Chicago Crusader 06/22/13 E-Edition

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Blacks Must Control Their Own Community

To The Unconquerable Host of Africans Who Are Laying Their Sacrifices Upon The Editorial Altar For Their Race AUDITED BY

•C•P•V•S•

VOLUME LXXIII NUMBER 9—SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

PUBLISHED SINCE 1940

25 Cents and worth more

Math tutoring used to help reduce violence

By Wendell Hutson Chicago Public Schools officials are hoping an expanded math tutoring program used this year in a pilot program will help reduce school violence starting this fall.

The math tutoring program is a partnership between the University of Chicago’s Urban Education and Crime Labs and

THE BECOMING A MAN program has helped Arjay Howard, a 16-yearold junior at William Harper High School, be more responsible about his actions.

Match Education, a national tutoring program in Boston. This year the pilot math class, which is offered during school hours was available at William Harper High School and Little Village Elementary School.

The goal, said Roseanna Ander, executive director of the university’s Urban Education and Crime Labs, is to tutor up to 1,000 male youth at 12 schools.

“The list is still being compiled but should be completed in the next week or so and will include one or two elementary schools and the rest high schools,” Ander said. “The tutoring begins when school starts and will run through the end of the 2015 school year.”

The 12 schools, which have not yet been identified, would more than likely be located on the south and west sides, Ander added.

The student population at CPS is 404,151 and 42 percent are Black and 44 percent are Hispanic, according to CPS data. Census data showed that the majority of residents living on the south and west sides are Black.

Ander added that math was chosen over reading “because our research could not find any studies that showed less violent crimes were committed by students who improved their reading, although reading is important and could be looked at down the road.”

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA participated in a "Becoming a Man" program roundtable at the Hyde Park Career Academy in Chicago Feb. 15. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).

“At some point the tutoring class, which would count as an elective for students, also would be offered to girls but currently it is only open to boys,” said Alan Safran, president of Match Education.

“Males are the most at-risk of committing a crime or being a victim of a violent crime. That’s why we started with them first,” explained Sefran. “Students would sign up for this class and it would run dur-

ing the day, not after school, and students would receive a letter grade (A-F) for their effort. There would be one tutor for every two students and that tutor would work with the student for the entire school year.”

“Tutors would be paid $17,000 for the two-year program but must only commit to one year,” Safran said. And because Sefran anticipates that most of the schools (Continued on page 3)

How does conceal carry affect our community?

Quinn still has not signed bill into law

By J. Coyden Palmer After decades of refusing to enact legislation allowing Illinois citizens the right to carry concealed firearms in public, the Illinois Legislature recently passed a new bill that is only awaiting Governor Pat Quinn’s signature. Quinn however, is holding out on signing the bill and could veto it after Attorney General Lisa Madigan successfully lobbied the courts for a 30-day extension of a previous June 9 deadline imposed by a federal appellate court. Despite the delay, it is expected that sometime later this year Illinois will have a concealed carry law in place and will join the nation’s other

49 states that currently have one. The new bill was not embraced by gun control advocates or pro-gun individuals. The bill was a result of several compromises.

The Crusader spoke with Quinn recently at an unrelated event on the city’s West Side. When asked why he had not signed the bill, Quinn responded he is waiting to see if Madigan will be able to successfully challenge the appeals court ruling from last December. He said he also plans to use the allotted extra time allowed before making a decision.

Two people from the community who were key advocates for the passage of the new bill, Shawn Gowder and Lori Meriweather said while the governor is taking his time, Black people are being gunned down in Chicago on a daily basis by crimi(Continued on page 3)

WHILE THEY ARE on opposite sides of the Illinois Concealed Carry bill awaiting his signature, Gov. Quinn and Lori Meriweather shared a light moment last weekend at an event in Chicago.

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Three players of African descent on Blackhawks team compete in finals (See story on page 19)

NEWS

Bulls legend shares life struggles with graduates

By Royce Strahan The Third Baptist Church of Chicago at 1551 W. 95th St. was filled with family and friends of the 155 graduates of Prologue recently, who had a special guest share his life experiences with them.

Former Chicago Bulls center and head coach Bill Cartwright was the commencement speaker for the graduates of the community-based high school and GED program. Cartwright shared a positive message to encourage the graduates to continue their successes.

“I think the big thing is that they know that this is a beginning for

make of it.”

Cartwright also acknowledged the challenges he faced during his life journey with those who doubted he would succeed.

“There’s always going to be people out there that doubt you,” Cartwright said. “It doesn’t matter what you do. They’re either going to tell you or give a reason why you can’t do it and it’s just important to believe in yourself.”

Prologue Early College High School is headquartered on N. Cleaver Street in Chicago and was founded in 1972. The program has approximately 500 students between the ages of 17 and 21 who didn’t receive a high school diploma but are looking to con-

CHECREE FINCH, Pa Joof (Lead Principal, Prologue Early College H.S), Isaiah Merill share a congratulatory hug at the recent graduation. them and they have the opportunity to do whatever they really want to do,” Cartwright told the Crusader. “We know that they’ve had some trouble in their lives and been down a side road but their future is what they’re willing to

tinue their education. The curriculum focuses on critical thinking skills, self-awareness and intense math and science instruction. It also works with older adults who are unemployed and looking to be trained in different

THE 2013 CLASS OF PROLOGUE Early College lets loose with celebratory whoops at the end of their commencement. fields of interest.

Nancy Jackson, the executive director of the program, shared that about 75 percent of the students who graduated would be going to college after summer bridge programs during the fall and that she’s excited about the future of those who matriculate through their courses.

“We retrieve young people from the streets of the city of Chicago who have been disconnected for a while from the public school system and made decisions in their lives that they want to come back to school and be able to study on RAYMOND MOORE, a Prologue School recent graduate gets their own,” Jackson said.

“A lot of the young people that advice on developing life skills from former Chicago Bulls we work with are young people in player and head coach Bill Cartwright. many cases that have failed not last stop on the road for many of addition to having two charter only in the public school system, them.” schools, one contract school and but many of them have failed in The not-for-profit program also an independent African-centric other alternative high schools,” does public health programs to do school, which were all represented she added. “So we are really the HIV/AIDS prevention work in at the commencement ceremony.

Parents protest school closure by boycotting

By Wendell Hutson Some parents upset about Goodlow Elementary School closing with 48 other elementary schools this month have pulled their children out of school and said they plan to keep them home until changes are made.

‘Home is where he [9-year-old son] will stay until something is done about the ridiculous changes by CPS [Chicago Public Schools] to my baby’s school,” Michelle Clark said. “Why increase class sizes by dumping kids from a lower performing school into a higher performing school?

That makes no sense whatsoever.”

Protesting parents said they are most upset over the entire Goodlow staff including the principal being replaced and the school being renamed as they reason for boycotting.

According to Clark, 120 stu2

Saturday, June 22, 2013

SOME PARENTS LIKE Michelle Clark have pulled their kids out of Elaine Goodlow Elementary School, 2040 W. 62nd St. to protest changes to the school this fall, such as an entirely new staff and a name change to Charles Earle Elementary School.

dents missed school last week because of the boycott although David Miranda, a spokesman for Chicago Public Schools, said he could not confirm last week’s attendance, at press time.

There are 358 students enrolled at Goodlow even though the school has room for nearly 700 students. And, 96 percent of the students are Black according to Chicago Public Schools data. The school is located in Englewood, which has a predominately Black population according to census data.

The nation’s third largest school district with more than 400,000 students and over 650 schools is closing Goodlow, 2040 W. 62nd St., this month due to underutilization. CPS plans to move students and staff four blocks from Charles Earle Elementary, 6121 S. Hermitage Ave., into Goodlow this fall and rename it Earle.

Goodlow parents keeping their

ELAINE GOODLOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is among the 49 elementary schools Chicago Public Schools is closing this month due to underutilization. children out of school has Alderman Toni Foulkes (15th) angry.

“Are you really hurting CPS by keeping your kids out of school?

What I can’t figure out is why Goodlow parents are upset when their children are not leaving the building,” Foulkes said. “They get to stay in the same building.

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

It’s the kids at Earle that must leave their building next school year to attend school somewhere else. And the Earle parents are fine with it.”

Ihechi Abu Sadiki, principal of Goodlow, was unavailable for (Continued on page 16) www.chicagocrusader.com

NEWS

Red Line construction creates 1,000 jobs As the Red Line South reconstruction project marks the completion of the first month of work, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) officials announced that the $425 million project remains on schedule and within budget, and that alternative service is providing smooth commutes for customers.

“Mayor Emanuel and I are pleased to report that this massive investment in the Red Line South and the South Side is proceeding smoothly and our customers are a month closer to a brand new railroad that provides faster, smoother and more reliable commutes,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool. “The CTA continues to provide plenty of alternative, convenient and discounted or free service to customers affected by the project and we continue to create jobs and economic benefits for the South Side and Chicago as a whole.”

The Red Line South reconstruction began May 19, requiring a temporary shutdown of 10 miles of track to completely rebuild it. The fivemonth shutdown will allow the work to be completed in the quickest, most cost-efficient manner, and includes

the rehabilitation of eight of nine Red Line South rail stations along the Red Line South. The ninth station, 95th Street Terminal, will be reconstructed in a separate, $240 million project next year.

To accommodate customers affected by the shutdown, the CTA has provided extensive alternative service, including free shuttles between Red Line stations south of 63rd Street and the Garfield elevated rail station; free entry at Garfield Green Line station; Red Line train service running on Green Line tracks from Roosevelt to Ashland/63rd; expanded bus service on numerous nearby bus routes and 50-cent discounts on bus rides south of 63rd Street.

