In Our 29th Year
Issue No. 2013
December 2012
Associate Consultant
Serving the Triad
Free
were employed in tobacco factories were recipients of what was then called “Black Money”. A few years later fourteen employees joined Roy in second discrimination complaint against Lorillard. This complaint was settled out of court. Roy retired from Lorillard as a Supervisor.
Roy Franklin Bell Receives Reidsville NAACP Humanitarian Award To think about Roy Franklin Bell is to respect his roots given by his parents which began four score years ago in Reidsville, North Carolina. His siblings affectionately call him, Rudy “the handyman”. To think about Roy is to reminisce about his school days at Booker T. Washington High School where he graduated . It is a vivid picture of the days spent at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, where he spent many days involved in desegregation efforts on and off campus. It is also a vivid picture of the days spent in purposeful pursuits and the proud day of his graduation from Jefferson College where he earned a degree in Business Administration. To think about Roy is to regard him as a hard worker. He was employed by Lorillard Tobacco Company. While employed there, he was faced with many experiences of segregation in the workplace. The many things that took place, helped to shape his way of thinking. In 1963, Roy filed the first discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Lorillard. African Americans who
People Get Ready For the Backlash That Is Coming by Dwight Jones
Reminiscing about Roy as a young man, brings thoughts of how, in 1964 he lead a group of young men and requested a meeting with J.A. Griggs, then President of the NAACP. Their purpose was to seek advice on the action they should take to bring freedom and equality to Reidsville and Rockingham County. During that meeting Roy was elected President of the first Youth Chapter of the NAACP. Roy also served his country, he had an honorable tour of duty in the United States Army, 1954-56. These experiences helped to shape his outlook on life as he took on adult responsibilities. He was very involved in his community. Roy was the first black president of the Reidsville and Rockingham County Foster Parents Association. He was a member of the Rockingham County Future Development Task Force and the Rockingham County Task Force for Water and Sewer. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.), the Board of Directors for the Center for Active Retirement (C.A.R.). He was the founder and President of the Williamsburg Community Watch Care. He was named “Unsung Hero” by the Reidsville Review in 1996. Roy served on the Rockingham County Planning Board for eleven years. He has been a faithful and committed volunteer at Annie Penn Hospital for seventeen years. He was recently appointed to serve on the Annie Penn Hospital Auxiliary Board. Roy is an astute businessman, which can be seen through his success at Bell Financial Services, where he has an Income Tax and Notary Business. He also possesses an extraordinary gift of creating beautiful things with his hands through carpentry with a bubbly personality and
He is an example of a Godly and compassionate husband, father [Continued on page 13]
Barack Obama has been re-elected and many citizens of all colors rejoice at this fact. However, African Americans should be circumspect and sober about this victory. Perhaps an excerpt from a column entitled “The Fight and Its Consequences” might provide some clarity for minorities in general, but for the black masses in particular. “A word to the Black Man. Do not point your nose too high. Do not swell your
chest too much. Do not boast too loudly. Do not be puffed up…. Let no treasured resentments rise up and spill over. Remember you have done nothing at all. You are just the same member of society today you were last week. Your place in the world is just what it was. You are on no higher plane, deserve no new consideration, and will get none.” (Los Angeles Times, July6, 1910) [Continued on page 6]
Martin Named to President’s Agriculture Board By Jeremy Summers, NCBiotech
The White House announced this week that North Carolina A&T State University Chancellor Harold L. Martin, Sr. has been appointed to President Obama’s Board for International Food and Agricultural Development. The board advises the U.S. Agency for International Development on agriculture and issues related to food security in developing countries. The President appoints board members, who typically come from the academic community. “The extraordinary dedication these individuals bring to their new roles will greatly serve the American people,” President Obama said about Martin and the other appointees. “I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this Administration and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.” N.C. A&T’s School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences is addressing international food security issues in a number of ways. Additionally, the school’s new Bioenergy Center houses research for efficient and sustainable production of liquid transportation fuels and hydrogen.
