The
Challenge News Magazine Special Edition: March – April, 2016
Featured Stories It is important that we as United States citizens remember to vote. It is important! Many of our foreparents lost their lives so that we could appreciate the value of the things they couldn’t. The shedding of their blood and tears should mean a great deal to us. Vote!
Randolph Stone ‘Chicago's Police Accountability Task Force’
‘Speaks Truth to Power Story on page 2
Why Vote?
‘The Truth Network’
Thank God we can go to the polls knowing that in spite of the political fractions in the country we are allowed the privilege of voicing our difference of opinion … at the polls.
PCC Internet Broadcast Network:
Please Vote!
Perhaps because of
Dr. Harold E. Bailey
Modern-day Slavery?
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Receives Three International Awards Story on page 3
Young men and women, NOW is the time to fight back… and it can be done without any violence? Yes, you can march and shout as loud as you may, but show governmental dissatisfaction by marching to the polls!
WWW.ProbationChallenge.org
‘Everybody Deserves A Second Chance’ ’The System That Works For Criminal Rehabilitations’
‘International Global Awards’ Page 9 ‘Names: Aldermen voting to limit powers of Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson’ Page 12
‘Mayor Rahm Emanuel: When is constructive change expected? Page 13
‘Shameless Hypocrites Dare to Sing God Bless American’
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t’s unbelievable how some politicians (reeking of hypocrisy) can stand with hands guarding the heart and sing ‘God Bless America’. These are those who under the cloth of darkness are perpetrators who are with deep-seated evil intentions! In the last few weeks some have even displayed that their love for humanity is far from the heart of God. However, did we forget that it is not the blessings of man that we exist, but it is: The blessing of the KKK and American Flag LORD, it makes us rich, and he adds no sorrow with it? Proverb 12:22. As candidates dispute with one another they have cause friction and hatred among the masses of people. These acts of intentional division has created confusion among tax payers, thusly, well-read biblical persons are better able to examine the fruit that sourer candidate bears! It is duly noted that God is not the author of any confusion! I hasten to point-out that there is at-hand divisive efforts to achieve votes through deceptive measures… Continue on page 4
The Rev. Harold E. Bailey, president of Probation Challenge, receives International ‘Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities Degree’ Story on page 3
‘Stories of Interest’
Randolph Stone: “We need to racially diverse CPD from top to bottom” By Chinta Strausberg ‘Mayor’s task force seeks to change culture’
Known as a man of integrity who has a passion for helping the poor, attorney Randolph Stone holds many titles including being a member of Mayor Emanuel’s Task Force on Police Accountability where he is recommending integrating all police units and providing diversity training he says is needed to change the culture of the Chicago Police Department. The mayor formed the committee after the release of the infamous Laquan McDonald tape where officer Jason Van Dyke shot 17-year-old McDonald 16 times in 15 seconds. The tape was released only after freelance journalist Brandon Smith sued the city. After 400-days and only after a federal judge
‘Stop • Crime • Drugs • Violence’ 2
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rom around the world influential persons assembled together for the 2016 Black History Month Culture of Honor. Story on pages 9 & 10
Rev. Dr. Harold Bailey, Recipient of Three Awards During International Golden Black History Celebration By Juanita Bratcher
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ev. Dr. Harold E. Bailey, President of Probation Challenge and the PCC Broadcast Network, was the recipient of three awards during Golden Award International’s Black History Month Celebration. Bailey was overwhelmed, overjoyed and grateful for the awards he received at an event that celebrated many outstanding awardees who have gone beyond the call of duty in their various career fields. After receiving the awards, Rev Bailey said it was one of the most “rewarding nights” of his life.
‘The PCC Network’
Black Lives Matter-Vote!
“I am humbled to have had one the most rewarding nights of my life! All my adult life I’ve been about the Rev. Harold E. Bailey matters of giving, and especially encouraging youth to stay on the straight and narrow by way of education. These unexpected awards represents a cup of cold water in the desert of my life. “I’ve received The ‘Global Leadership Award’ along with the ‘Golden Rule International Award’, and an Honorary Degree of ‘Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities’. “To God be the glory for the great things He has wrought.” The 2016 Black History Month Culture of Honour event was held recently at Sullivan High School, 6631 North Bosworth Ave., in Chicago. Esteemed Participant leaders who organized and attended the event on hand at the Black History Month celebration were: Dr. Gladys Loggin, Ambassador Dr. Clyde Rivers, President, I Change Nations and Panama Peace Ambassador; Dr. Melida Harris-Barrow, Coordinator, Andrea Graham, MCs; – Drs. Birdy Haggerty, Tony Rush, Dr. Deon Lopez, Dr. Clyde Rivers, Dr. Gladys Folorunsho, Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lambert, and Chad Adams, principal of Sullivan School.
