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2016, Year of Abundance, Prophetically
Olawale Idreez, Publisher
Quotable quotes: “If your dream and passion do not scare you, then you have not dreamed enough.” by Lisa Nichols, author of ABUNDANCE NOW. A very good inspirational and business ethics book. Now imagine if you woke up, took a bath, and found yourself in front of a mirror. Doing what? Lifting and throwing your arms in the air, praising and singing “ Our God is awesome...He can move a mountain... with me in the valley...help is on the way.” Thank you Rev. Charles Jenkins, for that worship song, that elevates one’s spirit. That is the only way I can sum up the episodes that have engulfed our wonderful, but cruel planet Earth; particularly in the year 2015. So, to still be alive is really worth praising and singing, like I truly mean it. The good news hinged on the fact that, when you are alive, there’s still hope. Hope that you can surpass your hindrance of the previous year. Hope that you can choose a healthier life; including eating African spinach-spicy cuisine, to get rid of the worse cold ( with the choice of cold water, or a Heineken ). Please stop laughing! Yes, you can can choose Obamacare before you go to General Hospital in this young and the restless life, as our world turns for better or worse, usually at the edge of night. Most importantly, we can do God’s honorable and spiritual empowerment thing, prophesying into the new year, such as You, this amazing, awesome, beautiful, healthy, wealthy, vision-filled, and more prosperous year called 2016. You will be kind and favor me. Amen! You might be surprised at how you will end that year. Good things that you did not expect might come your way, no matter what the adversaries throw at you. There’s a very good chance that you will prevail. Although I’m speaking in riddles in this edition, experiences of life has taught me so much in the past year, that I cannot resist giving the glory to the Creator of the Heavens and Earth. He is awesome! Every issue of our life seems so complicated, but yet can be dealt with in a simplistic and common-sense formula. Forgive me, I Joe-bided (immitated) that formula from incumbent President Barack Obama, and current Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. That so many things we human beings make so complicated to deal with, such as if someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the left cheek. Chance are he/she will think twice, before slapping the second one. Okay, fine, that is not a popular opinion, albeit if we practice God’s promise in the Genesis 6:3, Our lives mght be prolonged as He promised, “My spirit will not strive with man forever, but let us make him to live 120 years on this Earth.” Unfortunately we fall short of that every time we do things our way. But the promise is still there always, if you believe it. On another serious note, why should it be so rigid to pass health care laws that will benefit majority of the people who supposedly are anti-abortion, but support NRA (National Rifle Association). Isn’t that kind of hypocritical? I wonder which group will have a “special place” in heaven or hell? Just look back at the number of innocent kids unduly terminating their lives (including, but not limited to Laquan McDonald, and many more, senselessly). It’s just food for thought, that’s all! The point is, common sense dictates that you don’t need someone to tell you not to jump in with both feet to test the depth of the river. (Thank you, Warren Buffet). Neither do you need anyone to tell you not to put hand in the burning fire. It is simply common sense to pass the law to protect helpless people. Lest I forget, as much as I have been advised not to be partial in supporting any candidate in this 2016 Presidential elections, one candidate said something that resonates in one’s spirit and mental faculty. Hillary Clinton said at the Chicago rally that “she would support the projects that incumbent President Obama has 90% completed, and for her to finish the 10% and build on that to attain great heights”. That is the glory of a progrssive nation. All political correctedness, bickering, partianship, and bitterness aside, the global communities are anxiously waiting (for the most part) to celebrate with the U.S. when it gives democracy a true and long lasting meaning: equal opportunity for all people, especially to the woman who is humble, experienced, competent, and “electable”. I respectfully believe that it is common-sense. Because nobody wants to live in any system (for that matter), like a Sisyphean Laborer, who spent 100 years trying to build a wall. Each time he almost gets to the top, the wall crumbles down again and again. At the end of the 100th year, he finally relized he has accomplished noase nada, nothing, zilch, zero. Democracy must be transparent, and continue to fairly give a chance to all people for other countries to emulate it. Conclusively, I thank Lisa Nichols, author of “ABUNDANCE NOW” that helps re-shape my passion for writing, and collaborating with good people (especially Mr. John E. Smith Jr.) that supports this humble vision, to be viewed and read across the globe. Thank you all!
