Bay State Banner 10/25/2012

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Big Bird’s boss shares his vision for PBS pg. 12 FREE

Prostate cancer hits black men especially hard .................pg. 21

Thursday • October 25, 2012 • www.baystatebanner.com

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In tight Senate fight, Warren, Brown reach out to black clergy Kevin C. Peterson

arsons set fire to the structure nearly four years ago — hours With less than two weeks after President Barack Obama was remaining in one of the most elected. The fire was deemed to watched U.S. Senatorial cam- be a hate crime. paigns in Massachusetts history, “This senatorial race is very the race between U.S. Senator heated and I believe that the Scott Brown and Harvard Profes- vote that comes out of the black sor Elizabeth Warren is resulting church will be the deciding vote,” in unprecedented attention di- said Pastor William Dickerson rected to an unlikely source: the III, who leads the Greater Love black church.

Tabernacle in Dorchester and Quietly, both Senate candidates who is president of the Massahave adopted a strategy of reaching chusetts Statewide Black Clergy. out to black churches across the Warren visited Dickerson’s state, hoping to tap into a wealth of church in June. voters who are more likely to visit For Brown, the attempt to atthe election tract the atpolls on Nov. 6 tention of the than any other black faith sector of the Afcommunity rican American has quickened community. recently. Last For Warren, week, Brown a Democrat, addressed campaigning members of within the black the Black Minchurch circuit isterial Alliance was expected, as to defend his blacks are conrecord on work sidered a reliable on behalf of — Pastor William urban voters. base of voters for Democrats. But Dickerson III He stressed his lately her camefforts in creatpaign has ining anti-mortvested significantly more time in vis- gage foreclosure policies that he iting houses of worship to ensure that says have abated home losses in she makes contact with devout black the black community. parishioners.

Brown also cited a job fair held Last Sunday in Springfield, at the Roxbury Community ColWarren campaigned in as many lege in the Spring and trumpeted as four prominent African Amer- his effort that led to the release of ican churches across the city, in- a prominent Dorchester pastor cluding Alban Baptist Church, who was abducted in Egypt last Cannan Baptist, St. John Con- summer. gregational Church and The But some balked at what they Macedonia Church. believe is a last-minute outreach The congregation at Macedo- effort by the Brown campaign. nia held special symbolism for the “I think that it is important Warren campaign, as the building that both of them come to the had recently been restored after black churches to campaign and

“This senatorial race is very heated and I believe that the vote that comes out of the black church will be the deciding vote.”

Protesters march on Washington Street near the Ferdinand construction site to demand more hiring of local residents. About 800 to 1000 workers are expected to put some 400,000 work hours into the project, which will create a new BPS headquarters and ground-floor retail space. The protests were organized by Priscilla Flint (in background at far right) of the Leadership Forum.

(Sandra Larson photo)

Protesters demand more local jobs at Ferdinand Minority hiring is high, but city resident jobs lagging Sandra Larson Local residents and community activists have been protesting at the Ferdinand site in Dudley Square for the past week to demand more construction jobs for Boston residents on the Dudley Municipal Center.

“Boston jobs for Boston residents!” chanted some 15 protesters in the early morning of Oct. 15, carrying signs at the construction site entrance on Washington Street as trucks backed in, construction machinery rumbled and buses roared toward Dudley Station.

The massive $115 million project broke ground in March

and will be in progress until late 2014. It will create a new Boston Public Schools headquarters and ground-floor retail space.

“I’m out here supporting the young men who don’t have jobs,” said Terrence Williams, a meter installer for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. “You see trucks from other parts of the state [at construction sites]. It’s a shame that taxpayers’ money is not coming back into the city of Boston. Boston is being rebuilt, and we’re not part of that project.”

At issue is whether the city and Shawmut Design and Construction, the project’s general contractor, are adhering to the Boston

Senate, continued to page 20

Residents Jobs Policy (BRJP). The 1983 ordinance calls for general contractors on city-funded projects to allot 50 percent of work hours to Boston residents, 25 percent to minorities, and 10 percent to women. On the Ferdinand site, numbers for minority workers actually exceed requirements so far, but resident and women worker numbers are lagging.

“This site is out of compliance,” said protest organizer and Roxbury native Priscilla Flint. “[Contractors] keep being out of compliance. The city is supposed to apply sanctions. We don’t know what else to do.”

Flint is the economic developFerdinand, continued to page 19

President Obama: RFK’s prediction finally came true Howard Manly In the early 1960s, then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy painted a promising picture for African Americans.

The interview was broadcast on Voice of America to 60 countries across the globe and occurred at a time when blacks were soldiering through the Civil Rights Movement.

“There’s no question about

it,” Kennedy reportedly said. “In the next 40 years, a Negro can achieve the same position that my brother has.”

Apocryphal or not, the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy went on to say that prejudice existed, and probably would continue to.

“But we have tried to make progress and we are making progress,” he said. “We are not going

BlackHistory

“An Elevated View: The Orange Line” is a new Boston Public Library exhibition featuring 65 photographs from a 1985 project that documented Boston’s elevated rail system prior to its 1987 dismantling. Story on page 9. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library)

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT . . . 11-13

Obama, continued to page 10

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EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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2 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Mark Merren: Boston’s master motivator Local hip hop producer and MC creates weekly platform to showcase city’s talent G. Valentino Ball Apparently Dorchester native Mark Merren was paying attention during those kindergarten lessons about sharing. In the dogeat-dog world of the music business, the hip hop producer and MC who’s in the midst of building his own career has decided to share the wealth.

Merren, who released his solo debut “Motivate” last year through his company Authentic Lifestyle, has been producing a number of events that provide a place for upand-coming artists to push their music forward — not the typical move when you’re still trying to make a name for yourself.

Motivate Mondays, Merren’s weekly showcase of Boston’s hip hop and R&B talent at Fenway music venue Church, has become one of the key destinations for artists looking to hone their craft.

(Motivate’s monthly sister showcase, Branded Authentic, has a loyal following as well.) Merren sees the altruistic attitude as a needed part

of Boston’s musical growth.

“I’ve seen the climate of the city as far as music and something is not working,” he said. “We can’t just recognize ourselves. We have to recognize true talent [throughout the city].”

The fan base for that talent is growing. After reaching its first anniversary this summer, Merren recently turned Motivate Monday from a monthly showcase to a weekly event in order to meet the demand.

The Banner recently talked with him about Motivate Monday’s success, the Boston urban music scene and having the confidence needed to share the spotlight.

a need for me to create an avenue for myself. It didn’t make sense to not include other artists on the scene. I figured it was time for us to cultivate an artist community in Boston. In order for us to thrive we have to eliminate the cliques.

The music business is usually cut-throat. What would make someone who is trying to push their career forward take on the role of providing a place for other artists?

What was the turning point for you? What made people start coming out?

First off, I’m confident in what I do. But secondly, there was just

What was the most challenging part of putting the shows together?

That was the hardest part.

Getting everyone together. It kind of came out of nowhere, so some people were skeptical. The other difficult part was finding good venues in Boston that want to rock with hip hop. You’ve got to show and prove.

I think just the persistence of it. That and there were limited options. It started as me trying to create a platform for myself, then it became a platform for everyone else in the city. It became [in the eyes of artists] “Mark is an option.

We have to rock with Mark.”

One of your nicknames is “The Mayor.” Now that you are in that leadership role, do you ever feel pressure?

No, I don’t feel any pressure. It’s natural for me to do what I do. I’ve always been a person that’s been about bringing people together.

Even on a social level. I’m real family-oriented. It just takes a certain amount of energy. But I’m willing to do that because it benefits everybody. A thriving music scene in our city benefits everybody. It also draws attention from outside.

What made you make the transition from monthly to weekly?

Hip hop MC/producer Mark Merren performs at his Motivate Monday showcase.

It just made sense. People were constantly reaching out about performing. So it was like let’s just go weekly so people will have a place where they will be able to get a consistent quality show. And it was also the demand. People thought we were weekly from the branding. I would constantly get messages and tweets (on the off nights). So that meant there was a demand for it.

Motivate Monday founder Mark Merren says he wanted to cultivate an artist community in Boston. (John Brewer photos)

Is it hard for you to split time between the events and your career?

They complement each other well. It’s about balance and taking my time to focus on each thing.

When I work on shows that’s what I’m working on. When I’m in my beats zone then I am in my beats zone. When I am in writer’s mode then I’m in writer’s mode.

It’s helped my music career more than anything because it helped my name.

Where are you at with your projects?

Now I’m working on “Motivate 2.” I have enough joints to put out a project. But I want to make it bigger. I’m taking my time. I want to elevate the game with this one. And the events are a way of keeping my name out there in the city of Boston.

Do you have to fight the urge to go up on stage every week, especially when you see a struggling act?

I just remind myself that it’s not about me. It’s about creating an audience for people and the people are the judge. So sometimes when I’m looking onstage [at a struggling act] I’m more about encouraging them. That’s why we call it Motivate Mondays.

We understand that every artist is not going to be ready. They aren’t fully developed. That’s why I balance it out with people I know will knock it out the park and people who are on their grind. That way

they will get examples.

Who are some of the people you’ve seen emerge locally since you’ve been doing the show?

Of course you have the Famous Nobodies, Dutch ReBelle. Natural. [I’m impressed by] the progression [Natural] has made from where he first started from. Of course the City Slickers come through and show love.

What is the next step for you?

I definitely envision Motivate … becoming a music festival. That’s been one of my visions from the beginning. I want to create some type of outdoor music festival out of this and draw artists from other places. And also taking the brands on the road, making it become a nationally recognized showcase. I think we are on pace. I see big things coming this year.

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Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

4 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Established 1965

Vote Tuesday, Nov. 6 Despite high unemployment (14.4 percent), greater income disparity than at the time of the Great Depression and a major loss of homes because of mortgage foreclosures, African Americans remain confident in their economic prospects. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of a year ago found that 49 percent of blacks thought the country is headed in the right direction compared to only 19 percent of whites. A reported 86 percent of blacks approved of the president’s handling of the economy.

That African American optimism and that support for President Barack Obama has not waned, but sometimes there is a futile expectation that the American Dream will dawn on its own. Some compassionate unseen beneficiary will provide the long awaited affluence. Unfortunately, it rarely works like that. Success comes as the result of unceasing effort.

For many elections, African Americans have taken for granted the right to vote. While there are those who risked their lives to secure this right, that was long ago. It became too easy to become indifferent about voting on Election Day. However, the Republican strategy to require photo IDs to be able to vote raised the possibility that many blacks in key states would be disenfranchised. It took numerous lawsuits to defeat this Republican strategy designed to minimize the democratic vote. Blacks should vote in massive numbers in defiance of that disempowering strategy.

