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Volume 76 – Number 45
July 17-23, 2013
michiganchronicle.com
Real Times CEO Jackson on NNPA Trayvon Martin and the generational burden of black boys board
2013 Jim Crow Justice
Hiram E. Jackson, CEO of Real Times Media and publisher of the Michigan Chronicle, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the National Newspaper Hiram Jackson P u b l i s h e r Association (NNPA), the association of Black newspapers, at the group’s annual convention. Real Times Media is the parent company of the Michigan Chronicle. “I am honored to have been elected to such an historic organization,” said Jackson. “In this
See JACKSON page A-4
WHAT’S INSIDE Now or never for Detroit (Page A-3) City council candidate Vince Keenan is running for office because he believes this is an incredibly important time for the city. Keenan, who is running in District 6, said, “We’re going to have to make sure that tough decisions are made with as much feedback as possible from community members.”
Benny Napoleon endorsement (Page B-5) The General Assembly of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity unanimously voted to endorse Benny Napoleon for mayor of the city of Detroit. The candidate spoke of his “experience and understanding of Detroit’s challenges” and said he has a plan to “reduce crime by 50 percent.”
Entrepreneur on a mission (Page C-1) Since 2002, Monica G. Anthony has been on an entrepreneurial mission of excellence as founder of the Detroit-based Gian-Chris, Inc., a company that began as a commercial real estate consulting entity.
By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
The history of America is still being written and the acquittal of George Zimmerman of second degree murder by a Florida jury of five White women and one Hispanic female in the mindless shooting death of 17-year-old African American teenager Trayvon Martin is now an important chapter in that history that gave birth to centuries of slavery and Jim Crow. Like so many, I was shocked by the verdict and could not comprehend how in 2013, a jury purporting to be part of balancing the scales of justice would let go a martial arts trained man with a gun who got out of his car, soaked in his prejudice and tired of seeing Black youths in the neighborBankole hood, followd an innocent Thompson teenager and killed him. The prejudiced jury, as evidenced by the interview juror B-37 gave to CNN Monday night, revealed the dark character of a system of justice that has long been failing young Black boys. How long will this continue before those who administer justice finally right the wrongs of the criminal justice system? Even though juror B-37 admitted that Zimmerman went too far and should not have gotten out of his car with his gun and followed Trayvon, she still believed “George,” as she referred to Zimmerman repeatedly, was on the right side of the law. Then she said both Trayvon and Zimmerman were responsible for what happened, but she assigned no culpability to Zimmerman. More troubling for the juror was when she described Trayvon’s female friend, Rachel Jeantel, as not “credible” because of her “communication skills,” and that she was “using phrases I never heard before,” showing the deep-seated prejudice of a jury whose life experiences do not equate to Trayvon, his female friend or any other Black person.
Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, the parents of Trayvon Martin. Did the prosecutors conclude that Trayvon’s life was not worth vigorously fighting to convict his killer by throwing the entire book, including racial animus, at Zimmerman? Did the prosecutors decide because of national attention they would just charge Zimmernan for the sake of charging but not put up a strategic and strong fight since their own Sanford Police Department showed no value in a dead Black boy’s life by letting his killer talk his way out of an arrest and go home to sleep on the night he killed Trayvon Martin?
Why didn’t the prosecutors object when their own witness, Chris Serino, the lead detective from the Sandford Police Department, on the witness seat converted into a glowing character witness for Zimmerman? Given what they knew and the information they were privy to, including forensic evidence regarding how Trayvon was killed, why did the prosecution allow their witness, Serino, to collapse their case and not even object? Were the prosecutors, Sanford Police Department and the jury eating from the same plate of racism? The fact is, if young Trayvon Martin was a White boy, Zimmerman would never have followed him in the first place. But even if he had followed him and shot him to death, he would never have gone home that night. He would have had a lot of explaining to do in the interrogation room and the prosecution would have moved heaven and earth and even planet Jupiter to convict this killer. Everyone from the prosecution, to the Sanford Police Department to the jury would have all identified with a young White boy killed because he could be any of their sons. Their pursuit for justice would been a personal mission to uphold the law and they would make sure Zimmerman did the time for the crime.
Apparently, by referring to a Black witness as not credible and using phrases she claimed she does not understand, juror B-37 confirmed to us that the jury members have had limited or no dealings whatsoever with the Black experience. They have no inkling of the life of a Black teenager and sought to compare the behavior of 17-yearold Trayvon to that of a grown man like Zimmerman.
But in Trayvon’s case, he became a tragic victim of his skin color which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said five decades ago should not be used to judge people. King said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that people should be judged by the content of their character. Trayvon’s only crime was that he fit the
Makes us wonder why the prosecutors would, in the first place, if they were really interested in winning this case and given the national attention it received, allow a jury that is not diverse in thought, belief systems and life experiences to examine one of the most important racial justice cases in history.
See TRAYVON
MARTIN page A-4
Trayvon Martin
Triumphs and travails (Page D-1) Since winning the “American Idol” competition in season 3, Fantasia has had a great deal of success as well as a substantial amount of drama in her life. However, she views herself as a survivor and much more.
City Council still has work to do, Jenkins says By Bankole Thompson
ing with less members than we started with,” Jenkins said. “So it is going to be challenging for all six of us. We do not only have to be council members but now we have less staff to work with with three cosolidated policy divisions.”
CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
Saunteel Jenkins, the newly elected president of the Detroit City Council, says that despite the arrival of an emergency manager, the Detroit City Council, contrary to public opinion and perception, still has some legislative work to do. Jenkins in an interview days after her ascension to the presidency of Detroit’s legislative body following the sudden disappearance of Charles Pugh, said the City Council is not sitting idly by, even as Emergency Financial Manager Kevyn Orr tackles the budget and legacy costs.
$1.00
Rather, the council, she said has been meeting to pass resolu-
Jenkins said the council is now dealing with three departments: Fiscal Analysis, Research, and Development and Planning.
Saunteel Jenkins tions, ordinances and introducing zoning measures in the city as well as ratify or disapprove of contracts that become before the
legislative table. “I expect that this next five months are going to be challenging because we are work-
“We have reduced the number of staff and cut our administrative staff by half,” Jenkins said. “The council still has a role to play because we are writing and passing ordinance through our committees and passing or canceling city contracts. We are
See JENKINS page A-4
news
July 17-23, 2013
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Regional Roundup Record high $55.4 billion in metro Detroit exports
This record level of exports is a 12%, or $6 billion, increase from 2011 to 2012. Following the release of this information, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the
Jean Meyer, interim president and CEO, St. John Providence Health System.
computer and electronic products, electrical equipment, and fabricated metal products industries led the way in boosting Detroit’s exports.
recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, I am encouraged to see that the Detroit metropolitan area has hit a record high of $55.4 billion in exported goods.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration announced new export data showing that merchandise exports from the Detroit metropolitan area totaled $55.4 billion.
John Conyers
following statement: “As we continue to
Garry Faja, president and CEO, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
“Through his National Export Initiative, President Obama has challenged the United States to double our national exports by the end of 2014 to support an additional 2 million good-paying American jobs.
This 12%, or $6 billion, increase from last year’s figures was made possible by significant economic contributions in the manufacturing sector. Specifically, the transportation equipment, machinery,
“I am proud that Detroit is a leader in this national effort, and I look forward to continued progress in bolstering our exports and manufacturing base.”
St. John Providence, others, support Medicaid expansion on newly tients.
Failing to accept federal support to provide health insurance to an estimated 450,000 working Michigan adults — including many veterans — will have serious consequences to our local economy.
By embracing the opportunity to enhance Michigan’s Medicaid program, we can improve health outcomes and program sustainability while creating efficiencies that will enable us to cover more of our citizens.
Michigan will forgo about $2.1 billion in economic activity and an estimated 18,000 new jobs generated by the additional federal dollars coming into the state’s health care system. Business leaders across Michigan -- including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Association of Michigan and the Detroit Regional Chamber– are quick to point out that Medicaid reform can help slow the increase in health insurance premiums paid by Michigan employers, by reducing the burden of uncompensated care currently borne by Michigan hospitals. According to some estimates, this cost-shift has imposed a hidden tax of about $1,000 per family through higher health insurance premiums.
covered
Gov. Snyder
Some have suggested that the state cannot afford to enhance Medicaid. Yet this argument is not supported by several reports. They conclude that, with matching federal dollars, the curbing of cost-shifting, and the resulting healthier workforce, Michigan would actually save money by strengthening Medicaid. Adopting the governor’s plan would also address the untreated health issues faced by Michiganders who are currently uninsured, putting patients and their families on a healthier course. Today’s Medicaid program is not perfect. The historical challenges posed by health care provider reimbursement and primary care access will not evaporate overnight, though in a recent report most providers indicated their willingness to take
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
July 17-23, 2013
Page A-3
Prime Politics All The Politics That Matter to You
Wendell Anthony’s PAC throws weight behind mayoral candidate Benny Napoleon By Donald James
Party that sent a delegation to the National Democratic Presidential Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hamer, who was a part of the Black delegation, challenged the convention’s all-White delegation from Mississippi, claiming that the delegation wasn’t representative of all the people of Mississippi because the majority of Blacks were not permitted to vote.
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE With 14 mayoral candidates on the ballot, and another seven or so candidate cleared for write-in consideration, Detroit voters on Tuesday, Aug. 6, will be faced with narrowing the field down to two candidates for a Nov. 5 election showdown. On Tuesday, July 9, the Fannie Lou Hamer Political Action Committee, perhaps the city’s most esteemed political group, announced that it has endorsed current Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon for mayor. “It is indeed an understatement to say that the city of Detroit on July 9, 2013 stands at a crossroad,” said Fannie Lou Hamer PAC founder Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony. “The future of Detroit for many has been made to appear uncertain, unclear, and most fragile. Our candidate has a plan, not just a philosophy. We call upon the Detroit community and all registered voters to join us in supporting the Honorable Sheriff Benny Napoleon as the next mayor for the city of Detroit.” Napoleon, who was seated during the endorsement statement, immediate joined Anthony at the podium. “This is a very important endorsement,” said Napoleon. We (Detroit) have some challenges, we have some issues, but we are nether hopeless nor helpless. We will get through everything that we are facing. “I will be the kind of leader that won’t forget the people that live on Mack and Bewick, Grand River and Mackinaw, Joy Road and Martindale. I will be the mayor for the entire city of Detroit. I will not disappoint you.”
Speaking to the credential committee at the convention, many national media outlets carried Hamer’s plea on behalf of Black people in Mississippi who were disfranchised. Her courage motivated Democrats to look to the future and refuse any state’s delegation from being seated that illegally denied anyone the right to vote. The following year (1965) the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Benny Napoleon
Wendell Anthony
In order to fully appreciate the significance of the Hamer endorsement, it’s important to know the history of the Black woman for whom the organization is named. While Black women have had many significant roles in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, few, if any, were more outspoken and proactive and received the physical abuse endured by Fannie Lou Hamer. Her slogan on the battlefield for the civil rights was, ”I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
gressive organizations that helped other African-Americans to register. Much of her voter registration endeavors were with activists from the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) and the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Her bold activism often put her life in tremendous danger with local Whites who detested her efforts. In 1963, Hamer was jailed during a demonstration in Winona, Miss.
Born in 1917 in Montgomery County, Miss., Hamer was one of 20 children of sharecropping parents. Like her parents and siblings, Hamer picked cotton. When she was in her mid-forties, she left Ruleville, Miss. and moved to Indianola, Miss. where she registered to vote. Subsequently, she joined pro-
While in jail, she was severely beaten and suffered a blood clot in one eye and damaged kidneys. Hamer, however, persevered and continued to be an outspoken civil rights leader and voter rights advocate. During the 1964 presidential elections, Hamer was instrumental in forming the Mississippi Freedom Democratic
Until her death in 1977, Hamer continued to be a major voice and bold activist in civil rights and voting rights. Today, in Ruleville, Miss., the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden stands, which includes a larger-than-life statue of the courageous freedom fighter. While Fannie Lou Hamer would have been totally opposed to Detroit’s emergency manager Kevyn Orr and the law that allowed Gov. Snyder to appoint him, Napoleon made it clear that he, too, is not on board with the EM. “I believe that the EM is here illegally and I will believe that until the federal court makes a decision,” Napoleon said. “Until that time, I’m going to work to get rid of the emergency manager. You (the EM) cannot impose your will and negate me and the people of Detroit in a democracy. I will never support that position.”
Why the Zimmerman jury failed us By Lawrence D. Bobo America is racist at its core. I used to doubt this simplistic claim. Today I cannot. The murder of Trayvon Martin demands total, simple, honesty. A jury in Florida failed us. We have not seen a moral failure this grave since a similarly all-White jury in Simi Valley, Calif., in 1992 acquitted the four LAPD officers who beat Rodney King. Writing in the same year as that ill-fated verdict, the distinguished civil rights lawyer Derrick Bell declared that “racism is an integral, permanent and indestructible component of this society.” In most circumstances, I treat this declaration as a foil, a claim to be slowly picked apart as, at best, too easy and, at worst, deeply unfair and wrong. Not today. The most elemental facts of this case will never change. A teenager went out to buy Skittles and iced tea. At some point, he was confronted by a man with a gun who killed him. There is no universe I understand where this can be declared a noncriminal act. Not in a sane, just and racism-free universe. There is only one universe in which such a judgment can happen. It is the same universe in which jurors can watch slow-motion video of four armed police officers beating a man and conclude that the man being beaten dictated everything that happened. Two features of this universe loom large. First, it requires immersion in a culture of contempt, derision and at bottom, profound dehumanization of African Americans, particularly Black men. You have to be well-prepared to
believe the very worst about Black people in order to reach such a conclusion. In particular, you have to proceed as if that person constituted a different, lesser former of humanity. Without that deep-rooted bias in the American cultural fabric, we would find that people would readily bring a powerful sense of basic shared human insight and empathy to the Trayvon-Zimmerman encounter. Second, it requires that the panel judging whether or not a crime has taken place include not a single member of the victims’ racial background group. It really doesn’t work without that condition. The odds that anyone in the jury room openly rejected the arguments of “reasonable racism” — i.e., that enough of these people are criminals that it is basically OK to treat them all as suspects till they prove otherwise — went from low to near zero when a singularly non-diverse jury was empaneled, as was true in Simi Valley. As a result, there was almost certainly nobody there who would say during the deliberations, “No, it is not OK to view me, a law-abiding Black person, as criminal. It is not OK to ask me, in my own neighborhood, if I ‘belong,’ ‘what I’m doing?’ or ‘where am I going?’ “ And it certainly is not OK to do so armed with a gun and in a presumably threatening manner. This is why diverse juries are critical to achieving justice in cases like Zimmerman’s. But that is not the jury that was empaneled. In fact, the defense was wisely strategic in opting for a six-person jury; this decreased even further the odds that the panel would include someone likely to raise such concerns. I feel ineffable anguish for Trayvon’s parents. No parents should have to suf-
fer such pain and indignity. I feel sad for Black parents from one end of this country to the other, especially the parents of young Black boys. What do you tell a Black teen today? What should they take from this trial? That a prosecutor wasn’t as good as the defense in a particular trial? That the evidence just wasn’t strong enough? That six honest people did their duty? I don’t think so.
This just isn’t good enough.
The reason it is that the elemental facts of this case will never change, and this jury made the wrong, morally bankrupt decision. We have public trials so that we may all observe and see a system dedicated to justice under the law striving toward that end. On too many dimensions, this trial sent the wrong message. Truth is, however, I expected no more than what we got. As soon as the jury was empaneled, I had the terrible feeling of déjà vu and dreaded expectation that this would prove to be another Simi Valley situation. And it did. I might not feel so bitter if the U.S. Supreme Court had not just gutted the Voting Rights Act. I might not feel so bitter if the same court had not just effectively established, in my estimation, an unattainable standard for constitutionally permissible consideration of race in pursuit of diversity in admission to colleges and universities. Indeed, I might not feel so bitter if stop and frisk was not an accepted practice in arguably the most tolerant city in America. But all of these things are true. And it sickens me. Aggravating me almost as much is the lack of any organized, focused response to all these conditions from within the African-American community. To be
sure, this is not the place or time for another critique of Black leadership or the Black middle class. Were he still with us, I think Derrick Bell would counsel realism, which to him meant giving up on the naive dream that America would ever relinquish a commitment to racism and White supremacy. I am angry, outraged and disappointed with this verdict, but even at this moment, I cannot embrace this level of pessimism. The path ahead is not an easy one. Trayvon’s killing demands justice. The need to bear witness here is clear. A decision that is the living embodiment of racism in our body politic happened, even if not a single member of that jury understood themselves as acting in such a way. That is the power of cultural racism — when it is this deeply embedded in our basic cultural toolkit, it need not be named or even consciously embraced to work its ill effects. A lot of us are disappointed and angry right now. Seething bitterness, however, is not a solution, nor is violence or striking out. The way forward is one of hard work on social and political organizing, as well as of forcing honest and painful discussions, and a passionate insistence on change and justice. This country still has a serious problem with racism. Let’s stop pretending this isn’t case or that it is all somehow healing itself. The murder of Trayvon Martin compels this conclusion. Lawrence D. Bobo is the W.E.B. Du Bois professor of the Social Sciences and chair of the Department of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.
Vince Keenan believes it’s now or never for Detroit
By Patrick Keating
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
City council candidate Vince Keenan is running for office because he believes this is an incredibly important time for the city. “My biggest fear is not this cycle of emergency management or even if it slides into bankruptcy,” said Keenan, who is running in District 6. “My biggest fear is that if we don’t get our feet underneath us after we come out of this, we will end up back here again in 10 years.” Keenan said all the potential Detroit may have is tied to coming out of emergency management with a strong focus on core services. “People have to feel safe,” he said. “People have to feel like they’re getting their money’s
worth out of the taxes that are going in. We have to make sure that the city functions and becomes a place that people want to invest and live in.” He believes Detroit has a five-year window to hit the ground running. According to Keenan, the most important issue the council needs to address is to make sure the city makes structural changes that will facilitate the end of emergency management and the return of elected government.
keep our engaged.
communities
“We’re going to have to communicate better than we ever have before,” he said. “We’re going to have to make sure that tough decisions are made with as much feedback as possible from community members. “Some of these issues are very complicated issues,” said Keenan, who has a background in voter education.
“But also make sure that we don’t end up back in the fiscal crisis,” he added. “We need to focus on providing core services and public safety.”
“And we have to make sure that if we’re making decisions that are impacting people’s pensions, everybody knows what the cards are, that they’re all out on the table.”
Keenan also believes a lot of those decisions will be made in the next five months, and that the 2014 council is going to have to figure out how to
He also mentioned that he’s beginning to look at the assets in District 6 to figure out how to get behind already active community organizations.
“The reality is what we have right now is a city government that can’t provide a lot of extras because of our financial circumstances,” Keenan said. “So when you talk about quality of life issues, what’s going to matter is what’s happening in neighborhoods.” He said that’s what’s mattered for years, and that as far as he’s concerned, a district councilperson will be able to take a chair at the table of a neighborhood organization or agency. Asked why he feels he’s the best person to represent his district, Keenan said he’s been working for the last 17 years on trying to promote informed and rigorous participation in city government.
Keenan also said we need to make sure every district has a good group of people who have a
grasp of city-wide issues, so that every time there’s an election, we can “stir the pot and people can have different perspectives and bring things together.” Keenan believes Detroit has to become the best place to be an innovator and to start new businesses.
