coach. Curry can be
reached through his Web site, www.
georgecurry.com You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.
Black women don’t have the
luxury of staying home
By Julianne Malveaux
NNPA Columnist
When Democratic
strategist
Hilary Rosen said
that Ann Romney
had “never worked
a day in her life,”
Romney behaved
as if she had just hit the lottery. She
smugly made the media rounds talking about how hard it was for her to
raise her five sons. And she’s right.
Stay-at-home moms work extremely
hard to cook, clean, run a shuttle for
their children and their various activities, participate in school activities like
“Room Mom” and “Cookie Mom.”
How do I know, having never had
chick or child? A very dear friend, a
Harvard-educated lawyer, has been
mostly home with her children, one
of whom is my godson, for the past
decade or so, and it shows. I digress.
Hilary Rosen misspoke when she
said Ann Romney had never worked.
What she could have said is that Ann
Romney never needed to work in the
paid labor market. Even when Mitt
Romney was in graduate school, they
survived by living on the returns from
their investments, according to them.
So it isn’t that Ann Romney never
worked, it is simply that she was never
forced to.
This entire conversation is a blast
from the past, reminiscent of articles
that I wrote in the 1980s. Even then
this was a mostly white women’s conversation since few black women have
or are married to the kind of wealth
that would allow them to stay home.
Conservative stay-home moms often
say that people have to make sacrifices to stay at home, perhaps cutting
out luxuries such as restaurant meals
and extra clothing. But unless food is
a luxury, there are black women who
are in the labor market simply because
they have no choice.
The official unemployment rate
among African Americans is 14 percent. The actual rate is more like 26
percent, and in many inner cities the
black male unemployment rate is
nearly 50 percent. This is a burden
to African-American women who
often don’t have the economic assistance they need to raise a family.
As a result of this burden, nearly 40
percent of African-American children
live in poverty, too often supported by
a single mom (more than 40 percent
of African-American households are
headed by women).
While there is a group of AfricanAmerican stay-at-home moms called
Mocha Moms, and there is little data
to suggest the size of the AfricanAmerican stay-at-home mom population, it is clear that historically, African-American women had no choice
but work. I am not invoking ancient
history when I reference the women
who, as maids, were paid to take better
care of their employer’s children than
they could possibly take of their own.
And then they often paid, I part with
used clothes and leftover food substituting for cash.
Patriarchal tradition kept white
women home, while white men were
paid a “family wage” that was, by
definition, enough to support a whole
family. Such patriarchal tradition was
not economically present in the Afri-
can-American community. Few African-American men were paid a family wage, but instead something like a
subsistence wage. Women needed to
work to help keep the family together.
Until the late 1980s, the labor force
participation of African American
women exceeded that of white women, which means that proportionately
more of us were working. AfricanAmerican women’s earnings often
make the difference between poverty
and comfort for their families. Mommy wars? Give me a break. Let’s talk
about survival wars.
Even those African American families who have been blessed with higher education and “good jobs” are well
aware that African Americans are “last
hired, first fired.” Too many so-called
middle class families are a paycheck
or two away from poverty. Last time
I checked, African-American households had only 2 percent of our nation’s wealth, hardly a cushion to fall
back on, with few investment returns
to live on when no one is working.
We can only laugh and shake our
heads at Hilary Rosen’s faux pas and
Ann Romney’s smugness. We working African American women, stay
at home or in the paid labor force
understand that “life for us ain’t been
no crystal stair.” Educated or uneducated, middle class or working class,
the labor market has never been a level
playing field for us, and our salaries
show it. Mommy wars? We fight survival wars in the workplace and in this
economy.
Julianne Malveaux is president of
Bennet College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
Editorials and Letters to the Editor may be e-mailed to [email protected] or mailed to 2659 Livingston Road, Jackson, MS 39213. The views and opinions expressed on the Op/Ed
pages are not necessarily the views and opinions of The Mississippi Link. The Mississippi Link also reserves the right to edit all material for length and accuracy.
12 • THE mississippi link
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April 26 - May 2, 2012
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A Mother’s Prayer
By Rev. Archie Smith
Special to The Mississippi Link
Although it’s
still a couple
of weeks away,
Mother’s Day is
closer than you
think. This special day of love
for the females who birthed us,
loved us, taught us, protected us
or just tolerated us in their own
loving way is a day of tribute to
special women in our lives.
As we prepare to honor the
exceptional women in our lives,
I’d like to begin by sharing the
text with you, I Samuel 1:9-11
which reads: “So Hannah rose
up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.
Now Eli the priest sat upon a
seat by a post of the temple of
the Lord. 10) And she was in
bitterness of soul, and prayed
unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11) And she vowed a vow, and
said, O Lord of hosts, if thou
wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and
remember me, and not forget
thine handmaid, but wilt give
unto thine handmaid a man
child, then I will give him unto
the Lord all the days of his life,
and there shall no razor come
upon his head.”
I Samuel 2:1 “And Hannah
prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is
exalted in the Lord: my mouth
is enlarged over mine enemies;
because I rejoice in thy salvation.”
As I reflect on these verses
I have to ask - What comes to
mind when you hear the word
mother? Most people would
say they think about qualities
like love, devotion and sacrifice. They think about a generic
mother person with an infallible
sense of humor, amazing patience and persistent good will,
a selfless person who puts the
needs of others before her own,
sacrificially giving of her life,
energy, time and sleep.
The Bible is inexhaustibly
entwined with mothers - faithful mothers - from Sarah, the
mother of Isaac and of all nations; to Mary, the mother of
Jesus, honored by all nations.
Among them all is an unusual
mother whom I’d like you to
meet.
Today, we’re going to look
at a mother’s heart from the
opening chapter of the book of
First Samuel. Hannah, whose
name means “Grace.” She was
a mother who had total dependence on God. Hannah was
just a simple woman; she was
not educated; her clothing was
very plain; her name would not
be found among the wealthy or
elite; she would not have made
the society pages or social register of our times, but somehow
she made the V.I.P. list of heaven. She lived about 1,100 years
before Christ, and I would think
that she has words of wisdom
for our contemporary world.
Hannah was the first wife of
Elkanah (El-ka-nah), a responsible and righteous man. But
Hannah was barren. Childlessness was a sign of reproach, a
symbol of condescension and
heartbreak. In the practice of
the time, if the wife was barren, the husband was permitted
a second wife, and so enters
Peninnah (Pee-nin-a). When
Peninnah enters the home, envy
entered the home; division entered the home; and misunderstanding entered the home. The
passage teaches that Hannah
was loved more than Peninnah
by her husband, but Peninnah
had children and status, and she
used this to mock, provoke and
irritate Hannah.
Even though Elkanah constantly reminded Hannah of
his love for her, that she was
his first and greatest love, she
grieved and grieved, praying
constantly, without ceasing.
Her barrenness made her feel
inadequate - less than. She
wanted to be the head woman
of her house, but she couldn’t.
Her self-esteem was in a bottomless pit. In her spirit, she
questioned God, saying over
and over, “Why me, Lord?” But
she heard no answer. There was
silence. Still, she kept the faith.
It was as if she knew beyond
a doubt that God - only God understood her agony and pain,
her heartbreak.
Hannah’s barrenness was a
painful disappointment. Her
greatest desire was to have a
child, to be a mother. Disappointments make some people
hard and embittered; but not
Hannah. She knew God and believed in Him. Her solution to
heartbreak was prayer. Prayer is
the soul’s sincere desire, unuttered or expressed; the motion
of a hidden fire, that trembles
in the breast. And God prepared her through her disappointments. He disciplined her
through her unfulfilled desire,
and taught her patience and
faith through perhaps 20 years
of longing. God prepared Hannah to be the mother of a son
whom He could use.
One day, Hannah entered the
temple near the priest and dared
to violate those sacred traditions and established practices.
