I Messenger 5 13 16 by Cheryl Smith

I Messenger VOL 5 ISSUE 37

May 13, 2016

PASSIONATE

Bennie E. Brown on campaign trail

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May 13, 2016

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Message to the people...

May 13, 2016

VOL 5 ISSUE 37

Don Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s letter from prison

Page 19

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Praise Party Conversation with Dareia

Dareia Tolbert The City of Dallas got into formation during the Beyoncé concert, Monday, May 9, 2016. Accompanying the superstar was her husband, Jay Z, and daughter, Blue Ivy. The clergywomen and men of Dallas were probably relieved the concert was held on Monday instead of Sunday or Wednesday. Otherwise, church attendance as well as the collections would have been lower than usual. #lemonadeandicetea Another highlight this past week, Who’s Who in Black Dallas, the third edition, was held at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science where over 200 people, including myself, were featured in the publication. Who’s Who Publishing Company highlights the achievements of rising African Americans and other minority groups. Also, being honored were trailblazers Comer Cottrell, Maverick Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Roland Parrish and several more! Congrats to my mentor and friend Cheryl Smith being honored as #GAMECHANGER. Keep your Praise Party going with Dareia Tolbert on social media. Facebook/IG

May 13, 2016

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DALLAS/FT WORTH CHAPTER

NAMC

HOSTED BY:

DALLAS/FORT WORTH LAUNCH EVENT THE GLOBE LIFE PARK IN ARLINGTON CHOLULA PORCH ARLINGTON, TEXAS

M AY

“Adversity can engulf the individual but not the group. If you are part of the group it weakens the adversity.”

2016

-Raymond Dones, Founder The National Association of Minority Contractors Dallas/Ft Worth Inc., is a nonprofit minority business trade, educational and advocacy association located in Arlington Texas to address the needs and concerns of minority contractors,

SPECIAL GUESTS

NAMC’s membership consist of all races and ethnic background; the organization’s mandated “ Building Bridges-Crossing Barriers” focusing on

ROB MATWICK

construction industry concerns common to African American, Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and Women.

Questions? Please visit www.namcdfw.org or call 817 303 2160

Asian

MAYOR JEFF WILLIAMS City of Arlington

Executive VP, Business Operations of the Texas Rangers

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PASSIONATE

BROWN HAS LED LIFE OF SERVICE

f there is one word to describe Bennie Elnora Brown, “passionate” has to be the word. She grew up being involved and watching people around her doing things to make their community better and she says although she is retired, she wants to continue doing something she has done her entire life, serving. For her the next level in her extensive career will be as an elected official, something she hopes to call herself after this next election. “I bring passion to everything I do,” she said. “I received several awards because I have a passion for people. I am committed, engaged and involved.” And that’s just what Ms. Brown said voters should expect from their elected officials. She knows what effective leadership looks like because she’s not the only politician in her family. She is the daughter of Mary Washington, who holds the distinction of being the first woman and first African American mayor of Hutchins, TX. So, Ms. Brown doesn’t come on the scene as a political

Candidate Bennie Brown novice. She’s seen firsthand how political machines work and just what some politicians will do to gain support. “I’ve always wanted to be involved in politics,” said the wife and mother. “These are some tough times and devastation breeds innovation.” Ms. Brown is a candidate for Dallas Coun-

ty Tax Assessor/Collector and although she has been on a few ballots in recent years, if there’s any post she says she is more than well-suited for, it is tax assessor. A retired executive for the Exchange, which was formerly known as the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Ms. Brown managed all aspects of

contract management and traveled the world holding positions in logistics, construction, capital improvements, negotiations and IT contracting. In addition to working for the Exchange, she has owned a tax business for 14 years, managing multiple services which have garnered her commenda-

tions from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), for “improving processes by developing and implementing best practices.” There’s nothing glamorous about renewing license tags and collecting taxes, but it doesn’t have to be painful, she said, adding that she has some innovative ideas that should make visiting the tax assessor’s office a better experience. Sure many don’t want to have to pay taxes and it adds insult to injury when they find themselves in long lines with excessive waiting periods. So it helps to have a process that is not as annoying as the one Ms. Brown says she hears about from citizens as she makes her way around Dallas County, every day, spreading her message, asking for votes and listening to complaints, concerns and suggestions on how to fix a broken system. In a recent interview Ms. Brown pointed to several areas where “change” is needed, “The tax assessor’s office needs to operate more efficiently and I See BROWN, on next page