At the top of the ballot, the Banner endorses Barack Obama for president. That comes as no surprise, but be assured this is not a decision based on ethnicity. Certainly that helps, but rarely have the philosophical differences between the candidates been so lucid. Obama believes that the greatness of America is the free

enterprise system that allows every citizen the right to pursue his or her professional or business interests. The government aids and abets that process and stands by with a safety net for those who miss the brass ring.

On the other hand, Mitt Romney has demonstrated little respect for 47 percent of the population that has failed to amass significant wealth to be a significant taxpayer and may need assistance from the government. He wants to cut support programs such as education, welfare, food stamps and Medicare. His goal is to cut taxes for the wealthy so that those programs become unaffordable.

Even many of the wealthy citizens understand that such a draconian approach to taxation would destroy the social contract that binds Americans of all economic classes. Warren Buffett, the wealthiest American, has stated that millionaires should pay the highest tax rate. Now, with the available loopholes, he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. That is unfair.

Elizabeth Warren for the Senate. One very important reason is to keep a democratic majority in the U.S. Senate to support Obama’s nomination of judges. Romney wants a Supreme Court that will overturn Roe v. Wade. There will likely be at least one vacancy to fill on the court in the next four years.

In her battle to establish the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Warren demonstrated her intellectual talent and her willingness to fight for the middle class.

Michael Capuano must be re-elected to Congress. With Barney Frank leaving, it would be disastrous to weaken our delegation further by supporting an untried candidate at this critical time.

Also, vote NO on Question 2!

Man, you take someone to the polls and that’s like voting twice!

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ADVERTISING Marketing-Sales Director Advertising Coordinator

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NEWS REPORTING Health Editor Managing Editor

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Deputy Editor Contributing Writers

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall Kenneth J. Cooper Colette Greenstein Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil Sandra Larson Anthony W. Neal Brian Wright O’Connor Shelly Runyon

LETTERSto the Editor Focus on wrongly imprisoned in state drug lab scandal It seems that no one has given any thought to the possibility that innocent people were convicted, jailed and spent time incarcerated for crimes they did not commit (“Boston seeks $15M to cope with release of inmates,” Bay State Banner, Oct. 18, 2012).

The $15 million should be divided among those who were victimized by the system.

Petra Spahr Via email

GOP can trick some, but not all It is a very sad day when U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is able to have folks from our community stand in front of A Nubian Notion with placards with his name on it. Black people still have not learned about politics and manipulation(s).

Ask yourselves: What funding has Scott Brown brought to our communities and what has he done for our veterans reeling from illnesses, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Look at Dudley Station and ask Scott Brown why there was not an environmental impact statement presented to our community from his office showing concerns as it relates to

Staff Photographers

increases in respiratory hazards.

Who needs Scott Brown? He is not even around.

Haywood Fennell Sr.

A meatless diet has significant impact on environment Recent news reports suggest that a growing number of black Americans are going vegan. I hope this encouraging trend continues. By eating more meatless meals, we can help stop animal suffering, conserve resources, combat climate change and reduce pollution.

Consider this fact: Animals raised for food in the U.S. produce far more

excrement than the entire U.S. human population, roughly 89,000 pounds per second. According to the Pew Environment Group, the 523 million chickens raised and killed each year in Maryland and Delaware alone generate enough waste to fill the dome of the U.S. Capitol about 50 times, or almost once a week.

Factory-farm waste often winds up in our waterways, sickening people and killing aquatic life. Unlike animalbased foods, vegan foods are cholesterol-free and generally low in fat and calories. They’re tasty, too.

Benny Bond The PETA Foundation

Ernesto Arroyo Eric Esteves Tony Irving Don West John Brewer

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Contributing Writers

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Thursday, Thursday, October January 25, 3, 2012 2008 • BAY • BOSTON STATE BANNER • 5

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OPINION GOP’s Libyan Hit on Obama Won’t Taint The President’s Foreign Policy Triumphs Earl Ofari Hutchinson GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will hit President Obama during their foreign policy debate with the ancient political zinger: What did he know and when did he know it about Libya? The GOP’s attack line is that Obama botched the response to the terror attack on the American embassy in Libya in part to protect his claim that he destroyed Al-Qaeda, and in greater part to mask his alleged rudderless, muddled Middle East policy.

None of this holds water. Obama vigorously condemned the embassy attack as an act of terror. As any responsible president would do, he made no saber-rattling statements about the attack until all of the intelligence reports conclusively pointed to a systematic, planned attack and identified who the likely attackers were.

The final report found that the attack was not masterminded by AlQaeda, and indeed found no verifiable link to the group at all.

But the Libyan hit on Obama is only a part of a larger GOP strategy.

That’s to try again to portray Obama as weak, vacillating and too conciliatory to America’s enemies in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The GOP attack is not new. For three decades before the 2008 election, the GOP reveled in the monopoly that it had with the public as the tough guardian of America’s foreign policy and national security.

It touted America’s unchallenged military arsenal, its crushing military budget and the unabashed willingness to play the role of global policeman.

Much of the public bought into this masterful deception of Democratic presidents as indecisive and always willing to compromise America’s security.

GOP presidents Reagan, Bush Sr., and especially George W. Bush in 2004 used this ploy against their Democratic opponents. GOP presidential rival John McCain was a big beneficiary of this tactic. During the 2008 presidential election, he consistently got far higher poll marks than then Democratic challenger Obama on his handling of foreign policy, national security and especially toughness in the war against terrorism.

The Libyan hit on It seemed easy at the time to make the charge that Obama was green on Obama is only part foreign policy and national security of a larger GOP issues since he had no real experience strategy to portray in that arena. But appearances were Obama as weak and grossly misleading.

Before his election, Obama had too conciliatory to laid out detailed plans on how to America’s enemies in deal with the Iraq and Afghanistan the Middle East and wars, Middle East policy matters, elsewhere. the European allies, Russian disarmament issues, and China’s growing economic and military threat.

In addition, Obama had to do two things to dispel the notion that he would fall apart the first time he was hit with a major foreign policy crisis.

One pained many liberal and progressive supporters. And that pain came after Obama embraced some aspects of Bush’s foreign and national security policy positions which entailed reauthorizing virtually all the provisions of the Patriot Act, delaying the close of Guantanamo, pressing the war in Afghanistan, giving firm and vocal support of Israel and taking as tough a stance as possible on Iran’s looming nuclear capacity.

At the same time, he had to balance this with his public pledge to end the failed, flawed and unpopular Iraq war. That, and the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the attack on the Somali pirates and the tough prosecution of the Afghan war was more than enough to dispel the public’s doubts about his resolve on foreign policy and national security.

The second thing that Obama had to do was to try and effect a rapprochement with the increasingly turbulent, instable and volatile Muslim world. At the same time, he could not appear to kowtow to Islamic extremists.

This juggling act would pose a nerve-racking challenge to any GOP or Democrat occupant of the Oval Office. The tightrope walk demanded that a president be flexible, deft and attuned to fast-changing conditions and players in the Middle East.

Obama’s foreign policy successes forced GOP leaders into pained puzzlement. Here was a Democratic president that got results in the war against terrorism and consistently got high marks from European, Chinese and Russian leaders for his tact and diplomacy.

The Libyan embassy attack was just the hook that the GOP was desperately looking for to hammer Obama with the charge that his foreign policy initiatives were adrift. Romney, of course, will endlessly repeat this mantra on Obama’s foreign policy.

Obama’s stout rejoinder and defense won’t stop the GOP finger-pointing at him for his supposed deceit on the Libyan embassy tragedy. Fortunately, Obama has scored too many triumphs for the GOP’s Libya hit on him to have any chance of bruising him.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.

The Banner welcomes your opinion. Email Op-Ed submissions to:

hmanly@bannerpub.com Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

How do you believe the scandal at the state drug lab will impact communities of color?

People in the community already have little or no faith in the police or the law in general. And with this scandal, some will say their doubts are proven.

History repeats itself. I think some of the people currently in prison who were rightfully convicted are now back at square one, and it would be a shame for them to come back to the community and destroy what has been cleaned up.

I think some criminals that cops were trying to put away for years just got their meal ticket, but who knows if they’ll stay clean or not.

Carlos Alvarez

Nicole Scott

Shernita Wornum

IT Codman Square

Accountant Roxbury

Secretary Dorchester

My concern is the fairness of the process and whether we see what cases are fairly re-assessed.

I think it will force the authorities to revisit some cases, which could bring justice to a lot of black and brown people.

I think it’ll make it harder for people to trust us.

Alma Bocaletti

Malhorie Lacombe

Harrison Barnes

Case Management Brockton

Physical Therapist Roslindale

Accountant Milton

INthe news Anita Roberson Anita Roberson recently joined Breakthrough Greater Boston (BTGB) as the founding Boston Site Director.

In her role, Roberson will have broad responsibility for successfully launching the new Boston site, including operations, student recruitment and admissions, teacher hiring and building relationships with the new students, families and partner organizations.

Committed to the belief that “education is the great equalizer,” Roberson has held a variety of posts in which she has worked to ensure that traditionally underserved youth receive a quality education.

In May 2007, Roberson founded Delaware’s first college preparatory charter school for urban children. She served as the Executive Director until the school’s reauthorization in June 2011. Prior to opening the charter school, Roberson served as the Director of Education and the Director of Enrollment for a workforce development agency in Philadelphia, Pa.

Roberson also has corporate leadership experience and is a graduate of Cornell University, where she earned her B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor Relations.

Founded in 1992 as Summer-

bridge Cambridge, BTGB is the only year-round, tuition-free academic program in Cambridge that serves middle and high school students. BTGB will expand its program to a second site in Boston in 2013.

6 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Brazil models new approach to affirmative action Tanya K. Hernandez The Oct. 10 Supreme Court argument in the Fisher v. Texas affirmative action case marks a peculiar turning point in the racial history of the United States and its inspiration in worldwide Civil Rights movements.

Just as the U.S. Supreme Court reconsiders the constitutionality of race-based affirmative action programs in higher

C O MME NTA R Y education, Latin American countries such as Brazil are actively adopting nationwide affirmative action policies. The Brazilian context can provide the Supreme Court with useful guidance in comprehending the continued importance of affirmative action in pursuing racial equality.

Indeed, the affirmative action challenge to the University of Texas at Austin’s use of race in its undergraduate admissions makes a sharp contrast to the Brazilian Supreme Court’s unanimous endorsement just this past April when it declared that the Federal University of Brasilia’s affirmative action program was not only constitutional, but an important duty and social responsibility of the nation-state in its enforcement of equality.

After this historic decision was issued, Brazilian legislators enacted the “Law of Social Quotas.”

As of Aug. 29, the new law requires public universities to reserve half of all new admission spots for Brazilian public school students (many of whom are African descendants). In addition, the law requires that 50 percent of those spots be reserved for African descendants and persons of indigenous ancestry in numbers

Discover Roxbury board member Ekua Holmes embraces fellow artist and Color Circle Art co-founder Bernice Robinson.

proportional to their relative populations within each state.