(Continued from page 1)

much and will hurt poor people, who are the most vulnerable to violent crime, from protecting themselves. They said adding to the fee, some people will have to buy a new weapon, in addition to taking the required 16-hour class that includes a shooting qualification portion, which will require the purchasing of ammunition. And before one can even get to that point they will need to apply for a Firearms Owner identification card (FOID) from the state that has a $10 fee.

“I see it as another way of keeping law abiding citizens away from concealed carry,” Gowder said. “If you price it out of the range of the poor then those that need it the most won’t be able to have it. It’s like a new caste system.”

“They’re still trying to block us out with the fee,” Meriweather said. “They’re still trying to restrict the Black community from protecting themselves. And while this bill still isn’t really for us, it is still a foot in the door. And on that point, we have to take some bad with the good.”

Meriweather has a problem with the concealed carry bill as it stands now because it does not allow for people to carry a loaded weapon on public transportation. She feels this is against the very essence of the law. Meriweather said the CTA has spent millions in the last few years upgrading their security system with state-of-the-art high definition cameras, only to see crime surge upwards. She said the cameras only give people a false sense of security.

Project progress highlights include: Railroad reconstruction The project includes replacing all railroad ties, rails, third rail, drainage and communications systems, and ballast, the stone material that holds the ties in place. Station work includes lighting replacement or refurbishment, new signage, floor reglaz-

THE RED LINE construction project on the South Side is expected to generate 1,000 jobs, according to CTA officials, who also said after one month work is on schedule. ing/repair, painting, cleaning and new elevators at the Garfield, 63rd and 87th stations.

About 95 percent of the old tracks have been removed and 80 percent of the third rail, signals and communications cable has been finished. At shuttered Red Line South stations, demolition and foundation work has progressed in areas where new eleva-

How does conceal carry affect our community? nals using illegal guns, while honest citizens are defenseless.

Gowder successfully sued the City of Chicago challenging a portion of the city’s 2010 gun ordinance.

Meriweather, from the Illinois chapter of Second Amendment Sisters, a self-defense advocacy group, confronted Quinn about the issue at the West Side event. Both say the new law will be good for the community. Gowder and Meriweather believe it is important for the community to understand the new law in terms of what people can do.

Gowder said whether you were in favor of concealed carry or not, the community will be affected by the new law.

“We in the Black community should not have to wait for this governor to sign this bill, drag his feet, or for it to take 180 days to take effect once it is signed,” Gowder began. “We are in the killing season in Chicago right now. I think concealed carry will help because the criminal will now know that some law abiding citizen that used to be an easy target, won’t be as easy as they thought we were. It will even things out and we will be able to protect ourselves and our families, which is all we ever wanted. When this happens we will see the benefits of it…just like everywhere else in the country where it has passed and they have seen violent crime drop.”

Meriweather and Gowder both, however, have concerns. They believe the $150 being charged by the state for a five year license is too www.chicagocrusader.com

“Cameras don’t do anything but take pictures,” she said. “The CTA can’t tell us at this present moment how many people are breaking the law and carrying anyway. If they can’t answer that question, how are you going to tell me, the honest citizen that I can’t as well?”

Other places that will ban the carrying of a concealed weapon covered in the bill include public parks, government buildings, hospitals, casinos and sports stadiums. Carrying will be permitted at alcoholic establishments as long as those businesses make more than half of their sales from food.

Meriweather said some people can cut costs by purchasing a used handgun or safety equipment like shooting glasses, ear protection, holsters, belts, ammunition clips and other needed items. She said people should feel comfortable with their instructor when they take their class and heed all of the legal material that will be taught in their class, in addition to just learning how to shoot safely and maintain their weapon.

In the meantime, earlier this week, Peoria County State’s Attorney Jerry Brady has joined a fast growing list of other state prosecutors who say they will not prosecute people with a valid FOID card arrested for carrying their weapon on them while law enforcement officials await legislation from lawmakers. Prosecutors in Madison, Clinton, Randolph, Tazewell and White counties previously stated they will not prosecute.

tors will be built.

Job creation The CTA estimates that overall jobs created by this project will top 1,000, including 400 part-time bus operators, 100 traffic control aides, 400plus construction jobs and more.

Alternative service/ridership To help customers inconvenienced by the temporary Red Line South branch shutdown, the CTA undertook a major alternative service effort to provide customers with plenty of service alternatives that are being widely used by our customers.

In line with the CTA’s expectations, customers are taking advantage of a number of alternatives during this period.

• More than 9,300 customers on an average weekday are taking express shuttles from 95th, 87th, 79th and 69th to Garfield.

• More than 6,700 customers are taking the local shuttle, which makes all stops between 63rd and 95th.

• More than 1,300 customers take

the express shuttle between Cermak/Chinatown and Roosevelt Road.

• Customers are increasing use of the Green, Orange and re-routed Red Line, as well as several north-south bus routes, including the #3 State, #4 Cottage Grove, J14 Jeffery Jump and #29 State.

During the first few weeks of the project, CTA closely monitored ridership patterns each day and made a number of tweaks to the alternative service to better meet ridership demand. For example, CTA added service on the #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #J14 Jeffery Jump and #29 State Street bus routes to address an increase in ridership.

Additionally, the CTA increased the number of signs and maps at stations and shuttle stops to help customers more easily navigate the alternative service, and launched a campaign to promote the free shuttles as a convenient alternative to normal north-south bus routes.

More information about the Red Line South project is posted at www.transitchicago.com. Follow us on Twitter @RedLineSouth for updates.

Math tutoring used to help (Continued from page 1) chosen for the pilot tutoring class would have a predominately minority student population, most of the tutors will be Black, Hispanic and all from Chicago.

“We know that there are some students who do not speak English well and a bilingual teacher would be needed. We want tutors to reflect the students and that’s why we are making sure we have a diverse pool of tutors,” he added.

“Some studies have shown that when students are doing better in school they do not commit crimes,” Ander said.

“That’s where this program comes into play. We see what great success the Becoming A Man program had on reducing violence at high schools and now we want to piggy back off of it by

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

coupling this program with BAM,” Ander said.

BAM is a youth mentoring program currently available at 10 elementary and eight high schools, according to Wendy Fine, a spokeswoman for Youth Guidance.

Among youth involved in BAM there has been a 40 percent reduction in violent crimes, an increase in high school graduation rates by 10 percent and even reduced failing grades by youth by 37 percent, according to an evaluation by the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab. Earlier this year BAM, which is run by the Youth Guidance organization, had its funding bumped up from the city to $3 million from $1 million. The MacArthur Foundation is funding the tutoring class.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

3

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL TRAYVON MARTIN’S KILLER IN COURT George Zimmerman, the shooter who took Trayvon Martin’s young life on a whim, is readying for his day in court. According to some reports, it has been extremely difficult finding jurors because they have had difficulty locating people who are unfamiliar with the case. This is understandable; anyone who has not lived under a rock during the recent past knows all about the case; it has definitely struck a nerve in racially sensitive America.

The Florida Judge in the case, Debra Nelson, said “that George Zimmerman’s defense team cannot mention Trayvon Martin’s suspension from school, prior marijuana use, text messages or past fighting” during opening statements regarding the upcoming trial, according to an Internet article written by Tracy Connor, James Novogrod and Tom Winter, NBC News entitled “Judge denies delay, bars evidence in George Zimmerman trial — for now.” This is important because Zimmerman’s defense attorneys will do all they can to paint Trayvon as some kind of lunatic thug. If they are successful in doing this, racist Americans will have no problem with automatically assuming that Trayvon Martin was the aggressor, even though all of the evidence points in the opposite direction. One thing is certain about racists and that is that they tend to be unreasonable. They stick to their views no matter what happens. All they have to do is conjure up an image that they can paint as beneath themselves and that they can, then, dehumanize. This dehumanization must precede oppression. This is true because it is hard for rabid bigots to oppress someone that they can identify with. So the more the victim can be demonized, the greater the venom that can be directed toward the person.

It would reveal a huge pox on the face of America if George Zimmerman is given a pass and a slap on the wrist. This would be a wild insult to all reasonable people in America. There are precedents that should warn us about the possible consequences if this should occur. Years ago, Rodney King was beaten repeatedly by Los Angeles Police Department officers. The beating was caught on tape. It was patently clear that King had no weapon, and the whole nation was able to watch him being pummeled while he was on the ground. Yet, the Simi Valley jurors in the case, for whatever reasons, were able to acquit the LAPD officers charged with the assault. This sparked off the 1992 three-day riot that cost over a $1 billion in damages to property and a loss of 55 lives! What were the jurors thinking? The answer is that they weren’t! They were emoting; they were looking through a lens of racial bias, and because of this, they were not able to see an obvious truth.

George Zimmerman already has those who have sided with him even though he was told to stop following the unarmed teenager who ended up losing his life on that fateful February day in 2012. George Zimmerman was blinded by bigotry pure and simple. It caused this armed adult to follow an unarmed teen and confront and kill him. It was irrational.

In retrospect, this is a very scary situation. Any teen who fits an unfortunate profile is fair game for crazed bigots, and this includes “neighborhood watch” people like George Zimmerman all the way up to members of municipal police forces. The outcome of George Zimmerman’s trial will speak volumes about America. We only hope that this voluminous voice speaks the truth! A luta continua.

4

Saturday, June 22, 2013

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Is this a scam or what?

Our good kids

Dear Editor:

Dear Editor:

When the chosen one, aka Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor he swore the price of being a Chicago resident would not increase. When he pushed for longer school days, closing schools and all of his other plans for improving education he sounded like he meant it. He told us there would be more “quality education” taking place in the city’s schools.

Given that the mayor recently told us that NOW an increase in property taxes may be on the horizon because the city doesn’t know how to deal with the $1 billion school deficit. The mayor knew it was there when he made his “read my lips” promise, but lied to us anyway.