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BROWN, continued from Page 10 have the experience to provide better service to the citizens of Dallas County,” she said. “I want to be a liaison who partners with constituents to make things better. We have to listen and not just during election time.” Good service is important she continued, adding that she and many other citizens are not happy with her opponent’s way of collecting taxes. “He has a Republican way of collecting taxes,” said the lifelong Democrat. “The Republican way operates in a way that shows no compassion for the middle class or the poor.” Ms. Brown is facing current Tax Assessor John R. Ames in a runoff election on May 24, 2016 and she’s pounding the pavement to spread her message, that the Dallas County Tax Assessor’s Office needs innovation. “Sometimes change is good,” she said of her opponent who was first elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, adding that citizens are receiving harsh penalties that are unwarranted. If Ms. Brown is elected, the law firm responsible for imposing these penalties will definitely hear from her. She said she is ready to hit the ground running, building morale and providing great customer service. She’s a graduate of Northwood Universi-

ty, which interestingly is also her opponent, Mr. Ames’, alma mater. Also a graduate of Leadership Southwest, Ms. Brown serves as the president of A.W. Brown Charter School

Women, Inc., the group that presented her with an award named after Sojourner Truth; and she also serves on the City of DeSoto Rezoning Committee, Women Power Circuit

tritious meals via summer and after school feeding programs.” Operating as CEO, she has been instrumental in introducing the STEM Program to children in underserved ar-

Bennie Elnora Brown honored for service. Foundation; Chair of the A.W. Brown Celebrity Golf Classic; Treasurer of Thorntree HOA; Political Blogger for the Elite News, immediate past Treasurer of the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce and Financial Co-Chair of the Best Southwest Relay for Life. She is a member of the South Dallas Business & Professional

and Cedar Hill Action Team (CHAT) Advisory Board. Driven by passion, Ms. Brown also founded Hope Beyond Hope Foundation, a “non-profit organization that is forging lifelong relationships within the community by supporting programs that provide children-within the Dallas area access to free, nu-

eas. On the campaign trail Ms. Brown shares information about her involvement because she says it is important that voters know about the people they are about to vote for. Unfortunately she says you only see some politicians when they are seeking votes. “When I visit churches, I’m no

stranger,” she said. “Every church I attend, I stay for all services. I have never interrupted a pastor’s service, tipping out with the one finger in the air.” And she hopes voters are paying attention, but the recent little over 5 percent voter turnout in the last election is not encouraging. “That’s why we have the hashtag Black Voters Matter,” she explained. “We are encouraging pastors and community leaders to encourage voters to go to the polls. We owe it to those who worked hard to get to this point.” This point has met with opposition and backlash that Ms. Brown is not pleased with at all. Fortunately the naysayers have not diminished her passion. Citing critics who expressed dissatisfaction that so many African American women are running for elective office in Dallas County, Ms. Brown says they were silent when all the candidates were white males and white females. “Now we are getting opposition. It’s very unfortunate.” Unfortunate, true, and even uncomfortable at times but not enough to slow her down. She takes the same advice she gives to voters. “Get engaged, care about our community. Use your voice and don’t be discouraged.” -Cheryl Smith

Spiritually Speaking

by James A. Washington

ou know every now and then you have to talk about tithes and offerings. I have before and am doing so again. Now before you react, I cannot pass a plate in this column. As a matter of fact, my point of reference is not the Old Testament’s offering to the Almighty a tenth (tithe) of everything God has blessed you with. Mosaic Law requires this, but I’m compelled to refer for the purposes of this text to Paul’s letter to Timothy. 1Timothy 6:18-19. “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” The more I think about and pray about this, the more important it appears that tithing and offering also include the kind of life we lead as believers in Christ Jesus. I don’t want you to think I don’t understand the money issue. I do, but I also want to

