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MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Volume 27 Number 12
March 2014
PUBLISHER Rosalind J. Harris
GENERAL MANAGER Lawrence A. James MANAGING EDITOR Angelia D. McGowan
CONTRIBUTING COPY EDITOR Tanya Ishikawa
In honor of Women’s History Month, we have included articles that highlight the diverse contributions of African American women. Our cover story on author J.D. Mason looks at the drive necessary to include African American voices in the literary world. Contributing writer Charles Emmons looks at the inspirational role of beauty salons in the African American community. Sitting in your stylist’s chair is about more than your look. Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis and Dr. Terri Richardson, both with Kaiser Permanente Colorado, address how we can build healthier lives by partnering with our doctors. It’s Women’s History Month. But as I write this message and we prepare to go to the printer, I have a host of events left on my Black History Month calendar. Events to commemorate the achievements of our parents, grandparents, greatgrandparents, and a host of extraordinary people that took the time to think about the quality of our lives before we were even born. Wherever we are right now in our lives, we would not be here without their courage to right a wrong, to make something better or to simply live.
COLUMNISTS Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Angelia D. McGowan Managing Editor
FILM and BOOK CRITIC Kam Williams
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Angelia D. McGowan Charles Emmons ART DIRECTOR Bee Harris
PRODUCTION AND OFFICE ASSISTANT Cecile Perrin CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Lens of Ansar Sweetz Photography
ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANT Robin James DISTRIBUTION Glen Barnes Lawrence A. James Ed Lynch
The Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to spreading the news about people of color. Contents of the Denver Urban Spectrum are copyright 2014 by Bizzy Bee Enterprise. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The Denver Urban Spectrum circulates 25,000 copies throughout Colorado. The Denver Urban Spectrum welcomes all letters, but reserves the right to edit for space, libelous material, grammar, and length. All letters must include name, address, and phone number. We will withhold author’s name on request. Unsolicited articles are accepted without guarantee of publication or payment. Write to the Denver Urban Spectrum at P.O. Box 31001, Aurora, CO 80041. For advertising, subscriptions, or other information, call 303-292-6446 or fax 303-292-6543 or visit the Web site at www.denverurbanspectrum.com.
P. S. Congratulations to Chinelo Nnaji and Roslyn Washington, winners of Denver Black History Trivia Quiz (published in the February 2014 issue) . They won restaurant and comedy show gift cards! Following are the answers to the quiz: 1. Dr. Justina Ford, 2. Dr. Ernest McClain, 3. Sam Cary, 4. George Brown, 5. George Brown, 6. Jim Beckwourth, 7. Hattie McDaniel, 8. Joseph Stuart, 9. Oliver T. Jackson, 10. Zion Baptist Church, 11. Arie Taylor, 12. Gloria Tanner, 13. Cleo Parker Robinson, 14. Shorter African Methodist Episcopal Church, 15. Wellington Webb, 16. Dr. Marie L. Greenwood, 17. Rossonian Hotel, 18. Wilma Webb, 19. Denver Star, 20. Phillip Bailey, Larry Dunn and Andrew Woolfolk
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Assisted Suicide In America
on finding new cures for disease and enabling people to live to ripe old ages so that one day while watching Andy Griffith we just sort of nod off and wake up in a better place. Our society’s priority must never focus on how we can more readily help our sick and aged die faster but how we can heal and help life to be more enjoyable. However, life cannot be very enjoyable if we are imprisoned in a body that will not function. Physician assisted suicide is also legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont. Terminally ill patients in these states can now have their doctors prescribe a fatal prescription. Patients must make the request. Keep in mind this is illegal in most of our country. Also, in many cases persons get beyond the point of making such a decision and linger often in vegetative states. This is where a living will comes into play so that life support can be removed and Hospice can assist. I will be redundant. I don’t like the idea of ending anybody’s life. About a month before my wife died our doctor called me off into a corner and said, “Glenn, there comes a time. She has struggled with this for so long. We have done all we can do. My response was, “I want you to help her live.” “Okay, we will do all we can,” he assured. They did try and she lived about another month. I will always be glad for that one more month as we
Editor: Physician assisted suicide is becoming a bit more popular in America. A New Mexico judge recently ruled that terminally ill, mentally competent patients have the right to ask a physician to end their lives. This would make New Mexico the 5th state to make it legal. My first wife progressively died for 12 years. Multiple sclerosis took her from a vibrant active person to a total invalid unable to do anything but talk. She was a prisoner inside of a body incapable of functioning to any degree whatsoever. On New Year’s Eve, three years before she died, she begged me to call Dr. Kevorkian, who became famous for assisting 130 people in their deaths. She later tried suicide and once begged me to put her in our closed garage and start the car. She did not want to die and leave her family but living trapped inside of a body ravaged by disease was excruciating for her. I know how I personally feel. Should I get to the point where I am without hope of ever enjoying this momentary world I would like to simply go on over to the other side to be with my Lord. There are some problems herein. Life should always be our priority. My heart screams out, “No to any assisted suicide.” We need to put our priorities
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talked about things I would otherwise have missed. The end of life is a tough conversation for anybody facing it regardless of which side of the bed you are sitting. The bible says there is a time to die. Having someone we love voluntarily make that decision about ending his or her life just doesn’t seem like that is what the bible is talking about. However, keep in mind that God is bigger, more loving and far more forgiving than we are.
Glenn Mollette Newburgh, IN
Editor’s note: Glenn Mollette is the author of Silent Struggler: A Caregiver’s Personal Story and nine other books. Contact him at GMollette@aol.com. Like his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/glennmollette. Denver Urban Spectrum Department E-mail Addresses Denver Urban Spectrum
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Author J.D. Mason
Raises Bar for Herself M
ore than 10 years ago, when national best-selling author and Denver resident J.D. Mason submitted her first book to publishers, she was turned down. She changed the name and resubmitted it to the same publishers. It was turned down again. The South High School graduate finally connected with an agent that made it happen for her on that same book — “On the Eighth Day She Rested,” which became a national best seller. By the end of 2014, she will have had 11 books published, and she has just signed a seven-book deal with her publisher. Reviews have noted her style. Booklist says “Mason has become a major name in African American fiction. Her stark portrayals of her characters and their innermost thoughts bring the readers right into the emotional center of the story. Those who enjoy Carl Weber and Eric Jerome Dickey will add Mason to their list of favorites. A review by Publishers Weekly on “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich, says, “Mason’s characters create an addictive drama with universal themes of laying claim to family—and to the truth.” Romantic Times Book Reviews says You Gotta Sin to Get Saved “Effortlessly leaves no stone unturned in the lives of these tormented characters. Mason will take your breath away.” Little did those “rejecting” publishers know that at the age of nine Mason was already a published writer – sort of. Her teacher at Gilpin Elementary School, Mrs. Hickman, published her first book of five short stories using
By Angelia D. McGowan Photo by Bernard Grant
duct tape, colored cardboard and staples. “Every day after school for a week that was my job...finishing that book.” Mrs. Hickman even booked her first book reading – sort of. She referred the book to Mrs. Brown who read it to her first grade class. “I sat behind the teacher as she read the book to the students. The students were riveted by my stories.” Mason considers herself “a storyteller from the day I was born,” but did not truly get back on track with
her passion for writing until around the age of 30, when she honed in on a PC computer in her home. “It was just sitting there collecting dust and mainly being used for playing solitaire. So one day, I sat down and started typing. I felt like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, which is writing,” says the empty nester with two adult children. In between rejections on the first book originally titled, “Resurrecting Ruth,” which took her more than five
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years to craft, she kept plugging away. She employed the electronic version of print-on-demand, publishing her book six weeks and $80 later. She sold 117 copies in this first printing. She skipped hitting up family and friends for sales, instead spamming book clubs, primarily Black book clubs. “Editors knew the presidents, so book clubs were driving a lot of sales,” says Mason, who went on to print 10,000 in subsequent printings. Echoing the power of book clubs is Carleen Brice, Denver resident and author of the novel Orange Mint and Honey a #1 Denver Post best-seller, Essence Magazine Recommended Read and basis for the Lifetime Movie “Sins of the Mother,” which won the 2011 NAACP Image for Outstanding TV Movie. Brice says, “Book clubs absolutely make a difference in sales. I get excited, thinking about how people form a club around it and the characters you create out of thin air.” She adds the buzz created through book clubs “keeps your own faith alive while you are writing, even when sales are down or publishers aren’t loving on you as much. People are sitting there, having a conversation, debating and talking about (your book). When I leave a book club, my heart is so full…It makes all the difference.” The Oprah Book Club’s 15-year run helped sell a lot of books, but it was not the only one. There are countless more, including The Go On Girl! Book Club, a nationally recognized, not-forprofit organization that supports authors of the Black African Diaspora by choosing one book per month for all club members to read. The club Continued on page 6
Mayor Hancock Signs Landmark Legislation And Executive Order
Mayor Michael B. Hancock signed landmark legislation designed to improve economic opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses (M/WBE) in Denver. Surrounded by Denver City Council members, business representatives and city executives, the Mayor signed Council Bills 38 and 39, and Executive Order 101. “This city has regained its energy, and we are now building a global economy that is primed to compete,” Mayor Hancock said. “Denver succeeds if we all succeed. After more than a year of community engagement, I am proud of this tailored package of tools we have created to sharpen Denver women- and minorityowned businesses’ competitive edge. This landmark legislation will level the playing field toward work at city hall and set a standard for the private sector.” The ordinances and executive order work to break down barriers commonly faced by M/WBEs seeking to conduct business with the city. The city will also deliver programs to increase M/WBEs’ capacity, capability and sophistication as well as to create measurements to track the progress of these businesses. Overall, this groundbreaking step forward shows Denver’s commitment to supporting local companies and job-creation efforts and is part of the Mayor’s vision to increase Denver’s connectivity and competitiveness in the global marketplace. “Denver is embarking on a bold data-based, community driven solution to creating parity in the marketplace,” Director of Small Business Opportunity Chris Martinez said. “These legislative actions are set to ingrain a value of opportunity within our departments, but it will take hard work every day to deliver on the high standards we have created for how we conduct business at the city.” The legislative package is a result of
the 2013 Disparity Study, which found evidence of impediments to growth of M/WBEs and underutilization of those businesses in select goods, services and construction industries. The Disparity Study recommended annual aspirational goals of 24 percent for construction, 33 percent for construction-related professional services, 8 percent for select services and 5 percent for select goods. The city will adopt these goals and revisit them annually. • CB14-0038 pertains to construction and professional services related to construction, and maintains city efforts currently underway though the
goals program and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) defined selection pool. It creates new opportunities to develop capacity of M/WBEs and SBEs through the Emerging Business Enterprise program, tiered goals, teaming agreements and mentor-protégé efforts. • CB14-0039 establishes a comprehensive plan to address disparities that exist in the city’s contracting process and marketplace by opening up new procurement opportunities. The ordinance creates a structure tailored to expand competition with an M/WBE goals program through a variety of new programs.
• Executive Order 101 requires city departments and agencies, when soliciting services and goods for the city, to compile information from contractors and consultants on their efforts toward diversity and inclusiveness and report these to the Denver Office of Economic Development. It will also encourage inclusion of diversity and inclusiveness policies as criteria in selection policies where legally permitted. Mayor Hancock signed the ordinances and executive order today in a ceremony at the City and County Building today. The legislation goes into effect on April 1.
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JD Mason
Continued from page 4 also recognizes the artistic achievements of these authors at annual award ceremonies. Since founding in 1991, more than 30 chapters have been organized across the country Beauty and the Book Salon, founded by Kathy L. Murphy, has been featured in national media from the Oprah Show to Good Morning America and the Wall Street Journal for having the largest book club with more than 550-plus chapters in the U.S. A 2011 interview in Psychology Today with Murphy speaks to the value of book clubs. “The book club is growing in leaps and bounds because even though we may have different political beliefs and religious beliefs we can all connect through books….,” she says. “Book clubs are like group therapy. You bring your own experiences to a read and when you hear other people’s voices and opinions, you learn the process of how the story relates to people’s personal stories. People start asking questions, not just about the book but about their lives, and learning from each other.” In between those early rejections, Mason’s short fiction also appeared in the Zane anthology Blackgentlemen.com about the pre-
mier website showcasing AfricanAmerican bachelors. The anthology features short stories penned by some of the hottest female novelists. Tapping into the book clubs and participating in the anthology helped Mason get her start, but it’s her internal drive that helped her stay afloat when she thought her career had plateaued and the complex life of a writer had taken its toll. “It is real world, not fun, not easy. Somebody’s going to slam you. It’s a rollercoaster ride financially. Those times when I started to walk away, I knew that I would always be a published author, but questioned ‘what else can I do?’” She jokes that her resume will be about five or six pages with her in and out of jobs. A success by many measures, she admits over time she “was expecting it to be easier. Each and every time you have to raise the bar. I thought it would be a piece of cake. I would have an assistant, fancy office and writing routine. (People) think success is going to look a certain way. But you don’t know what other writers are going through.” She adds, “I’ve achieved everything I set out to do. Got rejuvenated. Now it’s about writing what I love, putting out good books for as long as they let me. The pressure keeps me hungry.”