All that quality education seems about to go down the tubes as well.

The teachers who were brought in to work with students during the longer school day appear to be in jeopardy of losing their jobs because the district has to make cuts and personnel is the fastest route to increasing cash flow.

I don’t think there can be a worse time for increasing property taxes.

So many people on the South Side and West Side still have not fully recovered from the Great Recession of several years ago. And some are just getting back on their feet and the mayor wants to kick the chair out from under them.

It seems that three or four times in the last month or so I have read news stories that mention this student or that student is a Gates Scholar. Every time I have seen this mentioned it has been in a Black-owned newspaper. The Crusader did a great job about an Urban Prep student named Aaron Mathews. It was refreshing to see the positives about a young Black male being reported in a positive light.

Some of the other Black papers just made a brief mention that we have students in our community who are excelling academically.

We should celebrate all of our students’ academic achievements, but one that provides them with all the resources they need to go from their first year of college to the completion of their doctorate degree is truly special.

I don’t understand though why these accomplishments by our young folk go widely unreported in the mainstream or white press.

It certainly is no secret that when a young Black person commits a crime that young person’s picture appears in the paper – the more heinous the crime the more likely it is to be on or near the front page.

I know it is harder to find good news stories than the crime pabulum the cops feed reporters, but it would be nice if there was some

Sterling Hawkins

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

evidence they were trying. Personally, more favorable coverage about young Black people could be a motivational factor to lead them to want their stories in the paper away from the pages about crime.

Our community deserves better.

I am not saying don’t write about young people doing wrong, but let’s tell the white newspapers to balance the coverage and report about our good kids with the same fervor as their piece about the ne’er-do-wells.

Todd Clark

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COMMENTARY

The Loneliest Person in the Building BEYOND THE RHETORIC

By Harry C. Alford NNPA Columnist For the most part corporate America employees are satisfied with their careers. There is usually a chart to review in terms of responsibility. Is the employee moving up the “ladder” and heading towards more executive responsibility? That is correlated with salary. The greater the responsibility; the greater the pay and the less tolerance for any error or bad judgment. If one reaches as far up the ladder as he or she can, then they will ultimately seek new employment that offers more opportunity or capitulate to the end of their improvement and sit there until retirement.

There are many divisions within a major corporation. Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics, Marketing, Sales, Legal, IT, Human Resources, Procurement, Research/Development, Security and Maintenance are some of the major divisions. Each of these divisions is managed by a vice president, director, chairman or president. They report to the President/CEO or Chairman/CEO. Somewhere in this maize of divisions is a particu-

Harry C. Alford lar occupation sometimes known as Manager of Minority Procurement or Diversity Procurement or some other form that reflects on a minority procurement program that the company alleges it has.

The person they pick will have less than a successful tenure under his/her belt. Their past with the corporation is lackluster and their future is considered to be vague or doomed to failure. This is the prototype of who they want to represent them as Black owned busi-

nesses and other minorities seeking to do business are directed to his or her office. It’s the colored entrance and white owned firms head to the procurement division where the real deals are done. It reminds one of that great novel, “The Spook who sat by the Door” by Sam Greenlee.

This individual has little power and no repute amongst members of the corporation. If a crisis arises that involves the corporation’s record on minority business, the company will refer the matter to someone high up in the procurement division. We had an issue with the Chrysler Corporation.

They were building a new plant in Kokomo, Indiana. The State Legislature gave them $8 million cash for land to build the plant on.

They had the nerve to refuse any appointments by Black construction managers. One of our members even had their FEDEX package containing the Statement of Qualifications refused for acceptance. They wouldn’t even accept it. He complained to us and we went to “war.” After a scathing OPED in many NNPA newspapers and the threat of defaulting on the $8 million given to the company by the state, they began to panic.

Chrysler sent four vice presidents to my office. The minority busi-

ness guy wasn’t even in the loop.

They made peace by awarding the plant to one of our members. One of the vice presidents ran their Foundation. As a gesture of “we are sorry,” they sent a handsome grant to us. I felt like Rev. Jesse Jackson!

A lot of these corporations will demand that you, a Black person, should go through that colored door and never approach the main door. One of our members formed an engineering consulting company made up of two homegrown Blacks, an African and a Caribbean. The four of them developed a great staff and started winning a lot of contracts at this one particular Fortune 10 corporation. Eventually, members of the corporation suggested that they get certified as a minority business. They said they would rather not as they were winning contracts in a straight up competitive way. Then the corporation demanded it. So they did and by doing so they now had to go through that colored door. Predictably, their business started drying up and within a year they were out of business.

There is a big stigma placed on certified minorities within the majority of major corporations. I remember talking with the minority

business guy for Enron (before their demise). He broke into tears as he said his career is at a “dead end sitting in this damn office.”

He said he was an outcast and when he walks down a hall everyone frowns at him. “If I come up to them to discuss minority firms they say they don’t have time and then I catch all this hell from people like you.”

There are a few corporations that are exceptions to the above. They don’t move by one office and one person with little staff. They move by a committee of some of their best “up and coming” executives.

Management expertise is applied and sincerity is evident. Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Comcast and Penn Gaming quickly come to my mind as great examples of commitment in diversifying their procurement choices. There are a few others but that’s about it. Finally, let me say that a corporation having a Black CEO has so far made no difference in the attitude of minority procurement. We have tested it and they have flunked.

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

Website: www.nationalbcc.org.

Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.

Blacks More Willing to Make Privacy Concessions

By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist Although the federal government secretly spied on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders in the past, Blacks are more willing than whites to have their privacy rights invaded if it will help investigate possible terrorists.

A recent joint poll by the Pew Research Center and the Washington Post showed that a majority of Americans support the National Security Agency’s tracking of telephone and Internet records of millions of Americans in an effort to make them safe from terrorists.

According to the poll, 56 percent of Americans support the NSA obtaining special court orders to track telephone calls of millions of Americans to investigate terrorism. Forty-one percent found the practice unacceptable and 2 percent were undecided.

However, on several key security issues, Blacks were more accepting of government intrusion than whites.

For example, pollsters asked this question: What do you think is more important right now – (for the federal governwww.chicagocrusader.com

ment to investigate possible terrorist threats, even if that intrudes on personal privacy); or (for the federal government not to intrude on personal privacy, even if that limits its ability to investigate possible terrorist threats)?

When you drill down to the race of registered voters who were interviewed, there were significant racial differences. Of whites polled, 60 percent said yes, the government should be able to monitor everyone’s email and online activities; 36 percent objected. Among all people of color, 67 percent said yes and 30 percent said no. But among registered African American voters, 75 percent – 15 percent more than whites – replied that such invasions were fine with them while 23 percent objected.

Respondents were also asked: As you may know, it has been reported that the National Security Agency has been getting secret court orders to track telephone call records of MILLIONS of Americans in an effort to investigate terrorism. Would you consider this access to telephone call records an acceptable or unacceptable way for the federal government to investigate terrorism?

Overall, 56 percent of Americans said the NSA action was ac-

George E. Curry ceptable and 41 percent said it was unacceptable. A bare majority of whites – 53 percent – found such activity acceptable, compared to 44 percent who considered it unacceptable. Among African-American voters, 62 percent found the practice acceptable and 37 percent found it unacceptable.

A similar divide appeared when respondents were asked: Do you think the U.S. government should be able to monitor everyone’s email and other online activities if officials say this might prevent future terrorist attacks?

Fifty-five percent of Black voters said yes and 44 percent said

no. Among whites, the numbers were flipped. Only 42 percent said yes and 55 percent said no.

Amazingly, Blacks are more trusting of the federal government even considering its past abuses.

As I mentioned in a column last year: “From 1956 to 1971, the FBI operated a program called COINTELPRO, an acronym for Counter Intelligence Program.

Initially established to spy on organizations suspected of communist ties, the program was expanded by J. Edgar Hoover to include the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Lawyers Guild and other left-leaning groups.

“A congressional committee, chaired by Senator Frank Church, issued a report that concluded, ‘Many of the techniques used would be intolerable in a democratic society even if all of the targets had been involved in violent activity, but COINTELPRO went far beyond that…the Bu-

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

reau conducted a sophisticated vigilante operation aimed squarely at preventing the exercise of First Amendment rights of speech and association, on the theory that preventing the growth of dangerous groups and the propagation of dangerous ideas protect the national security and deter violence.’”

The goal of COINTELPRO was to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, or otherwise neutralize” organizations that the FBI deemed “subversive.” The FBI harassed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. until his final days.

Under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover and with the approval of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the FBI wiretapped King’s home and office telephones, decided not to tell King of credible threats on his life, taped what the FBI claimed were illicit sexual activities and mailed them to Dr. King’s wife.

And perhaps in its most disgusting move, as David Garrow recounts in Bearing the Cross, a Pulitzer-Prize winning book about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, the FBI tried to get the civil rights leader to commit suicide.

(Continued on page 17) Saturday, June 22, 2013

5

COMMENTARY

REMEMBERING PATRICE LUMUMBA

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

Dr. Conrad Worrill We should remember to lift the spirit of some of our great ancestors who made significant contributions to the African Liberation Movement. July 2nd will be the 88th birthday of one of these great ancestors, Patrice Lumumba.

The meaning of the life and work

of our beloved brother, Patrice Lumumba was rooted in his determination to fight against the forces of the European world in the most turbulent period of the history of the Congo. We should commemorate the birthday of this late, great African leader, who stood against all the forces in the European world and the African world who were steadfast in their efforts to stop the real Independence Movement of the people of the Congo. It is important for us to understand, today, that those who stand and fight against the evil of the European world take on a serious task and challenge. Herein lies the legacy of Patrice Lumumba.

