INNER-CITY NEWS

THE

New Haven, Bridgeport

NEWS

Volume 21 No. 2175

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

Harp: Public Financing Worth Strengthening

Ceiling-Breaking Americans

Promotion Promotion Draws Draws Crowd Crowd

Must Must Stand Stand Up Up

President Obama Obama Proposing Proposing President in 2017 2017 to to Provide Provide Free Free in

1

FOLLOW US ON

CBC CBC PAC PAC Endorses Endorses Hillary Hillary Clinton Clinton

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016 2

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

3

4

Love Letters Endure ship from just friends in their hometown of Wilkes-Barre, Penn., until their marriage. The book also offers a glimpse into the history of a post-slavery black family in the 1940s and how the couple ended up in New Haven.

by STAFF New Haven Independent

Jill Marie Snyder knew that her parents had written love letters to each other that dated back from the mid-1937 until they were married in 1941. She didn’t find them and understand their significance until her mother, who always wanted them published, died.

Spoiler alert: Syner’s parents, Mary Brooks Snyder and Luther William Snyder, were drawn to the promise of jobs at Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which was hiring to aid the war effort.

The family joined an exodus of African-American families to New Haven in the middle of the 20th century.

“The letters were stuffed in a plastic bag hidden in a cabinet that had been in her bedroom. Over time she had taken the letters and put them in order,” Snyder recalled in an interview on WNHH radio’s “Tom Ficklin Show.”

Snyder put the letters away in a box for about two years, trying to build up the nerve to read them.

“But I happened to be the stewardship chair for my church at the time, and I realized I needed to be the steward of these letters,” she said. “My parents had saved them all those decades, and I couldn’t just let them be thrown in the trash and forgotten.”

She also remembered that her mother had once mentioned want-

PAUL BASS PHOTO Jill Snyder at WNHH. ing to have the letters published.

Snyder transcribed those letters, and they became the basis for a book she has authored called,

Dear Mary, Dear Luther: A Courtship In Letters. The book tracks the evolution of her parents’ relation-

“A lot of people tell me, both black and white, that they see their family story in mine,” said Snyder, who works for an insurance company and serves on the board of serves on the board of the Community Healing Network Inc. “They can connect to a lot of the events revealed, because similar events took place in their families.”

The book is a testament to the enduring and universal power of love. Here’s a sample of one of Luther’s letters to his future bride:

John P. Thomas Jr. Publisher / CEO Babz Rawls Ivy Managing Editor Liaison, Corporate Affairs Doreen Strong Advertising Director Sales Team Trenda Lucky Delores Alleyne John Thomas III Hilda Calvachi

Editorial Team Staff Writers Ratasha Smith / Current Affairs Anthony Scott / Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd / Politics Contributing Writers David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jessica Carl Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair Mubarakah Ibrahim Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha Kam Williams Content Contributors At-Large Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com Paul Bass New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org Dr. Fred McKinney Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council www.cmsdc.org Memberships National Association of Black Journalist National Newspapers Publishers Association Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. The Inner-City Newspaper is published weekly by Penfield Communications, Inc. from offices located at 50 Fitch Street, 2nd Floor, New Haven, CT 06515.

203-387-0354 phone; 203-387-2684 fax.

Subscriptions:$260 per year (does not include sales tax for the in State subscriptions). Send name, address, zip code with payment. Postmaster, send address changes to 50 Fitch Street, New Haven, CT 06515. Display ad deadline Friday prior to insertion date at 5:00pm Advertisers are responsible for checking ads for error in publication. Penfield Communications, Inc d.b.a., “The Inner-City Newspaper” , shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad or for typographical errors or errors in publication, except to the extent of the cost of the space in which actual error appeared in the first insertion. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The entire contents of The Inner-City Newspaper are copyright 2012, Penfield Communications, Inc. and no portion may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

based on commission,” she said.

“So I said, ‘OK, I’ll try it.’

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Indepaendent

“Actually, because I was writing insurance for them, I had an idea of what they were making, and I thought ‘That’s not bad money.’”

Patricia Helliger’s historic promotion to the rank of captain at a celebratory City Hall ceremony Friday was not lost on her or the people she calls her “beloved community.”

Helliger also was intrigued with a concept that New Haven’s then police chief, Nick Pastore, was introducing, called community policing.

Not only did she become the first black woman in the city’s police department to pin on the rank of captain. She did it during Black History Month.

“I stand before you today with God’s grace and mercy today,” Helliger said to more than 100 people who packed the second floor of City Hall, drawing applause, “amen”s and “hallelujah”s.

“Today I rise as Patricia Helliger, first black woman captain of the New Haven Police Department,” she concluded.

liberal arts degree and a minor in psychology she needed a job.

And Pan American World Airways was hiring.

Helliger spoke about the first black man to be a police officers in Selma, Ala. after the Civil War and the first black woman to wear the uniform, an officer of the Los Angeles Police Department.

She also spoke of reacting with joy when she learned that she would be promoted, but a sense of awkwardness that it took 20 years, the entirety of her career until now, for a black woman to reach such a level.

Though Helliger achieved a first, Chief Dean Esseman pointed out that she joins a sisterhood of female leadership in the department that include former Assistant Chief Petisia Adger (who is also AfricanAmerican), recently retired Capt.

Holly Wasilewski and current head of the Police Academy Capt. Julie Johnson.

He praised Helliger’s work keeping alive the efforts of Dixwell matriarch and leader Mae Ola Reddick, and passed along congratulations from the man who hired Helliger, former Chief Nick Pastore.

promotion ceremonies give the city a measure of pride and a chance to celebrate the work of the police department.

She said that Helliger was “a lieutenant who has served this city well and now about to become Capt. Helliger, and we are so proud of you.”

said she is in a curious place for a woman who never planned on breaking any glass ceilings.

“I was really surprised,” she said. “I didn’t say ‘I’m going to become a lieutenant, and I’m going to stay here until I become captain.’ It was never a thought, that there was never a black female captain. But it is really important to break that glass ceiling and say that this can be done.”

She stayed with Pan Am until Delta bought the airline. By then she was married and commuting to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Again, she needed a job and started selling insurance on commission. One of her clients happened to be the Bridgeport Police Department.

“With a progressive department like we are, I just think it’s a shame that it took this long really,” Helliger said in an interview earlier this week. “It’s very disheartening for me to realize I’m the first black female captain, and despite what people might think, it was not by design.”

Friendly Skies For Mean Streets

“A couple of the guys in Bridgeport said, ‘You know what, you’d make a good cop!’

And I was like, ‘Get outta here!

Good cop? Oh, no.’ Being a police officer was the last thing I was thinking about.”

In fact, Helliger didn’t start out to be a cop, period. She started her professional life as a flight attendant.

The Bridgeport officers insisted she take the test. So she did. New Haven’s department was hiring.

Helliger, who oversees the department’s records division,

When she graduated from Stony Brook University with a

“The insurance business was kind of tough because it was all

After completing the academy, Helliger walked the beat in Newhallville, where she “adopted” a family with whom she still keeps ties with to this day. Her connection to this family that sparked the idea aims_at_1800-warrant_backlog/ »to create a “safe surrender” warrant program that helped clean up a backlog on warrants and allow people to in her words “come out of the shadows” and clean up old warrants. Last year more than 500 people with outstanding warrants turned themselves in.

Helliger also spearheaded the Building Horizons Through Cultural Diversity program, which connected New Haven police officers who were born in other countries to students at Lincoln Bassett. And she continues to remain active with the Mae Ola Reddick Foundation, which is named in honor of the woman she said mentored her and showed her

Con’t on page

5

Mayor Toni Harp said that

“I spoke Dutch,” recalled Helliger, who was raised in Brooklyn but born on the island of St. Martin. “And back in those days, you had to speak another language. Pan Am was an international carrier, and you had to be fluent in another language in order to be a flight attendant.”

“Being raised in New York, there was never a good relationship between police and individuals,” she recalled. “If you see a cop, you never get a conversation with them, and if they’re in the community, it is usually because of something bad. [In New York] cops weren’t coming into the community to say, ‘Hi, how are you doing?

When I heard about the community-based policing initiative under Chief Pastore I was like, ‘I would like to try that.’”

