Chicago Crusader 05/04/13 E-Edition

Blacks Must Control Their Own Community

www.chicagocrusader.com 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 2—SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013

PUBLISHED SINCE 1940

25 Cents and worth more

Menards boycotted by construction workers

By Wendell Hutson A grand opening this week for a newly built Menards store in south suburban Evergreen Park was interrupted by about 200 Black construction workers protesting outside.

Edward Gardner, founder of the former Soft Sheen Products Co., who contends no Black contractors were used to help build the store, led the group.

“No matter where the construction takes place, but especially in Black neighborhoods I want to see some Black faces working,” said Gardner, 88. “Who do these big corporations think they are coming to the Black neighborhood and overlooking our workers? Not on my watch.”

Across the street from where protesters gathered is a new Menards store two dozen police officers occupied the parking lot and the store’s front entrance.

“We are here to maintain safety and peace and order,” said Evergreen Park Police Chief Michael Saunders. “The protesters have a constitutional right to express themselves as long as they do not cause any problems or prevent customers from entering or leaving.”

After marching and chanting around the parking lot a few times Gardner led the group inside the store to speak to Juan Horton, general manager for Menards, which opened the

BLACK CONSTRUCTION WORKERS protested this week at the newly built Menards store in Evergreen Park because it said no Black contractors were used to help build the store.

Jeff Abbott, a spokesman for Menard Inc. built and as you can see several of our employnew store this week.

“I am not the one who hired contractors to ees are Black,” Horton told Gardner as the was not immediately available for comment. build the store. I manage the store once it’s two shook hands.

(Continued on page 2)

Concealed carry town hall meeting fails to advance issue

By J. Coyden Palmer Residents in one of the most politically active districts in the Black community attended a town hall meeting Saturday, April 27 at Chicago Vocational Career Academy to hear from concealed carry supporters including community hero Otis McDonald. Sponsored

by Rep. Marcus Evans, the meeting drew more than 50 people, many of whom were hearing about the issue first-hand for the first time. Moderated by WVON talk show host Cliff Kelly, the meeting focused on what people could expect once a concealed carry law is passed, an update on the current bill being debated in Springfield and how Black legislators have been voting on the issue.

Richard Wooten, a former Chicago police officer, was one of the speakers at the event.

He said there is too much focus in the Black community when it comes to the tool that is being used. He said people commit acts of murder with knives, bats, bricks, cars or with

WVON TALK SHOW HOST Cliff Kelly fields a question from an audience member at Chicago Vocational Career Academy on April 27 during a meeting on concealed carry.

their own fists and feet. Wooten said he believes the gun has been vilified in our community instead of being seen as a tool that can be used for protection. He said the community’s lack of education on the proper use, storage and mechanics of how a gun works, is the biggest culprit in the concealed carry debate.

“People cause harm to people. They can use any instrument they want. I don’t want us to be fooled by this perception that guns are the only thing that kills or harms people,” Wooten said. “A gun is not a weapon that gets up on its own and takes action. So we can’t be continued to be fooled by political forces that are actually trying to tell us that guns kill people. Violence is going to exist regardless.”

Andre Queen, owner of Fidelity Security & Investigative Services Inc., spoke about selfdefense and the fact that nobody in the United States is legally responsible for your own safety except you. Queen said most people (Continued on page 3)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Local pastor vies for Lutheran Bishop role (See story on page 2)

NEWS

City Community Leaders Announce Community Action Day Plan to engage community around combating youth violence unveiled at City Hall Community leaders gathered at City Hall recently to announce they are starting a new kind of conversation in Chicago communities hardest hit by violence. The All Stars Project of Chicago youth development program, along with partners from frontline community organizations – Kids Off The Block, CeaseFire, Love Teaching Youth, and others – are organizing hundreds of volunteers from across the city to go out together into the hardest hit communities to talk one on one, person to person with fellow Chicagoans about what can be done to address violence in their neighborhoods.

“We’re engaging the entire city of Chicago in building a new conversation and a new kind of community in our city,” said David Cherry, Director of the Chicago All Stars Project. “While there has been a great deal of discussion about guns and policing, there has not been enough discussion about how we can grow our young people and grow our communities. It’s important to talk about that because when our young people grow and when everyone in the community grows, they will start taking leadership and ownership of what happens in their community.”

Teams of volunteers will be spread out at 30 different sites, primarily on the South Side and downtown, at busy street corners and El stops.

The Community Action Day teams will have a questionnaire designed to spark thoughtful conversation and elicit candid feedback from neighborhood residents about what Chicago’s communities need, and who and what activities have an impact on violence.

While violent crime in Chicago is at a nearly 30-year low, the city’s rate of violence is still far too high. In 2011, 433 people in Chicago were murdered—double to triple the murders per capita in peer cities like Los Angeles or New York City. Violence was particularly devastating for Chicago’s youth: in 2010, 1,109 school-aged youth were shot, and 216 of those were killed. Nearly half of Chicago’s homicide victims are young people between the ages of 10 and 25.

Tio Hardiman, Director of CeaseFire Illinois, said, “It’s time to get out on the front end and stop violence from occurring. We can do this by establishing meaningful relationships with young people and with each other. We are looking forward to having our staff and volunteers participate in creating this new conversation and helping to build a new sense of community among Chicagoans.”

“All Stars gives me a place where I can build something with other people. I’m a leader there, and I have responsibilities. I am building my community and my city,” said Sean “Solo Xquzit” Young, All Stars Talent Show Network youth leader and performer. “I think if we had more community centers and more high quality programs, there would be less violence.”

“I have seen the changes in my kids since they got involved in performing,” said Andrea Hood, community leader and parent of All Stars Project youth performers.

“This project is to talk to community members about what would help their kids. I think it is important. I hope to help spread the word about what is currently available.”

“I believe that there are many, many more people out there in the community who have some great

DAVID CHERRY, who heads the All Stars Project, is joined by Andrea Hood, also of the All Stars Project, and Tio Hardiman, executive director of CeaseFire Illinois, in announcing a new strategy to address violence in the city. ideas about how to help our kids The goal is 10,000 person-to-per- urday, May 4. Volunteers will be and do some positive things for our son conversations. Results of the provided with free training beforeneighborhoods.” Said Diane Latik- questionnaire will be presented to hand as well as all necessary materier, founder of Kids Off The Block. Mayor Emanuel at the end of May, als. To volunteer, call 312-360“Community Action Day is going and organizers plan to continue this 0660 with any questions and to register yourself or your team. to give all of us a chance to share campaign into the summer. those ideas across the city.”

The event will take place on Sat-

Menards boycotted by Black (Continued from page 1) Protesters handed out fliers in the parking lot to customers that read “Boycott Menards.”

And Donald Estes, a 65-year-old retired construction worker, joined protesters to show his support.

“I agree with everything Mr. Gardner said. I see white boys working on all the construction projects in the ‘hood’ making $30 an hour,” explained Estes. “But at the same time I see Black boys standing around selling loose cigarettes because there are no jobs available. Now, I have noth-

ing against white folks, but I am tired of them coming to our communities and taking away jobs from qualified Black folks.”

The group also has the support of Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization in New York.

“The Rev. Al Sharpton is watching this closely from New York. He is aware of the situation and the National Action Network is here to advocate for the inclusion of more Black construction workers,” said

communities to take dollars away from us. Sure, they hire us at minimum wage and often hire a Black manager, but when you get to the board room that’s when you see the difference,” Israel said. “Construction is one of the most respected blue-collar professions today but when it comes to hiring Blacks to perform the work, we are at the bottom of the list. Hispanics get hired faster than us and we were here (in America) first.”

Thelma Alexander, 74, said she

Local pastor vies for Lutheran Bishop role Longtime social activist and south suburban pastor, the Rev. Anthony Williams is among the candidates seeking the role of bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). Williams, who currently serves as pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Robbins, will join other contenders in presenting their qualifications and platforms during presentations May 11 at the Lutheran School of Theology at 1100 E. 55th, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Williams said he doesn’t believe the role of African Americans in the Lutheran Church is widely known.

He cited the fact that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his father, Martin Luther King, Sr. “adopted their names from the great reformer Martin Luther.”

He added that African Americans have participated in the Lutheran Church since the 16th Century,

Martin Luther took on the corrupt church in his generation. “If elected Bishop of the ELCA, I plan on being an activist Bishop who will deal with the cutting edge issues. These issues include the pandemic effects of violence in the nation, the passing of HR40 Reparations, economic disparities, HIV and Aids in the African-American community, healthcare, education as well as working with pastors and their congregations to keep their ministries relevant, effective and growing” William said.

Pastor Anthony W. Williams and therefore are not foreigners to the Lutheran church body. At this point in history," Williams says, "the Lutheran church was born in the spirit of fire due to the fact that

“We have only had five AfricanAmerican Bishops in the history of the ELCA. I feel an African-American Bishop, who is sensitive to the times and grounded in spirituality and theology, could make a tremendous difference in the life of the church and society as a whole."

Williams noted.

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

A BLACK CONSTRUCTION WORKER urged customers at an Evergreen Park Menards store to boycott the store because it said no Black contractor were used to help build the store.

Maureen Forte, president of the Chicago chapter of the NAN. Bob Israel, president of Save Our Community Coalition, whose members include community activists and Black construction workers, said Menards is no different than any other business looking to make money off Black consumers.

“These businesses move into our

marched with Dr. Martin L. King Jr. in the 1960s and despite her ailing health joined protesters to march with them.

“Boycott Menards. They do not hire Blacks. That is the message I want everyone to hear,” Alexander said. “No company that refuses to hire Blacks should be allowed to prosper off our money.”

The Chicago Crusader

NEWS

Documentary recaps Marcus Garvey’s life A unique documentary, “Visions and Struggles Walk Together” recounts the life and work of Marcus Mosiah Garvey airs May 4 at the ICE Theater. The showing begins promptly at noon.

Shaka Barak, president of the Marcus Garvey Institute, said “Visions informs us about one of history’s great contributors to human consciousness and development during the Twentieth Century.”