“We have to stop holding our breath and we have to start facilitating small businesses in ways we haven’t been up to now,” he said. He also noted that when Detroit solves its problems, those solutions will work anywhere in the world. Keenan grew up in the city and believes we can do better than we have been. He was raised in a culture that taught him that if you see something wrong and you don’t try to deal with it, you be-
come part of the problem. “This is a ‘put up or shut up’ moment for me,” he said. “As a person that has advocated for good government for a long time, this moment in Detroit’s history, the reason I’m running. is because I want this to be as far as we let it get. We have to move forward from here.” He believes District 6 can be a template for how to do that. He also said there’s genuine capacity in the neighborhoods that we don’t respect. “We have to figure out how to move forward based on the most capable neighbors you can possibly imagine,” Keenan said. “We’ve got people that are able to do things that right now we don’t take advantage of,” he said.
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Trayvon Martin description as has been the case with most young Black boys who come into contact with the criminal justice system. They are treated as adults instead of children while their White counterparts are given the full benefit of the doubt, as children. Their White counterparts generally receive a lesser sentence or probation when it comes to drug selling and other substance peddling, or less egregious crimes. Even the media coverage — it wasn’t until recently that it has been changing in some media markets — of young Black male suspects, was more pervasive than their White counterparts whose mug shots hardly make it on the evening news but the Black suspects are splashed all over the television screen. This is the unequal society we live in and it is time to tell the truth about it. Trayvon Martin’s death should tell us something about the need for criminal justice reform and the dangers of a non-diverse jury exercising in the words of Dr. King “interposition and nullification” under the pretext of interpreting the law and rendering justice. His death should tell us that something is wrong and rotten in our justice system, notwithstanding the good faith efforts of reform-minded administrators of justice in our communities. His death should tell us that Florida’s justice system has failed the nation and African-Americans and that it is time for real reform in a state where the Trayvon Martin verdict mirrors what Rev Jesse Jackson calls “old South justice.” His death should tell us that this innocent and handsome young man, who could have been a member of any of our families, did not deserve to become a victim of a vicious, deadly crime. His death should remind us that despite having the first AfricanAmerican president, we are still in a crusade for human dignity. That no matter your background, life experience or the way you speak, you should
not be a victim of prejudice, as was juror B-37. That juror showed her true colors when she dismissed Martin’s female friend’s testimony because of the way she spoke and her unfamiliarity with a young Black female’s experience. His death should send a message to everyone in the justice system that they have a responsibility to protect every person, regardless of their ethnicity or where they are from. His death tells us that some of our intolerant police departments across this country, like the Sandford Police Department, should be made to embrace and to institute diversity and improved race relations. That the life of a Black boy killed should carry the same weight as the life of a White child, and there was no excuse for letting his killer walk away that night. His death is a reminder that it is time to call out the blatant hypocrisy of Southern extreme right wing politicians who feast at the table of racism and exclusion, still in denial of a rapidly growing multiracial America, as evidenced, by the latest Census report. His death should force us to reject and wage a collective assault on the intricate and evil system of racism that permeates our society. Every life should count and should matter . Trayvon Martin has become a martyr in the struggle against racism and reforming the criminal justice system. His death should make us look inwardly at gun violence in our own communities and force us to be equally outraged at what is happening in Detroit, Chicago and the rest of the nation where urban centers have rapidly become war zones as our children die daily. His death should cause us to build and strengthen coalitions with communities to collectively condemn what happened in Sandford and to show solidarity in knowing that what affects one community has a direct bearing on the other.
From page A-1 Trayvon’s untimely and premature demise — taken away from his parents — is a stark reminder of the residue of what General Colin Powell calls “the dark veins of intolerance,” still haunting us. It is a bold reminder of the crucial role the federal government has to ensure crimes on the basis of prejudice and hate are prosecuted vigorously and to the fullest extent of the law. Despite being troubled and angered, we can take comfort in the bold and courageous leadership of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder who has pledged to renew investigation into the Zimmerman verdict, and who has demonstrated in other areas to be a practical champion on issues relating to protecting people’s rights. The nationwide reaction to the verdict showed Trayvon Martin did not die in vain. All of us are charged through our various responsibilities to ensure that in our communities we can prevent another horrific tragedy that retells the Trayvon Martin saga. And that can only happen if we commit once and for all to never letting what happen in Sanford take place in Detroit or anywhere else, because we believe if it happens our justice system will deal with it as it should be dealt. Bankole Thompson is editor of the Michigan Chronicle and the author of the forthcoming book “Rising From the Ashes: Engaging Detroit’s Future With Courage.” His book “Obama and Black Loyalty,” published in 2010, follows his recent book, “Obama and Christian Loyalty” with an epilogue by Bob Weiner, former White House spokesman. Thompson is a political news analyst at WDET101.9FM (NPR affiliate) and a member of the weekly “Obama Watch” Sunday evening roundtable on WLIB-1190AM New York and simulcast in New Jersey and Connecticut. E-mail bthompson@michronicle.com or visit his personal page at www.bankolethompson. com.
July 17-23, 2013 Page A-4
NAACP calls on DOJ to charge Zimmerman By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
Leaders of civil rights organizations and civic groups are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue civil rights charges against the acquitted George Zimmerman for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The Rev Jesse Jackson Sr., founder of the Rainbow Push Coalition, called the jury verdict of Martin’s death “old South justice,” a description that has similarly been used as response to news that the killer of an unarmed African-American teenager will be walking free. Jackson compared the killing of Trayvon Martin to the death of 14-year-old Emmett Till who was killed in 1955 in Mississippi. His killers walked away free even though years later they would admit to the crime.
assistant professor, Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law
For those of us in states with ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws, the question has been asked, what do we tell our sons? Here is my advice for African-American boys and girls: 1) Do not travel on foot alone. Walk in pairs. A person will be less likely to approach two young people than one. 2) Both of you need to have cell phones. If you notice someone following you by car or on foot, one of you should dial 911, and the other should call a parent to tell the parent to come and get them. Ideally, it would be great if one of our civil rights organizations could establish a hotline number to call so that an objective person answering could begin to document what is happening. Or, they could both call 911. If the phone has the capacity to photograph or video record at the same time as maintaining a phone conversation, take pictures of the person approaching you while asking him to cease and desist. 3) Learn a script to tell the 911 operator. Something like this: “My name is ___. I am being followed and fear for my life. The person following me looks like ___ (race, gender, height, hair color, build, clothes he/she is wearing). I am on X street (or describe location). I am ___ years old and unarmed. I need a police officer immediately to help me. I fear that I will be (kidnapped, raped, killed). Tell me where to find the nearest safe place to go. Please stay on the line with me.” 4) After making this statement, tell your child to start describing to the 911 operator everything that is happening — what the person following is doing AND saying — and what you are doing and saying in response. 5) At some point, our children may have to defend themselves or suffer an attack or gunshot. Quite frankly, outside of
teaching a kid how to box or streetfight, we should all consider teaching our children some form of martial arts self-defense, including how to disarm a person with a gun. We have the means through churches and community organizations to pay a mixed martial arts teacher for this training. 6) If the two children can get to a safe place first, they should keep walking while documenting what is happening. Our children should know where the closest fire station is in their neighborhood. Most of us do not have walk-up police precincts in every neighborhood, but we do have fire stations nearby. In the worse-case scenario, if the 911 operator does not know where to tell them to go, they should head toward the nearest fire station (if there are no open, safe stores in their path) because someone will always be there, and they should be protected. 7) If they are being pursued, they may need to stop and fight in order to prevent bodily harm. They should never allow themselves to be put in a car to be taken to another location. 8) If they have to fight, throw the phone down close and shout out (if they can) who initiated the attack. Then fight to subdue the harasser, holding him/her until the police arrive. If they have to fight for their life, so be it. You have to decide whether you would rather bury your child or pay/collect money/request various organizations to help with your child’s defense to a murder case. Hopefully the documentation of what happened will allow for a successful self-defense case. However, keep in mind that self-defense does not work the same way for Blacks as it does for Whites, especially if the victim is White. 9) Contact the state senator representing your district and find out what he/ she is doing to repeal the Stand Your Ground Law in your state. Find out what you, your neighbors, friends, church, co-workers can do to support efforts to get rid of this law.
Zimmerman’s acquittal has sparked nationwide protests as well as discussions about the fear White females have about young Black men, which some suggests is the reason by the defense pushed to have mostly White women on the jury to play.
In 2008, at the height of the presidential campaign, President Obama admitted in his speech in response to charges relat“Not one ing to his former Black lawyer on pastor, Rev. Jereither side, not emiah Wright, at one Black on the the Constitution jury, not one male Center in Philaon the jury says delphia, the fears something about Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. his White grandit being stacked mother, Madelyn from the very beginning,” Jackson Dunham, has of Black men. said about the case and the nearly all “I can no more disown him (JerWhite female jury. emiah Wright) than I can my White Many agree with Jackson that the grandmother, a woman who helped prosecutor’s case was botched from raise me, a woman who sacrificed the beginning of the trial because again and again for me, a woman who during the proceedings the lead detec- loves me as much as she loves anytive in the case, Chris Serino, testified thing in this world, but a woman who in favor of Zimmerman, an odd in- once confessed her fear of Black men stance in the criminal justice system who passed by her on the street, and where detectives are supposed to bol- who on more than one occasion has ster the prosecution’s case instead uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes of the defense. The Sandford Police that made me cringe,” Obama said in Department, where Serino works, let his speech. Zimmerman go home without arrestMarian Wright Edelman, founder of ing him on the night that he killed the Children’s Defense Fund in WashTrayvon Martin. ington, DC, quoting Ella Baker, said, Legal analysts, including Detroit “Until the killing of Black men, Black attorney Jermaine Wyrick , said the mothers’ sons, is as important as the prosecution should have thrown the killing of White mothers’ sons, we book at Zimmerman including, racial who believe in freedom cannot rest.” animus as 9-11 tapes showed him reHowever, some conservative activferring to Martin as “a coon” and also telling a dispatcher, “This guy looks ists are saying the case is being overlike he’s up to no good. He looks blown and that focus should be on Black. He’s a Black male. These a… gun violence in the Black community. holes, they always get away.” “The people who are complainWyrick said, “They should have loaded up on all the charges including third degree murder, child abuse and aggravated assault and brought out the facts to prove all of them.”
Rev, Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit Branch NAACP, has written a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, urging him to indict Zimmerman on civil rights charges, something that the national NAACP under CEO Benjamin Jealous has called for with a petition drive.
Practical advice for Black children residing in Jenkins ‘Stand Your Ground’ states
By Jessica Dixon Weaver
“It cannot be that in this 50th year since Dr. King pronounced ‘I have a dream’ that America’s judicial system is allowed to turn it into a nightmare,” Anthony said in an interview. “This decision must not stand alone. For to do so means that African-Americans do not have the right to stand up and even defend themselves. The department of justice must say no to individuals who would assault them for being very simply who they are and not for what they have done.”
ing about the Trayvon Martin verdict should turn their attention to the unacceptable levels of Black-onBlack violence that cripples urban communities. We should not be second-guessing the jury. Folks, its time to move on to the real problems facing Black communities. It’s what we do to ourselves,” said Dr. Carol Swain. Bankole Thompson is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle. Email bthompson@michronicle.com.
From page A-1
prviding the transparency in city government that you won’t get from the executive branch. Because anything related to council is dicsussed openly.” Jenkins maintained that, “For me, the bottom line is we still took an oath and that was we would serve the city in the legislative. Fortunately, Kevyn Orr approved the council’s budget for the new fiscal year.” Jenkins said if the city enters chapter 9 the council will still be in place. However, she hopes Orr is able to pre-
vent a bankruptcy and she said the city cannot be solvent in 18 months when Orr leaves. “Given the past practices that got us here in the first place, I certainly don’t think we would be financially solvent in 18 months,” Jenkins said. “I do believe that a road map would be put in place for us to move toward financial solvency. The bigger question is, are we willing to elect people and hold them accountable?”
Jackson digital age, I understand the challenges we face and I am excited to work collaboratively to create viable solutions that will benefit all NNPA members.”
From page A-1 be an asset to the growth and evolution of the organization.”
Real Times Media, the largest newspaper organization within the NNPA, is a multimedia compaCEO of Real Times ny that includes a conMedia since 2006, Jack- glomerate of five other son has diversified the newspapers — the Chicacompany by building go Defender, Pittsburgh a multimedia platform Courier, Atlanta Daily while maintaining the World and Memphis Tri newspaper as the core State Defender as well as focus of the business. FrontPageDetroit.com. Under his leadership the Rod Doss, publisher of company produces more the New Pittsburgh Courithan 50 annual commuer, was also elected to the nity-focused events in board. 27 markets around the Established more than country, creates nearly 100 specialty tabs and 70 years ago by the foundniche publications every er of the Michigan Chronyear, and dispatches dig- icle, John H. Sengstacke, ital news to more than today the NNPA consists of 200 newspapers with a 400,000 people. combined readership of “I am glad to have a more than 19 million. At visionary such as Hiram the first meeting, the orJackson to join the NNPA ganization had the repreboard,” said Cloves Campsentation of 20 commerbell, Jr., chair of the NNPA cial newspapers. board and the publisher Dubbed “the voice of the Arizona Informant. “I admire the things that of the community,” the Real Times Media is doing Michigan Chronicle is and am certain that he’ll one of the oldest and
most prominent African-American newspapers in the country. Founded in 1936, the Chronicle has been recognized five times as Best Black Newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publisher Association. With readership of 150,000 and a robust online platform, the weekly newspaper is committed to covering a community not totally served by mainstream media.. Real Times Media is the leading provider of original print content for African-American related news, entertainment and lifestyle information. The company was built on iconic brands whose legacies extend back more than 100 years. Its portfolio of companies consists of Internet properties, newspapers, niche publishing, marketing services, archive licensing, and premier events. The company has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Memphis and Pittsburgh.
news
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
July 17-23, 2013
Page A-5
Beaumont Health System demonstrates progress through innovation Beaumont Health System has been named among the nation’s “Most Wired” hospitals, according to Health Care’s “Most Wired” 2013 survey released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks, a publication of the American Hospital Association. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the survey.
Subra Sripada, executive vice president, chief administrative and information officer. Since the survey’s inception, hospitals and health care systems have made great strides in establishing the basic building blocks for creating clinical information systems aimed at improving patient care. The survey criteria includes adopting technologies to improve patient documentation; advance clini-
Food Assistance Program accuracy rate at record high By RJ Barnhill As lawmakers debate cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), a new report shows it has one of the highest accuracy records of any governmental program. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that for the fiscal year of 2012, the SNAP payment accuracy rate was 96.58 percent — the best on record/highest in the history of the program. Over the last nine years, the payment accuracy rate has continued to increase each year and remain above 94 percent. USDA officials say that some changes in the program have helped lead to the higher accuracy rate. They include reviewing higher risk retailers more frequently, expanding the definition of fraud to attack newer methods of SNAP benefit abuse, and sharing data to help catch people trying to commit SNAP fraud. “It is ironic that with all the complaints about fraud and abuse that Congress is threatening to cut one of the most carefully monitored and error-free programs in the entire government,” said Terri Stangl, executive director of the Center for Civil Justice, which advocates for low-income people on hunger issues. “The program has grown because of the number of people who aren’t making ends meet has increased, not because there is abuse or errors. SNAP is one of the government programs that is actually reaching the people it is intended to help while they are in desperate times. ” The Center for Civil Justice statewide food stamp helpline is continually ringing with people throughout Michigan asking how they can get food assistance. Many of them are working but still can’t make ends meet, are newly unemployed or unable to find a job, are seniors on fixed incomes, or are people with disabilities or a caregiver for someone with disabilities. These callers are relieved to discover that help is available. Michiganders who want to see if they qualify for SNAP can call the center’s helpline at 800-4814989.
cal decision support and evidence-based protocols; reducing the likelihood of medication errors; and rapidly restoring access to data in the case of a disaster or outage. Participating hospitals and health systems are assessed based on four areas of focus: infrastructure; business and administrative management; clinical quality and safety (inpatient/ outpatient hospital); and clinical integration (am-
bulatory/physician/patient/community). Specific requirements are set in each of the four focus areas and organizations must meet all of them to achieve the “Most Wired” designation. Among the key “Most Wired” survey findings this year: Sixty-nine percent of “Most Wired” hospitals report that medication orders are entered electronically by physicians.
This represents a significant increase from 2004 results when only 27 percent of “Most Wired” hospitals answered yest to this question. Seventy-one percent of “Most Wired” hospitals have an electronic disease registry to identify and manage gaps in care across a population. Sixty-six percent of “Most Wired” hospitals share patient discharge data with affiliated hos-
pitals and 37 percent of “Most Wired” hospitals do so with nonaffiliated hospitals.
“Most Wired” hospitals provide a patient portal or Web-based solution for patient-generated data.
The 2013 “Most Wired” survey also covered some new areas such as big data analytics and patient generated data. It found:
Health Care’s “Most Wired” survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 659 surveys, representing 1,713 hospitals, or roughly 30 percent of all U.S. hospitals.
Thirty-two percent of Most Wired hospitals conduct controlled experiments or scenario-planning to make better management decisions. Forty-one percent of
news
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Mayor, First Lady celebrate Southfield health achievements
First Lady Michelle Obama hosted Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence at the White House to celebrate the outstanding efforts of the city of Southfield and other communities in completing health and wellness goals over the past year for Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) program. LMCTC calls upon local elected officials to adopt sustainable and holistic strategies that improve access to healthy, affordable food and opportunities for physical activity.
they become productive and healthy adults, contributing to the prosperity of our communities.”
Southfield’s Let’s Move! efforts included the Let’s Move Summer Fitness Camp that featured a different sports-related theme and fun fitness activities for participants each week of the program. The camp also included an overview of proper stretching and warm-up techniques, yoga and healthy eating habits. Each camp also provided participants with healthy snacks as well as fresh fruits and vegetables from local vendors.
• Smart Servings for Students: Increasing participation in school breakfast and lunch programs
The camp was open to all Southfield students or children of parents who work or worship in the city and was sponsored locally by Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, Health Alliance Plan, St. John Providence Hospital, and Michigan First Credit Union. “Too many young people today do not eat balanced, healthy meals or get enough exercise,” said Lawrence. “It is vitally important to teach our youth healthy eating and exercise habits that will carry over into adulthood. I envisioned this program to be one that is both fun and educational, inspiring and challenging young people to get off the couch and become more active and physically fit, and I’m happy to report that it was successful in achieving that goal.”
As part of LMCTC, local elected officials are working towards the following goals: • Start Early, Start Smart: Promoting best practices for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early care and education settings • My Plate, Your Place: Prominently displaying My Plate in all municipal or county venues where food is served
• Model Food Service: Implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
July 17-23, 2013
Page A-6
Henry Ford named a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality Henry Ford Health System was recognized recently as a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality for its commitment to providing equitable, inclusive care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients and their families. Henry Ford was the only Michigan health system among the 464 health care facilities nationally recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in its Healthcare Equality Index 2013. The HRC is the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization.
workforce who work together to bring an environment of inclusion to our patients, our co-workers and the communities we serve.” Healthcare organizations awarded the distinction meet key criteria for equitable care, including non-discrimination policies for LGBT patients and employees, a guarantee of equal visitation for same-sex partners and parents, and LBGT health education for key staff members. “LGBT patients deeply appreciate the welcoming environment provided by a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality,”
• Active Kids at Play: Increasing opportunities for physical activity
First Lady Michelle Obama and Mayor Brenda Lawrence of Southfield.