‘International Broadcast Hosts’
Chinta Strausberg ‘The Strausberg Report’
Geri Patterson ‘Report to The People’.
Pastor Mitty Collier
Juanita Bratcher, Publisher of CopyLine Magazine, www.copylinemagazine.com
‘I Owe It All To The Word’
Pastor Lottie Woods Hall ‘The Voice’
Rev. Harold E. Bailey ‘The PCC Community Awareness Forum’
•Dr. Melida H. Barrow •Dr. Clyde Rivers •Dr. N. Jean Hudley •Dr. Harold E. Bailey WWW.ProbationChallenge.org
Some awardees and committee members gather at the PCC Studio for an International broadcast taping. Show to air on the Probation Challenge/PCC Network at: WWW.ProbationChallenge.org 3
Death Hoovers Over... Continued from page 1
‘Some Dare to Sing God Bless America’
These measures are to sublimely deprive a large body of African Americans and Hispanics. There is a slick method to some political candidate’s madness, and that that mythology speaks volume to those who share to deliver the deprived and underprivileged to the slaughter! A fair question is, would an honorable God hear and honor the songs of those who lay in wait to diminish certain communities of Americans. In the bowels of slavery, how can a God-fearing man or woman sing in a foreign land? God Bless American?
Chicago, Illinois
Has America not learned… or conventionally dismissed the undocumented history of this country? Repeatedly, well read intellectuals have quires how the United States has dismissed the fact that this country which was to be founded on the principles of love with respect has resorted to the bashing and killing of one another! In the face of the world are bashings demonstrated on live television with the national candidates! A crash course in U.S. history should dictate that pilgrims traveled from distant lands to these unfamiliar shores to embark on what was to be a land that was promised for new spiritual opportunities. Well, let us clear the air of one untruth going down the corridors of time… and this misleading bit of history should have been dispelled years ago… Every young boy and girl should have been taught in school that the original inhibitors of the America were the original Indians whose land was stolen away from them. We should revisit our books again and teach youth that Columbus did not discover American – America was never lost! Yet, these fables continue to this day without any governmental corrective measures. God Bless American?
When is relief expected for the city grieving far too long?
With all of the hoopla and false statements flowing from the mouth of politicians not withstanding those deemed as deranged, should we believe those who are the loudest, most money, better clothes, or documented in history that are in some cases misleading? However many with deceit on their lips will sing “God bless American” and have the public to believe they are singing with conviction. Are we in the song in-fact asking God to bless that which was stolen from others – politically or otherwise? Did America ever repent for the massacring of the Indians whose land was seized, and why did we place those that remained on a reservation with perhaps not even 3-piences of silver to placate? God Bless American? Now, it appears that many have left the first love which was God and family, and speak of others only to mock, disrespect, ridicule or defame… this is not honorable! Unadulterated truth… which is believed to be the documented word of our Lord and Savior states that man/woman ought to pray for those who have the rule over the nation. In America, the ruler of the nation applies to the President of these Not-So-United-States, Barrack Obama, which just by ordination of God… happens to be an honorable African American gentleman, who is hated by a small fraction of the total U.S. population… without just cause. God Bless American?
Far too many funerals!
Political churchgoing deceivers are said to regularly attend Sunday morning services with hymnal in hand while their hearts are bloody from the bullet of character assassination! Many political cronies are known to tote bibles while declaring God’s scriptures wrongfully! This is spiritually known as warring against the spirit of God. The declaration from God via the scriptures says that these actions ought not to amaze us “for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; Continue on page 8 4
Consider what’s really said in debates!
Life is not a game so stop playing and wakeup to reality! There is a serious debate played out on National Television with much race bating. Much hate is being dispensed blatantly and sublimely! Voting is crucial to your welfare! If you think things are tight now, just wait and pray thatf the unrighteous candidate not sit in the seat of authority VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
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Vote Your Conscious ~ Please Vote! Give careful consideration as to who you want to govern your affairs … then VOTE!