Inside This Issue How to talk to your kids about gun violence
pg 4
Why Do Black Males Lead The Nation In Supension
pg 6
Fancy Water Worth It Or A Waste
pg 11
Our Schools Are Mirrors of Society`s Vices
pg 12
Forgive So You Can Truly Live
pg 13
2 The AC Phoenix December 2012
December 2012 The AC Phoenix 3 ington have drawn a line in the sand, but have you ever actually drawn a line in the sand? They are quite easily erased. When they finally stop posturing and positioning and get down to the business at hand, the ultimate question is how “pragmatic” will the Obama White House be when it comes to cutting programs for the weak and the vulnerable? Will poor people be given priority? It’s the predicament that the less fortunate find themselves in perennially -- will their suffering be rendered invisible yet again?
Tavis Smiley PBS talk show host, PRI radio host
Ceilings, Cliffs and Walls Ceiling caving, cliff hanging, walls closing in -sounds like an Indiana Jones movie. Except this is real life. The real lives of millions of Americans. First, we hit the debt ceiling. Now we’re hanging over the fiscal cliff. Next, the walls start to close in on millions of Americans, particularly the poor. The news media is covering this story everyday as if this is some kind of “cliffhanger” when, in truth, it’s really not. I can tell you right now how this movie ends. Indiana Jones is not going to show up and save the day. Whenever this so-called “grand bargain” is reached, it may be grand for the elite, but not so much for the nation’s poor. I would love to be wrong about this, but signs point to yet another piling on of the poor. Eventually, if not immediately. Yes, I know folk on both sides of the aisle in Wash-
How do we stop this insane merry-go-round policymaking where the nation’s poor are concerned? Round and round and round it goes, and where it stops, nobody knows.
same fellow citizens who have the most to lose if these forthcoming cuts are as deep as some of us believe they will be. To be sure, too many Americans have already gone over the fiscal cliff, and some in Washington are scared that because the president signaled his willingness to agree to certain cuts the last time we had this fight, it’s going to be hard to hold the line on cuts this time around. I fret that they may be right, and I shudder to think what the end result of these negotiations might be.
What I know for sure is that now is the time to encourage the president to put poor people first. He can do that by delivering a major policy speech on eradicating poverty in America, and then convene this conference and push poverty to the top of We stop the insanity by asking the president to his second term agenda. In so doing, he can leave convene a White House Conference on the Erad- a lasting legacy of which he, and we, can all be ication of Poverty in America. It’s a simple idea, proud. but one that could lead to a national plan created by anti-poverty experts that would cut poverty in half in 10 years and move closer to eradicating it in 25 years. It can be done, if we dare to imagine an America without poverty. On the other side of the “entitlement reform” that this “fiscal cliff” conversation is going to bring us, the timing of this effort by the White House couldn’t be more critical. With all this drama in Washington, it may seem like you have no agency in this matter. Indeed, you do. Especially if you’re a woman, or young, or Hispanic or African American... or all of the above! By now we all know the coalition that helped to reelect President Obama was made up largely by the aforementioned groups. Interestingly, the
4 The AC Phoenix December 2012
How To Talk To Children About Gun Violence Today we are seeing far too many tragedies unfold, many of them involving children. Parents and teachers are faced with the challenge of discussing tragic incidents of community violence with children who may be too young to truly understand these complicated, oftentimes horrific, issues. Here are a few suggestions that may help you have this meaningful discussion. • Give children honest answers and information. Children will usually know, or eventually find out, if you’re “making things up.” It may affect their ability to trust you or your reassurances in the future. • Use words and concepts children can understand. Gear your explanations to the child’s age, language, and developmental level. • Be prepared to repeat information and explanations several times. Some information may be hard for them to accept or understand. Asking the same question over and over may also be a way for a child to ask for reassurance.
Groups Like NAACP, Urban League, CBC are Hypocrites By Raynard Jackson, NNPA Columnist
I was once told, “Be what you are looking for. If you want friends, go be a friend; if you want love, go love someone and if you want happiness, go make someone happy.” As I have reflected on this simple, but yet profound statement, I have found most of the major Black organizations are woefully hypocritical. They refuse to be what they are looking for. Groups like the NAACP, The National Urban League and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) constantly complain about the lack of diversity in corporate America. These groups claim they are always told by corporations that they “can’t find” minorities for board or employee positions. They, in turn, accuse the companies of not being serious about diversity. To a large extent, these groups are right. But what I find amazing is that these same groups do the very same thing they accuse corporate America of doing. The elections this month showed that America is becoming more diverse and that diversity is here to stay. But, what is ironic is that within Black organizations, there is no diversity of thought. The aforementioned groups pretend to be non-partisan or bi-partisan. However, when you look at their leaders, they are all unabashed Democrats or
very liberal in their thinking. When they are challenged on this, they claim they can’t find any Black Republicans to get involved. Sounds familiar? When they have their annual conferences, they will put one token Black Republican on a panel (against five or six Democrats) so they can boast about being inclusive. Sounds familiar? Mind you that no Blacks Republicans are ever involved in the planning or have any input about who will appear on a panel. Sounds familiar?
