What it takes for Black males to graduate from college SEE PAGE 5
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
EE FR
RAYNARD JACKSON: CBC: THE CLUELESS BLACK CAUCUS SEE PAGE 4
CASINO CLOSURES WILL LEAVE ATLANTIC CITY SHORT ON ROOMS FOR CONVENTIONS SEE PAGE 7
SEPTEMBER 4 - SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
YEAR 39 NO. 36
www.daytonatimes.com
Facts to know about Land Development Code Final draft of city’s LDC ready for review BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
The Daytona Beach Land Development Code rewrite project is in its final review stage before being submitted to the City Commission for adoption. The project began three years ago. “The purpose of the rewrite is so that it will be
easier to get property zoned for the right purpose for the right reason,” Commissioner Patrick Henry explained to the Daytona Times. “It will get rid of some of the zoning codes that are outdated and irrelevant.” The consultant, Clarion Associates, will provide an overview of the rewrite at the next Planning Board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18, 6 p.m. at City Hall.
LDC explained Deputy City Manager
Paul McKitrick, the Development & Administrative Services director, gave an overview of the LDC to the Times as well and spoke about the importance of the rewrite. “It is commonly known as the zoning code,” McKitrick explained. “In the code, there are hundreds of pages of regulations pertaining to where homes can be built, setbacks, the size of homes, how public roads can be constructed, environmental protection regulations and provisions regarding signage for busi-
NAACP president disappointed with voter turnout for primary
nesses. Many of the codes that regulate the use of land are in the LDC. “ The almost 800-page code is referred to as 93187, the number of the ordinance that adopted it in 1993, 21 years ago. “While it has been amended numerous times in those 21 years, it is obvious to all of us that use this code regularly that it is very outdated. What the community wanted in terms of regulation almost 25 years ago needed a serious review and update, which is the purpose of this exercise
of updating the code now.” While the amendments have addressed specific issues, they have not addressed comprehensive changes such as incorporating the city’s Vision Plan, the updated Comprehensive Plan and the plans for the city’s redevelopment areas.
Prime example McKitrick explained that the update would not have a major effect on current property owners, whether business or residential.
“For almost all property owners, commercial and residential, there will be almost no direct effect on property rights. More importantly for those people that perhaps are thinking of putting an addition on their home or doing other substantial improvements the new code has been specifically designed to make the permitting of that easier than the old code.” McKitrick explained a new provision in the code: contextual zoning. For an Please see CODE, Page 2
B-CU’S FOOTBALL SEASON UNDER WAY
BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Less than a quarter of registered voters cast their vote for the primary election, according to reports released by the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections office. Voter turnout was a meager 23 percent. “We were disappointed in the primary election turnout,” Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County-Daytona Beach chapter of the NAACP, told the Daytona Times. “Our goal is to increase the turnout by at least another 10 perCynthia cent.” Slater According to a report released by the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections, on Sept. 3 there were 28,984 Black registered voters in Volusia County with 16,959 female registrants compared to 11,649 males. Exact numbers were not available by racial makeup in the report. However from available data, about 6,000 Blacks showed up to vote on Tuesday, Aug. 26. “Our main goal is to increase voter registration and voter turnout. These local elections are just as important as a presidential
Bethune-Cookman quarterback Quentin Williams (3), wide receiver Jhomo Gordon (5) and the rest of the team head into the FIU Stadium in Miami.
They’re back! The players. The cheerleaders. The band. The fans. Bethune-Cookman University’s football season kicked off on Aug. 30 as the Wildcats faced the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers. The Wildcats defeated FIU 14-12 at the matchup in Miami. Quarterback Quentin Williams threw a touch-
down in the fourth quarter to help BCU beat FIU. It was the season opener for both teams. With 12:26 left to play, Williams hit Frank Brown for a 55-yard touchdown pass that put the Wildcats up 14-6. Williams had 149 yards passing for Bethune-Cookman. B-CU next faces Grambling State University at home on Sept. 13 in a 4 p.m. game. For more on the Wildcats’ roster and schedule, visit www.bcuathletics.com.
PHOTOS BY KIM GIBSON/DAYTONA TIMES
B-CU’s band, the Marching Wildcats, performed at the Aug. 30 game.
Please see VOTING, Page 2
Community recognizes Campbell Elementary’s ‘Passion for Preparation’ BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
An appreciative audience of approximately 150 people celebrated the legacy of Campbell Elementary School during an August 23 banquet with the theme “A Passion for Preparation,” honoring Campbell’s administration, faculty and staff. Campbell Elementary began as Daytona Colored School in 1884 on Second Street. That’s the same location on which the John H. Dickerson Center – named Campbell’s longestserving principal – is now located.
ALSO INSIDE
Oldest school for Blacks The school originally educated Black students of all ages. Thus, Campbell is the oldest school for Black students in Daytona Beach. Cypress Street Elementary (now Bonner Elementary) opened in 1926. South Street Elementary (now Turie T. Small Elementary) opened in 1943. Both came into existence due to overcrowding at Campbell Elementary. A local organizing committee of Campbell Elementary alumni who attended the school from 1962 to 1969 organized the banquet.
A proud teacher “It was something else. They made us feel proud. We are still getting compliments from the community,” Geneva Loper, a former Campbell Elementary teacher shared. “My kids told me I was walking around like a schoolgirl. I was excited to see the students I hadn’t seen for years. I saw our principal, Lawrence Broxton, whom I hadn’t seen in ages. On Wednesday, I received a postcard from a student on how I had made a difference in her life. “You really don’t know how you affect kids. It’s been a long time. I tell you, Please see CAMPBELL, Page 3
DUANE C. FERNANDEZ, SR./HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Audience members pay rapt attention during the Campbell Elementary celebration.
COMMENTARY: GEORGE E. CURRY: COPS LIED ABOUT ‘SUICIDES’ OF HANDCUFFED BLACK MEN | PAGE 4 CULTURE: THE ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE: CAN IT BE REPLICATED? | PAGE 8
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7 FOCUS
SEPTEMBER 4 – SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
Recount completed, Cusack faces Northey in Volusia at-large race BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
The Volusia County Canvassing Board has finished the machine recount in the Volusia County Council atlarge election.
percent). Those results mandated a recount because the difference between Barnaby and Northey was 153 votes or .21 percent. After re-tabulating 75,000 ballots, segregating out the over votes and under votes, balancing the number signatures with number of ballots cast, working several 15-hour days by most staff members, the results were Barnaby receiving 22,669 votes (32.38 percent), Cusack re-
ceiving 24,530 votes (35.03 percent), and Northey 22,822 votes (32.59 percent). “Although the process was tedious, costly and time-consuming, I am pleased to present the results that could not have been accomplished without dedicated canvassing board members and Department of Elections employees,” said Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall.
of the Libertarian Party of Florida. The News Service of Florida has the following questions for Adrian Wyllie:
as giving special favors to the corporations that came to the table. We think of it as leveling the playing field for everyone and making sure that nobody has any special barriers to entry or hurdles in their way – but by the same token, making sure no businesses have any special advantages. That’s the difference in the Libertarian free-market concept.
