Insider News Yolanda James, Owner/Publisher 3001 Douglas Avenue 262.681.2345 InsiderWisconsin@yahoo.com
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Wisconsin
VOLUME 2, NUMBER 5 March 1-15, 2012
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RIC Calls for Reduction In State Inmate Population
Above: Frank James II, coordinator of Racine’s Community Re-
Entry Program, an agency that helps recently released inmates transition back into society, makes remarks during the 11x15 campaign press conference at the courthouse steps on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. The campaign is a statewide effort that seeks to reduce the state’s prison population in half by the year 2015. James, who is a local pastor, joined Racine Interfaith Coalition and other ministers from various congregations throughout the city to rally for this worthy cause. Right: Cora William, whose son is an inmate in the Racine County jail, held up a sign with a picture of her granddaughter that read, “I love my daddy. He needs help.” Read story on page 3
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James Shares Benefits of 11x15 Campaign The Racine Interfaith Coalition and the faith based community in Racine have joined a statewide effort to launch the “11x15” campaign, which is an effort to reduce the prison population in half by the end of 2015. Pastor Frank James II, Senior Pastor of Changing Lives Ministries Non-Denominational Church, one of the presenters said, “Rather than build a system that simply punishes and diminishes people, we believe that the justice system must work to restore to wholeness and help those who have offended to be restored to a productive role in society.
Some may wonder why we should even care about the prison population. James shared that one of the reasons we should be concerned is the price tag attached to incarceration. The cost of corrections in Wisconsin has risen from under 200 million per year in 1990 to more than 1.3 billion in 2011. In addition, he pointed out that there are disparities within the justice system. The majority of inmates in our prisons suffer from mental illness and/or addictions. Middle class people with drug problems or mental health issues can get treatment. Poor people or black people
Pastor Requests Meeting With Racine Mayor In a letter to Mayor Dickert, Rev. Fred Richmond, who heads the Southeastern Wisconsin Baptist Fellowship, said, “In light of recent events affecting the City of Racine, my colleagues and I would like to request a meeting with you. We hope this meeting will allow us to have a frank and open discussion with you concerning the present state of the Police and Fire Commission,” he stated in the letter. He went on to explain, “We would also like the discussion to include the types of practices or polices that can be put in place to ensure that promotional opportunities and appointments will not be marred by inconsistencies.” A dozen Pastors held a press conference this week and vowed to continue efforts to have the Police and Fire Commission reform the hiring and promotions practice as far as it relates to minority officers.
NAACP Advocates A Monitored Selection Process Due to the recent decision by the Racine Police and Fire Commission to re-open the interview process after a finalist withdrew his application, Gloria Rogers, president of Racine NAACP commented that the local chapter is concerned about the integrity of the process. “The NAACP remains vigilant about the selection of the next Chief of Police for the City of Racine, and is interested in a fair and impartial decision by the Police and Fire Commission,” explained Rogers. Recent events have greatly diminished the public's trust and confidence in the PFC, she said. “We are likewise concerned that elements of unfairness, perhaps even bias and discrimination, have crept into the selection process,” she acknowledges. The NAACP questioned whether it is fair to either candidate to go forward with interviews that the Racine Police and Fire Commission wishes to conduct in secret. “To simply continue forward in the selection process without any safeguards is not fair to the applicants or the community.,” explained Rogers. In order to restore public trust and confidence in the selection process, the branch wants an independent observer appointed by the mayor to monitor the interviews for the selection of the next police chief. “We believe the final round of interviews should be conducted under a watchful public eye.”
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with the same issues go to prison. James further stated that the majority of inmates in our prisons have no history of violence. Many suffer from mental illness and/or addictions. Research has shown that incarcerating low risk/non-violent offenders with high risk/violent offenders schools no-violent offenders to become high risk. Ninety Five percent of offenders in our jails will return to our community. If they are not helped, they will not be prepared to be a better neighbor, which will create a bigger problem.
