September 2016 Edition by Columbus African American News Journal

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College Bound: Support For HBCUs By Ray Miller, III

Turner - Committed To Engaging In Community Partnerships

Losing African American Lives By Hon. Charleta Tavares

Barbara Sykes “New Ohio Director - AARP”

September 2016

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Publisher’s Page Founder & Publisher Ray Miller

Layout & Design Ray Miller, III

Assistant Editor Ray Miller, III

Advertising Director Harmoni Stallings

Photographers Steve Harrison

Contributing Editors Tim Ahrens, D.Min Tim Anderson Edward Bell, MBA Lisa Benton, MD, MPH Roderick Q. Blount, Jr. MA Iris Cooper, MBA Lynette Cashaw-Davis, MA William Dodson, MPA John Delia Marian Wright Edelman Darrell Gray, MD Cecil Jones, MBA Elizabeth Joy, MBA, LSW Jacqueline Lewis-Lyons, Psy.D Ray Miller, III William McCoy, MPA Steve Nichol Mysheika Williams Roberts, MD, MPH

Senator Charleta B. Tavares

The Columbus African American news journal was founded by Ray Miller on January 10, 2011 PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS! The Columbus African American

Being in the news business, we are inundated 24/7 with the latest tragedy, homicide, abusive act, contract award, development project, individual achievement, masterful performance, etc. We founded The Columbus African American news journal, with a clear understanding that people would rather read “good news” stories, as opposed to bad news. To be honest, there are times when I have to disengage from sources that provide daily news feeds on the steady stream of injustices perpetrated against people of African descent. The mental weight and emotional exhaustion which accompanies these issues are troubling enough to cause anyone to seek refuge in the pleasantries of daily living. Wouldn’t life be just grand, as it is for so many people, if we only focused on the positives in Central Ohio and ignored the many challenges that people are experiencing. Those persons, of relative means, who have leeched themselves onto the mainstream establishment, would certainly rest easier, if they could just be assured that the vocal opposition was silenced. As an illustration, this publication was supportive of Issue 1 which would have given the residents of the City of Columbus a greater opportunity to elect, and hold accountable, local elected officials who would speak clearly and forcefully for them. Unfortunately, the opposition to the Issue, spent in excess of one million dollars and greatly exaggerated the substance of the ballot initiative to frighten voters into casting a no vote. It has been sad to witness African American socalled “leaders” who gleefully trumpet their role in the defeat of the initiative. We won, they say, not fully recognizing the extent to which they have disenfranchised their community for “20 pieces of silver”.....or less. The truth of the matter is that we are being sold out by “Pacifiers, Pretenders, and Pandering Pimps.” Allow me to further define these three classes of individuals who are trolling our community in greater numbers and with increased regularity. Pacifiers--These individuals position themselves and are called upon to neutralize any serious discussion taking place within Franklin County that is contrary to the prevailing view of their benefactors. They shut down legitimate complaints and use every means at their disposal to silence the critics of their master’s agenda. They are roundly viewed as the most respected African Americans in the City of Columbus by the downtown establishment. Pacifiers behave in the manner that they do to protect their “good job” or prominent position under the real leaders of the City. To be clear, the real leaders tend not to be elected officials. Pretenders-- This class of “leaders” are Pacifiers in waiting. They make it known that they want to be used. They attend all of the events sponsored by the downtown establishment, but you can’t find them in the Black Community. They walk, talk, socialize, and contribute their time and talent in a manner that is acceptable to the power structure. In fact, many, of this class, have worked so hard to assimilate into the broader culture that they no longer know who they are or how they should address the real needs of their people. Ironically, many Pretenders are regarded as “Black Leaders” and have even been elected to political office. Pandering Pimps--I must admit, I struggled with this label, and then I heard a word from the street, “You’ve got to call a spade a spade.” These individuals are well-known within and outside of our community for their lack of honesty and integrity. In fact, anyone who has some semblance of power and a checkbook can have them as a “friend” for a defined period of time.....typically, an election cycle! As a budget expense, these PP’s come relatively cheap, but you’ve got to pay them something. After all, they have mastered Pacifying, Pretending, and Pimping. This is their livelihood and how they sustain their families. In a sense, they are involved in mass human trafficking and they are the primary beneficiary, although their sales line is wrapped in collective purpose. There are small-time and big-time Pandering Pimps. Don’t let the labeling fool you. If I have heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. We could accomplish so much, if we simply supported one another and committed ourselves to helping each other. This can only occur when we begin to truly love one another and when we stop separating ourselves by income, education, zip codes, and class structure. We’ve got to call out the Pacifiers, Pretenders, and Pandering Pimps and stop allowing them to prey on our people. Most importantly, we need to lift up the builders of our community, the truthsayers, the visionaries, and the people of God who will embolden our people and truly advance the Race. With Appreciation and Respect,

503 S. High Street - Suite 102 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Office: 614.340.4891 editor@columbusafricanamerican.com

Ray Miller Founder & Publisher 3

The Columbus African American • September 2016

In This Issue

22 Losing African American Lives 23 Psychology and Decorating 24 We Can Beat Colorectoral Cancer 25

Long Acting Birth Control Can Help Reduce Infant Mortality

September is Addiction Recovery Month

The Most Powerful Weapon Against Oppression

Doctors Behaving Badly and Lack of Access to Coordinated Health Care Can Kill You

Barbara Sykes - New Ohio Director - AARP Cover Story – Page 20

Book Bags & E-Readers

Money 101

Is It A Business or a Hobby?

Including Black Business In Local Economic Development

Housing Solutions Include Home Tech Ideas

History: Katherine Johnson, The NASA Mathematician Who Advanced Human Rights With a Slide Rule and Pencil

36 15 2016 Kingdom Image Making Sense of Real Estate Awards Honoring Investment Income Trailblazers in Gospel Music Building A Community for All 37

History: Truman K. Gibson, Jr.: Lawyer, Adivsor & Boxing Promoter

2016 Kingdom Image Awards Honoring Trailblazers in Gospel Music

Life Coaches Help Clients Achieve Success

By William McCoy, MPA and Nicolya Willams, MA

Long Acting Birth Control Can Help Reduce Infant Mortality By Mysheika Williams Roberts, MD, MPH

5 College Bound: Support for HBCUs 6 7 8

Back to School

Turner Committed to Engaging in Community Partnerships

Legislative Update

Faith, Morality, and Prophetic Imagination

18 9 Opinion: Why Colin Kaepernick’s Sit 19 Down May Be the Most Patriotic 20 Stand of All

Life Coaches Help Clients Achieve Success

Construction Starts on Homeport’s Third Senior Community in Whitehall

The Columbus African American • September 2016

African American Male Wellness Walk - Photos COVER STORY 4

Community Events

All contents of this news journal are copyrighted © 2015; all rights reserved. Title registration with the U.S. Patent Office pending. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, and illustrations will not be returned unless accompanied by a properly addresses envelope bearing sufficient postage. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.

EDUCATION

COLLEGE BOUND: SUPPORT FOR HBCUS schools, Hampton University in Virginia and Wilberforce University in Ohio. Both institutions opened my eyes to a world that I never knew existed. Going to college for most people can be intimidating, but for me, it was like a second home. The education that I received is as good as or better than most Ivy League schools. However, the difference is that my professors cared about me. I was not a number, but they knew me by name and they took the time to make sure that I got the most out of my college experience. They believed in me and wanted me to succeed. To me, this is a significant difference between HBCUs and PWIs.

By Ray Miller, III “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Morehouse College, Class of 1948) The road to success in life starts with primary and secondary education: get good grades, take the wright classes, get involved in extra-curricular activities, do your community service and go to college. Simple? Not really. Unfortunately, for many African American youth today going to college seems about as attainable as a trip to Mars. What’s holding us back? First, it’s the cost of going; tuition and fees just seem to be as high and as unsurmountable as Mount Everest. But with scholarships and other funding, financing a college education whittles the mountain down to where it is manageable.

of the Freedman’s Bureau worked with the government and private donors to build schools around the country, particularly in the South where slavery was dominant. Many of the early schools taught trade skills. These schools eventually expanded and grew into what we know today as Florida A&M (which stands for Agriculture and Mechanical) and North Carolina A&T (Agriculture and Technical). Other schools taught children and adults all on the same campus. In addition to teaching freed slaves, many of these schools also taught Native Americans.

The second drawback to going to college is, unfortunately, something that America cannot seem to get past; i.e. race. Even in the 21st century, African Americans continue to receive unequal and inadequate education. The advances we have made as a people can be attributed to the unyielding commitment to delivering top shelf education by our Historically Black Colleges/ Prior to the Higher Education Act and before Universities (HBCUs). the Civil War, there were several institutions Before I share my solution to the issue at hand, that were founded by abolitionists to educate we first need to understand the history behind free blacks. Cheyney University (1837) and the higher education system in America. Lincoln University (1854) both in Pennsylvania Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) have and Wilberforce University (1856) in Ohio were a history of discrimination when it comes to founded years before slavery ended. Many of selecting and accepting students of color. In the students who graduated from these schools the book Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery and the migrated to the South to teach. Troubled History of America’s Universities, by Craig Steven Wilder, the author reveals Since the late 1800’s, more than 100 schools how some of the earliest collegiate institutions sprung up around the country, all of them in this country were funded by slave trade. dedicated to teaching and caring for African Furthermore, PWIs often used slave labor to Americans. Since then, HBCUs have developed build their campuses and serve the students a tradition and culture for educating the black and faculty. This type of behavior was passed community. Some of the most prestigious and down from generation to generation until the influential leaders of our history such as, Dr. Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in W.E.B. DuBois (Fisk), Booker T. Washington 1863. But segregation continued even up until the (Hampton), Thurgood Marshall (Howard), Marian Wright Edelman (Spelman) and many Civil Rights movement almost 100 years later. others are all graduates of these great schools. Historically Black Colleges/Universities The tradition of excellence has been passed down (HBCUs) were founded for the sole purpose from generation to generation and today, that of providing quality education for African legacy is under attack. Americans. When the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, more than four million slaves were The enrollment rate for Black students at granted their freedom. As a result, the South was HBCUs has dropped significantly over the past in disarray and the economic fabric of the country five years. One of the major factors is due to a was falling apart. Congress convened to create change in the financial aide requirements that the Freedman’s Bureau in 1865, an organization forced more than 2,000 students to drop out of designed to provide assistance to the newly freed school and thousands more from enrolling. That slaves during their transition into citizenship. The combined with an increase in poverty, single bureau was responsible for creating jobs, setting parent households, and the so-called “pipelineup housing and providing education. That same to-prison” complex, young people are faced with year, Congress passed the Higher Education Act more issues than ever before. For them, survival that included a clause to create federally funded is the first priority and going to college is nothing more than a dream deferred. schools for Negros.

Over the years I had the opportunity to work with youth from various backgrounds around the state. Everywhere I went, I ran into young people who had a passion for success. Most of them wanted to escape their worlds by going to college, but they could not afford it. Others were ignorant of the opportunities and resources that were available to them at various HBCUs. This was a wake-up call for me. I had to do something to help make a difference. In 2009 I called upon several friends who were HBCU alumni and I asked them to help me put together a college fair. We had no money and no idea how to put on such an event, but we did it anyways. That year, we had 15 HBCUs that attended our fair and more than 500 people showed up. So many people were thankful for that event and as a result, several young people from Columbus enrolled and were accepted to various HBCUs that fall. Their lives changed for the better and now they are able to pass on the torch. On Saturday, September 24, 2016 we will celebrate the seventh anniversary of the Central Ohio HBCU College Fair. This event has grown into the largest event of its kind in Ohio. We are expecting over 30 HBCUs and more than 2000 college-bound students, friends and family members. This event is free and open to the public with workshops, door prizes and more. There will be a special performance by our Black Greek organizations and live music. Students will have the opportunity to talk to local alumni and learn more about their history and why it is so important to attend a Historically Black College/ University. It is important to support our HBCUs, not out of obligation, but out of respect for those who paved the way for the freedoms and opportunities that we have today. Celebrate their legacies by helping our young people reach their dreams. Pay it forward.

Ray Miller, III is the Founder/Executive Director of the Ohio HBCU Inititiave. Miller started the HBCU College Fair in 2009 to educate young people about the lifestyle, education and cultural opportunites available at Historically Black Colleges around the country. For more inforamtion visit his website at www. Once the law passed, abolitionists and supporters I had the opportunity to study at two great ohiohbcucollegefair.com. 5

The Columbus American News Journal • February 2015 TheAfrican Columbus African American • September 2016

EDUCATION

BACK TO SCHOOL By Marian Wright Edelman As a new school year begins, parents, teachers and administrators are all thinking about how to make it the best year ever. One of the keys to student success sounds very simple but can make a profound difference: making sure every student is in school every day. This is not the case in many schools and school districts across the country. The Department of Education estimates that five to seven and a half million students miss 18 or more days of school each year, or nearly an entire month or more. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10 percent of school days in a school year for any reason. As part of the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Justice have joined together to launch Every Student, Every Day: A National Initiative to Address and Eliminate Chronic Absenteeism. I was honored to participate in their national symposium to share what the Children’s Defense Fund has learned since our first report in 1974, Children Out of School in America. We found from examining census data that at least 2 million children were out of school for at least 3 months, including 750,000 between 7-13 years old. But there was no clear information on who they were or why they were out of school — so we knocked on thousands of doors in a variety of census tracts across our country to find and ask families why their children were home and not in school. We learned that the large number of 7-13 year olds were children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Another large group were children pushed out by discipline policies who never returned to school. In Holyoke, Massachusetts, we found children who had recently migrated from Puerto Rico staying home when it got cold because they had no winter coats. In a rural Maine community we found children who couldn’t afford the local school district’s transportation fees and were unaware that the state would reimburse the local district for transportation costs. In other states like Kentucky the key barriers were book fees. We wrote: “If a child was not White, or was White but not middle class, did not speak English, was poor, needed special help with seeing, hearing, walking, reading, learning, adjusting, growing up, was pregnant or married at age 15, was not ‘smart enough’ or was ‘too smart,’ then, in too many places, school officials decided school was not the place for that child. In sum, out of school children shared a common characteristic of differentness by virtue of race, income, physical, mental or emotional ‘handicap,’ and age. They were for the most part, out of school not by choice but because they had been excluded. It is as if many school officials had decided that certain groups of children were beyond their responsibility and were expendable. They excluded them arbitrarily, discriminatorily and with impunity.” The Columbus African American • September 2016

We’ve made enormous progress since then, especially for students with disabilities. After our report on Children Out of School in America, CDF and others worked together to push Congress to pass legislation that for the first time gave children with disabilities the federal right to a free, appropriate public education. But we haven’t solved the children out of school crisis. Children on the margins remain at greatest risk for some of the same reasons we documented more than 40 years ago. A recent National Public Radio story on absenteeism featured Johns Hopkins scholar Robert Balfanz, who studies chronic school absenteeism, and a high-poverty elementary school in Baltimore making strides tackling the problem: “[Balfanz] has studied high school dropouts for years, and in his research he kept seeing a red flag: chronic absences in elementary and middle school. Students who miss a couple days a month fall behind in reading — and if they can’t read, they can’t pass tests. ‘To miss a month of school when you’re 11 and 12, there’s got to be something behind that,’ Balfanz says — and at Wolfe Street Academy, there was. ‘The list included things like tooth decay, mental health issues, and not having a winter coat.’” The Department of Education sees chronic absenteeism as: “a primary cause of low academic achievement and a powerful predictor of those students who may eventually drop out of school.” Chronic absenteeism is not to be confused with the problem of children being truant from school. Often when a child skips school, he is labeled as a discipline problem and ends up being suspended or expelled and sometimes even referred to law enforcement for action. We must prevent suspensions and expulsions for truancy. I have never understood why we put a child out of school for not coming to school instead of finding out why the child is not in school. The Department of Education is now collecting the right data and doing something about chronic absenteeism by promoting ideas we know work. One common sense idea goes all the way back to our days of knocking on doors: More school districts are starting each morning by having staff call or visit every family whose child is absent

from school to find out why. Others also connect with families as the school year begins. Some schools are making strides connecting eligible but unenrolled children with health insurance as they enroll in school, allowing those children to get the regular care they need to stay healthy and ready to learn. Some are partnering with health clinics to allow children to be treated on-site for chronic conditions like asthma that contribute to days of lost class time and which can now be addressed in a few minutes out of class. The Children’s Defense Fund and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, have partnered with school districts for more than a decade to develop a simple system that works. A new toolkit, “Happy, Healthy and Ready to Learn: Insure All Children!” to be released later in August, captures the lessons learned and provides resources for school districts to create their own programs with community partners. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is partnering with the Department of Education to promote housing stability for families so children aren’t kept out of school when they move frequently and lack necessary school records. Wraparound services also help keep children in school. Wolfe Street Academy in Baltimore, for example, provides a box of donated coats and other clothes in the cafeteria and like other community schools, provides mental health and dental services and a wide range of programs encouraging parents to get involved in their school community. Many schools provide mentoring services to make sure students feel supported, nurtured, and encouraged to be there. The simple truth is every child needs to feel welcome at school and know that they will be missed by someone at school if they miss a day. Schools must make learning engaging and fun and always keep the children at the center. Those are the schools every child will look forward to going to every day. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind mission is to ensure every child a Health Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communitites. For more information go to www. ChildrensDefense.org

HOUSING

MAKING SENSE OF REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT INCOME created a specific schedule for depreciation. The building, land, and fixtures such as hot water heaters, furnaces, etc. can be depreciated over this timespan. The amount of depreciation is variable year over year and is a long term process. Depreciation takes into the reduction in value of the property due to aging and wear and tear on the property. Based on the depreciation mindset and schedule property is only viable for 27.5 years in residential real estate. Therefore, the building and attached fixtures are depreciated, the value is partially reduced annually, to account for the age.

