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Volume 87 • Issue 36

Tyler the Creator’s ‘Cherrybomb’ Page 8

UNCF’s ‘Evening of Stars’ Page 9 April 16-22, 2015

UNCF’s

Michael Lomax

sees bright future for

HBCUs

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin/File)

April 16-22, 2015

COVER STORY

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UNCF president seeks new generation of donors By Kimberly Hefling and Jesse J. Holland, AP

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Founded August 5 1928; Became Daily, March 12, 1932 W.A. Scott, II, Founder/Publisher August 5, 1928 to February 7, 1934

Michael Lomax, head of the United Negro College Fund, isn’t shy about ruffling feathers for his cause. Lomax made headlines last year when he unapologetically announced a $25 million grant from Koch Industries Inc. and the Charles Koch Foundation — a powerhouse name in conservative politics. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have personally donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the fund, but that hasn’t stopped Lomax from criticizing some of the Obama administration’s proposals, such as efforts to rate America’s colleges and universities and to provide free community college. On Sunday in Atlanta, the UNCF holds its 36th annual telethon. Lomax sees the event as part of a greater effort to recruit a new generation of African-American stars to donate to the organization, which distributes millions in aid annually to historically black colleges and universities and provides scholarships to racial and ethnic minority students to attend all types of institutions. Five things to know about the UNCF, based on an Associated Press interview with Lomax:

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KOCH DONATION The UNCF faced criticism from some areas for taking the Koch donation. But Lomax said that for seven decades — stemming from a 1944 campaign started by oil baron John D. Rockefeller — UNCF has sought donations from people of all political persuasions. “We have always, always said our cause is universal and all Americans should support it,” Lomax said. The UNCF got 1,800 applications for 44 positions in a Koch-funded entrepreneur program in a matter of weeks. Lomax said he doesn’t discuss politics with the Kochs. “What we talk about is the one thing we share a belief in, that young people should be given support to get a good education, and by the way more of them should be given the opportunity to become entrepreneurs,” he said.

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RECRUITING NEW GENERATION OF DONORS The telethon has raised hundreds of millions, and Lomax said a new generation has stepped up

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to replace entertainers such as the late singer Lou Rawls, the longtime host. Lomax said contributions are now coming from people like comedian Kevin Hart, musicians Pharrell, Trey Songz and Usher and NBA superstar Chris Paul, and other entertainers who may or may not have attended historically Black colleges and universities but whose parents did. FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PLAN Lomax was not a fan of the Obama administration’s idea to make community college free, which would cost billions of dollars. He said Congress should instead strengthen the Pell Grant program to help low-income students attend all types of institutions. There are hundreds of thousands of students who don’t want to go to community college “and

they should have the same resources and the same advocacy from the federal government,” he said. The administration’s community college plan may help middle-class families who might not critically need it, “and I’m not for that when there are people out there who are desperate,” Lomax said. PROPOSED RATINGS SYSTEM The administration is developing a college ratings system designed to look at access, affordability and outcomes so students and their parents will have a better idea about which institutions provide the best value. Lomax said the focus on ratings has been a “great distraction” from discussions about how to better get money to students to pay for school. He said there are already plenty of ratings of colleges available. What it’s not addressing is “once I make my choice, how do I pay if I’m low to moderate income?” Lomax said. WHY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES? Lomax sees a bright future for historically Black schools despite tightening budgets. These schools produce almost 1 in 5 of all African-Americans with bachelor’s degrees, according to the organization. “We think we’re doing more with less,” he said. “We could do even more with greater advocacy that we have earned.” Kimberly Hefling covers education. Jesse J. Holland covers race and ethnicity. Follow them on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khefling and http://www. twitter.com/jessejholland .

Michael, Cheryl and Michele Lomax

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NEWS

April 16-22, 2015

Atlanta’s cheating scandal and the racist Fast-food workers rally in push for higher pay underbelly of education reform

Former Atlanta Public Schools school research team director Tamara Cotman, center, is led to a holding cell after a jury found her guilty in the Atlanta Public Schools test-cheating trial, Wednesday, April 1, 2015, in Atlanta.. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kent D. Johnson) By Brittney Cooper Last week, an Atlanta jury convicted 11 teachers and school administrators of racketeering in a system-wide cheating scandal. Yes, you read that correctly. Teachers and administrators inflating student scores on standardized tests is now considered “organized crime” in this country, and is punishable by more 20 years in prison, in these cases. I am an educator. I am a Black woman who may someday mother a Black child. I have taught other Black mothers’ children. Much of my educational success in elementary school is directly attributable to high performance on standardized tests that caused my white teachers to notice me and intervene on my behalf to get me “tracked” into higher-achieving classrooms. I believe all children deserve access to a good, high-quality, public education.