Sandra Varner’s Celebrity Profiles and Talk2SV.com
Filmmaker Julie Dash to direct “One Woman’s Army” Julie Dash and Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) have obtained the rights to One Woman’s Army, a book, which tells the little known story of Major Charity Adams, World War II’s highest-ranking African-American woman. Adams headed the 6888th Postal Battalion’s nearly one thousand women, who moved mountains of mail for millions of American service members and civilians in Europe during the wa Dash will direct and produce the One Woman’s Army project in association with producers Kimberly Ogletree and BHERC’s John Forbes. They plan to make an 8-hour mini-series, which is inspired by Adams’ book with a teleplay by Dash. The story will begin with the 6888th’s deployment, which was made possible by Mary McLeod Bethune, educator and civil rights activist in alliance with Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the United States. In the tradition of Band of Brothers, the story will follow three women, who boarded the war ship in New York Harbor and made the dangerous crossing over the Atlantic Ocean during the height of WWII. Arriving in Birmingham, England, in the dead of winter, they found letters sent to American troops stacked to the ceiling in a frigid railroad station and an even colder military warehouse. Much of the frosty mail had been there for as long as two years waiting to be sent to soldiers in the field. While rodents and other vermin are feasting on boxes of home baked cookies, the women of the 6888th were charged with clearing, sorting and delivering the mail. To accomplish this Herculean task they were forced to work three shifts, seven days a week. First working in England, the 6888th later moved to Rouen, France. Although their mission was to booster the moral of American troops by delivering letters from home, their work abroad was shrouded in secrecy. Because they were black, and they were women, they had to sleep in segregated barracks, and ate in segregated dining halls. Nevertheless, they made history by successfully delivering mail to over seven million American stations in Europe.
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4th District Candidate Sponsors Event At Chubbie’s
With only 30 days before the Racine General Election Tuesday, April 3, Sherrie Lawson, a candidate for 4th District Alderman, says she wants to do more than just get elected. “One of my goals is to get as many young people as possible registered and share with them the importance of voting,” she said. With the new laws passed by Madison the major concern is that many young people will be discouraged with the new voting process. “It is more important than ever to reaffirm the need to vote.’ She says “According to some statistics, the 4th district is among the highest unemployment rate in the city. This is where we must start if we are going to bring about significant change in the 4th district which has been declining for a number of years,” she said. Lawson, a former high school teacher, who now works as a substitute teacher for Racine Unified School District, says one of her major goals is improving of the 4th District, where she has lived for generations, and where my children have grown up. Lawson a mother of a son, daughter and the grandmother of two girls says she want to be an active partner in approving the 4th district. Another one of her goals is to work closely with the county board supervisor Kenneth Lumpkin, to bring county services to the 4th District. “Working together, I believe we can convince many of the small businesses to remain in the 4th District and hopefully invest and improve the area,” she said. In recent years several businesses that was located in the 4th District have pulled up stakes and relocated. Lawson will be sharing her ideas at a “Meet and Greet” to be held Saturday, March 10, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at Chubbie’s, 619 High Street.
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Pastor Elliott Cohen, Pastor Willie Scott, and Bishop Lawrence L. Kirby, were among a dozen local pastors who vented their anger over the recent Police and Fire Commission decision to re-open a national search after a finalist withdrew from the process. The two minority candiates that remained were Deputy Chief Art Howell and Lt. Carlos Lopez.
Rev. Keith Evans, pastor of Greater Mt. Eagle Baptist Church, expresses the ministers’ demands and called for total reform to the Police and Fire Commission at a press conference held at the Greater Mt. Eagle Baptist Church, Monday, Feb. 23, shorly before noon.
Local Black Pastors Challenge Decision By Police and Fire Commission by Staff writer Local African American pastors from various denominations, vented their frustrations over the city Police and Fire Commission’s plan to reopen a national search after two minorities were left as finalists. Deputy Chief Art Howell and Lt. Carlos Lopez became the only two remaining finalists when Ronald Teachman, former police chief of New Bedord, Mass., pulled out of the race. The Racine Police and Fire Commission announced that they were going back to review previous applicants after Teachman withdrew. Pastor Melvin Hargrove, one of three minority members, was the first of the five member commission to publicly announced that he disapproved of the group’s decision. “I just think that it was wrong for us to open it back up again”, he stated. Hargrove, who is also pastor of an inner-city church, was in attendance with the other pastors, but did not make any comments during the press conference. In a prepared statement, Rev. Keith Evans, pastor of Mount Eagle, said that they hope to work with the mayor’s office to avert future problems. They called for expansion and continued diversity in the commission. “Confidence in the process and confidence in the commission has been weakened,” he said. He also indicated that the group thanked Mayor John Dickert, but said additional changes still need to be made in the commission and within the police department regarding recruitment of minorities. Members in attendance at the meeting applauded when Evans said that some members have been on the commission for “too long.” They singled out Commission Vice President Van Wanggaard, a local state senator, questioning his serving on a commission with authority over police officers and firefighters who may have
signed the ongoing statewide recall petitions against him. “That conflict of interest is now magnified,” Evans said. The daily paper said that Wanggaard dismissed the claims as “ridiculous.” The newspaper quoted him as saying, “Just because I know how the department operates or have specific knowledge on how individuals conducted their lives on the department does not preclude me from being a member of the PFC,” he said.
