www.chicagocrusader.com
Blacks Must Control Their Own Community
To The Unconquerable Host of Africans Who Are Laying Their Sacrifices Upon The Editorial Altar For Their Race AUDITED BY
•C•P•V•S•
VOLUME LXXIII NUMBER 47—SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014
PUBLISHED SINCE 1940
25 Cents and worth more
Violence creates cause for preachers By Glenn Reedus Chicago police officials will tell community members those violent crimes, especially murders, are on the decline, but the news hasn’t stopped a group of Chicago ministers from banning together to drive down violence further. On March 10, dozens of pastors from the city and suburbs, along with approximately 500 community members, assembled at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 1257 West 111th Street, for the first rally of the Mobilizing Preachers and Communities (MPAC) organization. MPAC is an affiliate of a New York entity by the same name. The local group was formed about two months ago according to the local affiliate president, the Rev. Booker Person. Person is pastor of Holy Baptist Bible Assembly Church, in Dolton. Person noted that MPAC is starting with the linear focus of raising awareness to reduce violence in and around Chicago and compared the initiative to the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. He explained the organizers understood there was a need to be unanimous and dealing with a single issue at a time, “We are convinced the time is now for us to act as a unified front.” He added that voting was the issue that brought the clergy and community together in the 1950s and 60s, but presently, the
ATTENDEES AT THE first Mobilizing Preachers and Communities rally stand to welcome news that the organization already has 50 pastors looking to partner with community organizations to combat violence. The meeting was at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Hayes. corresponding issue is gun violence. Over in for Sharpton, who attended the rally in dees to pick up the mantle and promote the last three years, about 450 people were Tallahassee, FL commemorating the shoot- non-violence across the city. shot to death in Chicago, with 2012 hav- ing death of Trayvon Martin, but was Still in its infancy, the local MPAC affiliing the largest total with 503. grounded in Charlotte, NC on his way to ate has about 50 members as compared to Promoted as an event featuring Rev. Al Chicago. The ministers’ conversation was the 350 clergy members of the New York Sharpton as the keynote speaker, Mt. Cal- played over the church’s speaker system, chapter, Person shared. The Rev. J. Melvin vary’s pastor, Rev. Tyrone Crider, had to fill and Sharpton repeatedly encouraged atten(Continued on page 2)
County Commissioner owns Judy’s Grill at Walmart By Wendell Hutson The only restaurant located inside a South Side Wal-Mart store just happens to be owned by a Black, elected official whose district includes the retail store. Since 2013, Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore (D-4th Dist.) said he has owned Judy’s Grill, a fast-food eatery located inside Wal-Mart, 8331 S. Stewart Ave., and named it after his mother. “Before I started this restaurant, I owned a hot dog concession stand at Soldier Field for 10 years,” Moore said. “I opened this store because I wanted to help employ more youth and people from the community.” Cana Chalmers, 36, is a cashier at WalMart and said she and her fellow co-workers eat at Judy’s Grill all the time. “The food and service is good. I eat lunch here almost everyday. It’s convenient and the prices are reasonable,” Chalmers said. “My favorite thing here is the grilled chick-
COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER Stanley Moore owns Judy’s Grill, which is located inside a Walmart store at 8331 S. Stewart Ave.
en pita.” As part of a community benefit agreement, Wal-Mart agreed to do business with local vendors and Moore’s business was chosen as a result, said Erica Jones, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “Typically, we have one restaurant tenant in our stores so that’s why Judy’s Grill is the only restaurant at the Chatham store,” Jones said. She added that an internal review process selected Judy’s Grill and not the elected official. Alderman Howard Brookins (D-21st), whose ward includes the Chatham store, said Wal-Mart made the right choice by picking Judy’s Grill. “I was happy to see his business chosen. And I certainly see nothing wrong with an (Continued on page 13)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE CRUSADER ENDORSEMENTS
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NEWS
Chief Judge Evans seeks new director at juvenile detention center Chief Judge sends letter to Cook County Board as he prepares for transition. The Circuit Court of Cook County will conduct a national search for the next person to lead the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center as it begins to prepare for the transfer of the Center from a federal court appointed administrator to the Circuit Court, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans. Chief Judge Evans shared his plans with the Cook County Board President and Board Commissioners in a letter hand-delivered at today’s meeting of the Cook County Board. The letter in its entirety follows: “As we await the transfer of the administration of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center to
Chief Judge Timothy Evans
my office for the first time in the history of this county, I am pleased to announce that I will soon begin a national search for new leadership to head the JTDC upon the anticipated completion of the transitional administrator’s federal court assignment. “I intend to build on the progress made by Mr. Dunlap, who was appointed by the federal court when the lack of reform efforts by the executive branch of local government led to intolerable, unconstitutional conditions at the JTDC. Moreover, I will require that only best practices consistent with the principles of restorative justice will be used to both serve the interests of the detained minors while preserving public safety. Suggestions from any person, county agency or
board, officeholder or organization who wishes to join me in furtherance of these objectives will be welcomed. “I will soon reconvene my original working group of interested parties for a formal presentation of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s assessment of the JTDC. After that presentation takes place, I will forward the assessment to you and invite you to join me on a tour of the JTDC, 1100 South Hamilton Avenue. Any member of your Advisory Board should feel free to join us. “As I look to the Board to help me with the necessary resources for the juveniles entrusted to the court’s care and their families, I know we will find that we share the same goals.”
Chicago Teachers Union receives support for ISAT boycott The Chicago Teachers Union has received statements of support this week (below) from the Faculty Association of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff and nationally recognized educators for families and teachers who have opted out of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) in Chicago Public Schools. Nearly 2,000 students at 90 schools—including charter schools—were opted out of this year’s ISAT, joining teacher-led
Karen Lewis decisions to teach instead of test at Saucedo Scholastic Academy and Drummond Montessori School. “What the public needs to know is that there are brilliant kids in every system that these tests cannot and do not measure,” said Paul Horton, a history teacher at the U. of C. Lab Schools. CPS students take more standardized tests in one year than students at the U. of C. Lab Schools do in their entire 12 years of education at the school, according to the CTU Research Department. 2
Saturday, March 15, 2014
“It is about profits, not kids,” Horton said. In a public petition released Monday, more than fifty educators and researchers, including well-respected figures in the field of education, pledged support for the ISAT boycott and called on Chicago’s mayor and schools chief to rescind threats of punishment for those who participated in the action. Among the signers of the statement are CTU President Karen Lewis, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch. Signers compared the teachers’ decision to civil rights activism. “Like early participants in the Civil Rights Movement,” they wrote, “the teachers at Saucedo and Drummond who have refused to administer the ISAT have taken an enormous risk for what they believe is right.” Jesse Hagopian, a high school teacher in Seattle and one of the organizers of a boycott of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test last year, took the lead in gathering signatures to support the Chicago boycott. “I know from experience how frightening it can be to take this kind of action,” Hagopian said, “no one would jeopardize their livelihood unless they believed deeply in what they were doing.” The Chicago Teachers Union represents 30,000 teachers and educational support personnel working in the Chicago Public Schools, and by extension, the more than 400,000 students and families they serve. The CTU is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers and is the third largest teachers local in the United States and the largest local union in Illinois. For more information please visit CTU’s website at www.ctunet.com.
STUDENTS FROM THORNTON HIGH SCHOOL share the story about the tragedy of one of their classmates being murdered recently. They spoke of the fear of violence and how it has impacted their lives.
Violence creates cause for preachers (Continued from page 1) Green, who heads the New York chapter, stressed the importance of the organization attracting members from all denominations. “We showed up here tonight because children are dying in Chicago. Fifty-eight homicides occurred this year because of gun violence. We must put aside our petty differences to learn how to deal with what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the ‘three-headed monster: illiteracy, poverty and violence.’ Where you have illiteracy, you have poverty, and most places where you have poverty, in many places you also have violence,” Green said. MPAC members are particularly interested in the community’s thoughts on ending violence, and Person said MPAC wants to col-
laborate with other organizations committed to ending violence. “We can do more together than we can apart,” he said, adding his organization, “is not trying to reinvent the wheel.” The church, Person offered, remains the most viable institution in the community and is expected to lead drives, such as the anti-violence movement. “We care about the cries we hear, especially from our young people who are saying we want to be safe. Public safety is very important to any community. Every day is like playing Russian roulette just by going out.” Students from the organization, Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), amplified the pain of the violence. One of the students recalled the death of one of their peers, who was gunned
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
down, and shared how teens are fearful of going outside. Identifying that the problem is not limited to the city, Person stated, “Even in some of the poorest suburbs with abandoned housing and deteriorating structures, people are concerned. I believe the church has a responsibility of being the light and the salt. Truth is truth. We should be getting the world to look at our witness, as we get involved in helping the less fortunate. “We have to do some work to change the very mentality so that people help themselves, but they need help from others who can give that kind of direction,” Person concluded. No date has been set for the next rally. www.chicagocrusader.com
OUR ENDORSEMENTS
Elections have long-term impact vote March 18 The first phase of this year’s political process in Illinois is about to come to an end as voters head to the polls next Tuesday to elect several individuals to state, county and judicial seats. For decades the right to vote has been among the most cherished rights in the African-American community. For the most part, the electoral process has helped us make gains in society. That is why we must continue to take elections seriously as well as give candidates a hard look. The Chicago Crusader is committed to helping voters identify those individuals who we believe understand the many societal, legal and economic challenges facing our community. We also urge voters to remember that the judges, at every level have a greater impact on our day-today lives than any other elected officials. Given that reality we urge you to vote first for the judges. Here are our endorsements. In the judicial races, the vacancy the candidates are vying for is in parenthesis after the name. We are not making endorsements in races when candidates are unopposed. Illinois Appellate Court Freddrenna M. Lyle (Gordon vacancy); Sharon Oden Johnson (Steele vacancy). Circuit Court of Cook County Bridget Anne Mitchell (Arnold vacancy); Kristal Rivers (Connors vacancy); Cynthia Y. Cobbs (McDonald vacancy); William B. Raines (Neville, Jr. vacancy); Andrea Michelle Buford (Hill Veal vacancy); and Diana Rosario (Reyes vacancy). Cynthia Cobbs brings a unique skills set to the job. The incumbent circuit court judge has effectively and fairly dealt with those issues, such as debt collection, landlord tenant cases as well as alternative dispute resolutions that affect tens of thousands of county residents. Cobbs also has the unique perspective of having run the state Supreme Court administrative offices for nearly 10 years. The entire circuit court is strengthened by her presence. Bridget Mitchell comes across as no-nonsense yet empathetic individual. The fact she comes from a labor union family and has the support of a diverse group of organizations from the oldest African-American bar association in the nation to grassroots political groups tells us she appreciates the varied backgrounds of the individuals who will appear before www.chicagocrusader.com
as a sitting judge. We also are impressed that she deftly balances the demands of motherhood with the rigors of a solid law practice. William Raines has seen both sides of the courtroom having worked as a prosecutor as well as a defense attorney. He is a former cop, which translates into a clear understanding of the entire process from arrest to sentencing. At the same time, he does not appear to be one who will automatically take the word of his former colleagues over a defendant and witnesses. Andrea Buford seeks to continue on the bench where she has applied a distinguished career as an attorney to the cases she has handled. Her even temperament is an outstanding counterbalance to the over-the-top as well severely sub-par behavior we see too often on the bench today. Diana Rosario, like some of the others we are endorsing, presents multi-dimensional credentials to succeed as a judge. We are pleased someone with her background as an attorney for the city, former assistant state’s attorney and private practitioner is seeking a circuit court seat. She also will lessen the void of Hispanic judges at that level. Freddrenna Lyle is a household name given her three terms as a South Side alderman. She has been able to seamlessly move from city council to her private law practice to the circuit court bench. The depth and breadth of that career track is invaluable. She has repeatedly demonstrated a toughness when necessary and always a fair application of the law. Some of these races offer voters tough choices given the strengths of several candidates seeking the same seat. Mary Alice Melchor in the Circuit Court of Cook County race is such a candidate. Steven G. Watkins, 2nd Subcircuit. John S. Fotopoulos, 15th Subcircuit (Doody Jr. vacancy) and Michael B. Barrett, 15th Subcircuit (Sterba vacancy). Both of these men bring an attribute that is so often missing on the bench today understanding of the common person and the problems people who are not well-connected or high income endure. The kinds of individuals they have represented throughout their stellar legal careers mean they will bring compassionate dispositions to the bench, as looking cases based on the merits and not strict-
ly on race as we so often see in courts across the country. We also like the fact that both men are young enough that they can be a positive force in the their respective sub-circuits for several years. In other races some candidates brought impressive credentials, strong community ties and a keen understanding of the office they are seeking and the Crusader heartily endorses them.