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

Ceiling-Breaking Promotion Draws Crowd

6

Harp: Public Financing Worth Strengthening and when that addition were rolled out, and whether the extra funding is needed urgently for another program.

by ALIYYA SWABY New Haven Independent

Mayor Toni Harp called the city’s system for public financing a “fixture” in New Haven’s political landscape a fixture could be simplified to make it easier for candidates to navigate and the public to understand and support.

Leaders of civic organizations weighed in at the meeting on public financing’s use in getting more people to the polls in local elections.

She made that remark at City Hall Wednesday night to the board of that public-financing agency the Democracy Fund and to neighbors interested in upping local civic engagement.

The only local public financing system in the state, the New Haven Democracy Fund grants matching public money to mayoral candidates who agree to restrictions on how their campaign money is raised and spent. Candidates must collect 200 donations from local voters of at least $10, agree to avoid donations from political action committees and companies, and cap individual donations at $370, not $1,000.

The Fund provides matching funds up to $125,000. A candidate may not contribute more than $19,000 of his or her personal funds.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

Harp did not opt into the program during her contested 2013 election. At the time, she

ALIYYA SWABY PHOTO

Milfred, Harp at Wednesday night’s session.

criticized her main opponent for using public funds during the primaries, then registering as an independent for the general election without clean-election restrictions.

Wednesday night Harp called the Democracy Fund an important part of democratic participation in the city. “Public campaign financing opens up the process of running for office for candidates who otherwise may not have had the wherewithal to do that,” she said.

Fund Chair Jared Milfred

asked her what she would change about the program.

“The way in which money flows is complex,” she said, and could be simplified to draw in more candidates.

The city’s Board of Alders currently finances the Democracy Fund. Harp said other cities need resources for the matching money in order to implement public financing systems. “There has to be a way to talk about these things that make people believe it’s worth paying for,” she said.

Jacob Wasserman, Ward 1 Democratic co-chair, asked how to preserve that funding in New Haven so that a change in politics would not wipe it from the city’s budget.

Harp said the key is “marketing democracy” to emphasize the importance of unanimous participation.

Milfred asked if it could be financially feasible to include other local positions in the Democracy Fund, such as alder and city clerk.

Harp said that depends on how

Evan Preston, state director of nonprofit Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG), said that in his grassroots organizing among young people across the state, they often bring up public campaign financing.

1 alder in November as a Republican, said he would have liked to use public financing for his campaign. “We spent a lot of time trying to raise money against the incumbent,” time that could have been better spent campaigning, he said.

“How do we decrease the barrier to make it easier to get people involved?”

Some alders have been less excited about the idea of public financing for their campaigns, because it enables challengers to oppose them, Milfred said.

(Alders opposed to public financing for their races have questioned whether the city can afford it, or whether it’s necessary for low-budget campaigns.

Q House, Long Wharf Plans Proceed

by MARKESHIA RICKS The Board of Alders greenlights plans to transform parts of Dixwell and Long Wharf for the next generation.

In a unanimous vote, the alders Tuesday nights authorized Mayor Toni Harp to accept the $14.5 million from the state for the long-awaited rebirth of the Dixwell Q House, the beloved settlement house that opened in

1924 and closed in 2003.

The new 54,000 square foot complex will also house a new Stetson public library branch, Dixwell’s Cornell Scott Hill Health Center outpost and a senior center.

Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison said it’s been a fiveyear journey of concerned Dixwell community members, city officials and the Board of Alders working together to get

to this point. “This is not just for the Dixwell community,” she said of the new Q House.

“It’s for the entire city.”

Alders also approved the city’s quest for a $935,000 grant application for making some upgrades to Long Wharf that include improvements for public access to the nature preserve and veterans’ memorial and Long Wharf Park along the harbor. The idea

is to bring into the 21st century a waterfront district created in the mid-20th century.

Rodriguez is returning to the employ of U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s office in Hartford. Prior to his stint with the Harp administration in City Hall, Rodriguez served as an outreach worker and research aide in Blumenthal’s office for almost four years. He will return to serve as the office’s

deputy director.

Majority Leader and Annex Alder Alphonse Paolillo Jr. said Rodriguez, a former alder from Fair Haven, seemed “almost like he was born in City Hall,” because of his years of service, including his work as part of the city’s Youth Commission.

Paolillo said that Rodriguez was talking about increasing services to youth “before it was in en vogue” to do so.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

7

8

Author’s Corner: London Payne

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

by Christian Lewis, ICN Staff Correspondent I am a lover of arts, music, books, and paintings, everything creative and artistic. I am a reader as well as an author and I love helping others; I have been doing some research to spotlight authors from around Connecticut and I have reached out to authors, some whom I know personally and some whom I don’t.

In December 2015 I went to a book signing for a local author by the name of London Payne and her book titled From the Left to the Write. I took the time not too long ago to sit and interview her and in the next week or so I’ll be reviewing her book. I hope you all enjoy her interview and pick up a copy of her book. The best way to support an author is to buy a copy of their book, read it, leave a review for it and tell others about it!!

Allow me to introduce Author London Payne!

Where are you from?

I am from New Haven, CT When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

At first, writing was just an outlet for me, just to pass time and get me through the moment. I first realized I wanted to be a writer when I would go through many different situations in relationships and felt like I

didn’t have an outlet. I used my pen and notebooks as my therapist. Writing down what I was feeling was a coping mechanism for me. I was hurt, I was angry and I needed to deal with it in a mature way. I allowed my pain to turn into a passion for me.

How long did it take you to write your book?

I actually started writing my book at about the age of 15. I always wanted to publish my poetry but really more for my own satisfaction. It was a personal goal for me. I wrote my book over a span of over ten years plus.

I had a little yellow notebook that I would just continuously write in whenever I was going through something. I would write and put the book down until I had to pick it up again.

What publishing route did you go to get your book published?

I am with a publishing company by the name of Goldin Glow managed by Terry Morrison out of North Carolina.

What was the motivation behind your book?

The motivation behind my poetry book was pain, a lot of pain. Certainly some good times but more bad times than good and with my book I am not afraid to admit that.

Many unhealthy relationships. Instead of becoming irate or reacting in a violent manner towards the person I was dealing with, I would channel that energy into a poem or two. My writing was always spur of the mo-

ment but at the same time, real time in the moment.

When you’re trying to find who you are as a person and as a person in relationships, sometimes you tend to take different avenues from the average person, or so you think. It took me a lot of unfortunate mistreatment, misunderstanding and self-navigation to finally find my way. A way less painful and more fulfilling.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part about writing my book was reliving through the pain that was inflicted at “that” current moment, whatever moment it lead me to in that particular situation. The booked is a two-part poetry book that speaks to relationships, whether it was love, hate, miscellaneous topics or metaphors. I think the more I wrote, the more strength I gained to get through that situation along with the next situation, because more times than not, there was going to be a “next situation”.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Honestly, I don’t have one particular favorite author but I have read over one hundred books. Anywhere from your books, to Oprah Winfrey, Steve Harvey, Rhonda Byrne, Robert Greene, Zane and many more. I read all types of books and most certainly support our local authors.

Is there a message in your (poetry book) novel that you

want readers to grasp?

The message that I would want readers to grasp is that no matter where you are or think you are in life when it comes to relationships, there is always a way to and through any situation. With God and perseverance you can always prevail. I would also add that you ARE good enough believe in yourself and always put you first. We don’t have to look like the things that we’ve gone through and there is a light and life at the other end of it all in a bad relationship or two. I’ve had readers that are much older than I reach out to me and tell me how much they can relate or that they were currently going through something similar to what I had expressed.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I do not. Whatever I feel at the moment is what I try to convey.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you for investing in a piece of me, I hope that there was at least one thing new or a reminder that you were able to walk away with.

For some of my younger readers I would say, there are lessons that can be learned by the walks of others. You don’t have to put up with mistreatment or anything that does not make you feel good about you. Not everyone is for you and hopefully you will be able to identify those people earlier than later.

What is your preferred method for readers to get in contact with you or follow you?