Therefore, I don’t have to condone cheating in any form (and I don’t) to assert that what has happened in Atlanta to these teachers is a travesty. The pictures that emerged last week of handcuffed Black schoolteachers being led out of Southern courtrooms in one of the country’s largest urban Black school systems were absolutely heartbreaking. Scapegoating Black teachers for failing in a system that is designed for Black children, in particular, not to succeed is the real corruption here. Since the early 1990s, we have watched the deprofessionalization of teaching, achieved through the proliferation of “teacher fellow” programs and the massive conservative-led effort to defund public education in major urban areas throughout the country. There is no longer a consensus that a good public education — a hallmark of American democracy — should be considered a public good.

(AP) — Fast-food workers rallied in College Park and planned another demonstration in Atlanta as they and others across the nation call for the federal minimum wage to be raised to $15. Organizers say they chose April 15 -- tax day -- to demonstrate because they want the public to know that many lowwage workers must rely on public assistance to make ends meet. In Georgia, protesters rallied in College Park at 6 a.m. Wednesday. They planned another demonstration at 5 p.m. at Clark Atlanta University. Nationwide, the Fight for $15 campaign is being spearheaded by the Service Employees International Union, which organized in late 2012 with fast-food workers. Since then, organizers have used the spotlight to rally a variety of low-wage workers, including airport workers, home care workers and adjunct professors.

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Atlanta Streetcar makes it to Times Square Downtown Atlanta and the Atlanta Streetcar will be prominently featured on the ABC SuperSign in the heart of Times Square in New York City. With the theme Downtown Atlanta is on the Move, the animated LED advertisement highlights Downtown Atlanta’s unmatched convenience and interconnectivity, resultant from the introduction of Atlanta’s streetcars, proudly built, designed and engineered in America by Siemens. To view a live feed of the ABC SuperSign, visit http://www.abcsupersign.com/

April 16-22, 2015

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April 16-22, 2015

BUSINESS

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Hollywood Casting and Film launches casting service in Atlanta AtlAntA DAily WorlD

Hollywood Casting and Film, the leading professional casting studio in Los Angeles that provides actors and aspiring filmmakers with the critical tools needed to discover and audition top talent, today announced that it is bringing “Hollywood to Your Hometown” in Atlanta with the launch of its casting platform for actors and filmmakers. The Los Angeles-based company is leveraging its success in Hollywood to create a thriving entertainment community comprised of actors and filmmakers in Atlanta, Georgia. Actors can now visit the national platform at www. hometowncastingandfilm. com to learn about audition opportunities in the Atlanta market and find out how to get involved in local produc- Vinay Bhagat tions. Hollywood Casting and Film is also hiring Atlanta-based filmmaking partners to produce original content All auditions are web-based, allowing actors to constantly audition for films from the comfort of their own home. The casting platform provides actors the opportunity to film themselves on a camera, tablet or smartphone and easily upload their audition footage to the Hollywood Casting and Film database where it can be instantly viewed by filmmakers from all over the country. Actors are able to sign up for a Pro Membership for $1.95 the first month, and as low as $9.95 per month thereafter to receive free casting notices in Atlanta and audition for projects online. “Hollywood Casting and Film is leveraging our success in Los Angeles to bring acting

and filmmaking opportunities to the top talent in Atlanta, Georgia,” said Vinay Bhagat, co-founder of Hollywood Casting and Film. “Over the years, we have learned one important lesson: while Hollywood remains the entertainment capital of the world, there are creative, passionate and talented people everywhere, just waiting for their chance in the spotlight. Rather than forcing these people to move to Hollywood for the chance to even audition, we’ve instead decided to bring this casting service to select hometowns throughout the country to allow them to audition for exciting film projects which can eventually provide a stepping stone to pursuing their career goals in Hollywood. Now artists anywhere in the country, and specifically in Atlanta, can hone their craft and forge relationships with other creative professionals in their communities.” Hollywood Casting and Film works with entertainment industry veterans such as David Dean Bottrell, actor and director known for his work on Boston Legal, Hrach Titizian, actor and producer known for his work on The Men Who Stare at Goats and Homeland, and Leilani Downer, writer and producer known for her work on Growing Pains and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire. For more information about Hollywood Casting and Film’s national platform and to find out how to get involved in Atlanta, please visit: www.hometowncastingandfilm.com.