billion on his campaign and very little money with the Black media. Granted, Republicans are guilty of the same slight.
If these groups would admit to the obvious—that they have a liberal bias –at least they would be honest. But to insist, as they do, that they are not biased flies in the face of the truth.
Making our major organizations more politically and intellectually diverse doesn’t cost a cent. Are liberals really so insecure about their beliefs that they are afraid of having their ideas tested in the market place of ideas?
Why has Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the CBC not demanded that these groups – and their own organizations – reflect diversity? How can they in good conscious demand from Corporate America what they are unwilling to provide themselves? According to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 76 percent of Blacks identify themselves as Democrats. However, 5 percent are Republicans and 16 percent prefer the independent label, though many independents lean toward the GOP. Back in the day, you had prominent Black Republicans on the board of the NAACP and the National Urban League. This forced both political parties to engage with these groups. Today, these groups have become vestiges of the Democratic Party where one party takes them for granted and the other just ignores them. Sure, they still have some Republicans on their Boards, but they are usually in the background. From what I can tell, no established Black newspaper endorsed Mitt Romney over President Obama. Yet, Democrats refuse to spend any advertising dollars with them. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk free? Obama spent more than $ 2
Interestingly, not one member of the CBC contributed to Obama’s campaign this year. Not one. And there were only seven CBC contributors in 2008, according to OpenSecrets.org. Politicians, perhaps more than any other group, should understand the importance of campaign contributions.
Blacks must get back to the days when we held spirited debates about what’s best for our communities. If an idea is worthy of implementing, it should be worth defending. And if it can’t be defended, maybe it was never a good idea at all. With all of the problems we face – high unemployment, low educational accomplishment, crime, a dwindling middle class, among others –new ideas are needed now more than ever. Over the past four decades – under Black and White presidents – the unemployment rates for Blacks have been double that of Whites. Whatever we’ve tried in the past simply has not worked. And our community has been the real looser. If we are ever going to change our predicament, the least we must do is create an honest dialogue between all segments of our community. Otherwise, we’ll never be what we’ve been looking for. Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached through his Web site, www.raynardjackson.com.
December 2012 The AC Phoenix 5
Value nontraditional approach in K-12 by pefncadmin
PEFNC President Darrell Allison has a new op-ed out in the News Observer. In it, he says given the recent NC graduation rates, other nontraditional approaches such as public charter schools must be explored and expanded in order to provide every student with a quality education. Read the full piece below! State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison recently said North Carolina’s education system “has a responsibility for all children in our state, not just the nearly 1.5 million in public schools.” His statement followed news of our state’s “four-year cohort” graduation rate reaching 80 percent for the first time. But while some have celebrated, note that the number of low-income students passing end-of-grade tests remained flat at 54 percent, according to the state Department of Public Instruction. Just as alarming, the achievement gap between poor students and their wealthier peers on these tests increased, according to DPI. The results are just as worrisome in Wake County, where the end-of-grade achievement gap is at 36 percentage points. Only 51 percent of low-income students passed these tests last year compared with 87 percent of their wealthier peers, according to DPI. Moreover, we cannot ignore recent findings for students pursuing a college education. Remediation figures show that the percentage of students having to repeat English, reading or math in our community colleges following high school increased from 57 percent in 2007-08 to 65 percent in 2010-11, according to the state community college system. This cost more than $80 million last year. Who doesn’t want to applaud high graduation rates in our traditional public schools? We all do! However, once you dig into the numbers, one central question emerges: How do we ensure that graduation rates accurately reflect the quality of education that all of our traditional public school students receive, instead of