Some writers have special routines in place to set up the ideal writing environment, from a cabin in the woods to a designated time of day. Mason has “no routine, I just meet the deadline.” She does draw inspiration from reading song lyrics and uses them for titles and to set the stage for storylines. She likes to delve into practicality of real life versus impracticality of fantasy. She also spends time with other writers. The phrase, “birds of a feather flock together,” rings true for Mason, who calls local African American writers, Brice and Kimberly Reid, friends. Reid is author of young adult novels and her memoir, No Place Safe, winner of the Colorado Book Award in Creative Nonfiction. In 2015, “the science fiction person at heart” plans to release new books under a pseudonym in the science fiction fantasy series. “It will be my first attempt at dark fantasy. I’m challenging myself to do something different.” She hopes the series opens up reading choices to the Black community. For those people, who think writers sit down and whip up the perfect combination of words in one shot, she says there’s “No such thing as a good first draft.” But at the end of the day, Mason says, “I’ve never written a book I didn’t love.”
J.D. Mason Books
And On the Eighth Day She Rested (2003) One Day I Saw a Black King (2003) Don’t Want No Sugar (2004) This Fire Down in My Soul (2007) You Gotta Sin to Get Saved (2008) That Devil’s No Friend of Mine (2009) Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It (2010) Somebody Pick Up My Pieces (2011) Beautiful, Dirty, Rich: A Novel (2012) Drop Dead Gorgeous (2013) Crazy,Sexy, Revenge (October 2014)
I’m a workforce builder. I’m a job creator. I am FasTracks. I am RTD. Making a positive impact—that’s my mission. I manage an innovative, hands-on job training program pioneered right here in Denver. RTD’s Workforce Initiative Now has partnered with Community College of Denver, Urban League, and Denver Transit Partners to train workers for careers in the high-demand transportation and construction industries. We’re creating local opportunities and building a stronger workforce, and I’m proud to lead the charge. – Martell Dyles, Manager of RTD’s WIN Program
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Editor’s Note: This articles wraps up a twopart series by Denver Urban Spectrum contributing writer Charles Emmons on the history and importance of barbershops and salons in the African American community. The first article, “More Than a Haircut,” ran in the February 2014 issue and focuses on barbershops.
By Charles Emmons
Z
irls have memories of sitting on the floor, at home, in front of a chair while their mother or older sister combs or braids their hair. The experience may be painful, but at its roots, it is also nurturing. From an early age, we learn that appearance matters. It matters from the time when we go to school so we aren’t bullied by other children, to when it is time to apply for a job. Standards and conformity have been drummed into African Americans throughout our history. Since our ancestors were forcibly brought here, we have been conflicted about what is beauty and ugliness. Standards of beauty have been dictated to us and whether these have been embraced or not, this conflict is deeply rooted in our culture. For girls and women this has frequently been based upon their hair. Some women have opted to do their own hair or have a friend or relative take up the task, but for others they leave it in the hands of a professional. For those seeking true transformation, it is always better to seek professional help, and this adage applies to hair care. “If I change an ugly duckling into a pretty black swan then I’ll have a client forever,” says Carrie McElroy, owner of Hair Reasons, a beauty shop on 28th and Madison. McElroy earned her license three years after graduating from Denver Manual High School in 1965. She loves the beauty industry, and first opened Hair Reasons on 14th and Poplar. She also plied her skills in shops in Houston and in retail stores like Joslins and Sears. “When a woman sees beauty on the outside, she feels beautiful on the inside,” she says. McElroy is one of four beauty industry professionals that share their story in this article. Combined, these women have more than 100 years behind the chair, doing their part in shaping the esteem of Black women
Top: Karen Hall (left) and Judy Bunton (right); Bottom: Rosalyn Redwine (left) and Carrie McElroy (right)
until the late 1960s, when natural hairstyles emerged as an alternative. Many beauty industry professionals as young girls witnessed the press and curl techniques in the shops their mothers patronized and were inspired to get in the business themselves. Like McElroy, Karen Hall, owner and operator of the Cuttin’ Up Salon and Beauty Academy located at 8101 E. Colfax (Colfax and Ulster) has always been interested in doing hair. She related the story of being in middle school on picture day. She would do everyone’s hair in the bathroom — everyone but hers. McElroy has taken to wearing hats and not exposing her hair. Rosalyn Redwine, owner of Winning Coiffures, 6115 E. Colfax (Colfax and Kearney), is adamant about taking care of her clients, but admits she doesn’t take time to take care of her own hair. This may all seem a bit odd at first, but McElroy, Hall and Redwine are all intensely and unselfishly committed to what they view as their calling.
through not only changing hair styles, but also hair care, skin care, conversation and a bit of counseling and advice. “I want you to feel good about the way you look,” says Judy Bunton, another beauty industry professional and owner of Options Hair Design located at 1472 Jersey. She says that a new hairstyle can change women a lot, and that if you enhance yourself, you’ll feel better. Ever since Sarah Breedlove picked up a hot comb and curling iron and sold her line of hair care products across the country in the early 20th century, the image of African American women has been transformed. In Denver, she met and married C.J. Walker and adopted his name as her brand. She eventually moved the business to Indiana; the product line made her the first American female millionaire, with estimated sales of $3M. The press and curl style which she popularized through teaching stylists and sales agents in many ways became a staple for black women. This is the technique stylists learned up
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The Madam C. J. Walker Effect
Hall has been in the business for more than 30 years. She first opened Cuttin’ Up in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and then moved to a salon in Montbello where she opened her school in a 700 sq. ft. space. The Carson, California native began her career in Beverly Hills as an assistant, where she remembers clients like Patrice Rushen and Evelyn Champagne King. She moved into the current location on Colfax and Ulster in 1996. Hall’s siblings all attended college, and although she also attended college one-and-a-half years she found it was not for her, so she went to Flavio Beauty College, that has been featured on the Bravo reality series, Tabatha Takes Over. Walker was her inspiration. Knowledge, built through experience, reading books, and talking to people guides her. Hall believed it was important to start a school that specifically taught students to care for black hair. Hall is proud that Cuttin’ Up is the only accredited black hair beauty school in Colorado. The accreditation by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) was Hall’s major business challenge. With it, Hall could offer federal financial assistance for her students. Over 80 percent of her students were living below the poverty level. She made the financial investment and the time investment of two years to attain the NACCAS accreditation, which Cuttin’ Up received in 2005. The maximum enrollment has been 84 students in the 10-12 month programs. At one time, she ran classes from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Her school has a 100 percent job placement rate, 60 percent completion rate and 50 percent license rate. Hall believes she is doing her small part to help stylists be professional and boost the economy and help the community. But recently, she ran up against an audit technicality and a high percentage student loan default rate. She is now down to five students. The school is too small to operate with NACCAS accreditation and the associated federal assistance. She plans to operate Cuttin’ Up as a salon and day spa with her two daughters Chanele and Tiffany running the business. Her mortgage on the building was paid off in 2012. She is stepping back to try a real estate career, but finds it hard to totally leave the industry. Continued on page 8
Beauty Salons
Continued from page 7 Judy Bunton just moved her shop after nearly 25 years on the same location on East Colfax and Quebec. The Denver East High graduate (1973), braided hair at home and decided to become licensed. After working in salons, she moved away from the braiding and the beads and used her creativity with other styles. She worked at Haliburton’s on 22nd and Clarkson for five years and eventually landed at Noir Madames. Bunton bought Noir Madames in 1989 and subsequently changed the name to Options. Rosalyn Redwine, owner of Winning Coiffures sees longevity as an asset. Another Denver Manual High School graduate (1976), she became interested in cosmetology watching her mother’s beautician. “I loved to sit and watch,” says Redwine. “Her creativity intrigued me.” Her first job was with Connie Cobb’s salon where she learned more about hair care and transformation with color, conditioning and treating hair properly. Redwine, with 23 years in the business, agrees with the adage that when you look better, you feel better, and she has continued to educate herself about beauty transformation by traveling to hair shows and classes in other cities.
food dumped on their heads at lunch counters. There is always a need for renewal. McElroy has done hair in Denver Children’s’ Home and Ridge Home, and Redwine collaborated with Shiloh Baptist Church to do the hair of women in a battered women’s shelter. Recognizing that early intervention is important before such crisis points, Hall started a free twice-yearly program, ‘Teen Self-Esteem’, at Cuttin’ Up for young women, aged 10-13, where she and consultants talk and teach them about hair care, skin care, diet, boys, and the other significant elements of becoming successful beautiful Black women. Transformation is a give and take relationship. They never know what they will learn from the person in their chair. Bunton says that she is more of a listener than a talker, and that if she feels moved to speak, she will. “Take nuggets and put them in your life,” says McElroy. Hall says she has had conversations with numerous entrepreneurs in her chair who always encouraged her success. “You learn a lot from older women,” says Hall. “You hear everything, life lessons…it’s therapy for a lot of women. They come and vent. They share stories and life experiences. I could write a book.”
The Chair, Conversations and Transformation
Their longevity is a testament to love and commitment to the profession, skill, talent, and savvy business acumen. But there are also intangibles that make people successful. The metaphor of the makeover has been popularized on television. But women in the beauty industry have always known that sitting in their chair has always been about your transformation and renewal. “She isn’t supposed to go out like she came in,” says McElroy. To a large degree, this is an intimately spiritual experience, and a profession that allows them to minister to the needs of their clients, whatever those may be. We might surmise that this is what made Walker so successful. She met a need. Early 20th century Black women needed to transform themselves and to begin to feel good about themselves as they made their way in the world striving for acceptance. The press and curl style provided a new view of themselves. The styles, methods, and materials vary widely today. And women have many choices that play a part in the individual realization of their self-esteem. Walker used her wealth to support the civil rights movement and female demonstrators in the south sought refuge in a beauty shop after having
Cuttin’ Up Hair...
What’s next?
McElroy plans to update her shop and perhaps become a black hair
trainer with the Glemby Corporation that runs hair salons in retail department stores. Look for Cuttin’ Up to become a salon and day spa in the future as Hall steps back and lets her daughters run the business for a while. After losing her daughter in 2011, Bunton is faced with raising five granddaughters, aged 6-14. “It’s like starting all over, but without God none of this would be possible,” says Bunton, who will make the salon more family oriented where women can be comfortable and bring children. Redwine plans to keep operating Winning Coiffures, working with her sister and brother.
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Ackerman, DIA’s chief commercial Hailemairm did just that, and in officer, said the RMU and ACDBE pro2012 opened her own cart selling her grams are helping to break down barrijewelry products. The cart proved to be a successful proving ground for her ers faced by minority- and womenideas, and the experience helped her owned businesses. He also said that, last realize she wanted to do even bigger year, the airport worked with the things at the airport. Denver Office of Economic “I’m just dreaming big all the Development to create a $1 million contime,” she said. cession loan program that provides Hailemairm again took her dream startup money for first-time concessionto DIA officials, who helped her learn aires. Small business owners can use about becoming a certified Airport that money to construct a new shop or Concessions Disadvantaged Business restaurant at the airport, which will help Enterprise, or ACDBE. The federal them to better compete with the big conprogram is designed to ensure that cession companies. disadvantaged business owners can “The airport is an amazing place to compete fairly for concession opportu- do business, and we want all small nities, and is tied to federal funding business owners to be able to experifor airports. Last year, about $115 milence that opportunity on a level playlion was earned by ACDBE compaing field,” Ackerman said. “Our pronies, which accounts for 39 percent of grams are working to provide the airport’s total concessions revenue. unprecedented opportunities for The ACDBE program also makes minority and women-owned businesscertified firms valuable partners for es at the airport.” large concession companies that may Hailemairm said her personal phitake on minority partners to help meet losophy is to “pray it, live it, dream the federal requirements for their it,” and to take responsibility for her shops and restaurants at DIA. own future. “Planning for the future is an Hailemairm was up to the task, and important step to ensure your future became a certified ACDBE partner. happiness and success,” she said. “It After earning her certification, she all starts with a dream.” approached Concessions International Editor’s note: For more information about – a global player in the aviation con"When you leave your job... business opportunities at DIA, call 303cessions market – about a potential don't leave your behind!" 342-2351, emailmoney DIACommerceHub@flypartnership. The company jumped at denver.com or visit business.flydenver.her ideas, and made Hailemairm a 40 Myra Donovan, com. CLU, ChFC, CFP percent partner in a project to bring Wetzel’s Pretzels to DIA. Financial Adviser The store opened on the B Concourse of the airport in December, 3200 Cherry Creek Drive South, #700 with Hailemairm at the helm overseeDenver, CO 80209 ing the operation – and even making 303-871-7249 - www.myradonovan.com pretzels herself. The airport projects that the pretzel shop will see sales of about $715,000 in its first year. "Call Today for a FREE “Concessions International is comConsultation!" mitted to working with me today, and gives back to the ACDBE program by mentoring its joint venture partners in meaningful ways,” Hailemairm said. “The advice (that DIA offered) was very helpful and gave me a new perspective Muluye Hailemairm about available opportunities.”