Of the 81 senators representing Brazil’s 26 states, only one voted against the bill.

In contrast to Brazil’s new broadly encompassing embrace of affirmative action, the U.S. Supreme Court is now considering a challenge to even the most meager of race-conscious considerations.

Most students at the University of Texas at Austin are admitted under a state law (the “Top Ten Percent Plan”), which requires the university to admit all Texas residents who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

For the remainder of the class, UT undertakes a holistic “wholefile” review of applications.

This process allows the school to consider additional criteria, such as essays, leadership qualities, extracurricular activities, awards, work experience, community service, family responsibilities, socio-economic status,

languages spoken in the home, and — as of 2005 — race. It is this modest consideration of race alongside a host of other factors that is now at issue in the Supreme Court.

What accounts for this divergence in national perspectives across the Americas?

In some respects the racial justice movement in the United States is a victim of its own past success. While the formal mechanisms for addressing racial inequality have long been in place, there is a growing societal belief that it is no longer necessary for the government to be proactively engaged in ensuring racial equality. A racial hierarchy continues to exist alongside a deteriorated social commitment to race-based programs.

The early U.S. Civil Rights movement was astonishingly successful at making the goal of racial equality a stated national norm and catalyzing government programs designed to provide concrete access to jobs and education.

But the movement’s very success contributes to the notion that blacks and other persons of color no longer require legal assistance in accessing equal opportunity.

Indeed, President Obama’s election in 2008 is viewed as the culmination of U.S. racial transcendence, so that now the

Discover Roxbury board members Terri Brown (L) and Pamela Jones (C) join host committee member Alkia Powell of UMass-Boston’s Office of Community Relations at Discover Roxbury’s annual Heart of the Hub celebration. (Eric Esteves photos)

United States presents itself as “racially innocent” in much the same way Latin America has long claimed to be because of its absence of official Jim Crow laws of racial segregation.

At the same time, systemic racism has not been eradicated in the United States, as evidenced by the longstanding institutional

In some respects the racial justice movement in the United States is a victim of its own past success. racial disparities in employment, educational attainment, access to health care and capital, residential segregation and disparate incarceration and execution rates.

The approximately 150 million people of African descent in Latin America have long been plagued by similar experiences of systemic racism and social exclusion. While African descendants represent about one-third of the total population in Latin America, they make up 40 percent of the poor and have been consistently marginalized and denigrated as undesirable elements of the society since the abolition of slavery.

Because Latin America is a region that has long claimed that all racial distinctions were abandoned with the abolition of slavery, a U.S. comparison to the Latin American racial democracy version of “postracialism” is an instructive platform from which to assess the viability of contemporary assertions of postracialism in the United States — a rhetoric that contends that racism has already been largely transcended.

As the longtime scholar of comparative race relations Anani Dzidzienyo notes, examining the Latin American racial context “can provide insights for AfroAmericans who are today having to confront the mainstream’s assumptions concerning ‘the end of racism’ in a post-Civil Rights U.S. society.”

It should thus be quite instructive to observe that Brazil’s recent Supreme Court endorsement of race-based affirmative action was rooted in the perception of the state as having a duty to guarantee the “conditions of equality” for groups that have historically lived on the margins of society, enabling them to fully exercise their human rights.

If the United States wishes to maintain its historical role as an inspiration and model for other Civil Rights movements across the globe, the Supreme Court should also view the conditions of equality as paramount in the legitimacy of affirmative action.

Tanya K. Hernandez is Professor of Law at Fordham Univ. School of Law and author of “Racial Subordination in Latin America: The Role of the State, Customary Law, and the New Civil Rights Response” (Cambridge Univ. Press).

Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

NEWSBriefs Logan workers file discrimination case Banner Staff Two airport workers filed complaints last week with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) alleging that one was fired and another suspended for speaking Creole while on the job.

The two were employed by Flight Services & Systems (FSS), a contractor that provides cabin cleaning, wheelchair assistance and security services at Logan Airport.

Community groups said they worry that incidents like these may represent a larger climate of discrimination and injustice at the airport.

Bonny Saintelot, a member of the Haitian American Forum, expressed condemnation of FSS’s actions: “What happened at the airport struck me a great deal — discrimination is supposed to have ended a long time ago, but these incidents show that it is still alive at Logan Airport.”

Nesly Metayer, coordinator of the Haitian American Task Force, echoed a similar sentiment, declaring “it is unacceptable to treat workers unfairly like this in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Massport must act swiftly to stop discriminatory practices at the airport.”

Charles Pierre is one of the two FSS employees that filed a complaint with MCAD. He was allegedly suspended for speaking Creole while working.

“While FSS has been quick to use me as a translator if there is a

passenger in need, they’ve turned the tables by suspending me for speaking Haitian to my co-workers,” Pierre explains. “By filing a complaint and speaking out, I’m standing up for all workers who speak languages beyond English, showing that discrimination at work is not to be tolerated.”

These occurrences are especially disturbing in light of recent allegations of discrimination and racial profiling by Transportation Security Administration agents at Logan Airport.

In August, the New York Times reported that 32 TSA agents have come forward alleging that “the operation has become a magnet for racial profiling, targeting not only Middle Easterners but also blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.”

Djovanna Dorce said that she was fired on Sept. 27 after being overheard speaking Creole outside of her manager’s office.

Pierre claims that on the very same day he received a three-day suspension for “insubordination” after his manager saw him talking to a coworker in Creole.

Both Djovanna and Charles say that they were unaware of the company’s “English only” policy at the airport, because it was common for other employees to speak to each other in their native languages without facing discipline.

Material from SEIU Local 615 contributed to the report.

During a recent Massport meeting, Djovanna Dorce, a Logan Airport employee, explains why she filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination after she was fired on Sept. 27 for reportedly speaking Creole outside of her manager’s office. (Photo courtesy of SEIU)

8 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

COMMUNITYVoices

Maxine Waters rising up the financial services ranks Marc Morial It is always big news whenever ethics charges are brought against a member of Congress. Convictions, though rare, also make headlines.

We understand that bad news sells.

But we also think it is a big deal when a respected member of Congress is completely exonerated of ethics charges — especially when that member is someone as pow-

While her husband owned stock in one of those banks, the investigation found that the help that bank received was the result of a request she made on behalf of all minority banks.

House Ethics Committee Special Counsel Billy Martin concluded, “The evidence in the record does not support a knowing violation of ethics rules or any standard of conduct with respect to Rep. Maxine Waters.”

comprehensive financial regulatory reform measures since the Great Depression and is intended to prevent a repeat of the reckless Wall Street behavior that caused the financial crisis of 2008.

In her role as a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Waters played a key role in shaping that legislation and was successful in including provisions specifically designed to protect low-income and minority citizens. Because of her,

there is now an Office of Minority and Women at each of the federal regulatory agencies such as the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and others.

These offices will work to reverse years of under-representation and ensure the gender, racial and ethnic diversity of the workforce and senior management, as well as increase contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses.

Waters also fought to ensure that in winding down struggling financial institutions, regulators considered the impact on low-income, minority, and underserved communities where access to mainstream banking is a problem.

And to help stem the tide of housing foreclosures, she secured

$1 billion — with an additional $1 billion commitment from the Treasury Department — to help unemployed homeowners receive low-interest loans to pay their mortgages.

As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Waters has also traveled the country to shine a spotlight on the problem of urban unemployment and has worked with Congressional Members of both parties to pass critical jobs legislation.

With the retirement of Barney Frank, Waters is in line to be the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee. We applaud her leadership and are pleased that her Ethics Committee exoneration removes any obstacle to her ascendency.

Marc Morial is President and CEO of the National Urban League.

“I will continue to champion practical regulations, while making sure they work for consumers and the financial sector, a sector which has the right to be profitable but the obligation to be fair, two concepts which are not mutually exclusive.”

—Representative Maxine Waters erful and effective as California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a 21-year veteran of the House and a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee.

In case you missed it, in September, after a three-year investigation, Waters was cleared of all charges related to her role in assisting minority-owned banks get bailout help through the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

Since her initial 1991 election to the House, Waters has been a staunch advocate for middle and working class families and has fought hard for minority inclusion in the financial services industry.

In fact, she wrote the legislation creating the Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Dodd-Frank puts in place the most

Ronald Bland (L) and Ed Johnson play a game of chess outdoors in Roxbury’s Dudley Square. (Eric Esteves photo)

Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

NEWSBriefs

Boston Public Library opens ‘Elevated View’ Exhibition and related programs illuminate end of Boston’s elevated rail system Banner Staff “An Elevated View: The Orange Line” is the latest exhibition to open at the Boston Public Library’s Copley Square location.

The exhibition features 65 photographs from a 1985 project that documented Boston’s elevated rail system prior to its 1987 dismantling. The exhibit is open through Jan. 19, 2013.

The elevated Orange Line, known simply as the El, served as fast and dependable transportation above Washington Street, from Chinatown to Dudley Square, between 1901 and 1987.

Two years before the El was dismantled, the nonprofit organi-

zation URBANARTS organized a program called “Arts in Transit” on behalf of the MBTA. One component of the program paired four photographers with photography students to document the transition of the Orange Line. The students and their teachers photographed the line and its architectural and social surroundings.

Arranged in order of MBTA Orange Line stops, from Forest Hills to Dover Station, “An Elevated View” is on display in the Wiggin Gallery at the Central Library in Copley Square.

The gallery is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-

These two photographs are part of the Boston Public Library’s latest exhibit “An Elevated View: The Orange Line.” The exhibit is open through Jan. 19, 2013. (Photos courtesy of the Boston Public Library)

5 p.m. Boston Public Library staff member Jane Winton curated the exhibition, using photographs from the library’s print collection.

Screenings of Tim Wright’s 30minute documentary film “The Conservation of Matter: The Rise and Fall of Boston’s Elevated

Subway” will take place on Thursday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. at the Central Library in Copley Square and Monday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Connolly Branch, located at 433 Centre St. in Jamaica Plain.

The film traces the fate of 100,000 tons of steel from the Boston elevated rail system, which was shipped 8,000 miles away to Japan, melted, and reformed into steel bars. The steel was ultimately used to create a structure in the middle of Apache country in central Arizona.

Wright, a Boston-based filmmaker, will attend both screenings to discuss his work. The screening at the Connolly Branch is presented by the Jamaica Plain Historical Society. A panel discussion featuring

photographers who documented Boston’s elevated rail system prior to its demolition takes place on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. at the Central Library in Copley Square.

Photographers David Akiba and Lou Jones will discuss their photos and their experiences capturing neighborhoods in transition.

This exhibition and related programs are part of the Boston Public Library’s Building Boston initiative, a citywide celebration of Boston’s public spaces. “An Elevated View” is the third of five exhibitions planned at the Central Library in Copley Square in conjunction with the initiative.

