July 4 – 10, 2010 | FREE
Volume 79 Number 36
www.defendernetwork.com REPORT
Black dropout rate soars By Gregory Dale
Elena Kagan
SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS
Kagan draws Black support
(NNPA) - New data from the U.S. Department of Education reveals that Black students continue to drop out of high school at a much higher rate than whites and nearly 40 percent fail to earn a high school diploma on time. According to the report, 234,121 white students in the United States dropped out of high school in 2008, the most recent year for which data was available, comprising 2.8 percent of all white students Arne Duncan enrolled in public high schools. That same year, there were 159,407 Black students who dropped out of high school, totaling 6.7 percent of all Black public high school students. The report also found that, nationwide, just fewer than 75 percent of all students received high school diplo-
By Hazel Trice Edney NNPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
By Aswad Walker DEFENDER
“The critical lesson we must take away from the celebration of those whose names have been too often left out of the history books and conversations on the building and shaping of America is the power we each possess. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” — Kaleema Haidera Al-Nur
O
n July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass, the legendary abolitionist, statesman, and minister, gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. During his address Douglass asked, “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?” Douglass followed his question with a scathing commentary denouncing the obvious contradiction afoot in America at that time—the government-sanctioned institution of slavery operating in the land of liberty. To Douglass, ignoring the African American presence in America was criminal. Generations of respected scholars and historians during Douglass’ time and since have shared his angst over ignoring reality, and offered research painting a picture of a profound presence of African ★OUR STORY TOO, Page 5
★DROPOUTS, Page 5
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Former Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan, President Obama’s pick for the U. S. Supreme Court, has gained more Black civil rights support as she goes before the U. S. Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, who said in May that the LCCR would await decisions from more of its some 200 organizational members before it announces a formal endorsement, has released an updated statement announcing the organization’s endorsement of Kagan. “The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights today announces its support for the nomination of Elena Kagan to be Associate ★KAGAN, Page 5
Congress honors African-American slaves who built U.S. Capitol By Erica Brown NNPA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Members of Congress and distinguished guests were on hand recently at the U. S. Capitol, to witness Congress’ first formal commemoration of the African-American slaves who built the capitol. Rep. John Lewis D-Ga., a renowned leader in the Civil Rights Movement and chairman of the Slave Task Force, an organization dedicated to commemorating the AfricanAmerican contributions to the capitol, unveiled two plaques on June 16, honoring the slaves whose labor greatly contributed to the alluring framework of the Capitol building. “With these plaques…we recognize the
blood sweat and toil of the enslaved AfricanAmericans that helped construct this embodiment of our democracy,” said Lewis. “…We are one step closer to realizing a dream of an all inclusive and more perfect union. “The history of the Capitol, like the history of our nation should be complete,” Lewis continued. “Thousands of visitors walk through our nation’s capitol without knowing the true history of its construction. Today that changes.” Along with Lewis, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid further emphasized Congress’ responsibility to expose the history of the nation’s capitol in its entirety. “In this place, where so much American history is written, it is our duty to ensure that none of it, no matter how foul, is erased from our national memory,” said Reid.
Photo: Erica Brown
Plaques recognizing the contributions of slave labor to the construction of the U. S. Capitol will be placed in "Emancipation Hall" in the Congressional Visitor's Center. They state: “This original exterior wall was constructed between 1793 and 1800 of sandstone quarried by laborers, including enslaved African-Americans, who were an important part of the workforce that built the United States Capitol."
INTERVIEW
Robinson: First Brother-in-Law By Kam Williams CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Craig Robinson was born in Chicago on April 21, 1962, to Fraser and Marian Robinson and raised in a modest home where he had to share a room with his younger sister, Michelle. With the help of devoted parents, who made major sacrifices on their behalf, both children were inspired to excel academically and were admitted to Princeton University. The six-feet-six-inch Craig was also a basketball phenom who was twice-voted the Ivy League Player of the Year during his college tenure. This meant that Michelle grew up in the shadow of her protective big brother. But today, those roles are reversed with Craig in the shadow of his world famous sibling, since she’s now the First Lady of the United States. After playing basketball professionally in
Europe, he earned an MBA from the University of Chicago, and entered the world of finance, where he enjoyed a meteoric rise until another dream beckoned, namely, to coaching. Craig spent two years as the head coach at Brown, where he spearheaded a revival of the school’s flagging program, winning more games in his first two years than any other head coach in the school’s basketball history before being named the Ivy League Basketball Coach of the Year. Currently, Craig, his kids and wife, Kelly, live in Oregon where he coaches Oregon State University’s men’s basketball team. Here, he discusses his autobiography, A Game of Character, and reflects about his career and about how his life has changed since his brother-in-law, Barack, became President. Kam Williams: Hey, thanks for the time. Much appreciated. Craig Robinson: Oh, my pleasure, man. Thank you for
Click on Defendernetwork.com Weekend
Weekend
Monday
Joseph Phillips
Relationships
Nicole Lee
Leadership Deficit
My Man Won't Spoil Me Anymore
Halliburton in Haiti
★ROBINSON, Page 2