Patrice Lumumba was born July 2, 1925 in Katako Kombe, a small village in a remote area of the African continent, then referred to as the Congo. Born to a family of five and educated by missionaries, he was able to caste off the domination of European influences on his life and relate to the interests of the masses of Congolese people. At an early age, he recognized the need to develop the kind of skills necessary to become an active participant in the African Liberation struggle. In his efforts to develop his skills, Patrice had a variety of work experiences that included his

being employed in a hospital and a post office, which gave him greater insights into the overall oppression of the Congolese people. The more contact Patrice had with the European world, the more he developed the kind of political consciousness that made him one of the most important leaders in the African Independence Movement.

As a result of his participation as the secretary in the Liberal Party of the Congo and his efforts to talk with the Belgian officials, Lumumba was able to see that independence and freedom for his people would not come through the efforts of the Liberal Party or negotiations with the Europeans. His outspokenness and determination to find a vehicle to free the Congolese people led to his being sentenced to two years in prison. Although his prison sentence was cut short, upon his release, the Belgian colonialists, along with their African servants, attempted to isolate Patrice from the growing independence movement of the masses of the people.

In October 1958, Patrice helped form the National Congolese Movement, which was to become the forerunner in the liberation struggle. In December of 1958, Patrice was in-

vited to a conference of African nations hosted by Kwame Nkrumah in Accra, Ghana. It was through this conference that Patrice began to establish contact with the leaders of the Liberation Movement in other African countries. From this point forward, the Liberation Movement in the Congo escalated to the point that the Belgian government decided to grant the Congolese people their socalled freedom on June 30, 1960.

At the Independence Day Ceremony on June 30th, while his African movement friends were thanking the Belgians for granting them their independence, it is said the Lumumba became enraged. He grabbed the microphone and told his people that the colonization of the Congo was nothing other than the domination of the European world over the African world. He went on to point out that the humiliating system of slavery, which was imposed upon the African people of the Congo by European forces was done because they were African. This statement by Patrice Lumumba caused the white world and their African servants to conspire in the next year to find a way to get rid of this most courageous spokesman for the interest of the Congolese people.

Patrice Lumumba was assassinated on January 17, 1961 at the hands of African mercenaries working in the interests of the Europeans through the United States and the CIA. This fact was recently revealed in Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney’s International Relations Hearings.

Before his death, Lumumba wrote a letter to his wife that signified the essence of his involvement in the struggle to free his people. Patrice wrote, in part: “I want my children, who I leave behind and perhaps will never see again to be told that the future of the Congo is beautiful and that their country expects them, as it expects every Congolese, to fulfill the sacred task of rebuilding on our independence, our sovereignty, for without justice there is no dignity and without independence there are no free men…Do not weep for me, my companion, I know that my country, now suffering so much, will be able to defend its independence and freedom.”

In conclusion, we can say that the external enemies, (or the enemies from without), and internal enemies (or the enemies from within), led to the demise and death of Patrice Lumumba. But, fortunately, his legacy lives on.

IF YOU DON’T LIKE DISPARITIES, TRY EQUALITY

By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist Last week I attended a “think tank” conversation with leaders of the Rodham Institute, a newly established center at George Washington University that is dedicated to reducing health disparities in Washington, DC. This is an important effort, because Washington, DC is such a divided city. “East of the River,” Wards 7 and 8, are the poorest areas in the district, with some of the most challenging problems, and with an obesity rate of over 40 percent, more than the national average, and more than the extremely poor state of Mississippi. There are food deserts “east of the river” where it is easier to get potato chips than an apple or banana. While there are rudimentary hospitals and health centers, most referrals to a specialist will likely require a Ward 7 or 8 resident to take an expensive taxi ride across the river. This city is rife with health disparities.

Washington, DC isn’t the only city with these issues. Whether you are in San Francisco, Baltimore, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, or Dallas, there are areas that can be described as predomi6

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Julianne Malveaux nately Black and predominately poor. To be sure, there are well-off people in these predominately Black areas. They live there by choice, and have the resources and luxury of mobility that gives them access to some of the best hospitals in the city. But the poor don’t, and when health centers consolidate or close, they experience barriers to health care.

Health disparities are a function of assets, access and attitudes.

Those with greater assets have more access to healthy food, better

health care, and more information. Those without assets do not, and often make a decision to forego medical treatment in terms of something more basic – food.

Some of these folks can’t or don’t know to go to cost-savings suburban stores like Costco, where bulk healthy food is readily available.

Some, stuck in habit, prefer greasy food to baked options. Many do not make the connection between eating choices and heart disease.

Assets and access are link- ed.

Then there is the issue of attitudes. Too many physicians don’t take poor (and African American) patients seriously. The Institute of Medicine released a study in 2002 that showed that African American and Latino men were less likely than others to get painkillers for a broken bone. A subsequent study showed that African American children were likely to get differential treatment in emergency rooms. Too many poor people use emergency rooms for primary health care because they lack health insurance or access to good health care.

The attitude gap is also internal. Too many poor (and Black) people don’t take good care of themselves, which explains some

health disparities. Frequent exercise and good eating habits go a long way toward healthy living, as do regular checkups. Some folks don’t know how to do the right thing. Some folks don’t have access to the right thing. And some people just won’t do the right thing.

One of the ways the attitude gap could be bridged is by admitting more African Americans to medical school however, one of the speakers at the Rodham Institute Conference indicated that not one African American man was admitted to this year’s class at Howard University’s Medical School! The speaker was absolutely wrong, but unfortunately credible, since not one of the 150 people present questioned the statement. In fact of the 120 students admitted to Howard’s medical school, 30 percent (or 36) are African American men.

Former Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton closed out the conference, graciously laying out her vision for the institute and answering questions. She said that health disparities are a function of inequality, and that’s the point that sticks. Too often we look at the results of inequality without looking at the causes. Health dis-

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

parities, the achievement gap, unemployment differentials are all a function of inequality. Dealing with these gaps on a piecemeal basis doesn’t get us close to the solutions.

At the same time, how do we close the income and wealth gaps that are at the root of so many other gaps? In the current conservative environment, talk of income or wealth transfers is just that, talk. Conversations about reparations are even more meaningless in this environment, especially when the entire Congressional Black Caucus won’t sign the Conyers bill on simply studying the impact of slavery on contemporary American life.

The Rodham Institute has laudable goals, a wonderful founding director in Dr. Jehan El-Bayoumi (full disclosure – my doctor), and a great community focus. In working to eliminate health disparities, perhaps this group will get us a bit closer to closing economic disparities as well.

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C. www.chicagocrusader.com

GOSSIPTARY

By Ima Gontellit

AIN’T CONGRESS A JOB?

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!

Ima and Lurlene been on the phone all morning ruminating over this story in the UnsunnyTimes about Jr. Jesse and how he think he manning up cause he say send him to prison first and den if he wife have to go, let her go second. But the part dats got me and my ace boon coon stumped is Jr.’s lawyers say him in such bad mental shape he caint work. Ever since Jr. got busted the lawyers been telling us his mental condition was the cause of his problems. Well they all agree too dat he had dem problems when he got re-elected. Now they tryning

OH OH OH OCHOCINCO??

A sportslike hit to the butt of Ochocinco’s lawyer landed him 30 days in the pokey last week. He did the butt hit when the Judge asked him if he was pleased with his lawyer. Now mind you he was in court cuse he was accused of head butting his wife of only a short while. So he fared better with the head butt than the butt hit, go figure? But after seven days of eating

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Ochocinco bologna and less than the conditions a NFL star is used to Ochocinco was back in court this week head in hand apologizing to the judge. The judge said he was remorseful and shortened that 30-day sentence to time served. I betcha Ochocinco won’t be in nobody’s court smacking their lawyer on the butt anytime soon. But then again we are talking about Ochocinco.

Sometimes Ima wonders if his elevator runs to the top floor ‘cause he is known to cause himself to self-destruct like his football career and his marriage that lasted less time than the ceremony itself.

-Ima-

President Obammy and First Family to tell us he was OK to be in Congress but ain’t got the mental wherewithal it take to be a janitor. Ima sho hope any lawyer she have to hire have mo common sense den dat.

-ImaJUST MAYBE HE SHOULD STAY HOME

Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sandie

I tell you a Black man in the White House can really cause one to pause and say WHAAAT??? It has never been an issue when the white Presidents of the United States went across the big pond to visit other countries before, but

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

NOOOOO dis half a white President is under a microscope about jest about everythin. No Ima take that back he is under the microscope about everythin. Well, I guess the good and always correct white media, also known as the Washington Post released the amount of money it will take to send President Obammy to Africa wid his family this month. It seems he plans to go to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, wherever de hell dis is and it requires big time security to keep our Prexy safe, including three truck loads of bullet-proof glass, hundreds of secret service folks, a Navy (Continued on page 17)

Saturday, June 22, 2013

7

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

MARQUETTE BANK EVENTS: Free Electronics Disposal - On Saturday, June 22, Marquette Bank is offering free disposal of small electronics, including: cell phones, GPS devices, cameras, etc. at any Marquette Bank location. Bring in your old electronics for safe disposal. Also on Saturday, June 22, Marquette Bank will be hosting a drop off day for large items, including: TVs, laptops, desktop computers, CD & DVD players, etc., at the Marquette Bank located at 5700 W. 159th Street in Oak Forest from 9 AM until noon. Unloading assistance will be provided and all hard drives will be safely destroyed on personal computers. For more information on acceptable items, call 1-888-254-9500.

