AAVoice 2011_02

Transcription

AAVoice 2011_02

The Voice of African Americans in Colorado
A wise person will
always find a way.
~ Tanzanian Proverb
FEBRUARY 2011
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLISHING
FREE
African Americans Face Racism at CBS Television
Actress Victoria Rowell and other
Black industry insiders are denied
equal opportunity to some of America’s most popular daytime dramas
By Brandon Brooks and Sam Richard
Los Angeles Sentinel Contributing
Editors to NNPA
Pioneering actress Victoria Rowell is
not new to the acting world and she
certainly is not new to the millions
of fans of the daytime drama “The
Young and The Restless”. The veteran actress was part of the cast as
Drucilla Winters for more than 17
years. However, the millions of fans
and corporate sponsors of the longtime No. 1 daytime drama may be
surprised to discover that in her 17
years, and, even worse, in the show’s
37 year history, they have never had
a single African American writer,
director or producer. This is despite
the fact that African American viewership for “The Young and The Restless” is estimated to be well over 35
percent and some have estimated it is
as high as 45 percent, which is causing
many in the civil rights community to
call for boycotts and demonstrations
of the show and its advertisers.
Rowell told the Los Angeles Sentinel in an exclusive interview for all
NNPA newspapers across the country that she has attended several
meetings in an effort to help diversify daytime soap operas behind the
scenes and in front of the camera.
Rowell believes that several examples of discrimination exist the most
egregious being the lack of Black
writers, directors or producers,for
over 37 years.
The Sentinel contacted Jim Kennedy, executive vice president for
Global Communications at Sony Pictures Entertainment, which co-owns
“The Young and the Restless,” along
with The Bell Family, regarding the
lack of African American participation behind the camera, and he stated:
“With regard to “The Young and the
Restless,” we are proud of the fact
that five African American actors
play important roles on the program,
and we are especially grateful for the
diverse audience it has every day.”
“And in light of that, Sony Pictures
Continued on page 10
Spotlight on Title VI Civil Rights Violators
The African American Voice is sick and tired of the following individuals
and agencies discriminating against the Colorado Black Press.
Victoria Rowell in the pressroom at the 39th NAACP Image Awards held at the Shrine
Auditorium on February 14, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA (AP Photo / Tammie Arroyo)
All-Classical 88.7 KCME-FM
Celebrates Black History Month
By Susan Zimmerman
All-Classical 88.7 KCME-FM commemorates Black History Month
with The Sounds and Songs of Black
History, to celebrate the achievements,
culture, talents, and contributions of
Black musicians throughout history.
Mike Miles
Harrison School District 2
Superintendent
Paula Miller
Pikes Peak Library District
Executive Director
Jerry Forte
Colorado Springs Utilities
CEO
• The Black Press demands you stop discriminating against the African American Voice Newspaper.
• We demand you obey the law...Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
• Jerry Forte we demand economic inclusion.
• Paula Miller we demand economic justice.
• Mike Miles we demand More African American teachers.
Be true to Democratic Principles. Justice and Equality For All.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Tucker,
Publisher
Join us February 12,
as we celebrate Black
History Month and
release the 2011 – 2012
African Caribbean
American Heritage Guide
for Colorado. For more
information see S1 of the
Black History Month
Special Supplement.
Stop Discrimination against Colorado Black Press!
February 2011
www.africanamericanvoice.net
This program, The Sounds and Songs
of Black History, is being written
and produced by Jana Lee Ross and
Michael Campion of KCME.
From February 1 through February
28, KCME will be broadcasting The
Sounds and Songs of Black History,
Continued on page 3
Inside this issue:
Obama's Next Moves - 2
Message From Barack Obama - 4
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - I-IV
Black History Month - S1-S4
GOP Eyeing Obama's Big Speech - 11
ROAD TO ELECTION 2012
Obama’s Next Moves: Poll Numbers are Good, Challenges Remain
By Eric Muhammad
ATLANTA (FinalCall.com) - The inauguration of President Barack Obama
two years ago set a record attendance
for swearing-ins in Washington,D.C.,
and marked the commencement of
the four-year term of the nation’s
first Black president.
Combined attendance numbers,
television and Internet audiences
made the inaugural one of the most
observed events in history.
Compared throughout his campaign to civil rights icon Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Mr. Obama,
originally campaigned under the slogan “Change We Can Believe In,”
then later, “Change We Need.” He
captured world attention as well as
the Nobel Peace Prize.
He was born in the 1960s and
embodied youthful energy and a
much needed transition from a time
of economic despair, out of control
foreign and domestic policies, wars
in Iran and Afghanistan and a departure in the American psyche from his
Republican predecessor George W.
Bush. His call for change, eloquent
speeches on race and campaign
promises inspired more confidence
in the possibility of change than any
of his immediate predecessors.
Two years later and two months
since the 2010 midterm election
blowout, campaign promises for the
most part have still gone unmet. A
new Congress commenced Jan. 5
with a swollen, Republican majority
in the House (63 new seats). A slower
than expected economic recovery
and job growth; and a health care bill
that might face a constitutional battle
in the U.S. Supreme Court this year
now squarely sits on the shoulders of
the much celebrated president.
The president has been savaged
by the right, called a “tyrant,” had
his citizenship challenged and been
subjected to a tremendous number
of death threats. In mid-term congressional elections, some members
of his own party ran away from the
once popular leader.
“This is still a time of great challenges for us to solve. We’ve got to
grow jobs faster and forge a stronger,
more competitive economy. We’ve
got to shore up our budget, and bring
down our deficits, We’ve got to keep
our people safe, and see to it that the
American Dream remains vibrant
and alive for our children and grandchildren,” he said in his January 15
weekly address.
“No matter what Barack Obama
says in his State of the Union
Address later this month, it is clear
where he is headed: ever rightward,”
began Black Agenda Report executive director Glen Ford, who has
been critical of the president.
2
Photo by The Final Call
“His appointments tell the tale.
Obama also gave the game away—
that he would govern from the center-right and attempt a grand consensus with the GOP—in the weeks
before he was first sworn into office,
January 20, 2009,” he said.
According to the editor of the online
journal, the Obama appointments of
Bill Clinton’s Wall Street deregulation crowd to head economic policy and his retention of George W.
Bush’s secretary of defense to guard
and expand the empire, should have
signaled to every sober observer that
Obama’s political orientation might
differ dramatically from his predecessor’s in tone, but not in substance.
The problem was, there were very
few sober Left political observers
around two years ago, and nearly all
Black folks were falling down drunk
on “‘ObamaL’aid’—a brain-softening condition that persists among
many, to this day,” said Mr. Ford.
Popularity vs. the
anti-Obama chorus
Conventional political wisdom
says the president must move to the
right to have a chance at winning and
his core constituents will simply go
along with him.
“I really don’t think that President Obama has anywhere to come
back from because I don’t think
he’s fallen,” said Dr. David Bositis,
a senior research fellow at the Joint
Center for Political and Economic
Studies. Sure Mr. Obama’s popularity has gone down, but that has more
to do with political and economic
trends than his performance and
political personality, said Dr. Bositis.
People are dissatisfied about
the economy, but have to remember President Obama does not control the economy, Dr. Bositis said.
It is historically commonplace that
when the economy is bad, the party
in office takes the hit and is thrown
out, he added. It happened in 2006
and 2008 with the Republicans, and
in 2010, it happened to President
Obama and the Democrats, Dr. Bositis continued.
“But he’s by far the most popular person in the country. He’s way
more popular than the Republicans
and his approval ratings are much
higher than Ronald Reagan’s and
Bill Clinton’s were at this point in
their presidencies,” Dr. Bositis said.
According to analysts, the right
wing media’s constant negative portrayal of President Obama has contributed to the perception that he
has lost or is losing support, but Dr.
Bositis said the anti-Obama chorus
is nothing new.
“Remember, it wasn’t like 80 or
70 or 60 percent of the people in the
country voted for President Obama
in 2008. He got about 53 percent
of the vote so a lot of the people
who are loudest in their complaints
about President Obama are people
who never liked President Obama to
begin with,” said Dr. Bositis.
Author and social commentator Dr. Michael Eric Dyson told
The Final Call that redemption and
recovery for President Obama is
always possible.
“I think that President Obama’s
brilliant speech in the aftermath of
the Tucson tragedy reasserts his
legitimacy as this nation’s leader and
also his rhetorical ability to unite the
nation around fundamental principles of democracy and civility. And
if people would offer him the opportunity to exert his leadership—and if
on the other hand he would begin to
even more boldly exercise his leadership right then—I think that those
two things together would permit
him to reassert his presidential persona,” Dr. Dyson said.
Productive sessions
after ‘shellacking’
The president had said he looked
forward to returning to Washing-
ton on the heels of “the anything
but lame duck session” of Congress
where he successfully negotiated an
impressive slew of legislative victories late in the year. Analysts agreed
there had not been such a productive session of outgoing congressmen since the presidency of Lyndon
B. Johnson.
Mr. Obama is also riding a wave
of popularity. The latest Gallup poll
showed his job approval rating at
49 percent against 43 percent disapproval with near 7 percent undecided
at Final Call press time Jan. 17.
Pres. Obama called Nov. 2 midterm elections a “shellacking” for
himself and Democrats and faced
major issues mired in a legislative stalemate.
Still the president worked out a
compromise with Senate Republican
leaders to extend Bush-era tax cuts
for two more years, extend unemployment benefits for 13 months,
and slightly reduce payroll taxes.