LMCTC is a major component of First Lady Obama’s comprehensive Let’s Move! initiative, which is dedicated to solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. A total of 330 cities, towns and counties from 46 states and the District of Columbia, which collectively represent more than 56 million Americans, have committed to the initiative’s five goals. NLC has awarded more than 1,000 bronze, silver and gold medals to recognize local elected officials who have made progress in achieving these goals.
“The League of Cities appreciates the support and energy of the First Lady for her tireless efforts to reduce the obesity epidemic facing our communities,” said National League of Cities’ (NLC) Executive Director Clarence Anthony. “We congratulate all the local elected officials who participated in the event and are playing an instrumental role in providing our nation’s children with a healthier future. When children grow up in cities, towns and counties that promote healthy development,
NLC is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Association of Counties and other nonprofit organizations, to assist local elected officials who join LMCTC as they implement policy and environmental changes to prevent childhood obesity. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded NLC a grant to provide technical assistance to local elected officials working to create healthier communities and prevent childhood obesity, including sites participating in LMCTC. For more information about LMCTC and the city of Southfield’s accomplishments, visit www.HealthyCommunitiesHealthyFuture.org or www.cityofsouthfield. com.
“We are guided each day by our diversity principles to ensure that we embrace acceptance and respect for all,” said Noel Baril, vice president of Henry Ford’s Talent Selection and Rewards. “This recognition is a reflection of our diverse
said HRC Health & Aging director Shane Snowdon. “It makes a big difference to know that your local healthcare facility is fully committed to giving you the same care it gives your neighbors and co-workers.”
Charlotte is the reason. What is the best reason to have a health plan from Blue Cross? Your reason. INDIVIDUAL PLANS
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SECTION B
COMMUNITY Powered by Real Times Media
michiganchronicle.com
Letter From The President
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
David Girodat
Boys will be men
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ext month the Fifth Third eBus will be in Detroit for the ninth year in a row. The Fifth Third e-Bus is a full size bus outfitted with computer technology, financial empowerment counselors, and basic social services community partners that travels into the neighborhoods of Detroit to provide services where people live and work. We are proud of the work we do with the e-Bus each August and are committed to continuing and expanding our mission of financial empowerment in Detroit. What really excites me, though, is where the e-Bus will wrap up the tour Labor Day weekend. The Fifth Third Bank Michigan State Fair will take place August 30 to September 2. The e-Bus will be there along with so many other great exhibits, rides and food from the traditions of over 100 years of state fairs in Michigan. The Fifth Third Bank Michigan State Fair celebrates and supports Michigan’s agriculture, tourism, products and the people of the great state of Michigan. Although the fair will be housed at the Suburban Showplace Collection in Novi, it will truly be a state fair with something for everybody including people from urban areas. In fact, there is a specific competition for urban youth. The urban agriculture competition is known as Urban Farming. It is designed for exhibitors from K to 12th grade from an urban area. There is no entry fee for the competition. Entrants will be competing for ten total scholarships of $1,000 and $500. Scholarships will be awarded geographically with winners representing every corner of the state. In addition to exhibiting their crops (there are 22 classes of specimens) urban farmers will be ask to write an essay on how their urban farming project changed their life or how they live. Maintaining its roots to the city to promote the values of agriculture has long been a core value of the state fair and I am glad to see that tradition continue with the youth urban agriculture competition and urban farming scholarship program. So, next month, if you can’t find your way to the Fifth Third e-Bus as it makes its stops in the city of Detroit, come out to the Fifth Third Michigan State Fair and see us there along with some of the finest examples of urban youth farming you will see at any state fair this summer. For Discount coupons for the Fifth Third Michigan State Fair, visit any Fifth Third financial center during the month of August, and for more information on the fair, go to www.michiganstatefairllc.com.
July 17-23, 2013
Steve Harvey’s mentoring program for young men coming to Detroit
Visitors inside the eBus.
Fifth Third eBus returning to southeastern Michgian
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he Fifth Third eBus is coming to southeastern Michigan from Saturday, August 3, through Saturday, August 31. The eBus has made an annual visit to Detroit and the surrounding area each year since 2005. With the support of area nonprofit organizations, city, county and state offices and some for-profit companies, the bus has outreached to more than 7,000 individuals and families living in low-to-moderate income and underserved neighborhoods in southeastern Michigan. The eBus is a self-contained mobile technology center that is re trofitted with a bank of Internet-connected computer workstations. At the bus visitors will have an opportunity to meet
one-on-one with mortgage experts and home foreclosure prevention experts. At selected sites, visitors may also receive utility assistance, information on free or low-cost legal aid, get free health screenings, have their children visit with the Mobile Dentists. In an effort to help people begin to find their financial equilibrium, a number of financial and homeowner counseling experts will be on hand at each site. This year the eBus will visit Detroit, Warren, Southfield, Flint, Ypsilanti, Wayne and Port Huron. The 2013 eBus tour’s major focus will be on employment and helping families stay in their homes. Individuals will still be able to obtain a copy of their free annual credit
report, have the opportunity to talk with a certified credit counselor and make arrangements to attend credit and budget classes and workshops conducted by nonprofit organizations. The eBus is a partnership of organizations that come together each year to bring resources to people who may not otherwise receive them. The atmosphere is dynamic and the delivery of resources has a unique appeal that cannot be duplicated in a traditional brick-and-mortar facility. Were it not for the presence of the eBus in their neighborhood, many of the visitors to the bus may not receive free personal financial management exper-
See eBus page B-2
During the weekend of September 27-29, 120 lucky young men will experience a powerful and life-changing weekend of learning, inspiration and empowerment. In partnership with WMXD-FM, Fifth Third Bank is sponsoring The Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend for Young Men at the Northwest Activities Center. The program is a two-day, two-night program designed to teach young men between the ages of 13 through 18 the principles of manhood. The program is open to young men in the 13-18 age range who live in a single, female-headed household. The goal of the program is to help the participants of the program realize their potential and to help break misguided ideas about manhood and introduce role models that portray a positive image of manhood. Since 2009, more than 700 boys across the country have participated in The Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend for Young Men, chosen from thousands of
Regional Camp in Chicago, 2012. applications. In 2009, The Steve Harvey Mentoring Weekend began conducting The Steve Harvey Regional Mentoring Program. Regional programs were launched in Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans and Atlanta. The program duplicates The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men’s national camp core program in Dallas and includes a series of workshops and breakout sessions that focus on personal responsibility, dream building, and the importance of nutrition and physical fitness. The workshops are conducted by positive role models from business, the military, entertainment, media and from the local area. The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men was created in direct response to calls to action from the community to help break through the negative influences that play a significant role in whether young men who come from challenging environments become successful or not. This month, WMXD is airing announcements encouraging listeners to engage young men to qualify by simply registering on the WMXD website for an opportunity to be chosen to participate in the weekend. Registrants will be asked to write a short essay with subject matter that includes what it is like to grow up without a father and how they think the camp can change their lives. The regis-
See Mentoring page B-2
‘Life Reimagined’:
Exploring opportunities in a new life stage By Karen Love
lifetime of rewarding work.
AARP MICHIGAN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
Now I’m about to start another life chapter. I graduate in December with a Masters of Gerontology degree from the University of Southern California. I plan to use my degree to help seniors in any way that I possibly can. There is so much need out there.
You might hear AARP talk in the coming months about a new concept called “Life Reimagined,” which is not so much a program, but recognition that older adults are facing — and embracing — new complexities these days. It’s not just about traditional retirement anymore. It’s about a broad range of options in a new life stage, opportunities and real possibilities as we plan what’s next, whether it is launching a new career, caring for loved ones or even falling in love again. They’re talking about folks like me — a 67-yearold great-grandmother, widow and active volunteer. I am the owner of a small, successful business
AARP calls it an “encore” career. That’s a good way to look at it.
Karen Love that specializes in Black media. I started KarYzma Media Consulting Inc. after 34 years in print media, including two decades at the Michigan Chronicle. Sure, starting a business later in life was a way for me to supplement my Social Security. But it was also an opportunity to contribute something valuable to my community, to share expertise learned during a
But I also call it pursuing a passion, making a difference, giving back to my community and living my life to the fullest. This is what we mean by “Life Reimagined.” I hope many of you explore your options and opportunities and find a path to reach new goals and dreams. AARP offers an interactive, customizable roadmap that can help at www. lifereimagined.org.
community
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
July 17-23, 2013
Page B-2
Helping Michigan homeowners take a step forward in Michigan MSHDA’s Step Forward Michigan program assists struggling homeowners
Summer interns Sydney Ford (left) and Merelin Antoni.
Getting ready for the eBus, a college intern’s POV
By Sydney Ford
tour.
SUMMER INTERN
Having the chance to get things going with the eBus is building anticipation for Merelin and me as well as the other interns that we invited to join us on the bus. Hearing stories of the previous tours are getting us more amped up by the moment. An intern a couple years ago orchestrated a flash mob at one of the sites! 2013’s group is hoping to bring the same level of excitement to the eBus tour.
The interns are back at Fifth Third Bank. The summer interns have flooded various departments ranging from marketing to finance to lend a helping hand wherever it is needed. We are fresh out of school on break and ready to learn about all of the opportunities that Fifth Third has to offer. Even though not many of us know what exactly they are. Being here is an opportunity for us to learn about the many functions of a bank, how to represent a brand and how to financially educate ourselves, among other things. The projects that we are assigned to are not just about pushing paper either. Our supervisors are committed to getting us involved in day-to-day tasks that are near the same level as their own. Working side by side with the employees here at Fifth Third helps us to really get a grasp on not only the inner workings of the bank, but also on real life experiences that will prepare us for later work in our prospective fields and in life. Someone that I have had the pleasure of working closely with is Loretta Humphrey-Cruz. She is in the Community Development department at Fifth Third. The main project that we have been working on is the eBus. When the eBus is close to pulling into southeastern Michigan, that’s when the pace picks up around the department. Calls need to be made, sites need to be visited and secured, fliers and press releases need to be prepared and sent out, and partners coordinated with. It is truly a time when interns are utilized. Both myself as well as the second intern working in the department with me, Merelin Antoni, have been given the opportunity to really pull some of the weight that comes with launching the 2013 eBus
From the chatter heard at the watering hole, I gather that we will be partnering with some amazing nonprofit organizations. The intern group can’t wait to see these organizations in action. Our fresh prospective paired with the energetic involvement is going to make for a fun tour experience. The eBus will also be equipped with certified credit counselors. Learning how to pull credit reports will be a learning experience for not only the residents but also for the younger staff on board. Venturing out from the bus to meet and greet community residents to bring them aboard the bus is something that I am looking forward to. I am anticipating the opportunity to get to know the people that we serve on a personal level. Learning about what they may be going through and being able to tell them how we will be able to help will definitely be a highlight. I think what I value most is the good that we will be able to do in the community. It is rewarding to know that one way or another we will be touching the lives of many and are able to be a part of helping improve their lives. The eBus will be a lasting memory for all of the interns. I think that the bonding that we will have with our team members, along with the relationship that we build with our communities, will be forever ingrained in us. The 2013 eBus tour is sure to be an awesome experience.
There are thousands of homeowners still in recovery after the economic downturn. If you are in that number, there are several resources available, if you qualify, that may help you and other Michigan homeowners get over the high water mark of the fragile economic recovery. This year, the Fifth Third eBus is partnering with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to help homeowners who may be at risk of losing their homes because they cannot pay their mortgage and may go into foreclosure. In addition to MSHDA, the Wayne and Oakland County Treasurers Offices are also lending their expertise to assist homeowners who may be in jeopardy of losing their home due a property tax delinquency that was a result of unemployment, medical emergency, or another qualified financial situation. Additionally, if your home’s value has fallen in recent years, you may be eligible to receive assistance designed to help bring what you owe and what you pay on your home more in line with its current market rate. MSHDA received $498.6 in federal funding to assist Michigan homeowners who have experienced a financial hardship that put them at risk of losing their home and all of the programs described above were designed to help. Step Forward Michigan is a program administered by MSHSA as part of Michigan’s Hardest Hit Funds® program and is designed to help Michigan homeowners who are struggling to meet their monthly mortgage payments. MSHDA provides financial and technical assistance to Michigan residents through public and private partnerships to create and preserve safe and decent affordable housing. You may be eligible for any one of MSHDA’s forgivable loan programs which are designed to help homeowners who have a qualifying financial hardship. This includes: • Mortgage payment assistance for homeowners currently receiving unemployment compensation • Rescue funds for homeowners who have fallen behind in their mortgage payments due to no fault of their own and who have overcome this obstacle • Federal matching funds for principal reductions for homeowners who can no longer afford their mortgage payments as a result of reduced income.
Eligible homeowners can take advantage of one of the four available Hardest Hit Fund® programs: Unemployment Mortgage Subsidy Program This program helps homeowners stay in their homes by providing monthly mortgage payment assistance directly to the homeowner’s mortgage lender. Loan Rescue Program This program helps homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage and/or property taxes and need help catching up. Modification Plan Program This program helps homeowners who may have fallen behind on their mortgage and homeowners with negative equity who are struggling to keep up with their monthly mortgage payment. Principal Curtailment Program This program helps homeowners who have negative equity. Homeowners who may be eligible can apply directly for loan assistance at stepforwardmichigan.org. The Step Forward Michigan website is the fastest way for homeowners to submit an application. They can also visit the Fifth Third eBus at selected sites (see schedule in this publication for dates and times) to speak to an MSHDA, Treasurer’s Office or other qualified program experts. To be eligible for any of the four programs, you must be a Michigan resident, and you must: • Be a legal U.S. citizen or a legal alien • Occupy the property as a primary residence • Have had a qualifying involuntary
eBus
hardship • Have limited cash reserves, no more than six months of mortgage payments saved in the bank to be considered for mortgage assistance, and no more than 1½ times the annual property tax amount to be considered for property tax assistance. You may visit the Fifth Third eBus at selected sites during the month of August (see schedule for locations and times) to talk to a Step Forward Michigan program specialist. Wayne and Oakland Treasurer’s Offices, the Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps (a chapter of AmeriCorp) and other homeowner foreclosure prevention program experts will be on board the bus to assist guests in the application process and to discuss the complete list of eligibility requirements. While on the bus, certified credit counselors will also be available to share their financial wellness expertise with homeowners who may want to discuss creating a budget or make arrangements to take a budgeting class. For Homeowners Who Do Not Qualify for Assistance If you do not qualify for assistance under the Hardest Hit funds program, you can talk to a qualified counseling expert at no charge. Keep in mind that you should never be asked to pay a fee in exchange for a counseling service or modification of a delinquent loan. For more information about the Step Forward Michigan program and to find out if you are eligible, please visit MSHDA’s website at www.stepforwardmichigan.org.
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tise and the help of certified credit counselors. The southeastern Michigan eBus tour is only part of a program that services almost 200 cities in 18 Fifth Third locations that includes Ohio, Indiana, Kenduckiy, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Missouri. To date, Fifth Third Bank has partnered with over 1,000 nonprofit and government organizations that serve a diverse population of more than 4 million. Jointly , the bank and its partners offer eBus events in a host of venues such as neighborhood parks, houses of worship, colleges and universities, and neighborhood community centers. Look for information about the tour sites, dates and times in an upcoming special section of the Mich-
igan Chronicle that will include the list of community partners that will be onboard to bring valuable information and resources at each site. You can also visit www.53.com, click on Mortgages, then click on “Financial Empowerment Mobiles” in the right hand sidebar of your screen to see where the bus will be located in southeastern Michigan during the month of August.
WHY IS THERE A PERSON IN THE PLACE WHERE THE LOGO SHOULD BE? Well, why not? After all, you don’t go to a logo with your banking needs. Has a logo ever helped you figure out how to pay your mortgage off faster? Or provided investment guidance for planning your retirement? Does a logo understand your fears about taking risks in this economy? No, but a person does. Or more specifically, a curious person. Like a Fifth Third banker, who listens and gets to know you and your financial needs. And comes up with great ideas like the Homeowner Plus Value Package, where
Mentoring tration process will end around August 20. All applicants should be between the ages of 13-18 and be in Grades 8-11 during the time of application and essay submission. Fifth Third will offer young men assistance at the Fifth Third eBus on August 15 at the Northwest Activities Center. Young men interested in submitting an application and essay will have an opportunity to write their essay with the assistance of a writing coach who will be on hand at the bus to help applicants smooth over any rough spots in their essay submissions.
your credit card rewards points go
From page B-1
The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men is one of four community programs in the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation. The goals and mission of the foundation is to instill the principles of integrity, responsibility, respect, honesty, patience, discipline, service and courage in the young people who take part in their programs. To get more information about The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men, find out about how to become a mentor or donate to the organization, you can visit their website at www. steveharveymentoring. com.
toward paying down your Fifth Third mortgage principal. Learn more about it at 53.com. Conventional thinking says this ad looks somewhat off. Maybe the ad isn’t the problem so much as the conventional thinking. We’re Fifth Third Bank.
The curious bank.
Subject to credit review and approval. Fifth Third Checking account required. $50 minimum deposit required to open a new account. Earn rewards points by using your Homeowner Plus Value Credit Card with Homeowner Plus Value Package Rewards. Points are used to make principal reductions on your mortgage. See banker for details on the rewards program. Mortgage products offered by Fifth Third Mortgage Company and Fifth Third Mortgage-MI, LLC. Fifth Third Mortgage Company is an Il inois Residential Mortgage licensee. Fifth Third Bank, Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. © Fifth Third Bank 2012.
Community
May - August The Detroit Public Library Celebrates the 70th Anniversary Lecture Series. 6 p.m. Detroit Public Library. 5201 Woodward Ave. The E. Azalia Hackley Collection is part of the Library’s Special Collections Department. This lecture, titled “Don Cornelius: Riding the Soul Train,” will celebrate the contributions this iconic figure and his famous television show had on the music industry. This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information call (313) 481- 1397
June - September Detroit Rolling on the River Festival and Summer Concert Series, Erma Henderson Park, adjacent to Whittier Park. The festival will highlight local entertainment, some of the city’s best restaurant and community resource information for adults. This event is free and open to the community. For more information email detroitrollingontheriver@gmail.com
July 13, 27, 30
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
a five-mile walk down the RiverWalk, up the Dequindre Cut, and back.
July 24 Nelson Mandela Day 6:30 p.m. Fellowship Chapel 7707 W. Outer Drive Interfaith religion representatives, labor, students and the multicultural community will gather to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday. For more information call (313) 347-2820
Karmanos Cancer Institute Celebrates Cancer Survivor Week The Karmanos Cancer Institute kicks off Cancer Survivor Week with a lecture from author Teresa Kilpatrick, “So You Survived Cancer.” She will speak about cancer survivorship and what to expect after treatment ends. For a list of events, visit www.karmanos. org or call (313) 576- 9288. All events are free and open to all cancer survivors and their families.
July 27 Walkathon For Marriage And Family
Noon – 5 pm Brightmoor Community Center 14451 Burt Road, Detroit
9 a.m. Detroit Riverfront
For more information, call (734) 253-2053
For more information, call (313) 2888076 or visit MRCWalk@MIMarriage.org.