On Common Core
On personal liberty
Q: You’ve said if elected, you’ll fight to repeal Common Core. Talk about why. WYLLIE: Well, I firmly believe in the United States Constitution. And the federal government only has the authority to do those things which are specifically enumerated in the Constitution. Education is not one of them. Education is the realm of the state and local government. And one of the problems I see with the Common Core curriculum is that it’s coming down from upon high. And parents and teachers and students lose input when that happens. Right now, it’s very easy for someone to get their school board member on the phone and tell them their concerns or make suggestions about curriculum. But with Common Core, everything is being flowed down from the national level, and it really takes away the local community’s ability to steer the direction of their local schools. So my objective is to repeal Common Core and to give local school boards more authority over the curriculum and the course of their schools. And al-
Q: You’re also against intrusive government. Both your opponents have been governor – how would you rate their records in terms of respect for personal liberty? WYLLIE: Horrendous. We’ve seen over both these administrations a growing encroachment in our individual freedom. We’ve seen it in the decimation of the Fourth Amendment here in the state of Florida. We’ve seen it to some degree in the seeming increase in the militarization of our local law enforcement. We’ve seen it in the form of REAL ID (federal identification law) and government delving into our medical records to do things like prevent people from owning firearms or prevent people from potentially using a certain type of drug. And it really has to stop. We have to stop being afraid, and we have to stand up for our freedoms, because if we continue down this path, we’re going to lose many of them forever.
gusted with the tone of the campaign, low turnout in a mid-year election – are you feeling you could win an unprecedented share of the vote? WYLLIE: Oh, absolutely. I wouldn’t be in this race if I didn’t think that we had a legitimate shot to win this election. Is it a long shot? Yes. But I do believe that we have a chance to get to that 33.4 percent that it will take to win. In the mainstream polls, I’m currently polling anywhere between four and nine percent. However, our internal polling data puts us at around 15 percent. I think what a lot of the pollsters are not taking into account is the influx of people who are not your typical super-voters or not even your typical likely voters. There’s a lot of things that are going to be drawing people to the polls this November. One of them, for instance, is Amendment 2 (a proposal to legalize medical marijuana) being on the ballot. We know that is going to be energizing, specifically, a base of young people that in no way, shape or form have any interest in voting for Crist or Scott. So I would say that our realistic standings right now are somewhere in the teens. So that’s what we’re looking at. And if we can continue to build that momentum, which we have been, and with a solid debate performance, I really think we can change the course of this election – and we can win.
As reported in last week’s Daytona Times, the statemandated recount for the hotly contested seat was under way following the Aug. 26 primary. Frontrunner Joyce Cusack, the incumbent at-large council member, had been guar-
anteed a spot on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. Her contenders – longtime County Councilwoman Pat Northey and Deltona City Commissioner Webster Barnaby – were within a small margin of each other.
Tedious process Before the recount, Webster Barnaby had received 22,659 votes (32.37 percent, Cusack received 24,539 votes (35.05 percent) and Patricia Northey received 22,2812 (32.58
Who is Adrian Wyllie? Libertarian candidate for governor draws surprising numbers BY MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie has just completed a statewide tour of 30 brew pubs, discussing issues over craft beer. His campaign accepts Bitcoin. In other words, he’s running a vastly different campaign than Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic former Gov. Charlie Crist. But a July poll by Quinnipiac University showed Wyllie with 9 percent of the vote in a three-way race, while Crist got 39 percent and Scott had 37 percent. “Virtually no one knows much about Wyllie, but there are a lot of Floridians who aren’t keen on either of the major party candidates,” Peter Brown, the poll’s assistant director, said at the time.
A few facts Wyllie lives in Palm Harbor. He and his wife, Dawn, have been married 22 years and have two sons. He attended Dunedin High School and served in the U.S. Army and Florida National Guard. A small-business owner, Wyllie is president of an IT consulting firm and cofounder of the 1787 Radio Network, which calls itself “Florida’s Voice of Liberty.” He’s also been chairman
BRIEFS
New magazine to follow high school sports High School Sports Spotlight is a new magazine highlighting student athletes, teams, athletic activities, coaches and schools in Volusia County. The magazine is slated to be a monthly publication scheduled to debut in October and run throughout the school year. High School Sports Spotlight will focus on student athletes both male and female at both public and private schools. The organization is currently requesting all athletic directors, head coaches, cheerleading head coaches and band directors in Volusia County to submit any student athletes they feel worthy of being profiled. Additionally, stories from journalism and photography students should be submitted for publication consideration.
CODE
from Page 1 example, he explained how the code would allow property owners to maintain the uniformity of other neighbors in such terms as setbacks.
What’s a setback? A setback is an exact distance, which a building or other structure must be set back from a curb, street or road, a river, stream, shore
For more information contact Andreas Butler at 386-307-0086 or email andreas@highschoolsportsspotlight.com
Revival at Daytona Deliverance The Daytona Deliverance Church of God is hosting its Fresh Fire Revival 2014 Sept. 22 - 24 at 7 p.m. nightly with guest revivalist, Bishop Talbert W. Swan, II of Springfield, Massachusetts, pastor of Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ. He is also the president of the Greater Springfield NAACP and the Chairman of the Board of Dunbar Family & Community Center.
Cultural society holds dinner dance A black and white dinner dance will be held Sept. 20, at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 N. US Highway 1. This semiformal, themed attire event will have cash bar cocktails
or any other place, which is deemed to need protection. “Instead of just applying standard setbacks of 25 front and rear 10 feet on the side, regardless of how the homes in that neighborhood were developed, contextual zoning allows us to look at how the other homes in that area were developed and to apply similar setbacks to the subject property. “So, say the code says the front setback is supposed to be 25 feet from the front property line to the front of the home but
COURTESY OF WYLLIEFORGOVERNOR.COM
Adrian Wyllie, right, selects insurance professional Greg Roe as his lieutenant governor pick. The campaign’s brew pub tours around the state have attracted a lot of attention. so work to ensure that the funding is directed locally to the correct places. Right now we’re spending a ton of money on education, and it’s not making it to the classrooms. We need to fix that.
On cronyism Q: You’re also running against cronyism. But you’ve only raised about $62,000, while Scott and his supporters are on track to raise $100 million and Crist about half that. Is it possible to be elected governor without contributions from cronies who’ll expect a return? WYLLIE: (Laughs.) The reason that you see such a large gap in fundraising between our campaign and the campaigns of Scott and Crist is exactly because at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and dancing till 11 p.m. Tickets are $50 for AACS members and $55 for nonmembers and are available at the cultural center and online at www.aacspc. eventbrite.com. Proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to support activities at the thirteen-year-old AACS cultural center. Contact Shirley Jacob at 386597-5973 for details.