“The president and his team found
a better approach to governing,”
began CNN political analyst and former Clinton presidential aide David
Gergen. “Instead of relying on the
Democratic caucus in each chamber
to deliver, they built up coalitions of
their own that swayed public opinion in their direction and gave them
leverage in Congress.”
The White House found ways to
repeal the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that bans openly homosexual
men and women from the military
and get approval for a nuclear arms
treaty with Russia.
Both the House and Senate passed
a bill to provide medical treatment
and compensation to first responders
in the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attack in New York and both chambers agreed on a resolution authorizing government funding through
March 4.
The president tried to tout the victoContinued on page 4
February 2011
COMMUNITY
Your Rights:
Title VI of the 1964
Civil Rights Act
"No person in the United States
shall, on the grounds of race, color,
or national origin, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits
of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity receiving
Federal financial assistance."
Pictured: Dr. James Tucker and Bentley Rayburn, President, Colorado Technical University
Photo courtesy of Colorado Technical University
For twenty years, Colorado Technical University has been the only institution in
Southern Colorado with a history of complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 by advertising with the Black Press - African American Voice.
KCME-FM Celebrates Black History Month
Continued on from page 1
Monday through Friday at 9 a.m.,
2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Saturdays,
The Sounds and Songs of Black History will air at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 4
p.m., and on Sundays at 8 a.m., 1 p.m.
and 4 p.m. Just a sampling of the 28
musicians being highlighted will
include: William Grant Still, Chevalier de St. Georges, Jessye Norman,
Paul Robeson, Branford Marsalis,
Charles Holland and Duke Ellington.
Tune into All-Classical 88.7
KCME-FM or listen online at www.
kcme.org. For a complete list of artists being heard during Black History Month on KCME, go to www.
kcme.org. For a daily synopsis of
The Sounds and Songs of Black History, visit KCME on Facebook every
day in February.
KCME Stations by Area:
Manitou Springs – 88.7 FM
Salida/Buena Vista – 88.1 FM
Cañon City/Florence – 91.1 FM
Cripple Creek/Victor – 89.5 FM
Woodland Park – 93.5 FM
Summit County – 89.3 FM
Denver Police, Fire, and Sheriff
Career opportunities in 2011
Call for details and qualifications (720) 913-3390
EOE
Susan Zimmerman
719.578.5263
[email protected]
See The African American Voice Partners for 2010-2011
online at www.africanamericanvoice.net
"Worshipping God in Spirit & in Truth"
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African American Voice
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James Tucker
Publisher
Phone: 719.528.1954
E-mail: [email protected]
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February 2011
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at 8:00
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Calvary Worship Center is located at
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Phone (719) 632-3311
3
NATIONAL NEWS
Obama’s Next Moves
Continued from page 2
ries as signs Democrats and Republicans could work together.
In addition, the president signed
a bill into law, a $1.25 billion settlement for Black farmers who say
they were discriminated against
by the federal government when it
came to loans and subsidies. About
30,000 Black farmers are eligible for
the settlement.
Rhetoric and appeals to
the American people
The president’s eulogizing of six
people who died in a Jan. 12 Tucson,
Ariz., shooting spree that wounded
14 others—including Rep. Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords—and his
upcoming Jan. 27 State of the Union
Address were seen as opportunities
to put forward a vision and win voters.
Though President Obama’s numbers are reminiscent of former Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1983 and
Bill Clinton in 1995, he is still
very much in danger of being a
one-term president.
Former Presidents Jimmy Carter
and George W.H. Bush had significant popularity at midpoint but
their second term aspirations fell
miserably short.
Facing a divided Congress and
polarized electorate, President Obama
may return to previous themes of
common ground, principled disagreement, dialogue, and compromise.
“What I think is especially interesting about this State of the Union
is how similar it will likely be to
his other ones,” said Dr. Kevin Coe,
a mass media analyst at the University of Arizona.“Obama has
made ‘bipartisan compromise’ and
‘reaching across the aisle’ hallmarks of his rhetoric so far,” he told
The Final Call.
“The Republican gains make
such rhetoric more relevant. Obama
will, early on, make some kind of
acknowledgement of the Republican
gains, probably couched in the language of ‘change’ that he’s always
used (because) people are ‘dissatisfied with the ways of Washington’
and so on. His actual discussion of
policy will probably sound a lot like
before, highlighting opportunities
for bipartisanship,” he concluded.
Craig R. Smith was a full-time
speechwriter for President Gerald Ford and a consulting writer for
George H. W. Bush. He told The
Final Call, “The president will highlight those programs which appeal
to a majority of Americans or to
his needed constituency (minorities, independents, students, Democrats). Thus, the Dream Act, if not
passed by then, will be trotted out
in the State Of The Union address,
and so will tax reform. The president must address the wars in which
he is engaged. He will try to put the
best face on them, to highlight where
‘progress’ has been made.
“It will be interesting to see if the
president lists a bunch of programs,
kind of like Clinton’s 51 programs in
51 minutes, or he focuses on four or
five major initiatives in the domestic section of the speech. For example, he might try to answer the question: Which programs are likely to
reduce unemployment? Since he
has already reached out to Republicans on the tax issue, it looks as if
he is embracing the Clinton strategy
of going along with some Republican requests to get along with them,
so he has a record of achievement to
run on in 2012.”
“The president has tremendous
leverage” coming into the second
half of his term, said the National
Urban League executive director
Mark Morial. “Number one, he’s got
the experiences of the first two years.
Number two, he has a strong base of
support and goodwill that remains
with him. And number three, he has
the bully pulpit of the presidency
and the veto pen of the presidency,
which are both very powerful tools,”
he said.
“In the intervening 24 months
(since the inaugural), the Right has
achieved a near-miraculous comeback, a reversal of fortune that
could not have happened without
considerable assistance from Mr.
Obama,” argued Mr. Ford, of BlackAgendaReport.com. “By positioning his administration to the right
of center from the very beginning,
becoming more intimately identified
with Wall Street bankers even than
Bush, and waging relentless war on
the Left half of his party, Obama
reduced fellow Democrats to a state
of demoralized confusion, leading to
catastrophic defeat. Defeat, that is,
for the party, but not for the president, who has at last arrived in his
comfort zone,” he said.
(Charlene Muhammad contributed
to this report.)
Article from www.newamericamedia.org
Eric Muhammad
The Final Call
www.finalcall.com
A Message from Barack Obama
(Jan 25, 2011) - Friend -Tonight I addressed the American
people on the future we face together.
Though at times it may seem
uncertain, it is a future that is ours to
decide, ours to define, and ours to win.
I know we will.
Because, after the worst recession in decades, we see an economy
growing again.
Because, after two years of job
losses, we’ve added private-sector
jobs for 12 straight months -- more
than 1 million in all.
Because, time after time, when
our resolve has been tested, we, as a
nation, have always prevailed.
Overcoming the challenges we
face today requires a new vision for
tomorrow. We will move forward
together, or not at all -- for the challenges we face are bigger than party,
and bigger than politics.
Yet the story of America is this:
We do big things.
Just as the progress of the past two
years would not have been possible without your hard work, we will
not realize the agenda I described
tonight without you.
So as we continue this great mission together, and we set out the
plans for how far we can go, I need
to know that you are ready to work
side by side with me once more.
Will you stand with me as we strive
to win the future?
4
The last two years have been
marked by unprecedented reforms
and historic progress.
But there is much more work to do.
Moving forward, America’s economic growth at home is inextricably connected to our competitiveness in the global community. The
more products American companies
can export, the more jobs we can
create at home.
This vision for the future starts
with innovation, tapping into the creativity and imagination of our people to create the jobs and industries
of the future. Instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, let’s invest
in tomorrow’s. It’s why I challenged
Congress to join me in setting a new
goal: By 2035, 80 percent of America’s electricity will come from clean
energy sources.
It means leading the world in educating our kids, giving each of our
children the best opportunity to succeed and preparing them for the jobs
of tomorrow.
We must build a 21st century infrastructure for our country, putting millions of Americans to work rebuilding roads and bridges and expanding
high-speed Internet and high-speed rail.
We must reform government, making
it leaner, smarter, and more transparent.
And we must take responsibility
for our shared debt, reining in our
long-term deficit so we can afford
the investments we need to
move our country forward.
That is the vision I laid out
tonight. That is how we win
the future.
It is going to take a lot of
work -- but I have no doubt we
are up to the task.
Half a century ago, when
the Soviets beat us into space
with the launch of a satellite
called Sputnik, we had no
idea how we’d beat them to
the moon. The science wasn’t
there yet. NASA didn’t even exist.
But after investing in better
research and education, we
didn’t just surpass the Soviets. We unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and
millions of new jobs.
This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.
Please stand together with me:
http://my.barackobama.com/WintheFuture
It is because of each of you, who
define the will of a people, that the
state of our union is strong in the
face of tough challenges. You are the
reason our future is still bright in the
face of deep uncertainty.
And you are the reason I believe
that future is ours to win.
Thank you,
Barack
Photo by Whitehouse.gov
A Message from
Michelle Obama
The 46th Democratic
National Convention
Charlotte, North Carolina, will host
the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012.
But, conventions take time to
plan, so please help us make sure
that your thoughts and your ideas
will ring all the way to Charlotte.
Get started now:
http://my.barackobama.com/PeoplesConvention
Looking forward to sharing
this together,
Michelle
February 2011
EDUCATION
Philadelphia School District Urges Employees to Keep Mum
By Eric Mayes
A memo sent to school district employees this week reminding them that
they could be fired, suspended or
face other disciplinary action for
discussing district business without authorization has again thrown
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman
into the spotlight.
