January 2016 Edition by Columbus African American News Journal

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Health Update: Progress or Regress? By Charleta B. Tavares

Before You Go Changing The World By Elizabeth Joy, MBA

Michael Bivens: First African American City Attorney of Whitehall By Ray Miller, III

CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF EXCELLENCE 2011 - 2016

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I’ve Seen The Promised Land”

January 2016

Publisher’s Page Who Taught You That? I posed this question to the Fellows in Cycle VIII of the Progressive Leadership Academy two weeks ago. I did so because of how commonplace it is today to see individuals who occupy important leadership positions in our community, perform in a manner that clearly indicates their lack of knowledge of how they should make decisions. Yet, they are making significant funding, policy, programmatic and political decisions on a daily basis.

Founder & Publisher Ray Miller Layout & Design Ray Miller, III Assistant Editor Ray Miller, III Staff Keia Sykes Photographer Ray Miller, III

Contributing Editors

Tim Ahrens, D.Min Lisa Benton, MD Roderick Q. Blount, Jr. M.A. Stephanie R. Bridges William Dodson, MPA Marian Wright Edelman Cecil Jones, MBA Elizabeth Joy, MBA Jacqueline Lewis-Lyons, Psy.D William McCoy, MPA Ray Miller, III Ambrose Moses, III Afua Owusu Charleta B. Tavares

The Columbus African American News Journal was founded by Ray Miller on January 10, 2011 The Columbus African American News Journal 750 East Long Street Columbus, Ohio 43203 Office: 614.340.4891 editor@columbusafricanamerican.com

Too often, these decision-makers, in all sectors (Government, Non-Profit, Private Corporations, and Business) are being told what they cannot do and are inundated with constant messages to convince them of their insignificance. Rather than embold them with the belief that they can and should make a positive difference for their customers or constituents. Our leaders are living in fear and fear paralyzes one--creativity is diminished, innovation disappears, public policy reforms are non-existent, and incrementalism prevails. The result is those who need help the most, actually are helped the least--across the board. Let’s explore this topic a little deeper. Behavior is a response of an individual or group to an action, environment, person, or stimulus. When we observe leaders who behave in a manner that is: 1) inconsistent with our history, heritage, and the needs of our people; 2) only concerned with what is best for themselves; 3) safe, comfortable, convenient and predictable; and 4) emotionally detached--It certainly makes one pose the interrogative: “Who Taught You That?” Who taught you to assume the safe position at all cost? Who taught you position neutrality, silence, and the importance of sanitizing your thoughts? Certainly, not someone with a significant record of accomplishments for their community, corporation, organization or governmental agency. I would encourage you to identify your primary influencers. Those who help to shape your attitudes, beliefs and professional opinions. In addition, take some time and identify the secondary influencers in your life. They may be historical figures, institutional or familial. Develop a small circle of friends who support you, want nothing from you, and will be honest with you to a fault. List what you admire most about your “friends.” Whom among those do you respect and admire the most? You may discover that your “friends” are really not your “friends” at all. As we celebrate the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. it is instructive to apply the recommendations made above to him, his leadership style, his circle of friends, and his manner of decision-making. Dr. King was always strategic, he carefully weighed the consequences of all major decisions. He surrounded himself with many of the best thinkers in America who shared his beliefs and his goals for the development of a beloved community. Most importantly, he was willing to die for what he believed--and he did. Dr. King was not afraid. He did not live in survival mode. His social action, equal justice initiatives, corporate strategies, political engagement, and public policy goals were major--not miniature. Please read the cover story in this edition of The Columbus African American for a fuller understanding of the actions of this extraordinary American. It is hard to go wrong when your primary influencers are: Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi, Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. and Henry David Thoreau. Finally, a word about diversity and equal opportunity. Hiring African Americans to advance racial equality is only beneficial if the individual is committed to bringing about substantial change--and is willing to lose their job to stand for the attainment of aggressive goals. Period. To do otherwise simply provides color, but not conscience. Remember, the best way to determine what one will do, is to closely examine what they have done. There are a number of African Americans in the City of Columbus and beyond who possess the requisite competencies to advance an honest effort put forth to bring about equal opportunity from a resultsdriven model. Happy New Year!

Ray Miller Founder & Publisher 3

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

In This Issue

Education Inequality Struggle

Minority & Economic Development in 2015

A Year In Review

Save Your Money In 2016

Reading: The Key To Legal, Social and Economic Justice

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cover Story – Page 20

Obama Announces Gun Control Initiative

Save Your Money In 2016

By www.GoodBlackNews.org

By Cecil Jones, MBA

The Columbus African American 2016 Survey 11

Michael Bivens Becomes First African American

City Attorney

‘I Have A Dream’ Speech

Tithing: God’s Financial Plan

Health Update: Progress or Regress?

2016: Your Health and Wellness Reloaded

Legislative Update

Before You Go Changing The World

Council Leaders Name Council Committee Chairs

Who Is My Neighbor?

Help More Babies Live to CelebrateOne

Let Us Seize This New Day

New Nationwide Children’s Hospital Program Encourages

Children’s Science

COVER STORY

PLA Cycle VIII Visits Ohio Statehouse

Book Bags & E-Readers

2015 Alpha Mistletoe Party - Photo Gallery

Walter McCreary: Original Tuskegee Airman

New Housing Program for Veterans

Georgetown University Renames Buildings

The Columbus African American 2016 Survey

Literary Art

Distribution List

Community Events

Obama Announces Gun Control Initiative

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

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.

CAANJ

1 CELEBRATING DR. KING

I HAVE A DREAM - DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our

thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.*We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.”* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”¹ I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not 5

be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring! And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

The 2015 TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016

2 FAITH

TITHING: GOD’S FINANCIAL PLAN By William Dodson I discussed tithing in a previous article on church finance. My purpose here is a practical one: to bring clarity on the subject of tithing and the ‘prosperity teaching. I recently responded to a post on Facebook regarding tithing. The person said we should not teach tithing because it was an Old Testament practice. They said pastors were using it to victimize the people. They said they should be helping the people. The tone of this long rant seemed highly intense and wrathful. This is a common theme among many sectors of the church. It is because tithing is not clearly taught or understand by many pastors. They choose to emphasize a portion but not the full foundation of this controversial concept. Many dispute it and supplement church giving with various fundraising techniques to augment regular giving from offering plates. It is in this context that much angst is experienced and many withdraw from the weight place on raising money. What follows is my response. Sorry, but tithing actually preceded the law! Abraham tithed to Melchizedek before the law was written (Genesis 18:14). It was an act of obedience. God commands the tithe and adds a blessing to it. It is God’s financial plan for the Kingdom. If you’re not tithing you are not in faith. Will a man rob God? He certainly will! If you are not going to teach tithing, what’s next grace? If you’re only going to do what you want to do, why even do church. You’re a thief and He won’t bless your disobedience. You’re not giving it to a man, but to God. But if your church is not a storehouse for the saints and the ministry is consuming the seed you may need a change. But don’t stop teaching any part of the Word of God because of your rebellion. It’s the wrong motivation! Read your bible! In Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek, King of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. This text shows Abraham, Father of the faith, giving tithes to the priest Melchizedek, King of Salem. This established that tithing was a principle in the earth before the Law. It demonstrates that it is an act of obedience in gratitude to service or ministry. It is a voluntary act. Many dismiss it as an Old Testament practice but it was a pre-testament act by Abraham. His obedience is a recognition of his respect for this established principle. Some want to believe that it is not relevant to the New Testament church. But the book of Malachi illustrates it further as a command of God to meet the needs of the temple. It asks and answers the question, Will a man rob God or withhold the tithe. The answer is affirmed yes he will in the area of obeying the tithe. Modern day believers argue against the tithe out of self-interest or abuse. They do not want to release it and would allow the temple to be destroyed. Or they fear (which is more often the case) that men will devour the seed or tithe and not serve God’s purpose for his people. That

is where the tension is because of ignorance of the principle and disobedience in the area of stewardship. This is where the contention is today as your comments suggest. Men are abusing the tithe for their own ends and doing so at the expense of God’s people. Even in the secular realm, charitable giving is expected to support good works. The United Way asks for workers and other donors to give their ‘fare share’ in support of their efforts. Community groups solicit contributions for various causes. Even our tax system encourages charitable giving by offering a tax deduction for qualified gifts to tax exempt nonprofit organizations. To deny the principle is ‘to throw the baby out with the bath water’ so to speak. If we walk by faith and obey God’s laws (which are higher than man’s) than it is a matter of stewardship and obedience. The converse is also true, disobedience and manipulating God’s people is abuse and robbery of God and his people. The problem arises in this area because of lack of biblical leadership and governance in the New Testament church where deceitful men serve the needs of their own flesh not the body of believers as in the Book of Acts where they held all things common. Flawed Leadership I do not disagree that men have abused this principle. Many today have taken on titles and crafted a seductive message about prosperity and favor to serve their own ends. The people are lured into this teaching because of lack in their own lives. This message has been distorted by manipulative individuals that engender a form of charisma and personal power over them. While the Bible does teach that God wants us to prosper and be in good health, it is not at the expense of others and to support a lavish lifestyle. Men with false motives or ravenous wolves have preyed on the sheep, twisting the message to serve their own ends. While the principle of prosperity is true, it is not the goal or purpose. But they also abuse the command to love thy neighbor as thy self and manipulate them in the name of God. I admit that this abuse is rampant among many but contend that the principle is still valid today if obedience and faith are still at work in our lives and churches. The late Keith Green once said, ‘Prosperity is having your needs met, and being able to bless or meet the needs of others.’ This leaves no room for selfish gain or manipulation of others. The issue becomes one of leadership in the area of stewardship. If people are taught to obey the tithe then the church should function as the storehouse. Because it is not taught or modeled, churches are not supported in the area of financial support and other means move in. Meaningless fundraising dinners, plays and music programs substitute for the tithe. Well meaning but misdirected activities that do little in terms of evangelism or advancing the kingdom. Controlling men seize the opportunity to orchestrate these activities for personal gains. This kind of abuse is widespread. Pastor’s anniversaries typically are for the purpose of ‘blessing’ the pastor. Sincere people untaught on biblical stewardship and tithing are consumed in these activities. Husbands are distrustful of this and stay away from the church. No evangelism is done and the church becomes an in-group. When we started our church 33 years ago, I added one thing to the Apostles Creed: the tithe belongs to God. It was a driving principle in our

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

early organization and growth. Teaching tithing and giving in our Understanding God course is foundational to our new members. Because of their faithfulness and our accountability and transparency, we have consistently met our budget with 80% of our total support coming from the tithe! We have financed three building projects with additional financial gifts in a giving campaign reducing the costs of financing these projects as well as the purchase of 23 acres of land which has been paid for. In addition, we have maintained our benevolence and we have also supported other ministries and missionaries with 10% of our budget as we have done since the beginning. We also provide over $60,000 annually in emergency assistance to our members and others. In addition, we helped over sixty families with furniture in a partnership with a furniture bank. We were well able to respond to individual needs during the economic crisis over the past five years. We did not turn anyone down. We also counseled many persons facing foreclosure on their homes regarding assistance from our state housing finance agency. . Our church was born out of our desire to see God move in our community. Our pastor had a vision of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, group of believers with uplifted hands, all worshipping and praising God. We have seen this come to fruition and have helped launch others in ministry across this country. If you need a witness that this word is true , you can see it in the people and other leaders we have developed and led in Gods’ way. We offer transparency and full accountability to our members of our stewardship. An outside Certified Public Accounting firm provides monthly compilations to our board and we post an annual report on our website. One of our members is the former City Treasurer and served as our finance director as well. Our pastor performs four weekly services and has a modest salary. He is in demand to other churches and has published two books. My intent is not brag but to exhort you! These principles will elevate you from works of the flesh to true ministry and organic growth through evangelism. Many African-Amrrican churches are stymied by these exploitative practices but that may be all they know. But knowing God and learning to trust Him will bring his Word to life in our churches. We teach the biblical principles of faith and stewardship to empower our members in their daily lives. It is not a gimmick! It is trust and obedience to God and His blessings will be ‘yea and amen’ to the needs of His church. The tithe is the one area that God challenges us to test or prove Him. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. We have challenged Him with our stewardship and found Him faithful to His promise! I made the following personal note to the individual who posted the rebuke: I hope I have assuaged some of the hurt I sensed in your remarks. But as an exhorter, I want to encourage you that God is alive and well in the church today. If we are willing and obedient, we will eat the fruit of the land- all of God’s people! Our ministry is stream cast on the web at rhemachristiancenter.com. I have previously written 3 articles on the subject of church finance and church lending to help others.