I have a Facebook “like” page that is connected directly to my personal page I frequent that daily and I’m very active on that page. I also have an email address should they prefer that way I am also on Twitter and InstaGram as well.

What are you currently workin on now?

I am currently working on putting some of those poems into story form to get a better understanding of the mayhem behind the messages. Poems only give you but so much of the story.

That novel will be titled London . I am also on Twitter and InstaGram as well.

What are you currently workin on now?

I am currently working on putting some of those poems into story form to get a better understanding of the mayhem behind the messages. Poems only give you but so much of the story.

That novel will be titled London’s Bridge. Pretty much in regards to the hurdles and triumphs if you will of some of my experiences in relationships from constant cheating to abuse of all forms.

Where can interested readers purchase your books?

My book From the Left to the Write can be purchased on amazon.com and kindle.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

9

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016 10

American community, he said; it affects over 50 percent of African American men.

by ELISSA SANCI New Haven Independent

Keith Churchwell came to the Hill South police substation Wednesday night to warn neighbors about a killer that preys particularly on the black community.

Churchwell, a cardiologist, detailed steps people can take to decrease chances of suffering from a heart-related incident.

Keeping blood pressure and cholesterol down is essential.

This killer doesn’t carry a gun.

It’s cardiovascular disease, and it’s the leading cause of death in the United States.

Churchwell, vice president and executive director of Heart and Vascular Services at YaleNew Haven Hospital, spoke during the monthly Hill South Management Team meeting as part of National Heart Month.

ELISSA SANCI PHOTO

Churchwell stressed the importance of heart safety.

During February he wears a red

Every 30 to 45 seconds, a person in the U.S. dies suddenly of cardiovascular disease,

Keith Churchwell at Hill South Wednesday night.

flower in the lapel of his suit jacket to serve as a reminder to hold heart health as a priority.

according to Churchwell, whether it is from a heart attack, heart failure or stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is the number-one most common killer of people in the African-

“The lower, the better,” he said. He stressed the importance of talking to a health care provider about this, and advised people to take prescribed medicine. Keeping an open line of communication between yourself and your provider is also essential.

He also stressed the importance of exercise, paired with a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Churchwell said that rather

than falling into late-night television traps that promise quick result weight loss, each person should be eating balanced, correctly portioned meals along with exercising daily in order to ensure optimal heart health.

“I’m not asking you to pick up tennis,” he said. “I’m asking you do something that you like walking, jogging, biking for at least 30 minutes a day.”

Finally, Churchwell mentioned the importance of keeping blood sugar under control. Diabetes puts you at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

Cardiac Killer Targeted

“The message: You can help control it,” Churchwell said.

Black Retirement: “Too Poor To Retire, But Too Young To Die”

By Tony Williams, Esq BlackDoctor.Org

ment thinking that that is enough time to do what they need to do.

But really, since your first day of work, you should be saving for your retirement. If you haven’t started doing it now, start today. Like right now! Not when you get home from work, not when you have time. Right now.

Start setting aside a little into a 401K, Roth IRA or money market, or mutual fund. And if you don’t know what any of those things are, look them up.

One of the best nearly free tools we have as a people is the internet. Search on Google and if you are the type of person who likes to hear it from someone, search on youtube. There are tons of people who can intelligently explain this to you. The key is to start now. At least start saving something. Do you know that if you saved 100 a month (50 from every paycheck) for the next 20 years 2. My children will take care of me – this is probably one of

the most dangerous myths out there. It’s so dangerous that it’s putting generations of Black men and women in a constant cycle of living beneath where they can be. While your children should have a vested interest in you and your well being when you get older, all of it shouldn’t have to weigh on their shoulders.

Just think about it, if they’re getting older and starting to save and just when they think they’ve got it down, you need something, not because you really need it, but because you didn’t plan your finances correctly for your old age. So you know what that teaches them? The same… … negligent behavior that you have and the cycle goes on and on and on again for generations until someone knows its time to stop.

3. You can earn your way out of bad financial decisions – Wrong, wrong and wrong again.

Did I say wrong? Yes, that is wrong. People think that if they

just had a little more money, they’d be okay (shaking my head). It doesn’t matter of you have $1,000 or $100,000, if you don’t have some of the basic spending and saving techniques down then you won’t be able to keep or flip the money you have into more money.

So if you have poor money management (be real with yourself), then get with a trusted financial adviser to start putting together a financial plan for you and your family. And be open to it! Sometimes you may need to lay low with your spending for a couple of years (yes, years) in order to be okay later on in life.

It’s worth it.

Remember that you’re worth it! You don’t want to be like the old woman I saw working at the fast food counter.

Now, ready, set…save, invest and live!

11

It was late and I was hungry.

So naturally, one of the few places that is open will more than likely be fast food. So I drive to one of the nearest fast food chains and instead of ordering through the drive-thru, I decide to go in. Immediately, my eyes are drawn to an older woman working behind the counter. She had to be about 80-years-old, seriously. She had a slight hump in her back and her hands shook profusely.

I felt so bad giving her my order, because not only was she old, but she was obviously a new employee and didn’t know how to work all of the equipment. So when something she put in didn’t go right, the manager, who happened to be a very condescending early 20’s (I’m talking like 21 at the most) young, perky girl that kept shaking her head at the woman when she had to fix her

mistake.

Needless to say, I got my order and went back out to the car.

When driving back home, I couldn’t help but to think, how did that woman end up there? It was the late shift, she was well beyond her years but she needed that job.

MUST READ: 5 Things You Should NOT Do With Your Tax Refund Money Then it hit me: More than likely, because of poor planning she was too poor to retire, but too young to die. She still had years left to live, but not enough money. Unfortunately, many of our elderly are in the same predicament. But there’s good news, you can get out!

Here’s three myths about retirement that need to get out of your head immediately: 1. Retirement? I still have time for that – believe it or not, a lot of people think and I mean A LOT. People want to wait until their 40’s to plan for their retire-

12

A BLACK HISTORY MOMENT

Black History Reminds Us Of Our Need For Access To Health Care

By Kafi Rouse As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor the commitment of civil rights, medical and political leaders, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Thelma Patten Law and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. who believed all people need access to health care to complete their education, plan their lives and protect their families.

Far too many African Americans continue to face unequal access to proper health care and education services. As a result,

African-American women are dying at higher rates than their white counterparts due to breast cancer, cervical cancer, HIV and other illnesses that can be detected early. As long as there are barriers to economic and educational opportunities, as well as social and political equity, obstacles will also remain in the way of full health care.

Our 17 health centers across Connecticut serve 64,000 patients each year and our education and training team provides comprehensive sexual health education to almost 7,000 teens and nearly 1,000 parents/ guardians. We are committed to breaking down barriers that restrict access to health care and education services by ensuring all people receive the care and

information they need to stay healthy, regardless of race or income.

The history of the reproductive rights movement is as complicated as the nation Black History Reminds Us Of Our Need For Access To Health Care Kafi Rouse Director, Public Relations & Marketing Planned Parenthood of Southern New England As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor the commitment of civil rights, medical and political leaders, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Thelma Patten Law and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. who believed all people need access to health care to complete their

education, plan their lives and protect their families.

Far too many African Americans continue to face unequal access to proper health care and education services. As a result, African-American women are dying at higher rates than their white counterparts due to breast cancer, cervical cancer, HIV and other illnesses that can be detected early. As long as there are barriers to economic and educational opportunities, as well as social and political equity, obstacles will also remain in the way of full health care.

Our 17 health centers across Connecticut serve 64,000 patients each year and our education and training team provides comprehensive sexual health education to almost 7,000 teens

and nearly 1,000 parents/ guardians. We are committed to breaking down barriers that restrict access to health care and education services by ensuring all people receive the care and information they need to stay healthy, regardless of race or income.

The history of the reproductive rights movement is as complicated as the nation’s, but throughout our history, Planned Parenthood and the black community have worked together to break down barriers to health care access posed by poverty, racism and politics.