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April 16-22, 2015

COMMUNITY EPA’s Earth Month observance to address issues in Atlanta

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By Kenya King

April 16-22, 2015

munities,” said McCarthy. “We had a great conversation about how the EPA could help facilitate some new ideas, some new We all live here – that’s the Environmental Protection ways they can grow their economies and get their core enviAgency’s 2015 theme for Earth Month. The Southeast EPA ronmental challenges addressed more effectively.” Region 4 and the General Services Administration recently The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service kicked off Earth Month at the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Cen- reported that 95% of Georgia’s rural residents depend ter to help raise awareness on the importance of protecting on ground water, such as water from wells, our natural resources and on sustainability. which when contaminated “It is imperative that we understand our accan cause serious health tions need to continue to match the urgency issues. and challenges caused by climate change,” says McCarthy notes that EPA Region 4 Administrator Heather McTthe EPA spends a great eer Toney. “Let’s mobilize ourselves, families, deal of effort addressing wacommunities, businesses to move forward ter issues and helping lower-income into a responsible, clean, energy efficient fucommunities obtain access to basic ture. Because action on climate is not only a sewer services. “I don’t think than any moral obligation for future generations, it’s kid should have to go too far to access central to protecting and growing our middle clean water certainly not drinking waclass.” ter,” added McCarthy. “So we’re willing to The Southeast EPA Region 4 will also hold roll up our sleeves and get it done, but most an Earth Day Cleanup Challenge on April 22, importantly in partnership with these com2015 at noon at Centennial Olympic Park. munities, and it’s all going to be whether we Participants will include Mayor Kasim Reed, can manage it collaboratively which states and EPA Region 4 Administrator Heather McTeer Heather McTeer Toney local communities because that’s where we’re Toney, Egypt Sherrod of HGTV, and host of going to get the biggest momentum.” others. Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the Executive National EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy also visited Order on Environmental Justice, signed into law by former Atlanta and met with the Conference of Black Mayors earlier president Bill Clinton. The order holds federal agencies acthis year to discuss how communities, especially those most countable for recognizing and addressing “disproportionately likely to be disadvantaged, can collaborate with the EPA to high and adverse human health or environmental effects on resolve some of the things that have been detrimental to their minority populations and low-income populations.” environments. McCarthy says that part of President Obama’s Climate “We discussed how we can work more effectively with Action Plan requires the EPA to work with communities to them in areas that we tend to call environmental justice com- recognize that the EPA needs to bring resilient infrastructure

to the forefront and implement green infrastructure, which provides opportunities in flood events to slow down water so that the damage has less of an impact. McCarthy reiterated that she hopes the African American community understands that the issues of the EPA are their issues. “What we do is important for their public health and their environment climbing issue is something that all of us need to take action on for the sake of our kids, so we’ve tried to make clear that the EPA is an agency that is first and foremost protecting the interests of those most in need from a public health and environmental perspective and often minority communities are in fact those most [in need.]”

Atlanta NBMBAA, Chick-fil-A celebrate youth achievement

Our Lifestyles. Our Opinions. Our News. April 16-22, 2015

The Hon. Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell and State Representative Dar’Shun Kendrick join the Atlanta Chapter of the National Black MBA Association at the Junior Achievement Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center on Tuesday, April 14, to celebrate a monumental and successful curriculum expansion. During the month of March, 100+ metro Atlanta 11th and 12th grade students participated in the JA Finance Park curriculum sessions, geared toward equipping youth with financial literacy and personal finance educa-

tion. Exemplifying community collaboration, National Black MBA Association Atlanta Chapter and The Stewart Foundation collaborated to engage 75+ volunteers who graciously provided weekly curriculum instruction to students at Towers High School in an afterschool setting. On April 14, during the “Real World” Simulation grand finale event, 100+ students received a “life profile” complete with job, income, education and family scenarios to encourage and support them in making real-world life decisions based on the NBMBAA achievement program.

