Volume 32
YOUNG...
Gifted...
BLACK... Educating and Maximizing Black Brainpower...4
Number 6
September 2018
MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER Volume 32 Number 6
September 2018
PUBLISHER Rosalind J. Harris
GENERAL MANAGER Lawrence A. James
EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT Alfonzo Porter
PUBLISHER/PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Melovy Melvin MANAGING EDITOR Laurence Washington COPY EDITOR Ruby Jones COLUMNISTS Kim Farmer Allison Kugel FILM CRITIC BlackFlix.Com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Janet Dallas Ruby Jones Zilingo Christopher Nwuke Alfonzo Porter Jamil Shabazz Annette Walker ART DIRECTOR Bee Harris
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jody G ilbert - Kolor Graphix
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Lens of Ansar Bernard Grant DISTRIBUTION Ed Lynch Lawrence A. James - Manager
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 2018 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.
A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste…
We all know the phrase, we all have heard it. It was meant to promote the United Negro College Fund scholarship program for Black students more than four decades ago. But, this iconic slogan still holds true, even more so today. School is back in session and many first day students are being welcomed with high-fives, handshakes, claps and cheers from diverse groups of well-wishers. What a great way to start the school year! This month we focus on education with a variety of contributions. Our cover story by Professor Alfonzo Porter looks at the brilliance of Black students who are overlooked and unrecognized while those of notoriety status are the norm to be highlighted. Dr. Sharon Bailey shares an eye opening letter to the Black community and DPS about the education of Black students while Principal Dr. Kimberly Grayson provides advice on preparing kids for success after high school. Read how DPS students, again, outpace state in academic growth on 2018 CMAS and how the Emma Bowen Foundation is promoting education in media and technology fields. Kelie Kyser wants to educate the community on how “knowledge is power.” She tells her personal story t o help women of color overcome the survival disadvantage of ovarian cancer. DUS contributor Ruby Jones presents the first two Colorful Stories of the series on Little Rock Nine’s Carlotta Walls LaNier and mother of gunshot victim Ollie Marie Phason – two of five compelling stories that will be presented on Nov. 3 at the Renaissance Hotel. A mind IS a terrible thing to waste and DUS columnist and persona l trainer, Kim Farmer talks about the importance and benefits of exercising your mind. Feeding a mind with knowledge is vital to one’s growth and well-being. Prepare yourself, prepare your child, educate your mind and don’t let it go to waste. Rosalind J. Harris Publisher We dedicate this issue to the life and memory of Rae Taylor and Aretha Franklin. May they “Rest in Peace.”
LETTERS, OP-EDS AND OPINIONS
Initiative 97 Not the Answer
the state could face lawsuits. One study says if Initiative 97 is approved by voters, up to 43,000 jobs will be lost in the first year alone; and within 12 years, the state also would lose $218 billion. The initiative already has impacted Colorado oil and gas stocks which fell after news broke that it may appear on the November ballot, according to reports. Such revenue losses hurt everyone connected to the industry, from the workers in the field to communities that use tax revenue to help fund such things as parks. Most Coloradans agree oil and gas regulation is needed but how far is too far. If this initiative is approved, in Colorado’s top five oil and gas producing counties combined, 61 percent of the surface acreage (94 percent of non-federal land) would be unavailable for new development. As voters, we all have the responsibility to look at the big picture when voting on new laws. Killing an industry that provides jobs and tax revenue is not the answer.
Drill Deeper For the True Impact Statewide Editor: On the surface, Initiative 97 looks like a safety issue concerning new oil and gas development, including fracking. However, when examining the overall impact of the proposal makes the Nov. 6 ballot, it would do more harm than good for Colorado statewide. The current laws require new wells be restricted within 500 feet from homes. That is a reasonable restriction. Initiative 97 would require a minimum distance of 2,500 feet from occupied buildings and other areas designated as “vulnerable,” including playgrounds, permanent sports fields, amphitheaters, public parks, public open space, public and community drinking water sources, irrigation canals, reservoirs, lakes, rivers, perennial or intermittent streams, and creeks, and any additional vulnerable areas designated by the state or a local government. In other words, the initiative would kill oil and gas production statewide and that would harm many people. It’s not a doomsday prediction to say such a law would greatly impact the state’s economy and eliminate thousands of jobs. Additionally, public schools would lose tax revenue and
Wellington E. Webb Denver
Editor’s note: Wellington E. Webb served as Denver’s mayor from 1991 to 2003.
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Reunite the Border Children and Parents Now
Editor: No border child or parent separated by the federal government should have to spend another day wondering where their loved one has been taken. The Trump administration has created this tragedy and now has labeled at least 700 children as “ineligible” for reunification. What does that mean? Are these children suddenly orphans because of a group of misguided bureaucrats say so? The majority of Americans are outraged about the separation policy and the “power of the people” rightly Continued on page 29 Denver Urban Spectrum Department E-mail Addresses Denver Urban Spectrum
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Boosting our Community’s Economic Capacity by Inspiring Heightened Student Performance in School Cameron Clark
By Alfonzo Porter
Here we go again—obliged to
contend with the same old tired, negative, stereotypical assertions a propos
black intelligence. This time, from the
bloviating, obnoxious ignoramus currently occupying the Oval Office
whose towering simple-mindedness
continues to stun and alarm the world. And as African Americans are set to
mark the 4th century next year of our
ancestor’s first steps upon the shores
of Jamestown, VA in 1619, this all too
familiar refrain has surfaced yet again. For centuries our aptitude, in almost every endeavor, has been studied, analyzed and dissected most often by those with questionable motives and dubious mental heft themselves. Perhaps, the time has come to lay these contentions to rest once and for all.
But we have a problem. We tend to make it easy for any disparaging skeptics to levy such declarations against our scholastic capacities by failing to ensure that our children can compete and win in the arena of educational enterprise. For decades, state and national student testing data has continued to illustrate that black students in America’s public schools are the poorest performing pupils in every standard measure. It appears as though we are giving our critics, like Mr. Trump, all the ammunition they need to make such ill-informed claims about our academic astuteness. Outside of educational circles, not many are familiar with the so-called achievement gap. This measure outlines the scholastic performance variables between racial sub-groups in U.S. schools. For too many years now, African American students have been at the bottom of the scale in every subject area tested. It has been a cause for concern for educators and parents for decades.
The essential foundations of this issue can initially be found at home. The National Education Association reports that black students enter kindergarten a full two years behind their white and Asian counterparts. The notion that somehow our kids can overcome such a massive deficit so early on has proved completely irrational. As the years pass, the farther they fall behind. As we embark upon a new school year, we are forced to take an unbiased look at the true root causes of why this persistent gap exists. Beyond the pervasive attitude among many educators, in the past, that black students, particularly poor black students, are intellectually incapable and inferior we must deal with the reality that our kids are simply not performing at optimum levels. According to the College Board, nearly 2,000 African American students scored in the top percentile on last year’s SAT. While this number represents only about one percent of all black test takers, it does reveal what may be possible if we change our focus. However, it will take a tremendous effort on behalf of all of us. It will require that black parents and teachers drop the nimble, acrobatic variation of excuses about black student performance. Yes, the test may be culturally biased, and yes the teacher may have some hidden, engrained prejudices but it is no longer acceptable to allow our students to not meet high standards. The lack of intense focus on academic excellence in our community continues to be glaring. For instance, when Cameron Clark, an African American Philadelphia senior, achieved a perfect score on the SAT a couple of years back, very few media sources, particularly black media expressed an interest in providing well-deserved coverage of his accomplishment. He was one of only 360 students to achieve this remarkable feat among the more than 1.66 million test takers that year. We consistently miss opportunities to showcase students like Clarke who can serve as ambassadors for other students and who are in a position to better inform their study habits and attitudes towards learning. Conversely, we are far more familiar with our young people that exhibit
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athletic skill than academic talent. For instance, we watched LeBron James, Tiger Woods and countless others, from the time they were pre-teens as they nurtured their boundless physical skills. At this very moment in every community all over the nation, we watch, evaluate, and encourage the development of our kid’s abilities to run fast, jump high, build strength and fling a ball through an apparatus with tremendous proficiency. Rarely, if ever, do we pay similar attention to the more important efforts of our academic superstars. They don’t appear on the front pages of our papers. They aren’t profiled on our broadcasts, podcast, blogs or editorials. As a student who graduated from an all black high school in St. Louis, our reputation was not built upon how many students received scholarships to the university or any other academic measurement, it was based on whether we went to state in football, basketball or track and field. It is a regretful truth in schools all over this nation. As a group, our obsessive focus on athletic prowess over academic pursuits may well be central to the problem. All across the nation at this very moment, millions of young black males are enduring two-a-day practices, in 100+ degree heat, muscle cramps, risking heat stroke all in order to make the team— juxtaposed against empty libraries and study rooms. Of course, there is nothing wrong with hard work in the quest to achieve a predetermined goal but the reality is that by working just as hard scholastically can yield far more tangible career results for our young people in the long term. Perhaps the most vexing aspect of attempting to address the achievement gap is that our students themselves are totally oblivious to the fact that they are dead last across the board academically. Therefore, if we are in search for answers to the conundrum of black academic achievement, we might well consider ways of informing our black students of the specifics
of how they stack up when compared to others and the perceptions being propagated regarding their intrinsic intellectual talents. I submit that their overall response to the news may well surprise us—pleasantly. A potential starting point might be to revive the conversations sparked by the 1994 book, “The Bell Curve,� by Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein, that sought to examine racial differences in IQ. The book is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in the wake of the assault on black brainpower. The stream of insults aimed at wellknown African Americans like congresswoman Maxine Waters, CNN anchor Don Lemon and Lebron James that parrot white nationalist inclinations that black people are fundamentally inferior can and must be answered. The only people who can silence this torrent of outrageous allegations are currently sitting in classrooms all over this nation; namely our students. What may be most telling about the achievement gap is that it is ostensibly an American phenomenon. This trend towards anti-intellectualism does not appear to impact black students who migrate to the U.S. from other parts of the world. Student achievement data in American public high schools are often analyzed and disaggregated in terms of ethnic and racial parameters. Such data categorize immigrant black students as African Americans, thereby creating the impression of homogeneity within the African American racial group. As racial and ethnic identity becomes more complicated, educational practitioners are being forced to move away from the conventional notion that equates each racial group with one culture and one ethnic identity. Previous research does not distinguish immigrant black students and U.S. born blacks Numerous studies employing different methods across a variety of disciplines have noted the strong value placed upon education among immigrant families. Regardless of their countries of origin, foreign-born black parents believe in the importance of doing well in school and attempt to
instill such an attitude in their children. These parents believe that the best way for their children to succeed in U.S. society is to receive good grades, complete high school, and attend college. The most significant challenge presented here is the assumption that the racial identities of all black students are the same; regardless of community, country of origin, and associated social-cultural factors. In fact, intergroup variability does indeed exist among black students. The academic performance of immigrant black students is compared and contrasted with that of African American stu-
dents relative to the school, district, and state academic performance outcomes should be studied and analyzed. The perceived educational barriers, coupled with the more general social and psychological challenges of adapting to a new and different society, originally led to expectations that students from immigrant families were at risk and would inevitably do poorly in school. But a very different picture has emerged; one that African American parents would do well to review. Immigrant black families have three main themes, each of which Continued on page 5
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Lost Your Joy?
Find it again at the
United Church of Montbello! Come as you are and get connected to your best self through great fellowship and the love of Jesus Christ! Sunday Worship: 8:00am (Traditional) and 10:30am (Gospel) 4VOEBZ 4DIPPM BN r 8FEOFTEBZ #JCMF 4UVEZ QN
Rev. Dr. James E. Fouther, Jr., Pastor 4879 Crown Blvd., Denver, CO 80239 303-373-0070 http://ucm.ctsmemberconnect.net
Student Performance
Continued from page 5 needs to be considered in order to best understand the complexity of their educational disparities: (a) immigration is a highly selective process in complex ways; (b) partially as a result of this selection, immigrant families come to the US with high aspirations for their children, high levels of family stability, and a strong work ethic; and (c) when immigrant families have access to information, resources, and opportunities, they succeed in education, but significant numbers of immigrant families do not have access to such resources and their children are unable to achieve their goals. The emphasis on education among immiGroup African American Asian Hispanic White
No. of Firms 2, 584,403 1,917,902 3,305,873 19,278,260
% of Businesses 9.5 7.1 12.2 70.9
6
% of Overall Sales 1.3 5.8 4.2 88.0
Avg. Receipts $58,000 $365,000 $143,000 $546,000
Source: Minority Business Development Agency
grant families is buttressed by their belief in the school as particularly useful for getting a job later in life, consistent with a tendency for immigrants to emphasize the importance of obtaining stable and gainful employment. As an involuntary immigrant and minority, we African Americans have developed a collective psychological identity to protect our self-esteem and to fight feelings of subordination. This response, of course, has had negative educational consequences. Potentially successful African American students may avoid doing their best in school because they see few future economic rewards for their efforts in education. Many of our kids fear that some of their peers will view them as adopting mainstream culture, or “acting White.” Therefore, the intense pressure to maintain group loyalty has negative social consequences and tragic repercussions academically. Immigrant black students are far less impacted by this subculture. So, what’s the big deal?
