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To To The The Unconquerable Unconquerable Host Host of of Africans Africans Who Who Are Are Laying Laying Their Their Sacrifices Sacrifices Upon Upon The The Editorial Editorial Altar Altar For For Their Their Race Race AUDITED BY
•C•P•V•S•
VOLUME LXXIV NUMBER 6—SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014
PUBLISHED SINCE 1940
25 Cents and worth more
Maya Angelou hailed as a Renaissance woman By Glenn Reedus Few Americans—regardless of race or gender—can lay claim to the variety or depth of accomplishments Dr. Maya Angelou achieved during her 86 years. The poet laureate died May 28, at her home in Winston-Salem, NC.
Long before the world knew of her memorable and exquisite style of presenting poetry, the late, internationally-acclaimed jazz singer, Billie Holiday, told Dr. Angelou, “You’re going to be famous, but it won’t be for singing.” Holiday’s prediction was on point, as Dr. Angelou became a favorite of U.S. presi-
Maya Angelou
dents. Former President Bill Clinton named her poet laureate as well as asked her to read one of her original poems at his first inauguration. That poem, “On the Pulse of the Morning,” became a best-seller. Honoring a request by former President George W. Bush, Dr. Angelou attended the 2005 Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the White House and read another of her poems, “Amazing Peace.” In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House.
Upon learning of her death, President Obama said, “When her friend, Nelson Mandela, passed away last year, Maya Angelou wrote that ‘No sun outlasts its sunset, but will rise again and bring the dawn.’ “Today, Michelle and I join millions around the world in remembering one of the brightest lights of our time–a brilliant writer, fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman. Over the course of her remarkable life, Maya was many things: an author, poet, Civil Rights activist, playwright, actress, director, composer, (Continued on page 3)
ALTHOUGH THE PLANNED marriage ceromony was only a fews days away, Charles and Latarua Morris became husband and wife a few days earlier at Advocate Trinity Hospital when Latarua went into labor earlier than expected. (Continued on page 2 )
Englewood native making waves in tennis world By J. Coyden Palmer Once seen as too fat to play tennis by the U.S. Tennis Association, Chicago native, Taylor Townsend, is making people eat their own words as she pulled a first-round upset in the French Open over the Memorial Day weekend in Paris. On Wednesday (May 28) she advanced to the third round by winning in the second round. Ranked #1 girls’ player in the world on the junior circuit, Townsend, 18, grew up on the South Side, and lived in Chatham and Englewood before moving to Boca Raton, Florida when she was 14. Holding her own, she is now playing on the tour with
the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. At Crusader press time, Townsend was preparing for her second-round match-up with France’s Alize Cornet, who is currently ranked #21. With her first year on the senior tour, Townsend came into Roland Garros stadium with a 205 ranking, and while she is happy with the win, she thinks she has more in her. “I have nothing to lose, so I’m just going to go for it,” said Townsend, who is competing in her first-ever grand slam event. In 2012, Townsend won the Australian Open junior title, but later that year, officials at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) did not want her to participate in the U.S. Open because of her “physical (Continued on page 16)
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CHICAGOAN TAYLOR TOWNSEND won her second round match at the French Open Wednesday. Townsend could be the next Serena Williams, in 2012 she ended the season as the #1 ranked junior player in the world.
NEWS
New NAACP President Says Protest in His DNA By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief (SECOND OF TWO ARTICLES)
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – When Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III of Dallas, Texas learned that the NAACP Board of Directors had chosen Cornell William Brooks over him, Attorney Barbara R. Arnwine and several other better known candidates to succeed outgoing president Benjamin Todd Jealous, his response was “Who?” And he wasn’t the only one responding that way. In an interview from Florida, where trustees had just made their selection, a board member who asked not to be identified by name said, “We turned the whole nation into a collection of owls,” he said. “When they learned of our decision, everyone in the country was saying, “Who? Who? Who?” Though he is not among the Who’s Who of national civil rights advocates, Brooks feels his entire life has prepared him to become president and CEO of the NAACP. He graduated from Jackson State University in Mississippi with honors, earned a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in systematic theology from Boston University School of Theology– where Dr. Martin Luther King earned his Ph.D. in the same area of study – and graduated from Yale Law School, serving as a senior editor of the Yale Law Journal and a member of the Yale Law and Policy Review. After serving as a law clerk for Judge Sam J. Irvin III on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Brooks’ first job was as an attorney at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law headed by Barbara Arnwine. He later worked as an attorney for the Justice Department, a senior attorney for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and was executive director of the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington, D.C. His most recent job was as president of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, a Newark-based organization founded in 1999 by the Alan V. and Amy Lowenstein Foundation. According to its website, the institute seeks to expand economic opportunity for people of color and low-come residents; promotes holding local, state and regional government accountable for fulfilling the needs of urban residents and protects the civil rights of the disadvantaged. “When you look at the arc of my career, it has not been singular or linear in focus, but really touched on many of the challenges facing the country – whether it be in business, the criminal justice system, the juvenile justice system, the housing market – so I think I bring a multi-dimensional, multi-disciplined, multifaceted focus on work,” Brooks said. 2
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Cornell William Brooks “That does not make me unique, but perhaps distinctive.” Brooks will need that and more to be successful as the 18th president of the NAACP. The five-page job description developed by The Hollins Group, the NAACP-contracted search firm based in Chicago, noted among the specific job responsibilities: “Work closely with the chairman and the board and be responsible for developing the organization’s U.S. private sector fundraising plan and growing its annual income and membership by 20 per cent. This also will include expanding both staff and operations with an emphasis on building a larger base of private sector support and establishing an endowment.” According to the job description marked “confidential,” the Baltimore-based NAACP has a staff of 100 and an annual budget of $42 million. However, the organization is deeply in debt and recently cut its staff by 7 percent. Brooks has never managed a staff that large. The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice had a total of 19 staff members and a budget of $2.08 million. Its primary income was equally divided between government grants and investments, each bringing in approximately $350,000 annually. According to its IRS Form 990, it had a loss of $421,939 in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2012. Even though it was losing money, Brooks collected base compensation of $227,526, plus $10,437 in retirement and deferred compensation and $3,137 in nontaxable benefits for a total of $241,100, according to the IRS filing. The previous fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, 2011, the institute had a loss of $1,039,154. Despite the million-dollar loss, Brooks’ salary was listed $221,203, plus $23,885 in benefits and deferred compensation and $2,400 in other allowances for a total of $247,488. In addition, four other staffers – his senior counsel, chief operating officer, chief of staff/CFO and director of development – each earned more than $100,000. Beyond the fiscal challenge, the expectation that Brooks can grow membership by 20 percent a year is considered a lofty goal for an organi-
Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks zation that has long fudged its membership numbers. Former NAACP executive directors Roy Wilkins and Benjamin L. Hooks routinely claimed a membership of 500,000. However, the Baltimore Sun did research and found that the NAACP had been claiming a membership of 500,000 since 1946. In 2006, thenpresident Bruce Gordon finally admitted that the figure was less than 300,000, where it still remains today. Brooks seemed confident that he can attract young people to the nation’s oldest – in longevity and by average age of members – civil rights organization. “It’s been my model, if you will, to engage young people, not by deputizing and delegating to them, but charging them with being co-creators of public policy,” he said. “In work I’ve done thus far, we were not engaged in bringing young people to the kiddie table. We bring them to the conference table as co-creators of reform and it works. It’s easy to get people excited about the work when they’re doing the work. They are not, in effect, junior anything in the movement.” At 53, Brooks, who grew up in Georgetown, S.C., feels he is uniquely positioned to serve as a magnet for
Roy Wilkins
Bruce Gordon
young people. “I represent not just the younger end of the Baby Boomer generation, but the older end of the hip-hop generation,” he explained. “In other words, I came of age musically with R&B yet with hip-hop because it was born when I was in college.” When pressed to share his vision for the NAACP, Brooks repeatedly declined, saying that’s something he will present when he addresses the NAACP membership at its July convention in Las Vegas. However, he said clues can be found in his past activities. He has worked on numerous issues including small businesses, civil rights litigation, assisting ex-offenders by getting companies to not ask about past incarceration on employment applications, Black colleges, churches, education, housing, criminal justice issues, training women for nontraditional jobs, and politics. Brooks, who still maintains a house in Virginia, ran for Congress in 1998 as the Democratic nominee for the 10th District in Virginia, but was soundly defeated in the general election by Republican Frank Wolf. He was a member of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s 2010 transition team,
but is quick to add that he was appointed to various local and state posts, including the board of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority, by Democrats as well. “My grandfather, Rev. James Prioleau, in the 40s ran for Congress in the 6th Congressional District of South Carolina,” said Brooks, a fourth-generation ordained minister and an associate pastor at Turner Memorial AME Church in Hyattsville, MD. “He ran for Congress not because he thought he could win, but rather because he wanted to register African Americans to vote and enlist in and engage in the membership of the NAACP. That legacy is part of my moral DNA.” With the upcoming mid-term elections and the passing of voting laws that adversely impact Blacks, some critics worry that Brooks will not be able to hit the ground running when he assumes office in July. However, he strongly disagrees. “I think I am well prepared to do the work,” he said confidently. “I am as confident in my colleagues as I am my own abilities. I don’t think I’ll have any problem hitting the ground running simply because there are a lot of folks running with me.”
Couple gets married in hospital before baby arrives Charles Morris and Latarua Cole had it all planned. They were going to the Chicago Court House to get married on June 5, which would give them plenty of time before their first child was born. But their baby girl had different plans and decided to arrive several weeks early. When Latarua’s water broke, the Chicago couple decided to have their wedding sooner at Advocate Trinity Hospital, 2320 E. 93rd St. in Chicago, inside their private maternity suite on the third floor. On Wednesday, May 28, Morris, 32, and Latarua Cole, 29, had their families as well as a dozen Advocate Trinity Hospital staff attend the short ceremony, officiated by Rev. Dr. Geri Moore of Rose of Light Missionary Baptist Church. The ceremony featured an Advocate Trinity nurse singing an a cappela version of
ADVOCATE TRINITY HOSPITAL staff attend the recent ceremony of Charles Morris and Latarua Cole along with family members in their private maternity suite prior to their first child’s arrival. “It is for Me (What God Has For baby arrived into the world. Me) by the Miami Mass Choir. Latarua Cole’s mother, Betty The couple has been together for Cole, cried throughout the 10minute ceremony standing be12 years. “I’m just happy,” said Morris. hind the couple. “I knew he loved “Latarua is a real and wonderful her and wanted to marry her,” woman.” They both said they said Betty Cole. The baby’s name wanted to be married before the is Chy-Da Ann Marie Morris.
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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NEWS
Nonprofit wins court fight against the city for 911 calls An Illinois Appellate Court has ordered the city of Chicago, who initially refused to comply, to turn over emergency calls to 911 to a West Side organization. The basis of a 2011 lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Central Austin Neighborhood Association (CANA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against the city of Chicago, was that 911 response times are slower in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods than in mostly white areas in the city. The suit, which was filed in Cook County Circuit Court, came after the Office of Emergency Management and Communications denied the organization’s Freedom of Information Act Request to release 911 calls made from the West Side, North Side and Downtown residents. The group appealed their case to the appellate court in January 2014, who recently reversed the lower court’s decision. CANA officials said 911 response
times vary based on neighborhoods and that dispatch times to Austin takes about four minutes and about six minutes on the far South Side (compared to a three minutes in the Loop). By doing so, the group said such a practice violates the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003, which makes it unlawful for the government to provide services in a way that has a disparate, negative effect on any racial group. “We are heartened that our victory, in forcing the city to comply with [a] court order will provide the data necessary to end allocation of police services based on community wealth and political clout,” said Austin residents and lead plaintiffs Ron and Serethea Reid. The city’s response denial to the FOIA request was that it would reveal too much information to criminals about which areas of the city are understaffed. But in rendering its decision the court stated, in part, “courts have the power to order appropriate relief for
(Continued from page 1) singer, and dancer. But above all, she was a storyteller, and her greatest stories were true. “A childhood of suffering and abuse actually drove her to stop speaking, but the voice she found helped generations of Americans find their rainbow amidst the clouds, and inspired the rest of us to be our best selves. In fact, she inspired my own mother to name my sister Maya. Like so many others, Michelle and I will always cherish the time we were privileged to spend with Maya. With a kind word and a strong embrace, she had the ability to remind us that we are all God’s children; that we all have something to offer. And while Maya’s day may be done, we take comfort in knowing that her song will continue, ‘flung up to heaven,’ and we celebrate the dawn that Maya helped bring.” Andrea Zopp, president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, described Dr. Angelou as one who “rose above a life of poverty and abuse to become one of the world’s most beloved and respected writers and speakers. She challenged us to look beyond the characteristics we use to discriminate against one another, and encouraged us to find humanity in everyone. “In a career that spanned several decades, Dr. Angelou’s autobiographies, volumes of poetry and roles on stage and screen enlightened the world. As an activist for women and the disenfranchised, Dr. Angelou inspired us to challenge the status quo and demand equality and access to educational and economic opportunities. “The Chicago Urban League joins the world in mourning her loss. Although she is no longer with us, Dr.