The documentary examines Garvey’s building of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and African Communities League (ACL) – described by Barak as “the first and largest mass movement that touched the lives of and brought real hope to millions oppressed and colonized Africans and people of African descent.”

Clyde Banks, president of the UNIA-ACL said the principal reason for airing the documentary now is “because we believe that Garvey’s visions are still relevant today as they had been in the past, and should be understood globally, particularly as they look at the current state of African peoples in urban America, the continent of Africa, and Africans in South and Central America.”

Garvey, who lived from 1887 until 1940, founded the UNIA-ACL in July 1914 with 11 objectives – establishing unity among the estimated 400 million Blacks worldwide; promoting the spirit of price and love; reclaiming the fallen, and formerly incarcerated; assisting the

needy, homeless, and starving; civilizing backward Africans; promoting spiritual worship; assisting in the development of independent Black nations and communities; establishing schools for racial education and culture; conducting commerce and industry; establishing agencies for protection of Africans regardless of nationality; working for better conditions in all Black communities.”

Banks added “this study is an insight into Garvey’s pain, sacrifices, betrayals and victory. In the end it shows that he never surrendered in the service to his race, which is why there are very few contemporary movements or leaders that were not touched by Marcus Garvey in a profound way.”

THE LIFE, STRUGGLES and victories of Marcus Garvey are captured in a documentary showing May 4 at the ICE Theater, 3330 W. Roosevelt Road. Dr. Vincent Hines wrote the documentary, which was produced by Zulu Mutil-Media Productions.

Illinois gamblers shut out on online betting

By J. Coyden Palmer Over $80 million will be wagered this Saturday when the horses line up for the start of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Many of those wagers will come via online betting services. But if you live in Illinois that will not be an option

because lawmakers in Springfield have yet to renew the Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) bill that expired in January. That means those wishing to place a bet on the 139th “Run for the Roses” in Illinois must either go to a local track in their area or visit one of the Off Track Betting facilities.

Concealed carry town hall meeting Lori Meriweather of the Second Amendment Sisters had a message to African American lawmakers who have voted against the community being able to defend itself; she said if they continue to vote the way they do, then the community will just vote them out of office during the next election.

“We are responsible for our community not Springfield,” Meriweather said. “If you can’t make that decision for us, we’re going to make the decision to move you out because we don’t need this. Call your state rep and make them know your name.

Let them know you want the right to carry a gun to protect yourself.”

Upon hearing all of the speakers at the event, Rep. Marcus Evans told the audience that he is “somewhere in between” on the concealed carry issue. He said he has had friends murdered by guns so he is a bit squeamish on the issue. He said to this point he has voted for the most restrictive gun laws and he is hoping that Illinois concealed carry law will be able to find a middle ground.

However he said he is open-minded on the issue and is looking forward to hear from his constituents on the issue.

have a false sense of security about the police protecting them.

“As far back as 1856 the U.S. Supreme court ruled that local law enforcement has no duty to protect the individuals but only has a general duty to uphold the laws,” Queen said. “So what does that mean from a practical standpoint? That means you can’t sue the police if they fail to come when you call.”

Queen went on to give a brief history about the Deacons of Defense.

They were African American military veterans who upon returning from war, took up arms to protect those working in the Civil Rights movement. Under their protection, no Civil Rights workers lost their lives.

“We need to follow that example today and we need to understand that if we want our communities to be safe; if we want our schools to be safe, if we want our people to be able to walk down the street in safety and our kids to go out and play, the responsibility to keep our community safe belongs to us, not the police,” Queen said.

Currently, lawmakers in Spring-

field are debating a variety of concealed carry bills. But with less than 40 days to come up with something before constitutional carry becomes the law in Illinois, where anyone who does not have a felony conviction can carry a weapon at anytime in any place, lawmakers are still at a stalemate.

One proposal that was voted down centered on making Chicago and Cook County a part of the state where a “may issue” concealed carry permit would be issued instead of a “shall issue.” Gun advocates strongly oppose this on moral and legal grounds saying it would be unfair to those who live in areas where they need a gun for protection the most.

The fracture in Springfield is still being caused by Black lawmakers in Cook County who have historically been against any gun bill that would allow citizens to carry. That voting record drew strong criticism from Kelly.

“Strange is not even the right word as there are people who evidently think they ought to vote with others instead of their own constituents because we know how the constituents feel on this issue because I hear about it every day,” Kelly said.

The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

(Continued from page 1)

Barak said “You gave Marcus Garvey to the United States of America, and he gave to millions of Negroes a sense of personhood, a sense of manhood, and a sense of somebodiness.” Admission to the documentary is $10.

Not only do patrons say not having online betting is an inconvenience, the state is losing thousands of dollars in daily revenue that online gambling produces, according to members of the Illinois Racing Board.

The IRB met recently at the James Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. Marc Laino, executive director at the Illinois Racing Board, said they are just as frustrated as everyone else about the ADW situation. He said the IRB was hoping this matter would have been resolved back in March and added it is embarrassing that on the biggest day in the horse racing industry, Illinois citizens will not be able to bet the race online.

Mickey Ezzo, spokesman for the Illinois Racing Board said $122 million was wagered online last year in Illinois on horse races. The state received $1.8 million of that amount.

Like others, he said he is miffed at what is taking lawmakers so long in Springfield, adding he fields calls every day from upset customers.

“The really sad part of this story that is not being reported is that we have cultivated online betting customers and just as we were getting traction in this market our hands are tied,” Ezzo said. “This is a customer base we may never regain.”

Betting services like TVG, Philly Bet, Xpressbet and TwinSpires also are frustrated with Illinois lawmakers. The companies are losing revenue and say they are unable to serve their customers in Illinois. They sent the following email to customers on April 29.

“The Illinois Racing Board requested TwinSpires.com and other ADWs stop taking wagers from IlliSaturday, May 4, 2013

nois residents. Although we have been working with Illinois lawmakers on legislation that would restore your ability to wager online, we are not optimistic that this issue will be resolved in the next two weeks.”

That coincides with the thoughts of the sponsor of HB995, which would restore ADW. State Representative Lou Lang (D-Skokie) told the Crusader earlier this week he has been working to try and get the issue resolved for over a year, before the law expired. He said the negotiations are ongoing but does not expect a new law to be passed for at least another month in a best case scenario.

“There is a basic agreement that we should continue ADW and that is the good news,” said Lang via telephone. “But there are some technical issues that remain that are causing a snafu in the negotiations. It has been a difficult negotiation in regarding the disbursement of the funds, who gets what, when it gets there and the mechanism in which it is delivered.”

Lang said he recognizes the state is in a financial crisis and needs every dollar it gets but he does not believe the loss income from online wagering is a major hit when looking at the big picture.

“We should not turn down any new opportunity to bring in revenue, create jobs and to keep an industry alive, which is the horse racing industry. I’m committed to making this happen and passing a bill and as soon as we complete our negotiations we will,” Lang said.

Bryan Foster, a regular patron of the OTB on 111th and Corliss said the ADW situation is typical Illinois politics. Foster said Illinois is not a (Continued on page 16) 3

OPINION

EDITORIAL THE ACHIEVEMENT PARADOX IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY As violence continues to escalate in the African American community, people wring their hands in fear and despair.

When will it stop? At the same time, others in the community bristle at the notion that Black men are stereotyped as thugs. It is becoming apparent that a lot of Black people just don't know that the community is changing!

Black males are at the bottom of almost every demographic that you can name, though it is true that there are some who have not fallen on this path. However, as a whole, they disproportionately drop out of schools, they die from a myriad of causes, they lag behind in job attainment and income, and they increasingly find themselves at odds with their families for one reason or another. Many Black men are homeless.

Though it is true that oppression has played its ugly hand in exacerbating this situation, there is another, more insidious enemy that threatens too many Black men. That enemy is the notion that achievement, especially academic achievement, is "acting white!"

No matter how you look at it, education can help lift the condition of Black people throughout America and the world. But if the very thing that can lift us is eschewed by too many of us, the community will never, EVER reach its full potential! This is a paradox - we can't have it both ways! Either we are going to embrace education and the subsequent achievement that is bound to come with it, or we continue along on the drifting tide of defeat.

It is no secret that many educators have seen this trend among young Black males wherein they do not want to be seen as smart; they will literally hide achievement and deliberately fail in order to be in good stead with their friends.

And more often than not, these friends adopt additional sets of behaviors that just about guarantee that they will remain at the bottom of the economic pile. Too many of them sag their pants, drop out of school, and acquire criminal records. And even though this is the case, a lot of our leaders continue the mantra of jobs, jobs, jobs for these youth. They ignore the fact that unskilled youth with sagging pants, a poor or nonexistent work ethic and often with criminal records will most likely never become gainfully employed.

Some Black youth are using successful rappers and ballers as their role models, thus believing that they, too, can become successful without school. Certainly, some of them do become financially successful, but without education, they often can't hold onto what they've earned due to a lack of knowledge. So, when looked at in this light, a lot of concerned community residents are barking up the wrong tree when it comes to the ills that plague our community. If there is massive resistance against the one thing that can help better our situation, i.e., education, we are just whistling in the wind; people will continue to look for solutions in the wrong places.

Ultimately, we're going to have to find a way to make education appealing to young Black males, because if they continue to drop out in droves while adopting inappropriate street affectations, all the jobs in the world won't make a difference! A luta continua.

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Payton, parents and principal are wrong Dear Editor: I was shocked to read that some parents from Payton College Prep refused to let their sons travel to Brooks College Prep last weekend for a baseball game.

First, I would like to say that the Payton coach, who took it upon himself to go visit the Brooks coach upon learning of the parents’ action is a class act. He could have just literally phoned it in.

The parents who object to their sons playing at Brooks tried to hide behind a made up issue of whether the boys would be safe in the far South Side neighborhood.