More information about Building Boston is available at www.bpl.org/ buildingboston.

10 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Obama

continued from page 1

to accept the status quo.”

That status quo changed in 2008 when Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States, and the first African American.

“I stand here today,” Obama said at the time, “humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.”

By tracing those sacrifices, Obama essentially told the story of America.

“Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less,” he said. “It has not been the path for the fainthearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has

been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

“For us,” Obama explained, “they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.”

Obama’s story is all too well known by now. And maybe, just maybe, Kennedy really believed that someday a black would be president. But at the time of RFK’s interview, blacks couldn’t imagine anything of the sort.

In a story published on March 7, 1965, in the New York Times Magazine, highly acclaimed

author James Baldwin wrote an essay titled “The American Dream and the American Negro.”

“I remember when the ex-Attorney General, Mr. Robert Kennedy, said it was conceivable that in 40 years in America we might have a Negro President,” Baldwin wrote. “That sounded like a very emancipated statement to white people. They were not in Harlem when this statement was first heard.

They did not hear the laughter and bitterness and scorn with which this statement was greeted.

“From the point of view of the man in the Harlem barber shop, Bobby Kennedy only got here yesterday and now he is already on his way to the Presidency. We were here for 400 years and now he tells us that maybe in 40 years, if you are good, we may let you become President.”

Baldwin was a little harsh, but he wrote of what he knew, and the chance of the nation electing a black man to the U.S. presidency was as remote as landing a man on the moon.

Baldwin’s thinking was not the result of paranoia, but of historical fact. It wasn’t that long ago that blacks were not considered good enough to eat at the same table with the president of the United States.

Take the time when Teddy Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to the White House.

It was in October 1901, and it caused such consternation among Southerners that Roosevelt never invited Washington again.

It was a curious decision, especially considering that Washington — the founder of Tuskegee Institute and widely believed to be the leading racial accommodationists at the turn of the 20th century — was one of Roosevelt’s advisers on black

political appointments. Roosevelt genuinely liked Washington and said he thought that Washington was one of the “occasionally good, well-educated, intelligent and honest colored men” who should be given the right to vote.

But that wasn’t enough for Roosevelt to override Southern animosity.

The New Orleans Times Democrat wrote: “When Mr. Roosevelt sits down to dinner with a Negro, he declares that the Negro is the social equal of the white man.”

The New Orleans Daily States called it a “studied insult to the South.”

Josephus Daniels, a Virginia editor who would later serve as secretary of the Navy under Woodrow Wilson, wrote: “It is not a precedent that will encourage Southern men to join hands with Mr. Roosevelt.”

Some of Roosevelt’s reluctance was political expediency. The Republican Party was very much the Party of Lincoln and as such welcomed recently freed slaves into the party — to a point. Southerners started their own branch of the party called the “Lily Whites” to “remove the odor of Black republicanism from their party in the south,” one historian wrote.

In a letter dated three years after the Washington dinner, Roosevelt wrote a friend: “It may be that it would have been better for me not to have Booker Washington at dinner. Personally I think I was right. But even if I was wrong, to say that the South’s attitude is explained by [this act] is to say that the South is in a condition of violent chronic hysteria.”

And at the time, Roosevelt was considered to be racially enlight-

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ened. But he too was victim of the times and considered blacks inferior to whites.

“I would not be willing to die for what I regard as the untrue abstract statement that all men are in all respects equal, and are all alike entitled to the same power,” Roosevelt argued. “But I would be quite willing to die … for the proposition that each man has certain rights which no other man should be allowed to take away from him.”

By 1905 — and safely back in the White House for a second term — Roosevelt had completely surrendered.

In a landmark speech at the Lincoln Dinner of the New York Republican Club on Feb. 13, 1905, Roosevelt explained that race relations must be adjusted so that the “backward race be trained that it may enter into the possession of true freedom while the forward race is enabled to preserve unharmed” its high civilization.

Quite naturally, Roosevelt said he believed that racial purity must be maintained.

“Civil law can not regulate social practices,” Roosevelt told the gathering at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. “Society, as such, is a law unto itself, and will always regulate its own practices and habits. Full recognition of the fundamental fact that all men should stand on an equal footing, as regards civil privileges, in no way interferes with recognition of the further fact that all reflecting men of both races are united in feeling that race purity must be maintained.”

No doubt the process “must necessarily be slow,” continued the president; “it is a problem demanding the best thought, the utmost patience.”

Patience is one constant requirement in African American life. That too is a historical fact, and while Robert Kennedy may be given credit for predicting that a black might — one day — become president, black folks knew it all along.

Or at least, they hoped.

Sam Cornish was one of the hopeful. Cornish had gained notoriety after he and John Russworm started the first African American newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, in 1827.

That paper lasted a little less than two years, but on July 1, 1837, Cornish was at the helm of another newspaper, The Colored American, in which he published what he thought would need to occur before a black could become president.

“Let us do our part, fill up the schools, and effect a punctual attendance, and the trustees will spare no pains nor expenses in furnishing all the means of a useful and finished education,” the Colored American wrote. “We ought to feel more interested in this subject, brethren — we owe it to prosperity. We are not always to be a downtrodden people. Our infant sons, should we give them suitable advantages, will be as eligible to the Presidency of the United States, as any other portions of the community; and it is our wisdom, if possible, to give them as ample qualifications.”

It took 172 years from Cornish’s writing, but that day finally came.

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Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11

Big Bird’s boss shares his vision for PBS Neal Shapiro celebrates WNET’s 50th anniversary

Kam Williams Neal Shapiro is President and CEO of New York City’s WNET, America’s flagship public media outlet, bringing quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week.

The parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET produces such acclaimed PBS series as “Great Performances,” “American Masters,” “Nature,” “Need to Know,” “Charlie Rose” and

a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online.

Shapiro is an award-winning producer and media executive with a 25-year career spanning print, broadcast, cable and online platforms. At the helm of WNET, Shapiro has nearly doubled arts and culture programming, placed a new emphasis on local programming and community engagement, set new fundraising records and inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art studio at Lincoln Center.

Before joining WNET in 2007,

Shapiro was President of NBC News, leading its top-rated news programs, including “Today,” “NBC Nightly News,” “Meet the Press” and “Dateline NBC.” Shapiro was executive producer of “Dateline NBC” when it was a mainstay of NBC’s schedule. And in his 13 years at ABC News, he was a writer and producer for “PrimeTime Live” and “World News Tonight.”

Shapiro has won numerous awards, including 32 Emmys, 31 Edward R. Murrow Awards and three Columbia DuPont awards. He serves on the Boards of Tufts Uni-

versity, Gannett Company, the Investigative News Network and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

He lives in New York City with his wife, ABC News Correspondent Juju Chang, and their three sons.

Congratulations on PBS’ 50th anniversary! What special programming do you have planned?

This is not only a great way to look back and celebrate what we’ve accomplished, but also a great way to think about the challenges for the

next 50 years. Digging through our archives, we found some amazing, early footage we didn’t know we had of icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, Andy Warhol and Muhammad Ali. So, we’re going to do a whole series of specials on news, art and culture. Last month, we led a sevenhour national telethon about the dropout crisis, not to raise money, but to raise awareness and tell people how they can get involved.

I see part of our role for the next 50 years is to become even Shapiro, continued to page 12

12 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Shapiro

If we don’t get this right, we’ll lose an entire generation. Nobody wins when a generation can’t contribute to society.

more engaged with our community through programs that enable good things to happen.

One of your predecessors, John Jay Iselin, emphasized that the bottom line was not profit at PBS, but the quality of the art. Was that a hard thing for you to adjust to in coming over from a commercial television network?

continued from page 11

Fixing the educational system is a really urgent priority, because we’ll lose another generation if nothing is done.

You’re exactly right! In New York, we have the biggest school system in the country and therefore we have some of the biggest problem schools in the country. We want to do everything we can to let people know how critical an issue this is.

He’s absolutely right. What’s hard to adjust to is being unable to measure your bottom line like you can in the commercial world. How do you measure the ability to touch someone’s heart, to give someone comfort or a

COMING TO ART IS LIFE ITSELF Thursday October 25th “The Return of Office Yoga with Peter Ruggiero, RYT200 + Dharma Talk on “Looking Inside” the fifth limb of Yoga, Pratyahara.”

Followed by

The Design Studio for Social Intervention [DS4SI] presents: The Public Kitchen: A hub for food, ideas & action Public Kitchen is an intervention aimed at social and food justice-- an experiment in how more vibrant public infrastructures can improve the quality of our lives. Our lead artist is Chef Nadine Nelson of Global Local Gourmet with fabulous design support from the Golden Arrows design collective. Come and sample some of their offerings prepared just for you and learn about their upcoming events.

and then...

OPEN MIC Hosted by Truth Is Love’s Embrace & Chef Mills

Join us on Monday October 29th at 6pm for a special lecture on: The Archaeology of Roxbury Mayor Menino and City of Boston celebrate Archaeology Month with City Archaeologist, Joe Bagley, delivering this lecture on the archaeological history of Roxbury.

Explore 7,500 year history of the place we now call Roxbury including Revolutionary War sites, Native American sites, and the industry of the neighborhood.

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meaningful experience they might cherish for the rest of their lives?

Those are hard to quantify. So, public television doesn’t have the same sort of metrics, which is why, as part of the 50th anniversary, we’ve been reaching out and asking people, “What has been the importance of the programs we’ve brought you over the years?”

And we’ve received some inspiring responses, like the one from a woman who grew up in very humble circumstances in the Bronx. Her parents didn’t have the means to take her to see live performances in the theater. But thanks to PBS, she still had a front row seat, and today she’s a professional dancer.

Another person credits the show “Nature” for the inspiration to become a marine biologist. It’s hard to put a price tag on stories like that, but they have real meaning.

since we didn’t have much of an opportunity to watch them in school.

Earlier this year, you ran a fascinating documentary about the late Daisy Bates, the only female to speak at the March on Washington. It was hard for me, as a black studies major, to believe that I had never even heard of such an important Civil Rights figure before.

“The Passage of Power,” Robert Caro’s latest book about LBJ [Lyndon B. Johnson].

We have plenty of examples like that which we chronicle in such a way that they can also exist forever in classrooms. Most people don’t know that we have an education department and what a huge impact it makes because we offer the content for free to teachers and students all over the country. Nowadays, kids are quite comfortable learning from video in a way that you and I weren’t,

Is bringing the arts to public media always going to be about raising enough money?

That’s a very good question.

When you look at the arts, there is not a great commercial model for it.

And there never has been one. The fine arts have always been supported by philanthropy and thereby made available to everyone. I don’t think that model’s about to change. In fact, there are likely to be even more stresses on it, because there are more demands for the very valuable radio and TV frequencies. So, I think we’ll always be reliant upon the kindness of strangers to keep the arts alive.