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May 13, 2016

It’s Not About Your Money; It’s About You

be sure that the behavior, the lifestyle and the attitude reflect the living principle of what I think Jesus demonstrated and commanded us to do. In the final analysis Paul’s charge to Timothy is the best example of what I’m trying to say. “…pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith…” Timothy 6:11-12. Imagine what life would be like if you tithed your life’s work? Sleep not included, what 14-16 hours a day we’re conscious and breathing. That means maybe an hour and a half (1/10th) would be spent in the practice of one or all of the aforementioned areas. Can you see yourself deliberately setting aside about an hour and a half a day to practice godliness, love, righteousness and the others in whatever combination you

so choose? Then I submit to you that faith and belief in Jesus Christ would come alive in you as intended. Your belief in God would become a verb and would be reflected in but an hour and a half of you and I trying to consciously live as Jesus intended. I think everyone has struggled with this at some point I believe faith is a verb. So are forgiveness and mercy. Love thy neighbor as thyself is a verb. Judge not lest you be judged is a verb. Christ is a verb. Tithes and offerings do not exempt one from rendering unto God what He expects as it relates to how you live your life. The apostles and saints have helped me to understand this. The apostles and saints I’m talking about are the ones who have passed among us, the ones we remember as kind,

loving, never met a stranger, sharing kind of folk: mama Big mama, granddaddy, step daddy, friends. We know and miss these faithful people. Paul says live your life so that when you die, no one will be able to speak ill of you. Yeah right! But, if you did spend an hour and a half a day trying to tithe your gifts, the ones God gave you,, then maybe we would get a small glimpse of truly being Christ like. I’m just thinking out loud here. But an hour and a half is not a lot of time. Maybe if I spent more of my time tithing in this way, I would be able to see me and my fellow man in a totally different Light. May God bless and keep you always.

James

May 13, 2016

Quit Playin’

by Vincent Hall Zipped across this from the archives of Time Magazine and it delivered a rush of thought and wonderment. “1963 was a big year for Americans. For Civil Rights Activists, it was the memory of the "I Have a Dream Speech" by Martin Luther King, Jr. For conspiracy theorists, it was the assassination of JFK. For postal enthusiasts, it was the introduction of the ZIP code. The term "ZIP code" comes from the acronym Zone Improvement Plan. In the twenty years leading up to the ZIP code, mail volume doubled and the U.S. Postal Service needed a quicker, easier way to sort through the mail. On July 1st, 1963, the ZIP code was born. It was a success in the first 3 years, over half of all Americans used their ZIP and by the end of the 60's it was 83%! “ When the history of 2016 is written, and especially as it relates to the presidential race and all its cultural ramifications, what will historians say? Better yet, what does your zip code say about you? What does it say about your place in

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Who’s in Your Zip Code? America by politics and priority? Zip codes are of great import in every facet of our lives and much more than most of us realize. Did you know that by zip code we have identified hot areas in cities for the transmission of the AIDS virus? Diving deeper into those zip code statistics we have identified that in at least two of them here in Dallas County, the spread of the disease is occurring most between teenage girls and middle-aged men. That fact hand delivers a hint that prostitution and drugs are likely coagulating in that given zip. Using zip codes, marketing agencies and sellers of all manner of wares and services determine whether or not you are a likely target for their sales spiel. Have you ever wondered why you can’t find a Gap store in any urban area in America where the zip codes contingent to the store’s placement is majority minority? Think about it. Kinda makes you wonder when you see so many adorable Black and Brown babies sporting the Baby Gap trademark clothing. Now the old excuse used to be that major retailers were afraid to come into some zip codes because the theft would increase and the costs for “loss prevention” would be much higher than “safe zip code” neighborhoods. But with the advent of terrorism, and the con-

stant threat of gun violence and security cameras, the safety budget has been grown considerably. What’s the excuse now? Sooo… zip codes can be used for the control of communicable diseases and drive capitalism and market placement, but what else? The zip code story for 2016 is going to be who got identified by address as strong supports of a certain xenophobic, race baiting, nativist running for president. And once again, zip codes and

a good analysis of the same will be enormously helpful. For grins, those same Pennsylvanians whom candidate Obama wrote off as being gun toting, bible thumping fanatics, who would never consider voting for him, just happen to be custom made and within the cultural zip code of the infamous “Billionaire with bad hair.” Unlike 63’, zip code usage is at 100% today and some zip codes have their own suffixes to further delineate buildings or nuances within a given boundary. Zip codes are perfect for sending 1st class mail, but more effective in maintaining 2nd class citizenship for far too many poor people and minorities. We need a “Zone Improvement Plan” that will make America the land of opportunity that it purports to be. After all, we know where despair is located, we go there whenever we need someone to exploit.