Congressman Dan Lipinski’s Romeoville Senior Fair – On Monday, June 24, join the Marquette Club, a social club for Marquette Bank customers over age 50, at Congressman Dan Lipinski’s Romeoville senior fair at the Recreation Center located at 900 W. Romeo Road in Romeoville from 10 AM until noon. Come learn about Marquette Bank and the benefits of being a Marquette Club member, including: free financial and health seminars, social events, day trips and extended vacation opportunities. For more information, call 708-342-8404.

COMED OFFERS CUSTOMERS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCES IN “COOLEST SUMMER EVER” PROMOTION: ComEd is kicking off the “Coolest Summer Ever,” an 11-week social media promotion featuring once-in-a-lifetime prizes such as feeding a giraffe at the Brookfield Zoo, throwing out the first pitch at Cubs game, or camping out at the Morton Arboretum. Ongoing through early September, visitors to ComEd’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ComEd) get a chance to win backstage-access kinds of experiences at the top cultural and civic institutions in northern Illinois, which are also among ComEd’s community partners. This year, ComEd is taking its promotion to the streets with a ComEd-branded ice cream truck offering customers free treats. The ice cream truck will travel throughout ComEd’s service territory visiting dozens of summer hotspots and events to promote the Coolest Summer Ever sweepstakes and provide customers with treats, hand fans and energy efficiency tips. The ice cream truck’s next stop will be at the Downers Grove Children’s Safety Expo on Wednesday, June 22, 9 AM – 12 PM, at Lakeview Junior High School, 701 Plainfield Road, Downers Grove.

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ AT THE HAROLD WASHINGTON CULTURAL CENTER: South Side Community Federal Credit Union (SS8

Saturday, June 22, 2013

CFCU) is teaming up with Fellowship Baptist Church Credit Union to host “An Evening at the Theatre” fundraiser featuring Ain’t Misbehavin,’ the Fats Waller musical classic on Sunday, June 23, at 5 PM at the Harold Washington Cultural Center located 4701 S. King Drive.

Come and enjoy this: “At the height of the historic Harlem Renaissance, venues like The Cotton Club were jumpin’ to a new beat called “swing.” Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a rollicking, finger-snapping, toe-tapping, Tony Award®-winning musical revue—a tribute to the Black entertainers of the early 1900s that centers on the music of one of the most prolific musicians of the time, Thomas “Fats” Waller.” This fundraiser will help support the ongoing Financial Education programs at SSCFCU. Ticket donation is $30 per person. Checks should be made payable to: South Side Community Federal Credit Union. To purchase tickets call 773548-5500 and come join in as they kick-off the countdown to their 10th Anniversary Celebration in November!

SUMMER NIGHTS HEAT UP WITH THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SIPS OF JAZZIN’ AT THE SHEDD: With the long hot days of summer quickly approaching, take a break from the heat and indulge in the coolest after-hours event in Chicago starting on Wednesday, June 26.

Shedd Aquarium’s annual Wednesday night summer event, Jazzin at the Shedd, sponsored by Bank of America, invites guests to explore its colorful galleries and soak up the sounds of the region’s hottest urban jazz musicians, while sipping signature cocktails and relishing breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline. Be sure to stay late enough to take in the fireworks show that is put on by Navy Pier every Wednesday at 9:30 PM – the best view in the city can be had on the Bill and Stephanie Sick Family Lakefront Terrace at the aquarium. Now in its 19th year, Jazzin’ runs every Wednesday from June 26 through September 4 and offers guests the opportunity to discover the aquarium’s more than 32,000 animal residents as they explore Shedd’s vibrant Abbott Oceanarium, the wonders of Wild Reef and the pulsating beauties of Jellies.

Guests have the option of enhancing their Jazzin’ experience by reserving a seat in the Aqua Lounge, located in the Soundings Café and available to guests 21 years and older.

The indoor, air-conditioned lounge features the same breath-taking skyline view during the evening fireworks display, as well as an appetizer buffet, a complimentary cocktail and a private performance by various jazz musicians throughout the season.

The lounge is open during each Jazz(Continued on page 16)

EVERY YEAR, REPRESENTATIVES from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) join more than 300 scientists, engineers and other professionals in judging seventh through twelfth grade private and public Chicago student science projects. The 63rd annual citywide science fair competition culminates in a MWRD Board of Commissioners award presentation and Chicago River boat tour. Commissioner Debra Shore, Chairman of the MWRD’s Public Information and Education Committee, stated that “the commissioners always look forward to greeting students to learn more about the students’ interpretations and vision. Many of the projects reflected several months of data collection and analysis, so it is wonderful to see their hard work resulting in this special celebration.” Debra Shore is shown with Raymond Qualls, a seventh grader with his project titled “Power of Wind and Alternative Energy.”

Extended Coverage ***

Just as small businesses and large ones need pretty much the same kinds of insurance protection, so do educational institutions—from the smallest day nursery to a big university. *** Basic, of course, is building property damage and contents and personal property damage.

This generally covers fire damage, plus glass breakage and vandalism. A replacement cost endorsement is often a good idea.

Milton E. Moses

For all your insurance needs, make your first stop at Community Insurance Center, Inc., 526 E. 87th Street, your insurance headquarters. We have been serving the community since 1962.

For more information about the services we provide, call (773) 651-6200. You can also reach us via email at: sales@communityinsurance.com or visit the website at www.communityins. com.

*** School operations coverage usually takes care of scientific equipment and labs, sports equipment, musical instruments and valuable papers. Like a firm’s business interruption policy, this protects tuition fees and extra expenses due to damage. *** Even in states where laws protect educational institutes against lawsuits, the school needs liability coverage. This protects against many things, from incidents at a crowded athletic event to cafeteria food spoilage to school bus operations.

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

www.chicagocrusader.com

BUSINESS

CFPB findings on overdraft fees: Complex and costly Overdraft programs associated with high fees and closed bank accounts

By Charlene Crowell NNPA Columnist A new report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finds that overdraft fees continue to pose high risks to consumers, despite recent regulatory changes. The report focuses on the dreaded overdraft charge – the fees banks and credit unions collect for covering customer transactions that exceed checking account balances.

Sounds simple; but many times the terms that accompany these fees are complex, and too often the costs are out of proportion to the overdrawn amount. Variations in how transactions are posted to checking accounts and limits or the lack thereof on the number of fees allowed in a single day can be confusing and harmful to consumers.

Even though practices vary among institutions, one thing is particularly clear: consumers lose tens of billions to overdraft fees every year.

For customers with only marginal bank balances, the costs incurred by overdraft fees can remove available

2010 rule by the Federal Reserve that required financial institutions for the first time to secure customer approval before enrollment in overdraft coverage for debit and ATM transactions. Wide variations in the number of “opt-ins” by institutions indicate that some are more aggressive than others in obtaining consent forms from their customers.

Following the announcement of the 2010 rule, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) noted that the rule did not address clear abuses that customers experience once they are enrolled, including the exorbitant cost of debit card overdraft coverage or re-ordering transactions to maximize fees. And because the size or frequency of the fees was not addressed, financial institutions have the incentive to secure as many opt-in forms as possible.

Previous research by CRL has found that: • Most debit card transactions that trigger overdrafts are far smaller than the size of the overdraft itself; • Most consumers surveyed would rather have their debit card transaction declined than have it covered in exchange for an overdraft fee; • In 2008, Americans aged 55

re-ordering daily transactions from the highest to lowest, often resulting in more fees from customers. This deceptive practice remains far too common despite fueling wide-

spread litigation. . . . We look forward to future studies by the CFPB that will shed even more light on an issue that affects millions of Americans each year.”

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

Charlene Crowell funds for other household needs.

“What is marketed as overdraft protection can, in some instances put consumers at greater risk of harm,” said CFPB’s Richard Cordray. ” Consumers need to be able to control their costs and expenses, and they deserve clarity on those issues.”

The CFPB found that overdraft fees on debit card and ATM transactions in particular are associated with higher rates of involuntary account closure. As a result, the affected consumers become less able to open a checking account at another institution.

The new CFPB report follows a www.chicagocrusader.com

and over paid $6.2 billion in overdraft fees; and • Also in 2008, Americans aged 18-24 paid nearly $1.3 billion in overdraft fees.

CRL along with others including Pew Charitable Trusts have also called for banning institutions from processing transactions from the largest to smallest. This change would diminish the number of overdraft fees charged and thereby free-up consumer monies for other items.

In reaction to the CFPB report, CRL said, “We remain concerned about financial institutions that deliberately trigger overdraft fees by BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Saturday, JUNE 22, 2013

9

EDUCATION

Cook County president Preckwinkle visits Moraine Valley Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board president, and Liz Gorman, Cook County commissioner of the 17th District, presided over a breakfast meeting with college officials and local government, business and civic leaders at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills on June 5.

Preckwinkle provided insight into the Cook County Board’s work and answered a few questions from guests.

During her remarks, Preckwinkle shared news about the Cook County Forest Preserves, which are celebrating 100 years this summer. She also discussed her work on the county side, including improving services, being fiscally responsible and transparent as well as incorporating innovative leaders. Questions ranged from creating jobs to zoning issues in unincorporated areas to how towns and villages are affected by Illinois’ downgraded credit rating.

“We’ve balanced our budget

and maintained our credit rating despite what is happening at the state level. Our pensions are in better shape than the state’s, and our council of economic advisors are helping us identify areas we can do better,” Preckwinkle said.

Gorman’s office invited the Southwest Conference of Mayors, village presidents, members of chambers of commerce, and other local leaders in her district to meet with the president and hear about work being done in the county.

Moraine Valley Community College sits in the 17th district.

Dr. Sylvia Jenkins, college president, welcomed the leaders to the college and thanked President Preckwinkle and Commissioner Gordon for organizing the breakfast. Dr. Jenkins has been appointed to sit on the forest preserve centennial committee.

Following the breakfast, Preckwinkle and Gorman climbed the 125 stairs at Swallow Cliff in a Cook County Forest Preserve in Palos.