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – September 2018
Why should we be concerned with the rants of a few racist, extremist sociopaths? The lunatic ravings of these right-wing zealots notwithstanding, our entire future rest upon how our students fare in school. Their performance mirrors the performance of our community as a whole. According the U.S. Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency, African American’s economic health and viability bears a direct reflection of how our kids perform academically. For example, black owned businesses are fewer in number, employ fewer employees, have smaller overall gross receipts and represent a smaller percentage of overall national sales. % of Employment 1.7 6.4 4.2 86.5
As this chart illustrates, there is a direct correlation between how our students perform in school and the long-term results for our community’s economic performance and wellbeing. In the end, focusing on improving the school performance of black students has little, if anything, to do with the reckless proclamations of those bent on creating distractions based on racial distinctions but it has everything to do with the eventual uplift of our community as a whole. Addressing this achievement gap means telling the truth to our students. It is my contention that they will not find much comfort in the knowledge that their performance serves as one of the sources for the distressed conditions of our communities. It didn’t start with this generation and it won’t end with it. Developing a long-term, strategic vision for the academic outcomes of our kids will ultimately yield favorable results for us all while simultaneously extinguishing our most ardent critics. .
Progress in the Pulpit
“Rev. Moss loves jazz!” Walker shares during our Sunday evening conversation. “But he was open and diverse enough to appreciate all different genres of music. My main responsibility was to ensure that whatever the theme of the sermon for Sunday was, that the music matched the sermon’s theme. It was truly an honor and blessing to have served the congregation of Trinity Baptist with him. He’s a great man of God and a great leader.” Dr. Moss, III is part of a new generation of ministers committed to preaching from a gospel that is unashamedly Black and unapologetically Christian. Using tools like love and justice, Dr. Moss, III is working to actively get people to unlearn the bastardized version of white Christianity that has plagued the Black community for far too long. His calls from the pulpit and the community streets, siren the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice and economic inequality, that disproportionately affect African Americans. Dr. Moss, III is steadfast in shining a light on the dirt that’s done in the dark, to the underrepresented, disenfranchised and unjustly criminalized for reasons related primarily to the color of their skin. “We going to’ be working Otis mighty hard for the two days he’s here,” says Pastor Reverend Eugene M. Downing Jr., of New Hope and laughing during our phone call.
New Hope Baptist Church Welcomes Back
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III “If you want to play any gospel
music, then you better know the blues.
Because I gotta tell ya, the blues and
gospel go hand in hand,” Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, rifts during the first sermon
I ever heard him preach. I smile broadly at the declaration, recognizing the blues in the gospel that he is preaching. He swanks about the pulpit in a navy blue suit and multicolored bow tie, offset with beige and toffee sandal oxfords. He has the kind of bravado that could put him on the cover of GQ. Yet he preaches with the kind of black prophetic fire, which would make Dr. Cornel West proud. Dr. Moss, III is a teaching preacher, navigating through sermons with a rhythmic, poetic delivery. The clergy has taken notice as Truett Seminary named him one of the 12 most effective preachers in 2018, an extremely prestigious honor. New Hope Baptist Church and the Colorado community will open arms in welcoming Dr. Moss, III back to a familiar church home, when he returns for its fall revival Sept. 20 and 21.
By Jamil A. Shabazz Dr. Moss, III arrived in Denver in 1995 to pursue a Ph.D. in Religion and Social Change at Iliff School of Theology. While here he found a church home at New Hope; endearing himself to Reverend James D. Peters, Jr., the former longtime Pastor of New Hope. The two formed a close bond and before long, Dr. Moss, III was appointed Youth Minister. Peters became a mentor to Moss and inspired in him a love of African-American homiletics and church history. After leaving New Hope, Rev. Dr. Moss, III has been like a rocket without a rearview mirror – on a constant ascent, and never looking back. He took over the pastorate at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA in 1997; remaining for nine years, he left in 2006. During his time there, the congregation swelled from 125 to over 2,000. Currently Dr. Moss, III is the senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL; one of the largest churches in the country. His Twitter bio refers to him as a jazz influenced pastor with a hip-hop vibe, and his former minister of music at Trinity Baptist, Daryl J. Walker agrees. Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – September 2018
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“But I think the community and the people of New Hope are prepared, and need to hear the message and energy that Rev. Moss will bring, especially with the current tension in the nation. I’m honored he’ll be a part of this much needed revival.” The first night of the two day revival on Thursday, Sept. 20 will feature Dr. Moss, III and a panel of individuals having a “Community Conversation” about various social and political issues that impact the church and the community. The second night on Friday, Sept. 21 will be a “Rites of Passage” discussion that focuses on women and youth in the community, and in the church. Both nights will begin at 6 p.m. “We must be willing to face tragedy, and not fall into despair.” The Chicago native implores near the end of his sermon. A smile wafts over me again – at a familiar refrain. Knowing a little about music and a lot about despair; I understand that gospel and blues are the same hymn, just played on different notes. When the Rev. Dr, Otis Moss, III returns to the Mile High City, he will be preaching in the key of life; in harmony with love and justice. The fall revival at New Hope promises to be a concert where we are all in one accord. .
Denver’s Dance 2-Gather studio
is warm and inviting, with spacious hardwood dance floors and vibrant walls painted with a mural depicting the rich cultural history of the small island state, Trinidad and Tobago. Since 2010, the studio has offered dance fitness classes led by enthusiastic and passionate instructors with one goal in mind: the success of its participants. During my first visit to Dance 2Gather or D2G, I observed women of all shades, ages, and sizes gathered to stretch and chat quietly as they prepared for the SocaFit celebration to begin. Each Monday night, owner and operator of Dance 2-Gather, Erica DeGourville-Reyes, takes participants on a tour of Trinidad and Tobago as they learn some of the traditional dances from Carnival. The Trinidad street parade known as Carnival originated during slavery when slaves, prohibited from attending the lavish party events of their masters, resorted to celebrating the days preceding Ash Wednesday with costumed celebrations in their own quarters. Throughout the years, Carnival has evolved into a massive event and economic boost for Trinidad and Tobago, with revenue from thousands of residents and tourists. Intricately designed costumes are worn by dancers who groove to Soul of Calypso, or Soca music, a Caribbean genre with African roots and elements of calypso, gospel, funk, and soul. DeGourville-Reyes started Soca Fit classes to give people an introduction to the rich cultural heritage celebrated by the inhabitants of Trinidad and Tobago. Located near Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago is a twin sovereign state and the southernmost land mass in the tiny cluster of islands making up the West Indies nation. The island was discovered by the Spanish in 1498, and was colonized by Spain in 1930. With a population of Indian, African, Dougla, European, Chinese, Arab, Portuguese, and indigenous Amerindian residents, the island boasts distinctive Creole traditions that have been kept alive since the earliest recorded Amerindian settlement circa 5000 B.C. The state motto “Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve,” is reflective of the vast diversity and cultural expressions found in Trinidad’s art. Before class began, DeGourvilleReyes reflected on her early desires to share her culture with others, “Soca music is the music I grew up on. With my father being from Trinidad, Soca
For The Culture:
Dance 2-Gather & SocaFit By Jamil A. Shabazz
music is literally in dio’s business my blood; and so is affairs. On any Erica DeGourville-Reyes and the history and culgiven day, Lindita Torres-Winters ture that comes DeGourville-Reyes’ along with it. husband, Manual, People love music can be found that makes then instructing a dance want to dance, class. makes them feel Dance students good.” are like extended With the press of family, dancing a button, together to stay fit DeGourville-Reyes and focused. “At signaled that class D2G we really are a would soon begin. family. I’ve been The blended calypcoming to Dance 2so music boomed Gather for five or from the speakers, six years now, and taking effect on the being with Erica at Erica DeGourvillewomen who began Reyes and D2G is like being in to sway effortlessly Patricia Ayite on a secret that you to its intoxicating want to keep to rhythm. yourself and share with the whole DeGourville-Reyes went on, “It’s world at the same time,” said Lindita important to me for people to underTorres-Winters, TV Chef and CEO of stand the meaning, culture and tradiLindita, Inc.. “I’ve been to [workout tion behind the music. Yes, I want at] other places, and at some you can people to dance and have a great time, get a good workout, but it’s not the but having them understand where I same as with Erica and D2G. Erica come from, and the culture and histodoesn’t want you to get in just good ry behind the good time, is also just as physical shape, she cares about getting important.” Using the cultural music the whole you in shape.” of Trinidad, DeGourville-Reyes is Commitment to Caribbean culture, helping people become physically fit love of dance and fostering an incluand maintain their health with the sive environment is only part of what powerful effects of dance. makes Dance 2-Gather unique. Every sanctified groove has to have DeGourville-Reyes is equally dedicata good rhythm. At Dance 2-Gather, ed to helping individuals achieve and family is the backbeat of the studio’s maintain their health and wellness groove. DeGourville-Reyes’ three goals. She doesn’t just lead classes by teenage children work in tandem to example, but participates enthusiastikeep the studio neat and tidy, while cally as a testament to her willingness Ms. Val, her mother, handles the stuto work alongside each attendee. Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – September 2018
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Workouts are intense, matching the Soca music of artists like Machel Montano, Kes, and Timaya, with fervent choreography for an hour-long sweat session. For the duration of time you are in her command it is a guarantee that Trini bandanas will be flying, hips will be gyrating and waistlines will be winding. Patricia Ayité, owner of La Petite Ecole a French/English Preschool and an avid member of the Dance 2Gather family would agree. “Every time I enter the doors at D2G and take ‘my’ spot, I look around and enjoy the wonderful diversity that I see. We come to a place where race, culture, religion and what you look like on the outside don’t matter. Once the music starts, you forget about what might be troubling you and you dance it out!” With the studio’s 8th anniversary approaching on Sept. 8, Dance 2Gather continues to wind it up, expanding the SocaFit brand as community members discover the sheer fun involved in each class. Growing from 10 certified instructors in 2017 to 30 instructors in 2018, DeGourvilleReyes and her Dance 2-Gather Dance Crew have dominated stages all over the country. Group SocaFit lessons were offered this year at Denver’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, during Juneteenth and the National Day of Dance, and the upcoming Broncos Fit Expo in September. DeGourville-Reyes encourages anyone who is interested in SocaFit to try the exercises from the comfort of their own homes with the Dance 2-Gather’s On-Demand Dutty Wine video, or the newly released Dance 2-Gather SocaFit DVD. With increased frustrations regarding cultural appropriation, the act of adopting styles and customs from marginalized groups with little respect or knowledge for the culture, it is refreshing to experience the substantial cultural appreciation that DeGourville-Reyes has devoted to Dance 2-Gather’s operation. SocaFit isn’t just for the culture, SocaFit is the culture. It is an exercise in personal empowerment that introduces the rest of the world to the beauty and value in cultural diversity. Painted on the wall of Dance 2-Gather’s studio is the mission statement: “Using Dance To Gather The Masses to be FIT!” SocaFit is a great way to get physically fit, with added benefits in the development of mental and emotional fitness, proving that the enchanting Soca music and rhythmic movement that goes with it is both good for the body and nourishing to the soul. . Editor’s note: Follow Dance 2-Gather on Facebook and Twitter. For more information visit www.D2GSocaFit.com
CPRD Among Trailblazing Black Dance Companies Awarded Half Million Dollars
The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) awarded $100,000 to each of its five founding member companies – Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD - Denver); Dallas Black Dance Theatre; Dayton Contemporary Dance Company; Lula Washington Dance Theatre (Los Angeles); and The Philadelphia Dance
Company (PHILADANCO!). The unrestricted grants, totaling a half million dollars, will be applied to general operating expenses and were generously funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“These grants will enable five leading dance companies, that are all deeply vested in African-American neighborhoods across the United States as evidenced by their operations of dance companies, facilities, programs, and
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schools to pursue greater innovation and take new risks, both organizationally and artistically,” said Denise Saunders Thompson, president and CEO of IABD. “Despite their creative excellence and international acclaim, many smaller and midsized Black dance companies have had to come to terms with inadequate capitalization and other business challenges. In addition to providing these companies with operating investments, we are also collaborating around financial planning and organizational development strategies and training with the Nonprofit Finance Fund, who have been wonderful partners.” The cohort of founding organizations convened for a three-day MOVE Financial Leadership Clinic in Dayton, OH from June 23 to 25. The Clinic provided both peer-to-peer learning opportunities and a three-day intensive administered by Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) with additional support sessions by Arts Action Research and Baraka Sele. Artistic and executive leadership training for organizational health included access to consultants, information, and tools that will support longevity and strengthen the capacity of these organizations to remain recognized artistic and thought leaders. In March 2018, IABD received a $2,636,000, multi-year grant award from The Mellon Foundation for its continued support of the organization’s Comprehensive Organizational Health Initiative (COHI), Phase II. This grant, in partnership with Nonprofit Finance Fund, offers capital deployment, financial consultation, and technical assistance to participating IABD member companies. Responding directly to many of the lessons learned from Phase I activities (i.e. site visits, financial diagnostics, and educational workshops), it serves as recommended next steps to strengthen IABD, Inc., its member organizations, and by extension, the field of Black dance. The collaborative nature of this program aims to ensure the vitality of the Black dance sector by addressing historic barriers, building parity among Black dance organizations that support and create work with differing aesthetics, and developing new organizational processes and practices for nonprofit arts organizations. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) is a cultural ambassador, infusing vitality, innovation and education into every community we touch—around the corner and around the globe. Founder and Artistic Director Cleo Parker Robinson says, “Every action we perform is done with the intent to transform ourselves and others; to give a voice to the voiceless; to leave a lasting legacy of excellence and understanding.” .