the number who make it across the K-12 finish line? The answer: Embrace the symbiotic relationship that already exists between our traditional and nontraditional schools (public charter, private and home schools). In this collaborative relationship, families are able to choose the best school for their child, regardless of income or ZIP code. And all students are learning in classrooms best suited for them – which leaves them better prepared to complete the K-12 system without having to repeat it in college. The unfortunate truth is that student performance numbers reveal two North Carolinas – one defined by graduation rate and the other showing increased end-of-grade achievement gaps and growing college remediation numbers. However, test scores reveal that students are better able to produce results when their parents can choose the ideal schools for them. Both public charter and private schools have grown in North Carolina because they can more easily adapt their teaching styles and curriculum to a student’s academic needs. In 2011-12, 66 percent of North Carolina’s public charter schools met all of their performance goals, compared with 46 percent of traditional schools, according to DPI. In addition, a national study found that on average, 63 percent of private school students who took the ACT met or surpassed the test’s college readiness benchmark scores, compared with 46 percent of traditional students. The idea here is not to promote one educational model over another, but to show that it takes more than one type of school to provide a high-quality education to every student. Embracing a symbiotic relationship between educational models will help our state establish a system in which every student is learning. It’s one thing to praise the number of students finishing high school, but before we give Johnny a diploma, let’s make sure he can comprehend the words on it.
6 The AC Phoenix December 2012
Why do Black Males lead the Nation in Suspensions? by Andrew M. Manis
(Chicago, IL, Dec. 1, 2012) - Understanding what makes African American boys tick has challenged many a parent and educator, but youth mentor and author Kevin Todd Porter may finally have cracked the code on the struggles this group faces in the classroom. Porter’s debut book, Angry Little Men: Hypermasculinity, Academic Disconnect and Mentoring African American Males, examines Hypermasculinity among Black boys and its threat to academic achievement. Racism and poverty are known contributors of negative outcomes among youth, but few have investigated the developmental trajectory that leads to academic failure among African American males. According to the Council of the Great City Schools (2010), only 12 percent of Black boys read at or above grade level by fourth grade, compared to 38 percent of White males. In some inner city communities, the Black male dropout rate hovers at around 50 percent or more. Picking up where “at-risk” theories stalled decades ago, Porter examines two key developmental factors to understanding Black boys’ academic performance: Hypermasculinity and academic self-concept. Hypermasculinity is “male bravado”-a boastful, sexual, and confrontational mindset and code of behavior valued by Black males and scorned by mainstream society. Anger is the engine that drives Hypermasculinity, a survival mechanism in high risk communities used to instill fear and respect and that
People Get Ready For the Backlash That Is Coming
is prevalent in urban classrooms. “Education is way down on a list of priorities that might include drugs, gangs, chasing girls, or just trying to survive a disruptive home life,” says Porter. “Our boys know that education can offer a brighter future, but maintaining a street image trumps doing homework, studying for tests, and behaving in the classroom.” Porter closely studied the second developmental factor, academic self-concept (self-esteem), among a group of at-risk African American teens and found that despite failing grades, Black boys tend to rate highly in academic self-concept compared with other groups. “Clearly, Black boys are not accurately understanding their own school performance,” says Porter. “They believe they are doing much better than their grades indicate. Furthermore, they tend to blame others, especially teachers, for their troubles in the classroom.” Becoming aware of these developmental challenges is the first step to equipping youth to succeed in school and in life. A mentor to at-risk Black boys for more than 20 years, Porter offers his C.O.D.E model for mentorship: 1. Help youth to connect to a vision. 2. Observe and moderate personal behaviors. 3. Practice self-discipline. 4. Emulate positive examples. For additional information, contact 1-800-552-1991, Fax# (708) 672-0466. P.O. Box 1799, Chicago Heights, IL 60412. Website: http://www.africanamericanimages.com, Email: customer@africanamericanimages.com.