Golfing For Scholarships
Family Fun and Fitness Day
Proceeds from the 87th annual golf outing will go towards college scholarships benefiting the Michigan Youth Appreciation Foundation. More than 200 golfers are expected to participate
Links of Nov Golf Club
Belle Isle Presented by Detroit Parent Network, this annual event teaches parents how to stay fit and have fun with their kids. There will be activities for all ages. No charge.
For more information and tickets, call (586) 393-8800.
Scan and Enjoy The Michigan Chronicle
August 16 - 18
July 28 Second Baptist Church of Detroit celebrates pastor’s 25th year
The 31st African World Festival 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
2 p.m. Hotel St. Regis
Charles Wright Museum 315 E. Warren Detroit
Pastor Kevin M. Turman’s 25th pastoral year will be celebrated at an anniversary banquet. Tickets are $50. The guest preacher at the 10:30 a.m. service will be Bishop John M. Borders III, senior pastor at Boston’s Morningstar Baptist Church.
This three day festival will be celebrated once again on the grounds of the Wright Museum with performances, poetry, arts and crafts, African drumming and dance, hundreds of vendors, ethnic foods, and events for all ages, including an expanded Watoto Village for the youngest among us!
For tickets or more information call (313) 961-0920
For more information visit www.thewright.org
August 3
The Marriage Resource Center (MRC), a non-profit community-based organization, in association with other organizations and individuals, is presenting its 4th Annual Walkathon For Marriage and Family. Participants will start on the Rivard Plaza, then take
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August 8
For more information, call (313) 832-0617
July 24 - 27
Anti-Dog Fighting Rally
Detroit Corps is hosting a series of anti-dog fighting rallies in Detroit communities affected by this illegal and brutal activity.
July 17 - 23, 2013
ARISE Detroit! 7th Annual Neighborhoods Day All Day Event ARISE Detroit! invites community organizations throughout the City of Detroit to participate by helping to clean up. Volunteers are needed. For more information visit www.arisedetroit.org or call (313) 592- 1955.
August 21 Wayne County Youth and Senior Safety Fair 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Belle Isle Casino Enjoy a fun day of food, music and important information to keep children and seniors safe, healthy and happy. For more information call (313) 224-0614
Email Your Upcoming Events to events@michronicle.com Michigan Chronicle presents:
ACHIEVE! 2013 Fall School Choice Guide
400+ Schools
Fall Into Greatness!
Complete District Listing
Look out for the fall edition of ACHIEVE! August 7, 2013 For advertising and sponsorship opportunities call 313.963.5522
Hiram E. Jackson Publisher
A Real Times Newspaper 479 Ledyard – Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 963-5522 Fax 963-8788 e-mail:chronicle4@aol.com July 17-23, 2013
JACKIE BERG Chief Marketing Officer BANKOLE THOMPSON Senior Editor SAMUEL LOGAN Publisher 1933-2011 JOHN H. SENGSTACKE Chairman-Emeritus 1912-1997 LONGWORTH M. QUINN Publisher-Emeritus 1909-1989
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Vote anyway, because your vote still matters, despite it all By Greg Bowens If you are Black and live in Michigan, there is a 50 percent chance your vote doesn’t count. If you are White and live in Michigan, there is a 100-percent chance your vote doesn’t count. Not the way it used to anyway.
of the population: Democracy is now a fraud where some get treated better than others. That hurts us all. That’s why your vote doesn’t count anymore. But your vote does matter – a lot. Your vote is the hard evidence proving they cheated. Your vote to elect city leaders shows how they cheat us out of our ability to run our own communities. We elect a mayor and city council. They appoint other people over them to run city.
It doesn’t count the way it did when you voted for the first Black president. It doesn’t count the way it did when you, your parents or grandparents voted for the first Black mayor of Detroit. Nor does it count the way it Greg Bowens Your vote for school did when you voted for the board members shows how person you wanted to be on the school they cheat us out of our ability to have a board, the city council or local court. say in our children’s’ public education. Oh sure, the powers that be hold elec- We elect school board members. They tions. They print ballots. They allow you appoint other people to run the educato vote. They even count the votes in the tion system. same one, two, three fashion to deter- Your vote this election season shows mine a winner. the world how they cheat the people of And after determining a winner, they Michigan out of their birthright to the make all of us losers. They make sure freedom of self-government. the person we elect can’t run our city, As Americans, we’ve been down this township or school district by appoint- road. The colonists revolted against the ing an emergency manager. It’s hap- king. The North beat the South. Women pened so much that more than half of and people of color won the right to vote. the people of color in the state now live We know how this story ends. Good triin a place ruled by emergency managers umphs over evil. Freedom crushed to — that’s the 50 percent of why the vote the ground rises again. doesn’t count for Blacks. Do your part. Stand in defiance. Stake Here’s the 100 percent of why the your claim. Don’t be moved or turned vote doesn’t count for Whites in a state away. Put your name on the roll. Vote where White people make up 77 percent anyway.
Supreme Court and Paula Deen: What’s the difference?
By Kim Trent
The Supreme Court’s wrong-headed Voting Rights Act decision is the perfect companion piece to much of the American media’s reductive reporting of Paula Deen’s career free fall. Both are sad examples of America’s collective denial about the permanence of racism. Southern charm was always the key ingredient in Deen’s overwhelming cultural and culinary dominance. But the South has a side that’s not so charming and Paula Deen is both a product and a symbol of the region’s legacy of racial animus. Much of the reportage about Deen’s infamous civil lawsuit deposition has focused on her admission that she used the n-word nearly 30 years ago after she was robbed at gunpoint by a black man. The subtext of Deen’s confession is the message that because the target of her “n-bomb” was a dangerous Black man, he deserved the slur. According to the popular media narrative, Deen’s confession about that longago pejorative led to the cancellation of her Food Network show and the loss of tens of millions of dollars from severed corporate partnerships, punishments that many – including liberal commentators like Bill Maher – have suggested lack proportionately. If Deen’s one time n-word slip was the totality of her racial sins, I would be inclined to agree with that assessment. After all, it seems silly to clutch my pearls in horror about a southern White woman having used that term at a time when it was the slur of choice of southern Whites. But anyone who thinks Deen is a victim of political correctness run amok ought to read the deposition. There, they will find troubling allegations that: Black staffers at a restaurant owned by Deen and her brother were limited to the use of one bathroom while their peers were given full access to the restaurant’s restrooms; Black staffers were only allowed to enter and exit at the back door; Black workers were not allowed to work at the front of the restaurant. Deen wanted her brother’s 2007 wedding reception to feature Black male waiters donning attire that she thought reflected pre-1865 sartorial choices for Blacks: shorts, a bow tie and a longsleeved shirt, a look she saw at another southern restaurant. Additionally, a recent video has surfaced of Deen speaking plaintively of the suicide of her great-grandfather, a slave-owning southerner who killed himself because he was distraught when his “workers” fled the plantation when slavery ended. Deen’s use of the word “workers” to describe slaves suggests that she has created an alternate reality for southern history. I’d like to think that most Americans find Deen’s statements offensive. But there’s been very little debate about Deen’s recent alleged racial faux pas because the media has focused on her n-word confession. Truthfully, I find the
media’s blackout of allegations about Deen’s contemporary racist misbehavior as offensive as Deen’s statements and actions. By declining to even ask Deen about allegations of more recent racially discriminatory behavior and instead choosing to focus on Deen’s 30-year- old slur, journalists are engaging in a far too common response to racism. Many Americans believe racism is a thing of the past. By portraying Deen’s racial insensitivity as distant memory, some journalists are reinforcing the idea that American racism is largely relegated to the history books. The majority who wrote the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act decision have a lot in common with people who focus on Deen’s ancient racist sins instead of her alleged recent transgressions. The court’s decision struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act: Section Five, which forced jurisdictions with a documented history of minority voter suppression to get preclearance from the justice department before they made changes to their voting plans. The majority opinion rests on the specious argument that the racism at the polls that made preclearance necessary have been left behind in a bygone era. In fact, Justice Antonin Scalia, characterized Section Five protections as a racial entitlement. Chief Justice John Roberts suggested that Section Five’s longevity was in itself proof that it had outlived its usefulness, as if there’s an expiration date on protecting sacred voting rights. The court’s majority chose to ignore proof that state-sponsored efforts to suppress minority votes have not only continued, but in some ways escalated in recent years. The poll taxes and literacy tests of yore have been replaced by voter ID laws and restrictions on third-party voter registration efforts. As Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights has noted, as recently as the 2012 election, Section Five prevented elections officials in jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination from adopting rules that would have diluted minority voting districts; instituted new voting eligibility requirements and shortened early voting opportunities. Such nakedly obvious modern attempts to suppress Black votes fly in the face of the argument that Section Five is obsolete. There are those who believe that January 20, 2009 — the day President Barack Obama took office — launched America’s post-racial era. Suggestions that American racism persists in a meaningful way are often met with incredulity or even hostility. However, the media’s framing of Paula Deen’s fall from grace and Supreme Court’s jettisoning of the Voting Rights Act’s most effective provision are reminders that our nation’s self-congratulatory embrace of “colorblindness” is too often really deliberate blindness to modern-day discrimination.
DOMA and voting rights don’t compare By Farai Chideya Who is the most privileged among the least privileged? That’s the question many are asking as Americans discuss how the Supreme Court treated race-centered cases over the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action versus cases over same-sex marriage.
to a room that as a Black person, I haven’t even got a foot in the door of. I’m just trying to put food on the table.” And Stephen Winter, who identifies as a “Black biracial queer,” told The Root, “My reaction to the decisions was numb rage turned to grief turned to fiery rage. This was, indeed, a great day for DOMA (the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Defense of Marriage Act), and a total s--t week for the country.
Are African Americans and other people of color, who are the most likely to face voter suppression, the “most oppressed,” now that “First they come for the court has struck down a our right to vote, then they key provision of one of the Farai Chideya will come for yours. You’ll most important aspects of be happily married and the civil rights struggle? And how does completely disenfranchised. that compare to the court’s treatment of gays and lesbians, which has seen a “This week I saw a glimpse of what progressive sea change over the past 10 could be. As a result, I joined the NAACP years? for the first time.” Just follow the recent headlines Urvashi Vaid, author of “Irresistible about the court’s decisions: “Why the Revolution: Confronting Race, Class, Supreme Court Said ‘No to Blacks and and the Assumptions of LGBT PoliYes to Gays,’ “ blared an analysis by pro- tics,” reminds us that people of color gressive Rabbi Michael Lerner. “Gay Is and LGBT Americans not only overlap the New Black,” stated the overblown but also have much in common when it headline atop a nuanced New York comes to their civil rights. Times article by Georgetown University “First, it’s imperative to be vigilant belaw professor Paul Butler. cause laws you thought were settled can At every turn, there seemed to be a be rolled back in a very short amount blunt-force reaction to the court’s land- of time (e.g voting rights, reproductive mark decisions, setting up the civil rights),” she told The Root. rights of gays and blacks as if it were a “Second, the defeat of voting rights battle of winners versus losers. and the remand on affirmative action But such headlines ignore the nuanc- makes clear that the court is an agent es within each group’s civil rights strug- of the Republican Party, which cannot gle. win with its current politics in a majority-people of color country, and so has to resort to dirty tricks, voter suppression he final act of the dra- and wholesale denial of voting rights to large parts of the population.
“T
ma of American equality has yet to be written.”
Indeed, Fordham University political science professor Christina Greer, author of the new book The Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream, calls comparing the court’s decisions not just apples and oranges but “apples and steak” — that is, possible to compare but highly differentiated. America was founded with a national framework of racial segregation and exploitation. “All men are created equal” did not include Black Americans, male or female. For better or worse, the concept of gay rights (or even gay existence) was not baked into our national framework. Indeed, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights struggle has been based upon the groundbreaking work of the Civil Rights Movement. For sure, the fight for gay rights has its own unique history. Their battles are much more recent, and the legal strategies for LGBT rights have moved toward a more state-by-state framework that interacts with federal judicial decisions, versus the Civil rights Movement’s reliance on the federal government to protect rights that states would not. For the moment, with the current Supreme Court, that strategy seems to be working more quickly than a federal action-based rights strategy. Indeed, the knee-jerk analysis missed all of the texture of each group’s history, as well as the intersecting identities of those who are Black and gay. Pam Spaulding, editor of the award-winning blog Pam’s House Blend, is a Black woman legally married to her wife. After Barack Obama was elected in 2008, at the same time that the antisame-sex-marriage Proposition 8 passed in California, Spaulding recalls, “Vitriol was hurled at Blacks that evening, and I recall on the Blend being on the receiving end of angry commenters — as if I had burned my ‘gay card,’ as my Blackness, which clearly was not invisible to them before, was now a threat.” I interviewed a Los Angeles-based Black lesbian activist, Jasmyne Cannick, right after election 2008. She said, “The reason why I wasn’t inspired to work on Prop 8 was because that glass ceiling that the White gays are bumping their head up against is
“The Supreme Court did us a favor because it made this less visible reality extremely visible — as states now pass extremely restrictive laws — so setbacks can be really good educational and organizing moments. This is one.” So the question remains: What will happen to the fights for equality in America, particularly over racial equality and/versus equality based on sexual orientation? The Supreme Court is framed as a nonpartisan branch of government, but justices are appointed by presidents, each of whom has a partisan affiliation. And of course, race — and which races vote for which parties — influences who the president is and who he (or, in the future, perhaps, she) chooses. In this past election, for the first time ever, the percentage of African Americans who voted exceeded that of Whites. And in addition, Latino voters were much more likely to pull the Democratic lever for president than they were during the Bush years. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund lawyer Natasha Korgaonkar lays out some ways to draw relationships between the issues the court decided. “The marriage decisions are a very significant and important victory for equal protection. What these cases and issues share is that they’re about equality, equality for everyone, regardless of who you are. That’s a relationship I see between the two issues,” she said. “People need to have an unencumbered right to vote in all states — not only because the right to vote is enshrined in our constitution but because it’s through that right we can make significant gains on all issues, including marriage equality.” Korgaonkar calls on Congress to take action, as it did when it reauthorized the Voting Rights Act in 2006 under President George W. Bush. But it’s far from a sure thing that this riven Congress will pass a bipartisan voting-rights measure amid the sequester and general legislative gridlock. In other words, the final act of the drama of American equality has yet to be written. With immigration, gender, sexual orientation and race all in play — on the streets and in the courts — it’s hard but critical work to put the pieces of the political puzzle together. So, returning to the question of the day, is gay the new Black? The best answer seems to be: That’s apples and steak, isn’t it?
community
July 17-23, 2013
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Just give it a shot: Immunizations keep kids and communities healthy By Loretta V. Davis, MSA, President and CEO, Institute for Population Health
Vaccines work. The CDC states that many diseases, like smallpox and polio, have seen a 100% decrease in deaths they previously caused, while other diseases saw at least a 90% decrease. However, the Michigan Department of Community Health reports that only about 60% of Detroit infants and adolescents have all the recommended vaccines to keep them protected. Vaccines can only work if children are immunized on time and keep up with their shots.
Lottery
Loretta V. Davis The Institute for Population Health (IPH) wants to increase the number of infants and adolescents completing all recommended vaccines to make sure our kids and communities stay safe. The IPH can help provide guidance and resources for easy access to immunizations. What should parents do to make sure their child’s immunizations are up to date? Although it seems like summer just started, the time is now to get all of the necessary vaccines for the beginning of the school year. Doctors’ appointments can get booked up fast in the fall just prior to school enrollment, and
On Sunday, August 25, the IPH will team up with Channel 7 for the 36th annual Healthy Living for Kids Immunization Fair at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to provide immunizations for children. At the fair, eligible children 3 months and older will have access to free immunizations against polio, rubella, measles, mumps, tetanus, varicella (chicken pox), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B and HIB (Haemophilus influenza type B),MCV4Meningitis,HepA,PCV13(Pneumonia),andHPV(Gardasil). The fair will not just include shots. Additional services will be provided, along with information about community health programs and entertainment. While vaccines are very important for back-to-school, they also keep many harmful illnesses and diseases out of our communities. For more information about the immunization fair and other immunization programs, contact the IPH immunization program at 313324-9670. You can also access information on our website at www. ipophealth.org, or visit the IPH at 1151 Taylor Street, Detroit, 48202.
Council of Baptist Pastors supports Benny Napoleon for mayor The General Assembly of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity unanimously voted to endorse Benny Napoleon for mayor of the city of Detroit
Napoleon, and has been widely known to possess a strong faith, character, moral values, and action-orientated leadership ability. Clergy in Detroit and throughout Wayne County partnered with him to root out crime through neighborhood initiatives when he served as Detroit Chief of Police in 19952001 and since 2009 where he has served as Wayne County Sheriff.
In March, many of Detroit’s clergy leaders stood with Napoleon as he officially announced his candidacy in front of an audience of more than 2,000 people at the Masonic Temple. According to historic figures, this was likely the largest announcement in Detroit’s history of any one candidate. During the past few months since his announcement, more than 300 clergy leaders have officially announced their support of Napoleon’s mayoral candidacy.
Benny Napoleon chair of the political and social action committee of the Council of Baptist Pastors and Vicinity. “Benny Napoleon possesses a vast amount of experience and has proven his support for the city through many decades of service.”
“After careful consideration and interviewing all of the mayoral candidates individually and having them face our General Assembly, this decision was reached,” said Dr. DeeDee Coleman,
Napoleon is the son of a Baptist pastor, Harry
“Benny was very clear in his presentations and had the best understanding of the problems and possible solutions for our city,” said Dr. Lawrence Glass, first vice chair of the council, referencing the endorsement interview. “We are interested in a mayor who understands collaboration and working with others. “A combative attitude at the juncture of Detroit’s history is counterproductive.”
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there may be a long waiting period for an appointment. Parents can avoid the wait by making appointments during summer vacation. Immunizations are also available at the Herman Kiefer Complex, 1st Floor. Call 313-324-9670 for information on days and times.
Going to the doctor for immunization shots may often appear last on our to-do lists, but it is time to make them a priority. Measles, mumps, and polio are diseases many of us consider to be ancient history, so what is the need for a vaccine? Vaccines help keep these illnesses away from our communities. By not getting immunized, these dangerous diseases can appear again quickly and spread fast. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 200 cases of whooping cough, a severe respiratory illness most dangerous to babies, have already been reported this year in Michigan. 2013 has also seen the presence of measles in our state. These diseases, and many others, can easily be prevented through immunizations.
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Napoleon said this about the endorsement: “The Council of Baptist Pastors and Vicinity’s support is as much about my experience and understanding of Detroit’s challenges as it is about the vision I put forth to make our neighborhoods livable, walkable and sustainable.
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For additional directions, call The Inn at St. John’s at 734-414-0600
Include: Designat Goody B Level Spo
Outrageous Golf Attire Contest
Door Pr
2013 Features
“How creative is your golf attire?”
Schedule: 12:15 p.m. – Registration/Lunch 1:00 p.m. – Shotgun Start 6:00 p.m. – Dinner / Award Ceremony (after golf) For more information, please contact Sheena Wells or any Detroit Branch representative at (313) 596-6900
Thanks for your continued support!