She offered her own prayers to
God. The priest thought, surely
she was drunk. He stared at her.
Her mouth was moving but
not a word was being uttered
aloud. She was drunk (yes,
drunk) with courage. She was
in sober, somber, meaningful
and mournful communication
with God - internal, unuttered,
and unspoken. The fervency of
her prayer was remarkable. Her
patience and long suffering prevailed. Yes, she was drunk with
faith that God would intervene
for her.
Eli, the high priest, seeing
Hannah praying so fervently,
her lips moving but no sound
issuing forth, her body swaying
in intensity, assumes that she is
drunk. What a sad commentary
on the spiritual state of the time.
Eli thought Hannah was one of
the women who lounged about
the tabernacle with his sons. So
he asks her, “How long will you
keep on getting drunk? Get rid
of your wine. But Hannah replied, Not so, my Lord. I am a
woman who is deeply troubled.
I have not been drinking wine
or beer. I was pouring out my
soul to the Lord. Do not take
your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out
of my great anguish and grief.”
The scripture says in Proverbs 15:8, “The prayer of the
upright is his delight.” Hannah
had made a vow to God in her
prayerful communication that
if God would give her the desire of her heart - a son - she
would give God the child and
the praise. “O Lord Almighty,
if you will only look upon your
servant’s misery and remember
me, and not forget your servant
but give her a son, then I will
give him to the Lord for all the
days of his life and no razor
will ever be used on his head”
[This was a sign of dedication
and service to the Lord]. (1
Sam. 1:11, NIV). I have lived
and have been in the Christian
Army long enough to know
that prayer will not only change
things…but it will also change
people.
Eli had been critical of Hannah, but here he softens. There
is sweetness in his answer in
verse 17: “Go in peace, and
may the God of Israel grant you
what you have asked of Him”
(1:17).
Hannah, in her faithfulness,
her belief in God’s unfailing
love, took her problem to the
Lord in prayer, and because
of her patience, trust, devotion, and faith in God, Hannah
was finally blessed to have a
son, whom she named Samuel (which means, “Asked of
God”).
Is God preparing you through
suffering, disappointment and
unfulfilled desires? Perhaps,
like Hannah, your greatest desire is to have a child but that
has been denied. Then you
know and understand Hannah’s
R e i g n i n g
A nn o u n c emen t s
College Hill M. B. Church, 1600 Florence Ave., Jackson, will host its first College Ministry Services Sunday, April 29,
during both the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. worship experiences. The Hinds Community College - Utica campus Concert Choir
will lift their voices during the 8 a.m. service, and the College Choir will bring praises during the 11 a.m. service. For more
information, call (601) 355-2670.
Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 1000 W. Ridgeway St., Jackson, will celebrate the fifth-year anniversary
of their executive pastor, Rev. Reginald Buckley, 11 a.m., Sunday, May, 6. For additional information, call (601) 366-5463.
Evangelist Temple House of Refuge of all Nations C.O.G.I.C., 704 University Blvd., Jackson, will honor and celebrate Supervisor W. Marie Johnson with a “Love Day” Sunday, May 6, at 11:30 a.m. For more information, call (601)
352-5405 or (601) 355-1021.
Holy City Church, 251 Kearney Park Road, Flora, will host its Annual Women’s Day program, Sunday, May 27, at
11 a.m. Pastor Christine Laird of Wayside Deliverance Church, Clinton, will be the guest speaker for the service. The
theme is “Holy Women Empowering the Future Through Prayer and Fasting.” - 1 Samuel 1:15-18. For more information, call (601) 879-3999.
Resurrection Outreach Ministries, 1325 Askew Ferry Road, Edwards, will have its Spring Revival Friday, May 4th,
at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 5th, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 6th, at 1 p.m. Featuring Pastor Latonya McIntosh, Minister
Damien McIntosh, and C.H.O.R.A. L.E. Ministries of Sachse, TX. For more information, contact Ethel Walton at (601)
966-1301.
heartbreak, anguish and grief.
Perhaps your desire is for a husband or a wife, a companion to
share your likes and your love,
and your love for Jesus. Perhaps
your greatest desire is for your
spouse, a child or loved one to
know the Lord, to trust and to
obey him. Each one of us has
a great desire that has remained
unfulfilled. Do you desire peace
in an unhappy home situation?
Maybe you understand only too
well the disharmony and bitterness that Hannah experienced
and you too long for peace
and resolution. Perhaps your
heart’s desire is for balance and
harmony in a demanding work
environment. Is it wisdom from
God or is it for self-control in
destructive habits? What is
your heart’s desire?
I take much comfort in the
story of Hannah. She didn’t
have a perfect home. It was a
respectable, God-fearing home,
but not a happy one. There was
strife, disharmony and irritation
in that place. And what could be
worse than irritation? It’s those
little gritty things that get us
down. Someone said, “It isn’t
the mountains ahead that wear
us out; it’s the grain of sand in
our shoe.”
Don’t look around you and
assume that everyone but you
has got it together. We all struggle. We all have at least one
thing, and probably more, that
wrenches our hearts. People
like to put on a spiritual mask,
but don’t buy it. We all have
our deep hurts, needs and disappointments. What we need to
learn is not how to hide them,
but what to do with them. Hannah shows us: take them to God
in prayer. Pour your heart out to
Him. Trust Him with your pain,
your heartbreak, your desire.
And then trust Him with his
timing.
Perhaps He is preparing you.
It may not be the thing you desire, it may be something better.
It may be what He most desires
for you.
About the pastor
Rev. Archie Smith is the presiding elder of the Greenville and
Greenwood District of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church.
Message from the Religion Editor
By Daphne Higgins
Religion Editor
It’s on the horizon and, I just have
to start my celebration early. I know,
I know - there are
just a few days left
in April but I just
can’t wait to say this - Happy Day,
it’s a month of celebration - finally
it’s May!
Thank you Lord for another day
and for the miracles that You give
to us as we continue to praise Your
Holy Name.
May brings us so many celebrations, such as May Day, Mother’s
Day, Mary Month (the month of
celebration for the mother of Jesus),
Older Americans Month, Memorial
Day and so many more.
May continues to bless us with a
season that is filled with energy as
new life continues to spring forth.
It is the time when flowers blossom
and crops begin to sprout. The miracles of life, in all forms, continue to
transpire.
There seems to be more celebrations in May than any other month
of the year.
Of course, I’d like to tell you just
a little about this particular month,
the beauty of its season and more
about its relationship to the church.
Yes, I have done the proper research
and would like to share that with you
now. You can also view this information at http://www.crivoice.org/
chyear.html.
The Christian church, following
earlier Jewish tradition, has long
used the seasons of the year as an opportunity for festivals and holidays,
sacred time set aside to worship God
as the Lord of life.
While Jewish celebration revolves
around the Exodus from Egypt, the
Christian Church year focuses on the
life and ministry of Jesus.
The sequence of festivals from
Advent to Resurrection Sunday becomes an annual spiritual journey
for worshippers as they kneel at the
manger, listen on a hillside, walk the
streets of Jerusalem, hear the roar
of the mob, stand beneath the cross,
and witness the resurrection. The
rest of the church year provides opportunity to reflect on the meaning
of the coming of Jesus and his commission to his people to be a light to
the world.
Many churches do not celebrate in
any deliberate or sustained way the
various seasons of the church year
beyond Christmas and Easter. However, the observance of the seasons
of the church year has a long history
in the life of the Christian Faith.
When most of the people in the
church were poor and had no access
to education, the church festivals and
the cycle of the church year provided
a vehicle for teaching the story of
God and his actions in human history. Even in the Old Testament,
the concept of sacred time became
a vehicle for teaching the faith (for
example, Exodus 12-13).
