Metro Detroit women unite for heart health awareness at Detroit
GO RED For Women Luncheon
See page C-1
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE SHOW BUSINESS
HALL OF FAME
SAMUEL L.
JACKSON See page D-1
POWERED BY REAL TIMES MEDIA
Volume 79 – Number 21
WHAT’S INSIDE DABO founder’s 100th birthday The late Horace Sheffield, Jr. has been rightfully described as a warrior and a bridge builder. He is the founder of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO). The organization is set to honor the 100th anniversary of Sheffield’s birth.
Something women need to know (Page B-1)
michiganchronicle.com
February 3-9, 2016
Darnell Earley was only a symptom
A woman’s heart attack causes, symtoms and outcomes may be very different from those of a man, and differences in risk factors are further pronounced in black and Hispanic women.
Detroit’s ‘educational mess’ (Page B-4) Tom Watkins strongly asserts that the crisis in the Detroit Public Schools — and charter in EAA as well — is something more people should be concerned because it affects us all. And if nothing is done, there will be a heavy price to pay in the future.
By Keith A. Owens SENIOR EDITOR
The clock has been ticking for Darnell Earley for awhile now. You’d have to be deaf not to hear anything that loud. It would have been hard enough for the departing Detroit Public Schools emergency manager to survive his very prominent role in the Flint water disaster that he has repeatedly tried to deny despite much evidence to the contrary. And it would have
EDITORIAL
been more than enough baggage for any one troubled administrator to juggle as the Detroit Public Schools, the institution that he was supposed to rescue (despite the combined failure of the three previous emergency managers who preceded him), continued to crash and burn around him. But to survive both of those scandals? At the same time? Uhh…no. The announcement was made early Tuesday morning. According to a press release quoted in the Detroit Free Press, Gov. Rick
Mayor Mike Duggan has announced the second round of projects that will receive a combined $500,000 in grant funding through Motor City Match to help them start or expand in Detroit.
“Darnell has done a very good job under some very difficult circumstances. I want to thank him for his professionalism and his service to the people of Michigan. He restructured a heavily bureaucratic central office, set in place operating and cost-containment measures, and has taken steps to stabilize enrollment. These factors should all set the course for a sustainable, new Detroit Community Schools, as I have proposed.”
“When I was appointed to this position, Gov. Snyder and I agreed that our goal was for me to be the last emergency manager appointed to DPS. I have completed the comprehensive restructuring necessary to downsizing the central office, and the development of a network structure that empowers the educational leadership of our schools to direct more resources toward
By Patreice A. Massey
Rap pioneers honored (Page D-1)
Kory Woods photos
Russell Simmons brings water and attention to plight of Flint residents
By Roz Edward
$1.00
And then there was Earley’s press release, which said, in part:
See EARLEY page A-4
Flint rapper Jon Connor talks aftermath of water crisis
Motor City Match (Page C-1)
When the 2016 Grammy Awards airs this spring, among those receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award will be Run-D.M.C., the first rap act to be honored in that way. They, more than anyone else, were responsible for igniting the rap/ hip-hop explosion.
Snyder, who appointed Earley to both positions, said the following:
When business mogul and founder of the RushCard, Russell Simmons, arrived in Flint early Monday morning to deliver cases of bottled water door-todoor he did so with a minimal amount of fanfare. Flanked by a handful of local reporters and several staff members, Simmons and his affable team carried case after case of Aquahydrate to eager and desperate residents. In total, Simmons and his team delivered 150,000 bottles of water to cardholders of the prepaid debit card and students at Flint Southwest Academy. Simmons partnered with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Mark Wahlberg (owner of Aquahydrate) to launch a relief campaign for victims of the Flint water contamination crisis which includes a
pledge of 1,000,000 bottles of water to the people of Flint. However, the congenial mood became increasingly somber as citizen after citizen recounted horrific stories of how the contaminated water has and continues to affect their health and compromise an already fragile quality of life, and wreak havoc on children whose damaging levels of lead poisoning have been diagnosed as acutely damaging to life threatening. The prognosis is not good for the citizens of Flint. “My heart breaks for the people of Flint, who are being deprived of the most basic of necessities – clean drinking water,” said Simmons who hugged one teary resident as she shared her
See SIMMONS page A-4
Funny thing happened to me on my way to Flint the other day. Well, not so much funny as it was interesting. We stopped in a suburban computer store, cameras in tow, to purchase a few memory cards when the cashier asked what we were going to be filming. I told him that we were going to Flint to see what’s going on with the water crisis. He asked a few more questions, which I answered. We completed the transaction. It was all good.
Jon Connor
Then as I was leaving he said, “All right, good luck and remember, don’t drink the water. Ha ha ha.” I paused. My first instinct was to become indignant, point out what an ass he was being at that particular moment and school him on the insensitivity of his comment. But I was running late and did not wish to engage. So I left. But his comment stayed with me. “Don’t drink the water.” This was a line usually reserved for Third World countries. Yet here it was being said in reference to a city that is only about 66 miles away from my home. But much like a Third World country, the water that has been consumed from the Flint River is filthy. Filled with
toxins and pollutants and has been deemed responsible for numerous health problems in the small town and increasing lead levels in children. Jon Connor could have been one of those children. Connor is a rapper, producer and former XXL Freshman who up until about three years ago resided in Flint. Connor’s life changed when legendary super producer, rapper and former NWA member Dr. Dre personally signed him to his Aftermath label. In order to fully seize this opportunity he had to move to Los Angeles to be closer to his mentor, thus forcing him to move from the house and town that he’s called home for all of his 30-year-old life. Connor has a deep affinity for his hometown. So with Flint being recently declared in a state of emergency, he knew he needed to come home and connect with his community and family that still live there, many of whom have had to be tested for lead poisoning. “I’m a Flint resident first and foremost. Before I was an artist or anything else I was a Flint resident,” said Connor. “So I’m here to see what’s going on and to also see what else is needed. Mateen, Dre, the entire After-