It turns out that concern, even if it was real, is baseless. Chicago Public Schools officials and others admit there has never been a violence issue at the school. Secondly, if it was truly a concern about safety then, it would have made sense for the objecting parents to ask the coach to check with the Brooks’ coach to find out if there were previous incidents. It has been well documented that none of the CPS cases of violence have occurred on school grounds.

If the Payton parents weren’t in a racist panic, they also could have easily learned the ball field is part of a 40-acre plat that doesn’t lend itself to troublemakers having access to the players or spectators.

CPS officials eventually came

out with some feeble excuses about scheduling, bus availability and some other “reasons” that fail to make sense. It is obvious the central office people were scrambling to cover their collective behinds.

It is racism, pure and simple, and the people running the district ought to own up to that.

Like so many have already expressed, I feel sorry for the children of the Payton parents. Their parents are sending a strong signal that racist behavior is OK. They are telling their children that when someone’s circumstances are different, they are deserving of being looked down upon. Payton people—you are wrong.

Esmo Chandler

Obama move won’t quell criticisms Dear Editor: President Barack Obama just hit a crossroads that will earn him as many kudos as criticism. The president has long been badgered by many in the Black community about not appointing enough Black people to top tier cabinet positions.

He recently decided to bring in a brother as Secretary of Transportation. That means that once Charlotte N.C. Mayor Anthony Foxx is confirmed he and U.S. Attorney General will be the only Black cabinet members. I predict some will applaud the appointment, and others will ask ‘is

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

that it?

It is impossible for me to understand that when we have more Black people with extensive experience in all industries, and more college degrees than ever,how the president can’t find more Black people to fill cabinet positions. When former President Bill Clinton appointed Mike Espy U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, a lot of people were shocked as Espy, proved to be so effective in that job.

President Obama needs to be made aware that not only do we expect more, we want more.

Stan Moore

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The Chicago Crusader

BEYOND THE RHETORIC

We are at War and don’t Know It

By Harry C. Alford NNPA Columnist It baffles my mind. There are threats and actual terror hits happening all over the world and we are acting in a very laissez-faire manner. Right in the middle of the great Boston Marathon two homemade bombs exploded causing mass destruction to innocent Americans. What caused this was an inappropriate protocol by our highest ranking security agencies. It reminded us of 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.

It didn’t have to be. An entire family from Chechnya comes over to our land and declares asylum. We immediately accept them and give them refugee status. Some of them go on welfare, get scholarships to some of our finest schools and start living the American Dream. Some would return to their homeland and others would spread out along the East Coast. Two in Boston turn bad. One gets a domestic abuse charge and the other is rumored to have been in the pot business. Russia informs the FBI that the older brother is an Islamic radical. We do a cursory review and decide not to follow up. This brother is on welfare but some-

Harry C. Alford how owns a Mercedes Benz.

Then he takes a 6 month trip to Russia. He lands in Moscow and travels to terrorist areas before returning to Boston. The FBI does not know that he left the country and then returned. Homeland Security noted that he left but didn’t detect his return. The tragedy in Boston happens and we all know it could have been prevented. We don’t have a plan!

It is so similar to the Benghazi murders of our embassy personnel. They kept pleading for more security and the State Department not only denied an increase, but started to decrease the security. Al Qaeda was all around and they eventually attacked our personnel. What’s worse is that the White House and State Department has attempted to cover it up. Delays, lies and deception were their response to this horror.

I’m glad that Congress is standing its ground and will not stop until the truth is told. It is time to get an anti-terrorism plan. Please consider the following.

Terrorism in Nigeria has hit a new high. Remember the Christmas Day terrorist from Nigeria?

Now Nigeria has two serious Al Qaeda linked terrorist groups.

Boko Haram is killing citizens in an ever increasing manner. No Christian is safe. The other group is called Ansaru which specializes in kidnapping foreigners and then executing them. They have vowed to kill anyone friendly to Israel.

Libya remains unsafe. The French Embassy was recently bombed. It is confirmed that the Al Qaeda faction here possess thousands of weapons and is dis-

tributing them to their factions in Mali, Niger, Syria and other places where there is serious conflict. Our denial of Al Qaeda in Libya is going to cost us via deadly acts of terror. While we hold a “blind eye” evil is on its way.

President Obama said that if Syria uses chemical weapons on its rebel faction that would amount to a “red line.” He promises fierce action if the Syrian government goes that way.

Well, Israel has confirmed that the government has indeed used chemical weapons on several occasions. Still, we do not move to stop the madness going on around the world and at home.

The Syrian government called his bluff.

The Canadian government has just prevented an act of mass destruction. Two Al Qaeda terrorists were planning to blow up a bridge near Toronto while a train carrying New York tourists would be crossing it. The two were being funded and directed

by Al Qaeda based in Iran. The Canadians have their act together and perhaps we can learn from them. Also, it had been believed by our government that there was no Al Qaeda in Iran. We blew it!

There are 75,000 Muslims mi-

grating to the United State each year via student visas. 20% (15,000) of them never go to a classroom. That’s 15,000 per year that are wandering throughout America and we have no clue what their intentions are. There is likely to be some with ill intentions which makes us at an extreme level of risk. It is becoming very scary because we aren’t prepared or preventative.

President Obama has an affinity towards Islamic people. Both his father and step-father were Islamic and he bears an Islamic name. I believe this blinds his thinking.

More terrorists are Islamic or Muslim than any other religion.

His soft peddling and denial are preventing him from being more aggressive and resolute. The book Art of War stresses that you must recognize the true enemy. Not only do we not recognize the true enemy; we aren’t even looking.

We are going to get through this challenge. The sooner we start dealing with the issue directly, the less lives will be lost.

Mr. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®.

Website: www.nationalbcc.org.

Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.

Remembering How Black South Africans Won their Freedom

By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – A trip to South Africa provides painful reminders of the protracted struggle to establish democracy, how the United States propped up the white minorityrule government and the courage Black South Africans demonstrated to win their freedom.

A key aspect of the struggle is vividly captured in the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum in the heart of Soweto, not far from the homes of Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu. The name of the museum itself is steeped in unforgettable history.

The most compelling image of the Soweto student protest of 1976 is a photo taken by Sam Nzima.

In the foreground of a crowd of Black student protesters is a tearful Mbuyisa Makhuba, a high school student, running with the small, limp body of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson and his screaming sister, Antoinette, running beside them.

The teenager’s story is told inside the museum under the heading, “An individual life can change society.” It begins: “Hector Pieterson lost his life under police fire on June 16, 1976 durThe Chicago Crusader

ing a student march protesting Afrikaans as the language of instruction in African schools. He was thirteen years old. News of his death and the violence that subsequently erupted in most African townships in South Africa spread rapidly across the world. In his death Hector Pieterson became a symbol of the plight of the Black South African youth under the yoke of Apartheid.”

It continued, “His public funeral commemorated, as does this museum, all those who died as a result of the tragic events of June 16, 1976 – a turning point in the struggle towards a true South African democracy.”

Hector Pieterson became one of many martyrs of the fight against apartheid, a rigid system of racial segregation designed to keep the white minority in control of the country’s political, economic and social system.

In fact, Pieterson’s last protest march was prompted by the ruling National Party’s decision to force Black schools to use Afrikaans – which Bishop Desmond Tutu called “the language of oppression” – and English in equal measure.

On April 20, 1976, students at Orlando West Junior High School went on strike, refusing to go to school. The protest quickly spread to other schools in Soweto. On the

George E. Curry morning of June 16, an estimated 20,000 students started walking from the junior high school to Orlando Stadium, where they had planned to hold a mass rally before continuing to the regional office of the Department of Bantu Education.

Instead of allowing the students to walk peacefully, police barricaded the march route and unleashed dogs on the crowd. According to some news accounts, students stoned the dogs and police soon began opening fire on the students, killing 13-year-old Pieterson and 22 others that day, all but two of whom were Black. At the end of a series of protests, called the Soweto uprising,

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

estimates of those killed ranged from 176 to more than 600.

The violent attack on the children thrust the African National Congress (ANC) to the forefront of Black political protest and ignited international protests. But that did not curb the all-white police force’s appetite for violence.

A quote from Steve Lebelo, a student at Madibane High School, describes the violence that was inflicted on the community in the immediate aftermath of Pieterson’s death. The quote, which also hangs in the museum, recalls: “It was on the 17th and 18th, when police went out and systematically were killing people. I do know that suddenly there was the infamous green car. It was a 3800 Chev, it was a green car, and at the time they were used mostly by the police.

We suspected that they had a sniper in there who picked up people at random and shot and killed them. I do know a friend of mine who was killed on the 19th of June, under the same circumstances. He had gone to the shop, and as he came back from the shop carrying a litre of milk, he was shot by a sniper and killed.”

Above the quote is a photo of a green Chevrolet, loaded with white men, with rifles sticking out of the windows.

There are other reminders throughSaturday, May 4, 2013

out the museum. There is a picture of a small, naked child being drenched in a bottle of water to soothe her pain in tears. Another photograph contains student protesters, with one holding up a sign reading, “To hell with Afrikaans.”

Erected in 2002, the museum honors the memory of the students who died in the uprising. A brick bearing each name is built into the ground just steps from the entrance of the museum, which is only two blocks away from where Pieterson was killed.

The inscription about Hector Pieterson in the museum ends by noting, “When National Youth Day is celebrated each year on June 16 at the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum, it becomes a national site of commemoration, also reflecting current changes in the articulation of the South African democracy.”

George E. Curry, former editorin-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.

5

COMMENTARY

Worrill’s World

By Dr. Conrad W. Worrill

PREPARING FOR MALCOLM X’S 88th BIRTHDAY (Dr. Conrad Worrill, National Chairman Emeritus of the National Black United Front (NBUF), located at 1809 East 71st Street, Suite 211, Chicago, Illinois, 60649, 773-493-0900, Fax# 773-493-9819, E-mail: nbufchic@sbcglobal.net, Web site: nbufront.org)

Dr. Conrad Worrill Special Note: My family and I would like to thank all of you who expressed your love and support for the passing into eternity of my father Walter F. Worrill. Your support lifted our spirits.