We understand this history is complex, and as such we remain committed to growing and strengthening our partnerCon’t on page 16

NAACP’S ROY WILKINS: LIFETIME WARRIOR FOR JUSTICE

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

by Arlene Davis-Rudd, Staff writer ICN With the founding of the NAACP on February 12th, 1909, 107 years ago, the first name that comes to mind is our warrior for equality and justice, Mr. Roy Wilkins. As we have learned through the years, the month of February has been designated each year as Black History Month. We celebrate our extraordinary and prominent men and women of color, who stood steadfast and tall with courage and strength to fight the good fight and win, regardless of adverse consequences.

Roy Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist in the U.S. during the 1930s to the 1970s.

His most notable role was in his leadership of the NAACP. “After graduation, Wilkins worked as a journalist at the Minnesota Daily. Following, Wilkins became Editor of “The Call.”

From 1931 - 1934 he served as

Assistant NAACP Secretary under Walter White. When W.E.B. DuBois left the Organization in 1934, Wilkins replaced him as Editor of “The Crisis,” the official magazine of the NAACP. From 1949-1950, Wilkins chaired the National Emergency Civil Rights Mobilization March comprised of more than 100 local, state and national groups. In 1950, along with A. Phillip

Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Arnold Anronson, a leader of the National Jewish community Relations Advisory Council -founded the Leadership Council on Civil Rights (LCCR).

LCCR has become the premier Civil Rights Coalition, and has coordinated the national legislative campaign on behalf of every major civil rights

law since 1957.

In 1955, Roy Wilkins was chosen to be the Executive Secretary of the NAACP. In 1964, he became the Executive Director of the NAACP. As Executive Director, many of us remember that Roy Wilkins was known to have an excellent reputation as an articulate and excellent spokesperson for the Civil Rights Movement. One of his first actions was to provide support to civil rights activists in Mississippi who were being subjected to a ‘credit squeeze’ by members of the White Citizens Councils.

Wilkins backed a proposal suggested by Dr. T.R.M. Howard who headed The Regional Council of Negro Leadership, a leading Civil Rights Organization in the State of Mississippi.

Under the Plan, Black Businesses and voluntary Associations shifted their accounts to the Black-owned ‘Tri-State Bank of Memphis, Tennessee.

In 1963, Wilkins participated in the March on Washington which he helped to organize. He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi Black Fraternity. In 1964 he was awarded the Spingarm Medal from the NAACP. In 1967 Wilkins was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President, Lyndon B. Johnson. During his tenure, NAACP played a key and pivotal role in leading the nation into the Civil Rights Movement and spearheaded the efforts that led to significant civil rights victories including Brown vs Board of Education, The Civil Rights Act of 1964, and The Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

At the age of 76, Roy Wilkins retired from the NAACP. He passed in 1981 of continuing heart problems.

Direct quotes from Wikipedia are included.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

13

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016 14

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

15

Con’t from page 12

Health Care ship.

Over the last 100 years, many African Americans have laid the groundwork to the great strides we have made in improving health care outcomes for the community. These leaders of the past inspire our present and make way for the future.

During Black History Month w remind ourselves that this work is only successful if we continue to develop partnerships with the communities we serve and other organizations leading the work. This united work will not only improve health care outcomes for all, but create fair opportunity to succeed in all areas of life and make people’s lives, families, and communities stronger.

Con’t from pag05

Draws Crowd how to be more than a police officer in the community, but to truly be a part of the community.

Helliger said the city could attract more black female cops, and more minority cops in general, through mentoring, especially of young women and girls. She said many women are afraid of the job because they think it involves mostly being shot at. While that can happen, that’s not the bulk of police work, she noted.

“We have to get a better connection although we are pretty good at it,” she said. “But I think that we really need to do a better job. It’s just like a lot of officers become officers its because their fathers and their brothers and their uncles are cops. We need to bring the kids into the police department and let them see that I have an office, and there are different kinds of jobs within the department.”

CBC PAC Endorses Hillary Clinton

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA News Wire Contributing Writer

While Sen. Bernie Sanders was in New York City dining with the Rev. Al Sharpton and courting the Black vote, Hillary Clinton scored a major coup in the nation’s capital by earning the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee (CBC PAC), an organization that works to increase the number of African-Americans in the U.S. Congress and also supports nonBlack candidates who champion the interests of minorities.

The CBC PAC also promotes African-American participation in the political process with an emphasis on young voters, a group that proved pivotal in President Barack Obama’s two election victories.

“When we needed someone to come and rally the Democrats and the Congressional Black Caucus, Hillary Clinton has been there,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks, in announcing the endorsement on Thursday morning. “On the issues that are important to our constituents, Hillary Clinton has been there.”

The organization, which is comprised of 46 powerful congressional members, noted that the Democratic Party and its constituents need a nominee with a track record of long, deep and varied service to underserved communities as well as a Democrat who has embraced diversity, with a detailed understanding of today’s world, and experience working to heal the global system.

In further outlining their criteria for an endorsement, CBC PAC members said they needed a Democrat who has put forward thoughtful, realistic proposals on the fundamental challenges facing our nation including health care, affordable housing, education, day care, women’s rights, infrastructure, voting rights, gun violence, criminal

justice reform, foreign affairs, and trade all of which he or she must turn into legislation that can garner bipartisan support upon taking office.

“That Democrat is Hillary Clinton. As someone who consistently worked with the Congressional Black Caucus as a U.S. senator from New York, she supported legislation to ban racial profiling, prosecute hate crimes, and eliminate racial disparities in the healthcare system,” Meeks said as New York Rep. Charlie Rangel, Congressional Black Caucus Chair G.K. Butterfield and others stood by him as he made the announcement near the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. Meeks continued: “And she stood with us, consistently voting to raise the minimum wage, championing the Paycheck Fairness Act, and helping minority-owned small businesses. She’s been our partner long term, we believe

she’s made a difference, and she has helped us and helped this country by helping elect Democrats across the board.”

One important distinction about the endorsement is that it did not come from the Congressional Black Caucus, that organization’s spokeswoman Candace Randall said.

However, the endorsement is still seen as vital as the candidates head to southern states like South Carolina, where African-Americans play a large role in the primaries.

Sanders, who won the New Hampshire primary last week, had breakfast with Sharpton in New York City at Sylvia’s Restaurant, a famous AfricanAmerican eatery in Harlem.

“You can’t go to South Carolina and not deal with the Walter Scott case, not deal with gun control and the ramifications of the Charleston Nine,” Sharpton said in reference to the

high-profile case of an unarmed black man being shot and killed by a police officer, and the attack on a black church last June that left nine people dead.

Sharpton said Sanders and Clinton must “earn” the Black vote.

Sanders did secure the nomination of famed AfricanAmerican actor and activist Harry Belafonte who said the Vermont senator offers blacks a chance to declare unequivocally that there is a group of citizens who have a deep caring for where the nation goes. “I would suggest to those of you who have not yet made up your minds, or maybe even some of you who have made up your minds, to maybe consider and reconsider what it is that Bernie Sanders offers,” said the 88-year-old Belafonte.

Butterfield, himself a longtime activist who is in his second year as CBC Chairman, said the nation must have a president

who is knowledgeable on both domestic and foreign policy.

“Black lives are being lost on the streets of America because of police misconduct and gang violence. We must have a president that understands the racial divide,” Butterfield said.

“After considering the entire field, there is no question in our mind and in our minds that one single candidate – one – possesses the patience, experience and temperament.”

The Congressional Black Caucus PAC recently endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

(Glenn Fawcett/DoD) CBC Chairman Rep. G.K. Butterfield said that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “possesses the patience, experience and temperament,” to be the next president. (Rep. G.K. Butterfield)

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016 18

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

19

20

When Convicts Go To College Higher Education In Prisons Is A Good Deal For Everyone, Inmate And Advocate Says America spends $80 billion a year keeping criminals behind bars, but research has shown that cost could be reduced by making one thing more accessible to inmates education.

“We spend all that money on incarceration, but have little to show for it,” says Christopher Zoukis a prison-education advocate and author of “College for Convicts: The Case for Higher Education in American Prisons” (McFarland & Co., 2014) and “Prison Education Guide” (Prison Legal News Publishing, 2016).

“It’s time for this money to be put to good use by helping to reform prisoners so they can return to their communities as productive, law-abiding members of society.”