College Students, Professionals Invited to Explore Media, Technology Fields
Emma Bowen Foundation continues to build a diverse media industry
re you, or someone you know, interested in a career in media and its growing multitude of platforms for disseminating and receiving information? Or perhaps you prefer the everevolving technical side of the business. As technology advances and media outlets progress, there’s a growing need to ensure that diverse voices are represented. The Emma Bowen Foundation believes that diversity is important in all aspects of the media industry, from the correspondents in front of the camera, to the media sales departments bringing in revenue, to the coders and engineers who are changing the way we access and understand content. With this in mind, the New York-based nonprofit partners with top media companies and prepares students for careers in one of three program tracks – the Business of Media, Content of Media, and Innovation of Media.
A
Students with TV personality, Hoda, at an Emma Bowen event.
In September, Denver – which is seen as a hub for aspiring and talented young professionals and college students – will be the site of two Emma Bowen Foundation events. Each session is designed to inform young adults interested in the vast media industry of the opportunities that exist and the tactics needed to land a job in the field. Professionals who are currently working in media and technology, as well as others who may be seeking to
move into those areas, are invited to a reception at Cableland, the official residence of the Mayor of Denver, on Sept. 20 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees can network with numerous media company representatives, who will be sharing insights on how to break into the industry at various levels. The second event will be Sept. 21 on the Auraria campus as part of the Higher Education Diversity Summit.
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Current students attending any Colorado college or university are invited to participate in the summit and join a 75-minute roundtable discussion with media industry leaders and representatives from local technological companies who search for interns throughout the year. Students do not need to be currently studying in a media or technological field, as the discussions will showcase the variety of jobs and internships that exist at companies across the country. . Editor’s note: For more information about the upcoming events, visit emmabowenfoundation.com. About the Emma Bowen Foundation Founded in 1989, the Emma Bowen Foundation is building a more diverse media industry. The nonprofit recruits promising students of color and places them in multi-year paid internships at some of the nation’s leading media, public relations and technology companies. In addition to providing the media and tech industries with a pipeline of young talent and emerging leadership, the foundation advocates for best practices in diverse hiring, retention and advancement. To learn more about the Emma Bowen Foundation, visit www.emmabowenfoundation.com.
The Education of Black Students
An Open Letter to the Denver Board Of Education and the Black Community
I
have spent my entire life at school, on the way to school, or examining and talking about what goes on in the schoolhouse. I have viewed changes in the Denver and Colorado
educational landscape from multiple lenses. I have a unique perspective as a product of DPS, mother, a former member of the Denver Board of Education, higher education administrator, policy analyst, and community catalyst. For the sake of clarity and continuity, I want to take a moment to share some observations and acknowledge the contributions and commitment of some key persons who have supported the current efforts to addressed equity in the district. First, there would have been no Bailey Report, African American
Education Taskforce (AAETF) or recommendations without the leadership of Tom Boasberg as well as that of Susana Cordova, Allen Smith, Board of Education and the Culture, Equity and Leadership Team (CELT). I want to thank them for their courage in calling out institutional racism as a significant barrier to educational equity in Denver Public Schools. Tom’s leadership has placed equity center stage. It is my hope that as the district seeks new leadership, the continuity and commitment to this work will not waver. For the first time in decades, I am participating in and observing initiatives and efforts that give me hope
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that positive change is possible. There are few school districts across the country that have intentionally taken on the barriers and challenges of institutional racism, and recognized the need for intentionality and targeted supports for African American students and educators. For the doubters about this important work, I encourage you to visit the CELT website for updates and consider how you and or your organization might assist with these initiatives. (https://celt.dpsk12.org/equity/africa n-american-equity-taskforce/) What I know for sure is that change is hard. Having the difficult conversations about how institutional racism and our implicit biases have contributed to hostile work and learning environments, the need for cultural competencies, a more diverse workforce, closing achievement and opportunity gaps is challenging for us all. There is no one answer or secret formula for resolving these complex and interrelated issues. There is going to be resistance and change will not occur overnight. Just look at the state of our nation and the struggle to save democracy. It will take a coordinated, concerted effort by educators, administrators, researchers, elected officials, and policymakers to prioritize equity. What I also know for sure is for there to be any action, positive change, and healing around issues related to race and education, we have to step up as an African American community. We have to show up and speak up. It is easy to point fingers at the school district. It is much harder to determine what we must do as families and community to improve access, achievement, opportunity, equity and accountability for the education of our children. We must be actively engaged in building better narratives, strengthening policies and conversations that will fundamentally change the state of education for African American students. This means we cannot wait; the stakes are too high. In today’s landscape, we are facing a toxic cocktail of poverty, illiteracy, racial disparities and divisions, attacks on civil and voting rights, institutional and systemic racism, violence and massive incarceration is sentencing millions of children of color to dead end, powerless, hopeless, and desperate lives. All that we are experiencing to today’s chaotic and confusing landscape threatens to undermine the past half century of racial and social progress. I don’t know if we have another 30 years to try and figure this out. We can begin by immediately by changing our thinking. We can change the perception that education is an “us vs. them” thing. We can flood our
communities with the message that education is a must; it is a necessary step for survival and outweighs everything else. We can refuse to allow our children to settle for mediocrity from themselves, and we can refuse to accept mediocrity from the schools our children attend. We can get involved in the schools and make school systems know they are supported and at the same time monitored, because public schools belong to the public. We owe it to the legacies of those who sacrificed and struggled for educational opportunity before us like Dr. Rachel Noel, Omar Blair, Edward Garner, Bill Brown, Marie Greenwood and many others to get this right! What a tragedy and a travesty it would be if we do not take on these new challenges for our collective betterment. We must critically consider what we must do from here and what happens if we do nothing. As part of our responsibility, the Colorado Black Round Table will be hosting a Black Community Education Leadership Forum on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the community room at the Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center (3334 Holly St.). We have invited the superintendent and the board of education to discuss a number of issues including the search for the new superintendent, the potential negative impact of the new graduation requirements, parent and community involvement, and the ongoing challenges related to institutional racism. All are invited. Please join us.
Dr. Sharon Bailey Denver
Editor’s note: For more information email drsrbb@yahoo.com
Preparing Our Kids for Success After High School S
By Dr. Kimberly Grayson
uccess after high school can take different forms for different students, but we want the same thing for all of them: having the opportunity to choose what’s next for them. Whether graduates choose to go after a college degree, a certification or start a career, we want all our kids to feel knowledgeable and prepared for whatever comes after their high school diploma. As the proud principal of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College (DMLK), I am deeply moved as I watch our students embark on this journey each school year and want to make sure that each of them has the opportunity during their high school experience to create a plan that sets them on course for success. Over the past five years, we have worked hard to build a school culture that prepares all of our students to take the next step after they graduate, starting in middle school. From day one, we give our students multiple exposures to college. Within their first month of school, every single middle school student will tour a college campus. Our first week of the school year is called “College and Career Readiness Camp.” During that week, teachers build lesson plans around
what students need to know to begin getting ready for college and career. We know all the different ways that students can show they’re ready for college and career, and we celebrate students who are reaching their goals by posting their names in hallways throughout our school. Because many colleges use student assessment results to make decisions about student admissions, we start our students early on how to be successful. For example, we give our students practice tests throughout the year, make sure they know what the scores mean and help them set goals for improvement. We post the scores along with our targets right on our walls so that we’re all accountable and students know exactly how they are progressing. It’s a major point of pride to hear one of my middle school students say, “I went up 10 points on this month’s practice assessment,” or “I didn’t meet my goal yet, but I’m almost there!” As important as test scores are, we know that assessments alone can’t prepare students for college and 21st century careers. That’s why DPS has updated its graduation requirements for all students, starting with the Class of 2021. We want our graduates to be able to demonstrate competency through courses that reflect Colorado’s updated academic standards and 21st century skills. In order to earn a diploma, all students will need to complete three requirements: an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP), which helps students plan for the future and identify their academic path to get there; 24 units of course credit in required areas; and demonstrating competency in English and math — or career readiness — by completing one or more requirements from a menu that includes approved assessments, a Capstone Portfolio project or by attaining an approved career certification. These new requirements go beyond a “one-size fits all” approach. There
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are now more ways than ever for students with different learning styles and career goals to demonstrate they’re college and career ready. One way students can demonstrate competency is a Capstone Portfolio, which collects examples of their best work over their school career. This option allows students to use their best work to show they are ready for the future without relying on standardized tests to show what they’ve learned and how it applies in the real world. At DMLK, we tell our kids we want them to be able to demonstrate all of their growth from sixth to 12th grade, showcasing their knowledge and be comfortable speaking and explaining it to others. Our students put together digital portfolios, which include one example of their best work from each quarter. Then, the student leads a discussion with his or her teacher and family about the portfolio. We also ask students to defend their portfolios by talking through all of their achievements, explaining their results, whether they met the graduation cut scores, how they prepared and what they would do differently. This helps our students build 21st century job skills and prepare for DPS’ new graduation requirements. Parents can help their students by learning more about the new graduation requirements and working together with teachers as partners. I encourage parents and students to explore the many career pathways and internships available to our students. These can help students explore potential careers and identify the steps to get there. The right planning and preparation can make careers that didn’t seem possible very realistically within students’ reach. As our school’s namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”. Editor’s note: Dr. Kimberly Grayson is the principal at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College.
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Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – September 2018
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DPS Students Again Outpace State in Academic Growth on 2018 CMAS Celebration at Knapp Elementary in Southwest Denver highlights school, district gains
R
esults of the Colorado Measures of Academic Progress or CMAS released last month show Denver Public Schools students continue to outpace their classmates across Colorado in academic growth on the state English language arts and math exams in grades 3 through 8. In 2018, for the eighth year in a row, DPS students posted stronger academic growth than the rest of the state. The result of this sustained growth is that Denver students are now virtually on par with their Colorado classmates in meeting and exceeding grade-level expectations in literacy and math. Academic gaps between DPS students and their Colorado classmates have nearly closed: A 25-point literacy gap in 2005 between Denver and Colorado students has narrowed to a 3-point gap in 2018. And a 22-point gap in math skills in 2005 has narrowed to a 2-point gap this year. “In 2005, DPS was last among the state’s largest 12 districts in academic growth in English language arts and math,” said DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “Through the focus of the Denver Plan and the incredibly hard work of our teachers, students and families, DPS has gone from last to first in academic growth. “Strikingly, in grade 8, the last year in which our students take CMAS, our students outperformed students in the rest of the state in both English language arts and math this year,” Boasberg said. “In 2005, DPS 8thgraders were 30 points behind in reading and 29 points behind in math.”
One School’s Story: Celebration at Knapp Board members Jennifer Bacon, Angela Cobian and Lisa Flores, Superintendent Tom Boasberg and DPS educators celebrated CMAS gains in Southwest Denver. Knapp Elementary serves 560 students in preschool through grade 5; more than 90 percent are eligible for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program, an indicator of poverty. Students at the school posted academic growth rates of 70 in English language arts and 74 in math, surpassing the state’s average growth rate of 50 in both subjects. “We have incredible kids and families,” said Knapp Principal Shane Knight, “and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to help unlock their strengths and help them open windows of opportunity through strong academic gains.” Knapp was once ranked red, or the lowest possible rating, on the district’s School Performance Framework. But the school improved to green, or “Meets Expectations,” in 2008 and has maintained that higher rating. The principal said keys to Knapp’s success include an unyielding focus on literacy and commitment to bi-literacy (about half the students speak Spanish at home), continuous professional development by the school’s teacher leaders, and “incredibly dedicated and highly skilled teachers.” “The teachers at Knapp have an uncommon commitment to their students’ success,” Knight said. “They invest themselves deeply in each and every child and will not rest until every student has reached their full potential.”
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Results Reveal Areas of Growth For the first time this spring, DPS students took the full slate of the state’s new high school exams, including the PSAT in grades 9 and 10 and the SAT in grade 11. As with CMAS, to provide an understanding of student progress, the state is calculating growth rates for PSAT/SAT tests. Boasberg described results of the new high school exams as disappointing. “On the eighth-grade CMAS, our students outpace their classmates statewide. Our ninth-graders on this year’s new PSAT 9, however, significantly underperformed their peers statewide in terms of both status and growth,” he said. “We are studying these results carefully to determine what happened and what we need to do to drive higher growth.” And while students from all DPS demographic groups have been making sustained academic progress —for example, students of color gained seven points in English language arts proficiency over the past three years and DPS English language learners now significantly outperform their peers statewide – gaps in performance persist. “Continuing to drive growth for our historically underserved students remains our overarching goal,” Boasberg said. “While we are pleased to see continued progress among those students, the gaps remind us of the work in front of us.”. Editor’s note: For more information about DPS results on the 2018 CMAS/PSAT/SAT exams, visit https://www.dpsk12.org.