Since the untimely transition of Malcolm X in 1965, movement forces throughout the world have consistently commemorated his birthday. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska.

It was on February 21, 1965 that Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York by forces that were trying to stop his impact on our movement. They were not successful. He will forever remain our “Shining Black Prince.”

Malcolm X is a man that should be studied carefully in our efforts to examine a critical period in our history— the 1960s. For, it was during this period that Malcolm X became an internationally known and respected African in America leader, whose ideas were widely discussed and debated.

It was through the Nation of Islam, under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that Malcolm X was given an opportunity to develop his tremendous talents as a teacher, researcher, orator, and organizer.

Malcolm X joined the Nation of

Islam while in prison in 1952. After his release in the mid 1950s, Malcolm X became a full–time minister for the Nation of Islam that became one of the most important organizations in the history of African in America, people. From his main base in Harlem, at Mosque Number 7, he launched his talents on the world.

Malcolm X was a revolutionary who presented a model of Black manhood that shook the world.

When Malcolm X finally left the Nation of Islam, because of internal differences, he decided to take his first trip to Mother Africa. Malcolm spent five weeks in Africa, from April 13th to May 21st, 1964.

This trip helped reestablish our links with the movement to reclaim “Africa for the Africans.” Malcolm met many of the leaders and people of Africa. He visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria, Ghana, Monrovia, Liberia, Senegal, Tanzania, Guinea, Morocco, and Algeria.

This trip and subsequent trips abroad helped Malcolm sharpen his understanding of the worldwide system of white supremacy as the number one enemy of African peo-

ple throughout the world. This has not changed.

After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm began to broaden his organizing strategies by attempting to reach out and work with many of the more established civil rights organizations and movement tendencies to a common organizational vehicle. Malcolm began building this vehicle through his establishment of the Organization for Afro– American Unity (OAAU).

Malcolm felt that a United Front was the necessary mechanism by which the political consciousness of African people in America could be raised. Also, he felt that this United Front would be the common voice we needed to represent the Black Liberation movement in this country. Many of us are still working to build this United Front concept of organizing toward our liberation in America.

In the spirit of Malcolm, let us summarize his contributions: 1. Malcolm X was a concrete example that if you discipline yourself and find a new outlook on life you can transform your behavior.

2. From 1952 - 1963, Malcolm X

helped the Honorable Elijah Muhammad build the Nation of Islam into a powerful force.

3. During this same period, Malcolm became the spokesman for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, and thus, became a spokesman for the Black Nationalist Movement in one of the most important periods in our history— the period of the mid 1950s through the 1960s.

4. In this role, Malcolm articulated many important concepts and ideas that helped strengthen the Black Nationalist Movement in this country, as well as, the Civil Rights Movement. His speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” still rings in our ears. His conception of the role of “House Negroes” vs. “Field Negroes” is still with us today. And his coining the phrase, “By Any Means Necessary” are just a few of the ideas and concepts that concretely impacted the Black movement.

5. Malcolm X defined Black Nationalism in simple terminology that appealed to the Black masses when he said, “the political philosophy of Black nationalism is that (Continued on page 16)

Foundation-sponsored book written

by Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, an Obama education advisor. She says poverty and segregation means that some students attend schools that have fewer resources than others. Indeed, inner city high schools are less likely to offer Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. Sometimes when these courses are available in suburban high schools, African American students are discouraged from taking them.

Dr. Ivory Toldson, a professor at Howard University and a contributor to the Root also refutes the notion that African American students think learning is “acting white”.

Most African American students, he says, are interested in attending college but may not because of cost factors. He also says that academic support should be provided to all students, and that the way to close achievement gaps is to “reduce racial disparities in income and to increase equity and inclusion in education.”

For a great deal of students the issue is not “acting white” but being connected to educational options and outcomes. One of the more important factors in student achievement is parental involvement, yet many parents find themselves “too busy” or too uninformed to interact with

teachers. One study says that parents don’t necessarily have to help with homework, but simply to reinforce that homework should be done, and to be inquisitive about it. Unfortunately, many parents, frustrated with the school system, write it off. Further, too many of our community organizations don’t sufficiently emphasize education, or if they do, don’t get into the “down and dirty” of it, preferring to raise much-needed scholarship funds than to take a young person by the hand and guide them through next steps to education.

The majority of African American students are still first-generation college students. They aren’t always sure what next steps are, and they often need help maneuvering through a system with which their parents have no familiarity. Too many smart students don’t have the parental and societal support they need to achieve. The United States falls way behind the rest of the world when we don’t value students who have the potential to be high achievers, regardless of race or ethnicity. We further disservice ourselves as a nation when we fail to value those who have the intelligence to change our world.

Achievement Gap Or Opportunity Gap?

African American students achieve at a different level than white students. Test scores are lower, as are high school and college completion rates, and the number of African Americans attending four-year institutions is falling. The rate of African American suspensions and expulsions from K-12 schools is higher than that of other groups. By almost any metric there are gaps between African American students and white or Asian students (Latinos achieve at about the same rate as African Americans).

Why does this happen? The late sociologist John Ogbu hypothesized that the gap was the result of young African Americans thinking that learning was “acting white.” His theory was batted around as if it were fact, even when Duke economist William Darity refuted the Ogbu theory. Why? Because it fits somebody’s stereotype to describe African American youngsters as culturally alienated from the mainstream, so much that they eschew the very institution that could be a bridge for them into the middle class.

Given the history of African Americans and education; it is hard to swallow these stereotypes. Several

states had laws on the books to prevent African Americans from learning to read and write in the pre-civil war period. Both white and Black people risked flogging, cash fines and other penalties for “teaching a slave to read.” Millions of African Americans sacrificed for the right to be literate, and ensured that their children would also have opportunities by baking cakes, frying chicken, and raising a few dollars to get to college by whatever means necessary. At the beginning of the 20th century, the only colleges open to African Americans were Historically Black Colleges

and Universities, and we went despite the obstacles. Our presence rejected the notion that learning was “acting white.” In fact, we were acting learned and literate.

Still, it is in the interest of some to continue that stereotype. You’ve heard that adage that if you don’t want an African American to know something, just hide it in a book. That kind of ignorance is the very reason that African American people were able, during the Civil War, to spy on Confederates who thought they were only illiterate enslaved people. That is why Mary Ellen Pleasant was able to eavesdrop on conversations on stock and turn them into wealth. Those who write about the achievement gap ought not underestimate African Americans.

Where does the achievement gap come from, then? It comes from the opportunity gap. The average African American household earns $31,000 a year, compared to $51,000 for whites. $51,000 can buy a lot more opportunity than $31,000 can. If income determines housing clusters, neighborhoods with a $51,000 mean income have better schools and more involved parents than the $31,000 neighborhood does.

Closing income gaps closes opportunity gaps, according to a Ford

6

Saturday, May 4, 2013

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

NNPA Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Julianne Malveaux

Julianne Malveaux is an economist and writer.

The Chicago Crusader

THE CHATTERBOX

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!

Raynard Jackson

more than two times the rate of whites and he talked about issues in the Black community have not been joined by the folks Obama has rallied around. “Where was the Hispanic community on Trayvon Martin? Where was the homosexual community on apartheid in South Africa or the genocide in Rwanda? Where are the white women on repealing the ‘wet foot, dry foot policy’ in Miami?” He said, “None of these groups have stood with Blacks on any of these issues, yet Blacks lose their minds to support them on the issues they care about – homosexual marriage, amnesty for illegals, and including women in affirmative action. Raynard followed up by saying “Why is it that these media appointed Blacks always take up other groups’ causes to the detriment of the people they claim they represent?” To all of this Ima can only say AMEN!!!

In case you don’t know the organizations Jealous, Morial, Fudge or Sharpton represents, they are: NAACP, National Urban League, Congressional Black Caucus and National Action Network. Are we Blacks in trouble or what???

Ima don’t agree with a lot of folks and sho nuf don’t agree with Republicans about anything and suffice it to say Ima don’t agree with the small number of Black Republicans, which are hard to find as hens’ teeth. With that said, Ima had to shake her head when she found out that she agreed with Raynard Jackson, a Syndicated Writer, a Black Syndi-

cated Writer, and a Black Syndicated Writer. But who can argue with the man when he says that “Black Leaders Have Sold Out.” He called out Ben Jealous, Marc Morial, Marcia Fudge and Al Sharpton sell outs and said they don’t represent Black people, they represent the Democratic Party.

He went on to say they are more concerned with “getting invited to a party so they can take a picture with Obama or Valerie Jarrett.” Speak Raynard while Ima pat her feet. But the real important thing he said is nobody cares about what Black people think about amnesty for illegal immigrants and the effect they will have on Blacks here in this country. Jackson cited the high unemployment rates of Blacks that is

The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

BLACK LEADERS HAVE SOLD OUT

-Ima-

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? It took President Obama more than four years to appoint a Black worthy enough to be in his cabinet and this week he announced the appointment of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, UNBELIEVABLE!!! I don’t know about you, but I am totally unimpressed. Black folks did better with appointments under President George Bush and other white presidents. Mr. President it’s too little, too late!! Ima can hardly wait until the 2016 election so we can make some progress, it’s very clear we ain’t got nothing going with this guy.

Ima calls it self-hatred; yep Obama has a self-hatred for the Black part of him. Think about it!!!

IMA’S MAILBAG Dear Ima, Something happened to me last week that I want you to tell all your people to tell all of their people about. Looking back, I know dis ain’t no new trick.

Scamming been ‘round for a long time. Dey wuz-dese ladies, so friendly and nice, talking about Black sisters sticking together and helping each other.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Dis is de way it started. I was in a small parking lot where I had jus come out of de store. A lady (younger one) came up to me and said that she had been calling me cause de lady in de store. A lady (younger one) came up to me and said that she had been calling me cause de lady in de store told her she thought I had dropped this package. I told her that it wasn’t mine. Another lady (older) that I hadn’t seen earlier showed up.