“It was just a reminder about
our code of ethics policy here,”
said district spokeswoman Shana
Kemp. “It was just a memo from
our legal department which was an
[industry] standard.”
The memo was sent to all district
staff on Tuesday from School Reform
Commission counsel Michael A.
Davis. In it, district staffers were told
that they were responsible under district policy for “maintaining confidentiality, conducting yourself in a
manner that engenders respect and
justifies trust in your integrity, competency, and devotion to the mission
of the School District.”
Kemp said the memo and others like it were sent out periodically
to remind district employees about
district policy.
However, its release, and leak
to reporters, came at a time when
the district faces a state audit and
is also undergoing an internal
investigation, being conducted by
Michael Schwartz, a lawyer from
Pepper Hamilton L.L.P., under
the supervision of Superintendent
Arlene Ackerman.
Both were prompted by recent revelations surrounding the awarding of
a $7.5 million no-bid contract to a
minority-owned firm in September.
Ackerman has acknowledged that
she interfered in the awarding of the
contract to install security cameras
and related equipment at 19 district
schools, which went to a Germantown company called IBS Communications. The choice ruffled feathers because officials at another
company, Security & Data Technology of Newtown Township, had
reportedly already begun work, led
to believe they had the contract by
someone inside the administration,
without the required SRC approval.
“I later learned that staff mem-
Photo by Philadelphia Tribune
bers had asked them to do the work, ment that existed before Ackerman.
which is totally inappropriate,” said It’s always been an issue at the district.”
Ackerman in an interview on Dec.
Whether Ackerman could stop dis2. “We’re trying to find out who had trict employees from talking to the
them do what.”
media would depend on the circumSix district employees were sus- stances, said Mary Catherine Roper,
pended with pay as Ackerman strug- a staff attorney with the ACLU of
gled to find the source of the informa- Pennsylvania.
tion, which was originally leaked to
Employees at public entities like
The Philadelphia Inquirer. Employ- the school district are given wide latees placed on leave were: Rob- itude to speak about district business.
ert Westall, deputy chief informaFederal whistleblower laws do not
tion officer, Melanie Harris, head of apply to discussions with the media,
the technology department, John L. she said. Constitutionally protected
Byars, senior vice president of pro- free speech might apply in some
curement services, Francis Dough- situations but only if the informaerty, an aide to Deputy Superinten- tion leaked concerned something
dent Leroy D. Nunery II, Patrick in the public interest and even then
Henwood, senior vice president for a judge would decide on a case-bycapital programs and Augustine Pes- case basis.
catore, a commander in the Office of
“It is always a very complicated
School Climate and Safety.
Ackerman told the Tribune in several interviews in December that she
intended to find the source of the
leak and plug it.
“Once we find out we will take
appropriate action,” she said, adding that during the time she served
as superintendent in San Francisco,
she brought in the FBI to investigate
her own staff.
In a district as large as Philadelphia’s, leaks are almost impossible
to stop, said a public relations veteran who asked not to be named.
“The district has always been
known as a communications sieve,”
said the source. “When you have a
meeting in the district the information is going to the press before the
meeting is over. That is an environ-
analysis about the value to the public, of the kind of information being
made versus the power of the government to operate a workplace without chaos,” Roper said. “It’s very
much a case-by-case basis. It would
depend on the role of the employee
as well as the kind of information
being released.”
Already Ackerman’s ongoing battles in and with the press have
drawn the attention of officials
in Harrisburg.
State Rep. Michael P. McGeehan
said this week that he was working
to add the media to the state’s whistleblower law to “help facilitate the
media’s ability to obtain information
on wasteful government spending.”
McGeehan has been a sharp critic
of Ackerman.
The people to whom Ackerman is
accountable, the mayor, the SRC and
ultimately governor have not shown
an inclination to second-guess her.
Mayor Michael Nutter declined
to comment on the memo sent out
this week. He has been a steadfast
Ackerman supporter throughout her
stormy tenure.
SRC chairman Robert L. Archie
could not be reached for comment
Friday. He too has publicly stood
behind the superintendent.
Eric Mayes
Philadelphia Tribune
www.phillytrib.com
•Copy
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February 2011
5
CALENDAR
Pouring Tea
Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales
Performed by Dr. E. Patrick Johnson
Author of Appropriating Blackness and Co-Editor of Black Queer Studies
This dramatic reading is based on
the oral histories collected in
Johnson's book, Sweet Tea: Black
Gay Men of the South—An Oral
History, published by the University of North Carolina Press. The
oral histories are from black gay
men who were born, raised, and
continue to live in the South and
range in age from 19 to 93. This
performance covers coming of age
in the South, religion, sex, transgenderism, love stories, and coming out.
"From the moment Johnson took the
stage, the audience was engaged by
his passionate discussion and insight
into the lives of the black gay men he
met and interviewed."
~Emily Thomsen
Thursday, March 10 AT 7 pm
THE COLORADO COLLEGE ARMSTRONG THEATRE
ARMSTRONG HALL ▪ 14 E CACHE LA POUDRE ST ▪ COLORADO SPRINGS
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT HEIDI R. LEWIS
(719) 389-6081 OR [email protected]
Sponsored by the Cultural Attractions Fund, the Feminist & Gender Studies Program,
the Race & Ethnic Studies Program, and the Drama & Dance Department
Advertise in the African American Voice!
To place an ad or for more information:
719.528.1954
6
February 2011
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Civil Rights: Educating Our People
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast and March
Photos from the African American Voice's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend Celebration:
James Tucker and Howard Smith previewing the
African Caribbean American Heritage Guide
Reverend Walter B. Hoye (center) chatting with Ministers BJ and Randle Cameron
By Theresa Ward
By the year 2100, the African
American race may have to face the
possibility of becoming an endangered species, said the Reverend
Walter B. Hoye, if abortion continues at the present rate among its
members. He was speaking to the
attendees of the “Civil Rights: Educating our People” breakfast held
on Martin Luther King Day, January 17th, 2011, at the Academy Best
Western Hotel in Colorado Springs.
Hosted by the African American
Voice newspaper, the breakfast featured civil rights speaker Hoye, and
presented awards to members of the
community who have made a difference in civil rights in the past year.
The ecumenically-flavored Martin
Luther King Day Celebration continued with a Mass for Life at St.
Mary’s Cathedral, a rally at Acacia Park, and a March for Civil
Rights and Life, in the style of Dr.
King’s famous march from Selma
to Montgomery.
Dr. James Tucker, publisher of the
African American Voice, welcomed
each participant as they entered the
three-story glass-roofed atrium of
the hotel. Pastors of various Christian churches of the black community of Colorado Springs, along with
their members, attended the breakfast, as well as local politicians such
as County Commissioner Peggy
Littleton. Pikes Peak Citizens for
February 2011
Jacqueline Hasty, James Duckery, with James Tucker at the Breakfast and Learn Event
Life and Kenneth Ford, Family Service Director for Swan-Law funeral
home each staffed a booth and a
Civil Rights Display.
Pastor William Gamble, of the
People’s United Methodist Church,
opened the event with a prayer, then
Jacqueline Hasty introduced a promising young musician, James Duckery, who is currently a student at
Panorama Middle School and The
Colorado Springs Conservatory, who
then entertained the assembly with
his saxophone.
Skorman, a candidate for Mayor of
Colorado Springs.
Reverend Walter Hoye, the keynote speaker for the breakfast, said
that the number one civil right that
is being violated today against African Americans is their right to life.
He cited statistics to the group that
thirty percent of the abortions performed every year in the United
States are done to African Americans, who are only twelve percent
of the population. He further stated
that half of that 12% are women,
6%, and that half of the 6% are
Kenneth Ford gave the welcome address. of childbearing age.
“It is our job to keep the doors that
“Therefore,” he said, “Three perDr. Martin Luther King opened for cent of the population is responsimy generation, open for the next ble for thirty percent of all the aborgeneration to pass through.” Ford tions! How long can we continue at
said, “As Dr. King taught, everyone his rate? If you can’t get out of the
deserves dignity and respect. We womb,” he said, “What does edutreat all members of the community cation, jail, civil rights matter? The
that way, no matter what, and we are number one right is the right to live.”
reaching out to the community to
Carrie Barnhill gave the closing
live this out.”
address. She encouraged participants
Dr. Martin Luther King Awards to get involved to make Colorado
were then presented. Bentley Ray- Springs a better community.
burn, President of Colorado Technical University was the recipient of
the Title VI-Civil Rights Award for
complying with Title VI of the 1964
Civil Rights Act; Robert L. Armendariz, Editor of Hispania News,
presented the award. KRDO News
– Channel 13, was recognized with
the Drum Major award for the station’s investigative reporting. The
award was presented by Richard
James Tucker addressed the group
on the state of the Black Press.
Modeled after the famous march
from Selma to Montgomery, the participants marched, silently, twelve
blocks to the site of the old Planned
Parenthood clinic on West Colorado, where they placed crosses
on the sidewalk in front to remember the children who had died there
as a result of abortion. The march
was originated by twelve-year-old
Zach Goodman, a parishioner of St.
Paul’s Catholic Church, two years
ago when he, after studying the civil
rights movement, decided that Dr.
King, if he were alive, would probably be working to restore civil rights
to the unborn. This concluded the
day’s events. The events after the
breakfast were hosted by the Respect
Life Committee of the Colorado
Springs Catholic Diocese.