Dorothy Brown—County Clerk’s Office
Please Vote! Donna More—States Attorney Office
Kim Foxx—States Attorney Office
Anita Alverez—States Attorney Office
Your vote won’t count—if you don’t vote! 6
“We Dream in Color’ Awards
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Continued from page 3
‘Shameless Politicians Dare Sing God Bless America’
whose end shall be according to their works. 2nd Corinthian 11th verse. Many political candidates vying for the office of presidency and other seats of authority have shown blatant disrespect for the U.S. President, who was selected by an unprecedented large majority of American blacks, Hispanics and all other races. The vote was set-forth as the meter for who was to have rule. Many candidates are misleading persons who stand in pretense…with their hand over the heart, but deep down within the secrecy of the heart they have in an agreement with Satan, pledged to disrespect, tear down and uproot the American dream of progress. This body of political prostitutes is lead by a demonic force that represents the ‘prince of darkness’ who the scripture said would be the ruler of this age! This evil force comes directly from the very pit of hell, only but to rob, steal, kill and will destroy? Christianity: Some political candidate’s state that they are a Christian, however to be a Christian merely means to be Christ like! It simply means… if Christ would not be in any position that we are in … neither should those that follow after him. Also, if Christ would not tear down one another – nor should we! Also, Christ taught his disciples that after they would Where’s God Any More? have to uproot the prevailing evils … then to plant. Christianity is constructive and not disruptive as some politicians are. It is to be remembered that we cannot serve 2 masters…for we will hate one and love the other. Christianity is the love that we show for each others. Christianity is: Walking the Walk and not talking that Talk! Americans must remember that this country was establish on what was to be … a decent and reputable constitution, now long forgotten by hate batters, peace-breakers, warmongers and conspirators. All who temper with the people of God and their earthly welfare will have their place in an unquenchable fire in the pit of hell. Having a heart for the 21st Century youth, my earnest prayer is that they not fall into evil entrapments laying in wait for them, created by Satan! Lucifer (Satan-Devil) has brought into physical existence some political delegates who process the inappropriate abilities via money, to bring about vain imaginations. This is to lure innocent young men and women into the arena of hatred, bitterness, falsehoods, along with other detrimental underhanded devises that only cause people to lose hope. Youth must consider that Jesus Christ came that we all would have life and life more abundantly. Christ is unmistakably the hope of glory.
Playing with Satan can get you burnt
If in-fact solutions are at hand as some candidates say… why did they not offer assistance to the sitting U.S. President? There are more questions than there are answers. Once question of concern is why are there barriers when it comes to helping people…or, would that mean helping the less able such as: African Americans and Hispanics?
Hypocritical politicians, wishing to return to the foe of righteousness to serve the people with honor… could liken themselves to the prodigal son who turned his back on his father (God) and went to a foreign place and became poor and as the result eat with the swine. The son coming into the realization that he didn’t have to live the way he ways … came to himself. He then made a decision to return to his father. Upon that return, the son said to his Father, ‘I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and no more worthy to be called thy son.’ The father embraced his son and killed the fattest-calf and the household dined well. All was forgiven! America must return to our first love – God! Then we can sing with strong conviction: God Bless America”. The president of the United States is indeed human and has faults! However, President Barrack Obama is the elected president of these Not-So-United-States of American… and to be respected as such! Pray for him as God has commanded. The president has to answer to a higher power than tax payers or politicians! God bless American, has always been a song that brought people together on one accord as it did when Democrats and Republicans stood on the steps of the Capitol, who on other occasions would argue, but, on this day, September 11, 2001, only hours after the terrorist attacks on New York City and on Washington, elected officials stood as one, singing “God Bless America”… Later, many returned to their seats of authority – only to conduct business that would be harmful to most American citizens. God Bless America? 8
‘The International Global Awards’
Dr. Yvette J. Moyo, Real Men Cook-Chicago and Publisher at The South Shore Current Magazine, received 3 awards which included a “Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities.
Rev. Dr. Harold E. Bailey received the Golden Rule International Award, Global Leadership Award and ‘Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities’
‘Doctorate Degrees Bestowed’ 9
‘Achievers
Receive Golden Rule International Awards’
Dr. Juanita Bratcher, Publisher & CEO, of Copyline Magazine. Bratcher now celebrates 40-years of journalism and now adds to her many achievements 3 International awards presented by Clyde Rivers, PhD. Bratcher received a Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities, Golden Rule International Award and Global Leadership Award.
Andrea Graham, receives the International Golden Rule Ambassador of Goodwill and Love’ Award, and the ‘Truth and Peace’ Awards. She also received the ‘i Change Nations’ Award. Clarence McMillan, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer (CTO), PETAL et al. McMillan is an Award-Winning Television Producer, Graphic Designer/Illustrator, Film Documentary Producer and Educator. McMillan, also works with the Probation Challenge organization. Pamela McMillan, President & CEO, PETAL et al, received an award. She is a Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) Professional, Certified Commercial Artist/Graphic Designer, Certified TV Producer. 10
2016 Black History Month—Celebration
2016 Black History Month Culture of Honor Committees ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Development Next Generations Love, Truth and Peace I Change Nations
Dr. Gladys Folorunsho
Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lambert Dr. Melida Harris-Barrow
Ambassador: Dr. Clyde Rivers
Master of Ceremonies: Dr. Birdy Haggerty and Dr. Tony Rush Caribbean Association of Midwest America: Dr. Deon Lopez Golden Rule Ambassador USA Africa Economic and Business Development Center: Dr. Gladys Folorunsho —————————————————Special Thanks to:
Andrea Graham for having a heart of gold.