3 HEALTH

CAANJ

HEALTH UPDATE: PROGRESS OR REGRESS? By Charleta B. Tavares Over the last year we have highlighted “Obamacare” and its progress: the expansion of Medicaid; elimination of copays for preventative services; access to coverage for preexisting conditions; continuation of coverage for young adults to age twenty-six on their parent’s insurance; and tax-credits/premium assistance for citizens to purchase insurance on the Market Exchange. These are some of the progressive policy decisions that were put in place with the adoption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) proposed by President Barack H. Obama and adopted by the Congress of the United States of America in 2010. The passage of the ACA brought about the most significant changes in health care policy since the adoption of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 (see CAANJ, July 2015). Since the passage of the ACA, primary care physicians and hospitals have transformed their practices clinically, technologically and financially to improve health outcomes, lower costs and magnify their methods of distribution and accessibility. In March 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the average number of uninsured during the period from January to September 2014 was 11.4 million less than the average in 2010. In April 2015, Gallup reported that the percentage of adults who were uninsured dropped from 18% in the third quarter of 2013 to 11.4% in the second quarter of 2015. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) originally estimated that the legislation will reduce the number of uninsured residents by 32 million, leaving 23 million uninsured residents in 2019 after the bill’s provisions have all taken effect. Among the people who will remain uninsured: • Illegal immigrants, estimated at around 8 million—or roughly a third of the 23 million projections—will be ineligible for insurance subsidies and Medicaid. They will also be exempt from the health insurance mandate but will remain eligible for emergency services under provisions in the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA); • Citizens not enrolled in Medicaid despite being eligible; • Citizens not otherwise covered and opting to pay the annual penalty instead of purchasing insurance, mostly younger and single Americans; 4 • Citizens whose insurance coverage would cost more than 8% of the household income and are exempt from paying the annual penalty; 4and • Citizens who live in states that opt out of the Medicaid expansion and who qualify

for neither existing Medicaid coverage nor subsidized coverage through the states’ new insurance exchanges. Although we have seen significant progress to insure more Americans have improved access and affordability to care, there is still much more to be done if we are going to provide health care equity, access and outcomes for all. There are still twenty states (mostly South, Midwest and West) that have left millions of eligible citizens without care due to their negligence in expanding Medicaid (disproportionately impacts African American and people of color). Four of these states as of December 17, 2015 are in discussions on whether to expand or not (Wyoming, S. Dakota, Louisiana and Virginia). What is the significance of the ACA for the African American community? Fortunately, many more African Americans are enrolled in Medicaid or the Market Exchange insurance programs. However, access and equity in treatment and health care outcomes remains elusive. We are not seeing the prioritization in the elimination in health care disparities – premature death and disease among African Americans and other people of color or populations who are not seeing improvements in outcomes. Let us look at one example that has been highlighted in the Columbus and Ohio media – infant mortality. There is a substantial difference in how infant mortality impacts babies of different races. Ohio’s African American/black babies are dying at more than twice the rate of Caucasian/white babies. • Ohio’s death rate for white infants in 2010 was 6.0, compared to 15.2 for black infants. • While the large variation in the rates of black deaths from year to year is due to the presence of small counts, the disparity has been consistent. This difference in the death rate for African American/black babies compared to Caucasian/ white babies is also found in the U.S. as a whole. Eliminating health disparities at the national, state and local levels has been a stated goal however; many of us have not seen a concerted effort to change policy, practice, attitude and funding levels to reduce/eliminate these prolonged and protracted inequities. In other words, the actions do not mirror the rhetoric. Why you may ask? There seems to be reticence on behalf of policymakers, administrators, hospitals and providers to adopt proven practices, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Standards in Health Care (CLAS) and others that have shown efficacy in outcomes, cost-savings and in increasing the voice of the people most impacted by the negative birth outcomes – African American mothers, fathers and community leaders. The number of infant deaths in Ohio declined nearly 6.7 percent from 1,024 in 2013 to 955 in 7

2014, marking the first time since deaths were registered in Ohio beginning in 1939 that the state had fewer than 1,000 infant deaths in a year. The three leading causes of infant deaths in Ohio are prematurity/ pre-term births, sleeprelated deaths and birth defects. Ohio Infant Mortality Rate (Number of Infant Deaths per 1,000 live births) All Races (overall) 6.8 (2014), 7.4 (2013) Caucasian (white) 5.3 (2014), 6.0 (2013) African American (black) 14.3 (2014), 13.8 (2013) Latino (Hispanic) 6.2 (2014), 8.8 (2013)

African American/black babies were the only group to increase their death percentage from 2015 to 2014! We cannot continue to watch our babies die – 1,541 since 2010 when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was adopted. Our babies are dying at an increasing rate in Ohio. Who really cares and do our babies really matter? Footnotes: 1. Associated Press (March 24, 2015). “CDC:

Uninsured Drop by 11M since Passage of Obama’s Law”. New York Times. 2. Kafka, Stephanie (July 16, 2015). “U.S. Uninsured Rate at 11.4% in Second Quarter”. Gallup Polling. PMID 041815 3. “Cost Estimate for Pending Health Care Legislation”. Congressional Budget Office. March 20, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010. “Updated Estimates for the Insurance Coverage Provisions of the Affordable Care Act”. Congressional Budget Office. March 13, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2012. Pecquet, Julian (March 13, 2012). “CBO: Obama’s health law to cost less, cover fewer people than first thought”. The Hill. Retrieved June 29, 2012. 4. “Cost Estimate for Pending Health Care Legislation”. Congressional Budget Office, March 20, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010. Chaikind, Hinda; Copeland, Curtis W.; Redhead, C. Stephen; Staman, Jennifer (March 2, 2011). “PPACA: A Brief Overview of the Law, Implementation, and Legal Challenges” (PDF). Congressional Research Service. R41664. Retrieved 2013-12-22. 5. Trumbull, Mark (March 23, 2010). “Obama signs health care bill: Who won’t be covered?” The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved March 24, 2010. 6. Fox, Emily Jane (July 24, 2012). “6 million will lose out on Medicaid expansion”. CNNMoney (CNN). Retrieved July 25, 2012.

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.

TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016 The 2015

CAANJ

2016: YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS RELOADED By Lisa D. Benton, MD, MPH Are you assessing how 2015 went in getting to your health and fitness goals? Even though I was able to keep my cholesterol down, lower my blood pressure and even lose a few pounds so that I could get my health insurance discount and rebate for having good numbers, it wasn’t as much progress as I had wanted. I didn’t do anything particularly dramatic but rather stayed consistent even when I didn’t feel like it. As my Dad would say when I “fell off the wagon”. I would get back on with small steps or just cold turkey. It seemed hard especially since I love pizza, chocolate eclairs and cappuccinos, lattes, espressos (or just plain old coffee). While coffee can boost your physical endurance, improve your liver’s metabolism, reduce your risk of some types of cancer and help your mind and memory, I started cutting out too much of the sugar, flavor shots and sweeteners.

and even skin have to work harder to get and receive the blood with everything that’s good in it or everything bad and toxic that needs to be removed from it. High blood pressure sets up a negative cycle of overworking your body, stressing your heart and just about every organ in your body causing damage and wearing your body out faster and sooner.

expand my search and build my own database of best practices that work for me. Having a sedentary job where my office is just steps from a refrigerator and a microwave gives me unlimited access to snacks and tests my resolve every time I take a computer stretch break. One step forward for me was putting an elliptical machine in my office. I now keep my Pilates mat, hand weights and ballet stretch DVDs near my desk. Although not the most stylish office décor, exercise reminders stay in plain sight. It was time to make changes that would matter for the long haul and into “fourth quarter to the goal line” as Dad would say.

One out of every three Americans is estimated to have high blood pressure and that is underestimated for African Americans, meaning the more of us may have high blood pressure and not know it. Some estimates suggest that almost half of us are at risk of high blood pressure either due to family history, what we eat, lack of exercising, having diabetes. Eating too many For my monthly health articles, I want to hear salty, fatty and fried foods, smoking and drinking from you our readers about what you’re planning to do to improve your health and the health of too much alcohol increases our risk. our community. This doctor is in and wants share Being overweight, which for African Americans with you what works for staying healthy and means having a body mass index, known as a what will make you sick or kill you. BMI greater than 28. The BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. As Oprah says on her weight watchers While a BMI of greater than 25 was considered commercial “if not now, when?”, and I agree overweight for years, the initial studies did since 2016 holds so much for us to look forward not include participants from different racial to. I’m going to the next level for my health. and ethnic backgrounds. Studies have since What about your health? I hope you will you join shown that there is cultural variability as me. well as differences for age, activity level and pregnancy in what BMI proportions of weight SideBar to height ratios are considered overweight and obese. Some BMI calculators now reflect these American Heart Association-Understanding Your Risk of High Blood Pressure important differences. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

For African Americans, the American Heart Association website shows that a BP less than 120/80 is the goal. As a quick review, the top number measures the pressure when the heart muscle contracts and the bottom number is the pressure when the heart muscle relaxes and is refilling with blood. Together these numbers tell you how hard your heart is working to move A very recent study showed that participants in a blood through the blood vessels called arteries health and wellness group that had interventions beyond an educational handout page lost more in your body. weight and didn’t regain it. They put plans If your arteries are stiff or hardened due to fatty into action to get and stay healthy. That again plaque and cholesterol build up then your body confirms for me that while knowledge is power, loses cell by cell and organ by organ. Your heart you still have to put your good ideas into motion. has to work harder and moves less blood that I want my health in 2016 to be better so I’ll carries oxygen and nutrients over the same time share my strategy to get there. As a first step, I that a healthy heart and blood vessels would. confessed to myself it’s really a weight-loss goal Also the organs receiving blood from your heart and I am responsible for getting my health to such as your kidneys, liver, brain, intestines the next level. Acknowledging that freed me to

The Columbus African American News Journal • January February2016 2015

Black Doctor.org http://blackdoctor.org/451648/bmi-and-africanamerican-women/ What Your BMI Doesn’t Tell You http://www.webmd.com/diet/bmi-drawbacksand-other-measurements?page=1 Dr. Lisa D. Benton, MD, MPH (The Doctor is In) breastsurgeonlb@gmail.com Twitter: @dctrlisa (415) 746 - 0627

CAANJ

4 MENTAL HEALTH 6

BEFORE YOU GO CHANGING THE WORLD By Elizabeth Joy, MBA, LSW There’s no question we’re in a season of unrest. Graduation rates low. Infant mortality numbers at record highs. Joblessness ensues. Encounters with law enforcement ending in death without justice. Hearts are heavy and souls are stirred. Outcry grows as we search for answers and solutions. Who is responsible? How does this happen? Who is going to fix it? What do we need to do? How do we stop this!? Certainly it is time for action. Time to hold leaders accountable. Time for new leaders to emerge. Time for old laws to be amended and new laws introduced. Time for change. But what do we change? By now, you’ve likely participated in more than one discussion in which ideas have been exchanged. We need better education for our children. We need safer neighborhoods. We need to address food deserts. We need jobs. We need access to better healthcare. Indeed we do. Without question we need change in these and many other areas. The obvious next step? Pick a cause or issue and get to work. Maybe… Maybe not. Maybe we’re missing a step. Perhaps we have misidentified the starting point. During a recent presentation to The Progressive Leadership Academy fellows, Angela Cornelius Dawson proposed a starting point all too often overlooked… “You can’t lead anyone until you lead yourself out of your own darkness.” Certainly racism and inequality are real issues with real consequences and efforts to address them are in order, but what about the unaddressed darkness looming within our souls? What about the gaping hole left in your heart when your father abandoned you? What about the brokenness left from seeing your mother abused? What about the painful memories of your innocence being taken by your uncle when you were six?

an indication of mal-intent. “What’s that got to do with the issues we are The list goes on, the pain goes on. Your vision facing as a people,” you ask? blurred, your strength compromised, your It has EVERYTHING to do with it. The issues behavior led by emotion, your ability to stand we face go far and deep and we need a united in times of scrutiny inconsistent. As a result, community operating at full capacity in order to until you are whole, until you find the courage effect the change we seek… FULL CAPACITY. to spend time in the mirror assessing self, Self-doubt, trust issues, unforgiveness, identifying the voids and addressing them, your resentment, shame, anger, guilt, secrecy, and efforts to contribute to the rise of a people will be fear are just a few of the barriers preventing us average at best. from operating at full capacity. Change? Yes, change is in order… and the order Self-doubt, introduced by your mother who told starts with you. you you’re stupid and won’t never be nothing, now takes life as the reason you still haven’t “It is not the mountain we conquer, but applied for that position in leadership. You ourselves.” ~ Sir Edmund Hillary constantly tell yourself why they would never Sending you love, light, and courage to be the hire you. change you want to see. Trust issues, began when multiple men sexually abused you as a child, and now take life through Elizabeth Joy is founder of Survivors To Alivers, your habit of sabotaging a relationship with a a non-profit organization focused on empowering good man. You speak to him disrespectfully, trauma survivors to overcome challenges and making him pay for those who came before him. achieve restoration. Her organization offers Unforgiveness, rooted in experiences of being online support groups and a space for trauma second to the high they constantly sought survivors to connect and support one another. while you were left un-nurtured as a child, now Elizabeth is a speaker, life coach, and author presents as a constant state of anger. You’re sick of “You Survived… Now What? A Road Map of people letting you down, unable to recognize to Reclaiming Life.” For more information and except that no one is perfect (including you) visit www.survivorstoalivers.org, email ejoy@ thus disappointment is inevitable however is not survivorstoalivers.org, or call 614-332-1592.

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means to which we arrive at that goal.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

CAANJ

5 POLITICS

LET US SEIZE THIS NEW DAY AS MR. GINTHER LIFTS UP COLUMBUS’ NEIGHBORHOODS AND MINORITY COMMUNITY By Rev. Dr., Tim Ahrens As we step into 2016 we need to establish community new year’s resolutions. While most of write down our goals for the coming year, many of us lose them or deposit them in the “dead letter” file by the end of the first

month. When I opened The Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday, December 29, the headline read, “Man About Town.” With a picture taken at Tommy’s Diner, Mayor-Elect Andrew Ginther was pictured with Emmanuel Remy, Erick Janas and Greg Davies, Mayor Ginther’s new chief of staff. They were clearly enjoying time together. The article read that Mr. Ginther is committed to holding neighborhood gatherings and hearing from the people of Columbus. He said that he would spend the first months finding ways the city can “do more with small, minority-owned companies. He said he also wants the city’s workforce to be more diverse, and that includes the police and fire divisions” (The Columbus Dispatch, Lucas Sullivan, page A9). I applaud Mr. Ginther for his statements to Lucas Sullivan. Now is the time to reach out to our new mayor and have him lay out CLEAR GOALS for how we reach equality and equity in city services and the support of minority-owned businesses. I return to an article I wrote in October as we consider Mr. Ginther’s goals. In “A 20/20 Vision for African-Americans in Columbus” I called for the African-American community to come to city hall with clear goals for the next five years. I wrote, “There are far too few AfricanAmerican police officers and firefighters in Columbus. For the next five years, beginning in 2016, we as a city will dedicate dollars and sense to aggressively finding, training and putting on the line 100% more African-American police officers and firefighters.” I spoke to Education, Housing, the “food deserts”

in our neighborhoods, and the creation of Jobs. I wrote, “… we need to address hiring practices for African-Americans across the spectrum of jobs. In the private sector, how are we, as a community, addressing hiring practices in the local job market? We should establish a vision and then carry it out for equity in hiring.” I added that we need significant support for small businesses – now something Mr. Ginther has lifted up as important. I may sound like I am beating a drum, but I return to an idea - a 20/20 vision plan for the next five years in Columbus, Ohio. We need clergy, educators, health care advocates, politicians, businessmen and businesswomen to advance a plan for Columbus. We need leadership from the African American community. Let’s write a plan– make it plain for all to see and for this community to embrace and address by 2020. Who will lead this planning process? I pray that

a leader will step forward. As we reach publication time, I applaud Mayor Ginther’s first move in office announcing Steve Francis as Chief of his Diversity Office. I call for a meeting within the month of community leaders and stakeholders with Mr. Francis and the Mayor addressing the issues before us. We need to establish clear, measureable and deliverable goals for reaching full equality in Columbus for African-American citizens and other people of color by the year 2020. tahrens@first-church.org. 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 TALE OF TWO CITIES: HOUSING/INCOME DISPARITIES 43215 Zip Code: Short North, West Spring, Milo Grogran

43203 Zip Code: King Lincoln, Old Town East, Mt. Vernon Ave

2013 - Average Household Income: $65,155

2013 - Average Household Income: $26,700

2013 - Average Home Price: $227,525

2013 - Average Home Price: $85,000

2013 - Population: 979

2013 - Population: 7,297

Information provided by CityData.com The Columbus African American News Journal • January February2016 2015

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MICHAEL BIVENS SWORN IN AS FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CITY ATTORNEY OF WHITEHALL By Ray Miller, III Timing is everything! That is what almost every elected official will tell you when it comes to running for public office. Some will say its about raising the right amount of money or having enough experience. All of those things are great, but being able to step up when the opportunity presents itself, takes courage and dedication. The time was right for Michael Bivens and he quickly accepted the opportunity.