4 AFRICA USA TODAY
Olawale Idreez can be reached at email:usafriglo@yahoo.com Facebook.com/Africa-USA Today Magazine
Africa USA Today Magazine
DARLENE HUMPHREY VERA GILES-NORRIS QUEEN BUNMI AJIBADE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BARBARA KENSEY MEDIA CONSULTANT TORNU PRYNCE ARMAND J. AZAMAR
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Email: jes3122001@yahoo.com jesmithphoto.wix.com/jes 6 AFRICA USA TODAY
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS REV. ROD REINHART JUANITA CREAR-PRICE, MS REGIONAL EDITOR ADEMOLA LAWAL
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Contents
JOHN E. SMITH JR. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Celebrating Black History & Women History
18 12 Chicago Auto Show 18 Celebrating Black History
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In this issue we celebrate Black History & Women History. These are trailblazers who dared to live extraordinary lives. We take a look at some of the contributions of those who have greatly made a difference. Take time to learn more about these pioneers who helped shape not only American History but World History.
20 Events 24 Politics 26 African News 32 Birthday Celebration 34 Travel 40 Food, clothing, Shelter, & Politics 42 Chicago Oscars
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CHICAGO AUTO SHOW RAMPS UP TO CONNECT WITH SOCIAL INFLUENCERS CHICAGO ﴾December 9, 2015﴿ – Once again the Chicago Auto Show will amplify trends and news occurring at the nation’s largest auto show through social media activations with the objective of extending the reach to what show organizers call “non‐traditional automotive audiences.” The show has formed partnerships with Digital Megaphone, an organization that creates educational and interactive events for marketers and bloggers, and Word of Mouth Marketing Association ﴾WOMMA﴿, the official trade association in the industry dedicated to word‐of‐mouth and social media marketing. Together, the Chicago Auto Show and these organizations have formed activations and initiatives that help drive engagement with key influencers and spread excitement for the nine‐day public show. Digital Megaphone will invite key social media influencers to attend the media‐only event on Friday, Feb. 12. They will be among the first to see the latest vehicle introductions and cutting‐edge technologies. Influencers will be charged with creating a #CASViralVideo using select social media channels. The videos will be judged for a chance to win exclusive prizes up for grabs. The goal of the challenge is to engage digital influencers to put their creative spin on the news and trends coming out of the nation’s largest auto show and the automotive industry overall. “The 2016 Chicago Auto Show viral video challenge will once again give social media influencers and traditional media the opportunity to explore the show floor during the Media Preview to capture and share their perspective of the latest industry trends while boosting the automaker’s announcements via social media,” said Digital Megaphone Founder and President Hope Bertram. Additionally, the Chicago Auto Show and WOMMA will host the fourth annual “Driving Engagement Award” ceremony to bring national recognition to one automaker’s particularly engaging social media campaign. Historically, this event has been the culmination of WOMMA’s review and selection process. However, for the first time, WOMMA will enlist consumers to weigh in and cast their vote via an app on the Chicago Auto Show’s Facebook page. “Whether offline or online, word of mouth has always directly impacted the auto industry – and research proves that’s more true today than ever,” said WOMMA President Suzanne Fanning. “According to our Return on WOM research study, with higher consideration categories like automobiles, a word‐of‐mouth impression can be up to 200 times more effective than a paid media impression.” The Digital Megaphone and WOMMA partnerships combined with the Chicago Auto Show’s strong Media Preview provide a powerful platform to strategically reach a new demographic of consumers. “The Chicago Auto Show is such a visual place and a prime venue to create compelling content, so we will continue to work with organizations like Digital Megaphone and Word of Mouth Marketing Association to invite top influencers from across the country as well as local bloggers to partake in these engaging activations,” said 2016 Chicago Auto Show Chairman Colin Wickstrom. For more information on the 2016 Chicago Auto Show, please visit www.chicagoautoshow.com. ### About the Chicago Auto Show The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show on the continent, spanning more than 1 million square feet of production, concept, and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North America vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises more than $2 million annually for 18 vital Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2016 public show will be February 13‐21. For more information, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com or Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow. About The Chicago Automobile Trade Association Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is the nation’s oldest and largest metropolitan dealer organization. It is comprised of more than 400 franchised new‐car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group’s dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information please visit CATA.info. About Digital 12 AFRICA USAMegaphone TODAY Digital Megaphone creates educational and interactive events for markets and bloggers. Thousands of marketers from