The first lady showed the package to both of us and suggested we open it together. She unzipped it and there were lots of large bills and lottery tickets and a note saying, “the police have already been paid off and this is your part.”

I should have gotten away from them as soon as I told them that I hadn’t lost anything. The nightmare unfolded and I ended up being a great loser. I didn’t realize until later that the two were working together and had a smooth, smart play worked out.

This was a classic “pigeon drop” scam as I found out when I made a police report.

Ima, please tell lots of folks so they wont get caught up in being the sucker that I was.

Sincerely, Hattie Lou

7

COMMUNITY CALENDAR FREE MARQUETTE BANK EVENTS: On Saturday, May 4, Marquette Bank will host a Free Home Financing Open House at the Marquette Bank located at 234 N. Bolingbrook Drive in Bolingbrook from 10 am until 1 pm. Attendees will have a chance to ask Scott Bingham, a Marquette Bank mortgage specialist, questions and see if he can help with obtaining financing for their new or current homes. The event is open to the public. For more information, call 708-873-8663. On Tuesday, May 7, Marquette Bank will host a Free Mortgage Seminar at the Marquette Bank located at 6316 S. Western Avenue in Chicago.

The seminar will cover information about the mortgage loan process, including loan applications and requirements. The workshop will be held from 5 pm until 6:30 pm. The event is open to the public. To register, call 773-918-4568. On Wednesday, May 8, Marquette Bank will host a Free Business Lending Open House at the Marquette Bank located at 1876 W. Airport Road in Romeoville from 5 pm until 7 pm.

Attendees will have a chance to ask Brandon Bauer, a Marquette Bank commercial lender, questions and see if he can help with obtaining financing for their businesses. The event is open to the public. To register, call 815-609-3219. On Friday, May 10, Marquette Wealth Management will host a Free “Spring into Action” Financial Open House at the Marquette Bank, located at 7560 W. 159th Street in Orland Park. Spring is the time for renewal and regrowth and now is your chance to meet a Marquette Bank wealth management advisor and see how they can help you plan for the future, grow your wealth and achieve your financial goals. Everyone is welcome to attend this free open house, which runs from 2 pm until 5 pm. Refreshments will be served. To register, call 708614-4720. Seating is limited.

IN FOCUS ON CAN TV GUN VIOLENCE: Gun Violence: Chicago Under Fire will air Saturday, May 4 at 4 pm on CAN TV19 and online. A Sip of Inspiration host Stephanie Wilson-Coleman interviews Ameena Matthews, Cure Violence, Marshaun Bacon, YouthGuidance.org, and Rev. Gwindol P. Tate of R.I.S.E. ministries about their efforts to reduce gun violence in Chicago.

Gun Violence: Examining Public Health Solutions will air on Sunday, May 5 at 12 pm on CAN TV21. Examining gun violence as a disease, Tio Hardiman, Cure Violence, Dr. Carl Bell, UIC, and Rebecca Levin, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, explore treatments and ways to prevent it from spreading. It will be hosted by the UIC School of Public Health.

tion of choreographer Lar Lubovitch’s 70th birthday in 2013, The Joffrey Ballet’s season concludes this spring with the return of the native Chicagoan’s three-act dance, Othello.

Set to a score by Oscar® winner Elliot Goldenthal, Othello uses an amalgam of classical ballet and modern dance to tell the dramatic story of the Venetian Moor, Othello, his beloved Desdemona and the conniving Iago, in a vibrant tale of passion, jealousy, ambition and betrayal. Live orchestral accompaniment is provided by The Chicago Philharmonic, led by Joffrey Music Director Scott Speck. The performances, held only at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress Parkway, will conclude on Sunday, May 5. For more information about The Joffrey and its programs visit www.joffrey.org.

ANNUAL GOODCITY GALA: On Wednesday, May 8th, Goodcity, CRM Events and Sean B. Harden, President and CEO of Goodcity, will team up to continue to make a difference in our communities at the Annual Goodcity Gala. It will be held at the Skyline Loft, 1200 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609. The VIP Reception is 5:30 pm and general admission is at 6:30 pm. The Master of Ceremonies is Art Norman, NBC5 Chicago and the Honorary Gala Chair is Governor Pat Quinn.

For more information call 773-4734790 or visit www.goodcitychicago.org.

THE PRESENCE OF ABSENCE EXHIBIT AT THE HAIRPIN GALLERY AT LOGAN SQUARE: Northwestern University Department of Radio/TV/Film Professors Dave Tolchinsky and Debra Tolchinsky have curated the Contemporary Arts Council 13th annual exhibition, The Presence of Absence at the Hairpin Arts Center in Logan Square. Participants include: Iñigo ManglanoOvalle, Christopher Baker, Melika Bass, Laurie Palmer, Paola Cabal, Katarina Weslien, Robert Chase Heishman, and Brendan Meara.

The Hairpin Arts Center is located at 2800 N. Milwaukee Avenue, 2nd floor, Chicago 60618; www.hairpinartscenter.org. The exhibit runs from May 6 to June 2, 2013. The opening reception is Friday, May 10, 5 pm – 7 pm. A Curators and Artists Talk will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2 pm – 3 pm. All events are open to the public. Gallery hours are Wednesdays 12 noon – 3 pm, Fridays 5 pm - 9:30pm, Saturdays 2 pm - 9:30 pm, and Sundays 2 pm – 5 pm. For more information please contact Shari Schlachter at 312-5027264 or email shari@hairpinartscenter.-org.

with free kid-friendly art making activities for the whole family—or as a way for dads to give moms a break by getting the kids out of the house for the afternoon. Also on Sunday, May 12 from 3 pm to 5 pm, the Hyde Park Art Center invites you to join the artists Shannon Kerrigan, Christopher Michlig, Patrick McDonough, Sarah Nishiura, Andrew Rigsby, Hans Sundquist, and Stacia Yeapanis in celebrating their work in the new exhibition Abstracting the Seam, an exhibition surveying the influence of quilting techniques and practices on emerging artists working in a variety of media. On Monday, May 13, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, the Hyde Park Art Center hosts an adult student open art lab in the gallery, where participants will be able to draw or sculpt from a live horse model. Reservations are requested; BYO art materials. The Hyde Park Art Center is located at 5020 South Cornell Avenue in Chicago. For more information call 773-324-5520 or visit www.hydeparkart.org.

KRAFT FREE FAMILY NIGHT: Come to the Chicago Children’s Museum every Thursday evening for Kraft Free Family Nights, when admission is free for all! Groups of 15 or more must pre-register their visit.

(Continued on page 16)

COMMISSIONER BARBARA MCGOWAN (right), Vice President of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) was recently presented with the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC) of the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council President’s Award. Joyce Johnson, Chair of the MBEIC presented the award and stated that Vice President McGowan received the 2013 President’s Special Recognition Award which is bestowed on an individual committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion within the private or public sector.

Extended Coverage Do you treasure your nicest things, your wedding silver, your engagement ring, other jewelry?

Many of us do. But if you have had them a number of years, it may be wise to take the time to re-evaluate your valuables.

***

*** What’s happened is that the cost of gold, silver and gems have skyrocketed in recent years. And the gold bracelet that cost $300 when gold was $35 an ounce is worth a whole lot more now.

Milton E. Moses

Revalue, reappraise. You’ll be amazed at how much you have.

Then see us 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.

*** If you’re counting on your homeowner’s policy to cover your valuables, know your policy limits. Typically, they are $1,000 for jewelry, watches and furs (combined), $2,000 for guns and $2,500 for silverware and gold. ***

JOFFREY BALLET’S OTHELLO CLOSES MAY 5: In celebra-

HYDE PARK ART CENTER EVENTS: On Sunday, May 12, from 1 pm to 4 pm, the Hyde Park Art Center celebrates Mother’s Day

What you need is a valuable personal property policy that covers an aggregate of smaller pieces and/or a personal articles floater that covers specific items worth more than $500 each and goes anywhere you—or your valuables—go.

8

Saturday, May 4, 2013

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

The Chicago Crusader

BUSINESS

New Efforts to Curb the ‘Debt Trap’ of Payday Lending

By Charlene Crowell NNPA Columnist The small-dollar loans that generate long-lasting debt for consumers and cost them billions of dollars each year are drawing the active attention of legislators and regulators alike. On April 24, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a white paper on payday loans made by storefronts and by banks. Despite years of bank efforts to portray themselves as anything but payday lenders, the CFPB strips them of that cover.

According to CFPB Director Richard Cordray, “What we found is there is not much difference from the consumer’s perspective, between payday loans and deposit advance loans. They have similar purposes and, as it turns out, similar usage by consumers.”

At the same time, three members of Congress – Congressional Black Caucus Members Elijah Cummings D-(MD) and John Conyers (D-Mich.) were joined by Oregon’s Rep. Suzanne Bonamici in urging federal regulators to take action on bank payday loans.

“We urge you to take meaningful joint regulatory action to ensure that no bank, regardless of its prudential regulator, traps borrowers in high-cost payday loans,” the members said in a statement. “Our constituents, and consumers everywhere, deserve better from our

nation’s financial institutions.”

The following day, two regulators, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced new regulatory actions to address potential consumer risks associated with the products as well as the safety and soundness of operations. The two regulators’ actions are very similar, focusing on a borrower’s ability to repay while meeting ongoing expenses, safe and sound underwriting, and limiting the numbers of loans.

According to Thomas J. Curry, OCC Comptroller, “We have significant concerns regarding the misuse of deposit advance products.”

OCC supervises all national banks and federal savings associations with combined assets of $10.1 trillion, representing 71 percent of total U.S. commercial banking assets, according to its most recent annual report.

Similarly, FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg said, “The proposed supervisory guidance released today reflects the serious risks that certain deposit advance products may pose to financial institutions and their customers.”

FDIC insures deposits in more than 7,000 banks and savings associations.

According to CFPB’s findings, these actions could benefit about 12 million households that borrow

Charlene Crowell payday loans each year, a potential reduction in the $7 billion in annual fees that are generated by more than 18,200 payday storefronts across the country.