ASK ALMA:

by Alma Gill NNPA News Wire Columnist Dear Alma, I hate my husband’s best friend. They are total opposites and I just don’t get it. I understand they grew up together and went to the same high school, but really, it’s time for this relationship to end. My husband graduated and went on to college. His friend didn’t and has been in and out of jail. He does drugs and my husband doesn’t do drugs. This guy is a total loser. As long as I’ve known him, he has been a terrible friend to my husband. For example, we had a dinner party and had invited a few friends and our neighbors. During the dinner, the neighbors were robbed. Although he has never admitted it, I know my husband’s friend did it. He left the party right away, never came back and when our neighbors went home they had been robbed. I’ll give you another one. We were at another mutual friend’s birthday party; everybody was jamming, having a great time. Later on, we found out someone had gone through the ladies purses and stolen the cash. It was him! A family member who doesn’t even know his history saw him upstairs around the coats and bags. Whenever he’s around you better bet something gets stolen. He is awful towards

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His Friend is not my friend women, he uses them and takes them for everything they have and then breaks up with them. At what point will my husband wake up and let go of this guy? It’s just not funny anymore. We’re almost 30 and it’s time for things to change. We’re about to start a family and I don’t want him around my children. How can I tell my husband he has to pick between me or his friend? I’m at the end. I just can’t take it anymore. Signed, Choose Me or Lose Me Dear Choose Me or Lose Me, Hold on Honey Lamb, you’re about to get your feelings hurt. Your predicament reminds me of the artwork hanging on Chris’ desk. Chris is a guy I work with. His son drew it and it says, “I love mommy & daddy and my buddies!” LOL! Lawd, that cracks me up every time, because even a fouryear old recognizes the importance of your buddies. I know, slow your roll, we aren’t talking about a four year old, and I get that. But the loyalty and dedication to your buddy never fades. I’m sure your Boo and his BFF have some stories to tell, some stories to keep, some stories they’ll never forget or repeat. I can’t help but wonder: why are you now ridding him of someone he’s held dear, long before you met him? I think if we check the Handbook of Marriage 101, you can’t regulate a friendship that existed before your marriage. Unless that said friend is an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. That’s just like asking him to stop eating PB&Js because they’re not your favorite. The evidence shows, this is his dude and dudes aren’t easily replaceable. Men aren’t like women, they don’t have multiple, BFFs designated by rank and associations. Bromances are built and

broadened over years. They see each other through up and downs, health issues and handcuffs. Your husband most likely uses this friendship as an anchor, it’s unconditional, a reminder that we all walk by faith. I’m sorry to break the news, but their ride or die Kawasaki doesn’t have a seat for you. And that’s okay. Be wise, Sunshine, and reverse your anger. I know you want a glass of Novocain to ease the pain every time you see him coming, but you may have to let this one run its course. You said he and your husband are opposites and that may be true. But there’s some common ground, deep down in there somewhere you aren’t recognizing. Don’t offer him an ultimatum, because you know as well as I do, you ain’t leaving. And stop giving your hus-

band’s friend the power to dictate the path of your family. Until you have proof your husband has become someone you don’t recognize, don’t hold him accountable for a crime he hasn’t committed. It’s your responsibility to have faith in your husband. If a situation ever arises, he surely will choose his family, there should be no question about that. Allow your husband to handle is compadre. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is not ponder or obsess over it, and instead, just believe that it will work out for your best. Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and Twitter @almaaskalma.

DALLAS/FT WORTH CHAPTER

NAMC

HOSTED BY:

DALLAS/FORT WORTH LAUNCH EVENT THE GLOBE LIFE PARK IN ARLINGTON CHOLULA PORCH ARLINGTON, TEXAS

M AY

“Adversity can engulf the individual but not the group. If you are part of the group it weakens the adversity.”

2016

-Raymond Dones, Founder The National Association of Minority Contractors Dallas/Ft Worth Inc., is a

SPECIAL GUESTS

nonprofit minority business trade, educational and advocacy association located in Arlington Texas to address the needs and concerns of minority contractors, NAMC’s membership consist of all races and ethnic background; the organiza-

MAYOR JEFF WILLIAMS

tion’s mandated “ Building Bridges-Crossing Barriers” focusing on construction industry concerns common to African American, Asian

City of Arlington

ROB MATWICK Executive VP, Business Operations of the Texas Rangers

Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and Women.

Questions? Please visit www.namcdfw.org or call 817 303 2160

DINNER WILL BE SERVED

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May 13, 2016

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Black Wall Street Tour and Ceremony Tulsa, Oklahoma Sunday May 29, 2016 Charter Bus Departing Dallas to Tulsa at 7:30 am from The Act of Change 3200 Lancaster Rd Suite #623, Dallas, TX 75216 $60 per seat. Departing Tulsa to Dallas after Activities Late Sunday Evening Please bring your own food & drink as it will be a long day.