Highlights from previous auto shows
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
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Highlights from previous auto shows
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
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Highlights from previous auto shows
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
John E. Smith Jr. Photography
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Why We Need to Study Black History The Rev. Rod Reinhart St. Clement’ s Episcopal Church, Harvey IL When I was down in Florida last week, visiting my family, I had the wondrous experience of visiting the Florida State Fair. The most interesting part of the fair was a reproduction of an authentic 1840’s Florida pioneer village called Cracker Town. They had brought together old fashioned buildings from all over the state to show how Floridians may have actually lived in the 1840’s. There was a church, a school, a general store, a rail road station, a sugar cane mill, and a smoke house. There were also lots of traditional homes. It was all very lovely and very old… but I was disturbed about one thing… There were no slave quarters. There was not even a mention of all the slaves who had probably built the place… and who probably did most of the work. It seemed that they had sanitized and cleaned up the history of that time not so long ago. It seemed that they wanted us to remember only the good times… and not the bad times. But that is what people tend to do. Politicians and leaders in the south… and some in the North as well… have worked hard to cover up the history of slavery… of segregation… of cruelty and brutality. They have tried to make slavery look as genteel and nice as Mammy’s kitchen in Gone With the Wind. But that is just as bad as Germany telling the history of World War II and forgetting to tell about the concentration camps or the murder of six million Jews. This is my Black History Month Sermon… and Black History Month is important for America… because it helps us to remember some of the painful parts of American history that many important people want us to forget. America is a rich, historic and wonderful land, filled with noble and courageous people. But we must remember that America has a hard and cruel history of enslaving… brutalizing and oppressing entire races of people. And we must also remember that, in many parts of America, that cruelty and oppression still goes on today. That is the reason we need Black History Month… to remember the sins and cruelty of the past and to know how to work together so that cruel past is not repeated today. There are three versions of African American History that get taught in schools, broadcast on TV, or mentioned in churches. The first is the traditional white version of history where the evils of slavery and racism are never mentioned at all. This White version of history can teach us about the founding fathers… the revolution… the Civil War… World Wars… but never really say much of anything about slavery and the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Then there is the sanitized and cleaned up version of Black history that gets taught in far too many schools and talked about by far too many broadcasters and politicians today. They may teach about slavery… but they will say it was nowhere near as bad as everyone says. They may mention the underground rail road, Frederick Douglas… Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver, Jack Johnson, Miriam Anderson, Ralph Bunch, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King. But they will make them sound like wonderful middle class heroes who stood up for conservative American values and who never would have broken any law of any kind. 20 AFRICA USA TODAY
Why We Need to Study Black History (Contd. from pg. 20) They won’t mention the hundreds of thousands who died on the Middle Passage on ships coming from Africa. They won’t mention the hundreds of thousands who died of starvation and torture on plantations across the South. They won’t mention the Fugitive Slave Act… the law that forced Americans all over the north to either help the slave owners hunt down escaped slaves or face many years in prison. They won’t mention Medger Evers, Emmitt Till, Shwarmer, Goodman and Cheney, and the many thousands of people of all races who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom and civil rights. The sanitized, cleaned up version of Black History may be very pretty and very nice… but it is not the real history and it is not the real truth. But then there is the real version of Black history… the one that all of us should know. This is the version that fully accounts for the massive cruelty, murder, humiliation, torture, forced labor, and family destruction that happened during the times of slavery. This is the version that fully accounts for the lynchings, the Ku Klux Klan terrorism, and the loss of voting rights, the burning of churches, the loss of human rights and the loss of freedom before and after the Civil