CFPB’s report examined 15 million payday loans made during a 12-month period, covering more than 90 percent of the market. Both storefront and bank versions exposed consumers to the risk of being caught in a revolving door of debt. What was sold as a short-term bridge became an expensive, longterm loan. Risky loan structure, loose lending standards, sustained usage and accompanying high costs were cited as characteristics of both products.

According to the report, 75 per-

cent of storefront payday lending revenue is derived from borrowers taking out 10 or more loans a year.

For 68 percent of these borrowers, their annual income is $30,000 or less.

Among the findings: Nearly one-in-four borrowers received government assistance or benefits such as Social Security, disability, unemployment or welfare benefits; The average borrower took 11 loans in the 12-month period, paying $574 in fees for $392 in credit; and Despite lender attempts to reject the use of an annual percentage rate (APR), a two-week loan with a $15 fee per $100 borrowed is actually a 391 percent APR. On banks’ deposit advance loans, CFPB also found that: Borrowers usually had much lower average balances than other bank customers, suggesting a smaller financial cushion to cover unexpected shortfalls; Nearly two-thirds of consumers also incurred additional fees such as overdraft or non-sufficient funds; The annual percentage rate (APR) of interest was 304 percent; and Most borrowers remained in debt for at least 149 days.

Commenting on these findings, Director Cordray said, “We want to make sure that consumers can get the credit they need without jeopardizing or undermining their fi-

nances. Debt traps should not be part of their financial futures.”

Earlier this month and in an effort to heighten Capitol Hill awareness of payday lending’s debt trap, Congressman Conyers convened a briefing that included representatives from the NAACP, Native Community Finance, Consumer Federation of America, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Center for Responsible Lending.

Also this month, CRL and National People’s Action delivered to regulators more than 150,000 petitions urging the officials to crack down on high-cost payday lending.

Also part of the petition drive were CREDO and Green America and Americans for Financial Reform.

For more than a decade, payday lending has been a centerpiece of the Center for Responsible Lending’s policy efforts. The new CFPB findings strengthen earlier independent research by CRL. Commenting on CFPB’s findings, Uriah King, CRL’s vice-president of state policy, said, “This white paper affirms our long-standing critique of payday lending. The debt trap of payday loans is now official.”

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

15th Anniversary Child Care Expo set for late Spring The 15th Anniversary Child Care Business Expo, presented by the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), will be held on

15th Anniversary event brings together child care providers, experts and advocates to celebrate and accelerate the industry.

ness,” and presented in Spanish and English, the Child Care Business Expo is a full day of real life solutions to current business challenges. Child

A CHILD CARE BUSINESS Expo vendor explains its company’s services and how they can be of assistance to child care businesses.

Themed “Gear Up for Growth: care entrepreneurs will learn from Saturday, June 1, from 7 a.m. to 5 Marketing and Money Strategies peers and top leaders in the business p.m., at the UIC Forum, 725 W. that Work for Your Child Care Busi- side of child care. The Expo is the Roosevelt Road in Chicago. The The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

only event of its kind—providing everything for child care entrepreneurs to grow from the ground up or expand their established businesses.

Highlights of the Expo include the annual Applause Awards Breakfast, featuring awardees including Peg Dunne Pavelec, owner of Little Inspirations and Fast Track Award winner; Teresa Gomez, owner of Wonderland Home Day Care and Wonderland Day Care Center and Unsung Hero Award winner; Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Friend of Child Care Award winner; and Arabel Alva Rosales, president and CEO of AAR & Assocs., LTD. and Child Care Champion Award winner. Kimberlee Burt, owner of A Child’s Space, and Patty Kryscha of Southwest Airlines will serve as Expo Co-Chairs and will welcome attendees at the breakfast.

The Gear Up for Growth Luncheon will highlight a dynamic conversation with child care experts, including representatives from Illinois Action for Children, discussing the future of child care in Illinois. An Exhibit Hall with over 60 booths featuring insurance vendors, bankers, child care associations, state regulatory agencies for the industry, represenSaturday, May 4, 2013

tatives in women’s health and wellness, educational products and curriculum vendors and PowerCorners featuring interactive sessions will provide valuable resources in one convenient place. Closing out the 15th Anniversary Expo will be a reception, bringing together attendees to network and celebrate the WBDC’s 15th Anniversary of supporting the child care industry.

Deluxe Corporation Foundation and Robert R. McCormick Foundation are Premier Sponsors of the 15th Anniversary Child Care Business Expo. The Expo is also supported by Citi, Discover, J&J Exhibitors Service, Southwest Airlines, The Turner Construction Company Foundation and Walgreens. Media sponsors include Hoy, Lawndale News, LaRaza, myhabanero.com, NBC5, Negocios Now, Radio Cosmos, Telemundo, WVON Radio and Neighborhood Parents Network.

The cost to attend, including breakfast and lunch, is $35 prior to May 15. For more information and to register online, please visit www.WBDC.org or call 312-8533477, ext. 290.

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20 Years of Honoring 1

Heroes in the ‘Hood held its annual reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, April 18 at the DuSable Mu ing and rewarding teens and teen groups from economically disadvantaged Chicago neighborhoods, who give ba “Honoring Chicago Teens Who Give & Serve” was the theme youth applicants, school representatives, city off founders of Heroes in the ‘Hood, GO Airport Express, Chicago Crusader and the DuSable Museum. The even moving to the awards ceremony.

Established in 1993, Heroes in the ‘Hood has honored more than 600 Chicago teens for donating their time a categories; the “Honored Role Model” award for inspiring others through their impressive careers and commitm make a community a safer place for teens.

Additional supporters of the 20th Heroes in the ‘Hood included The Chicago White Sox, WVON-AM 1690,

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DOROTHY LEAVELL WITH group nominees: Christina Lufrano, Counselor and teen members representing Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep 11th and 12th Grade Topics & Literature Classes for “Power, Poverty & Pursuit of Change” Event.

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4 STOP THE VIOLENCE nominees with John McCarthy, president, GO Airport Express; Sue Garza, Jane Adams Bully Patrol; Lynette Tensley, Chicago Youth Centers; ABC Polk Bros.; Hilda Marshall, Kelly Hall Branch YMCA; Donna J. Rogers, Jr., Founder, House of Prima Donnas; Angela Hunt, Asst. Principal, Richard J. Daley Academy; Tiffany Hightower, Youth and Community Advocate; Greater Roseland Safety Networks Coalition; D’Andre Weaver, Principal, Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep Academy, and Dorothy Leavell, publisher, Chicago Crusader Newspaper.

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

The Chicago Crusader

g Chicago Teens Who Give and Serve

useum of African American History. This year’s event celebrates 20 years of recognizack to the community in order to make it a better place to live. ficials, aldermen, media, community leaders and other VIPs came together with the ning included a reception in the Harold Washington Skylight Exhibition Hall before

and talent to their communities. In addition to the teen awards, there are two adult ment to helping others and the “Stop the Violence” award for extraordinary efforts to University of Chicago Urban Health Initiative, AT&T, and Self Pro.

SPONSORS WITH FIRST place winners in individual category (lr): Queing Jones, Tresa Reynolds (Al Raby High School), Dorothy Leavell, Jacques Agbobly (Stockton Elementary), and John McCarthy.

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Jane Adams Elementary “The Bully Patrol” – 1st place group winners.

Students from the Jane Adams Elementary “Bully Patrol” at the reception.

Honored Role Model recipients, Ken Rapier, President, Chicago Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Attendees at the reception before awards ceremony.

20th Annual Heroes in the Hood attendees (l-r): Willie Cochran, 20th Ward Alderman, John McCarthy, President, Go Airport Express; and three Honored Role Model winners, Ken Rapier, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.; Jennie Betton, Metropolitan Family Services; and Regina Taylor, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Award Winning Actress and Playwright; Dorothy Leavell, Publisher, Chicago Crusader; and a guest.

6. Recognizing individual category winners (l-r): John McCarthy, 3rd place, Ian Brock, Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men; 2nd Place, Kristen Lang; Percy L. Julian High School; Dorothy Leavell; and Queing Jones, Outreach Director, DuSable Museum.

7. Alvyn Walker (center) winner of the “Stop the Violence” award with Dorothy Leavell and John McCarthy.

8. Regina Taylor and Alderman Willie Cochran.

9. D’Andre Weaver, Principal of Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep.

10. The Chicago “DODO” Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

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10 The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Saturday, May 4, 2013

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ENTERTAINMENT

The NEW Four-One-One

By Raymond Ward Entertainment Editor GOLDEN OLDIE!: Eight-time Grammy Award winning jazz icon Herb Alpert and his wife the internationally renowned Grammy Award winning singer Lani Hall, return to Chicago for “An Evening with Herb Alpert & Lani Hall” at the Park West on June 2nd at 7:30 PM. The duo will perform songs from their next album Steppin Out which will be released later this year. The program will also include a jazz set and American songbook favorites: “Puttin on the Ritz,” “ And The Angels Sing,” “Anything Goes,” “Moondance,” “La Vie en Rose,” plus a nostalgic Tijuana Brass medley. Also within the set will be some Brazilian songs and an Antonio Carlos Jobim medley.

“Few people can claim to be a Renaissance man in this complex age but Herb Alpert, the jazz-pop trumpeter and co-founder of A&M Records, might be one of them,” says The New York Times. The legendary trumpeter Herb Alpert is a Grammy award, platinum-selling musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist and philanthropist.

He is perhaps best known for his string of sensational, popular music

ENTERTAINMENT: CHICAGO STYLE

By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ

Melvin Van Peebles graces hometown to accept Baadasssss Award How cool could it be to walk down North Western Avenue with the one and only Melvin Van Peebles? Such was the life the night of April 20, when I showed up at the Constellation nightclub to see Van Peebles accept the CIMMFEST’s Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, which was renamed The Baadasssss Award this year, in honor of Van Peebles.