Maya Angelou’s rich legacy of books, poetry, performances and powerful speeches will forever remain a testament to her phenomenal life and career,” Zopp concluded. Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson recalled how Dr. Angelou influenced her life. “I was saddened to hear about the passing of Maya Angelou. As a teen, I was inspired to find my voice after reading ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.’ Many of my personal highlights include multiple opportunities to meet her and to enjoy her renditions of her own work. I will always celebrate her as a voice for all generations.” In 1983, Dr. Angelou was inducted as an honorary member into the international sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Speaking on behalf of the 265,000-member organization, its president, Carolyn House Stewart, related, “Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority mourns the loss of beloved honorary member Maya Angelou.” During the ceremony, she was hailed as a distinguished woman whose works and contributions parallel AKA’s ideals of achievement and service. It is an ideal she maintained throughout her 86 years of life, said Stewart. “Alpha Kappa Alpha extends condolences to the world community, which grieves the loss of this icon,” stated Stewart. She went on to say, “While we lament her passing, we join the world in celebrating her life, which will be forever etched in our minds and in our hearts.” Borrowing a title from one of Dr. Angelou’s poems, Stewart hailed Dr. Angelou as a “phenomenal woman.” “As a poet, author, actress, advocate, humanitarian, and dispenser of wisdom, Maya Angelou inspired and
By Wendell Hutson
the unjustified disparate impact of a city’s administrative practices on certain racial and ethnic groups. No constitutional provision immunizes from judicial review the alleged disparate impact of the city’s administrative methods for responding to 911 calls on distinct racial groups,” the court stated. “The Act establishes standards for courts to use when confronted with allegations of such disparate impact. Accordingly, because the complaint does not present a non-justiciable political question, we reverse the trial court’s judgment and remand for further proceedings in accord with this order.” A spokesman for the city’s Law Department was unavailable for comment. According to Karen Sheley, an attorney representing the CANA and the ACLU, a Cook County judge recently ordered the city of Chicago to provide the groups with the data it requested, which it expects to receive by the end of June. In reversing a lower court’s decision,
A WEST SIDE ORGANIZATION has won a court battle with the city of Chicago to receive a list of emergency calls made to the 911 Center from residents living in various neighborhoods on the West, South and North Sides. the Appellate Court ruled, “in this studies that the city cites as justifying appeal from the dismissal of the its methods for responding to 911 plaintiffs’ complaint for failure to calls. We find the materials irrelevant state a claim on which the courts can to the issue of whether the complaint grant relief, the city asked this court states a justiciable claim, and not apto take judicial notice of a number of propriate for judicial notice.”
Maya Angelou hailed as a Renaissance woman
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Maya Angelou uplifted everyone she touched. In her words and deeds, she was fierce, courageous and bold. Most of all, and at her core, she radiated love. This rare ability to give and receive love will ultimately be the legacy she leaves the world.” The Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, said, “We were blessed on a number of occasions to have been graced with the presence of a queen, Dr. Maya Angelou.” To commemorate her visits to the South Side church, St. Sabina is hosting a tribute to Dr. Angelou on June 1 during its 10 a.m. service. Dr. Angelou’s extremely humble beginnings in Stamps, AR proved no deterrent to becoming one of America’s most acclaimed, celebrated and scrutinized authors. However, before she gained literary notoriety, Dr. Angelou toiled in the trenches advancing civil and human rights causes. Some of the most visible and effective leaders in those arenas counted her among their friends and support-
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
ers, as she helped Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. organize the “Poor People’s March” in Memphis, TN. She also worked as a coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as well as living in Egypt and Ghana, where she met and befriended Malcolm X. They remained close friends. In later years, she also befriended former South African President Nelson Mandela; was the recipient of scores of honorary degrees; and was frequently asked to be a commencement speaker, as well as a speaker for corporate and academic events. Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Angelou remained friends long after they met in the mid-1970s when Winfrey was a local television reporter in Tennessee. The high-profile, Civil Rights activist, educator, and writer had several careers in the literary and entertainment worlds, which led some to describe her as a “Renaissance woman.” Even before she achieved critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination for
her role in the miniseries, “Roots” in 1977, Dr. Angelou had distinguished herself as an entertainer. In her mid-20s, she performed at San Francisco’s Purple Onion, along with Phyllis Diller. It was during the early years of her entertainment career that she scrapped her given name of Marguerite Johnson and adopted Maya Angelou. She had been known during her childhood as Maya. Earning prominent roles, including the touring performance of “Porgy and Bess,” as well as in “The Blacks” by Jean Genet, Dr. Angelou exhibited her exceptional dance skills with the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe—a far cry from when she worked in strip clubs in her early 20s to support herself and infant son. It was her lifelong love of poetry and writing that ultimately earned her enormous public acceptance. Dr. Angelou wrote her first poem at the age of nine— about 18 months after a woman took her to the public library for the first time. She explained she began reading then, and read every book in that Black school’s library, even the ones she said she didn’t understand. Dr. Angelou’s 1970 tome, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” drew praise and criticism simultaneously. Propelling her to international acclaim, the book was the first of a seven-volume autobiographical series featuring a candid look at her early years, including surviving a childhood rape and teen pregnancy. At Wake Forest University, Dr. Angelou taught American Studies. She was a trustee at Bennett College, a private institution for Black women in Greensboro, NC, and hosted a weekly satellite radio show. Funeral arrangements are pending. Saturday, May 31, 2014
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EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL A LOOK “BLACK” AT MEMORIAL DAY Previous to now the official story of the origins of Memorial Day in the United States dates to an order issued in 1868 by Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, the commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic for the annual decoration of war graves. Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, has been observed as a federal holiday on the last Monday in May to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces since that time. This is all part of the official story. Recently, another story has emerged. There are claims that slaves reburied dead Union prisoners of war on May 1, 1865, thus creating the modern observance of Memorial Day, three years before the 1868 date. It is said that these former slaves honored 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. According to this account, the slaves were so grateful for the soldiers fighting for their freedom that they worked for two weeks digging them up in order to give them a proper burial. Also, according to this account, they held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children wherein they marched, sang and celebrated. Though these claims are now being circulated, debate continues over who first celebrated an observance for the war dead in America. This debate is particularly, and ironically, important during this time wherein the egregious treatment of living veterans has come to light. There are currently allegations that Veterans Hospitals have falsified the waiting times that veterans have endured in order to receive treatment. It is alleged that some have even died while waiting for extreme stretches of time, but that the records have been doctored to reflect a different “reality.” Though it can be argued that this is an issue that should be considered when observing Veteran’s Day, a time set aside to honor living veterans, the truth is that vets sometimes die once they return home. Their lives should be remembered as well. Veterans have lost their lives while trying to protect America from outside enemies, and many of them were Black. Black veterans have fought in every American war. It is becoming more sadly apparent, however, that veterans are less than revered, if the treatment of those who are living is a gauge. Homeless veterans can be found all over urban America. Many have come back to face unemployment for long periods of time, and Black veterans are highly represented among this group. This is a sad notion to consider as we look back on the Memorial Day Holiday. Sadder still is the fact that some of the wars, especially the more recent ones, have been fought for suspect purposes. Have our soldiers died uselessly? Back to the previous issue: the idea that Black slaves might have been the first to honor the war dead makes perfect sense because it is feasible that slaves would do such a thing in light of the gratitude that they would feel toward those who had labored to free them. And the debate about whether or not they actually were the first is just one more example of how history tends to be written by the victors, because this version of events doesn’t appear in most history books or is not commonly known. Black people have played an integral role in every part of American society, but don’t get the deserved credit. With that said, though Memorial Day is a day for remembering those who have died in the Armed Forces, it can also be a time to honor all of those who have graced our lives before leaving the planet, and this includes our relatives, friends, great leaders who have died as martyrs, and those lost in the Black Holocaust of the Middle Passage. A luta continua. 4
Saturday, May 31, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Alderman Fioretti gets it Dear Editor: Let’s give Alderman Bob Fioretti a round of applause because he gets it. Did you see that Fioretti told the mayor that his decision to use lakefront land for a cultural museum that George Lucas might build in Chicago was a dumb one. I agree with Foretti. It is beyond well-documented that George Lucas’ Star Wars brand has netted him millions, if not a billion dollar income over its life span. So why in the world would Rahm Emanuel propose giving Lucas lakefront land for this museum? It doesn’t make sense – plain and simple. Isn’t this museum more likely to be one of the stops for tourists who are already visiting Chicago, rather the destination that people will travel here to see first and foremost? The city has gone all of these decades with no development other than Soldier Field and the museum campus on the east side of Lake Shore Drive. The Lucas Museum hardly seems like the edifice to break that string. Fioretti said the matters are made worse by the fact that Emanuel wants to give the land to Lucas. It is not like the filmmaker can’t afford it. Emanuel operated under the guise of having a committee recommend the site. Only a fool believes that a committee selected by the mayor will go against the wishes of that mayor. The committee
was just a ploy to get people to believe there was some fairness to the process. With all of the underhandedness going on here, I actually hope George Lucas does not select Chicago. Roger Carlton
Somebody understands we need help Dear Editor: Many of us have no problems criticizing pro athletes and entertainers for their performances and often for things they do in their private lives. For some reason, we just see them as fair game. We know that because so many of those folks have teams of agents the smallest positive thing they do gets promoted as though it was the cure for the common cold. We don’t seem to celebrate their positive deeds as much as we criticize their missteps personally and professionally. It seems to be human nature. The actions of one Chicago pro athlete, Brandon Marshall, not only deserves our attention, but two thumbs up as well. You might remember a couple of years ago Marshall announced he was suffering from a personality disorder. He openly admitted and accepted that he has a mental disease.That was a huge step for such a high profile individual. His revelation took a lot of cou-
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
rage and seems to have served him well. He undoubtedly proved to be an example and champion for others who were battling with some undisclosed ailment. More recently, the wide receiver set another example that would be great for many jocks to follow. He signed a new contract and immediately announced he will be donating $1 million to the mental health community. Sure a million dollars will not wipe out mental health disease, but it can make a dent. (Continued on page 16)
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COMMENTARY
The Promise of Colombia Part 1 Beyond The Rhetoric By Harry C. Alford NNPA Columnist Where do I begin to tell the story of our Trade Mission to the beautiful nation of Colombia? It had been in the planning stage for over fourteen years. It began when a political figure named Oscar Gamboa, who works for the government, came to our office in Washington, DC and met with Charles DeBow. There would be numerous communications with Oscar and others but we never solidified anything as we were preoccupied with African nations. Then last year at our Trade Mission to the Dominican Republic, Juan Camilo, a consultant for the Colombian President, and Luis Playonero, President of the newly formed African American Chamber of Commerce for Colombia (Camara Comercio Afro Americana de Colombia) came to get a firm commitment from us to visit their nation and formally kick off their new chamber. We pledged to do it. We would later decide on which exact date and began forming the content and itinerary. Juan would be the champion on their side and Chuck would be the driver for the
Harry C. Alford NBCC. We decided to do it in May, 2014 despite that being the Rainy Season for Colombia. This is when they get more rain than any other period but that didn’t scare us because we learned when we went to Costa Rica that the term meant some rain each day but no serious storms by any stretch of the imagination. Thus, we flew to the nation on Sunday May 18. We formed a team of 24 people and they put a promising Itinerary together. They met each and every one of us at the Bogota International Airport – a monster.
Bogota is a city of 7.5 million people similar to the size of Chicago or Los Angeles. It is high in the mountains with an altitude of 12,000 – more than double the height of Denver, Co. You can immediately feel it when you land. At first it is a little annoying having to take deeper breaths but after a day it starts feeling normal. The very first thing you see are Blacks walking around everywhere. Colombia has the second largest Black population in South America – next to Brazil. However, Blacks in Colombia certainly are in more prominent positions than our Brazilian brothers and sisters. It immediately became clear to us our Colombian brothers and sisters meant straight business. The federal representatives we began meeting immediately started showing us projects that are coming up and invited us to join in and also tell all of Black America there is opportunity for them. They want our experience, portfolios and “muscle” to pair up with their aspiring Black entrepreneurs and move forward. The government is quite willing to do what it has to do to make this a success and a permanent relationship between Black Colombia and Black America which will make both nations stronger and secure.