Denver International Airport’s Minority Business Initiatives Build on Successes Denver business woman takes flight at DIA
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enver International Airport is building on its programs to provide a jump-start for minority- and womenowned businesses looking to get into airport concessions, and those efforts are already paying off for an ambitious Denver businesswoman. Muluye Hailemairm was born in Ethiopia and immigrated to the United States as a teenager in 1996. When she later arrived in Denver, she pursued her dream of operating a business and opened a convenience store. Despite finding success with her store, Hailemairm decided to leave it after being pressured to sell cigarettes. The items were big money makers, Hailemairm said, but she decided to put her personal principles first and not sell items that harm people’s health. “I decided my responsibility is to take care of other people,” she said. “I want to give back, and provide a better life for the next generation.” Leaving the store behind, Hailemairm decided to try a different route and began selling fashion jewelry from her home country of Ethiopia to small businesses and wholesalers. She also began attending city held outreach meetings and presentations, where she connected with officials at
DIA about entering the highly competitive aviation market. With more than 50 million passengers passing through each year, DIA has grown into a $26 billion economic engine for the region – and an incubator for small businesses. DIA’s commercial office worked with Hailemairm to explain the unique challenges of working in an airport environment, and ultimately found an opportunity for her within the airport’s Retail Merchandising Unit (RMU) cart and kiosk program. Managed by Provenzano Resources, the RMU program consists of a collection 38 carts and kiosks throughout the airport and provides a starting point for people looking to get into airport concessions. In 2012, the RMU program generated a total of approximately $11 million in gross sales. Last year, that number grew to about $12.7 million. John Ackerman, DIA’s chief commercial officer, said the RMU program is designed to be a launching platform for entrepreneurs like Hailemairm, and a place where they can test products and business plans. “We really wanted the cart and kiosk program to provide a place where small business owners could learn how to operate in the airport environment,” Ackerman said.
"When you leave your job... don't leave your money behind!" Myra Donovan, CLU, ChFC, CFP Financial Adviser
3200 Cherry Creek Drive South, #700 Denver, CO 80209
303-871-7249 - www.myradonovan.com
"Call Today for a FREE Consultation!" Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – March 2014
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Alzheimer’s Disease
SECOND HALF: LEGAL ISSUES AND AGING
Should I Add My Son To The Title Of My Home?
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By Ayo Labode, Esq.
uring Women’s History Month we honor great women leaders such as Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Ruth Simmons, the 18th president of Brown University and first African-American president of an Ivy League university. We also honor our personal heroes who work tirelessly to hold our families and communities together; their names are Mom, Grandma, and Auntie. In honor of Women’s History Month, we will feature questions from women. Q. I have been married to an amazing man for more than 50 years. In the last few years, his diabetes has taken its toll. He was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I am devastated and scared by this diagnosis. What do I do? Alma Denver, CO
A. I am very sorry about your husband’s diagnosis. First, you are not alone. According to the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, there are more than 77,000 families affected by Alzheimer’s in Colorado. It is important that you educate yourself about dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is
a progressive disease that results in memory loss and interferes with an individual’s ability to do activities of daily living, such as bill paying, preparing meals and driving. AfricanAmericans develop Alzheimer’s at twice the rate of white people. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers believe that health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes may increase an individual’s risk to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association offers education and support to families affected by dementia. The best way to learn more is to explore their website at alz.org/co or call the 24-hour 7days a week helpline at 800-272-3900. As a care provider, in addition to seeking knowledge and support, you should also act immediately to get documents in place that will allow someone to make health care and financial decisions when your husband is no longer able to make his wishes known. You and your husband should consult with an elder law attorney and discuss updating your wills, powers of attorney, and medical powers of attorney. It is important that you do not delay meeting with an attorney, because these documents can only be signed while your husband understands what the document mean. As his dementia progresses he will no longer be able to sign a will or power of attorney. An experienced elder law attorney will assist in determining if your husband has the ability to understand and sign the estate planning documents. You will notice that I recommended that both of you need to update your documents. As a care provider, it is easy to neglect your own needs but if something were to happen to you, you must think about whom you want to make decisions for your financial and health future.
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Q. I am a widow and I own my own home without any debt, not even a reverse mortgage. My friends tell me that I should put my son’s name on the deed to my home. My friends tell me that it will make it easier for him to manage my affairs. I have some concerns. What do you think? Lillian Aurora, CO
A. You are right to have some concerns about placing anyone on the deed to your home. As mothers we want to provide for our children. However, you must also recognize that your home is often your most valuable asset. A deed is a legal document. When placing an individual on the deed to your home, that individual becomes an owner of the home. If you place your son on the title of your home, you will open your home to your son’s creditors. For example, if your son were to go through a divorce, half of your home could be considered a marital asset. In some rare and very sad situations, a child whose name is on the title of the parent’s home has forced the sale of the home and evicted the parent. Yes, he could evict you from your own home. A better approach would be to update your will and power of attorney documents. Another option could be to place your home in trust. We will discuss trusts and other legal options for passing your home to your children in future articles. Editor’s Note: This is the second of a series of articles by elder law attorney, Ayo Labode, Esq., that will appear in the DUS. This column is to provide readers with an understanding of issues faced with aging from the perspective of an elder law attorney. It does not give legal advice, but will provide practical information that can be used to better consumers. As a question and answer format, readers are invited to participate by emailing info@labodelaw.com or calling 720-295-9509. For more information, visit www.labodelaw.com.
90 Years ogStyle, Strength & Grace H
arriet Butcher is no stranger to the spotlight. She is recognized as one of the well-known figures on our entertainment scene, specifically as the founder of the Park Hill Tappers, a group of eight women over 65, seasoned dancers, who entertained in local schools and retirement homes for many years. Her tall and lithe figure created quite a presence as she ‘danced as if no one was looking.’ She spent most of her childhood and young adult years in the Five Points district, and discovered tap dancing in high school, where she and her friends would gather either during lunch breaks, recess, or after school to practice. “Tapping came from most of the kids who were experienced,” she explained in her soft voice. “We’d show each other how to do things. A bunch of us kids would get in line and do the time step. It became a large part of our workout and our choreography. Being agile and young, we found it easy to learn. In those days, kids wore taps on their shoes to help their shoes last longer. They were terrible on wood floors.” Some time later, when living in Chicago, Butcher added to her dance repertoire. “The kids on the south side of the city where I lived, jumped rope in a step they called Double Dutch,” she said. “It took just as much talent to turn the rope as it did to jump it. You had to coordinate the turning of the rope so that it had the same rhythm coming in as going out. It was a catchy step with a ‘chop’ to it. We took it a bit further, faster, and made it a ‘new language.’ When I returned to Denver a while later, my friends and I incorporated it into our repertoire, and it kind of choreographed itself. We got to a point where we had developed real poise and took ballet lessons, which was instrumental in developing a certain sense of balancing your body. I think that is what dancing is all about.” A stellar moment in her dancing career occurred when she was invited to appear in “Women in Tap,” a program honoring the talents of women tap dancers, written by Ellie Schirra, a professional tap dancer from Boulder who believed that the role of female tappers had been underrated in the history of the dance. “It was definitely a significant highlight in my life,” Butcher commented. “My part in it was to talk to some children about how I’d grown up around dance and its importance to young people.” Butcher’s talents were not limited to dancing. Shortly after her father remarried, she and her
her church choir, and, until recently, a member of the Spirituals Choir, a local choral group dedicated to the preservation of the Negro spirituals. Butcher, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday, and who remains young in spirit, reminisced about those days while thinking back on her illustrious By Abby Angell life, in which she faced many challenges, including racism, with strength and grace. Her mother died when she was 18 months old, so she and her brother James, age three, went to live with their grandmother, who she claims was the greatest influence in her life. “She had a wonderful name, Janie Priscilla Mahalia Hancock Hogan, which we all would try to pronounce as quickly as possible,” said Butcher. “She was a spiritually strong woman. When we came home after someone had insulted us with a racial slur, she didn’t blame the whole world about it, she just let us know that we should be careful about the company we kept.” As the family matriarch, Hogan would bring the family together for Saturday night social gatherings. “Grandmother’s living room and dining room were separated by a curtain, which we used as a backdrop. The space in front would be the stage,” Butcher said. “We would wait for her to sing and to play the piano for us. She would call on each of us to perform. My brother would play the tenor saxophone and the clarinet. I would sing. Many parents back then found this kind of gathering to be a fine way to bring their children together to appreciate one another.” Butcher’s father, who worked for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad as a club car man, remarried twice. Each time he would leave his children with their stepmother at the time, experiences that took them to different places, including Cheyenne, St. Paul, and Chicago. “I didn’t know much about him,” Butcher recalled. “Before he worked for the railroad, he was a professional tap dancer.” In the years before tapping into show business, Butcher married, raised three children, and worked at a variety of jobs. “I’ve always worked,” she said. “You name it, I’ve done it! When I was a little girl, I’d ask my grandmother if I could do errands for the some of the women in our block. They would trust me to go to the store for them. They would pay me a quarter, which was good money then, and give me the loveliest hankies! Lord, they were beautiful! I think it’s too bad that when Kleenex became popular, handkerchiefs went out of style.” She was waitressing at the Café Ritz, a popular restaurant in Five Points, when she met her Continued on page 12
Harriet Butcher
brother moved with him and their stepmother to Chicago, where she learned to play the piano. “I took up learning to play the piano at the church in our neighborhood,” she said. “I still play by ear in E flat!” She also has enjoyed a vocation as a singer, thanks to the golden opportunity in her young life when she met Sammy Davis, Jr. at the Roxy Theater, where he was rehearsing a revue in which Butcher was appearing. “I sang the song, “Let Me Love You Tonight”,” she recalled. “He recognized my vocal talent and encouraged me to keep singing. Of course my voice had more volume than it does now,” she laughed. Despite that, she is still a vital member of Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – March 2014
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Harriet Butcher
Continued from page 11 husband, a Louisiana native, who was a cook there. “He and another cook from New Orleans, shared both a talent and a great love for Cajun and Creole cooking. Both were excellent cooks, and the Ritz became the place in town where people would come for this southern cuisine.” Butcher claims it was one of her favorite working experiences. “It was a good time,” she explained. “The funniest thing about it was that I was never very good at math, and when a group of ladies came in to eat, I would often get their table. When it came time to pay their bills, they would want to split them in different ways. Honey, when they got through with me, I felt like a cash register!” Butcher encountered racism on the job when working at a major Denver department store. Hired on as a salesperson, she was first transferred to the warehouse to do inventory before later being allowed on the sales floor. “They didn’t want me to handle the money,” she explained. “It was during the days of the civil rights movement, and the ‘I Have A Dream’ program. I was eating in the lunchroom when another employee, who was reading the newspaper, showed her friends pictures of our people standing in line following the march. When I heard
her saying that she thought that a machine gunner should mow us all down, it shocked me that she could say such a thing, and to hear how mean she sounded when she said it.” With typical style and grace, Butcher quietly left the scene. “I simply took my lunch in my little sack to another table without saying a word. She had to know how it sounded to me, since I was the only person of color sitting in the lunchroom. It builds one’s character when people do those things.” Fortunately, she had befriended one of the store’s customers, the wife of the owner of the American National Bank, who helped her get a job as a bookkeeper. She was quickly promoted to the position of safe deposit clerk. “It was a significant step up for me, both financially and psychologically, simply because it was a rare at that time for a person of color to work in a bank. I learned a lot about the banking business and the stock market,” she said. Her favorite job was working at the Welton Department Store, a small neighborhood store in Five Points owned by Jack and Dena Charrish, a German couple who immediately took her under their wing. “They were Jewish people who had come from Europe with the independence that so any immigrants have,” she said. “They had made that little shop into
an incredible store in which you could find anything you needed in the way of dry goods. When she hired me, Mrs. Charrish said she was going to teach me merchandising so that I’d learn enough to have my own store some day. That experience gave me more incentive to keep going than I’d found anywhere else, and it was right there in Five Points!” With characteristic determination, if she found herself in a job in which she needed training, Butcher would immediately enroll in the appropriate courses at the Emily Griffith School. “There was a method to my madness,” she claimed. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t feel qualified to do many things. I went back for job training, but at the same time I was trying to get enough academic credits to earn a GED. I took the test and graduated. I felt that going to college wasn’t a possibility at the time, but I found out later that had I worked at it, it would have been.” Finally, Butcher landed a job as an accounting clerk with Denver’s Department of Social Services, where she worked for several years before retiring.Due to problems of finance, Denver’s city agencies were undergoing some personnel cutbacks, resulting in forced retirement. When asked by a newspaper reporter what her plans
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were, Butcher casually replied that she thought she would either dance professionally or teach tap dancing in the public schools. “I think that’s when the idea of forming the Park Hill Tappers came about,” she said. The wall just off her living room is a testimonial to her many contributions to the community. It’s lined with framed citations, including her favorite, the Pioneer Award from the Five Points Business Association, in recognition for the Park Hill Tappers outstanding contribution to Denver’s senior citizen programs. “This is my museum!” she said, proudly pointing to the jazz award for her work in the Development and Appreciation of Jazz in Historic Five Points, and the Mayor’s Award in 1998 in commemoration of her retirement from the Department of Social Services. Her dancing days may be done, but Harriet Butcher is still a vital senior citizen. “These days, my boyfriend is my dancing partner,” she laughed, alluding to her cane. “Get down, 90! It’s having a good time with me! Of course I miss some of my friends, but my religion tells me that we’re just having a little vacation from one another.” Editor’s note: Abby Angell is a freelance feature writer living in Denver.