Theresa Ward
[email protected]
I
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Photo highlights from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Dinner and Learn: Bullying in the Workplace Workshop
For more information or questions contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
Website: www.eeoc.gov
Phone: (800) 669-4000 or (800) 669-6820
e-mail: [email protected]
Visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Musuem at 2713 N. Grand Avenue, Pueblo, Colorado
II
February 2011
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letter to the Editor from the
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
I am writing to weigh in on the dispute between James Tucker and
Mike Miles. Reasonable people
can disagree about what is the best
way to reform our broken educational system. However, despite the
Gazette assertions, I don’t see Dr.
Tucker as one who uses the word
racist simply because someone does
not agree with him. Nor can anyone say with a straight face that he
profits from the African American
Voice. That newspaper is a labor of
love –it does have reporters and photographers and it is well read here
in Denver in the African American
community. Dr. Tucker is both a veteran and an educator who has dedicated years, and personal resources
to make the American idea of justice
for all a reality.
I know that Dr. Tucker was working on a recall petition regarding the
school district in question—his right
as a citizen and voter. Dr. Tucker
deals with issues other than race but
as an African American man he sees
how race and racism impact daily
life and political and social decisions in a way that those of us who
are white cannot. Dr. Tucker does
not hate white people and does not
see all white people as the enemy,
though that is a convenient way to
rally public opinion against him.
Dr. Tucker works tirelessly for social
justice on a wide variety of issues.
He has brought me many individuals in need of help who have been
struggling with hostile systems and
unable to get their needs met—people struggling with lack of health
care, veterans who are ignored
once they come home as wounded
warriors and people who suffer
from discrimination.
I received a letter from Mike Miles
on Harrison district letterhead asking me to “withdraw” my “financial
support” from the African American Voice. The Voice has regularly
published an “advertisement” of the
organization I direct, the Colorado
Cross-Disability Coalition. Our mission is to promote social justice and
create systems change that benefits
people with all types of disabilities.
As part of that we provide support
for groups who want to organize on
an issue and some individual advocacy for people having trouble with
various disability systems. Disabled African Americans and other
people of color have had dispropor-
tional difficulty obtaining necessary
services and supports –for this reason and this reason only Mr. Tucker
has never charged us for this advertisement—it has been published as a
community service. He knows that
our organization does not have funds
for advertising on any level. However, if we did have these funds, particularly government funds he would
expect and rightly so that we advertise fairly—and include not only his
publication but ALL relevant ethnic media. If one bothers to read the
actual publication one will see that
while they push for racial equality and social justice they also serve
the community by promoting health
care access, emergency preparedness,
cultural celebrations (for a variety of
cultures) and more.
A free press that has the ability to
stir controversy is an essential component of a democracy. While Mr.
Miles has every right to promote his
views on education reform, and as
the superintendant has the right to
implement these reforms, so too does
Dr. Tucker have the right to publish his perspective. Any publicly
funded institution that chooses only
to advertise (for services, employ-
Julie Reiskin
Executive Director, CCDC
Certified Non-Attorney Advocate
[email protected]
ees or otherwise) in dominant media
while refusing to do the same in ethnic media should be called on the
carpet. If the reforms being promoted are truly beneficial for low
income African American children
they should be clamoring to get coverage in the press that is likely to
be read by the parents of those children. As an educator and activist Dr.
Tucker is adamant about the right of
all children to get a quality education and is passionate about closure
of the achievement gap. Do not vilify a man because he is a passionate
and outspoken activist.
On a personal note—I have to share
that I have been at activities with
Dr. Tucker and have witnessed on
more than one occasion a phenomena where I say the EXACT same
words as Dr. Tucker on any issue.
When I say it as a white woman I
am not accused of being hateful,
angry or inappropriate. When he
says these words –the same words—
he is accused of all three. If that is
not the heart of racism then I don’t
know what is.
Sincerely
Julie Reiskin, Executive Director
Title VI of the 1964
Civil Rights Act
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"No person in the United
States shall, on the grounds
of race, color, or national
origin, be excluded from
participation in, be denied
the benefits of, or be
subjected to discrimination
under any program or
activity receiving Federal
financial assistance."
James Tucker, Publisher
Proudly fighting for Dr. King's ideals
of civil rights, democratic principles,
economic justice and equality for all.
The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonism when
it affords to all people – regardless of race, color or creed – their human and legal rights. Hating no person and
fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back -The Black Press Creed
February 2011
III
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Black Men Say Doctor’s Visits
Are Often a Bad Experience
Photo by New America Media
By ViJi Sundaram
African-American men avoid going
to the doctor not because they don’t
want to seek medical attention, but
because they find the visits stressful
and often unhelpful, a recent University of Michigan study shows.
“We tend to think they don’t want
to go, when in fact it’s because they
don’t have positive experiences,”
said Dr. Derek Griffith, assistant
professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, the
lead investigator of the study.
Researchers arrived at that conclusion after questioning 105, middleaged African-American men from
Detroit, Flint and Ypsilanti—three
communities in Michigan with large
black populations. The majority of
the men said they disliked the tone
physicians often used with them.
They said they felt they were getting
orders from their physicians, instead
of being talked to as equals.
The men said they knew they
needed to lose weight, change their
eating habits and be more physically active before visiting the doctor. They were hoping that their doctors would help them figure out how
to make those behavioral changes
without sacrificing time with their
spouses and children.
“Many men want to adopt healthier
lifestyles, but face significant challenges beyond health insurance and
the cost of care,” Griffith noted, adding: “They are concerned about their
health and are more knowledgeable
about the changes they need to make
than they are given credit for.”
African-American men die an
average of seven years earlier than
men of other ethnic groups, and are
more likely to suffer from undiagnosed chronic illnesses, according
to Griffith.
Griffith, who is also the director of
the school’s Center on Men’s Health
Disparities, said the findings highlight the need for physicians to offer
practical information, resources
and support to help men stick withtheir medical regimes and make life-
style changes within the context of
their other responsibilities to family
and community.
Researchers are hoping that their
findings will start a discussion
among physicians on how they communicate with patients and why
patients may not comply with their
doctors’ orders.
Showing more understanding of
their patients’ needs would be one
way of encouraging them to visit
their doctors and to follow those
doctors’ recommendations.
Viji Sundaram
New America Media
www.newamericamedia.org
Message from Colorado African Americans for Justice
Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act states: No person in the United States
shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied
the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving
federal financial assistance.
Executive Order 13166 (August 2000) Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency — EO requires agencies (recipients of federal assistance) to examine the services
they provide, identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP), and
develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP persons can have
meaningful access to them.
The listed entities are recipients of federal assistance and are therefore required to comply with
Title VI and Executive Order 13166. We allege that these entities are violating Title VI and discriminating against beneficiaries (i.e., taxpayers) of their services on the basis of:
• Failing to provide minority mass media (newspaper, radio, and TV) with the same program announcements as are provided to the majority population mass media so as to timely inform the
broader minority community of their programs and services.
• Failing to take significant efforts by proactively notifying their constituents and potential program
participants of vital information related to their programs and activities through publication in minority newspapers as is provided to the majority population mass media.
• Failing to publish vital information related to their program and activities in minority newspapers as
is provided to the majority population mass media in other languages to reach those persons who
are limited English proficient and may need these vital services.
Therefore, the African American Voice will continue to post these
violations regarding: Colorado Title VI Civil Rights Violators
Top 25 February Violators:
1. Air Force Academy
2. Air Academy School District 20
3. American National Bank
4. Chase Bank
5. Cheyenne Village
6. Colorado Army National Guard
7. Colorado Springs Fine Art Center
8. Regis Univeristy
9. Colorado State University
10. Denver Public Schools
11. Everest College
12. Fountain Fort Carson School District 8
13. Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Colorado Chirstian University
Lockheed Martin
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services-Centura Health
Pikes Peak Community College
Community Partnership for
Child Development
University of Denver
University of the Rockies
USAA Bank
US Bank
Walgreens
Wells Fargo Bank
Widefield School District 3
Colorado Title VI Civil Rights Violators
IV
February 2011
FEBRUARY 2011
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT Special from ASALH:
Celebrate Black History
2011 National Black History Month Theme Announced
Washington, DC – The Association
for the Study of African American
Life and History (ASALH) is excited
to announce the 2011 National Black
History Month Theme as “African
Americans and the Civil War.” This
year’s commemoration continues
the tradition of excellence started by
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the Father of
Black History, in 1915, in his vision
of accurate historic documentation
of the tremendous impact of African
Americans amidst American history.
Black History Month 2011 takes
on even greater significance amidst
the discoveries of erroneous text
book accounts of history in Virginia
and Texas. In the spirit of Dr. Woodson, ASALH will spend the month
educating the nation on how Black
soldiers took up arms to help free
themselves and liberate a nation.
In 1861, as the United States stood
at the brink of Civil War, people of
African descent, both enslaved and
free persons, waited with a watch-
ful eye. They understood that a
war between the North and the
South might bring about jubilee-the destruction of slavery and universal freedom. When the Confederacy fired upon Fort Sumter and
war ensued, President Abraham Lincoln maintained that the paramount
cause was to preserve the Union, not
end slavery. Frederick Douglass, the
most prominent black leader, opined
that regardless of intentions, the war
would bring an end to slavery, America’s “peculiar institution.”