terms, that are annually appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The city commissioners serve on a voluntary basis and are not paid. Black, who is serving her second term, is the only commissioner coming up for reappointment in May. State statutes do allow for the removal
NAACP
Early in the week Gloria Rogers, president of the local branch of the NAACP, said that a “dark cloud” has been cast over the city due to the Racine Board of Police and Fire Commissioner’s announcement that the PFC plans to reopen the selection process to hire a new Chief. “We see no need for commissioners to unravel a process that seems to have been fair and transparent up to this point,” said Rogers. She added, “We fail to see the logic of allowing the applications of previously rejected candidates to be reviewed and considered again.” Rogers asked the commissioners to reverse their decision and continue the original process of selecting a new chief. “We would hate to think that the two remaining officers were never really finalists, but only included to create the appearance that the process was fair and transparent,” she explained. Members of the commission are President Charles Johnson; Vice President Van Wanggaard, Marie Black, Rev. Melvin Hargrove, and Keith Rogers. The commission is an independent body that has sole jurisdiction over hirings, promotions, and discipline of police officers and firefighters, including the appointment of a chief. By state statute, a police and fire commission is an independent body. It must have five members, who serve five-year Page 5 The Insider News Wisconsin, March 1-15, 2012
of commissioners. They may be removed for “cause,” statutorily defined as “inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct or malfeasance in office” After a hearing by the council, three-fourths of the council must vote for the removal — that would be 12 of the 15 city aldermen. in Racine.
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Great-great grandmother celebrates 76th Birthday
Surrounded by her grandchildren, Nancy Ruth Cole, center, was given a surprise birthday party Saturday, February 25, by over 100 friends and relative at the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center. Cole, 76, came to Racine in 1987 from Tupelo, Mississippi. She is a member of Greater Hope Church in Racine and is the mother of 13 children, 34 grand children, 39 great-grandchildren, and two greatgreat grandchildren.
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Sunday Worship Services 8:00am & 10:00am Sunday School - 9:00am Wednesday Bible Study - Noon Family Life - 5:30pm Saturday Prayer - 10:00am
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Will Gas Prices Hurt President Obama's Re-Election? Washington, DC (February 23, 2012) -Soaring gasoline prices are threatening to undercut President Barack Obama‘s reelection prospects and offering
Republicans an easy target. With prices pushing $4 a gallon and threatening to go even higher, Obama sought Thursday to confront rising public anxiety and strike back at his GOP critics. Obama said dismissively that all the Republicans can talk about is more drilling - "a bumper sticker ... a strategy to get politicians through an election" when the nation’s energy challenges demand much more. In a speech in Miami, he promoted the expansion of domestic oil and gas exploration but also the development of new forms of energy. For all the political claims, economists say there’s not much a president of either party can do about gasoline prices. Certainly not in the short term. But it’s clear that people are concerned - a new Associated Press-GfK poll says seven in 10 find the issue deeply important - so it’s sure to be a political issue through the summer. "Right now, we’re experiencing yet another painful reminder of why developing new energy is so critical to our
future," the president said. At an average of $3.58 a gallon, prices are already up 25 cents since Jan. 1, and experts say they could reach a record $4.25 a gallon by Memorial Day. Those higher prices could hurt consumer spending and unravel some of the recent improvements in the economy. And they could also be a daily reminder to voters to question Obama’s contention that he’s making the nation - and them more secure. While motorists are already starting to complain, many economists see the $4-a-gallon mark as a breaking point above which the economy starts to suffer real pain. Analysts estimate that every one-cent increase is roughly a $1.4 billon drain on the economy. Obama’s Republican challengers aren’t letting it all slide by. They have stepped up their attacks on his energy policies, including his rejection last month of a pipeline to carry oil from Canada to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. And they’re full of promises. "I’ve developed a program for American energy so no future president will ever bow to a Saudi king again, and so every American can look forward to $2.50-a-gallon gasoline," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said in the Wednesday night GOP debate in Mesa, Ariz. He calls his strategy "Drill Here, Drill Now." At the same event, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania - who has warned of $5-a-gallon gas - asserted that "we have a lot of troubles around the world, as you see the Middle East in flames and what’s going on in this country with gas prices and the economy." And former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney suggested that even more troubling than rising gasoline prices was Iranian President Mahmoud "Ahmadinejad with nuclear weapons. In his speech at the University of Miami, Obama sought to draw a contrast with his GOP challengers and made a