community organizing and nonprofit management. Travis shows promise that she will introduce and deliver on the kind of legislation most important to her constituents, and not be a marionette for city hall and county puppeteers. The governor’s race pits political neophyte and former Cease Fire
director Tio Hardiman against incumbent Pat Quinn. Despite a number of shortcomings during his time in office, we believe Quinn is the one who can right the state’s ship. Whether you agree with our endorsements we still urge you to exercise your right to vote and get to the polls on March 18.
One who fits that description is First District County Commission candidate Richard Boykin. Boykin brings first-hand experience of government operations, as he is the former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-7). He also has built a successful law practice all the while never forgetting how to make meaningful contributions to the less fortunate in the community. Other Cook County Commission candidates we endorse are: Jerry “Iceman” Butler (Third District), Stanley Moore (Fourth District), and Deborah Sims (Fifth District). Although he is a perennial candidate, Sylvester Baker brings a needed familiarity with the Cook County Sheriff’s office that he deserves our endorsement. The current sheriff has not been as strong an advocate for helping combat crime in the South Suburbs or the city. Surprisingly, 13 people are vying for the three commissioner seats available on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. We see Timothy Bradford as one of the three who must get our nod. Bradford is the only suburban resident who is a candidate. We also endorse Frank Avila, an incumbent, along with newcomer Josita Morita. As usual, the Illinois State Representatives offer a wide range of candidates, some who make us question why they are seeking election. There are several races that make the choices tough but we have chosen to endorse: Derrick Smith (10th District) and Thaddeus Jones (29th). The most interesting House race involves Jay Travis who is looking to unseat incumbent Christian Mitchell. From our perch in the 18 months Mitchell has been in office, he also has been MIA – missing in action. Travis is the kind of candidate the 26th District needs and deserves. She brings a stellar background in
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
Saturday, March 15, 2014
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EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL ALWAYS VOTE FOR YOUR INTERESTS Voting season in America is here once again and citizens will have an opportunity to have their voices heard regarding issues of importance to them during elections. Unfortunately, some people will stay away from the polls because they feel hopeless about being able to have an impact on what happens in their political lives. They underestimate their own value. The really sad thing is that many of these people refuse to be re-directed; no matter what you tell them they will insist that it is futile to participate in the voting process. Now, imagine a million people with this same attitude. The results are predictable; if you don’t participate, if you don’t vote for your interests, then you are actually allowing others to make decisions for you. There’s no way around this; you participate if you vote, and you participate by default if you don’t. And if the outcomes are antithetical to what the community needs, residents of that community have only themselves to blame. It is especially important in these days and times for the African American community to come together and elect individuals who support issues that will specifically benefit African Americans. The people that we elect should be in favor of greater access to employment and healthcare, since the community has great needs in these arenas. Moreover, they should be anti-corruption, since, for reasons that are obvious to some, African American politicians are disproportionately targeted in stings and other forms of entrapment. No politician worth his or her salt should be anything but squeaky clean if at all possible, since the eyes of Big Brother are working overtime. Also, those we elect should demonstrate a sincere commitment to service to the people that have supported them and not to selfish interests. This is how many who purport to be in public service get caught with their hands in the money jar. One of the most important things for African American voters to consider, however is a giant “A” word; A stands for ACCOUNTABILITY. So many so-called public servants ascend to office with the assistance of myriads of promises, some “pie-inthe-sky.” Once they have won election with these promises, a serious case of amnesia develops. They forget what they said they were going to do. Some, however, don’t forget – it is that they were not aware of the specific obstacles that they were destined to face once they attained office. This is almost as bad as those who lied outright and never intended to deliver on their promises, because it belies a lack of preparation and knowledge, ingredients direly needed in order to be an effective public servant. In addition to the foregoing, there is one major, major obstacle that African American candidates and voters face – a sense of selfhate. Some Black voters refuse to believe that African Americans can be competent. They will vote for anyone but their own kind. This is not to say that Black people should only vote for Black candidates; quite to the contrary. Some members of other groups are strong on issues that would and could benefit the Black community. But there are cases where Black people have by-passed Black candidates because of race and voted for candidates that did not have the welfare of the community in mind. This happened in a major American city where Blacks passed up quality Black candidates in favor of someone who turned out to kick the community in the behind with his policies. Finally, a good voter is an educated voter – and by education is meant knowledge of the issues and the track records of the candidates. This should trump everything! Coupled with this should be a concern about what happens in our communities, because a concerted collaborative effort in a given direction can change the world! Believe that! 4
Saturday, March 15, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Paul Vallas that I know Dear Editor: As is well known by now, Governor Pat Quinn selected Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools as his Lt. Governor running mate. I was surprised and I still wonder if and how did Quinn vet Mr. Vallas. To what extent did Gov. Quinn discus this decision with Black leaders. The purpose of this communication is to share with voters of Illinois, especially Black voters, some information that I have about some activities of Paul Vallas that were very devastating to some Black employees in the Chicago Public Schools. Below I will highlight some specific very negative actions taken by Paul Vallas against some Black CPS staff: The most serious and illegal acts against Blacks were several situations where Local School Councils (LSC) who were established by the Illinois Legislature, voted to give a four year contract to a Black person. Paul Vallas refused to allow these Black people to have the job. I personally am aware of six schools where these illegal actions by Paul Vallas were taken: Collins High School, CVS High School, South Shore High School, Taft High School, Fulton Elementary, Gale Elementary. The Gale situation were the most aggrieved. After the LSC voted to award the four year contract to a Black lady, Vallas refused to allow her to have the job that she had earned. He came up
with some trumped up charge and took her to court. I was in the circuit court of Cook County when the judge ruled that she had a valid contract. Vallas still would not allow her to have the job. He appealed to the Illinois Appellate Court. I was present when that court ruled that she had a valid contract. Vallas still would not allow her to have the job. Vallas spent over $300,000 taxpayer dollars to keep this Black woman from getting the job that two levels of courts ruled that she was entitled. The LSC of two high schools voted to extend the contract of the two Black principals. Vallas refused to process the contracts. Since unlike the six I wrote about above, they were already in the jobs, they did not suffer any material lost, but were humiliated, something he clearly loved doing to Blacks but never did to whites. I have an incomplete record of 43 principals who were removed from their jobs at schools, 37 were Black. An example of how Paul Vallas love to humiliate Black men: Vallas attended a very large community meeting at Austin High School. During the meeting, in a cavalier manner he announced a new principal for Austin. Vallas reveled in the public humiliation of that Black man. Obviously, every one can make their own decision. But each of us must ask ourselves, do we reward such a man with the vote that many Blacks bled and died for. I think everyone can be sure of my answer.