War. This is the version that fully accounts for the suffering of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver, Miriam Anderson, Ralph Bunch, Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King and so many other outstanding leaders in the great movement for freedom and justice…. For all of them received some kinds of violent, cruel and disgraceful treatment at the hands of the overseers, the police, and the wealthy and powerful white establishment. This is the version that fully accounts for the violence and murder against the civil rights workers who simply marched together, sang together and proclaimed together… “We want to be free.” This is the version that fully accounts for all of the young black men who have been murdered… and will be murdered in all those states where Stand Your Ground laws gives frightened white men full permission to pull the trigger. This is the version that fully accounts for the marvelous ways that Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver, Miriam Anderson, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King… and thousands of courageous heroes… and millions of active supporters, both black and white, worked together, suffered together, and sometimes died together over four hundred years, in the long struggle for freedom, equality, justice, economic empowerment and civil rights. This is the real version of Black History … and we should make sure our schools, churches, TV and radio broadcasters, and even our politicians know it and teach it. Religion has always played a vital role in the struggle for freedom and equality. From the old slave preachers gathering their fellow slaves in the woods or behind the barn… to tiny wooden churches out in the rural south… to the big city pastors of churches that sprung up after Reconstruction… to the thousands of preachers who followed Dr. King in the Civil Rights Movement… The Black men and women consecrated as Bishops in the Episcopal Church…to the powerful and faithful big-time inner city and urban pastors and preachers today… Religion has always played a vital role in the historic struggle for freedom and equality. If you saw the movie, Twelve Years a Slave, you will know that, long ago, the slave owners brought their own white preachers… orthey preached themselves… to teach the slaves that God wanted them to obey their masters, work hard and simply accept their lot in life. They were taught that the sin of Adam and Eve and the Sin of Cain fell especially hard on the African people because they had been designated from the beginning of time to be slaves. They were taught that African people had, in ancient times, succumbed to the temptations of Satan… the kinds that Jesus avoided in the desert… and thus, they must spend eternity hewing wood, drawing water and serving the wishes of their masters. They were taught that the Ten Commandments demanded that they honor their masters… don’t lie… don’t steal, submit to their suffering, and don’t covet or desire anything beyond what their owners want to give them. But the slaves often had their own preachers… and the old slave preachers did not simply accept everything their owner said. They learned how to read the Bible too, and they found other commandments… like the ones in Leviticus 19… where God commends us… “You shall not keep for yourself the wages of those who labor for you”…” You shall not be cruel to the poor”… “You shall not profit from the blood and suffering of your neighbor”… “But you shall love your neighbor… especially those who work for you… as yourself.” AFRICA USA TODAY 21
Why We Need to Study Black History (Contd. from pg. 16) And the slave preacher found Isaiah Chapter 61 where the prophet says… “The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”
And the old preachers found that Jesus quotes these same words from Isaiah at the very beginning of his ministry and tells the world that he has been sent by GOD “to proclaim liberty to the captives and to open the prisons of those who are bound.” They even read the Book of Exodus and found that GOD began his great work of redeeming the world by sending ten plagues on Egypt to set his enslaved people free from bondage and tyranny. Religion has always played a vital role in the historic struggle for civil rights, justice and equality because African American churches… and many progressive white churches as well… always knew that the Bible is filled… from Genesis to Revelation… with the great message that we must set slaves and captives free… treat poor and working people with fairness and dignity… and build a world of justice, freedom and equality for everyone, regardless of race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, handicap, nationality or education. When Dr. King marched in those steaming cities of the south, and especially when he marched through Selma, he knew that religion would always play a vital role in the movement. So he invited pastors, parishioners, priests and nuns from every church and every race to come and march with him. And over and over again, great bus-loads of faithful people, both black and white, answered the call. King’s ability to mobilize people of every race, and class, gender and nation, forced all of America to move, ever so slowly… even unwillingly… toward a new era of liberty and justice for all. Sin has always been a problem for Christians. There