Egbe Egunfewa African Spiritual Society

will host a community ceremony to pay homage to our ancestors that were murdered during the terrorist attack on Black Wall Street and during slavery. For more information call Bro. Fred at 214 607 6445 DEADLINE FOR ALL MONIES IS MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016

Please Donate Directly To The Black Wall Street Fund

Go to Payment Page â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.Fredsentertainment.com

May 13, 2016

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May 13, 2016

Pat Buchanan explains white fears over diversity

George Curry Leave it to Pat Buchanan, a former Richard Nixon speechwriter, to summarize why Whites fear an increasingly diverse United States. As MediaMatters documented, he appeared May 5 on NPR’s Morning Edition to rant about America no longer looks like the America of his childhood. NPR Host Rachel Martin pressed him on his views. MARTIN: A decade ago, you wrote in your book, State of Emergency, on the issue of immigration, speaking of the world changing and America changing, you wrote that “if we do not get control of our borders, by 2050, Americans of European descent will be a minority in the nation their ancestors created and built.” Do you still stand by that statement? And do you think ideas like that resonate? PAT BUCHANAN: I would amend it. That period will be reached in 2042, now, or 2041. So we’re about 25 years away from the fact where Americans of European descent will be a minority in the United States. MARTIN: Why do you see that as a problem? BUCHANAN: Well, because I look at Europe and I look all over the world, and I see peoples everywhere at each others’ throats over issues of ethnicity

and identity. Again, the United States of America -- we had an enormous success, we had high immigration from 1890 to 1920. Then we had a timeout where all those folks from eastern and southern Europe were assimilated and Americanized. They learned English. I went to school with the sons and daughters of these folks, and we created a really united country where 97 percent of us spoke English in 1960. Now, in half the homes in California, people speak a language other than English in their own homes. Anybody that believes that a country can be maintained that has no ethnic core to it or no linguistic core to it, I believe is naive in the extreme. Martin did not let Buchanan off the hook. MARTIN: Explain to me what having a diverse cultural identity and a diversity of languages, how that undermines the American identity. I think it’s important to try to understand why you think that this is such a threat. BUCHANAN: Well first, it seems that the American people tend to agree with us, does it not? MARTIN: But, what you are laying out is an America that is white, or if not exclusively white. BUCHANAN: It’s an America like the country I - It’s an America like the country I grew up in, which was a pretty good country. MARTIN: So how do you make that case in 2016? BUCHANAN: Well, first off, the voters, apparently, in the Republican Party, have voted pretty conclusively for Donald Trump. And we’re going to find out in the fall whether he has won it with the nation. Because,

I think Hillary Clinton will raise the issue that she disagrees with him sharply on this. MediaMatters notes: “Buchanan was fired from MSNBC in 2012 for his racist and bigoted 2011 book Suicide of a Superpower, which followed his long history of racist remarks. During his book tour, Buchanan appeared on a white nationalist radio program the same radio program the Trump campaign gave press credentials to during the GOP primary election. Trump has received enthusiastic support from white nationalist media and current and former Ku Klux Klan leaders during his presidential candidacy, and has declined to disavow that support.” Buchanan’s noxious views are thoroughly documented in the Anti-Defamation League’s report, “Patrick Buchanan: Unrepentant Bigot.” Among other things, the ADL report observes, “In addition to his anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant views, Buchanan has also made a number of racist statements and stereotyped characterizations of minority communities.” Pat Buchanan mirrors presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s promise to take back America. The obvious question is: Take back the country from whom? There have been some humorous claims that England plans to take back America. One website satirically noted, “The Queen of England has issued a promise to her subjects that she will invade the United States of America if Donald J. Trump is elected President in November of this year. “’Should Mr. Trump be

elected we will take back America by force and place it once again under colonial rule,’” her Majesty said in a statement this morning. “The announcement has received mostly a positive response, but many critics have seen the Queen as merely taking advantage of the swell of anti-Trump feeling in the country after a petition calling for the banning of the real estate mogul from entering the UK received over 500,000 signatories. “In the meantime the Queen has ordered the armed forces to start preparations for an invasion this November.” The last time I checked, there is nothing for White Americans to take back. You can’t take back what you already have. Whites are almost exclusively the top 1 percent of wealthy Americans and are in control of most Fortune 500 corporations and the majority of U.S. institutions. In truth, the only people who can legitimately “take back America” are Native Americans, who predated Christopher Columbus and the European colonization of the Americas. George E. Curry is President and CEO of George Curry Media, LLC. He is the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA). He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at twitter.com/currygeorge, George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook, and Periscope. See previous columns at http://www.georgecurry.com/ columns.