Over the course of the war, the four
million people of African descent
in the United States proved Douglass right. Free and enslaved blacks
rallied around the Union flag in the
cause of freedom. From the cotton and tobacco fields of the South
to the small towns and big cities of
the North, nearly 200,000 joined the
Grand Army of the Republic and
took up arms to destroy the Confederacy. They served as recruiters, sol-
diers, nurses, and spies, and endured
unequal treatment, massacres, and
riots as they pursued their quest for
freedom and equality. Their record of
service speaks for itself, and Americans have never fully realized how
their heroic efforts saved the Union.
This theme is also the focus of
the 85th Annual Black History Luncheon scheduled on Saturday, February 26, 2011 that will be held at
the Renaissance Washington, DC
Hotel on 999 9th Street NW; Go to
http://www.asalh.org/Annual_Luncheon.html. ASALH encourages
all Americans to study and reflect
on the value of their contributions
to the nation.
To promote, research, preserve,
interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history and
culture to the global community...
ASALH Mission
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
and Black History
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the “Father of Black History”, was born December 19, 1875, to two former
slaves. Woodson organized the first Negro History
Week and founded the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History. Teaching himself
to read, Woodson financed his formal education
between back breaking field work and toiling in coal
mines. He admonished Blacks that “if a race has no
history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes
a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it
stands in danger of being exterminated.”
Presents
The African Caribbean
American Heritage Guide
Join us to learn about
African and Caribbean
Americans in Colorado
Date: February 12, 2011
Time: 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Location: Best Western The Academy Hotel
8110 N. Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, Colorado
For more information
call: 719.528.1954
Reservations required
Colorado Springs
School District 11’s
annual report to
the public is now
available.
District 11’s Annual Report
to the Public describes the
status and accomplishments
of our district, schools, and
students. You may get this
report online at
www.d11.org/publications,
or a printed copy is
available by calling
520-2005.
Every student prepared for a world
yet to be imagined
The world is changing.
Meet the future.
Woodson Died on April 3, 1950, at the age of 74.
February 2011
S1
Cel
eb
ra
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
2
g
tin
ars!
e
Y
0
The African American Voice celebrates 20 years in the
publishing business by keeping the community informed.
Join us:
Juneteenth Caribbean American Heritage Festival
June 3, 10, 18 & 19, 2011
For more information call 719.528.1954 or email [email protected]
The 2011 – 2012 African Caribbean American
Heritage Guide will be available 2/12/11!
YES! Send a copy today!
Only $4.95 each!
(Must add $2.00 per guide for shipping and handling)
African Caribbean American Heritage Guide
Quantity:______
My check or money order is enclosed for $________
Make check or money order payable to:
(No cash or C.O.D.)
Please mail coupon and check or money order to:
P.O. Box 25340
Colorado Springs, CO 80936
Name: ________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________
Address: ______________________________________Apt: _____
City: ______________________________ State: ____Zip: _______
Customer Signature: _____________________________________
S2
February 2011
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 2011
S3
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black History Month Celebration
Louise Apodaca
Colorado Cross-Disability
Coalition (CCDC)
(303) 865-8222
[email protected]
Denver, Colorado – The Denver Metro
Region of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) will honor
Black History Month with a dialogue covering the historical achievements and current challenges facing
Black Americans.
On Saturday, February 19, 2011,
at 1:00pm, Pastor Roy Johnston and
Bonnie Brae Church, at 700 Bonnie Brae Blvd in Denver, Colorado
80209, will host an event featuring Radio Talk Show Host James
“Dr Daddio” Walker and Dr. James
Tucker, Disabled American Veteran
Business Owner and Publisher of the
African American Voice Newspaper.
After each speaker, the audience will
be encouraged to engage in discussion.
The Association for the Study of
African American Life and History has selected “African Americans and the Civil War” as the 2011
Black History Theme. Their website explains that in 1861 people of
African descent waited with watchful eyes, “understanding that a war
between the North and the South
would bring about jubilee – the
destruction of slavery and universal
freedom. In honor of the efforts of
people of African descent to destroy
slavery and inaugurate universal
freedom in the United States, the
Association for the Study of African American Life and History has
selected “African Americans and the
Civil War” as the 2011 Black His-
tory Theme. We urge all Americans
to study and reflect on the value of
their contribution to the nation”.
To compliment this celebration, all
students in the Denver Metro Area
are encouraged to write and submit
an essay covering the topics of: African Americans and the Civil War;
historical achievements; and/or, current challenges, of Black Americans. The essay is to be written in a
Word document and submitted via
email to: denverregion@ccdconline.
org, or, U.S. Mail: Louise Apodaca,
CCDC, 655 Broadway, Suite 775,
Denver CO 80203. Students will be
invited to read their selected essay
during the Celebration.
The Colorado Cross-Disability
Coalition’s mission is to promote
social justice and create systems
change that benefit people with all
types of disabilities. CCDC is a fully
inclusive non-profit organization
promoting, protecting and defending the civil rights of all people with
all types of disabilities regardless of
age, race, ethnicity, gender identification, religion, or disability status.
Disabled individuals have the right
to have full access to the American
dream and to receive the services
they need to get there.
Louise Apodaca
Colorado Cross-Disability
Coalition (CCDC)
Reaching higher
Junio
n M ajor
io
t
a
ic
n
u
m
m
o
C
r,
Helping others drives me.
Turning that into a career is tricky. Luckily,
the minute I stepped onto the UCCS campus I was
home. Comfortable and welcoming, UCCS helped
me find my niche. And with support from my
UCCS family – my friends, professors and fellow
students – I am creating the future I want, a future
where my leadership and communication skills will
definitely make the world better for others.
800-990-UCCS (8227)
ation
For more in foccrm
vi sit go .u s. edu
The African American Voice recognizes Jammin' 101.5 FM Denver's Old School Jamz
as the best station for African-American and old School Music in Colorado!
Check them out at: www.jammin1015.com
S4
February 2011
BEYOND THE RHETORIC
Let us Pray for Egypt
of the Iran rebellion in 1979. President Jimmy Carter decided it was
time to turn his back on the Shah
of Iran, the dictator, and expect the
young democratic movement to take
over and bring liberty to this “ally”.
He was so wrong. The democratic
movement was pushed to the side
by the radical Muslim Imams who
took control of the government ever
since. Our “ally” is now one of our
worst enemies.
The Egyptian matter is actually a
Harry C. Alford
great challenge and opportunity for
President Barack Obama. During
I guess we never saw it coming. The the last presidential election he was
threat of a government overthrow criticized by rival candidates for his
by protestors in Egypt, a friendly lack of foreign experience. The bignation to the United States and a gest criticizer is now his Secretary of
documented ally, was the last thing State, the Honorable Hillary Clinton.
on our minds until last week. In ret- These two have got to come together
rospect, we certainly should have with a strategy that will finesse this
seen it coming. We have not bro- situation into a democratic and peaceken the habit of supporting dictator- ful process. President Mubarak has
ships. In this age of instant informa- to step down and a peaceful, freetion via Internet, twitter, Facebook, dom loving entity must take control
YouTube, emails, etc., people virtu- and bring this nation under democally gather and a collective anger can racy and open elections. If they pull
be taken to the streets immediately. this off, President Obama will have
Any dictatorship should be wor- earned some serious notches on his
ried because their time will come. presidential “belt”.
It has come to Egypt and we are
Egypt is one of the oldest civilizacaught off guard.
tions on earth. For some reason it
If not now, then soon President has yet to evolve to modern democMubarak will have to step down and racy. That alone would get it out of
relinquish power. Just who gets that its immense poverty and unemploypower is unknown and that is the ment (30% officially). Their first
big problem. It brings memories big boss was President Nasser who
led the revolt over King Farouk.
Upon Nasser’s death, his confidant Anwar Sadat became president.
Upon his assassination in 1981, President Mubarak became the big boss
and has enjoyed that for 30 years
replete with rigged elections every
eight years. It is most critical that
Egypt does this in a correct manner.
If they don’t there will be unrest in
the Middle East like never before.
Israel will be most intimidated and
will probably freshen up its nuclear
arsenal. Iran, with its devious goals,
will feel even more empowered and
start doing wicked things. 25% of
the Arab population is Egyptian. It
is imperative that we two nations
remain allies and promoters of peace.
Equally important as the destabilization issue is the adverse impact
on the economy. Egypt controls the
Suez Canal which is the biggest avenue for oil and gas shipments. If it is
closed or blocked every nation in the
world will be immediately damaged
through the lack of world trade. 1.8
million barrels of oil pass through
the Suez Canal every day. It would
take an extra six weeks to get products to market. Just this chaos that
is happening today is taking stock
markets across the world down and
gasoline prices are marching north
as you read this article. Our president is facing a great challenge
and we should cheer him on and
hope this ends up being progress
and not a throw back.
In the interim, President Obama
must end his embargo on off shore
drilling immediately. If not we are
going to see $6.00 a gallon of gasoline before Easter and it won’t stop
there. This will reflect beyond the
gas pump. Groceries, electricity,
clothing and many other staples are
going to rise immediately. The Marcellus Shale in New York should also
be reopened and exploration within
the rest of the nation needs to get
underway now! This could be much
worse than the Iran takeover or the
oil embargo of the seventies. Mr.
President you are at a fork in the
road and please make the right decision – open the wells.
The whole Middle East is starting
to pop. Tunisia has just chased off
their dictator and Yemen is on the
verge of falling. Jordan is having
trouble and Egypt’s neighbor to the
south, Sudan, is experiencing serious violence. If the UN is worth anything it had better get serious about
this matter. The African Union can
now show its worth during this crisis. Most of all, America, the traditional leader of the world, should
meet its destiny and lead the world
to a return to peace and the advancement of democracy. Let us pray.