The Christian calendar is organized around two major centers of
Sacred Time: Advent, Christmas,
and Epiphany; and Lent, Holy Week,
and Easter, concluding at Pentecost.
The rest of the year following Pentecost is known as Ordinary Time,
from the word “ordinal,” which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.). Ordinary
Time is used to focus on various
aspects of the Faith, especially the
mission of the church in the world.
But during all of the special moments that we choose to celebrate,
there is one that should never go
unnoticed and that is the day of life,
simply put, every day and moment
that God gives us.
Because of God’s goodness, we
ask that you help us celebrate His
holy name by sharing His wonderful
works throughout your life and community.
As always, we ask that you let
us help you to communicate the
good news of our Lord. Isaiah 52:7a
reads, “What a beautiful sight it is to
see messengers coming with good
news!”
God is good and so is the life that
He has blessed us with, even though,
we don’t always recognize it as such.
But, because we were able to live
though the bad days as well as the
good days means we have a variety
of news we can share with others.
The Mississippi Link, a messenger
for news in and around the state of
Mississippi, wants to serve as your
personal messenger to share your
good news and testimonies. We want
to hear about your personal celebrations as well as the good news that is
part of your places of worship.
The Mississippi Link, a messenger
for news in and around the state of
Mississippi, would like to not only
share your news but all who would
like to tell others about the Lord’s
goodness and about their places of
worship and even those religious institutions that are visited.
Contact Daphne M. Higgins at
[email protected]. You
may fax 601-896-0091 or mail your
information to The Mississippi Link
at 2659 Livingston Road, Jackson,
MS 39213.
Bible Verses
full responsibility for fixing the
problem. Never let your ego get
in the way of doing what’s in the
best interest of your business.
• II Corinthians 9:8 NIV - And
God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all
times, having all that you need,
you will abound in every good
work. God always delivers to us
what we need in order to do our
best work. Sometimes he sends
a check we need just in time,
and other times he sends us creativity to find the best solution
to our challenges. Trust in the
Lord at all times.
• II Timothy 1:7 NIV - For the
Spirit God gave us does not
make us timid, but gives us
power, love and self-discipline.
Fear is the enemy of entrepreneurship. God wants us to go
out with the power he gives us
to pursue our ideas in business.
• Hebrews 12:11 NIV - No discipline seems pleasant at the
time, but painful. Later on,
however, it produces a harvest
of righteousness and peace for
those who have been trained
by it. You must be fiscally disciplined in business. You cannot put all your hard work at
risk by not being focused on
your big picture goals and your
monthly sales goals. It is painful at times, but it will produce
quite a harvest.
• I Corinthians 9:24 NIV - Do
you not know that in a race all
the runners run, but only one
gets the prize? Run in such a
way as to get the prize. Running
a business is hard. It’s a marathon not a sprint. There will be
plenty of stumbling blocks in
your way. Everyone trips and
falls while running this race,
but winners get up faster than
everyone else. You must do
what you need to do to win your
race.
• Mark 5:36 NIV - Overhearing what they said, Jesus told
them, “Don’t be afraid; just
believe.” There will be times
when you are the only person
who believes in your business
dream. Don’t be afraid. Believe
in yourself and your business
idea.
• Ecclesiastes 11:4 AMP - He
who observes the wind [and
waits for all conditions to be
favorable] will not sow, and
he who regards the clouds will
not reap. You must be willing
to make decisions in your small
business. No one is going to
come along and do it for you.
Make hard decisions quickly,
so you can move on to doing
the work needed to help your
customers.
• Proverbs 11:14 NIRV - Without the guidance of good leaders a nation falls. But many
good advisers can save it. It is
critical to have a kitchen cabinet of advisors for your small
business. Your business will
not survive on your experience
alone. Pull together four to five
people who are invested in your
success. The group should include an existing entrepreneur,
a customer, a mentor, a lawyer
and a accountant. Seek out a
mastermind group or peer to
peer mentoring program to help
as well.
• Philippians 4:13 NKJV - I can
do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. Whenever
you struggle with your self-confidence read this bible verse to
yourself. There will be times in
your business when you need to
force yourself to stretch beyond
what you think is possible. You
can do it. I believe in you.
Do you have any other bible verses that inspire you? Please share.
For more tips on how start or
grow your small business subscribe
to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://
www.succeedasyourownboss.com.
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Southern Baptist leader backtracks Are you saying
after Trayvon comments
enough or next?
P
Eurweb.com
Known for its racist past
and on the edge racial comments, the Southern Baptist
Convention is admitting fault
in a recent episode of hatred.
The religious institution’s
leader, Richard Land, issued
an apology for a disturbing remark regarding Trayvon Martin, accusing the president and
other black leaders of exploiting the young man’s death for
their own political gain.
“I am writing to express
my deep regret for any hurt
or misunderstanding my comments about the Trayvon
Martin case have generated,”
Richard Land wrote in a letter
to Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright.
“It grieves me to hear that any
comments of mine have to
any degree set back
the cause of racial
reconciliation
in
Southern Baptist or
American life.”
He also apologized for not explaining to listeners
to his radio show,
that some of his
comments
were
quotes from the
Washington Times.
One blogger, Aaron Weaver, called Land
him out on the carpet accusing him of plagiarism.
“He’s a pretty articulate
guy,” Weaver said. But Weaver said he also found it troubling because Land, as president of the SBC’s Ethics and
Religious Liberty Commis-
I normally do this post at the top
of the year, but I was inspired to wait
until now. With Easter having just
past, I thought this post would be
particularly meaningful at this time
of year. My religious theme for 2012
is, “Either I win or I learn, but with
God’s help I never lose.”
I pray that you are inspired by
God’s word. Your faith in yourself
and your business are key to your
long-term success. Starting a small
business is a spiritual journey. You
should pick a verse that will inspire
you. I thought it would be helpful
to share some of my favorites. Use
these bible verses in the good and
tough times in your small business.
• Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV - But
remember the LORD your God,
for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth, and
so confirms his covenant, which
he swore to your ancestors, as
it is today. All of our skills and
special talents that we use in our
businesses are all given to us by
God. He gives us the ability to
make money and cut deals. He
did it for our parents and mentors and he does it for us too.
• Romans 12:2 NIV - Do not conform to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will
sion for 23 years, is the denomination’s ethicist.
Land issued a statement
Monday (April 23) calling the
lack of attribution an oversight. He said there was no attempt to deceive his listeners,
and that he always provides
links to his source material on
his website.
“I am grateful this oversight
was brought to my attention.
One can always do better and
I certainly pledge to do so,”
the statement read.
Yeah right, whatever.
be able to test and approve what
God’s will is - his good, pleasing
and perfect will. The bible commands us to be innovative in our
businesses. We should not ever
try to be like anyone else. The
world is still waiting on a better mousetrap, and we should
never rest on our successes. We
must renew ourselves by being
lifelong learners and reading
constantly.
• I Thessalonians 5:16-19 NIV Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; this is the will of God for
your life. It is important to have a
prayerful life as an entrepreneur;
it will help you on those days
when things do not go your way.
You need to have the strength to
thank God, even when you do
not win that big contract. God
protects us when we do not get
opportunities that we think we
can’t survive without. Always be
grateful.
• Proverbs 16:18 NIV - Pride
goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Many entrepreneurs struggle with pride.