Most of our Colombian brothers and sisters knew us well as they have either traveled extensively or even lived a few years in America. More than a few had degrees from American colleges and universities. We were challenged and had to start a sharp learning curve. They knew this and were patient. We had meetings in the Executive Building for the President of Colombia – wow! The highlight of the first two days were meetings with our friend, Oscar Gamboa, who is now a front line advisor to the President and Jaime Miranda who is High Presidential Counselor for Competitiveness. We had a frank two hour session and they made it clear: It is time for Black American businesses to link up with their counterparts in Colombia. Keep in mind both of these men answer directly to the President. Jaime ended the discussion with “I mean now! Do you want me to put it in writing?” I replied, “Just to hear you say it is all we need.” Just when you think it cannot get better, we flew off to the City of Cali. Cali is a city of 2.2 million people and home to their new Black chamber. Cali is 70 percent Black, vibrant and beautiful. We stayed at a fabulous Intercontinen-
tal Hotel. All meetings were held on the property. We had a formal execution of our Memorandum of Understanding and were received by an impressive group of Press. The highlight came at our business matchmaker. They were expecting 150 of their entrepreneurs to come and meet with our participants for about three hours. We were overwhelmed with over 350 Colombian entrepreneurs who came and stayed for more than five hours. Mining, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, hospital supplies, engineering, construction management, fashion, etc. are some of the deals that are now in process. Our hospital supply business is staying over a day to close a sale on one of his products to a major hospital (724 beds). One of our mining guys has extended his stay for two weeks. The dearest thing to my heart was to see a Black female engineer from Cali hook up with our Black female engineer from Chicago. It was a hit! Things will never be the same. Success is so sweet. Mr. Alford is the Co-Founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org Email: halford@nationalbcc.org
Republicans are Veteran Hypocrites on the VA By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist If you let the Republicans tell it, President Obama is directly responsible for the fiasco at the Veterans Administration. But they don’t tell you that fresh off of Memorial Day parade appearances, they are responsible for scuttling legislation that would have expanded benefits for the nation’s 22 million veterans and their families. A measure backed by Obama would have lengthened the period veterans are eligible to receive health care from the VA from five years to 10 years after deployment. The bill also would have allowed the VA to open 27 new health facilities, expand medical and dental care, make more veterans eligible for in-state tuition at public universities, repeal the recent cut in cost-of-living adjustments for new enlistees and extend a program that provides care for veterans with mild to severe brain injuries. More than 20 military organizations – including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Wounded Warriors Project and Disabled American Veterans – supported the bill. William A. Thien, commander-in-chief of the Veterans of www.chicagocrusader.com
Foreign Wars, submitted a letter saying, “This legislation is the most comprehensive veterans’ legislation to be introduced in decades. It contains many of the VFW’s priority goals, which will implement, expand and improve both health care and benefit services to all generations of veterans and their families.” Senate Bill S.1982, known as the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014, was favored on Feb. 27 in the Senate 56-41. But the measure fell four votes shy of the number needed to overcome a threatened GOP filibuster. Every Democrat voted for the bill and only two Republican Senators – Jerry Moran of Kansas and Dean Heller of Nevada – voted for the measure. Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the committee, said: “We have veterans dying from long waits for basic, necessary tests like colonoscopies. Veterans waiting for their disability claims to be processed know all about frustrations and delays at the VA, and adding more individuals to an already broken system doesn’t seem wise.” Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader from Kentucky, accused Democrats of engaging in
George E. Curry election-year politics, a charge Senate Veterans’ Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), denied. He told reporters after the vote: “The point of the matter is if we had won today…both parties could have gone out and said we finally overcame all of the partisanship we see here in Washington. This could have been a political winner, if you like, and certainly a public policy winner for both Democrats and Republicans.” More than two dozen veterans groups had supported the measure. According to the Washington Post, Daniel M. Dellinger, national commander of the American Legion, said, “I don’t know how anyone who voted ‘no’ today
can look a veteran in the eye and justify that vote. Our veterans deserve more than what they got today.” According to MediaMatters, the watchdog group, the media failed miserably in letting the public know Republicans were blocking the legislation. “While mainstream media coverage of the serious allegations of improper practices at certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health clinics has been extensive in recent weeks, a bill to expand health care for veterans that was blocked by Senate Republicans in February received little attention,” it noted. “…Based on a LexisNexis search television transcripts from February 26 to 28, the veterans health bill was not covered by ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, or CBS Evening News,” the media monitoring group said. “Based on a LexisNexis search of news articles from February 26 to 28, neither the New York Times nor the Wall Street Journal reported on Senate Republicans’ obstruction of the legislation that would have allowed the VA to open 27 new health facilities.” The media has also done a poor job describing how proposed budget cuts will impact veterans. For example, the Republican-led
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, will hurt veterans as well other low-income families, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a Washington-based think tank. “Nationwide, in any given month, a total of 900,000 veterans nationwide lived in households that relied on SNAP to provide food for their families in 2011, a previous analysis of Census data estimated,” a report by the CBPP noted. “…For low-income veterans, who may be unemployed, working in low-wage jobs, or disabled, SNAP provides an essential support that enables them to purchase nutritious food for their families. “..While the overall unemployment rate for veterans is lower than the national average, the unemployment rate for recent veterans (serving in September 2001 to the present) remains high, at 10.1 percent in September 2013. About one-quarter of recent veterans reported serviceconnected disabilities in 2011, which can impact their ability to provide for their families: households with a veteran with a disability that prevents them from working are about twice as likely (Continued on page 17) Saturday, May 31, 2014
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COMMENTARY
HONORING THE LEGACY OF THE UNIA/ACL AND MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEY
Dr. Conrad Worrill, Director/Professor, Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (CCICS) located at 700 East Oakwood Blvd, Chicago, Illinois, 60653, 773-268-7500, Fax: 773-268-3835 E-mail: c-worrill@neiu.edu, Website: www.ccicschicago.org, Twitter: @CCICS_ Chicago.
Dr. Conrad Worrill In 1914, the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA/ACL) was founded under the leadership of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. This August represents the centennial of the UNIA/ACL and major commemoratory events are being planned around
the country. In preparation for these celebrations, we are reminded that Garvey made his transition on June 10, 1940. This is a time to begin remembering the contributions of the UNIA/ACL and Garvey as we honor this 100th year celebration in August. Marcus Garvey was born August 17, 1887 in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica to Marcus and Sarah Garvey. Marcus Sr., his father, was a descendent of the Maroons. The Maroons were Africans who managed to escape slavery when they reached western shores by jumping from slave ships, or by fleeing slave plantations and establishing well fortified communities deep in the Jamaican interior. Garvey’s mother, Sarah was said to be of extraordinary beauty and possessed a gentle personality. She was also said to have been a deeply religious person. Garvey left school at the age of 14 and became an apprentice printer in Kingston. He worked for a private company and eventually became a foreman. At the age of 20, in 1907, although he was a member of management, Garvey led a newly formed printer’s union strike. The company promised Garvey big rewards and benefits if he would discontinue his union organizing. Garvey refused, was fired, and “black-
listed” by the private printing companies of Kingston. This experience intensified Garvey’s political curiosity concerning the condition of African people. It was at this point in 1909, that he formed the National Club and its publication Our Own. From this point forward, Garvey decided to devote his life to the uplifting of the African race. He published his first newspaper, The Watchman, which gave him an opportunity to express his emerging political views on the plight of African people. While unable to gain support for his organization, Garvey began to travel. He spent time in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Columbia, and Venezuela. These travels gave Garvey an opportunity to observe, that whenever African people and whites were in close proximity, African people were on the bottom. Garvey continued to travel and in 1911 he went to London. He was able to test out his public speaking ability on the condition of African people worldwide at the famous Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner. While in London, Garvey met the editor of the African Times and Orient Review, Duse Mohammed Ali. Ali, an Egyptian scholar, introduced Garvey to many ideas that played an important role in his future
thinking. This background gave Garvey the tools he needed to become one of our true twentieth century freedom fighters. Garvey arrived in Harlem, New York on March 16, 1916. By 1919, Garvey was established as the President General of the UNIA/ACL, which had a membership of over three million people with more than 300 branches throughout the African World Community. Perhaps Garvey’s greatest contribution to the uplifting of our people was his ability to find a formula for organizing African people around the African principle: the greatest good for the greatest number. This was reflected in the First International Convention of Negro Peoples of the World in Madison Square Garden, in New York in 1920. Over twenty-five thousand African people from all over the world witnessed the selection of Red, Black and Green as the colors of the Provisional Government. In this context, Garvey and the UNIA/ACL had established an economic arm, the Negro Factories Corporation, with cooperative stores, restaurants, steam laundry shops, tailor shops, dressmaking shops, millinery stores, a doll factory to manufacture African dolls, and a publishing house. Garvey also formed a Steamship Corporation.
The goals and objectives of the UNIA had now become clear to the world. As Shawna Maglangbayan points out, “…the Garvey movement and UNIA had become a threat to the white world,” With the cooperation of anti-Garvey, “Negro leaders,” Garvey was eventually charged and convicted of mail fraud for selling stock in the African Star Lines. On February 8, 1925, Marcus Garvey was arrested and convicted for mail fraud and imprisoned in Atlanta, Georgia. With a great movement of support by his followers, Garvey was released from prison in 1927. Immediately following his release, he was deported from the United States and was sent back to Jamaica to continue his work. He continued to travel and while in London, on June 10, 1940, Garvey lapsed into a coma and made his transition into eternity. The Garvey Movement was one of the greatest mass movements of African people in the world. Although the external and internal forces and enemies of Garvey caused his demise, the ideas of Garvey and the UNIA/ACL are still alive. We need to revitalize and resurrect the spirit of Marcus Mosiah Garvey at every opportunity. A Luta Continua / The Struggle Continues!
Dishonoring Our Vets By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist The last Monday in May, Memorial Day, was designed to honor those who died in service to our country. It is tragically ironic that around the same time we are honoring and remembering the dead, we are learning about deficiencies in the Department of Veteran’s Affairs that negatively affects the quality of life for those who were injured during their term of service. Allegations that many veteran’s hospitals and medical centers do not assist those veterans needing medical care within the mandated 30 days are troubling. Some say that the lengthy waits may have been a factor in the deaths of as many as 40 veterans. The access problem is compounded by poor record keeping at some veteran’s hospitals, making it impossible to verify how many veterans waited for medical attention and the length of their wait. The controversy has led to calls for 6
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki to resign, but it is unclear whether his resignation will serve any but a symbolic purpose if the medical treatment of veterans does not change substantially. In this high- ly partisan environment, it makes no sense for the White House to offer Shinseki’s head on a platter to satisfy the hyper partisanship of growling Republicans. Veterans, and those who represent them in Congress, come from all parts of the political spectrum. It ought to be in everyone’s interest to improve access to health care for veterans. There are other issues regarding fair and compassionate treatment for veterans that must be considered. The recent killings at Fort Hood, Texas suggest that there is insufficient focus on mental health issues for our military, with the rate of Army suicides doubling between 2004 and 2009. Many veterans say that one of their stressors is the inaccuracy involved in evaluating their disabilities that have come from their service. Missing limbs, im-
Dr. Julianne Malveaux paired mobility, extreme stress and insomnia are all factors included when a monthly disability check is calculated. Many take issue with the evaluation, and challenging an evaluation may take several months (or years). Even inaccurate claims are difficult to obtain for some veterans. More than 611,000 claims were backlogged (which means vet-
erans had waited for more than four months for their claims to be processed.) The number dropped this year to 344,000 claims, which is still too many veterans waiting too long for help. The recent exposure of long waits for medical treatment just scratches the surface of the way that veterans are welcomed back into our society. Military skills are not easily converted to civilian labor force skills, unemployment rates for recent veterans (those serving since 2001) are often high – 9 percent for veterans, compared to 6.3 for the entire population. President Obama has urged private sector employers to give priority to hiring veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, but unemployment rates, though falling, remain high. Minority and women veterans had even higher unemployment rates, and often greater challenges. More than 58,000 veterans are homeless, representing about 12 percent of the homeless population. More than half have disabilities or
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
mental health problems. As many as 70 percent have substance abuse problems. There would be fewer homeless vets if the mental and physical health needs of veterans were addressed when these soldiers leave the military. When our soldiers return from fighting for our country, they face a new fight – a fight to be treated fairly. That means shorter waits for medical attention, more focus on mental health issues, more assistance in reentering the job market, and more counseling to help families adjust to new household dynamics. Veterans should not have to fight for this kind of assistance. Haven’t they fought enough? Regardless of whether we agree with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we often thank our military for their service. Thanking a homeless veteran, or one who has waited more than 30 days for medical attention is lip service if (Continued on page 16) www.chicagocrusader.com
GOSSIPTARY
By Ima Gontellit EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is published as political satire, street gossip and humor, and therefore should not be considered as fact but rather as matter of opinion. None of the items therein are collected by the news gathering staff of the Crusader Newspaper Group. Items forwarded to The Chatterbox are kept confidential unless otherwise requested by the author in writing. For submissions please forward to: AChicagoCrusader@aol.com. Original photography and artwork are permitted. Thank you for reading!
NEW MEANING TO BACK-LASH
the light of day. In de meantime, Mike “I Control The Universe” Madigan has supposedly ensured the not-too-bright lawmaker, who must of felt his district didn’t have enough day care centers when he allegedly took his bribe, will be out at least until the Springfield session closes. -ImaSPEAKING OF JR. People are saying the former congressman and stuck up son of the Country Preacher is taking his “crazy act” a little too far. Said to be bipolar and a recovering alcoholic, Jesse JUNIOR was accused of scrubbing prison toilets with a toothbrush while pretending to
Rep. Derrick Smith has taken it too far this time. When we get in car accidents we used to jump out screaming “whiplash” while holding our necks and faking real harm. But this brother who is un-
medicine to balance that.” Another bipolar man added this, “I done had this for 15 years and I takes my medicine. When I go off it, I get real agitated and I start running my mouth like I do now. But being bipolar ain’t being skitzo. But I guess it effect different folks different ways. I ain’t have to quit my job and I didn’t steal.” Then one more person said this, “If he keeps it up they’ll institutionalize his ass. Or worse, Cong. Jackson is now on record of being a nut. Some inmate can shank him and claim they feared for they life. The guards can mess with him and say he was doing some crazy shit— and then they’ll add more time to him. This ain’t nothing to play with. I know that jail time is tough, but he cut his deal with the feds and got about 24 months. That’s better than 24 years if you ask anybody.”
der indictment and is about to go to the big house recently told the judge that the reason he can’t come to court and face the music is because he caught backlash due to a recent car wreck. He can’t sit for long times. He can’t concentrate. And, he can’t wrap his mind around Bubba being his bunk buddy. Stealing a page out of Jackson JUNIOR’s playbook of claiming serious illness in order to get a little sympathy ain’t working. That’s because he ain’t good looking, his bottom lip hangs too low, and he was caught on tape making the deal, according to the Alphabet People. One person also questioned the state representative’s I.Q. by claiming that West Side political godfather and king maker, Jesse White, got a “knack for finding real dumb people to prop up to do his bidding for the Democratic Party.” Smith maintains he was set up by a government informant with an axe to grind and he will continue to see www.chicagocrusader.com
be Malcolm X JUNIOR. Smart as a whip, shrewd and “not that crazy” we hear the plot is to have the now convicted felon act so out there that he is released to a real hospital to serve out his two and a half years as opposed to being in the big house. We hear he has written several people with crazy talk and cartoons and that he is doing all he can to keep himself in the limelight instead of sitting his ass down, reading books, writing letters to his wife, and counting his days. Instead, we’re told, that crazy Jesse JUNIOR has somehow managed to write two books about his experiences and could be poised to make a million dollars from the sales of those things when he gets out. This go a long way to recupin that $750,000 he had to give the Obama administration for stealing from his ownself. Yet, a group of crazy people who said they are bipolar was overheard saying, “He is giving our mental disease a really bad name. This thang make you sort of compulsive but it don’t’ make you do things you don’t normally do. You just do it more excessively. So if that (n-word) was scrubbing toliets at his house with his toothbrush—then yeah, he’s be compulsive in prison and start scrubbing his ass off. But they give you
Al Sharpton because she went to Mexico and let a doctor cut her stomach in half. No longer the “porky pig” in red, Karen Lewis is being asked by some people to run for mayor. While some would like to think this is good news, one Black former teacher who don’t like Lewis was in the ‘hood talkin’ trash. She supposedly said, “Karen Lewis is working for Rahm Emanuel. She sold out the Black teachers. She went to Springfield and got that SB1. She didn’t stop it. The teachers stopped it. Then she cut a deal during the contract talk to let them close all them schools. Lewis negotiated that. She went around telling everybody it would be 50 schools—how would she know that unless she was in on the deal. With Lewis more Black teachers have lost her jobs than at any other point and she ain’t did a damn
We hear Bill “Doc” Walls has secured funding in order to run his dismal campaign for mayor, which has the double mission of stripping off the Negro vote from real candidates. We hear he getting $100,000 off the bat, and another $50,00 when he do what he’s supposed to do—confuse people with nano technology and ensure he keeps a credible Black candidate from getting 50+1 of the Chicago vote. -Ima-
Is some sort of preacher committee trying to convince embattled and embarrassed Baptist preacher Charles Jenkins to take a “mini leave of absence so he can get his personal affairs in order after having been put on the internet naked and admitting to a ten
LEAN HAM We reading in de papers that the teachers union lady is soon about to look like Rev. Al “I Just Snitched Ten Times” Sharpton
SPEAKING OF FAKE
JENKINS WATCH
-Ima-
Jesse Jackson Jr.