What Makes A Great City? When my
Op-ed by Wellington E. Webb
wife, Wilma, and I recently traveled to London, Istanbul, Prague, Budapest and Vienna I thought about the ongoing discussion of the Leadership Foundation of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, which I chaired, and the question we are constantly asking ourselves: What makes a great city? I tackled the same question while teaching a session at Harvard for new mayors for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Over the years, my list of eight essentials for a city has grown to 10 based upon conversations with my Metro Chamber Foundation dialogue participants. I am sure this list will evolve into more components as cities work toward greatness. For now, I believe these 10 necessities have become paramount for a city to be considerate great. 1. Every great city – like a home – must have a strong foundation to build upon. A city’s foundation is its strong fiscal policies, which includes providing basic city services – such as safety, good roads, quality parks, state of the art libraries and fundamental utilities. And like a host in a home, the city must treat its residents with respect, including customer service and prompt vendor payment. Without this basic foundation, a city will begin to crumble and never be able to expand and build on its strengths. 2. As noted in the foundation, every great city has residents who feel safe in their homes and on the streets because public safety is the core of every great city. In addition, every great city has good schools to educate their children. A great city also must have great universities to give residents education opportunities beyond high school and must be able to attract great minds and provide for the skills necessary for a city to grow. Without these qualities of life, residents will flee wherever they feel those opportunities exist. 3. Every great city must develop and promote its cultural institutions – including the symphony, opera, art museums and other musical genres and their events. The support of the arts should be as equal as it regards its
professional sports teams. Art is our inner soul, the conservator of the past and the predictor of the future. Ballet, jazz, hip hop and rock and roll also need to be considered as part of our art icon. My wife, Wilma, and I recently devoted more of our energies to supporting the cultural institutions because we feel quite strongly that it is the soul of what makes a city heart beat along with its sports teams. Our recent dedication to the arts continues our long-held support of arts and culture, which as mayor included the symphony playing at my inauguration and my pushing for bond elections to help all cultural institutions. It also is vital that a great city support its libraries and museums. A city cannot be great without being well-rounded, which means its leadership and its citizens must have a strong dedication to its cultural base. 4. Every great city has a thriving downtown and historic preservation plays a key role to maintain it. When I was first elected as mayor in 1991, Denver’s downtown mirrored other downtowns in that it basically shut down at sundown and was struggling to survive. How proud and fortunate are we to now have one of the most vital and vibrant downtowns in the nation that rivals Chicago. The list of downtowns dying is long because, unlike Denver, city leaders did not make it the center of development. We supported sporting and cultural structures to remain and grow downtown, including the Broncos new stadium, the Pepsi Center, Coors Field, the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Colorado Convention Center. The location of those facilities downtown and near downtown creates the energy to make Denver the envy of the country. The city had the wisdom to push for a partnership with the Regional Transportation District (RTD) when it located its main terminal downtown. The city made an investment of $10 million toward the $50 million purchase price to have a seat at the table and be a part of the decision makers. This blueprint is what makes downtowns the economic, cultural and sports hub for the state. It is also important that travelers – whether local, national or international - have easy access to the heart of
a city. RTD will enhance those transportation options when a new route opens and visitors will be able to hop on to light rail at Denver International Airport and be taken downtown. Entertainment plus transportation give residents reasons to visit and live downtown and grow the center of the city. If you visit a city and its leaders don’t take you to their downtown that is a sign they don’t have one or lost it because of the lack of leadership. 5. A great city has great parks and open space. We should always support residents who oppose allowing park space to be used for other purposes. That valuable asset should not be divvied up when it is convenient to do so, but should be cherished and protected for future generations. Our early city leaders gave us the great gifts of a park system. Parks are part of every city’s legacy. Cities that maintain, expand and value current park space stand out as great cities. 6. A great city has thoughtful business development and supports its neighborhoods and the unique characteristics of each area. City leaders should listen to neighborhood concerns, whether it is about growth or improvements. The residents take ownership in their neighborhoods and often resist change if they feel that change is moving forward without their input. The same is true of business owners who often don’t feel they are heard. If a city is not considered “business friendly” those companies may relocate elsewhere. The same is true of residents who want an active role in their neighborhoods. Creating collaboration through open communication and dialogue allows for greatness to shine through. 7. A great city promotes health and wellness, as did the Greeks with the Olympics. A city can do that by providing bike lanes, walking trails, parks and other free outdoor activities that all residents can enjoy. A good park system in every corner of the city shows leaders understand the importance of giving every resident a chance to be part of the city’s community backyard. Healthy residents also seek out businesses that cater to their activities, which in turn can bring in new business and strengthen current businesses. People want to live in a community that is vibrant and no better
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way can that be achieved than by promoting health and wellness. 8. A great city is also an international city. It is one of my joys to see Mayor Michael Hancock embrace this goal as exemplified in Denver acquiring the recent direct flight from Denver International Airport to Tokyo, Japan. I was very disappointed when our trade offices were shuttered in London, Shanghai and Mexico. We are not a Fortune 500 city and we must have people on the ground to react quickly to opportunities. Good business practices, whether locally, nationally or internationally, is based upon relationships that are nurtured and engaging. I am so pleased that Mayor Hancock is building on this platform for the international development. 9. A great city promotes and protects its assets: its parks and open space, ski areas, historical buildings, arts and culture, sports teams, neighborhoods, lakes and rivers. It is moral stewardship for future generations. That means leaders must be very thoughtful in how those assets are maintained, enhanced and valued. 10. Every great city – such as New York, Chicago, Boston, Barcelona, Tokyo and London - has assessable connectivity through mass and highspeed transit. RTD ties the metro area together for public transportation options other than private vehicles, which becomes more important as our city grows. We need the same quality transportation between our Front Range communities and our mountain towns. Residents of a great city have the will and determination to maintain their city as great through trust, friendliness, civic engagement and faith in the future. This creates the buzz – an intangible feeling and sense of greatness - that every city wants and can achieve if they can meet the above 10 points. Those quality of life attributes is what separates good cities from great cities. Editor’s note: Wellington E. Webb served as mayor of Denver from 1991-2003. The Legacy Denver participants he works with include: Chris Hansen, Deidre Johnson, Heather Lafferty, Melanie Lewis Dickerson, Graylon Millen Cole, Armin Mitchell, Brent Neiser, Linda Olson, Felipe Pineiro, Susan Shepard, Roger Sherman and Becky Takeda-Tinker.
African-Americans Are At Greater Risk For Alzheimer’s Disease Higher incidence of high blood pressure among African-Americans makes this ethnic group more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease
February was Black History
Month and the Alzheimer’s Association recognized the month by educating African-Americans about the importance of managing cardiovascular risk in order to strengthen cognitive health. Compared to the general public, African-Americans have a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other cardiovascular complications, which could lead to a higher risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2013 Facts and Figures report, African Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia as whites but less likely to have a diagnosis. “Studies have shown that what is good for your heart is good for your brain,” says Francis Brown, Alzheimer’s Association board member and chair of the African American Outreach Committee. “Studies indicate that by keeping your brain active while managing other conditions that affect your heart like high blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and diabetes you may be successful in impacting
the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. We can all do a better job of paying attention to our heart health as a way to maintain a healthy brain,” Brown continued. Nurse Emma Jackson and Alzheimer’s Association board member Francis Brown at recent press conference for Blood Pressure Screening
est risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. So it is important that AfricanAmericans take steps now to decrease their risk of heart disease, which research has shown could also decrease the risk of cognitive decline.
Did You Know? •Compared to the general public, African Americans have a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and vascular dementia. •More than 40 percent of African Americans have high blood pressure and are at risk for stroke, which can lead to greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s. •African Americans, as a group, are at greater risk for heart disease and stroke. •Every year more than 100,000 African Americans have a stroke. •Having high cholesterol increases the risk for stroke and may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s. Watch numbers •Blood pressure – desirable blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg •Blood sugar – desirable fasting blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL
TaRhonda Thomas 9News, Sarah Lorance Board Chair, Francis Brown Alzheimer’s Association Board Member
Photos by Roz Reese
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter is the premier source of information and support for the more than 72,000 Coloradoans with Alzheimer’s disease, their families and caregivers. Through its statewide network of offices, the Alzheimer’s Association offers education, counseling, support groups, Medic Alert + Safe Return/Comfort Zone and a 24-hour Helpline, at no cost to families, and funds advancements in research to prevent, treat and eventually conquer this disease. The Alzheimer’s Association advocates for those living with Alzheimer’s and their families on related legislative issues, and with health and longterm care providers. For information call the Alzheimer’s Association in Colorado at 303-813-1669, the Helpline at 800-272-3900, or visit www.alz.org/co.
•Body weight – keep body weight in the recommended range •Cholesterol – desirable total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL
Make healthy lifestyle choices: •Stay mentally active. •Remain socially involved. •Stay physically active. •Reduce intake of fat and cholesterol. •Don’t smoke or start a program to quit. Rosalyn Reese and Julia Gayles (Mayor’s Office)
Julia Gayles (Mayor’s Office) with Alzheimer Associate board members Francis Brown and Phillip Heath
By the year 2030, the number of African-Americans age 65 or older is expected to more than double to 6.9 million. Although Alzheimer’s is not part of normal aging, age is the great-
Visit www.alz.org/co or call the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-2723900 for more information and for help and support.
Provide your baby with the best possible start in life!
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Be healthy before, during and after pregnancy: s Reduce stress s Connect to a support system s Get prenatal and medical check-ups s Eat a healthy diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and maintain a healthy weight s Take a multi-vitamin with folic acid (a B vitamin) every day
WHAT CAN HEALTHY START DO? s
s
Share more information and support on topics related to a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby Connect you to community resources (medical and dental care, counseling services, housing, food and clothing)
Are you pregnant or parenting a child under two? Contact Healthy Start for details about this free program!
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(303) 360-6276 x2200 or healthystart@mcpn.org
Family And Friends Who Exercise Together, Stay Fit Together
F
By Rudy McClinon
amily and friends who exercise together, stay fit together. They also grow together in mind, body and spirit. During my 45-plus years as a father, grandfather, coach and fitness professional, I have found a trend that could help solve our nation’s obesity problem. I’ve always coached my teams to be a family and work toward a common goal, and that was to individually be the best person he or she could be. Exercising as a family or with friends not only promotes good health but also helps strengthen the emotional bonds between members, according to a new study. Over the past 10 years, my group classes, including my seniors, have consisted of spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, classmates, neighbors and in-laws. This combination of health conscious individuals make the classes fun and the participation is consistent. According to results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, 81.6 percent of high school students in the U.S. were not physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on all seven days. As a health professional, I find this statistic to be very disturbing. If we begin working out as a family and become role models for our youth, staying fit and healthy would become a life style instead of a chore. Here are some health benefits of exercising together: •Time to exercise is time together: Nowadays, everyone is busy and rushing around and the opportunity to take a little quality time out should not be missed. A group workout that leaves you refreshed and relaxed is fantastically therapeutic, even if you have different fitness levels. •Social benefits: Whether it’s just a sporting get-together or a social activity afterwards as well, you’re more
likely to enjoy your session in the company of friends. •Exercise time can be fun time: Training with a friend or family members is good fun, and the fun element of your exercise sessions should not be neglected. You may have some serious training goals, but it is equally important to enjoy and bring laughter into your exercise routine. •Your workout will improve: Competition with your training partners is a sure-fire way to give you that extra edge to push that little bit harder or further. Whether you’re looking to improve your core strength or flexibility, you want to be doing your best, and the extra incentive that competition brings is certain to help you improve. •Group exercise is motivating: You know your partner or friends well, particularly their strengths and weaknesses, so you are in a great position to capitalize on this knowledge and motivate them when you can see that the going is getting tough. They will appreciate your help, because they know that your support is genuine. Also, the tables can be turned, and you can benefit from their support as well. •Your group will keep you honest: On those days when you’re not 100 percent sure if you want to tackle your planned workout, because you’ve made an “exercise date” with your partner or friends, you’re far less likely to ditch the session. You will not want to let them down, and it’s likely that once you start your training session together, you’ll be glad that you made the effort. Getting there is half the battle. Spending time together as a family should be a priority. Parents who spend more time with their kids are more likely to have kids who stay out of trouble. Not only that, it makes memories that last a lifetime. Not only can it help a family build better relationships, it can lead to better health. There are many options available for families to do together. By exercising
as a family it helps develop good habits early that can last a lifetime. The simplest, and cheapest, is to just go for a walk together. It gives you time to talk and see what is going on in your children’s lives. You could also take a drive to a nearby park and walk there for a change in scenery. The park also provides space for more vigorous activities, such as football, blowing bubbles or just running around playing tag. Many families enjoy riding bikes together. Some communities even have special biking trails to make it safer for cyclists. You can also take time to teach the kids safety and how to maintain their own bikes. Martial arts are very popular for both kids and adults, too. Don’t think it’s too late to start learning a martial art. Even grandparents can learn a martial art, as most instructors are willing to work with a student at their