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
Dr. Grady C. Jordan High School District
Superintendent 1985-95 DaaEqualizer@aol.com
Not voting is a sin Dear Editor: Vote often and vote early is an old political adage here in Chicago. There was a time in the not too distant past when this was more truth than urban legend. The late, great newspaper columnist Mike Royko made a living shining the light on the (Continued on page 13)
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COMMENTARY
Russia is Winning the Chump Game Beyond The Rhetoric By Harry C. Alford NNPA Columnist It seems that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia is the latest in a series of interaction between this aggressive government and the United States. In 2008, when Russia invaded the nation of Georgia who was flaunting total freedom from Russian influence, we imposed economic and trade sanctions on Russia in retaliation. So, when the Obama Administration came in and appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State they decided to be nice to Russia and hope that things would get better. Secretary Clinton said they want to “Reset” with Russia. In a public ceremony they held a gadget that said reset. It was actually a device for a Jacuzzi which they pilfered from their hotel. She exclaimed in Russian “Reset!” They should have checked the actual translation. The Russian Foreign Secretary said that wasn’t reset rather it meant “overcharge.” How amateurish and clumsy. While they ended all the sanctions as a good gesture and new start, Russian President Vladimir Putin must have been smil-
Harry C. Alford ing and said to himself, “They are so weak.” So here we are. Russia has a president who wrestles bears and has a background as a KGB professional (their version of CIA). We have a President whose background is that of a community organizer and wears “mom jeans.” Russia is building up its military as is China, India, Iran and others who might rival us soon. We are proposing to
slash our military like never before all the while hot spots are starting to appear right before us. We shrunk our military in like fashion after World War II. It resulted in North Korea, Russia and China figuring we did not have the guts to support South Korea so they invaded. We had to lose a lot of young soldiers in that war because we weren’t ready. Let us recall that hard lesson and do not repeat it. We didn’t see this Ukraine event coming although Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney predicted such an event. Russia lined up 150,000 troops along their border with Ukraine and sent in another 15,000 troops into the Crimea region of the nation which is populated with many people of Russian descent. Putin claimed he was going in to protect those ethnic Russians. Funny, that is the same reason Adolph Hitler gave when he invaded Czechoslovakia and Romania. The White House called an emergency strategy meeting. They were all there except one person, our President. The next day he put in a round of golf and then headed a fundraiser. It was like Benghazi when four Americans were killed and he could not be found. The next day he flew to Las Vegas for a
fundraiser. I don’t think he understands or responds to pressure. Others would say he is frightened. The night our Seals went in to Pakistan to assassinate Osama Bin Laden, he played cards with a friend and two reporters until the deed was done. He couldn’t stand to watch it. What should he do now that Russia has thrown down? Europe is intimidated because Russia has a monopoly on supplying coal and natural gas to those nations. This is actually an opportunity for us. We can actually begin selling coal to Europe at a better price. We can also begin exporting natural gas since we have become so productive via the fracking process we have started. The problem is President Obama’s cronies, the environmental movement, will complain as they want to kill coal and stop fracking. We can’t stop as there is too much money to be made in trade and no proof of environmental danger. Nations like Russia, Brazil, China and India certainly aren’t caring about it as they use this energy like I-40 going east. Our energy is about national security and our economic future. This will also give our allies reason to stand strong and resist the evil
ways of Putin. Our president gave a knee jerk reaction by exclaiming he will not attend the next G8 Summit in protest of the invasion. He should have checked with our allies first. None of them are saying such and will probably attend. Thus, we are going to be the only member absent and will be seen as an outlier. We aren’t going to isolate Russia but isolate ourselves. He should take this back. One thing we should do is start building the missile shield system we promised Poland and Czechoslovakia. This is justified now that we know Russia is longing for the old Soviet Union days of invading its neighbors and exploiting its power through bullying. This is about having courage and strength. Think of a school yard. Bullies do not choose to fight those who are willing to fight if it is necessary. Only those who are timid, unprepared and without courage will suffer from the bullying. America, let’s be strong once again. Mr. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org. Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.
Cummings Exposes “Dead End’ Republican Politics By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist When Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, shares more information with conservative Fox News than with Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, that’s enough to make Cummings go ballistic. And that’s just what he did when Issa sought to forcibly silence him on March 5. The heated exchange took place shortly after Lois Lerner, a former IRS official, refused to testify before the committee, citing her 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Issa was on a crusade to prove that the White House was behind the IRS’ decision to target conservative organizations seeking tax exempt status. Cummings contended no proof existed for such a claim. Here’s a transcript provided by MediaMatters: CUMMINGS: For the past year, the central Republican accusation in this investigation [microphone cut] ISSA: We’re adjourned, close it down. CUMMINGS: — that this was political collusion directed by, or on behalf of, the White House. Before our committee received a www.chicagocrusader.com
single document or interviewed one witness, Chairman Issa went on national television and said, and I quote, “This was the targeting of the President’s political enemies effectively and lies about it during the election year.” End of quote. ISSA: Ask your question. CUMMINGS: If you will sit down, and allow me to ask the question, I am a member of the Congress of the United States of America. I am tired of this. We have members over here each who represent between them 700,000 people. You cannot just have a one-sided investigation. There is absolutely something wrong with that. That is absolutely un-American. ISSA: We had a hearing. Hearing’s adjourned. I gave you an opportunity to ask a question, you had no question. CUMMINGS: I do have a question. ISSA: I gave you time for [inaudible], you gave a speech. CUMMINGS: Chairman, what are you hiding? ISSA OFF-CAMERA: She’s taking the Fifth, Elijah. CUMMINGS: He continued this theme on Sunday, when he appeared on Fox News to discuss a Republican staff report, claiming that Miss Lerner was quote, at the center of this effort to, quote, target conservative groups. Although he provided a copy of his report to Fox. He refused my request to provide it
George E. Curry to the members of the committee. The facts are, he cannot support these claims [emphasis added]. We have now interviewed 38 employees, who have all told us the same thing. That the White House did not direct this [inaudible] or even know about it at the time it was occurring. And none of the witnesses have provided any political motivation. The Inspector General, Russell George, told us the same thing. He found no evidence of any White House involvement, or political motivation.” MediaMatters, the media watchdog group, cited e-mails that were even more damaging to Issa’s claim of White House interference. It observed, “The Fox News segment Rep. Cummings was refer-
ring to took place on March 2, where Rep. Issa presented a draft copy of a report written by House Republicans, as well as previously undisclosed emails from Lerner, which Issa claimed revealed ‘evidence’ of political targeting. “What was omitted during the Fox appearance was that the September 2010 emails reveal Lerner counseling her colleagues to be careful not to focus on political activity while examining 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations. Early in that email chain, which was obtained by Media Matters, Lerner wrote: “My object is not to look for political activity–more to see whether self-declared c4s are really acting like c4s. Then we’ll move on to c5, c6, c7 – it will fill up the work plan forever!” “Furthermore, the emails do not appear to be about reviewing organizations’ applications for tax exempt status, which is the process the IRS is accused of inappropriately conducting. Instead, the emails reference the ‘self declarer project,’ which attempts to review groups which self-declare as tax exempt but do not file an actual application, to ensure those groups are still following the rules. (The ‘SelfDeclarers Questionnaire’ which tracks these groups is entirely voluntary).” Early in the Obama administration, Republican strategists made no secret of their plan to use Con-
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
gressional hearings to harass Obama. And this was a perfect example of executing that strategy. According to Talking Points Memo, a reporter asked Issa afterward if he was still “confident” the investigation would “get to the bottom of this.” Issa replied, “It may well be we have gotten to the bottom of it. At this point, roads lead to Ms. Lerner. The witness who took the Fifth. That becomes – she becomes one of the key characters at this point. Had she been willing to explain those emails which were provided through separate subpoenas, then we could have perhaps brought this to a close. Without that, it may dead end with Ms. Lerner.” Dead end or not, Issa demonstrated how the Republican majority in the House can twist an institution to satisfy their political needs – even when the discrediting campaign ends up in a dead end. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Website, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter. com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook. Saturday, March 15, 2014
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COMMENTARY
THE SPIRIT OF OUR ANCESTORS SPEAKS TO US
Dr. Conrad Worrill, Director/Professor, Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (CCICS) located at 700 East Oakwood Blvd, Chicago, Illinois, 60653, 773-268-7500, Fax: 773-268-3835 E-mail: c-worrill@neiu.edu, Website: www.ccicschicago.org, Twitter: @CCICS_ Chicago.
Dr. Conrad Worrill African people throughout the world are uniformly under the yoke of white supremacy. This has created tremendous problems for us as a
people. There are solutions to these problems that we must be reminded of time and time again. These solutions have come from the wisdom of the ancestors and their deep thought. Our thinkers and activists of the nineteenth and twentieth-centuries have set forth many of the solutions to the problems and crisis of African people. From time to time, movements have unfolded that have picked up on the ideas of these thinkers and activists. When this has occurred serious challenges to breaking the yoke of white supremacy seemed within reach. However, due to internal and external manipulations of these movements they became short lived. For example, one of the most successful of these movements was the Garvey Movement of the 1920s. As African people in the twentyfirst-century, it is imperative that we collectively join and participate in the Reparations Movement as we seek to dismantle white supremacy. Let us briefly examine some of the ideas our leaders presented in the nineteenth and early twentieth-centuries that should be the foundation for establishing the framework for the growing Reparations Movement
at this critical juncture in the history of African people. Jean Jacques Dessalines, one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth-centuries said, “Never again shall a colonist, or European, set his foot upon this territory with the title of master or proprietor. This resolution shall henceforward form the basis of our constitution.” Henry Highland Garnet, a minnineteenth-century Black Nationalist thinker and organizer explained, in the following statement that African people need “… a grand center of Negro nationality, from which shall flow the streams of commercial, intellectual, and political power which shall make colored people respected everywhere.” Martin Robeson Delany, Harvard trained physician of the mid-nineteenth-century and leading Black Nationalist espoused, “We must act for ourselves—We are a nation within a nation; as the Poles in Russia, the Hungarians in Austria, the Welsh, Irish, and Scotch in the British dominions. But we have been, by our oppressor, despoiled of our purity, and corrupted in our native characteristics, so that we have inherited their vices and but few of
their virtues, leaving us really a broken people.” Edward Wilmot Blyden, a leading educator and Pan Africanist of the mid and late nineteenth-centuries said, “We need some African power, some great center of the race where our physical, pecuniary, and intellectual strength may be collected. We need some spot where such an influence may go forth in behalf of the race as shall be felt by the nations. We are now so scattered and divided that we can do nothing… So long as we remain thus divided, we may expect imposition… An African nationality is our great need… We must build up Negro States; we must establish and maintain the various institutions.” One of the greatest Pan Africanist and Black Nationalist leaders of the twentieth-century, Marcus Mosiah Garvey succinctly states, “Africa for the Africans at home and abroad.” Another great Black Nationalist leader of the twentieth-century, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad challenged that “we must do for self.” Professor Joseph Harris in commenting on the work of William Leo Hansberry, one of our leading authorities on African History in
the twentieth-century said, “Hansberry realized that the African students not only had to contend with life in this racist country, but that they also had the obligation to return to their countries with both the skills acquired at Howard and an Afrocentric perspective of their heritage.” And finally, the editorial commentary in the Afrocentric World Review, Vol. I, No. I, Winter 1973, explained, “In this crucial world wide scramble for Africa, African minds and African bodies, we must proclaim in our own right African interest first… Blacks must cease becoming a vest pocket people for other national interests and world pursuits, and hasten to revive the age old traditional quest for a World African Center that will make us once again masters in our own house.” In this spirit, let us listen to the wisdom of our ancestors as we continue to forge ahead in strengthening our Black Liberation and Reparations Movements. Our challenge is to study our history, listen to the wisdom of our ancestors, and take appropriate action. Long live the Spirit and Wisdom of our Ancestors!