The African Children’s Choir
by Dwight Jones
[Continued on page 1] This response to Jack Johnson’s victory over Jim Jefferies
for the Heavyweight Championship of the World was written over a century ago, but the sentiments of the impending backlash it conveys are alive and well. Countless blacks were killed and injured because whites felt humiliated that their hero had lost. In the wake of Obama’s November victory at the polls, some citizens say they want certain states to secede from the United States. A black man wins the Presidency and the only viable option is leaving the country? From the Black Codes to the “Tea Party” what has changed? Objectively we can definitely say that some huge strides have been made. They are in fact unprecedented. But premature misplaced triumphalism should be tempered by witnessing responses from the other side. Contemporary Secessionists, Birtherism, Fox News and right wing talk radio are only some of the reactionary voices that can be heard in the land. There is open contempt for this President and those in high positions of authority that look like him (e.g. Eric Holder and Susan Rice). The relenting pubic disrespect for President Obama masks a deeper sickness in this country. A vast reservoir of pent up frustrations is waiting to be unleashed. Feelings of malice and retribution were behind Joe Wilson’s, “You Lie” outburst during the joint session of Congress in 2009. Other members of Congress (Joe Walsh, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, etc.) felt emboldened to say things publicly about a sitting President unrivaled in the age of television. Prior to this nobody in this nation had ever witnessed a mere Governor (Jan Brewer) waving a reproachful finger in the face of the President of the United States moments after he existed Air Force One. Why not? Of course this was done to placate her constituency in Arizona, but Governor Brewer’s defense of her staged disapproval was that she felt threatened by a black man. That’s right! A public policy disagreement had degenerated into alleging that the President of the United States was a potential criminal. That insulting label has been directed at black men so much that the Governor felt no qualms about using it to deflect criticism aroused by her lack of public respect for the office, if not the man. What does this mean for the multitudes that look like President Obama? The imperium of his office and the Secret Service protect his physical body. African Americans, law abiding or not, felt naked because they remember that the charges hurled by the Governor have cost the freedom and the lives of men unfortunate enough to be accused of invented crimes in the past. After all, lynching is still a recent phenomenon in the American experience. This offering began with a reference to a fight. [Continued on page 11]
The African Children’s Choir will melt your heart with their charming smiles, beautiful voices and lively African songs and dances. The program features well-loved children’s songs, traditional spirituals and rhythmic gospel favorites. Since 1984 the African Children’s Choir has been working to raise awareness of the plight of millions of orphaned and abandoned children by showcasing the beauty, dignity and potential of each African Child! The Choir is made up of some of the neediest and most vulnerable children in Africa. The African Children’s Choir is privileged to have performed before presidents, heads of state and most-recently, the Queen of England. The Choir has also sung with such notable artists as Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith and other inspirational singers. The mission of the Choir is to create ChangeMakers for the future of Africa by focusing on education. By helping the most vulnerable children in Africa today, we can help Africa tomorrow. Ticket sales directly support the expansion of sponsorship and education programs the African Children’s Choir provides for both Choir children and thousands of other children across Africa. To-date, over 52,000 children have been educated through the efforts of the Choir’s programs. For more information on the African Children’s Choir 2012 tour dates and an overview of our programs and projects, please visit africanchildrenschoir.com or contact: Publicity Coordinator Amanda Healy amanda.healy@africanchildrenschoir.com 1-877-532-8651
December 2012 The AC Phoenix 7
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December 2012 The AC Phoenix 9
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December 2012 The AC Phoenix 11
“Fancy” Water: Worth It Or A Waste?
by Lucas Johnson, BDO Staff Writer
Water is one of the most important things in life. But for something so essential, it’s not very exciting, is it? Drinking plain water isn’t always the most Earth-shattering thing in the world, but here are the facts you need to know before you spend money on one of those specialty bottles of water, such as coconut water, vitamin-enhanced and electrolyte water.
Electrolyte Water Electrolyte water is distilled (which means it’s boiled and then recondensed from the steam to kill microbes and remove minerals) and enhanced with potassium, magnesium, and calcium. According to the company’s website, it also “one-ups ma nature by adding in electrolytes for faster hydration.” But there’s no real evidence of there being a benefit to adding electrolytes to a hydration formula, experts say, unless you’re intensely exerting yourself in blazing heat and eating isn’t an option. Otherwise, plain water is just as effective. Don’t Forget BPA Keep in mind that when you’re buying a bottle of water, you may also be paying for something you definitely don’t want: BPA. Many plastics are made with BPA—a hormone-disrupting chemical that’s been linked to increased risk of heart disease and obesity—which means your bottled water is swimming with the chemical, too.