‘International Peace Celebration’ 11
Sun Times Editorial: Calling out by name aldermen who failed Chicago
Ald. Ed Burke and Ald. David Moore voted Wednesday to strictly limit the powers of Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson over the City Council. Photo by Brian Jackson for the Sun-Times.
Take a good, long look at the names listed below. These are the aldermen who Wednesday failed the city of Chicago and residents they are supposed to serve by gutting an ordinance that gives oversight over the City Council to Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson. He’ll have the power to investigate aldermen and their employees, but Ferguson won’t have the authority to look into how aldermen spend taxpayer money through the $66 million-a-year program that gives each alderman $1.32 million a year for neighborhood improvements or the $100 million-a-year workers compensation program administered by the powerful Ald. Ed Burke (14th). We’re talking about a lot of dough. Oversight is sensible and decades overdue. Ferguson routinely conducts audits of other city departments to determine if they’re operating efficiently or wasting taxpayer money. That the inspector general doesn’t have such oversight over the Council is unconscionable. By a 25-to-23 vote, the aldermen stripped down the ordinance. We’ll be sure to remind you when they run for re-election. They must be called out by name: •Brian Hopkins (2nd) •Will Burns (4th) •Leslie Hairston (5th) •Roderick Sawyer (6th) •Greg Mitchell (7th) •Michelle Harris (8th) •Anthony Beale (9th) •Patrick D. Thompson (11th) •George Cardenas (12th) •Ed Burke (14th) •Raymond Lopez (15th) •David Moore (17th •Derrick Curtis (18th) •Howard Brookins (21st) •Ricardo Munoz (22nd) •Danny Solis (25th) •Walter Burnett (27th) •Jason Ervin (28th) •Ariel Reboyras (30th) •Gilbert Villegas (36th) •Emma Mitts (37th) •Margaret Laurino (39th) •Patrick O’Connor (40th) •Tom Tunney (44th) •Joe Moore (49th) Two aldermen, Roberto Maldonado (26th) and Carrie Austin (34th), failed to vote. Reprint: Chicago Sun Times
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Mr. Mayor: When are we expecting to have constructive change? Chicago: Mayor Rahm Emanuel, what are tax payers to honestly expect from you and your fifth-floor administration? Are tax payers expected to continually forgive and excepting burnt offerings of apologies... as people are slaughtered daily! What’s your solution to Chicago crime? For lack of constructive leadership, what use to be the greatest city in the world now has the worst reputation in the history of Chicago.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Fear has struck not only the hearts of those living here but those who once visited the beautiful city by Lake Michigan. The city has lost tremendous revue as the result of the crime, drugs and violence. These criminal incidents occur on daily bases on the front streets of the city. Yet no solution from the fifth-floor.
Elders are fearful in walking to the grocery stores or currency to conduct monthly business. There is fear in attending Church or mid -week bible class. Will there be a change in the guard or are we to continue attending funeral services daily? Mayor Rahm Emanuel: A picture is worth a thousand words — What do you hear and see?
Chicago is an embarrassment on the President of the United States of America!
President Barrack Obama
Young men and women let us put down the guns and knives … and pickup the tools of education. Education brings about an awareness. Awareness brings on The ability to think! And, when you can think—you can prayerfully make rational decisions!
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Conti from page 1
Stone: “We need to racially diverse CPD from top to bottom”
Continue on page 14 ordered its release did State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez release the tape. Stone, who made his remarks Friday on the PCC Network’s “The Strausberg Report,” said initially he was reluctant being on the task force because he didn’t want to be a part of a PR scheme, but he soon realized it was an opportunity to try and make a difference. “The mission of the task force is to try to create ways in which we can build a level of trust between the police and the community.” Stone said his committee has five working groups: Police Oversight, De-escalation, Video Release, Community Police Relations, his committee, and Early Intervention which includes identifying policemen early who has problems “so you don’t wait until they kill somebody. You identify them early and you either get them off the force or you re-train them,” said Stone. In his committee, Stone is looking at racism, the culture of racism, officer training, the types of training they are and should be receiving, respecting human and civil rights. “It’s going to be very hard,” said Stone revealing the committee is looking at police oversight and how should the community have control and/or oversight of the police functions.” They are looking at what other cities are doing and will make their recommendations by April 31st. His committee is also looking at the video release policy. “When there is a video showing a police shooting, we want to make it easier and simpler for the public to have access to that with 60-days is the outer limit which is much better than the 420 days that we had for the Laquan McDonald tape. We want to make it sooner,” said Stone. Craig Futterman runs the Police Accountability Clinic. Stone hired him 15-years ago because at the time a lot of his clients and others were complaining and reporting police abuse. Asked his opinion about the Laquan McDonald video, Stone said, “It was disgusting and depressing…. This is nothing new. The only thing new is that we have the technology to see what’s going on.” He said the late Congressman Metcalfe filed police abuse case. Stone praised the youth for their civil rights activisms especially the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Stone’s