Learn how to help at-risk children Do you have a big heart and some spare time? Learn about volunteer programs that aid at-risk children during a series of panel discussions sponsored by the Guardian ad Litem program and Volusia County Public Library system. The free programs will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the following Saturdays: •Sept. 13: Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island, 105 E. Magnolia Ave. 386-257-6036, ext. 16167 •Sept. 20: DeLand Re-
all the other homes were built 20 feet from the front property line. Well, why require the new house to be 25? Allow it to be 20 like the other homes in that neighborhood in the context of the other properties. That is actually I think a pretty cool provision to facilitate improvements to people’s homes and businesses.”
Parts to read The process of rewriting the code began with the goal of not only updating the code but also making the document more user
of the cronyism. We don’t have special interests or large corporations trying to buy favors from us because they know that we’re not going to be granting those special favors. We’re not going to be granting those singlesource no-bid contracts at three times the market value. That’s the kind of influence that the big-money campaign financing buys. And we’re not for sale. Yes, that is one of my highest priorities: to go after the cronyism, to go after the corruption and the waste and, in a lot of cases, fraud. And that’s how we can cut the state budget. We are very pro-business, but we’re not probusiness in the way that Republicans or Democrats think of it. They think of it gional Library, 130 E. Howry Ave. 386-822-6430, ext. 20763 •Sept. 27: New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie Freeway 386424-2910, ext. 20864 Representatives from local organizations including Community Partnership for Children, Head Start, Boys & Girls Club, Take Stock in Children and Guardian ad Litem will briefly introduce their volunteer opportunities in a panel format. Afterward, attendees may visit with the representatives and learn about specific volunteer and mentoring opportunities. Refreshments will be served. “Volunteering is not a one-size-fits-all proposition,” said Judy Evers, volunteer recruiter for the Guardian ad Litem program. “We want to give the public a menu of opportunities, from reading to children to becoming a courtappointed special advocate.”
friendly. The updated document is more straightforward, efficient and intuitive. As for reviewing the document, McKitrick advises Daytona Beach residents to search the document for the parts relevant to their situation. “My suggestion is that they go online. The code is almost 800 pages. My recommendation is to only look at the portion that you are interested in. Certainly don’t try to read that whole thing,” McKitrick urged. “But if you are a home-
On winning the race Q: Growing numbers of independent voters, dis-
VOTING from Page 1
election. People can look back on the 2010 elections at voter turnout, and we certainly don’t want a repeat of 2010,” remarked Slater.
‘All politics are local’ Interestingly enough, in 2010, the state had more Democrats registered to vote. However, many on the Republican ticket, including Gov. Rick Scott, were able to capture their respective seats because although fewer in number, more Republicans showed up on Election Day. Scott’s ticket also included Jennifer Carroll, who became the state’s first Black lieutenant governor. “When people don’t cast a ballot, they are still voting for the opposition,” Slater continued. Florida Supreme Court Justice James E. C. Perry echoed those sentiments
owner and you are interested in those provisions of the code that pertain to residential homes you can easily read just those sections of the code and if you have questions or concerns please come to the meeting on the 18th.”
Public invited “We included all of the redevelopment boards, the planning boards and have had a number of public meetings,” McKitrick said, adding that the Planning Board has been inclusive of other boards
to a group of students at Bethune-Cookman University last weekend saying, “All politics are local.” Perry spoke on a number of topics, but by the end of the conversation it all came down to having representation by people who support your issues in offices that make a difference. “Voting effects everything,” Perry told the young people.
Slater: Show up Slater urges members of the community to come out to the next meeting of the NAACP on Sept. 25 at the Dickerson Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. “We have permanent issues. Those issues have to be aligned with the candidates we support,” she added. A town hall meeting and discussions sponsored by the Volusia County/Daytona Beach NAACP chapter is in the works for local municipal candidates. The meeting is tentatively set for midOctober.
and the public. “We are hopeful that people who are interested will become fully informed and once they read the code we are hopeful they will support it,” he concluded. Clarion Associates will provide the LDC overview at the Sept. 18 meeting. It starts at 6 p.m. at the Planning Board’s meeting in the Commission Chambers, City Hall, 301 S. Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach. The public is invited to participate. Adoption of the code is set for early fall.
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SEPTEMBER 4 – SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006 COMMUNITY
M A YNEWS OR
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CAMPBELL from Page 1
it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in a long time. I’m still on cloud nine. I was impressed with what I heard and saw. There was one young man that came up and said ‘thank you for what you did for me. You helped me so much and kept me out of a lot of trouble.’ I’m still grateful and thankful for the time we had together.”
Smiles and tears Former students Dr. Pamela Jackson-Smith and Charles W. Cherry II emceed the event. After the Rev. Derrick Harris, pastor of Masters Domain Church of God in Christ, rendered an invocation and blessed the food, a “meet and greet” among audience members brought smiles and tears all around, as many students had not seen their former teachers for decades. “The banquet was magnificent, the committee did a magnificent job,” said Dorothy Moore, who taught for 34 years in the Volusia County school system including a decade at Campbell Elementary. “I had a chance to see a lot of my coworkers and a lot of my students. We had a good time.’’
2.
1. Audience members enjoyed the “meet and greet” before lunch was served. 2. Former Campbell students Charles W. Cherry II and Dr. Pamela JacksonSmith bow their heads as the Rev. Derrick Harris prays.
Images of the past As lunch catered by the Bethune Grill was served, former physical education teacher Joretha Hayes narrated film images that were shot with an 8-millimeter film camera at Campbell almost 50 years ago. It showed students doing physical exercises, square dancing, and participating in the school’s May Day activities and a school play. Lucy Stewart-Desmore set the occasion, Cherry II provided a summary of Campbell’s history as an elementary school, then Stewart-Desmore performed a symbolic “roll call” of Campbell’s students and teachers. As teachers’ names were called, their former students who were in attendance at the banquet stood up. Jackson-Smith and Cherry II poured a libation to Campbell’s deceased administration, faculty and staff to the sounds of African drums. Former Campbell students Atawa Washington Rollins and Lovell Braswell presented the surviving families with certificates of achievement and appreciation of their loved ones.
3.
4. Former Campbell student Lucy Stewart Desmore sings the occasion. 5. Former Campbell students Percy L. Williamson, Sr. and Zone 6 Commissioner Paula Reed present Joretha Hayes with a municipal resolution and a key to the City of Daytona Beach. PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ, SR./ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Keys to the city After testimonials from a number of former students, Zone 6 City Commissioner Paula Reed presented each of the participants in attendance a key to the city. Reed, a former Campbell Elementary student herself, laughed as she showed the audience her actual Campbell report card, then cried as she reminisced about Campbell’s impact on her life as well as the pain she felt as she was transferred to another school just before Campbell was
3. Former Campbell students Atawa Washington Rollins and Lovell Braswell flank members of the late Constance R. Kirksey’s family as they receive a certificate of appreciation of Mrs. Kirksey’s life.