Coconut Water Dubbed “mother nature’s sport drink,” coconut water’s high levels of potassium, sodium, and antioxidants make it seem like the ultimate post-sweat swig. But just last year, scientists at ConsumerLab.com took several brands of coconut water to the lab and tested them to be sure. Their findings? Only one brand actually contained the amount of sodium and potassium claimed on its nutritional label. Assuming the label is telling the truth, coconut water is a decent choice for after a light workout, but it’s not a good call after intense ones because it doesn’t contain enough sodium, according to a recent study presented at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
And then, of course, there’s the issue of where the water actually comes from. In 2007, after receiving pressure from the nonprofit group Corporate Accountability International, Pepsi’s Aquafina confessed their true source of water was filtered tap—not a mountain spring as they’d claimed.
Vitamin-Enhanced Water Now some of these beverages do have vitamins in them. But many of them also are 200 calories and have 33 g of sugar per bottle, making them more like soda than water. What’s more, says Ara DerMarderosian, PhD, a pharmacognosy professor at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, waters that are heavily fortified with vitamins and minerals may actually suppress your immune system if you’re already taking in enough vitamins and minerals through your diet. If you want a little zing in your water, try Ayala’s Hint, Metromint, or Wateroos. Each bottle is free of sugar, sweeteners, preservatives and calories.
This fight has been ongoing and is nothing new. What is novel about this is that they have been directed at a black President. The public attacks on Barack Obama’s educational attainment, intellect, and citizenship have a familiar ring for black people. These character assaults are older than the republic and will not disappear anytime soon. Maybe African Americans thought that the election of an African American President would moderate the vitriol reserved for them in current American life. Maybe they thought their generation might escape the indignities heaped on their ancestors. Sadly, the opposite may occur, at least in the short run. To the reader: Be watchful, silent and bear witness. The fight is not over yet!
People Get Ready For the Backlash That Is Coming by Dwight Jones
[Continued from page 6]
12 The AC Phoenix December 2012
Schools Today: Mirrors of Society’s Vices
work 12 hours a day, be caught up in the rat race, hand-off your child to some institutional framework every day, and expect some miraculous upbringing to occur. When we make a conscious decision to rise above this painful issue that affects everyone in the world, then we will need to hit the restart button. That means leaving everything behind without looking for anyone to blame. We start building the dialog between us from scratch, toward agreeing first of all that there is a very real problem that needs to be dealt with. We will need to rise above all the various opinions to find a common denominator to work with. If we continue arguing over all the different methods, when we are finished there will be nothing left to work with.
All the evils of modern society are manifested in our children at school in the cruelest possible manner. We need to start doing something about this immediately because this is our children we are talking about. The escalating violence and growing number of shootings taking place in our schools are providing us with a red line that should never have been crossed. Throughout the world and especially in the U.S., there is a growing phenomenon of aggression between students, between teachers and students, parents and coaches, and even parents and students. But the saddest of all are the cases of shootings and killings that occur in the schools themselves, especially the most recent horrifying shooting in a small town in Ohio, and another recent case where a gun discharged from a nine-year-old boy’s backpack critically wounded a girl in his class. The general state of the educational system actually symbolizes the exact opposite form of the global integral era we are meant to be entering. Integral means whole, a system where each part is essential or necessary for completeness. Despite our good intentions, our children see life as a competition to be the best, richest, and most successful. Achieving that ‘natural high’ that comes with being on top typically requires putting down the people around you. Society’s glorification of all the wrong values has reached a peak and that is what we are currently witnessing in our schools. The new circumstances are gradually compelling us to discover how we are all connected, and to shift from a culture of “me” to “we”. The individualistic driven world we have become accustomed to is coming apart at the seams, along with all the systems connected to it. Dealing with an economic system on the verge of collapse, countries on the verge of bankruptcy, or a political system serving personal interest