THE COOK COUNTY Board President ventured to Moraine Valley Community College where she met with (from left) Eileen O’Sullivan, member of the Moraine Valley Board of Trustees; Preckwinkle; Dr. Sylvia Jenkins, Moraine Valley president; Liz Gorman, Cook County commissioner; and Sandra Wagner, chair of the Moraine Valley Board of Trustees.

~Kara Lightbourne of Streamwood and Malcolm Lee of Chicago Heights crowned winners~

hobbies and their involvement on campus; and “Formal Wear” section included students speaking about SXU’s core values and how they exemplify them.

Lightbourne’s talent was a praise dance, and Lee performed a piano solo that was accompanied by an interpretive dance. As the winners of the pageant, they will host next year’s pageant and are encouraged to speak at local schools and be positive role models for the community. They also received $250 book vouchers.

Performances by the other female contestants included: freshman Jessica Reyes of Chicago doing the

bachata, a style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic; sophomore Mirhanda Allen of St. Louis giving a belly dancing performance; freshman Lauren Murray of Darien giving an interpretive dance to “Hallelujah” by Kate Voegele; and sophomore Myshell Johnson of Dolton singing the classic romantic song “I Will Always Love You.” Performances from the other contenders for Mr. Grey included David Sode of Chicago performing the song “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble and Dan Palanyk of Plainfield performing an “Ode to SXU.”

SXU hosts 2013 Ms. Scarlet and Mr. Grey Pageant More than 200 audience members watched as Saint Xavier University students Kara Lightbourne and Malcolm Lee recently were crowned the winners of the 2013 Ms. Scarlet and Mr. Grey Pageant.

Participants were ranked in four categories: “Talent” which showcased a special skill; “Business Attire” included contestants speaking about their studies at SXU and their career ambitions; “Night on the Town” featured their personal

KARA LIGHTBOURNE performing a praise dance.

MALCOLM LEE PERFORMING a piano solo.

10

Saturday, June 22, 2013

MALCOLM LEE AND Kara Lightbourne after being crowned winners of the 2013 Ms. Scarlet and Mr. Grey Pageant.

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

www.chicagocrusader.com

REAL MEN COOK

REAL MEN COOK national spokesperson for the Father’s Day barbeque, Chef Nate Pendleton, father of Hadiya Pendleton, a student killed earlier this year within blocks of the President’s Kenwood home.

CHEF NATE PENDLETON, national spokesperson for Real Men Cook serving guests fresh barbeque off the grill.

CHEF JOSH MARKS gives cookREAL MEN COOK volunteer is cooking a ing demonstration to the Real Men fresh veggie stirfry at the event.

Cook audience.

GUESTS ENJOY A great time at the Chicago Cubs video game trolley.

www.chicagocrusader.com

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Saturday, June 22, 2013

11

ENTERTAINMENT

By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ THE BIG EASY: Once again it’s time to pack you bags (don’t forget your comfortable shoes), and make your way to New Orleans, Louisiana for the 2013 Essence Festival sponsored by Coca-Cola. This year the always crowd-pleasing event runs from Thursday, July 4th through Sunday, July 7th.

It’s a weekend of music, culture, empowerment, entertainment, style, health, education, careers and so much more.

The weekend kicks off on July 4th at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center & Worldbernberg Riverfront Park with FREE live music and food experience stages, family seminars, arts and marketplace, cool prizes, barbeque, fireworks and much more. YOU MUST REGISTER FOR FREE at EssenceFestival.com.

Then it’s on to the Main Event at the Superdome. Here’s just a small portion of the entertainment planned for the event.To purchase tickets, get more exciting new talent updates, visit EssenceFestival.com or call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000.

THE MAIN STAGE (which will be hosted by Nephew Tommy from The Steve Harvey Morning Show): Beyonce, Brandy, Charlie Wilson, Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, Keyshia Cole, LL Cool J, Maxwell, New Edition, Solange Knowles, T.G.T. and Trey Songz.

Trey Songz

Maxwell

THE SUPER LOUNGES: Alice Smith, Anthony David, Avery Sunshine, Big Daddy Kane, Blackstreet, Bridget Kelly, Emeli Sande, Daley, F. Stokes, Faith Evans, Jody Watley, Kourtney Heart, Les Nubians, Leela James, Luke James, Mali Music, Maya Azucena, Mia Borders, Mint Condition, PJ Morton, Rachelle Ferrell, Shamarr Allen and The Underdawgs, Simphiwe Dana and Tamia.

THE ESSENCE EMPOWERMENT EXPERIENCE (Free Admission All-Day): Andrea Kelly, Bishop Lester Love, Bishop Noel Jones, Congressman John Lewis, Dr. Aletha Maybank, Dr. Steve Perry, Dr. Thelma Baxter, Denise Warren, Donnie McClurkin, Issa Rae, Iyanla Vanzant, Julianne Malveaux, State Senator Karen Carter Peterson, Kenya Moore, Kim Burrell, Kurt Carr, Lisa Nichols, Marc H. Morial, Maye Garcia, Michelle Williams, Nicole Murphy, Reverend Al Sharpton, Shaunie O’Neal, Shirley Sherrod, Shirley Strawberry, Steve Harvey, Traci Braxton, Trina Braxton, Tonya Lewis Lee, Tramaine Hawkins, Victoria Rowell and Yolanda Adams.

I’ll meet you on Bourbon Street!

12

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Niecy Nash preaches, chats about her First Lady role in The Soul Man Niecy Nash and her vibrant personality was in Chicago Monday, June 17, to screen the first two episodes of Season 2 of “The Soul Man” at the ICON Theater on West Roosevelt Road. Nash fielded questions from audience members and also granted the Chicago Crusader an interview earlier in the day, where she talked about her career and the importance of sitcoms such as “The Soul Man.” Nash plays Lolli Ballentine, the wife of the Rev. Boyce (The Voice) Ballentine, played by Cedric the Entertainer, an R&B superstarturned-minister who takes over as preacher of his father’s church in St. Louis.

Nash says “The Soul Man” harkens back to good ol’ school sitcoms, and she believes this is one of the reasons why the TV Land production is a favorite with audiences.

“The Soul Man reminds people of when we were living in better times,” Nash said, as she discussed all the good things that she loved about Chicago. When reminded that Chicago wasn’t always considered the “poster child for crime,” Nash was empathetic about the ongoing problems with violence that Chicago is facing. “I feel sorry for families affected by the violence that is going on in Chicago today,” she said.

“The Soul Man” also mirrors Nash’s life, she says. During the last two years of her marriage to her first husband, he was also called to the ministry after having been a soul singer. “I not only play a First Lady, but I have been a First Lady, and it’s a tough job.”

When asked about the criticism that the show received during the first season, Nash said, “It takes a transition period to move from a life of performing and that of being a church’s First Lady—even in Hollywood. Cedric’s character got called to the ministry, Lolli’s character didn’t. We couldn’t cast and dress Lolli so that she was so heavenly bound and no earthly good.”

She says that people need to realize that some of the circumstances that are played out in “The Soul Man” within the church really happen in Black churches everywhere.

Niecy Nash “I base my character on the truth,” she said. “I had back-row clothes and not front-row clothes, as does Lolli, but you have to give people a chance.”

A chance is just what Nash—who was born in Los Angeles, with her

family moving to St. Louis for a while and then back to Los Angeles—received when she began her acting career. She says at the age of five God put it on her mind that she would be an actress, and during one break up during her 16-year marriage to her first husband, she was proactive in calling about an audition, which resulted in her being cast in “Boys on the Side” with Whoopi Goldberg.

Nash hosted the Style Network’s #1 rated home makeover show “Clean House” and was a celebrity panelist on the top-rated CBS entertainment news program “The Insider,” as well as appeared in 2010 on “Dancing with the Stars.” Nash can also be seen in the upcoming movie “Nurse 3D.” She has also hosted and starred in her own Yahoo web series called “Let’s Talk About Love,” where she gives her hilarious and no-nonsense perspectives on love, dating and relationships. Nash also partnered with TLC in the summer of 2011 to follow her as she planned the wedding of her dreams to now-husband Jay Tucker. Nash has written a book about love and relationships titled “It’s Hard to Fight Naked,” and she recently formed a production company called Chocolate Chick. “I am (Continued on page 17)

PBS airs “Homegoings,” an inspiring portrait of a legendary Harlem undertaker and African-American funeral traditions to kick off POV’s 26th Season, Monday, June 24, 2013, WTTW at 10 p.m., check local listings.

I will have a full review of “Homegoings” next week.

ISAIAH OWENS ALWAYS knew he had a calling to send the dearly departed “home.”

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

www.chicagocrusader.com

ENTERTAINMENT STYLE

THE BOOKWORM SEZ “Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her” “ By Amy Novesky, illustrations by Vanessa Brantley Newton c.2013, Harcourt $16.99 / $20.99 Canada 32 pages Nobody listens to a thing you say.

Grown-ups are always telling you to hush, be quiet, don’t yell, and always use your inside voice (even outside). You know you’re never supposed to keep secrets, but don’t be a tattle-tale. Talk louder but stop shouting. Don’t make so much noise.

Speak up, the grown-ups say, but the only people who listen – really listen to a kid like you - are your pets. And in the new book “Mister and Lady Day” by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton, you’ll see that even famous people know who’ll lend an ear…

When Billie Holiday was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a star.

And that’s just what happened: she grew up to be a famous jazz singer. People called her Lady Day and they loved to hear her voice. But even big-time stars get

lonely sometimes, and they need someone to listen to their dreams and fears.

Lady Day had her dogs.