Do not be afraid to tell clients or
employees that you do not know
the answer. Try to diffuse any
issues with truth and by taking
Bible Verses
Continued on page 12
The Top 10 Gospel Songs from the Billboard
Gospel Charts for the week of April 26
SONGS
ese
By Shewanda Riley
Columnist
12 Bible verses every small business owner needs
By Melinda Emerson
Author, Speaker and
Small Business Coach
r
ARTISTS
1. Let The Church Say Amen
Andrea Crouch featuring Marvin Winans
2. I Feel Good
Fred Hammond 3. I Won’t Go Back
William McDowell
4. My Testimony
Marvin Sapp
5. Still Able
James Fortune and FIYA
6. One More Time
Zafcardi Cortez featuring John P. Kee
7. After This
Youthful Praise Featuring JJ Hairston
8. Put It On The Altar
Jessica Reedy
9. I Need Your Glory Earnest Pugh 10. Awesome
Pastor Charles Jenkins &Fellowship Chicago
ALBUM
God, Love and Romance
Peace Together
Earnestly Yours
To listen to snippets of these songs, please visit billboard.com/charts/gospel-song
“I’ve
had
just
about
enough of this,
and I’m not
taking
anymore!”
Do
these
words
sound familiar? I think if we
are honest, most of us have
either thought or uttered
these words at least once in
our lives. There will come a
point when we will stop saying “enough” and start saying “next.” But when is that
point? It’s different for everyone…for some it comes when
the pain of saying “enough” is
overshadowed by the hope of
change.
There is a strange comfort
that comes in saying “enough”
because the pain lets us know
that we are still connected to
someone or something else…
even if that connection causes
pain. It’s like someone staying in an abusive relationship
because the pain of an abusive
relationship is nothing compared to the pain that comes
from being out of a relationship and alone.
I heard a great motivational speaker say once that
the best response to rejection
isn’t “why?” but “next.” Responses like “enough” and
“why” still keep the one who
has been rejected, focused on
the rejection and the one who
rejected them. I know when
I’ve said “enough” about a
situation I have a tendency
to go over the reasons in my
mind why it’s “enough.” Even
though I knew it was enough,
I still had to recount why as
a way of convincing myself
that it really was enough.
Focusing on “why” keeps
you focused on an even more
dangerous behavior of trying
r
v
e
d
to understand or even justify the rejection. Figuring
out “why” you were rejected
doesn’t change the rejection….in many instances, it
just prolongs you having to
accept the reality of it.
Even though people have
loads of advice on how to deal
with rejection from “shake
the dust off” to the more recent “shake them haters off,”
rejection is still one of those
emotions that you don’t really know how you are going
to respond to it until it happens…and then you forget all
those great words of advice
because you are too busy trying to control your response
to the rejection.
At what point do you stop
saying “enough” to rejection
and start responding “Next?”
Saying “next” to rejection
doesn’t mean that you are
saying “yes” to the next rejection. It means that you are saying “yes” to the next opportunity. Rejection is so damaging
because it keeps our focus on
the past disappointments and
failures. Saying “next” keeps
you focused (hopefully) on
the great things that will come
in your future.
Psalms 66:20 encourages,
“Praise be to God, who has
not rejected my prayer or
withheld his love from me!”
Saying “next” might be the
best way of showing ourselves that we are ready to let
go of the past. Saying “next”
might also be the best way of
showing God that we trust his
knowing what is best and next
for us.
Shewanda Riley is a Dallas-based author who can be
reached at lovehangover@
juno.com. For more information, visit www.shewandariley.com or www.anointedauthorsontour.com.
For information about advertising in
please call: 601-896-0084
or e-mail [email protected]
New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church
Pastor, Dr. F. R. Lenoir
Sunday School - 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Live Radio Broadcast
WOAD AM 1300 - 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Moving the Masses Toward the Mission of the Master
“A Church Preparing for a
Home Not Built by Man”
New Bethel M. B. Church • 450 Culberston Ave. • Jackson, MS 39209
601-969-3481/969-3482 • Fax # 601-969-1957 • E-Mail: [email protected]
Sunday
Worship Services
8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Monday
Intercessory Prayer 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday
Michael T. Williams
Pastor
Prayer Service 6:30 p.m.
Classes: Children • Youth • Adult - 7:00p.m.
CLASSIFIED
14 • THE mississippi link
April 26 - May 2, 2012
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
legal
The University of Southern Mississippi
Request for Proposals
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
BUREAU OF BUILDING, GROUNDS AND
REAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF THE
JACKSON HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Sealed proposals will be received by The University of Southern Mississippi, until 2:00pm
(CST) on Tuesday May 22th, 2012, at The University of Southern Mississippi –Bond Hall –
2nd Floor – Room 214 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 39406 at which time and place they will
be publicly opened and read for the following project.
Jackson Houses Rehabilitation –
Package # Seven
Package # Eight
Package # Nine
Package # Ten
The project is funded under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and generally consists of the rehabilitation of houses located in Jackson, Mississippi.
The rehabilitation
of the houses generally may include removal, replacement, and/or installation of: flooring,
roof, doors, windows, door hardware, kitchen cabinets, plumbing, electrical, paint, landscape among others.
The Instruction to Bidders can be obtained at the office of The University of Southern
Mississippi – Procurement – located at The University of Southern Mississippi –Bond Hall
– 2nd Floor – Room 214 in Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, 39406.
Prospective bidders are encouraged but
not required to attend a pre-bid conference that will take place on: 1- Monday,
April 30th, 2012 beginning at 10:00 am and
ending at 11:30 am local time, at the office
of The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) located
at 3825 Ridgewood Road, Institutions for
Higher Learning Building, Meeting Room
108, Jackson, Mississippi, 39211.
The purpose of this conference is to discuss the project, prospective bidder concerns, and all other key issues. The bidders
are requested to inform their intention to
attend the pre-bid conference meeting to
Jo Berry – USM Procurement Liaison – by telephone: 601 266 5183 or by e-mail:
[email protected].
Right is hereby reserved to reject any and
all bids.
Dennis Duplessy
Buyer, Procurement & Contract Services
University of Southern Mississippi
(601)266-4131
4/19/12, 4/26/12
Sealed bids will be received at the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real
Property Management, 501 North West Street, Suite 1401 B, Jackson,
Mississippi, 39201, until 2:00:00 p.m. on Thursday, 05/24/2012 , for:
RE:
I. APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
GS# 109-204 Boiler Room Upgrades
University Medical Center
A. OLD BUSINESS
at which time they will be publicly opened and read. Contract documents
may be obtained from:
Professional:
Address: Phone:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE JACKSON HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION (JHPC) WILL HOLD ITS MONTHLY MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON
WEDNESDAY, MAY 09, 2012, AT 12:00 P.M. IN THE ANDREW JACKSON CONFERENCE ROOM (RM. 105) OF THE WARREN HOOD BUILDING, 200 SOUTH PRESIDENT
STREET, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
Eldridge & Associates, P. A.
Post Office Box 1179
Clinton, Mississippi 39060-1179
601-925-5258
A deposit of $100.00 is required. Bid preparation will be in accordance
with Instructions to Bidders bound in the project manual. The Bureau of
Building, Grounds and Real Property Management reserves the right to
waive irregularities and to reject any or all bids. NOTE: Telephones and
desks will not be available for bidders use at the bid site.
Glenn R. Kornbrek, Bureau Director
Director
4/26/12, 5/3/12
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
BUREAU OF BUILDING, GROUNDS AND
REAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Sealed bids will be received at the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property
Management, 501 North West Street, Suite 1401 B, Jackson, Mississippi, 39201, until
2:00:00 p.m. on Thursday, 05/31/2012 , for:
RE:
GS# 331-164 Dist 2 Substation - Leflore
Department of Public Safety
at which time they will be publicly opened and read. Contract documents may be obtained from:
Professional:
Pryor & Morrow Architects and Engineers,
P.A. (Columbus, Mississippi, through the
Office listed herein)
Address: Post Office Box 167
5227 South Frontage Road
Columbus, Mississippi 39703-0167
Phone: 662-327-8990
A deposit of $350.00 is required. Bid preparation will be in accordance with Instructions
to Bidders bound in the project manual. The Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real
Property Management reserves the right to waive irregularities and to reject any or all
bids. NOTE: Telephones and desks will not be available for bidders use at the bid site.