Harry C. Alford
Co-founder, President/CEO of the
National Black Chamber of Commerce
[email protected]
BLACKONOMICS
Positive Cash Flow in Afghanistan
James Clingman
Jan 11, 2011 – Why are we sacrificing more lives in a war that has no
identifiable victory in sight? They
say we will leave when we “win,”
but what does that look like? Do
we really believe we can “win,” and
do we think the Afghan people will
miraculously change to our way of
thinking and our way of doing things
when we leave? You would think
that nearly 5,000 lives lost in the
Iraq war, which was based on a lie
and cost taxpayers nearly $1 trillion,
would be a pretty good hint for us to
stop the current madness in Afghanistan. So, why are we still there?
February 2011
Osama Bin Laden, as far as our
intelligence can tell, if he is still
alive, is somewhere in Pakistan;
Hamid Karzai, the President of
Afghanistan, is corrupt and living
very well with all the cash being
dumped in his country; and, as was
the case in Iraq, billions of dollars
are being wasted each week as we
continue to use more than 100,000
soldiers to fight against a relatively
small group of Al-Qaeda, or is it the
dreaded Taliban?
Here’s the bottom line: As usual,
the arms dealers and the other usual
suspects from the Iraq war are the
beneficiaries of the $2 billion per
week price of this war. No-bid contracts abound, and the cash is flowing like Niagara Falls into the coffers
of the same folks who “lost” $9 billion in cash in Iraq, money that still
has not been accounted for.
Can you imagine what $2 billion
per week would do for our economy
right now? It was recently reported
that the U.S. created 1.4 million
jobs during the past year – in India,
China, and other nations – not in our
own country. What’s up with that?
How many jobs could we create in
52 weeks with $104 billion?
All of this in the face of political
hypocrites standing with hand over
heart praising the young men and
women who are risking and losing
their lives in our latest quagmire.
They say how much they appreciate
and honor the soldiers for their service to this country, but they refuse
to pay them for their service, and
they silently stand by as many soldiers who are blessed to return home
find themselves homeless and mired
in poverty. So much for honoring
their service to this country, huh?
War is and always has been about
profiteering and cash flow for a chosen few. Obviously the war lobbyists
and the companies that profit from
the deaths of our soldiers are stronger than any of us could ever imagine. They control this game and the
war is not over until they say it’s
over. We railed against George Bush
for Iraq; now Barrack Obama has
recommitted to the war in Afghanistan because as he once said, “that’s
where we should have been in the
first place.” That was then; this is
now. Why are we there now? It must
be the MONEY.
Our economy, at least for most
of us, is in very bad shape. Many
people in this country are suffering
financially and, as a result, physically and psychologically. Millions
are unemployed and without even
the hope of going back to work. Gasoline is now on the rise again, reaching nearly $4.00 per gallon in some
areas. (It’s interesting that no one is
speaking out against this issue to any
large degree, the way they did when
Bush was President) One in five
mortgages are under water or upside
down, meaning homes are not worth
what is owed on them. All of this and
we are stuck in Afghanistan spending $2 billion a week on a war that
has no victory in its future.
There is a definitely positive cash
flow in Afghanistan, and it’s flowing
to the well-oiled war machine driven
by the warmongers and their political puppets. How is your cash flow,
Black America? Are things going
good for you? How about you young
soldiers out there? Have you found
a home yet? Has some of that cash
flow reached you yet? What about
senior citizens? No cost-of-living
Continued on page 8
7
BLACKONOMICS (CONTINUED)
increases for you – two years in a row.
You doin’ all right?
What a farce! What a sham! What
a disgrace! Get out of Afghanistan
NOW! And use that $2 billion a week
to help the people of this country.
A novel idea, right?
James Clingman
Writer on Economic Empowerment
www.blackonomics.com
WORRILL'S CORNER
Education for African People, the Real Meaning
Conrad Worrill
DOING FOR SELF AND EDUCATION
Jan 05, 2011 – Throughout most of
our lives, African people in America have been told if you get a good
education you can get a good job.
African people in Africa were told
something similar. If you get a good
education your condition in life
will improve.
In the early part of the twentiethcentury until the late 1960s and early
1970s, the thrust was to encourage African people in America to
at least get a high school diploma
so that they could be eligible for a
job in a significant segment of the
work force.
The explosion of the 1960s Civil
Rights and Black Power Movements
forced colleges and universities to
admit Africans in America to their
predominately white colleges and
universities in large numbers.
Today, African people in America
are encouraged to get a college education so they can get a good job.
The education market has been saturated to the extent that a high school
diploma of the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and
60s, in most instances, has the same
meaning as a college degree today.
That meaning is one of a college
degree, qualifying people for entry-
level jobs in the U. S. labor market,
except for those instances where people have been trained in specialized
fields at the undergraduate level.
What we hear repeatedly today is
that we must concentrate on African people in America reading, writing, and math skills at the elementary and secondary levels so they
can compete for the jobs that will be
available in U. S. multinational corporations in the twenty-first-century,
driven by the world of technology
and computers.
Many of our ancestors in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth-centuries, who were concerned
with the issue of education, asked
the question: education for what? It
is quite clear that the major direction
of U. S. educational policy has been
to train and educate African people to work for white people. That
is, to teach them to read, write, and
compute, so they will be prepared to
work for us.
In a paper written by our great
ancestor Dr. Jacob Carruthers several years ago, entitled, “Black Intellectuals and The Crisis In Black
Education,” he observed, “When the
chattel slave system was destroyed
by the Civil War, one of the first
acts of the victors was to provide for
Black schooling on a wide scale. The
northern industrialists through their
philanthropic alter egos began finding and establishing Black colleges.
These colleges were intended to sit
atop a Negro education system.”
Further Dr. Carruthers wrote, “By
the turn of the century, even southern whites were making use of this
Negro education system to facilitate
the transition from the old chattel to
a new, but equally effective, system
Malcolm X, all spoke and wrote conof Black exploitation.”
Carruthers explains, “The new sys- sistently about the need for African
tem depended upon the cultivation people to develop an education proof a Black elite to serve as examples gram aimed at developing African
for the masses of Blacks and to dem- people “to do for self.”
In other words, we are still chalonstrate the rewards of obedience.”
The educated Black elite, Car- lenged today to create an education
ruthers points out, “demonstrated climate that inspires African youth in
time and time again their ability to America to understand that the purdo what they had been trained to pose of education is to develop the
do. Eventually, a few of them were skills and historical understanding
invited to manage the segregated of the past as it relates to the present
colleges that were established to and future in preparation for worktrain Black teachers. In this man- ing for self and the liberation of Afriner, a small, educated Negro elite can people. This is the challenge of
became overseers of the educational the twenty-first-century: to defeat
affairs of millions of Black people.” the one hundred year tradition estabThis model of education, that con- lished by white educational leaders
tinues today, was established by so- who created curricula for Africans in
called leading white educators in this America designed to prepare them to
country who met at Lake Mohonk, work for white folks.
Our esteemed ancestor, Dr. John
New York (a resort area) on June
4-6, 1890, and June 3-5, 1891 to read Henrik Clarke reminded us repeatand discuss papers on what they offi- edly that, “history is the clock that
people use to tell their political and
cially called the “Negro Question.”
Again, Dr. Carruthers writes that cultural time of day. It is also a clock
at the end of the second conference that they use to find themselves on
“they had decided that the primary the map of human geography. The
things that Blacks had to be taught role of history in the final analysis is
were morality and the dignity of to tell a people where they have been
labor (i.e., working for white folks).” and what they have been, where they
African people in the United States are and what they are. Most imporhave a rich tradition of leaders who tantly, the role of history is to tell a
have taken issue with the white con- people where they still must go and
ceptualization of the mission of edu- what they still must be. To me the
cation of African people in America. relationship of a people to their hisDavid Walker, Henry Highland Gar- tory is the same as the relationship of
net, Henry McNeal Turner, Martin R. a child to its mother.” The purpose of
Delany, and Edward Wilmot Blyden education must always be “for us to
were nineteenth-century advocates do for ourselves!”
that the education of African peo- Dr. Conrad Worrill
ple should be designed to assist us in National Chairman Emeritus of
doing for ourselves.
the National Black United Front
In the twentieth-century, leaders www.nbufront.org
such as Marcus Garvey, Carter G.
Woodson, Elijah Muhammad, and
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President, Crusader Papers
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8
February 2011
A DIFFERENT VIEW
Martin Luther King, Jr - Preacher And Prophet
economic status of African American people.
I have claimed Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. as an economist because
of his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, “I have the audacity to
believe that people everywhere can
have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their
minds, peace and freedom for their
spirits.” Because economists deal
with issues of distribution, I have
Dr. Julianne Malveaux
claimed that this is a baseline economic statement that places Dr. King
The swirl around commemorating and in the economists’ Hall of Fame. Yet
celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, if one reads his speech, the Drum
Jr.’s birthday always fascinates me. Major Instinct, delivered on FebruThe mainstream media quickly goes ary 4, 1968, just 2 months before his
to his most famous quote, “I have a death, one would claim him as both
dream that one day people will be a psychologist and prophet as well.