On Monday, December 28, 2015, surrounded by friends and family, Michael was sworn into office as the first African American City Attorney for the city of Whitehall, Ohio. This historic moment marks the first time that an African

American will serve at the administrative level of government in the city’s 106-year history. What was once a small farm town, grew into a thriving suburban neighborhood in the 1950’s with over 20,000 residents. Since then, with the expansion of the city of Columbus, Whitehall has been transformed into an island community with roughly 18,000 residents. For nearly 75 years, it was a predominently white city, which has now grown into an extremely diverse community. According to the U.S. Census (2013), the African American population in Whitehall stands at 54% and is projected to reach 60% by 2020. This presents a great opportunity for more African Americans to seek public office in Whitehall. “I am excited,” said Michael. “This is a blessing and I look forward to representing the residents of this great city!” Of course, Michael is not the only member of the Biven’s family who serves the city of Whitehall. His wife, Joy, was elected to the Whitehall school board in 2013 and re-elected in November of 2015. Together they have raised their two children in the city and have been a driving force to encourage more African Americans to make Whitehall their home. Under the commitment of Mayor Kim Maggard, who also won re-election in November, she has pledged to strengthen the economic community in Whitehall, which will bring more living wage jobs to the area and build new affordable housing. In addition, Whitehall’s school system

(L to R) Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, City Attorney Michael Bivens and Radio One Regional Vice President Eddie Harrell, Jr.

continues to thrive and with the completion of two new middle school buildings, the city is ready to educate the next generation of students. Keep an eye on this young power couple as they continue to encourage more African Americans to move into the city. Who knows, maybe one day they will need your vote to become the first African American Mayor? For more information about the City Attorney’s office, visit Whitehall’s website at www. whitehall-oh.us. For more information about Whitehall City Schools, visit www.whitehallcityschools.org. Photos by Ray Miller, III

PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCES GUN CONTROL INITIATIVE AT WHITE HOUSE

On January 5, 2016 at the White House, President Barack Obama announced the series of Executive Actions he plans to enact to increase gun safety, reduce gun violence, and help those subject to or afflicted by gun violence. Obama deemed his actions necessary given the lack of action from Congress, even in the face of popular support for such measures as expanding background checks for gun purchases. “Maybe we can’t save everybody, but we can save some,” Obama said in a speech in the East Room of the White House, where he was joined

by survivors and families of the victims of gun violence. Obama wiped away tears as he recalled the children killed in the 2012 Newtown, Conn., shooting rampage. He noted that tragedy didn’t translate into congressional action, even for measures that enjoy lopsided support among the American public. Legislation to expand background checks was blocked in 2013. “The gun lobby may be able to hold Congress hostage right now, but they cannot hold America hostage,” he said. A central feature of his actions are steps to expand the definition of who is a gun dealer, as those in the business of selling guns are currently required to perform background checks before making a sale. A big push among groups like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has been to close loopholes on sales of guns on the Internet and at gun shows. Although the executive action would not fall short of preventing all sales of

guns without background checks, Obama said that it would expand the number of people and entities who will fall under existing law. He also unveiled measures to improve the background check system. He also talked of the need to boost research on gun violence and gun safety, and to boost funding for mental health. Though many detractors, lobbyists and Republican politicians decried Obama’s initiatives, Obama said that his moves are “not a plot to take away” guns and that background checks are not “some slippery slope to gun confiscation.” He didn’t mention Donald Trump by name, but his reference was to some of his rhetoric. Instead, Obama compared his actions to efforts to boost safety in cars and even toys. “We know that there are some constraints on our freedom in order to protect innocent people,” he said. Some of his proposals — like a $500 million investment in mental health services and budget items for 200 new ATF agents — still require congressional support. Article provided by www.GoodBlackNews.com Photo by AP

TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016 The 2015

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The Columbus African American News Journal • January February2016 2015

CAANJ

2011 - 2016

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL EVENT - COMING SOON -

TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016 The 2015

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The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE By Senator Charleta B. Tavares

The Ohio Legislature will commence the second year of the 131st General Assembly in mid-January. Legislators will have a final year to enact legislation before the end of the two-year legislative session which ends on December 31, 2016. Many of the bills introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate will die in committee due to inaction by the committee chair and/or interest by the public. The ninety-nine members of the Ohio House of Representatives have introduced four-hundred and twenty-one (421) bills to date. The thirty-three members of the Ohio Senate have introduced two-hundred and fifty-six (256) bills as of December 28, 2015. There are many bills that have been passed by one or the other chamber in the Ohio General Assembly that are of particular interest to our African American communities including bills that address equal pay for women (African American women receive even less pay then Caucasian women); civil rights, health inequity, criminal justice reform, community/police relations, education, employment, wages/ benefits etc. We have an opportunity to pressure/ advocate for action by the members of the legislature on the issues that are most important to us as individuals and more importantly as a community to ensure that our government works for all of us. And, that our community matters when it comes to policies, programs and most importantly, funding with our tax dollars. This is not just about fairness and equity – it is about doing what is the most cost-effective to address the needs of Ohioans. The following bills have been sponsored by our only African American State Senator from Central Ohio and passed by the Senate and are currently in committees of the Ohio House of Representatives:

Senate Bill 30 would create the Ohio Family Stability Commission as a time-limited body (four years) to address impediments to family instability/disruption and the analyses of services and programs to support children and families. The bill was passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on March 4, 2015. The bill passed the Senate on May 13, 2015 and was referred to the House Community and Family Advancement Committee chaired by Rep. Tim Derickson (R-Hanover Twp.) http:// www.ohiohouse.gov/timothy-derickson/contact or phone (614) 644-5094 and Ranking Member, Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) http:// www.ohiohouse.gov/stephanie-d-howse/contact or phone (614) 466-1414. Senate Bill 36 would designate a portion of US Route 33 in Columbus as the “John W.E. Bowen Memorial Roadway.” John W.E. Bowen was a former City of Columbus assistant attorney and in 1966 he became the first ever African American to be elected to the Ohio Senate from Franklin County. This bill was passed out of Senate Transportation, Commerce and Labor Committee on September 30th by a unanimous vote. The bill passed the Senate on October 14, 2015 and was sent to the Ohio House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chaired by Rep. Terry Boose (R-Norwalk) http:// www.ohiohouse.gov/terry-boose/contact or phone (614) 466-9628 and Ranking Member, Rep. Michael Sheehy (D-Toledo) http://www. ohiohouse.gov/michael-sheehy/contact or phone (614) 466-1418 for deliberation.

and Ranking Member, Rep. Stephen Slesnick (D-Canton) http://www.ohiohouse.gov/stephenslesnick/contact or phone (614) 466-8030. Senate Bill 188 would establish April as Genocide Awareness Month (see CAANJ, December 2015). The bill passed out of the Criminal Justice Committee on October 21, 2015 and passed the Senate unanimously on November 17, 2015. The bill is now in the Ohio House of Representatives awaiting committee assignment. Additional Contacts The committee schedules, full membership rosters and contact information for the Ohio House and Senate can be found at: www. ohiohouse.gov and www.ohiosenate.gov respectively. If you are interested in getting the House Calendar each week of the General Assembly, contact the House Clerk, http://www. ohiohouse.gov/housecalendar/house_calendar. pdf or your state Representative. Senate calendars are available at www.ohiosenate.gov; contact the Senate Clerk’s office at (614) 4664900 or your state Senator.

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 Senate Bill 116 would establish October 16 as office at 614.466.5131 or tavares@ohiosenate. George Washington Williams Day in Ohio to com to receive the Tavares Times News monthly honor the 1st African American legislator to legislative newsletter. serve in the state. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate State and Local Government Senator Charleta B. Tavares, D-Columbus, is Committee on June 23 and passed unanimously proud to serve and represent the 15th District, out of the Senate on June 25, 2015. The including the historic neighborhoods of bill has been referred to the House State Columbus and the cities of Bexley and Grandview Government Committee chaired by Rep. Ron Heights in the Ohio Senate. Maag (R-Lebanon) http://www.ohiohouse.gov/ ron-maag/contact or phone (614) 644-6023

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

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CITY COUNCIL LEADERS NAME COUNCIL COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Zach Klein

Priscilla Tyson

Council President

President Pro Tem

Columbus City Council President Zach Klein and Council President Pro Tem Priscilla R. Tyson on Wednesday named the chairs of council’s committees that will have jurisdiction over various city policy areas. “I am proud to appoint a very qualified group of leaders to chair our committees,” Council President Klein said. “Each chair brings invaluable experience to their committee responsibilities and a passion for the many and varied issues that will come before them.” “These committee assignments will continue to reflect the strong leadership and diversity of this council and will capitalize on the many strengths of our members,” said Council President Pro

Shannon Hardin

Jaiza Page

Elizabeth Brown

Mike Stinziano

Tem Tyson.

Councilmember Jaiza Page will chair the Housing, and Zoning and Recreation & Parks Council President Klein will chair the Rules & committees. Reference Committee. Councilmember Michael Stinziano will chair the Public Utilities, the Technology, and the Council President Pro Tem Tyson will chair Judiciary and Court Administration committees. the Finance, Health & Human Services, and Workforce Development committees. Council leaders said that committee assignments are subject to change pending the expected Councilmember Elizabeth Brown will chair the coming appointment of a new councilmember Economic Development, the Administration, the to replace former Councilmember Eileen Y. Paley, who was elected to the Franklin County Education and the Environment committees. Municipal Court this past November. Councilmember Shannon G. Hardin will chair the Public Service & Transportation, Small & Minority Business Development, Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs committees.

For more information about Columbus City Council and upcoming legislation or to meet with your councilmember, visit www.Columbus. gov

COUNCIL PRESIDENT KLEIN NAMES TOP COUNCIL STAFF will oversee all human resources functions for Klein named Ed Roberts, who most recently council. worked as Development Coordinator for the Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers, as Gretchen James was appointed to be council’s the Chief of staff to the Council President. In Director of Community Affairs, a newly created this role, Roberts, who also formerly had been office under Council President Klein. In this role, the Central Ohio Representative for U.S. Sen. James, who has served as Councilmember Klein’s Sherrod Brown, will serve as the top staff advisor Legislative Aide, and her team will oversee to Council President Klein. outreach for the council in the community. Columbus City Council President Zach Klein named several top City Council staff members Tuesday, announcing the appointments of the Chief of Staff to the Council President and the Directors of Communications, Human Resources, Community Affairs and the Legislative Research Office. “I’m honored to work with my colleagues and these distinguished public servants on behalf of the citizens and taxpayers of Columbus,” said Council President Klein. “I have no doubt that this council team, which reflects Columbus’ strong diversity, will serve the community well.”

Lee Cole, who most recently served as a Public Relations Specialist for the Columbus Division of Fire, was appointed as council’s Director of Communications. Cole has also experience working as the Director of Communications and in communications roles for the Pickerington Local Schools and the Columbus City Schools. She will oversee council’s communications and public information programs. Brian Shinn was appointed to be council’s Director of Human Resources. Shinn, a former Chief of Staff in the Franklin County Recorder’s Office and also a former general and elections counsel in the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office,

The Columbus African American News Journal • January February2016 2015

Michael Kasler was appointed to serve as Director of the Legislative Research Office, which provides support and research on various areas and topics to council members. Kasler has a long background in city government and in other organizations. Kasler most recently has worked in the Office of Sustainability in the Columbus Department of Public Utilities. Kasler has, among other things, served as the President of the Metropolitan Human Services Commission, served as Legislative Budget Coordinator to the late former Council President Jerry Hammond and as a Legislative Aide to another former council president, the late M.D. Portman.