Business and Ministry, Hand in Hand V
By Janet Dallas
igilant of the struggles concerning Black people, their being deceived and mistreated throughout history, he wanted modifications. Charles Battle is a certified financial planner with 40 years of experience and wisdom to dispense. Battle studied at the University of Colorado although he obtained his B.S. degree in Shreveport Louisiana where he was reared. He has a Master’s degree in divinity and quickly put his degrees and skills to work helping people. Battle began his career selling insurance. He recalls when insurance sold for one penny and Blacks were not allowed to buy it and when they could, they paid five times more for one third less. “Many Blacks living in the south lacked understanding, not to mention they were still hanging Blacks in 1953,”says Battle. After seeing Black people for so many years thinking they owned something when they did not – that bothered him. Filled with compassion, Battle was inspired to help people recognize the difference between wealth and debt, and founded Charles E. Battle and Company in 1974. He began educating people on money issues - expenses, acquiring assets, building and keeping capital, providing advice on investments, its advantages and risks. He helped them with business restructuring budgets and developing plans to eliminate the bondage of debt, while keeping this principle in mind, “Owe no man but love.” Trained in the church, Battle recalls the genuine love Black people shared amongst each other; they invested in one another. “The biggest mistake Blacks ever made was to agree with segregation, with that losing their selfsufficiency, a sense of themselves, unity and community. They began to desire the ways of the world instead of GOD,” he says. “Black people have a problem trusting one another. At one time they were supportive of each other, had strong communities and wanted wanted to honor God. People
were their brother’s keeper, father, husband, friend and brother all in Christ. People have turned their back on GOD,” he says. “The church has become a corporate business. Many people go to be entertained and it’s a great spot for social networking.” Battle referred to the book of Hosea 4:6 in the King James Bible where it is written, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” He shared his experience of living in the fast lane, the highs of being a successful businessman and its benefits, as well the lows of being mulish and arrogant and losing it all. Though he still owns his business, loss of family, resources, money and a lavish lifestyle, are all but a memory. “No man likes to be embarrassed,” he says. At the age of 12, Battle knew he had a calling from God but refused to accept the mission. After his rebellion and overwhelming embarrassment, he became depressed and found himself in church on his knees crying out to God. And eager to follow the Lord’s instruction and do things His way, Battle accepted the mission he once rejected. “It’s better to use our past as a reference to refer back too. This way we are less likely to make the same mistake again,” said Battle. “My business and ministry go hand in hand.” In the process of dedicating his life to the Lord, he met Sharon Denise, who would become his future wife. This union would bring him a total of eight children, ages 13 to 48, a new journey and two grandchildren to enjoy. Battle has been the senior pastor of the New Pearle Church for the past 10 years and shares his message as “Preaching and teaching with power and conviction and with evidence of my own life.” “It’s pivotal as people of God to get back to the important things we have discarded concerning the way we should live. The challenge is to restore our relationship with the God who changes the hearts, minds and condition of men, our fellowman, man and woman, husband and wife, children and GOD again,” says Battle. “Correctly understanding the word of God is important for the growth of people. It’s the minister’s job,” says Battle who allows conversation, explanations and teaching for the proper perception of the word of GOD in his services and bible studies. “I live the word of GOD,” he says. “Beside salvation, Sharon Denise is the best thing GOD ever gave me. She’s good to me and for me.” Battle, who is happily married for 25 years, traveling the country and working to help people ages 55 and over with Medicare and Medicaid, is edifying and sharing the love of God..
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – September 2018
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Carlotta Walls LaNier
C
ivil rights pioneer, Carlotta
Walls LaNier, is a testament to the
power and importance of education in the pursuit of personal and collective
goals. As the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, LaNier’s participation in the desegregation of public
schools was a turning point in the
fight against racial oppression. Born December 18, 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas, LaNier’s love of learning is attributed to her parents, Juanita and Cartelyou Walls, who taught their children that the road to success was through education. “My parents always said, ‘Be prepared to go through the door whether there’s a crack in the door or the door is flung wide open,” LaNier proudly recalled. LaNier was a remarkable student who excelled in her classes at Dunbar Junior High School. Her Black teachers did their best to prepare students for success, employing unconventional methods and creativity to counter poor conditions. Used textbooks and lack of adequate funding for Black schools prevented LaNier from reaching her full academic potential, so when NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) President Daisy Bates recruited students for the integration of Little Rock Central High School, LaNier volunteered. After slavery’s abolition in 1865, many southern states enacted racially oppressive Jim Crow laws, legalizing racial segregation and prohibiting Blacks from using the same public facilities or attending the same schools. Organizations such as the
NAACP tried to persuade lawmakers to enact laws that would protect Blacks from lynching and systematic oppression. Modern society is permeated by the post-slavery enforcement of oppressive laws. Racially discriminative practices among financial, judicial, governmental, and educational institutions are evidenced by disparities in wealth, income, criminal justice, employment, housing, healthcare, political power, and education. In 1930, the NAACP joined forces with civil rights attorney, Thurgood Marshall, to attack Jim Crow laws at their weakest point: education. A case known as Brown v. Board of Education resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that segregated schools was unconstitutional. LaNier knew that educational segregation was illegal, “I didn’t fully know the consequences of what we were about to do, but I knew that I had the right to attend. I knew the law,” she said. Believing that she could compete with anyone if given the opportunity, LaNier walked boldly along a path paved by her predecessors. On September 4, 1957, LaNier and her classmates faced a mob of angry white segregationists. The students were turned away by armed Arkansas National Guardsmen under orders from Governor Orval Faubus. LaNier and the other students were instructed to stay home, but she was concerned that she would fall behind during the time away from school. “Not only did I have to be twice as good to do well, I had to be a supernegro to compete!” said LaNier. The students were given coursework and were tutored by a group of professors from the Philander Smith College. On September 23, 1957, the students made another attempt to enter Central High School. “Students were jumping out of the windows, so we were spirited out; we were told to hide under blankets in the back seat of a car.” On September 24, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower deposed Governor Faubus’ power over the Arkansas National Guard, deploying the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students into the school. 1,200 soldiers with bayonets stood guard daily, an image that LaNier hopes to never witness again. She excelled during her first year at Central High School despite hostility from white classmates. In 1958, Governor Faubus invoked state laws to stall desegregation. Little Rock’s high schools were closed for an entire year. Once again, LaNier, who refused to fall behind, worked twice as hard, enrolling in correspondence courses
and attending summer school programs to keep up. The period, known as “The Lost Year,” ended with a declaration from a federal district court. When schools reopened and LaNier returned to classes, her family’s home was bombed. Undeterred by the bombing, LaNier publicly vowed to finish high school, “Or die trying.” Refusing to quit, LaNier was determined to obtain a diploma. She became the first black woman to graduate from Central High School; immediately enrolling at Michigan State University. In her sophomore year, she received a letter from her parents; they’d moved from Little Rock to Kansas City because when her father was unable to find work. LaNier blamed herself for her family’s misfortune. During a vacation to Colorado, LaNier discovered a less oppressive environment; she felt at home in Denver and decided to relocate. She invited her father to visit, but after realizing that he could find work, he relocated with LaNier’s mother and sister. LaNier graduated from Colorado State College in 1968 and began working at the YWCA as a program administrator for teens. In 1977, she founded her own real estate brokerage company, and has worked as a professional real estate broker for over 30 years. LaNier and the Little Rock Nine have received numerous awards for their courageous acts, including the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal, the Lincoln Leadership Prize, and the Congressional Gold Medal. LaNier has received four honorary doctorate degrees; she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2015. In 1999, LaNier and her famed classmates established the Little Rock Nine Foundation to advance the principles of excellence in education. The foundation operates in partnership with the Clinton School for Public Service, awarding post-graduate scholarships to students studying education and community service. LaNier refused to speak about her experiences for 30 years. In 2009, realizing the importance of sharing her story, she published a memoir entitled, A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School. LaNier’s story is one of healing and reconciliation. Despite the hardships endured by her family, she does not regret her decision to actively integrate education. “We live in a global society. We need to understand how to interact with other people. Our success is exhibited by a classroom of children that do not look the same.”
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CO
H
By Ruby Even with increased diversity in the classroom, the U.S. is facing an education crisis with a widening opportunity gap for at-risk students. LaNier is confident that the collective efforts of young people will have a tremendous impact on education in the future. “Young people are mobilizing other young people,” she said— referencing the courageous survivors of the Parkland High School Shooting. She believes that young people will harness their voting power and create sustainable education reform. LaNier’s Central High School diploma is featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture along with her grade card and the dress she wore on the first day of school. The fearless actions of the Little Rock Nine changed the course of history and created a wealth of opportunity for millions of children living in the United States. LaNier, a living legend, urges young people to stay committed to the social progress initiated by the men and women who put their lives on the line to make changes and open doors for Black people. “We have accomplished a great deal,” she said, “Now we have to hold onto it.”.
OLORFUL STORIES
See me Hear me
stories of tribulation, courage, and triumph
y Jones
OllieMarie P h a s o n
O
n June 9, 1993, Ollie Marie Phason received a devastating phone call that would change the course of her life. Her 6-year-old son, Broderick Bell Jr., had been shot during a driveby shooting. The incident galvanized the Mile High City amid a surge of violent gang activity in the early 1990s, and Broderick’s image was used as the face of Denver’s notorious “Summer of Violence,” a time marked by the senseless killing and injury of dozens of innocent people. Broderick survived the shooting, but Phason lives with the trauma and emotional scars from the egregious attack. In her upcoming memoir entitled, The Summer of Violence, she shares her inspirational story of healing as she recalls the summer that challenged her faith and changed her life.
Phason’s Summer of Violence began on May 15, 1993, when her father, Oliver, disappeared without a trace. For weeks, her family posted flyers and searched tirelessly, but as time passed without his reappearance, they began to fear the worst. In the weeks after his disappearance, her oldest daughter, Anika, was targeted by a group of girls from a dangerous street gang. Upon leaving her house one day, the girls surrounded Anika, shouting obscenities and threats. Anika ran inside and told Phason, who walked to the corner with her daughter to investigate. “I was raised that if you fight one person from the gang, you’ll never have to worry about them again; they’ll leave you alone,” Phason said. The girls ran out of a neighboring house and pulled out knives, attempting to jump them. The next day, she signed Anika up for self-defense classes at Gove Junior High School. Gove offered summer programming for all ages, so Phason enrolled all her children in lessons; ballet for her youngest daughter, Nakia, karate for Broderick, and summer camp for her youngest son, DeVaun. Anika was driving home with her siblings after their first day of lessons when she pulled over to greet a friend. Suddenly, three carloads of teenage girls sped down the street, shooting indiscriminately at houses on both sides. Realizing that they were caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting, they ducked to escape the spray of bullets. Broderick peeked up and was struck in the forehead by a 9mm bullet. Anika frantically delivered the news of her brother’s injury to her mother on the phone. At the hospital, the surgeon told Phason that he’d removed the swelling and fragments from Broderick’s brain, but could not remove the bullet. Broderick was on life support, and the prognosis was bleak. “I thought he was going to die, and I didn’t want to see him that way; I wanted to remember him happy, with his karate uniform on,” she said. She sat in the waiting room and watched local news reports of the drive-by with images of her smiling son. People arrived at the hospital in droves to show support for the family. “I fell on my face and screamed out to God, asking him to save Broderick. I wanted to see a living God.” She walked to her son’s room; seeing his swollen head wrapped in bandages, she yelled, “Bring those cameras in here so these gang members can see what they’ve done to me!” In the months preceding the Summer of Violence, Denver residents were terrorized by random drive-by shootings. It took the images of 6-year-
old Broderick on life support to evoke a national response. After the shooting, Denver’s former Mayor Wellington Webb held a press conference outside Phason’s home, declaring, “Enough is enough!” Webb announced a crackdown on gangs and lobbied for stricter gun control laws. Devastated by the shooting, Lieutenant Armedia Gordon considered retiring from her position as supervisor of the Denver Police Department’s homicide unit; instead she went on to become the first black division chief of special operations, befriending Broderick for life. Governor Roy Romer introduced a bill that criminalized the juvenile possession of a handgun. Republican lawmakers passed a modified version of the bill, providing $40 million for the construction of new juvenile detention centers and allowing juveniles to be given adult sentences. Over 300 juveniles were arrested for gun crimes in 1993 under the bill, which was heavily opposed by the National Rifle Association. Upon waking up from his coma and regaining the ability to speak, Broderick turned to Phason and said, “I saw Granddaddy!” The search for her father had been put on hold as the family awaited Broderick’s recovery. Two years after telling Phason that he’d seen his grandfather in a grave in the woods, his body was found buried in a shallow grave. Three months after the discovery of his body, Anika revealed that she had been abused by her stepfather for years. The news sent her into a depression cured only by forgiveness. Throughout Phason’s tribulations, her faith in God allowed her to support her daughter and care for her son, whose miraculous recovery allowed him to return to school in September 1993. After living as a Buddhist all her life, she developed an urge to learn about God after her father’s disappearance. In her grief, she found solace through prayer, which has sustained her through a difficult journey of healing. In the 25 years since the Summer of Violence, Phason has experienced symptoms of PTSD and sympathizes with survivors of violent crimes. She urges people to remember the survivors of mass shootings and to consider their hardships as they try to live normal lives. “We have memorials for the deceased, but it’s the survivors who need prayers for healing; their lives are forever changed.” Though she no longer advocates for political issues, Phason is an active supporter of organizations that help at-risk women. She shares her inspirational testimony with the survivors of violent crimes.