is a big contradiction in how black and white churches and preachers view the problem of SIN. The majority of conservative white preachers have always condemned people to hell for sinful bad habits, such as smoking, drinking, adultery, or taking drugs… or tolerating GLBT people. But they seldom condemned people who cheat their employees, close down factories, steal employee pensions, hate people of other races, take away food stamps from the poor, and even abuse their children and their wives. Meanwhile, Black preachers, and most White liberal and progressive pastors, have almost always preached that sin was much more about racial hatred, religious prejudice….. Cruelty to families, neighbors, and friends… stealing from workers… Colonialism…. Enslaving other races and nations…. killing innocent teenagers…. False imprisonment… making vast profits by destroying the economy…. and stealing the lives, the homes and the freedom of poor people and minorities. The Bible calls us to repent for our sins, and these are sins which far too many people refuse to recognize as sins… and they would never repent for them, even if they did. Black History Month has always been very controversial. Many powerful politicians and preachers and big time conservative broadcasters have always opposed teaching the lessons of African American History in our churches or schools, because it reminds the world of historic sins, cruel realities and heroic struggles that the politicians would prefer that everyone forget. 22 AFRICA USA TODAY
Why We Need to Study Black History (Contd. from pg. 17) But Black History Month is vitally important to African American people… Even though it is the shortest month of the year…. Because it allows them to remember, teach, and learn from and use their own history. This month enables people of good will to work together so that prejudice, hatred, and the desire for power do not allow the high and mighty to take away their right to vote… steal their jobs… kill their children… or oppress and destroy the victims of bigotry and discrimination. And Black History Month is important to all the people of America… and all the people of the world… people of every race and ethnic group…This month should help us all to remember the terrible sins committed by our ancestors… and to make certain we do not allow ourselves… or future generations… or other nations around the world… to fall into those same sins again. It is important to see that the Civil Rights struggle is a struggle in which we all share. Dr. King reminded us that, when we set free the victims of racism and oppression, we set free the racist and oppressor as well. King carefully and poetically showed the rich and powerful majority of Americans that slavery, racism, bigotry and discrimination were our great unrepented and unforgiven sin…He showed us that we, as a nation and we, as Americans… were in danger of God’s eternal judgment for those sins for which we refused to repent or seek forgiveness. And we are all aware of the terrible dangers that lurk in the world today. Crime, poverty, income inequality, unemployment, drug abuse, violence in our cities, and religious war around the world… All of these stem from the abiding and universal sin of racial and ethnic prejudice, greed, and pride. Dr. King, and great preachers, of all races, all across this land, taught all Americans that we must turn away from the cruel sins that lead our nation and the globe into destruction, violence and despair. They taught us that we must change the racist attitudes, systems and behaviors that support violence and racial inequality. They taught us that we must build a nation that offers social and economic justice and equality for everybody. Then God’s grace and favor will be on every person in that nation and we all shall be free. When America truly repents of the sins of racial inequality, economic destruction, laws that target black and Latino youth, voter suppression, and legalized oppression of the poor, then God will do great things. We have made real progress toward justice and equality. Laws have been changed and hearts have been changed. America is not the country it was fifty years ago. But this society is far from perfect and the battle is not yet won. “Jim Crow” is knocked off his horse, but he is still crawling around making trouble. We must still work together… blacks and whites, people of every race, to assure that racial hatred, religious war, and ethnic violence are left behind in the dust of history. Sadly, in spite of all our progress, the soul of this nation is still wrapped and warped in the chains of bigotry, hatred and fear. We have been held hostage by our endless desire for power, privilege and wealth. God wants to set free this sinful nation and all the people in it. When America truly repents of its wicked past and turns from its cruel ways, then this nation will be free to receive God’s gift of freedom, forgiveness and salvation... the gift Christ won for us on the cross. The celebration of this historic and important month calls us to bravely and courageously seek to do the work and will of God today. This month calls us to preach the message of repentance… forgiveness… social transformation…Freedom… Pride… and equality and dignity for all. Let us bravely go forth together and do God’s great work…every day and every month of the year.