May 13, 2016

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Don Hill‘s letter from prison

I am not an apologist for America! I am writing this letter on the 6th anniversary of my incarceration, while hospitalized in a federal medical center in Butner, North Carolina, with Stage 4 prostate cancer, serving an 18 year sentence for public corruption. I may never see freedom again. Therefore, I have reason to be fatalistic about my daughters’ and grandchildren are, including my 18 year- old grandson’s, future in America. Nevertheless, my life experiences tell me of a power in expectant optimism and that power works toward righteousness even righteousness in America. Ta-Nehisi Coates’ bestselling book, “ Between the World and Me,” took my hope for America to task in a way that was unexpected. In writing a letter to his beautiful teenage son, his counsel concerning his son’s future in America is devoid, in large measure, of the 3 pillars of my spiritual life: faith, hope and love. Despite Coates’ love for family and the African American community, this writer’s authentic affections falter in the face of America’s history of hatred and oppression of our ebony brothers and sisters. Three major premises emerge in Coates’ book: first, the assault on “black bodies” by America’s law enforce-

Former Dallas Mayor Pro-Tem Don Hill ment, educational and economic institutions, have given birth to a fear born of Coates’ life experiences, that is beyond hopeful end. Secondly, racism is the “father of race” and its implications of white supremacy and black inferiority. Finally, the “love power “of African American people profoundly displayed in the aftermath of the murder of the Charleston Nine is not from God or divinely inspired. As exquisitely explained in a recent “Letter to the Editor,” love requires a risk of loss, of rejection, of rebuke. Nevertheless, love requires me and all who desire the best for America to “cast out bread upon the waters” as

King Solomon advised over 3000 years ago. In loving our enemies and America with its legacy of failed promises, we embrace the possibility that America’s vituperative progeny will ultimately see us as authentic Americans. The transformation has begun already. We have given birth to educational, economic and cultural institutions and icons that impact America on a daily basis. Our struggle to achieve full citizenship embodies this Nation’s highest principles. The humility and courage displayed by so many African Americans, young and old, rich and poor, skilled and unskilled, over our history in this country point un-

deniably to an endowment from God. The fact that the book remained on so many bestseller lists throughout 2015 and beyond is a testimony to the powerful writing of Coates and, most important, the disillusionment in America. The Killing of black and brown men across America, including Dallas, grieves my heart, as well as the increasing rate of poverty throughout our Nation. We are frustrated! From the segregated neighborhoods of America’s class - stratified urban areas, including Dallas, and the attendant dangers to Coates’ son, as well as my grandson, I am ever prayerful. Coates’ cry for the sanctity of his son’s body echoes the paternal prayers of every faithful father. Deaths in the black lives of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, La Quan McDonald, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice and too many others are anecdotal evidence of police oppression often repeated and devoid of real accountability. An innate response of parents, family members and the larger community resembles the fear of family separation during slavery: sudden, final, without remorse or justification. Even the legacy of indiscriminate lynching provided rules of conduct for the oppressed to follow though without any guarantee

of safety. This terror evokes a fear, yet to diminish, in too many communities of color. Coates’ cautionary calculations to his son are heartfelt and real. The antidote, however, to this parental terror is the provocative trinity of faith, hope and love. May I explain? The foundation of a righteous nation is justice. As the sacred scripture from the book of the prophet Amos proclaims, justice and righteousness are infinitely intertwined and interrelated. Justice rolling down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream are progressive. What was the common thread in all of Jesus’ miracles on which the sufferer experienced healing - the quality of faith demonstrated or a lack thereof. My faith in a righteous America is based on the progressive reinvention of itself. Nations do reinvent themselves. America has and continues to reinvent itself through historic social movements. I do not believe we are captive to our past, nor condemned by our present predicament, but faithful to the principles of America’s founding documents and its reinvented iterations of freedom from stigma or oppression, due process See HILL, on Page 20