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – September 2018
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“My mission now is to talk about how I healed. The first part of healing is forgiveness,” she says. Phason was forced to forgive her father’s unknown killer and her exhusband. With the bullet still lodged in his head, there was no evidence to prosecute Broderick’s shooter, leaving her to make peace despite not receiving justice. “The Lord told me that it’s not my business. I had to forgive,” she said. After using her platform to call for gun control, death threats forced her out of the neighborhood where she grew up. She now questions the effectiveness of the laws, which she likens to putting a band-aid on a major wound. “They’re building more facilities to put these kids in, and when they come out they’re institutionalized. They learn more while they’re incarcerated than they would if they were on the streets.” The City of Denver continues to combat urban violence with gang reduction initiatives and various juvenile intervention and diversion programs, though increased crime rates are associated with income inequality and crippling social exclusion. Phason remains hopeful that lawmakers will find plausible solutions for the gun-control crises amid worsening conditions. She believes in the power of prayer and stands in the gap for survivors. She urges community members to do their part in protecting the community, “The issues may be a little beyond one person, but it only takes one person on the front lines for things to change.”.
Editor’s note: These stories and others will be shared at Denver Urban Spectrum’s Colorful Stories...See Me, Hear Me luncheon on November 3, 2018 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel on Quebec Street in Denver. For more information, sponsorship opportunities, or tickets, call 303-292-6446, email melovy@urbanspectrum.net or visit www.eventbrite.com.
New York Style Deli
I decided that it would be a good idea to bring the New York flavor and New York style of heroes over here to Colorado,” he said. The road to expanding the family business was not without challenges. Business licensing and location selection were some of the biggest hurdles Aquino experienced in opening A Brother’s Deli, but after obtaining the proper licenses and deciding on an Aurora location, his lifelong dream would soon be realized. Tucked in the corner of the Chambers Place Shopping Center at 4858 Chambers Road, the newly renovated A Brother’s Deli opened for business in 2016.
selling about 10 sandwiches a day; now we’re selling over 150!” The ease of ordering a hot, fresh hero sandwich from the comforts of home has boosted sales and established A Brother’s Deli as a local favorite. The restaurant is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Customers can have food delivered Monday to Saturday until 7:00 p.m. when ordering from GrubHub and Uber Eats. Aquino is still working to recreate the original New York City vibe in the new Aurora location, where customers can find specialty foods and listen to upbeat music selections as they wait. He is excited about the opportunity to add his own finishing touches to the deli, and he goes the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. “No matter what, we will make your sandwiches to your liking,” said Aquino. “A lot of my customers tell me that A Brother’s Deli sandwiches are the best they’ve ever had. Ultimately, that’s my goal, for this to be the best sandwich you have ever had.”
Realizing that word-of-mouth advertising is less effective in Denver than it is in the jam packed food and business districts of New York, Aquino turned to local advertising to spread the word about Aurora’s best New York style heroes. “At first, it was hard to get the word out. We didn’t get that much walk-in traffic, so we went out into the streets, passing out flyers and giving out free samples. We advertised on Facebook and in the Denver Urban Spectrum,” said Aquino. To overcome the low-visibility of the deli’s location, Aquino had to think outside of the box and expand his advertising to reach more A. “It was a rough start, but we got over the hump.” Aquino introduced delivery service to his customers in 2018. “I started
A Brother’s Deli is home to enthusiastic employees who are equally passionate about New York style hero sandwiches. “The food is really good,” said Jennifer Ruis, who enjoys serving repeat customers. “Every time I visit A Brother’s Deli, I order something new and I’m never disappointed. The service is quick and friendly, and I’m a big fan,” said Meredith Allen, a long-time Aurora resident who first visited the deli after bringing her son Miles, to the neighboring barber shop. A Brother’s Deli is a great choice for lunch or dinner. With excellent customer service, a newly renovated dining area and over 40 delicious items to choose from, the familyowned New York style deli is guaranteed to please. .
Transitions to New Aurora Location
By Zilingo Nwuke
F
or John Aquino, the dream of owning a New York style deli began as a child. Growing up in New York City’s Queens Borough, Aquino admired the work of his father, Lucas Aquino, who opened the original A Brother’s Deli location over 30 years ago. Now, Aquino has followed in his father’s footsteps and expanded the family’s deli brand. Located in the Chambers Place Shopping Center in Aurora, A Brother’s Deli features flavors from the East coast to the Mile High City, representing the many cultural cuisines in between. In addition to a
variety of original and traditional cold and hot hero sandwich offerings, the original New York style deli sells hamburgers, chicken wings, ribs, salads, kids’ meals and delicious sides. A Brother’s Deli’s original location is a New York City favorite, with an extensive original menu that has been tested by some of New York’s best food aficionados. With sandwiches like A Brother’s Philly, Sylvia’s Cuban and The Mile High Turkey Sandwich, there is something for everyone! After moving from New York to Denver, Aquino missed the food he’d grown accustomed to eating as the son of a deli-owner. “When I moved to Colorado, I noticed there was a lack of good food; especially good sandwiches.
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Ground Rules
Must See............llll It’s Worth A Look.....lll See At Your Own Risk.ll Don’t Bother.....................l
Editor’s note: Samantha Ofole-Prince is an award-winning writer and contributor to many national publications and is Blackflix.com’s Senior Critic-at-Large. Khaleel Herbert is a journalism student at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Laurence Washington is the creator of BlackFlix.com. Like Blackflix.com on Facebook, follow Blackflix.com on Twitter
BlacKkKlansman
lll1/2 By Samantha Ofole-Prince Photos by: David Lee / Focus Features
The idea of a Black man joining
the notoriously racist Ku Klux Klan certainly sounds farcical and mildly comical, but that’s exactly what happens in the movie BlacKkKlansman. Directed by Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman is based on the book by Ron Stallworth, a Black detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department who posed as a member of the organization to infiltrate the Klan. Stallworth, while undercover, managed to setup a meeting with the Klan’s Grand Wizard David Duke, even successfully taking a Polaroid shot with the white supremacist. Like many of Spike’s films, BlacKkKlansman shifts between intense drama and scathing satire. With just a few minor changes, Spike sticks closely to Stallworth’s book, documenting his start with the force as a young hungry police officer eager to rise up the ranks to his subsequent role as an Intelligence Unit Detective. It was a chance call he made in October 1978 while scanning the daily newspaper
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for subversive activities that he came across a Ku Klux Klan posting. Using his real name, he answered the advert and received a call from the Colorado Springs Chapter of the KKK. After successfully convincing the caller that he was a white man with an adverse hatred for folks of color, Stallworth was eventually initiated into the clan and started investigating the group’s activities. It’s an investigation that ended up stopping an assassination attempt by the Klansmen and several planned cross burnings in the city. It
also ousted several federal employees who were KKK members. The film hit theaters on the oneyear anniversary of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that claimed the life of counter-protester Heather Heyer. In this screen adaptation, Stallworth is brilliantly portrayed by John David Washington (Old Man and the Gun), while Adam Driver plays his white colleague, Flip Zimmerman, who impersonates him during physical meetings with the Klan. Laura Harrier plays Stallworth’s love interest Patrice, the head of Colorado Black Student Union who meets him when he goes undercover to attend a talk being delivered by Stokely Carmichael (Corey Hawkins) and Topher Grace round up the main cast as David Duke. With a running time of 135 minutes, Spike splashes a little humor on a delicate subject and his execution of Stallworth’s book is commendable as he weaves comedy into the fabric of a tough tale to help relieve some of the incredible tension. There are huge afros, embroidered blouses, bell-bottoms, midi skirts and maxi dresses and he pokes fun at the Klan never losing an opportunity to show them as narrow-minded bigots as he delivers a
true-life examination of race relations in 1970’s America. Produced by the team behind the Oscar-winning movie Get Out, the exchanges between Stallworth and Duke are shocking and almost comical as Duke denounces Blacks and their speech patterns never realizing he’s speaking to a Black man. Spike also handles the harrowing KKK initiation scene in which a crowd gleefully cheers during a screening of 1915’s The Birth of a Nation with care and caution, juxtaposing that scene with Harry Belafonte as Jerome Turner recounting his first-person recollections of the 1916 lynching of Jesse Washington. In more than three decades as a filmmaker, Spike Lee has tackled topics from college fraternities, Malcolm X, the Son of Sam murder spree, the British Petroleum oil spill to the gun violence in Chicago and always engages audiences without overwhelming them. His films often straddle the fine line between tragedy and comedy and audiences will certainly be entertained by Stallworth’s inspirational life-story and the film’s timeless subject matter.
This time around, he’s moved on from selling home improvement goods, to being a Lyft driver – which is pretty convenient as he gets to eavesdrop on his passenger’s conversations. In a sequel reminiscent of the classic film Taxi Driver, he tells a soldier, who is off to Iraq for his first tour of duty, that he would be here to pick him up when he returns. He rescues an abused young girl who is thrown into his cab, and is the regular Sir Galahad to an old age pensioner he picks up each day for his doctor appointments. McCall has also moved to an apartment complex right in the heart of Boston, hangs out with his neighbors, and forges a paternal relationship with a teenager named Miles (Ashton Sanders), who lives with his single mother in the same complex. Despite those new few tidbits, McCall is still a man of silent ritual who enjoys drinking tea and reading classics like Richard Wright’s “Native Son” and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me,” which is the first book we see him reading in the first scene as he travels to Turkey to rescue
Equalizer 2
a young girl kidnapped from her American mother. A savior within the community, the obsessive compulsive McCall still only resorts to violence when it’s the last option, and it certainly becomes a necessity when someone very close to McCall is killed and he discovers her highly trained assassins are some of his former cohorts. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, who re-teams with Washington for a fourth time following their successful collaborations on Training Day, The Magnificent Seven, and the first Equalizer, it’s a modern-day superhero
I
lll By Samantha Ofole-Prince
n his 40-year acting career, Denzel Washington has never made a sequel to any of his prior movies, but there was something special about playing a lethally skilled ex-CIA agent that made the two-time Oscar-winning actor sign up for a sequel. In EQ2, Washington returns as Robert McCall, a soft-spoken, kindly old man who’s always ready to serve justice to those who deserve it.
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movie that’s solid and well-crafted and offers a few grim laughs between McCall’s gory fisticuffs. “You picked the wrong door to knock on pops!” McCall is told in one scene just before he sets his watch and rains down a ferocious retribution on the unassuming culprit. There’s thrill and momentum to this sequel, which follows a similar structure to the first, but sprinkles in a few sidebar pieces which gives it an excessively sentimental feel. It’s formulaic, but still certainly just as entertaining as the first film and no matter the movie, people will always show up to see a Denzel drama – especially one where he delivers justice.
films, and they are now having to work with the CIA who is providing oversite. August Walker (Henry Cavill) from the CIA is assigned with keeping them inline and making sure nothing gets in the way of completing the mission including Ethan’s team. Writer/director (Christopher McQuarrie) picks this story up after the events of the last film. As an overarching story, they tie up elements nicely. He has an eye for what makes a compelling story. The best bits of the film are a mixture of action, humor, loss and redemption. McQuarrie grabs you from the first few scenes and doesn’t let go until five minutes after the films finishes.
Mission Impossible: Fallout
McQuarrie’s work in action films stands on its own. The films he directed have all been well done. We see that intense action in Way of the Gun and now in both Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Fallout. He seems to be Tom Cruise’s go to writer with good reason – he has several hits under his belt. He also has some clinkers as well, but I bet if he directed them, they would have been better. The best quality of these films is sometimes things go horribly wrong and they must think fast to complete the mission. It’s this element of surprise that is so engaging. No plan survives contact with the enemy however these folks make it seem easy, well maybe not easy, but at least entertaining. Each player has a part to play. Ving Rhames plays the heart of the team where Simon Pegg is the comic relief. The chemistry is outstanding. If I were up on a cliff free climbing I would want these two having my back. .