The Rev. Rod Reinhart St. Clement’ s Episcopal Church Harvey IL
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Politics
The GOP Has Some Lessons to Learn from Policies The GOP Has Some Lessons to Learn Trump’s from Trump'sImmigration Immigration Policies By Yuri Vanetik and Thomas Tucker
Polls indicate that support for Donald Trump is plateauing while key challengers like Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio are quickly gaining ground. If this trend continues and Trump flames out, the Republican establishment shouldn't simply dismiss his candidacy as a fad. There are lessons to be learned from Trump's unexpected popularity. The most important one is that there is broad support for some components of his immigration platform, even among Hispanics. Yes, you read that right. Polls show that many Hispanics agree with Trump that illegal immigration is a huge problem. The eventual GOP nominee should, of course, reject the divisive, inflammatory language Trump has often used to make the case for reform. But there are smart policy ideas buried under all that rhetoric. They ought to be incorporated into the official party platform. A recent poll by SurveyUSA shows Trump commands the support of 31 percent of Hispanics. That's not only a higher share than Mitt Romney received in 2012 ‐‐ it's more than Republican George H.W. Bush received in 1988 when he won the general election. Most Hispanics aren't single‐issue voters when it comes to immigration. A recent Gallup poll found that, among registered Latino voters, 67 percent are at least willing to support a candidate who doesn't share their views on immigration. And 18 percent don't consider the issue important to them at all. What's more, many Hispanic citizens have little sympathy for immigrants who haven't played by the rules. Forty‐two percent of American‐born Hispanics disapprove of President Obama's executive actions to prevent the deportation of illegal immigrants. So while Trump has been incendiary, his message has nonetheless resonated with a significant share of Hispanic voters. It's no surprise that immigrants who played by the rules disapprove of people who don't. With Trump on the wane, the GOP should pluck the good from his immigration stand and propose specific reforms. As Trump has suggested, border enforcement should be a primary goal. Trump's signature proposal, after all, is a wall along the Mexican border with "a big, beautiful door . . . so that people can come into this country legally." The GOP should fill in the details. For example, they need a strategy for finding and holding accountable immigrants who remain in the country longer than the law allows. Systems such as biometric exit points, which would track visitors through their fingerprints or photographs, could help ensure that the person leaving the country is the same one who entered. Trump has also said that after deporting undocumented workers ‐‐ who make up 5 percent of the U.S. labor force ‐‐ he'd be willing to "invit[e] the good ones back." It'd be cheaper and more effective to skip the mass deportations and simply grant temporary work permits to certain illegal immigrants who pass a rigorous qualification process. These individuals would need to learn English, pay hefty monetary penalties for having violated the law, and pass a thorough background check. The GOP should reject Trump's hateful rhetoric while prioritizing serious immigration reform. That strategy will drive voters of all stripes, including Hispanics, to the polls next November. 24 AFRICA USA TODAY
The GOP Has Some Lessons to Learn from Trump’s Immigration Policies
Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore
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ACE, Ohio Partner on $30M Agricultural Revolution,Create Empowerment Opportunities for over 15,000 Students, Communities
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ACE, Ohio Partner on $30M Agricultural Revolution,Create Empowerment Opportunities for over 15,000 Students, Communities
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Birthday Celebration at the prestigious 100% Premium Bar Elegushi in Lagos, Nigeria
ease use this as cover picture
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Travel
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Travel
Tutartifacts
King Tutankhamen AFRICA USA TODAY 35
Travel
Cruising to Catalina Island John E. Smith Jr. Photography
Going on a cruise is a great way to celebrate the holidays. We found a Carnival cruise from Los Angeles, CA to Catalina Island, & Ensanada, Mexico at a great price that was all- inclusive with airfare, cruise, and food for 4 days. The ship had plenty of activities,and food to enjoy, day & night. We enjoy visiting places, exploring different cultures, and having new experiences. I highly recommend taking a cruise as a great way to travel and see the world. John E. Smith Jr.
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John E. Smith Jr. Photography
Travel
Stars on Hollywood Blvd.