By John Delia Real estate is a fundamental asset to preserve and accumulate wealth. When considering real estate investment income as a potential revenue stream or a component of a diversified portfolio, one should consider where the options fall within the real estate investment income landscape. Based on the investment strategy and position you chose to pursue; income is gained in a number of ways.

Appreciation

We all want more cash flow. The real estate investment income landscape chart illustrates our logic for thinking about real estate investment income and how income is produced. Real estate investments may be separated into short term and long term time frames; the income can be classified as either a fixed sum or variable.

and long term aspects to real estate investment income. REITs can offer both a secure return over time as well as the quarterly payments. Investing in REITs is a more passive approach to real estate investment income.

Landlording

Hard Money

Whether you choose to be hands on or hire a property manager, landlording is a definite way to real estate investment income. Owning property allows you to lease its use to tenants and receive rental income in return for the service. Rent prices are typically fixed for the term of the lease. Therefore, the income received from this genre of asset may be considered a fixed income. Landlording is a strategy typically used in with a mindset towards long term investment.

Being in the position of hard money lender is very similar to being a mortgagor. Once again you are the bank and loan your money out for a rate of return. A key difference is that hard money lending usually delivers a higher rate of return in exchange for the short term use of capital. Just like all loans, the interest rates fluctuate depending on the lender. It is common to see hard money rates in the 10-15% range while bank and credit union loans are in the 3-5% range. As real estate investment income is produced through Mortgagor hard money lending, you are able to gain a short term return on your money with a determined or It pays to be the bank. The next level up from higher fixed rate of return. leasing use of buildings and property to tenants is to own the mortgage the owner has on the Capital gains property. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, you can own the debt instead of the property. As the mortgagor, you It is important to acknowledge that any real are in the position of lender in a real estate estate investment strategy you take will have transaction. Similar to rental income, the tax consequences (or advantages). You should mortgagor receives monthly mortgage payments feel excited to be in a position to contribute from the owner. In the United States, debt productively to society. Each real estate investing secured by real estate is typically given at a fixed approach should be paired with guidance from a interest rate for the life of the 15, 20 or 30 year certified accountant or tax preparer. Much like loan. Because of this, the monthly payments to the taxes charged to stock market investments, the lender are also fixed. This strategy is good when real estate increases in value and is sold for persons that like the long term aspect of real at the higher price, the owner is required to pay estate investment income but do not want to tax on the difference between the sales price and interact with tenants or other property ownership the original purchase price in the form of capital headaches. gains. Capital gains is at the center of our real estate investment income landscape because it REIT Dividends influences and effects all areas of the landscape. At some point, someone will pay capital gains Dividend paying stock is the paper equivalent of taxes, now or later, you or your heirs. rental property. Real estate investment trusts are publicly traded companies which own real estate Depreciation as the core business and underlying assets. The IRS regulates that REITs are required to pay out Depreciation in real estate ownership is the 90% of income to shareholders. This payout in process of distributing the tax deduction over the form of dividend and is fixed with both short the useful life of the property. The IRS has 7

Appreciation in real estate is the process of increasing property value. This value increase in a property gives the owner an increase in equity. Equity in real estate can lead to access to real estate investment income. Many factors affect appreciation which necessitates its position as a long term and variable income stream in the real estate investment income landscape. 1031 exchanges One strategy that is used to avoid and reduce the tax ramifications of capital gains is the 1031 exchange. This process allows you to transfer proceeds from one real estate transaction to another transaction, immediately sheltering the tax. To be a sophisticated real estate investor, you should consider your needs for short term and long term capital prior to deal execution. Depending on your timeline for return on investment you can maximize the financial value by deferring access to short term capital. The 1031 exchange requires you as an investor to have a real estate team whom can assist in facilitating the transaction. One key stakeholder involved in this process is the escrow agent. More up front planning and coordination are required when executing a real estate investment transaction using the 1031 exchange. Flipping The process of buying, improving and selling property for a profit is called flipping. Flipping a property is usually done in a short time frame to maximize profits. Before flipping a home, a comprehensive strategy should be created before approaching this process. You could create a real estate investing business plan based on a flipping strategy. A large part of real estate investing success lies in the numbers. The financials behind each property allow you to create value and produce income. Flipping is short term income strategy which requires multiple deals to continue producing income. The strategy is short term because once the flipping stops, so does the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

TheAfrican Columbus African American â&#x20AC;˘ September 2016 The Columbus American News Journal â&#x20AC;˘ February 2015

HOUSING wholesale deals completed. Income produced using this real estate strategy fluctuates. A real estate investor pursing this strategy should income. The process of flipping also provides beware of the legal boundaries and limitations real estate investors with variable income due to of wholesaling. Law in some states requires wholesalers to be licensed real estate salespersons changing financial goals. just like Realtors. Some marketing strategies and word choice in wholesaling could put you in a Wholesaling risk; be mindful and do your own due diligence Wholesaling is a strategy where the investor does before proceeding with this strategy. not retain ownership of the property; instead they assign or sell their interest in the property Final Thoughts to another buyer. The difference between the contract price and what the buyer is willing The landscape for real estate investment income to pay is called the spread. The value of the options are dependent on the investment time spread can vary based on transaction size and frame, short term versus long term. The value of property market. A wholesaler is essentially a the return also changes in consistency based on middle man. The wholesaler finds a severely fixed rate and a variable return. After identifying undervalued asset, increases the price to a level the region of the landscape most in line with your that is still attractive to an investor and profits goals, the applicable strategy for moving forward from the difference. Short term lump sum gains should be a critical component of the investment are possible, but vary based on the number of path you chose. This is just as important as the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

financials or numbers. These two components, strategy and financials are partners in maximizing the return on investment. Understanding the real estate investment income landscape allows you have more insight for decision making. Use the real estate investment income landscape as a tool to overcome analysis paralysis and empower your real estate investing. To advance from beginning investor one must take action and have a long term mindset. Gaining experience through strategy implementation trails and error will evolve to case studies and scenario models. Sophisticated investors, advance to an expert by focusing on winning strategy before taking action. Leverage planning and strategy. About the author: John Delia has been an active investor in the Columbus OH market for over six years. To find out more about the opportunities that exist in the area or how you can get started investing in real estate, connect with John and other local investors at CentralOhioPropertyExchange.com

BUILDING A COMMUNITY FOR ALL By William Dodson, MPA Community development is the process that allows neighborhoods and communities to address the multiple issues that have evolved or time: dilapidated housing, declining or inadequate public services and threats to health and safety. The source of much of these funds comes from the federal government. Programs like the Community Development Block Grant, Public Housing and an array small business assistance programs are offered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Small Business Administration SBA) and”administered by our local government, both mixed income rental community by its new owner Columbus Metropolitan Housing the City of Columbus and Franklin County. Authority (CMHA). Private investor John Waddy The history of such efforts over the past eighty contributed condos on Hamilton Avenue and the some years has been evident in the legacy of now defunct Columbus Compact delivered a public housing and neighborhood development project of merit as well. programs: eg. Model Cities, Mt. Vernon Plaza, and various HUD community development However, the housing bubble brought devastation efforts throughout Columbus. These experiments to the community as vacancies mounted and have aged along with many developments left displaced renters scrapped for housing throughout incomplete as in the Northeast have lost favor the city an elsewhere. The Eastside PACT began its Master Plan which has rolled out construction with local officials. of mixed income units nearly five years from Many proclamations have come and gone over their formation. Job training programs have not the past forty years of neighborhood development materialized for the community. Participation with some gains. Unique endowments like in the existing construction has not yet reported Campus Partners efforts have taken momentum jobs to low income persons under Section 3 as in the University area and now the Weinland required. Park community. Other partners like Ohio Against this backdrop, Poindexter Village is still Capital Corporation for housing have made a bone of contention. Now demolished (with the strategic investments there as well. The Southside exception of two buildings), it’s absence is not has gained the Reeb Community resource without challenge and its legacy is still being center including some affordable housing promoted. Why save a remnant of Poindexter units. Franklinton is now ‘heating up’ with Village as CMHA is holding court on the fate new residential and commercial development of the two remaiding buildings? It’s only ‘the including three former CMHA sites.. projects’? The Near Eastside has seen efforts in NOBO by Homeport rise as well as the ongoing gentrification in the area. The failed Whitney Condominium project was repurposed as a

Photo by Walker Evans and a lid developed over hope and aspiration, replaced by entitlement and regulations. Once the towel was thrown in, it’s demolition followed others (if not sold) and its legacy was deemed of little value. Except to those who have perspective. Don’t we need more of that today? The units were deemed eligible for placement on the National Historic Register, though CMHA has said only one unit will remain. The Ohio Historical Society has expressed support for the preservation of the buildings and their significance. The issue is not the past but the future. As with many such efforts community change may not benefit all. This area has seen these efforts come and go without healing the wounds that fed into their decline. For whom are they building these places? Are they not building for some but not all. Will this be a place for all? Why is there no activity on the commercial corridors to foster economic development in the area? These and other questions need to be addressed to make this endeavor truly a community for all!

William Dodson is the Executive Vice President at Rhema Christian Center and Executive Director of Dayspring Christian CDC. He has What many do not understand is this was been a Community Builder with over 35 years of Jamestown or Plymouth Rock where many experience in community orgranization, human seeking hope landed and made their lives there. It services and community development. He is an was a new beginning. Over generations they came affordable housing and community economic and thrived. They moved on. The rules changed development specialist.

The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

HOUSING

CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON HOMEPORT’S THIRD SENIOR COMMUNITY IN WHITEHALL By Steve Nichol For the third time in four years, Homeport is building an affordable apartment home community for seniors in Whitehall. A groundbreaking ceremony for “Hamilton Crossing” was held on Aug. 24 at South Hamilton Road and Etna Road. Construction timelines call for the 64, one and two bedroom home apartments to open by October 2017. Homeport in 2013 opened Eastway Village, 66 affordable apartments for seniors in the 4200 block of East Broad Street in Whitehall. In 2015 it opened its neighboring 32-apartment Eastway Court, also for seniors. The last U.S. Census showed that 11 percent of Whitehall’s population is 65 years old or older. Twenty-five percent is 45 to 64 years old. “The demand for affordable senior housing is strong and undoubtedly will grow,” said Homeport Interim President/CEO Bruce Luecke. “It is why we are committed to building 64 one and two beautiful bedroom apartments for residents 55 and older.” Whitehall Economic Development & Public Service Director Zach Woodruff said there is a The $11.4 million venture is a coalescing of need for senior housing in the city. Homeport partners old and new including: the City of Whitehall, Huntington Bank, Ohio “When Homeport opened Eastway a few years Capital Corporation for Housing, Ohio Housing ago, it seemed to fill up within minutes,” said Finance Agency, The Affordable Housing Trust Woodruff. “There has been a similar response for Columbus & Franklin County, EMH&T, to the announcement and groundbreaking of Berardi Partners, Ruscilli Construction Company Hamilton Crossing.” and Wallick.

Among those speaking at the groundbreaking was Whitehall Mayor Kim Maggard. Steve Nichol is manager of public relations for Homeport, www.homeportohio.org, a leading provider of affordable housing and financial education in Central Ohio.

OPINION: WHY COLIN KAEPERNICK’S SIT DOWN MAY BE THE MOST PATRIOTIC STAND OF ALL also faced enormous backlash for his decision – from pundits, from current and former NFL players, from the San Francisco Police Officers’ Association, and predictably, he has been skewered mercilessly on Twitter and in the online commentary sections of various websites. Some of the online criticism has been of the typically jingoistic “my country – love it or leave it” or “my country – right or wrong” variety that tends to become prevalent when legitimate protest involves the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem. And these types of criticism are particularly troubling, because they Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San are designed to tell people “you can’t be a good Francisco 49ers, chose not to stand for the American if you don’t honor this symbol in a National Anthem at a recent pre-season football particular way.” game. Players are not required to stand under NFL rules, and Kaepernick was clear about his I have spent the majority of my career working reasons to remain seated, stating ”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country for the federal government. I am proud to work that oppresses black people and people of color.” in a building where the American flag flies, Subsequently, he has given interviews about his and where pictures of the President and Vicedecision, and the well-thought out reasons behind President are in the lobby. I understand the power and meaning of symbols. And it precisely it. the power and meaning of symbols that makes While Kaepernick has seen some support, he has protests involving them so resonant – and

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

necessary. I don’t know much about football, but I do know something about the First Amendment. Kaepernick’s actions are fully-protected free speech, and the type of peaceful public protest that has been central to social justice movements. And for those whose response to Kaepernick is “my country — right or wrong,” it’s time to look at the response to that quote by US Senator Carl Schurz in 1899. Schurz decried the statement as “a deceptive cry of mock patriotism”, and went on to state that the “welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: ‘Our country — when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.’” Kaepernick saw something he thought was wrong in his country. Like generations of Americans before him, he engaged in a peaceful public protest to bring attention to that wrong, and to make a statement as to how it needed to be put right. And for that he should not be vilified, but applauded. Op-Ed by Julie Bibb Davis for Good Black News

The Columbus African American • September 2016

HOUSING

TURNER - COMMITTED TO ENGAGING IN PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS where we can present bid opportunities in an open forum to the local small business community. This is the case with the Columbus Metropolitan Library 2020 Vision Building project. An emphasis on inviting the community to be a part of the library’s construction was a major part of the process. While not mandated by the local government agencies, CML developed its own small business outreach program for the entire 2020 Vision Plan to contract 20% of the project to minority and women owned contractors and vendors. From getting the word out to the marketplace for upcoming bids to coaching and supporting subcontractors through the bidding process via an ad hoc committee, Turner’s team members and other members of the client and design team worked toward a common goal. “We are presently tracking 23% minority- and women-owned small business participation for the ten-project program,” says Daniel Jones, Procurement Manager for Turner Construction’s Columbus office.

Turner ’s commitment to community and educational outreach is rooted in the belief that service is an essential part of good corporate citizenship. As a community builder, improving the viability of local businesses is the substance that drives economic growth and continued opportunity.

opportunities available to growing businesses. One of the strategies was the development of the Turner School of Construction Management, a construction management training program to help attendees build networks, establish prosperous joint ventures, have opportunities to win contracts, and form long-term business relationships. Four decades later, the Turner Since 1969, Turner has been an advocate and School of Construction Management continues “To be as successful as this project has been takes leader - engaging in professional partnerships to serve as roadmap toward success for the M/ the right people to do the right thing,” says Nancy and supporting small business owners. It was WBE professional. Tidwell, the project team’s outreach consultant. at that time when Turner launched a dedicated “That’s what Turner was able to do.” effort to improve the economic viability of M/ A n o t h e r s t r a t e g y t o b u i l d p r o f e s s i o n a l WBEs and increase the number and quality of partnerships is through our construction projects, The end result is much more than bricks and mortar; the team’s work and attitude has led to additional resources available to small businesses and the unemployed population in the area. The team was able to work with Columbus State Community College to launch the “Fast Pass Construction Skills Training Program,” boosting the eligible workforce as construction began for the multiple library projects.

Currently under development is a mobilization and capital funding program for small contractors. This would allow small businesses to keep their doors open while awaiting the first payment on a job or to purchase necessary supplies. “The conversations that are happening now have never gone this far before…the [library program] has facilitated these discussions,” shares Tidwell. Turner has been a strong advocate for Central Ohio minority and women owned businesses for over 50 years. From construction management training to providing real work opportunities on projects, Turner is a leader in the industry. Visit our open house on September 13 to learn more about opportunities for your small business.