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State of Black America 2016

Locked Out: Education, Jobs and Justice

by Marc Morial “Eschewing political banalities, sloganeering and appeals to fears and suspicions, the candidates should seize the opportunity to challenge the nation to regain her sense of purpose by facing her imperfections, not apologetically, but with the firm resolve that this nation can and should do better.” - National Urban League Executive Director Vernon Jordan, the State of Black America, 1976. As we observe the 40th anniversary of the State of Black America,® the similarities of the United States

of 1976 and the United States of 2016 are profoundly striking. The nation was recovering from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. According to the report, “Blacks suffered disproportionately because of their low position on the economic ladder as unemployment climbed to depression levels in many of their communities ...” These words could just as easily apply to today. The 2016 edition of the State of Black America® “Locked Out: Education, Jobs and Justice,” will be released on Tuesday, May 17, during a live broadcast from the Newseum. The report National Urban League’s annual analysis of Black and Latino equality in America, and, for the second year it will be available in an all-digital format available at www.stateofblackamerica. org. Visitors will find the e-book, Web Series, select

HILL, continued from Page 19 of law, equal protection and full citizenship. We are not pitiful victims; we are pitiless victors! An early 20th century writer best captured, in words, the danger of fear in a short essay entitled “The Realization of Perfect Peace” when he proclaimed: Fear is everywhere. Fear has become with millions a fixed habit. To live in continual dread, continuing cringing, continual fear of everything be it loss of love, loss of money or situation, is to take the readiest means to lose what we fear we shall.

data, videos, articles and other frequently updated features. This year’s report again includes the Equality Index™, in its 11th year for the Black-White Index and its sixth year for the Hispanic-White Index - measuring how well Blacks and Latinos are doing in comparison to their White peers in five categories: economics, education, health, social justice and civic engagement. The report includes a retrospective detailing America’s 40-year progress in economic and social equality and opportunity. As this year’s report focuses on “Education, Jobs and Justice,” it’s valuable to looking back to the state of Black education, jobs and justice in 1976. On education, Jordan wrote, “Not only were black children not being educated by the schools, a fact attested to by declining test scores, but they were also being thrown out of the institutions in dis-

Consider this; hope that is seen is no hope at all! A hopeless, struggle-filled future that Coates casts before his son is the antithesis of a legacy born of our historic heritage. Throughout the historical journey of African American people, we possessed an eternal hope as well as a daily expectation that our lives will be better, we will survive, no matter the circumstances. This courage to believe in better days would prevent some of our ancestors from committing suicide during the

proportionate numbers for alleged infractions.” On jobs: “Despite claims that the recession has bottomed out and the worst is behind us, unemployment is still rampant in the nation and even the most optimistic forecast projects a continuing official unemployment rate of over 7 percent. For blacks, this automatically means an official unemployment rate of 14 percent.” Jordan added, “To assume that the nation can live with so many people unable to find jobs and forming a permanent cadre of the helpless and hapless, is dangerous. And on justice: “While blacks are over-represented as crime victims, they are underrepresented in the criminal justice system. The city of Chicago is an example with a population that is 32.7 percent black, it has a police force that is only 16 percent black. A survey by the Race Relations Information Cen-

Middle Passage, others from revolts doomed for failure and others to survive in the face of incomprehensible cruelty. Yet in our hopeless situation, we gained strength; the more hopeless the circumstance, the more we persevered. We got married, we had families, we developed skills, intellect, and trades; we displayed industry to create our own! No greater story has ever been told! Love of country demands a just rebuke when confronted with injustice. To love those who reject our existence,

ter revealed that in 42 states out of a total of 41,984 state police personnel, only 616 or 1.5 percent are black.” At the launch of the State of Black America® 2016, “Locked Out: Education, Jobs and Justice,” we heard from Vernon Jordan himself. Some of the nation’s leading thought-leaders, analysts and activists are featured in our Web Series such as David Johns, Jonathan Capehart, Mo Ivory and Sam White. The report itself includes essays from notables such as journalist and author JoyAnn Reid, Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Sundial Brands founder and CEO Richelieu Dennis. Please stay in touch on www.stateofblackamerca. org for our ongoing conversation. Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

even to the point of murder and oppression, is America’s redemptive opportunity to reciprocate and create, in the words of President Obama, “a more perfect union.” Donald Hill (37106177) P.O.Box 1600 Butner, North Carolina 27509 Former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill is currently at a federal prison medical facility in Butner, North Carolina being treated for stage 4 prostate cancer.

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