pointed reference to what he suggested was Republican glee at rising gas prices. "And you can bet that since it’s an election year, they’re already dusting off their three-point plans for $2 gas," Obama said. "I’ll save you the suspense. Step one is drill, step two is drill, and step three is keep drilling... We’ve heard the same thing for 30 years. Well, the American people aren’t stupid." Addressing the rising public anxiety, Obama said, "There are no quick fixes to this problem, and you know we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices." Anyone suggesting otherwise was not being honest, he said. Still, Obama said he had ordered his administration to search for every possible area to help consumers in the coming months. He said his administration’s "allof-the-above strategy," one that includes oil, gas, wind and solar power, is the "only real solution" to the nation’s energy challenges. Gingrich quickly dismissed Obama’s energy speech as "excuses and fantasies." Presidents often get blamed for rising gas prices, but there’s not much they can do about them. The current increases at the pump have been driven by tensions in Iran and by higher demand in the U.S. as well as in China, India and other quickly growing nations. "Obviously, people go to the pump all the time, so it’s something that really hits home with the voters," said Fred Greenstein, a Princeton University professor emeritus of politics. "It’s an easy issue to talk about, and not an easy issue to accomplish very much on." In his Miami remarks, Obama said that despite political criticism of his policies "America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years. He also noted that, for the first time in 30 years, the United States is now exporting more petroleum products than it imports. But Jack Gerard, the president of the American Petroleum Institute, challenged Obama’s apparent effort to take credit. "While oil production is up, the increase relates almost entirely to investment and leasing decisions made before, sometimes long before, this administration came into office," Gerard said. "The
increase is also due to oil and gas development on private and state lands over which the administration has little or no control at all. Though Obama’s approval rating on the economy has climbed, his negative rating on handling gas prices is stagnant. Just 39 percent approve of what he’s doing there, and 58 percent disapprove, according to the new AP-GFK survey. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said gasoline prices are likely to keep rising as the summer driving season approaches. "Increasingly, it’s becoming the biggest threat to the economy," he said. "And there is little presidents can do to influence gasoline prices in the near term." Some lawmakers have called for Obama to release oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. "Rising gas prices could be the difference between an economy that continues to recover and an economy that sinks back into recession," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., among those calling for such a move. The emergency reserve is kept in salt caverns in Texas and Louisiana and contains about 700 million barrels of oil. There are 42 gallons in each barrel. Last year, as prices rose, Obama authorized the sale of 30 million barrels of oil from the reserve. However, economists suggest that tapping the reserve to increase the amount of oil on the market has only a modest and temporary effect on gas prices. Will Obama take that step? White House spokesman Jay Carney says, "We never take options off the table." Obama may just have to get used to the criticism, because it probably isn’t going away anytime soon, said James Thurber, an American University political science professor. "Republicans will hit him with anything that comes up which makes him look bad," he said. Still, as long as the economy seems to keep improving, Obama probably won’t be hurt too much by the attacks "unless gas goes over $5 a gallon," Thurber said.
OLIVE GARDEN PROVIDED DINNER FOR RIDGEWOOD RESIDENTS Racine – For the second time, the Olive Garden of Racine gave residents of Ridgewood Care Center a special treat. At noon on Wednesday, February 29, 2012, the Olive Garden served approximately 200 Ridgewood residents and family members a delicious Italian dinner. Olive Garden employees prepared the meals on site and served the residents as if they were actually at the restaurant. The menu included soup or salad, breadsticks, penne pasta with a choice of meat or Alfredo sauce, freshly grated Romano cheese, and cannoli. To create a genuine Italian experience, Frank Germinaro Page 10 The Insider News Wisconsin, March 1-15, 2012
played authentic Italian music on his accordion. Olive Garden is provided the meals for Ridgewood residents at no charge. Family members as well as employees enjoyed the same meal for a nominal cost. As an additional gift, Olive Garden donated these funds back to Ridgewood for special events and resident outings. Said Ridgewood Administrator Michelle Putz, “Everyone at Ridgewood is overwhelmed by this generous gift and deeply grateful for the Olive Garden team's compassion and kindness.”
Should We Boycott Nicki Minaj? By Charing Ball There is a video floating around the internet of a man calling for a boycott of Nicki Minaj, mainly because of her alleged disparaging lyrics and the
potential effect it may have on Black women and girls. According to this nameless guy, who posted this seven minute compilation video of various Minaj lyrics combined with his own commentary, Minaj should be boycotted because of the anti-black woman themes present in her music. Minaj calls Black women banana-eating chimpanzees and “nappyheaded hos,” which he equates to the racist rhetoric of Don Imus and
the ease of mainstream society to treat black features as unattractive. The nameless petitioner says that the point of the boycott is to “teach our sisters, our mothers, our girlfriends, our daughters, what have you, to love themselves.” I can certainly understand and appreciate the sentiment of this video. I’ve been pretty much boycotting Minaj since she first hit the scene. Not so much for her questionable libretto but because I have been unable to grasp how she went from hood chick, spitting straight up street lyricism to raunchy Lil’ Kim knockoff to Lady Gaga protege in the matter of one album. Seriously, either she has perfected the crossover in ways that M.C. Hammer could only dream or she is one hell of an actress and someone needs to get her an Oscar. My personalized annoyance at her music aside, I do get and appreciate the point the brother was making in the video. Personally I don’t like the whole Barbie doll persona nor the hyper-sexualized representations in her music, especially since her entire Barbie doll aesthetic, with its bright color and whimsical styling, is only attractive to young impressionable girls, who are trying to make sense of their budding bodies and minds. Not to mention being in the company of Scaffbreezy aka Safaree, her little side kick/hype man/possible boyfriend, who has a song out called KKK (I Don’t Like N****s).