The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

Sept. 13, 2016 INORITY & WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

IXER

Time:

4:30P

Location:

Turner Construction Company 262 Hanover Street, Columbus, OH 43215

Cost:

Free

Please RSVP to Erin Hardin at ehardin@tcco.com.

An event to attend to engage professional partnerships through networking and gain insight of upcoming bid opportunities.

hosted by

TheAfrican Columbus African American • September 2016 The Columbus American News Journal • February 2015

Some of us follow our own beat. COTA KEEPS US MOVING.

S A V E

T H E

D A T E

2nd Annual Healthcare Thursday, Justice Awards October 20, 2016 A night to celebrate individuals and providers in our community who are eliminating health disparities, expanding access to healthcare & wellness and breaking down cultural & social barriers. For sponsor, ad and/or ticket information contact: John Tolbert john.tolbert@primaryonehealth.org 614.526.3267

Cocktail Reception: 6:00pm Event Program: 6:30pm – 8:00pm Hilton Easton Hotel 3900 Chagrin Drive Columbus, Ohio 43219 Cost: $100/Ticket (The tax-deductible contribution per ticket is $50, Tax ID #31-1533908 )

The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

Grant: # 9DFK011-01-00

Featuring a special performance by

For Tickets & Celebrity Announcements, visit:

The Harmony Project

ac�onforchildren.org

St. Charles Preparatory School | The Robert Walter Commons | For addi�onal informa�on + sponsorship opportuni�es, please call 614‐224‐0222 x159.

TheAfrican Columbus African American • September 2016 The Columbus American News Journal • February 2015

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The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

FAITH

2016 KINGDOM AWARDS HONORING TRAILBLAZERS IN GOSPEL MUSIC By LaToya Dowdell-Burger This year the Kingdom Image Awards honors Rev. Dr. Raymond Wise as the Legacy Award Recipient. It was such a pleasure and honor to speak to Dr. Wise. When speaking with Dr. Wise you immediately become inspired to shine your light or as he would say, “Let your light shine in dark places.” I asked him to share with me how he got started in the music ministry and how did he know he loved music. Dr. Wise stated, “I have been singing since I was three. Some would even say in my mother’s womb.” He is a fourth generation musician. His mother was a musician and his family had a singing group during his formative years. There are even pictures of him as a baby singing at the microphone. Dr. Wise shared the moment when he was eight years old in a theater production entitled The Me Nobody Knows. It was a Broadway show in a regional theater production and after that production ended he decided at that moment he wanted to be a star. Outside of his family, Dr. Wise was inspired by his High School Choral Director Mr. Hugh Carey. He had the honor of traveling with him and served as his assistant. Dr. Wise stated that, “Mr. Carey had a way of taking anyone and teaching them how to sing.” Some of Dr. Wise’s major influences are Richard Smallwood, Henry Davis, Mark Payne and they were all classically trained and composed/arranged gospel music. Dr. Wise had the privilege to sing on programs with these groups growing up. When Dr. Wise discovered they went to school for classical music that pushed him to go and study classical music. In addition to these influences, his mother had 10 choirs she was directing as well. Dr. Wise has 200 compositions you can see on YouTube currently. One particular recording you can see is entitled the “Festival in Prague.” His music catalog is well over 600 compositions. When asked about what his music conveys he said, “The bottom line is ministry. My music should compel you to grow with the Lord. It should move people to come to God, know Christ or grow in him. I aim to inspire and encourage. Even non-sacred pieces have the underlying theme that it leads to inspiration at the end.” Dr. Wise has been called upon to share his gift with the world in various settings that has allowed him to cross denominational lines. He has shared his gift in Jewish Synagogues, Mosques and even night clubs. When asked about the various venues he stated, “The Lord begin to open up doors for me outside of the church. Thirty years ago I would have felt like I had to be in a church or in a straight ministry setting. The Lord spoke to me and said ‘There is more to your ministry than sitting on this piano bench.’ God wants us to go out to share the light. The bible talks about ‘Go ye to all nations and teach.’ Those who do not know him, do not preach. We must teach who He is and then comes awareness and understanding.” Dr. Wise is being called more now in non-sacred settings. He has worked for over 20 years in academia and he stated, “The institutions want the gift but not God.”

Dr. Wise had so much wisdom and knowledge to share. However, he left these words of advice for those pursing the call in the ministry, “The main thing is always make sure it’s about Ministry. As kid I wanted to be a star. Ironically, God was preparing me to be who I am now, but I had my eyes on other things. Keep your eyes focused on the ministry God has for you. Don’t be a copycat. Be who you are wherever God has placed you. Be a good steward of your ministry.”

Brunson and Thompson Community Choir, Raymond Wise, Stephen Ford to name a few more.

Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, he vividly remembers that his dad had an Aretha Franklin Album with James Cleveland and there was a bass player on that album. He use to lay on the floor and listen to it over and over and over again. Some of the songs on that album that he would listen to over and over were “The Old Landmark” and “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep.” The bassist on this album was Mr. Chuck Rainey. To Dr. Ruffin, it was just so phenomenal and he just loved it. That really solidified his passion for playing today.

Dr. Ruffin stated, “Musicians put in a lot of work and to be ancillary to some other event is not respectful to the hard work that was put in.”

When asked who he is most influenced by, Dr. Ruffin stated, “The folks that are really innovative and have creative arrangements that go beyond the common thing.” Most of the music Dr. Ruffin writes is inspirational. He has written for Keith Dobbins and the Resurrection Mass Choir. Some of his songs became the title For more information about Rev Dr. Raymond song of the album. Dr. Ruffin stated, “I can only Wise visit us at www.kingdomimageawards. write songs as God gives them to me.” com. Dr. Ruffin has had the privilege and honor to -share his music around the world. He has enjoyed This year the Kingdom Image Awards honors performing in Japan. When sharing the places Dr. Milton Ruffin as the Community Leadership and venues he has ministered he said, “Japan Recipient. was really a good time, because the Japanese culture really embraces the African American It was an honor to interview Dr. Ruffin in this experience.” capacity as I was a former student of his. Early on in life he really knew he liked music. He did He has toured many places to include Vienna, not understand he had a passion for it right away. Austria as well as Europe with Keith Dobbins. He is a self-taught musician and always loved the He has played all over the United States; however, guitar. He actually earned enough money off his his most enjoyable time is at his church. He paper route to purchase his guitar. His hands prefers not to participate in events where music were always big and playing guitar tend to hurt is used as a backdrop; he feels that it does not his hands when he tried to play it. capture the artistry of music.

I asked Dr. Ruffin what has made you the Leader in the Community you are? He stated, “Consistently presenting quality in music, professionalism, performing, schooling and teaching. Consistently investing in people and whatever project I am working on. I love to bring that extreme quality to whatever I am working on.” With all the great accomplishments Dr. Ruffin has obtained, it is safe to say there is so Dr. Ruffin stated, “My first journey started much more to him. around 12 years old.” He started playing in a funk band along with his brother in the garage of In regards to pursing the music ministry call he their Youngtown, Ohio home; they were called had this to say, “Whatever your passion is or the Ruffin Brothers. They played Stevie Wonder, whatever you set out to do, be a student of it and Ohio Players and some of the other greats during passionately pursue quality relentlessly. Never that time. His grandmother was the Pastor and be okay with being mediocre. Make sure you founder of Mount Maria Fire Baptized Holiness teach and prepare yourself to teach choir parts Church. They had purchased a piano and no one correctly. Prepare for rehearsal. Don’t settle could play it. and comprise for mediocracy. Really pursue whatever you are going to do with a relentless Over time Dr. Ruffin was increasingly more pursuit of excellence.” compelled to attend church. The more and more he continued to attend church the less and less he He recommended a book to read entitled There wanted to play funk music; thus he played gospel is No Traffic on the Extra Mile by Ricky instead. His grandparents’ said that if he really Minor. Dr. Ruffin truly realizes what his life wanted to play he could sit there and play, and is about. He is not driven by accomplishment gradually over time he was able to play the piano but by accomplishing. When he finished his and maintain a worship service. first degree, he wanted to go back and complete another degree. Even after he completed his Currently, he is the Music Director at New Ph.D. he went back and obtained a superintendent Salem Baptist Church and has been for over 20 licensure. years. He is also an awesome educator with the Columbus City Schools where he is the principal What’s next? Dr. Ruffin and his wife both have at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center. their Doctorate Degrees and their daughter will with her Doctorate degree very soon. Dr. Ruffin has played R&B, funk music, gospel, graduate He and his wife are writing a book that is entitled jazz and classical. He has played the string bass On 1 A Chord; its estimated release is early 2017. in the Central Ohio Symphony for seven years. Dr. Ruffin stated the purpose of the book is all He said that one of his biggest influences was Mr. about being in ministry with your spouse. James Jamison. Mr. Jamison was the legendary bass player of Motown. For more information about Rev Dr. Milton Vocally, Donnie Hathaway and Kirk Whalen Ruffin visit us at www.kingdomimageawards. were also big influences. As well as The Milton com.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

The Columbus African American • September 2016

POLITICS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

LAME DUCK SESSION TO GENERATE FLURRY OF LAST MINUTE ACTIONS

By Senator Charleta B. Tavares The members of the Ohio General Assembly will return to the State Capitol in October to finish out the 131st General Assembly. It is expected that there will be a flurry of bills on the fast track for passage before the Sine die (the final adjournment of a legislative session, without adjourning to a specific time or date). There are two specific pieces of legislation that are important to the health and well-being of African Americans and especially, our children that we must push to have adopted by December 31st. Senate Bill 30, establishes the Ohio Family Stability Commission within the Department of Jobs and Family Services; a time-limited (4 years) commission that will focus on the strengthening of Ohio families and emphasizing the well-being of children. The primary goal of the Commission is to address issues attributed to the growing number of single parent households such out-of-wedlock births, divorce, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and other issues that negatively impact families. The bill passed out of the Senate May 13, 2015 by a vote of 31-1 and is currently in the Ohio House Community and Family Advancement Committee chaired by Representative Timothy E. Ginter (R-Salem) and Ranking Member, Representative Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland). Please contact the chair (Rep. Ginter) at (614) 466-8022 to encourage him to schedule hearings on the bill. Over the last several years information had been provided in the Columbus African American on the devastating rates of infant mortality among African Americans in Ohio. As noted in the April 2016 edition of the Columbus African American, the Ohio Infant Mortality Commission released a report in March 2016 which included fifty recommendation to address the horrific numbers of infant deaths in our state and the disparities in deaths among African American and Caucasian babies. Senators Shannon Jones (R-Warren) and Charleta B. Tavares have jointly sponsored legislation, Senate Bill 332 which includes the majority of the recommendations outlined in the Commission report (see below). S.B. 332 has been identified as priority legislation by the Ohio Senate and House Leadership and is expected to pass before the end of the December. Ohio Infant Mortality Commission Partial List of Recommendations: • The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) should make Medicaid perinatal claims data available to local infant mortality collaborative

organizations and to ODH Child and Family Health Services grant recipients at least annually. • ODH should provide geocoded data, when available, to local entities. • To improve the consistent and accurate use of data, ODH should provide end users with a data analysis tool kit that includes data dictionaries and sample analyses. • ODH should provide ongoing training for leadership and staff at birthing hospitals and to funeral directors at least annually on meeting statutory responsibilities for vital statistics data, including correct coding and time limits to ensure accuracy and consistency of the data over time. Recommendations • ODH should publish a statewide infant mortality scorecard on a quarterly basis. • Behavioral health, domestic violence, food security, and housing status are important measures to track to improve infant mortality. ODH should consider how to measure and track this information for the scorecard. • ODM should publish a Medicaid infant mortality scorecard on a quarterly basis. • Local infant mortality commissions should build their own scorecards with data by region, city, and/or census tracts to provide a meaningful measurement for community organizations working on infant mortality issues in these areas. • The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) should track primary language in the new Ohio Benefits system. Currently, primary language is not tracked through the Ohio Benefits system. Race and ethnicity data is collected but, while this information is valuable, it is not currently shared with plans or providers. • ODM should include race, ethnicity, and primary language information in data that is shared with plans. Health plans should, in turn, include this information with the other data that is shared with providers. • Ohio’s medical schools and residency programs

The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

should include LARC education and efficacybased contraception counseling in their academic and residency programs. • The Ohio General Assembly should improve cultural competency of health care providers by requiring continuing education credit on this issue. • OHT should engage health care provider associations to increase provider awareness of the importance of cultural competency throughout their practices as a way to improve positive health outcomes and reduce health disparities. • Ohio’s medical schools and residency programs should establish appropriate cultural competency training across the curriculum for its medical students and residents. • Local infant mortality commissions should promote and track the use of the ProMedica Pregnancy Lifestyle Assessment, or other similar risk assessment, among practices treating pregnant women in high risk neighborhoods, to assess social risk factors. • The State should consider building additional capacity – such as through certified community pathway HUBs – to achieve a wider use of this tool and to connect patients to the services needed to address social risk factors. • ODM should require the use of certified community health worker services for women enrolled in Medicaid who are pregnant or at risk for pregnancy. • The Ohio General Assembly should include geography and other social determinants of health risk factors, including women with a positive screen for depression, in the prioritization of home visiting services. • ODH should transition home visiting programs Continued on Page 17

POLITICS Continued from Page 16

middle and low-income home buyers in hot spot neighborhoods. • The Ohio General Assembly should contract with an outside entity to lead a stakeholder group to review state policies and programs that affect infants and women of childbearing age, identify opportunities within these programs to improve the social determinants of health, review emerging and best practices in other states, and develop a set of recommendations to be delivered to the General Assembly and the Commission on Infant Mortality. The workgroup should focus its initial review on the areas of education, income, and transportation (in addition to the housing work already begun). The stakeholder group should include state agency leaders, legislators, and other interested parties with expertise in these areas.

to payment for outcomes rather than processes. • ODH should allocate funding for innovative pilot projects that build on the learning of traditional home visiting programs but can be targeted to some of the most challenging families to serve. New interventions are needed for families unable to be successful in traditional programs. • The Ohio Housing Finance Authority (OHFA) should include pregnancy as a priority in its housing tax credit and emergency shelter programs. • Local homeless shelter grantees should track and report the number of pregnant women and ages of children seeking assistance. • Local homeless shelter grantees should place pregnant women in family shelters rather than single adult shelters. For a complete listing of recommendations see • OHFA should investigate rebalancing the Commission Report at: http://cim.legislature. investment in state-funded programs that support ohio.gov/Assets/Files/march-2016-final-report.

pdf The Ohio General Assembly sessions and the House and Senate Finance Committee hearings can be viewed live on WOSU/WPBO and replays can be viewed at ohiochannel.gov (specific House and Senate sessions can be searched in the video archives). If you would like to receive updated information on the Ohio General Assembly and policy initiatives introduced, call or email my office at 614.466.5131 or tavares@ohiosenate. com to receive the Tavares Times News monthly legislative newsletter. Sen. Charleta B. Tavares, D-Columbus, is proud to serve and represent the 15th District, including the historic neighborhoods of Columbus and the cities of Bexley and Grandview Heights in the Ohio Senate. She serves as the Ohio Senate Assistant Democratic Leader and the Ranking Member of the Senate Ways & Means and Health and Human Services Committees.

FAITH, MORALITY AND PROPHETIC IMAGINATION: ALL ARE MISSING IN THE 2016 CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT By Tim Ahrens, D.Min Faith, morality and prophetic imagination are all missing from the run for President in 2016. This became clear to me when I replayed the speech delivered in less than 11 minutes at the Democratic National Convention by The Rev. Dr. William Barber, II. On Thursday, July 28th, Dr. Barber lit up the convention and our nation with his riveting words rumbling out of the heart of prophecy and deliverance. He brought it! Calling himself, a “theologically conservative liberal evangelical Biblicist,” The Rev. Dr. William Barber, II electrified the Democratic National Convention and all in America who were listening. He called for a moral center to our politics and our lives. He has walked this talk. Dr. Barber founded and led the people of North Carolina to forge a “Moral Monday Movement.” Each Monday a vast array of people of all faiths gather at the Statehouse for Prayer leading to action on behalf of the poor of their state. Dr. Barber lifted up concern about “those who say so much about what God says so little and say so little about what God says so much.” With a clear voice, he called us to be stewards of God’s word and the blessings we receive from God, not possessors of that which we have accumulate for ourselves. As weeks have passed the prophetic imagination of Dr. Barber and all “who speak truth with love to power” has been buried by loud lies shouted at our nation, mud slung from one political camp at the other and accusations of deceit coming from left, right and center. Caught in the crossfire are African-Americans, Hispanics, and poor people of every color and from every nation.