4. shut down by the Volusia County School Board as a consequence of school desegregation. The program ended on a high note as honorees and their families gave final remarks.
Campbell honorees Honorees who were recognized include former principal Lawrence Broxton; administrative assistants Dorcas Butts Mor-
5. ris, Betty Powers and Barbara Durden Young; cafeteria worker Elmira Surrency; librarian Mary Fears; and teachers Julia T. Cherry, Miriam Davis, Dennis Jackson, Norma Hankerson, Joretha Hayes, Margaret McClairen, Dorothy Moore and Geneva Loper. Deceased honorees included former principal John Dickerson; administrative assistant Audrey Hamilton; custodians Mr. Madison, Ralph Robinson and Edward
Smiley; cafeteria workers Kate Brown, Josephine Fennell, Inez Moss, and Ruby Newkirk; nurse Fannie Welch; and teachers Doris Christian, Eloise Edwards, Daniel Goodman, Eula B. Gray, Constance Kirksey, Chiquita Matthews, Margaret Hayes Mitchell and Edna Barker Washington. The event was sponsored by Vitas Innovative Hospice Care; Lucy Stewart Desmore, real estate broker/owner of Real Estate
Experts of Central Florida, Inc.; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; and Herbert Thompson Funeral Home. The Daytona Times was the media sponsor. The local organizing committee that put the program together included Opal Badie, Pamela Pandy, Sheryl Conage Lewis, Lucy Stewart-Desmore, Dr. Pamela Jackson-Smith, Percy Williamson, Sr. and Charles W. Cherry II.
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7 EDITORIAL
SEPTEMBER 4 – SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
CBC: The Clueless Black Caucus On the very day that Michael Brown, the slain teenager from Ferguson, Mo., was buried, the Congressional Black Caucus made a major announcement. They sent a letter complaining to President Obama. Yep, you heard correctly. They took the bold move of asking the president to investigate issues of racism and discrimination within local law enforcement nationally by setting up a police czar. Now that you have finished laughing, let’s discuss this a little further. It took plodding through the CBC’s meandering letter, the see that they made a few strong recommendations to the president. They first want Obama to appoint the “Department of Justice (DOJ) to train every police department in the country on the issue of racial bias.” It’s amazing that members of congress need to be reminded that policing is a local issue, not a federal one. The federal government has its hands full trying to eradicate racism from its own ranks. So I have a recommendation for the CBC: Let the states and municipal governments deal with the issue on the local level.
Hypocritical congress The second recommendation concerned accountability. According to the CBC’s letter, “Police departments should not be solely responsible for investigating themselves.” Oh really? These same members of congress seem to have no problem when it comes to congress investigating itself. If another member of congress or the public files a complaint against a member of con-
RAYNARD JACKSON NNPA COLUMNIST
gress, Congress refuses to bring in an independent investigator. The third recommendation deals with the issue of diversity. “Police department personnel should be representative of the communities they serve…DOJ must set, implement, and monitor diversity hiring and retention guidelines for local police departments,” according to the letter. Again, this is a local issue and DOJ has no authority to engage in such an activity. Why won’t Congress agree to be subjected to this same standard? Besides, Congress conveniently exempts itself from some of the law it passes. The fourth recommendation revolved around engagement. “Too often law enforcement personnel hold stereotypes about Black and brown youth and vice versa. Lack of familiarity breeds lack of understanding and increased opportunities for conflict…” These same members of Congress perpetuate stereotypes that Republicans hate Blacks; and don’t care about the poor. Democrats rarely engage with Republicans on any issues; and people wonder why no legislation gets passed in D.C.
More recommendations The fifth recommendation: “… The Administration must quickly establish a national commission to review existing police policies and practices and identi-
fy the best policies and practices that can prevent more Fergusons and vastly improve policing in communities across the nation.” Is anyone listening? This is a local issue. The final recommendation called for more bureaucracy. “The Administration must appoint a federal Czar, housed in the U.S. Department of Justice, who is specifically tasked with promoting the professionalization of local law enforcement, monitoring egregious law enforcement activities, and adjudicating suspicious actions of local law enforcement agencies that receive federal funding.” In essence, the CBC wants to nationalize all local and municipal police departments. This is yet another example of why no one takes the CBC seriously. They constantly advocate positions that have no chance of passing Congress; and in this case, are not even legal. Maybe Blacks are fine with the composition of the police force and the rest of their elected officials. If they were dissatisfied, they could have quickly changed that by voting. We cannot continue to blame others for our apathetic behaviors; and we can’t continue to run to big government to do for us what we are not willing to do for ourselves. We must be what we are looking for.
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Back to school, back to basics Between early August and late September, students are going back to school. Before they go to school, though, they and their parents will hit the malls and stationary stores to prepare for their return. Retailers say that students and their parents will spend $75 billion on back to school items, and clothing represents about a third of this spending. Cash registers are also busy collecting money for school supplies, electronic goods and, for college students, accessories for their dorm rooms. While many students feel it is important to make the first day of school a fashion show, others can’t afford new clothes and are often stigmatized at school. What if K-12 students wore uniforms? Parents might have to buy two or three uniforms, and costs would be cut. Of course you can “jack” your uniform. I distinctly recall sneaking green suede boots into my tote bag and then changing them on the bus, I realized the boring uniform didn’t have to be boring (of course, I was sent home). Still, minor accessories – pins, headbands, and other goodies can adorn uniforms. The bottom line – uniforms save money
DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM
for parents and reduce the clothing competition among students.
Put savings to use The dollars saved on clothing, especially for high school students, can be used for after-school programs that include SAT and PSAT tutoring. When researchers look at the achievement gap, they find that White students get more outside help than African-American students. This gap explains different college admission rates, different financial aid packages, and different opportunities for internships and other career-enhancing experiences. If there is a choice between clothing and educational supplements, the supplements ought to win hands down. I’m not the Grinch who hijacked back to school. I just think parents, especially African-American parents, should be wise in the pur-
chases they make. For example, many buy computers or tablets, but what about educational software. Many treat their children to a concert. What about a museum? How many sit down to read a story, watch PBS instead of BET, buying into education? Some will stand in line, even sleeping in line, to secure a ticket for entertainment. How long will they spend to get their child into a public magnet school? African-American students must be able to compete in the classroom and in the workplace. They can’t compete without the necessary tools. Some of our organizations have made closing the achievement gap a priority. Closing the achievement gap must be all of our priority. Otherwise, we have not properly prepared our young people to compete as the labor market changes. Back to school is not exclusively about new clothing. It must also be about new educational tools.
Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, D.C. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Cops lied about ‘suicides’ of two handcuffed Black men Caught cheating by his wife, comedian Groucho Marx asked, “Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?” In case after case, when police are caught killing an unarmed African-American – and trying to cover it up – they expect us to suspend our sight and our common sense. This is particularly true in the case of 22-year-old Victor White, III in New Iberia, La., about two hours south of his family home of Alexandria, La. and more than two hours west of New Orleans. Authorities want us to believe that White, who died March 2 in the back seat of a police cruiser, shot himself in the back while his hands were cuffed behind his back. Even the nimblest among us couldn’t pull off such an acrobatic feat.
Initial report In a press release issued March 3, Louisiana State Police said, “The initial investigation indicates that last night at about 11:22 p.m., deputies with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office were responding to the report of a fight in the 300 block of Lewis Street. Upon responding to the area, deputies located [Victor] White and discovered he was in possession of ille-
GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST
shot in the front, not the back. The bullet entered White’s right chest and exited his left armpit. That White could have shot himself in the back while handcuffed behind the back is difficult to fathom. White was left-handed, making it even more implausible that he could have shot himself in the right chest while in police handcuffs. NBC said the forensic pathologist found gunshot residue in the wound, but not the kind normally associated with a close-range shooting. White’s hands were never tested for gunpowder residue. Two lacerations were found on the left side of White’s face. Still, Dr. Carl Ditch, the Iberia Parish coroner, declared White’s death a suicide. Unlike Grouch Marx, you don’t have to worry about your lying eyes. Instead, we need to worry about lying police.
gal narcotics. White was taken into custody, handcuffed behind his back, and transported to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office for processing. Once at the Sheriff’s Office, White became uncooperative and refused to exit the deputy’s patrol vehicle. As the deputy requested assistance from other deputies, White produced a handgun and fired one round striking himself in the back. White was transported to a local hospital by ambulance where he was pronounced dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.” According to the coroner’s report on White, “A small caliber pistol was found and a projectile was found within his shirt.” However, two separate police searches of George E. Curry, former edWhite prior to his being placed in itor-in-chief of Emerge magaa patrol car produced no weapon. zine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers AsConflicting account sociation News Service (NNPA) An investigation by NBC News and BlackPressUsa.com. Write revealed that the Iberia Parish cor- your own response at www.dayoner’s report found that White was tonatimes.com.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OBAMA THE IRAQ LIFEGUARD
LUOJIE, CHINA DAILY, CHINA
Marching to the ballot box It is inaccurate for newscasters to say, “In the aftermath of the recent racial turmoil in Ferguson, Mo., calm and peace has now been restored.” Peace is not the absence of violence, war, inhumanity or oppression. Peace is the presence of equality, empowerment and justice. The truth is that across the United States of America, in the wake of the tragic murder of unarmed 18-year old Michael Brown in Ferguson, there are still raised emotions, traumatic stress, and serious racial disparities. Because of the murders of Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardner, Michael Brown and many others, Black America continues to endure physical and spiritual trauma as a result of persistent racial violence, hatred and injustice.
No excuses Let’s first be crystal clear. There is no justification for murder. No one of any race or ethnicity or religion should be killed as a result of prejudice, hatred or fear. No one acting under the color of law enforcement has the right to use race and prejudice as a conscious or subconscious basis to lynch, execute or to assassinate people. I agree with Harvard University Law Professor Charles Ogletree when he compared the sentiment of Black America after Michael Brown’s funeral to the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. Ogletree stated, “This reminds us of exactly what happened years ago when I was a young kid to the great Emmett Till, the young kid who was killed in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a White woman.” For those us of who lived in the 1950s and the 1960s, the memories of those tragic days are still fresh in our minds. While civil rights protest marches and demonstrations are necessary and somewhat therapeutic in response to obvious and wanton acts of racial violence, the trauma of years of witnessing injustice does have its long term cumulative effect. This is the reason that I believe we all should be careful not to allow the contradictions or the madness of social and racial injustice to drive our consciousness into self-destructive bitterness or
DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST
hopeless cynicism.
Learned to cope Joy Degruy Leary, in her authoritative book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, documents how Black Americans for generations have had to learn how to cope and transcend the social impact and cultural memories of the traumatic horrors of slavery in America. Yet, in 2014, it not just the knowledge of past that causes stress and anxiety for Black Americans, it is the present day racially motivated violence, inequality and injustice. In other words the problem today is a “Present Day Traumatic Slave System” throughout the nation that negatively and severely impacts Black American life. Equal justice and fairness will not only benefit Black Americans, but also all Americans who value a just society that ensures equality and respect for all humanity. In November, the nation will once again to the voting booths. This should be the year of transitioning away from the politics of fear, voter suppression and racial inequity. I am hoping that especially the young people in Missouri, New York, Florida, and in all the states will continue to stand up, speak out and mobilize for change. One of the positive results of the uprising in Ferguson was the mobilization of thousands of local young activists who cried out and marched in protest against the injustice. That youthful momentum will hopefully continue to grow into a national sustainable movement for change. We cannot afford to be pessimistic at this point. We must not permit the deaths of Trayvon, Eric and Michael to be in vain.
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the Interim President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
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NANCY STONE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT
Tony Moseley, a Posse Scholar, center, is congratulated by friends James Cole, left, and Cedric Hakeem, as he steps to the front of the auditorium to be recognized for his accomplishments during an assembly at Urban Prep in Chicago on Feb. 16, 2011. Every senior at Urban Prep Academy in Chicago has been accepted to a four-year college and the school held an assembly.
What it takes for Black males to graduate from college Young brothers share struggles and successes after leaving nationally recognized charter school BY LOLLY BOWEAN CHICAGO TRIBUNE (MCT)
CHICAGO — As a student in the first class of Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men, Tyler Beck found himself enveloped in a nurturing environment where teachers came in early and stayed late to help tutor struggling students. There, the boys formed a brotherhood and learned affirmations that kept them pumped up to achieve. “We were taught, ‘Each one reach one,’ and ‘It takes courage to excel.’ We all learned to help each other because we all wanted to succeed,” Beck said. “There were people who could say they’d been right where you were from and they could say they knew what your life was like.” But four years later, at the idyllic East Coast private college to which Beck was accepted, the atmosphere was dramatically different. And even though he had earned a full academic scholarship to attend, Beck was not prepared.
Starting over In the time since he became one of the celebrated 107 African-American men in that first graduating class of Urban Prep who were all accepted to college, Beck said he has had to battle stoic professors, academic hardship and unforgiving college administrators. He’s faced financial predicaments and feelings of isolation, along with self-doubt and insecurities. He has journeyed from the pristine, gated campus of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., to his brother’s couch in Madison, Wis., and then back to his gritty South Side neighborhood. He ended up losing his scholarship and is now starting over with renewed focus at Lake Forest College, which is closer to home and his support network.