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level. While you might not be in the same class together, you can practice as a family at home together. For instance, at Mike Giles Family Karate School in Denver, their motto is “A Family That Kicks Together Sticks Together.” Bowling is another fun way to spend family time and get some exercise. Joining a parent-child league can be a lot of fun. In addition to being fun exercise, it helps teach hand eye coordination and patience, like when the younger siblings’ balls seem to take forever to roll down the lane. Swimming is another great form of exercise as well as an important safety skill. Check into getting a family pass to the local pool. The city recreation centers often have special deals on family membership packages. Even going once or twice a week will provide quite a bit of exercise and family time. It is also a good idea to do more than one activity, as not everyone will enjoy the same thing. Let the kids each pick what they will enjoy and then the parents can divide up their time between the different activities, allowing for some more one-to-one time with the kids. Let’s look at ourselves and make a commitment to our health and wellness. Now what are you going to do? Editor’s note: Rudy McClinon Jr. is a certified fitness trainer, a former NFL football player, and owner of R-U-A-Pro Fitness. For more information, visit www.ruaprofitness.com, call 720-2322239 or email ruaprofitness@gmail.com
New Health Advocacy Platform Aims To Inspire and Enroll Underserved Communities
KeepLivingCO.org to officially launch on March 8 at Denver event focused on health rights
A new health advocacy platform, KeepLivingCO.org, aims to extend the lives of underrepresented communities through healthy living. KeepLivingCO.org is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and organized by Denver-based GenX7. Other participants include Uptown Media, Ebony and ESPN Denver. KeepLivingCO.org will officially launch on March 8 at a special health summit in Denver. The event will include a panel discussion with health and health care experts and entertainment luminaries, live entertainment and a variety of resources to begin a dialogue with members of multicultural communities on all facets of health and health care. Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock will kick off the event followed by two panels of experts, which will include Tonya Lewis Lee, founder of Healthy You Now, Celebrity Chef Nikki Shaw and Dr. Jandel Davis from Kaiser Permanente. The event will close with remarks by Donna Lynne, president of Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado. KeepLivingCO.org will target multicultural communities focusing particularly on African Americans and Hispanics under 35 years old and offer options and opportunities for health information, participation and inspiration. There is an urgent need. According to the 2011 Colorado Health Access Survey by the Colorado Trust, the number of individuals with no insurance or who are underinsured equals more than 1.5 million or one in three Coloradans. Of those, Hispanic Coloradans are more likely to be uninsured than other groups with 33 percent uninsured. This figure hasn’t changed significantly in more than five years. Furthermore, 52 percent of the uninsured nationally, identify as nonwhite. “Kaiser Permanente believes that everyone in this country should have access to high-quality affordable health care. Unfortunately, we know that some communities have previous-
ly been underrepresented and have not had access to health care services and coverage. Sadly, this can have devastating impacts on health,” said Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s vice president of government and external relations. “We look forward to joining this important discussion to help more Coloradans live longer and be as healthy as they can be.” KeepLivingCO.org will inform and educate by assisting those who have been previously unable to access insurance using targeted communication tools, street outreach and social media. The KeepLivingCO.org website will provide necessary information on the Affordable Care Act, healthy living and health care. “We are thrilled with Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to our mission of equality in health care information for all as well as the support of what we believe will be a seismic shift in health rights,” says Chris
Two Doctors, One Message
Dr. Terri Richardson
With the Affordable Care Act now in place, more and more Americans have access to health insurance – once a major barrier to healthcare for millions of racial and ethnic minorities. Next step? “Use it,” says Dr. Terri Richardson, an internist with Kaiser Permanente Colorado and lead physician for the virtual African American Center of Excellence. With this new access comes an empowering opportunity for new health insurance patients to become active participants in finding solutions to their healthcare needs. One habit that patients will want to break in this new role is the need to self-diagnose using Internet research, says Richardson, who formerly worked at Eastside Health Center with Denver Health for 17 years, where she also served as medical director. “In a sense, it’s good for people to try to educate themselves,” she says, but cautions relying heavily on this information. “We fight a battle to reeducate (our patients) against Internet searches and social media.” Trusting doctors can be an issue for certain communities, particularly African Americans who recall detrimental health experiments, such as the controversial Tuskegee syphilis study. Today, Richardson strongly encourages patients to be more trusting of their doctors when discussing their health. She
Christmas, GenX7. “These previously underserved audiences will no longer view healthy living as a luxury but as a human right. KeepLivingCO.org will bring resources in a fun, active way as well as provide the tools they need to live healthy and thrive.” The kickoff event, KeepLivingCO.org Summit – Health Rights ARE Civil Rights, will be held at The Cable Center, 2000 Buchtel Blvd., Denver, on Sat., March 8, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Guests can pre-register at KeepLivingCO.org. Editor’s Note: Kaiser Permanente Colorado is the state’s largest nonprofit health plan, proudly working to improve the lives and health of Colorado residents for more than 40 years. Kaiser Permanente Colorado provides comprehensive health care services to more than 565,000 members through 28 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. . For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit kp.org/share or follow us on Twitter @kpcolorado or facebook.com/kpcolorado.
Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis and Dr. Terri Richardson share tips to prepare you for your next doctor’s appointment stresses that doctors “are not here to judge, we’re here to help.” Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist for 25 years prior to her current role as vice president of government and external relations for Kaiser Permanente Colorado, concurs and underscores the importance of doctors being able to relate to their patients culturally. “It’s important for patients to have a trusted and supportive relationship which creates an environment where the patient feels comfortable asking questions and knows the doctor can relate to them. It’s big for a doctor to have the ability to understand what their patients’ values are.” Before coming to work at Kaiser Permanente, Allen-Davis was an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (now the Anschutz Medical Campus) and spent four years in the Indian Health Service in Tuba City, Ariz., during which time she also served as member and chair of the American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists’ Committee on Alaska Native and Indian Affairs. Being proactive is another component of an effective patient-doctor relationship, according to Richardson, a graduate of Stanford University and Yale University School of Medicine. Even if “people don’t see a purpose to going in to the doctor or they Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – March 2014
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By Angelia D. McGowan
are feeling good, it’s important to get preventative screenings,” such as mammograms, particularly if there is a family history of cancer. If there is, the frequency of screenings will change. But the doctor will not know this unless you tell them, she says. Richardson notes many silent diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and high-blood pressure are prevalent in the African American community and could be detected during these screenings. According to the Centers for Disease Control, African Americans in 2009 had the largest death rates from heart disease and stroke compared with other racial and ethnic populations. In 2010, the prevalence of diabetes among African American adults was nearly twice as large as that for white adults. In general, these are diseases to be aware of, but having a specific family history is even better. Allen-Davis, a graduate of Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School, encourages everyone to keep their family health history handy in their home. Once you report it to the doctor it stays in your medical records, but you may change doctors.Writing a priority list -- not a laundry list -- and taking it with you to the doctor is also helpful. Also, bring any prescription, non-prescription medications and report any surgeries or procedures. If you are the least bit worried, bring a long a friend or an advocate to be another set of ears and eyes.
Many Blacks Misfire on Jordan Davis I
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
n 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder surprised an interviewer when he said that once on a drive from New York to Washington during his college student days he was ordered out of his car by a police officer who demanded that he open his car trunk in a search for weapons. Holder said that the search left him angry and humiliated. Shortly after, President Barack Obama ticked off a litany of times that security guards in department stores and restaurants singled him out for inspection, and police officers on the street pulled him over for as he put it for “no apparent reason.” Obama even cracked during a 2007 presidential debate that the one sure fire way that he knew that he was an “authentic black man” was the many times that he was ignored when he tried to hail a cab in Manhattan.
So, here’s testimony from the nation’s two highest ranking public officials, a president and an attorney general. Both of whom are AfricanAmerican and both male. Their education, middle-class credentials, and spotless records, and later their lofty positions, was no shield from an unwarranted police stop, an overzealous security guard shadowing them in a department store, a taxi cab blowing by them on a street corner, or the dozens of other little petty slights that they had routinely suffered. The tale of racial profiling woe that Obama and Holder tell is also told by countless numbers of prominent, well to do, even celebrity entertainers, athletes, professionals and businesspersons. Now, if their wealth, education and prominence meant nothing in a pregnant when stereotypes rudely clashed with street reality and rammed them directly in harm’s way, then what
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chance did a Jordan Davis have to sidestep that harm? He, of course, didn’t when Michael Dunn blasted away at him and his companions in parking lot of a Jacksonville, Florida store in 2012. Dunn’s murderous disregard for Davis was virtually validated by the jury that did not see Davis’s murder as a murder, but only attempted murder. Yet despite the outrageous implicit message that the jury sent that a black man’s life isn’t worth much, no matter how innocent, and defenseless, the head scratching, soul searching, and spate of articles began with a vengeance after the verdict. The lecture finger wasn’t solely pointed at Dunn, but young blacks so the wrong headed reasoning goes just turned their music down, pulled their sagging pants up, stopped being loud and profane, and carried themselves like altar boys on the street, somehow they would evade the fate of a Davis. It’s not exactly victim blaming, but it’s a gray area that comes close to it and that’s the problem. It suggests that a Davis or a Trayvon Martin might still be alive if they somehow looked and acted different, and they’d be alive if their parents taught them to act and behave differently. The brutal consequence of this is that Davis and Martin died because they conformed to the vicious and racial stereotypes about black males. But this line of reasoning ignores the glaring example of Holder and Obama and the many unnamed black businesspersons and professionals who did everything by the racial book, and still found themselves spread eagled up against a police car or ignored in a department store or restaurant. The hard reality is that whether it’s an Obama or a Holder or a Davis or Martin, the lines are hopelessly blurred in the eyes of many who still see them not as a law abiding citizen but a thug, deviant, and societal menace. Two studies confirmed this reality. Immediately after Obama’s election, teams of researchers from several major universities found that many of the old stereotypes about poverty and crime and blacks remained frozen in time. The study found that much of the public still perceived that those most likely to commit crimes are poor, jobless and black. The study did more than affirm that race and poverty and crime were firmly rammed together in the public mind. It also showed that once the stereotype is planted, it’s virtually impossible to root out. That’s hardly new, either. In 2003, Penn State University researchers conducted a landmark study on the tie between crime and public perceptions of who is most likely to commit crime. The study found that many whites are likely to associate
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pictures of blacks with violent crime. This was no surprise given the relentless media depictions of young blacks as dysfunctional, dope peddling, gang bangers and drive by shooters. The Penn State study found that even when blacks didn’t commit a specific crime; whites still misidentified the perpetrator as an African-American. Five years later, university researchers wanted to see if that stereotype still held sway. It did. Researchers found public attitudes on crime and race unchanged. The majority of whites still overwhelmingly fingered blacks as the most likely to commit crimes, even when they didn’t commit them. Put Dunn among them; put one or more of the jurors that slapped the tainted conviction on Dunn that carried a horrible message with it among them. And sadly put far too many blacks among them who erroneously claim that if blacks just act right, they’ll be OK. Obama, Holder, Martin and now Davis make nonsense of that. Editor’s note: Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is a frequent MSNBC contributor. He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on American Urban Radio Network. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KTYM 1460 AM Radio Los Angeles and KPFK-Radio and the Pacifica Network. Follow Earl Ofari Hutchinson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/earlhutchinson
HOPE Students Head to Court (for
School!)
The class taught me to just slow down. And that really helped me deliver my opening arguments with confidence.” This year’s case centered on a traffic collision involving a student driver who was texting, and a bicyclist who was talking on his cell phone. With expert witnesses ready to take the stand in support of both the plaintiff and defendant, mock trial teams each
HOPE Mock Trial Team: Alex, Sofia, Aidee, Ana, Jose, Michael and Katty
Students represent the plaintiff
Every year, the Colorado Bar
Roca Fuerte student Jose takes the stand
By Heather O’Mara
Association (CBA) sponsors a mock
trial competition, engaging more than
1,500 students in judicial process. This year marks the first time HOPE
Online Learning Academy Co-Op has sent a team to the competition. Seven students from Roca Fuerte Learning Academy spent three hours a week,
for more than three months, preparing to put their legal chops on display in a
court room full of their peers. More than 100 teams from across the state participated in the Colorado High School Mock Trial, with only 20 teams progressing to the state competition later this month. The competition provides an academically competitive event, and helps promote ethical and professional sportsmanship. The tournament is the capstone of a year-long effort by CBA members, who create an annual case problem and lead numerous training sessions for students and coaches. HOPE students attended an interactive public speaking class, which ultimately improved their confidence and ability to articulate their arguments in the courtroom. Aidee, a 10th grader, attended the public speaking course with her teammates. “The class was really fun, but it also taught me a lot,” she said. “Even though I am comfortable speaking in front of classmates, I sometimes get nervous and I start talking really fast.
took a side, with a decision handed down from a CBA appointed judge. Each team took turns representing the plaintiff and the defendant in the case, allowing students to fully understand the legal process and giving students the opportunity to analyze a problem from multiple perspectives. The program provided the students with a positive educational experience that was focused more on learning and less on winning. The HOPE team was led by general counsel Kym Smiley of Steese, Evans & Frankel P.C. Smiley noted that the students “really blossomed throughout the process. By the time trial day came around, students had come so far in gaining the confidence needed to collaborate with one another, to think critically and verbalize opinions.” In addition to gaining valuable communication experience, the students also had a unique opportunity to learn firsthand the intricacies of the legal profession. And the case was timely and culturally relevant, allowing the students to connect more deeply to the topic. Teams presented their arguments over the course of four rounds, and two days. To make sure the students looked their best in front of the jury, the Colorado Bar Association also donated funds to outfit the trial team in professional attire. “I think that the whole experience really opened the students eyes to their potential. Now, they have the
confidence to pursue an advanced degree, and I think that is pretty fantastic,” Smiley said. “I used to think the legal process was boring,” explained Aidee, “but now I realize how interesting it is.” As student council president, Aidee had experience with politics, but wasn’t sure that the legal profession was right for her. “Now, I think I want to be a lawyer,” she said. “I can’t wait to do this again next year.” While the team was not selected to go to state, they gained invaluable life and career experience.