CAANJ

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? By Jaqueline LewisLyons, Psy.D Looking back on 2015, one of the most prominent issues that repeatedly attracted national and international attention was started by a comment made by one of the 2016 presidential candidates. This candidate has proposed that the major problems with our country are due to the various immigrant populations residing here. His initial suggestion was that a wall be built to keep out the people from Mexico. More recently, he has voiced a desire to prevent anyone who is Muslim from entering our country. Despite the push back from many groups who have shown that these ideas are not in keeping with our Constitution and rally against some of the principles which brought every other group to America – a chance to practice the religion of choice and to create a better life for our families. As I look around at the people I come in contact with every day, at the store, at church, in my neighborhood, I see how the fabric of America has been enhanced by the wide variety of people who live here. I am proud that my country has been a refuge for so many, offering a new start for anyone who is willing to work hard and learn. When I think about the limits that some of the presidential candidates are proposing, I must ask Who do they represent? Who are the people they want to serve? I am well aware of the weekly tragedies and acts committed by those who hate us and our way of life, but I wonder if closing our borders, avoiding contact with the rest of the world is the way we are supposed to live. I doubt it. In fact, for the past several weeks, I have been reminded that the Bible teaches us that we are not to value our own lives above our neighbor’s. We are to stretch out our hands and seek to aid, lift up, and encourage others. Yes, these are scary times. But,

we cannot allow fear to control our every thought and action. Otherwise, we will be paralyzed from doing anything. And, it’s a simple fact that if we do nothing, the enemy wins. So, what are we to do? I challenged myself a few weeks ago to make an effort to get to know the Muslims who are working in the office next door to me. I invited two ladies to have tea. I said that in the spirit of the Christmas season, which I celebrated, I simply wanted to get to know them as people, no other agenda. I will admit that right after I made the invitation, I had no idea what to do next. I was pleasantly surprised that they accepted and then thanked me for asking. We planned a day to meet and had a very nice time talking about our interests, such as television shows we enjoyed, books we had read, and our favorite mall. Before we knew it, an hour had passed. We plan to meet again after the new year and continue talking about all kinds of things. My point is this: we cannot afford to let fear or distrust prevent us from being who we are. We are all humans, and humans need one another. My suggestion is that

before we look for signs of the enemy around us, let’s take a breath and just acknowledge that we all have something in common, regardless of our belief system, religious preference, or favorite television shows. Why not focus on the commonalities rather than our differences and see where that leads us? After all, I have not met anyone yet who can say that their family originated here – all of our ancestors (except the Native Americans) were from somewhere else. And, for those of us who are Christians, this is just a temporary abode. Let’s not go into 2016 looking for ways to build hate and fear. Instead, let’s build a true community, including all who are willing to become partners in it. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis-Lyons’ 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 for running, she expanded her practice to include services related to Sport Psychology for athletes of all ages and levels. To reach her, call 614-443-7040 or email her at Jaqui@ DrLewisLyons.com

“We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

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6 EDUCATION

NEW NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL PROGRAM TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN THE REAL WORLD SCIENCE Looking toward the future of medical research, a team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital recently received a five-year $540,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support a program to help students experience science in action and encourage them to consider careers in maternal and child health research. “Most children in school are attracted to science, but only a few actually pursue research as their adult career,” says Irina Buhimschi, MD, director, Center for Perinatal Research in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s and the lead scientist for the grant. “Schools must fulfill requirements in science courses, making it difficult to incorporate problem-solving exercises at a level that could effectively capture and retain talented students in science fields. In high school laboratory courses, the result of the experiments is known in order to teach basic concepts. In a research lab we seldom search for what we already know. Excitement in our work arises when solving a problem opens another.

How to feel comfortable approaching problems that require knowledge from many disciplines is difficult to teach in school; art and science are taught in a fragmented manner and good grades are generally given only for correct answers.”

future will need to embrace collaboration over individualism. Successful research requires interaction among many scientists with different skills, training and experience, as well as the ability to work together productively.”

The “Futures Matter Program” will be a 10-week summer research experience for 20 talented local high school students, with underrepresented minority, economically disadvantaged and disabled students strongly encouraged to apply. More than 25 researchers from Nationwide Children’s will serve as mentors to the students in five interdisciplinary teams. The teams are designed to maximize the idea of team science, with mentors representing a wide array of medical and scientific fields.

“The students in our program will not only be introduced to concepts beyond those taught in a classroom laboratory,” notes Dr. Buhimschi. “They will experience a culture of collaboration where boundaries between traditional scientific fields are broken and ultimately merged. For example, by participating in brainstorming discussions where computer scientists, biologists, physicians, mathematicians, graphic designers and economists routinely work together, students will understand that not knowing, asking questions, and not being able to fully understand “An important theme for the Futures natural processes is ‘OK’ and what real scientists Matter Program is that of multidisciplinary deal with every day.” collaboration,” says Katie Campbell, manager, Research Education and Development at The Futures Matter Program will begin in Nationwide Children’s and the administrative summer 2016. For more information, visit leader for the program. “The workforce of the Nationwide Childrens.org/futures-matter.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GARNERS $1.1M CANCER GRANT When Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green receives invitations to be a guest speaker for professional groups, schools and nonprofit organizations, she almost never turns them down. “Usually if there is an invitation to speak at a forum like that, I accept it because I feel like it’s a responsibility,” she said. “There are so few of us (black women in STEM fields) I don’t feel like I have the luxury to say I’m too busy.” By many measures, Green has been extremely busy. One of fewer than 100 black female physicists in the country, she recently won a $1.1 million grant to further develop her patentpending technology for using laser-activated nanoparticles to treat cancer. Green earned her master’s and Ph.D degrees at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is now is an assistant professor in the physics department at Tuskegee University. Green’s personal history with cancer fuels her drive to find a way to treat it. She grew up in St. Louis and – after the death of her mother and father – was raised by her aunt and uncle, General Lee Smith and his wife, Ora Lee. When Ora Lee was diagnosed with cancer, “She refused the treatment because she didn’t want to experience the side effects,” said Green. “It was “I saw first-hand how devastating it was, and I heartbreaking, but I could appreciate she wanted could understand why my aunt didn’t want to go lasers to treat cancer without the side effects of chemo and radiation. to die on her own terms. “Three months later, through that.” my uncle was diagnosed with cancer.” earned a bachelor’s degree in physics with Green took time off from school to help him She a concentration in fiberoptics, and then a full through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. scholarship to UAB. She got the idea to use Continued on page 19

The Columbus African American News Journal • January February2016 2015

CAANJ A physicist’s cancer treatment

patient’s tumor to fluoresce (glow) under imaging speak at schools, Boys & Girls Clubs and other equipment. The goal is for a laser to activate the youth events. A few months ago, Green was awarded a $1.1 nanoparticles by heating them. “People told me to make good grades and stay million grant to work on a technology that targets, images and treats cancer. “I was completely “They are not toxic, so without the laser they in school,” she said, “and I always take good overwhelmed with joy, with thanksgiving, won’t kill anything, and the laser by itself is advice to heart.” humbled at the opportunity that a group of my harmless, so without the particles it won’t hurt peers thought that my work was worthy for such anything,” said Green. “Because of their need to Green said she feels a responsibility to be a a grant,” she said. “This is a huge door opening. work together and their inability to work apart, I positive example and change stereotypes of black It outlines a path to take this treatment to clinical can insure that the treatment is only happening to women portrayed in media. “There are black the cancer cells we target and identify.” female scientists who don’t get media exposure,” trial.” she said. “Because of that, young black girls Green had spent seven years during her master’s While Green is not the first to think of using lasers don’t see those role models as often as they see and doctoral programs at UAB, developing a and nanoparticles to treat cancer, she’s been able Beyoncé or Nicki Minaj. It’s important to know way to target cancer cells – not the healthy cells to work the bugs out of parts of the technology that our brains are capable of more than fashion that have been problematic, like nanoparticle and entertainment and music, even though arts around them. delivery and seeing success in living animals – are important.” “I’m really hoping this can change the way we mice, in Green’s case. Green has mentored several young women, treat cancer in America,” said Green. “There are so many people who only get a three-month or “As a physicist I’ve created a physical treatment many of whom have gone on to receive degrees six-month survival benefit from the drugs they that is not specific to the biology of the cancer,” and jobs in science-related fields. take. Then three or six months later, they’re sent she said. “It’s a platform technology. It’s not home with no hope, nothing else we can do. cancer type-specific, though it can treat the “It takes a village to raise a child,” she said. “I Those are the patients I want to try to save, the cancer specifically. That’s a concept my friends repeat that because a village of people helped raise me and instill values in me, and encouraged ones where regular medicine isn’t effective for who are biologists struggle with.” me to get to this point. I did not get here by myself. them.” Capable of more Because of that clarity, I know my responsibility The way the technology works is that an FDAto encourage and mentor the next generation.” approved drug containing nanoparticles is As she moves forward with her research and injected into a cancer patient and causes the with teaching at Tuskegee, Green makes time to Article via www.GoodBlackNews.org

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CASE COULD HURT DIVERSITY OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE By Afua Owusu The Supreme Court is taking on a case that could put the brakes on college admission processes that take race and ethnicity into account — and impact the future of the public health

workforce. On Dec. 9, the U.S. Supreme Court will review Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, an affirmative action case that has alternated between the high court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit since 2012. The case will examine the use of race and ethnicity in college admission decisions. Ruling against the use of race and ethnicity as factors in the admissions process would have a negative impact on medical school admissions and the U.S. health workforce, according to a November friend-of-the court brief from APHA and other advocates. The brief, which was submitted by the Association of American Medical Colleges, said that a negative ruling will inhibit medical schools from considering a student’s background, which would have an adverse impact on both classrooms and patients. Medical and other health professional schools consider applicants’ backgrounds to contribute to a culturally diverse and competent workforce. According to the brief, physicians and health professionals are better prepared to serve a range of patients if they have personal experience and a diverse learning environment. “Given the persistence of health disparities among minority communities and the unconscious bias that contributed to that problem, amici strongly believe that it remains necessary in 2015 for institutions to continue to take action to ensure diversity in the admissions process,” the brief stated. If the Supreme Court rules against the

university, equal educational opportunities may not be ensured for students of color. According to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, admissions-based affirmative action breaks down barriers to fairly represent minorities in educational institutions. The court case centers on Abigail Fisher, a white woman, who was rejected for admission to the University of Texas at Austin’s entering class in 2008. Fisher sued the University of Texas, alleging that the school’s use of race during her selection process violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. According to Cornell University Law School, the Equal Protection Clause states that the law must treat an individual in the same manner as another individual under similar conditions. The U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with the university; however, the high court disagreed with the appeals court decision and wanted “strict scrutiny,” the judicial review that the U.S. court system uses, when validating the school’s decision on Fisher’s rejection. According to the University of Texas at Austin, the school’s admissions process guarantees admission to students in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The university also conducts “holistic reviews” of each candidate by assessing their personal and academic accomplishments and capabilities. The university considers applicants from predominantly black or Hispanic backgrounds or areas while conducting the reviews to encourage campus diversity. Such admission policies allow colleges and universities to help underrepresented students aim for higher education. Affirmative action admission programs have helped triple the amount of minorities that apply to colleges or universities, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The organization states that graduates who benefited from affirmative action admission policies have reported receiving better opportunities, such as jobs, income and quality of life. Andrew Grossman, JD, MGA, MPA, a constitutional law and litigation expert at BakerHostetler, a Washington, D.C., law firm, 19

spoke at the National Press Club on Oct. 27 on the case. He said he thinks Fisher will prevail against the University of Texas. “It is of great importance to Americans when government makes decisions on race,” Grossman told The Nation’s Health. “However, it is illegal in some states for schools to use affirmative action today, because it violates the 14th Amendment.” To have leverage in the case, Grossman suggested the university needs to sufficiently explain precisely what factors are taken into account during the admissions process. Each applicant is reviewed by one evaluator without second opinions, therefore, it is “difficult to conclude what the admission reviewers are doing,” said Grossman. “From a legal matter, universities should be held to the 14th Amendment,” Grossman said. “Universities can base their preferences on socioeconomic status or they can (do) outreach to communities who are underrepresented on campus to achieve diversity. Universities can add diversity to campuses without considering racial make-up.” The APHA friend-of-the-court brief disagrees, however, noting that “there is no proven substitute for this individualized, holistic review that may consider an applicant’s race and ethnicity along with all other factors that make up his or her background.” The brief is the second that APHA has been part of since the case began, with the Association also weighing in in 2012. “Medical schools strongly believe that diversity in the educational environment is integral to instilling in new physicians the cultural competence necessary to more effectively serve a diverse society,” the new brief stated. “They are committed to creating a diverse educational environment because they believe that a diverse student body produces educational outcomes that ultimately benefit public health.” To read about the APHA brief, visit http:// www.apha.org/~/media/files/pdf/advocacy/ briefs/151103_ut_fisher_health_amicus.ashx Story from www.GoodBlackNews.org

TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016 The 2015

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7 COVER STORY

“I’VE SEEN THE PROMISED LAND” By Ray Miller First, let me express how deeply honored I am to, once again, have the opportunity to be in “The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection”-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To The Reverend Dr. Hosea Davenport, my good friend of many years. To the officers and members of this great church-Canaan Missionary Baptist Church. And to the awesome Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Committee that planned this excellent program. I am blessed to be here and thank you for making me feel right at home. I want to acknowledge the musical genius of Brother Quandres Jackson for that beautiful rendition of “Impossible Dream.” I love the lyrics to this song: To dream the impossible dream To fight the unbeatable foe To bear with unbearable sorrow And to run where the brave dare not go To right the unrightable wrong And to love pure and chaste from afar To try when your arms are too weary To reach the unreachable star This is my quest To follow that star No matter how hopeless No matter how far To fight for the right Without question or pause To be willing to march, March into Hell For that heavenly cause And I know If I’ll only be true To this glorious quest That my heart Will lie peaceful and calm When I’m laid to my rest And the world will be better for this That one man, scorned and covered with scars, Still strove with his last ounce of courage To reach the unreachable, the unreachable, The unreachable star And I’ll always dream The impossible dream Yes, and I’ll reach The unreachable star

this song is an admission of defeat. They could not be more wrong. This song is about vision. This song is about courage. This song is about determination. This song is about one’s willingness to die for a just cause. This song is about faith. And faith will produce victory every time. Say Amen somebody! To dream the impossible dream. That is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was so firmly committed to. To right the unrightable wrong was his mission in life. In preparing for this speech, I once again, read and reread countless articles, books, speeches, sermons, and rhetorical analyses of Dr. King’s brief, but meaningful journey in the annals of history. He was an unusual human being and he proclaimed at an early age that he “planned to be a giant of a man.” And, that he was.