BLACK WOMEN’S HISTORY IS WOMEN’S HISTORY TOO By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist Since March is Women’s History month, who are the women you are celebrating? Do you know about Elizabeth Keckley? Maggie Lena Walker, Sarann Knight Preddy, Gertrude Pocte Geddes-Willis, Trish Millines Dziko, Addie L Wyatt or Marie-Therese Metoyer? What about Ernesta Procope, Dr. Sadie Alexander, or Dr. Phyllis Wallace? What about Bettiann Gardner, Lillian Lambert, or Emma Chappell? What about Ellen Holly, Mary Alice, or Edmonia Lewis? If we knew anything about these women, it might cause all of us, African American men and women, to walk a bit more lightly, hold our heads a bit higher, and revel in the accomplishments of our foremothers and fathers. Ancestors. History belongs to she who holds the pen, she who will speak up, speak out and tell the whole story. If the names of the sisters above aren’t as well known as others, like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner TRUTH, and Mary McLeod Bethune, it is because no one has chosen to tell those stories. There are a thousands of unsung heroines for every one we lift up and know, 6
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women who have made phenomenal contributions to the arts, literature, money, finance, and economic development. Why write this now? African American history month is usually about notable Black men; women’s history month (March) is about notable and mostly white women. A booked edited by Gloria T, Hull, Patricia Bell Scott and Barbara Smith is titled, “All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, Some of Us Are Brave: Black Women’s Studies.” As the title suggests, some of us are brave – and our young girls should know that. What difference would it make to our daughter and nieces if they knew about Septima Clark or Claudette Colvin? Had they read Lucille Clifton’s poetry, would they find it easier to breathe life into their words? It pains me to watch Black Women’s History so swallowed that we are almost invisible. The most benign interpretation of this phenomenon is that those who lift history up are too myopic to consider African American women. Is there a sinister interpretation? Is it that both racism and patriarchy combine to swallow Black women’s history? International Women’s Day is
Dr. Julianne Malveaux March 8. Annually, the United Nations sets a theme for the commemoration. This year, ‘Equality for Women is Progress for All’ is the theme. According to the United Nations, countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better. Peace agreements that include women are more durable. Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social is-
sues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support. The evidence is clear: equality for women “means progress for all.” We can’t make progress if we bury our history. We can’t put Melody Hobson in context if we don’t understand Maggie Lena Walker. WE can’t celebrate women’s history unless we celebrate Black women’s history, because Black women’s history is women’s history too, and because both the African American community and the world community cannot progress if any segment of that community is sidelined. THE place African American women hold in our history celebrations is quite similar to the space we occupy in contemporary life. We can get tens of thousands or more folks to turn out (as they should) in response to the massacres of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, but the killing of unarmed Renisha McBride has caused much less of an outcry. Theodore Wafer, the white man (yes, race matters) who shot young Renisha, will be tried for second-degree murder in June. Will we remember this effrontery in the same way that we remember our Black history hero-
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
ines? Will we be their chanting and demanding justice as we have for Trayvon and Jordan? The sidelining of Black women is one of the reasons that the late C. Delores Tucker worked tirelessly for more than a decade to ensure that a bust of Sojourner Truth be placed in our nation’s Capitol building. And why not? Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are there. But it took a fight and a victory C. Delores, a lifelong leader and a founder of the National Congress of Black Women, did not live to see. Who was Hon. C. Delores Tucker? That’s another Black women’s history moment that will be swallowed unless we lift it up. C. Delores is an example of utter tenacity, and a passionate belief in recognition of Black women. If we celebrate women’s history month, we must celebrate Black women. If you know nothing about the women I’ve mentioned, Google them, or check my website, www.juliannemalveaux.com for more information on them. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women. www.chicagocrusader.com
GOSSIPTARY
By Ima Gontellit EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is published as political satire, street gossip and humor, and therefore should not be considered as fact but rather as matter of opinion. None of the items therein are collected by the news gathering staff of the Crusader Newspaper Group. Items forwarded to The Chatterbox are kept confidential unless otherwise requested by the author in writing. For submissions please forward to: AChicagoCrusader@aol.com. Original photography and artwork are permitted. Thank you for reading!
Dorothy Brown
VOTE FOR ME If ’n on Tues., March 18 you gets a ballot with the name Ima Gontellit for Queen of De Universe you might wants to discard dat one and gets another. Go’ on out an vote yahll. Dr. King got a bullet for yo’ freedom to do so. -ImaTHE HOLY STROLL People standing on the sidewalk thought Jesus was hanging out in a downtown building because a flock of hungry-looking Negro preachers ran up in a building at a strange time of night. It turns out that jack-legs were rushing up in the place to meet with the people in charge of the money for Re-
Bruce Rauner publican candidate Bruce Rauner and the tiny Emperor who dictates from the 5th Floor of City Hall. An inside snitch say them preachers was yassa bossin’ and wipin’ sweat from their foreheads as each of them slowly reached for a small jar of vaseline to smear on their hind parts. A few of them also grabbed a few tubes of red lipstick and smeared it on their lips as they grinned and secretly counted all of the coins and pennies they will collect over the next few months for turning on Pat www.chicagocrusader.com
STRIPPERS VOTE TOO
“Bald Eagle” Quinn and delivering the colored vote in November. At least one preacher thought he heard a voice and therefore he got scared and started confessin’ what could be a sin to a few of his close political friends. The political friends who don’t care nothing ‘bout heaven nor hell tol’ everbody else that this Negro preacher
Pat Quinn meeting had gone down. If you be wondering who was in de room, you won’t have to wonder long. These (mostly) men of Gawd will show themselves real soon. The plot seems to be dat dey will attack the Bald Eagle on de lack of Negro faces in his campaign and de lack of “real money” being “put in the streets” to create jobs, get rid of crime, end teen pregnancy, stop foreclosures, create grocery stores, and whatever else they can think of that he didn’t do. While most of dem will raise those questions, a select few has been given de assignment of questioning why Black Crook County keeps “voting for the Democratic Party” when it “don’t do nothin’ for us...” and “so we should sit dis one out.” Sitting out a vote in an important race for governor is actually a vote. Since all 50 states is under what they call “state’s rights,” people had better not get tricked into working against their own self interests. Some of these preachers are said to have been involved in paying crackheads to help shut down some Black schools. We don’t know who on earth dat can be since a whole lot of ministers kept they big mouths shut tight as de tiny Emperor rode through de town destroying any school named for a Negro hero or shero. Instead of singing “Bringing in the Sheaves,” on Sunday, the choir ought to burst into “There’s some hoes in this house!” during 11 o’clock service.
West Side alderman Jason Ervin must be hitting himself upside de head. After selling out his constituents and acting all brand new as a placeholder for former Alderman Ed Smith, Ervin is now the center of bad news. Apparently, he had some T&A all up in his face during some sort of freaknik (or bachelor party) in a dark room of a place where he has his ward office. Now apparently other than bad judgment, the council member ain’t done nothing illegal—if he wants some woman’s nasty,
-Ima1st DISTRICT MESS
after all. “Those Guys” fired a big warning shot at her last week when they told the Cloudy Times to print her husband’s name as part of a story about a jacked up state program. The rag claimed the clerk’s good-looking husband got over $140,000 from the program—a claim he denies. This anti-violence thing is now under federal watch and about five Negros involved are said to be singing like birds on de vine. -Ima-
sweaty butt all up in his face, that’s on him. But invesitgators are now going through his financial transactions to make sure he wasn’t making it rain with taxpayer dollars. His critics say “that what he get,” because he’s “do whatever de mayor tell him to do,” and “he ain’t (cuss word starts with a “s’). He is the second Negro alderman who has come under scrutiny lately for ties to some sort of unethical or shady behavior—but the question is why?