It could be the one-day-mother in me but the whole vibe around those two performers reeks of all the things I want to keep away from children. But while Minaj’s lyricism and overall persona is questionable and worthy of further scrutiny, I want to know where was this concerned brother with the YouTube video for the last 20 years or so when the fellas were smearing black women and girls in their songs? You know the rappers like Lil Wayne, who says in that Drake collab, “Beautiful Black woman I bet that [insert b word here] look better red.” And rappers like Slim Thug, who once spoke about his admiration for the white side of his biracial girlfriend. And rappers like Eminem, who prior to signing on to Aftermath records, freestyled about his hatred of Black women. There isn’t enough space in this column to point out examples of ways in which countless rappers professed their love for light-skin and “exotic” women while making disparaging remarks about dark skinned or women with African features. In essence, self-hate, misogyny and colorism have long been given the welcome mat in the hip-hop community and in that sense, Minaj is not original to the oppressive themes that are part of our popular music. So how can we lay this primarily at the feet of Minaj? Is it because she is a woman?
'Good Deeds' plus three more films in 2012: Is Tyler Perry overexposing himself? By Kia Miakka Natisse 2012 is shaping up to be a busy year for Tyler Perry. The film mogul is slated to produce and/or act in four movies over the next 10 months. But with so many starring roles, not to mention his TV shows and entertainment empire, does Perry risk overexposing himself and exhausting his fans? Today, Perry will release Good Deeds, a film in which he stars as an upper-class businessman who gets involved with an impoverished cleaning woman (played by Thandie Newton). In July, Perry will release another film he wrote, produced and directed -- The Marriage Counselor, whose cast includes the infamous Kim Kardashian. Perry is also currently filming Madea's Witness Protection, in which he reprises his trademark Madea role, this time hosting a wealthy white businessman in a witness protection program. That film is expected to come out later this year. theGrio opinion: How Tyler Perry exposes a divide in black America Finally, there's I, Alex Cross, a film adaptation of the James Patterson novel, and the only film that doesn't ofiicially fall under the Perry brand -- he's simply starring as the title character originally played by Morgan Freeman, neither directing nor producing. For any artist this would be a very
ambitious schedule, but for the ubiquitous Perry, it seems to be the norm -- not only does he have two shows currently on television, now he's acting and/or directing four films in one year.
He's obviously paying his bills and maintaining a healthy franchise with the Madea movie and The Marriage Counselor, but with Good Deeds and I, Alex Cross, it's clear that Perry is trying to expand his persona beyond the guy who plays the funny granny in drag, into that of a legitimate and respected actor. Unfortunately for Perry, inundating audiences with your work isn't necessarily the best way to earn their respect. The first strike against Perry is that he's too prominent of a personality himself to convince audiences to see him as a character. Every time he's on screen he's Tyler Perry - not a character struggling with his marriage, or a Starfleet Academy admiral. He'll definitely have to work hard to convince audiences to show up for his
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Alex Cross film, not only because it's outside his comfort zone, but also because of the outrage expressed by many when Perry got the part over Idris Elba. There's also the issue of too much of a good thing going wrong. Perry's theater business has already suffered from over saturation via his film franchises -- why go see a low-budget stage play when there's a much higher quality film of the same ilk showing in theaters? Now his films run the risk of quality depletion. The Madea films seem to be nearing the end of their run (though this latest one stars a white cast in pursuit of crossover success, which should irritate his core fan base to no end) and churning out three films in one year doesn't exactly scream quality production. Eventually audiences may tire of Perry's signature plot line -- a protagonist fallen from grace who becomes redeemed by some outside force -- and three films in one year could speed the process. Ambition is key to success, but Perry's single-minded focus on increasing his media presence could unhinge everything he's worked so hard to establish. A piece of advice for Perry: Sometimes you have to let audiences miss you.