Glenn R. Kornbrek, Bureau Director
Director
4/26/12, 5/3/12
1. CASE NO. 2011-38 , REQUEST BY: CHRISTIAN RATCLIFFE TO REPAIR AND/OR REPLACE THE EXISTING ALUMINUM SIDING WITH WOOD PLANK BOARDS, REPLACE
THE ROOF WITH ARCHITECTURAL SHINGLES, CHANGE A SUNROOM TO A PORCH,
ADJUST FRONT WINDOWS, ADD A WINDOW ON THE FRONT GABLE AND SHUTTERS
TO THE FRONT WINDOWS, REPLACE WINDOWS AND DOORS, REPAIR CONCRETE
DRIVEWAY AND STEPS, ADD A SMALL COBBLESTONE COURT YARD WITH 4FT
WROUGHT IRON FENCE, AND DEMOLISH THE DAMAGED GARAGE ON THE HOUSE
LOCATED AT 1427 ST. MARY ST. IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
2. CASE NO. 2012-05, REQUEST BY: ROB VICKERY TO REPLACE 6 ROTTING 8/8
WOOD DOUBLE HUNG WINDOWS WITH ENVIROGUARD 8/8 DOUBLE HUNG WINDOWS ON THE HOUSE LOCATED AT 1409 ST. MARY ST. IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC
DISTRICT.
3. CASE NO. 2012-12, REQUEST BY: SAMUEL STOCKETT TO RETAIN THE ILLEGALLY
IMPROVEMENT MADE TO THE PROPERTY INCLUDING REPLACING THE EXISTING
SIDING WITH HARDI-PLANK SIDING, REPLACING ALL THE WINDOWS WITH NEW
WOOD WINDOWS AND ALUMINUM SLIDING GLASS WINDOWS, ADDING TWO WOODEN WINDOWS IN BATHROOMS, REPLACING DOORS WITH ALUMINUM DOORS, AND
TO BUILD A WOOD FENCE ON THE SIDE YARD TO SEPARATE THE FRONT YARD
FROM THE BACK YARD, TO ADD A WOOD DECK TO THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WITH
STAIRS RECESSED INTO DECK FOR ACCESS FROM DRIVEWAY, TO ADD A SET OF
STAIRS LEADING TO THE BACK YARD, TO ADD A CONCRETE WALK FORM THE
FRONT OF THE HOUSE TO THE SIDE APARTMENT, TO ADD A METAL SPIRAL STAIRCASE FOR EGRESS ON THE BACK OF THE HOUSE, AND TO REMOVE THE CRACKED
AND BROKEN BRICK RETAINING WALL IN THE FRONT YARD OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1221 ST. ANN ST. IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
B. NEW BUSINESS
1. CASE NO. 2012-13, REQUEST BY: GRETCHEN HAIEN TO RENEW THE APPROVED
COA TO CONSTRUCT A DETACHED ADDITION ON THE BACKYARD OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1171 GREYMONT AVE. IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
2. CASE NO. 2012-14, REQUEST BY BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY (APPLICANT: DALE PARTNERS ARCHITECTS) TO REPAIR OR DEMOLISH THE EAST WING OF FITZHUGH HALL
AND REBUILD IT. THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1500 PEACHTREE ST. IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
3. CASE NO. 2012-15, REQUEST BY: CONNER PERKINS (APPLICANT: RUSTY PERKINS) TO REMOVE EXISTING BRICK VENEER AT WEST WALL OF MASTER BEDROOM, REPLACE EXISTING ROTTEN FLOOR JOISTS BELOW BEDROOM WALL,
REMOVE EXISTING MASTER BEDROOM WINDOWS AND RE-USE IN MASTER BEDROOM, REPLACE BEDROOM WINDOWS WITH PAIR OF FRENCH DOORS (WOOD)
WITH TRANSOM, REPLACE EXISTING BRICK VENEER AROUND DOORS WITH CEMENT STUCCO (SAND) WALL FINISH OF PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1029 EUCLID AVE.
IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
4. CASE NO. 2012-16, REQUEST BY: DR. JIMBO AND BRITNEY MOSS (APPLICANT:
JEFF SEABOLD) TO REPAIR AND REPLACE THE EXISTING FRONT PORCH WITH A
LARGER ONE THAT IS MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE HOUSE.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1404 ST. ANN ST. IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
5. CASE NO. 2012-17, REQUEST BY JENNIFER HOSPODOR TO RENEW THE APPROVED COA TO ENCLOSE THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY WITH WOOD
GOOD NEIGHBOR FENCE RUNNING ALONG BELMONT ST. AND CUTTING BACK TOWARDS THE HOUSE RUNNING ALONG LINDEN PLACE. THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED
AT 1806 LINDEN PL IN THE BELHAVEN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
6. CASE NO. 2012-18, REQUEST BY DAN DILLION & ADAM HAYNES (APPLICANT: ALAN
HENDERSON) RENEW THE APPROVED COA TO EXECUTE MINOR DEMOLITIONS,
CANOPY ADDITION, WINDOW REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT, REPLASTER STUCCO,
DOOR INSTALLATION AND REPAINTING FOR PROPERTIES LOCATED AT 305, 307, 309
FARISH ST. IN THE FARISH ST. HISTORIC DISTRICT.
II. OTHER ITEMS
III. ADJOURN
4/19/12, 4/26/12
legal
PUBLIC NOTICE
The City of Jackson, MS will conduct Public Hearings and an Application/Proposal
Workshop regarding its 2012 Action Plan of the Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated
Planning process requires public participation by citizens and entities interested in or
are providing assistance in the areas of housing, public services, services for the homeless, and other community development activities.
The 2012 Action Plan of the Consolidated Plan will contain applications for funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The
City of Jackson is scheduled to receive $1,850,252 in Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds; $710,624 in Home Investment Partnerships (HOME)
funds, $195,418 in Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds and $1,147,882
in Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) funds for a total of
$3,904,176.
The Public Hearings will explain the purpose of the City=s Consolidated Plan; discuss
the City=s goals and accomplishments with HUD funds; and consult with the public by
accepting public comments regarding proposed activities for the programs. The Public
Hearings and Application/Proposal Workshop will be held at the following locations:
May 7, 2012, 6:00 p.m. Grove Park Community Center, 4126 Parkway Ave.
May 8, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
Westside Community Center, 1450 Wiggins Rd.
May 9, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
Sykes Park Community Center, 520 Sykes Rd.
May 10, 2012, 6:00 p.m. Champion Community Center, 1355 Hattiesburg St.
June 7, 2012, 6:00 p.m. Final Public Hearing, Warren Hood Bldg., 200 S. President St.
Further, the City of Jackson will conduct an Application/Proposal Workshop on Friday,
May 11, 2012, beginning at 9:30 a.m., at the Jackson Medical Mall Community Meeting
Room for non-profit organizations interested in applying for CDBG, ESG and HOME
funds. Non-profit organizations will be able to obtain Application/Proposal packets at
the workshop.
Public Comments concerning the 2012 Action Plan of the Consolidated Plan and Applications from non-profit organizations applying for CDBG, HOME and ESG funds can
be delivered to the Development Assistance Division, 3rd Floor of the Warren Hood
Building, Suite 331, 200 South President Street, Jackson, Mississippi, no later than 5:00
p.m., Thursday, May 31, 2012.
No public comments concerning the 2012 Action Plan or Applications from organizations applying for funds will be accepted after 5:00 p.m., Thursday, May 31, 2012. If
there are any questions, contact the Office of Housing and Community Development,
Development Assistance Division at (601) 960-1493.
4/26/12
NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 AT 6:00 P.M., IN THE COUNCIL
CHAMBERS IN CITY HALL, 219 SOUTH PRESIDENT STREET, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, 39205, TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING:
(1) ORDINANCE of the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi designating the honorary renaming of Campbell Street (from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive to the Dead End) to Dr.