What was the last book you read?

What is your favorite dish to cook?

Anything that I can barbecue.

I love barbecuing. It must be that primal thing about being around a fire. I also enjoy the math involved in cooking on the grill, figuring out the space and what will need more time.

If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

Two-part answer. On the grand scale, I would like to find a way for our representatives to have reasonable political dialogue, so we could actually find some solutions for all our problems. I think the country is paralyzed. Second, my wish for me,

personally, is I’d like to be manager of the Yankees. That’s no reflection on Joe Girardi, who’s doing a fine job.

What is your earliest childhood memory?

Being pushed into the deep end of a swimming pool before I learned how to swim, and sinking deeper and deeper in until my father’s big giant hand reached down and pulled me out.

What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?

Good question. I would say my best was launching the local programming we’re doing here at Channel 13. My worst decision was doing a show called World Focus which didn’t work out because of unfortunate timing.

What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

Curiosity.

How do you want to be remembered?

As someone who treated people fairly, and who brought out the best in them.

Last chance, can you think of a question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

Yeah, if you could live at another time, what period would you pick?

Which era would you pick?

I think I’d like to live in New York in the ‘20s. It was a period of great literature and great art. My favorite author is F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13

‘Now or Later’ is sharp, satirical entertainment Susan Saccoccia Domestic and political plots intertwine in Christopher Shinn’s 2008 play, “Now or Later.” With a strong cast and sleek staging, the Huntington Theatre Company is presenting the American premiere of Shinn’s ambitious but flawed play. The production is at the Calderwood Pavilion of the Boston Center for the Arts through Nov. 10.

At the start of the play, cell phones buzz and a TV screen flickers in the hotel suite where John Jr., the son of a presidential candidate, awaits the election results with his college

friend, Matt. John is also nervously awaiting a stream of his father’s supporters, who are pressing him to issue a public apology for an irresponsible act that he dismisses as an “Ivy League kerfuffle.”

The act occurred the night before when John attended a college party wearing a cartoonish costume intended to portray the Prophet Muhammad. A video of his lewd horseplay with Matt, attired as a right wing churchman, has gone viral on the Web and its consequences are escalating by the hour. At first a political liability for John’s father, the video is now incit-

Tom Nelis and Grant MacDermott in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Christopher Shinn’s “Now or Later.” (Paul Marotta photo)

ing potentially violent protests in the Middle East.

Deftly directed by Michael Wilson with scenic design by Jeff Cowie and costumes by David C. Woolard, the production mines the play’s satirical edge.

As the play opens, John Jr. (Grant MacDermott) is giving a longwinded defense of his refusal to apologize, which he regards as a matter of principle. Shrugging off his party behavior as a drunken college romp, he insists on his right to exercise free speech. An apology, he argues, would be yielding that right to the forces of Islamic fundamentalism.

Sharp one-liners soon relieve this verbal overload.

Speaking of his driven parents, John tells Matt, “Everything they do is strategic. Giving birth to me was strategic.”

One by one, a variety of people enter the suite with the same purpose: To persuade John Jr. to issue an apology. First comes Marc (Ryan King), a smug campaign staffer who barely hides his disdain for the candidate’s son.

Following Marc is John’s mother, Jessica. Alexandra Neil injects comic verve into her role as both a political climber and a mother concerned about her son’s recent heartbreak.

John has just broken up with his

boyfriend, who no longer wanted a monogamous relationship. She asks if Matt might be a new love interest.

When John says no, she prods, “He seemed a little gay.”

John replies, “He’s a socialist.”

Then longtime campaign aide Tracy (Adrian Lenox) arrives. Unlike her colleague Marc, Tracy is fond of John, and she appeals for an apology with steel and affection.

The most nuanced performance is by Michael Goldsmith as Matt, a scruffy socialist and sincere friend who tries to persuade John to apologize based on principle rather than pragmatism.

Inevitably, father and son face off. With his chiseled features, Tom Nelis is convincing as John Sr., a

father whose conversation with his son on a fishing trip included an analysis of “liberal interest groups.”

Yet when confronting John Jr., he is plainspoken: “If you don’t demonstrate contrition,” he says, “innocent lives will be lost.”

Despite MacDermott’s sympathetic portrayal, John Jr. remains something of a politically correct prig. He refuses to use the hotel mini-bar, saying that voters shouldn’t pay for his $15 beer. Never mind that his “Ivy League kerfuffle” is setting off riots overseas.

Performed in 80 minutes without intermission, this enjoyable, fastmoving production cannot overcome a flaw in Shinn’s play: its central character is difficult to care about.

14 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

Graffiti legend Futura takes designs in new direction Tiffany Probasco Graffiti artist Futura is considered one of the pioneers of street art, displaying his works as early as age 15. Thirty years later, his art has expanded from subway car walls to art galleries and now a limited edition Hennessy bottle.

Though not a big drinker himself, Futura said he took on the project to connect with people, much like he does with street art.

At sneaker boutique Concepts in Harvard Square last Monday, one stop on the Hennessy VS campaign, he spoke about the global access that young people have today that wasn’t available to him when he was their age.

“Being able to share things globally accelerates the understanding of what is going on around us,” he said.

“The web enables self-production.

Like that kid Santlov on Instagram who takes pictures of old toys and sneakers … For us, it was backpacks and walls. We were in the business of self-promotion back then, but we didn’t know it. All I wanted was recognition from my crew.”

So how did he move from spray-painting subway walls to designing bottle labels?

“I’ve never been ambitious — I’ve just taken opportunities that were ambitious,” he said.

Futura helped to promote the

brand at three local events, making his final stop at the Revere Hotel’s newly-constructed Space 57. His artwork was made a focal point around the massive DJ booth while respected hip hop producer/ DJ Clark Kent kept the old school vibes coming on the turntables.

While graffiti and hip hop are often linked, Futura said the relationship between the two is misunderstood.

“A lot of people say that the movement came directly from hip hop, and I disagree with that,” he said. “The need to paint in the streets isn’t limited to one musical genre. People were spray painting their skateboards while listening to punk music.

Back then we didn’t have a lot of ways to express ourselves. Graffiti was more of a way of earning respect.”

Renowned DJ/producer Clark Kent spins classics for the crowd at Space 57.

Legendary artist and designer Futura addresses the crowd at Space 57 last Monday.

Partygoers check out Futura’s work, specially created for his stop in Boston. (John Brewer photos)

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16 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Haiti’s homeless fight back, but need global muscle

Amid the rubble, a crucifix remains standing after the earthquake in Haiti left an estimated 200,000 people dead and an untold amount of physical damages. (Photo courtesy of Dr. S. Allen Counter) Amy Bracken When the earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010, many in the impoverished country lost what little they had.

Nearly three years later, about 400,000 remain homeless. Many are still living in tent camps. And they’re at risk of eviction.

But these days, there’s some push-back.

On a recent Sunday morning

outside of Port-au-Prince, impeccably dressed men, women and children file into the huge Grace Church. But across the lawn, a corrugated metal fence hides a different scene — several hundred tents and makeshift shelters.

This is Grace Village camp.

No one here attends the church next door.

They’re angry about the horrible conditions here. They’re especially angry at the landlord, the

church pastor, who’s been trying to get them off his property.

A church representative says they’re just evicting troublemakers and trying to help those with some means to relocate.

But many camp residents say the pastor and his associates are using sinister tactics.

Frantsy Alexandre emerges from a tent with a large manila envelope. He pulls out an X-ray of his torso and a signed letter on medical stationery.

He says, “The camp manager was going to destroy my neighbor’s tent, so I said, ‘You can’t do that’ and blocked his way … He came back with a security guard and beat me with a baton. I went to the police but they ignored me.”

So Alexandre went to the courthouse, where they told him to document his injuries.

“I talked to an evicted camp resident who’s been fighting this kind of abuse,” he says, “and he said we need to report what happens to the attorney.”

The attorney is Patrice Florvilus. After the earthquake, he formed an organization that represents residents of tent camps who’ve been threatened with eviction.

“Our strategy is to stop evictions by making landlords follow the law,” Florvilus says, “which can mean a lengthy legal process.

And that’s what the landlord wants to avoid.”

A woman gestures in the market area in Port-au-Prince, Monday, Jan. 18, 2010.

Violence and looting broke out in Port-au-Prince as earthquake survivors scavenged for anything they could find in the ruins. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) This doesn’t always work, but a legal defeat can sometimes turn into a de facto victory. In one case, the mayor of Delmas ordered families off government land. A court upheld the eviction order. But then the mayor backed off — locals say because of organized opposition.

But there are also a lot of failures.

Jackson Doliscar is a community organizer who says getting people to believe in the power of grassroots activism has been a major challenge. In 1990, when Jean-Bertrand Aristide made his successful bid for president, he encouraged Haitians to organize for change. But the hoped-for improvements didn’t materialize. Doliscar thinks that people in Haiti today are desperate enough to try again.

“When things are more difficult for people,” he says, “like they’re having problems with the landlord, they say, ‘If I don’t join the organization today, I’ll be thrown out.’ So they join the organization.”

After the earthquake, Doliscar’s grassroots group joined forces with 25 others to form a housing rights coalition. One of their projects is a slum called Jalousie. It’s in a precarious spot on a hillside overlooking the city. This summer, the government ordered

residents to evacuate.

Government officials deny they ever planned to force Jalousie residents from their homes.

They have been encouraging hundreds to leave in exchange for money to relocate. But many fear being homeless again after spending more than a year living in the streets after the earthquake.

Marie Michel Moise lived in a tent in a city park with her young children for more than two years.

She says she finally got funds to move into a tin shack in Jalousie, the only neighborhood she could afford. When I ask her where she would live if she had the choice, she laughs at the idea. “If you don’t work in this country,” she says, “you don’t have a choice.”

And yet Moise says she believes people can make a difference by taking to the streets and pressuring the government. I ask if she’s afraid she’ll be forced to leave, and she shakes her head. “No,” she says. “We had a demonstration, and they said they wouldn’t destroy our homes.”

But things aren’t quite that easy.

Even some supporters of Haiti’s housing rights movement say popular protests are no silver bullet.

Alexis Erkert works with Other Worlds, an organization of women that supports grassroots groups around the globe. She says Haitian authorities often dismiss the activists.

“Last time they did have a sitin, they managed to get a meeting with [a Ministry of Social Affairs staff member],” she says, “but then they asked for an email address or phone number for followup, and they were just laughed at and kicked out.”

I ask if she thinks the movement can succeed. “Not without the international solidarity piece,” she says.

In other words, If Haitian officials won’t listen to Port-auPrince’s poorest, they might pay attention to their overseas allies, at least those in donor countries.

Reported by PRI’s The World, a co-production of WGBH/Boston, Public Radio International, and the BBC World Service.

Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17

In debate, Africa at center of international security Chido Nwangwu “Mali has been taken over, the northern part of Mali, by al Qaeda-type individuals. We have in Egypt a Muslim Brotherhood, president….”

C O MME NTA R Y With those words, spoken Monday night by Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the last of three debates, Africa was placed at the center of U.S. foreign policy and international security.

The radical and pro-al Qaeda sect, Ansar Eddine, and the umbrella group of Tuareg tribal militias known as the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (NMLA) have, since December 2011, worked together to gain control of Timbuktu and most of northern Mali. Their agenda is the overall imposition of Islamic Sharia law.

In neighboring Nigeria, their activities have spawned similar movements. According to the website USAfricaonline. com, the violent Boko Haram Islamic sect in northeastern Nigeria drew inspiration and some operational support from the pro-al Qaeda groups in Mali.

A bold, thorough draining of the swamp of radical, fundamentalist theologies which feed and fuel terrorism is necessary.

Romney was correct in his assessment, though neither candidate connected the festering crises in Mali to the hellish cauldron that Boko Haram coalitions have created in the northern Nigerian cities of Maiduguri, Potiskum, Mubi, Damataru, Yobe and others.

Like my fellow NigerianAmericans, I had hoped to hear the President and Gov. Romney address the materially enhanced threat of radical, violent Islam in the most populated African country, Nigeria,

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where since December of 2011, weekly reports have emerged of brazen terrorist attacks by Boko Haram targeting mainly Christians from the south.

Africa cropped up again around midway through the debate.

“One thing I think Americans should be proud of,” Obama noted, is that “when Tunisians began to protest, this nation — me, my administration — stood with them earlier than just about any country. In

Egypt we stood on the side of democracy. In Libya we stood on the side of the people.”

Under the leadership of Obama, the United States has taken the side of the activists for democracy, while turning away from corrupt, brutal dictators.

Three such dictators — Quaddafi of Libya, Mubarrak of Egypt and Ben Ali of Tunisia — were swept away in a tide of people power. The images and impact of the “Arab Spring” have served as a source of inspiration for mil-

lions in Africa aspiring toward full human rights.

Still, fighting or containing al-Qaeda and its advances into Africa’s “failed states” — including Mali and Somalia — as well as dealing with actual threats to multi-religious and democratizing countries in the continent remain bilateral and bi-continental issues, both for the Obama administration and, depending on the November results, a Romney presidency.

Achieving these goals will require more than a police-lawenforcement approach to alQaeda in Africa. A bold, thorough draining of the swamp of radical, fundamentalist theologies which feed and fuel terrorism is necessary. One wonders at the possibility of such a commitment, given the absence of

any discussion on contemporary issues in Africa’s non-Arab countries.

Dr. Chido Nwangwu is Founder & Publisher of the Houston-based USAfrica multimedia network, which includes the first Africanowned, U.S-based online news site USAfricaonline.com.

Company is a chain which binds even the wise.

It is an obstacle for a seeker.

It smites you, forcing you to return to the womb.

Break that chain; wander through the world free of entanglements.

Abandon the company which creates fear.

— Swami Muktananda

18 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Packing a healthy lunch Helen Mastro School mornings are stressful enough as it is. Getting the kids ready for school, making sure homework is packed and catching the bus can feel like an entire day of its own. But before sending them off to school, you should consider what you packed for their lunch, and more importantly, how you packed it.

While children may want to tote their sandwiches in their favorite cartoon-themed lunch box, many lunch boxes are not the safest way to carry food. Perishable items like mayonnaise,

milk, leftover meats or cold cuts may not stay sufficiently cold to prevent bacterial growth on the food. Harmful bacteria multiply between 40 and 140 degrees, and might subject your children to food-borne illness.

According to USDA food safety guidelines, insulated bags or boxes plus an ice pack are best for keeping foods cold. As many come in cartoon and themed designs, your children can still bring their favorite lunch bag to school with an ice pack in it, which keeps food at safe temperatures.

Older children who have outgrown sporting a lunch box

should use an insulated tote over a brown bag. Unlike a brown bag, the totes have an insulated lining that accompanies a freezer pack to help keep food cold.

In addition to ensuring your children’s food is kept at a safe temperature, you should also carefully consider what to pack in their lunch box.

For starters, pack some protein. Food packed with protein tends to keep people fuller longer. A turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread or baked chicken breasts are good choices.

Remember: Leftovers should be prepared safely and chilled well.

Raw vegetables, fruit, yogurt and trail mix or granola bars also are wise choices since they are packed with nutrition. Make sure snacks are low in fat and sugar (less than 2 grams of fat and less than 10 grams of sugar).

not available, pack an antibacterial wipe or a small bottle of hand sanitizer (depending on the child’s age) in their backpack which they can use to clean their hands and their area of the lunch table before unpacking their food.

While children may want to tote their sandwiches in their favorite cartoon-themed lunch box, many lunch boxes are not the safest way to carry food.

When it comes to beverages, skip the juice box and give your children water or a milk box.

As an added bonus, you can put these drinks in the freezer overnight. The drink can serve as extra insulation to keep the lunch box cold.

Before your children dig into their healthy lunch, have them wash their hands first. Soap and water does the job fine, but if

You should also clean their lunch box occasionally to reduce the spread of germs. A disinfecting spray or washing it in the sink with warm, soapy water will do the trick.

By using these tips, you can help ensure that your children have a great and healthy day at school!

Helen Mastro is a nutritionist in Harvard Vanguard’s Somerville and Wellesley offices.

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Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19

Protesters march at the Ferdinand construction site to demand more hiring of local residents. About 800 to 1000 workers are expected to put some 400,000 work hours into the project, which will create a new BPS headquarters and ground-floor retail space.

The protests were organized by Priscilla Flint (front, center) of the Leadership Forum. (Sandra Larson photo)

Ferdinand continued from page 1

ment coordinator for the Leadership Forum, a group formed by concerned community leaders last December to “hold everyone accountable,” she said, from elected officials to community development corporations.

She is also on a citizen monitoring committee that examines biweekly Ferdinand project reports of minority, resident and women workers in each subtrade. The vol-

centage was 6.2, short of the 10 percent requirement.

“They keep saying it’s going to get better,” she said. “When is it going to get better?”

Patrick Brophy, assistant director for operations on the City of Boston’s Property and Construction Management (PCM) team, talked with the protesters as they gathered. He reminded them that the project is just beginning, and there is still time for local residents to come onto the job.

“We are trying very hard,” Brophy told them. “The minority number is good; we put a priority on

“It’s important that we remain vigilant.

These jobs need to go to Boston residents and we need to ensure those goals are being met.”

— City Councilor Ayanna Pressley unteer monitors meet with city and elected officials and Shawmut representatives every two weeks to discuss the reports.

Flint is frustrated that even with this vigilance, not all the job numbers are up to par. As protesters assembled in pre-dawn darkness, Flint brought out a binder of worker data for the site. Late-September figures showed that so far, minority workers had put in 71.4 percent of total project work hours — far exceeding the goal of 25 percent — but the Boston resident numbers fell short, at 29.3 percent compared to the goal of 50 percent. The female worker per-

it. The resident hours are woefully inadequate, and we’re pushing that.

Those numbers will rise.”

But the protesters appeared unconvinced and proceeded to picket, some citing frustration with a long history of unkept promises on projects all over the city.

According to city officials, 109 workers have been on the Ferdinand site so far, mainly doing abatement, demolition and site work.

Hundreds of additional workers of many types will come on to the project in the 28 remaining months.

Subtrades still to be hired include plumbing, electrical, flooring, roof-

ing, HVAC, painting, metal, fire protection and masonry.

In total, 800 to 1000 workers are expected to log some 400,000 total work hours on the project, according to a written statement prepared by PCM Deputy Director Joseph Mulligan, with input from Shawmut.

The statement listed some efforts to increase local hiring.

Shawmut has established a walk-in application office near the site at 22 Warren St. Two women workers were hired on Oct. 15, according to the statement, one of whom was a walk-in applicant.

In addition, Centaur Construction, a Boston minority woman business enterprise (MWBE), has recently started on the job in a joint venture with AA Will of Stoughton. This partnership stemmed from a “subcontractor open house” Shawmut hosted to help small and large contracting companies form such relationships.

While the Boston Resident Job Policy (BRJP) addresses worker hours only, many argue hiring local minority contractors is a logical way to bring more local minority workers into the workforce.

“The businesses are the ones who create the jobs,” said Rodney Singleton, a Roxbury resident who has fought for greater minority business access on local projects such as 225 Centre St., now under way in Jackson Square. “If you haven’t engaged minority businesses, [the BRJP] is not going to work, because businesses come with their own regular employees.”

Singleton and others also pointed out that limiting hiring to union workers shuts out a lot of minorities, who traditionally have not been welcomed into unions. Some local activ-

ists are pushing for more non-union construction projects in Boston.

Frustration in the community over jobs runs deep. Construction projects can be visible and painful reminders that other people are getting the opportunities. The topic of trucks with out-of-state plates on local construction sites comes up repeatedly in community meetings and in hearings, along with statements that young people of color rarely see faces that look like theirs on local work sites.

Recently, some elected officials at the state and city level have taken up the issues of access to opportunity for minority workers and MBE/WBEs. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz has sponsored a bill, now making its way through the legislative process, that would establish incentives for companies to increase workforce diversity and local job creation on statefunded projects.

In Boston, City Councilors-atLarge Ayanna Pressley and John Connolly organized a joint hearing last June with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization to address some of the obstacles MBEs and WBEs face in getting work and getting paid promptly.

Pressley and District 8 City Councilor Mike Ross authored a 2010 change in the BRJP that required greater transparency in the form of publicly viewable construction hiring reports — the reports that Flint and others now monitor in order to track BRJP compliance.

And just this month, Pressley and Ross launched a working group focused on improving the effectiveness of the BRJP. “The BRJP is a good policy,” Pressley said, “but it’s only as good as its enforcement.”

About the protests, Pressley noted that it’s only the beginning

of the Ferdinand project, and only three percent of the work has been done, but said, “It’s important that we remain vigilant. These jobs need to go to Boston residents and we need to ensure those goals are being met.”

She also mentioned that with minority, female and resident hiring, policymaking is often a slow process.

Lawmakers need to evaluate at every step to make sure policies do not open the city up to lawsuits, potentially forcing a step backward.

“We’re making incremental steps in the right direction to protect and strengthen the policy,” she said.

“The efforts don’t immediately yield results. Our ordinance has made a difference. [But] there is a sense of urgency because people need to get to work, they need to feed their families. This is about justice by way of equity and opportunity.”

Meanwhile, the protesters say they will continue to picket daily, keeping the pressure on the city and pushing for more local hiring.