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April 16-22, 2015

PRAISE

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Salvation is an inside job: ‘The Storefront Church’ story

Source: Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images Entertainment / Getty

Theatrical Outfit proudly presents Store- his best works, Shanley dissects authority figfront Church by Pulitzer Prize, Oscar and ures and tests their mettle with moral issues, Tony-winning playwright John often comically. He elaborates: Patrick Shanley. Concluding “I think, with the third play, it his “Church and State” trilall comes to a landing place. I ogy of plays that began with feel a sense of resolution. What Doubt and Defiance, StoreStorefront Church says is very front Church is a hilarious applicable to the time we’re livmorality tale that explores the ing in. There is a dearth of places often-thorny relationship befor people who have a spiritual tween spiritual experience and hunger to satisfy, and there’s a social action. dearth of places for people who have the hunger for community John Patrick Shanley’s Storeto satisfy.” front Church transports us to a wintry Bronx, where greedy The star-studded Atlanta cast capitalists devour giant gingerincludes: Donna Biscoe, Tom bread houses, a disenchanted, John Patrick Shanley Key, Joe Knezevich, Clayton nomadic preacher rediscovers his faith and Landey, E. Roger Mitchell, and Anthony Roinspires it in others, and a curmudgeonly loan driguez among others. officer experiences a glorious rebirth. As in all

Bobby Brown: ‘I’m going to give it to God’ By Shamika Sanders Bobby Brown hit the stage for the first time since his daughter Bobbi Kristina was hospitalized, nearly three months ago, at the Soul Food Festival. After performing his song “On Our Own,” Bobbi took the time to thank the audience for their support. “I must tell y’all this feels really, really, really good,” he said addressing the crowd. “I want to thank all of y’all for coming out tonight and supporting me and my family. Rough times are rough times. Hard times are hard times. I don’t know what the hell I’m going through right now, but I’m giving it to God and letting him deal with it.” After the tear-jerking performance, Bobby told cameras he was on his way back to Atlan-

ta to be with Bobbi K whose condition hasn’t improved since she was first found unconscious in a bath tub. Bobbi K’s grandmother, Cissy Houston, told WBLS radio in March, there isn’t a “great deal of hope.” “We’re praying … I cannot change a thing,” she added. “So I’m asking everyone just pray to the Lord who we know can do something. If he does a miracle, thank God. If it happens the other way, I’m alright.” Brown was recently ordered to go back on tour in Australia, to finish a set of shows with Naughty by Nature.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Book featuring Georgia Courthouses earns national honors Courthouses of Georgia, published by the University of Georgia Press in partnership with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, Newington Photography, the State Bar of Georgia and the Georgia Humanities Council, has been selected as one of the Best Print Reference Books of the Year for 2014 by Library Journal, the most trusted and respected national publication for the library community. “The State Bar of Georgia is proud to celebrate this achievement with the publishers of Courthouses of Georgia and our fellow partners who supported its publication,” State Bar President Patrise M. Perkins-Hooker said. “The county courthouse is the closest connection between the American people and their system of laws and justice. The rich history associated with each of the courthouses in Georgia’s 159 counties will live forever through this book. This prestigious national recognition is well deserved for such an outstanding reference source, and Georgia’s lawyers and judges are delighted to have sponsored its publication.” In announcing the selection of Courthouses of Georgia as one of only four general reference books honored in 2014, Library Journal proclaimed, “In the United States, courthouses are often the places in which couples are married, divorces granted, land registered, lawsuits settled and births and deaths recorded. It seems appropriate that to celebrate the centennial anniversary of their association, the County Commissioners of Georgia engaged international photographer

April 16-22, 2015

AIS hosts screening of ‘American Promise’

Greg Newington and historian George Justice (University of North Georgia) to highlight, by region, the courthouses of Georgia’s 159 counties. The result is this beautiful and informative reference source. Regrettably, the 130-year-old Hancock County Courthouse in Sparta was destroyed by fire on August 11.” Courthouses of Georgia, containing 160 color photographs and 10 maps on its 368 pages, is available through the University of Georgia Press (800-266-5842), Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Patrise M. Perkins-Hooker

Claudia Jordan to get ‘RHOA’ spin-off Claudia Jordan may already be branching out from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” after just one season on the show! The ink on Claudia’s “RHOA” contract is barely dry, and there are already rumors that she may be getting her own show! Granted, she did start the chatter herself. Instead of setting up an Easter egg hunt, Claudia thought it would be much more fun to stir up some gossip during a brunch with “RHOA” producer Carlos King. She half-hinted/half-joked that she spent her Resurrection Day discussing the possibility of getting a spin-off There hasn’t been any word from Bravo as to whether this is actually true, but the network does love to hand-out spinoffs like candy. Still, it would be a bit peculiar to see Claudia get her own show at this point since much of her storyline revolved around the drama she has with different cast members. However, the Reality Tea website reports that that is precisely why she was hired. Supposedly, Carlos brought her on the show specifically to shake up the other peaches. If she is getting spinoff, maybe it’s a reward for a job well done because the some of the veterans just could not take Claudia.