Most never finish Urban Prep got him to college, he said. But the road to earning a degree has been more complicated than just collecting acceptance letters. The struggle Black men like Beck have endured is indicative of a wider problem, experts say. Studies show that not only do
Black men account for a small percentage of fall undergraduate enrollment at degree-granting colleges — less than 6 percent in 2012, according to a National Center for Education Statistics report — but most never finish. Black men stumble in college typically because of a combination of financial, social and academic obstacles, experts say. They may need money to support their studies or families. They may struggle to fit in in the dramatically different environment. And they can become overwhelmed by the coursework. Because of notions of masculinity, they tend to not aggressively seek out help. Long before they were handed their high school diplomas, the 2010 graduates of Urban Prep fulfilled the promise by the school’s founder and CEO, Tim King, that they would all get accepted into college.
Strong support needed Although Urban Prep’s alumni office keeps in close contact with the 2010 graduates, the school will not release figures detailing how many of the students enrolled in college, finished college or are still in school, saying it will do so in 2016. King said in an email that he was unavailable to comment for this story. But interviews with several members of that first class reflect what research shows: It’s not enough to get African-American men accepted into college. It takes grit, a strong support circle, outreach and programs that offer assistance before it is requested to help them navigate the rigors of college academic life. “The college acceptance letters and getting Back males into college is commendable,” said Terrell Strayhorn, an associate professor of higher education at Ohio University and one of the authors of the book “Black Male Collegians: Increasing Access, Retention, and Persistence in Higher Education.” “But true success is college acceptance, matriculation and graduation. We know from research, those who finish college are more likely to occupy competitive jobs, they assume higher status occupations. Those that graduate are more likely to vote, volunteer their time to community service and have a successful marriage.”
Some disadvantages The reasons Black men find it rough in college are numerous and systematic, Strayhorn said. Many start out disadvantaged by showing up from high schools
was to get graduates to college. “Both of my parents emphasized education as the route to success,” said Williams, 22. “They taught me (that) not long ago, we as a people were fighting for access to education. I knew to take it seriously.” So Williams was proud, but not surprised, when he was accepted to Georgetown University, in the bustling northwest region of Washington, D.C. As he settled in, he began to notice what set him apart from many of his classmates. “The other students, some were very wealthy and resourced,” he said. “They came from boarding schools. It became hard for me to adjust to the workload. It was stressful. I was in a different environment where everybody was smart.” By his second year, Williams said his grades slipped, and he, too, ended up on academic probation. He was warned that he had to improve or he’d have to leave. Then came the self-doubt. But Williams said he could hear King’s voice echoing in his head. “Paris, buckle down,” he could hear him say. “Paris, tighten up.” And he did. Williams meticulously selected a circle of friends with the traits he wanted to emulate, he said. When he wanted to give up, they stepped in and offered their encouragement. “I can talk to people who are not from my background. I found commonality that we could lean on,” Williams said. “My friend told me, ‘You started here and you will finish here. We started this together and we will end this together.’ ” With that support, Williams said he dug into his studies. In May, Williams’ parents traveled from their Englewood neighborhood to the nation’s capital. There they watched their boy become the first in their family to earn a four-year degree. “They always knew I was going to do it,” Williams said. “They didn’t cry. They were like, ‘OK, we’re proud of you. But you are going to do even bigger things. Now it’s time to get out there.’ ”
Robert Lee Henderson
PHOTOS BY CHRIS WALKER/CHICAGO TIRBUNE/MCT
Wase Tembo, 22, left, a native of Lusaka, Zambia and a senior at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill., laughs on July 18 along with friend Tyler Beck, 21, as Beck walks to his summer job on campus. that didn’t offer Advanced Placement classes and from families without a college tradition. They may feel unwelcome on campuses where there are few cultural rituals they can relate to. The stories of young Black men who graduated from the celebrated charter school offer a glimpse of those difficulties, but also a look at how perseverance and support led to success.
Deontae Moore The campus of Northwestern University is only 25 miles from the South Shore neighborhood where Deontae Moore grew up. But the communities feel completely different, Moore said. On the South Side, he learned how to avoid certain streets that were considered gang territories, and he knew to keep his eyes open and his head down. The sounds of sirens, gunshots and chaos often punctuated the night air. From the time he was a sophomore at Urban Prep, Moore was fixated on attending the prestigious school in Evanston, Ill. He visited the campus over and over and participated in three summer enrichment programs to bolster his application. “I grew up in the projects. I was often around drugs and violence and negativity,” Moore said. “My mother struggled to make ends meet, and I’ve seen her literally have no money to cover the electricity and we’d have to live with no lights. “I wanted to show my family, my mom, that I could handle
Northwestern and create a better lifestyle for us,” he said. “I wanted to show my mom that we don’t have to struggle.” On campus, Moore relished his new freedom and reveled in the relaxed mood of the campus. He joined several organizations, got involved in athletic activities and socialized. “I didn’t read clearly. I didn’t ask questions in class. I just took notes,” he said. “I thought I was doing well. I was doing what it appeared other people were doing.” His grades told a different story. After one semester, Moore was placed on academic probation. He swallowed his shame and sought help. Desperate but determined, he turned back to Englewood and to his teachers at Urban Prep. Moore’s counselor at Urban Prep taught him how to set a schedule to manage his time. He told him he’d have to learn to study throughout the day, not just before bed, like he did in high school. Then the charter school hired a writing coach to review Moore’s assignments and tutor him on grammar and punctuation. With that help, Moore was able to pull himself back up. Moore, 22, is scheduled to graduate in December.
Paris Williams For Paris Williams, there was never any doubt that he’d get into and attend college, he said. His parents expected that from him. He decided to attend Urban Prep specifically because its mission
Robert Lee Henderson III promised himself he wouldn’t cry. But as Henderson marched across the stage, wearing his black cap and gown, he felt his throat tighten. And as his class of graduates from Lake Forest College filed out of the ceremony, he spotted his sister, aunts, girlfriend and grandmother sitting in the audience. Then the tears welled up and streamed down his face. He had done something no one in his family, long rooted in Englewood, had managed, he said. He graduated from college. “I thought, ‘Wow, I really made it,’ ” said Henderson, 23, recalling that special day. “I pointed over to my family. I wanted them to see this was for them, not for me. I started to think of all that I had been through, and it was a lot. But I actually accomplished something. It was so powerful, I cried tears of joy.” Henderson was only a baby in 1993 when his father killed his mother, he said and records show. From then on, he and his six siblings were raised by their grandmother in a modest house where 12 people crammed into a three-bedroom space. On his block, Henderson became known as a hardhead. But at Urban Prep, Henderson found a new identity among the boys who had to wear buttondown shirts and ties daily. He began to look at his classmates as brothers, he said. He saw his teachers and administrators as parents. The school gave him hope that he could turn his life around. Henderson applied to more than 25 colleges, he said, and was accepted into more than a dozen. When it came time to choose, he decided to stay close to home so he could keep tabs on his grandmother. In Lake Forest, Henderson wanted to make new friends and form the same relationships he had in high school, he said. But the more time he invested socializing, the more his studies suffered. “I was lost at first. I thought I didn’t have to go to class. They sent out warning grades and I saw I was near failing. I thought, ‘I’ve got to change what I’m doing,’ ” he said. “I knew if I wanted it, I had to work for it.”