On Oct. 22, six days after the initial protest, about the same number of people marched, but their presence was more audible with the addition of a bullhorn.

Speaking over the amplified chanting and the traffic and construction noise, Flint said she had secured a meeting for the following day with Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) representatives.

She sees that as a positive sign, but certainly not the end of the fight.

“It’s not just about the Ferdinand building. It’s about projects all over town,” she said. “I think [the protests] let the city and Shawmut know that we’re not going to let them come in and do what they want to do in our community. We have to do what we have to do. Things happen because people don’t speak up.”

20 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Senate

continued from page 1

be assessable to black voters,” says Minister Franklin Hobbes, executive director of Healing Our Land and a well-known gospel radio show host on Boston Praise Radio. “And I am glad to hear that Senator Brown is reaching out to the churches, but in general he has not been [accessible] and that is offensive to me.”

“In my opinion, I think that Brown is fearful that Warren has momentum in the black community and is now [trying] to make a push here at the last minute,” added Hobbes, who says that the Brown campaign has not responded to several request to appear on his show.

Hobbes admitted that Warren also has not appeared on the black-oriented religious station.

Brown appeared at the Grace Church of All Nations Sunday, where he professed his faith and urged congregants to examine his record and then give him a vote.

“I’m committed to this community and you can count on me to be there for you,” said Brown.

“Win or lose this race I will be back here to worship with you,” he said to a audience of 700 who punctuated Brown’s remark’s with affirmations of “Amen!” and “preach it!”

Weeks earlier, Warren visited the same church, delivering a sermon that she said articulated her reason for running for the Senate.

“I am running because it’s important that we look out for people who haven’t had the big advantages in life,” she said, referencing scripture in the Book of Matthew in the Bible. “This is what the Bible says we should

do and I am here as a candidate to work as your senator ... I need your vote.”

Both candidates participated separately in the Souls To The Polls campaign forum held at Grace, which was designed to give the black faith community access to issues relating to the presidential and U.S. Senate races. The Souls To The Polls effort is a collaboration between the New Democracy Coalition, Grace Church of All Nations and the Statewide Black Clergy of Massachusetts.

Bishop A. Livingston Foxworth said he was encouraged that Warren and Brown were visiting black congregations.

“We wanted to provide a non-

partisan forum to clarify for believers of Christ what issues are at stake and what issues should be relevant to them,” Foxworth said. “We were glad to have Senator Brown and Professor Warren come to Grace Church of All Nations. We encourage Christians to participate in the political system and engage in voting [for] candidates who will do the most good for society, especially the poor.”

According to a 2009 Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life survey, 61 percent of black churchgoers believe that houses of worship “should express their views on social and political matters.”

In the same poll, 70 percent of all church attending African

Americans report that they prefer bigger government that supports social programming.

Our Advertising deadline for the November 22nd edition of the paper will be 12 noon on Thursday, November 15th.

For more information or to advertise with us email ads@bannerpub.com or call us at (617) 261-4600

As the ongoing investigation into the state drug lab continues, Blackstonian.com hosted a community town hall forum at the Dudley Branch Library to discuss the potential impact of the scandal for prisoners and the community. Panelists included (from L to R) Stephanie Soriano-Mills, criminal law attorney and Legal Redress Committee chairperson for the NAACP; Anne Goldbach, forensic services director for the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS); Nancy Murray, director of education for ACLU of Massachusetts; and Barbara Dougan, Massachusetts project director of Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM). (Eric Esteves photo)

Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

Prostate cancer hits black men especially hard Erin Marcus MIAMI — Marc Henderson, a 63-year-old African American airport executive here, isn’t afraid to ask his physician to do a blood test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), a screening test for prostate cancer.

“I’d rather know early on so that it can be treated, rather than sit around in denial until it’s too late,” he said. “If it’s going to help catch something, I have no problems with it.”

Henderson’s views aren’t unusual. For years, doctors have routinely ordered the PSA on men older than 50, along with tests for cholesterol and blood sugar. Just as the goal of screening mammograms is to prevent deaths from breast cancer, the goal of routine PSA testing is to catch prostate cancer early, when it’s easier to treat and more likely to be cured.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States, and routine PSA tests have led to the diagnosis of early prostate cancer in millions of men with no symptoms of the disease. Overall, 16 out of 100 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, and three out of 100 will die of the disease.

Prostate cancer hits black men especially hard. One out of every five black men will be diagnosed with the disease during his lifetime, and five out of 100 will die from it.

Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer that is more aggressive and more advanced than are men of other ethnicities.

They are also more likely to develop the disease at a younger age than other men.

Unfortunately, the PSA isn’t a great test. It’s often abnormal in men who don’t have cancer (and sometimes, it’s normal in men who do have cancer). Widespread testing has led to millions of men without prostate cancer undergoing biopsies, in which a needle is used to take a small piece of the prostate to examine under the microscope.

Also, prostate cancer is extremely

common, and most early cases don’t spread to other organs. Those that do spread often take many years to progress to the point where they are fatal. Most men with prostate cancer die of other diseases. Because of early detection, many men undergo aggressive treatment for a cancer that, left alone, would not kill them.

Because of these drawbacks, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a prominent panel of doctors and health experts, recommended earlier this year that men not undergo routine screening.

After reviewing several large studies of PSA testing, the panel concluded that the risks of testing — specifically, complications of biopsies and of treatment, such as infections, bleeding, urinary and sexual problems — outweigh the benefit of lives saved as a result of the test.

The USPSTF reported that routine PSA testing saves one man out of 1,000 — at most — from dying of prostate cancer.

Meanwhile, out of 1,000 men who are screened, 30 to 40 will develop erectile dysfunction or problems controlling their urination, two will have a heart attack or stroke, and one will develop a potentially lifethreatening blood clot as a result of treatment for prostate cancer. In all, the USPSTF reported, one out of 3,000 men screened for prostate cancer will die due to complications

from surgical treatment.

The studies the USPSTF reviewed didn’t include many black men, and most were done in Europe.

Nonetheless, the panel didn’t make a separate recommendation for blacks.

Instead, it stated that because so few black men were in the studies, “no firm conclusions can be made about

“I’d rather know early on so that it can be treated, rather than sit around in denial until it’s too late.”

—Marc Henderson

the balance of benefits and harms of PSA-based screening in this population,” and described PSA screening based on race as “problematic … in the absence of data.”

The panel’s report also cited a recent large U.S. study that did include a large number of black men with early prostate cancer and found no difference in survival at 12 years between those who underwent aggressive prostate surgery and those who were closely monitored but didn’t receive prostate cancer treatment.

The leading black physicians’ organization, the National Medi-

New America Media

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Doo-Wop legend Little Joe Cook (L) receives a Cadillac-shaped birthday cake from Donna Ruvich at his 90th birthday celebration at the Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge.

Cook spent 25 years playing at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge. (Don West photo)

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LEGALS

LEGALS

that copies of this Notice and Petition for Resignation or Petition for Removal of Guardian of a Minor be served on the interested party by leaving at and mailing by regular first class mail to last and usual place of residence of the interested party at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the hearing listed above.

written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

If the identity or whereabouts of an interested party is not known, IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that copies of this Notice and Petition for Resignation or Petition for Removal of Guardian of Minor be served on all interested persons at least fourteen (14) days prior to the hearing date by publishing a copy of the Order and Notice once in Bay State Banner, Boston publication to be at least Seven (7) days prior to the hearing date.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: October 11, 2012

Docket No. SU08P0120GM1

In the interests of Javan Malahi Stokes Johnson of Boston, MA Minor NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Resignation or Petition for Removal of Guardianship of a Minor

2.

Dr. Erin Marcus is a general internal medicine physician and writer based in Miami.

10 am and 5 pm (no evening service July & Aug.)

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

1.

the NMA describes PSA screening as “the best method to detect early stage, curable prostate cancers.”

The NMA supports the American Urologic Association’s screening guidelines, which include beginning PSA screening at age 40. Guidelines include a doctor’s office rectal exam as part of the screening, and assessing a man’s risk based on his age, ethnicity, family history and aspects of his PSA result, such as how much

it has increased over the past year and whether it is high compared to the size of his prostate.

It also encourages men to engage in a discussion of risks and benefits with their physicians, and advocates educating people in the community about prostate cancer and making health care easier to obtain.

The NMA statement cites a 2010 autopsy study of more than 1,000 black and white men in Detroit suggesting that prostate cancer grows more rapidly in black men and/or changes from an indolent to an aggressive form sooner in blacks.

Bright believes there’s a need for more research to study PSA screening’s effectiveness among black men. In the meantime, however, he is worried that insurance companies will respond to the USPSTF’s recommendations by deciding not to cover PSA screening. He says he has already begun to see a “backlash” of men deciding not to be screened.

And while Marc Henderson is aware of the USPSTF’s recommendation, he says it doesn’t affect his decision to get the PSA. “Yes, statistics may be good for the population, but everything in life is individual,” he said. “African American males need to be cognizant of their health.”

The First Church of Christ, Scientist

LEGALS

SUFFOLK Division

cal Association (NMA), vehemently disagreed with the USPSTF’s recommendation.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” said Dr. Cedric Bright, a general internist who is an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a former NMA president. “I’ve seen enough prostate cancer that started early and was more aggressive.”

He added that the panel’s conclusions “may be more generalizable to those who are of European background. There are very few African Americans in the studies.”

In a statement issued in response to the USPSTF recommendation,

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition to Resign as Guardian of a Minor or Petition for Removal of Guardian of a Minor filed by Fern J. Alford of Dorchester, MA on 10/09/2012 will be held 12/10/2012 09:00 AM Guardianship of Minor Hearing Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

Date: October 10, 2012

Sandra Giovannucci Register of Probate

IT IS ORDERED THAT copies of this Notice and the Petition for Resignation or Petition for Removal of a Guardian of a Minor be served in hand on the minor; (if 14 or more years of age and not the petitioner), the guardian, the parents of the minor, and any other person if ordered by the Court, at least fourteen (14) days prior to the hearing date listed above.

If Service in hand cannot be accomplished on any interested party, IT IS ORDERED

SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU01P1149AD

Citation on Petition for Order of Complete Settlement of Estate Estate of Jasper Braxton Date of Death: 02/19/2001 To all interested persons:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU01P1149AD Citation on Petition for Allowance of Account

ORDER TO PETITIONER(S)

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

If required, service on the United States Veteran Administration and the Department of Children and Families may be accomplished by regular first class mail at least Seven (7) days prior to the hearing.

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Sandra Giovannucci Register of Probate

Estate of Jasper Braxton Date of Death: 02/19/2001 To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Margaret Bell of Roxbury, MA requesting allowance of the first account(s) as Personal Representative.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 11/15/2012. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a

A petition has been filed by Margaret Bell of Roxbury, MA requesting that an Order of Complete Settlement of the estate issue including to approve an accounting and other such relief as may be requested in the Petition. For the second and final account.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 11/15/2012. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: October 11, 2012 Sandra Giovannucci Register of Probate

22 • Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

LEGALS

LEGALS

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000.