April 16-22, 2015

Atlanta International School will host a public screening of the film, American Promise, on Tuesday, April 21, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Michele Stephenson and her son Idris, one of the students chronicled in the documentary. The screening is free and open to the public. American Promise spans 13 years as Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson, middle-class African-American parents in Brooklyn, NY, film their son, Idris, and best friend, Seun, as they make their way through one of the country’s most prestigious private schools. Chronicling the boys’ divergent paths from K-12 at The Dalton School, this intimate film depicts America’s struggle to come of age on issues of race, class and opportunity. Today, Kevin Glass African-American students across all income levels score an average of twenty-five points lower than their white counterparts on standardized tests: the “racial achievement gap.” American Promise asks audiences to consider what the “American Promise” really means, for these boys and for each of us. “This wonderful documentary is the latest in a series of events around inclusivity and diversity for AIS this year,” said Kevin Glass, Headmaster. “Our community includes over 90 different nationalities, so we think it’s vitally important to have constant conversation about inclusion. We’re grateful for our local context – Atlanta as the center of the Civil Rights Movement – as we strive to make sure that every member of our community feels important and included.” American Promise premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Award for Achievement in Filmmaking. Noted Harvard Medical School psychiatrist, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, called it, “An outstanding, honest portrayal of the complexities involved in steering black boys to success where cultural barriers and environmental obstacles still remain.”

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April 16-22, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

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Tyler the Creator’s ‘Cherrybomb’ Mayor Reed, Keke Palmer turn out for ‘Brotherly Love’ is twisted genius

Source: Rahav Segev / Getty By Jay Balfour Like most of the rest of his career, the story behind Tyler, The Creator’s fourth and latest album, Cherry Bomb, is playing out on his own terms. In the current age of surprise digital album releases, liner notes and extensive crediting are sometimes lost in the shuffle. On its face Cherry Bomb is a solitary affair, the 13-song track list that appeared with little warning on iTunes and Spotify mentions none of the features contained inside: neither the grandiose Kanye West and Lil Wayne appearances on “SMUCKERS,” nor the inthe-pocket cameos from Roy Ayers or Leon Ware (or Pharrell or Charlie Wilson or Toro Y Moi, for that matter). And while Cherry Bomb plays out like a heady manifesto from the depths of Tyler’s twisted psyche the album is a showcase in marvelous collaboration, an awe-inspiring peek at the Odd Future frontman’s genius as a producer. Tyler, The Creator isn’t just pimping out his rolodex, the guy seems to be living out his dreams. The just-turned-24 year old has taken to Twitter to offer a form of 21st century liner notes, blasting off little revelations about each song. A prime example, “RUN,” is “based off

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of friends that started gang banging,” or that another, “BLOW MY LOAD,” is a perversely specific fantasy about a particular English model. Tyler also doled out credit in the same fashion, writing excitedly about pulling the best out of his icons on his own album—”Tell me I didnt bring out the best Wayne and Ye verse in a while f-ck!”—and amping up the performances of relative unknowns, like a “20 year old kid named Arron” who “played the sax on ‘2SEATER.’” “Hes beast.” Immediately and throughout the album, Tyler’s voice is buried in the mix, sometimes to the point of being obscured almost completely. On the first track, “DEATHCAMP,” Tyler bears out his N.E.R.D. obsession with a pounding but approachable punk inflection, crunchy distorted guitars attack aggressively and he raps outright, “In Search Of… did more for me than Illmatic,” a sort of bottom-line explanation for the music that follows. As a whole Cherry Bomb might double as a conversion tool for the doubters as much as an affirmation for Tyler, The Creator’s longtime fans. To read this article in its entirety visit atlantadailyworld.com