committee is also looking at de-escalation. “How can we train police to have a mindset of de-escalating situations opposed to de-escalating situations so when they approach potentially volatile situations do they have the tools and training to know how to calm the situation down as opposed to ratcheting it up,” Stone stated. When told that may be difficult since some police have admitted they are afraid of black people, Stone said, “That is one of the other areas we are looking in…training. They need to be trained in anti-racism. They need to be train in cultural competency. “How do we assign police? We need more African American police in the African American community. Some people are suggesting multi-racial units so we don’t have four, five or six Caucasian people invading a community but rather units that are multi-racial so that at least some of the people in that unit have some investment in the community,” said Stone. When told that some black offices are just as bad as white police, Stone said, “That is why you have to have training. The black officers have to be trained, too. The culture has to be changed.” Stone said most of the officers coming on the force want to serve and protect. “Then, when they get in, the culture changes them. We’re talking about the warrior mentality to a guardian mentality so that the police officers understand that their role is to protect and ward the community as opposed to being at war with the community.” “It’s going to be hard and complicated but it has to be done,” Stone said explaining they are looking at other places that have changed their culture like Seattle and Cincinnati, which had a consent decree from the U.S. Department of Justice. “They are slowly beginning tot change their culture. It’s possible.” Stone said they are also looking internationally like the London police force. “Their approach to de-escalation is a model we need to look at.” When reminded that many of the Lon14
Randolph Stone Speaks Truth!
Continue from page 14
don police do not carry guns, Stone asked, “Why does every police officer have to have a 9-millimeter weapon 24-hours a day.” “I think we need to look at the whole picture and break it down and build it up. “We need to think about integrating our police department at all levels not just the patrolman’s level…and make sure that the black community are properly represented,” he said. Reminded this will be difficult because many whites feel being a policeman or a fireman was a generational privilege, Stone said, “Exactly. We are definitely looking at ways in which the police department at all levels has to reflect the community we live in today. “For awhile, if you were black, you couldn’t get a job in the police or fire department,” he said. Reminded that sometimes when blacks were in these departments, they were attacked by their white co-workers. “Of course,” said Stone. “There is a lawsuit in New York right now where a group of black police officers who are suing the New York Police Department for what they viewed as discrimination in terms of hiring, promotion and assignments.
Randolph Stone
“We live in a society that has been infected by racism so we can’t expect the police department to be immune from that infections but we have to do what we can to disinfect, and we have to put in place policies, training programs to try to make a difference,” Stone said.
His committee has put on communities citywide where people publicly testify about their experience with the police including youth groups where they voiced they were dis-represented by the police “and a sense of hopelessness and there is nothing can do about it.” The committee’s report will include specific recommendations on how this culture can be changed. Once released to the public, the City Council and the mayor, Stone said there has to be pressure put on them to be implemented. When told that Saint Sabina’s Father Michael L. Pfleger successfully brokered a peace truce between six warring gangs but did so with love and patience, Stone said, “One of the key elements is us going forward is for us to look at the restorative justice models and try to figure out how we can incorporate that model into our system. We have to rethink altogether how we are approaching community policing…. We think the restorative justice model may be the way to get people to rethink this whole policing function.” Stone, who is a clinical professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School and director of the Criminal Juvenile Justice Project, holds a law degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor’s Degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. He began working in Washington, D.C. on a fellowship representing poor people being evicted. He moved to Chicago and worked for an experimental criminal defense program, entitled the Criminal Consortium of Cook County representing people who could not hire private lawyers but who did not want a public defender. He had offices in Woodlawn, Harvey, Evanston and a couple on the West Side of Chicago. Stone worked for 14-years as a clinical teacher at the law school during employment discrimination work and criminal defense then went into private practice with attorney William Clark where they worked on civil rights and death penalty work. He went back to D.C. for five-years with the Public Service leaving as the deputy director of the D.C. Public Defender Service considered to be the best office in the nation. Stone came back to Chicago to run the Cook County’s Public Defender’s office from 1988-1992. He went back to the law school to direct their Mandel Law Clinic and established a Criminal and Juvenile Justice Project. There, Stone represented children who were being transferred from juvenile to adult court. “Back then, there was a lot of false information about children…an attempt to criminalized children Continue on page 16
If You Drink — Please Don’t Drive! 15
Cont from page 14
Randolph Stone Speaks Truth!