Gene “Jughead” Young Drive, (2) ORDINANCE of the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi
establishing the honorary naming of the bridge on Lavernet Road in honor of Celestine
Wallace, and (3) ORDINANCE of the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi establishing the
honorary renaming of Bailey Avenue (from Maple Street to Monument Street) to Coach
W. C. Gorden Drive.
COPIES OF ALL PROPOSED ORDINANCES CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE CITY
CLERK’S OFFICE.
4/26/12
April 26 - May 2, 2012
legal
Help wanted
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
City of Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
PROFESSIONAL
Sealed, signed bids are invited and will be received by the City of Jackson, Mississippi, until 3:30 P.M. in the City Clerk’s Office of Jackson, the bid must be stamped in by 3:30 P.M.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at which time said bids will be publicly opened at the City Hall located at 219 South President Street (City Council Chambers) in City Hall for the following:
37301-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Dairy Products - Group IV
37888-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Fresh Produce - Group V
(Fruits/Vegetables)
38601-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Frozen and/or Chilled - Group IA (Breads and Desserts)
38602-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Frozen and/or Chilled – Group IB (Fruits/Vegetables)
38603-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Frozen and/or Chilled – Group IC (Meats/Meat Products)
38701-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Canned and/or Dry– Group IIA (Breads, Cereals, Desserts and Fruit Juices)
38702-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Canned and/or Dry - Group IIB (Breads, Cereals, Desserts and Fruit Juices)
38801-052212 - Six-Month Supply of Foods - Condiments – Group III
39331-052212 - Six Month Supply of Foods - Baby Food
The above must comply with the City’s specifications. Copies of proposal forms can be
obtained from the Purchasing Division, 200 South President Street, Room 604, Hood
Building, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Copies of bid specifications are filed with the City
Clerk for public record in accordance with House Bill No 999, 1986 Regular Session of
the Mississippi Legislature.
The City of Jackson is committed to the principle of non-discrimination in Public Purchasing. It is the policy of the City of Jackson to promote full and equal business opportunities
for all persons doing business with the City. As a pre-condition to selection, each contractor, bidder or offer shall submit a completed and signed Equal Business Opportunity
(EBO) Plan Application, with each bid submission, in accordance with the provisions set
forth by authority of the City of Jackson’s EBO Ordinance. Failure to comply with the
City’s EBO Ordinance shall disqualify a contractor, bidder or offer, from being awarded
an eligible contract. For more information on the City’s EBO Program, please contact the
Office of Economic Development at (601)960-1638. Copies of the EBO Ordinance, EBO
Plan Application and a copy of the EBO Program are available with the Office of Economic Development at 218 South President Street, Second Floor, Jackson, Mississippi.
The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The City also reserves the right to
waive any and all informalities in respect to any bid submitted. Bid awards will be made to
the lowest and best bidder quoting the lowest net price in accordance with specifications.
The award could be according to the lowest cost per item; or to the lowest total cost for
all items; or to accept all or part of any proposal. Delivery time may be considered when
evaluating the bid proposal. In those cases where it is known prior to advertising that the
City’s intention is to award according to the lowest total cost for all items, or in some variation thereof, statements to this affect will be included on the proposal form. Absence of
such statement means the City will make that determination during the bid review.
Janet D. Allison, CPPB, Supervisor
Purchasing Division
(601) 960-1025 or 960-1022
4/26/12, 5/3/12
DRIVERS NEEDED!!
1-800-301-1140
Call M-F 8am-5pm
Projects Officer IV, Special - Mississippi Public Broadcasting is seeking a highly motivated,
energetic individual with strong written/verbal skills and extensive knowledge of public relations to assist with the implementation of the agency’s public relations activities. Applicants
should be proficient in writing news releases and other promotional materials and have
Strong editing skills. Applicants must be able to demonstrate writing capabilities. Strong
skills in organization, multi-tasking and prioritizing are necessary. Prior experience in media relations, photography, special event planning or public speaking is a plus. Salary:
$36,176.62. For complete job description go to www.mpbonline.org. Submit; State of MS
application to Personnel, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson. MS 39211. Open until Filled. EOE
Cindv Neal,Human Resources Director
4/26/12
legal
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
City of Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Sealed, signed bids are invited and will be received by the City of Jackson,
Mississippi, until 3:30 P.M. in the City Clerk’s Office of Jackson, the bid must be
stamped in by 3:30 P.M. Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at which time said bids will
be publicly opened at the City Hall located at 219 South President Street (City
Council Chambers) in City Hall for the following:
55004-051512
55054-051512
55063-051512
75078-051512
Twelve-Month Supply Waterproof Reflective Glass Beads
Twelve-Month Supply Traffic Sign Posts
Twelve-Month Supply of Aluminum Sigh Blanks
Twenty-Four Month Supply of Clay Gravel and Wash Gravel
The above must comply with the City’s specifications. Copies of proposal forms
can be obtained from the Purchasing Division, 200 South President Street,
Room 604, Hood Building, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Copies of bid specifications are filed with the City Clerk for public record in accordance with House Bill
No 999, 1986 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature.
The City of Jackson is committed to the principle of non-discrimination in Public
Purchasing. It is the policy of the City of Jackson to promote full and equal
business opportunities for all persons doing business with the City. As a precondition to selection, each contractor, bidder or offer shall submit a completed
and signed Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Plan Application, with each bid
submission, in accordance with the provisions set forth by authority of the City
of Jackson’s EBO Ordinance. Failure to comply with the City’s EBO Ordinance
shall disqualify a contractor, bidder or offer, from being awarded an eligible contract. For more information on the City’s EBO Program, please contact the
Office of Economic Development at (601)960-1638. Copies of the EBO Ordinance, EBO Plan Application and a copy of the EBO Program are available with
the Office of Economic Development at 218 South President Street, Second
Floor, Jackson, Mississippi.
The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The City also reserves
the right to waive any and all informalities in respect to any bid submitted. Bid
awards will be made to the lowest and best bidder quoting the lowest net price
in accordance with specifications. The award could be according to the lowest
cost per item; or to the lowest total cost for all items; or to accept all or part of any
proposal. Delivery time may be considered when evaluating the bid proposal.
In those cases where it is known prior to advertising that the City’s intention is to
award according to the lowest total cost for all items, or in some variation thereof,
statements to this affect will be included on the proposal form. Absence of such
statement means the City will make that determination during the bid review.
Janet D. Allison, CPPB, Supervisor
Purchasing Division
(601) 960-1022
4/19/12, 4/26/12
April 26 - May 2, 2012
ESPN selects Callaway’s
Malik Newman as high school
Freshman of the Year
By Tim Ward
Sports Writer
Anytime ESPN selects you for
anything positive it greatly validates
your sports career. Lebron James,
Sebastian Telfair, O.J. Mayo, Tyreke
Evans, Brandon Knight are all current NBA players who have won
ESPN Freshman of the Year awards.
They were also lottery picks,
meaning they were drafted within
the first 14 picks of the NBA draft.
Of course, there have been players
who were chosen and didn’t have the
splash at the next level they anticipated; but lately, those selected have
done good things and made it to the
mountaintop known as the NBA.
One of the best things about Malik Newman is his personality. He’s
funny, down to earth, respectable,
and doesn’t get caught up in the hype
of being “Malik Newman.” When
asked does he feel pressure to live up
to the hype, Newman responded, “I
don’t think it’s pressure; I just look at
it as motivation.”
Encouragement is something he
should never feel he lacks. In addition to his blessed basketball skills,
Newman has a not-so secret weapon
in the stands, his dad, Horatio Webster. Webster was a standout college
player at Mississippi State University
and played overseas for some years.