By Terry Shropshire Celeberities and dignitaries decorated the red carpet for the Queen Latifah-powered Brotherly Love premiere at Phipps Plaza in the Buckhead district in Atlanta. Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment had plenty of “flavor” at the premiere with KeKe Palmer, Cory Hardrict, Eric Hill Jr., Quincy Brown and Julito McCullum. Buoduction company owned and operated by Queen Latifah and her partner Shakim Compere, have teamed up with Jacavi Films and Electric Republic to produce Brotherly Love set to release April 24. As a special treat, guests were able to partake in a Q & A session with the cast. Special guests of the screening included, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Brotherly Love producer Jacob York, Toya Wright, Christina Johnson (vh1’s “Atlanta Exes”), Shay Johnson (vH1’s “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta”) and Rebecca Weil (The Duff). Celebrities came out in the hundreds to pack out a double theater screening. As a special treat, guests were able to partake in a Q & A session with KeKe Palmer, Cory Hardrict, Eric Hill Jr., Julito McCullum and Jay Lewis. To join the “Brotherly Love” viral conversation on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat follow @BrotherlyLoveTheMovie and for more information visit www.BrotherlyLoveTheMovie.com Movie Synopsis: KeKe Palmer, Cory Hardrict and Quincy Brown lead the cast for first time writer/director Jamal Hill in a complicated love story that will grip your heart and awaken your belief in

family. Set in West Philadelphia, born-and-raised basketball star Sergio Taylor (Eric D. Hill Jr.) deals with the early pressures of fame. Alongside older brother June (Cory Hardrict), who lost his own hoop dreams to the streets to provide for the family after their father’s death, and sister Jackie (KeKe Palmer), whose own musical ambitions are sidetracked by love, Sergio faces life-altering decisions on the streets of Philly. The film’s cast includes: Macy Gray, Malik Yoba, Romeo Miller, Jay Lewis, Logan Browning, Faizon Love and Teyana Taylor.

April 16-22, 2015

EDUCATION UNCF’s ‘An Evening of Stars’ showcases student achievers

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April 16-22, 2015

A black person with a gun is dangerous, but a black person with an education is lethal. That’s what one student said at the 36th annual United Negro College Fund’s “An Evening of Stars” at the Atlanta Civic Center on April 12, which spotlighted the importance of education for African American young people. Buick Achievers Scholarship recipient and Spelman College senior Daria Jordan along with numerous other students from Morehouse and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities were honored during the event. As longstanding supporters of the UNCF, General Motors and the General Motors Foundation have donated more than $15 million to the organization over the last two decades, making events like “An Evening of Stars” possible. The event aims to inspire other students to graduate from college, a message that will be given additional reach when it is broadcast on Black Entertainment Television on April 26. The Evening of Stars event featured numerous entertainers including Kem, Toni Braxton, K. Michelle and a host of others. Part of the support for the UNCF comes through the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program, which is funded by the GM Foundation. As one of the largest scholarship programs in the country, Buick Achievers focuses on awarding scholarships to female, minority and other students who excel in the classroom and give back to their communities. The Foundation partners with the UNCF to administer the program for students that attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Daria Jordan, a Buick Achievers scholar with Vivian Pickard, General Motors Foundation president

“The UNCF has been a lightning rod to pull together the corporate support needed to affect real change in the lives of countless African-American high school students who dream of going to college,” said GM Foundation President Vivian Pickard. “It’s inspiring to see how those efforts impact individuals and hear their stories about commitment and hard work and we’re proud to be a part of that success.” Daria Jordan is part of a special group of Buick Achievers Scholars who are being celebrated as the first class of graduates who have received the scholarship their entire college careers. Before I received the scholarship, I was always worried about how I would pay for [Spelman], my dream school,” said Jordan, who is pursuing a degree in computer science. “But with the Buick Achievers Scholarship, I was not only able to attend Spelman, but I was able to thrive without worrying about the cost of my education. I even joined the Robotics Team, and was able to plan and travel to international robotics competitions in places like Washington D.C., Mexico City, Puerto Rico and Brazil.” Students eligible for the program are high school seniors and undergraduate students pursuing a college degree in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) curricula, or other fields related to the automotive industry. The 36th annual UNCF An Evening of Stars premieres on Sunday, April 25, 2015 at 10 p.m. EDT on BET Networks.