There were, in fact, lots of dogs in Lady Day’s life. There was a tiny poodle she carried in her pocket. She had a little spotted beagle, and two Chihuahuas that she fed with a baby bottle, a giant Great Dane, and a medium-sized terrier named Bessie Mae Moocho. There was a wandering mutt with a sad face who ran away but always found his way back home.

But the dog that Lady Day loved the most was a boxer named Mister.

Wherever Lady Day was, Mister was there, too. She knitted sweaters for him and bought him a mink coat. She cooked for him and even sang to him. When Lady Day performed at fancy clubs in Harlem, Mister was there – and sometimes, he even had a steak! When the show was over, he guarded Lady Day in her dressing room.

Then, one day when her career seemed to be at its best, Lady Day got into trouble. She had to leave home, and Mister couldn’t come.

She cried and cried, and promised

him that she’d come home as soon as possible.

She wasn’t sure if she’d ever see him again. If she did, would he remember her? Would Mister be happy to see her when she returned?

So you say that your child’s BFF is a D-O-G? Then she’ll know she’s in good company when you’ve got “Mister and Lady Day” in the house.

By giving young readers a sense of Billie Holiday’s deep love of dogs, author Amy Novesky makes this true story into one that kids – especially kids with cherished pets – can completely understand. Novesky lightly glosses over the kind of trouble that Lady Day found, but curious kids will find more of an explanation on the last page. On the flipside, littler children will love looking at the colorful collagewatercolors by Vanessa Brantley Newton.

Overall, if you’ve got a young animal lover in your life, put this tale on the shelf and stick around.

“Mister and Lady Day” is a book that 3-to-8-year-olds will want to listen to again and again.

DuSable offers colored soldiers’ Civil War perspective Colonel Eugene Scott Named “Honorary Commander of The Troops” In celebration of the brave men and women who fought for liberty, mending a broken Union during the American Civil War, and to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclama-

tion, The DuSable Museum and The Illinois Amistad Commission along with the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park is pleased to present, “A Sight Unlike Any Other: The Civil War and The Colored Soldier.” The event will take place on Sunday, June 23, from noon until 5 p.m. at the Museum at 740 E. 56th Place (57th Street and South Cottage

Grove Avenue). Col.Eugene Scott, President of The Chicago Defender Charities, will serve as Honorary “Commander of the Troops.”

“A Sight Unlike Any Other” is a day-long, family event which will be highlighted by two “LIVE” Civil War battle re-enactments on the Museum’s grounds in Washington Park. Visitors will feel the “rumble”

A CIVIL WAR re-enactment at the DuSable Museum of African American History will include a special honor for Viet Nam veteran RET. Col. Eugene F. Scott. Scott (r) standing next to former U.S. Sen. Roland Burris served in the U.S. Army 28 years. www.chicagocrusader.com

and experience the sights and sounds of the Civil War, as re-enactors from the 17th Corps Field Hospital, 1st Brigade Illinois Volunteers, and the U. S. Colored Troops 29th Company B engage in simulated battle skirmishes; dem onstrate Civil War artillery and medical procedures; and perform other exercises reminiscent of those practiced during the Civil War era.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion and the 178th Infantry Regiment will also be on hand as distinguished guests.

Scott, is considered a dynamic leader who graduated with a degree in Political Science in 1961 from Florida A&M University. Scott entered the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1962.

In Germany, Colonel Scott commanded tank forces and was the principal staff officer for Training and Operations for the 8th Infantry Division Combat Ready Forces. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966 and from 1969 to 1971. Scott completed his 28year military career as a Post Commander for two major U.S. Army installations. A favorite of General

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Norman Swartzkopf, Scott retired just prior to the Gulf War in 1990.

After retirement, Scott joined Sengstacke Enterprises as Executive Assistant to John H. Sengstacke and managed the company’s five newspapers and for more than 10 years served as general manager and publisher of the Chicago Daily Defender. In this capacity and in retirement, Scott has served on a number of boards and committees including: Bronzeville Military Academy, the Illinois Military Flags Commission, the Governor’s Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes, the Attorney General’s African American Advisory Committee, the National Advisory Committee of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, and as Chairman of the National African American Military Museum.

During this history-packed day, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about African American contributions to the Civil War by visiting the exhibition, “Red, White, Blue and Black: A History of Blacks in the Armed Services,” and by (Continued on page 16) Saturday, June 22, 2013

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WORLD OF MUSIC

Brandon Keith Brown appointed to U of Mass.- Amherst faculty Third prize-winner of the 2012 Georg Solti International Conducting Competition Young American conductor Brandon Keith Brown is quickly garnering international attention as one to watch. As the 3rd Prize Winner of the 2012 Sir Georg Solti Competition for Conductors, his final performance found him the “…the stand-out audience favorite…”

(Norman Lebrecht) leading the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra in a performance characterized in klassik.com as an “… exciting affair.” Selected by the Vienna Philharmonic as winner of 2011 Ansbacher Fellowship, he was in residence at The Salzburg Festival and conducted Vienna Philharmonic members in the opera camps for young people. In February, he made his New York debut with the Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra.

Orchestras Brown has conducted

in concert include the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, members of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Omaha Symphony, Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Yakima Chamber Orchestra, the Macon Sinfonia, the Astoria Symphony and the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia. Also the Tonhalle-Orchestra Zurich, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Croatian Radio and Television Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Baltimore Symphony, and the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra.

Brown performed at The 2010 Castleton Festival in Virginia USA under the direction of Lorin Maazel and at the 2009 American Academy of Conducting at Aspen with

Brandon Keith Brown David Zinman. Versatile in opera, Brown has been music director for Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte,” “Suor

League of American Orchestras hold 68th National Conference June 18-20 in St. Louis Participants considered multiple views of the future of orchestras at the League of American Orchestras’ 68th National Conference held this week (June 1820) in St. Louis. The Conference, under the theme Imagining 2023, included a keynote and breakout sessions with futurist thinkers and industry leaders, live participatory performances and traditional concerts, and a master class with conductor David Robertson, music director of the St. Louis Symphony, which co-hosted the Conference. Nearly 1,000 professionals and volunteers from across the orchestra field attended the three-day event. The closing general session was video streamed live.

The challenges that orchestras continue to experience are also giving energy to great experimentation,” said League President and CEO Jesse Rosen. “Those orchestras that are better attuned to what lies ahead are more likely to move forward. While not everything will be considered through the lens of 2023, this Conference is about keeping the future firmly in mind.”

The Conference opening session featured keynote speaker Elizabeth Merritt, Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums, American Alliance of Museums; a welcome and address

by Jesse Rosen, the League’s president and CEO; and a performance of works by Bizet and contemporary American composer Ingram Marshall by the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra con14

Saturday, June 22, 2013

New Digital Landscape;” “Learning from New Ensembles;” and “Design Thinking: The Art of Being Customer-Focused.”

Interactivity was emphasized by on-site tweeting, video streaming of the final session, and a series of participatory “Recess!” events aimed at giving orchestras ideas for low cost, community-building events they could create in their home cities.

Live performances included an evening concert on June 18 featuring the St. Louis Symphony and conductor David Robertson performing John Adams’ “Doctor Atomic” Symphony, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7, and overtures and arias by Mozart and Wagner sung by Metropolitan Opera bass Eric Owens. Members of the St. Louis Symphony’s IN UNISON® Chorus were featured in a gospel performance at the Conference’s June 20 closing session.

Eric Owens ducted by David Robertson.

Orchestras’ innovations and experimentation were highlighted.

Other areas addressed included developing new and younger audiences; meeting the civic relevance and engagement mandate; expanding the creative palette; and fiscal management and planning.

Break-out sessions focused on the future of orchestras and orchestral administration dealt with topics such as “Developing Cross - Cultural Competency;” “ The

“ON THE DOCKET” for next week Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music presents outstanding yearend concerts; and Benny Goodman Tribute and Mormon Tabernacle Choir concerts thrill Ravinia music lovers. BWP

Angelica,” Assistant Conductor for Benjamin Britten’s “Albert Herring” and completed studies of Puccini’s “Il Trittico” with Lorin Maazel.

Brown’s primary conducting mentors and teachers include David Zinman, Lorin Maazel and Gustav Meier.

Additional honors and awards include 2012 Semi-Finalist, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor; 2012 Finalist, Alabama Symphony Assistant Conductor; 2011 Semi-finalist, Matacic International Conducting Competition; 2011 Semi-finalist, Assistant Conductor, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; and 2009 American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Fellowship.

Winner of the 2010 Peabody Ca-

reer Grant, Brandon Keith Brown holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College; a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University; and Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

Brown will assume the faculty position at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst this fall. (Contributing: AfriClassical.com)

Audra McDonald returns to Symphony Center for fall concert Audra McDonald, winner of five Tony Awards and two Grammys, makes her first appearance at Symphony Center since 2001 with a concert featuring selections from her new album, Go Back Home, on Saturday, October 12 at 8:00 PM.

Audra McDonald Released by Nonesuch Records on May 21, Go Back Home is McDonald’s first solo recording in seven years and her most personal album to date. The disc features songs by composers with whom she has long been associated, including Stephen Sondheim, Adam Guettel, Michael John LaChiusa, and Rodgers & Hammerstein, as well as selections that are relatively new to her repertoire. McDonald has made numerous appearances at The Ravinia Festival to critical acclaim.

McDonald, known to audiences for her work on stage and screen as a singer and actress who

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

is universally acclaimed for the breadth and depth of her artistry, received the Sarah Siddons Award for outstanding actress June 17 in a luncheon ceremony at Chicago’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

McDonald has won Tony Awards for her performances in Carousel (1994), Master Class (1996), Ragtime (1998) and A Raisin in the Sun (2004). Her fifth Tony came in 2011 for her starring role in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which tied her with Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris for the most performance awards.