A number of years back, I took my family to Seattle, Washington. While there we decided to visit Mount Rainier. As you may know, it is the highest mountain of the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, and the highest mountain in the state of Washington with a summit elevation of 14,417 feet. Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list. So, we decided that we needed to experience this natural wonder. After driving up the mountain, a little beyond the 10,000 foot mark, we got out of the car at one of the tourist landings. The view was absolutely breathtaking and the feeling was so spiritual that my wife and I, both, felt as if we could reach out and touch the sky. We could feel God’s presence. Isn’t it absolutely amazing how insignificant and blessed one feels when placed in the awesomeness of God’s wondrous creations? In his April 3rd, 1968 speech, however, I believe Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was reflecting on a broader experience that was, simultaneously, of the world, and beyond the world, within one stream of thought. His mountaintop experience consisted of remarkable accomplishments, at the personal level, and God ordained guidance at the spiritual level. Here was a man who:

As we all know, Dr. King’s life was cut short at the age of 39 years old. On April 3, 1968--almost 48 years ago--Dr. King was in Memphis, Tennessee in support of a strike by sanitation workers who were members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Although he was totally exhausted that night, he responded to the demands of the crowd of 2000 people who had crammed into Bishop Charles J. Mason Temple. On that stormy and cold night in Memphis, Dr. King delivered a powerful address that many have called his own eulogy. King’s voice rang out to the masses assembled: Well I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. I want to speak to you this morning from the theme: “I’ve Seen The Promised Land”

* was excepted into Morehouse College at the age of 15 and graduated in 1948 at the age of 19;

* graduated from Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, PA with a B.D. in 1951; * married Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953;

To contextualize my remarks, I want to share a Too often some folk mistakenly believe that mountaintop experience of my own with you. * was selected as Pastor of the Dexter Avenue The The Columbus Columbus African African American American News News Journal Journal •• January February2016 2015

CAANJ Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in 1954; * earned a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston University in 1955, at the age of 25; * led a successful effort to desegregate the Montgomery Alabama bus system at 26 years of age;

* publicly speak out against the Vietnam War; * have a total of four children; and

against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” The promised land was a sacred place of justice, safety, and peace.

Dr. King concludes his “Mountaintop” speech * be assassinated at the age of 39 at the Lorraine with these words: Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. “And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. * helped found and served as the first President His was an unusual life, accented by extraordinary And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference accomplishments and, indeed, “Mountaintop Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will (SCLC); Experiences” within a contracted period of time. get to the Promised Land! “ * published Stride Toward Freedom: The But even more than all of these monumental Montgomery Story in 1958 at the age of 29; and accomplishments, I believe the “Mountaintop Experience” that Dr. King was eluding to * became a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha glorified God and His awesome power. He was Fraternity, Inc.-The greatest fraternity on the saying to his brethren, like Joseph did in Genesis 45:7 “God sent me ahead of you to preserve a face of the earth! remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” God had revealed to Dr. King the All of this, before reaching the age of 30, was other side of life--eternal life--and its limitless a “Mountaintop Experience”. blessings. In the last 10 years of his life Dr. King would: * write the powerful “Letter from Birmingham Jail” arguing that it was his moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws; * deliver his “I Have a Dream “ speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.; * win the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35;

In this, his last speech, Dr. King found himself as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 and 18....”troubled on every side, yet not distressed. perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken;cast down, but not destroyed.” He was fighting enemies, resentment, and open hostility within and outside of the movement. That is why we find Dr. King so poignantly celebrating the spirit of the Lord in having elevated him to a position of greater knowledge, greater wisdom, and greater vision for the benefit of his people. Verse 18 is instructive and it reads as follows: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

* help organize and lead the Civil Rights Community for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968; in addition to earlier efforts to end discrimination in interstate travel and immigration reform; In Exodus 24, God instructs Moses, “come up in the morning to Mount Sanai and present yourself * give thousands of speeches to raise funds for there to me, on the top of the mountain.” Isaiah 2 says that the mountain of the Lord’s house will be SCLC; established at the highest of the mountains. And on that mountain, “they shall beat their swords * be arrested 29 times for civil protest; into plowshares; nation shall not lift up, sword

Here Dr. King is able to a articulate a well established theme of Faith, Hope, and Love that African Americans, in particular need to hear. Our 400 years of struggle in America to reach the “Promised Land” has been enveloped with denial of opportunity,slavery, family destruction, racial subterfuge, brutality, denigration, unjust laws, inequity, meanness, and outright murder. The look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, his countenance, his cadence, and his courage, says that this man, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had come to the end of his earthly battle for freedom, justice and equality. But he was still exhorting his followers to not give up the fight. The “Promised Land” is not a destination like New York City, Los Angeles, California, or Atlanta, Georgia. There are different points in time in the history of this nation when the “Promised Land” has been shaped, chisseled and refined to bring forth a better nation and the Beloved Community for all our citizens. Dr. King’s final words were: And so I am happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!! The world was made better by this good and faithful servant who simply tried, with all that was within him, to do God’s will. Amen

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

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You are invited to attend Trinity Institute (TI2016), an annual conference that takes place in New York City—but you can attend here in Columbus! The Episcopal Churches of St. Philip and St. Stephen’s are bringing this crucial conference to our community via webcast. The webcast will be held at St. Philip on Woodland Ave. on the Near East Side. St. Stephen’s is co-sponsor of this event.

FEATURING:

Trinity Institute (TI) will explore the most pressing issues of our time, including structural racism, mass incarceration, and policy change. Come with open ears; leave with a greater capacity to go out into our community to create and be the change we need.

Honoring the Dream InHealth Mutual celebrates the life and vision of Dr. King and congratulates The Columbus African American on commemorating his legacy.

ALSO FEATURING: EDUARDO BONILLA-SILVA, MICHAEL CURRY, GARY DORRIEN, KELLY BROW N DOUGLAS, MICHELE NORRIS, AND VICTOR RIOS

DETAILS:

OUR MISSION: InHealth Mutual is a nonprofit insurer built for members by members to provide quality, affordable health insurance that is responsive to the needs and wants of all Ohioans.

To register for TI2016 in Columbus, email stphilipscolumbus@gmail.com or call 614.253.2771. WHERE: St. Philip Episcopal Church, 166 Woodland Avenue, Columbus 43203 st rd WHEN: Thursday, January 21 , 630p – 9p; Friday, January 22, 8a-5p; Saturday, January 23 , 9a – 430p (for complete schedule go to TI2016.org)

COST: $25.00; $15.00 for Students. Cost includes lunch for both days (please note any dietary restrictions when registering). REGISTRATION DEADLINE for lunch is January 19th CONTACT: For more information, contact Ms. Hanifah Moorman at St. Philip Episcopal Church; for more information about St. Stephen’s go to http://ststephens-columbus.org/ ; for St. Philip go to http://stphilipcolumbus.diosohio.org/

www.InHealthOhio.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TRINITY INSTITUTE’S NATIONAL THEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE—including speaker bios, schedule, videos, and more—visit TI2016.org

InHealth Mutual is a trade name of Coordinated Health Mutual, Inc. CHM_SMM200_0116

Every year in our community, 150 babies never get the chance to celebrate their ﬁrst birthdays. It's a crisis that's caused by everything from exposure to tobacco smoke and unsafe sleep practices to babies being born too small or too soon. Learn how you can help us make sure more babies in our community reach their ﬁrst birthdays at CelebrateOne.info.

The Columbus African American News Journal • January February2016 2015

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THE EDUCATION INEQUALITY STRUGGLE By Marian Wright Edelman This has been a hard year for poor children and children of color in a gridlocked and cantankerous Congress. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replacing the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted after gutting a strong federal role in education policy designed to protect these children and jeopardizing their opportunity for a fair and adequate education to prepare them for work in our globalizing economy. Over the past 50 years under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act too many states violated their responsibility to serve their poor and non-White children equitably, did not comply with the law and misused huge amounts of the funds intended for poor children for other purposes. With the loss of federal accountability in the new Act, I hope we will not see the mistakes of the past repeated and poor children fall further behind. In 1969 the Children’s Defense Fund’s parent body the Washington Research Project and the Legal Defense Fund conducted a thorough study of how funds from Title I of the landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act were being spent through on-the-ground monitoring and examination of federal audit reports from states. In our report, Title I ESEA: Is It Helping Poor Children?, we answered a resounding “no” as states widely used federal money as general state aid for all their children without targeting it to eligible children most in need, sometimes to maintain still segregated and unequal schools, and squandered money intended to lift achievement levels of poor children on things like swimming pools in suburban White schools. Massive and continuing state and local violations of accountability and poor achievement levels for the neediest children resulted in passage during the George W. Bush Administration of the No Child Left Behind Act with bipartisan support including Senator Ted Kennedy and Congressman George Miller — which attempted to build in a much needed stronger federal accountability role. The new Every Student Succeeds Act begins a new era but without needed federal accountability and relying on hopes that all states will fulfill their crucial responsibility to educate all their children fairly and prepare them for work and life. To ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, all of us — every parent, child and community advocate who cares about our nation’s future — will have to work very very hard. It is nation threatening when we look at how our children in public schools are performing in the fourth and eighth grades in 2015 and see more than 75 percent of lower income children, more than 80 percent of Black children and more than 73 percent of Latino children cannot read or compute at grade level. What is a child going to do in a competitive globalizing world if he cannot read and compute at very basic levels, is unable to graduate from high school, or is shunted into a Cradle to Prison Pipeline™ accelerated by unjust

zero tolerance school discipline and misdirected special education policies? There is some good news in the new Act. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Patty Murray and Representative Bobby Scott, working with Senator Lamar Alexander and Representative John Kline, some of the most harmful proposals were excluded including one that would have diverted Title I funds from high poverty to low poverty schools — the portability provision. The new law requires states to continue to track the performance of all children and subgroups of children by race, ethnicity, disability, and English language learners, with data breakdowns by gender. While states will set their own goals and timelines for academic progress, their plans will require federal approval. States will be required to help fix schools where student test scores are in the lowest five percent, where achievement gaps are greatest, and in all high schools where fewer than 67 percent of students graduate on time using evidence-based programs approved by the U.S. Department of Education. The Act takes significant positive steps to help students in foster care who have not had targeted attention before by state and local education agencies. Although public child welfare agencies have had obligations for ensuring educational stability for these children for a number of years, the new law helps ensure their school stability and educational success. This should help prevent students from needlessly changing schools — falling further and further behind with each move. It ensures they can remain in their same school when they enter foster care and change placements unless it is not in their best interest. It also requires these children be immediately enrolled in a new school without the typically required records when a school change is necessary to eliminate gaps in their education, and encourages the prompt transfer of records when a child in foster care enters a new school. Both school districts and child welfare agencies must have reciprocal points of contact for students in foster care, and both systems must have a point of contact for them at the state level. Local education and child welfare agencies also must collaborate to develop and implement a plan for transportation for those students who will need it to remain in their school of origin. New 23

data on high school graduation rates for students in foster care will help track their progress. There are important improvements in the Act for more than 1.3 million children and youth experiencing homelessness also focusing on school stability and success. State and local education agencies must ensure their Title I plans promote identification, enrollment, attendance and school stability of these children. Local education agencies must reserve a portion of their education funding to support homeless children. State report cards must include disaggregated information on graduation rates and other achievement measures for these children. The new Act increases by more than 20 percent the authorized funding level for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program which offers critical protections for homeless children. As hard as it has been for poor and other vulnerable children to move ahead and to make adequate progress even with federal accountability, it will be even harder without it. Parents, community leaders, public officials and child advocates must hold state, district and school leaders accountable for establishing and meeting performance targets for children. They must join with state and local education agencies to insist on increased resources to address the needs of the most vulnerable children. Child advocates and parents must ask for and review state and local school plans and notify the U.S. Department of Education and local media if they think school districts are neglecting some children or violating the new law. At stake are millions of children’s hopes, lives and futures. Those unable to read and compute and graduate from high school are being sentenced to social and economic death. They deserve better in the world’s biggest economy. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind (R) mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www. ChildrensDefense.org

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8 BUSINESS

MINORITY BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2015: THE YEAR IN REVIEW By William McCoy, MPA In retrospect, 2015 was not a particularly noteworthy year for Columbus area minority business enterprise (MBE) and economic development. Officials at the City of Columbus were asked about the 2015 highlights for MBE and minority economic development. No one could point to a single, major MBE or minority economic development accomplishment or milestone that had been reached. In short, 2015- like the years beforewas uneventful in the minds of those working at City Hall. A similar response was given by a staff person at the Central Ohio Minority Business Association (COMBA). 2015 was a watershed year for minority businesses in one respect, however. The State of Ohio did report Fiscal Year 2015 was a recordbreaking year for minority business purchasing. According to the MBE/EDGE Scorecard Reports and MBE Fact Sheet published on the State of Ohio Department of Administrative Services website. For the first time in 35 years (and possibly ever), the State of Ohio met and exceeded its goal of purchasing 15% of its goods and services from minority-owned businesses. In fact, the State of Ohio purchased more than 17.2% or $228 million from MBEs through its agencies, boards, and commissions. In addition, another 2.2% was spent through “open market” purchases with minority businesses for a total of 19.4% or more than a quarter of a billion dollars! This is a major accomplishment. Again, this is the first time ever that State of Ohio has exceeded its 15% minority purchasing goal. Consider this: in Fiscal Year 2008, the State of Ohio purchased just 1.1% or $27 million from minority businesses. By comparison, the City of Columbus spent a paltry 3.4% of its expenditures on goods and services with MBEs in 2014. Governor John Kasich deserves a great deal of credit for this achievement. No other governor ever achieved this goal, let alone exceeded it. In accomplishing this milestone, Governor Kasich proved that leadership, commitment, and followthrough can produce significant change in the way government does business with minority business enterprise. Governor Kasich’s commitment to minority business development goes back to his days

in the Ohio Senate, where he supported House Bill 584 in 1980, which established a minority business program that included minority business enterprise purchasing goals. As governor, Governor Kasich demanded all departments, boards, and commissions do business with minority-owned firms. He also made sure all of state government did what it could to meet the 15% minority purchasing goal. In Fiscal Year 2012, just 4.1% of state purchases were made from minority businesses. Three years later, under Governor Kasich’s leadership, the State of Ohio spent roughly 19.4% or over $250 million with these firms. The City of Columbus has been governed by a Democratic Black mayor for 12 years and the Columbus City Schools led by a Black superintendent for most of that time. Yet, these African-Americans never impacted minority business enterprise the way Governor John Kasich, a Republican, has in the past three years. Go figure. As 2016 dawns, the City of Columbus will usher in a new mayor, Andrew Ginther, and administration. With change comes the hope of a better tomorrow. If MBEs are to do more business with City Hall in the coming years, several things have to happen. First, Mayor Ginther will have to be more strategic and intentional than his predecessor. Second, city staff will need to be empowered and courageous in their pursuit of a pro-MBE agenda. Third and, for our purposes, finally, City Hall should forge partnerships with previously overlooked

and ignored organizations, companies, and individuals who can help city hall with (minority) economic and enterprise development. In conclusion, Governor John Kasich should be encouraged to keep the State of Ohio in the forefront of doing business with minority enterprise. The City of Columbus’ new mayor and administration should give minority economic development and MBE development a higher priority, than in the past. In any case, the new mayor and administration should heed the words of Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich, 1937) who said, “Don’t search for opportunity in the distance, recognize and embrace it right where you are.” William McCoy is president of The McCoy Company- a world-class personal services consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, community economic development, and training. The McCoy Company helps clients articulate and achieve their vision, solve problems, and pursue their opportunities. Mr. McCoy is one of the nation’s leading proponents of Violence Interruption Experience training and has worked with hate groups, violent offenders, students and faculty at colleges and universities, and a myriad of others on the issues of violence, race, change, and alliance-building. He is a published author, award-winner, and sought after public speaker. William McCoy can be reached at (614) 785-8497 or via e-mail at wmccoy2@ themccoycompany.com.

“Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

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SAVE YOUR MONEY IN 2016 By Cecil Jones, MBA

tends to go up, regularly. Increasing fees like this is easier for government than increasing overall state income taxes. I bought 5 year renewals. Of You spent too much for course, you can move the tags around to any car Christmas presents? You that you own, whenever you like (next car you are paying interest fees on buy, etc.). credit card balances? You have a credit card balance Are Your Personal Finances in Order? that is more than 30% of the card limit? Your FICO Written Monthly Budget credit score is not good? You don’t have a written monthly budget? Your monthly expenses Is your budget in writing? One indicator of a are more than your monthly income person in financial trouble is that they have NO WRITTEN financial budget. We are not talking If any of the above are true OR you just want about a fancy financial model in Quicken Books to focus on doing better with your cash in or any expensive financial tool. 2016, let’s review some basic personal finance Are your income and your expenses written ideas that will save money and help get keep down? If the answer is no, then you are likely in you on the right track. Before that review, let financial trouble or heading toward it. You likely me do a full disclosure. While I belong to the know how much is coming into your home or Financial Planning Association, have been a business each month. Technology Manager in Fortune 100 financial institutions for many years, teach insurance and Do you know how much you are spending? For risk management classes (among others), and one month, record everything that you spend. have an insurance certification (FMLI), I am Everything. One month is not a long time. not a Financial Planner. I pay attention to many At the end of that month, review that list of financial markets, including the stock market, expenditures. You can now make some decisions daily. about how you spend money. Now, you are able to set up a budget. You can’t develop a budget, if Eliminate Unnecessary Spending Now you do not know how much you spend. How much does your cell phone cost each month? Call your cell phone company, tell them that you are reducing your household expenditures and ask what they can do to lower your bill. Whenever I have done this, they lowered the bill right away, with no haggling. If you have been with the same phone company for a while, they will work with you. Also, consider cutting your bill in half by going with another carrier. Carriers like Republic Wireless have prices that are much less than half of the larger carriers. Some of the things you heard just a year ago about dropped calls and coverage areas have changed. Larger network capacities are built daily. Some of the carriers use each other’s networks, but they don’t do a lot to publicize this. I managed multiple telecommunication implementation teams inside of Verizon. This use of other carriers’ networks has been occurring for a while. Cell phone carriers have stopped 2 year contracts (http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/ mobile/end-cellphone-contracts-could-begood-news-consumers-n488941). Many of the smaller carriers don’t have contracts. Some of the smaller carriers are actually owned by large, major carriers and uses their networks.

Credit Rating Do you know your credit rating? Do you know your FICO score? The three nationwide credit reporting companies have set up one website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report, once each year. To order the report, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

P.O.

Do not contact the three nationwide credit reporting companies individually. You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies at the same time, or you can order from only one or two, as you like. The FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) allows you to order one free copy from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies every 12 months. An aside: former Franklin County resident, Richard Cordray (former Ohio House Representative and Ohio Attorney General) is the national Director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, appointed by President Obama.

How much does your TV, internet access, cable, Direct TV, etc. viewing cost? Call them and ask for a cheaper rate. They authorize even the customer services representatives to give Emergency Fund discounts, to a specific percentage/amount. Do you pay your car license renewal each year? Consider paying for 2, 3, 4 or 5 years, instead. An Ohio law was passed (http://publicsafety. ohio.gov/links/BMV-Historyweb-2015.pdf) that allows (since 2014) paying for and receiving stickers that last for multiple years, up to 5 years. This eliminates going back to renew your auto tag sticker and lets you avoid any increases in the renewal fee. As we have seen, the renewal fee

We call it an ‘Emergency Fund’ but it is really an “I know something unexpected will happen; I want to be ready” fund. Everyone has unexpected things occur. Another helpful practice; Save some money from your income BEFORE you pay anything. If you can have it automatically taken from your paycheck or bank account, this helps to ensure that you do indeed save. If you have little savings, think you have nothing to save or are just starting out, try this simple approach.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

Save $1 this Friday. Save $2 next Friday. Save $3 the following Friday… up to…Save $52 at week 52, for one year. This does a couple of things: it gets you $1,378 and also very solidly develops the practice of saving. Of course, those that have been working or been in business for a while will save more. Investing After you have an emergency fund (for the unexpected) and a ‘few months income’ fund (in case your primary income stops suddenly), focus on investing and getting a decent return. If you have a 401a, 401k, 403a, 403b or other fund for which you have control, you likely have free access to a financial planner. If you don’t have free access, most financial planners will give you one or two free sessions. You likely receive communications from financial planners. Schedule some time with the planner to get smarter about the funds and vehicles in which you can invest. Often, there are many funds and vehicles in which you might like to invest, of which you might be unaware. Some 401a, 401k, 403a, 403b, etc. plans even go as far as to allow investments into most publicly traded stocks via your plan. Know your risk tolerance. Don’t invest in something you know nothing about. Do a bit of reading and research, first. Investing can take many forms, including putting $ into your part-time business (if you have one) which makes money. You can quietly do well in your investing 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 techonology 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 admin@accelerationservices.net for 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 the Vice-Chairman of IMPACT Community Action Agency. Visit his website at www.accerationservices.net

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

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READING: THE KEY TO LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE By Ambrose Moses, III America still has work to do in the area of legal, social, and economic justice for all. One pressing question for us in 2016, is whether there is a need for what Martin Luther King called “direct action” and what Malcolm X referred to as “shaking things up”? I believe the clear answer is, “Yes!” But, both of these men employed a strategy that involved a thorough analysis and understanding of the situation before acting. You can’t just run into the street demonstrating without knowing what your goals and objectives are or understanding why you are doing it. Hence, there is a need for you to read in order to learn and understand the circumstances at hand. (Growing up, I remember hearing PSAs touting “Reading is fundamental”. It was true then. It is true now.) In 1964, Freedom Summer involved the Freedom Rides, sit-ins, and other powerful demonstrations and sacrifices that were made by black and white Americans who believed in America’s stated promise of equal justice under law and that everyone was entitled to their inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This necessary agitation and direct action culminated and led to the enactment of necessary civil rights legislation. For the past two years, some of us have celebrated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as landmark pieces of civil rights legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. (Thus, the laws benefitted more than African Americans.) The laws ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public (known as “public accommodations”) and prohibited racial

discrimination in voting. Designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 allowed for a mass enfranchisement of racial minorities throughout the country.

helpful secondary source or tip, but you have to take it further. Fact check, research, confirm, or disprove what you see.)

Reading allows you to visit and learn from historical places, events, and people. In addition, reading gives you access to the laws, rules, While these laws were important legal decisions, policy statements, and more, that are accomplishments, their mere existence is not the relevant to one’s understanding of and vigilance sole solution to the problem. The price of liberty over keeping one’s freedom. is eternal vigilance. So, as you engage in 2016, let’s read. In 2016, it is important that Americans continue the pursuit of legal, social, and economic justice Ambrose Moses, III is a lawyer and writer for all. While there are many things that are whose mission is to promote and obtain “. . . symptomatic of the problems. I submit to you legal, social, and economic justice for all.” His that one of the key areas we must address is primary areas of practice are business, 501(c) (3)/nonprofits, and crowdfunding. Ambrose reading. regularly presents with community and business Reading and understanding are essential to development organizations on business and lawfreedom and to being vigilant about keeping one’s related topics. freedom. There are tech devices, computers, and smartphones everywhere. There is access to Email: info@MosesLaw.pro • Website: www. information and primary sources. But one has to MosesLaw.pro • Telephone: (614) 418-7898 take the time to read and understand. (And, no, Facebook is not a primary source. It can be a Photo: Mike Burley/Telegraph Herald

To Advertise in The Columbus African American contact us at: editor@columbusafricanamerican.com Ray Miller, Publisher 750 East Long Street, Suite 3000 Columbus, Ohio 43203 614.340.4891

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

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9 PLA CYCLE VIII

VISIT TO THE OHIO STATEHOUSE

On Wednesday, December 30, 2015, the Progressive Leadership Academy (PLA) Cycle VIII visited the Ohio Statehouse. The fellows held one of their weekly sessions in the Senate Finance room, where they welcomed Angela Woodson, a political strategist and consultant from Cleveland, Ohio. Fellows were encouraged to sit in the seats of the senate finance members so that they could have an understanding about how state government operates. Below are photos from their session.

Cycle VIII Fellows sit in the chairs of the Senate members at the Ohio Statehouse, Senate Finance Room.

PLA Faculty Member, Cecil Jones, shares a few words with the class.

Cycle VIII Fellow, Camren Harris, introduces guest speaker.

PLA Alum, Antwan Booker, welcomes the class to the Senate.

Ray Miller, Founder of the PLA, shares a leadership lesson.

Cycle VIII Fellow, Yaves Ellis, asks a question about leadership.

Cycle VIII Fellow, Councilmember Jaiza Page, asking a question of guest speaker, Angela Woodson. The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

Guest speaker, Angela Woodson, shares a leadership lesson.

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By Ray Miller, MPA Doctoring Freedom - The Politics of African American Medical Care in Slavery and Emancipation

The Defender - How the legendary

Black Newspaper Changed America

By Ethan Michaeli

By Gretchen Long

Giving voice to the voiceless, the Chicago Defender condemned Jim Crow, catalyzed the Great Migration, and focused the electoral power of black America. Robert S. Abbott founded The Defender in 1905, smuggled hundreds of thousands of copies into the most isolated communities in the segregated South, and was dubbed a “Modern Moses,” becoming one of the first black millionaires in the process. His successor wielded the newspaper’s clout to elect mayors and presidents, including Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy, who would have lost in 1960 if not for The Defender’s support. Along the way, its pages were filled with columns by legends like Ida B. Wells, Langston Hughes, and Martin Luther King. Author Ethan Michaeli constructs a revelatory narrative of race in America and brings to life the reporters who braved lynch mobs and policemen’s clubs to their jobs.

For enslaved and newly freed African Americans, attaining freedom and citizenship without health for themselves and their families would have been an empty victory. Even before emancipation, African Americans recognized that control of their bodies was a critical battleground in their struggle for autonomy, and they devised strategies to retain at least some of that control. In Doctoring Freedom, Gretchen Long tells the stories of African Americans who fought for access to both medical care and medical education, showing the important relationship between medical practice and political identity. Working closely with antebellum medical journals, planters’ diaries, agricultural publications, letters from wounded African American soldiers, military and Freedmen’s Bureau reports, Long traces African Americans’ political acts to secure medical care. Long argues, claiming rights as both patients and practitioners was a political and highly charged act in both slavery and emancipation.

Black Gun, Silver Star - The Life and

Lost Prophet - The Life and Times of

Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves

Bayard Rustin

By Art T. Burton

By John D’Emilio

Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves appears as one of “eight notable Oklahomans,” the “most feared U.S. marshal in the Indian country.” That Reeves was also an African American who had spent his early life as a slave in Arkansas and Texas makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable. Bucking the odds, Art T. Burton sifts through facts and legend to discover the truth about one of the most outstanding peace officers in the late nineteenth-century America and perhaps the greatest lawman of the Wild West ear. Fluent in Creek and other southern Native languages, physically powerful, skilled with firearms, and a master of disguise, Reeves was exceptionally adept at apprehending fugitives and outlaws, and his exploits were legendary in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

One of the most important figures of the American civil rights movement, Bayard Rustin taught Martin Luther King Jr. the methods of Gandhi, spearheaded the 1963 March on Washington, and helped bring the struggle of African Americans to the forefront of a nation’s consciousness. In exploring history’s Lost Prophet, acclaimed historian John D’Emilio explains why Rustin’s influence was minimized by his peers and why his brilliant strategies were not followed, or were followed by those he never meant to help.

Brown v. Board - And the Transformation of American Culture

The Covenant with Black America -

By Ben Keppel

By Tavis Smiley

Ten Years Later

In 2006, Tavis Smiley teamed up with other leaders in the Black community to create a national plan of action to address the ten most crucial issues facing African Americans. The Covenant with Black America, which became a #1 New York Times bestseller, ran the gamut from health care to criminal justice, affordable housing to educatioin, voting rights to racial divides. But a decade later, Black men still fall to police bullets and brutality, Black women still die from preventable diseases, Black children still struggle to get a high quality education, the digital divide and environmental inequality still persist, and American cities from Ferguson to Baltimore burn with frustration. In short, the last decade has seen the evaporation of Black wealth, with Black fellow citizens having lost ground in nearly every leading economic category.

Brown v. Board of Education, which ended legally sanctioned segregation in American public schools, brought issues of racial equality to the forefront of the nation’s attention. Beyond its repercussions for the educational system, the decision also heralded broad changes to concepts of justice and national identity. Brown v. Board and the Transformation of American Culture examines the prominent cultural figures who taught the country how to embrace new values and ideas of citizenship in the aftermath of this groundbreaking decision. Through the lens of three cultural “first responders,” Ben Keppel tracks the creation of an American culture in which race, class, and ethnicity could cease to imply an inferior form of citizenship.