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an example of the resort’s renewed emphasis on attracting conventions and meetings. Getting more of them to come to Atlantic City has been given lip service for years. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in announcing his five-year revitalization plan for the resort in summer 2010, listed doubling conventions over the next five years as a key goal. But conventions and meetings make up less than 10 percent of the city’s revenue, and gaming and lodging experts say the casino closures will only make attracting conventions more difficult.
Betted on conventions
TOM GRALISH/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/MCT
Independent cab driver Yehia Farid, 58, waits for fares at the soon-to-close Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, N.J., on July 30. Come midSeptember, over 8,000 Atlantic City casino employees will be without jobs, and experts say the circumstances could devastate the local economy.
Casino closures will leave Atlantic City short on rooms for conventions BY SUZETTE PARMLEY PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (MCT)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — With gambling’s decline, this financially ailing resort city is going after convention business big time. But there may be another wrinkle in its projected transformation into a nongaming mecca: room availability.
The four casino closures this year — including the 801-room Atlantic Club, shut in January — will take about 4,400 hotel rooms out of the market, about a fourth of the city’s inventory. Atlantic City will be left with 13,436 rooms by midSeptember after Showboat (1,329 rooms), Revel (1,399) and Trump Plaza
Poll: Average full-time workweek is 47 hours BY JIM PUZZANGHERA LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)
Full-time American workers labor the equivalent of nearly an additional day each week, averaging 47 hours instead of the standard 40, according to Gallup poll results released last week. Just 42 percent of full-time employees work 40 hours a week, the traditional total based on five 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. workdays, Gallup said of findings it released ahead of the Labor Day weekend. Nearly the same percentage — 39 percent — say they work at least 50 hours a week. And almost one in five Americans, or 18 percent, said their workweek stretched 60 hours or more. “The 40-hour workweek is widely regarded as the standard for full-time employment, and many federal employment laws — including the Affordable Care Act, or ‘Obamacare’ — use this threshold to define what a full-time employee is,” Gallup said. “However, barely four in 10 full-time workers in the U.S. indicate they work precisely this much,” Gallup said.
49 for salaried workers Salaried employees work an average of 49 hours a week, compared with 44 hours for people paid by the hour. A quarter of salaried workers said they spend 60 or more hours a week on the job. The overall 47-hour average workweek has held roughly steady for 14 years, Gallup said. But the percentage of workers with fulltime employment now is 43 percent, down from about 50 percent before the Great Recession. Part-timers are about 9 percent of the adult population, also consistent with poll results over the past 14 years, Gallup said. The results are based on surveys of 1,271 adults in Gallup’s 2013 and 2014 Work and Education Survey.
(906) all close in the next three weeks. “The available inventory will shrink by 20 percent, so the existing operators have to contribute more rooms if we are going after the mega-city-wide conventions,” said Jim Wood, chief executive of the new Meet AC entity, created to boost conventions and meetings. “They will have
to provide a larger room block.”
Many ‘comped’ rooms The remaining rooms won’t be nearly enough to go after large-scale conventions, say industry experts. Of the 13,436 rooms available after the closures, about 8,000 will be made available for conventions, according to Wood. The majority of the remaining rooms are “comped,” given away to the casinos’ most avid gamblers — reflective of the resort’s heavy dependency on gaming revenue for well over three decades. By comparison, central Philadelphia has 11,400 rooms and Baltimore about 10,000, to cite two markets with which Atlantic City competes for convention business. The Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau has not kept statistics to track conventions and
meetings. Private, nonprofit Meet AC, created in late June with a staff of 26 salespeople, is tasked with marketing the Atlantic City Convention Center, Boardwalk Hall and meeting spaces in the casinos.
Strong summer spending The goal for Atlantic City, according to John Palmieri, head of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which oversees Meet AC, is to add 250,000 group nights over the next five years — or roughly 50,000 new room nights every year, from 2015 to 2020. Palmieri said during a conference call last week that he was “encouraged by strong room nights and spending this summer.” He cited the $126 million Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center, which will open in August 2015 next to Harrah’s Hotel Casino in the Marina District, as
The $2.4 billion Revel, which closed its 1,399-room hotel on Monday, was a key piece in the city’s quest to become a convention destination. Before Revel’s April 2012 opening, it was heavily marketed as a “casino convention hotel.” “Revel’s original business plan was predicated, at least in part, on further penetration of more sizable convention business in Atlantic City,” said Michael Paladino, senior director of gaming, lodging, and leisure for Fitch Ratings in New York City. “A main reason that was unsuccessful is due to the city’s limited hotel room inventory relative to other convention destinations.
Other factors “Removing hotel rooms from the market is not going to help further penetrate convention business,” Paladino said. “Historically, it was difficult to get stand-alone hotel developers to commit to the market without gaming because of the lack of nongaming economic activity. “Now, there is too much gaming supply, and we’re seeing a contraction to help that supply become more balanced relative to the current demand environment,” he said. “These dynamics seem to be factors that will make it more difficult to attract largerscale conventions to A.C.”
Should there be a law relating to hiring bias against unemployed? BY JEFFREY STINSON STATELINE.ORG
The day Debra Wolverton was laid off from her retail sales job in June 2013, she stopped by some businesses on her way home in Austin, Texas, to ask for work. She was told to apply online. She did, countless times for countless job openings. She seldom got a response. Today, Wolverton, 48, is still without full-time employment. She’s convinced her resume is often rejected by computer programs that screen out jobless applicants who are older — people employers view as too expensive — or who have been out of work a long time. “It’s awful,” she said. “It’s all online. You don’t even get to speak to anybody.” Some cities, states and President Barack Obama have sought to help longterm unemployed people like Wolverton, who they say shouldn’t be passed over for jobs because their resumes show an employment gap. But it hasn’t been easy.
Possible fines, lawsuits As the nation’s jobless rate has dropped to 6.2 percent, those who’ve been out of work for months or years often feel forgotten. And many no longer look for work. About 3.2 million people have been out of work for 27 weeks or longer, the Labor Department reported earlier this month. Called the longterm unemployed, they comprise about a third of those
who are jobless. Another 2.2 million aren’t included in those numbers. They’re only marginally looking for work and have all but disappeared from a labor market that’s been shrinking since the Great Recession. New York City and Madison, Wis., last year banned employers from discriminating against job applicants who are unemployed. Violators could face fines or possible lawsuits. The District of Columbia enacted a similar law in 2012. The same year, Oregon banned help-wanted advertising that said only those with a job need apply. So did Chicago.