Octavia Spencer Wins Oscar For Best Supporting Actress For "The Help" Octavia Spencer inspired her formidable character in “The Help,” but the actress turned into a softy Sunday as she accepted an Oscar for the role. “Oh, thank you,” a tearful Spencer said as many in the audience rose to their feet. She expressed gratitude to her family, her colleagues from “The Help” and her native “state of Alabama” as she received the best supporting actress trophy. The actress played tart-tongued maid Minny Jackson in the movie, which depicted Southern life as the 1960s civil rights movement unfolded. The film is based on Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel “The Help,” and the author drew on her friendship with Spencer in creating Minny. The two were introduced by a mutual pal, “The Help” writer-director Tate Taylor. After playing a nurse in the film “A Time to Kill,” Spencer was cast as a nurse in several different TV series including “City of Angels” and “Chicago Hope,” and played the same medical role in films including “Halloween II” and “Seven Pounds.” Spencer, 39, who was favored to win the Oscar, was composed enough to enjoy the company of Christian Bale, who presented the award to her. “Thank you, academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room,” she said. She also thanked Steven Spielberg for “changing my life.” Spielberg’s DreamWorks is the studio behind “The Help.” Spencer is one of just a half-dozen black actresses to have won an Oscar in the awards’ 84-year history. In the supporting actress category, Hattie McDaniel won for “Gone with the Wind,” Whoopi Goldberg for “Ghost,” Jennifer Hudson for “Dreamgirls,” and Mo’Nique for “Precious,” while Halle Berry won best actress for “Monster’s Ball.”
Wanted: Married Black men providing community stability by Eloise Anderson—Secretary of the Wisconsin Dept. of Children and Families February is Black History Month; a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of African-Americans and their role in our nation’s history. February is also a time when we celebrate Valentine’s Day; a day to celebrate love and ideally, marriage. It is, therefore a bit disconcerting that at a time when we honor both African Americans and the institution of marriage a report in June 2011 by the NCAAP shows that only 28% of Milwaukee’s black families had two parents in 2000, down from 64% in 1970. It is rather alarming that since the modern civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s, the family structure for Americans of African descent has crumbled more than at any time in the generations following slavery. In the 1890’s, things were really tough for Americans of African descent. At that time we (blacks) were poorer; less educated and had fewer opportunities. We need to remember and understand that through the struggles of slavery and Jim Crow, we have always been a people who tried very hard to keep our families intact. Family meant a father, mother and children and often included extended family members as well. During those times the marriage rate was approximately 80%. Today we see a large population of people in Milwaukee living in poverty, mostly Americans of African descent. Within this population is a very high rate of unemployment, low marriage rates and a high rate of children living in households without their fathers. I believe a major contributing factor to the poverty and high unemployment is the low rate of marriage. So, what’s so good about marriage for men? Higher income; married men earn more than single men with the similar education and job histories. Longer life expectancy; married men have longer life expectancies than single men. Better relationships; marriage increases the likelihood that fathers will have a relationship (a good one) with their children and married men have more, better and safer sex. Married men are also more likely to be faithful. This means the father’s resources are devoted to one household rather than having resources spread across many households. What about women and marriage?
CHURCH DIRECTORY ST. PaUL MISSIOnaRY BaPTIST CHURCH
1120 Grand Ave. Racine, Wis.
262-632-1467 www.stpmbc.org
Bishop Lawrence L.
KIRBY Senior Pastor
Christian Faith Fellowship Church Racine, Wisconsin Pastors Willie & Patricia Scott 262-631-0196
Sunday School 9:15 AM Sunday Worship Service 7:45 AM & 10:40 AM
9:00am - Sunday School 10:00am - Sunday Service
Wednesday Prayer & Bible Class
3001 Carpenter, Racine, WI (off Durand Ave - West of Memorial Dr.) 631-0196 PO Box085576 • Racine, WI 53408
11:00 AM and 6:00 PM Dinner - 5:30 PM
Greater Mt. Eagle Baptist Church
New location:
Trinity United Missionary Baptist Church “A God Glorifying, Christ Centered, Spirit-Filled Church”
Rev. Keith Evans Pastor
Sunday School • 9:00 aM Sunday Worship Service • 10:45 aM Bible Study (Wed.) • 6:00 PM Word of Life (Youth Program) (Thur..) • 6:30 PM
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306-5th Street, Racine, WI 262.635.1994 email: tumbcc@ameritech.net Rev. Buddy Vinson Senior Pastor
Sunday School - 9:30 AM Sunday Worship 10:30 AM Prayer Service - (Wed.) 5:00 PM Bible Class & Prayer (Wed.) - 6:00 PM
Houston Wanted to Be Whitney, the Woman
CHURCH DIRECTORY ZOE OUTREACH Ministries Pastor Tommie Knuckles
2130 Racine Street Racine, WI 619-3027
Melvin Hargove Pastor Sunday School - 8:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service - 10:00 a.m. Sunday na Meeting 6:30 PM Community Dinner 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Wednesday: Midweek Worship 6:15 a.m.- 8:15 p.m. Thursday na Meeting 6:00 PM
Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church 1201 Center Street Racine, Wis. 53403 (262) 880-6521 Come Worship with us at: Sunday Worship Service 11:00 AM Bible Study Wednesday 6:00 Pm - 8:00 PM
by Tonyaa Weathersbee, BlackAmericaWeb.com A while back, when ABC’s Diane Sawyer asked Whitney Houston what she wanted 10 years from now, the pop diva rattled off a list of simple desires. “Retired … sitting down … seeing my daughter grow up … grandchildren,” Houston said, smiling with that perfect, piano-key smile of hers. No wishes to be in anyone’s Hall of Fame. No wishes for another Grammy. She just wanted to be Whitney, the woman. Hearing that interview saddens me even more about her death. I guess it’s because Houston was a woman blessed with gifts that fill the dreams of everyday women; dreams of being beautiful, talented and adored by millions. Yet, it was that talent – and all the complexities that go along with it – that got in the way of her living to fulfill common dreams that are, for many of us, a given. And we’ll always be left to wonder what might have been. Beverly Hills police say that Houston, whose body was found in a Beverly Hills hotel room this past weekend, was “underwater and unconscious” in the bathtub. The 48-year-old had battled a drug addiction for many years, and prescription drug bottles were in the room. So far, though, there’s no evidence of foul play, and the cause of Houston’s death has yet to be determined. But regardless of how she died, to many women like me, women who had seen her grow from girlish singer in the video “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” to sultry actress in the movie, “Waiting to Exhale,” the loss still stings. I didn’t expect for her to go out like that. I still believed there was a lot of magic left in Houston, enough magic to propel her past the addictions that had hobbled her life and career. I wanted to see her use her talent to beat down her demons. And whenever Houston did retire, I wanted to see her end her career with an exclamation point. Instead, her life ended as a somber footnote. It’s pointless to blame anyone for the destructive choices that Houston made in her life. I just wish that there was a way to take that same comfort and enjoyment that her gifts brought to people like me and turn it back on her so that she could draw the same comfort and fulfillment from it. So much so that she wouldn’t feel the need to use drugs, or so much so that she could find the strength to shun them. I just wish I knew of a way that Houston could have used that same power that kept us spellbound over her voice to control the things that hobbled her life. And I wish that maybe one of her gospel songs, or her early hit, “The Greatest Love of All,” could have saved her in the way that they likely inspired others to save themselves. I guess that in the end, Houston, for all her superhuman talent and beauty, was all too human. Her interview with Sawyer tells us that – that at the end of the day, she wanted what many other women want: To see their children grow up, to have grandchildren, to be able to marvel over the circle of life that they had a hand in creating. This Saturday, when Houston is laid to rest in her native New Jersey, everyone will be struggling to remember her life, not her death. I’ll be struggling to do that too, to remember the beauty and talent that she brought to the world. But I’ll also be mourning the fact that Houston’s extraordinary life ended way before she got a chance to see her ordinary, 10-year plan become real. And that she didn’t intend for things to turn out that way.
SeArChiNg TogeTher MiSSioNAry BAPTiST ChurCh Rev. Willie Riley, Senior Pastor 262.633.4421
Pastor Joseph L. & First Lady Thomas
New Brighter Day Baptist Church 1225 25th Ave., Kenosha, WI
262-552-8090
825 21st Street • Racine Sunday School Worship Service Mid Morning Worship Service Wednesday Afternoon Bible Study Wednesday Dinner p.m. Wednesday Evening Bible Study Saturday Morning Prayer
9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 12:00 noon 5:30-6:30 6:30 p.m. 8:00 a.m.
Joseph L. Thomas, Pastor Sunday School - 9:00 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 a.m. Tuesday Prayer Service - 6:00 p.m. Bible Study - Tuesday 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Visit our website: www.insiderwisconsin.com The Insider News Wisconsin is a community based newspaper published in Racine, Wisconsin. The newspaper covers a variety of events that highlight lifestyles in the African-American comunities in Southeastern Wisconsin. The Insider News Wisconsin is a free publication, printed on the 1st and 15th of each month and is distributed in over 100 locations. All inquiries about advertisement or news should be made five to seven days before the 1st and 15th of each month. Yolanda James, President/CEO aneillo Lindsey - account Representative Jared Edwards - account Representative C-Moe Vision Photography - Photographer
3001 Douglas, Avenue • Racine, Wisconsin (262).681.2345
Page 13 The Insider News Wisconsin, March 1-15, 2012
Dr. Bethel Cager, right, Area Superintendent of Racine Unified, addresses members at the Racine NAACP forum on education. The forum was held last Saturday at the Dr. John Bryant Community Center. The event addressed a variety of issues that concerns the civil rights organization. Speaking before about 20 NAACP members was Dr. Ann Laing, RUSD Superintendent, Christopher Thompson, Westridge Elementary School Principal, and Sherrie Kulland, School Improvement and Student Achievement.