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“We were a first year team, with a first year coach, but we still performed very well, and I am so proud of our students,” Smiley said. “In the first round, we went up against the team that ultimately won. We held our own, and I think it was good for our students to see what an experienced and polished team looks like. We’ll take that experience and use it to prepare for next year.” Editor’s note: For more information on HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op, call 720-402-3000 or email info@HOPEonline.org. Heather O’Mara is the founder and CEO.
Supporters Raise $257,000 For Homeless On PJ Day
NEWSVIEWS
tallies show $257,163 in cash donations and $126,721 in-kind donations. To view footage from PJ Day, visit http://youtu.be/RMauXtUjX84.
Former Governor Ritter To Become Honorary Chairman
Denverites fought homelessness dressed in their pajamas, on Feb. 6, for Denver’s Road Home’s biggest fundraiser of the year, PJ Day. The day came to a close with an upscale PJ Party at the Residence Inn Denver City Center. More than 150 businesses, schools, nonprofits and government agencies rallied around Denver’s Road Home effort to put homelessness to bed by donating money or canned food. The community raised an estimated $257,000 for the cause and donated thousands of pounds in food to help those in need. During the PJ Party, 350 people showed their support for the homeless. School and business donations continue to trickle into Denver’s Road Home from PJ Day activities. Initial
The board of directors of the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action (CCGAA) announced the appointment of former Governor Bill Ritter Jr. as honorary chairman. He was recently honored at CCGAA’s Annual Breakfast in October for his efforts of promoting genocide awareness and action in Colorado while in office. Ritter served as the 41st governor of Colorado from 2007 to 2011. In April 2007, he signed HB07-1184 into law, which required public fund managers to develop a list of companies that have business operations in Sudan, and withdraw all publicly traded securities from companies that do not cease Sudan related business or activity. In 2009, he joined with CCGAA proclaiming Aug. 5th as “Genocide Awareness Day” in Colorado. Ritter is currently the Director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University.
Denver Water is committed to supporting a workforce culture of acceptance, diversity, leadership and community support.
Mike Peden, warehouse worker
Patricia Williams, executive office manager for CEO
Karintha Ragland, customer care specialist
We honor employees who contribute to our values and help Denver Water make a difference in our community.
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How does your child understand and express LOVE...and Anger? By Cassandra Johnson, Sena Harjo, & Dorothy Shapland
W
hat is one of the key ingredients that help children learn and grow? LOVE, that one simple word affects a child’s ability to learn, their memory, and even the size of their brain. We all believe that we love our children unconditionally, but do we? How often do we offer praise? (Is it) only when a child is complying with our wishes? How often do we tell a child that we love them? (Is it) only when they are doing something we think of as a good choice? Do we remember to tell a child when we are frustrated or angry that we love them, but we want their behavior to change? How often are we explicitly clear that we still love them when they make mistakes, dress or act in a way we don’t approve of, or get into trouble? When a child loses his temper, do we respond with love or do we match his anger? If we correct a child with physical punishment, what do we teach them about size, strength, power and love? Do we have healthy outlets for our own anger – especially when we are angry at a child? What we do models for children what is acceptable and right and good. Their choices are a reflection of what they have learned from us, from TV, from the people in their lives. If we
use loud voices, threats of violence, and obscenities when we are in conflict with others, our children will do the same. Sometimes we just need a new way to handle problems so that our children grow in love and are able to express frustration and anger in healthy ways. There are benefits to a child’s brain development when they receive love.
The way children are treated in their early years (prenatal to age 3) impacts so many areas of their development. A mother that is loving, nurturing, supportive, affectionate and care-giving physically affects: •A child’s brain structure, size and growth (10 percent more mass in the area where short term memory transfers to long-term than an abused or neglected child) •A child’s potential for learning (increased capacity and studies show are smarter) •A child’s ability to respond appropriately to stress as an adult •A child’s emotional development and reactions (ability to empathize with others) •A child’s spatial navigation (ability to record information for later use i.e. navigating through a familiar city) •A child’s ability to acquire comprehension and reasoning skills (key for adulthood) Studies indicate childhood neglect is a cycle because parents of neglected children were also neglected by their parents. This cycle is breakable if there is early intervention coupled with family support. Self-help books such as “The 5 Love Languages of Children” and “The 5 Love Languages of Teens” written by Dr. Gary Chapman demonstrate a way to determine your child’s love language.
Administering love in a way your child will receive could have a greater impact, but the truth is that children learn to receive love in the ways they are first convinced are truly demonstrations of love, which means it is up to us to be consistent, firm, loving, and kind in whatever way is most genuine for us, and our children will learn to trust and love in that “language.” Children, like you and me, need to feel that they can count on someone. We need to feel that someone expects more from us than we might believe is possible, but we want to reach those heights and earn their approval. We need to feel that someone will cheer us on, cheer us up, hear us out, and help us out. We need to know that someone trusts us – even when we don’t trust ourselves, and that someone will do whatever it takes to ensure that our basic needs are met. These are the foundations that teach a child to give and receive love. So, what are the key things to remember about raising healthy, adjusted children when it comes to love and anger? 0-3 Build Trust – Comfort a crying child, listen, respond, be impressed and let them know it. DON’T shake a baby – ever! Take a time out. Ask for help. Put the baby down and walk away, but never shake the baby, it won’t help, and it can kill. 3-5 Build Independence – Encourage your child. Allow them to do what they can on their own and notice what they did that was right before pointing out what they did wrong. DON’T make fun of your child for their speech delays, for saying or doing the wrong thing. Teasing never helps and it teaches teasing. 6 - 9 Build Communication – Help your child to find his or her voice. Being able to express what they need or want, even when speaking with adults can really change how a child learns to approach the world. DON”T use physical force to win an argument. Learn ways to resolve conflicts so that your child sees healthy models that don’t involve force.
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9-12 Build Confidence – Be inspired by your child’s interests and find ways to nurture their passions. DON’T forget that this pre-teen is still a child who needs to play and explore the world in order to find his or her own self. 12-18 Build Comfort – Be the safety zone your teen needs to rely on. DON’T neglect their social development because of your fears or your history. Teens need both space and limits – just like toddlers. For more information on other Nest Matters articles, visit www.thenestmatters.blogspot.com and like us on Facebook!
Do you need help paying for
child care? CCAP Can Help 720.944.KIDS (5437) DenverCCAP.org The Denver Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps eligible families that are working, going to school or looking for a job afford child care. CCAP provides financial assistance for children up to age 13 and special needs youth up to age 19.
Mayor Announces Welton Design/ Development Challenge Awards
Five commercial, residential, mixed-use projects to receive predevelopment grants totaling $475,000
M
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ayor Michael B. Hancock and the Denver Office of Economic Development (OED) announced the winners of the city’s first-ever Welton Design/Development Challenge. The unique funding approach with predevelopment funds garnered 10 proposals in January for commercial and mixed-use residential projects along the primary corridor of the Five Points business district. OED’s communitybased selection committee opted to fund the top five. “When we stood here on Welton Street last August and announced this opportunity, making the call to the community to present bold, collaborative projects for consideration, we didn’t know what to expect,” Mayor Hancock said. “This funding marks a significant milestone, as these projects not only highlight of my administration’s commitment to making real and lasting progress when it comes to jobs, housing, and retail for Five Points, but provide an incredible glimpse of what’s possible here on Welton.” The project winners are: •The Arcade & Rosenberg’s Bagels, 2714 Welton St. – Historic Arcade Building to be renovated and transformed into 2,400 sq ft space of retail featuring Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen; equal residential space on upper floor to provide 2–4 residential units. Project award: $75,000 •nuROOT Innovative Office Space, 2942-2944 Welton St. – Designed for emerging businesses ready to grow beyond a conventional incubator setting, this project will feature 4,710 sq ft of office space, plus 2,310 sq ft for a new eating/drinking establishment. Project award: $75,000 •Palisade Partners, 2460 Welton St. – Two adjacent vacant parcels at the intersection of 25th and Welton to be developed into 82 apartments, 14 townhomes and 3,000+ sq ft of ground-floor retail. Project award: $100,000 •The Rossonian Development, 2600 block of Welton – Renovation and restoration of historic hotel to be complemented by new, mixed-use
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construction. Project spans 192,225 sq ft, including 64 new residential units, office space, shopping, dining and venue options. Project award: $150,000 •Saint Bernard Properties, 2950 Welton St. – 3,115 sq ft vacant lot to be transformed into a three-story, mixeduse building including four apartment units. Project award: $75,000 “We were very impressed with both the quality of the proposals and the range of intriguing concepts for the Welton Corridor. Several of them start with empty lots and build new, while others represent exciting ‘legacy’ investments for historically-focused renovations of existing structures,” said OED Executive Director Paul Washington. “We’re enthusiastic about the collective future vision for Five Points that this process demonstrates.” In all, the 10 applicant projects collectively represent $88 million of development activity that would create nearly 500 jobs. The proposals include 77,000 square feet of retail space, 63,000 square feet of office space, and 277 new housing units. The pre-development grants will fund a wide range of expenses, including architectural renderings, engineering specifications, financial pro formas, environmental reviews and market research. The grants are designed to help support the steps generally required to prove project viability and garner commercial financing. Funds for the Welton Challenge awards are derived from the city’s federal Community Development Block Grant funding. The Denver Office of Economic Development (OED) is dedicated to advancing economic prosperity for the City of Denver, its businesses, neighborhoods and residents. Working with a wide variety of community partners, OED operates to create a local environment that stimulates balanced growth through job creation, business assistance, housing options, neighborhood redevelopment and the development of a skilled workforce.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! To all who supported the
ME & THE DREAM Exhibit and Program
Feb. 17 to March 2, 2014 Cherry Creek Shopping Center
Denver Public Library Honors African American Leaders
The Denver Public Library honored five African American community leaders at the Juanita Gray Community Service Awards and the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame induction ceremony last month at the Ford-Warren Branch Library. A former library staff member and community advocate, Juanita Gray helped start the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame in 1973. The Juanita Gray award honors African American men, women and youth who make outstanding contributions to the Denver Metro area and who exemplify the ideals and spirit represented by Gray’s commitment to the community. Following are the Juanita Gray award winners: Lauren Shobe, (Youth award). A junior at East High School, Shobe is active in her church choir and dance ministry in addition to volunteering in East’s library and after school programs. Her volunteer work at the Pauline Robinson Branch Library earned her a spot as a teen assistant for the After School is Cool program, which creates connections with young children. Selena Dunham. In addition to a successful career in banking, Dunham is active in Colorado and Denver politics, serving as a Deputy District Director for Congresswoman Diana DeGette and Chief of Staff for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She volunteers time to several nonprofits and has received numerous honors such as being named Business Leader to watch by the Rocky Mountain News and Business Woman of the Year by the Colorado Black Women for Political Action. Phillip (Phil) Washington. In 2009, Washington became the chief executive officer and general manager of the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) and was recently elected by the members of the American Public Transportation Association to serve as the first vice chair of the
HATS OFF TO...
organization. Washington has devoted more than 10 years to defining and improving public transportation in Colorado. Under his direction, RTD is moving forward with the FasTracks program, one of the largest transit expansions in the nation. Following are the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame Inductees: Ruth Cousins Denny (deceased). A teacher with the Denver Public Schools, Denny was deeply affected by discrimination and spent her life fighting for equality. Her experience in the Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and 60s inspired her to start the Denver branch of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); she later became chair of the chapter. She led a group of Coloradoans to the March on Washington in 1963 and served the Denver community through her retirement from DPS. She also cofounded Rebels Remembered, a film project chronicling the Colorado Civil Rights Movement. The Honorable Elbra Wedgeworth. In 1999, Wedgeworth was elected to Denver City Council for District 8, the first African American woman elected to the district, and in 2003 was unanimously elected Council President. She served as President 2003-2005, providing oversight for the multimillion-dollar city council budget, revising rules and restructuring council committees. She served as president/chair of Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention, the largest convention in Denver’s history. In April 2012, the Denver Post named her one of Colorado’s most influential women and was also named one of Denver’s 25 most powerful women by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of President Barack Obama. Holy Family High School nominated Nguyen for national honors last fall in recognition of her volunteer service. Nguyen daily schedule is strategically calculated so she has time for all her school work, activities, and volunteer projects. Just a few of her current projects are assisting second graders in the religious education program at Holy Trinity Parish on Sundays, and Saturday mornings Nguyen volunteers at the front desk of Good Samaritan Hospital where she also volunteers in the pharmacy during the summer. Nguyen’s countless hours of community service and leadership programs have attributed to her love for people, community, and her interest in her future profession. After graduating Annie will be attending Regis University and pursuing a career in pharmaceuticals.