Van Peebles and a small entourage, including members of his band “widLaxative,” had just completed a sound check and were on their way to the Underbar to hang out with fans and fest goers at a small reception before the awards program. So we all just gathered and hung out in the bar for about 45 minutes, listening to Van Peebles as fans brought all manner of items for him to autograph. Later, Van Peebles, who was once an Air Force navigator, a San Francisco cable car operator, and a floor trader at the American Stock Exchange, was in rare form while being interviewed by WBEZ's Richard Steele. He talked about the history of his trailblazing, socio-politically-infused and much heralded film “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” (1971), which was being screened along with other Van Peebles’ films—“The Story of a

Three-Day Pass,” “Don’t Play Us,” and “Cinq cent balles”, plus a documentary about Van Peebles called “How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)”— during the three-day festival. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, (SSBS) is the story of a Los Angeles male sex worker, played by Van Peebles, who intervenes when police are beating a Black activist. He beats the cops so severely and spends the rest of the movie on the run and having ‘explicit’ sex with every woman along the way. Now the ‘explicit’ and other themes in this movie earned it an “X” rating back in

the day. Van Peebles says that he thought other movies, made well before his SSBS should have been X-rated. He said he was merely speaking to the standard Black stereotypes of the time — Black male sexuality, poverty, etc. But movies that featured Stepin Fetchit and others were the highest form of racism and more toxic, Van Peebles said. “I was tired of seeing us go to the lynch mob with a Bible and hymns,” he said.

“I took every Black stereotype and turned it on its head [with Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song].” His work impressed Gil (Continued on page 13)

RICHARD STEELE, WBEZ, and Melvin Van Peebles before the awards ceremony.

Herb Alpert & Lani Hall hits in the 1960’s with the Tijuana Brass and co-founded, with Jerry Moss, A&M Records, one of the most successful independent record labels in music history.

“Lani Hall is a charismatic singer with a controlled passion and a point of view evident in her deliveries,” says Cabaret Scenes magazine.

Born and raised in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, Hall is internationally celebrated for her emotional vocal interpretations and is well recognized as the solo voice on the sound track to the 1983 James Bond film, “Never Say Never Again.” Hall was lead singer for Sergio Mendes’s group, Brasil ‘66 and won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance for her album “Es Facil Amar” in 1986. She is also a prolific lyricist and author of “Emotional Memories & Short Stories,” a collection of fiction and non-fiction primarily set in Chicago.

“An Evening with Herb Alpert & Lani Hall” comes to the Park West, located at 322 West Armitage Ave in Chicago on June 2nd at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $45 per person and to order tickets please call ETix at 1-800-514-3849 or visit etix.com. Tickets are also available at the Park West Box Office, Monday thru Friday from 10:00 AM to 4;45 PM and on the evening of the concert (cash only!)

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

MELVIN VAN PEEBLES performs with his band “wid Laxative” at CIMMFEST. Photos by John “Nunu” Zomot.

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

The Chicago Crusader

ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT: CHICAGO STYLE (Continued from page 12) Scott-Heron and ex-Black Panther Party member, Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush. “He [Rush] told me that I made being revolutionary hip, but movies that came after SSBS like ‘Superfly’ made being a drug dealer hip.”

Van Peebles shared with audience members that while he couldn’t get Hollywood backing for SSBS, Hollywood took notice and therein was the birth of the Blaxploitation era. “Shaft was originally slated to have a white cast,” he said. But that quickly changed after SSBS, which originally opened in only two theaters, broke indie film box office records.

“Blaxploitation is the bastard child of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” he said. To get money to fund the movie, Van Peebles released the soundtrack first, which was anchored by Earth, Wind and Fire. “My secretary was dating one of the members of the group, and she introduced me to the band,” Van Peebles said, while joking about a longtime rumor that EW&F have never been paid. He

also said that comedian Bill Cosby loaned him money for the movie. In addition to seeing SSBS that weekend, which I had never seen in its “eye- popping” entirety, I also saw “Don’t Play Us Cheap (1973),” which was written as a Broadway musical. It follows a pair of extraterrestrials, a devil and an imp to be exact, who assume human form and attempt to crash and burn a Harlem house party. They aren't quite prepared for the resistance they meet from the locals, however.

The gist of the movie, which stars Esther Rolle, Mabel King and Avon Long, is that Black folks are determined to party on the weekend—no matter what! Finally, before performing the Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song theme song and others with his band, Van Peebles told stories about growing up in Chicago and said that he was excited to return home to receive the honor and even happier that he had a part in naming the award. At the age of 80, he continues to embrace his renegade status. “I am a troublemaker,” he said. “But I don’t mind.”

The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Saturday, May 4, 2013

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WORLD OF MUSIC

By Barbara Wright-Pryor

CSO to explore rivers-influenced music through recitals, chamber and orchestral concerts (Part II – continued from last week) The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association’s (CSOA) multiweek, multi-genre festival entitled RIVERS: Nature. Power. Culture. will include CSO concerts, chamber music performances, jazz and other presentations that will delve deeply into the conversation about the connections between natural environment and cultural heritage. During the festival, the CSOA will lead a conversation among nearly 20 Chicago institutions in examining the significance of rivers in music and culture, the impact they have had throughout history and their importance.

As reported in last week’s article, the Rivers Festival will open with performances featuring Rimsky-Ko-

rsakov’s “Sheherazade” and Florence Price’s “The Mississippi River” Suite conducted by Mei-Ann Chen from May 9 through May 14.

The pre-concert lectures for the May 9, 11 and 14 programs will be presented by yours truly, Barbara Wright-Pryor, President of Chicago Music Association, Br. No. 1, NANM, Inc., the organization that Florence Price joined after relocating to Chicago during “The Great Migration” in 1927. It is significant to note that “They Seek a City,” an exhibit on the mass exodus of Blacks from the south in search of a better way of life, is currently on display at The Art Institute of Chicago, just across the street from Symphony Center.

The Friday, May 10 and Sunday, May 12 “Beyond the Score” concerts presented by Gerard McBurney,

CSO Artistic Advisor and creative director of that highly successful multimedia series, will focus on Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Sheherazade” inspired by the daring adventures of Sinbad found in the exciting tales comprising “The Arabian Nights.”

Saturday, May 18, the CSO will host a RIVERS Symposium Day, bringing together some of today’s most fascinating scholars to explore the physical, economic, political, and cultural forces exerted by rivers through a sequence of conversations and music. Using the Mississippi and the Amazon as case studies, panels of historians, artists and engineers will bring richly contextualized understanding of the dependence that our art form and its audience have on the earth’s rivers.

Participants in the panel discussions include Yo-Yo Ma (CSO Jud-

son and Joyce Green Creative Consultant), John Briscoe (Professor of the Practice of Environmental Engineering and Director of the Water Security Initiative at Harvard University), David Blackbourn (Professor of History at Vanderbilt University), Dr. Jerome Delli Priscoli (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), and ethnomusicologist Michael Silvers of UCLA. The conversations will be moderated by Jerome McDonnell, host of “Worldview” on WBEZ. Interwoven between the conversations will be musical performances of pieces that trace their origins to rivers. Featured performers include Yo-Yo Ma, Brazilian-American composer and pianist Clarice Assad, and bass-baritone Daniel Henry. Joining them are CSO members: Assistant

place at the newly- built Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 East 60th St..

$15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased through the HPSI office (by calling 773.643.1388 or stopping by 5500 S. Woodlawn), or through the Logan Center box office online at ticketsweb.uchicago.edu. Tickets may also be purchased at the door with cash and check only on the day of the concert.

Tickets to Ravinia’s 2013 summer season went on public sale for the first time at 5:00 am Thursday, April 25, exclusively at Ravinia.org.

Ravinia will present more than 100 concerts from June 6 through September 15, including the annual summer residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Pavilion tickets to all CSO concerts this year are only $25.

Concertmaster Yuan-Qing Yu, violin Hermine Gagné and Assistant Principal Viola Li-Kuo Chang.

Pre-concert lectures/conversations begin one hour before concerts. The Symposium Day begins at 10:00 am on the Armour Stage at Symphony Center (220 S. Michigan Ave.).

General admission tickets are $5.

Visit cso.org or the Box Office in person, or call 312-294-3000 for concert times, tickets or further information.

Ravinia tickets now available Hyde Park Suzuki Institute presents ‘Voila! Violins’ online for the 2013 summer season Sunday, May 5, 2013, at 3:00 pm, violin and viola students ages 3 and up from the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute (HPSI) will perform in concert in small and large groups. HPSI performers will be joined by special guest artists from Northwestern Strings and HPSI alumni Mira and Ade Williams. This performance will take

Free parking is available in the Wells lot, just west of the Logan Center, all day Sunday.

Tickets are FREE for children and

Lang Lang

Hyde Park Suzuki Institute students

International Beethoven Project presents pianist Christopher O’Riley The International Beethoven Project will present pianist Christopher O’Riley for one night only on Monday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Merit School of Music’s Joy Faith Knapp Music Center, 38 S. Peoria St. in the West Loop.

O’Riley will play selections from his new album “O’Riley’s Liszt” that delves into the works of Franz Liszt with O’Riley adding his own touches and insight to the music of Mozart, Wagner, Berlioz, Schubert and Schumann.

“We especially admire O’Riley’s ability to embody so many significant roles—from his inspiring work with brilliant young musicians as host of NPR’s From the Top to his transcriptions of mod14

Christopher O’Riley Saturday, May 4, 2013

ern rock artists and now, Liszt’s fiendishly difficult transcriptions for solo piano,” said President and Artistic Director George Lepauw.

In the spirit of O’Riley’s promotion of young musicians, the International Beethoven Project will showcase Merit School of Music student groups at 6:00 pm on May 13, prior to O’Riley’s concert. The student performance is free and open to the public.

sell Sherman at the New England Conservatory of Music.

From early in his career O’Riley was honored with many awards at the Leeds, Van Cliburn, Busoni and Montreal competitions, as well as an Avery Fisher Career Grant. O’Riley studied with Rus-

Tickets $15 for general admission and $50 for VIP priority seating that includes a post-concert reception. For tickets or information, visit internationalbeethovenproject.com.