T
llll By Jon Rutledge
he MI franchise has worked out a formula that works for them. Having a formula is not a bad thing; they have mastered what makes an exciting story and execute it well. This movie is just as entertaining as the last two. The performances are top notch and you can tell they enjoy making these films as their pleasure shows through on the screen. In this one, they are trying to wrap up what’s left of the syndicate from the last film; a fabulous continuation of this story. We don’t have to set up anything – we just get to see Ethan and his team clean house. The mission Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) plus his team Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg) are tasked with is collecting three nuclear cores the remnants of the Syndicate are planning to use to cause a great catastrophe. Things don’t go as planned as often happens in these
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How Exercise Affects Your Brain There is no
By Kim Farmer
longer any question that exercise is good for the body. We know that consistent exercise can help you remain healthy, lose weight, reduce the concentration of blood glucose and cholesterol and help you remain agile and fit as you age. However, the many benefits of exercise are not only limited to the body but also the brain. Almost everyone who exercises regularly will say that they feel more confident and have improved self-esteem but even more importantly, the mental benefits of exercise persist for many years. There are many reports that seniors who regularly exercised have excellent mental health, stable mood, excellent memory, good cognition and a lowered risk of dementia and other related disorders.
A study done in Canada found that regular aerobic exercise appears to increase the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain that is involved in learning and verbal memory. Interestingly, they did not see the same brain benefits after resistance and muscle toning exercises. However, this was not a well-controlled study and the population they studied was not homogenous. Additionally, the study was of very short duration. Today, most experts in sports medicine agree that almost any type of physical activity can boost brain function. The most important thing is that the exercise has to be regular and consistent. Any exercise that increases the flow of blood to the brain can provide these benefits including cycling, swimming, jogging, or even walking. These benefits of exercise on the brain come at an important time. Almost every four seconds there is a new case of dementia being diagnosed somewhere on the planet. It is estimated that by the year 2050, there will be more than 115 million individuals with dementia. There is no treatment
or cure for dementia and the quality of life for most of these individuals is very poor – hence, the importance of
exercise. Exercise is known to help thinking, memory and cognition. The benefits of exercise are not only directly related to extra blood flow to the brain, but exercise can decrease inflammation, lower insulin resistance and augments the release of growth factors or neurotransmitters in the brain that can increase the growth of new blood cells and prolong their survival. At the same time exercise is known to improve sleep and stabilize your mood. Many people who exercise regularly also state that they have significantly less stress and anxiety, and are better able to function in everyday life activities.
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Recent studies reveal that people who exercise tend to further develop parts of the brain that control memory and thinking compared with individuals who lead a sedentary lifestyle. These studies also reveal that it takes at least 3 to 6 months of moderate exercise to increase the volume of the brain involved in memory and thinking. So how much should you exercise? Experts recommend that at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. For those who are starting out, increase the level of activity gradually by 5 to 10 minutes per week until you attain your goal. More important, you should select an exercise that you enjoy so that you will not give up after only a few days. Remember to focus on eating a plant based diet as this will also help your energy levels throughout the day. Get an accountability partner (or a personal trainer) so that you have someone to help motivate you when it gets difficult to make the right decisions. There is no better medicine than exercise – so start today! . Editor’s note: Kim Farmer of Mile High Fitness & Wellness offers in-home personal training and corporate wellness solutions. For more information, visit www.milehighfitness.com or email inquiries@milehighfitness.com.
Knowledge Is Power: My Story to Help Women of Color Overcome the “Survival Disadvantage” of Ovarian Cancer By Kelie Kyser
Last year, I received what
proved to be a life-changing opportunity to work on a campaign for the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance (COCA). At the time, I wasn’t familiar with the presentation of ovarian cancer, so I methodically researched the disease so I could be effective in raising awareness. I learned that the symptoms of the disease are insidious, that there is no screening test for the disease and that routine gynecological exams rarely detect it. I also learned that my mother had Stage II ovarian cancer. In hindsight, I recall that the slight pain on the right side of her lower abdomen had become a reoccurring topic of conversation during our “hey girl” check-ins. She said it hurt when she walked, so we played process of elimination for months blaming her penchant for stilettos, seltzer water, and kale. And since we both have a PhD in WebMD from Google University, we made peace with our false diagnosis in hopes the discomfort would pass. What I didn’t know (until now) is that mom was in more pain than she originally confessed. Thank God the reality she protected from her family was shared during a conversation with her co-worker – a registered nurse who immediately suspected ovarian cancer. Their discussion motivated mom to schedule an appointment with her gynecologist of 20 years, Dr. Susan Moison, who arranged for an ultrasound and a CA125 test. The sequence of events that ensued happened at lightning speed. Dr. Moison scheduled an MRI that revealed a tumor the size of a grapefruit. She recommended that mom have surgery by a gynecologic oncologist, so that if the tumor was cancerous, staging could be done. On Sept. 7, the day that I had been promoting as Wear Teal Day to raise awareness of ovarian cancer for COCA, Dr. Jeffrey James removed the mass that we later learned was in fact cancer. I’m still haunted by the look on my dad’s face the day we received the official diagnosis. The information
was overwhelming, and I remember trying to write everything down because we were scared we would forget something important. After the nurse reiterated the details of the surgery to place the port, the side effects of chemotherapy, and the schedule of treatment, it felt like time stopped. Then mom looked at Dr. James and said a prayer that he received with a smile, and things felt calm. By all accounts, my mother’s story and outcome are not the norm. The same year she was diagnosed, the Journal of Ovarian Research reported that Black women are at a “survival disadvantage” when it comes to ovarian cancer. Even though progress in the treatment of OC has been made, we do not appear to be “reaping the benefits of advances.” An analysis of the data revealed, “The ovarian cancer health disparity has increased over time and one reason for this increase is the disparate access to treatment, particularly surgery” (Sinja et al., 2017). After all that’s happened, I have a better understanding of what is meant by the phrase: knowledge is power. I remember mom telling me that her biggest fear came true when she went to the doctor and found out that something was wrong. However, early detection is the reason she is here today. My family is grateful to share this story in hopes of helping someone else overcome the fear of seeking treatment.
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. I hope that all the moms and daughters that read this story learn more about ovarian cancer and schedule an appointment with their gynecologist if they experience a symptom for more than two weeks. There is no screening test for ovarian cancer so early detection is the best treatment. Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer at Stage I or II have a 70 percent or greater chance of surviving five years than if diagnosed at stage III or IV. Only 15 percent of ovarian cancer is diagnosed at an early stage. By the end of 2017, our family was worn out, but for the most part we were all intact. Mom bravely approached her sixth round of chemo, and the autoimmune disease (alopecia) I’ve had since I was a kid accelerated from areata to totalis. We blame dad’s lack of mane on the posttraumatic stress associated with raising a teenage daughter. Who knew that one day we would all be bald at the same time, for different reasons, and rejoice in telling the story – a story that demonstrates the strength of family and the irony of life? .
About Ovarian Cancer: Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in females in the United States and the deadliest gynecologic cancer. An annual gynecological exam does not check for this cancer and there is no specific screening test for ovarian cancer so recognizing the symptoms, leading to early detection, is critical to saving lives. The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer are bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary urgency or frequency. Any symptom that last more than two weeks should be reported to your doctor, preferably a gynecologist. And ask for ovarian cancer to be ruled out with a transvaginal ultrasound, CA-125 and pelvic exam. To learn more, visit www.coloovariancancer.org or call 303-506-7014. Editor’s note: Kelie Kyser is a Denver native who graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and the University of Colorado at Denver. She has worked in the communications field for nearly 20 years and currently supports clients such as The Arc and the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance.
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Making transmissions well since 1983.
By Allison Kugel
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Shines in “Seven Seconds” on Netflix
ith an acting career spanning four decades and multiple awards and nominations, Regina King has effortlessly embodied countless memorable characters across the big and small screens. From thought provoking films like Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, Jerry Maguire and Ray; to lighter fare like the Legally Blonde and Miss Congeniality franchises, Regina King brings a special sparkle to every role she’s tackled. On the small screen, King’s presence in past television series like “Southland,” “The Boondocks,” “The Leftovers,” “Shameless,” and her Emmy-winning turn in “American Crime,” have highlighted some of the more significant social issues of our time, both with ironic humor and with poignant drama. Wherever art is imitating life in a significant way, Regina King has been tapped to play a pivotal role in the project. What audiences may not know is that King is also an accomplished television director, with a growing resume of credits including smash hit television shows from “Scandal” and “Greenleaf” to “The Good Doctor” and “This Is Us.” Her most recent Emmy-nominated performance as Latrice Butler, grieving mother of a teenage son who is the victim of a death by auto, hit and run by a group of Jersey City police officers, is a true tour de force and a defining role in a long and treasured career. Allison Kugel: What drew you to playing Latrice Butler in “Seven Seconds”?
Regina King: I was actually drawn to the role of prosecutor KJ Harper (played by Clare-Hope Ashitey), and series creator Veena Sud was sure that she wanted me for the role of Latrice. I liked the pilot script and decided to take that dive into the emotional pool. Allison Kugel: You play the mother of a teenage boy who is killed by a police officer. What was your creative process in tackling such an intense role? Regina King:Being a mother myself, and the mother of a black young man, there are certain fears you have that are unique to having a black child in America. You have fears as a parent when your kids are growing up, because you can’t control everything. But there are those experiences that are specific to black children that are not the same for others. You experience a bit of it, yourself, as a child growing up in America. Unfortunately, it’s our culture and something you grow up with. You then carry that perspective with you throughout your life. So, I had that going into this role. I also spoke to a mother whose son was murdered by a police officer. Hearing her pain up close and personal, and her feeling safe enough to share it with me, I would say that combination of things was how Latrice was birthed into “Seven Seconds”. Allison Kugel: While you were shooting “Seven Seconds,” did you think about the parents of Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and so many young men who’ve lost their lives in similar circumstances? And did you feel a responsibility to reflect these parents’ pain in your performance? Regina King:There was a responsibility to accurately portray their pain, their lives, and their stories, absolutely. Allison Kugel: Do you take a role like this home with you? Regina King: I tried not to take it home with me. But again, a bit of this lives with you. It is the narrative of a part of the fabric of what America is. Unfortunately, you are always living it. It took a lot out of me; I’ll be honest. It was the closest to an experiential role I’ve ever had. I’ve known people who have been victims of police brutality, but no one who was closer than a friend or a distant family member. Because it was a friend or a distant family member, I wasn’t with them in
their day-to-day struggle of what that experience brings. You go through life hoping that you never personally have an experience like that, but you know that the odds are greater than not that you will, because of who you are. It’s crazy to even say this, but you feel blessed or lucky that your child has made it to twenty-two (King is referring to her 22-year-old son, Ian). Allison Kugel: Let’s talk about your most recent Emmy nomination for “Seven Seconds.” Now that you have an Emmy win from 2015’s “American Crime,” is the pressure off somewhat for this upcoming ceremony, or are the nervous butterflies still there? And what’s the feeling in your body when you’re sitting there listening to the names of the nominees being called out? Regina King: All three times being nominated felt different. But there is nothing like the first anything, right? It’s totally surreal. The second time is kind of like, “Nah-uh, really?! How did I find a hundred-dollar bill again in the exact same place?!” It’s one of those feelings. Not to be frivolous about it, but it’s like, what are the odds? Allison Kugel: I don’t think it’s a luck thing. You really are such a gifted actor, and your performance in Seven Seconds was a tour de force. Regina King: Well, I mean, what are the odds of walking by that same corner again and finding that same bill? Allison Kugel: What do you see as your higher purpose in all that you do, from parenting your son to your work? And what spiritual philosophy do you subscribe to? Regina King: Overall, just trying to walk in my truth. I recently did a panel talk (Entertainment Weekly’s Women Who Kick Ass Comic Con Panel) and [actress] Chloe Bennet said something that I definitely subscribe to. She said, “At this moment in time I can feel a certain way and say a certain thing, and then in 2022 I might contradict that just because I’m in a different place at that point.” For me, I can only be in my truth right now, in this moment. If I am walking in that truth, if I share an opinion right now about something, in the year 2022 I will not say, “I didn’t say that in 2018.” I would know I said it, because in that moment it was true for me. Allison Kugel:I want to ask you about some other influential people
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you’ve worked with over the years, and what your takeaway was from working with these people. Let’s start with Tupac Shakur, who you worked with in 1993’s Poetic Justice. Regina King: I would say he’s a man that walked in his truth. Man, did he ever. That would be the biggest takeaway, in that he was just unapologetic, and it was beautiful. Allison Kugel: And working with Tom Cruise in 1996’s Jerry Maguire? Regina King: An example of a consummate professional. If you hear anybody say that they don’t like that guy, hmmm, I don’t know. I’d have to go back and look in the books on that person. He’s a good guy, and he is a professional. He is that same example of what Marla [Gibbs] was, and I saw from him that it exists when you’re on that mega level. Allison Kugel: And working with Jamie Foxx in 2004’s Ray? Regina King:Jamie is super talented. The first thing that came to my mind when you said “Jamie,” is that he’s a caring guy. He takes great care with things that he does, and with the people that he works with. That’s the reason why he’s so good at embodying a character, because he takes care with the details. Allison Kugel: If there’s one thing the kids from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida showed me, it’s that with the younger generations coming up there is a different level of consciousness, and it gives me great hope. Regina King: What I love is that they’re able to articulate their passion in a way that is open. Whereas, I feel like a lot of our generation, we weren’t able to articulate our anger as effectively. There is a maturity present with the younger generation, but they still have that passion. It makes me more confident in what they can accomplish.. Editor’s note: Catch Regina King’s Emmynominated performance in the limited series, Seven Seconds, streaming now on Netflix. Follow her on Instagram @iamreginaking and on Twitter @reginaking. Editor’s note: Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment columnist, and author of the book, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record. Follow her on Instagram @theallisonkugel and at AllisonKugel.com.