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SIXTH ANNUAL MISTLETOE HOLIDAY PARTY The Men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Rho Lambda Chapter held their Sixth Annual Mistletoe Holiday Party on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Columbus. The event featured two DJ’s, light food and plenty of fun. Below are some of the photos from the event. Photos by Major Foley of Major Moments Photography.

TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016 The 2015

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10 HISTORY

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WALTER McCREARY: ORIGINAL TUSKEGEE AIRMAN & LIEUTENANT COLONEL By Rodney Q. Blount, M.A. Sometimes a person knows when they are in the midst of or a part of history. That was true for me on December 30, 2015. I had the distinct honor of participating in the funeral services for Lieutenant Colonel Walter McCreary. Words cannot express the feeling of reverence and goodwill upon entering Second Baptist Church, the location of the services and the Columbus church home for the McCreary family. Several individuals came from far and near to celebrate the life and legacy of Walter McCreary. Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. had distinguished tributes for Lieutenant Colonel McCreary. Also, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Councilman Hearcel Craig, former state senate leader and editor of the Columbus African American News Journal Ray Miller and several military officials were present and gave their condolences to the family. All of this occurred before the start of the funeral so the magnitude of Lieutenant Colonel McCreary’s legacy was quickly apparent. Tribute after tribute praised McCreary for being a model citizen, a model family man, a man of character, and for his exemplary military service to the United States. His love of listening to the original music of William L. Dawson sang by the Tuskegee Choir was beautifully displayed in musical selections by the Urban Strings, a youth orchestra of young talented musicians from Columbus. During his eulogy, Pastor Keith Troy, Pastor of New Salem Baptist Church, made a key distinction between successful and significant. There are many who clamor for success, but it is more important to be significant. Being significant does not mean that you are on every billboard and commercial. Being significant means that you impact others’ lives and that you leave a place or individual better than when you found it. Lieutenant Colonel Walter McCreary was successful and significant. Lieutenant Colonel Walter Lee McCreary was born on March 4, 1918 in San Antonio, Texas, to Daisy Novella McCreary and James Walter McCreary, a railroad worker. He was one of three children. McCreary graduated from Phyllis Wheatley High School (now Brackenridge High School) in San Antonio in 1935 and went on to major in Business Administration at Tuskegee Institute (University) in Alabama graduating in 1940, 75 years ago! When he matriculated to Tuskegee Institute, George Washington Carver was still a member of the faculty. Soon after graduation, he entered flight training earning his military aviator’s wings through the Civilian Pilot Training Program at the historic Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. He was

commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps graduating in Aviation Class 43-C and soon after he joined what we now know as the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He was one of the few that were ahead of the pack because he already had a civilian pilot’s license. Lieutenant Colonel McCreary was deployed to Naples, Italy as part of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group where he flew combat missions in the P-39, P-47 and P-51 Airplanes. He flew eighty-nine combat missions over France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Romania, Poland, Greece, Hungary and Yugoslavia protecting bomber missions, flying escort and conducting strafing missions. On his eightyninth mission, his Red Tailed P-51 Fighter Plane was hit by enemy fire. He parachuted to safety over Poland and was captured by German soldiers and was transported to a prisoner of war (POW) camp in Budapest run by the Luftwaffe where he was held for the last 9 months of World War II. Lieutenant Colonel Walter McCreary’s experiences during World War II, particularly his experience as a prisoner of war, was the foundation for some of the scenes in the movie Red Tails. Also, the 332nd Fighter Group’s bravery and outstanding record of achievement in combat contributed to President Harry Truman’s decision to integrate all branches of the armed forces in 1948. Walter McCreary’s service continued after World War II. He remained in the United States Air Force and relocated to Lockbourne Air Force Base (now Rickenbacker), where the 332nd Fighter Group (Tuskegee Airmen) was the primary unit until 1949. He met his wife,

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Dorothy, a graduate of East High School and Ohio State University, in 1950. Their blissful marriage lasted for 47 years. McCreary retired from the Air Force in 1963, after breaking down many racial barriers and earning the respect of everyone with whom he served. He continued to be a leader in his second and third careers as the Deputy Director of Finance for the state of Ohio and later the Financial Officer for the YMCA. McCreary served on several boards and commissions. He also received many awards and honors. He received recognition for faithful service to the Eldon W. Ward YMCA of Central Ohio. In 2006, McCreary was awarded the Doctor of Public Service degree from his beloved Tuskegee University. In 2007, McCreary and other Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor that Congress can give civilians. He was also a dedicated member of Second Baptist Church where he served faithfully as a Deacon for ten years. He had been a loyal member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. since 1956 when he was initiated in San Antonio and remained active when he transferred his membership to Alpha Rho Lambda Chapter in Columbus. He was also a proud member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (Columbus, Ohio Chapter). Lieutenant Colonel Walter L. McCreary passed away on December 20, 2015. He was one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, and infant twin sons Walter Lee and William Allen. Lieutenant Colonel McCreary’s cherished legacy includes three daughters, Stephanie (David) Lynch (with whom he lived and enjoyed spending time with for the last 18 years of his life), Sylvia M. Parks, and Andrea M. McCreary; his grandsons, Nicolas David McCreary Lynch and Allen J. Parks; granddaughter, Allison E. (Frank) Bann; and great grandchildren. Lieutenant Colonel McCreary once said, “If you have a goal in your life continue with it regardless of the trials and tribulations and the setbacks. Prove yourself to be successful.” I could not agree with him more. His passing leaves a void that cannot be replaced, but his legacy should be remembered and venerated. Works Cited Columbus Dispatch (December 25, 2015) Lieutenant Walter McCreary’s Funeral Program http://tuskegeeaisd.org/ 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. Photo by Encarnacion Pyle, The Columbus Dispatch.

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11 HOUSING

TONY JONES: HOMELESS VETERAN IN WASHINGTON D.C. GETS NEW HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

After almost ten years of living in a tent in the woods of Southeast Washington DC, Army veteran Tony Jones is finally getting his own home. “I can’t even express in words how I feel right now. I just know I feel, I feel great,” Jones said. “I feel good. I feel like James Brown, I feel good! AOWWW!” Through the help of Miriam’s Kitchen, Jones obtained a Veterans Administration voucher to cover his renting fees. Miriam’s Kitchen is a non-profit in DC mandated to end homelessness in the area by providing housing and food to the area’s less fortunate. The organization claims to have a 92 percent success rate in keeping people off the street. No one in Jones’ family knew he was homeless, despite the fact that he still kept in touch with them and occasionally visited his mother. He said that as a grown man, he didn’t want sympathy from others. “My case was I was too scared to ask for help. I was embarrassed about it. I didn’t know what

to do until [my caseworker] sent me in the right direction.” Emily Buzzell, Jones’ caseworker at Miriam’s Kitchen, pointed out that it will be easier for him to look for employment now that he has a place to live and properly prepare himself to meet people and go out on interviews. “We operate under the housing first philosophy which is exactly what it sounds like. Housing comes first and then once somebody gets a roof over their head. Then everything else falls in place a lot easier.” Despite his humble living conditions, Jones said he considered himself lucky, as he had shelter while camped out in the wilderness while many others who live on DC’s sidewalks don’t. A middle-aged, down-to-earth man, Jones describes his passion for comic books and for writing poems about his wife while he was by himself living in the woods. “The good thing about being lonely here is that I am always her one and only,” Jones once wrote. “Her only one.” Jones recounted being checked in on by the police during violent snowstorms to make sure that he was safe; they never harassed him once because of his living situation. He spoke of indulging in his book collection as well, including his mother’s bible and books by Stephen King and Sandra Brown. He claimed that he joined the army to prove himself, and he says it hardened him and prepared him to brave the difficult life he’s led in recent years.

“You think you can’t push no further but [the army] will push you beyond the limits where you think you can go…the army brings that out in you.” Jones was only one of almost 50,000 homeless veterans living in America as of November 2015, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Addressing veteran homelessness has been a significant priority for the Obama administration, one that it had originally hoped to bring to an end by the end of the year. Though still high, the rate of veterans living on the street has dropped significantly, as 74,000 were homeless as of 2010. First Lady Michelle Obama had been hosting her own campaign to fight the issue in her Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. At the time that it was was announced in June 2014, 77 cities had joined the project. That number has since expanded to 255. “Whatever the number, these brave men and women have served this country with grace courage and grace,” the First Lady said at her announcement for her campaign. “Too many of them have come home to fight a new battle. A battle to keep a roof over their head, a battle to have somewhere to go when it rains. “Even one homeless veteran is a shame…We should be horrified because that’s not who we are as Americans. We can’t just throw up our hands and say that this problem is too big for us. The truth is that it’s not.” Story provided by www.GoodBlackNews.org

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI COMMITS $40M TO FACULTY DIVERSITY INITIATIVES The University of Cincinnati has announced a $40 million commitment to diversify its faculty. The initiative includes a cluster hiring program where a group of scholars in a particular field are hired to boost the university’s academic standing in that discipline. Another facet of the faculty diversity plan is an effort to find jobs for the spouses of potential faculty hires. The Strategic Hiring Opportunity Program actually began in 2013 and to date 26 faculty members from underrepresented minority groups have been hired. Recently, the provost’s office allocated a new $4 million fund to hire a cluster of faculty members in urban studies. Funds will be provided for each of the six new faculty members in this cluster for a graduate fellow and an undergraduate research assistant. A group called Black UC recently held a rally on the University of Cincinnati. The group said that efforts to diversify the faculty have gone too slow. The group stated that there were 75 Blacks out of a total of 2,800 faculty members on campus. University of Cincinnati African American Cultural & Resource Center (Photo via uc.edu)

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY RENAMES BUILDINGS

Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has announced that it is changing the names of two buildings on campus. Mulledy Hall and McSherry Hall were both named after former presidents of the university. In 1838, Father Thomas F. Mulledy authorized the sale of 272 slaves owned by the Society of Jesus in Maryland to a slaveowner in Louisiana in order to alleviate the university’s debt.

Current Georgetown University President John J. DiGioia has stated that “though Father Mulledy contributed much to our university, his actions represent a difficult past that is contrary to the values and mission of our University — a mission that we affirm and seek to strengthen in our examination of this history and its impact on our current moment.” William McSherry, another former president of the university, also sold slaves and advised Father Mulledy on the 1838 sale. President DiGioia announced on November 14 that Mulledy Hall, a student dormitory on campus, would now be called Freedom Hall. McSherry Hall, which houses a meditation center on campus, will now be known as Remembrance

Hall. Both names have been changed on an interim basis until a decision has been made on permanent names for the facilities. President DiGioia stated that “as a University, we are a place where conversations are convened and dialogue is encouraged, even on topics that may be difficult. This is what we will continue to do at Georgetown. We are supportive of our students and proud of the depth of their engagement in these urgent conversations. These issues require the very best of each of us and call us to continue to come together as a community to engage this important work.” Article submitted by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education Photo courtesy of Georgetown University

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016 The 2015

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THE COLUMBUS AFRICAN AMERICAN 2016 SURVEY This year, The Columbus African American news journal will celebrate its 5th anniversary. In our continual effort to be informed of the profile of our readers and your views on major issues, we are requesting that you complete our first quarter 2016 survey. Please take the time to respond to each question. This survey must be completed by January 31, 2016. You may mail your completed survey to: The Columbus African American News Journal, 750 E. Long Street, Suite 3000, Columbus, OH 43203. 2016 Survey 1.) What is your gender? ___ Male ___ Female

8.) What is the highest level of education you have completed?

14.) Do you own a smartphone?

___ High School Diploma

___ No

___ 2-Year Degree

2.) What is your race?

___ 4-Year Degree

___ African American

___ Masters

___ African

___ Doctorate

___ White

15.) If you use a smartphone, what do you use it for? (Check all that apply) ___ Shopping ___ Email ___ Texting

9.) What is your age?

___ Hispanic ___ Asian/Pacific Islander ___ Native American

___ Social Media

___ 18-24

___ Phone Calls

___ 25-34

___ Video Calls

___ 35-44

___ Other Please specifiy________ ____________________ 3.) What is your income? ___ Less than $10,000

___ Watch Movies/TV

___ 45-54

___ Web Searching, i.e. Google, Bing

___ 55-64 ___ 75 or older 10.) Do you use a computer? ___ Often

___ $10,000 - $25,000

___ Sometimes

___ $25,000 - $30,000

___ No

___ Never

___ $45,000 - $65,000 ___ $65,000 - $75,000

11.) What do you use your computer for? (Check all that apply)

___ $75,000 - $100,000 ___ Over $100,000 4.) Do you Own or Rent your home?

___ Check emails ___ Use social media

___ Rent

___ For school

5.) What is your marital status? ___ Single

___ For work ___ Play games Please specify _____________

___ Separated

_________________________

___ Divorced ___ Widowed any

___ Yes (If yes, with how many others? ______

___ Other

___ Married

17.) Do you share your copy of The Columbus African American news journal? ___ No

___ Shope online

___ Own

16.) Do you subscribe to The Columbus African American news journal? ___ Yes

___ Rarely

___ $30,000 - $45,000

6.) Do you have children under 18?

___ Yes

12.) Do you Own or Lease your car? ___ Own

18.) What is the most important issue that affects the black community in Columbus, Ohio. (Please rank with 1 being the most important and 5 being the least important.) ___ Education ___ Housing ___ Employment ___ Health ___ Family

___ Yes

___ Lease

___ No

13.) Please select your top 3 car brands. 19.) What is the primary cause of poverty? (Please rank, with 1 being the most important and 6 being the ___ Acura ___ Fiat ___ Kia least important.) ___ Audi ___ Ford ___ Lexus ___ Unemployment ___ Lack of Education ___ BMW ___ Honda ___ Lincoln ___ Underemployment ___ Physical Disabilities ___ Chrysler ___ Infiniti ___ Mercedes ___ Out of Wedlock Births ___ Alcohol & Drug Addiction ___ Dodge ___ Jaguar ___ Toyota

7.) If yes, how many children live in your household? ___ 0-2 ___ 2-4 ___ 5+

___ Volkswagon ___ Cadillac ___ Chevy

The Columbus African American News Journal â&#x20AC;˘ January 2016

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

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THE COLUMBUS AFRICAN AMERICAN 2016 SURVEY 20.) Do you make a conscious descision to support black-owned businesses?