Derrick Smith
thing to stop it. The perras got a (curse word-up) pension deal and she better pray the courts stop that (curse word for doo doo). Now she in the paper talking about she’s gonna cut a deal with CPS and reduce the benefits of current members—but not current retirees, that’s because her husband is one and so is her mama. She’s pushing 65 herself so she better watch it—what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Must be nice to go from a classroom teacher making $85,000 a year to pulling in almost $300,000 a year. She ain’t nothing but a
Karen Lewis puppet. If she jumps in the mayor’s race she gone be nothing but a stalking horse to make sure Toni don’t get it. This woman sold us out. I used to be with her, but not now. I found our the hard way. She got a union full of Jews who tell her what to do. She don’t run that union. She’s also the biggest liar I ever saw. Will smile in your face and stab you in the back. She don’t stand up for nobody. She’s just in it for media attention. She’s the biggest fake out here. No Black teacher is gonna vote for her as mayor. That’s like voting for Rahm. If she get in that race its because they told her to. That (curse word) is one crafty (curse word). Jackie Vaughn must be spinning in her grave.” WHEW. Say what you really mean, lady.
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
-Ima-
Doc Walls
Charles Jenkins year affair with one of his married staff members?” No. Because these churches are run like private organizations and businesses. No. Because they ain’t like the Catholic Church where a cardinal or pope can come in and set you down. No. Because many Baptist preachers, Negro and Not, got pieces on the side, are funny with the money, and are pimping their gullible congregants with pie-inthe-sky promises and sermons about forgiveness and “touch not my anointed” hustles. We hear more men are now joining Fellowship after the Jenkins scandal because the place is “run like a club” and apparently “they got some dimes up in there.” TO PLACE AN IN THE CHICAGO CRUSADER CALL 773-752-2500 Saturday, May 31, 2014
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
MAYFAIR ACADEMY PRESENTS SOUTH SIDE STORY: On Sunday, June 1, Mayfair Academy Presents South Side Story at Chicago State University, 9500 S. King Drive in the Jones Convocation Center. Showtimes are 2 p.m. for younger students and 6 p.m. for older students. Despite the ongoing negative media attention which only focuses on crime rates, and crime-infested neighborhoods, this does not totally reflect the residents and the youth of the South Side. The South Side of Chicago is flowing and flourishing with rich history, art, culture, and entertainment. This show would like to feature and focus on the amazing youth of Chicago's South Side which has been home to Mayfair Academy for 57 years. They will explore the landscape as well as the many cultural attractions and pay tribute to the many artists that the South Side has produced both then and now. This is their story and they’re sticking to it! Get your tickets now - going fast!!! Please support the youth who are doing positive things!!!! For ticket information call 773-768-8701; email mayfairdance@att.net, or visit www.mayfairacademy.net. UNITED RUN FOR THE ZOO IN LINCOLN PARK: On Sunday, June 1, this USATF-certified, chip-timed race is the highlight of the Chicago running calendar. The 5K, 10K, 5K Fun Walk, and children’s obstacle course wind throughout the zoo. Each 5K and 10K participant will receive a Tech Top from New Balance. New for 2014 is a post-race party, featuring beer and pizza courtesy of Lagunita’s Brewery and Aurelio’s Pizza. Meet at Lincoln Park Zoo, Cannon Drive and Fullerton Parkway. The schedule is as follows: 8 a.m. – 10K; 8:15 a.m. – 5K run and walk; 10 a.m. – Safari Stampede. The cost ranges from $35-$45. For more information visit www.lpzoo.org/events/calendar. JOIN MUNTU EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Come dance with Muntu Wednesday nights, 6 p.m., in the 3rd floor dance studio at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60649. What better way to celebrate spring than to join Muntu for spring classes! Every Wednesday evening, this is the place to be, dancing with their amazing instructors Harry Detry and Clifton Robinson! Participants are able to pay online or in person, and walk-ins are always welcome! The cost: $12 per person; $50 for 5 classes; and $80 for 10 classes. Visit www.muntu.com for more information. LOCALLY SOURCED EVERY WEDNESDAY: Wednesdays just got more fun! Get over the hump 8
Saturday, May 31, 2014
with Locally Sourced, a chance to experience the best in local music, art, beer, and food in the landmark setting of the Patio at Café Brauer located at the picturesque Nature Boardwalk in Lincoln Park. ONGOING each Wednesday through August 27, a different local artist, band, and farmer from the area will be spotlighted. Lagunitas bottles and drafts will be on special during the event. Locally Sourced is fueled by Lagunitas. The Patio at Café Brauer is located at 2021 N. Stockton Drive. And the event takes place from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information visit www.lpzoo.org. DISNEY EXHIBIT EXTENDED! Due to popular demand, the Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60637, is extending the run of Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Guests will be able to enjoy the ONGOING exhibit through August 3, 2014. From Mickey Mouse to Mary Poppins to Captain Jack Sparrow, the exhibition features more than 300 artifacts from nine decades of Disney’s rich history—including props; costumes; memorabilia; and artwork from classic Disney animation, theme park attractions, television shows and live-action films. Hands-on activities allow kids and adults alike to explore animation technology from all 53 Disney animated films and learn to draw one of their favorite characters in the Animation Academy. The exhibit is not included in Museum Entry but can be added to an Explorer ticket package. D23 Gold and Silver Members will receive a special discount on exhibit entry. For more information and to buy tickets, visit msichicago.org. For more information about D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, visit D23.com. This exhibit is presented by Walgreens. ONE WORLD AQUATIC SHOW AT SHEDD: Shedd has adopted four furry canines from local animal shelters, and they are all featured in the latest aquatic show, One World. Sponsored by Toyota, the show demonstrates the positive reinforcement training Shedd uses with their animals and how it can be implemented with pets at home. The four pups, Bruce, Dory, Marlin and Coral, show us more about the “Shedd Way” of training and the value of positive reinforcement in animal care and welfare. Beginning in spring, guests will have the opportunity to meet Marlin, Shedd’s newest rescue dog and Shedd ambassador. The Labrador mix will engage guests as they wait in line or during meetand-greet opportunities. Check the website for latest showtimes. This show is included with the purchase of a Total Experience Pass and
CITYPass, and available for an additional $5 with the purchase of a Shedd Pass. For more information, and tips for an enjoyable experience at Shedd, please call 312-939-2438 or visit www.sheddaquarium.org. For group sales information, please call 312-692-3333. Advance tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. VIVIAN MAIER EXHIBIT AT CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY: The Chicago Public Library is proud to present an exhibition of photographs by Vivian Maier (1926 – 2009) from the Jeffery Goldstein Collection, featuring approximately 55 silver gelatin prints of images selected from the book, Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows, by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams (CityFiles Press). The exhibition is ONGOING through September 28, 2014, in the Special Collection Exhibition Hall, 9th Floor, at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State Street. This exhibition puts Maier’s work in the context of her life during a highly creative period from the 1950s through the 1970s. In addition to her recognized street photography, the exhibit features a selection of images that show the artist’s relentless curiosity where she cap-
COMMISSIONER PATRICK DALEY THOMPSON of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will address the Golden Age Chateau Group, Tuesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. at The Chateau, 15652 S. Homan Avenue, Markham. Beverly Neal, coordinator, stated that Thompson will talk about the proper disposal of medications. Commissioner Thompson was elected to the MWRDGC in November 2012. He currently chairs the Industrial Waste and Water Pollution, and the Monitoring and Research Committees. He is vice chair of the Information Technology and Judiciary Committees at the District. Thompson received his B.A. from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and his law degree from John Marshall Law School. tured images that cover a vast range of 1970s are particularly apparent in subjects and styles. The exhibition shots of Chicago’s famous Maxwell presents Maier’s journeys from the Street and protest scenes shot during pastures of rural France to the streets the social unrest of 1968. For more of Chicago. Maier’s unique ability to information, visit chicagopubliclibrilliantly capture the ideas and spirit brary.org or call the Chicago Public of the period of the 1950s to the Library at 312-747-4050.
Extended Coverage Most insurance presupposes families—a couple, probably with children. Life insurance policies are designed to pay off the house and send the kids to college. But not everyone is married.
***
*** Some couples divorce. More people are marrying later. And some are not marrying at all. So single people have different needs and expectations regarding finances—and insurance. ***
Milton E. Moses
Let us tailor your insurance coverage to your special needs. 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) 6516200. You can also reach us via email at: sales@communityinsurance.com or visit the website at www.communityins.com.
Life insurance? Probably no need, unless there are people who depend on that person for support. Disability insurance? More important when there is not a spouse’s income to count on. Best deal moneywise is to supplement your employer’s coverage. *** Long-term-care insurance is advisable for those with considerable assets who can afford premiums. For others, Medicaid will step in when funds are exhausted. *** Emergency cash is especially vital for singles. Try to have at least six months’ living expenses set aside. BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
www.chicagocrusader.com
BUSINESS
Housing Recovery Ignores Black and Latino Communities By Charlene Crowell
New report identifies nation’s housing hot spots Scholars from several of the nation’s most-esteemed colleges and universities jointly concluded that the nation’s so-called housing “recovery” is bypassing communities of color and working class neighborhoods. Underwater America, their new report, analyzed negative equity and foreclosure data using zip codes within both cities and metro areas. According to the report, nearly one in 10 Americans or — 28.7 million— live in the 100 hardest hit cities from the housing crisis. Among the 395 hardest-hit zip codes across the country, Blacks and Latinos represent at least half of the population. And in 57 cities, at least 30 percent of all mortgaged homes are still underwater – owing more on their loans than their homes are now worth. Published by the Haas Institute for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of California at Berkeley, the report’s authors come from Occidental College, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The New School and George
Washington University. Commenting on Underwater America, John A. Powell, Haas Institute Director and Professor of Law, Ethnic and African-American Studies said, “The Underwater America report is important because it reveals that a large part of the country is not only not recovering, it is largely being ignored. These are disproportionately Black and Latino communities.” Today, homeownership represents 92 percent of the net worth for Blacks and 67 percent for Latinos. Whites, by comparison, only have 58 percent of their wealth in their homes. And despite rising home prices in many areas of the country, owner-occupied housing still remains $3.2 trillion below 2006 levels. By examining trends by zip codes, the new report determined which states had the highest housing hardships. In order of severity they are: Georgia (61), Florida (55), Illinois (47), Michigan (38), Ohio (33), New Jersey (32), Maryland (24), Missouri (21), California (17), Nevada (10) and North Carolina (10). The zip code analysis also revealed negative housing patterns in specific city neighborhoods. Again, ranked by the rate of sever-
Charlene Crowell ity, the following cities had serious and multiple neighborhood problems: Las Vegas, Atlanta, Jacksonville (FL), Orlando, Chicago, Tampa, Detroit, Miami, Memphis, Virginia Beach, Riverside (CA), Kansas City (MO), St. Louis, Cleveland and Milwaukee. For example, in Atlanta, more than 400,000 consumers remain underwater on their mortgages. Another 5,400 homeowners in 2013 went into either default or foreclosure. Additionally, the market’s home prices are still 27 per-
cent below their peak levels. “These challenges faced by cities represent opportunities for communities to empower themselves to save their homes, their neighborhoods and restore their community’s wealth,” added Powell. The irony to this still-unfolding saga is that over succeeding generations, buying a home was a reliable gateway to building wealth and financial security. Owning a home ‘free and clear’ was a cause for celebration attested to family financial security. But as earlier research by the Center for Responsible Lending has revealed and was also cited in the Haas report, the years leading up to the housing crisis found communities of color – Black and Latino - targeted for high-cost, risky loans even when borrowers qualified for lower-cost and more sustainable mortgages. Instead of earning home equity, many borrowers of color lost thousands of dollars in what is often the single largest investment of a lifetime. Underwater America states, “For African-American and Latinos specifically between 2005 and 2009, they experienced a decline in household wealth of 52 percent and 66 percent respectively, compared to 16 percent for whites.