is sad, but we continue to put up with them, although we may make significant changes sometime in the future. Yet dealing with the far-reaching consequences of a deficient education system and its casualties is another story altogether. This impacts not only the current students, our children, but also defines the nature of society for years to come. In viewing the state of the education system, we must look at ourselves, the adults, who brought the system to its current state or who allow it to remain in this state. What is that state? Many children and educators live in fear for their safety when they enter the school buildings. Educators are now routinely trained to deal with these tragic school-shooting incidents. This vital means for influencing and shaping our children for the future is shrouded by the threat and fear of violence that pervades the school environment. The school environment is fraught with other dangers and influences: alcohol and drug use, sexual activity or harassment. In many cases the blatant disparity in socio-economic status of the students harms the psychological perception of a student’s self-worth. Acquiring wealth is a measure of success. Violence is an everyday occurrence. All these are signs of the times and a clear result of a system not fulfilling its purpose. This is in stark contrast to Finland’s successful education system that is built on a foundation of equality, trust, togetherness, friendly relations, and ongoing parental support. Outside the classroom, our children’s lives are filled with sub-standard media (television, movies, music, and video-games) laden with graphic and gratuitous violence and the mythic, invincible Hollywood hero. Sports heroes—who fall prey to performance enhancing drugs in their competitive zeal to be the best since the pay off is great monetarily and with fame, as well as music and movie superstars—who after their quick rise to fame and financial heights, self-destruct in drug use or other criminal behaviors—are the most visible role models forming our children’s values. Clearly, these values we, if asked, would not wish to be those shaping our children’s lives. We have failed in our attempt to give our children a humane education because we behave contrary to those values. We cannot even set a proper example for our children. Children learn from what we do, not from what we say. If our example displays that acquiring money is more important than anything else and includes our turning a blind eye or an apathetic view to the injustices in society, corruption in business and government, then this is what our children learn. Apathy and disinterest is even more destructive than the other issues we mentioned up to this point. The foundation of a truly valuable education is providing a good example for kids to follow. Unfortunately, even the highest-quality education cannot countermand the negative examples we provide in today’s societal environment. All the humane values we wanted our children to have should have been implemented first and foremost by us in our family life, in our society, economy and politics. All of these areas of our lives should have been based on mutuality and collective responsibility, concern and care for one another. Since these are values we want to instill in our children, they should be present in the home life and all other aspects of society. It is outright hypocrisy and a complete lack of honesty on our part to complain about the education system. Everyone should see him or herself as responsible. It is unrealistic to
In conclusion, the sooner we grasp that being concerned for one another is the energy of the renewed society, the sooner we can promise our children a better future.
December 2012 The AC Phoenix 13
Unveiling Black Student Achievement and Forgive, So You Can Truly Live the Meaning of Hope by Oprah Winfrey
Chairman and CEO, Oprah Winfrey Network
by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu Contact information: Alicia Archer, (708) 672-4909 x731 Why are Black Students Underachieving? (Chicago, IL, December 10, 2012) - Media depictions of African American students as academic failures are, as Amanishakete Ani states in SigHT: Unveiling Black Student Achievement and the Meaning of Hope, missing the truth about their intellectual capacity. And the truth, according to Dr. Ani, is that African American students not only have the potential to do well in school, many are succeeding against tremendous odds and beyond expectations, as objectively measured by standardized test scores, GPAs, and teacher reports. A practicing psychologist, Ani works with low-income African American students and their families. She says African American children are disproportionately labeled in schools and placed in special education, and they receive more misdiagnoses of mental and behavioral dysfunctions than other groups, which leads to overmedication. “Negative deficit models that seek to understand ‘risk factors’ and failure have dominated treatment and even classroom pedagogy, and this has been a big part of the problem,” says Ani.