Merit School of Music transforms the lives of Chicago-area youth by providing the highest quality music education—with a focus on underserved communities—inspiring young people to achieve their full musical and personal potential. Duffie A. Adelson, is President of the Merit School. Visit meritmusic.org for more information.

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Anita Baker The season will feature more than 80 debuts by such artists as Josh Groban, OneRepublic, Journey, Heart and Matchbox 20 sharing the bill with the Goo Goo Dolls. Returning favorites include The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra from Temple Square, piano superstar Lang Lang, Sting, Sheryl Crow, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma and Anita Baker.

Ravinia will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of its on-campus summer conservatory, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, this season.

For the complete season schedule or online ticket sales, visit ravinia.org. Phone sales will begin on May 20 at 847 266-5100.

Tony Bennett The Chicago Crusader

SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING

Concert celebrates Christ Universal pastor’s anniversary Members of Christ Universal Temple Church and other Chicagoans were treated to a concert featuring some of notable voices in Gospel music, including Kim Stratton, Joshua’s Troop, Fred Nelson III and the Christ Universal Tempe Ensemble. Pastor DeAndre Patterson hosted the event.

The concert, “The Kingdom Experience Gospel Concert, at Christ Universal Temple, was in commemoration of the Rev. Derrick B. Wells’ second anniversary as senior minister there. Christ Universal is at 11901 S. Ashland Ave. Other church organizations were invited. A group of participants induced the Grammy-nomi-

nated choirs from Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

Sr. Assistant Minister the Rev. Gaylon McDowell said the concert is “a way of coming together, first of all to worship God, and secondly to fellowship.” He added the concert is planned as an annual event tied to the pastor’s anniversary.

The recent Kingdom Experience was the first one and drew about 500 people, despite bad weather, McDowell said. It is a way of giving the community a free concert. Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church choir sang at the event.

THE CHRIST UNIVERSAL TEMPLE Ensemble Choir was among the featured performers during the church’s first concert celebrating the second year anniversary of its pastor.

KIM STRATTON WHOSE work has been nominated for several industry awards mesmerized the audience of approximately 500 worshipers with old and new offerings.

THE MUSICIAL DIRECTOR of Christ Universal Temple, Fred Nelson III was among the featured artists at the church’s recent concert in honor of the Rev. Dr. Derrick Wells.

CHRIST UNIVERSAL TEMPLE’S own Joshua’s TROOP led a spirited and spirit-filled segment that showed the diverse range of the singer’ talents.

The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

PASTOR DeANDRE PATTERSON of Destiny Worship Center not only served as master of ceremonies for the Christ Universal Temple’s recent concert, he also engaged the audience with song.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

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Illinois gamblers shut out (Cont’d from page 3) gambling friendly state and he believes the state is going to lose even more money if they keep messing around with the ADW bill.

“I personally enjoy coming here or going to the track itself when I do my betting because I like the interaction with the people; like the tellers, the wait staff or fellow gamblers,” Foster said. “But in Chicago, during the winter months, it is a heck of a lot easier to just go online from my house and do my wagering. Why our politicians don’t recognize this is beyond me. They are running people and businesses out of this state

because they can’t get their act together in Springfield.”

Other people Crusader spoke with at the OTB facility in suburban Crestwood had similar thoughts. Ronald Sams of Harvey said he has been gambling on horses his whole life.

He said he stopped going to the track when online betting was introduced in Illinois. He plays the horses five days a week and said having to drive to Crestwood to play is aggravating and more expensive.

“I’m spending money on gas to drive over here; of course you’re not going to sit here and not eat so you spend money on food and I have to deal with the

HOUSES FOR SALE

noise of this place,” Sams said.

“I prefer to be able to kick my feet up at home in front of my TV and computer and play the day’s race card. I can’t believe it has been four months and still nothing. It’s typical Illinois politics.”

COMMUNITY CALENDAR (Cont’d from page 8) Transportation is available for qualified non-profit organizations. Pre-register your group visits by calling the Chicago Children’s Museum at 312464-8249 or send email to SonjaM@chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

Worrill’s World (Cont’d from page 6) Blacks should control the politics and politicians in our own community... The eco-

nomic philosophy of Black Nationalism must be designed to re–educate our community to the importance of control-

ling the economy in which we live by owning and operating the businesses. The social philosophy of Black nationalism is we must become socially mature enough to realize the responsibility on us to elevate the conditions and standards of our community to a higher level.”

6. Malcolm X linked the Black struggle in this country with the struggle of African people around the world.

7. Malcolm helped shape Black peoples pride in themselves and by so doing, he exposed, by teaching, that the greatest crime of white people was they taught us to hate ourselves. It was Malcolm’s spirit that generated the Black Pride, Black Studies, and Black Power phases of our movement.

So, on the one hand, Malcolm helped internationalize our struggle and on the other hand, he linked it up to the mass struggle and issues that faced our people in America.

By taking this approach, Malcolm was able to provide a basis for the continued historical efforts to build worldwide African unity.

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE TO: DEMARCUS PLEDGE AND/OR UNKNOWN FATHER OF A FEMALE CHILD BORN ON THE 26TH DAY OF MARCH, 2012; IN THE STATE OF IOWA. THE MOTHER OF THIS CHILD IS MCKANZIE BREWER. You are notified that there is now on file in the office of the Clerk of Court for Muscatine County, a petition to terminate parental rights in case number JV005647 which asks that your parental rights be terminated as it relates to your child born on the 26th day of March, 2012, in the State of Iowa. For further details contact the clerk’s office. The petitioner’s attorney is Oubonh White, Assistant Muscatine County Attorney, Muscatine County Attorney’s Office, 420 East Third Street, Muscatine, IA 52761, 563-263-0382.

You are notified that there will be a hearing on the petition to terminate parental rights before the Iowa Juvenile Court for Muscatine County, at the Courthouse in Muscatine, IA on the 9th day of May, 2013, at 9:00 o’clock a.m.

You are further notified that unless on or before this time and date of hearing, you appear, or, you serve, and within a reasonable time thereafter file, a written special appearance, motion or answer, in the above-named Court at the Courthouse in Muscatine, IA, judgment by default will be rendered finding your parental rights to be terminated as demanded in the Petition.

You are further notified that you are entitled to be represented by an attorney. If you are unable to employ counsel, you may apply to have counsel appointed by filling out an affidavit of your financial situation. You should do this immediately.

Dates of Publication: 5/4,5/11,5/17

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Jeff Tollenaer Clerk of the Juvenile Court Muscatine County Courthouse Muscatine, Iowa 52761

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was filed by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. File No. D13134295 on the 29th day of April 2013 Under the Assumed Name of D.D.C. Distributors, with the business located at 16462 S. Kimbark Ave., South Holland, IL 60473. The true name(s) and residence address of the owner(s) is Dana Hatcher, 16462 S. Kimbark Ave., South Holland, IL 60473.

5/4, 5/11, 5/18

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was filed by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. File No. D13134039 on the 11th day of April 2013 Under the Assumed Name of T.R. Jackson High School, with the business located at 223 Lee St., Park Forest, IL 60466. 1519 W. 79th St., Chicago, IL 60620. The true name(s) and residence address of the owner(s) is Thaddeus L. Pitts, 223 Lee St., Park Forest 60466.

4/26, 5/4, 5/11

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

The Chicago Crusader

HOUSES FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION ONEWEST BANK, FSB (D/B/A FINANCIAL FREEDOM, A DIVISION OF ONEWEST BANK, FSB) Plaintiff, -v.GUILFORD COFIELD A/K/A GUILFORD E. COFIELD, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, CITY OF CHICAGO - DEPARTMENT OF WATER MANAGEMENT Defendants 12 CH 006824 8508 S. PRAIRIE AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60619 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on February 19, 2013, an agent of The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 21, 2013, at the The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive 24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 8508 S. PRAIRIE AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60619 Property Index No. 20-34-315-029. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial sale fee for Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgageeʼs attorney. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiffʼs attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 7949876. Please refer to file number 14-1201651. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 Attorney File No. 14-12-01651 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code.

21762 Case Number: 12 CH 006824 TJSC#: 33-5024 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiffʼs attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I527316

The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Saturday, May 4, 2013

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HOUSES FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO BAC HOME LOANS SERVICING, LP FKA COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS SERVICING, LP Plaintiff, -v.ALFRIEDA R. HULL Defendants 11 CH 002416 534 W. 62ND STREET CHICAGO, IL 60621 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on September 25, 2012, an agent of The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 13, 2013, at the The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive 24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 534 W. 62ND STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60621 Property Index No. 20-16-319-023. The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation.

No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial sale fee for Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgageeʼs attorney.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property.

Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiffʼs attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876. Please refer to file number 14-10-46960. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 Attorney File No. 14-10-46960 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 11 CH 002416 TJSC#: 33-8372 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiffʼs attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

The Chicago Crusader

AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS

After School Matters offer a wealth of opportunities

BROADCASTING PROGRAMS TEACH teens how to create their own videos by giving them hands-on experience developing, editing and filming video projects.

THIS SUMMER, TEENS in the After School Matters AeroStars Aviation Exploration program at Urban Prep Academy for Young Men will visit area airports to learn from industry professionals about the history and technology of aviation. During the program, teens do hands-on experiments and activities including building model airplanes, designing their own airport and learning to fly using a flight simulator.

TEENS IN AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS painting and drawing programs learn the fundamental basics of studio painting including theories of composition, color mixing and drawing skills.

AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS TEENS learn to express themselves creatively through dance programs and gain valuable career readiness skills to prepare them for future work and college opportunities.

The Chicago Crusader

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS teens in the robotics program work on a team to learn the basics of engineering and technology necessary to build their own robot. They then enter their robot in different competitions throughout the city.

AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS CULINARY programs give teens the opportunity to learn and develop skills needed to obtain jobs in the culinary and hospitality industries. Apprentices in these programs gain skills in all aspects of the culinary arts from cake decorating to catering for a large group.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

The Chicago Crusader