Wanted
from page 12
Married mothers have lower rates of depression than single or cohabitating mothers and married women appear to have lower risk of domestic violence than cohabitating or dating women. Raising a child in poverty and in a potentially violent situation is not good for the child. The list of reasons why marriage benefits both men and women is impressive, but for children having parents who are married is equally important. Statistics show that marriage reduces the risk that children will be either a perpetrator or a victim of crime and boys raised in a single-parent home are almost twice as likely to have committed a crime that leads to incarceration by the time they reach their early thirties. Children in single parent households are: five times more likely to be poor; two times more likely to drop out of school; 150% more likely to experience a non-marital teen pregnancy. Seventy percent of juveniles in state institutions grew up in single parent homes and seventy two percent of adolescent murderers grew up without their fathers. Fathers are a big deal, their children need them, and society needs them in the household partnering in raising their children. Fathers need to view parenting skills as important, or even more important, as job skills. Society as a whole also benefits from marriage. Neighborhoods have lower crime rates when they have more married families living in them. Neighborhoods with a high concentration of Americans of African descent with little or no married families have higher rates of assaults by males. These communities need married men invested in the community providing stability. It is vitally important that our community reconnects with the concept of marriage. We need to encourage young people to graduate from high school and either get a job, any job, or pursue post-secondary education and then look at marriage and children (in that order). A dedicated and nurturing father and mother who are united in marriage are the backbone of a healthy and stable family and the foundation of a strong and prosperous community. Governor Scott Walker appointed Eloise Anderson as the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families effective January 3, 2011. Secretary Anderson is nationally and internationally known as a leader in public policy creation and implementation. She has extensive experience in child welfare and work support issues.
Page 14 The Insider News Wisconsin, March 1-15, 2012
Greater Racine Collaborative Partners with New Text4baby To Reach Pregnant Women and New Moms The Greater Racine Collaborative for Healthy Birth Outcomes (GR4HBO) announced today that it has partnered with text4baby – the first free texting service to provide health information to pregnant women and new moms from pregnancy through a baby’s first year. The Greater Racine Collaborative for Healthy Birth Outcomes will promote text4baby on its website, www.healthybabiesracine.org, Healthy Babies Racine Facebook page,@ Racine LIHF Twitter account and will display posters and marketing information at various locations throughout the community including but not limited to local community centers, hospitals, clinics etc. "We believe this partnership with text4baby is an effective way for us to use technology to reach this critical population," said Samantha Perry, GR4HBO Project Manager. "Our vision is to serve as a driving force for change that connects resources, organizations and individuals to those most affected by this crisis, working with text4baby we can accomplish this goal." Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information to help them care for their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE in Spanish) will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth. Text4baby is made possible through a broad, public-private partnership that includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, non-profit organizations, and more. Founding partners include National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, CTIA - The Wireless Foundation, and Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company) and text4baby’s Founding Sponsor, Johnson & Johnson. Federal government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Consumer
Read the Insider news Wisconsin Online at: Insiderwisconsin. com
Product Safety Commission. Free messaging services are generously provided by participating mobile operators, including Alltel, Assurance Wireless, AT&T, Bluegrass Cellular, Boost Mobile, Cellular South, Cellcom, Centennial Cellular, Cincinnati Bell, Cricket, Metro PCS, nTelos, Nex-Tech Wireless, Sprint
Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Virgin Mobile USA. About the Greater Racine Collaborative for Healthy Birth Outcomes The Greater Racine Collaborative for Healthy Birth Outcomes is a communitywide initiative committed to reducing the African American infant mortality rate
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GREATER GREATER RACINE COLLABORATIVE COLLABORA TIVE FOR HEALTHY HEALTHY BIRTH OUTCOMES www w.healthybabiesracine.org
Page 15 The Insider News Wisconsin, March 1-15, 2012
and improving the health and well being of African American women, children and families in the Racine community. To learn more about the problem and planned solutions visit the www.healthybabiesracine.org website or contact the Project Manager at 262-637-8377
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Call Store For Details Racine 1812 16th St., 262-632-3642
Page 16 The Insider News Wisconsin, March 1-15, 2012
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