Five days ago, I asked that you open yourself to the power of gratitude. If you took me up on that offer, you should already be feeling a slight shift in your way of being in the world. Looking out for five things to be grateful for changes the way you see your whole day -- and eventually your life. It’s a major cornerstone of living a happy and fulfilled life. The other fundamental building block I know for sure is forgiveness: releasing all grudges, need for revenge or attachment to what woulda-shoulda been. My favorite definition -- if you’ve watched “The Oprah Show” or read O magazine, you’ve heard me say it repeatedly -- is that forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different. That was said by an expert many years ago on the show. When I first heard it, I literally I got goose bumps. The message that came through so clearly and stayed with me is this: Forgive, so you can truly live. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you condone the behavior or, in any way, make a wrong right. It just means you give yourself permission to release from your past -- and step forward with the mud of resentment cleared from your wings. Fly! Is there someone you need to forgive? Let that be the best gift you give yourself
Taking a radically different approach, Ani thought it would make more sense to investigate this year. It’s the gift for all seasons. how Black students achieve academically, despite the odds against them. Ani synthesized two models-Afrocentrism and Hope Theory-to better understand Black students who are #liberating #priceless successfully balancing school work, home life, and typical inner city problems (poverty, crime, gangs, etc.). The result is a positive, proactive approach she calls “Afrocentric SigHT,” or strength-based hope theory. Ani interviewed six African American middle school student achievers, all from a low-income, low-performing school district in Cleveland, Ohio. The outcome is her gem of a book, which presents the profound insights of the students in their own words. “When I speak of hope I am referring to the specific set of thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs that drive people to achieve their goals. Hope the way I mean it is not about wishing on a star. It’s about having a dream and then setting goals and taking positive action to make that dream a reality,” says Ani. “The students in my study have figured out how to do just that.” Ani distilled five personal and cultural factors from the student interviews that are key to academic success: 1. Family and community encouragement 2. Secure racial-ethnic identity 3. Spiritual grounding 4. A personal sense of determination 5. Personal expectations of excellence SigHT: Unveiling Black Student Achievement and the Meaning of Hope features a foreword by Ani’s mentor and teacher, Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, an in-depth review of Hope and Afrocentric research, and guidelines for parents, educators, practitioners, and policy makers to enhance their work with African American students. For additional information, contact 1-800-552-1991, Fax# (708) 672-0466. P.O. Box 1799, Chicago Heights, IL 60412. Website: http://www.africanamericanimages.com, Email: customer@africanamericanimages.com. The sale price is $16.95.
Roy Franklin Bell Receives Reidsville NAACP Humanitarian Award [continued from page 1] , counselor and friend.
Roy acknowledges his relationship with God. He is a member of Elm Grove Baptist Church. He was named 2012 “Man of the Year”. He has served faithfully, for forty years as Financial Secretary and on the Board of Trustees. He is also an Adult Sunday School Teacher. His love for family and friends shows, he is married to Amanda Joann Bell, together, they have four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Lastly, Roy is a soft spoken man who gives freely of himself, his time and resources in order to help others. He is a faithful man , who loves the Lord.
14 The AC Phoenix December 2012
Do We Really Have Freedom of Speech? By Gerald Green
We expect our elected officials and lawmakers to make decisions that are in our best interests, that’s why we elect them in the first place right? However when their choices….on our behalf of course, start to seem like personal vendettas or agendas, we the naïve constituents are the ones that usually get duped. The North Carolina Supreme Court recently overturned the state Appeal Court’s ruling that regulation of video gaming would be a constitutional violation of right to free speech. I guess it’s not any threat to our well-being or livelihood for us to spend endless dollars on the so-called North Carolina Education Lottery or the numerous scratch-off ticket games that seem to increase daily. But if we choose to spend a few dollars each week on video gaming, we run the risk of losing control, becoming compulsive gamblers and need the legislators to protect us. I find it strange that the legislators are nowhere to be found when we “need” their voice and protection to regulate the oil companies that have been price-gouging us at the pumps for years. Some North Carolina cities are generating upwards of a half billion dollars yearly in tax revenues from the online gaming businesses. This is valuable income that so many cities desperately need to help offset their already bulging municipal budgets, not to mention the almost ten thousand people that are getting ready to be added to the unemployment numbers come January the 3rd. North Carolina is currently ranked 5th in the nation for the highest unemployment rates. Legislators can’t possibly have our best interest at hand if they choose to ignore these numbers. The state Appeals Court got it right, choosing to regulate video gaming is a violation of our right to free speech. We have the right to play the North Carolina Education Lottery and generate billions in revenue for the state, but we do not have the right to engage in video gaming, which has spawned entrepreneurship, created business for various vendors and most importantly employed almost ten thousand people. The timing of this ruling comes conveniently when the state elections are over. This is another reason we all must exercise our right to vote, I’m sure the legislators would like us to forget that elections will come again in a few years, this will be our time to remind them of our “freedom of speech”.
December 2012 The AC Phoenix 15