Jason Ervin
Bobby “whispering real loud” Rush had better watch his back. There’s people out there continuing to plot against him in order to steal the congressional seat he took from Charlie Hayes. They don’t care how clever Rush seems to be and how he always seems to be one step ahead of everyone and anyone trying to do him harm (Remember Dec. 5, 1969—the day the po-leece kicked in his door in order to do to him what (Continued on page 13)
-ImaTROUBLE ALWAYS Looks lak Clerk Dorothy Brown may not be running for de mayor BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: The Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade is held every year on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, unless the Irish holiday actually falls on a Saturday. The Chicago River is dyed green at 10 AM, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Chicago kicks off at noon. Thousands of people attend the event each year, so make sure to get a good spot. What to Expect: Large crowds are par for the course at this annual Chicago event. Thousands flock to the Loop area to watch the Chicago River turn green, and to see the St. Patrick’s Day Chicago Parade. Get Your Green On: Make sure that the luck of the Irish is with you at the Chicago Parade St. Patrick’s Day by wearing as much green as you can. And don’t forget to enjoy the green beer that is served at almost all the downtown Chicago bars. FamilyFriendly Event: The St. Patrick’s Day Parade Chicago is a funfilled day for kids and adults. Kids especially will enjoy watching the Chicago River dyed green, and the colorful array of floats in the parade. Inside Knowledge: With so many people traveling to Chicago to see the St. Patrick’s Day Chicago Parade, parking is limited. Those who are lucky enough to find a spot can expect to pay a premium price for it. So in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, go green! Take public transport to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Chicago instead. There are a number of ways to get there, including via the Red and Blue Lines to Loop stops, and the Brown, Green, or Orange lines to any of the Wabash stops. The Chicago Metra, and Chicago buses also provide transportation on Chicago St. Patrick’s Day. Event Hints: Here are a couple of hints to help you enjoy St. Patrick’s Day Chicago. Dress Appropriately: March in Chicago is not the warmest month, and the Chicago Parade St. Patrick’s Day will go on whether it’s snowing, raining, or sunny. Make sure to bring a coat and an umbrella just in case. Bring a Snack: The entire St. Patrick’s Day Parade Chicago is about 3 hours in length, so make sure to bring some provisions with you. While food is available at the event, you won’t want to lose your spot when you have to go and grab a bite to eat. WARM UP AT NAVY PIER THIS WINTER! The hottest place this winter for fun, flowers, entertainment, excitement, a celebration of cultures and so much more will take place right here at Navy Pier! See what’s happening over the next 8
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few months and be sure to mark your calendars so you can take part in the season’s coolest activities! The 2014 Chicago Flower and Garden Show will herald the return of spring March 15 – 23. An incredible array of inspiring florals and garden designs are the headliners at this popular Midwest event. From activities for kids, how-to instruction for adults and a marketplace filled with garden tools and must-haves, the Chicago Flower & Garden Show offers realistic tips that every shade of green thumb can learn from, take home and use. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.chicagoflower.com. ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & EDUCATION CENTER HOSTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDS DINNER: Join the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in honoring three extraordinary Chicagoans at its annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner on Thursday, March 20, 5:30 PM, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Drive. The dinner, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Henry Kissinger, U.S. Secretary of State (1973-1977) and Nobel Peace Laureate, will recognize John A. Canning, Jr., co-founder and chairman of Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC; Thomas S. Ricketts, chairman of Incapital, LLC and the Chicago Cubs; and Richard S. Hirschhaut, founding executive director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, for their lifelong achievements, philanthropic efforts and commitment to advancing the Museum’s mission, through which they have helped to transform the future of countless individuals. Tickets are $400 (individual); $5,000 (table of 10).Tickets can be purchased by calling 847967-4852 or by emailing dinner@ilhmec.org. To learn more, please visit www.humanitarianawardsdinner.org. SHEDD AQUARIUM: Spring into action and dive head-first into a visit to Shedd Aquarium! Don’t miss an opportunity to visit the mesmerizing exhibit Jellies, and feel the wonder of these mysterious creatures. Shedd’s popular Stingray Touch exhibit will reopen after the long winter, offering a chance to interact with stingrays and touch their silky-smooth backs. Craving something really wild? Head over to Shedd’s Wild Reef exhibit or take a behind-the-scenes tour and let your mind drift to the Philippines. The aquarium’s four resident dogs also make appearances in the latest aquatic show, One World, showcasing positive reinforcement training with Shedd’s animals – big and small! SPRING BREAK CAMP Make a splash this Spring Break!
ED MCELROY, host of “Community in Focus” TV show, recently interviewed Dorothy R. Leavell, Publisher of Crusader Newspaper and Sister Mary Paul McCaughey, OP, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago. The show aired on Friday, March 14th and again on Sunday, March 16th at 12 noon on Senior Network Can TV, Channel 19. McElroy is Past National Commander of the Catholic War Veterans, USA. Pictured from the left are Sister McCaughey, Ed McElroy and Dorothy R. Leavell. Shedd Aquarium is offering a weeklong Spring Break Camp, which takes educational explorers between the ages of 8 and 10 years old behind the scenes of the world’s aquarium. During this learning program, participating youth will explore the ins and outs of Shedd, getting up close and personal with different species to learn how Shedd cares for 32,000 animals and the environment. In addition, campers will travel off-site to local habitats to experience what it’s like to be a scien-
tist working in the field. Space is limited. Registration for Spring Break Camp is required and available online. The dates are March 24-28 or March 31- April 4, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM. The cost: $325/child or $295/members. Also check out JELLIES, which is ONGOING. This mysterious and wondrous exhibit, sponsored by Walgreens, offers a unique chance to see how these elegant creatures have thrived for millions of years. At Shedd’s special ex-
hibit Jellies, guests will also have the chance to learn about ocean conservation and jellies impact on our waters. Guests will even have the opportunity to observe their eating habits. Did you know that jellies consume enough food to double their body mass each day? Guests can also learn about topics such as survival and witness these creatures hunt by using their long tentacles and stinging cells. Jellies is open daily. Admission is included with Total Experience Pass.
Extended Coverage say “Get out!”
The trouble with carbon monoxide is that it doesn’t smell and you can’t see it when it’s around you. And what you don’t see or smell could kill you. Even survivors often suffer brain damage. *** When CO gets into the body, it attaches to the hemoglobin in blood, replacing oxygen. People with lung or circulatory problems are especially at risk. CO can kill in minutes.
Milton E. Moses
*** Your protection is our concern. We’re here to insure you at Community Insurance Center, Inc., 526 E. 87th Street, your insurance headquarters. We have been serving the community since 1962. For more information about the services we provide, call (773) 651-6200. You can also reach us via email at: sales@communityinsurance.com or visit the website at www.communityins.com.
*** Basic facts: fuel-burning appliances in the home—gas—and wood-burning stoves, for instance—must be vented and the vents checked; don’t run a car engine in the garage or carport; follow directions on kerosene and other portable heaters. *** Keep charcoal grills away from open windows or doors where vapors can blow into the house or RV or even a boat cabin. *** Smartest protection is a quality carbon monoxide alarm (a smoke detector won’t spot it). There are visual or audible alarms, even some that identify the danger and BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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BUSINESS
Public Policy Initiatives Can Close the Nation’s Wealth Gap By Charlene Crowell Report finds policy responses tied to building financial assets Today, middle class households feel the same financial stress that low-and-moderate income families have borne for years, says new research by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), a national nonprofit organization working to alleviate poverty and create economic opportunity. In its report, Treading Water in the Deep End, CFED analyzes the financial security of American households and public policy responses to the financial crisis. “As millions of Americans struggle to save for emergencies, investing in their futures is increasingly out of reach,” states the report. Liquid asset poverty is defined in the report as a household budget that is so tight that any unforeseen expenditure such as a car repair or medical expense cannot be managed without incurring debt. The financial insecurity of America’s liquid asset poor is CFED’s focus of findings. The report found that the majority of the nation’s liquid asset poor are employed (89 percent), white (59
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percent) and have at least some college education (48 percent). Even among middle-income households – those earning $56,113-$91,356 – 25 percent of these consumers do not have enough savings to cover living expenses for three months. Further, the majority of consumers in 37 states and the District of Columbia do not have credit scores high enough to eligible for the lowest available lending rates for shortterm credit. In Mississippi, over 69 percent of consumers have subprime credit scores – the worst in the nation. The highest levels of liquid asset poverty are concentrated in nine Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. In Alabama, over 62 percent – almost two out of three consumers – do not have a personal financial safety net. Nevada is the only state outside of the Deep South with one of the ten worst rankings for liquid asset poverty. As CFED analyzed state and local policy responses in the wake of the nation’s financial crisis and recession, it created a policy scorecard that measured state responses to 67 policy areas. State and local concerns with growing economic inequality
Charlene Crowell launched programs to raise the minimum wage, encourage long-term college savings plans and courted unbanked consumers to become a part of the financial mainstream. For lifting 9.4 million people out of poverty in 2011, the report praised the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In addition to this federal program, 25 states and the District of Columbia enacted their own versions of EITC that ranged from 3.5 percent to as high as 40 percent of the federal credit.
“For the first time, these rankings allow us to draw a line in many states between the strength of policies and outcomes for family economic security,” states the report. The data shows that policies aimed at decreasing poverty and creating more opportunities for low-income families can make a real difference.” Even with these public initiatives, growing costs of higher education continue to lead to even high levels of student debt. According to the report, the average student debt for college graduates grew from $27,150 in 2011 to $29,400 in 2012. Additionally, both employer-sponsored retirement plans and homeownership levels respectively dropped a percentage point from 2010 to 2012. Nationwide in 2012, retirement plans slipped to 44 percent. For consumers of color, CFED’s report reads much like the familiar financial refrain of earlier research: • Two out of three households of color are liquid asset poor, lacking a financial cushion to respond to financial emergencies; • Only 42 percent of consumers of color were homeowners; while white homeownership now stands at 72 percent; and • The median net worth for con-
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
sumers of color amounted to $12,377 – only one-tenth of the median net worth of white consumers – $110,637. The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) advocates that homeownership remains the best investment vehicle to help low-wealth families to build wealth and grow into the middle class. Research by the University of North Carolina Center for Capital found that families who received responsible, lowdown payment mortgages are successfully repaying their loans and amassed an average $21,000 in home equity even during the financial crisis. “Without improved policies at all levels of government that help families earn more, save more, and build more assets, the yawning income and wealth inequality gap in the United States will widen, rather than narrow,” CFED concluded. “Inaction consigns millions to persistent financial insecurity, diminishing their economic future and the future of the nation as a whole.” Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.
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EDUCATION
Disney Dreamers Academy and Steve Harvey help youth By Elaine Hegwood Bowen One needed to look no further than Orlando, Florida, at the recent Disney Dreamers Academy (DDA) 2014 to see youth in action to give a sense of hope for the future. The four-day event held at the self-contained city that I call Walt Disney World (WDW) is in its 7th year and sponsored by Disney, talk show host and comedian Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine. Role models came from all over the country to help sprinkle a bit of “pixie dust” into the lives of
100 youth from 27 states, and even Mickey Mouse—in the land of dreams—would have to marvel at the brilliance of it all. Dreamers submitted an essay in order to be chosen from 10,000 applicants who wanted to participate in this life-changing event that works with teens to help them achieve their dreams. Among the events over the March 6-9 weekend were an official DDA welcome ceremony that featured DDA Executive Champion Tracey Powell; ESSENCE Communications President Michelle Ebanks; motivational speaker Lisa
ACTOR LAMMAN RUCKER and Crusader reporter Elaine Hegwood Bowen pose for a photo after Rucker had offered advice to teens at the 2014 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine.