The Denver Foundation Announces Four New Board Members
The Denver Foundation announces the election of four new members to its Board of Trustees. Barbara Baumann is president and owner of Cross Creek Energy Corporation. She sits on the board of SM Energy Company, UNS Energy, Putnam Mutual Funds, and Cody Resources LP. Her nonprofit affiliations include Mount Holyoke College, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, Children’s Hospital, The Colorado Forum, as well as being a member of The Denver Foundation’s Investment Committee. Mario Carrera is the Chief Revenue Officer of Entravision. He has served as the 2010 Chair for the Hispanic
Holy Family High School Student Honored With The President’s Volunteer Service Award
Holy Family High school senior, Annie Nguyen has been honored for her exemplary and continued volunteerism with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. The award recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, and was granted by The
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Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver, and is currently serving on the Board of Trustees for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as Chairman of the Colorado Reapportionment Commission as an appointee of the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. Harold Fields has volunteered for The Denver Foundation’s Inclusiveness Project Committee since 2011. He has been a board member for The Conflict Center, the Denver Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, and also serves on the board of the I-News Network. Fields was a founder of Multi-Racial Families of Colorado, a support group for racially mixed families and those adopting children from a different race or ethnic group. He is an engineer who spent most of his career working at IBM and United Airlines. Before her retirement in 2009, Betsy Mangone was vice president of the Philanthropic Services Group for The Denver Foundation. She was in the major gift and planned giving field for 26 years. During that time she served as vice president of the University of Colorado Foundation and as a national and international consultant to philanthropic families, colleges and universities, and other nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.denverfoundation.org
COMMUNITY NOTES
Building sstronger tronger ccommunities, ommunities, together. tog ogether ether. That is not a tagline ffor That or us, it’ it’ss our busines businesss model. W Wee rrecognize ecognize that w wee grow unlesss yyou do.. T That whyy w wee ha have donated over can’t gr ow unles ou do hat is wh ve donat ed o ver $50 million and thousands of hour hourss tto o local nonpr nonprofits ofits sinc sincee our inc inception, eption, including ccontribuitions ontribuitions of $5 million tto oC Colorado-based olorado-based charitable or organizations ganizations and a $600,000 $600 ,000 donation to to C Colorado olorado Giv Gives es D Day ay in 20 2013. 13. Y Your our dollar dollars, s, being kkept ept safe safe in FirstBank, FirstBank, are are re-invested re-invested in your your ccommunties. ommunties.
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Salute To Excellence In Education Scholarship And Awards Gala Planned
The public is invited to the 5th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala sponsored by TheEduCtr on Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel, Denver Stapleton. There will also be a workshop on educating Black students and other children of color from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 7. For more information, tickets, and a list of workshops; visit www.TheEduCtr.com or call Annette Sills-Brown at 720-326-5176.
Savvy Caregiver Program
For six weeks from April 1 through May 6, The Alzheimer’s Association will host a Savvy Caregiver training program that teaches an understanding of dementia for caregivers and how to manage day-to-day life. The six two hour sessions will be Tuesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 6 at InnovAge Denver PACE Center, 1265 S. Broadway in Denver from 6 to 8 p.m. Suggested donation is $25. For more information and to register, call 303-813-1669 or visit alz.org/co.
HOPE Center’s Casino Night
HOPE center announced its 9th annual fundraising event “Million Lights of Hope,”a 1930’s era theme and glamorous costume masquerade. Million Lights of Hope features live entertainment, gourmet food, media talent Gloria Neal, casino gaming tables (played with funny money), and a live and silent auction featuring children’s artwork. HOPE Center’s goals are to build a network of friends, share the mission and raise $100,000 to support HOPE Center’s programs and services. This event, open to the public, will be Saturday, March 8 at the 1770 Sherman Event Center from 7 p.m. to midnight.
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For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.hopecenterinc.org
People’s Fair Now Accepting Applications For Non-Profit Participants
This year marks the 43rd annual CHUN Capitol Hill People’s Fair, June 7 and 8 at Denver’s Civic Center Park, an event with a tradition of supporting the Denver community and local non-profit groups. Applications are available at www.peoplesfair.com. Along with non-profit exhibitors, the People’s Fair is also recruiting non-profit organizations to run the beverage booths onsite at the Fair, selling beer, soft drinks, cocktails and wine. Groups that staff these “Community Partner” booths will earn a percentage of the proceeds for their organizations. For more information, call the CHUN office at 303-830-1651.
Langley Family Charitable Trust Accepting Applications
The annual Langley Family Charitable Trust (LFCT) is accepting applications to award scholarships to Colorado high school seniors. LFCT is a nonprofit scholarship program designed to help increase the number of African Americans and/or at risk students enroll in community colleges and universities. Student must be a high school senior, have at least a 3.0 grade point average, be involved with the community, and have a career goal to make a difference in the quality of life for self and others in the community. Deadline to receive completed applications is April 18. For more information or an application, call 303-694-3126.
2014 Living Portraits of AfricanAmerican Women Program The National Council of Negro Women – Denver Section will celebrate International Women’s Month with the “Living Portraits of African-
COMMUNITY NOTES
American Women” program Saturday, March 22 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Denver Public Library, 10 W. 14th Ave. The program honors two youth as well as four women who have made outstanding contributions in youth leadership, business, community service, philanthropy, and politician. Honorees include Ruth Tsige, youth leadership; Tajinae Turner, youth leadership; Helena Haynes-Carter, business; Rosalyn Reese, community; Valorie Yarbrough, government; and Dr. Carolyn Love, business. This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to RSVP, call 303-296-4359.
Flippin’ the Script Graduation Ceremony Set For April 1
Flippin’ the Script will hold a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Jake’s Food and Spirits, 3800 Walnut in Denver. Ex-gang members and their families celebrate a milestone that most of them never thought they’d see - graduating from a program that they are dedicated to because they want to change their life for the better. For more information, visit http://www.opendooryouth.org/
Killins And Suskind Keynote Speakers At Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference
Dr. Sherri Killins, Ed.D, former Commissioner of Early Education and Care for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Dr. Dana Suskind, M.D., founder of the Thirty Million Words Initiative, will be the keynote speakers for the 2014 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) at the Colorado Convention Center. Dr. Killins will address conference attendees during the noon luncheon on Friday, March 14. Dr. Suskind’s presentation is scheduled for the Saturday, March 15 noon luncheon. For more information, about the 2014 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, visit www.ecconference.com.
Calling All Artists – Apply For The 43rd Annual People’s Fair!
Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Inc. (CHUN) is currently accepting applications for artists and vendors for the two-day CHUN Capitol Hill People’s Fair, to be held June 7 and 8. Fine art and handcrafted applications are due March 31 and applications for other vendors are due on April 4. Applications are available at www.peoplesfair.com. For more information, call Nicole Anderson at 303-830-1651.
Annual Love Our Children Luncheon Slated For April
The 24th Annual Love Our Children Luncheon, a benefit for The Shaka Franklin Foundation for Youth will be Friday, April 18 at the Denver Grand Hyatt, 1750 Welton St. Keynote speaker Matt Lepsis is a former Denver Bronco and University of Colorado Buff. A silent auction will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. The lunch and program will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, call 303-3372515, email info@shaka.org, or visit www.shaka.org.
Learn. Achieve. Graduate.
Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame Announced 2014 Inductees
The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame will induct 10 women into the Hall at a gala ceremony on March 20 at the Denver Marriott City Center. Contemporary inductees are: Christine Arguello, U.S. District Court Judge; Lauren Casteel, first African American woman to head a Colorado foundation; Penny Hamilton, Ph.D; pilot, aviation educator; Kristina Johnson, Ph.D., internationally acknowledged expert in optics and crystal display technology; Joanne Maguire, aerospace executive who led the development of the Mars Rover; and Diana Wall, Ph.D.; environmental scientist who has a valley in Antarctica named after her. For more information, visit www.cogreatwomen.org.
I Go On Singing Musical Pays Tribute To Paul Robeson
Once in a lifetime a human being comes along who stands head and shoulders above the rest. Paul Robeson was such a man. An AllAmerican athlete, recording artist, and star of the stage and screen, by the 1930s Robeson was the best-known and most popular African-American entertainer in the world. But trouble lay ahead for Paul, and ultimately he would sacrifice his career, and everything he’d accomplished, by challenging the dominant culture’s politics and status quo. His story comes alive in a 90minute musical presentation, I Go On Singing, Paul Robeson’s Life in His Words & Songs performed by Anthony Brown. Written by Andrew Flack and directed by Denver’s own donnie l. betts. It runs from Feb. 28 to March 9 at The Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 East Colfax Avenue, in Aurora. For more information or tickets, call 303-739-1970 or visit www.AuroraFox.org.
A Free Online Public K-12 School Proven to Help Students Succeed
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Movie Reviews By Kam Williams ExcellentKKKKK. Very GoodKKKK.. GoodKKKKKK... FairKKKKKKK.. PoorKKKKKKK.
No stars
REEL ACTION
Directed by Steven Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine), the picture co-stars Regina Hall opposite Hart as his love interest, Joan. Rounding out the principal cast are Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant as Danny and Debbie, the aforementioned twosome who decide to give serious commitment a go. At the point of departure we are introduced to Bernie and Danny, best friends and co-workers at a restaurant supply company. The former recounts a
Winter’s Tale
About Last Night
Kids for Ca$h
Crooked Judges Imprison Minors for Kickbacks in Expose about Pay-to-Play Scheme
A
About Last Night
Kevin Hart Spearheads Raunchy Remake of Romantic Romp
R
eleased in 1986, About Last Night revolved around the yearlong effort of a couple of Chicago yuppies (played by Rob Lowe and Demi Moore) to forge a solid relationship on the shaky ground of a one-night stand. The movie was adapted from “Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” a dialogue-driven drama by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Mamet (for Glengarry Glen Ross). Loosely based on the original, this raunchy remake is a romantic comedy ostensibly serving as a vehicle for popular comic-turned-actor Kevin Hart. After all, his character, Bernie, the sidekick in the source material, is now the leading man. Furthermore, the setting has been shifted to L.A., where much of the humor caters to the African-American palate, since the principal cast members are now all black. The film happens to be at its best when over the top Bernie’s talking trash. For instance, he brags about leaving a recent sexual conquest’s “edges nappy,” an inside joke insinuating that the session was so steamy it had literally uncurled his partner’s straightened hair.
purely lustful escapade he shared with Joan, prior to introducing the latter to her roommate. Danny goes gaga over Debbie, and the cinematic table is set. Bernie and Joan remain incessantly in heat, and can’t keep their hands off each other. By contrast, Danny and Debbie prove to be introspective enough to move in together, buy furniture, adopt a pet, and generally map out a future. The plot thickens when Danny loses his job and ends up tending bar at Casey’s, a saloon frequented by his stalker ex-girlfriend (Paula Patton). It doesn’t help that Bernie’s already been pressuring his suddenly-domesticated pal to revert to sowing his wild oats. Regardless, the resulting relationship tensions still take a back seat to lighthearted banter in this superficial adventure laced with one-liners like, “If this bitch were any dumber, you’d have to water her.” Look for quickie cameos by NFL great Terrell Owens as well as by Rob Lowe and Demi Moore courtesy of a clip from original. ALN 2.0, a bawdy variation on the theme establishing Kevin Hart as a bona fide box-office attraction. Rated: R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and brief drug use Running Time: 110 minutes Distributor: Screen Gems To see a trailer for About Last Night, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEfDr1OE8Q
nybody who needs a new reason to hate lawyers ought to check out this shocking documentary chronicling a pay-to-play scheme whereby a couple of crooked judges, Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella, enriched themselves at the expense of adolescents unlucky enough to be arrested in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The evil pair’s plan involved first condemning the existing juvenile detention center owned by the county. Next, they took millions of dollars in kickbacks from the private corporation hired to build and then run a larger facility. Furthermore, they secretly signed a contract with the company in which they agreed to continue to help the firm maximize profits by keeping the cells filled with juvenile delinquents. They subsequently accepted additional checks for each child sent to the prison, most for long stretches of time and for the flimsiest of infractions. Punishment was meted out not only for antisocial behavior like cursing at a bus stop, making fun of the principal on a webpage, and fighting at school, but in cases where the accused was totally innocent, like the boy arrested for riding a stolen scooter that had inadvertently been purchased by his parents, and another arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia that had admittedly been planted by the local police. These youthful offenders as young as 12 were generally denied their right to an attorney and so fared poorly in the kangaroo court, and far worse behind bars. It comes as no surprise that they often suffered from a combination of depression, anxiety, mood
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swings and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, even years after being paroled. Some would become trapped in the criminal justice system’s revolving door and eventually ended-up in an adult penitentiary. All of the above is recounted in distressing detail in Kids for Ca$h, a heartbreaking expose directed by Robert May about two of the slimiest creeps to ever walk the Earth. Conahan and Ciavarella’s shady shenanigans finally came to light after the Juvenile Law Center took up the cause of the falsely accused. But the unrepentant jurists’ have never shown any remorse, with their stints in country club federal prisons amounting to a slap on the wrist, given the thousands of lives they’ve ruined. We can only pray that a special room in Hell has been reserved for these “scumbags,” as they were called on the steps of the courthouse by the grieving mother of one of their innocent victims who had committed suicide.
Rated: PG-13 for profanity and mature themes Running Time: 102 minutes Distributor: SenArt Films To see a trailer for Kids for Ca$h, visit: http://kidsforcashthemovie.com/videos/ Or: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX_HxcoXa5Q Winter’s Tale
Cat Burglar Courts Sickly Heiress in Searing Exploration of Undying Love
P
eter Lake’s (Colin Farrell) parents had hoped to immigrate to the U.S. but were turned away at Ellis Island upon their arrival early in the 20th Century. Denied their shot at the American Dream, the Russian couple decided to leave their baby behind, setting him adrift in a tiny model of a ship called the “City of Justice.” The infant was carried by the tide to the shores of Bayonne, New Jersey where he was found and raised by compassionate clam-diggers. Upon coming of age, the teen moved to Manhattan and earned an honest wage as a mechanic until succumbing to the pressure to join a gang of ruffians led by the ruthless Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe). Peter was subsequently schooled in thievery under Pearly’s tutelage, though the two would become mortal enemies once the protégé tired of doing his malevolent mentor’s bidding as a cat burglar. Even after severing his ties to the criminal enterprise, the exasperated orphan was forever looking over his shoulder while on the run from the burly bully.