This reflects, in large part, disparities in foreclosure rates among these groups, since for most Americans, and particularly for people of color, their homes are their largest source of wealth.” “These challenges faced by cities represent opportunities for communities to empower themselves to save their homes, their neighborhoods and restore their community’s wealth,” added Powell. The report recommends remedies that include a defined role for nonprofit organizations in addition to efforts by governments and banks. The three stakeholder groups working together could and should reverse the losses of recent years. According to Saqib Bhatti, one of the report’s authors and a fellow with the Nathan Cummings Foundation, “We believe that if banks are unwilling or unable to write down underwater mortgages to the current market value of the homes, then local officials should take the decision out of their hands.” Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.
Love Cork Screw bringing good tasting wine to Chicago area Black-owned wine company one of few in billion dollar industry By J. Coyden Palmer When Chrishon Lampley was growing up in suburban Downers Grove, she never imagined owning her own wine company. But the late thirty-something Lampley, who also is a radio personality, is making a name for herself in an industry dominated by white men. Lampley’s Love Cork Screw white and red wines can be purchased in 34 locations throughout the Chicago area. With six different flavors to choose from, Lampley believes her brand offers something for all wine lovers. “It’s a wine lifestyle brand and private label that I developed in December of 2013,” Lampley explained. “I used to own a popular wine bar called Three Peas Art Lounge in the South Loop and from there I learned a lot about the industry as I used to prepare the wine list for the lounge and I worked on the distribution side as well. Being on those two sides I knew I wanted to have my own wine. I wanted to have something people could rely on and know that if they bought this brand it would be something they could go to.” Lampley said people used to alwww.chicagocrusader.com
ways ask her what wine to buy for certain meals and social occasions. So she decided to create a written blog when the lounge closed in 2011. That grew into a radio show when one day her business partner Tiffany Taylor came to her and said they should own a wine company. Lampley said she was always cultured around wine, as her parents took her to fancy restaurants, but she never took a huge interest in wine until the late 90s. “Being a woman-owned company in this industry is always difficult because people don’t take you seriously,” Lampley said. “People think I just promote the wine, not that I’m the actual owner. It’s a huge industry and Chicago is one of the top markets in the world for beverages. You have to stay relevant, stay on top of things and reinvent yourself constantly.” Most of her marketing has come through social media. She said it is amazing the exposure she has gotten through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and people contacting her via those avenues. She said distribution is always a challenge for any business and in this industry it is the toughest. She said there are so many great wines and liquors that are sitting with no distribution deals. Lampley said she is blessed to have had many contacts in the area. She sat
DOWNERS GROVE NATIVE Chrison Lampley, owner of Love Cork Screw wine says only two percent of winemakers in the United States are African American in a white male dominated industry. Her wine can be purchased at over 35 locations in the Chicago area. (Photo by J. Coyden Palmer) Lampley said the African Ameriface-to-face with distributors and County to the south. Lampley usexplained to them she already had es two main vineyards one in can wine consumer market is the marketing plan in place and Michigan and the other in Illi- growing and people are becoming more educated about wines. Lambrand recognition, but the most nois. important component is believing “People think that all grapes pley spoke about the basics everyin the product and knowing that have to come from California. one should know before choosing it would sell. That’s so untrue. There are so a wine, which she termed Wine “It’s getting a distributor to trust many great climates for growing 101. “The analogy I always use is for that it is a product they can sell. If grapes and Michigan is one of the they don’t think they can sell it, best because of the lake shore ef- example a Moscato wine. It’s a they’re not going to pick it up,” fect that takes place between Lake dessert wine. So if you eat it with a she said. “I was fortunate in that I Michigan and the Kalamazoo steak, it’s like taking a steak off the was able to state my case and have River so it never gets too cold,” grill and pouring a cup of sugar a distributor believe in me.” Lampley explained. “I also use a on it,” Lampley said. “There are Love Cork Screw can be found local vineyard out of Oswego. I certain things you just don’t do. from Evanston north of the city use a vineyard out of California as The key is to just think about the (Continued on page 17) all the way to Frankfurt in Will well, but it is bottled in Illinois.” BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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EDUCATION
U.S. Department of Ed issues charter school guidelines The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new guidance confirming that the same federal civil rights laws that apply to other public schools apply equally to public charter schools. “Charter schools play an important role in the educational landscape and are serving more and more students all over the country,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights. “Since our last guidance on the topic in 2000, thousands of new charter schools have opened. This guidance underscores that charter schools must satisfy the requirements of the federal civil rights laws.” The new guidance highlights critical subjects that have arisen in charter schools, including the schools’ obligations to avoid discrimination in admissions practices and the administration of discipline; to provide a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities; and to take affir-
mative steps to assist English learners. The guidance also points to other OCR publications regarding additional civil rights principles that are equally applicable to charter schools. OCR’s mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. The office enforces a number of federal civil rights laws that apply to charter schools, including laws that prohibit discrimination based on disability, race, color, or national origin, and sex. In addition to issuing general guidance documents like the one released recently, OCR investigates complaints of civil rights violations and provides technical assistance to help educational institutions achieve voluntary compliance with their civil rights obligations. Additional information about OCR is available at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html.
Monika Tisdale Chosen Meteor of the Month at Lourdes Hall Campus De La Salle Institute proudly announces that Monika Tisdale has been chosen the Meteor of the Month for April at the Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women. In a joint initiative between the school’s Campus Ministry and its City of De La Salle student government, nominations are received from faculty and staff highlighting students who are motivated and enthusiastic about the school’s Lasallian mission inside and outside of the classroom.
Specifically, nominees are students who stand out among their peers by having demonstrated one or more of the Lasallian Principles of Faith, Community, Service, Social Justice and/or Association. Tisdale of Woodlawn, a senior, was involved in tennis, boxing and track during her time as a student at De La Salle’s Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women. De La Salle congratulates Tisdale on her achievements and wishes her every future success.
IN AN EFFORT to ensure equal access to education and to promote education excellence throughout the nation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently released guidelines for charter schools.
Safety Contest Winners Announced Metra Contest Brings Train Safety Lessons into the Classroom
ond- and third-place poster contest winners received $250 and $100 gift cards, respectively. A People’s Choice Award winner will also be selected via voting on Metra’s website www.metrarail.com/2014postercontest. By going to this site, the public will be able to select their favorite poster from this year’s first place finishers. Voting will be available online beginning Monday, June 9, 2014 through midnight Thursday, July 31 and is open to the public. The artist who garners the most votes will receive an additional $250 prize. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced at the August meeting of the Metra Board. Metra also recognizes the school with the most entries submitted in the poster contest. This year’s winner is Chicago’s Norman A. Bridge Elementary with more than 500 entries. In honor of this achievement, the school will receive a computer for use in the classroom. The first-place poster designs will be featured in Metra’s 2015 safety calendar, on monthly tickets and on the Metra website. Winning safety essays will also be featured in the safety calendar, the Metra website and Facebook page. The second and third place posters will also be featured on the contest’s Facebook page. Metra’s Safety Contest, which is in its eighth year, would not be possible without the support of its sponsors, whose generous contributions have helped Metra defray the costs of the contest prizes as well as the production of the safety posters. This year’s contest sponsor is the Hubbard Radio Group, owners of Chicago radio stations 97.1 FM The Drive, 100.3 Chicago’s Rewind and 101.9 The
MONIKA TISDALE and De La Salle - Lourdes Hall Campus principal Diane Brown.
Winners have been chosen in the 2014 edition of Metra’s Safety Poster and Essay Contest, designed to promote and reinforce railroad safety messages and keep our region’s children safe around trains. Thousands of students from across the region participated in this year’s contest, creating artwork or writing essays around the theme “Get Smart, Look Listen Live.” Each year, Metra’s Safety Contest invites students in grades K-12 throughout its six-county service area to submit poster designs and essays highlighting the importance of railroad safety. Tasked with selecting the winners were a panel of 23 judges, including government officials, representatives from safety and education advocacy groups, business and community leaders, media and railroad professionals. “Safety has always been Metra’s highest priority, and for the past eight years this contest has been an innovative way for Metra to bring rail safety discussions into classrooms across our region,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “The posters and essays created by these talented students help us educate future as well as current riders about how to stay safe around our trains and tracks.” First, second, and third-place winners were chosen from each grade level for the Metra Safety Poster Contest. One winner from each grade group – elementary school, middle school and high school – was chosen for the Safety Essay Contest. First-place poster and essay contest winners received an iPad, while sec-
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Saturday, May 31, 2014
Mix. Information about the campaign, along with all of the Safety Contest winners, is available at www.metrarail.com and www.facebook.com/MetraContest. The following students were chosen as winners of the 2013-2014 Safety Contest: 1st Place Poster Kindergarten — Evan Boyle, St. Charles, Lincoln Elementary 1st Grade — Tristan Mehra, Naperville, White Eagle Elementary 2rd Grade — Manya Davis, Naperville, White Eagle Elementary 3rd Grade — Samantha Chen, Green Oaks, Copeland Manor School 4th Grade — Dylan Tran, Lincolnwood, Rutledge Hall 5th Grade — Julia Petrea, Glenview, Glenview School of Arts 6th Grade — Leon Kosciak, Glenview, Glenview School of Arts 7th Grade — Veronica Buchweitz, Lake in the Hills, Westfield Community School 8th Grade — Daniel Garcia, Des Plaines, Algonquin Middle School 9th Grade — Michelle Mo, Downers Grove, Downers Grove South High School 10th Grade — Cameron Chen, Green Oaks, Libertyville High School 11th Grade — Vladan Malinovic, La Grange, Lyons Township High School 12th Grade — Joshua Andrew Moy, Riverwoods, Deerfield High School 2nd Place Poster Kindergarten — Aditi Prabhu, Naperville, White Eagle Elementary 1st Grade — Sathya Devarajan, Aurora, Reba Steck Elementary (Continued on page 16) www.chicagocrusader.com
COMMUNITY
International Tourism comes to Chicago South Side Pioneers in Chicago’s African American cultural and heritage tourism niche, Harold Lucas of the Bronzeville Visitor and Information Center and Dr. Lyn Hughes of the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum (APRPPM), officially launch international tourism on the South Side of Chicago. In the past, comments made about Chicago’s old map that looked at tourism on the South Side of Chicago, stopped at 22nd Street. But thanks to the climate created by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s vision to make Chicago a national and international tourism destination, efforts like those being launched by the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum and Bronzeville Visitor and Information Center are being made possible—representing the authentic African American experience. The big push towards focusing on the travel and tourism industry that most in the African American community do not realize, is cultural economic development and represents new opportunities for those who can see them. Just recently the governor, mayor and travel executives led Chicago’s travel workers in a travel Rally Day on Tuesday, May 6 as part of the 31st Annual National Travel and Tourism
Week. The event–replicated in cities nationwide – represents the travel community’s collective call to showcase the importance and impact of travel on jobs and economic growth in Chicago. Dr. Lyn Hughes, founder of the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum—the only African American labor history museum in the nation, located in the Historic Pullman district and Harold Lucas, founder of Bronzeville visitor and information center in Chicago’s Bronzeville community, are both recognized as pioneers in the unique niche of African American cultural and heritage tourism not only in Chicago, but are among the small group of pioneer/experts nationwide in this now burgeoning niche of America’s national and international tourism industry. As a result of a nod from the National Park Service, an increase in national interest has emerged in the entire Historic Pullman community. It seems that interest in Black labor history, the sole focus of the APRPPM, is also attracting an increase in national and international visitation. Advanced tour group bookings from London, England over the next six months speak to that. The travel and tourism industry
THE PULLMAN PORTER MUSUEM on the city’s far South Side is gaining a reputation as a point of interest for international travelers as a group from England join museum representatives Dr. Lyn Hughes (second row left) and David Peterson (second row right). gathering amplifies the U.S. Travel made it possible to include our com- go a long way in opening the door Association’s multiyear campaign— munity and provides the opportuni- enabling these exciting new initiaknown as Travel Effect—to prove ty to highlight cultural destinations tives to move forward. the huge impact that travel and like the A. Philip Randolph Pullman While these initiatives are not city tourism has on our lives, businesses Porter Museum and the Bronzeville or state funded—Mayor Emanuel and local, state and national Visitor Information Center, sites not has the vision to see that all of Chicaeconomies. normally included from this vantage go is important to the economy and The statistics in the press release is- point. The monumental week of ac- that all neighborhoods need to be insued by Choose Chicago said, “Not tivities also allows us to inform elect- cluded––these exciting developonly did the rally and National Trav- ed officials and local citizens about ments are occurring. el and Tourism Week celebrate the the industry’s true widespread effect Lucas and Hughes both indicate benefits of travel in Chicago, but in Chicago and across America.” this type of initiative is absolutely The numbers tell the story: Travel critical to the next generation of supports 14.9 million jobs across the African Americans in order to capnation, including many right here in ture, maintain, and grow not only Chicago. Across Illinois, the travel what is becoming a lucrative area of and tourism industry employs a di- the $1.3 trillion dollar tourism inverse workforce, from airline and ho- dustry, but to reveal there are numertel employees, to restaurant, attrac- ous opportunities in the growing tion and retail workers, as well as area of the hospitality industry. The supports employees in other indus- travel and tourism industry represents 8.2 million U.S. jobs and actry sectors such as construction. In 2000, Lucas, Hughes and Paula counts for 8 percent of all U.S. exRobinson created the Black Metrop- ports. One out of every 16 American olis Great Migration Pullman Porter works either directly or indirectly in a and Blues Trail, an all day tour that travel and tourism related industry. includes lunch. Designed for serious This is an area, which seems to be history and socio-anthropology oblivious to the African American buffs, this educational tour is packed community. The added benefit and what is even starting at Johnson Publication and THE BRONZEVILLE TOURIST and Visitors Information Bureau is working closely with the ending at the A. Philip Randolph more important is this type of initiaA. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum to bring more visitors, especially form other cul- Museum, where visitors learned tive presents an opportunity to help about the role of Black labor; more change the perception of the Black tures to African American points of interest in the city. specifically, the role Pullman Porters community as well. In light of the played in the great migration. This negative one-sided views of Chicatour travels through the greater go’s South Side Black community, South Side of Chicago’s African which is often depicted as a “a war American community in an all-cul- zone” to those outside of Chicago, and the only view portrayed in the tural experience. Over the past several years this tour media nationwide, this initiative can has picked up momentum. This be a vehicle that can help to change tour began as a local concept in 2006 that perception. It signals that there to attract international interest now are things happening in our commuhas advanced tour bookings with in- nities other than murder, drugs and ternational visitors from France and hopelessness. Perhaps seeing Chicago viewed as Belgium. Despite the fact that these tours do something other than a war zone by not currently have the visibility they the youth population themselves could or should have, they seem to and recognizing that there are people find their place in spite of a lack of outside of their city that see good, marketing dollars. However, the new could remind them that what is seen leadership at the Chicago Conven- on the news is not who they are— THE A. PHILIP RANDOLPH Pullman Porter Museum houses artifacts and other collectibles tion and Tourism Bureau’s Choose that they come from and have a long that tourists from around the world may be interested in given the Pullman Porters historic role Chicago division could be a major and rich heritage upon which they in African Americans migration. boost for this type of effort, and will can build their lives. www.chicagocrusader.com
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ENTERTAINMENT
By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ By Raymond Ward A SUMMER 2014 “BUCKET LIST”: Last weekend was Memorial Day, the unofficial kick-off to summer. People have FINALLY been able to put down their shovels, winter coats and hats, and enjoy bright sunshine and warm weather. Below is a sampling of things scheduled for the next few weeks which I think you might enjoy. 1. “Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir” by Toni Braxton (IT BOOKS; $27.99): Sultry singer and six-time Grammy Award winner, Toni Braxton shares the highlights and intimate details of her career in this new book which also discusses the highs and lows of the singers outstanding
Toni Braxton career which has experienced many high’s and low’s. Financial and health issues in addition to marriage and legal problems are all discussed when Braxton opens up and tells the uncensored truth.