Nichols; Gospel great Yolanda Adams and Harvey, who welcomed the teens, media and family members as well as Disney officials. “You can talk education and drum it in their heads, but you can lose that battle,” Harvey said, while explaining his passion for youth and the reason he continues to sponsor this event. “But the dream is permanent in a young person’s mind.”
Harvey, in his signature way, broke it down for the students and their parents. “Do you really get it? Out of 10,000 applicants, how were you chosen? You need to understand what happened. God has a plan for your life, and there is something He wants you to see. If you don’t believe in God, something is wrong with you, anyway,” he said. “There is a lot of money put into this. I like money. Poverty can’t buy you a damn
thing. I have done the poverty thing. Disney cares about the community. You are special, and God cares about you.” Powell added: “Dream big. You have unprecedented access to the magic behind the magic. Create memories that will last a lifetime.” She was on the selection panel and said that “we saw a leader and dreamer in you, and we want to pour into you this weekend.” (Continued on page 17)
MINNIE MOUSE, Brittany Joshua, Carlos Marmolejo, Steve Harvey, Anthony Davis, Marquise Black and Mickey Mouse pose for photo.
John FOTOPOULOS for Cook County Judge 15th Subcircuit
John brings: • Trial Experience • Excellent demeanor • Legal knowledge The Chicago Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee: “John Spyros Fotopoulos is QUALIFIED for the office of the Circuit Court Judge. Mr. Fotopoulos was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 2000 and is engaged in private practice concentrating in criminal defense, personal injury, and workers compensation. Mr. Fotopoulos has considerable trial practice and has tried a number of difficult cases. Mr. Fotopoulos has an excellent demeanor and possesses the requisite knowledge and ability to serve as a Circuit Court Judge. 10
Saturday, March 15, 2014
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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COMMUNITY
MWRD honors “Living Legends” Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Vice President Barbara McGowan, her fellow commissioners and staff celebrated African American History Month during a special event held in the MWRD Board Room Feb. 20. Vice President McGowan presented “Living Legend” awards to Timuel Black, educator, activist and historian; Herb Kent, “The Cool Gent;” Robin Robinson, Fox News Chicago 32-WFLD
TV; John W. Rogers, Jr., Founder, Ariel Capital Management; Mac Alexander, owner, MacArthur’s Restaurant; and Melody SpannCooper, President, WVON Radio. Blues artist Jimmy Pryor provided musical entertainment. “It is important that we celebrate African American history so that people of all races can recognize our roots and the flowers that have bloomed despite adversity,” said Vice President McGowan. Below are scenes from the event.
COMMISSIONER KARI STEELE, David St. Pierre, Senator Braun, Vice President Commissioner McGowan, President Meany and Commissioner Shore.
COMMISSIONER AND Judge Drella Savage.
HERB KENT, Linda Cohran, David St. Pierre and Senator Braun. ROBIN ROBINSON AND Vice President Commissioner McGowan.
BEVERLY SANDERS, Timuel Black and Paul Collins. www.chicagocrusader.com
SENATOR BRAUN, John Rogers, Robin Robinson, Commissioner McGowan and Melody Spann-Cooper. BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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ENTERTAINMENT
By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ
What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Red Bull Music Academy recently released the full-length feature film “What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music.” Directed by award-winning director Ralf Schmerberg and shot at the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York, the film is available worldwide on digital release on redbullmusicacademy.com. “What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music” explores the challenges that a life in music can bring. Through arresting and original images orchestrated in a rhythmic and musical way, the film seeks to go beyond music and ask questions about life itself. Artists featured in the film include Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Giorgio Moroder, Erykah Badu, Nile Rodgers, Rakim, Skream, Q-Tip, Bernie Worrell, Egyptian Lover, Ken Scott, Thundercat, Richie Hawtin, James Murphy, Debbie Harry and Stephen O’ Malley and many others. Every one of these artists has been heavily influential in shaping the face of music today, and all of these artists have lectured or been studio tutors at the Red Bull Music Academy. “What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music” evokes the heady atmosphere of the Red Bull Music Academy, a place where fresh musical ideas tend to spark between artists representing different genres and generations. In a different city each year, 60 up-and-coming musicians from around the world participate in workshops with musical luminaries in a custom-fitted com-
ERYKAH BADU ACCEPTS audience members praise of her music in the documentary. plex of studios and workspaces. By The documentary discussed the into a particular club, even if the DJ night, they perform in the city’s cult disco era and how at one time in lacked talent. venues and concert halls, alongside New York it was better to have a Record producer Giorgio Mocontemporary and classic innova- good looking DJ to bring customers roder also talked about being open, tors, as well as heroes and heroines of the local scene. Long after the last notes are played, the experiences and insights gained there tend to resonate deeply in the lives and practices of those who take part. This film was interesting in that you were exposed to an intimate look at the music industry with veterans who have been around for a while and some newcomers—but they all shared about their love of music, the struggle of getting their projects off the ground, as well as how they handled fame when it finally came. Q-Tip said that if you are vulnerable, then the music that you make will bring out the truth. He talked about the fact that it is OK to share your innermost feelings in order to create a good outcome.
saying that one’s passion should come out in music and that a musician should follow his or her heart and share what’s inside. He is credited with being influential in synth disco and the electronic dance move- ment. Others, among them Badu, held court with audience members who revealed their appreciation for the artist’s music. “What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music” is a great primer into the music industry and gives the viewer a good look into what makes musicians tick and also gives the viewer insights into many musicians and their appreciation for their audience and for the concert experience. Look for “What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music” at redbullmusicacademy. com.
RAKIM IS ONE of the artists featured in the documentary “What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music.” 12
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BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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NEWS
County Commissioner owns Judy’s Grill at Walmart and Policy, he managed several construction projects and led the planning and development process on initiatives that he said were vital to the success of the county’s Capital Improvement Program. He also served as a director with the Illinois Department of Transportation where he worked to ensure that diversity guidelines were implemented in all of IDOT’s projects, programs and
(Continued from page 12) elected official owning a business in their district. (By doing so) it shows that they’re putting their money where their mouth is,” Brookins said. Customers at the restaurant Friday said they did not know Moore was the owner “and quite frankly I don’t care either. I eat here because the food is good,” said Andre Hamilton, 42. “I wish this place was at all the Wal-Marts and not just here.” Moore said he has a 20-year lease with Wal-Mart and would love to expand the restaurant to other stores but “right now I am putting all my energy into my office and the constituents I represent.” In April 2013, Moore was sworn into office to replace former Democratic commissioner William Beavers, who is serving a six-month prison sentence for income tax invasion. And Moore said his prior experience makes his appointment to the Cook County Board of Commis-
(Continued from page 7) they done to Chairman Fred). These folks are out here throwing around two names—one who is in City Council and the other who is in the state capital. They say if Rush “don’t move out de way,” or worse, then the powers that be (meaning the white man) are going to move him out of the way. These same people are said to be confused as to why the stories they keep planting on him about some AT&T $1 million deal has failed to take root the five to ten times they keep putting it out there. Hell! Don’t nobody care. We glad when our politicians get out on companies lak dat that be charging us $50 per minute just to talk to Pookie in the County Jail. If Rush got a $1 million off of them for some community project, we don’t care. He should have gotten $10 million. And why he’s getting, can he get People’s Gas, ComEd and the Pawn Shop on Ashland dat won’t give Manny back his wooden leg. -ImaHEADED ABROAD Forget it ladies if you lookin’ for that hairy A-rab dude from the gas station in Woodlawn that got yahll pregnant. He gone—back to de Middle East where he come from. No child support for you too. Try to pin the babies on that cute lightskinned dude with the curly hair that hang out in Daley’s. You should have kept yo’ legs closed. Swisher Sweets ain’t but .50 a piece. -ImaMAYOR HUNT Prolly no truth to de new whisper that state senator Kwame Raoul is being talked at to run for mayor. www.chicagocrusader.com
contractual services. Additionally, Moore spent considerable time working for several community-based organizations. While serving as assistant area development director of the United Negro College Fund Inc., he organized special events, fundraising and expanded the alumni network of the organization. He also worked at the Henry Booth House as the director of de-
velopment, where he was able to impact the community by ensuring the continuation of essential social services in targeted areas of Chicago. The entrepreneur earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Illinois University and lives on the South Side in the Washington Heights neighborhood with his wife Lisa and daughters Alexis and Tyler.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Com. Stanley Moore sioners well deserving. Moore began his career as the Legislative Budget Analyst for retired Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. He also developed management experience as an executive in government that included the oversight of major construction, transportation, and urban planning initiatives. As a project director with the Cook County Office of Capital Planning
Deese people say de Attorney General job he be cravin’ is a “dead end job” and “he ain’t gone be no governor.” Deese same idiots who think a state attorney general’s job is meaningless say Raoul will “appeal to whites who hate de current mayor” because when he’s around them he talks with a real nasal tone and “he got black skin” so the Negroes and Hispanics will vote for him because when he’s around them he tries to put some pimp in his step, though he still talks with a highly nasal tone. Raoul has not indicated any desire to lead one of the most powerful cities in the world, but we hear he did glance toward Danny K. Davis’
(Continued from page 4) corruption that old saw described. But people once believed their votes counted which was why vote often, vote early carried the day. Now the local pundits are spending this week declaring there will be poor turnout for the primary election that is currently going on. If that is true, it would be more than a shame. It would be a crime. Why would so many of us allow so few to determine who is on the ballot in the general election come November 4? As a concerned citizen of Chicago, I feel it is not only my right but my duty to vote, not only in the general election but in the primary as well. Voting in the primary is my opportunity to determine which candidate is on the ballot in November and what referendums I would like to see to change government. I often hear people wonder why there is not a different candidate on the November ballot. They complain that the corrupt or incompetent incumbent who you only see at election
time is never working. They want to know why no one runs against the incumbent. If these same people understood or cared about the incumbent, they would vote in the primary and possibly unseat that ineffective official. They would make voting in the primary a priority. Why would that unproductive incumbent do better if he knows he’s going to win in the primary because of disinterest? The challenger, the person who might just unseat that wasteful politician is on the primary ballot. If you don’t vote, a better candidate has lost before he ever had a chance to win. As a Black person in America, I recognize that some of the most important people on the ballot are judges. Young Black people, especially males, are disproportionally part of the criminal justice system for both misdemeanors and felonies. Yet because we routinely disregard voting in the primary, we miss the opportunity of removing less than fair judges from the bench. We often wonder why there are often such blatant miscarriages of
justice when part of the real problem is that we fail to look at the records of judges and vote accordingly. It’s easy to complain. It’s easy to sign a petition. It’s easy to join a rally. You can complain every day, sign every petition and join every rally. But sound without action is noise. We’ve made plenty of noise over the years. Don’t you think it’s time to turn that noise into action? Then vote. If you don’t, then don’t complain about the useless incumbent on the ballot again in November. The fault of that is no one’s but your own. Early voting is taking place in 50 locations in the city and 42 locations in suburban Cook County from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, March 15. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, March 18. If you have any questions, contact the Board of Elections at 312269-7900 or visit the website at www.chicagoelections.com. Karen Ford is a writer, and community activist.