Giving inmates the opportunity to earn college degrees can be a hard sell, though, because the average taxpayer is more concerned with educating their own children and grandchildren than with

educating prison inmates, Zoukis says.

They want to see prisoners punished,

not put on a track toward a degree, but that’s short-sighted, he says.

“Most of the public is unaware that educating prisoners can have an impact – a positive one – on our economy and on the safety of our communities,” Zoukis says.

Here’s how: Prisoners who take classes while incarcerated have a 13 percent lower likelihood of committing another offense and ending up back behind bars, according to a Rand Corp. study in 2014 that reviewed years of data. Those prisoners also are more likely to become employed once they are released.

The Rand report says that for every $1 spent on correctional education, there was a $5 reduction in overall corrections spending.

Right now, though, a high school diploma or the GED equivalent is as far as prisoners can go in most prisons across the country, says Zoukis, who is

incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg in Virginia, a medium-security facility.

“It’s better than nothing, and will reduce recidivism, but a GED isn’t going to qualify someone for anything other than an entry-level job,” Zoukis says. “The further we can go beyond that, the higher the level of education we can bring into prisons, the greater the chances are that an ex-prisoner will have an economically stable life and won’t be a repeat offender.”

Zoukis has worked on his own college degree from Adams State University in Colorado via correspondence. He expects to earn a bachelor’s degree by the end of 2016 and hopes to have an MBA by the time he is released from prison in 2018.

But Zoukis has faced roadblocks on the way to working toward a degree, and he believes changes need to happen to make the path smoother for those who will follow him. Among the steps Zoukis says

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

President Obama Proposing in 2017 to Provide Free College Tuition to Low Income Students Attending Black Colleges If all goes well, the Obama Administration’s plan to make community college free for select students will go live in the year 2017. The program, also known as America’s College Promise (ACP), will allow eligible community college students to work toward the first half of either their bachelor’s or associate’s degree at no cost.”

Supporting two years of free community college for responsible students through a $60.8 billion mandatory investment in ACP over the next ten years, this proposal will also provide low-income students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) with up to two free years of college or significantly reduced tuition.

The program is a part of a $4.1 trillion 2017 fiscal year budget, and Obama says his budget plan is especially for those in lowincome families. Within that budget is also $69.4 billion in discretionary funding for the

Department of Education, which will help all children to have access to high-quality preschool education.

But why?

According to President Obama, by 2020, two-thirds of jobs will require some education beyond the high school level. So his proposal and budget also aims to strengthen Pell Grants,

which allow college students to take summer classes, and provide scholarships for select inmates in prison so they too can quailify for jobs when released.

The proposal also includes an additional $300 “On-Track Pell Bonus” for students who stay on course to graduate on time by taking approximately 15 credit hours per semester, and a

“Second Chance Pell” proposal for prisoners who have served their time and near reentry into society.

What about Black colleges?

The budget would also allocate $30 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) to help create competitive

and innovative strategies for student success, with the hope of increasing the rate of graduation among low-income students and students of color.

Education Secretary John B. King Jr., comments, “The President’s budget reflects the Administration’s broader efforts to expand opportunity and ensure every child can achieve his or her full potential. We have made tremendous progress with record high school graduation rates and more students of color going to college, but we have further to go to ensure that educational excellence is a reality for all students. This budget builds on the Administration’s continued efforts to invest in education, from high-quality early learning through college.”

For more details about the proposal, visit www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2015/01/09/fact-sheetwhite-house-unveils-america-scollege-promise-proposal-tuitio

By Don Terry

Square Hotel. This year’s lineup of heavy hitters includes John Thompson, CEO of Microsoft, Sheila C. Johnson, founder and CEO, Salamander Hospitality and co-founder of Black Entertainment Television and United States Senator Charles Schumer (DNY).

There will be panels on “Corporate Finance and Equity Syndicates,” “Corporate Board Diversity,” “Global Economic Expansion Opportunities” and

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Reconnecting and Sustaining Relationships with Wall Street.”

There will also be two international sessions, featuring high ranking U.S. and foreign government officials.

“Global Economic Expansion” will feature panelists from different industries from across the globe, including Akwasi Opong-Fosu, Minister of State, Office of the President of Ghana and the keynote speaker,

H.E. Eucatio Bakale, Minister of Economy, Planning & Public Investment, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

That panel will be followed by “The South Africa – US Business Forum” with Florizelle Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, Mzwandile Masina, Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade & Industry, South Africa and Elizabeth Thabete, Deputy Minster, Department of Small

21

For Chicago-based investor and philanthropist John Rogers, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s annual Wall Street Project in New York City is a must-attend event.

The three days of seminars and speeches in the Big Apple every winter is a chance for Rogers, the son of a Tuskegee Airman, and other African American businessmen and women to share notes and strategies on how to break into, survive and ultimately thrive in the largely White world of Wall Street by gaining access to capital.

But for African Americans, Wall Street is riddled with potholes. Many of the country’s major hospitals, universities and other institutions with huge portfolios to invest “have never worked with Black firms,” Rogers says. “They have never had their ‘Jackie Robinson moment.’”

Even now, with a Black man in the White House, Wall Street, Rogers says, can feel like “modern day Jim Crow.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder and president of Rainbow PUSH, created the Wall Street Project nearly 20 years ago to spark that “Jackie Robinson moment” by providing an opportunity for participants to hear from and meet some of the biggest names in finance and politics. It was at this conference where Rev. Jackson first introduced Rogers, chairman of Ariel Investments, to the CEO of General Motors.

Today, General Motors is one of Ariel’s largest clients.

“There is no talent deficit,” Rev. Jackson says. “There is an opportunity deficit.”

This is the conference’s 19th year and will be held from Feb. 16 through Feb. 18 at the Sheraton New York Times

Business, South Africa.

The Wall Street Project uses Operation Breadbasket’s model of research, education, negotiation and reconciliation to challenge Corporate American to end its shameful, multi-billion dollar trade deficit with minority vendors and consumers. “Unless we knock on the right doors, the doors will not come open,” Rev. Jackson says.

Sadly, the Wall Street Project has often been a voice in the wilderness. Richard Manson, CEO and president of SourceMark, a medical and surgical supply company, says, “Had we listened and taken action” 19 years ago when Rev. Jackson started pushing for more engagement with Wall Street, more awareness of the street’s vast power, “I think we’d be a lot better shape than we are now.”

For Rev. Jackson, the Wall Street Project is part of “the fourth stage of our struggle” for freedom and equity. The first stage was surviving the horrors of slavery, a 242-year sojourn.

The second was “the season of Jim Crow and lynching when 4,500 African Americans were lynched.” The third stage was fighting for and winning the right to vote.

Those stages of the struggle left Black people “out of slavery, out of Jim Crow, with the right the vote” and almost “starving to death” because “we were denied access to capital.”

“We are free,” Rev. Jackson says. “But not equal. Effort and excellence means a lot.

Inheritance and access means more.”

Access and opening doors is what the Wall Street Project is all about.

“We have never lost a battle we fought,” Rev. Jackson says.

“And we have never won a battle we did not fight.”

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

What You Need to Know about Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Wall Street Project

22

Why Bernie Sanders Matters A Nation Will Not Survive Morally or Economically When So Few Have So Much and So Many Have So Little

by Harry Jaffe Regan Arts Book Review by Kam Williams

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

“What is the source of Bernie Sanders’ appeal? How did he become a socialist? How did he develop his ability to excite crowds? How can he make an audience forget that he talks like a deli guy and sometimes looks like a rumpled old man ranting about rich people?

He first started talking about the gap between rich and poor in America and the disappearing middle class in 1970, 45 years before he announced his White House bid. He was considered an anomaly and ignored.

Most politicians would have changed course at that point...

Not Bernie. Every speech, every appearance, he hammered away on the economic and political forces that were killing America’s middle class.

He did it when it was out of fashion, when Republican conservatives scoffed at him, and when the Democrats dismissed him. Now income inequality and

saving the middle class are the economic issues of the day.

That’s only one of the reasons [why] Bernie Sanders matters.”

— Excerpted from the Introduction (pages xi-xiii) A low point in Senator Berrnie Sanders’ presidential campaign arrived last summer in Seattle when a couple of sisters repre-

senting the Black Lives Matter movement stormed the stage and snatched the microphone away from him before he even had a chance to speak. The 74 year-old Senator from Vermont ended up leaving the event without addressing the crowd.