Nick Cannon:
On the Art of Ambition & Wild ‘N Out Live!
By Allison Kugel
I
n this personal and eye-opening interview with Nick Cannon, the multi-hyphenate and truly self-made multi-millionaire television personality, actor, musician, deejay and media mogul opens up about transcending his childhood circumstances to become one of the most successful forces in all areas of the entertainment industry. As a teen, armed only with creativity and drive, Cannon was compelled to propel his family out of financial instability. What was initially born out of necessity, flourished into one of the most epic and aspirational success stories of recent Hollywoodlore. Now add dedicated student at Howard University to his resume. Nick Cannon is unstoppable. Among myriad other projects, Cannon is taking his hit long-running MTV series, “Wild ‘N Out,” on the road with a 25 date North American tour, running through Oct. 6. Cannon and the “Wild ‘N Out” cast are doubling down on their MTV antics with a live and wilder than ever, uncensured version of the television show that hybrids improv, rap battles and hip hop culture. In this candid conversation, we go into taking “Wild ‘N Out” on the road, family, and how he protects his personal space in the storm of celebrity.
Allison Kugel: You’re now taking your hit MTV show Wild ‘N Out on the road with your Nick Cannon Presents Wild ‘N Out Live tour. The show is all about poking fun at others and being able to laugh at yourself. How do you deal with people who take themselves too seriously and have trouble laughing at themselves? Nick Cannon: I don’t feel I have to necessarily deal with or construct a rapport in that situation. With Wild ‘N Out you know what you’re going to be presented with because that is the theme of the show, not taking yourself too seriously and having a good time. People who may not see it that way, I’d approach it delicately (laughs). But usually, if they are coming on the show they want to be a part of it and they know what it is at this point, because our show has been on for so long. There have been times where people will ask us not to mention certain things, like, “Stay away from this or that,” so we respect that. We always want to be as respectful as possible, especially if there is anything that someone is sensitive about. Allison Kugel: Can you recall a specific instance in your life where you were able to use humor to overcome something painful? Nick Cannon: As broad as it seems… Everything! I do that on a daily basis – from the fact that I was one of the smallest kids in my school, and that I come from a low-income family, living in government housing; all the things that one could get made fun of for at school. I would flip it and make the joke before the bully could make the joke. I always had to deal with being the smallest kid in class, but I would tell everybody that although I was the smallest kid, I had the biggest mouth! Taking that perspective helped to build my confidence up at an early age. On a daily basis, if something is bothering me, I’ll probably be the first one to joke about it. Allison Kugel: Where did the confidence come from to tackle so many different things from comedy to music to acting to deejaying, and being a successful businessman? Nick Cannon: It most definitely came from my father and my grandfather. They’re strong alpha-type males. My father was in the world of ministry, and my grandfather was a tough in the streets type of guy. When you come from a big presence like those two, and even with a last name like
Cannon (laughs), there’s a lot in a name. Even though my father wasn’t there all the time, it was his presence when I did get a chance to be around him. There was a strong presence and a strong confidence to him. Allison Kugel: By seventeen you were writing for and starring on the Nickelodeon comedy series, “All That.” Was there a drive in you to financially rescue your family? Nick Cannon: Yes, that was the main goal. With Nickelodeon, I was making five hundred dollars a week, and that was everything at that time; I thought I was rich. I was now able to help put gas in (my parents’) car to make trips up to LA. I could buy food. I could buy an outfit and pay my mom’s rent. That was a dream come true. It was always that idea of wanting to provide for my mother, and for others in the family. The more I began to work, the more I was able to do that. Allison Kugel: I know you’re currently a college student at Howard University, which is amazing. You’ve said you’d like to go on to get your PhD. Professor Cannon! What would you like to teach one day as a professor? Nick Cannon: Right now, I’m studying criminology, but I’m also studying in the school of divinity; and I’m in the school of communications. Obviously, I’m in the field of communications. I consider myself somewhat of an expert on the media (laughs) and media content, so you never know. I feel that if I can put all those things together, whether it’s Sociology, Criminology, these are the things that are prevalent to me at the moment. Allison Kugel: Who has been your greatest mentor in the entertainment industry? Nick Cannon: The person I’ve connected with the most, who has taught me the most and established so much for me in this business, was probably Will Smith. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that guy. His hands-on approach and being a big brother and a friend early on in my career was everything. He gave me my first record deal, he gave me my first television deal, and it’s the way he leads by example. Will is the most successful, nicest, most inspiring person you’d ever want to meet. Allison Kugel: Let’s go back to this Wild ‘N Out Live tour. Are you going to be on stage at every stop on the tour, and how will it surpass watching Wild ‘N Out on MTV?
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Nick Cannon: At every stop on the tour, I’ll be hosting and conducting the entire show! This live show is going to be much more raw. It’s giving you the experience you see on TV, times ten. You’ll be watching it with the energy of being in a full arena, and we’re bringing whatever city we’re in to life. We’re bringing the famous rappers and it’s a full concert. We’re bringing your favorite cast members and you’re getting a chance to hear their stand-up and laugh. Its way more powerful, because there are no standards and practices like on TV, and there are no commercial breaks. It’s just right there for an hour and a half; pure laughter and music and hip hop, and you get to see your favorite Wild ‘N Out games as well. It’s also super interactive with the audience. And surprise guests will be popping in and out the whole time at every stop on the tour. Allison Kugel: When you’re alone in quiet moments, no cell phone or television, what kinds of thoughts dominate your mind in those quiet times? Nick Cannon: I’m still; I’m quiet. When I do have those alone times, I allow my spirit to be still. For me, that’s not really a thinking time, because I’m always working and thinking and planning. When I do get that alone time, it’s about allowing myself to just… BE. I go within and meditate and listen. Allison Kugel: What do you see as your spiritual mission here on this earth, and how is it expressed in all that you do? Nick Cannon: To attempt to bring joy, and to bring joy in a way where my legacy will be, “That was somebody who made a lot of people smile.” Whether it’s through entertainment, whether it’s through philanthropy, or with family, the goal is to bring joy to as many (people) as possible and leave my mark by doing that. Allison Kugel: And what do you think you are here to learn? Nick Cannon: How to do those things through the examples that were laid before me; how to implement joy and happiness in my own life, and how to express it to others.. Photo Credits: Nick Cannon, MTV, AEG Presents
Editor’s note: Tickets for Nick Cannon Presents Wild ‘N Out Live! 25-date North American tour are available through Ticketmaster or visit axs.com for a complete list of tour dates and cities.
Dr. Ben Carson, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Visits Aurora
Only African-American in Trump’s Cabinet
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By Annette Walker
r. Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was recently in Aurora to focus upon a public housing development and the new Opportunity Zones. Carson, the only African-American member of President Trump’s Cabinet, was accompanied by Aurora Mayor Bob LeGare and Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman whose district includes Aurora. They toured the Village at Westerly Creek, which is considered an innovative example of public housing development. Located on an 11-acre site bounded by the waterway, E. Kentucky Place and Ironton, Westerly Creek is a public-private partnership funded with HUD money, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), some private and other funding sources.
Established in 2012, Westerly Creek has developed in three stages, and the last phase will be completed by the end of October. The $51 million project features 144 residential units for senior citizens and 50 units for families. Westerly Creek differs from the minimalist nature of most low-income public housing. It boasts ultra-modern structural design and amenities such as community rooms for large events, exercise rooms, hair salons and attractive landscapes including community gardens. “Rents for seniors in the new section being completed now range from $462 to $968, said Craig Maraschky, executive director of the Aurora Housing Authority.” A two bedroom unit ranges from $547 to $1155.” Maraschky said that that residents in the new section are 28 percent white, 33 percent African-American, 28 percent Asian, seven percent Hispanic and seven percent others. Carson was impressed with Westerly Creek. “It really goes to show what can be done when you plan it out well and when you spend time learning from other things that did not work well,” he said, “and more importantly, when you have public-private partnerships.” Westerly Creek, however, is a bright spot in the midst of the affordable housing crisis that has beset not only Aurora, but metropolitan Denver
and Colorado in general. Maraschky said that the waiting list for senior housing is five years long. Furthermore, in a statement released following Dr. Carson’s visit, Representative Mike Coffman noted that “Undoubtedly, access to affordable housing is a serious and growing problem in the Denver metro area.” The Aurora Sentinel publication analyzed a wide range of real estate, housing and economic studies and released the following information about Aurora. The Sentinel noted that for years Aurora was considered affordable in relation to other parts of the Front Range. a) The average home price in the metropolitan Denver area is now beyond $500,000. In Aurora, the average price is about $350,000. b) The average one-bedroom apartment in Aurora is $1,125. Studies show that housing costs average about one-third of a person’s gross monthly income. Therefore, in Aurora in order to afford a one-bedroom apartment plus utilities, a person needs an annual salary of $44,000. c) A person earning Colorado’s minimum wage of $10.20 will have a hard time affording an apartment in Aurora and other parts of metropolitan Denver. d) Many professional persons, such as school teachers, nurses and other medical practitioners are having a hard time making-ends-meet.
Opportunity Zones During his visit Carson visited Aurora’s newly designated Opportunity Zone. Created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in December 2017, Opportunity Zones provide federal tax incentives for investors to re-invest in low-income communities. State governors were asked to identify potential zones. Colorado has designated about 20 areas, mostly in small town and rural areas, as Opportunity Zones. Aurora’s zone is located just east of the Westerly Creek development. Planning is just getting underway.
Carson’s New Endeavor Carson has stated repeatedly that he believes people should become selfsufficient. “Real compassion is not patting people on the head and saying, ‘there, there, you poor little thing’. Real compassion is giving them an opportunity to realize the American Dream,” he told reporters after the Wesley Creek tour in Aurora. He has created EnVision Centers to offer HUD-assisted families access to support services that can help them achieve self-sufficiency, thereby making scarce federal resources more readily available to a greater number of households currently waiting to receive HUD assistance.
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“Housing assistance should be more than just putting a roof over someone’s head,” he has explained. “These EnVision Centers offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools they need to become self-sufficient and to flourish.” In June, along with Detroit Mayor Michael Duggan, Carson inaugurated the EnVision concept in Detroit, his hometown. There are currently 17 communities nationwide establishing the centers. There are none yet in Colorado. EnVision Centers will be financed and operated as public-private partnerships, a concept that Carson favors. HUD and other federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities, and housing finance agencies are examples of potential partnerships. There are four key pillars of the selfsufficiency to be nurtured by the EnVision Centers: 1) Economic Empowerment, 2) Educational Advancement, 3) Health and Wellness, and 4) Character and Leadership.
From Health to Housing As soon as President Donald Trump nominated Carson for the HUD Secretary’s position, there were criticisms about his lack of housing policy experience. “Working directly with patients and their families for many years taught me that there is a deep relationship between health and housing,” said Carson in a statement released by HUD after he was sworn-in to his position. “I learned that it’s difficult for a child to realize their dreams if he or she doesn’t have a proper place to live, and I’ve seen firsthand how poor housing conditions can rob a person of their potential.” His parents separated when he was five years old and he and his older brother primarily lived with their mother who married as a teenager and allegedly only finished primary school. He often refers to his mother’s demands why he and his brother performed well in school. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School, he became a distinguished neurosurgeon. From age 33 to 61 he served as Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. In 2008 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is the recipient of numerous honors. He has written nine books (several with his wife who he met at Yale University). Together they co-founded the Carson Scholars Fund, which has awarded more than $7 million dollars in youth scholarships. His memoir, “Gifted Hands” was the basis of a 2009 TV documentary of the same name, starring Cuba Gooding Jr..