Kwame Raoul office with dreams of going to Washington. Now dat he realize our politicians stay in those good paying government jobs until they croak or go to jail, Raoul may allow his fans to stroke his sometimes inflated ego and might allow some sort of exploratory committee to take place. (That is until he read this item and goes running to the fifth floor to promise not to stand up for his own people—like (names withheld) did.) BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Lyric Opera of Chicago presents ‘The Family Barber’ March 22 Lyric Opera of Chicago will present “The Family Barber,” a special performance for youngsters ages 510 and their families, on Saturday, March 22, at 2:00 p.m. at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive. “The Family Barber” combines the familiar music and characters of Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera “The Barber of Seville” with a newly written libretto that shows behind-the-scenes opera basics in a fun way. The onstage action is fully staged, performed entirely in English with English-language surtitles. Snacks will also be available for purchase and can be enjoyed in the theater during the performance! In this kid-friendly introduction to the joys of opera, José Antonio Garcia plays an inexperienced opera director who is trying to put on “The Barber of Seville.” His sidekick, Tutti, played by Alex Goodrich, is desperate to sing and unwittingly helps the director navigate his way through all that goes
and Chorus conducted by Emanuele Andrizzi. The chorus master is Michael Black. Bridges, Irvin, and Liverman are all current members of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. Elise Sandell directs “The Family
Will Liverman (Figaro) Photo/Devon Cass into staging an opera. The singing cast includes mezzosoprano J’nai Bridges as the beautiful heroine Rosina, tenor John Irvin as Count Almaviva, baritone Will Liverman as the ultimate fixer Figaro, baritone Philip Kraus as the buffoonish Dr. Bartolo, along with the Lyric Opera Orchestra
J’nai Bridges (Rosina)
John Irvin (Count Almaviva) Barber” and the sets and costumes are from Lyric’s mainstage production that ended its run February 28. Written by David Kersnar of Lookingglass Theatre Company and Jacqueline Russell of the Chicago Children’s Theatre who created the sold-out “Popcorn &
Pasquale” in the 2012-13 season, “The Family Barber” is a project of Lyric Unlimited, a program of expanded community engagement that includes Lyric’s education programs. “This will be a first-time introduction to the world of opera for many of our youngest audience members so we want to make it as accessible and enjoyable as possible,” said Cayenne Harris, director of Lyric Unlimited. “Therefore, the entire show, including the singing, will be in English. We’re also projecting the stage action onto screens above the stage, which means there will be terrific viewing for everyone whether they are sitting in the balcony or on the main floor.” The running time for “The Family Barber” is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission. Tickets for youngsters are $10, $15, and $20. For adults (18+) the prices are $20, $30, and $40. Call 312-827-5600 or visit lyricopera.org/familybarber for tickets.
THE MOREHOUSE COLLEGE GLEE CLUB will appear in concert Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. in The Harris Theater at Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph Drive. The Glee Club last performed in Chicago in 2012. Currently on its Spring concert tour that takes the ensemble to venues across the country, the Glee Club, recognized globally for its performance of the classics and stirring and soulful spirituals, is conducted by Dr. David E. Morrow, only the third conductor to lead the famed Glee Club during its 103-year history. Tickets start at $25 and may be purchased online at harristheaterchicago.org or by calling The Harris Theater Box Office at 312-334-7777 or Zebulon McLaurin at 847-274-7150.
Chicago Opera Theater re-schedules Duke Ellington’s ‘Queenie Pie’ Performances of Chicago Opera Theater’s “Queenie Pie” have been re-scheduled due to an electrical fire that damaged a portion of the Harris Theater’s operational and mechanical equipment in the late afternoon of February 19, 2014. The Chicago Opera Theater Box Office is contacting ticketholders with re-scheduling options. The new performance dates and times for “Queenie Pie” are:
lyrics with the musical styles of opera, jazz and musical theater, “Queenie Pie” is conducted by Chicago Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Jeff Lindberg, with direction and choreography by Ken Roht. Originally commissioned by New York PBS affiliate WNET as a television piece for Lena Horne and featuring a libretto by Betty McGettigan, “Queenie Pie” was unfinished at the time of Ellington’s death in 1974. Chicago Opera Theater’s production incorporates additional songs from Ellington’s canon to complete the score and features a new adaptation of the libretto by Ken Roht as well as new orchestrations by Jeff Lindberg. Tickets are priced from $35 -
TO GOD BE THE GLORY, a concert featuring tenor Jeffrey Burish (center) and bass Leon Washington (right) on Sunday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m. at Chatham Fields Lutheran Church, 8050 South St. Lawrence, will include a special tribute to Pilgrim Baptist Church, Mahalia Jackson, and the ‘Father of gospel music,’ Thomas A. Dorsey. Making a special appearance is the Chatham Choral Ensemble directed by founder/conductor Charles T. Hayes (shown at left).
• Wednesday, March 19, 7:30 p.m. • Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. • Sunday, March 23, 3:00 p.m.
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Featuring a rousing musical score that blends Ellington’s signature big band sound and clever
$125 and may be purchased by calling the Chicago Opera Theater at 312-704-8414 or the Harris Theater Box Office at 312334-7777 or visit harristheaterchicago.org.
Scan this QR (quick response) code to be taken to the Chicago Crusader’s web site. www.chicagocrusader.com
SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING
A Moment to Super Size Your Thinking By Effie Rolfe Father Help Your Children— we all have issues—absolutely no one is exempt. I speak from experience. Just a few days ago, I found myself discussing a situation that didn’t go too smoothly and ended in an argument. The conversation began discussing a person’s lacks of integrity as well as the annoying trait of selfishness. However, the more we talked about that person, the more I realized the seemingly unending issues of my own—although somewhat different—yet, just as equally annoying. If people knew better, they would do better—there are so many folk who have no idea of how offensive certain actions are and how they directly or indirect-
Effie Rolfe
ly affect one’s character, reputation, family or friends. People can be sincerely wrong, meaning they have every intention of doing right but don’t have a clue of the truth. How do I know, because it took me nearly 40 years to discover my idiosyncrasies and irritating habits that followed me the majority of my life? As the song goes—don’t judge a man unless you have walked in his shoes. Scripture reminds us: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye (Matthew 7:3 English Standard Version)? Growth and maturation has taught me not to speak ill or condescending of anyone, anytime, anywhere—ever. Now, I wish I could say I stayed true to avoiding useless chatter, but at least, I recognize it’s not the best
use of my time. Why? It is by the grace of God that I’m not in the same predicament or even worst than you. Grace and mercy is the reason that I’m not doing, going, being or having the same symptoms and problems as any other troubled soul. Everyone has their own journey and with the vicissitudes of life—we must learn to carry our own cross. While your cross is different—the load is appropriate according to our spiritual make up and what we can handle. God doesn’t give you any more than you can bear. This is why we can’t judge someone without being in their shoes. Given the same circumstances and experiences, you could very well go the same route. When it all boils down, the truth of the matter is—I can’t talk about anyone. Neither can you.
I can see clearly now that God’s mercy is vital for everyday survival. Just as we stand in need of His fountains of mercy, as much as possible, we should forever be mindful of our need to extend mercy to others without respect of persons or restraint. Go ahead, now is a great time to use the golden rule and bless someone with a dose of mercy— you will find yourself being inevitably blessed as well. Who have you shown mercy to today…? ©Effie Rolfe is the author of “Supersize Your Thinking,” a Media Personality and Motivational Speaker. You can visit my website: effierolfe.com or follow me at twitter.com/effiedrolfe.
The Crusader Gospel Corner Last week, Rock of Ages Baptist Church was pleased to present Shepherd’s 23rd Celebration in honor of Pastor Marvin E. Wiley in Maywood. The celebration for the Pine Bluff, Arkansas native were held on Sunday, March 9 during the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. On Saturday, there was a reception for his birthday. Speaking of inspiration—Pastor Donnie McClurkin is scheduled to be special guest speaker for the Faith Community of St. Sabina on Chicago’s south side. Father Michael Pfleger, longtime social Donald Lawrence Celebration Volume I: Best For Last,” featuring amazing vocals of Kelley Price, Faith Evans, Coco, Lalah Hathaway and more—invites you to his first concert of the year in Chicago. Get ready for the “Quincy Jones of Gospel” to take you down memory lane with your favorite songs like “When
Father Michael Pfleger activist and outspoken priest against the city’s gangs and violence, will feature the Pastor of Perfecting Faith Church in New York for their Lenten Revival March 10 through 11. Not sure if the platinum recording artist will sing a few favorites, but you can probably expect to hear a powerful word along with the Howard University’s Gospel Choir will be the special musical guest . On the heels of a Grammy nom and NAACP Image Award for Donald Lawrence release “20 Year www.chicagocrusader.com
Pastor Maceo Woods
the Saints Go to Worship,” “Back to Eden,” “I Am God,” “When Sunday Comes,” “The Best is Yet to Come,” “The Gift” and more. For the past six years, Lawrence has served as host and Spokesperson for Verizon Wireless How Sweet the Sound Choir Competition that scouts the best choirs in America. Currently, Lawrence is in the studio producing and adding the finishing touches to Karen Clark Sheard’s latest project. He’s also scheduled to produce a gospel project for Lalah Hathaway. The concert is scheduled for March 15 at New Faith international Church in Matteson at 7 p.m. Congratulations to Pastor Maceo Woods of Christian Tabernacle Church 54th anniversary. The anointed services were held March 2 through March 9 at the home of ‘Gospel Supreme.’ Longtime members, friends, pastors and their church choirs attended the weeklong anniversary celebration including Arch Bishop Lucius Hall, Pastor LaRue Kidd, Rev. Dr. Marrion Johnson, Pastor A. Edward Davis, Jr. Also, Pastor Isaac Whitmon, Clark Road Baptist of Gary, Christian Temple and Rev. Derail Smith, the newly appointed Pastor of Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer along with the renowned choir closed out the services on Sunday. Earlier this year, Woods received The Ambassador Bobby Jones Legends Award during the 29th Annual Stellar Awards in Nashville for his many contributions to gospel music. Pastor Maceo Woods is founder and pastor of Christian Tabernacle Church, 4712 S. Prairie Avenue in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. For information visit www. thechristiantabernaclechurch.com.