Today, Bernie is giving his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton a run for the money, but still isn’t

getting much respect from the African-American community.

After all, the Congressional Black Caucus recently endorsed his opponent, including Representative John Lewis (D-GA), who specifically questioned the veracity of Sanders’ civil rights credentials.

Nevertheless, the truth ought to matter, and if you prefer to de-

cide who to back based on the facts, you might like to check out Why Bernie Sanders Matters, a fascinating biography of the inveterate socialist running for the Democratic nomination.

This informative book was written by Harry Jaffe, editor-atlarge at Washingtonian Magazine. Earlier in his career, the reporter served as Press Secretary to Patrick Leahy, Vermont’s senior Senator, which means the author has close ties to the state Bernie represents.

Jaffe traces the arc of Bernie’s life, starting with his workingclass Jewish roots in Brooklyn where he was first exposed to socialist ideas. We learn that he had his consciousness raised at an early age, having been influenced by the untimely demise of his parents as well as the rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the Fifties.

While attending the University of Chicago in the Sixties, he became a student organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality. In that capacity, he participated in the very first sit-in in the history of the Windy City, a protest of

Marcus Garvey Scholar Robert Hill to Speak at Eastern Written by Dwight Bachman

Willimantic, CT — Robert Hill, internationally known scholar on Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first and leading national hero, will speak at Eastern Connecticut State University on Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. in the Student Center. Hill will discuss “West Indian into African American, or How the Garvey Movement Changed from a West Indian into an African American Movement.” The public is invited. Admission is free.

Hill is research professor of history at the University of

Professor Robert Hill. Marcus Garvey, Jamaican National Hero

California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and editor-in-chief of “The Marcus Garvey and

Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers,” a long-term research project of the James S.

Coleman African Studies Center at UCLA. In 1973, Esquire magazine named Hill one of the “Top Ten Scholars in America.”

Hill has compiled and edited numerous historical editions, including Garvey’s The Black Man”; Cyril Briggs’s “The Crusader”; “The FBI’s RACON (Racial Conditions in America)”; and George Schuyler’s “Black Empire and Ethiopian Stories.”

Hill is also the literary executor of the estate of Trinidadian scholar C. L. R. James and the editor of “The C. L. R. James Archives.” He is currently working on “The Ras Tafari Bible: JAH Version,” and a

biography of the Rev. Claudius Henry, the leader of the Jamaican Back-to-Africa movement in the 1950s, including a history of the ‘First Africa Corps’ of Henry’s son, Ronald. Shawn Alexander, professor of African and African American Studies at the University of Kansas, describes Hill’s work as “a treasure trove for scholars.”

Hill is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of the West Indies.

His presentation is sponsored by Eastern’s Office of Equity and Diversity and the University’s Intercultural Center

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

23

Americans Must Stand Up to Disrespect of the U.S. Presidency

By Louis C. Ward NNPA Guest Columnist Recently, retired Lt. Col Ralph Peters and Stacey Dash, both contributors on Fox News shows, blatantly disrespected President Obama on different news shows on national television. Lt. Col. Peters called our president a “total p**sy,” and actress Stacey Dash blurted “our president doesn’t give a sh*t about terrorism.”

Bill Slieve, senior vice president of programming for both networks, announced, “Earlier today, Fox contributors Lt. Col. Ralph Peters and Stacey Dash made comments on different programs that were completely inappropriate and unacceptable for our air.”

Thanks for the acknowledgement, but the damage has been done. And for me, it wasn’t enough that the contributors were suspended for two weeks. They should have been fired permanently.

First, it was bumper stickers, then road signs and memorabilia disrespecting President Obama, now it’s lawmakers, news commentators, and even candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president being discourteous to my president, your president and

our president on national television and radio.

America, when will we stand up to those who disrespect for Barack Obama, the first African American President of United States? Freedom of speech is a constitutional right in America, but defamation of character and disrespect is not. We must speak out against impertinence to the United States presidency.

When the presidency is disrespected at home, it sows seeds for foreign countries to disrespect our president as well.

Look at what China and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel said to and about our president.

When he was first elected in 2008 on the platform for “Blueprint for Change,”

television screens across the nation showed people, representing different ethnic groups, crying because an African American had been elected President. Most anticipated a new day with a better life for African Americans in the most powerful country in the world.

A new time for all people of America to come together to make America, not only the most powerful country in the world, but the greatest country in the world, where people will be able to live in harmony and, hopefully, achieve prosperity on economic and social levels.

For a short while the future of America looked bright. The dream of Dr. King, Jr. was

realized, and racism seemed to be put on hold. Unfortunately, there’s always a small group of individuals within the American populace with a hidden agenda, an agenda for evil, wickedness, and the pursuit of fairness, equality and justice for just a few Americans.

As soon as Barack Obama won the election, a group of individuals huddled together and vowed to thwart his agenda for change in America. Let’s not be naïve, America, you know exactly who I am talking about.

Many of those individuals are in office today.

But that’s politics! And we all know politics is a nasty business.

In 2009, when President Obama was addressing Congress, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson shouted: “You lie!” This kind of behavior is reprehensible.

I don’t ever recall anyone calling the President of the United States a liar while he addressed Congress. Why does it happen now, and why to President Obama? Can it be because he’s an African America?

My take on it is yes!

Despite the small group’s endeavor to continue to belittle President Obama, now in his last year, he’s still continues to make great accomplishments for the

people he was overwhelmingly elected twice to represent.

At the end of the day, America, you may not like the man, but you have to respect the Office of the President of the United States. It deserves our respect, our loyalty and our support. We must stand up America and demand that it receives as much.

What actions can I truly expect from writing this column? My prerogative as a writer is to raise the consciousness. Prayerfully, many will step up and hold anyone accountable who chooses to disrespect the United States presidency. If one person stands up, and agrees to say something or do something about the disrespect of our president, I have made a difference.

We must not accept the disrespect against our president any longer. Stand up, say something and do something about it, now!

Stand up America! Demand respect for President Barack Obama, and the Office of the President of the United States of America.

Louis C. Ward is a photojournalist, community activist and contributing writer to The Orlando Times. You can find more of his work at www.orlando-times.com.

Con’t from page 20

When Convicts Go To College are necessary: • Support from prison culture and staff.

Zoukis says he has seen that in some cases, prison guards and other staff members discourage education for inmates. “Prison education won’t work unless we have institutional commitment to ensure a culture of support for education in the state and federal prison systems,” he says. GED programs, vocational training and access to college courses all need to be promoted. Prison authorities need to prohibit guards and prison staff from refusing to grant release from work details to prisoners enrolled in any educational or college program, Zoukis says.

• Eligibility for Pell grants. Prisoners should again be made eligible for Pell grants and other need-based student financial aid, Zoukis says. Inmates were banned from using Pell grants in 1994, but President Obama has announced a pilot program in which a limited number of prisoners would be able to use the grants beginning in the fall. That’s a start, but Zoukis wants to see that eligibility become more widespread.

• Partnerships with community colleges. Community colleges are valuable allies in the effort to educate prisoners, but in many cases the programs offered are limited to basic education, literacy and non-credit vocational

programs, and often they are taught by prison staff rather than qualified instructors, Zoukis says. “What is needed are more of the credited vocational and advanced academic programs,” he says.

The programs also need to be adequately funded, he says.

Ultimately, it’s time for the nation to decide what is more important: mass incarceration or public education, Zoukis says. Prisons need to be used for more than punishment. Instead, he says, they need to be seen as treatment and education centers where skills can be learned and problems addressed.

“The end goal of corrections is enhanced public safety,” Zoukis says. “It’s not enhanced punishment for punishment’s sake.”

About Christopher Zoukis Christopher Zoukis, author of “College for Convicts: The Case for Higher Education in American Prisons” (McFarland & Co., 2014) and “Prison Education Guide” (Prison Legal News Publishing, 2016), is a leading expert in the field of correctional education. He is the founder of www.PrisonEducation.com and www.PrisonLawBlog.com, and is a contributing writer to The Huffington Post and Prison Legal News. He is incarcerated at the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg in Virginia.