Dr. William Barber, II speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

Lost in the din and clamor of candidates’ attacks are the truths that withstand time. Here are some of these truths. A nation is judged by how it cares for the poorest and most vulnerable citizens. We must provide health care for all. We must provide equal education and job opportunities for every man, woman, and child in our nation. We protect the babies, the children, the orphans and the elderly among us. We need to take care of our returning soldiers and not simply drop on the street corner by a homeless shelter and say, “thanks for all you did for your nation.” We must get honest about our racial divides and not simply espouse rhetoric about bridging the gaps for a few weeks in presidential election years. To do this means our leaders need to deliver policies and practices not just vacuous promises. Our God is weeping when our God looks on this nation and sees the growing gap between rich and poor and the lack of real concern that politicians who are worth millions of dollars (maybe billions) feel toward those who sink lower and lower each day in economic depression.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

We need a Moral Movement in Ohio and America. On September 12th, I invite you to join me at the Ohio Statehouse from 11am-12noon. We will join at least 24 other states on that day as we sign and deliver “The Higher Ground Moral Declaration” to the legislators of Ohio. The Declaration declares in part: “... We declare that the deepest public concerns of our nation and faith traditions are how our society treats the poor, those on the margins, the least of these, women, children, workers, immigrants, and the sick; equality and representation under the law; and the desire for peace, love and harmony within and among nations...” “... We believe in a moral agenda that stands against systemic racism, classism, poverty, xenophobia, and any attempt to promote hate towards any members of the human family.” “... We claim a higher ground in partisan debate by returning public discourse to our deepest moral and constitutional values.” If you believe these words and want action, please join us on Monday, September 12th at 11am at the Ohio State House. Moreover, the challenge is ever before us. We need to remember that our highest values of morality and faith are at stake in these days of malaise. No one is going to defend these values except us. So, may we stand together and close the gap between the babble of billionaires and the truth of God and what is right and just. We are called to stand in the breach. No one else will do our standing for us. Rev. Dr. Tim Ahrens is the Senior Minister of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in downtown Columbus. A church known for its witness to social justice since its birth as an abolitionist congregation in 1852. Rev. Ahrens is the fifth consecutive senior minister from Yale Divinity School and is a lifelong member of the United Church of Christ.

The Columbus African American • September 2016

LIFE COACHES HELP CLIENTS ACHIEVE SUCCESS By William McCoy and Nicolya Williams More and more people are turning to a Life Coach to help them navigate through problems, obstacles, and opportunities. An estimated 40,000 people are part of the $2.4 billion life coaching industry in the United States, according to the Market Data Report. More broadly, an estimated 220,880 people were working as “self-enrichment education teachers,” a category that includes Life Coaches, according to the 2014 Department of Labor statistics analyzed by CareerTrends. Mike Bundrant wrote an internet article entitled “Five Reasons Why the Life Coaching Industry is Booming.” He says: (1) people are moving away from the traditional work environment; (2) work values are changing and people are more concerned about being happy than money; (3) traditional education does not prepare workers for office politics, crises of confidence, and other workforce realities; (4) people want more from life; and (5) people are growing more and more skeptical of the system.

So, who needs and/or uses a Life Coach? There are many reasons why people turn to Life Coaches for help. A Life Coach can help you reset your thinking and/or change your mindset or outlook. He or she can give you a different perspective or fresh approach to dealing with life, solving problems, or taking advantage of opportunities. People who are at a crossroad in their life or career- e.g. facing major life changes such as job loss, divorce, death of a loved one, and other crises- often turn to a Life Coach for guidance. Other people enlist the aid of a Life Coach to help them restore their confidence or feeling of self-worth.

So, what exactly is a Life Coach? There are different types of Life Coaches. Some specialize in business, financial or economic empowerment, while others assist people with navigating through life. Generally speaking, a Life Coach is a person who helps people think more creatively, identify solutions to problems, capitalize on opportunities, gain clarity in their life, and become more optimistic and proactive. In short, a Life Coach is like a personal trainer Selecting a Life Coach can be tricky business. The life coaching industry is not regulated for your personal or professional life. or governed by a set of externally imposed What does a Life Coach do? Simply put, a Life professional standards. Anyone can decide to Coach listens, learns, and lays out a plan to help be a Life Coach, present themselves as such, and an individual overcome an obstacle, solve a begin to do business. Nicole Spector wrote an problem, or take advantage of an opportunity. article that appeared on the nbcnews.com website After talking with a client, a Life Coach may entitled, “Lawsuit Shines Unflattering Light on prepare a customized plan for strategic action. ‘Life Coaching’ Industry” (January 2016). In He or she may also provide motivation and it, she describes a case involving two women encouragement, as well as hold the client who lost a substantial amount of money to a Life accountable for their decisions and implementing Coach. The article warns against getting involved with a Life Coach without thoroughly checking their action plan. them out. With this in mind, it is recommended that the following criteria be considered in selecting a Life Coach: (1) experience and length of time in the field; (2) formal education, training, and certifications; and (3) reputation and referrals.

In conclusion, a Life Coach can provide invaluable guidance and support as you journey through life. A Life Coach can help you rid your life of chaos and clutter, gain clarity, find balance and peace, and think and act more strategically. A Life Coach can also help you sift through The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

choices, tackle problems, seize opportunities, and strengthen relationships. A Life Coach represents an investment in yourself. However, to ensure a favorable return on that investment, you must invest time and energy in finding the right person to work with you. William McCoy is founder and principal consultant with The McCoy Company- a personal services consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning, training, and economic development. The McCoy Company helps clients articulate and achieve their visions, make decisions and solve problems, and capitalize on their opportunities. Mr. McCoy has served every level of government, a myriad of nonprofits and foundations, and the private sector. He holds a BA degree in economics and a MPA in finance. Mr. McCoy is a published author, award winner, profiled in Who’s Who in the World and elsewhere. You can learn more about him by checking out his website at www.themccoycompany.com. You can also reach William McCoy at (614) 785-8497 or via e-mail at wmccoy2@themccoycompany.com. Nicolya Williams is a practicing Life Coach, who offers personal services to individual clients, master classes, and public speaking. Mrs. Williams is a school counselor, who has worked with children exposed to violence in clinical and home-based setting. She holds a BS degree in Psychology and Criminology, a MA in Education with a dual focus on clinical counseling and school counseling, and is working on her doctorate degree with a focus on Transformational Leadership. Mrs. Williams is a licensed clinical counselor, school counselor, and chemical dependency counselor assistant. Nicolya Williams can be reached online at www.nicolyawilliams.com or via e-mail at nicolyawilliams@gmail.com.

THE 12TH ANNUAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE WELLNESS WALK The National African American Male Wellness Walk (AAMWW) celebrated its 12th year in Central Ohio with pomp and circumstance. In preparation for the big day, the walk committee held a series of workshops and community events around the city to help promote the event. One of those events was the National Reception which honored several African American men in Columbus for their work towards improving the health of black men within the community. The ceremony was held on Friday, August 12th, 2016 at the King Arts Complex. The annual walk took place on Saturday, August 13th, 2016 on the campus of Nationwide Children’s Hospital at Livingston and Parsons Avenue. Over 1,000 people attended the event which included resource vendors, health stations, healthy food vendors, music and much more. Participants could either walk or run the course the entired course. Below are photos from both events. For more information about the organization or to participate in their next national walk, visit their website at www.AAWalk.org.

John Gregory and Daughter Perry Gregory

(L to R) Brent Walters, Grady Pettigrew, Keith Neal, John Tolbert, Kahassai Tafese, Ray Miller, Mark White, Alex Shumate, Brian Byrd

TheAfrican Columbus African American • September 2016 The Columbus American News Journal • February 2015

COVER STORY

BARBARA SYKES - EXPANDING THE REACH OF AARP a Bachelor’s degree in social work and a Master’s degree in public administration.

By Ray Miller

Barbara and her husband, former State Representative Vernon Sykes, are indeed a “Power Couple” in Summit County and the State of Ohio. And now, that their daughter Amelia is a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and Vernon is a candidate for the Ohio Senate, they have moved to the “Power Family” designation. The ever humble, Barbara Sykes, smiles and moves beyond this discussion like a flowing stream. Vernon and Barbara have been blessed with two children, Stancy and Amelia, and two grandchildren, Hope, who is six years old, and Hugh who is 19 years old and is carrying on the family tradition of educational excellence. Hugh has already received an Associates degree from the University of Akron and is now in his senior year at the age of 19.

Barbara Sykes is one of the most accomplished women in America today. Yet, when one speaks to her, there is no pretense, extreme formality, or stock phrases gleaned from reading too many business books written by individuals who do not own a business. Without sounding like some kind of New Age psychojournalist, I found Ms. Sykes to be very much like the flow of a mighty river--able to be calming and still at various points in time, and yet, forceful and penetrating when natural events dictate such a course of action. Langston Hughes, the prince of the Harlem Renaissance penned it this way (in part): “I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.” At age 61, born in Holly Grove, Arkansas on April 6, 1955, there is not much that Barbara Sykes has not experienced relative to race relations and major Civil Rights advances in America. She unquestionably experienced rivers in her life and emerged with grace and dignity personified. Arkansas in the 1950’s was one of the most segregated states in America. One is reminded of the Little Rock Nine, Governor Orval Faubus, Claudette Colvin, Daisy Bates and others involved in the fight for Civil Rights in the United States as advocates, and segregationists, like Faubus. When asked of Ms. Sykes, “What took you from Arkansas to Akron?” Her immediate response was, “I graduated from high school and then I wanted to get the hell out of Arkansas.” Conveniently, her older sister was married and living in the Akron area and that was Sykes connection to the City. Within six months she was married to another transplant from Arkansas, her husband of 40 years, the Honorable Vernon Sykes-then an employee in an Akron Community Action program. Preparation for Assuming the Position of Ohio State Director of the AARP In discussing how one arrives at the position of State Director for the AARP, the norm would be to cite one’s academic credentials, comparable positions held, legislative advocacy, public policy development, and civic engagement, just to mention a few ways to ascertain core competencies. While Barbara Sykes is uniquely prepared in all of the traditional areas that would be prerequisites for directing AARP Ohio, her real preparation began as the grandchild and daughter of sharecroppers in Holly Grove Arkansas. Her mother and father, Nokomis and Willie Strong,

To underscore Barbara’s strong family foundation she cites her grandparents and parents for teaching her useful leadership skills. “ I still have to go back to my beginnings, my grandparents, my parents, because they made so much out of nothing, and they raised their eight children to be high achievers and to still taught us to care, to be open, and to appreciate treat everyone with respect. Sykes said, “my father other people and the problems and situations they may had to drop out of school in the third grade and my find themselves in-- and, then, try to help them out.” mother dropped out in the 11th grade. The boys had What Is Your Management Style? to work the farm. That’s just the way it was,” she Barbara characterizes herself as a “fair” leader added. Sykes recalls her father carrying around a who does whatever is appropriate to achieve the newspaper to show everyone how well his children organization’s goals. “I try to look at he situation, were doing in school. Once she found out what he evaluate what needs to be done, and determine if we was doing, she decided to help him out and began to have to deal with an internal or external situation or highlight each of her siblings names in the local paper both, Sykes said. I try to get as much input as possible when they received high academic honors. That is real from relevant staff members before making final preparation, and most important, actualizing the drive decisions, because I am clear that I don’t know half and determination to succeed. of what life says I should know. I’ve learned to ask Moreover, Barbara was a primary caregiver to her for help,” she says. mother, going back and forth to Arkansas from Ohio, What About The Perception That AARP Is when her mother was suffering from Cancer and Targeted To Older White Persons? Alzheimer disease. Her mother passed at the age of 73 and her father passed at 63 years of age-- without Ms. Sykes said, “I just came back from two days being able to enjoy one day of the retirement that he of orientation at the national organization and I can had planned for and worked extremely hard for all of assure you that AARP is not old--it is 50 plus. It’s about understanding that life is just beginning and you his life. now have the ability to plan for the exciting part of Through a more traditional lense, Sykes is indeed, your life.” She added, living just begins at 50. exceptionally credentialed to serve as the Ohio State Director of the AARP where she will lead Regarding the primary racial demographic of the and manage the advocacy, communications and AARP, Sykes said, “largely the AARP is now seen as a community outreach work of the association and its white person’s organization and consequently, cultural 1.5 million members in Ohio. She served three terms diversity is a primary focus area of the State office in the Ohio House of Representatives from 2000- and the entire system.” She added that AARP must be 2006. Prior to that, Ms. Sykes, served as a Deputy inclusive, bring everyone to the table and listen to the Auditor for Summit County, President of the Ohio diverse voices, if we are serious about helping people Legislative Black Caucus, and was the first African to live their best life as they grow older.” Sykes and American woman to serve on the Akron City Council. her staff, Tamara James, Luke Russell and Michelle For the last ten years she has served as the President Shirer shared some powerful examples of how the and CEO of the Ohio United Way. Ms. Sykes is a State office has been engaged on issues such as Social graduate of the University of Akron where she earned Security, Medicare Supplemental Insurance, Fraud

The September The Columbus Columbus African African American American •News Journal2016 • February 2015

COVER STORY Watch, and the Ohio Caregivers Act. In addition, AARP Ohio has partnered with the NAACP, Urban League, Black Greek organizations, Festival Latino, the Cleveland International Film Festival, The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival, and many more. Still, greater opportunities exist for increased cultural diversity and substantive inclusion. Michelle Shirer, Communications Director, said, “We want to make sure that everyone, 50 plus, has the opportunity to live a life filled with purpose and high quality. Tell Us Something About Yourself That Most People Would Not Know. Barbara Sykes is afraid of statues. Here’s a person whose entire adult life has been going in and out of government buildings and she is deftly afraid of statues. This fear stems from a bad late night viewing, alone, watching the Twilight Zone. You must ask her about it. She has stories!!!

North West Elevation

The Columbus African American • September 2016

HEALTH

LOSING AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS

By Charleta B. Tavares There has been a lot of discussion in the last several years about the impact of clinical services (health care) and its impact on health outcomes. The United States has some of the best health care institutions in the world including many of those in Central Ohio. We spend nationally more than $3 trillion on health care yet we have poorer health outcomes than many of the smaller, underdeveloped countries in the world.1 While studies show that the United States spending on health and social services is comparable to Western countries, we spend significantly less than them on social services and more on health care. Why you might ask are social services such as housing, food, employment, education, income, smoking, environment and etc. relative to health? These are what are known as the “social determinants” of health. According to research done by the Kaiser Family Foundation and almost three decades ago by the Ohio Taskforce on Black and Minority Health, social determinants of health are “the structural determinants and conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.” They include factors like socioeconomic status, education, the physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care.2

sidewalks, parks or playgrounds, recreation centers, or a library.4 In addition, poor members of racial and ethnic minority communities are more likely to live in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty than their poor White counterparts.5 I n t h e O h i o Ta s k F o r c e o n B l a c k a n d Minority Health’s final report which listed twelve recommendations, (see July, 2016 Columbus African American page 22) the sixth recommendation stated: “a major health promotion and disease prevention program should be implemented which includes” under C) Facilitate the development of a community-based resource bank with emphasis on metropolitan areas with high concentrations of minority populations. This recommendation speaks directly to the need to provide coordinated services and information to address these social determinants.