Webster can been seen and heard
in the stands, often in the front row
encouraging Newman and his teammates by shouting, “Come on Malik”
and “There you go!” Newman enjoys
having his father at the games. He
loves the fact that his dad wants to
support him.
Having a dad that was successful respectful to all his teachers.”
in basketball can be both positive and
Newman is the first Mississippi
negative if the dad tries to relive his player to win the ESPN Freshman
playing days through his son. By all of the Year award. Funny thing is, he
indications, that is not the case with didn’t even know he was a candidate
this father-son duo. When asked how for the award. He’s excited about the
tough his dad is on him basketball award, but also glad to see his hard
wise, Newman said, “He’s not hard work has paid off. For Newman peron me at all; he just keeps me in line.” sonally, the state championship is his
Another big supporter and also second in as many years. Last year,
beneficiary of Newman’s talents is he lead the Powell Middle School
Coach Wayne Brent. Brent guided Trojans to the city championship.
Callaway to its third state champion- He averaged 22.9 points and 4.6 reship in four years. Helping lead the bounds per game this season.
way, was his freshman sensation.
The sky’s the limit for Newman.
One thing about Brent is he demands He has the support, the skills, and
his players play hard and are willing more importantly, the attitude to
to be coachable. He had this to say achieve great things.
about Malik: “Very
talented kid who
works hard at being
the best he can be. He
is a joy to coach.”
Newman was good
at picking his spots
this season to shine.
He never upstaged
or blasted his teammates publicly. While
that may seem like
the normal thing to
not do, many of these
“superstar” players
do the opposite. His
personality plays a
big role in that.
When asked about
Newman’s personality, Brent responded:
“He has a very pleasant personality, he’s
laid back, stays out Horatio Webster a standout at Mississippi State is always
of trouble and very front row to support his son and his teammates.
Malik posing with championship trophy
ESPN Freshman of the Year Malik Newman
Newman goes up for the basket.
Newman signs an autograph.
Speech expected to be named new Murrah boys basketball coach
By Tim Ward
Sports Writer
From all indications, Timothy
Speech, currently Bailey High School’s
boys basketball coach, will be on the
sideline for the Murrah Mustangs next
season. The move isn’t official yet, but
appears to be in place.
Speech has guided the Bailey
Knights to the coliseum twice during
his tenure, including this season.
Murrah needs some stability at the
head coaching position. The past two
seasons have been tumultuous. Two
years ago the Mustangs gained national
attention because of their coach whip-
ping players with a weight belt during
practice. Last season, the coach was
abruptly fired in the middle of the season. Assistant coach Brandon Smith
took over and guided the young Mustangs to a respectable finish. It is unclear
if Smith will remain on staff for next
season.
Coach Tim Speech congratulating players on a good season
Coach Speech appears to be next for Murrah
April 26 - May 2, 2012
10th Annual Two Rivers Gala
Benefit for Tougaloo College
April 7 • Jackson Medical Mall • Jackson, Miss.
photos by Jay Johnson
ENTERTAINMENT
April 26 - May 2, 2012
Monica bebuts new album
and dishes on career
Essence.com/eurweb.com
Monica’s been on a media blitz
as of late. The Georgia peach has
made appearances on Good Morning
America, 106 & Park and AOL.com
all in an effort to promote her seventh
studio album, New Life, which hit
stores April 10.
For weeks now, fans have been
buzzing over Monica and Brandy’s
duet, “It All Belongs to Me,” 14 years
after their chart topping hit, “The Boy
is Mine,” spent 13 weeks at number
one. This time around, Monica reveals it’s nothing like it was before.
They are truly friends and support
each other.
Monica stopped by ESSENCE.
com to discuss the details of her ballad-heavy new album, touring with
fellow R&B diva Brandy and when
she and her husband Shannon Brown
plan to welcome a new baby to their
nest.
ESSENCE.com: The opening track
of New Life features a special phone
call from Mary J. Blige. Do you talk
to her regularly?
MONICA: I put the phone conversation with Mary on there so that
other people could hear what I’ve
heard over the many years of our
friendship. When things have happened in my life, I’ve always called
her to seek advice on a lot of different things because I think it’s hard to
understand and to know what we feel
and go through on a regular basis. But
having similar backgrounds, and now
the same jobs, I know she’s just a person I can go to for a sincere answer.
ESSENCE.com: It sounds like you
dedicated a couple of songs to your
husband on the album. Share the significance of the song “Amazing.”
MONICA: I did two songs on the
album that were strictly about my
husband. One is “Amazing,” and
“Without You” is the other. I told Jermain Dupree that I wanted the song
title, “Amazing,” because that’s always what I would say when I talk
about my husband. I didn’t think
certain things were possible. I didn’t
think a relationship without turmoil
or love, or without heartbreak, was
possible. I thought these things came
together because that’s the way I experienced them. Of course he’s still a
human being, but he’s one that cares
in a way that I had not experienced
before. He’s truly amazing and that’s
where the song came from.
ESSENCE.com: It’s been 14 years
since you and Brandy recorded “The
Boy is Mine.” What was working together like this time around, and are
you going on tour?
MONICA: This is a totally different time and a totally different space.
In 1998, my first time meeting Brandy was when I walked into the studio
to record the “Boy is Mine.” A lot of
people don’t know that. I think it’s
natural sometimes for people to put
females against one another. At that
point, us being in high school and not
knowing a lot about the industry, we
kind of fell into it a little bit. We never
promoted it, we only performed the
song one time and that was for the
MTV Video Music Awards. This
time it’s totally different. She’s my
girlfriend. It’s different when you’re
working with someone that you care
about and that you know about. In
these 14 years, we’ve experienced
some of the same things.
We are working to put the tour together now. We’re looking for a promoter who really understands what
this type of tour needs. I would love
for it to be all female where you can
come out and see women do their
thing, every night. We’re looking for
other people to go out with us as well.
Monica
ESSENCE.com: You were very
close to Whitney Houston. Tell us
about your relationship.
MONICA: I’m grateful for the
two days we shared together before
she passed. We were able to talk
about some things and share some
things that I’ll be able to carry with
me for the rest of my life. It’s hard to
describe that kind of pain. She didn’t
get peace in the midst of her life here
on earth. I think that it’s best that she
get that peace in her death and always
get that respect that she deserves in
the end. Two weeks later my uncle
passed. Real life is happening every
day, and I try to stay encouraged, I try
to seek the positive in things.
ESSENCE.com: You’ve been married for a little while now. Are there
any plans to put a bun in the oven?
MONICA: Absolutely! My husband wants them now. So, we’re
working on it. We have three boys
between the two of us. We have a
lot of fun in the house. There are two
four-year-olds and a seven-year-old,
so it’s pretty exciting in the house as
it is. Shannon definitely wants more
children and so do the kids. That’s a
decision we have to involve the boys
in, too. We never exclude them in the
decisions we make. We’re looking
forward to having another child really
soon.
Essence fires white managing editor
over Right Wing Facebook postings
Essence.com/eurweb.com
Essence magazine and its white
male managing editor - whom the
leading magazine for black women
has emphasized had a production, not
an editorial role - are parting ways, a
spokeswoman told Journal-isms Friday (April 20), after right-wing material on his Facebook page was brought
to the editors’ attention.
The hiring of Michael Bullerdick
last July created an uproar, partly because the title of “managing editor” implied to many a major role for a white
man in the editorial process of a magazine for black women. In his LinkedIn
profile, Bullerdick lists “edit stories
for tone and style” among his duties,
even though editor-in-chief Constance
C.R. White insisted when he was hired,
“Michael is responsible for production
and operational workflow. He has no
involvement in editorial content.”