Free community event at Reva and David Logan Center There is plenty to do as the summer kicks off, and the University of Chicago’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies recently announced a free event for the entire family. Barrel of Monkeys, in collaboration with the The University of Chicago Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, invites you to join student-authors, their classmates, family and educators for the annual Celebration of Authors, featuring performances of studentwritten stories created at all of its partner schools and after-school programs during the 2013-2014 season. Performed by more than 30 Barrel of Monkeys actors and musicians and directed by Artistic Director Molly Brennan, this free event takes place Tuesday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. reception) at the University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. in Chicago. Reservations are strongly suggested. Please
LIZZIE BRACKEN (center) and Barrel of Monkeys company members perform “Mystic Face” at the annual Celebration of Authors. Photo by Beth Bullock. son, conducts creative writing workcall (312) 409-1954. During 2013-14, Barrel of Mon- shops with 3rd through 5th grade keys worked with 13 Chicago Pub- students in underserved Chicago lic school partners in 38 classrooms, Public Schools. The ensemble of acplus one after-school program. The tor-educators then turns their stories Chicago-based arts education the- and words into professionally per(Continued on page 13) ater ensemble, now in its 17th sea-
2. The American Black Film Festival: If you happen to think that acting or filmmaking is in your future, make your way to New York City, June 19th through June 22nd. This event, which will take place at the Metropolitan Pavilion and the SVA Theatre, has actor Morris Chestnut and Tanya Lewis Lee serving as Honorary Chairmen this year. On the schedule are film screenings, celebrity conversations, panels, Master Classes and entertainment, including the following: A retrospective of the career of Spike Lee entitled, Spike Lee...Ya Dig!; the premier of “Think Like A Man Too” workshops and panel discussions with Robert Townsend, Morris Chestnut, Omari Hardwick, Charles Dutton, Tatyana Ali, and Stephen Bishop. There’s also the premiers of the James Brown biopic, “Get On Up;” and Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee; in addition to Bill Duke’s Actor’s Boot Camp, Part 1 and Part 2. For more information, please visit abff.com. 3. “Me. I Am Mariah . . . The Elusive Chanteuse” (DEF JAM Records): Yes, she’s finally back with a brand new album (her first in almost five years). Superstar Mariah Carey, . . And you know if Mariah does it, she slays it. There’s even a gospel song, “Heavenly,” which features a FULL choir and samples of the late Reverend James Cleveland. Need I say that Miss Mimi is going in! Pick up a copy today. 4. “Debbie Doesn’t Do It Anymore:” A new novel by Walter Mosley: The ever-so-popular author Walter Mosley is back with a new novel, which is unlike anything he has written in the past. Porn Queen Debbie Dare is about to find out that cleaning up her act is the dirtiest business of all. BookList says, “This could be the best thing Mosley has written in years, a deeply affecting story of a woman whose determination to pull herself out of one life and into another is tested almost to its limits by things she can’t control—until she finds a way to control them.” 12
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BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
www.chicagocrusader.com
ENTERTAINMENT
Three-time Grammy Nominee Billy Branch To be Honored at June 28 Music Month Breakfast Annual Event by Vivian G. Harsh Society Celebrates Chicago’s Rich Music Legacy The Vivian G. Harsh Society, Inc., will hold its 17th Annual Black Music Month Celebration Breakfast on Saturday, June 28 at the Apostolic Church of God Banquet Hall, 6320 S. Dorchester Ave., 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Chicago blues past and present will be celebrated as the Harsh Society pays tribute to highly acclaimed Chicago blues artist Billy Branch and the late Eric “Guitar” Davis, a rising blues guitarist killed late last year, the victim of Chicago gun violence. A master of the harmonica, Billy Branch has appeared on more than 150 recordings. In addition to his three Grammy nominations, Branch has won multiple W. C. Handy Awards from the Blues Foundation, an Emmy and two Chicago Music Awards. His innovative “Blues in Schools” program teaches young and old about the Blues as the root of American music. Branch will receive the Charles E. Walton Award. Representing a younger generation of blues artists, Eric “Guitar” Davis crafted his style of blues from the rhythms of hip-hop. The son of Chicago drummer Bobby “Top Hat” Davis, Eric’s star was ascending when he was found shot to death inside a vehicle on Chicago’s South Side. In his short career, Davis shared the stage with blues greats Buddy Guy,
(Continued from page 12) formed theater, presented both in school and for the general public through its revues. Barrel of Monkeys annually performs more than 300 student-written stories for the students in their schools and 175 stories on the stage for the general public through its year-round review, “That’s Weird, Grandma,” at The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. For additional information on Barrel of Monkeys educational programs and public performances, please visit www.barrelofmonkeys.-org. Chicago Public Schools served by Barrel of Monkeys during the 201314 season include: Avondale-Logandale School, Willa Cather Elementary, Chalmers School of Excellence, Columbia Explorers Academy, Dewey School of Excellence, Dixon Elementary, Haines Elementary, Herzl School of Excellence, Johnson www.chicagocrusader.com
B.B. King and Billy Branch. He will be awarded the Marjorie Stewart Joyner Award posthumously. Other award recipients at the June 28 event include long-time music educator Doris M. Rolland and WVON Radio’s on-air personality Cliff Kelley. CBS 2 Reporter Derrick Blakley will serve as master of ceremonies. The breakfast is an annual fundraising event held in June, which was designated Black Music Month in 1979. Tickets for the breakfast are $40 each and can be purchased by visiting the Vivian G. Harsh Society website at http://harsh society.org/ events. For more information, please call the Society at 312-544-9188. The Vivian G. Harsh Society, Inc., supports the preservation and growth of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, housed at the Chicago Public Library Woodson Regional branch, 9525 S. Halsted Street. The collection includes more than 75,000 books and 100 micro-
Billy Branch film research items, as well as the original manuscripts of Richard Wright, Arna Bontemps and Lang-
ston Hughes. In addition, the collection contains the papers of Horace Cayton, Marjorie Stewart Joyner,
Timuel Black, Revs. Addie and Claude Wyatt, Robert S. Abbott and John H. Sengstacke, among others.
WVON welcomes Art ‘Chat Daddy’ Sims to its evening lineup There is a new sound to WVON’s Friday nights as Art “Chat Daddy” Sims takes over the 6-9 PM slot. “Real Talk, Real People with Chat Daddy” is a lifestyle magazine show that will offer listeners local and national life style stories, relationship advice, celebrity interviews and more. “Real Talk, Real People with Chat Daddy” is hosted by Art “Chat Daddy” Sims on Friday, 6 PM-9 PM. The executive producer is Daveda Flute, 773-247-6200 X235, dave-
da@wvon.com. With more than 19 years of media experience in radio, television and print, Sims is a familiar and welcomed voice in many diverse communities in Chicago and around the world. Known for humor, quick wit, charming conversation and amiable personality, Chat Daddy has traveled both nationally and internationally, providing inspirational, educational and vital information on the development and
School of Excellence, LEARN Campbell, Lorca Elementary, Morton School of Excellence and Poe Classical. Barrel of Monkeys is also an Arts Partner in Residence at Loyola Park District. “Celebration of Authors,” was written by Chicago Public School students and adapted for the stage by Barrel of Monkeys Company members. The director is Molly Brennan and it features Barrel of Monkeys Company members. Performance location is at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago. Tickets are free for the upcoming performance on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 with a 7:30 p.m. performance and 6:30 p.m. reception.
has held a variety of positions in the company, including actor, teacher, lead teacher, director and artistic associate. She was named Artistic Director in 2011. Brennan is also a company member of 500 Clowns, and has performed in Chicago and toured all over the country. Her recent acting credits include: “The Life and Death of Madam Barker” at Red Tape Theatre, Second City’s “Guide to the Opera” at Lyric, Lookingglass Theatre’s “Peter Pan, A Play” and Lookingglass “Alice” and Harpo Marx in Goodman Theatre’s “Animal Crackers.” She has also performed with About Face Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Lifeline Theatre and Factory Theater.
About the Director:
About Barrel of Monkeys
Molly Brennan, a Barrel of Monkeys company member since 1999,
Since Barrel of Monkeys’ inception in 1997, it has worked in 57
maintenance of positive, sustainable relationships. In 2007, Sims was inducted in the second edition of “Who’s Who in Black Chicago,” and in 2009 he was recognized as a social dynamo by Monarch Magazine as one of Chicago’s movers and shakers in the media world.
Art “Chat Daddy” Sims
“‘Real Talk, Real People with Chat Daddy’ –– What a great way to end your week.”
IMMANUEL GUEST, Rawson Vint and Rachel Wilson perform “The Zoo.” Photo by Beth Bullock. Chicago Public Schools. More than 7,000 lower-income elementary school students have participated in the Barrel of Monkeys programs
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
that provide a rare opportunity for creative expression and build literacy skills, self-esteem and confidence in student ideas and abilities Saturday, May 31, 2014
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ARTS AND CULTURE
IN MEMORIAM – Maya Angelou
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Truth to Power Festival will end with the final two concerts of the series: Sunday, June 1, 2014, 3 p.m. Piano Series Vladimir Feltsman, piano HAYDN Piano Sonata in A-flat Major, Hob. XVI:46 SCHUBERT Piano Sonata in A Minor, D. 537 PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 82 Tickets: $28-$92 Versatile Russian pianist Vladimir Feltsman makes his first recital appearance at Symphony Center since 2009 with a program that connects to the Truth to Power Festival underway during this same week. The recital includes Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 6 in A Major,
By Barbara Wright-Pryor Award-winning author, renowned poet and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou died in her home early Wednesday, May 27, 2014. Her death was confirmed in a statement issued by Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she had served as a professor of American Studies since 1982. Born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, MO on April 4, 1922, she performed as an actress, singer and dancer in the 1950s and 1960s and earned instant recognition and critical acclaim as an author for her 1969 “enhanced” autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” chronicling her life in Stamps, Arkansas, the birthplace of this writer. In 1993, she read her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” at the first inauguration of fellow Arkansan President Bill Clinton. Maya Angelou later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama February 15, 2011. Maya Angelou, like famed late contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993), claimed fewer years than her actual age, having been born in 1922 rather than 1928, a fact firmly established by my
Live from Symphony Center
14 Saturday, May 31, 2014
Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma makes her CSO debut on the final Truth to Power concert, conducted by Jaap van Zweden. The program includes Britten’s Violin Concerto, which the composer completed in the summer of 1939, just a few months after following the lead of his friend, W.H. Auden, and moved to America to escape the climate of impending war. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, completed in 1937, was a trial for the composer; under increasing pressure from Soviet critics to simplify his music, and ever more paranoid that he, like many of his friends, would disappear in the night at the hands of Soviet
MAYA ANGELOU RECEIVING the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. cousin, Garland Lougin (1922- that of my father and mother. 1995), her third grade classmate Survivors include her son, Guy who was filmed with her for a Bill Johnson. Funeral arrangements Moyers TV special in Stamps, were incomplete at Chicago CruArkansas, the city of my birth and sader press time.