calling them super predators. A lot of states expanded the ways in which you can move children form juvenile court to adult criminal court.” Stone said they then expanded the categories with Illinois “being one of the worse state allowing children as young as 15 if they lived in the city to be transferred from Juvenile Court to Adult Criminal Court for selling drugs whereas the same kid in the suburbs with the same offense may go to juvenile court. “We tried to fight that idea because having an adult felony conviction at the age of 15-years-old is almost a life sentence in terms of opportunities to get education, to get jobs…,” Stone said. He said thousands of children were victims of that system with 98 percent of them being black and Hispanic. He said the Illinois General Assembly passed the local law but he said, “It was all over the country…about 40 states that did similar things. “President Clinton was certainly intrical to the mass incarceration increase,” said Stone. However, when reminded that former President Bill Clinton apologized for his crime bill that lead to thousands of black men imprisoned, Stone said, “He has apologized for that too little too late… “It has resulted in the exponential increase in African American and Latino men in the criminal justice system,” said Stone. He explained, when he got out of law school there were about 300,000 people in prisons in the U.S. but today there are 2.2 million in jails and prisons” in American. Stone said about 55 percent of prisoners today are African American. “The U.S. is the number one country in the world in terms of its incarceration rate. We have 5 percent of the world’s population, but we have 25 percent of the world’s prisoners in incarcerated population. It’s really a tragic and a disaster, and we’re slowly beginning to see some changes because it’s all policy driven. It has nothing to with crime or crime rates but all had to do with the change of policy.” Reminded that it is also a very political issue, Stone agreed saying, “A lot of politicians realize the best way to get reelected was to say they were hard on crime and they use that as a tool to get reelected.” However, some of these elected officials may not have realized the consequences “because there were a lot of black legislators and congressmen also on that train wreck.” When asked why black elected officials go along with the mass incarceration of blacks, Stone pointed to the crack cocaine laws where a person would get 20-years if they sold crack vs. powdered cocaine. Stone said they felt “this was a way to protect the community not realizing the unintended consequences. “Some of them had good intentions. They just didn’t think it through and did not realize the results would be much worse than the cure.” Reminded about the station adjustment step in the arrest procedure where police can call the parents or lock them up, and usually conducted by white officers, Stone said, “There is a lot of racial disproportionality all throughout the juvenile and criminal justice system.” Blacks, Stone said, are more likely to be arrested, more likely to be prosecuted, more likely to be charged with more serious offenses, more likely to be incarcerated s a result of the charges and more likely to be incarcerated for longer periods Asked about his feelings of the virus of violence that is plaguing this city, Stone admitted it is complicated. He has read a number of books that talked about “if you continue to oppress people they begin to take out that depression on each other. “That is what is driving this violence in our communities where you confine people to desperate conditions don’t give them an opportunity to have employment and they turn on each other,” said Stone. Stone said the answer to reducing violence is to provide jobs for these troubled youth. “I think if we have a jobs program in the inner city where the unemployment for black men is three or four times what it is Continue on page 17. 16
‘Randolph Stone Speaks Truth’ Continued from page 15. Asked about the absence of black fathers in the homes, Stone said there are many black fathers who want the opportunity to become better dads. He cited a program in Woodlawn who is running a program for fathers. “The need and opportunities are there…..” “By the end of March 31st, the report will be released to the public, the City Council, the mayor and on our website,” said Stone. “We don’t want it to be just another report going on the shelf, gathering dust and nothing is ever done about it.”
Chicago, Illinois 17
‘The PCC Internet Broadcast Network’
WWW.ProbationChallenge.org 18
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Bratcher Celebrates 40 Years of Rock-Solid Journalism: CopyLine Magazine Will Host “An Evening With Juanita Bratcher” in 2016
Bratcher says 40-Year Journey as Journalist, Author & Publisher brought about significant career milestones
CHICAGO, IL – In 1976, two weeks before graduating from Columbia College, Chicago, Bratcher had already been hired as a news reporter at the South End Review, a Chicago community newspaper. “It was a good feeling, she said, “after all, I had put in years of college study and garnered 128 credit hours to obtain that Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, although I only needed 124 credit hours to graduate. At the time, I had no idea that I would be in this career for 40 consecutive years, and today, still active in it with the same energy, gusto and admiration I had when I first started out 40 years ago.” Today, Bratcher is the Publisher & CEO of CopyLine Magazine, an online magazine (www.copylinemagazine.com); the author of seven books, including “Harold: The Making of a Big City Mayor” and “Beyond The Boardroom: Empowering a New Generation of Leaders” (biographies of Mayor Harold Washington and Cook County Board President John H. Stroger, respectively); authored thousands of articles, authored more than 700 poems, a songwriter, with 17 records produced by HillTop Records of Hollywood, California; the recipient of numerous awards for Journalism Par Excellence, and included in many Who’s Who publications. Juanita Bratcher In 2016, CopyLine Magazine will host “An Evening With Juanita Bratcher” where she will focus on those 40 years as a professional journalist and sing some of her songs and favorite other songs in concert. Many who have followed Bratcher’s esteem career over the years are not aware of her singing prowess. When Bratcher first started her college career at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama, her major was music. She wanted to be a professional singer. Soon afterwards she turned those efforts toward being a journalist. Further, in high school, Bratcher once played the trombone, but soon departed from that goal. Bratcher, who is also a songwriter, has 17 records produced by HillTop Records of Hollywood, California. She wrote the lyrics to 15 of those songs, and two of the songs were repeats by different artists. Those songs are R&B, gospel and a Christmas song. Over a period of time, Bratcher will post brief posts on www.copylinemagazine.com from writings of years past and/or about her 40-year career. Bratcher is also on the Speaker’s Circuit and will speak at your event. However, there is a fee for this service. For more information, you can contact Bratcher at 773 375-8127 or juanitabratcher@yahoo.com.