Christie vetoes bill Some states have stepped up efforts to get the unemployed back to work quickly by offering one-on-one or group counseling and training to help people with the actual mechanics of the modern-day job search. But state legislation to prevent discrimination against the unemployed has often failed. Last month, Republican Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have made New Jersey the first state to ban discrimination against the jobless, although in 2011 the state outlawed advertising that said only the employed need apply. The California legislature also has passed a bill that would make it illegal for employers to discriminate against unemployed people in advertising and in hiring. But two years ago, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT
Job seekers wait in line to enter a job fair at the Arena Stage March 28 in Washington, DC. less stringent bill that would have banned only discriminatory advertising.
‘A cruel Catch-22’ Obama failed to get federal legislation passed in 2011. So in January, he ordered federal agencies not to discriminate against the long-term unemployed. He also signed up 300 major companies, ranging from Apple to McDonald’s to Wal-Mart, to pledge to hiring practices that give the jobless a fair shot. “Folks who’ve been unemployed the longest often have the toughest time getting back to work,” Obama said in unveiling the companies’ pledge. “It’s a cruel Catch-22: The longer you’re unemployed, the more unemployable you may seem.” Anti-bias bills to help the unemployed have been introduced in 24 states and D.C. since the start of 2011, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. But few got very far. Foes argue that while the discrimination is wrong and employers hurt only themselves if they do it, the laws would be hard to enforce and add to the legal woes of employers who often get hundreds of applications for a few openings in today’s tight job market.
Avoiding online applications Dan Ryan, who runs an executive search and talent development firm in Nashville, Tenn., worked with the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest group of HR professionals, to help craft hiring guidelines so the long-term unemployed aren’t bypassed. They were incorporated into the practices the companies agreed to follow in January at the White House. Ryan advises the unemployed to put their efforts into improving their jobs skills and circumventing online applications by networking with people who can help them get an interview.
Eager to work In Austin, Wolverton decided to try something else after losing her retail sales position. With financial help from her family, she is pursuing a real estate license. “I just couldn’t sit here and do the same thing all over again and again,” she said of sending out job applications. “I applied for everything. I couldn’t find anything. I decided I had to go into business for myself.”
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Ice Bucket Challenge: Can it be replicated? Research experts believe ALS Association campaign could have a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ effect BY MARTHA ROSS SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS (MCT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — In today’s world of social media fundraising, the ALS Association has hit the jackpot — and created a social media model that nonprofits everywhere are anxious to exploit. But can they? Some of the richest and most powerful figures in business, politics, media and sports — from Mark Zuckerberg to George W. Bush to Oprah Winfrey to Dale Earnhardt Jr. — have happily shared videos that show buckets of cold water being dumped on their heads. It’s all for the cause of funding research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative illness commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. As of earlier this week, the organization’s Ice Bucket Challenge had raised more than $100 million, with donations ranging from under $1 to $200,000. “None of us could have imagined it would ever become this big or raise this much money,” said Fred Fisher, president and CEO of the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association. “We all assume it will start to taper off and the world will go on. But who knows? It is going global, and people are hearing about it all over.”
Power of social media No doubt, many other nonprofit executives would like to be similarly blessed. Philanthropy expert Beth Kanter, the Los Gatosbased author of “Measur-
ing the Networked Nonprofit,” says she imagines that staff at nonprofit organizations are now being pressed by their boards of directors to cook up the next viral fundraiser. “We really look at this as a positive thing,” said Laura Putnam, chairwoman of the American Heart Association’s Greater Bay Area 2020 Task Force. “The success of the challenge is a testament to the power of social media to raise awareness over health conditions and funds for vital research.” Certainly, the challenge’s genesis and memelike spread offer a window into the factors that go into a successful, high-profile social media campaign, Kanter said.
Powerful participants The challenge works like this: You write out a $100 check to ALS or subject yourself to a soaking, then call out three friends to do the same within 24 hours. Former President Bush nominated his “friend” Bill Clinton (who has yet to respond to the dare); Gwyneth Paltrow called out her consciously uncoupled ex, Chris Martin (who happily accepted); and Zuckerberg challenged fellow tech titan Bill Gates, who responded with a video of himself inventing an elaborate rope-pulled device to release water onto his head. “At first I thought this ice bucket thing was silly,” wrote Jason Becker, a Richmond, Calif., guitar player who once played with David Lee Roth’s band, in
NBA star LeBron James completed the Ice Bucket Challenge on a yacht, then challenged his two sons and President Obama. a message he posted with Gates’ video. Becker, 45, was diagnosed with ALS at age 20 and can no longer walk, speak or play guitar, but he composes music and communicates through eye movement. “Now, I can’t thank everyone enough for bring so much attention and awareness to ALS,” he said in a video before he took the challenge in a way that wouldn’t leak water into his tracheotomy site. Two friends placed a bag of ice on his head. “Ack!” Becker said with a twinkle in his eye before challenging Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth and John Mayer; Mayer accepted with a
dedication to Becker.
Grassroots origins The idea of dumping cold water on one’s head to support ALS didn’t originate in the association’s office, but began in July, among the friends of a former Boston College baseball player with ALS who did a group challenge. The challenge’s grassroots origins and selfiebased technology added to its appeal, making it seem like something regular people can do to make a difference, Kanter said. “Social proofing” — a kind of peer pressure — also inspired people to get involved in something their friends are
doing, she added. But timing was key. In a summer filled with seemingly relentless bad news at home and abroad, people may have been looking for “something that makes us feel good while doing good and something silly,” Kanter said. But the stunt fundraiser has detractors, including Californians worrying about wasting water in a drought and Catholic Church leaders who say it conflicts with church teachings by funding embryonic stem-cell research.
‘Slactivism’ concerns Some experts in busi-
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ness and nonprofit management, including William MacAskill, a research fellow at Cambridge University, voiced concerns that the challenge is a fad that will detract attention and dollars from other worthy causes and encourage “slactivism” — digital-enabled activism that involves little thought, effort or concerns about sustained results. But both Kanter and Nora Silver, faculty director at the Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, say the campaign’s pluses outweigh the minuses. Even if millions of people jumped on the icy bandwagon simply because their friends were doing it, the campaign brought news about ALS to the masses. “More knowledge and awareness is good,” Silver said. And both experts, as well as the Heart Association’s Putnam, predict there could be a “rising tide lifts all boats” effect, with participants in this cause exploring ways they can help in other health crusades.
More awareness Fisher said the publicity for ALS also brings attention to other more wellknown neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which are the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States. Research into ALS may enhance understanding of those conditions, as well. One thing’s for certain, Silver said: The ALS Association will need to carefully consider how it manages this windfall because it is not likely to see such an influx of cash ever again. “But that’s a good challenge to have,” she said.