Chicago Opera Theater presents Ullmann and Orff one-act operas Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents a unique double-bill of one-act German operas in English translation, including Viktor Ullmann’s “The Emperor of Atlantis” (“Der Kaiser von Atlantis”), and Carl Orff’s “The Clever One” (“Die Kluge”) in four performances May 31- June 8, 2014 at the Merle Reskin Theatre of DePaul University (60 E. Balbo). Both works are satires about oppression and dictatorship written in 1943, but reflecting differing world views: “Emperor” was composed during Ullmann’s imprisonment at the Theresienstadt concentration camp and “The Clever One” by Orff for the Frankfurt Opera in Germany. Both biting satires emphasize a sense of absurdity and ridiculousness while embodying the spirit of traditional German fairytales. “These witty works came to life under such different circumstances in 1943, poking fun at the world of the powerful. Satirical comedy becomes the weapon of the powerless against the powerful, where fools are the theme and satire is their song,” said Andreas Mitisek, Chicago Opera Theater General Director who is also directing the production. “It’s a biting social commentary, where one big laugh is worth more than a thousand logical arguments.” Written for a performance by prisoners within the walls of the Theresienstadt concentration camp, Ullmann’s
Op. 47 Tickets: $31-$246
Vladimir Feltsman the first of the composer’s three “war” sonatas that were written just before and during World War II. ******** Thursday, June 5, 2014, 8 p.m. Friday, June 6, 2014, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, 2014, 8 p.m. Sunday, June 8, 2014, 3 p.m. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Jaap van Zweden, conductor Simone Lamsma, violin BRITTEN Violin Concerto, Op. 15 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5 in D Minor,
DAVID GOVERTSEN (Death) and Bernard Holcomb (Harlequin) in Viktor Ullmann’s “The Emperor of Atlantis.” work, “The Emperor of Atlantis,” is a tures scenic design by Andreas Mitisek satire on fascism. In contrast, the fairy- and conducted by Francesco Milioto. tale opera “The Clever One,” by Carl The video and puppetry is designed by Orff, best known for his perennial fa- Sean T. Cawelti and lighting design by vorite “Carmina Burana,” tells of a Andrew Meyers. The ensemble cast of foolish, tyrannical king being bested by the two productions includes Emily a clever woman, a folktale found in Birsan; Matthan Ring Black; Paul many cultures. The composer also Corona; William Dwyer; Neil Edwrote his own libretto based on wards; David Govertsen; Bernard Hol“Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” comb; Christopher Remmel; Cassidy (Continued on page 17) The production is directed and fea-
The Chancel Choir of Morgan Park Presbyterian Church, 2017 W. 100th Place, will present “Concert of the Spirit” with The Classic Act Choral Ensemble conducted by Principal Director Charles T. Hayes and Emeritus Director Jacob Haywood, Sunday, June 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. Accompanists are Yvonne Lindsey music director/pianist and Lauren Burish, bass guitar. Admission is free and a free will offering will be accepted. Fabienne C. Christian is the founder/director of the Classic Act Choral Ensemble. Martha Kubajak is Chancel Choir President, Lance Loiselle is Music Director and The Rev. Jane Tuma is Pastor of Morgan Park
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
police, Shostakovich labored to preserve his artistic freedom of expression within a piece that wouldn’t further rankle the authorities. ** * * * * * * Tickets can be purchased by calling CSO ticketing services at 312-2943000 or 800-223-7114, online at cso.org, or by visiting the Symphony Center box office at 220 S. Michigan Ave. Discounted student tickets can be purchased, subject to availability, online in advance or at the box office on the day of the concert. For group rates, please call 312-294-3040.
Presbyterian Church. ******** The Knoxville College National Alumni Chapter of Milwaukee, WI presents “A Concert of Organ Music by Black Composers” featuring Wallace McClain Cheatham Sunday, June 8 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Mark A.M.E. Church, Milwaukee, WI. Dr. Cheatham is an internationally renowned performing artist, composer, lecturer, author and Knoxville College alumnus. Admission is free and a light reception will follow the performance. St. Mark A.M.E. Church is located at 1616 W. Atkinson Ave., in Milwaukee. For more information, call Jenelle Elder-Green at 414-449-9055. www.chicagocrusader.com
SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING
A Moment to Super Size Your Thinking By Effie Rolfe “What’s to come is better than what’s been”— is a favorite song written by VaShawn Mitchell and recorded by Bishop Larry Trotter and Sweet Holy Spirit Choir. I am a firm believer that sometimes life will give you a precursor of what’s to come in your future. My sister, Almetta, often reminds me, “Coming events cast their shadows before.” I thought about this song when I read a Facebook post and the person mentioned his childhood dream of being a musician had finally come true. I later shared the post with my niece, Meagan, and we discussed the amazing truth of whatever you think eventually finds you. Growing up in rural Arkansas, I found myself listening to the radio and singing songs, as well as playing LPs. This helped to
Effie Rolfe
develop my vocal ability and foster my passion for music. I remember that my desire was for my sisters and I to form a group that was similar to the Emotions. After I found the Lord, we would then practice songs from the Hawkins, Andre Crouch and other gospel artists. Now I know that thoughts are things that will soon manifest. Therefore, it’s no secret that as long as I can recall, music has always been an integral part of my life. Day and night—night and day—I listened to music growing up. One day, I heard Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers on WDIA Radio in Memphis, Tennessee and instantly fell in love with their song “Lord I Believe.” Although, this song has remained a favorite of mine, never in a million years did I imagine that I
would audition and later sing with this Grammy award-winning choir. In addition, I have had several opportunities to meet as well as interview major recording artists including Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Donnie McClurkin, Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Steve Harvey, Toni and Tamar Braxton, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, T.I., Sean Puffy Combs, R. Kelly, Michelle Williams, Tasha Cobbs, Ne Yo, Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry and the list goes on. Even now, I interview various celebrities and write about them in my columns. It’s been said—be careful what you ask for…good or bad, it will come to pass. Yet, it’s still amazing that your innermost thoughts will eventually find you. Thus, it’s crucial for you to monitor your
thoughts and see what they are. I would strongly suggest that you revisit your childhood dreams today. What did you think of yourself before others told you what to do or become? These dreams are often signs of what God already had in store for your life. What were the things you wanted most? Which ones have come to pass? Take a minute to examine your thought life—you might be surprised what you will uncover.
What do you see in your future…? ©Effie Rolfe is the author of “Supersize Your Thinking,” a Media Personality and Motivational Speaker. You can visit my website: effierolfe.com or follow me at twitter.com/effiedrolfe.
The Crusader Gospel Corner And the winner is…get ready for the 1st Annual 2014 Chicago Gospel Music Awards. Chicago Gospel Live is proud to announce the nominees for the final voting round representing some of Chicago’s best and brightest recording artists such as Donald Lawrence, Lemmie Battles, Jonathan McReynolds, Dexter Walker and Zion Movement, Anita Wilson, The Stars of Heaven, Cal-
Donald Lawrence vin Bridges, Shekinah Glory Ministries, Bill Winston presents Living Word, BRL Chicago, Bishop Larry Trotter & Sweet Holy Spirit Combined Choir; Bill Winston Presents Living Word; Charles Jenkins & Fellowship; Dr. Charles G. Hayes &
the Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir and Mark Hubbard & the Voices Featuring Corey Barksdale Jr. and many more. The first time ever awards show has several categories that showcase contemporary, traditional, and praise and worship genres. The various categories are Quartet of the Year; Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year; Traditional - Choir of the Year; Contemporary Choir of the Year; Contemporary - Male Vocalist of the Year; Contemporary - Female Vocalist of the Year; Group of the Year; Praise & Worship - Artist of the Year and Praise & Worship Group of the Year. Lastly, the Song of the Year comprises “Awesome” written by Charles Jenkins; “Jesus Will” written by James Cleveland; “The Gift” written by Donald Lawrence; “Only You Can Deliver” written by Kevin Vasser & Phillip Feaster and “Favor Ain’t Fair” written by Kim Stratton. The votes will be tabulated by iwebmaxx.com and the artist that receives the most votes in each category will be the official nominees for the Chicago Gospel Music Awards. The final round of voting began Friday May 23 and ends midnight Thursday, June 5, 2014. The artists who receive the most votes will be announced “LIVE” during the Chicago Gospel Music Awards ceremony at the House of Hope Arena 752 E. 114th Street in Chicago during the awards program on Friday June 13 at 7 p.m. (CST). The general public is encouraged to vote for your favorite Chicago gospelrecording artist. For information about the show and tickets visit www.chicagogospellive.com. ***
Lemmie Battles www.chicagocrusader.com
Join Salvation Church of God Apostolic for their 14th Pastoral An-
niversary. This year will be their Apostolic Kingdom Network’s annual meeting with the theme Anointing that Destroys the Yoke. On Thursday, June 19 the speaker is Apostle Linda Johnson from Killeen, TX and Friday June 20 at 7 p.m. Pastor Glenn Chappell from Pontiac, Michigan. Saturday will
THE LEO HIGH SCHOOL Alumni Association recently inducted Cardinal Francis George into its Hall of Fame. Pictured from left to right, (Michael Holmes, Bob Sheehy ‘71, junior Isaiah Nichols, Cardinal George, junior LaTrell Giles, Dan Stecich ‘75 and President Dan McGrath ‘68.)
Cardinal Francis George inducted into the Leo High School Hall of Fame Linda Johnson feature fun in the son barbeque fundraiser as well as volleyball and dunk the deacon. Enjoy food, fun and fellowship including a silent auction. For information about the full list of anniversary services for Apostle Jerry Taylor and Pastor Darlene Taylor contact 708-833-0848. *** Congratulations to Liberty Baptist Church Women’s Guild presenting their Spring Fashion Extravaganza Hattitude with Attitude which includes a fashion show and luncheon on this Saturday, May 31. The show will feature local and national designer signature collections worn by male and female models. The event hosted by the Women’s Guild will starts at 11 a.m. at the church, 4849 S. King Drive in Chicago where Rev. Darrell L. Jackson is the pastor. Tickets are $15. For more information call 312-720-2965.
Cardinal Francis George was inducted into the Leo High School Hall of Fame during a ceremony in his office at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center on Thursday, May 22. The Leo Alumni Association voted the Cardinal into the Hall as a member of the Class of 2014, but he was unable to join his fellow inductees at the Alumni Banquet on April 25. So arrangements were made to honor him a month later. Leo Alumni Association President Dan Stecich ‘75 did the honors, along with Bob Sheehy ‘71, Chairman of the Leo High School Advisory Board. They were joined by Leo President Dan McGrath ‘68, Admissions Director/Head Football Coach Michael Holmes ‘76, Devel-
opment Director Pat Hickey and Leo juniors Latrell Giles and Isaiah Nichols. Cardinal George was honored for his strong support of Leo. In 2013 he served as Honorary Chairman of the Lions Express to Opportunity campaign to obtain two new buses to enhance the school’s transportation capabilities. The Cardinal then officiated at a “blessing of the buses” ceremony after the vehicles were purchased. “I’m very grateful for this honor,” Cardinal George said. “I have great respect for the Leo Mission, and I’ve been impressed with the young men I’ve met on my visits to Leo. I will continue to pray for the school’s success.”
Send Your Church News Send your church news to the Chicago Crusader Newspaper at 6429 S. King Dr., Chicago, IL 60637, by email: crusaderil@aol.com or by fax to 773-752-2817. Please email pictures in JPEG format only and do not email flyers. For more information call 773-752-2500.
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
Saturday, May 31, 2014
15
NEWS
DON’T CRASH DREAMS. DRIVE RESPONSIBLY
In America we think driving is a right and not a privilege. At 16 years old, getting a learner’s permit or driver’s license almost has become a right of passage. In most of the world, however, the legal minimum driving age is 18. For a young person, driving represents freedom. Owning a car represents adulthood. While this is true, it also represents a major responsibility. In the wrong hands, a car is a very dangerous weapon. It can change the course of people’s lives—not just the driver’s, but family, friends and strangers. This Memorial Day, the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety launched the “Don’t Crash Dreams” campaign targeting African American and Latino young men between the ages of 18-34. Over the summer, the campaign is targeting five Chicago communities—the near South Side, Douglas, Oakland, Grand Boulevard and Washington Park. This age group is the most likely to be in car accidents caused by distracted diving, not wearing seatbelts and Driving Under the In-
fluence. The campaign will run through Labor Day, which is the period when teenagers and young adults are out of school and driving, running errands and hanging out with friends. Between 2009-2011, data show the number of car fatalities, involving African Americans and Latinos not wearing seatbelts and/or driving while intoxicated remains high. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, 234 motorists and passengers died in car crashes in Chicago— that’s an average of 40 deaths a year. Fiftyone percent were African American and 23 percent were Hispanic. Young Hispanic men are the most likely not to wear seat belts while driving, followed by African Americans. In Chicago, nearly 65 percent of Hispanic and 58 percent of African American men were involved in alcohol-related fatalities, compared to 38 percent of their white peers, in 2010. Among those with a blood alcohol level of .01, African American young men were the least likely to have on a seat belt—14 percent compared to 29 percent. “Driving Under the Influence” is defined as operating a motor vehicle
while impaired by alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, intoxicating compounds and methamphetamine. In Illinois, a driver is legally considered to be under the influence if he/she has a blood-alcohol content of .08 or more, has used any illegal substance, or is impaired by medication. According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, 77 percent of DUI offenders are men and 59 percent are under age 35. The majority of arrests take place between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on a weekend, and are caught driving with a BAC of .16—twice the illegal limit. The Center for Disease Control reports that young men, 18-20, are nearly seven times more likely to drink and drive than are young women in the same age group. Young women aren’t exempt, however. The period from Memorial Day to Labor Day is a time when teenage drivers need to drive responsibly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accounts for almost half of the nation’s car fatalities. Most involve talking on cellphones or texting. The best way to prevent young people from distract-
(Continued from page 1) conditioning.” They refused to pay her travel costs. Townsend shared she was hurt and felt that she was in tennis shape, despite her physical appearance. She competed anyway and reached the quarterfinals in singles and won the doubles title. Afterwards, she was diagnosed with an iron deficiency, eventually received treatment and says she is in great shape. As a result of the negative experience, she fired her USTA coaches and hired former pro and fellow African-American tennis star, Zina Garrison. She said the controversy surrounding her weight fueled her desire to succeed. “It made me stronger as a person, it made me stronger as a tennis player, and it made me stronger in the sense of knowing that what I went through helped other people,” said Townsend after her win in France. She said thousands of people reached out to her via social media to give their support, including those who struggle with weight issues or eating disorders. Her own coach, Garrison, suffered from bulimia. Townsend said she is past the controversy and is more focused on her game in which her strong suit is serve and volley.