What is Prayer? We can go to God in Prayer!
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rayer is the practice of the presence of God. It’s the place where we can be real with God, because He already knows us. In His presence we abandon pride, we embrace hope and we make our requests known. Prayer is the place of admitting to God our shortcomings, our weaknesses, our failures and knowing that we’re completely dependent on Him. Prayer is the practice of the Christian that is the essence of a relationship with Him. It’s the exercise of faith and hope; it’s the privilege of touching the heart of the Father through the Son of God, Jesus our Lord.
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• PCC Internet Broadcast Network •
• The Probation Challenge Connection Network •
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ver the years of trying to help educate troubled youth who are candidates for jail and prisons… I’ve discovered that there is much more help needed!
I prayerfully importune your support! Please become educationally involved with the resolving of the: Crime, Drugs and Violence, that has plagued Chicago far too long! We’ve convinced that a better job with youth can be done and do realize that many hands can help to carry a heavy-load! We ask that you please join forces with us! In the near future you will hear from us regarding how you can best help. Until then, we ask that you pray with and for us in our endeavors to educate our youth along with the various communities of the world. ———————————————
“Education brings about an awareness. Awareness brings on the ability to think. When you can think, prayerfully you then can make rational decisions! • Rev. Harold E. Bailey ———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——
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CConnection Network, appreciates the judges who spoke life into the Probation Challenge program with love, care, concern and truth! Judges/Justices: William Cousins, Jr., R. Eugene Pincham, Mary M. Thomas, Blanche Manning and Earl Strayhorn.
‘Please Support Your Probation Challenge’
Probation
Challenge
Rev. Harold E. Bailey, Editor and Publisher
Clarence McMillan, PCC Network Specialist • Chinta Strausberg • Geri Patterson • Pastor Mitty Collier • Pastor Lottie Woods Hall • Juanita Bratcher, News Contributor
“Weight of the World”
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Let truth speak to the hearts of gangbangers: Thugs, you’ve been played!
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lease don’t start your listening to me with, “here comes that old man ‘Rev. Bailey’ who doesn’t have a clue as to what’s happening!” Well, strange as it may seem, I do have a clue; but I don’t think you do!
Young man and woman: Perhaps before many of you were born, I served 14-years as a Chicago/Cook County Adult Probation Officer. In this position I serviced more than a few hundred probationers who had backgrounds from misdemeanors to felonies. Yes, I saw many of you present gangbangers coming down the corridors of time and as the Lord knew… a great majority would fall to my lot in the Probation Challenge program, which has saved thousands of lives. After serving as a probation officer for a few years, I was assigned to the courtroom of the late Justice R. Eugene Pincham, who expressed a desire that I become his personal probation officer, and that I develop a mythology that would change the mind-set of those probationers that filtered through his courtroom. After fasting and prayer, God gave me the program’s vision and it would be called Probation Challenge. This program became the first court-mandated program of its kind in the United States. Probation Challenge educationally spared the lives of not hundreds but thouRev. Harold E. Bailey sands of students – men and women. No one was angry with me…but the devil! For clients of the program it was simply – School or Jail! I would later become a member and chairman of the Chicago/Cook County Board of Corrections, where I served for 14-years. It was there that I discovered a few things, and was hated I sought to constructively change the few things that I knew were wrong! I brought Jail or Prison because forth a lawsuit regarding one infamous matter and won with the late Justice R. Eugene Pincham as my attorney. This particular lawsuit regarding illegal in departmental matters didn’t put me in line with the powers-that-be. This and other related matters caused me to have special police attention 24/7. Fighting evil cost me the board position, but my work there was completed – I had obeyed the voice of God. Yep, I know you and the likes of you – I fought that you would have justice – rather than Just Us? What was not often spoken of? I knew there were numerous traps set for our youth who filtered through the Criminal Just Us System. I allowed the public to know my position which was often published in the local news. But, I was often warned that: We are all in this together! My response then was as it is today – I am in nothing with anyone other than Christ, who is my hope of glory! The entire story along this journey takes much time…and here is not the place. However, before you were born, the system predicted that someone looking like you would cross the portals of that Criminal Just Us System. And, they knew that you would help to create a multi-billion-dollar industry loaded with jobs that would not necessarily be for AfricanAmericans. Jobs would be for the Downstate folk. Know your history: With few black and Hispanic correctional jobs in the Chicago area, most prisons were created for Downstate Illinois. You helped to create jobs for everybody not looking like you! Do I know you? Yes, I know about you and know about your resistance to being told anything – even from your parents – mostly that of the mother! Yep, and I know that the first person called upon after your entanglement with the law would be your mother… who you most