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
July 17-23, 2013
Pastor W.L. Bonner: $45 million empire built by prayer At a time when jobs are scarce, money is tight, and lives are turned upside down, one man proves God is still working miracles. Pastor William L. Bonner always loved to build. Something about his hands being in the cement while bringing to life an impossible design always made him happy. At the age of 14 God called him to preach and he never stopped preaching or building. Arriving in New York City at 21 years of age, he met Bishop R.C. Lawson, his father in the gospel. Lawson challenged the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., to “Add Thou To It” and Pastor Bonner has been adding to it at every opportunity. While other pastors dream and cut the ribbons in front of their churches, Pastor Bonner dreams, designs, takes off his preaching robe, puts on his hard hat and builds the church. He has with God’s help expanded the growth of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ to over 500 churches around the world. In the United States at the young age of 92 years, Pastor Bonner pastors five churches, all of which are community blessing em-
pires. Many ask the secret of his success and he simply answers “ p r a y e r. ” He prays at 4 every morning and at 7:30 every night. Sometimes William L. Bonner he prays all night long depending on how God leads him. His prayers and personal labor have built the $10 million empire in New York City, consisting of Greater Refuge Temple, the R.C. Lawson Building and the Mother Carrie Lawson Retirement Home. He built the $9 million empire in Detroit which is composed of Solomon’s Temple, W.L. Bonner Cultural Center, Library of Pentecostal History and the Royal Palace Mall. Jackson, Miss., is home to a $5 million empire with Refuge of Jackson, Family Life Center and the Royal Palace Mall. The nation’s capital, Washington, DC is a $1 million
Page B-6
Church seeks new pastor
church empire. The crown jewel is the $20 million empire in Columbia, S.C., with Refuge of Columbia Church, Family Life Center, Fully Accredited W.L. Bonner Bible College with R.C. Lawson Library, Student Dormitories, Retirement Complex, breathtaking Bonner’s Lake and the soon to be completed Wessenger Project. This project will have apartments, private lakefront homes and a 250 room luxury hotel, the only complex of its kind in any Christian organization. Come and see the fruit of the $45 million empire built by prayer that is still growing! The 94th Annual International Convocation of the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., will convene in Detroit from Wednesday through Sunday, July 24-28, 2013. Services will be held nightly at Cobo Hall and during the day at Detroit Renaissance Marriott Hotel with a concert featuring the Clark Sisters on Saturday night. Call 313.893.1230 or visit www. cooljc.org for a complete list of services and events.
“Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” (Psalm 127:1) New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church of Highland Park, established in 1952, is seeking a spirit-filled candidate, called of God, to fill the position of full-time pastor and to serve as the spiritual leader of its congregation. New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church is in need of a pastor who will be responsible to God and the church, will proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, teach the Bible, provide Christian leadership in all areas of the church, and engage in pastoral care of the congregation. Also, the pastor is to be responsible for the overall leadership of the day-to-day operations of the church, services, membership and promoting the spiritual interests and growth of the church. The minimum qualifications for the new pastoral position are as follows: Bachelor’s degree consisting of a strong concentration in Theology/Biblical Studies.
Must be ordained.
Five years of pastoral experience.
All interested and qualified persons must submit an initial candidate package consisting of copies of the following information: A New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church application which can be found on the Michigan Chronicle Praise Connect website, praiseconnect. com. A current résumé which includes a summary of relevant ministry, professional, and educational experience. Copy of ministerial license and ordination certificate
Copy of degree(s)
Four recommendation letters (at least two clergy)
Please submit the initial candidate package by mail to:
New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church
Pastoral Search Team
13100 Woodward Ave.
Highland Park, MI 48203
The deadline for all information to be postmarked or submitted is September 30, 2013. Any candidate package postmarked after September 30, 2013, will not be considered. For additional information/questions, please contact the church office at (313) 869-0190 or via e-mail at www.newmtmoriah@sbcglobal.net. All information submitted will be treated as “confidential.” Additional information may be requested and/or required. Final candidates must consent to a reference check, criminal history background check, drug test and credit and financial history review.
ARETHA
PRESENTS
“THE BATTLE AT(Come NEW BETHEL” and get your blessing!) Sunday, August 25, 2013 Doors open at 5 PM Program 6 PM
Headquarters: 30101 Parkwood St. Inkster, MI
Pastor Shirley Caesar The Clark Sisters Dorinda, Jackie, Karen and Twinkie.
J.J. Hairston of Chicago, IL and Youthful Praise
Others to be announced Friday July 26, 2013
Saturday July 27, 2013
Women’s Day 10:30 AM Official Address 5:00 PM Evening Service 7:00 PM Pastor Mark Boston—Speaker
Sunday School 10:00 AM Elders Council 12:00 PM Youth Health Fair 3:00 PM Evening Service 7:00 PM
Evangelism Hour
Pastor Kenneth Jenkins—Speaker
Sunday July 28, 2013
Official Day Service at 3:00 PM at Bailey Cathedral 7045 Curtis Detroit, MI CALL (734) 722-3060 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Rev. Wendell Anthony Pastor of Fellowship Chapel
Buffet: 5 PM – until — Featuring ReeRee’s Hot Water Cornbread, Baked Chicken and Dressing, Black Eye Peas with Okra, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Gumbo, Fried Fish, Mac and Cheese, Aretha’s Ox Tail Soup, Homemade Tanya Blount Ice Cream, Peach Cobbler, Sunday School Elders Council “His Eye Is On Banana Pudding. The Sparrow” 10:00 AM 12 Noon
Rev. Robert Smith, Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church
Rev. Mother – Hostess
Pastor Kenneth Jenkins—Evening Speaker NEW BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
8430 C. L. FRANKLIN BLVD.
(FREE ADMISSION – LIGHTED PARKING, SECURITY)
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July 17-23, 2013
michiganchronicle.com
Ken Dallafior BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan
Five reasons why business owners should take real vacations By Ken Dallafior Here’s a wellness question most small business owners never thought about at all in 2012: Did you give yourself enough time to recharge? In other words, did you take a real vacation? According to an American Express survey of 500 small business owners, 59 percent did not take a vacation last summer. And of those who did, 68 percent said they checked in every day.
Monica G. Anthony:
An entrepreneur on a mission
That’s not a vacation. It’s just temporarily moving your “office” to a remote location. Many business owners can come up with plenty of reasons why they can’t afford to get away from their businesses for an extended length of time. They worry that important customers won’t get good service and will leave for a competitor. Or that they’ll miss opportunities to pick up new business. And what would happen if there is a crisis?
If your mind is fried and you’re running on fumes, your body and your business will pay the price.
Besides, vacations are for sissies, right? Wrong. They’re one of the best things you can do, not just for your personal health but also for your company. Here are five reasons why you should make taking a vacation a priority on your schedule: ■ Avoid burnout. If your mind is fried and you’re running on fumes, your body and your business will pay the price. Debra Condren, who has a Ph.D. in psychology and owns a New York executive coaching firm, notes in a New York Times article “If you don’t get a break, you’re going to burn out, and you’ll never achieve the level of success you’re aiming for.” But if you do take a breather, she says you’re likely to return refreshed and better able to run your business. ■ Allow your employees to grow. Do you micro-manage? Are your senior-level employees comfortable making decisions on their own knowing they won’t be second-guessed? Preparing and giving them more responsibilities while you’re gone will give them confidence and added skills to benefit your company. ■ Clear your mind. Veteran entrepreneur Norm Brodsky writes in Inc. magazine “I would come back from a vacation feeling rejuvenated and able to take a fresh, uncluttered view of the business. I could see issues and problems with a clarity I hadn’t had before.” ■ Gain perspective on your business — and your life. It’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day fire fights that you can’t see the forest from the trees. Getting away enables you to step back and think about what you’re doing and what really matters to you and your business. As an added bonus, the team handling your job can give a fresh view and ideas about your company’s operation. Returning from a vacation is a great time to talk about systems and processes. ■ Increase the value of your company. What would happen if you were unexpectedly forced to be away from your business? Could your company run just as efficiently without you? These are the kinds of questions investors will ask to assess your company’s value. Taking a vacation gives you a chance to test the capabilities of your second in command. Brodsky sums it up best, “It was obvious to me that I was a bigger asset to the company on my return than I had been when I left.” Editor’s note: Ken Dallafior is senior vice president, Group Business and Corporate Marketing, at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM). He leads BCBSM’s group sales force, oversees corporate marketing and product development, and develops and implements key corporate strategies. He also provides leadership to critical sales operations such as agent relations and commissions, sales incentives and complex issue resolution for group customers and sales agents. In addition to working in the insurance industry for nearly two decades, Dallafior played professional football from 1982 to 1992. He is founder and board member of the Detroit Lions Courage House.
By Donald James
On fire with successful entrepreneurial endeavors is nothing new for Anthony. She has amassed many success stories as they relate to spearheading empowering projects and initiatives in civic, community and faith-based sectors, the latter of which represents some of her best and most cherished work.
Some people dream of success; others wake up and work for it. Monica G. Anthony is the latter. Since 2002, she has been on an entrepreneurial mission of excellence as founder of the Detroit-based Gian-Chris, Inc., a company that began as a commercial real estate consulting entity. Through the years, however, her 11-year-old company has evolved, and now serves as the umbrella component for many of Anthony’s other innovative business, community and social ventures.
As first lady of Fellowship Chapel on Detroit’s west side, Anthony is the wife of Rev. Wendell Anthony, pastor of Fellowship and a strong stalwart in civil and human rights activism. He holds leadership positions with several progressive empowerment organizations, including the Detroit Branch NAACP.
Anthony’s latest endeavor, launched last March under the auspices of Gian-Chris, Inc., represents a business partnership with Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry. The jewelry company is a Black-owned direct sales company that sells to national and international customers. Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry was started by Philadelphia born, Detroit raised Dr. Traci Lynn. Anthony, through a travelling sales module called Lady MgAnthony Boutique, sells the beautiful, unique, affordable, high quality fashion jewelry, including rings, bracelets, ear-
Monica G. Anthony rings, necklace sets, watches (men and women) and sunglasses. She sells the jewelry online and at an array of locations, including home shows, churches and other places throughout metropolitan Detroit. Anthony has also put on jewelry shows in Illinois and Missouri. The fashion jewelry, according to Anthony, fits every taste, budget, and occasion. “Traci Lynn Fashion Jewelry is a wonderful and phenomenal company,” said Anthony. “Traci is a dynamic woman and leader who is motivating, inspiring and changing the lives of so many Black women who have become partners and entrepreneurs under her company. It is an awesome company…and I’m on fire.”
Monica Anthony is the current director of Fellowship’s James E. Wadsworth, Jr. Community Center, as well as director of the Freedom Institute for Economic, Social Justice, and People Empowerment. She mentors young girls ages 6-17 through Fellowship’s Intonjane Training Institute, which offers a rites of passage program. In addition to her faith-based activism, Anthony is socially committed, having served on the Fannie Lou Hamer Political Action Committee Executive Board, Detroit Public Schools’ Local School Community Organization Committee, United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Fashion Fair Committee, and as a precinct delegate. Additionally, in 2008, she started the Lady MgAnthony Life of Excellence Scholarship whereby she awards $1,000 scholarship annually to one high school male and female who are college bound. “I started my scholarship program at the same time that Oprah Winfrey See ANTHONY page C-2
The Fed sends a signal to investors By Dennis A. Johnson Recently, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated that the Fed may begin to cut back on its quantitative easing program late this year and complete it by the middle of next year if the U.S. economy continues to recover. One of the outcomes that will need to occur for the Fed to begin to taper is asset purchase program is a decline in the U.S. unemployment rate to 7%. The unemployment rate was 7.6% in May. In addition, the Fed signaled that they may begin to raise interest rates in early 2015. If the U.S. economy is strong enough to grow without additional monetary policy stimulus, the elimination of asset purchases by the Fed is good policy and should also be favorable for the performance of risk assets like the stock market, in my opinion. Given that the outlook for U.S. economic growth has consistently been revised lower since the first half of 2011, it is not a certainty that the next steps being contemplated by the Fed will be implemented during the timeline that has been laid out. If the Fed has to maintain its asset purchase program longer than anticipated, that too should
be positive for the stock market. The greatest concern I have with the Fed’s recent signal to the markets pertains to the bond market. The 10 Year U.S. Treasury Note closed June 19, 2013 to yield Dennis A. Johnson 2.33%, significantly above the previous day’s close of 2.18%. Whether the Fed is able to taper and complete its asset purchase program within the stated timeline is irrelevant for bond investors in my opinion. Bond investors have received the message loud and clear. It is not a matter of “if” the Fed will complete its asset purchase program which has been holding down interest rates, it is a matter of “when.” Given that the financial markets discount potential outcomes well in advance of the actual even occurring, bond investors will not wait very long before they begin to reduce their allocation to bonds or reposition their portfolios for a rising interest rate environment.
We continue to encourage clients to work with a Comerica advisor to make sure their portfolio has the correct asset allocation and that the characteristics of the allocation to bonds is predominantly one comprised of high quality, short to intermediate duration bonds. Finally, changes in the level of interest rates can impact the short-term performance of the equity markets, particularly now that we are at the end of a 30+ year decline in interest rates. Any market volatility resulting from an increase in interest rates is to be expected and we will not be overly concerned by such volatility. History has shown that equities can perform well even in a rising interest rate environment as long as rates do not “spike” higher. As we published in the most recent edition of The Road Ahead, it would not surprise us if the pace of the equity market’s advance moderates as we move forward given the gains so far this year and as investor potentially adjusts their expectations for valuation levels given a higher probability of rising interest rates. Dennis A. Johnson, CFA Chief Investment Officer Comerica Asset Management Group
business
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
ZYNP International investing $9.5 million, adding 51 jobs in Romulus The Michigan Economic Development Corporation recently announced Michigan Strategic Fund approval of a $350,000 Michigan Business Development Program incentive for ZYNP International Corporation to expand its operations and add a new R&D center in the city of Romulus, a project that will generate up to $9.5 million in new private investment and add 51 new jobs.
further support of the project.
“ZYNP International is a world leader in automotive products, and this expansion and new R&D center in Romulus will further strengthen its Michigan presence,” said Governor Rick Snyder. “Michigan leads the country in new manufacturing jobs creation, and the new jobs resulting from ZYNP’s expansion will keep us moving in the right direction.”
The Michigan Business Development Program provides grants, loans and other economic assistance to qualified businesses that make investments or create jobs in Michigan, with preference given to businesses that need additional assistance for deal-closing and for second stage gap financing.
“We can all applaud ZYNP for this expansion and thank the company for its continued commitment to Southeast Michigan,” said MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney. “This new investment shows Michigan’s highly competitive business climate and world class workforce mean real opportunities for leading edge companies.”
The MSF will consider a ZYNP International Cornumber of factors in making poration is a global autothese awards, including: motive supplier that manu- Michael A. Finney, MEDC out-of-state competition, factures cylinder liners for private investment in the president and CEO gasoline and diesel engines. project, business diversiZYNP plans to expand its existing oper- fication opportunities, near-term job ations as well as add a new R&D center creation, wage and benefit levels of the in the City of Romulus, investing $9.5 new jobs, and net-positive return to the million and creating 51 new jobs. As a state. Business retention and retail projresult, the company is being awarded a ects are not eligible for consideration of $350,000 Michigan Business Develop- these incentives. ment Program incentive in the form of a For more on the MEDC and its initiaperformance-based grant. Michigan was chosen over a competing site in Texas. tives, visit: MichiganAdvantage.org. For The City of Romulus is prepared to rec- Michigan travel news, updates and inforommend a property tax abatement in mation, visit michigan.org.
Anthony
From page C-1
began her school For Girls in Africa,” said Anthony. “Oprah has always inspired me when it comes to entrepreneurship and excellence.”
the call in 2002 when she formed Gian-Chris, Inc. For Anthony, the call was easy to answer as she knew the caller was God, giving her an assignment. In order to adhere to the call, according to Anthony, one must be connected to God.
Born in Chicago and raised in Detroit, Anthony has always aspired to do great things to help empower people. After graduating from Mumford High School, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in African Studies, Public Policy from Wayne State University. What followed was a succession of executive administration, directorship, and event planning positions with such organizations as Fellowship Chapel, Neighborhood Services Organization, Data Consulting Group, and ACLU of Michigan.
“Everyone must find out what his or her passion is.”
While Anthony was extremely effec-
For more information on Traci Lynn
tion, the spirit of entrepreneurship kept calling her name. She finally answered
MgAnthony Boutique, log on to www. tracilynnjewelry.net/mganthony.
“Some people get the call and respond to it; others just ignore it,” said Anthony. “I believe when something is your passion, when something is your journey, when something is your purpose, gift and assignment, you are constantly on it.
July 17-23, 2013
Page C-2
On the move Christopher Brooks named campus dean at Moody Theological Seminary Moody Theological Seminary-Michigan has announced Rev. Christopher Brooks has been named campus dean of MTS-Michigan. He will assume the position on Sept. 1, 2013. “Chris has demonstrated a deep commitment to the advancement of the gospel and the work of Christ throughout Southeastern Michigan and I am pleased that he will bring his considerable talent to advancing the mission of Moody Theological Seminary-Michigan,” said Dr. John Jelinek, vice president and dean of Moody Theological Seminary. Brooks has been the senior pastor of Evangel Ministries in Detroit since 2004. He has also served on the Executive Team of Everyone a Chance to Hear (E.A.C.H.), an outreach program involving more than 500 churches in southeastern Michigan. He hosts “Equipped for Life,” a radio program about the intersection of faith and culture and is an accomplished apologist who lectures frequently for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, the Centurions Program (a ministry of Colson Center for Christian Worldview) and the ACTON Institute where he is a Kern Fellow. “I am deeply committed to the advancement of the work of Christ through Moody Theological Seminary-Michigan,” said Brooks. “My energy, efforts and influence will be used to develop partners, staff and relationships that will help continue MTS-Michigan’s impact on this region and around world.” After graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance, Brooks began his theological training at Moody Theological Seminary-Michigan. He received his Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and is a graduate of the
Christopher Brooks Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics at University of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Brooks and his wife, Yodit, are the parents of Christopher, Zewditu and Cameron. They live in Walled Lake, Michigan. About Moody Bible Institute Moody Bible Institute is a higher education and media ministry that exists to equip people with the truth of God’s Word to be maturing followers of Christ who are making disciples around the world. Moody is best known for its education branch, which includes a fully-accredited undergraduate school and seminary, as well as distance learning. Other primary ministries include Moody Radio and Moody Publishers
Jewelry offered through Lady tive and AD_Layout impactful 1with each 1:15 organizaCHARMED 7/15/2013 PM Page Fashion 1
PRESENTS
“Charmed” A YOUNG LADY’S GUIDE TO EVERYDAY ETIQUETTE Saturday, July 27, 2013 9:30am–12:15pm DOWNTOWN CAMPUS MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM 236 1001 WEST FORT STREET DETROIT, MI 48226
Got the Promotion! Share Your Good News with Detroit
For young ladies 9-12 To register please call Tameka Mongo at (313) 496-2510 Limited seating available Registration ends July 22, 2013 Lunch provided • dining • social media • • proper dress • • meeting & greeting •
Business Section Promotions New Hires Executive Profiles Ribbon Cuttings, Grand Openings, and more
Send to newsdesk@michronicle.com
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
July 17-23, 2013
Page C-3
Treasury announces $277.1 New EPI report confirms fast-food wages in Detroit are far too low million increase in small business lending In six cities where fast-food workers walked out, an adult with a child needs at least $22.52 and as much as $32.28 an hour to afford the basics
The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a new report showing that, nationwide, participants receiving capital through the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) boosted small business lending by $9.0 billion over baseline levels since the depths of the recession. Michigan-based SBLF participants have increased their small business lending by over $277.1 million, also over baseline levels, including a $56.2 million increase in the first quarter of 2013.