WOLLASTON MANOR

Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals.

Senior Living At It’s Best

Docket No. SU12C0272CA In the matter of Patrick Marcellus of Roxbury Crossing, MA

NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY DAVID S. MACKEY INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

To all persons interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Patrick Marcellus requesting that Patrick Marcellus be allowed to change his name as follows:

IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 11/15/2012.

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following:

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: October 15, 2012 Sandra Giovannucci Register of Probate

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. MPA NO L1256-C1, T18 RENOVATIONS, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S - Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128-2909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly.

Sealed filed Sub bids for the same contract will be received at the same office until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2012, immediately after which, in a designated room, the filed sub bids will be opened and read publicly.

NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT AT 10:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2012.

The work includes: RENOVATIONS TO VARIOUS OFFICE SPACES, INCLUDING CARPENTRY, CARPET, DRYWALL, CEILING, FINISH WORK, AND RELATED ELECTRICAL WIRING AND LIGHTING MODIFICATIONS. Bid documents will be made available beginning MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2012 In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract General Bidders must submit with their bid a current Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management and an Update Statement. The General Bidder must be certified in the category of GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. The estimated contract cost is ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($130,000.00).

In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract, filed Sub-bidders must submit with their bid a current Sub-bidder Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management and a Sub-bidder Update Statement. The filed Sub-bidder must be certified in the sub-bid category of work for which the Sub-bidder is submitting a bid proposal.

Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority's Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form.

Bidding procedures and award of the contract and sub contracts shall be in accordance with the provisions of Sections 44A through 44H inclusive, Chapter 149 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

A proposal guaranty shall be submitted with each General Bid consisting of a bid deposit for five (5) percent of the value of the bid; when sub bids are required, each must be accompanied by a deposit equal to five (5) percent of the sub bid amount, in the form of a bid bond, or cash, or a certified check, or a treasurer's or a cashier's check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, payable to the Massachusetts Port Authority in the name of which the Contract for the work is to be executed. The bid deposit shall be (a) in a form satisfactory to the Authority, (b) with a surety company qualified to do business in the Commonwealth and satisfactory to the

BID NO.

DESCRIPTION

DATE

TIME

*WRA-3550 OCC Backup Console

11/14/12

11:00 a.m.

7057

11/15/12

2:00 p.m.

Waste Sludge Centrifuges Power and Control Systems Upgrade Deer Island Treatment Plant

#888-691-4301 Program Restrictions Apply.

Sealed bids will be received at the offices of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Charlestown Navy Yard, Document Distribution Office, 100 First Avenue, First Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, up to the time and date listed above at which time they will be publicly opened and read. *(indicates) Bid Documents available on the Comm-PASS Website (www. comm-pass.com).

ADVERTISE

YOUR CLASSIFIEDS

Legal Notice The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is circulating for an abbreviated public review and comment period a proposed Draft Amendment Two to the FFY 2013 element of the FFYs 2013–2016 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is an annually updated document that lists the highway and transit projects that will receive funding during a four-year period. This Draft Amendment Two will program two earmarks: one for the Longfellow Bridge, Boston-Cambridge, construction, and the second for the Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA) maintenance facility roof repair. The CATA earmark uses funding repurposed from other, unused earmarks in the commonwealth.

The MPO has approved a shortened, 15-day public comment period for Draft Amendment Two due to federal review deadlines for obligation of the repurposed earmark funds. This comment period will begin on Monday, October 22, 2012, and end at 5:00 PM on Monday, November 5. The MPO is planning to take action on Draft Amendment Two at its meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 15, 2012.

The meeting will begin at 10:00 AM in conference rooms 2 and 3 of the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, in Boston. Members of the public are invited to attend. Comments on Draft Amendment Two, to the attention of Mr. David Mohler, Chair, Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, should be submitted by any of the means below before the close of the comment period. Comments will also be accepted at the meeting.

For details, including information on the meeting and copies of Draft Amendment Two, refer to the MPO’s website, www.bostonmpo.org, beginning October 22. Also on its website are the MPO’s nondiscrimination statement and related information.

Copies of the document may also be obtained by contacting MPO staff: by mail at 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA 02116-3968; by voice at (617) 973-7100; by TTY at (617) 973-7089; by fax at (617) 973-8855; or by e-mail at publicinformation@ctps.org. Copies are free of charge and, upon request, will be made available in CD, print, and accessible formats.

Upon request in advance of the meeting through any of the means listed above, every effort will be made to prepare materials in other formats and in languages other than English, and to provide interpreters in American Sign Language and other languages. Assistive listening devices and largeprint materials will be available at the meeting.

The MBTA, which is the FTA Section 5307(c) applicant, has consulted with the MPO and concurs that the public involvement process adopted by the MPO for the development of the TIP satisfies the public hearing requirements that pertain to the development of the Program of Projects for regular Section 5307, Urbanized Area Formula Program, grant applications, including the provision for public notice and the time established for public review and comment.

The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond and a labor and materials payment bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract price. The surety shall be a surety company or securities satisfactory to the Authority. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Section 26 to 27G, inclusive, as amended. The Contractor will be required to pay minimum wages in accordance with the schedules listed in Division II, Special Provisions of the Specifications, which wage rates have been predetermined by the U. S. Secretary of Labor and /or the Commissioner of Labor and Industries of Massachusetts, whichever is greater.

Ocean Shores Apartments

The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00). Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details.

Ocean Shores Apartments in Lynn, Massachusetts is actively seeking applications for our wait list.

Filed sub bids will be required and taken on the following classes of work: ELECTRICAL

Applicants must be at least 62 years of age, with annual income not to exceed:

The Authority reserves the right to reject any sub bid of any sub trade where permitted by Section 44E of the above referenced General Laws. The right is also reserved to waive any informality in or to reject any or all proposals and General Bids.

One Person = $45,100 Two Persons = $51,550 and must meet HUD eligibility criteria.

This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in the Non Discrimination and Affirmative Action article of Division I, General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor's Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246).

Call Sandy Miller, Property Manager

Authority, and (c) conditioned upon the faithful performance by the principal of the agreements contained in the bid.

This contract is subject to a Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise participation provision requiring that not less than FIFTEEN PERCENT (15%) of the Contract be performed by minority and women owned business enterprise contractors. With respect to this provision, bidders are urged to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Bidding Documents. Strict compliance with the pertinent procedures will be required for a bidder to be deemed responsive and eligible.

A senior/disabled/ handicapped community 0 BR units = $1,027/mo 1 BR units = $1,101/mo All utilities included.

INVITATION TO BID

Patrick Marcellus Louis Charles

91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170

Ly n n , M a s s a c h u s e t t s

Financed by the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency.

Please call 781-598-5564 TDD 800-439-2370

(617) 261-4600 x 119

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SENIOR HOUSING On 10/31/2012 Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly will be closing waiting list for one and two bedroom apartments at Genesis House (a.k.a.

Wallingford Housing), located at 28 Wallingford Rd., Brighton, MA 02135.

For more information, visit www.jche.org or call (617) 912-8421, TDD (617) 789-4868.

Hartwell Terrace Apartments Dorchester, Massachusetts Applications are now being accepted for our waitlist of section 236 for 1BR and 2 BR apts, with convenient location, MBTA accessible, off street parking, wall to wall carpeting, dishwasher, laundry room, convenient shopping center within walking distance, heat and hot water included. Section 8 voucher holders are welcome to apply.

Unit Size

Income Range

Basic Rent

Market Rent

1BR

$34,250 - $45,500

$839

$931

2BR

$39,150 - $52,000

$1,020

$1,132

Applications are available in our office located at 530 Warren Street, Dorchester, Ma 02121 on Tuesdays from 9:00AM to 12 noon and Thursdays from 1:00 to 4:00PM.

Thursday, October 25, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23

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Chief Financial OfďŹ cer & Director of Administration

Child Care Positions!

At Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation This position manages the entire ďŹ nancial and internal administrative system of Nuestra Comunidad and afďŹ liates including payables, receivables, general ledger, review of development budgets, billing, trial balances, ďŹ nancial statements, cash ow projections and payroll. Responsibilities also include oversight of information technology and supervision of accounting and administrative staff. The position reports to the Executive Director.

Required qualiďŹ cations and requirements include ten years experience in ďŹ nance and real estate development and transactions; a degree in accounting (CPA or MBA preferred); complete familiarity with accounting and housing software; strong analytic and organizational skills; excellent computer skills; supervisory experience; and a commitment to our mission of community revitalization.

Contact Person for submission of cover letter and resume:

Tonya E. Jones, tjones@nuestracdc.org Please put CFO in the subject line. Closing date: 11/1/12 Jobs Home Âť Arts / Entertainment / Publishing

Please visit our website at www.nuestracdc.org for the full job description Greater Media Boston currently has the following open position:

GENERAL SALES MANAGER – WBOS-FM

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Radio 92.9 WBOS-FM, Boston’s leading Alternative Rock radio station, is looking for a General Sales Manager! The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5+ years commercial radio sales and management experience. A 4-year degree preferred.

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If you’re interested in working for one of the premiere broadcasting companies in the country, please look at a detailed job description for this and other positions by going to: www.greatermedia.com (EmploymentBoston); or write to hr@greatermediaboston.com to request a copy of the job posting.

ENERGY COORDINATOR/ PLANNER

Greater Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer

AF9 ;<J:I@GK@FE

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Community Advocate On The Rise, Inc. is a Cambridge, MA-based non-proďŹ t that supports the initiative and strength of women living in crisis or homelessness. In a physically and psychologically safe environment, we build the relationships and provide the tools that each woman needs to rise to her potential.

We are looking for a Clinical Community Advocate to complete the 6-member team that operates our Safe Haven program. Clinical Community Advocates work directly with women who use the programs, helping provide for basic human needs and giving long-term, broad-based support, such as assistance accessing other programs, accompaniment and advocacy.

Candidates will share a commitment to On The Riseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission, and will have three yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience with homelessness, trauma, substance abuse, mental illness, or related issues. Licensure and a graduate degree in psychology, social work, or related ďŹ eld are required.

How to Apply: www.ontherise.org contains more complete job descriptions and instructions for applying. Please refer to our site and submit a resume and cover letter as described.

Send your application materials: Please apply by email by submitting your rĂŠsumĂŠ and cover letter as attachments to: becky.mcdowell@ontherise.org with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Clinical Community Advocateâ&#x20AC;? in the subject line.

part time

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries is seeking a part time Executive Director, to conduct spirituality and social justice programming of CMM.

For full information go to www.coopmet.org 25 hours per week, salary negotiable.

Applications due by November 15th.

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Bay State Banner

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