Mark your calendars for the St. John Evangelist M.B. Church family on Friday, April 11 and Sunday, April 13 for the 7th Anniversary Celebration of Pastor Joseph D. Williams. The anniversary theme of the 2-day event hosted by the Pastor’s Aide Board is “Honoring Our Pastor With Overwhelming Love.” On Friday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m., a banquet and musical at 1234 W. 63rd Street with featured artists including St. John Choir, Malcolm Adams and Journey For Christ, Felicia Coleman-Evans and Alvin Willis & Praise Alive. Adult tickets are $40.00 and children between the ages of 5 and 11 are $30.00 each. The celebration continues Sunday, April 13 with Alvin Willis
Felicia Coleman-Evans Brother Malcolm Adams as the 10 a.m. morning worship speaker: Pastor Romel Williams of Lilydale Progressive M.B. Church will conclude the celebratory services at 3:30 p.m. Advance tickets and table reservations are available and will go fast. If you have questions
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
or would like to purchase tickets, please call me (312) 5762596. Friends and supporters were on hand for the annual celebration and to wish Pastor Lamont Lenox of Greater Holy Temple COGIC at 246 N. California in Chicago God’s speed. Lenox began pastoring 12 years ago and continues to lead the church into expanded territory, after his father, Rev. Dr. James Lenox Pastor and renown ed gospel singer famous for “God’s Been Good—I Won’t Complain” passed in 2001 from heart failure. The anointed services ended this past Sunday at the church. We remember the birthdays of the late Delores Barrett Campbell and Jesse Dixon. Also, sending birthday blessings to radio personalities Angela Martin, DeAndre Patterson, Rev Marvin E. Wiley, Ms. Josephine Wade and Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch.
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HEALTH
The Black Man is Missing Part two of a two-part series The health disparities suffered by Black men are stunning: The death rate from heart disease is 30 percent higher than that of white male counterparts; from stroke, it is 60 percent higher. The diabetes death rate is 200 percent higher for Black men, and the death rate from prostate cancer is more than 200 percent higher. Gilbert notes that the disparities exist in specific outcomes, such as chronic disease and unintentional injuries. “These are the barriers men face starting early in life, when those diseases begin and then manifest over time,” he says. “The question becomes, what can we do in the realm of prevention? And what can we do to address social determinants that may limit opportunities for access to care, education, and quality employment?” He suggests that encouraging young men to complete high school and go to college may be one answer. Paying attention to their health at an earlier age is another solution. Gilbert points out that another impediment comes from Black men’s sense of self, perceived masculinity, and gender identity. He adds that they are not socialized to go to the doctor on a regular basis: Research shows that men younger than 18 tend to go to the doctor when prompted by a parent, or because they are active in sports, but after the age of 18, health care utilization drops off dramatically. Moreover, says Gilbert, there is a history in America of rendering Black men invisible, which puts them at greater risk. He believes engagement has to start on parallel tracks, in small, incremental, and systemic measures. “When men have the opportunity to talk about things that are important to them and participate in decisionmaking, it almost always makes a difference. It increases their engagement and the chances of improved outcomes.” This spills over into policy as well. Gilbert notes that the states choosing to expand Medicaid provisions under ACA now include people with felony convictions, who previously were ineligible for Medicaid coverage. This provides an important opportunity to introduce and expand access to a large segment of the excluded and marginalized population.
taking care of your families and communities, but understanding that you must be a healthy participant in your family and community.” Elder underscores the importance of access, coupled with trust in the medical system. “From a medical encounter and management perspective, we need to make sure the experience is good and fruitful. That’s what the Affordable Care Act can do. Men need a good medical home.” According to Elder, a good medical encounter includes every interaction. “From the time they enter the door, with the first person they meet, that first interaction has to be positive. The encounter with the physician should be participatory,” he says. Elder explains that physicians should offer information, but also listen and engage the patient, adding that patients need to be active in the encounter. “I know I have to take the lead in my health,” he says. “I
take a detailed approach during my doctor visits, and I always plan to do a lot of talking and ask questions during the medical encounter.” He emphasizes the importance of recognizing that good health practices needn’t be restricted to a doctor’s office. “We have to manage the prevention and self-care for ourselves.” Ending Disparities, Building a Culture of Health Elder believes the answer is to take steps in the right direction. “Health disparities are not going away in our lifetime,” he says. “Even men who know better don’t do better. Black men still don’t have a 100 percent adherence rate to medical advice.” The challenges can be combated by a national and sustained commitment to researching Black men’s health throughout the lifespan. No
THE BLACK MAN is Missing study showed Black males suffer heart disease at a rate 30 percent higher than white males. one has really taken a systemic look can’t change the policy and how we at Black men. Gilbert adds, “The deliver care. Who are you going to majority of research is focused on compare Black men to?” Elder asks. cancer, violence, or HIV.” Both Gilbert and Elder conclude Elder advocates for more funding that Black men are not monolithic, and support at the undergraduate but have too often been reactive: and graduate levels. This will build a waiting for a health crisis to arise bepipeline of students who will in- fore taking action. Engaging Black crease their educational achievement men more directly through peer and and expand the cadre of scholars de- family networks can empower them voted to Black men’s health. with the skills and resources to at“If we don’t have the science, we tain better health.
Familiar Settings, Fresh Dialogue Gilbert says men have to be part of the discussion in varied situations. “The conversation has to happen at the dining room table…in churches, barbershops, fraternities, and other settings. There’s a need to really focus and dig deep, to expand the definition of manhood—your need to be healthy, eat a good diet, and get exercise and health screenings. It’s not just 16
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Disney Dreamers Academy and Steve Harvey (Cont’d from page 10) One former participant who is making waves in the area of motivational speaking is Princeton Parker, who would bear witness to the success of this program throughout the weekend. “I am excited to watch the flame of purpose become ignited this weekend,” said Parker, who was a 2011 dreamer. “DDA changed my life. It will change your minds. The chapter has been titled, but it is up to you to write the content,” he told the students. Mikki Taylor admonished the students to use the weekend wisely. “You better get your breakthrough,” she said. Adams echoed Taylor’s comments: “You should live life by faith and favor. Belief without favor is only hope. Faith without works is dead. Where you are today is a collection of all the choices you have made in your life.” So with those words of encouragement, 100 students participated in workshops and “Deep Dive” sessions where they actually became immersed in their chosen dream professions. One Bolingbrook student, Niani Scott, was chosen to be interviewed live on the Steve Harvey Morning Show, which broadcast Friday, March 7, on ESPN. Niani was so charming and held court against the affable Harvey during her interview. She later told the Crusader that time management was one of the important skills that she learned during the Academy. She is a 15-year-old sophomore at Chicago Hope Academy. “I want to be a journalist and attend Columbia University in New York,” she said. “I learned that I need to be greater and push past any struggles that I may have.” Her chosen field of journalism
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NIANI SCOTT IS interviewed by Steve Harvey during his radio show broadcast on March 7 at ESPN at Walt Disney World. will also work to “right the ic Johnson, basketball great, wrongs” of society. “I want to CEO Magic Johnson Enterreport on social injustices, prises and Jonathan Sprinkles, women’s issues and those faced motivational speaker. by the Black community,” she Deep Dive sessions allowed said. Niani is committed to the teens to immerse them“getting the most out of every selves in and receive instrucminute of every day” and said tion from experts in their choshe felt as if she were receiving sen fields. Other events includ“red carpet” treatment during ed a Career Open Mouse, a the duration of the Academy. Conversations with series, and “DDA has helped chart the the 2014 Disney Dreamers course for my future,” she said. Academy commencement cerOther adults on hand to emony with local and national support the teens included Dr. Gospel artists sharing their talSteve Perry, educator/au- ents, and a conversation and thor/motivational speaker; reception hosted by WDW DDA alumnus Princeton and Bernard, Shirley and Parker; Wynton Harvey, Spe- Khalil Kinsey, a family that has cial Host, Steve Harvey Show; curated one of the largest priand ESSENCE Magazine Ed- vate collections of Africanitor-at-Large Mikki Taylor. American artifacts that tell a Guest speakers and Deep vivid story of our journey. Dive facilitators during the Next week, I will introduce Academy included Chef Jeff Crusader readers to other stuHenderson, Las Vegas’ Café dents from the area, including Bellagio; Terrence J, host E! Chicagoan Richard Wright, News; Stephen A. Smith, jour- Homewood ’s Anthony Davnalist/commentator; Brandi is, Matteson’s Marquise Black, and Karli Harvey, founders, South Holland’s Brittany JoshCEO and Artistic Director of ua and Merrillville’s Jordyn Young Fit and Fly; Alex O. El- Smith. lis, CEO, Simply Ellis CusFor more information about tom Clothier, Lamman Ruck- this year’s event and to learn er, actor; Jaylen Bledsoe, CEO about how to have your teen of Bledsoe Technologies, LLC; submit an essay to be considAngel Price, WDW Design & ered for next year’s program, Engineering; Dr. James Ross- visit www.Disneydreamerser, general surgeon; Dr. Phillip academy.com. St. Louis, neurosurgeon; Mag-
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HOUSES FOR SALE
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Saturday, March 15, 2014
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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Vote!!!
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