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Politics
Food, Clothing, Shelter … and Politics
Politics
According to Harold G. Hacrow’s Food Policy for America, from the settlers’ first encounter with North America up to the first twenty years of the 20th century, providing food for the population and ensuring the growth and maintenance of the territory were the highest priorities of the governing faction. Farming became the first and foremost regulated action of those in charge of creating policies because the amount of land far exceeded the number of settlers. Large sections of land were given or rented to single families. Thus, politicians began utilizing the two greatest natural resources of the new republic: humans and the land. In 1906 a young novelist named Upton Sinclair wrote a book called “The Jungle” using his firsthand knowledge to tell of the indecent treatment of stockyard workers in the city of Chicago, Illinois. He graphically dramatized the slaughter tactics performed in this environment and eventually drew attention to how the inhumane deaths of animals being processed for consumption placed psychological burdens upon those watching and performing the acts. Sinclair wrote that due to the corruption of politicians and union leaders the treatment of the unfortunate laborers affected every aspect of their lives, i.e., what they ate, their dwellings, and even the way they dressed, i.e., food, clothing, and shelter. As time went on greater issues were raised concerning the methods being used to process foods from the ground to the consumer. In 1977, Robert Kenner’s movie Food, Inc. – via the affiliated book of the same name edited by Karl Weber – elaborated on some of the changes in the growth, manufacturing, and distribution of farm products, e.g., plants and animals, resulting in what is now called industrialized foods or ‘fast’ foods. The 21st century brought about a revelation of how the inefficiencies of laws and regulations have caused as many problems as they have supposedly remedied. The nutritional labeling of food packaging for everyday items as well as for consumables labeled as “organic” products faces constant changes due to the government’s pacification of the livestock, farming, and food service industries. Underpaid employees are virtually forced to work to eek out a living even when they are ill. Uncertified individuals are hired to save money. Parallel to the stockyard workers, spoken of by Sinclair, who suffered deplorable conditions as health officials were paid by owners and managers, taps on the hand are being given to multi-billion dollar companies today that pay judges to overlook their breaking the law. As of 2009, about 73,000 Americans contracted foodborne illnesses annually by consuming resistant strains of the E. coli bacteria. One of the “founding fathers of this nation stated: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” This year, 2015, Bruce Rauner became the governor of the state of Illinois. Since his taking of that position many social services have been cut and there is talk of a ban being placed on certain foods that can be purchased by those receiving food assistance from the state via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As another saying goes: “The more things change the more things stay the same.” The majority of those who have been placed in political authority become tyrants and power mongers - wielding their dominion over ones who have no choice but to suffer the consequences. Even though I have major disagreements with how this country is run I am glad that I was born here. However – when will we learn that the United States is not a democracy though the term is used as the one: “I come in peace.”? When will we realize that this is a republic – which is clearly stated in the Pledge of Allegiance. Republics are based on a group who are chosen to run the nation – not on the basis of everyone having an equal input. Therefore, casting your vote is not as important when it comes to choosing who will run and win (that is usually done by the rich and the electoral college). Casting your vote makes sure that the world looking in from the outside can keep politicians mindful of the fact that they have declared to the world that the United States truly practices democratically. Until then maybe we should change the grouping of our basic needs to: food, clothing, shelter … and politics. Venetia Alexander 40 AFRICA USA TODAY
Entertainment
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POVERTY, VULNERABILITY, AND THE SAFETY N ET
RESEARCH REPORT
Helping Families Involved in the Child Welfare System Achieve Housing Stability Implementation of the Family Unification Program in Eight Sites Mary Cunningham February 2015
Michael Pergamit
Abigail Baum
Jessica Luna
Celebration of the Life of the Late
Madam Ayodele Odunuga in Lagos. Nigeria
For the Family May her gentle and kind soul rest with the Lord Olawale Idreez, Africa USA Today Magazine
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Photography by Ademola Lawal Sultan AFRICA USA TODAY 47
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Book Club Features
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Special Report
Winter 2016
Prepared for EDF Members
Our man in China ON THE ROAD TO STABILIZING GLOBAL CLIMATE by Judy Stoeven Davies
T
his fall, the president of China stood next to the president of the United States and announced that China would launch a national carbon-trading program in 2017.
It is a momentous decision with implications for the entire planet. As the world’s biggest carbon emitter—dumping about 50% more climate-altering pollution into the atmosphere than the U.S.—China is critical to stabilizing global climate. With China’s new commitment to a national carbon market, and the U.S. and other nations making deeper commitments to slash their emissions, we can finally see the day when global emissions will begin to fall.
Dr. Dan Dudek
The story of how this happened began more than two decades ago. EDF president Fred Krupp had just hired Dr. Dan Dudek, a young agricultural economist. Dudek was focused on an idea kicking around in academia: The government would impose a limit or cap on a particular
pollutant and then issue what amounted to permits for a company to pollute. Over time, those permits would shrink and each company would have to figure out how to bring down its level of pollution. The theory made sense, but no one had figured out how it could work in the real world. Dudek was determined to change that—and did. He is widely credited with being the architect of the world’s first cap-and-trade program, launched under the 1990 Clean Air Act to control sulfur dioxide, the source of acid rain. The Economist called it “the greatest green success story of the past decade,” sparking interest in emissions trading markets worldwide and creating the model adopted by the state of California for the nation’s first multi-sector carbon market. 50 AFRICA USA TODAY
In 1991, Dudek fixed his sights on China. “I rolled my eyes and expressed extreme