“Small businesses play a
critical role in the U.S. economy and are central to growth and job creation. In the aftermath of the recession and credit crisis, small business owners faced disproportionate challenges, including difficulty accessing capital.” Last month, Treasury released the First Annual SBLF Lending Survey, which estimated that SBLF participants have increased small business lending by an estimated 38,000 additional loans through the end of 2012, across all industries and in every region of the country. “The Obama Administration’s Small Business Lending Fund is supporting credit to tens of thousands of American small businesses as they invest, expand and hire in every region of the country,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin. “The program has supported increases in small business lending by Main Street banks to Main Street small businesses, helping to power the economic recovery in communities across America.” Community banks participating in SBLF have increased total business lending by 41.5 percent, versus a 5.5 percent median increase for a representative peer group of similar banks across median measures of size, geography, loan type, and financial condition. Increases in small business lending have also been widespread across SBLF participants, with 91 percent having increased their small business lending over baseline levels. In the first quarter of 2013, SBLF participants increased
their lending by $206 million nationwide. Small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy and are central to growth and job creation. In the aftermath of the recession and credit crisis, small business owners faced disproportionate challenges, including difficulty accessing capital. The SBLF program, established as part of the Small Business Jobs Act that President Obama signed into law in 2010, encourages community banks to increase their lending to small businesses, helping those companies expand their operations and create new jobs. Treasury invested more than $4 billion in 332 institutions through the SBLF. Collectively, these institutions operate in more than 3,000 locations across 48 states. This report includes information on the 317 institutions that continued to participate in the program as of April 30, 2013, including 267 community banks and 50 community development loan funds. SBLF encourages lending to small businesses by providing capital to community banks and CDLFs with less than $10 billion in assets. The dividend or interest rate a community bank pays on SBLF funding is reduced as the bank increases its lending to small businesses — providing a strong incentive for new lending to small businesses so that these firms can expand and create jobs. Individual community banks can reduce the rate they pay to one percent if they increase qualified small business lending by 10 percent over their baseline. The SBLF program is one part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive agenda to help small businesses access the capital they need to invest and hire. Treasury also administers the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which allocates $1.5 billion to state programs designed to leverage private financing to spur $15 billion in new lending to small businesses and small manufacturers. For more information on the Obama Administration’s small business initiatives, please visit www.sba.gov. For more information on SBLF, please visit www.treasury.gov/sblf.
The Economic Policy Institute’s new report “What Families Need to Get By” confirms what striking low-wage workers in six cities across the country have been saying all along: it’s impossible to make ends meet on the minimum wage. “This new report just shows what I already know — I can’t pay for rent, food and child care on $7.40 an hour,” said Aunyetta Crosby, 25, who went on strike at a Detroit McDonald’s along with hundreds of other fast food workers across Metro Detroit on May 10. “McDonald’s makes billions off of our work, but I can’t even buy my daughter new shoes. We need to be making $15 an hour to get by. This report shows that’s really not asking a lot, and these companies can certainly afford it.” In the study, Elise Gould, EPI director of health policy research, and EPI Research Assistants Natalie Sabadish, Hilary Wething, and Nicholas Finio explain that because poverty thresholds, generally set at the national level, were created to measure serious economic deprivation and do not account for community-specific costs, the dollar amount necessary for a family to attain a secure yet modest living is much higher than conventional estimates. Using EPI’s Family Budget Calculator, recently updated for 2013, the authors account for costs variations of housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, other necessities and taxes across the country and offer a broader, more comprehensive measure of economic welfare. “Our family budget calculations show that the real costs for families to live modest, not even middle class, lives are much higher than conventional estimates show and virtually impossible for families living on minimum-wage jobs,” said Gould. “In fact, the actual amount of money a family needs to provide the most basic necessities exceeds the official poverty threshold, which stood at $23,283 for a two-parent, two-child family in 2012, for all six family types in all 615 family budget areas studied in this report.” From New York City to St. Louis to Seattle, the report shows a full-time worker with a child would need to make at least $22.52, and as much as $32.28 an hour, to afford the basics. Regardless of the city, this new report shows $15 an hour is actually a modest demand from these workers, who don’t have enough money to pay for rent and food, let alone spend money at local businesses to get
our economy moving again.
According to this report, to make ends meet, an adult with a child needs to make:
• $49,356, or $23.72 an hour if working full time, in Detroit. • $67,153, or $32.28 an hour if working full time, in New York City. • $48,840, or $23.48 an hour if working full time, in Chicago. • $46,858, or $22.52 an hour if working full time, in St. Louis. • $50,967, or $24.50 an hour if working full time, in Milwaukee. • $52,611, or $25.29 an hour if working full time, in Seattle. Even in the best of economic times, many parents in low-wage jobs will not earn enough through work to meet basic family needs, the report shows. Annual wages for one full-time, full-year minimum-wage worker total $15,080, far below what is necessary for a one-parent, one-child family to live in even the least expensive family budget area. The release of this report comes on the heels of the launch of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ “Raise Up America” campaign, which aims to raise the minimum wage, support striking low-wage workers and encourage profitable companies to give their workers a living wage. It also follows a series of recent walkouts by federally-contracted workers in Washington, DC, strikes last month by Walmart workers, walkouts by fast-food workers in Seattle, Detroit, St. Louis and New York and combined fastfood and retail worker strikes in Chicago and Milwaukee. “This report is further evidence that the wages are too damn low for too many workers across the country,” said Pastor Charles Williams II. “If profitable corporations paid workers enough, they’d have money in their pockets to spend and help the economy grow, instead of having to rely on public assistance to scrape by.” Economists, elected leaders and others are increasingly citing evidence that stagnating wages and the proliferation of low-wage jobs are hampering the nation’s recovery: In a recent speech, Federal Reserve Board Governor Sarah BloomRaskin suggested the types of jobs being created are slowing the recovery. “Those jobs will directly affect the fortunes and challenges of households and neighborhoods as well as the course of the recovery,” she said.
CITYVOTE
A Community Voter Information Guide to the City of Detroit’s Primary Election
Reach Tens of Thousands of Detroit Voters FAST FACTS Readership:
150,000 print edition digital edition - additional 150,000
Distribution:
Insertion in the Michigan Chronicle newspaper, direct drops at targeted churches, libraries, resource centers and retail chains
Platforms:
Newsstands, Michigan Chronicle website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
CityVote is a user-friendly community-focused voter information tool that guides citizens through the voting process. Published in advance of the August 6, 2013 primary, CityVote:
Delivers election news and information
Explains the complicated political landscape given the powers of the sitting emergency manager
Outlines new City Council districts
Lists polling locations
Lists candidates
Includes Sample Ballot
CLOSE DATE: July 19, 2013 PUBLISH DATE: July 24, 2013
CONTACT Contact your Michigan Chronicle Account Executive for additional information, or to reserve space.
313-963-8100
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Money-saving tips that work wherever you’re traveling this summer
Want to know how to find great deals on accommodations and travel by air, boat, car, etc.? Want tips for living large on a small budget? Want the secrets to staying a step ahead of the tourist hordes and to avoiding paying tourist prices? Ready to make your next trip not just truly memorable, but money-saving? Here, just in time for the summer travel season, are some tips from Marta Shen, CFP.
“open-jaw ticket,” which allows you to fly into one city and out of another.
BEFORE YOU GO:
• Use consolidators for finding deals on travel and accommodations… Consolidators that handle multiple providers tend to offer the best deals.
• Research and plan well in advance. Plan trips at least several months in advance to allow plenty of time for research. This helps if you are going to use frequent flyer miles or credit card points for the trip. For ideas and guidance read travel books extensively (like Frommer’s, Rick Steves’ and DK Eyewitness Travel guides) as well as online reviews on websites. • Draw up a travel budget. Once you have a good idea of your itinerary, figure out how much you want to spend and establish a line-item budget of expenses that includes transport, accommodation, meals, sightseeing, etc. “Travel expenses are one thing people tend to underestimate,” said Shen. “This way you have it all in front of you, so you can plan accordingly.” • Have an open mind — and an open calendar. Traveling during off-peak times of the year (out of summer for beach destinations), the week (air travel mid-week) and the day (red-eye flights) often brings the best deals. Look into a potentially much less expensive
• Pick a points or miles plan wisely — and use it. Choose a plan that’s less restrictive with how and when you use miles/ points (such as one that doesn’t revoke points), that aligns best with your spending/usage habits (those with which you’re likeliest to accrue points/ miles and that have relationships with your preferred travel providers), and that’s flexible.
• …but don’t forget to consider airlines and other providers that aren’t available through consolidators. Sometimes the best deals come by going directly to the source. • Be your own tour guide. Putting together your own itineraries will give you more freedom, efficiency and cost savings compared to joining organized tours. ONCE YOU’RE THERE: • Use public transport. The local bus/metro system isn’t just the least expensive way to get around a city, it provides visitors with the best taste of the local community. Look for multi-day passes for maximum savings. • Travel on foot. It’s a great way to get to know a place, its neighborhoods and its people, while saving money and getting some exercise. • Your new motto: If it’s free, it’s me. Taking advantage of free hotel shut-
July 17-23, 2013
Page C-4
Smartphones, the new necessity By Cheryl Pearson-McNeil
tles, free WiFi access, free hotel breakfasts, free museum days and the like can provide substantial savings. • Leave the tourist track behind. Meals, goods and services tend to cost less in places that don’t cater to tourists. • Ask locals for advice. They’re not only good for directions if you’re lost, they often know where to find the best deals, the best meals, the best services and the best stuff. • Eat creatively — try places off the beaten tourist path, try street food vendors and if your accommodations have kitchen capabilities, eat in every so often. • Limit senseless souvenir buying. If it’s made in China, why buy it as a keepsake unless you’re visiting China? AND DON’T FORGET: • Dig for discounts. Either in advance or once you arrive at your destination, learn about local discounts at places you intend to visit and services you intend to use, from discounted public transit passes to cutrate museum admission packages to discounts for families, children and seniors. Check city/municipal, country/regional rail offices and tourist information websites during initial research and follow up once you arrive. • Party of four or more? Consider renting a vehicle. Car rental can be cheaper than taking the train if your group has four or more. Compare the costs before booking your accommodations.
Does anyone remember what life was like before cell phones? Almost makes you wonder how in the world we were able to drive to unfamiliar places without our trusty GPS app, play those addictive games, take so many glamorous “selfies” to upload on your favorite social networks and much more. Seriously, how many of us nearly would hyperventilate from separation anxiety because we’ve left our phones at home? Or worse, in a car or a cab (this just recently happened to me). Our cell phones have become glued to our hips. Today, they are more of a necessity than a luxury. And the numbers definitely agree with this statement. The latest Nielsen insights tell us that 61% (more than three in five) of U.S. mobile phone consumers owned — not just any phone — but a smartphones over the most recent period measured March-May 2013. This is a 10% increase over the same time last year. Even though 53% of U.S. smartphone consumers use Android devices, compared to 40% who own iPhones, Apple remains the smartphone operating system manufacturing champ because it is the sole manufacturer of the device; while many different companies offer Android OS models and share in that 53% slice of the smartphone market share pie, introducing new competitors every other day, it seems. Blackberry (3%), Windows (2%) and others (2%) round out the remainder of the market. Are you wondering who owns what? Smartphone ownership in the Black community jumped to 69% from 54% between 2013 and 2012. Across all demographics, most smartphone owners in the U.S. are women, with three out of five using the devices. And, as you might imagine, ownership is highest among young folks; specifically the 25-34-yearold millennials with 78% market penetration. Right behind them, three out of four mobile consumers between 18 24 already own smartphones. And, even though those of us over 35 might be behind, we’re moving up fast. If you’ve followed my iPhone “adventures” in this column over the last couple of years, you know that even though I might have been intimidated initially, I’ve successfully overcome my technological challenges to master several generations of iPhones. I am now the owner of an iPhone 5 and I dreaded getting a new phone because that meant I had to switch over all of my chargers! However, the change has not been so bad. In fact, even though smartphone penetration has been lowest among Americans 55 and up, the ownership numbers among these savvy consumers has al
Nominate Your Favorite Artiste
Cheryl Pearson-McNeil
most doubled over the last year and is now at 42%.
Of course, not only are smartphone owners capable of entertaining ourselves for hours on our lightweight companions, we can handle all manner of business or find the answer to nearly any question or solution to any problem. We can also use our mobile apps to make smart economic decisions. Nielsen insights tell us that smartphone users spend 87% of their time using mobile apps; women slightly edge out men, with more than 28 hours versus 25 hours a month, respectively, and 13% of their time using the mobile web. I was intrigued by a recent Nielsen NRG survey on movie trailers which says that 15% of us check out movie trailers and previews on our smartphones before we decide to spend money on tickets, up from six percent in 2010. If you don’t like the preview, you don’t have to spend your money at the movie theater, which is not as cost-effective as it used to be some years ago. Besides talking, smartphone owners in the African-American community take full advantage of all the mobile web access and other features, more than any other demographic groups. For example, we love to tweet and are 30% more likely to visit Twitter than the average consumer from our smartphones. Sixty-four percent of us visited a retail site or app on our phones. Sixty-one percent of African-American smartphone consumers read product reviews. Fifty-seven percent researched and compared prices on our phones. Half of us visited a shopping site or app and 38% of us did a bargain search for mobile coupons. So the next time you find yourself checking your latest social media posts on-the-go, texting, shopping or playing a game, remember that with every little tap, your consumer power is working.
To RECOGNIZING
Artists & Educators In addition to the many business executives, community and government leaders who annually inspire the readers of Who’s Who in Black Detroit, the 2013 edition of Who’s Who will pay special tribute to artists, entertainers and 100 Top Educators in our community.
If you are a business executive, community leader, government leader, accomplished artist, entertainer, or educator Nominate yourself, or someone you know. Email their headshot and 180 word bio to detroit@whoswhopublishing.com Advertising and sponsorship opportunities are available. Call Cathy Nedd, Associate Publisher
(313) 963-8100
July 17-23, 2013 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • Page C-5
The 1 SQ. Mile Initiative places a Detroit Police Officer in every square mile of our city to become an active and responsive partner and participant in improving the quality of life in every neighborhood.
Requires the officer be keenly aware of the issues facing every neighborhood through interaction with every neighborhood stakeholder, including block clubs, pastors, businesses and school principals. Requires the officer to initiate an immediate city response to crime, abandoned houses, drug houses, overgrown lots, non-working streetlights and all quality of life issues. Requires the officer to follow-up on 911 calls to ensure comfort and closure. Requires the officer to be a transformational force for his/her square mile.
DETROIT’S CLERGY: “WE BELIEVE IN BENNY NAPOLEON” COGIC Council of Bishops
Southeast MI AME Ministerial Alliance
Bishop P.A. Brooks, New St. Paul Tabernacle COGIC Bishop John H. Sheard, Greater Mitchell Temple COGIC Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC Bishop Michael Hill, Kingdom International COGIC Bishop Issac King, Pentecostal Temple COGIC Bishop Earl Wright, Sr. Greater Miller Memorial COGIC Bishop Elton Lawrence, East Grand Blvd. COGIC Bishop Alfred Smith, Shiloh Chapel COGIC Bishop Jerome Whitehead, Saints City COGIC Bishop David Eubanks, New Fellowship Tabernacle COGIC Bishop Welton Lawrence, East Grand Blvd. COGIC
Including, but not limited to: Rev. Larry Bell, President, Vernon Temple AME Rev. Dr. Robert Brumfield, Oak Grove AME Rev. (Councilman) Andre Spivey, St. Paul AME Rev. Gerald Cardwell, immediate Past President, St. John AME Rev. Dale Jarrett, Bethel AME Presiding Elder Dr. H. Michael Lemmons, Presiding Elder Dr. Norman Osborne Rev. Cecelia Greene-Barr, Smith Chapel AME
Bishop Marvin Winans, Perfecting Church
Rev. Reggie Lane, Dunamis Outreach Ministries
Pastor Cory Jackson, Burns Church SDA
Bishop Charles Ellis and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Greater Grace Temple
Rev. Kenneth Brock,
Rev. Steven Archer, Trinity-St. Mark UCC
Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, Impact Ministries
Rev. Samuel Thompson, Christian Fellowship of Love Baptist Church
Rev Priscilla Tucker, Metropolitan Christian Council DetroitWindsor
Bishop Clarence Haddon, High Praise Cathedral of Faith
Rev. Thomas Rutherford, Freedom MBC
Rev. James Crowder, St. Galieel
Bishop Lewis Evans, Soul Harvest Ministries
Rev. Dr. Oscar King, Northwest Unity MBC
Rev. Donzell Burns, Old Landmark MBC
Rev. Horace Sheffield, New Destiny Baptist Church
Rev. Bertram Marks, First Community Baptist
Rev. Charlesfontaine Macon, Gregg Memorial AME
Rev. Diane Smalley, Gratiot Ave. Presbyterian Church
Rev. Dr. Lenell Caldwell, First Baptist World Changers International Ministries
Pastor Annie Adams, Holy Ground MBC
Rev. Dr. Wilma Johnson, New Prospect MBC Rev. Everett Jennings, New Providence Church Bishop James Jennings, Shield of Faith Church Rev. Dr. Charles Adams, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church Rev. Christian Adams, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Sterling Jones, Mt. Zion MBC Rev. Alvin Jackson, Wings of Love Baptist Church Rev. Robert Starghill, Samaritan MBC Bishop Walter Starghill, Face to Face International Outreach Ministries Bishop Cheryl Myhand, Rev. Spencer Ellis, Citadel of Praise Apostle Prince Miles, International Gospel Deliverance Center Rev. Dr. Michael Nabors, New Calvary Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Jeff Robinson, Mt. Calvary MBC Rev. Loyce Lester, Original New Grace Baptist Church Rev. Kenneth Flowers, Greater New Mt. Moriah MBC Rev. Dr. James Perkins, Greater Christ MBC Rev. Nicholas Hood, Plymouth UCC Rev. Dr. Randolph Thomas, President of the Baptist Fellowship of Detroit and Vicinity, Greater Bethlehem MBC Rev. Dr. Lenard Thomas, Jerusalem MBC Rev. Dr. Robert Sykes, immediate past President of BF, New Greater Oregon St. John MBC
Bishop-elect Clarence Langston, Word of Action Church Rev. Dr. Tellis Chapman, Galilee Baptist Church Rev. Earl Wright, Jr., Loving Restoration Ministries Supt. Robert Harris, St. Paul COGIC Supt. Marcus Ways, Christian Gospel Center COGIC Supt. Ron Griffin, Rose of Sharon COGIC Supt. Zachery Hicks, Faith Clinic COGIC Rev. Dwayne Gary, Saunders Memorial AME Bishop Gary Harper, Greater Grace Temple, OGHM Bishop Luke McClendon, Christ Temple Apostolic Church Troy Muhammad, Mosque # 1 Imam Mubarak Al Mubarak, Masjid Imam Warith Deen Mohammed Development Committee
Pastor Moe Hardwick, Body of Believers Pastor W.J. Rideout, All Gods People Pastor J Broaden, Strait Street Ministries Rev. Ealton Williamson Sr., Joy Rd. Church & Resource Center Pastor J. Knight, Abundance of Truth Outreach Ministries Bishop James Williams II, St. Michael Church Guardian Angel Rev. Barry Randolph, Church of the Messiah Rev. Faith Allen, Carter AME Rev. Dr. Terrance Garrett, Hopewell MBC Rev. Dr. Willie Downer, Greater Love MBC Rev. James Jennings, Sr., New True Vine MBC Rev. Roland Caldwell, Burnett Inspirational MBC Rev. Dr. William H. Murphy Sr., Greater Ebenezer MBC
Rev. V. Lonnie Peek, Greater Christ MBC
Bishop William H. Murphy Jr., New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church
Rev. Amos Woods, Sr., New Mt. Zion COGIC
Rev. Steve Bland, Liberty Temple MBC
Rev. Dr. Cassandra Hampton, Christ Jesus Personal Image Ministries
Rev. Samuel Bullock, Bethany MBC
Pastor Phillip Jackson, Seth Temple COGIC
Rev. Dr. James Morman, Christian Tabernacle
Rev. Ovella Andreas, Always In His Presence
Rev. Marvin Miles, International Gospel Center
Rev. Ortheia Barnes-Kennerly, Spirit Love Ministries
Bishop Davay Myatt, Christ Temple Baptist Church
Rev. Lovejoy Johnson, New Bethlehem Baptist Church Pastor Willie Toone, Northend COGIC
Rev. Dr. Cullian W. Hill,
Rev. Dr. Edward Knox, New Mt. Vernon Baptist Rev. Renell Bailey, Clinton Chapel AME Zion
Rev. Dr. Edward Holley, past President of BF, Bethesda MBC
Rev. William Revely, Holy Hope Heritage Baptist Church
Rev. Darryl Gaddy, Victorious Fellowship Church
Rev. Curtis Williams, Aijalon Baptist Church
Paid for by Benny Napoleon for Mayor P.O. Box 32763 Detroit, MI. 48232
(313) 656-2180 www.bennynapoleon.com
Bishop Dennis Walker, Burning Bush Ministries
Rev. Dr. Edward Knox, New Mt. Vernon Baptist Church Presiding Elder H. Michael Lemmons, AME District Presiding Elder Norman Osborne, AME District
Page C-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • July 17-23, 2013
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SECTION D
July 17-23, 2013
michiganchronicle.com
Reflections By Steve Holsey
Another unexpected duo Maxwell reports that he and longtime friend Alicia Keys are working together on a musical project. It will be an EP, the title of which has not been decided on.