Social supports, connectedness, stress, housing, violence, poverty, environmental toxins, smoking, food insecurity, alcohol and drugs, unemployment, racism have a detrimental impact on the quality and length of African American lives. That is why new studies have shown how one’s zip code can predict one’s longevity. This is not only disturbing information but underscores the need to address these underlying issues that have more of an influence on African American health outcomes. The World Health Organization informs us that 70% of the disparities in health occur as a consequence of the social determinants of health, such as place or housing. Having systems and agencies as well as resources such as fresh fruit, vegetables, jobs, quality In the United States, the likelihood of premature education, child care, recreational activities, death increases as income goes down. Similarly, transportation and affordable quality housing lower education levels are directly correlated nearby are also needed. The Kirwin Institute with lower income, higher likelihood of smoking, at The Ohio State University conducted what and shorter life expectancy.3 Children born to is known as geospatial data analysis in the parents who have not completed high school are communities of Ohio with high infant mortality more likely to live in an environment that poses rates for the Ohio Infant Mortality Commission. barriers to health. Their neighborhoods are Their report outlined nineteen indicators in their more likely to be unsafe, have exposed garbage “Child Opportunity Index” that help to predict or litter, and have poor or dilapidated housing success or in this case infants living beyond one and vandalism. They also are less likely to have The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

year of age. • Opportunity: A situation or condition that places individuals in a position to be more likely to succeed or excel • Opportunity structures open pathways to success: - High-quality education - Stable housing - Sustainable employment - Political empowerment - Healthy and safe environment - Options for wealth-building - Positive social networks • OPPORTUNITY = Social Determinants6 The factors that impact our health outcomes are multi-dimensional, multi-system and crossdisciplinary. Housing – its quality or condition is a major determinant in the health and wellbeing of our African American residents. Unfortunately, there is no where in America where a single mother of one or two children can afford to live in a two-bedroom apartment while working a minimum wage job. Our children are growing up disproportionately in single female-headed households (72%). Many of our families are struggling with multiple jobs to make ends meet and pay the more than 40% of their income in rent. This has an impact on their ability to locate housing in neighborhoods Continued on Page 23

HEALTH matter more to us than what kind of car, purse or shoes we have. We cannot rest when one of our sisters or brothers is suffering. Our culture comes out of a collective or communal framework…not with employment opportunities, transportation, individualism. We have to be the advocates for grocers with fresh produce, recreational our people and ourselves if we want others to join opportunities and etc. us. African American and communities of color deserve to live, long and productive lives. There is much work to be done at the state, local and federal levels in addressing this one Footnotes: social determinant (housing) including but not limited to: increasing the minimum wage to keep 1 up with inflation; developing more workforce David Squires and Chloe Anderson, U.S. Health (affordable housing); creating innovative “sweat Care from a Global Perspective: Spending, Use equity” housing programs to eliminate vacant of Services, Prices, and Health in 13 Countries and abandoned housing; creating public housing (New York, NY: The Commonwealth Fund, pipelines with income indexes from Rebuilding October 2015), http://www.commonwealthfund. Lives (Housing for Homeless), Section 8, org/~/media/files/publications/issuebrief/2015/ Affordable Housing Tax Credits etc.; and o c t / 1 8 1 9 _ s q u i re s _ u s _ h l t _ c a re _ g l o b a l _ establishing a Community Land Trust to maintain perspective_oecd_intl_brief_v3.pdf affordable housing in perpetuity and preventing 2 low-income and elderly residents from being Michael Marmot et al., “Closing the Gap in a pushed out of gentrifying neighborhoods. In Generation: Health Equity through Action on the addition, we need a strong advocacy organization Social Determinants of Health,” The Lancet 372, representing the voice of the people to push for no. 9650 (Nov. 8, 2008):1661–1669. what they need at all levels of government such as 3 the former Welfare Rights Organization or Grey Michael Marmot et al., “Closing the Gap in a Panthers who did not back down for fear of not Generation: Health Equity through Action on the being funded, included or becoming friends and Social Determinants of Health,” The Lancet 372, social “buddies” of those in control of making no. 9650 (Nov. 8, 2008):1661–1669. the decisions. In other words, those who have 4 the most to lose…their lives. Our health has to Gopal K. Singh, Mohammad Siahpush, and Michael D. Kogan, “Neighborhood Continued from Page 22

Socioeconomic Conditions, Built Environments, and Childhood Obesity,” Health Affairs 29, no. 3 (March 2010):503-512, doi: 10.1377/ hlthaff.2009.0730. Conditions, Built Environments, And Childhood Obesity. Health Affairs. 29(3): 503-512 Paul A. Jargowsky, The Architecture of Segregation: Civil Unrest, the Concentration of Poverty, and Public Policy, (The Century Foundation, August 9, 2015), http://www. t c f . o rg / a s s e t s / d o w n l o a d s / J a rg o w s k y _ ArchitectureofSegregation.pdf. 5

Place, Space and Life Outcomes Infant Mortality and the Geography of Social Determinants, presented by David Norris, Sr. Researcher, The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, The Ohio State University Oct. 29, 2015 to the Ohio Infant Mortality Commission

Charleta B. Tavares is the Chief Executive Officer at PrimaryOne Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) system providing comprehensive primary care, OB-GYN, pediatric, vision, dental, behavioral health and specialty care at 10 locations in Central Ohio. The mission is to provide access to services that improve the health status of families including people experiencing financial, social, or cultural barriers to health care. www.primaryonehealth. org.

PSYCHOLOGY AND DECORATING By Jacqueline Lewis Lyons, Psy.D Ye a r s a g o I j o k e d t o m y husband that the perfect job for me would be to find a way to combine psychology and home decorating. Well, since that time, HGTV has come along and essentially stolen all my ideas! Just kidding. But, I do believe that how we decorate and arrange our personal and work spaces can have a significant impact on how we feel and work. Last year I moved my office to a larger suite and it has taken me this entire year to figure out how I wanted the space to look and feel. This mattered for my clients as well as for me since I get to spend so many hours here each day. I have to say that I am much happier in my space and I have received wonderful feedback from my clients. I bring this up because as fall approaches, many of us have an internal nesting urge. You know what I mean, the need to redecorate or rearrange a room…just because. After all, it is not unusual for most people to change the décor in our homes as the seasons change. Have you looked at your living room or bedroom and thought “It’s just not right” or felt that it wasn’t meeting your vision? That’s where the idea of psychology and home decorating come together. Planning a home (or even a room) can be fairly challenging for most of us, and it becomes even more difficult when more than one person occupies the space. For

example, look at your bedroom. Is it cluttered with laundry waiting to be dealt with? Is there adequate space for you and your spouse to neatly store clothing and shoes? Or, does one of you have your wardrobe in another room? These are factors which may be hinting about issues in the relationship. I continue to be fascinated by what a person’s environment reflects about them. Are you holding on to certain items or mementos from loved ones who are no longer here, even though the item does not fit anywhere? Are you afraid to commit to a color which means all your walls are still off-white? Do you buy things because a particular celebrity is endorsing it? I believe one of the most important factors in designing a space that suits you, is to acknowledge who you are. Are you an introvert, who would love to have comfy furnishings where you can relax and curl up in to read your favorite novels? Are you an extrovert who loves having dinner parties and entertaining? The goal is to have your space reflect who you are and what you love. Being able to answer some basic questions about your preferences will help you make choices to design your ideal space. Joan Kron uses environmental psychology to help people set up spaces according to their image of the world. She focuses on three facets: color, order, and noise. Color affects our emotional state and it is important to consider how a color feels in a particular space. For example, if you

want a kitchen to serve as a quiet place for you to cook and meditate, painting it a calming neutral makes sense. If your kitchen is the center stage, or gathering spot, you’ll probably want colors with more energy and excitement. Neutrals draw a person in, while pops of color make it a party. Order refers to how neat you need your space to be. Some people just have to have everything out where it can be seen. They don’t regard it as clutter, but rather as open organization. Others want anything not needed at the moment put away. This can be a major point of conflict when couples are trying to make a home together. Noise is the last factor. What do you like to hear? The flow of air through the air conditioner vents or sounds from the neighborhood outside? Do you like the television on or a jazz station playing in the background? Take some time to figure out what you like and what you need. I believe it is very important to have a space you love, where you feel comfortable and can recharge. Happy decorating, I’m off to work on my living room next! Dr. Jacqueline Lewis-Lyons’s office is located in north Columbus. Her practice centers on helping clients with depression and anxiety related disorders. In recent years, after discovering a love of running, she expanded her practice to include servces related to Sports Psychology for athletes of all ages and levels. To reach her, call 614-443-7040 or email her at Jacqui@ DrLewisLyons.com

TheAfrican Columbus African American • September The Columbus American News Journal • February 2016 2015

HEALTH

WE CAN BEAT COLORECTAL CANCER By Dr. Darrell Gray Allow me to share a story with you. It’s a true story about a patient I saw earlier this year. To protect his privacy, I will call him Mr. Brown, a 51-yearold African-American male. I met Mr. Brown the morning of his colonoscopy. He informed me that his primary care provider never recommended colon cancer screening during routine visits, and he asked his physician to make a referral after learning about The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s “Screening Saturday” initiative for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Mr. Brown had no family history of cancer and did not have any worrisome symptoms. However, within seconds of starting his colonoscopy, we found a large mass in his rectum. Fortunately for him, we discovered it at an early stage and the cancer had not spread to other organs. Mr. Brown had surgery to completely remove the cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is cancer involving the largest intestine and/or rectum. It is the thirdleading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women in the United States. Notably, African Americans have the highest rates of death from CRC as compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Between 2006 and 2010, death rates were 50% higher and incidence rates were 25% higher in African Americans than white Americans. Also, African Americans tend to present with CRC at younger ages and with more advanced stages of CRC.

Detect cancer Frequency if normal Fecal (stool) Every year immunochemical test Fecal (stool) DNA test Every 3 years

For those who prefer to have stool-based testing, a flexible sigmoidoscopy or a CT colonography, it is very important that they understand that this testing is required more frequently and if it is found to be abnormal, a colonoscopy will be required to determine why it was abnormal. When to Begin Colorectal Cancer Screening African Americans: 45 yrs of age” General Population: 50 yrs of age Family history of colorectal cancer: 40 yrs of age or 10 yrs younger than the family member’s age at diagnosis, whichever comes first.** Personal history of inflammatory bowel disease: If major colon involvement begin 8 yrs following diagnosis.

This characterizes what’s known as a health disparity—an unequal health status, health outcome, use of health-related services, and/or quality of care between different groups. CRC is a prime example of a disease for which there is a clear racial health disparity. We can reduce this disparity by addressing CRC screening access and adherence as well as diet/lifestyle patterns *Guideline according to the American College of Gastroenterology within the African-American community. **Family history pertains to 1st degree relatives Screening. For over 20 years, the incidence and (mother, father, brother, sister) diagnosed younger death rates from CRC have been decreasing. than 60 years of age. This is, in large part, due to screening programs. Screening allows for the detection Unfortunately, CRC screening rates among of precancerous polyps and/or cancers before African Americans are low. Research shows that barriers to CRC screening include fear of symptoms develop. a cancer diagnosis or the procedure itself, cost There are multiple options for screening of the procedure(s), lack of knowledge about tests as described in the table below, but the cancer screening, and lack of a physician best test for both identifying and removing recommendation, to name a few. My colleagues precancerous polyps throughout the entire colon at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and is the colonoscopy. Examining the entire colon The James Cancer Hospital and I work very is particularly important for African Americans hard to get patients beyond these barriers to because we develop more right-sided cancers, successfully complete screening tests. We offer: and right-sided cancers are associated with worse outcomes than cancers found in other parts of the • educational programs at churches and community events; colon • patient navigators to address personal concerns and assist with scheduling; and Prevent and detect Frequency if normal • annual “Screening Saturdays.” cancer These efforts are all a part of our Provider and Community Engagement (PACE) Program. Colonoscopy Every 10 years Flexible sigmoidoscopy CT colonography

Every 5 years Every 5 years

The Columbus African American • September 2016

Diet and lifestyle. You cannot change your age or your family history, but you can certainly make diet and lifestyle changes that will positively impact your risk for developing CRC. The 24

following are my Top 5 recommendations for reducing your risk: 1. Avoid smoking. 2. Exercise at least 30 minutes per day. 3. Avoid processed foods (bacon, hotdogs, and packaged lunch meat, for example) and eat no more than 18 ounces of red meat per week. 4. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. It is recommended that men have a maximum of two drinks per day and women have a maximum of one drink per day. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer or five ounces of wine or one-and-a-half ounces of liquor. 5. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. There are other factors that contribute to CRC disparities that I did not describe here. Poverty, lack of education, access to affordable healthy foods and safe neighborhoods, health insurance status, and racial biases also play significant roles. It will take a concerted effort at the community, city, state, and national levels to adequately address these issues, and I believe we can. There’s an African proverb that states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Together, we can beat colorectal cancer! Dr. Darrell Gray is a gastroenterologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the Deputy Director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity within The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – The James Cancer Hospital. Through his work in using community engagement to address health disparities in Central Ohio, he has been recognized with a Molina Healthcare Community Champion award, the American College of Gastroenterology Community Service and Grand SCOPY awards, and as an honoree in the 2015 class of Who’s Who in Black Columbus and the 2016 class of Columbus Business First Forty Under 40. Dr. Gray earned his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine. He then completed an Internal Medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center and a gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Most recently, he earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University School of Public before joining the faculty at The Ohio State University in 2014.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

HEALTH

LONG-ACTING BIRTH CONTROL CAN HELP REDUCE INFANT MORTALITY – is recommended as the first line choice of birth By Mysheika Williams Roberts, control for women and teens by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and MD, MPH the American Academy of Pediatrics. They are A s w o m e n – m o t h e r s , highly effective, reversible, safe for nearly all grandmothers, aunts, sisters women and “hands free” which means you don’t and friends – we have a new have to do anything which reduces the failure and better opportunity than rate. ever before to help guide the young women in our lives to better choices and opportunities for We must talk with teens about sex and encourage them to develop a reproductive life plan that good health. includes their written goals for the future and And healthier moms will lead to heathier babies how they will achieve them. in our community. We also must guide them and encourage them not As you know, 150 babies die every single year in to have sex if they are not ready or urge them to Franklin County. That’s three families that lose use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy, a baby every single week. Tragically, African along with condoms to protect against sexually American babies die at twice the rate of white transmitted diseases. babies. If they are sexually active and want to prevent Many things contribute to infant deaths, including pregnancy, then it is important to take them to a where you live, smoking, prenatal care, unsafe health care provider where they can learn about sleep environments, birth spacing and unplanned various types of birth control, including LARC, and find the birth control option that is right for pregnancy. them. Women should wait at least two years between giving birth and getting pregnant again. This birth Free or low cost LARC and other birth control spacing decreases the risk of premature birth, low methods are widely available throughout our birth weight and other complications which will community, including at the Columbus Public help a baby be born safe and thrive in his or her Health Women’s Health Family Planning Center where teens and adults can get any FDA approved first year. birth control option the same day. Likewise, nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. and 82 percent of teen pregnancies are We also offer free walk in pregnancy tests, annual unintended. And while national teen birth rates exams, health and wellness services such as have dropped by 44 percent among black teens, tobacco cessation, chronic disease prevention, the rate still remains twice as high compared to and connection to supportive services such as housing, insurance and food, and other referrals white teens. as necessary for primary care. The good news is that thanks to new advances in long lasting and convenient birth control options, Additionally, there are many options for preventing pregnancy until you are ready for a affordable health care coverage if you do not baby is easier than ever before. There are many have insurance. Children up to age 26 may be easy, safe and effective methods of birth control eligible under their parents’ insurance through available, including low maintenance options the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid expansion also offers coverage for more people than such as an IUD or implant. ever before. You can get free help finding the LARC – Long-Acting Reversible Contraception affordable coverage that’s right for you in-person

at Columbus Public Health, by phone at 614-6451244 or online at www.areyoucoveredohio.org. Healthy babies start with healthy moms who have planned and prepared for their babies. And healthy babies that live and thrive in their first year of life is the goal of our community through CelebrateOne – a collaborative effort which is working to reduce infant mortality by 40 percent and to cut the racial disparity in half by 2020. As women, we can have a positive impact on reducing infant mortality. We are business women, community leaders, mothers and daughters. We are decision makers for our workplaces, businesses, families and neighborhoods. We are part of the solution -- and we can help protect the health and improve the lives of all women in our community. For more information on LARC and other birth control, providers and community resources, visit: CelebrateOne: http://celebrateone.info/healthywomen-teens/ Columbus Public Health: https://www.columbus. gov/publichealth/programs/Women-s-Health,Family-Planning/ LARC: https://www.columbus.gov/publichealth/ programs/Infant-Mortality-Overview/South-SideNetwork-for-Healthy-Families-and-Babies/LongLasting-Birth-Control-at-No-Cost/ BC4Teens: http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/ bc4teens Ohio Better Birth Outcomes: http://www. ohiobetterbirthoutcomes.org/obbo-resources/ Dr. Mysheika Williams Roberts serves as the Medical Director and Assistant Health Commissioner at Columbus Public Health where she is the chief medical officer responsible for all clinical health and population health programs. A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Roberts also has worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health.