Recently, Townsend testified before the Chicago Housing Authority Board to support a proposal to use part of the site of the former Robert Taylor Homes for XS Tennis Village. Townsend told the board the sport of tennis is primarily White, but that when African-American children are exposed to the sport and given the support needed, including great facilities, they succeed. The $6 million project would bring a tennis center to the South Side said Kamau Murray, executive director of XS Tennis. He revealed that many college tennis scholarships go unused every year, and believes African-American youth can fill those voids. “We have sent many kids to college on scholarships, but there are more out there,” Murray said. “The new facility would increase the exposure of tennis to the urban community.” Mayor Rahm Emanuel is supporting the proposed tennis center, and stated that XS Tennis has been a tremendous success and shows what can happen when athletics and education come together. The 112,000 square-foot, state-ofthe-art facility will house eight indoor and 19 outdoor courts; a fitness center; running track; training
This summer, the Don’t Crash
Dreams campaign will be working with schools, churches, elected officials, community-based organizations and businesses to urge this target audience of young men to think before they drive and “Don’t crash their dreams” before they get started with their futures.
space; and classrooms. Chicago’s XS Tennis is the largest, most successful minority-owned tennis organization in the nation, serving more than 2,000 Chicago
Public School (CPS) students through its free in-school Tennis XSpress program and more than 2,300 Chicago youth and residents annually.
With final site location approval from the Chicago Housing Authority, XS Tennis expects to break ground on the new facility in September of this year.
School 2nd Grade — Maricela Buckingham, Glenview, Glenview School of Arts 3rd Grade — Yebin Park, Northbrook, Glenview School of Arts 4th Grade — Madelyn Lee, Buffalo Grove, Glenview School of Arts 5th Grade — Akhil Devarajan, Aurora, Reba Steck Elementary School 6th Grade — Lydia Tan, Vernon Hills, Daniel Wright Junior High School 7th Grade — Julie Frederickson, Evergreen Park, Central Junior High School 8th Grade — Erika Galeczka, Hainesville, Grayslake Middle School 9th Grade — Danielle Murwaski, Oak Forest, Oak Forest High School 10th Grade — Sung-Kyung Yoon, Northbrook, Glenbrook North High School 11th Grade — Shelbie Nevilles,
(Continued from page 10) Chicago, Frederick Douglass Academy High School 12th Grade — Jennifer Sachs, Deerfield, Deerfield High School 3rd Place Poster Kindergarten — Cal Leatherman, Naperville, Goddard School 1st Grade —Kyuri Moon, Buffalo Grove, Ivy Hall Elementary School 2nd Grade — Ally Humbert, Libertyville, Copeland Manor School 3rd Grade — Sean Park, Buffalo Grove, Kildeer Countryside Elementary School 4th Grade — Abigail Van Engen, Tinley Park, Helen Keller Elementary 5th Grade — Sonia Gutkowski, Naperville, Scott Elementary School 6th Grade — Olegario Arias, Chicago, Gerald Delgado Kanoon Magnet School 7th Grade — Jasmine Johnson, Chicago, Federico Garcia Lorca Elementary School 8th Grade — Ivan Gachuz, Aurora, Jefferson Middle School
ed driving or Driving Under the Influence is to lead by example. It’s unacceptable for parents to say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” They must show their teenage children responsible behavior.
Englewood native making waves in tennis world
Dishonoring Our Vets (Continued from page 6) the “thank you” is not accompanied by the assistance that so many veterans need. Memorial Day ought to be a day to commemorate the dead, and improve 16
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Safety Contest Winners Announced
Essay K-4 Division — Sean Forman, Palatine, 2nd Grade, Virginia Lake Elementary School 5-8 Division — Akhil Devarajan, Aurora, 5th Grade, Reba Steck Elementary 9-12 Division — Evelyn Gachuz, Aurora, 12th Grade, West Aurora High School Top Participating School Norman A. Bridge Elementary, Chicago
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
the ways we treat the living. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist, author and educator. She can be reached at juliannemalveaux.com.
9th Grade — Luis Andrade, Bartlett, Bartlett High School 10th Grade — Maria Guadalupe Garcia Eustaquio, Des Plaines, Maine West High School 11th Grade — Jassiel Serna, Streamwood, Streamwood High School 12th Grade —Janellie Gozzola, Chicago, Chicago Academy High School
If half of the pro athletes in the major sports would put millions behind one or two causes they could have a major impact on that cause. Even if half of the
(Continued from page 4) Chicago Bears, not the team’s charity kicked in what Marshall did, at least one cause would get the much needed help. Hopefully Marshall will not
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
have to carry this torch alone and people from all walks of life will follow him in doing the right thing. Sonny Banks www.chicagocrusader.com
Love Cork Screw bringing good . . . (Cont’d from page 9) ingredients in the wine. If you’re having fish with some butter on it, well a chardonnay would be a good choice. For something like a sweet chicken dish, go with a nice Riesling. But
what is most important is drinking what you like.” Love Cork Screw offers a variety of tastes at a good value as prices range from $11 to $22 a bottle. They offer six different bottles: Pinot Grigo (Good Times
Good Friends), Concord (Hard Knock Life), Cabernet Sauvignon (We’re Moving on Up), Niagara (Touch the Sky), Brusecco (In Too Deep) and a sweet Riesling (Head over Heels). “You will like at least one
out of the six if not all of them,” Lampley proudly proclaimed. “We are a midtier wine. Love Cork Screw products can be found at Binny’s Beverage Depot and Mariano’s around the city.
Republicans are . . . (Cont’d from page 5) to lack access to adequate food than households without a disabled member.” Republicans need to do more than simply wave the American flag. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief
of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reach ed through his website, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/curry george and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook.
Chicago Opera Theater . . . (Continued from page 14) Smith and Andrew Wilkowske. Chicagoan Francesco Milioto (Conductor) made his COT debut in 2013 with Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco,” for which his conducting and his own New Millennium Orchestra received critical acclaim. Immediately following his work with COT, he joined the staff at Lyric Opera of Chicago (LOC) as cover conductor for Verdi’s “La Traviata,” and will return to LOC for both “Capriccio” and “Tosca” i n the 2014-15 season. Andreas Mitisek (Director) has been the General Director of Chicago Opera Theater since June of 2012. He is also the Artistic and General Director of Long Beach Opera (LBO)
since 2003. A native of Austria, he served as Artistic and Music Director of the Wiener Operntheater from 1990 – 1997, the foremost contemporary opera company in Austria. He is dedicated to attracting new audiences to COT by exploring unorthodox venues and presenting new and rare works. For more information, call Chicago Opera Theater at 312-704-8414. Opera subscriptions start at $35 and are on sale now along with individual tickets. Subscriptions and tickets may be purchased through Chicago Opera Theater at chicagooperatheater.org or by calling 312704-8414.
HOUSES FOR SALE
www.chicagocrusader.com
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
Saturday, May 31, 2014
17
HOUSES FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, -v.RICHMOND C TUREAUD A/K/A RICHMOND TUREAUD, CITIBANK, N.A. S/I/I TO CITIBANK, FSB, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. S/I/I BY PURCHASE FROM THE FDIC AS RECEIVER OF WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK, CITIBANK N.A. S/I/I TO CITIBANK (SOUTH DAKOTA) N.A., MIDLAND FUNDING LLC, EQUABLE ASCENT FINANCIAL, LLC, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 12 CH 39404 715 WEST 59TH 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 March 12, 2014, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on June 16, 2014, 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 715 WEST 59TH STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60621 Property Index No. 20-16300-053-0000. The real estate is improved with a 2 unit home with no garage. 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 twentyfour (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. 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 AC-
TO PLACE AN IN THE CHICAGO CRUSADER CALL 773-752-2500 18
CORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. Effective May 1st, 2014 you will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driverʼs license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues. For information: Visit our website at service.attypierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5 pm. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES, Plaintiffʼs Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300, CHICAGO, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 476-5500. Please refer to file number PA1221675. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300 CHICAGO, IL 60602 (312) 476-5500 Attorney File No. PA1221675 Attorney Code. 91220 Case Number: 12 CH 39404 TJSC#: 34-4260 I606915 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WINTRUST MORTGAGE, A DIVISION OF BARRINGTON BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, N.A. F/K/A WINTRUST MORTGAGE CORPORATION F/K/A SGB CORPORATION D/B/A WEST AMERICA MORTGAGE COMPANY Plaintiff, -v.IVAN PROKOPIV Defendants 12 CH 038207 6735 S. GREEN 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 April 1, 2014, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 3, 2014, 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 6735 S. GREEN STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60621 Property Index No. 20-20-407-013. The real estate is improved with a 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 twentyfour (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. 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
Saturday, May 31, 2014
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 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. Effective May 1st, 2014 you will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driverʼs license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues. 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 14-12-21129. 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. 14-12-21129 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 12 CH 038207 TJSC#: 34-6085 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. I606950
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SPORTS
Gwendolyn Brooks students run Chicago marathon for good cause By J. Coyden Palmer For the second year, students at one Chicago high school are putting on their running shoes to help provide basic necessities for children in Africa. Last year 46 students from Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep trained and ran in the Chicago Marathon and raised $11,000 for a ministry conducted by Team World Vision that runs for water, sanitation and hygiene programs in Africa. The students train for five to six months to run in the October marathon and this year are hoping to raise $50,000. “The benefits of students participating in this event is they build a culture of teamwork, they learn about themselves and the exercise helps to promote healthy living, which is something First Lady Michelle Obama speaks of often,” said Brooks teacher Daniel Bauer, who brought the concept to the school last year. Bauer said many of those who participated last year had never run a mile in their life. Convincing teens who had never done something as difficult as running a marathon took a little “arm-twisting,” said Bauer with a smile. He said many students needed service learning hours, a CPS requirement for graduation, others just wanted to do something with their friends. But Bauer believes many students wanted to help the children in parts of Africa that are in the most need. “We have good kids here at Brooks from many different cultures. They recognized the human
element in being able to help provide basic resources like water; something many take for granted when they just turn on the faucet in their homes,” Bauer said. Marcus Rivers, a senior at Brooks who will attend DePaul in the fall, said he is going back for the second year in a row. Last year he only missed one practice and said he got involved simply because he wanted to try something new. Not only did Rivers learn about himself physically and mentally, Rivers said he learned about his schoolmates as well, even though his family was skeptical. “They [family] thought I was crazy,” Rivers began. “But once they saw me out there running and I finished the race, they saw me as a hero. I’ve never seen my parents so proud of me.” Rivers said the marathon team at Brooks allowed him to interact with his classmates during practice sessions. He said he learned about people who before he had just seen walking through the hallways at school. “I became friends with Alexandra, who is into comic books and likes the character Flash. I would have never met so many people and learned about their likes if it were not for this team,” Rivers said. Kaelin Akins also is coming back for her second marathon, even though she vowed never to do it again after completing last year’s race. She called the experience the most “demanding thing” she’s ever done in her life. She said Bauer is such a warm-hearted person that if
MARCUS RIVERS (left) is joined by teacher Daniel Bauer (center) and fellow student junior (right) Kaelin Akins as they embark on training for running in the Chicago Marathon this year. (Photo by J. Coyden Palmer) he keeps after you eventually you my faith in God really was.” other schools who are interested Rivers said he wants to improve just need to contact him. He also is will give in and say yes. “I’m not looking forward to do- on his time as well. Last year he encouraged when he hears that ing this again, because I know how completed the marathon in five Akins and Rivers want to launch hard it will be and the training you hours 47 minutes and 35 seconds. their own marathon teams when have to put your body through,” Akins said a time improvement they get to college. Akins said. “But my best friend is would be nice, but she really just doing it this year, and I wanted to wants to support her friends and For more information on the raise more money as a team than program visit Team World Vison support her.” Akins said last year she had shin they did last year. online at www.teamworldvision.Bauer said there is room for the org. Students interested in running splints and an injured ankle at the 20 mile mark for the 26.2 mile program to grow not just within in the marathon can contact Bauer race. She said that was when she Brooks, but with other CPS directly via email at crf_bauerdeshocked herself and found out schools as well. He said students at @cuchicago.edu. what she was made of. “My faith in God pushed me those last few miles, because physically I couldn’t do it anymore,” Akins said. “I learned how strong
THE LIONS’ TRACK team captured its fifth consecutive Class 1A Sectional Championship recently in the Lisle Sr. 1A Sectional at Benedictine University. The state meet is held annually in Charleston, Ill at Eastern Illinois University. The Lions won the meet with a total of 105 points and qualified the 400, 800 and 1600-meter relays to the state meet. Senior Terron Bell qualified in the shot put and discus events, along with sophomore Christopher Winters. Sophomore Darias Oliver qualified in the high jump and senior Riley McClendon qualified in the 200 meter dash. The Lions have won two of the last three state championships in Class 1A. The Class 1A prelims are Thursday, May 29. www.chicagocrusader.com
WENDELL SCOTT NAMED Member of the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class — African-American Trailblazer Won Hundreds Of Races During Legendary Career — On May 28, nearly 25 years after his passing, Wendell Scott, the first AfricanAmerican driver to secure a victory at NASCAR’s top level, continues to make history. His legendary career includes a historic premier series victory, championships and more than 100 wins in NASCAR’s regional level divisions. Wednesday, he reaches the sport’s pinnacle, as a NASCAR Hall of Famer. Scott, one of NASCAR’s true trailblazers, became the first African American elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame recently when the 2015 class was announced in a special unveiling at the hall in Charlotte, North Carolina. Accompanying Scott in NASCAR’s sixth class are Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Joe Weatherly and Rex White, all of whom will be officially enshrined on January 30, 2015 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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Saturday, May 31, 2014
BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
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