The triumphs and travails of
An EP, by the way, is a recording that is more than a single, but does not have enough music on it to be considered an album. Keys, now a superstar, was Maxwell’s opening act on a tour when she first appeared on the music scene.
Maxwell
Alicia Keys
“Thank God she ended up where she wound up going,” said Maxwell, adding that Keys is “like family, like my little sister. We’ve got a thing musically.” Keys’ husband, hip-hop artist, composer and producer Swizz Beatz (real name: Kassem Dean) is all for the collaboration. The EP, says Maxwell, will be “sort of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.” Maxwell is “amazed” that he still headlines shows when his albums come out so infrequently and he “doesn’t necessarily make records for radio and all that.” Rather, he is true to his artistic self and there is the bonus in the fact that a lot of people like what he does. What Maxwell says is how it should be. Otherwise, artistic integrity is compromised. BY THE time you read this the very talented, and very confused, Lauryn Hill will have begun her three-month jail sentence in Connecticut for extreme tax evasion — and she still has to pay those millions plus penalties and fines. It’s very sad because it could have been avoided. We all have to pay taxes. Just ask Wesley Snipes and Ron Lauryn Hill Isley who served jail time for the same reason. But on the plus side, at least Hill only got three months. Had to chuckle when famed gospel recording artist Rance Allen, during a recent television interview regarding, among things, the longevity of his career, turned to the camera and said, with a smile, “I’m 60 —none of your business — years old.” Allen, who lives in Monroe, Michigan, has one of the most amazing voices in gospel music or anyplace else.
Rance Allen
AS YOU have probably heard, super actress Kerry Washington, currently red hot as the star of the ABC series “Scandal,” recently got married to Nnamdi Asomugha, who plays for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Asomugha’s parents are from Nigeria, West Africa, but he was born in Louisiana. He and Washington look good together, and she sure
FANTASIA FANTASIA By Steve Holsey
In 2004, Fantasia sang a song on “American Idol” that riveted viewers to the screen, touched hearts and brought tears. Ironically, Fantasia said she had never heard “Summertime” before, yet she sang the classic George Gershwin composition, that she somehow felt a connection to, with a passion that was stunning. The performance was so outstanding that it all but guaranteed that the 20-year-old from High Point, North Carolina, would win the singing competition with its massive audience. From 12 finalists it had been narrowed down to two (Jennifer Hudson was also a finalist) and the other girl was clearly not even in the same league as the victor. Had Fantasia not won, it would have been a travesty. “I WASN’T even in it for the prize,” said Fantasia. “I was like, ‘Hey, I’m going to sing.’ I think my purpose (in life) is to just to get out there and sing. But I had never been in a competition before.” Another performance that warmed hearts and made people marvel at the depth of Fantasia’s delivery was the lovely “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” — a song closely associated with Barbra Streisand. “Idol” judge Paula Abdul cried all the way through. But as Smokey Robinson said in one of his compositions, recorded by the Marvelettes, “You’ve got to take the bitter with the sweet.” The first “sweets” were making it to the semi-finals, then the finals, then the top 12. But already there was something “bitter.” Fantasia was an unwed mother, having given birth to her daughter, Zion, when she was 16.
Kerry Washington
Nnamdi Asomugha
has an unusual last name now. Speaking of Kerry Washington, she made a strong statement regarding some people’s natural sexual orientation and the public’s reaction to it. “I think as a whole America is dealing with the issue of homophobia,” she said. “We’ve got to be really honest about whether we believe in civil rights for all people or not. “As Black people we need to remember that the moment we say it’s okay to disenfranchise one segment of society, we’re opening the door to move backward on ourselves.” MATHEW KNOWLES, father and former manager of Beyoncé Knowles, Gena Charmaine also recently exchanged Avery and Mathew marriage vows — with Knowles — Rolling former model Gena Charmaine Avery. Mathew and Out photo Tina Knowles, divorced in 2011, had been married for 31 years.
See Reflections Page D-3
The “American Idol” producers “gently suggested” that it might be a good idea, for the sake of her chances of winning — and for the show — to not say anything about her daughter. BUT FANTASIA wasn’t having it. Not only did she not keep Zion a secret, she brought her on the show, proudly identifying her as “a miracle.” Tongues wagged, but so what! The second “bitter” came in the form of Zion’s father, Brandel Shouse, who had done nothing for Zion or Fantasia, suddenly reappearing, hoping to
start “relationships.” The “American Idol” winner allowed him to talk to Zion on the phone, but nothing more. The public was eagerly awaiting Fantasia’s first album. “Free Yourself,” released in 2004, did not disappoint, artistically or in terms of sales. It reached the million mark, thus earning Platinum certification from the Record Industry Associa-
tion of America (RIAA). There were also three Grammy nominations. Fantasia won an NAACP Award that year as Outstanding Female Vocalist. The follow-up album, “Fantasia,” featuring the No. 1 single “When I See U,” didn’t quite make it to Platinum but achieved Gold certification
See FANTASIA Page D-3
lifestyle
EAT THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Time is a unique reEditor’s Note source in that everyone is
given an equal amount — a gift of 24 hours each day. How you invest that gift is a major factor in how you feel about your life. Using time effectively is actually a matter of your own personal management. This week take charge of yourself in the framework of time, investing yourself in those things that matter most in your life.
PLAY
Find nature’s bounty in your pantry
– Rian J. Barnhill
University of Michigan African American Alumni Council Golf Classic honors LaMarr Woodley
Friday, July 19, the University of Michigan African American Alumni Council (UMAAAC) will host the Celebrity Athlete Golf Classic & Awards Banquet, honoring LaMarr Woodley, at the Arthur Hill designed Pheasant Run Golf Club (46750 Summit Parkway, Canton, Michigan). Woodley, along with alumni athletes and honorary chairs Derrick Walker (tight end, U of M ’85–’89), Jim Betts (defensive back, U of M ’68-’70), Stan Edwards (running back, U of M ’72–’82), Jimmy King (Fab Five, U of M ’91–’95), and Amber Hey (Women’s Varsity Track and Field, U of M ’05–’09) will golf as well as participate in the awards banquet immediately following the tournament. The goal of this Golf Classic is to raise $100,000 to support the University of Michigan Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund. This event will also offer alumni, students, faculty, supporters and friends the opportunity to reacquaint, network and meet some of the student recipients of the MLK Scholarship awards. It promises to be a great event. Golfers can still register and pay online at www. umaaac-golf.com or contact Nikki Howard-Combs at 248-648-1268. Individual golf tickets are $125; banquet only tickets are $75. For additional information contact Nikki Howard-Combs, MBA, CWP on 248-648-12NV (1268) or nyhoward@umich.edu.
Nature’s bounty has arrived with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables available everywhere, including the canned food aisle at your local grocery store. Most canned fruits and vegetables are picked at the peak of ripeness and canned just hours after being harvested. So, all of that goodness is always on hand in your pantry, making it simple to get nutritious meals on the table that your family will love. “When it comes to canned fruits and vegetables, I know I’m serving the natural goodness of the food,” said Jeanne Benedict, entertaining expert and cookbook author. “Canned foods not only help guarantee a homemade and delicious meal on the dinner table, they’re quick and easy – which means more quality time spent with the family.”
Best Black Bean Salad Servings: 6 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 yellow bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup diced red onion 1 (15.25 ounce) can Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon cilantro 1/4 cup olive oil 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 (15 ounce) can Bush’s Black Beans, rinsed and drained Salt and pepper to taste Tortilla chips In a small bowl, combine peppers, onion, corn, garlic and cilantro. Add olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add Bush’s Black Beans and toss well. Serve with tortilla chips.
SHOP Summer skin care tips
Live entertainment, cocktails, art and more at 2nd annual Soirée on the Greenway, July 18 Rivière28, the volunteer group within the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy that is working to engage the growing number of active professionals in downtown Detroit, is continuing its summer season of events with its second annual Soirée on the Greenway on Thursday, July 18 from 6 to 10 p.m. Set within the Dequindre Cut Greenway, this engaging event will feature live music by the Gabriel Brass Band and DJ Emmett Burkes, performance art, food from the Green Zebra Food Truck, city chic cocktails and beer. Guests will also have a chance to contribute to a community art project through Street Culture Mash, with paint provided by Plutonium. The Dequindre Cut, well-known for its unique graffiti artwork, is a 1.35mile recreational path used by walkers, runners and bicyclists. The Cut was once the site of the former Grand Trunk Railroad line and now offers a pedestrian link between the Riverfront, Eastern Market, and many other residential neighborhoods in between. “We are thrilled to expand upon our success last year and celebrate our beautiful greenway in style,” said Kristin Lusn, co-chair of Rivière28. “The Dequindre Cut exhibits the unique flavor and culture of our city and makes Soirée on the Greenway a truly one-of-akind event.” Tickets for Soirée on the Greenway are available online for $25 and $50 and can be purchased at DetroitRiverfront.org/ Riviere28. The $25 tickets include food, entertainment, a cash bar and two drink tickets. The $50 dollar ticket option includes food, entertainment and an open bar. All net proceeds benefit the Detroit RiverFront Con-
Parking for the event is available at the north end of the Dequindre Cut, just off Gratiot before E. Vernor. Guests who ride their bike to the event will be treated to free bike valet sponsored by Wheelhouse Detroit.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 with the mission to develop public access to Detroit’s riverfront and serve as an anchor for economic development. As the permanent stewards of the riverfront public space, which includes the RiverWalk and the Dequindre Cut, the Conservancy is responsible for raising the funds needed for the construction, operation, maintenance, security and programming of these public spaces. The Conservancy’s ultimate vision is to develop five-and-a-half miles of riverfront from the Ambassador Bridge on the west to Gabriel Richard Park, just east of the MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle. The first phase of the project, three-and-a-half miles along the east riverfront, is now 80 percent complete and spans from Joe Louis Arena to Gabriel Richard Park. In the summer of 2012, the Conservancy launched the final construction phases needed to complete the east riverfront development project and connect the RiverWalk and its associated green spaces, plazas and parks. Visit www.detroitriverfront.org for more information.
Page D-2
STAR CHART Cancer Season (June 21 – July 22) Symbol: The Crab Ruling Planet: The Moon Element: Water Mission: Domestic Bliss Cancer Experimentation with various alternatives now leads to the choice of a single path that both conserves your inner resources and brings you dividends in the process. Put aside time-wasting diversions and go with what — and who — really make you feel alive and glowing. Love probability: 47% Lucky Numbers: 25, 31, 19, 23, 18, 5 Leo You must not overcompensate for a basic incompatibility between you and another person. At times it is a fact of life that certain personalities just don’t click. Don’t bend over backwards for something that is probably only going to be short-lived anyhow. Love probability: 86% Lucky Numbers: 7, 25, 21, 12, 32, 10 Virgo There is a revolutionary atmosphere around you, but expansion and contraction are part of the cocktail that could muddle your head and make it difficult for you to know what it is you’re fighting for. Don’t rush forward without applying a little foresight. Don’t burn any bridges right now. Love probability: 27% Lucky Numbers: 31, 25, 26, 17, 9, 21 Libra You could be so attached to certain emotions, memories, or relationships from your past that they could cause a problem in your present relationships. Your emotions will be intense but not very stable this week which could lead to difficulties and undesired changes in your current associations and romantic relationships. Love probability: 41% Lucky Numbers: 28, 16, 40, 32, 7, 12 Scorpio Your spirits are high at this time, and you feel optimistic, self-confident, generous, and good-natured. You greet life with a fresh attitude, and it is easy for you to forget the mistakes of the past and envision bright new avenues for growth and fulfillment. Love probability: 39% Lucky Numbers: 35, 30, 39, 28, 29, 2 Sagittarius Gains or advancements may result from good organizing ability and a willingness to carry out responsibilities and duties without hesitation. Government officials, those in authority, a parent, or friends with pragmatic attitudes may prove to be of assistance. There may be public recognition for past efforts and hard work. Love probability: % Lucky Numbers: 24, 5, 17, 23, 3, 32 Capricorn This is your time to shine! You have an extra measure of energy and confidence now and will make a strong, good impression on those in your environment. This is a very good time to go for a job interview, go to social activities, or simply go out and be seen. You will be noticed more than usual. Love probability: 98% Lucky Numbers: 16, 38, 29, 28, 43, 34
servancy.
For the latest information about Rivière28 and updates on the two planned events, please visit DetroitRiverfront. org/Riviere28 or “like” the community group “Rivière28 presented by the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy” on Facebook.
July 17-23, 2013
Aquarius It’s probably about time you lifted your head from that pile of paperwork, dressed in your finery and went out to see what you could be missing. Come on, you really do need the break! A new relationship may form for some, whilst others consider calling it quits with a longtime commitment. Love probability: 85% Lucky Numbers: 11, 35, 31, 25, 39, 17 Summer can be rough on skin because of the heat, humidity and time spent in the sun. Immerse spa at MGM Grand Detroit, the only Forbes Four Star spa in southeast Michigan, features a variety of packages for the face and body, designed to transform, refresh and tone skin. These services invoke a departure from everyday stress to personal renewal.
Pisces There’s a certain pleasure in feeling well-grounded, and this moment would make a firm foundation for whatever you choose to build upon it. If your plans are already made, it’s time for the cornerstone to be laid. Go with what you’ve got, as there’s a no-frills feeling that’s Meghan Rundell, manager at Immerse spa, shares saying keep it simple, take it slow and easy today. tips to keep you looking your best this summer: Love probability: 43% 1. Wear sunscreen. UV rays cause damage including Lucky Numbers: 1, 19, 15, 17, 34, 49 dark spots and cancer. Rundell recommends using a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher everyday. “The longer you plan to be in the sun, the higher the SPF you should use,” said Rundell. “If you skimped on the sunscreen, Immerse offers a brightening facial along with a take home treatment system to help offset skin discolorations.”
2. Apply moisturizing lotions. In the summer, arms and legs are more exposed which can cause dry skin. Moisturizers should be applied right out of the shower to damp or moist skin. This will lock in moisture and keep skin hydrated throughout the day. Pay special attention to your hands and feet when applying lotion to help that manicure and pedicure last a little longer. 3. Don’t over process hair. Take particular care when using chemical processes like perms and color. Over-processing can cause severe breakage. “Summer is also a good time to consider doing the ‘big chop’ if you are transitioning to natural hair,” said Rundell. “It’s also important to keep your hair and scalp moisturized in the summer months. While oil is best for natural hairstyles, it tends to weigh down chemically treated hair. Try a serum for relaxed hair as it provides a thin protective layer.”
Aries You are feeling at peace and very good about yourself now. Others express appreciation for the help and support you have given them, which makes you feel that your efforts have been worthwhile. Your daily life and activities run smoothly and everything is in good working order. You are particularly well-organized now and your domestic life is harmonious. Love probability: 81% Lucky Numbers: 29, 11, 22, 3, 41, 8
Taurus You are in a festive, partying mood and just want to play and share a good time with your friends. Community social events and fellowship are very rewarding now. Also, at this time it is hard for you to say no to food, drink or extravagances in any form. You are also very generous and tolerant toward others. Love probability: 31% Through the end of August, Immerse is offering a Lucky Numbers: 33, 28, 5, 37, 40, 15 discounted price on the “Tone” specialty treatment. This treatment involves 110 minutes of firming, tightening, and strengthening of elasticity. It begins with a warm melt-away exfoliation with sea mineral scrub that will smooth and re-mineralize skin. Next, a soak fortifies and nourishes collagen and elastin. The treatment is completed with an application of a luxurious Body Firming Cream, leaving skin feeling silky smooth with an overall sensation of firmness and vitality. “Tone” is available $248 on weekends, and $198 Tuesday through Thursday. This service is by appointment only and M Life Express Comps are also accepted. Call 313465-1656 to make an appointment.
Gemini Someone you haven’t set eyes on for ages helps you out regarding a favor you are desperately hoping for. It’ll be a real thrill to catch up on old times and reconnect in ways that use to make you smile. An unexpected piece of news may make a trip in order. Love probability: 7% Lucky Numbers: 39, 17, 20, 19, 8, 14
entertainment
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
July 17-23, 2013 Page D-3
29TH ANNUAL
SAM LOGAN MICHIGAN CHRONICLE GOLF TOURNAMENT SATURDAY • JULY 27, 2013 At
Rouge Golf Course
GOLF COURSE
Concert of Colors
11701 Burt Rd, Detroit, MI 48228 Rob Johnson, Course General Manager
4 FLIGHTS CHAMPIONSHIP, 1ST 2ND, & 3RD Golf Cart, Refreshments, Etc.
Every year one of the most anticipated events for metro Detroit is Concert of Colors, a celebration musical diversity, at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. Among the many artists this year were (clockwise from top, left) Calypso Rose, queen of calypso music; Cynthia Robinson, a founding member of Sly & the Family Stone; veteran R&B vocalist Pat Lewis; Wayne Kramer, formerly of the MC5 rock band; and another veteran performer, Spyder Turner. — Barbara Orto photos
SENIOR MUST BE 62 & OLDER SUPER SENIOR 70 UP
START 8:00 A.M.