SEPTEMBER IS ADDICTION RECOVERY MONTH By Lynette Cashaw-Davis, MA quality prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery supports services that are affordable and As communities throughout culturally competent. We must come together to the Central Ohio, the state and find solutions that address the devastation that the nation continue to grapple alcohol and other drugs have blanketed in all our with the deadly effects of the communities. opiate epidemic, we have no shortage of news reports about overdose deaths At the same time we must continue to tell the and the devastation of families. It cannot be story of success and hope of those in longoverlooked however, that the explosive rise in term recovery from substance use disorder. As deaths from prescription painkillers and heroin such, we are excited that September is Recovery in white suburban and rural communities, has month, and there are activities happening finally jolted lawmakers, state and national public statewide to raise awareness of recovery leaders, health professionals and the media to opportunities, reduce the stigma of addiction take notice. The reality for people of color is and celebrate those in recovery. Throughout that the devastation of alcohol and other drugs September there will be events such as walks, in our communities – as well as the “War on rallies and panel discussions - all honoring the Drugs” - has negatively affected communities of true faces and voices of recovery. color for decades – and no one seemed to notice. Recovery advocates such as myself are grateful Join Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction that the rest of society is finally beginning to R e c o v e r y ( O C A A R ) a n d n i n e p a r t n e r address these issues, and funding is now being organizations across Ohio on September 13, 2016 funneled into communities to aid individuals at 7:00 p.m. as they host statewide screenings of and families struggling with substance use the ground breaking new film GENERATION disorder. However, we cannot forget that low- FOUND. This feature documentary premiere income communities of color also need access to will take place simultaneously in various cities The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

throughout Ohio. The Central Ohio screening will take place at Lennox Town Center 24, 777 Kinnear Rd. in Columbus. GENERATION FO U N D is a p o w e r f u l s to r y a b o u t o n e community coming together to ignite a youth addiction recovery revolution in their hometown. It is not only a deeply personal story, but one with real-world utility for communities struggling with addiction worldwide. Our intention in bringing this film to Ohio is to use GENERATION FOUND as a way to catalyze a dialogue on youth addiction and recovery issues in our community. To reserve your ticket please visit: http:// generationfoundfilm.com/see-the-filming On September 23, 2016, join OCAAR, Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), and OSU Talbot Hall to celebrate recovery! Hundreds of individuals in recovery, family members, friends, and other allies will be rallying for recovery at the Ohio Statehouse west lawn from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Enjoy food, fellowship and fun as we bring a face, a voice, and a story Continued on Page 26

The Columbus African American • September 2016

HEALTH Continued from Page 25

to recovery! I am honored to be one of several speakers who will be sharing their story of recovery, and we will also have Ohio lawmakers on hand as well as recovery advocacy awards. And our feature event celebrating milestones of people in recovery is our Recovery Countdown on the steps of the Statehouse. Don’t miss out on this incredible day and opportunity to celebrate recovery! Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction Recovery (OCAAR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization who for 16 years has been the leading voice

and positive energy to spread the good news of recovery to any and all who will listen. She is Board Vice-President of Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction Recovery (OCAAR) and a member of the Consumer and Family Advocacy Council (CFAC) of the ADAMH Board of Franklin County. Since 2003 she has worked for the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), where she is currently an Administrative Coordinator. Lynette has a BA in Psychology and an MA in Organizational Communication, specializing in public education, Lynette Cashaw-Davis is a longtime community training and community relations. She has been volunteer and a committed trusted servant within in long-term recovery since May 2007. the recovery community. Lynette uses her passion for the addiction recovery community. The staff, Board, and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure the rights of individuals in recovery, and speak out against the stigma and discrimination associated with addiction. They work to eliminate barriers to recovery and to advocate with policy makers at the state and local level, for solutions that best serve the needs of individuals in or seeking long-term recovery. Go to www. oca-ohio.org for more information on how you can get involved.

THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON AGAINST OPPRESSION By Elizabeth Joy, MBA, LSW, LCDC III They use their power to oppress us… to disempower, marginalize, and silence us. They’ve been doing it for years…. our entire lifetime. And we’re tired. We’re sick of it. Day by day the momentum of the revolution grows. We’re fighting back and resisting. For younger generations, this is our first time having an opportunity to be a part of such a movement. Our knowledge of the struggle relies upon books and stories passed down from our elders. For those more seasoned, this is not new. Segregation was once a reality. The painful memories never faded. In the past there were identified leaders. We rallied behind them and forged ahead under their direction and leadership. It seems today we are looking for our leader. We’re searching for answers. What should we do? How do we invoke change? Our rich history of activism and acts of resistance provides a starting point: • Sit-ins • Marches • Boycotts • Demonstrations • Civil disobedience • Town hall meetings Some are debating whether these tactics are effective in today’s world. What isn’t up for debate is that we all know we need to do SOMETHING. While each of these certainly has its place and can certainly yield progress in our quest for change, I would argue that we are failing to employ arguably the most important act of resistance possible….. SELF-CARE Think about it. Every time we turn around we are literally witnessing one of our brothers and sisters being murdered, be it by police or by one of our own. We turn on the television and scroll through social media and are constantly exposed to tragedy. Many of us are living in some level of fear that we may be next. We are coming into a significant Photo by Walkerelection Evans season in which one candidate’s platform blatantly supports the very The Columbus African American • September 2016

oppression we are fighting against while his opponent’s comments and behaviors also leave us unsure. Meanwhile, there are still bills to pay, children to raise, and daily life challenges to overcome. Living in this type of environment leaves us susceptible to mental, spiritual, and emotional fatigue at best. How can we expect to effect change if we are so exhausted that we become weary and burned out? It’s important that we take care of ourselves first, putting ourselves in the best position possible to be strong contributors to the movement. Self-care is any action we can take to obtain and maintain physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Here are ten suggestions to consider: 1. Feed your spirit – Whatever your religion or take on a Higher Power, there’s no denying the power of spiritual strength. Attend church, pray, meditate, worship, practice mindfulness. 2. Exercise and eat better – It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to join the gym and go on a diet. Just start with parking further away from the store and walking a little further and choosing a slightly healthier meal a few times a week. 3. Learn to say NO – Boundaries are necessary. You can’t be everything to everyone and maintain good health. 4. Attend doctor’s appointments as needed – This seems like a no brainer but many of us fall short in this area. 5. Journal – Write out challenges you are facing, worries you have, or even things you are excited about. The process of writing allows for a release of built up energy. 26

6. Hire a counselor or life coach – Depending on the extent of challenges you’re facing, enlisting the help of a professional may be needed to get back on track. 7. Treat yourself to a spa day – Even if it’s simply a bath and candles at home, you deserve it. 8. Spend time in nature – There’s nothing better for your soul than reconnecting with your source. 9. Try yoga – Yoga is proven to have spiritual, mental, and physical benefits. 10. Take a hiatus from all electronics – Turn off the TV and log off your social media accounts for a while. Believe it or not, it’s okay if you miss the news for a while. The madness and entertainment that is social media will be there when you come back. Do we really need to witness the killings of our people repeatedly to be clear on the issues we face? Take some time to decompress and let your mind rest. Dr. King said, “As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free. Psychological freedom and a firm sense of self-esteem is the most powerful weapon against the long night of physical slavery.” Though we are no longer fighting against physical slavery, the battle for freedom continues. Taking care of ourselves truly is the greatest act of resistance. Elizabeth Joy is founder of Survivors To Alivers, a non-profit organization focused on empowering trauma survivors to overcome challenges and achieve restoration. Her organization offers online support groups and a space for trauma survivors to connect and support one another. Elizabeth is a speaker, life coach, and author of “You Survived… Now What? A Road Map to Reclaiming Life.” For more information visit www.survivorstoalivers.org, email ejoy@ survivorstoalivers.org, or call 614-332-1592.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

The Columbus African American • September 2016

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

HEALTH

DOCTORS BEHAVING BADLY AND LACK OF ACCESS TO COORDINATED HEALTH CARE CAN KILL YOU By Lisa D. Benton, MD, MPH In the recent days you may have heard the news story of the over 2,400 doctors nationwide sexually abusing their patients. An expose in The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported how in most cases it was female patients under or waking up from sedation and anesthesia, but in other instances patients were fully awake presenting for gynecological or physical exam. In these instances the patients may have been falsely told the molestation was part of the normal exam despite their gut telling them it was wrong. Even worse, the investigative reporters found that even when the doctors were sanctioned and reported they were still able to continue practicing.

more from your wallet, and in some cases costing questions. These disturbing actions happened to patients you your life. Remember that you should be proactive about who were vulnerable and more at risk to be taken getting your health care needs met. This is As one example, find out what your insurance says advantage of when they sought care thinking they were in a safe place. Additionally due to their about going out of network for care and getting especially important when your medical health challenges, in many ways and felt they a second opinion. In many plans this feature is problem or condition doesn’t fit nicely into any may have not had voice to fight back. Perhaps limited and will cost you a lot more. You may be pre-designed plan of treatment and care. In these able to go out of your network for one visit only, instances your goal should be to get to the best they felt as if they had no advocate. and then you are saddled with prohibitive bills if team of people to care for your concern. As a doctor with many years of experience, you want to continue and switch care to the new I have become acute aware of the gaps in our doctors or go to a specialized hospital which has There is a distinct benefit in how you will respond to treatment when you are in a specialized care healthcare delivery system having to navigate expertise in your condition. setting that handles care with a multidisciplinary it from the angle of caregiver for an ill family team rather than hospital, clinic or doctor “X” In a lot of these situations, any care, procedures, member. A lot of what I’ve seen is not pretty and disappointing given our high expectation of the medical supplies and prescriptions that come that only handles your type of problem once in a quality of care we should be getting in America. from the recommendations of out of network while- maybe a couple of times in a year. Now I see why, just about every friend and family doctors and providers will also not be paid for member that I know that needs health care blows by your insurance company, or you have a long Getting good care for a complicated medical up my phone and thanks God that we have a complicated appeal process to fight through to problem should be more analogous to blind men doctor in the family or they know someone who get items that you need paid for. Sometimes touching the elephant from every side bringing a does. With what I’m learning, receiving good these medical supplies are only reimbursed at a different perspective like in the African proverb rather than a bunch of people wandering around healthcare should not be a privilege, but in many fraction of the full value of the service or care. Thus, as complex and boring as it is, read the fine in a dark room failing to turn on a light switch. instances it seems like it is. small print or get someone to explain it to you. For better health and a better life the Bible teaches there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors My father-in-law often recounts his healthcare —caveat emptor and the Lord determines your steps- simple but nightmare of going to over 10 doctors before lifesaving wisdom to live by. Despite these barriers, you should be prepared finding the specialist he needed since his disease to ask questions, and then ask more questions so was so complex. His experience seems to be more the norm with getting medical care rather you are not denied access to excellent care. Do Learn a Little More… than the exception. I’ve come to the conclusion not be afraid to exhaust the power of the internet. MedlinePlus - Health Information from the that there is clearly a tiered health care delivery Search information websites and blogs about National Library of Medicine system in America and if you don’t speak up for your health needs and concerns. https://medlineplus.gov/ yourself you can end up on the bottom rung. For example, in the case of the visiting a new Patients Violated, Doctors Rehabilitated Unfortunately, implementing the requirements doctor, check recent comments on doctor rating http://doctors.ajc.com/ of the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, have websites. Often, if there is something concerning not improved the physician oversight and doctor about the bedside manner or how the doctor The New Sex Abuse Scandal: 2,400 Doctors shortages, continuity in delivery of patient care. relates to patients, someone else has posted a Implicated by Patients http://abcnews.go.com/US/sex-abuseIn a lot of instances care has become more comment, question or warning. scandal-2400-doctors-implicated-patients/ fractionated and less consolidated or coordinated Print out the pages to take to your appointments. story?id=40356840 for patients and sadly may have made getting Ask to talk to a nurse manager or case worker quality care worse. As hospitals and doctors are before or after your doctor’s visit about what are Lisa D. Benton, MD, MPH (The Doctor is In) pushed to cut their costs to improve the bottom your next steps and for your needs to find out breastsurgeonlb@gmail.com lines in the short-run, healthcare is costing you the best places to get answers to your medical Twitter: @DctrLisa (415) 746-0627

TheAfrican Columbus African American • September 2016 The Columbus American News Journal • February 2015

By Ray Miller, MPA Inherently Unequal - The Betrayal of Equal Rights By The Supreme Court, 1865-1903

Black Prophetic Fire By Dr. Cornel West

By Lawrence Goldstone

In an accessible, conversational format, Cornel West, with distinguished scholar Christa Buschendorf, provides a fresh persepective on six revolutionary African American leaders: Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ella Baker, Malcolm X and Ida B. Wells. In dialogue with Buschendorf, West examines the impact of these men and women on their own eras and across the decades. He not only rediscovers the integrity and commitment within these passionate advocates but also their fault lines. Cornel West takes an important step in rekindling the Black prophetic fire so essential in the age of Obama.

A potent and original examination of how the Supreme Court subverted justice and empowered the Jim Crow era. Lawrence Goldstone chronicles how “by the dawn of the 20th century, the U.S. had become the nation of Jim Crow laws, quasi-slavery, and precisely the same twotiered system of justice that had existed in the slave era.” The very human story of how and why this happened make Inherently Unequal as important as it is provocative.

Eye on the Struggle - Ethel Payne, the First Lady of the Black Press

Give Us The Ballot - The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America

By James McGrath Morris

By Ari Berman Countless books have been written about the civil rights movement, but far less attention has been paid to what happened after the dramatic passage of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 1965 and the turbulent forces that it unleashed. Give Us the Ballot tells this story for the first time. Berman brings the struggle over voting rights to life through meticulous archival research, in-depth interviews with major figures in the debate, and incisive on-theground reporting. In vivid prose, he takes the reader from the demonstrations of the civil rights era to the halls of Congress to the chambers of the Supreme Court. At this very moment in history, Give Us the Ballot provides new insight into one of the vital political and civil rights issues of our time.

Acclaimed biographer James McGrath Morris brings into focus the riveting life of one of the most significant yet least known figures of the civil rights era - pioneering journalist Ethel Payne, the “First Lady of the Black Press” - elevating her to her rightful place in history at last. Morris draws on a rich and untapped collection of Payne’s personal papers documenting her private and professional affairs. He introduces us to a journalist who covered such events as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock school desegregation crisis, the service of black troops in Vietnam, and Henry Kissingger’s 26,000-mile tour of Africa. Eye on the Struggle illuminates this extraordinary woman and her achievements. $2.00 A Day - Living on Almost Nothing in America By Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer Jessica Compton’s family of four would have no cash income unless she donated plasma twice a week at her local donation center in Tennessee. Modonna Harris and her teenage daughter Brianna in Chicago often have no food but spoiled milk on weekends. After two decades of research on American poverty, Kathryn Edin noticed something she hadn’t seen in the mid1990s - households surviving on virtually no income. Edin teamed with Luke Shaefer, an expert on calculating incomes of the poor, to discover that the number of American families living on $2.00 per person, per day, has skyrocketed to 1.5 million households including about 3 million children. $2.00 a Day delivers new evidence and new ideas to our national debate on income inequality.

The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

Forty Million Dollar Slaves - The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athletes By William C. Rhoden From Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe, African American athletes have been at the center of modern culture, their onthe-field heroics admired and stratospheric earnings envied. But for all their money, fame, and achievement, says New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden, black athletes still find themselves on the periphery of true power in the multibillion-dollar industry their talent built. Provocative and controversial, Rhoden’s $40 Million Slaves weaves a compelling narrative of black athletes in the U.S., from the plantation to their beginnings in nineteenth-century boxing rings to the history making accomplishments of notable figures such as Jesse Owens, Althea Gibson, and Willie Mays The power black athletes have today is as limited as when masters forced their slaves to race and fight. The primary difference is, today’s shackles are often the athletes’ own making.