Donna Brazile to deliver Spelman College commencement address

Donna Brazile, an academician, author, syndicated columnist, television political commentator, and political strategist, has been named commencement speaker for the Spelman College Class of 2015. Brazile, who will receive an honorary degree, will address more than 475 graduates on Sunday, May 17, at 3 p.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center. “Donna Brazile has been a trailblazer in the political arena and a staunch advocate for human and civil rights,” said President Beverly Daniel Tatum. “We are pleased she will have an opportunity to impart words of wisdom to Spelman graduates as they begin the next phase of life’s journey, and join the ranks of Spelman alumnae who have made a choice

April 16-22, 2015

to change the world.” With a lifelong passion for political progress, Brazile had worked with a candidate every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000, when she became the first African American to manage a presidential campaign. Today, Brazile is founder and managing director of Brazile & Associates LLC, a general consulting, grassroots advocacy, and training firm based in Washington, D.C. She is also the vice chair of voter registration and participation at the Democratic National Committee and former interim national chair of the political organization. Author of the best-selling memoir “Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics,” Brazile is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, a syndicated newspaper columnist for Universal Uclick, a columnist for Ms. Magazine, and O, The Oprah Magazine, and an on-air contributor to CNN and ABC, where she regularly appears on “This Week.” Brazile remains active in her hometown of New Orleans, where she was recently appointed to serve on the executive committee of the Tricentennial Commission, responsible for the celebration of the city’s founding in 2018. Last fall, President Barack Obama appointed her to the Fulbright Board – where she helps select candidates in the Caribbean and Latin America that will participate in the Fulbright Program. Brazile has received honorary doctorate degrees from Louisiana State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Grambling State University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Northeastern Illinois University, Thomas Jefferson School of Nursing and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Source: Michael Bezjian/WireImage/Getty Images / Getty

HBCU fashion designer competition: Winner goes to Fashion Week By Jessica Andrews One HBCU fashion design student will get the opportunity to show at New York Fashion Week, thanks to McDonalds and Harlem’s Fashion Row. The designer collective and fast food giant are teaming up for the 2015 Lovin’ Student Fashion Design Competition for undergraduate fashion design students attending HBCUs across the country. To enter, students must submit two T-shirt sketches and two hooded sweatshirt designs inspired by the bold colors of McDonald’s new lovin’ campaign.

One grand prize winner will get the chance to display their work at New York Fashion Week as part of HFR’s Shop, Brunch and Be Social event. The winner will also get his or her designs photographed by a fashion photographer, receive a one-on-one mentoring session and lunch with Bevy Smith (Bravo’s Fashion Queens) and land a coveted ticket to HFR’s runway show. Enter by Friday, April 24 at 11:59 p.m. EST for your chance to win and get more information on the competition here. Good luck to all the emerging HBCU designers and we’ll see one of you at New York Fashion Week!

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GUEST COMMENTARY

by Lee A. Daniels

by Ken Chavous

Facing ‘Officer Friendly’ while Black Without the video, North Charleston, S.C. police officer Michael T. Slager would likely have gotten away with murder. Without the video, we wouldn’t see Officer Michael T. Slager have the, shall we say, presence of mind, to quickly retrieve what appears to be his Taser and plant it beside the lifeless body of Walter Lamar Scott. Without the video, Officer Michael T. Slager would no doubt have quickly been coached on the techniques of making himself appear in news media interviews the victim of the lethal encounter with the Black man he killed, 50-year-old Walter Lamar Scott. Without the video, the conservative punditocracy and talk-show jockeys would be raging that the dead man’s action again proved that Black and Brown civilians are “waging war” on police. But we have the video – one of the technological innovations that increasingly have helped suggest what people of color face from an alarming number of White cops – and the first-degree murder indictment of Officer Michael T. Slager. And so we are faced with a long list of powerful questions: Why did Slager pull over Walter Lamar Scott’s vehicle? Was it really for a broken taillight? Or, was it because Slager, feeding off the power of his badge, wanted to show some Black person – any Black person – who’s boss? What, then, was going through Slager’s mind that led him to not give chase to the unarmed, slow-footed Scott when he ran, but quickly and calmly pull his gun and fire eight times at the fleeing man? I think some part of the answer to these questions and the many others that must be asked can be found in a recent instance of a police encounter with Black teenagers that did not escalate to violence but was nonetheless revealing. That incident – captured on a police car camera – occurred in Minneapolis March 18. Four Black teens of Somali descent, having just finished playing basketball at the YMCA, were driving home when they were pulled over by the police for making a U-turn. The police ordered the youths out of the car at gunpoint and handcuffed them, while they searched the car and ran background checks on the car to see if it was stolen and on the youths to see if any had criminal records. They found nothing. None of the youths had a criminal record, and they were subsequently not charged.