The announcement of Bullerdick’s
departure for the book division of Time
Warner, the conglomerate that owns
Essence, came after Journal-isms
shared screen shots of Bullerdick’s
Facebook page taken by a reader. “Essence readers would be shocked to find
that Bullerdick, who under the prodding of Time, Inc., became the first
white male editor at the magazine last
year, openly espouses extremist Rightwing views that run counter to what
Essence has historically stood for,” the
Journal-isms reader wrote in an email.
In one screen shot, an April 10 posting
is headlined, “No Voter Fraud, Mr. Attorney General?” touting a video by
James O’Keefe, the conservative activist who worked with right-wing trickster Andrew Breitbart. The same day,
Bullerdick shared a photo illustration
of Al Sharpton headlined, “MSNBC
Race Pimp.” Bullerdick also recommends material from the conservative magazine Human Events and the
right-wing website townhall.com, from
which Bullerdick posted “the Frequent
Bomber Program,” an article about
1960s radical Bill Ayers. Bullerdick
wrote, “Obama’s mentor and friend.”
During the 2008 presidential
campaign, then-Illinois Sen. Barack
Obama noted that he was a child when
Ayers notoriously was a member of the
Weathermen, protesting the Vietnam
War. “The former Weatherman, William Ayers, now holds the position of
distinguished professor of education
at the University of Illinois-Chicago,”
Michael Dobbs wrote in 2008 in the
Washington Post. . . . Both Obama and
Ayers were members of the board of an
anti-poverty group, the Woods Fund of
Chicago . . . Whatever his past, Ayers
is now a respected member of the Chicago intelligentsia, and still a member
of the Woods Fund Board.”
Through a spokeswoman, White
initially gave Journal-isms this statement Friday: “As editor-in-chief, I’m
responsible for all editorial content for
Essence. I hired Michael to manage the
production schedule of Essence. As
head of production, he does not attend
editorial idea meetings, nor does he get
involved in the editorial direction of the
magazine.”
Later, however, the spokeswoman
said, “By mutual agreement, Michael
has accepted a position in another division.” The episode is yet another in
which employees’ social media activities have created tension between
employer and employee. To forestall
such conflict, some news organizations
have forbidden employees to express
political views in social media. Just
last month, for example, ESPN said its
journalists would be violating its social
media policy by displaying pictures of
themselves wearing hoods on Twitter
in solidarity with the slain teenager
Trayvon Martin. Then the network reversed itself.
Asked whether Essence has devel-
Bullerdick
oped a social media policy, the spokeswoman said by email, “Employees
must follow the Standards of Business
Conduct, which is distributed to everyone at the company. Dan Okrent (who
heads up editorial standards and practices for Time Inc.) has been working
for some time now with our top editors to develop a social media policy.
This will be released when the work
is done.” Okrent was the first New
York Times public editor. According to
his LinkedIn profile, Bullderdick is a
magazine industry veteran who was a
corporate managing editor for American Media from August 2004 to January 2011.
He also lists himself as Consultant/
Editorial Director for American Athlete magazine from August 2011 to the
present. In that position, he oversees
“print, digital and brand positioning for
this innovative digital magazine and
Website with social media extensions
(late 2011 launch). Conceptualize stories, set tone, hire all talent, write, top
edit and oversee all content across platforms.”
No successor to Bullerdick was
named.
Movie Review:
“Think Like
a
Man”
Guys and Ladies Match Wits in
Battle-of-the-Sexes Comedy
By Kam Williams
Film Reviewer
Comedian/actor/radio and television show host Steve Harvey
shocked the world a few years ago
when he added love guru to his repertoire with the publication of “Act
Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.” The
popular relationship primer, which
earned the No. 1 spot on the New
York Times best-seller list, mapped
out a step-by-step strategy designed
to help any woman turn her man into
Mr. Right merely by understanding
and manipulating the male psyche.
“Think Like a Man,” the movie, is
less an adaptation of the book than a
battle-of-the-sexes romantic comedy
revolving around a quartet of conniving females who secretly rely on the
tenets of Steve’s philosophy to try to
land the men of their dreams. This
proves easier said than done once
the guys discover what the objects
of their affection are up to, and then
decide to beat them to the proverbial
punch by reading the opus themselves.
Directed by Tim Story, the film
features an A-list cast with stars in
both the lead and supporting roles.
Calling the play-by-play is Kevin
Hart, who does double duty as narrator and as Cedric, a trash-talking
blowhard going through a difficult
divorce.
Luckily, the four ill-matched
couples at the heart of the tale are
so simplistically-drawn that they’re
easy to keep straight. Earnest Dominic (Michael Ealy) is an unemployed
chef who dreams of opening his own
restaurant. He goes to extraordinary
lengths to impress Lauren (Taraji P.
Henson), a status-conscious corporate executive he thinks wouldn’t
give him the time of day if she knew
he didn’t have a job or a Mercedes.
Meanwhile, Michael (Terrence
Jenkins) and single-mom Candace
(Regina Hall) can never get together
between the distracting demands of
his meddling mother (Jenifer Lewis)
and her precocious, 6-year-old son
(Kaleel Harris). Then there’s Kristen
(Gabrielle Union) who has grown
weary after nine years of waiting for
her immature boyfriend (Jerry Ferrara) to pop the question. And finally,
we have Mya (Meagan Good) who
refuses to sleep with hot-and-bothered Zeke (Romany Malco) for 90
days after having been seduced and
abandoned by her previous suitor.
Overall, the banter is so laugh-outloud funny that I strongly urge you
to sit near the front of the theater,
since the audience din drowned out
a lot of dialogue at the screening this
critic attended. Many of the film’s
most memorable moments arrive
courtesy of celebs making cameo appearances, especially talk show host
Wendy Williams, comedienne Luenell, hunky Morris Chestnut, The
View’s Sherri Shepherd, singer Chris
Brown, pro basketball players Ron
Artest and Lisa Leslie, and Steve
Harvey himself.
Still, I would be remiss in my duties if I failed to forewarn that the
picture’s politically-incorrect brand
of humor is apt to offend those sensitive about homophobia, misogyny
and the use of the N-word. One only
hopes all is forgotten, if not necessarily forgiven, by the time the canoodling couples disappear into the
sunset.
The male mindset as the path to
happily ever after. Who knew?
Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, crude
humor, ethnic slurs and brief drug
use.
Running time: 123 minutes
Distributor: Screen Gems
To see a trailer for Think Like a
Man, visit: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=F7VmU8aHAtw
April 26 - May 2, 2012
April 26 - May 2, 2012
April 25 - May 1, 2012
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Sunday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
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8 OZ. PKG. .................................
PILLSBURY
DOUBLE LUCK CUT
16.5 OZ. ....................................
MINUTE MAID
/ 11 /79
12 PACK 12 OZ. CANS
GOLDEN
PINEAPPLE
EACH
LEG
QUARTERS
$ 99
POUND
BONELESS
CHUCK STEAK
FAMILY PACK, POUND
FRESH FRYER
BOSTON BUTT
PORK ROAST
$ 49
POUND
the price
you see is
the price
you pay at
the register.
14.5 OZ. CAN
NEW SEASON SWEET
VIDALIA
ONIONS
69
POUND
¢
FRESH SWEET YELLOW
WHITE OR BI-COLOR
CORN
/2
EACH
5 $
59 OZ. CTN. ................................
PICTSWEET
16 OZ. ......................................
SELECT VARIETIES
PICTSWEET
$ 29
VEGETABLES
...........................
14 - 16 OZ. PKG.
PIGGLY WIGGLY CRINKLE CUT GRADE A
1
$ 99
3
$ 19
1
¢
79
POTATOES
.................................
5 LB. BAG
FURLANI TOAST OR GARLIC
BREAD
..................................
8 - 10 OZ.
PIGGLY WIGGLY ASSORTED TOPPINGS
PIZZAS
.............................
6.5 OZ. PKG.

April 26 2012 - The Mississippi Link

Transcription

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