REEL ACTION
A critical moment of truth arrives when Peter finds himself surrounded by his former partners in crime and is somehow spirited away by a winged white stallion. Another turning point in the lad’s life transpires the fateful
Rated: PG-13 for sensuality and violence Running Time: 118 minutes Distributor: Warner Brothers To see a trailer for Winter’s Tale, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBSj1MKwx 6A
The New Black
night he enters a well-fortified mansion’s second-floor window with felonious intentions. For, before he has a chance to ransack the premises, Peter comes face-toface with Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay), a sickly young heiress suffering from tuberculosis. And despite her impending demise, he becomes hopelessly smitten with the frail, philosophical free-spirit. Over the objections of her skeptical father (William Hurt), the star-crossed lovers proceed to embark on an otherworldly romance as enduring as it is ethereal. Thus unfolds Winter’s Tale, a delightful flight of fancy marking the directorial debut of Akiva Goldsman, who won an Oscar for his screenplay adaptation of A Beautiful Mind. Akiva also wrote the script for this film which is based on Mark Helprin’s flowery best-seller of the same name. Does this movie measure up to the source material? Can’t say, since I haven’t read it. Nevertheless, I found this well-crafted piece of magical realism quite imaginative and intriguing, though I suspect fans of the book might be a bit disappointed, given how much is ordinarily lost in translation bringing any 700-page book to the big screen. A searing, supernatural exploration of the human soul suggesting not only that love is real but that miracles happen, too!
The New Black
Gay Celebrated as “The New Black” in Out-of-the-Closet Documentary
T
he African-American community has been slow to get on the gay rights bandwagon, at least according to exit polls conducted on election days in states like California where the narrow defeat of same-sex marriage in 2008 was blamed on black folks. What’s up with that? After all, one would expect blacks, as the long-suffering victims of segregation and discrimination, including miscegenation laws forbidding race-mixing, to be quick to support LBGT equality. But that hasn’t been the case according to The New Black, an eyeopening documentary directed by Yoruba Richen. The film follows the recent effort of African-American activists to rally support for Proposition 6, a Maryland same-sex referendum. This was to be no mean feat, given the way that the Black Church has dragged its feet in terms of LGBT issues. The gay rights movement was apparently up against walking around money greasing the palms of black pastors coming courtesy of Mormons and white Evangelicals eager to sway the African-American vote. The Born Again crowd pressed for a literal
interpretation of scriptures that leave no doubt about God’s will. Still, Biblethumping bigots are ostensibly at odds with the open-minded attitude advocated by George Gershwin’s heretical hymn, “It Ain’t Necessarily So” which warns that “The things that you’re liable to read in the Bible ain’t necessarily so.” As far as conservative black ministers, some have called homosexuality “a white man’s disease,” and shunned members of their congregation who have come out of the closet. This even happened to Tonex, a Grammy-nominated Gospel singer who found his homosexual “perversions” criticized by colleague Reverend Donnie McClurkin, a convert to heterosexuality who has come to reject what he refers to as the gay lifestyle. Nevertheless, most brothers seem to be coming around to a more tolerant attitude, despite the homophobia previously permeating black culture. For example, as a presidential candidate, Barack Obama narrowly defined marriage “as a union between a man and a woman,” only to arrive last year at a belief that “our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law.” The African-American community collectively jumps the broom over its last big taboo! Unrated Running Time: 75 minutes Distributor: Film Forum To see a trailer for The New Black, visit: http://www.newblackfilm.com/trailer/ Holy Ghost People
Holy Ghost People
Teen Seeks to Save Sister from Cult in Riveting Thriller
I
n 1967, Peter Adair shot an eyeopening documentary in the backwoods of West Virginia where he found a Pentecostal congregation conducting services that included such bizarre practices as snake handling and speaking in tongues. That expose, Holy Ghost People, ostensibly now serves as the inspiration for this identically-titled thriller about a daring attempt to rescue a woman ensnared
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in a dangerous cult on a compound hidden deep in the Appalachian Mountains. During the haunting flick’s opening tableau, we are introduced to Charlotte (Emma Greenwell), the film’s 19 year-old narrator. We find her working as a bartender at Saints and Sinners, a seedy dive catering to a blue-collar clientele. At the end of her shift, she takes a hunky ex-Marine home with her. But it’s not what you’re thinking; she scraped the drunk vet off the ground in the wake of a brutal beating by bouncers outside the nightclub. After Wayne’s (Brendan McCarthy) hangover wears off, she nurses him back to health while simultaneously confiding, “I need some help. My sister’s in trouble, real trouble.” Charlotte further explains that Liz (Buffy Charlet) has come under the spell of Brother Billy (Joe Egender), the charismatic pastor of the Church of One Accord. She seals the deal by letting him know that she has nowhere to turn for help, since she and her sibling are orphans with no other relatives. That desperate plea works, and soon the two undertake the scary trek up Sugar Mountain. En route, they pass religious billboards emblazoned with Christian scriptures and sayings like “Jesus Saves” and “Repent or Perish.” Upon arriving, rather than owning up about their true intentions, they feign being heathens in need of redemption in order to infiltrate the congregation. However, suspicious Brother Billy warns them about the dire fate which awaits anyone who speaks with forked tongue, before pressuring Wayne to play with a deadly serpent as proof of his faith. Directed by Mitchell Altieri, Holy Ghost People is an edge-of-your-seat thriller which proves to be surprisingly absorbing for a production mounted on a modest budget. Credit a cleverly-concealed script with a few surprising twists that I dare not divulge. The picture also features some great acting by a talented cast which threw itself into the project with praiseworthy abandon. A faith-based answer to Snakes on a Plane. Snakes in the Pulpit! Rated: R for violence, sexuality, profanity, brief nudity and drug use Running Time: 92 minutes Distributor: XLrator Media To see a trailer for Holy Ghost People, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxrA0c4dasY Or: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/holyg hostpeople/#videos-large
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LEAP Helps Coloradans Keep Warm As Propane Prices Rise
The deep freezes that have gripped Colorado and various parts of the U.S. the past couple of months have had profound effects on how we stay warm this winter. One of the most concerning consequences is the spike in propane prices. According to a recent article in The Denver Post, the price of a gallon of propane in Colorado jumped to as high as $6 in mid-January, up from $2.30. Last winter, propane in Colorado cost approximately $1.85 per gallon. Nationally, average residential propane prices have increased by approximately 60 cents per gallon since October, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Propane is a fuel source that can be used for furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, outdoor grills, fireplaces and appliances. In Colorado, propane is more frequently used as a heating fuel by people who live in rural areas. The bitter cold weather is causing people to use more propane. In turn, the increasing demand for propane is driving up its price. As a result, many people who are in need of propane for their heating fuel are finding it increasingly difficult to afford. Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LEAP energy assistance program is here to help those people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal is to make sure that no Coloradans go cold this winter because they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford their heating bill.â&#x20AC;? LEAP Manager Aggie Berens says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This recent band of dangerously cold weather has really threatened the safety of people who rely on propane for their heating fuel source.â&#x20AC;? LEAP provides cash assistance to help hard-working families and individuals pay winter home heating costs or help with broken furnaces or wood stoves. This year the average benefit for people who qualify is expected to be $447 per household. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want anyone in Colorado to be left out in the cold this winter,â&#x20AC;? Berens says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to support those people who are working hard to make ends meet.â&#x20AC;? LEAP has several eligibility requirements. Applicants must be Colorado residents and U.S. citizens or legal aliens. They also need to provide a copy of a valid identification and a completed affidavit to comply with Colorado Revised Statutes regarding
Denver Urban Spectrum â&#x20AC;&#x201D; www.denverurbanspectrum.com â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2014
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documentation of lawful presence. Valid forms of I.D. include a Colorado driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license or I.D. card; a U.S. Military I.D. card or Military Dependentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s I.D. card; a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card; or a Native American Tribal document. Other forms of I.D. may be accepted as well. Applicants also must be responsible for paying heating costs, either directly to a utility company or to a landlord as part of rent. Applicantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; income cannot exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty index. LEAP accepts applications from Nov. 1 through April 30. To date, LEAP has received 87,519 applications, 65,573 of which have been approved. People interested in applying can call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-4328435) to order a mailed application. Alternatively, applications are available at every county department of social or human services, most utility companies, and many community agencies, like Catholic Charities. Applications also can be downloaded from www.colorado.gov/cdhs/leap. Applicants may fax the completed application to their appropriate county office or mail it to the county at the address available on the website. People eligible for LEAP may also qualify for other benefits, like the Crisis Intervention Program, which helps repair or replace the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary heating system; or the Weatherization Program, which improves energy efficiency in homes. Colorado also offers a rebate of property tax, rent and heat expenses to low-income seniors and disabled persons. Known as the Property Tax/Rent/Heat Credit (PTC) rebate, the maximum property tax rebate is $660 and the maximum heat expenses rebate is $192. The Colorado Department of Revenue administers the rebate. Visit ww.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue/REVX/1216116072809 for more information and the rebate application booklet. To find out if you qualify for LEAP, call toll free 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866432-8435) or visit www.colorado.gov/cdhs/leap to view the most current program application requirements.
2013
sustainably raised salmon with plenty of room to swim. Lodo 1514 Blake Street Denver, CO
landmark center 5380 greenwood plaza blvd. 303.267.8744
denver cherry creek 2780 e 2nd avenue 303.322.9554
boulder pearl street mall 1117 pearl street 303.473.4730
15343 E. 6th Avenue
6th and Chambers In Aurora
303-856-3590
1flavaful1@gmail.com
To n y T. R o b e r t s
www.flava.biz
March 20-23
Donnell Rawlings March 27-March 30
8246 E. 49th Ave. #1400 Northfield @ Stapleton
Denver, CO 80238
303-307-1777
www.denver.improv.com Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – March 2014
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follow us on twitter @hapasushi Instagam #hapasushi Facebook.com/hapasushi Foursquare
$9 Sou l Food Pl ate Monday: 2 For One Burger
Flava! “Simply Good Food”
The Law Office of Jessica Jackson-Barrows, LLC Areas of Practice
Personal Injury Slip and Fall Trip and Fall Premises Liability Motorcycle Accidents Car Accidents Criminal Law Estate Planning Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff Personal Injury -- Plaintiff Premises Liability - Plaintiff
Save!
695 S. Colorado Blvd. Suite 480 Denver, CO 80246
On “Soul Food” Meat Bundles for the Holidays!
PH: (720) 943-4195 FAX: (303) 722-7281
Chitterlings, Hams, Pork Chops, Chicken, Beef!
Former Brooklyn, NY Prosecutor Specializing in Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Payment Arrangements Available
We welcome Credit Cards, Food Stamps, & Check Cashing
Western Union
ATM Cash Machine Money Orders for 69 Cents
OPEN EVERYDAY 8 AM TO 8 PM
3340 Downing St. Denver, CO - 303-294-0319
A Locally Owned Affiliated Food Store (#1661) - We Buy Together To Sell For Less!
* 3840 YORK STREET | SUITE 216 DENVER, CO 80205 720.319.8184
DESIGN L AB A WEB + GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO WWW.BODEGADESIGNL AB.COM
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+ GRAPHIC DESIGN | WEB SITE DESIGN + SOCIAL MEDIA | BROCHURE DESIGN + NEWSLETTER DESIGN | LOGO DESIGN
Sick
Transmission? We have your medicine!
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – March 2014
30
Gooch’s Transmission Specialist
Myron Gooch, Manager 760 Dayton Street Aurora, CO 80010 303-363-9783 Making transmissions well for 22 years.
WHO’S WHO “AROUND TOWN” SEE MORE @
WWW.DENVERURBANSPECTRUM.COM
ME & THE DREAM EXHIBIT KICK-OFF BREAKFAST CHERRY CREEK SHOPPING CENTER
AROUND TOWN
Denver, Colorado February 2014
ME & THE DREAM EXHIBIT
Special Guest Speaker - Little Rock Nine Carlotta Walls LaNier
The Colorado Gospel Music Academy Awards & Hall of Fame
Photos by Bernard Grant, Lens of Ansar and Sweetz Photography
Happy Birthday to Wellington E. Webb
DO FOR SELF AWARDS DINNER
University of Colorado Denver
A Black History Month Celebration: A Healthy World of Living and Learning
Please Join Us! “Empowering the Community to Live Well”
Saturday, March 15, 2014 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Renaissance Denver Hotel – 3801 Quebec Street Free Self-Parking!
(Valet Parking $8)
The Center for African American Health is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the African-American Community.
Take advantage of FREE health screenings: Blood Pressure Pap Smear Dental Memory Loss Self-Assessment
Glucose Prostate (DRE & PSA) Vision Bone Density Clinical Breast Exam
New This Year – FREE Enrollment for
Connect for Health Colorado (Obamacare) Sign up for an appointment at the Health Fair!
Lung Function Depression Foot And Much More!
We are a Certified Assistance Site for
Learn how small changes can make a big difference in maintaining and improving your health.
Enjoy other FREE activities such as:
Healthcare Reform 101 Workshops Complete Physical and Medical History Exam
Visit with Health Experts Medication Consultation Visit Health Exhibits Massage Therapy
Cooking Demonstration Food Tasting
This event made possible with the generous support of our sponsors and community partners.
For more information, please visit our website: www.caahealth.org or call 303-355-3423.