BECOME A FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE PARENT… ATTEND AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION

Please call 1-888-KID-HERO For more Information Department of Children and Families

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016 26

Debate Over Latest Guidelines Continues

new study does not provide solid evidence that would refute the JNC8 recommendation, which called for doctors to treat borderline blood pressure (140-149 systolic) through lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.

He added that the new study is based on observational data, and can only draw associations about stroke risk.

The JNC8 recommendations were based on clinical trials that proved that stricter guidelines and tighter blood pressure control provided no additional benefit to patients, James said.

By HealthDay News for BlackDoctor.Org

“It’s a matter of balancing the risk of treatment with the benefits of treatment,” said James. “That’s not a simple thing, and it’s not really something that one study like this study could answer.”

About one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure (or “hypertension”), according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

The institute formed the Eighth Joint National Committee, or JNC8, in 2008 to update high blood pressure treatment guidelines issued in 2003.

Its final recommendation, issued in 2014, said that adults aged 60 or older should only take blood pressure medication if their blood pressure exceeds 150/90, a higher bar of treatment than the previous guideline of 140/90.

Arguments immediately

sprang up around the JNC8 revised guidelines, with the American Heart Association expressing concern over potential delays in treatment of high blood pressure.

“These were extremely controversial, and the American Heart Association was adamant and vocal in our disagreement with that,” said Dr. Mary Ann Bauman, a heart association spokeswoman. Bauman is the medical director of women’s health and community relations at Integris Health in Oklahoma City.

Sacco and his colleagues launched their new study in response to the JNC8 recommendations. “We were concerned about the recommendations’ potential effect on stroke prevention,” he said.

The research team gathered data on 1,750 participants

aged 60 and older in the Northern Manhattan Study, a study of stroke risk in a multiethnic community. None had diabetes or chronic kidney disease — two risk factors for stroke.

During about 13 years of follow-up, 182 people suffered a stroke, the investigators reported.

The researchers concluded that having a systolic blood pressure of 140 to 149 elevated stroke risk as much as having systolic blood pressure greater than 150.

Increased stroke risk was most notable among Hispanics and blacks, the findings showed.

“Our findings support adherence to current American Heart Association treatment guidelines,” Sacco said. It recommends starting medication at 140 systolic or higher.

James responded that the

“But the evidence told us going below 150 did not seem to translate into improved health or improved mortality,” James said.

Bauman countered that the clinical trials the JNC8 relied upon didn’t give a full picture of the long-term risks of high blood pressure.

“The complications of hypertension are long, long range, and I don’t think the clinical trials they relied on went long enough,” Bauman said.

Bauman and Sacco also pointed out that a new clinical trial called SPRINT, which came out after the JNC8 guidelines, has shown that driving blood pressure down to as low as 120 systolic can reduce by one-quarter the rate of death, heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Paul agreed that the SPRINT trial “rises to that degree of evidence” that the JNC8 sought, and should be included in any future review of blood pressure guidelines.

27

Scientists continue to debate when doctors should prescribe blood pressure medication for older Americans, with a new study saying delayed treatment puts people at greater risk of stroke.

For people 60 and older, a U.S. panel in 2014 recommended raising the blood pressure rate at which doctors prescribe treatment from 140 to 150 systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading.

But the new study finds that people with systolic blood pressure of 140 to 149 have a 70 percent increased risk of stroke compared to people with lower blood pressure.

“Our study shows the borderline group is probably as risky as having a blood pressure greater than 150, at least for stroke risk,” said senior author Dr. Ralph Sacco, chair of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “This was a controversial move, and I think our study suggests we shouldn’t switch it to 150. We should stick to 140.”

The new findings, published online Feb. 1 in the journal Hypertension, are unlikely to quell arguments over proper blood pressure management, however.

For instance, the new study does not address the risk of side effects associated with blood pressure medications, or how medication would alter a person’s overall stroke risk, said Dr. Paul James, head of family medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

Is Blood Pressure Medication Being Prescribed Too Late?

28

The

Inner-City Inner-City News Connecticut’s First Choice For Urban News Since1990

PLACING AN AD EASY

Classifieds Classifieds 203 387-0354

BUSINESS HOURS - MONDAY FRIDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - 50 FITCH NEW HAVEN CT, 06515 - Career/Education/Training • Bid• L egal and Public Notices • Health Care • Real Estate • Professional

Millennium Construction Services, LLC

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven

INVITATION TO BID Bellwood/Chatham Apartments – East Hampton, CT Millennium Construction Services, LLC www.millennium-realty.com” Phone: 860-529-1111 Fax: 860-529-5555 Email: :bwhitaker@millennium-realty.com” Contractors/SubContractors are invited to bid on the renovation project known as Bellwood/Chatham Apartments in East Hampton CT. The development consists of 70 individual apartments of elderly affordable housing located on Bill O’Neill Drive and Bellwood Court in East Hampton CT. The scope of work consists of the modernization of the facility and the following direct performing trades are incorporated into the scope of work and are encouraged to respond to this solicitation; finish carpentry, trim and mill work, painting, door and window installation, flooring, electrical and plumbing, new hot water heaters, site lighting upgrades, generator installation, appliances, kitchens and bath fixtures, roofing, siding and gutters.

This contract solicitation is for Labor Only self- performed contracts. All materials are being supplied by Owner/Construction Manager. Exceptions to Owner supplied material contracts are noted in the scope of work.

Construction shall commence April 2016 and continue until complete (weather pemitting). Owner is a Tax Exempt governmental organization.

CT State Prevailing Wages – “Residential Rates” do apply and will be supplied to all bidders.

A mandatory pre-bid walk through will occur on Thursday, February 25th at 11:00 am and will commence at the community room located at Bill O’Neill Drive, East Hampton CT. A tour of the facility will be conducted.

A complete set of plans and specifications will be available for review at the construction office located on site and are immediately available for review at www.millennium-realty.com” Millennium Construction Services, LLC and the owner reserve the rights; to accept any, all, or any part of any bids; to reject any, all or any part of any bids; to waive any non-material deficiencies in bid responses; and to award the bid that in its judgment will be in the best interests of the owner.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, SECTION 3 BUSINESSES AND WBE AND SBE/MINORITY BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE. CONTRACTS AWARDED UNDER THIS SOLICITATION ARE SUBJECT TO STATE SET-ASIDE AND CONTRACT COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS.

Diesel Mechanic 3-5 yr. min. exp. 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training. Repair/Maintain triaxles, roll offs and heavy equipment. Kenworth, Mack, John Deere, CAT. RED Technologies, Portland, CT FAX 860.218.2433; Email Info@redtechllc.com.

Invitation for Bids Crawford Manor Hydronic Upgrades The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for Crawford Manor Hydronic Upgrades. Bids will be received until March 4, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 17, 2016 @ 11:30 AM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Request for electronic copies of the request should be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Invitation for Bids 210 Valley Street Vacancy Rehabilitation The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for 210 Valley Street Vacancy Rehabilitation. Bids will be received until March 4, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 17, 2016 @ 12:00 PM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Monday, February 8, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Request for electronic copies of the request should be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven

Invitation for Bids Marshal Services

Drivers: Company Drivers. $5000 transition bonus. Paid out in the first 4 months - Call us for details! New Home Time policy: 5 days out - 2 days off; 10 days out - 4 days off; 15 days out- 6 days off.

We offer: average $1200-$1400 weekly. $1500 quarterly bonus. $5000 referral bonus. Dedicated lanes. Longevity bonus.

Dedicated driver advocate team. Health, dental, vision benefits available. Paid layovers & orientation. Requirements: must have CDL-A with tanker & hazmat endorsements. Have or be willing to obtain TWIC card. 1yr. tractor-trailer exp. Call Jessica: 866-983-0855 or apply online at www.Work4QC.com

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill the position of Development Associate.