But at the beginning of this hour-long ordeal, a police camera captured this exchange between one of the police officers and one of the youths he was handcuffing: “Plain and simple,” the officer says, “If you [profanity] with me, I’m going to break your leg before you get the chance to run.” The youth responds, “I never said I was going to run.” The officer answers back, “I’m just giving you a heads up. Just trying to be officer friendly right now.” “Can you tell me,” the youth persists, “Why I’m being arrested? The officer responds, “Because I feel like arresting you.” Is that it: that some White cops’ need to show these “colored people” a White man can control their freedom whenever he “feels like” it? Is that attitude why Officer Michael T. Slager pulled over the vehicle driven by Walter Lamar Scott? In the aftermath of Scott’s murder, some Black North Charleston residents have said that police constantly racially profile Black drivers there. Comedian Chris Rock’s recent social-media posting of his being repeatedly stopped by police while driving near his suburban New Jersey home suggests that, for Black and Brown drivers, that otherwise legitimate police duty remains laced with racist intent. Further, we can go down the long, long list of just recent, controversial White cop-black or brown civilian encounters and ask is that why so many of them have a palpable undertone of menace: Is it because the White cops are acting on their “feelings?” A final question: How often does a Black or brown person’s chance of surviving an encounter with a White cops come down to whether that officer or those officers have decided to be or not be “Officer Friendly” at that moment? To put that another way: How often does it come down to whether the police officer or officers have decided at that moment to be a public servant of integrity, or a criminal? Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His essay, “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Great Provocateur,” appears in Africa’s Peacemakers: Nobel Peace Laureates of African Descent.

DIGITAL DAILY April 16-22, 2015

April 16-22, 2015

The ‘Dumbing Down’ of American Education Early in 2001, when I was the chair of the education committee on the Council of the District of Columbia, I was talking with the D.C. Public Schools Superintendent Paul Vance about the intense debate over standards at the time. Federal lawmakers were debating whether to tie federal dollars that were earmarked to the states to having the state’s school age children academically proficient by 2014. Under this proposal, those states whose students failed to meet this standard would lose their expected federal education dollars. As the Superintendent Vance and I went back and forth about how difficult it would be for states to measure up under the proposed law, he finally waved his hand and said to me, “Well, Councilman, the reality is that even if this law passes, the states will work around it. Very few states, if any, will meet these new requirements by 2014 so two things will happen: some states will lower their existing standards and the federal government will give many states waivers from the law’s mandates so they can still get their federal funds.” The law, which was passed in 2001, would ultimately be known as No Child Left Behind. And Superintendent Vance was right. Now that we are in 2015, the U.S. Department of Education has given over 44 waivers to states that did not do what they promised to do-enhance the academic enrichment of their kids. That’s right. The federal government regularly socially promotes states who are failing our kids. During this same time period, some states aggressively questioned the need for rigorous standards, leaning on states’ rights arguments, even though the right to a quality education for all kids may be lacking in their state. What’s worse, however, is the evidence pouring out of the felony racketeering trial in Atlanta, where 11 teachers were convicted of conspiring to change their students’ test scores to make it look as though Atlanta schoolchildren were doing better on tests than they actually were. Twenty-one other teachers pled guilty to lesser charges in the scheme. In all, some 180 employees, including a mix of teachers, testing coordinators and 38 principals, had engaged in an organized

and systemic cheating scheme in at least 44 Atlanta schools involving falsification of student learning data by inflating test scores to make the district look better. Adding insult to obvious injury, these teachers would brazenly have eraser parties following the testing period to celebrate their conspiratorial success at cheating. All of these factors point to one thing: we no longer have a learning culture in America. Indeed, we have dumbed down education and learning so much that the education of our children is embodied by meaningless platitudes, hollow promises and just plain dishonesty. Even among those responsible for providing or overseeing the delivery of K-12 educational services in America, a new culture of excuses and “reasons why” we can’t teach all kids exists. Sadly, the unspoken truth is that many do not believe that all kids can learn. The time has come for the American people to demand more and get more from those vested with the fiduciary responsibility to teach our kids. We should no longer accept the false promise of better schools tomorrow because our leaders point to selective, marginal and incremental improvements scattershot around the country today. Nor should we celebrate the mediocre expectations that have crept into the education policy discussion. Rather, as we look forward to the 2016 presidential elections, we need to categorically reject any candidate who doesn’t boldly stand for immediate change in the academic expectations we have for all kids. And we should reject any candidate who is unwilling or unable to hold every school and every school district accountable for teaching all kids. Frankly, it is time to end the dumbing down culture in American education. Our new national imperative should be to instill personal and national pride in learning. This new form of patriotism is more uplifting and beneficial to our country than the fear-based, patriotic war on terror. And, it is needed. When it comes to the education of our kids, the future is now.

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