BUSINESS MONEY 101

By Edward Bell, MBA This will be the first in what I hope will be many articles dealing with issues of finances, budgets, investments, savings and retirement. As persons of color, most of us were raised with similar backgrounds: close knit families; hard working parents who strived to provide better for us; a unique value system and religion. These became the topics around the dinner table. Unlike those families who were born into wealth, our families gathered around the dinner table and would discuss issues of the day that mattered to our lives, communities and society as a whole. One topic that which was missing, finances. As a matter of fact, money and the lack thereof, were basically taboo and never spoken of. We didn’t talk about things we didn’t have or know about. As a result, the gap between the haves and havenots widened. Another issue that changed the value system within the families of color was the “Great Depression.” The time period between 1929 and 1932 was harrowing for the country but even more so in our communities. We watched as more affluent families lost large sums of money and corporations failed. We also, saw the collapse of the banking industry when a run on banks literally left the institutions short on cash and people panicked. While affluent families used this time period to build their portfolios, our families either put savings (what little there was) in cans and buried them in the yard or, placed them back into the very banks that collapsed because now, our deposits were insured. With diligence and commitment, we opened savings accounts and felt confident we were making life better for our families, and yet, discussions about finances still remained taboo at our dinner tables. In short, our families for generations, became ignorant to money, its value and the means to take care of it. Beginning with this article and the articles to come, it is my hope to remove the veil of uncertainty, fear and caution we have placed around us, and show how the world of savings and investments is not but taboo, but one in which we should travel. BE THE MASTER OF YOUR MONEY We will begin our journey together with a look at budgets and budgeting. Planning a budget might actually give you one less thing to worry about in your daily life: money. No, really. By following relatively simple guidelines, you can be the master of your money. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be rich or live in a mansion, but you’ll know just what you have and be able to live accordingly. A budget helps you spend only the money you have. If you track money coming in

EASY BUDGETING GUIDELINES Food: Buy larger (and less expensive) quantities. This will also save you gas money because you won’t be running to the store as often. Food: Use fewer “convenience” (frozen) items and spend a few minutes more on preparation. It may taste better too! Coffee: That daily coffee can run you at least $850 per year. And that doesn’t include the tip jar. Cut back or better yet, brew your own. Drive Less: With gas prices periodically and consistently going up and up and up, you don’t have to be a math major to figure out how much you can save by carpooling, biking or just NOT DRIVING! and going out, and make a budget and stick to it, you can keep your financial house in order. KEEPING TRACK Keeping track of your expenses is the first step toward financial sanity. Track your spending for a month with a worksheet I will provide in the next segment of MONEY 101. Get receipts for everything and enter them into the worksheet each week. Make a habit of it. You’ll be shocked how much you spend on little things – a coffee every day, a bag of chips here and there, quick trips to the grocery store. They all add up. Just by tracking your expenses and saving receipts, you’ll probably start to curb your expenses. KNOW YOUR INCOME Most of us have some would call “limited revenue streams.” In other words, not a lot of income: a weekly paycheck, part-time job, or even odd jobs income – you get the picture. Figure out how much you have coming in each month and, just like your expenses, track monthly income on the worksheet. Only include income that you can count on – no gifts or bonuses. To really get ahead of the game, before you budget your income, try to set aside 5% to 10% of it for the long-term savings. We’ll talk more about that in a later article. Tip: Use a blank check register to record your daily expenses. You can usually get them for free at most banks or Credit Unions. BUDGETING TO MEET YOUR GOALS › Prioritize you life (especially your income and expenses), what are your needs and wants. › Set short-term, medium-term and longterm goals. › What will you need to do to accomplish these goals within your projected time frame. Tip: Set aside ½ hour at the same time each week to make sure your expenses are matching up with you online bank or Credit Union statement. This will save you endless hours of head scratching and dread when you have to determine where money went, or how much you have left.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

THE COMPUTER: THE CENTER OF YOUR UNIVERSE Can you imagine what your parents’ lives must have been like without a personal computer? No email, no music downloads, no video games… no web surfing! Horrors! It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? When you parents were your age they probably spent a lot of time actually going to the bank and either interacting with a teller or using a new-at-the-time technology called an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Well, it’s a new day, and technology rules. One of the areas where technology has been fully utilized is online banking. Now just about every customer transaction that used to be done by hand is fully automated – thanks to online banking. One of the biggest advances in online banking has been bill pay. If you still pay your bills by snail mail, you may want to check this out. It’s nearly instantaneous, more efficient and paper free. REASONS TO BANK ONLINE Open 24/7 – In case you haven’t noticed, computers don’t need sleep. Easy access – See your account balances, transfer money and pay bills from any computer, anytime. Learn to manage your money – Most online banks are full of tools that can help you with your financial literacy.  Tutorials  Budgeting tools and automated spreadsheets  Printable online statements  Easy fund transfers  Copies of checks you’ve written  Loan information  Automatic reminders to pay your bills This concludes the first segment of MONEY 101. Money and the possession of it are too precious to squander. In this segment we have laid a foundation on which to build your financial stability. We continue next month.

The Columbus African American • September 2016

BUSINESS

IS IT A BUSINESS OR A HOBBY? THE BUSINESS MODEL IS THE KEY

By Iris Cooper, MBA Passion is the excitement and energy that appears in pursuit of a dream, an activity, or even another person. Passion is crucial for launching a business because there can be no limit to the time and toil required to transform an idea into a sustainable operation. Passion may keep the owner motivated, but the target customer is the crucial person to satisfy. Passion often accompanies a hobby; you may love to knit day and night. You may even sell mittens or sweaters during the winter. Hobbies churn cashflow but businesses should create profit. When you attempt to transform your hobby into a sustainable business, two questions are critical: 1. Can this enterprise make a profit to support your lifestyle? 2. Can this enterprise operate profitably if you shoelaces, the enterprise is also a hobby, if other are not available? shoe styles are not available. Diversification, A successful business is one that satisfies a or offering several choices to satisfy the target customer need, and creates stable income for consumer’s needs, is necessary to offset a the owner. Satisfying a customer’s need results limited inventory. Shoe size may present another from an accurate value proposition. The value dilemma; the pretty woman wears a 10AAA, but proposition contains the features and benefits the merchant only stocks 8Bs. The pretty woman that the target customer desires at a price he would buy the shoes if her size were on the shelf. or she is willing to pay. For example, a young Regarding the second question of owner woman craves a pair of spectacular red leather dependence, the answer is very simple. If shoes with black shoelaces. The pair she desires are $200 retail (cost of $50) but her budget only the knitter is the only person on earth that can knit allows $100. She will not buy them because the garments for the enterprise, then this activity although the shoes met her emotional need, her is also a hobby. The owner must train and hire a financial circumstances prevented the purchase. suitable substitute to continue the operation in his Life goes on for the young woman, but the or her absence, to maintain a sustainable income. merchant still owns the spectacular red leather shoes with no income to report. A retail merchant may choose from several business models to alter the above unfortunate scenario. A business model defines how the firm will make a profit. Two of the common retail formats appear below: • From ancillary products or services after the purchase of a product or service. The merchant can discount the shoes by $50, to demonstrate good will, but connect the discount to the purchase of the matching magnificent red purse (with a larger markup than the shoes). She cannot resist the opportunity to obtain both.

BIO: IRIS ANN COOPER aka “JustAskIris!” (www.justaskiris.com) Iris Cooper ’s career includes leadership positions in financial services, economic development, community service, entrepreneurship, communication, government, and education. She is the owner of “JustAskIris!” an entrepreneurial coaching firm. Iris is a founder of Glory Foods, Inc., a multi-million dollar food marketing company. Iris is recognized nationally as an expert in business strategy and branding, having coached many startups to sustainability. Her newest venture is Finish Your Gloryfied Business Plan Now!, a workshop to foster entrepreneurial success. Iris is the former Director of the Ohio Division of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, where Iris led the state from 29th worst place for small businesses in 2007 to the 9th best in the nation, and 1st in the Midwest in four years. In 2015 Iris introduced the 2nd version of “When the Devil is Beating His Wife, a Christian Perspective on Domestic Violence and Recovery” co-authored with Melanie Houston and available on Amazon and alabasterboxmedia.com. Iris is a featured writer and speaker on business topics, and an adjunct professor at Franklin University.

• From the financing of a core product or service. The young woman cannot afford the spectacular red leather shoes, so the merchant offers her a store credit account to finance the purchase. Not only will the merchant receive the $200 for the shoes, but also if not paid off in 30 days, interest at 20% will accrue on the balance. If the merchant cannot sell the shoe inventory of spectacular red leather shoes with black

The Columbus African American • September 2016

The business model is the key to creating and maintaining a sustainable business; the operation must continue profitability whether the owner is available or not.

She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Indiana University Alumni Association, and WELD. In 2016, she obtained her DBA from Walden University, majoring in Entrepreneurship.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

BUSINESS

INCLUDING BLACK BUSINESS IN LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT By William McCoy, MPA African-Americans are not benefitting from Columbus and Central Ohio’s economic development to the extent that they should. Economic development is occurring throughout Columbus and Central Ohio, as housing, manufacturing, warehousing, commercial development, retail, and other projects are being undertaken in almost every corner of the community. Questions linger, however, about whether this economic activity translates into business opportunities and jobs for African-Americans. Columbus 2020, a leading local economic development organization, reports they are currently involved with 157 projects in the 11-county Central Ohio area (see their website at www.columbusregion.com. Just over threequarters (76%) of these projects involve the attraction of new enterprise, while the remaining quarter (24%) focus on the retention and expansion of existing enterprise. A closer look at the Columbus 2020 statistics reveals they are working on just eight projects in Columbus, resulting in the creation of just 371 jobs. An article was recently published in Columbus Business First (August 2016), which highlighted 22 major projects taking place in the Columbus area. A closer examination of these projects revealed that NONE of them had an AfricanAmerican architectural, engineering, or construction as a major partner or contractor. Literally, hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on these projects without any significant minority business enterprise involvement. It goes without saying that there is much more happening in terms of local economic development than is reflected in projects described by Columbus 2020 or Columbus Business First. Billions of dollars are being spent without Black businesses or residents benefitting in a major way. Even more troubling is the fact that no one seems to notice or care that these enterprises and individuals are being largely excluded from the economic development process. It appears that minority enterprise has not made

Photo By Walker Evans

Photo by Walker Evans

significant advances over the past 15 years. Black businesses have increased in number, but not in influence or visibility. Numerous conferences, advisory groups and task forces, and highly publicized gatherings have given Black elected officials and other public figures a photo op and platform to extol the virtues of small and minority business. However, these “feel good” gestures have done little to advance the cause of Black business. In fact, the City of Columbus has awarded about 3% of its contracts and purchasing dollars to Black businesses more than a decade- despite having an African-American mayor, significant presence on City Council, and development director for much of the time. There are few audible advocates for minority business enterprise within local government and the private sector. Who is pushing for their inclusion on publicly-initiated, funded, or subsidized projects- let alone privately funded ventures? Can you name ONE out-spoken advocate for minority business enterprise in or around local government? The lack of an audible advocate is a contributing factor to the problem of minority enterprise exclusion. This is compounded by the fact that there are no consequences for not including Black business in local projects and development activity. The days of quotas for minority business participation are long gone, having been replaced by voluntary goals that never seem to be met. Companies that receive public funding, infrastructure, or tax abatements for their projects are not held accountable for their failure to provide the jobs or business opportunities they promised at the outset. Local elected officials act as if they are afraid or ignorant of the failure of private enterprise, as well as the offices and agencies they control. So, what should local elected officials and Black businesses do to become more engaged in local economic development? First, both groups need advocates that will point out the reality and implications of excluding minority enterprise from the development activity that is 33

taking place. Black enterprise can only prosper and provide employment to those in the Black community if it benefits from contracts with government and private companies, as well as the sale of its goods and services. Second, there needs to be consequencesenforced by city and county government- for not including Black businesses in publicly-supported projects. Private companies and developers need to be re-educated about their corporate social responsibility to be inclusive and moral imperative to share business and jobs with the minority community. Both public and private sector entities need to be held accountable for doing business with minority enterprise and employing Black people. Third, people of color in responsible positions within the public and private sector must insist on helping one another participate in the economic development that is occurring. This includes making more purchases of goods and services from Black businesses. City Hall must recognize that 3% is not enough and do more. William McCoy is the founder and principal consultant with The McCoy Company- a personal services consulting firm specializing in economic development, planning, and training. Mr. McCoy has been involved in over $1 billion in financing, served on the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s financial roundtable, and convened several national urban policy roundtables on minority enterprise development. He has managed a city development department, two local development corporations, and several business loan and equity capital funds. Mr. McCoy has successfully recruited manufacturers, commercial, and other enterprises, as well as packaged and placed financing for a myriad of businesses and individuals. He has worked with every level of government, foundations, the private sector, and in African countries. Mr. McCoy is a certified industrial developer and certified economic developer, published author, and holder of BA and MPA degrees. William McCoy can be reached at (614) 785-8497 or via e-mail at wmccoy2@themccoycompany.com.

TheAfrican Columbus African American • September 2016 The Columbus American News Journal • February 2015

TECHNOLOGY

HOUSING SOLUTIONS INCLUDING HOME TECHNOLOGY IDEAS By Cecil Jones, MBA

AEP and Columbia Gas provides relatively inexpensive energy audits and give you free ‘stuff’ (energy efficient light bulbs, efficient show heads, free thermostat, etc.). They provide a list of recommended measures to say on your energy bill. I have taken advantage of both of the programs below. I received rebate checks from Columbus Gas after I had their list of recommended contractors perform the remedies needed. I saved a lot of money!

Hopefully, your home or apartment is the place that you can always go to relax and unwind. Let’s discuss some things that can help you do that. We will focus on those who have challenges with housing, those who want to do home improvements and those who want to use technology to make things better Columbia Gas Audit Information around their home or apartment without spending https://www.columbiagasohio.com/ways-to-save/ a lot of money. home-energy-audit Let’s begin with those that have challenges with their housing situation. Problems with the Utility Bill Having a problem paying your utility bill? Call IMPACT Community Action Agency to get some guidance and (if eligible) some funds and a plan to help you get out the situation. Call 614-2522799 or 866.747.1038 to schedule an appointment for the IMPACT HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) if you having challenges with paying your utility bills. To take advantage of this or other IMPACT programs, log on to http://www. impactca.org/welcome/. IMPACT provides home weatherization for some areas. They also provide employment and training assistance, in addition to other programs to help you. Emergency and Low Income Housing

Technology and Your House Looking at another view of housing problems and solutions, let’s look at inexpensive technology solutions to help at home. Webcam Monitoring

I purchased some small (less than 4 inches high) battery powered video monitors that sense motion and placed them outside of my home. As cars To schedule an appointment call 1-877-644-6674. drive into my driveway and as people get close to my front door, a short video is emailed to me. -$50 for a three-hour comprehensive in-home I have the option to receive texts, also. I can assessment by an energy advisor determine the length of the videoing. There are -Installation of free energy-efficient items many other options and settings available. The like light bulbs (LED), showerheads and a price of this technology has dropped. There are programmable thermostat $100 solutions available. -A safety check of your gas furnace for carbon monoxide levels and efficiency Battery Powered Lawnmowers, Weed Whackers, -A personalized report of your home’s efficiency Saws and Snow Blowers with possible discounts, rebates and incentives to put toward your upgrades and moving forward Are you tired of gas powered tools? Is the with the energy saving recommendations. electric cord tied to your device getting tangled or is just too short? Consider Lithium battery To schedule an appointment call 1-877-644-6674. powered tools. The power of these rechargeable batteries had increased. The cost of the tools and batteries have gone down. I use a battery powered AEP Energy Audit Information https://www.aepohio.com/save/residential/ lawnmower that cuts about an acre before I need to take 30 minutes to recharge the battery. It is a programs/In-homeEnergySavings/default.aspx simple process. The cost has gone down, I don’t You can call 1-877-856-2454 to schedule your hassle with gas, oil or electric cords and this does not pollute the environment. Energy Assessment.

To get an initial view of what is available for emergency housing (shelters, transitional housing, etc.) in addition to low income and Section 8 housing, see Franklin County’s web Gas Heated Homes (AEP Audit) site, https://www.franklincountyohio.gov/reentry/ get-help/i-need-housing.cfm for services and -$25 for a one-hour assessment by a trained assessor. telephone numbers. -Installation of free energy-saving items such as compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs/ light Information on Homes in Central Ohio emitting diode (LED) bulbs, smart power strip Do you want to know what homes have sold for and a (LED) nightlight. in your neighborhood? Are you thinking about -Installation of high-efficiency showerhead and moving and want details on individual homes faucet aerators in homes with electric water in the area in which you ae moving? The good heaters. news is that a lot of information is available on -Get a prioritized list of suggested measures to the county websites. This information includes reduce energy consumption and information the amount of the home sale, the list of previous about rebates from AEP Ohio. owners, the amount and when taxes were paid, the number of rooms, the improvements that All-Electric Homes (AEP Audit) required permits, the bank that hold the mortgage for the property, etc. For those properties that -$50 for a four-hour audit by a professional are boarded up or obviously in disrepair, contact energy auditor. the bank that holds the mortgage, if th4e owner -Installation of free energy-saving items such is not responding to your requests to fix the as compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, smart property. The Franklin County website is: http:// power strip, and a light emitting diode (LED) property.franklincountyauditor.com/_web/search/ nightlight. commonsearch.aspx?mode=owner -Installation of high-efficiency showerhead and faucet aerators in homes with electric water The Delaware County website is: heaters. http://delaware-auditor-ohio.manatron.com/ -Completion of a Blower Door Test to identify air OwnerSearch.aspx. Other counties provide leaks in the home. similar information. -Some wrapping of pipes -Get a personalized report with suggested energyGet Your Home Energy Audit – Save Money! saving improvements and information about rebates from AEP Ohio The Columbus African American • September 2016

You may be able to get rebates to reduce the costs of any energy saving recommendations, like the installation of additional insulation.