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/ EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE electronic su

Lady seeking a job as an Elderly caregiver Many years experience, call Jenn 347-866-4866

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for Marshal Services. Bids will be received until Friday, February 26, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 16, 2016 @ 2:00 PM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Email request for requirements must be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

Welder-Exp. Welder for structural steel Misc shop. Send resume:gwf@snet.net

Connecticut’s First Choice For Urban News Since1990

PLACING AN AD EASY

Classifieds Classifieds 203 387-0354

BUSINESS HOURS - MONDAY FRIDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - 50 FITCH NEW HAVEN CT, 06515 - Career/Education/Training • Bid• L egal and Public Notices • Health Care • Real Estate • Professional

Listing:G Maintenance Assistant Immediate opening for a part time maintenance assistant for grounds and building maintenance.

Position requires flexible work schedule. Some heavy lifting required. Computer knowledge a plus. Send resume to HR Manager, 401 Soundview Road, Guilford, CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill a full time position for a Communications Officer.

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE electronic submissions only. No phone calls

CONSTRUCTION Experienced Iron Workers needed. Must have tools, transportation, OSHA 10 card; Will conduct background check and pre-employment drug test.

EOE-M/F Call 860-525-9016.

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Invitation for Bids Winslow- Celentano Hydronic Upgrades The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for Winslow- Celentano Hydronic Upgrades. Bids will be received until March 4, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 17, 2016 @ 11:00 AM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Request for electronic copies of the request should be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

The

Inner-City Inner-City News

Information Technology Wallingford Police Department Police Network Administrator: Seeking a highly qualified manager to direct the information technology department of the Wallingford Police Department. Work involves the responsibility for administering LAN/WAN computer networks and planning, scheduling and coordinating the installation of related hardware and software. Designs, implements and maintains the local and wide area computer networks (LAN/WAN) in offices, fleet vehicles and remote sites. Required: A bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university in computer science or a related field plus five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in all phases of information technology processing, including experience and installation and support of personal computer workstations. Three (3) years of such experience in the administration of LAN/WAN systems and maintenance and experience working in a Windows Server environment is required, including a solid working knowledge of the full Office Suite, Exchange and Active Directory, VMWare, including two (2) years of web design and development. Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certifications or equivalent are preferred. Experience in public safety communications systems (CAD), police department records management systems, security systems, NCIC and CJIS interfaces and vehicle-based mobile computer systems is preferred. An equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis may be allowed. Salary: $72,548 to $ 92,820 annually plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date for application will be March 7, 2016. EOE.

CONSTRUCTION Experienced Iron Workers needed. Must have tools, transportation, OSHA 10 card; Will conduct background check and pre-employment drug test. EOE-M/F Call 860525-9016.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposals (RFP) 504 and ADA Consulting Services Solicitation Number: 064-PD-16-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting proposals from qualified consultants for an Indefinite Quantities Contract for Section 504 and ADA Compliance Review and Implementation. Solicitation package will be available on February 10, 2016 to obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to NK “mailto:bids@parkcitycommunities.org” bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on March 1, 2016, @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, bid the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than March 3, 2016 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Proposals shall be mailed or hand delivered by March 11, 2016 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Contract Specialist, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Late proposals will not be accepted.

New Haven Section 3, DAS certified MBE & WBE subcontractors wanted Allstate Fire Systems is looking for Section 3, DAS certified MBE & WBE subcontractors to install a fire sprinkler/suppression system. All interested bidders, companies and employees are to be licensed in the State of Connecticut, Bonded and Insured. Work duties will include all tasks required for proper fire sprinkler system installation per approved plans. Construction experience is a must. All F2 licensed mechanics are responsible to arrive to the job site on time, have a minimum of OSHA 10 training and possess approved personal protection equipment. You will also

29

participate in daily, weekly and monthly progress reports. If interested, please contact allstatefire110@gmail.com.

30

The

Inner-City Inner-City News Connecticut’s First Choice For Urban News Since1990

PLACING AN AD EASY

Classifieds Classifieds 203 387-0354

BUSINESS HOURS - MONDAY FRIDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - 50 FITCH NEW HAVEN CT, 06515 - Career/Education/Training • Bid• L egal and Public Notices • Health Care • Real Estate • Professional

GARRITY ASPHALT RECLAIMING OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

INVITATION TO BID – Site work & Paving THE GLEN APARTMENTS – Danbury CT Millennium Construction Services, LLC

Immediate opening for organized, self motivated, multitask person Skills & Duties required: • Microsoft Word, EXCEL a must/ Timberline Software a plus • Classify- Scan documents to Timberline files • Manage Subcontractor Service Agreements, Certificates of Insurance & W-9 requests Assist with: • Certified Payroll Reports & Lien Wavers • Bond Filings on delinquent AR accounts • Municipal bids • Contract documents • Monthly, quarterly federal/ various state tax reporting • Other duties as required Equal Opportunity Employer Minority and female candidates are highly encouraged to apply Apply Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming 22 Peter Rd Bloomfield, CT 06002 Phone: 860-243-2300 Fax: 860-243-3100 Send resumes & salary requirements to:

Phone: 860-529-1111 Fax: 860-529-5555 Email: “mailto:bwhitaker@millennium-realty.com” bwhitaker@millennium-realty.com Contractors are invited to bid on the site work/paving phase of the renovation project known as The Glen Apartments in Danbury CT. The Glen Apartments consists of 100 individual apartments of elderly affordable housing located on Memorial Drive and Rocky Glen Road in Danbury CT. The scope of work for this solicitation consists of the modernization of the existing facility and the following direct performing trades are incorporated into the scope of work and are encouraged to respond to this solicitation; Divisions 31 & 32; asphalt paving and curbing, minor excavation, sidewalks installation, minor site work to include install of yard drains and catch basins, line striping.

Contractor shall be able to commence work in June 2016 and continue until complete with completion no later than July 15, 2016. Owner is a Tax Exempt governmental organization.

CT State Prevailing Wages Contractors are invited to bid on the site work/paving phase of the renovation project known as The Glen Apartments in Danbury CT. The Glen Apartments consists of 100 individual apartments of elderly affordable housing located on Memorial Drive and Rocky Glen Road in Danbury CT. The scope of work for this solicitation consists of the modernization of the existing facility and the following direct performing trades are incorporated into the scope of work and are encouraged to respond to this solicitation; Divisions 31 & 32; asphalt paving and curbing, minor excavation, sidewalks installation, minor site work to include install of yard drains and catch basins, line striping.

Contractor shall be able to commence work in June 2016 and continue until complete with completion no later than July 15, 2016. Owner is a Tax Exempt governmental organization.

Email: kevin.sheehan@garrityasphalt.com

CT State Prevailing Wages – “Residential Rates” do apply and will be supplied to all bidders.

A pre-bid walk through will occur on Thursday February 18th at 1:00 pm and will commence at the community room located at 25 Memorial Drive, Danbury CT. A tour of the facility will be conducted. Parking is limited so please park on Memorial Drive.

TRANSFER STATION LABORER Off load & load trailers, Lift 50 lbs., operate trucks and forklift. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860-342-1022; Email to lkelly@redtransfer.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

A complete set of plans and specifications will be available for review at the Glen Apartments construction office located on site and are immediately available for review at www.millennium-realty.com Millennium Construction Services, LLC and the owner reserve the rights; to accept any, all, or any part of any bids; to reject any, all or any part of any bids; to waive any non-material deficiencies in bid responses; and to award the bid that in its judgment will be in the best interests of the owner.

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, SECTION 3 BUSINESSES AND WBE AND SBE/MINORITY BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATEMINORITY BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE

Drivers: Company Drivers. $5000 transition bonus. Paid out in the first 4 months - Call us for details! New Home Time policy: 5 days out - 2 days off; 10 days out - 4 days off; 15 days out- 6 days off.

We offer: average $1200-$1400 weekly. $1500 quarterly bonus. $5000 referral bonus. Dedicated lanes. Longevity bonus.

Dedicated driver advocate team. Health, dental, vision benefits available. Paid layovers & orientation. Requirements: must have CDL-A with tanker & hazmat endorsements. Have or be willing to obtain TWIC card. 1yr. tractor-trailer exp. Call Jessica: 866-983-0855 or apply online at www.Work4QC.com

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016

31

INNER-CITY NEWS February 22, 2016 - February 28, 2016 32