Mayor Hancock’s Proposal to Double Denver’s Housing Fund and Provide $105 Million Funding Surge Advances
Proposal accelerates construction and preservation of over 6,000 units and buys land for future use over five years, in part with increase in marijuana tax
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ayor Michael B. Hancock’s proposal to double the Affordable Housing Fund - from $15 million to $30 million annually – and partner with the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) to generate an estimated $105 million funding surge for affordable housing over the next five years advanced out of the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness (SAFEHOUSE) Committee last month. “Affordable housing remains a primary challenge to our residents and families, and this proposal will produce more affordable homes quicker to deliver housing Denver families need and can afford,” Mayor Hancock said. “I want to thank the SAFEHOUSE committee for advancing this proposal, as well as the Housing Authority and our community and marijuana industry partners for coming together for Denver’s people and provide more funding to address this critical need in our city.” The proposal to double Denver’s Affordable Housing Fund would improve the alignment of the fund with the five-year housing plan, Housing an Inclusive Denver. Through this proposal, Denver will be able to secure the building, preservation or land needed for more than 6,000 affordable homes for families over the next five years. Two separate ordinance requests were advanced out of committee today: an intergovernmental agreement between the city and DHA, and an amendment to the Affordable Housing Fund removing its sunset provision and increasing the city’s retail marijuana tax rate from 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent. These ordinance requests are expected to be heard on first reading by the full City Council on Aug. 20, with final reading on Aug. 27. The proposed partnership with DHA brings more funding in the form of bonds to accelerate building and preserving much-needed affordable housing. It also increases the land available for future affordable housing creation for Denver’s lowest-income residents and those experiencing homelessness. By leveraging DHA’s
expertise in serving those most in need of housing they can afford, the proposal expands the city’s ability to deliver on additional areas of housing needs identified in the five-year plan. The estimated $105 million will be generated from the issuance of bonds by DHA, supported by the appropriation of an existing half property tax mill from the city. The bonds will accelerate the timing and enhance the redevelopment of housing units maintained by DHA and create a new land acquisition fund to secure a pipeline of projects. The new $105 million bond appropriation to DHA will: •Create or preserve at least 1,200 units over the next ten years, serving those experiencing homelessness and very low income individuals and families through land and property acquisition, paired with at least 300 projectbased vouchers. •Create or preserve an additional 1,294 units at the DHA properties of Sun Valley, Westridge and Shoshone over the next five years. “DHA is proud to be a partner in this creative funding opportunity that will accelerate and expand the creation and preservation of much needed affordable housing targeted at Denver’s lowest income and most vulnerable residents,” stated Ismael Guerrero, DHA Executive Director. “This collaboration underscores the city’s and the Housing Authority’s commitment to deliver real solutions for Denver residents most impacted by the high cost of housing.” Under the proposal, an additional yearly $7 million General Fund contribution will be made to the Affordable Housing Fund starting in 2019. To backfill the half mill that will be appropriated to DHA, the proposal will increase the city’s special marijuana sales tax from 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent, generating an estimated $8 million per year for the fund. If approved, the marijuana tax rate increase would take effect Oct. 1. “Marijuana Industry Group (MIG), the leading trade association for Colorado’s cannabis businesses, cares about the communities where we live and operate. Lack of affordable housing is a serious issue for people living in Denver. The city was transparent about their efforts to solve the problem, and our group deliberated the proposed tax increases against already high taxes, and the need to keep prices at a level that continues to incentivize purchasing at legal, licensed and regulated establishments. We’re just a small part of the larger economy, and while cannabis is not the cause of this issue, it can be part of the solution,” said Kristi Kelly, Executive Director of the Marijuana Industry Group. The new $7 million annual General
Fund allocation will: •Create or preserve at least 750 units over the next five years. •Serve at least 1,000 additional households over the next five years through programs such as displacement assistance. “The structure of this proposal will allow the city to ensure we make tax dollars stretch further for housing in a financially responsible way without raising taxes on the very households we are trying to serve,” said Denver Chief Financial Officer Brendan Hanlon. “Through our local funding, smart policy innovations and our housing partners, we’re pulling every lever we can to make Denver affordable and accessible for all,” said Eric Hiraga, Executive Director of the Denver Office of Economic Development. “The proposed doubling of the Affordable Housing Fund provides a significant boost for our community, and we look forward to applying these funds to further build our momentum in fostering housing stability citywide.” The proposal directs about half of the newly doubled Affordable Housing Fund to support those experiencing homelessness and very low income individuals and families, and allocates the other half to fulfill other priorities within Housing an Inclusive
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Denver, including support for workforce families, long-time residents who want to stay in their homes and firsttime homebuyers. Since 2011, the Hancock Administration has helped to build or preserved more than 5,000 affordable housing units and launched the city’s first dedicated affordable housing fund. Efforts are guided by the recently approved five-year housing policy, strategy and investment plan, Housing an Inclusive Denver, which includes several innovative approaches ranging from eviction assistance, land trusts, land banking, accessory dwelling units, and preference policies aimed at stabilizing residents at risk of displacement. A total of 1,187 new affordable units that have received city financing are currently under construction, and an additional 1,260 are anticipated to break ground over the next year. Last year, the city assisted 10,391 renters, homeowners, homebuyers and people experiencing homelessness by working with community partners to provide services ranging from tenant-landlord counseling to down payment assistance. Denver has also launched new anti-eviction strategies to help keep people in their homes, including the Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance program, landlord-tenant mediation, and in-court eviction assistance. .
COMMUNITY NOTES
African Heritage Celebration Dinner and Silent Auction
African Heritage Celebration will hold its 12t annual dinner and silent auction on Thursday, Sept. 13 from 6
to 9 p.m. at the Posner Center for International Development, located at 1031 3rd Street, in Denver. There will be live entertainment by Hazel Miller and her band and Senegalese cuisine. African Heritage Celebration is a Colorado not for-profit Organization founded in 2007, providing school supplies to more than 46,000 students and helped build classrooms. All proceeds will fund education projects in Senegal, West Africa. For more information or tickets, visit www.ahcchildren.com.
The Rocky Moutain Gospel Golf Classic Saturday, September 15, 2018
Park Hill Golf Course 4141 East 35th Avenue in Denver
Format: Four Person Scramble Check In: 7 AM Prizes: Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin Shot Gun Start: 7:30 AM
Registration Fee: $85 Per Player (Single players will be placed) Fee Includes: Green fee, cart, small bucket of balls, gift and lunch.
For more information please call 303-512-6528.
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Letters to the Editor
Continued from page 3 stopped this inhumane action before it got worse. Our voices cannot go silent until every child and parent is reunited. I applaud the U.S. Conference of Mayors for taking a leadership role in reuniting the families. “As city leaders, we want to ensure that the children who have been sent to shelters or other facilities in our cities have the services and assistance they need,” said U.S. Conference of Mayors President and Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin. “But federal authorities generally do not notify us when they send children to our cities, and they do not make it easy to find out if they are there. This is not only frustrating - it is unacceptable. “As mayors and as parents, we know this is an urgent matter,” Mayor Benjamin said. “Every day these children and their families are separated adds to the heartbreak and the trauma they are enduring. Our nation is better than this. The situation we are facing is far from over, and it requires us to put aside our partisan differences and find common ground.” As Americans, we also should never forget that with the exception of Native Americans and black slaves, we all are descendants of immigrants. The list of famous immigrants would fill hundreds of books. But here are just a few to remind everyone our country is better because of generations of immigrants. Just think if these individuals had been ripped from their parents or turned away from our borders. Their contributions to our country – whether in science, public office, community service, the arts, and sports – would be lost: Founding father and first U.S Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton; scientist Albert Einstein; blue jean inventor Levi Strauss; first female U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; Yahoo founder Jerry Yang; telephone inventor
African Bar and Grill
Alexander Graham Bell; NBA star Patrick Ewing; singer Gloria Estefan; actor Michael J. Fox; political activist Marcus Garvey; singer Bob Marley; Google founder Sergey Brin; guitarist Carlos Santana; actor Jackie Chan; writer and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel; actor Bob Hope; MLB star Albert Pulos; actress Mila Kunis; inventor Nikola Telsa; author Padma Lakshmi; musician Yo-Yo Ma; NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon; journalist “Mother” Mary Harris Jones; director Ang Lee; NBA star Dikembe Mutombo; architect Ieoh Ming Pei; song writer Wyclef Jean; singer/songwriter Neil Young; pathologist Elizabeth Stern; journalist Arianna Huffington; song writer Irving Berlin; author Isabel Allende... Wellington E. Webb Denver
Editor’s note: Wellington E. Webb served as Denver’s mayor from 1991 to 2003.
Receipts: Common Sense Business
Editor: Denver’s growth brings problems for seniors, and problems attract predators. When staying in your home is difficult and finding a new one impossible, a dishonest landlord has the leverage to exploit the vulnerable. On August 8th, a new law came into effect that keeps fraud away with a simple common sense protection: when you pay your rent, you can ask for a receipt. Once I learned that receipts weren’t readily available, I set out to fix it. While running a bill, I met “M” who testified in favor of my solution. “M” lives in Denver. She speaks Spanish, and a little English. After 15 years of being a good tenant, her landlord threatened to kick her out for not paying rent. The staff at The Gathering
Place, a drop in shelter for homeless women in City Park West, knew for a fact that it just wasn’t true. They approached her landlord and he abruptly changed his story. He now claimed she paid every month, but not the full amount. The transactions were all in cash, and if it went to court it would be his word against hers. The Gathering Place saw his pattern of bulling her into paying more, but there was no paper trail that could prove that she was being shaken down. Even after she took refuge with them, the landlord pursued and harassed her. When he started harassing the staff, they banned him from the building. Still threatened with an eviction that would crush her ability to find housing, The Gathering Place paid a $400 eviction fee to clear her debt, and she agreed to find a new place to live. But that didn’t happen. Unable to find another place, the landlord pulled her aside and said she could stay in the rental. It wasn’t long before he filed another eviction, kicked her to the streets, and she has been homeless in Denver ever since. This was one case of many, where proper documentation would straighten everything out. I was surprised that a tenant could be refused a receipt for cash rent paid, or even a copy of the lease itself. As a business professional, I know that good records protect both sides in an honest transaction, and with this new law in place that protection will finally be available. Runaway rents make it hard enough for our elders to stay in their homes, connected to the churches and neighborhoods that support them. As the state senator representing “M.” and the Gathering Place, I was happy to address this issue and make it a little easier for everyone. It might not be a big change in the law, but it is the sort of change that makes a big difference to the people in Northeast Denver, and the many people across Colorado who are strug-
Serving: Jollof Rice, African Beer and, Specialty Dishes from Africa
gling but doing the right thing.
Angela Williams Denver
Editor’s note: Angela Williams is a Colorado State Senator and represents District 33.
Democrats’ Immigration Dogma is Damaging African American Communities
Editor: If you’re a Democrat and you question the party orthodoxy on immigration, prepare to be excommunicated. That’s the grim lesson of a recent fracas involving Our Revolution, the progressive advocacy group founded by Senator Bernie Sanders. Our Revolution fired its “National Justice” director after she publicly pointed out that excessive immigration can hurt low-wage American workers. The staffer, Tezlyn Figaro, a woman of African American and Latina descent, took to Twitter to complain about foreigners “coming into the country and getting benefits that Americans do not get.” Figaro voiced an uncomfortable truth, and her dismissal reveals a stunning hypocrisy within modern Democratic politics. The party claims to champion the economic well-being of Black and Hispanic Americans; yet it also supports unfettered immigration, which depresses wages and reduces job opportunities for minority American workers. Immigrants – both legal and illegal – tend to congregate in large cities and join the unskilled workforce. In fact, in the past 20 years, immigrants who lack high school diplomas have increased the size of the low-skilled workforce by 25 percent. That puts them in direct competition with African Americans, who disproportionately occupy the low-wage urban labor market. Work from Continued on page 30
720-272-5844
18601 Green Valley Ranch Blvd. Denver, CO 80249
720-949-0784 or 303-375-7835
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Letters to the Editor
Continued from page 29 Harvard economist George Borjas shows that when immigration increases the size of the labor pool by 10-percent, wages for African American men drop 2.5 percent – and their employment rate declines by six percent. The U.S. Civil Rights Commission Commissioner Peter Kirsanow emphasized how this competition can lock young workers out of the job market: “You eliminate the rungs on the ladder because a sizable number of African American men don’t have access to entry-level jobs.” Democrats can’t be champions for African Americans when they advocate for endless immigration amnesties. This includes their support for “sanctuary cities,” which stymie the deportation of dangerous criminals and their opposition to mandatory worker verification enforcement. In June, a number of high-profile Democratic mayors pulled out of an immigration meeting with President Trump in retaliation for the administration’s crackdown on sanctuary cities. Pointing out the damage done by free-flowing foreign labor wasn’t always condemned by left-leaning lawmakers. Back in the early 1990s, Barbara Jordan, a civil rights icon and the first African American woman
from the South ever elected to Congress, proclaimed that there was “no national interest in continuing to import lesser skilled and unskilled workers to compete in the most vulnerable parts of our labor force.” She called for cutting immigration by a third. A decade later, a Democratic senator warned that a “huge influx of mostly low-skill workers... threatens to depress further the wages of blue-collar Americans.” That senator was Barack Obama, writing in his 2006 book “The Audacity of Hope.” Around the same time, Paul Krugman, a liberal Nobel Prize-winning economist, openly acknowledged that “the fiscal burden of low-wage immigrants is . . . pretty clear.” Democratic leaders can’t claim to care about Black and Hispanic Americans while supporting immigration policies that rob their most loyal voters of jobs and wages. Tom Broadwater Washington, DC
Editor’s note: Tom Broadwater is president of Americans4Work, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of American minority, veteran, youth, and disabled workers.
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LOU DONALDSON Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – September 2018
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