Heated Tile Floors A few years ago, to get heated floors, electric wires had to be intricately woven under your tile floors. Now, you can purchase already woven squares that you just lay out and connect to an electric source. The cost of heating tile floors has gone down. Help Us to Help You The purpose of this column is to provide useful information and knowledge that you can use, today. If you have a technology question (how to get something done, what business, process or software solution might be available for your situation, etc.), please email the question or comment to the email address Admin@ Accelerationservices.net for a quick response. Having managed technology, communications and business functionality for multiple Fortune 100 companies, Cecil is a technology and management leader. He teaches technology, business and communications courses. He is a past president of many organizations including BDPA (Technology group), and Columbus Association of Black Journalists. He serves on the Executive Committee of boards including Chairman of IMPACT Community Action Agency. www.AccelerationServices.net

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

HISTORY

KATHERINE JOHNSON, THE NASA MATHEMATICIAN WHO ADVANCED HUMAN RIGHTS WITH A SLIDE RULE AND PENCIL By Charles Bolden When I was growing up, in segregated South Carolina, African-American role models in national life were few and far between. Later, when my fellow flight students and I, in training at the Naval Air Station in Meridian, Mississippi, clustered around a small television watching the Apollo 11 moon landing, little did I know that one of the key figures responsible for its success was an unassuming black woman from West Virginia: Katherine Johnson. Hidden Figures is both an upcoming book and an upcoming movie about her incredible life, and, as the title suggests, Katherine worked behind the scenes but with incredible impact. When Katherine began at NASA, she and her cohorts were known as “human computers,” and if you talk to her or read quotes from throughout her long career, you can see that precision, that humming mind, constantly at work. She is a human computer, indeed, but one with a quick wit, a quiet ambition, and a confidence in her talents that rose above her era and her surroundings. “In math, you’re either right or you’re wrong,” she said. Her succinct words belie a deep curiosity about the world and dedication to her discipline, despite the prejudices of her time against both women and African-Americans. It

Photo By Annie Leibovitz

was her duty to calculate orbital trajectories and flight times relative to the position of the moon— you know, simple things. In this day and age, when we increasingly rely on technology, it’s hard to believe that John Glenn himself tasked Katherine to double-check the results of the computer calculations before his historic orbital flight, the first by an American. The numbers of the human computer and the machine matched. With a slide rule and a pencil, Katherine advanced the cause of human rights and the frontier of human achievement at the same time. Having graduated from high school at 14 and college at 18 at a time when African-Americans often did not go beyond the eighth grade, she used

her amazing facility with geometry to calculate Alan Shepard’s flight path and took the Apollo 11 crew to the moon to orbit it, land on it, and return safely to Earth. I was so proud of Katherine as I sat with hundreds of other guests in the East Room of the White House and watched as she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama last year. Katherine’s great mind and amazing talents advanced our freedoms at the most basic level—the freedom to pursue the biggest dreams we can possibly imagine and to step into any room in the country and take a seat at the table because our expertise and excellence deserve it. Katherine, now 97, took her seat without fanfare. As far as not being equal was concerned, she said, “I didn’t have time for that. My dad taught us ‘you are as good as anybody in this town, but you’re no better.’ ” I’d posit that Katherine was better—not only at math but also at applying her talents with the precision and beauty possible only in mathematics. She achieved the perfect parabola—casting herself to the stars and believing she could chart the journey home. Article from Vanity Fair - August 23, 2016 Charles Bodlen is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a retired United States Marine Corps Major General and former NASA astronaut. In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him as NASA’s Administrator, making him the first African American to head the agency on a permanent basis.

TheAfrican Columbus African American • September 2016 The Columbus American News Journal • February 2015

HISTORY

TRUMAN K. GIBSON, JR.: LAWYER, ADVISOR AND BOXING PROMOTER By Rodney Q. Blount, M.A. The fight against injustice is an ongoing battle that requires strong-willed and smart individuals as well as communities to work together to combat the discrimination. The Black Lives Matter movement, the NAACP, and similar organizations continue to protest racial injustice and develop strategies to contest the legal barriers minorities face, including voting rights violations, housing restrictions, and verbal and physical abuse. The groundwork for these battles were established by many individuals who have labored in the past for a better future. Major Civil Rights leaders along with unsung heroes were at the forefront of change and forced America to not just pay lip service to the Constitution, but to actually fulfill its mandates to cover and protect all American citizens. Truman K. Gibson, Jr., was a prominent lawyer whose leadership was hereditary as his father was also a successful leader and businessman. Gibson, Jr. fought injustice through the law and by serving as a government advisor. He played a role in President Harry Truman’s decision to desegregate the United States Army. He also had a successful career as a boxing promoter. Truman Kella Gibson, Jr., was born on January 22, 1912 to Truman K. and Alberta (Dickerson), Gibson, Sr. in Atlanta, Georgia. Gibson, Sr., was an immensely successful insurance executive and graduate of Harvard University and Alberta Gibson was a teacher. Gibson, Jr., was born during the “nadir of American race relations,” which was a violent period for African Americans lasting from the end of Reconstruction (1877) through the early twentieth century and is considered as the most racist period of time after the Civil War. The number of lynchings reached its height during this period, race riots were common, and the Ku Klux Klan would surpass a membership of four million members by 1925. The Gibsons left Atlanta in the early 1920s and relocated to Columbus to escape the worst of the racism in the South. Truman Gibson, Jr. lived in Columbus throughout the 1920s and attended East High School. Gibson matriculated to the University of Chicago majoring in political science and roomed with Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the first Black general in the Air Force and whose father was the first African American general in the United States Army. Gibson graduated in 1932. Gibson remained at the University of Chicago and earned his law degree from that institution in 1935. From 1935 to 1940, Gibson practiced law and made a number of connections. It was during this time that he might a young boxer, Joe Louis, whom Gibson was “charged with entertaining while Gibson’s law firm negotiated deals with Louis’ management.” Gibson also helped to organize Chicago’s American Negro Exposition in 1940, marking the 75th anniversary of emancipation. His experience drew the attention of officials within the federal government. In

Mr. Truman K. Gibson, Jr., Civilian Aide to the U.S. Secretary of War, pictured at press conference on April 9, 1945. 1939, he married Isabelle Carson and they had one daughter, Karen Isabelle (Gibson) Kelley. It In 1940, he became the assistant to William H. Hastie, aide to U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson in a post created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a civilian aide/advisor to speak on behalf of black men in the army. They investigated complaints of black soldiers, including several facets of discrimination and violence. At one time, Gibson was the chief official in obtaining decisions on the applications of several black Officer Candidate School candidates from Fort Riley, Kansas, whose OCS applications had been enigmatically delayed for several months. Gibson’s friend, Joe Louis, assisted in the intervention so that the applications would be reviewed in a timely manner and Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in baseball, was among the applicants. “It was complete, absolute segregation,” Mr. Gibson told The Columbus Dispatch in 2002. “The training facilities were in the South. The attitude was that Southern officers understood ‘those people.’ White bus drivers in military towns were deputized and armed. That was their approach to handling Southern black soldiers. I tried to put out fires. We were dealing with the killing of black troops. I visited most of the camps and most of the nations where there were black troops.” In 1943, Gibson became aide to Henry Stimson. Consequently, Gibson was appointed to President Harry S. Truman’s Advisory Committee on Universal Military Training in 1946. The recommendations and results of the committee were very influential and were instrumental in President Truman’s landmark decision to desegregate the military. In 1947, Gibson became the first African American to be honored with the Medal of Merit Award for Civilians. Gibson took on the role of director and secretary of Joe Louis Enterprises and entered the professional boxing world as a manager and promoter after helping Joe Louis with tax problems in 1949. “He was the first black boxing promoter and Secretary of the International Boxing Club. In 1959, Gibson became one of the three original directors of the Chicago-based National Boxing Enterprises, the company that brought the legendary Friday night fights to television.” By the early 1960’s Gibson went into private practice fulltime, leaving boxing behind. In his

The Columbus African American •News September Journal2016 • February 2015

later years, Gibson faced some legal battles of his own; however, he continued to be an active and respected in the Chicago community. Gibson has worked with the School for Automotive Trades in Chicago, and acted as Secretary of the Chicago Land Clearance Commission. He served on the boards of directors of the Chicago Community Fund and Roosevelt University and has been a member of the Cook County Bar Association. He served as a director of the Supreme Life Insurance Company, founded by his father. Gibson, Jr. was also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Pi Phi (Beta Boule). Truman K. Gibson, Jr. died on December 23, 2005. He lived a long, fruitful life and was the last survivor of President Truman’s “Black cabinet.” He also wrote a memoir of his life, Knocking Down Barriers: My Fight for Black America, which was released in 2005. Most parents would like for their children to do just as well or surpass them in accomplishments. Gibson’s father was a leader and Gibson, Jr. picked up the torch and ran with it. As I reach a milestone birthday, I reflect on what I have done and how far I would like to go and I can look up to an extraordinary leader like Gibson to garner encouragement on how live a successful life. I encourage everyone to learn more about Truman Kella Gibson, Jr. and read his memoir. Works Cited Knocking Down Barriers: My Fight for Black America (2005) http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/ truman-k-gibson-jr-39 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_Gibson http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/02/us/trumangibson-who-fought-army-segregation-is-deadat-93.html?_r=1 Truman K. Gibson, Sr. article - Columbus African American News Journal, August 2013 Columbus Dispatch Roderick Blount is an Educator and Historian. He received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Ball State University and a Masters of Arts degree from The Ohio State University. His work has been featured in several publications. Roderick is a native of Columbus, Ohio and is a member of several organizations.

COMMUNITYEVENTS September 9, 2016 National Youth Advocate Program - Open House The National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP) will hold an open house for their new Center for Adolescents and Familes. Enjoy refreshments and entertainment as they dedicate their new facility. For more information, visit their website listed below.

September 10, 2016 Driving Park Recreation Center - Grand Opening Come out and celebrate the grand opening of the all-new Driving Park Recreation center. Participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony and then stay for the food, fun and an opportunity to watch the OSU Buckeyes play. For more information, call 614-645-3300.

Location: Center for Adolescents and Families Address: 431 E. Livingston Ave., 43215 Time: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Admission: Free Web: www.NYAP.org

Location: Driving Park Recreation Center Address: 1100 Rhoades Ave., 43206 Time: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Admission: FREE Web: www.ColumbusRecParks.com

September 9 - 11, 2016 Hot Times Community Arts & Music Festival The Hot Times Community Arts & Music Fesitval is celebrating its 40th Anniversary! Come out and experience great music, food and artwork from local artist. For a complete list of performers and vendors, visit the website below.

September 14, 2016 The B.R.I.D.G.E Chapter Town Forum Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated Alpha Eta Omega Alumni Chapter wishes to invite you to participate in a series of Town Forums based around Race, Trust, and Police Legitimacy. This forum is to give Columbus City Officials, Columbus Police, and Members of the Community the opportunity to discuss Race, Trust, and Police Legitimacy

Location: Columbus Health Department (Front Lawn) Address: 240 Parsons Ave., 43215 Time: (Fri) 5:00 PM - Midnight, (Sat.) 5:00 PM - Midnight, (Sun.) 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Admission: Free Web: www.HottimesFestival.com September 10, 2016 All Disabilities FunFest Join Ulimited Possibilities for All Disabilities (UPFAD) for their inaugural All Disabilities FunFest. Come out and learn more about the resources available for people with disabilities and enjoy live music, food and resource vendors. For more information visit the website listed below. Location: Genoa Park Address: 303 W. Broad St., 43215 Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Admission: FREE Web: www.UPFAD.org September 10, 2016 Columbus Gospel Fest Celebrate the 32nd Annual Columbus Gospel Fest where some of the greatest artists and choirs from the Midwest will perform. This event will include activities for the kids and merchant and food vendors. For more information call 614-401-6178 or visit the website below. Location: Genoa Park Address: 303 W. Broad St., 43215 Time: 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM Admission: FREE Web: www.ColumbusGospelFest.com

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

Location: Glenwood Recreation Center Address: 1888 Fairmont Ave, 43223 Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Admission: Free September 15, 2016 Wycliffe Gordon & The Bobby Floyd Trio Celebrated as one of the most respected jazz trombonist on the planet, Wycliffe Gordon will join Columbus’ own Bobby Floyd for one night only. Be there when these two master musicians have a meeting of the minds and joining melodies in the intimate setting of Copious-Notes. For tickets call 614-294-5200. Location: Copious Address: 520 S. High St., 43215 Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Admission: $25 Web: www.CopiousColumbus.com September 17, 2016 Central State Vs. Benedict College There is nothing more spetacular than an HBCU football game and in Ohio, you don’t have to go very far to get your fix. Join Central State Unversity as they kick-off their first home game against Benedict College of South Carolina in Wilberforce, Ohio. Enjoy the game, but of course, really enjoy the Battle of the Bands! For tickets, please call 937376-6502. Location: McPherson Memorial Stadium Address: 1400 Brush Row Rd., 45384 Time: 1:30 PM Admission: $15 Web: www.MarauderAthletics.com

The Columbus African American • September 2016

COMMUNITYEVENTS October 6, 2016 Kingdom Meets Fashion To celebrate and recognize creative and visual art displayed by the creation of Kingdom fashion designers. Participants will be able to view a live artist showcase and the fashion runway. For more information, visit the website below.

September 24, 2016 Seventh Annual Central Ohio HBCU College Fair It’s back and bigger than ever! This is the largest Historically Black College Fair in Central Ohio, with over 30 schools from around the country. If you are looking to go to college or want to start early, then this is the place to be. Enjoy live music, free workshops and free door prizes throughout the day! For more information, visit the website below.

Location: Triedstone Family Life Center Address: 907 Lexington Ave, 43201 Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Admission: $10 General Admission Web: www.KingdomImageAwards.com

Location: Barnett Recreation Center Address: 1184 Barnett Road, 43227 Time: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Web: www.OhioHBCUCollegeFair.com

October 7-9, 2016 Men’s Day Weekend: Second Baptist Church Come out and celebrate Men’s Day Weekend at Second Baptist Church where this year’s theme is “God’s Men: Restoring The Community of Believer’s” from Jeremiah 29:5-11. For more information about weekend activities, please call 614-253-4313.

September 24, 2016 UNCF 33rd Annual Walk-For-Education Join the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for their annual “Walk-for-Education” at Wolfe Park. The UNCF raises money for students to attend HBCU’s around the country. To register for the walk, visit the website below or call 614-221-5309.

Location: Second Baptist Church Address: 186 N. 17th Ave, 43203 Time: Please Call for Times Admission: Free Web: www.SecondBaptistColumbus.com

Location: Wolfe Park Address: 105 Park Drive, 43209 Time: 9:00 AM - Noon Admission: Free Web: www.UNCF.org

October 7, 2016 Choir Fest 2016 Back by popular demad, the Kingdom Image Awards will host, Choir Fest, which celebrates the sound of Choir Music. Hosted by Pastor Niki Hampton and Minister Erin Hampton.

October 5, 2016 Backstage at Lincoln Theatre - Janeen Holmes Experience “Backstage” at the Lincoln Theatre featuring R&B and Jazz artist Janeen Holmes. For more information or for tickets, please call 614-469-0939.

Location: Church of Christ of The Apostolic Faith Address: 1200 Brentnell Ave, 43219 Time: 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM Web: www.KingdomImageAwards.com

Location: Lincoln Theatre Address: 769 E. Long Street, 43203 Time: 7:00 PM Admission: $10 Web: www.LincolnTheatreColumbus.com

October 8, 2016 Kingdom Image Awards The Kingdom Image Awards is an annual event that honors independent and Christian artists for the contribution to their local faith-based communities. Hosted by Marcus D. Wiley, comedian and Co-Host of the Yolanda Adams Show. Honorees, Dr. Raymond Wise (Legacy Award) and Dr. Milton Ruffin (Community Leadership Award).

October 6, 2016 Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame Ceremony The Ohio Civil Rights Commission welcomes you to attend the 8th Annual Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday October 6, 2016 in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium at 10:00am. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 888-278-7101 and ask for Mary Turocy.

Location: Lincoln Theatre Address: 769 E. Long Street, 43203 Time: 4:00 PM (Red Carpet/Reception), 6:30 PM (Program) Admission: $30 General Admission, $60 VIP Web: www.KingdomImageAwards.com

Location: Ohio Statehouse Atrium Address: 1 Capitol Square, 43215 Time: 10:00 AM Admission: Call for prices. Web: www.CRC.ohio.gov

Please note: Information for this section is gathered from multiple commnuity sources. The Columbus African American is not responsible for the accuracy and content of information. Times, dates and locations are subject to change. If you have an event that you would like to feature in this section, please call 614-3404891 or email us at editor@columbusafricanamerican.com. Submissions are due the last Friday of each month.

• September The Columbus African American News Journal2016 • February 2015

The Columbus American • July 2016 The Columbus African American African News Journal • February 2015

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www.performanceacademies.com 40

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015