27.) Does Columbus have a homelessness problem?

___ Yes

___ No

21.) Do you believe that the City of Columbus is doing enough to support African American owned-businesses?

28.) Does Columbus have an affordable housing problem? ___ Yes

___ Yes

___ No

29.) Is there an issue of income inequality in Columbus?

22.) Who are you supporting for president in 2016? ___ Jeb Bush (R)

___ Yes ___ No

___ Ben Carson (R) ___ Chris Christie (R) ___ Hillary Clinton (D) ___ Ted Cruz (R) ___ John Kasich (R) ___ Bernie Sanders (D)

30.) Would you be supportive of a civilian review board? ___ Yes ___ No

___ None of the above

31.) Would you support a ballot initiative to establish a ward system of electing council members instead of the current seven-member at large system?

23.) Who are you supporting for the 2016 U.S. Senate race in Ohio?

___ No

___ Donald Trump (R)

___ Yes

___ Rob Portman (R) ___ Ted Strickland (D) 24.) Will you support a Columbus Public School levy in the fall of 2016? ___ Yes ___ No 25.) Would you support a bond initiative to finance the development of Columbus inner-city neighborhoods? ___ Yes ___ No 26.) Is there a need for a mid-level management or professional employment agency? ___ Yes

32.) Do you support Planned Parenthood? ___ Yes ___ No 33.) Do you support President Obama’s gun control initiative? ___ Yes ___ No 34.) When someone comes to Columbus, Ohio, what do you make sure to tell them to visit or experience? _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

___ No

Thank you for your participation. We appreciate your feedback.

TheColumbus ColumbusAfrican AfricanAmerican AmericanNews NewsJournal Journal• •February January 2016 The 2015

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12 LITERARY ART

OKAY, CONTENT, BALANCED AND HAPPY By Stephanie Bridges The new year is about reflection. How far have we come to realizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream? Is equality still the end game or are our youth propelling us in a new direction with #BlackLivesMatter and #BuyBlack movements? It has been more than a year and still no charges have been filed against Tamir Rice’s killers. Is that enough for us to no longer desire a seat at the counter, but instead, our own counter with our own seats? In 2016 are we still embarrassed to be African or is it time for the long overdue celebration of our rich ancestral heritage? Do African Americans have the luxury of being free spirits or is the cost too high in a nation that quantifies our existence by hue? These are just a few of the questions addressed but not fully answered in my poetic discourse. Then comes A Negro’s Perspective, different from my own, but written by my son, Jelani Bridges. His voice doesn’t question, reflect or ponder dreams. No, he is the answer. Crayons No matter the color, no matter the hue Crayons are so much fun I broke a couple Tore the paper off two And ate a part of one They outline, draw, color and shade Every tone I could every dream But when I close my eyes, the colors fade And all the same, crayons seem Wax form wrapped in paper Placed in a box to share No matter the color, no matter the hue Color your world with love and care The Storyteller The key to my being relies on the beat of the drum, an African rhythmic vibrato. It keeps my breadth steady and my pulse at the tip of your ebony thumb; tapping, pounding, rapping at the hide covered trunk – Thump. Thump. The sound is magical lows that reach the depth of my knowing. Resistance giving to movement, I succumb; run, dance, jump to the beat of the drum. Heart races, key in place to unlock the story of whence my Ancestors come. I sing praises to

the Most High Who created the Motherland that I’ve never seen such sadness, going from gave birth to her African Son; tapping, pounding, hardship to hardship rapping his magical rhythmic drum. We tearing us apart, but got the nerve to blame the white man For our heads being the hardest Identity Crisis I’m not absolving them completely, but do you see me When I lost my identity It was easy maneuvering through life without The only time you do is on a field, music or reality tv thin skin And clearly at 5’6” I won’t make it to the NBA I floated and the device was good But that don’t mean at 5’6”, I can’t get my MBA Til that too dissipated And if I don’t make it, that makes me OJ No longer grounded While we on the subject of stereotypes, I was I awakened out of this world born in the projects With no one to relate Surrounded by nonsense, people saying I have Afraid religion wouldn’t approve of the new me no options I regained my identity; it pains me worse than My single mother on my conscience before But to me those are just excuses Race. Gender. Drawer. Things we use to justify mistakes and give reason Yet. Free. Spirits. Soar. for exclusion But how do I turn my back on love? Nah, I’m proud to be a Negro Moses, Black Moses, Malcolm, Martin, Marcus, I know that means I’m powerful, but not equal Mandela and More But no matter the amount of hate, there will not Chose freeing over freedom be a sequel Liberating over liberation I’m different than the others, so when I say this take no offense My skin calls me black The reason we don’t got no money is because My sex says I’m girl everything we get, we spend My salary laugh…she poor Either on Jays or a wavy hair weave I wear my Identity well Got the nerve to cry about your dad, but on your It is a labor of love kid, you would leave Yet. Free. Spirits. Soar. Calling yourself an OG, laughing with your homies Black Boy with Toy Gun Killed in a Society Gonna riot when the cops kill, but probably that Covets Guns know a killer walking round free What had happen was; And to them we all sag, got dread locks or a box Black boy got killed They think our language is ghetto Half say it unfair – he was just being And that’s the stuff they use to keep us from the top Half say it fair – he was being black But we help too, so don’t get it twisted Kids having kids, boys and girls never maturing A Negro’s Perspective into men and women By Jelani Bridges And our grandparents all looking at us in Martin Luther King’s image This is a story about a people full of color But sorry we don’t got the same dream Some called sisters, others called brothers I’m not looking for equality And the ones with the pale skin tell us that they This Negro, gonna be on top of everything love us Yet, they smile when they see our crying mothers Stephanie Bridges is an author and active writer. To me this is tragic A native of Columbus, she is a contributing Why we mad at cops killing blacks writer for The Columbus African American. When we putting us in caskets

The Columbus African American News Journal • January February2016 2015

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THE COLUMBUS AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWS JOURNAL DISTRIBUTION LIST

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The Columbus African American is the largest minority publication in Central LIBRARIES Ohio with over 40,000 readers. The news journal is distributed on the first Friday of every month at more than 150 locations around the city. Pick up your CML - Barnett Branch copy today at a location near you! CML - Gahanna Branch New Jerusalem Baptist Church CHURCHES CML - Canal Winchester Branch New Birth Christian Ministries CML - Hilltop Branch All Nations Church New Salem Missionary Baptist Church CML - Karl Road Branch Asbury North United Methodist Church Oakley Full Gospel Church CML - Linden Branch Christ Memorial Baptist Church Original Glorious C.O.G.I.C. CML - Livingston Branch Columbus Christian Center Refuge Missionary Baptist Church CML - MLK Branch Corinthian Baptist Church Rehoboth Temple of Christ CML - Reynoldsburgh Branch Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church Rhema Christian Center CML - Shepard Branch Faith Ministries Second Baptist Church CML - Whitehall Branch First A.M.E Zion Church First Church of God Family Missionary Baptist Church Friendship Baptist Church Higher Ground A.A. Hosack St. Baptist Church Jordan Baptist Church Kingdom Christian Center Living Faith Apostolic Church Love Zion Baptist Church Maynard Ave Baptist Church Mt. Hermon Missionary Baptist Church Mt. Olivet Baptist Church Mt. Vernon AME

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RECREATION CENTERS

St. Paul AME Church St. Phillip`s Episcopal Church St. Philip Lutheran Church Southfield Missionary Baptist Church Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church Spring Hill Baptist Church Tabernacle Baptist Church Traveler’s Rest Baptist Church

Canal Winchester YMCA E.E. Ward Family YMCA Hilltop YMCA North YMCA Barnett Recreation Center

Beatty Recreation Center Driving Park Recreation Center Marion Franklin Recreation Center RESTAURANTS A Family Affair La Glory Cafe New Harvest Cafe Old Bag of Nails Super Chefs Tooties Chicken & Waffles Zanzibar Brews SENIOR CARE ORGANIZATIONS AARP Ohio Jenkins Terrace Isabelle Ridgeway Care Center Summit’s Trace Wexner Heritage Village STATE, COUNTY & CITY DEPARTMENTS ADAMH of Franklin County Columbus Health Department COWIC Dept. Jobs & Family Services Franklin County Children Services Ohio Dept. of Transportation MISCELLANEOUS Dollar General (Broad & Main) All Neighborhood Health Centers King Arts Complex Homeport C.D. White Funeral Home Caliman Funeral Home Mt. Carmel Hospital East & West 22 Newstands Downtown

Triedstone Missionary Baptist Church Trinity Baptist Church Union Grove Baptist Church Vineyard Columbus

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

The Columbus African American News Journal • January 2016

CAANJ

COMMUNITYEVENTS January 13, 2016 Blues People: Mark Lomax Trio The Johnstone Fund for New Music, in partnership with Short North Stage and CFG Multimedia, present a free concert featuring the Mark Lomax Trio at the Garden Theatre. Come out and experience the soulful sounds of Mark Lomax and his trio. For more information visit the website below. Location: The Garden Theatre Address: 1187 N. High Street, 43201 Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Admission: Free Web: www.MarkLomaxii.com January 18, 2016 31st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the largest breakfast in the country. This year’s keynote speaker is Susan L. Taylor, former editor of Essence Magazine. For tickets or more information call 614-252-0868 or visit the website below. Location: Columbus Convention Center - Exhibition Hall C Address: 400 N. High Street, 43215 Time: 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM Admission: $40 per person, $400 per table of 10 Web: www.MLKjrBreakfast.com January 18, 2016 23rd Annual MLK Breakfast at Ohio Weslyan University Celebrate MLK Day at Ohio Weslyan University with their annual breakfast featuring Gregory Moore, OWU alumn and editor of the Denver Post, as the keynote speaker. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the website below or call 800-922-8953. Location: Ohio Weslyan University - Campus Center Address: 40 Rowland Ave., 43015 Time: 7:45 AM - 9:00 AM Admission: $20 per person or $160 per table of 8 Web: www.OWU.edu January 18, 2016 25th Annual MLK Day of Learning Captial University celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with their 25th Annual MLK Day of Learning. This year’s keynote speaker is Terrance Roberts, one of the “Little Rock Nine,” a group of nine African American students who first integrated the public school system in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Following the keynote address, stay for a special soul-food lunch and a full day of workshops. Location: Capital University Address: 1 College and Main Street, 43209 Time: Keynote 9:00 AM, Workshops 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Admission: Free (Lunch is $14 adults, $6 kids) Web: www.Capital.edu/MLK-DAY

January 18, 2016 Annual MLK March Join the City of Columbus, Community Relations Committee as they host the annual MLK March from the King Arts Complex to the Lincoln Theatre. The keynote speaker is Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Location: King Arts Complex and Lincoln Theatre Address: 867 Mt. Vernon Ave & 769 E. Long St., 43203 Time: 4:00 PM (March), 6:00 PM (Program) Admission: Free Web: www.Columbus.gov/MLK2016 January 20, 2016 OSU Corporate and ODI Scholar Symposium Sign-up to participate in this annual program sponsored by the Office of Diversity Inclusion at The Ohio State University. The two-day event will feature various workshops with a keynote presentation from Christopher Woods, Managing Director of Accenture of Washington, DC. For more information, visit the website below or call 614-2920035. Location: Ohio Stadium, Huntington Club Level Address: 411 Woody Hayes Dr., 43210 Time: Times vary each day. Admission: Call for registration costs. Web: www.ODI.OSU.edu January 20, 2016 Community Forum on Employment This community event sponsored by Columbus State Community College will feature a panel discussion that will address issues of race and ethnicity when it relates to employment in Central Ohio. For more information, please visit the website below. Location: Downtown Columbus High School Address: 364 S. 4th Street, 43215 Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Admission: Free Web: www.CourageousConvos.com January 28, 2016 Witness: Black Independent Film/Bless Their Little Hearts In the late 1960’s, a group of African/African-American students studying at UCLA’s film school created a movemenet known as LA Rebellion, typified by Charles Burnett’s 1977 film Killer of Sheep. The film, similar to Burnett’s production, chronicles the devastating effects of unemployment on a family. This film will be shown for one-night only. For more information, visit the website below or call 614-2923535. Location: Wexner Center for the Arts Address: 1871 N. High Street, 43210 Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM Admission: $6-$8 Web: www.WexArts.org

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 614-340-4891 or email us at editor@columbusafricanamerican.com. Submissions are due by the last Friday of each month. January 2016 The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

“THE ULTIMATE MEASURE OF A MAN IS NOT WHERE HE STANDS IN MOMENTS OF COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE, BUT WHERE HE STANDS AT TIMES OF CHALLENGE AND CONTROVERSY.”

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

OPEN ENROLLMENT STARTS

You Have a Choice!

Now!

Serving Grades

K-8

CHALLENGING CURRICULUM AND DAILY SPORTS INSTRUCTION! 3 ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN 3 Small Class Sizes 3 Extended School Day from 8 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

3 Daily Fitness Instruction in Martial Arts, Soccer, and Tennis 3 No Tuition! 3 All Students Wear Uniforms 3 Teachers and Staff Who Care! 3 Individualized Instruction to Meet the Needs of the Whole Child 3 LIMITED SPACE. UNLIMITED POTENTIAL!

Strong Academics—2 hours of reading/language arts, 1.5 hours of math, 1 hour each of science and social studies daily 3 Daily Character Education

Choose from 1 of 5 conveniently located campuses!

1258 Demorest Rd. • Columbus OH 43204 E-mail: ssantos@performanceacademies.com Phone: 614-318-0606

1875 Morse Rd. • Columbus OH 43229 E-mail: medwards@performanceacademies.com Phone: 614-318-0600

3474 Livingston Ave. • Columbus OH 43227 E-mail: wconnick@performanceacademies.com Phone: 614-324-4585

Information Meetings will be held at each school for interested parents. Please check the websites for dates and times.

2220 South Hamilton Rd. • Columbus OH 43232 E-mail: ntate@performanceacademies.com (Grade 4-8) jpammer@performanceacademies.com (Grade K-3) Phone: 614-314-6301

274 E. 1st Avenue, Suite 200 • Columbus, Ohio 43201 E-mail: ahaman@performanceacademies.com Phone: 614-318-0720

www.performanceacademies.com 40

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015