In the Drum Major speech, Dr.
judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.” It’s King deconstructs human nature, our
a powerful quote, but equally power- need to be in front, to keep up with
ful, and delivered in the same speech, the Joneses’, to claim the best to
are the words, “We have come to the the detriment of the rest. He scolds
nation’s capital to cash a check....a sororities and fraternities, even as
check which has come back marked he acknowledges himself as a fra“insufficient funds.” We refuse to ternity man. He scolds over spendbelieve that there are insufficient ers for the folly they engage in when
funds in the great vaults of opportu- they use their money to chase matenity of this nation.” If people said, rial goods for status, instead of chas“cash the check” as frequently as ing meaning. He says the race probthey say “I have a dream”, we might lem may come out of the drum major
have a different mindset about the instinct, the need for some to feel
superior, thereby making others feel
inferior. And he says if he will be a
drum major for anything, if he will
be superior in anything, he will be a
drum major for justice.
Hidden inside the drum major
speech are a couple of prophetic
paragraphs. He says, “There are
nations caught up in the drum major
instinct. “I must be first.” “I must
be supreme”. “Our nation must
rule the world”. And I am sad to
say this nation in which we live is
the supreme culprit.” He goes on to
say, “God didn’t call America to do
what she is doing in the world now...
We’ve committed more war crimes
than almost any nation n the world....
and we won’t stop it because of our
pride and arrogance as a nation.” He
spoke these words in 1968. Do they
resonate now?
Prophecy. “God has a way of even
putting nations in their place....if you
don’t stop your reckless course, I’ll
rise up and break the backbone of
your power. And that can happen
to America. Every now and then I
go back and read Gibbons’ Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire. And
when I come and look at America, I say to myself, the parallels are
frightening. And we have perverted
the drum major instinct.”
Dr. King said this in 1968, long
before China started kicking the
United States in the behind economically. He said this in 1968, long
before we fell back in world educational achievement. Once we
led the world in the proportion of
our population that had either AA
or BA degrees. Now we rank 10th,
an amazing decline for a nation that
claims to lead the world. President Obama would like us to regain
our preeminence, and we have the
resources, but not the will, to do so.
To quote Dr. King, “God has a way
of putting nations in their place.”
Yes, we all want to be part of something, that which is popular. That’s
the drum major instinct. But what
are we drum majors for? Oppression? False superiority? Or are we,
like Dr. King, drum majors for justice?
Given what happened in 1968,
Dr. King was spot on in predicting
our nation’s denouement. We are
in a downward spiral and our direction won’t change until we embrace
the concepts of social and economic
justice that Dr. King so effectively
preached.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux
Founder of Last Word Productions
[email protected]
SOCIAL SECURITY
Medicare: General Enrollment
And General Information
By Rose Fortune
Need Medicare Part B? If you’re
eligible, now is the time to sign up.
The general enrollment period for
Medicare Part B runs from January 1 through March 31. Before
you make a decision about general
enrollment, let us fill you in on some
general information.
Medicare is a medical insurance
program for retired and disabled
people. Some people are covered
only by one type of Medicare; others
opt to pay extra for more coverage.
Understanding Medicare can save
you money; here are the facts.
There are four parts to Medicare:
Parts A, B, C and D. Part A helps pay
for inpatient hospital care, skilled
nursing care, hospice care, and other
services. Part B helps pay for doctors’ fees, outpatient hospital visits,
February 2011
and other medical services and supplies not covered by Part A. Part C
allows you to choose to receive all
of your health care services through
a provider organization. These plans,
known as Medicare Advantage
Plans, may help lower your costs of
receiving medical services, or you
may get extra benefits for an additional monthly fee. You must have
both Parts A and B to enroll in Part
C. And Part D is the Medicare Prescription Drug Program.
Most people first become eligible
for Medicare at age 65, and there is a
monthly premium for Medicare Part
B. In 2011, the standard premium is
$115.40. Some high-income individuals pay more than the standard premium. Your Part B premium also can
be higher if you do not enroll during your initial enrollment period, or
when you first become eligible.
There are exceptions to this rule.
For example, you can delay your
Medicare Part B enrollment without
having to pay higher premiums if
you are covered under a group health
plan based on your own current
employment or the current employment of any family member. If this
situation applies to you, you can sign
up for Medicare Part B without paying higher premiums:
• Any month you are under a group
health plan based on your own
current employment or the current
employment of any family member; or
• Within eight months after your
employment or group health plan
coverage ends, whichever comes
first.
If you are disabled and working (or
you have coverage from a working
family member), the same rules apply.
Remember: Most people are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part
B when they become eligible. If
you don’t enroll in Medicare Part
B when you first become eligible
to apply and you don’t fit into one
of the above categories, you’ll have
to wait until the general enrollment
period, which is January 1 through
March 31 of each year. At that time,
you may have to pay a higher Medicare Part B premium.
For more information about Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D, visit the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) website at www.
medicare.gov. Or read our publication on Medicare at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html.
Rose Fortune
Social Security Public Affairs
Specialist in Colorado Springs
[email protected]
9
THE BLACK PRESS
African Americans Face Racism at CBS Television
president of Bell Dramatic Serial Co.
Sherwood, echoing similar sentiThe letters, dated Sept. 23, con- ments that Rowell had, said, “There
has over the course of the past year tended: “Through a preliminary has never been a Black crew or
undertaken an initiative designed review we have learned that there director or writer in the history of
to have us be more representative are few African American actors, “The Young and the Restless.” So
of the global audience we work to producers, directors and support per- that was really disappointing considentertain.” While in the statement, sonnel in the ‘Day time Soap Opera’ ering how successful and how profitwhich was sent via email, Kennedy industry despite the fact that Afri- able the show has been for CBS and
did talk about diversity, he did not can Americans are a crucial signifi- the Bell family.”
Later she added: “Right now …
address why “The Young and The cant portion of the loyal audience of
viewers
for
‘Daytime
Soap
Operas'."
it’s
about speaking out and making
Restless” has not hired a Black producer, director, writer or crew mem- The letters pointed out that this is people aware so that we can create
a change right now. There’s no more
ber in 37 years, which leads many unacceptable in 21st Century America.
Emma Young, head writer and time to wait. We don’t have 20 more
industry insiders and civil rights
leaders to believe that CBS has no associate producer for an online years to revisit this conversation
interest in making real change with- African-American soap opera, “The again. This is something that has to
Proud and the Privileged,” said that happen immediately.”
out pressure.
Dawn Stern, another African
For years, many industry lead- she knows several actors who comers, and community organizations, plain about having “no” African American who played on “The
Young and the Restless,” also conincluding the NAACP, The Urban Americans behind the scenes.
Young
added
that
it
is
important
tends that the show had never hired a
League and The Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade, have raised con- to have Black producers, writers Black writer or producer.
“They could have had a Black
cern about what they say is a lack and directors.
“It’s very important to show Afri- writer; they did: Victoria Rowell
of diversity in front of, and behind
can Americans not only in a positive was her name,” Stern said. “But they
the camera.
To demonstrate the lack of diver- light, but in a true light,” Young said. never gave her the credit for doing
sity on television and to help bring Also that someone might not do that what she was doing, they never gave
about change in the industry, the if he or she is not Black, because her the title, they never gave her
NAACP commissioned a report they would be unfamiliar with the money.”
titled “Out of Focus - Out of Sync: "White males have always dominated the entertainment
Take 4.” The report pointed out that
industry and that continues to be largely the case."
the number of African-Americans in
Ellen Holly, the first Africanregular roles and on air in a prime African American life experiences
time scripted series — in the 2006- and their experiences would come American actress to integrate daytime soaps, played on “One Life to
2007 season — were 20 African from stereotypes.
Darryl
Manuel,
producer
and
Live”, wrote a book “One Life: The
Americans on Fox, 19 on NBC, 17
on CBS and 15 on ABC. The report director of “The Proud and the Privi- Autobiography of an African Amerdid not track African Americans on leged,” agrees, but thinks it is impor- ican Actress.” which included her
cable channels which in recent years tant to have diversity in all genres negative experiences in the soap
opera industry.
have become a much larger part of of entertainment.
“There’s
just
a
wealth
[of
informaHolly said that she is concerned
the television viewing format. The
figures, provided by the networks, tion] and a rich point of view that the about what some young actors are
general audience misses out on, by going through.
are the latest numbers available.
They’ve read her book, she said.
“All four major broadcast net- not having a true representation of
And “they still come to me … and
works have made important strides that point of view,” he said. “I mean
it’s
only
going
to
make
those
stories
to
this day say to me, ‘The things that
in increasing diversity,” the report
stated, but it also added: “Progress better; it’s only going to bring more you went through … you’re writing
has been slower in areas that argu- to the pot, you know… put more what’s happening to me right now.’
ably could have the greatest impact: meat on the bones, into the stew, And that’s very upsetting to me.”
when you have this story that has an
writing and producing.
Pushing for Diversity
“White males have always dom- authentic and a rich story line.”
Rowell said she has always been
Davetta Sherwood, an African
inated the entertainment industry
concerned
and always wanted to find
and that continues to be largely the American who also played on “The
case. While African-American writ- Young and the Restless,” said at first solutions to tell Blacks’ stories with
ers represent the largest share of she had a good experience being integrity and to the best of her ability.
minorities employed in television, on the show.
One instance in which Rowell
But that eventually changed.
they still only averaged about 5.2
sought
to bring change took place
“The experiences that I had with
percent of the total number of writers employed. That translates to 161 the lack of diversity, the lack of when she was told her character
African-American writers out of acknowledgement of the Winters would be illiterate.
She requested the illiteracy story
3,088 during the 2005-2006 televi- family, and just our ethnic backsion season," according to the Writ- ground, was really disappointing,” line be played out to its fullest extent
and expedited so that — while it
she said.
ers Guild of America.