times disrespected! The woman you’re putting through a living hell! Do I know you – Yes I do! Instead of being the pimp you said you were, the justice system now pimps you! However, you need to know that the justice system would fall to its knees if African-Americans and Hispanics didn’t fall for the enticing overtures of crime, violence and drugs! Ah, but many of you and your wise gangbanging members fall daily to the traps set by committing acts on the community, which legally disconnects you from the educational process and enables you to legally enter the university of crime – prison! You said this would never happen to you! Even today, the criminal just us system hopes that you never get the true picture of your being used to fill their bank accounts. The honest question is — did you learn a lesson, and how will it benefit you, your family and the community at large? Well, now you should at least know! From the ground up, Illinois state prisons 23
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‘Gangbangers... you’ve been played’
were built in downstate communities where as you drive through, you are most times unwelcomed but to get gas and leave! It’s difficult to believe that many of these towns are run by members of the KKK. In-fact the only time you are welcome there is when you arrive on a Chicago/Cook County Jail bus transporting you to the prison to provide meat and potatoes on other folks table! Most of these downstate prison communities were at times financially strapped and going under – until persons like you came along! Do I know you – yes, I’m afraid I do?! Your being an unwilling participant in this saga, provides jobs and positions of power for those persons living in the mostly white towns. In addition you might want to know that past history has it that many prison employees hired were KKK’s? Question being: Who got over on whom?! The truth is, if the Departments of Corrections didn’t have inmates such as you, they wouldn’t have a system at all because judges, clerks, sheriff, probation officers, court reporters and other vendors wouldn’t have a job! This is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and everybody gets money out of the deal – but you! I might ask this question in love – who’s the dummy? African-Americans often unknowingly feed into the hands of the enemy by playing out the script that was written for them long years ago – as persons looked down the corridors of time searching for a commodity! The chosen commodity would be by-large African-Americans and Hispanics. Years ago, there were only a small number of Whites who could not by circumstances help themselves. The chosenslaves were predicated on a group of persons (at that time) not noting that a game was being whipped on them. The game is still the same – just the players now have changed! Killings in the African-American and Hispanic communities are out-of-hand as the leaders of the city, county and state, blames everyone but themselves! Do you think it’s strange that the powers-that-be can find a needle in a hay-stake, but can’t find you until they need to broaden the count of inmates? They know every move you make, even those drug transactions made right under the guides of cameras on the corners. But you thought they didn’t see you … no, not until an indictment ‘The End is a Funeral’ came down! I have reason to believe that you have been played – rather than your being the player! The last laugh is not on the justice system, but on you and your peers as you awaken on that transportation bus – on that long ride to the state prison. Is it too late for you to change? Absolutely Not! Stop right now and ask God to forgive you for all of your sins committed. Promise to never, ever commit another sin against man or woman – nor against the laws of God! Repentance washes away the stain and cleanses the soul. The past is thrown into the sea of forgetfulness…never to rise against. Put down the violence which was placed with you by the deviate hands of Satan, who comes only but to rob – steal – and he will destroy! Get rid of that gun, drugs, and other tools of destruction that were placed at your finger-tips on purpose! Then pick up the tools of education which provides a map out of this insaneness and into life’s abundance. God’s plan of salvation was designed with you in mind before the foundation of the world. You my little African-American brothers and sisters should live and not die and especially not in the many waiting rooms to hell which are prisons and jail cells. Listen my Black sons and daughters: Remember your historical background. You are sons and daughters of mighty kings and queens who built the mighty African pyramids without nails nor bricks! You must remember that your background dictates that you go far beyond the reach of the human eyes. The deceiver Satan has come to rob – steal – and destroy all that God has richly implanted in your DNA. Yes, your DNA, and you are now living beneath your privilege! Young men and women: Turn away from all your evil ways, for most were taught mentally by slave-masters to turn you against one another. The evil intent was and is to kill those who strive to get ahead – and away from the gang slaveactivities! 24
Take Back Children Stolen from Us!
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‘True Believers in Christ’ atan would have us believe that sin has won the war on crime, drugs and violence, however God has declared that victory belongs to the true believers in Christ!
Go into the various market-places of life and take back that child which the devil has stolen from you! Remember that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but has given us Love, Power and a Sound Mind!
Let’s pray one for another as we seek the intervention of God in the lives of our children! Pray that they may be saved from the perils of Satan. Remember, there is nothing too hard for God!
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