$100 Proceeds to benefit the Sam Logan Foundation
HURRY! Limited Number First Come, First Served!
Entry Fee
At KARAS HOUSE 23632 Plymouth
Make Your Reservations Now! Make Check Or Money Order Payable To:
MICHIGAN CHRONICLE GOLF NAME ______________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________ CITY _______________________ STATE ________________ ZIP ____________ PHONE ___________________________AVG. SCORE FOR 18 HOLES _________ Check One: q Individual q Twosome q Threesome q Foursome
MAIL OR BRING BLANK TO: MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • 479 LEDYARD • DETROIT, MI 48201
Fantasia
from the RIAA when it hit the 500,000 sales mark. Plus, there were three more Grammy nomina tions. Fantasia was ecsta tic about all this suc cess, but with success can come the problem of “mooching relatives.” She bought a large house and made the mis take of inviting numerous relatives to live there, but they stayed too long, not to mention some living from her paychecks. Eventually something had to be done. Call it “tough love.” IN 2006, Fantasia starred in a film made for Lifetime Television based on her autobiography, “Life Is Not A Dream.” She played herself in “The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale.” Fantasia again demon strated how extensive her talents are when she took on the role of Celie in the Broadway musical “The Color Purple.” The show was a huge success at the box office and won raves from many of the most seasoned critics. “Back to Me,” Fanta sia’s third album, was
From page D-1 released in the summer of 2010. Like the albums that came before, it was greeted warmly by the public and radio program ers. By this time Fantasia had become known for clothes and hairstyles that in some cases could be described as outland ish and unflattering. But she always seems to be having a good time with it, perhaps enjoying the raised eyebrows. FANTASIA HAD found herself facing fi nancial difficulties by 2008, a low point being her expansive lakefront home in Charlotte, North Carolina, going into fore closure and put up for auction. But a complicat ed, legality-fused “elev enth-hour deal” resulted in her being able to keep the house. There was plenty of gossip in 2010 when Fan tasia Barrino began an affair with a man by the name of Antwaun Cook. He was married, but Fan tasia says the couple was separated when she and Cook began dating. The wife, Paula Cook, had planned on suing Fantasia, but a judge in North Carolina ruled in
Reflections I am now convinced that Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” is the ultimate party record, and it is timeless. The relentless, irresistible beat, coupled with Gaye’s amazing vocal work, can energize just about anybody. Whether some people like it or not, a duet by Chris Brown and Rihan na will be featured on his next album, titled “X.” I love clever lyrics that are different, which is why Bill Withers’ “Who Is He (And What Is He To You)” will always be a favorite of mine. The lines include, “A man we passed just tried to stare me down/And when I looked at you, you looked at the ground/I don’t know who he is, but I think that you do.” Then he asks, “When you cleared your throat,
was that your cue?” And there’s, “When I add the sum of you and me/I get confused and I keep coming up with three/You’re too much for one man, but not enough for two.” BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that rap star and actor Common (real name: Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.) was at one time or another involved with tennis superstar Serena Williams, singer Erykah Badu and actress Taraji P. Henson. MEMORIES: “Ev erlasting Love” (Carl Carlton), “Can You Feel It?” (the Jacksons), “Treat Her Like a Lady” (the Temptations), “Saturday Night” (Earth, Wind & Fire), “Square Biz” (Teena Marie), “Feel the Need” (Graham Central Station), “Let’s Go Dancin’” (Kool & the
the singer’s favor because according to him, Fanta sia and Cook did indeed start their relationship after the separation.
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Fantasia got pregnant by Cook, but chose to have an abortion. The fol lowing year she gave birth to a son, Dallas Xavier Barrino. However, she would not reveal who the father was, sparking still more gossip. She asked publicly that people not be judgmental and, more importantly, refrain from getting into her personal business. But it all comes back to music. “When I’m out on the stage, it gives me this rush,” said Fantasia. “Anything that’s on my mind and everything I’m going through are forgot ten.” Most people agree that she is at her best when she forgoes the “soul screaming” which can be very distracting. Fantasia’s current album is “Side Effects of You,” which finds her taking a more aggressive stance in several songs. It, like Fantasia Barri no, is doing well.
From page D-1 Gang), “Miss You” (the Rolling Stones), “I Count the Tears” (the Drifters), “At Last” (Etta James). BLESSINGS to Janice Marcum, Michael Brock, Anthony Neely, Kather ine Adams, Leland Stein, Stefanie P. White, Marcus Amick, Carolyn Crawford, Henry Fambrough and everybody at Melodies & Memories, Gratiot be tween Nine and Ten Mile Roads, one of the best music stores of all time. WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Alan Cohen: “Help others if you can, but don’t try to ‘fix’ them. There is a big difference between helping and meddling.” Let the music play! Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol. com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL FILM/DARK HORSE ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION A ROBERTMUSIC SCHWENTKE FILM JEEXECUTIF BRIVE DGES RYAN REYNOLDS “R.I P.D.” KEVIN BACON MARY-LOUISE PARKER STEPHANIE SZOSTAK BY CHRISTOPHE BECK PRODUCERS ORI MARMUR RYAN REYNOLDS JONATHON KOMACK MARTIN DAVID DOBKIN KEITH GOLDBERG PETER M. LENKOV BASED ON THE DARK HORSE PRODUCED BY NEAL H. MORITZ p.g.a. MIKE RICHARDSON MICHAEL FOTTRELL COMIC CREATED BY PETER M. LENKOV STORY SCREENPLAY DIRECTED BY DAVID DOBKIN & PHIL HAY & MATT MANFREDI BY PHIL HAY & MATT MANFREDI BY ROBERT SCHWENTKE A UNIVERSAL PICTURE SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC
© 2013 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, JULY 19 CHECK THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
Classified
qObituariesq
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
BORN GIFTED READER
Katherine Elaine Gary BELOVED DPS TEACHER FOR 30 YEARS Katherine Elaine Gary was born in Detroit May 17, 1947, Arnold Gary Husband for over 40 years, 3 adult children ,Arnold Jr” Howie”, D’Londra, Devin Her passion for developing young minds led her to obtain a Masters degree in Education from the University of Detroit-Mercy. She had a reputation for expecting excellence from her students. The level of patience that she exhibited with her students was rivaled only by her ability to motivate them to overcome the barriers of impossibility that were placed in front of them. Kathy always sought opportunities to boost their confidence by celebrating the smallest accomplishments because she knew that it could lead them to achieve the greatest of victories.
The 7th Daughter without asking you a single word. I will tell you what you want to know. Tell your present, past and future. Tell you who your friends and enemies are. Why you’re so unlucky. If your loved one is true or false.I will advise you all problems of life, such as love, marriage, business and health, etc. Why suffer, you can be free from all troubles. I guarantee Sucess where others failed. I am superior to any other reader you have seen. Don’t let distance keep you away from Health and Happiness. Hrs. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily and Sunday.
No Mail Answered 2742 Monroe St., Toledo, Ohio 1-419-248-2145
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Naomi Nelson
Services were held for Naomi Nelson, July 3 at Trinity Community Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Estelle Aaron and Rev. Shaun Turner officiating. Mrs. Nelson, 90, died June 26. She was born Feb. 11, 1923 in Des Moines, IA, and graduated from that city’s public school system. She subsequently moved to Detroit and earned a BA degree in library science from Wayne State University. Mrs. Nelson worked as a librarian in the with the Detroit Public Schools System for 38 years. She married William Lee Nelson in 1950. She was an active member of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, which later merged with Outer Drive Presbyterian to become at Trinity Community Presbyterian Church. At Trinity, she was installed as a deacon. She also served on a number of committees, including the Hunger Program. After she retired, she spent 22 years helping to pack and distribute food for the needy. She was also a member of the Dardynells Bridge Club for more than 60 years and enjoyed the friendship of her club members. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beta Mu Chapter. Mrs. Nelson is survived by her daughters, Patricia and Victoria; a niece; two nephews; a host of cousins; and many others.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
HELP WANTED
NOTICE OF HEARINGS REGARDING MATTERS TO COME
Treasury Manager
PERSONAL SERVICES MRS. LINN
• Newly renovated • Kitchen includes range & refrigerator • Wall to wall carpeting • Meal program afiliate • Emergency pull cords • Planned activities • On bus lines •Next to beautiful city park
before the City Council of Detroit. Advertisements for bids and contracts for purchases by the City of Detroit appear daily in the Detroit Legal News. Copies are available at the City County Bldg. and at 2001 W. Lafayette, Detroit.
The Highland Park Housing Commission (HPHC) Board of Commissioners, Highland Park, Michigan, seeks a qualified individual, or a qualified property management organization, to fill the position of Executive Director. The Commission is accepting qualifications and proposals for the position until 12:00 PM on July 23, 2013.
19460 Park Drive, Harper Woods, MI
ANNOUNCEMENTS
INVITATION TO BID The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting IFBs for Lubricants & Fluids, Control No. 13-1328. IFB forms may be obtained beginning on July 17, 2013 from www.mitn.info IFBs are due by 2:00 PM ET, July 31, 2013.
William Wilson Memorial Ministry 21st Annual Scholarship Banquet Oakland Ave Baptist Church 309 Harper Avenue • Detroit, MI 48202 313-875-3889 Saturday July 27, 2103 5:00 p.m. OAMBC Fellowship Hall Theme: The Best Is Yet To Come (John 2:1-11) Keynote Speaker: Khary Kimani Turner Executive Director of the Coleman Young Scholarship Foundation, Writer, Poet and Artist Minimum Donation: $10.00 To reserve a ticket please contact the church office by July 24th.
THIS CLASSIFIED SPOT FOR SALE! ADVERTISE your product or recruit an applicant in more than 100 Michigan newspapers! Only $299/week. Call this paper of 800-227-7636 www.cnaads.com
SEHS Advising Office
This position will advise study-abroad students, train student advisers, and develop materials for both. Will assist in the organization of the annual cycle of studyabroad and study-away program activities. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and one year of experience with coursework or experience in advising, marketing, communications or writing preferred. Salary is up to the low $40s annually. Refer to online posting for additional position requirements. First consideration will be given to those who apply by July 25, 2013. Must apply on line for this position to: https://jobs.oakland.edu Seeking
The Detroit Public Library Commission is seeking sealed competitive Requests for Proposal for the Digital Asset Management Portal Implementation at the Detroit Public Library located at 520 I Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48202. Bid documents may be obtained from the Purchasing office located at 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, 48202,313481-1325. They may also be obtained from the Detroit Public Library website at detroitpubliclibrary.org. Sealed documents are to be returned to the Purchasing office no later than Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 2:30 PM (Detroit Michigan Time). No late, fax, e-mail or any other utilization of an electronic method to respond to this request will be accepted.
BLADDER CANCER AWARENESS DAY JULY 17
DIRECTOR OF TEACHER EDUCATION ADVISING SERVICES at OAKLAND UNIVERSITY
Its pays to advertise in Michigan Chronicle
SEHS Advising Office
Position will oversee and monitor all advising services and advise professional development for teacher education in the School of Education & Human Services. The office provides academic and career counseling to approximately 2000+ main campus students, OU at Macomb University Center and many more prospective students and current teachers. Minimum Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Guidance & Counseling, Michigan License of Professional Counselor, training in leadership and time management, knowledge and experience in elementary and secondary education. Three – five years of teaching experience in K-12 schools. Refer to online posting for additional requirements. Salary is up to the mid $50’s annually. See on line positing for additional position requirements. First consideration will be given to those who apply by July 24, 2013. Must apply on line for this position to: https:// jobs.oakland.edu
LEGAL ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE JUVENILE COURT OF BULLOCK COUNTY, ALABAMA
CITY OF DETROIT DAVE BING
TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE WHOLESALE AUTOMATIC METER READING SYSTEM, RETAIL AUTOMATIC METER READING SYSTEM, AND MOBILE WORK FORCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Services were held July 9 for Ernest “Frank” Clifton Martin at Dexter. Ave. Baptist Church. Mr. Martin, 74, died June 24. He was born Jan. 2, 1939 in Greenwood, S.C. and moved to Detroit as an infant. As a child, he was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout, serving as a member of Troop HP 15 (Highland Park) at Thompson Ave. Baptist Church. He graduated from Central High School in 1956. At the time, it was one of the top three high school, academically, in Detroit. During his high school years, he worked nearly full time at a grocery store, demonstrating his work ethic early in life. As a youth, Mr. Martin would also assist his father with his janitorial business, as well as his landscaping business in the Palmer Woods area. After high school, Mr. Martin enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served until 1959. After basic training, he was posted at Fort Gordon Georgia for Signal Corps training and served as a Signal Corps lineman in Koblenz, Germany. He attained the rank of specialist fourth class. Mr. Martin attended Wayne State University for a year, but subsequently worked for Standard Drugs as a driver and salesman. Mr. Martin was always full of un and enjoyed having a good time. He was married to Jeanette Martin and they had one son, Donovan. He suffered a stroke in 1994 while driving his truck. Due to the severity of the stroke, he became a resident at Botsford Commons Nursing Home until his death. He is survived by his son, Donovan; granddaughter, Amani Leggett-Martin; mother, Polly Martin; brother, Jack; sister, Debbie Brown; and many others. Arrangements were handled by Swanson Funeral Home. Interment was at Woodlawn Cemetery.
COORDINATOR, INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION at OAKLAND UNIVERSITY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR DWSD CONTRACT NO. CS-1566
Ernest “Frank” Clifton Martin
Seeking
E-mail aknoch@pck-law.com
for Nov. - Dec. Move Ins
Park Place of Harper Woods
AFI US, LLC seeks Treasury Manager (Detroit, MI), to develop optimal capital structures according to rating agency requirements using knowledge of auto securitization market and transaction structures; sizing of senior and subordinate notes and credit enhancements for transactions using financial models developed in-house or through Intex Dealmaker systems by adhering to the methodologies published by major rating agencies, among other duties. Masterʼs and 3 yrs. exp and CPA, CFA or similar professional accounting/finance certification. Please send resumes to: AFI/Ally, C. Deutsch, Talent Acquisition Recruiter, 440 S. Church Street, 11th Floor, Charlotte, NC 28202.
and list HPHC RFP in the subject line for information.
Now Accepting Applications Call today! (313)884-2122 or TDD Relay (614)442-4390
July 10 - 16, 2013
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) requests written proposals from firms or project teams to provide technical services for the operation and enhancement of the Department’s Wholesale Automated Meter Reading (WAMR) system, Retail Automated Meter Reading (RAMR) system, Work Force Management (WFMS) system, and TIBCO integration between the various systems. Proposals will only be accepted by DWSD from firm’s having demonstrated a minimum of three (3) years experience supporting and maintaining the types of enterprise systems listed under the Scope of Work. The firm must have considerable Information Technology (IT) experience and sufficient staff to handle some of the more complex activities in this support project. In addition, the firm must list a minimum of five (5) similar projects where they have managed systems for other utilities or companies. The firm will submit resumes for all staff that will work on this project, which will be subject to DWSD’s approval. Under this Five (5) year project there will be annual reviews of the project firm and its staff. If the firm is not maintaining a satisfactory score, DWSD can terminate and rebid the contract. Beginning Monday, July 15, 2013, a Request for Proposals (RFP) will be available on the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department website at www.dwsd.org. A hard copy of the RFP may be obtained from the 15th Floor of the Water Board Building, 735 Randolph, Detroit, Michigan 48226 on business days between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. A non-refundable $50.00 charge in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Detroit Board of Water Commissioners is required to secure a hard copy of the RFP. Please call Yolanda Pippen at (313) 964-9548 or Miriam Dixon at (313) 964-9465 for further information on the distribution of RFPs. A pre-proposal conference will be held at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 24, 2013, in the 15th Floor Conference Room, Water Board Building, 735 Randolph, Detroit, Michigan 48226. Proposals must be received no later than 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, August 14, 2013. The sealed proposals should be submitted to the attention of Ms. Miriam L. Dixon, DWSD’s Contracts and Grants Manager, at the following address: Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, 735 Randolph Street, 15th Floor, Detroit, Michigan 48226.
Page D-4
EDUCATION
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TO: Terry Alexander, Jr. Respondent named therein
You are hereby notified that the above-styled action seeking the termination of parental rights was filed June 20, 2011, and that by reason of an Order of Service of Summons by Publication entered by the Court on the 17th day of June, 2013, you are hereby commanded and required to file with the clerk of said court and serve upon Karen S. Benefield, Attorney at Law, L.L.C. , attorney for Dr. James Poe, Jr. and Bertha Poe, whose address is 115 West Broad Street, Eufaula, Alabama 36027, an Answer to the Petition within 30 days of the date of July 31, 2013. Witness the Honorable Theresa Daniel, Judge of said Court. This the 17th day of June, 2013.
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July 17-23, 2013 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • Page D-5
a
Salute to FirSt
Ladies
Award Ceremony
Saturday, September 14, 2013 11:00 a.m. Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
NOMINATION DEADLINE JULY 19, 2013, 5:00 PM
Call For NomiNatioNs The Michigan Chronicle’s Salute to First Ladies celebrates women who exceed their responsibilities as first ladies and encourages others through their leadership and active participation in the religious community. For their success as dedicated wives, mothers, and leaders, the Chronicle’s readership is encouraged to submit nominations for this prestigious award. We honor these women for upholding a tremendous foundation and faithfully supporting our religious leaders. Not only are they gracious supporters, they also lead their congregations with charisma, poise and eminence. In 100 words or less, please tell us about your First Lady and why you think she should be selected to be honored as one of this year’s Salute to First Ladies.
Describe the nominee’s community service activity or organizational involvement.
NOMINATION FORM Name of Nominee Title Church Affiliation Years of Service
NOMINEE CONTACT INFORMATION How has the nominee mentored others?
Address City/State/Zip Day Phone Evening Phone Email
QUESTIONS TO BE COMPLETED Describe the specific accomplishments that demonstrate the nominee’s comittment to her congregation.
NOMINATOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION Name Title Church Affiliation Address City/State/Zip Day Phone Evening Phone Email
GOD’S WORLD “If It Is Gospel You Need, It’s At God’s World!”
Submissions will be accepted until July 19, 2013 at 5 pm. Submit by mail, visit www.michiganchronicle.com or email c/o Amber Bogins at abogins@michronicle.com. Michigan Chronicle, 479 Ledyard, Detroit, MI 48201, 313-963-8100.
news
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
July 17-23, 2013
Page D-6
Mack Ave. at Van Dyke renamed S.L. Jones Dr.
Mt. Zion MBC celebrates street renaming
Members of the congregation of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. Sterling L. Jones (front, center) and First Lady Gwendolyn Jones (second from right).
City Councilwoman Brenda Jones (left) and Sheriff Benny Napoleon had words of praise for Rev. S.L. Jones and Mrs. Gwendolyn Jones.
Street sign on the corner of Mack and Van Dyke.
The chairman of the Deacon Board and his wife at the celebration.
Pictured (from left) are Linda Swanson, O’Neil D. Swanson, president of Swanson Funeral Home, Rev. S.L. Jones and First Lady Gwendolyn Jones.
Rev. S.L. Jones is congratulated by church members. Mrs. Jones is on his left.
The Rev. Sterling L. Jones along with distinguished guests and congregation celebrate the renaming of Mack Avenue at Van Dyke to S.L. Sterling Drive.
Rev. Sterling L. Jones with his daughter and grandchildren.