Sherwood said people on the show could be shown that adult illiterOther African Americans Weigh In
were strategic about choosing her. acy existed — the story line be
Other African Americans and So, she thought they would treat her moved along.
“Then I presented the classical balBlack organizations are looking into “carefully” on the set.
let
story line, proving that dance and
the issue of diversity in daytime soap
But “I felt disregarded at times; I
operas, including the National Urban felt unappreciated at times,” she said. arts belong to everyone no matter
League and NAACP.
Sherwood said she confided with what the socio-economic bracket, no
The Sentinel obtained two let- Rowell, telling her that she felt some- matter what the race,” Rowell said.
Her story line demanded more
ters from Urban League President thing was “a little off” on the show.
African-American
cast members
and CEO Marc Morial, addressed to
“And she shared with me some of
Howard Stringer, president and CEO the issues she had had in her … years since her character would have to
have parents, a sister, love interof Sony Corp., and William Bell Jr., on the show,”.
10
est and others on the show, she said.
More Blacks came on board.
Doing that was “quite unique,”
but her efforts to do so, she believes,
generated “push back.”
Rowell — who first came on the
show in 1990 and continued on for
several years afterward — was nominated for Emmys and won several NAACP Image awards for her
work on “The Young and the Restless,” along with other Black actors
on the show.
She contended, however, that
although some of the AfricanAmerican actors on the show have
won awards they appear on a small
amount of the shows.
Rowell told the Sentinel that she’s
asking for “one thing” from all the
tenure she has as an actress: to reinvest in African-American talent as
writers, producers and directors in
daytime drama, including the “The
Young and the Restless.”
“What could possibly be impossible about that?” she asked.
CBS responded to some of Rowell’s
contentions: “We have great respect
for Victoria Rowell, but strongly
disagree with her statements about
diversity. CBS is very committed to
diversity and inclusiveness throughout the company — including Daytime, where we feature diverse talent in all programming.” But, again
CBS did not address the 37 years of
not hiring any African Americans as
writers, directors or producers.
The company said that, through
the CBS Diversity Institute and other
outreach programs, CBS mentors
aspiring writers and directors, and
sponsors talent showcases, including
an “unprecedented casting initiative
specifically for daytime dramas.”
Letters and phone calls from Urban
League President Marc Morial to
William Bell, Jr., President of Bell
Dramatic Serial Company and Sir
Howard Stringer Chairman, President and CEO of Sony Corporation
received the height of disrespect:
they have not been responded to, nor
has Bell Dramatic Serial responded
to the Los Angeles Sentinel’s request
for this story, which has many in the
civil rights community furious. “If
the Chairman of CBS would not
respond to Urban League President
Marc Morial for a meeting what does
that say about their commitment to
inclusion and diversity? Maybe the
racism starts at the top” stated Danny
J. Bakewell, Sr., Chairman of NNPA
(Black Press of America).
“Meetings are great, but access and
results are greater,” stated Rowell.
Sentinel interns Biko PoindexterHodge and Robert Gillard contributed to this report.
Brandon Brooks and Sam Richard
Los Angeles Sentinel Contributing
Editors to NNPA
February 2011
NATIONAL NEWS
to a proposal by the Washington
GOP Eyeing Obama’s Big Speech ing
D.C. policy think tank Third Way
that Democrats and Republicans mix
up their seating during the speech,
instead of remaining on separate
sides, as has become customary.
GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell, meanwhile, jumped
on reports that Obama will call for
more increased federal spending on
infrastructure, research, and small
business. The Kentucky Republican blamed Obama’s supposed runaway federal spending for getting
Photo By New America Media
the country into the economic mess
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Union speech underscores its power of the last two years. This, of course,
to shape policy and bolster a presi- ignores the truth—that what pushed
President Obama’s State of the Union dent’s image. President James Mon- the economy to near-collapse was
address, which took place Tuesday, roe announced the Monroe Doctrine the Bush administration’s unprecJanuary 25, was under fire before he during his 1823 address. In 1862, edented giveaway to Big Business
had even uttered a single word. Not President Abraham Lincoln called and Wall Street, aided and abetted by
that this should come as any surprise. for the end of slavery in the rebel- the Republicans (including McCoThe State of the Union is one of lious South—a prelude to the Eman- nnell) who controlled Congress
the most avidly watched and dis- cipation Proclamation he issued a for much of Bush’s tenure. Indeed,
sected political speeches of the year. year later. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson Obama’s renewed call for more straIt’s a president’s report card on the warned of the dangers of impending tegic spending—assuming that’s
initiatives, challenges and accom- war. Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 address what his speech actually says—
plishments of his administration, as outlined his Great Society program fits in with the public’s demand
well as the articulation of his vision to fight poverty, Bill Clinton’s 1993 that his administration refocus its
for the country going forward. Pres- speech laid out his plans for health time, talent and energy on jobs and
idents are keenly aware that the care reform, and George Bush used the economy.
speech boosts the stature, prestige, his speeches in 2002 and 2003 to
Obama has gotten that message,
and power of their office—and usu- prepare the nation for the Iraq inva- as he’s shown by a string of recent
ally their approval ratings by a point sion (and to debut the phrase “axis of moves: his stimulus measures in the
or two. They also know that the evil”). Presidents have latched on to tax-cut extension; his high-profile
opposition’s response to the speech media innovations to give their State appointments of business-friendly
is invariably feeble, uninspiring, of the Union speeches more expo- William Dailey as White House
and instantly discounted by the few sure and political wallop. Calvin chief of staff and G.E.’s Jeffrey
Americans who bother to watch. In Coolidge gave the first radio broad- Immelt and Wall Street insider Gene
some cases, the opposition response cast in 1923, Truman the first tele- Sperling as key economic advisors;
can even backfire. That’s what hap- vised speech in 1947.
and his remarks about business and
pened in 2009, when Louisiana Gov.
The preemptive attacks on Pres- investment during Chinese President
Bobby Jindahl, an Indian-Ameri- ident Obama’s address have been Hu’s state visit.
can touted as a GOP rising star, fum- partisan, familiar, and absurd. GOP
Obama critics have even reached
bled and bumbled through what Georgia Rep. Paul Broun, with no back a year, picking apart his 2010
most political observers deemed inkling of what Obama would actu- State of the Union address and
a mean-spirited, petty retort to ally say, told a radio caller that he haranguing him for allegedly lashObama’s expansive, statesman like, would not sit next to a Democrat ing out at Republicans. The website
positive remarks.
during the speech “when Obama Business Insider headlined its SOTU
The history of the State of the spews his venom.” Broun was react- piece with the question, “A Less Par-
tisan State of the Union Speech?”
and scolded Obama for last year’s
criticism of the Supreme Court’s
decision in the Citizens United case.
That 5-to-4 ruling, issued just
before the 2010 address, opened the
floodgate for corporations to pour
unlimited dollars into political campaigns with minimal checks and
accountability. Major corporations
and financial institutions wasted little time taking advantage of this new
opportunity, pouring tens of millions
into the midterm election campaigns.
The bulk of money, as Obama and
the Democrats predicted, went to
corporate-friendly GOP candidates
and incumbents. In singling out the
high court for its politically lethal
ruling, Obama did what other presidents have done: he used the State
of the Union speech to warn of
impending threats to democracy—
in this case, a conservative-majority ruling that threatens to turn elections into the exclusive preserve of
the super-rich.
The shrill warnings that President
Obama will give a partisan State of
the Union address this year make
less sense this year than ever before.
Polls show that Americans applaud
the president for his even-handed
eulogy after the Tucson killings and
his willingness to compromise with
the GOP on extending tax cuts for
the wealthy in exchange for extending jobless benefits and tax cuts for
the middle class.
Americans overwhelmingly want
the Obama administration and Congress to end their rancor and work
together on the problems and issues
facing this troubled nation. Expect
President Obama to extend his
hand once again to the GOP come
Tuesday night.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
New America Media
U.S. Will Be Biggest Spanish-Speaking Country by 2050, Says Scholar
By EFE / El Pais
By 2050, 10 percent of the world
population will speak Spanish and
the United States will be the biggest Spanish-speaking country, the
general secretary of the Association
of Spanish Language Academies
said Monday.
Cuban writer and academic Humberto López Morales made this prediction during his speech when he
was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Valencia at
a ceremony presided over by Spanish
Education Minister Angel Gabilondo.
He noted that the current situation
of Hispanics in the United States
is the result of a confluence of historical processes headed by Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century, followed by Puerto Rico, Cuba,
the Dominican Republic and, more
recently, Venezuela and Argentina.
“Besieged by poverty and by
the barriers that impeded access to
decent salaries, a minimally acceptable home, basic conditions of
health or the education of their children,” he said, the citizens of those
countries emigrated to the “promised land.”
“Knowing Spanish is ... among
other things, a business,” and in
some states, like Florida, “Spanish is
a good passport for obtaining a job,”
he said.
According to another study cited
by López Morales, “every minute
that goes by, 2.5 Hispanics enter the
stream of immigrants to the country,
that is to say, 3,700 per day.”
If the forecast is born out, the
United States by 2050 will become
the largest Spanish-speaking country
in the world and Spanish will be the
second-most-spoken language on the
planet, surpassed only by Chinese.
“If the course does not change, it’s
very possible that within three or four
generations 10 percent of the world
population will understand Spanish.
Let us hope so!” he concluded.
EFE / El Pais
www.elpais.com
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February 2011
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