In addition to her two Grammy Awards—for the cast recording of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny—she has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for her performances in the HBO production of Wit and the television adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun. In the summer of 2011, after four seasons playing Dr. Naomi Bennett on ABC’s hit television series Private Practice, Audra McDonald turned her attention back to live performances.

Born into a musical family, McDonald grew up in Fresno, California and received her classical vocal training at the Juilliard School. One year after graduating, she won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Carousel at Lincoln Center Theater Tickets for the October 12 concert may be purchased online at cso.org, the Symphony Center box office, 220 S. Michigan Ave, or by phone at 312-294-3000. www.chicagocrusader.com

SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING

A Moment to Super Size Your Thinking

By Effie Rolfe Yesterday is history—tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift that’s why it’s called the present.

For years, I shared this during my radio show as a reminder that NOW is the only time we have.

Although, our next breath isn’t promised, I believe most of us take life for granted every single day. We procrastinate on our dreams, spending time with family, calling that friend or taking time to relax. I’ll do it later or tomorrow. Guess what—tomorrow isn’t promised. The time given to us on this earth is a precious commodity. We never know when the gift of time is going to end.

However, God loves us so much that we are all given an equal allotment of time—24 hours each day—but how we use that time is totally up to each individual.

Effie Rolfe

It’s important to realize that life consists of moments not years, therefore use each moment wisely because once it’s gone you will never see it again. Begin to enjoy and be grateful for every breath you take for it is a gift. Live your life boldly, in forgiveness, in the light and love of God knowing that you can only receive what you give. Stop waiting for the perfect time—it may never come, especially since nothing or no one is perfect. Time is a gift—how are

The Crusader Gospel Corner It’s a Chicago Gospel Music Festival weekend beginning Thursday featuring some of the best choirs in the nation to ‘Jam for the Lamb’ during this year’s theme “The Year of the Choir!” The 28th annual event will feature legendary artists including Grammy winners, Joe Ligon and the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Vickie Winans, Rev. John P. Kee, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Ricky Dillard, Donald Lawrence and Tamela Mann are headed this way. If that’s not enough, also, Smokie Norful, Kierra Sheard, Lecrae and local artists including Dexter Walker and Zion Movement will gather throughout Chicago to share hip slapping—toe tapping—good ole’ hand clapping gospel music June 20 to 23rd. The main events will take place on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 11a.m. in Ellis Park on 37th and Cottage Grove. However, it all kicks off on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Millennium Park/Pritzker Pavilion with the music that Chicago is

known for featuring some of the city’s best choirs including Salem Baptist Church of Chicago’s Fellowship Choir, Rev. Dan Willis & The All Nations Choir, Apostolic Faith Church Creative Arts, and GMAC Mass. The admission is free for details visit www.chicagogospelmusicfestival.us.

Brenda Thompson and the Willie B. Clay Inspirational Choir will be in concert for a fundraiser for Pastor Dwayne Grant and Xperience at the United Methodist Church.

This benefit will take place on Sunday, June 23 at 3:30 p.m. at Hartzell United Methodist Church on 33rd and King Drive. Several guests will participate and all are welcome to attend.

Jason Miller and Change Ministry invites you to their 2nd year anniversary and CD release concert, “The Invitation” on June 29th at New Beginnings Church, 6620 S. King Drive at 7 p.m. Guests in-

The Mighty Clouds of Joy www.chicagocrusader.com

clude Tim White, Terrell Edwards & Empowered, Praise & Worship, Tiff Joy, Charles Middleton, Lauren Turner, Ronald Poindexter and Tina Cunningham. “This night is called The Invitation to invite everything God promised in our life and to connect and agree that it will happen,” said Miller. He also shared, “The title of the single is "Your Great and Mighty" it came from knowing that God is Great, but not only that Mightier than anything and His name is above all names.

On this night you can expect the presence off God to manifest where chains will fall off, minds will be changed, deliverance will take place, relationships with God will be restored and it will be a lot of excitement in the room filled with praise and worship coming straight from the heart. This music simply talks about God, how He has done and is doing some great things in our lives for His glory.” Expect the CD to be released this fall. Corey Brooks is host pastor and the admission is free.

you using this present God has blessed you with? I pray that you use it wisely and continue to walk

in blessings and love right now.

What are you doing with your gift of time?

By Chinta Strausberg

ground,” Pfleger said urging them to stand up for the community.”

While police officials claim crime is down compared to last year, Pfleger said he’s been paying attention to the body count and he has his doubts. “Enough of the killing,” he said urging everyone to join him June 21 for a massive show of unity in demanding peace in our streets.

Pfleger wants all men to be Josephs

Beginning with the elders and referring to Joseph who raised Jesus, Fr. Michael L. Pfleger on Father’s Day called all fathers to the altar charging them to be the Josephs of their communities and to be the foster fathers of the youth who may be fatherless because “there’s a war out there” and he needs “boots on the ground” if peace is to prevail.

“We need you like we never did before,” Pfleger said towards the

Pfleger said recently Williams told him he had a job offer but af-

DURING THE FATHER’S DAY worship service at Saint Sabina Church, Father Michael L. Pfleger asked the dads to take a pledge--to be the Josephs in their communities to male youth who may be fatherless and to show their love to boys and girls all in an effort to stem the growing violence. (Photo

by Chinta Strausberg) end of his annual Father’s Day ter Pfleger, whom he called his program where long-time Saint “spiritual father who has brought Sabina members Phil Hunter, me closer to God,” matched that who is the director of the church’s offer he decided to remain at the Employment Resource Center church. Earlier, Williams, a memand Cory Williams the office ber of Saint Sabina since 1984 manager for the past 14 years, who was married in the church in were keynote speakers.

2007, was born in Chicago and is Pfleger told the fathers when he an only child. tells young men on the street that Saying he is grateful for the men he loves them the youth tell him God placed in his life including no man has ever told them that. Pfleger and family members, Pfleger said we have to make sure Williams said he grew up an anthat our children know they are gry man because his father was loved. taken from him at a young age Asking the fathers to attend the having been a victim of gun vio“Occupy the Streets” peace lence that left him to “grow up march at Saint Sabina, 78th Place with a huge hole in my heart….” & Throop Streets at 7 p.m. on When he learned he was going Friday, June 21, which marks the to be a father, Williams, said, “I last day of public school and the did not know what it was like to beginning of what he wants to be be a dad…had no concept of bea peaceful summer for the chil- ing a good father.” He said dads dren, Pfleger said, “We must take play so many roles in the lives of back our streets. children. “We should give them “Since last Friday night, six peo- what they deserve…but there is ple were killed and 29 shot. That one gift we should always give is more than a classroom of peo- them…the gift of introducing ple shot…. We have to be present them to our Holy Father…to in the street. There is a war out God. That is the most important there…and we must be soldiers. gift we can give them….”

(Continued on page 17) We must be the boots on the

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

Saturday, JUNE 22, 2013

15

NEWS

DuSable offers colored soliders’ Civil War perspective (Continued from page 13) viewing selected works of art from the online educational resource, “The Civil War in Art: Teaching and Learning through Chicago Collections.”

“A Sight Unlike Any Other” will be punctuated by canon fire, horse rides for children, museum gallery tours and interactions with “live” historical characters such as: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Hariett Tubman, one of the most celebrated “Conductors” of the Underground Railroad. In addition there will be food available for purchase and a Civil War “dressup” booth.

This family-themed event is a tribute to the 198,000 Colored soldiers and sailors who fought bravely

(Continued from page 8) in’ event from 6 pm -10 pm. Admission to the Aqua Lounge is $52.95.

Check availability and purchase tickets online at Ticketmaster.com.

SUMMERFEST OFFERS ADDITIONAL VALUE WITH FREE OR DISCOUNTED ADMISSION PROMOTIONS: Summerfest officials have announced Admission Promotions for 2013, providing patrons with free or discounted admission alternatives on every day of this year’s festival. All exchanges, unless otherwise stated, will take place at the Mid Gate Promotions Booth, lo-

go Park District, Chicago Public Library, The Disable Museum of African American History and The Newberry Library.

The DuSable Museum of African American History gratefully acknowledges the Chicago Park District’s generous support of the Museum.

for the freedom of their families and for themselves as members of the Union Army and Navy during the United States Civil War. Approximately 40,000 of those enlisted men died courageously proving their mettle in notable battles, such as the assault on Fort Wagner, the Battle of Nashville, and others.

Guided by a sense of honor and patriotism, Colored Soldiers helped turn the tide of one of America’s bloodiest wars.

Admission to “A Sight Unlike Any Other: The Civil War and the Colored Soldier” is FREE to all. For more information, please call 773947-0600 ext 223. This event is sponsored by Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago History Museum, Chica-

cated on the west side of Harbor Drive, across the street from the Summerfest Mid Gate. All Admission Promotions begin at Noon and run while ticket supplies last OR through 3 pm, whichever comes first, unless otherwise noted. Patrons can also visit Summerfest.com and check out the new 2013 Quick View on the homepage for complete details on all Admission Promotions. Wednesday, June 26 is Johnson Controls Stomp Out Hunger Day with FOX 6.

All patrons arriving between Noon – 3 pm who donate three (3) non-perishable food items will receive one (1) FREE Weekday Admission ticket!

The DuSable Museum of African American History is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults ($8.00 for Chicago residents), $7 for students and senior citizens ($5.00 for Chicago Residents), $3 for children ages 6 through 11 ($2.00 for Chicago residents), and children 5 years of age and younger are admitted free. Sundays are free to everyone. The Museum may be reached by CTA buses #3, #4 and #55 and free parking is also available on the premises.

The DuSable Museum of African American History, the oldest institution of its kind in the country, has been dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation and dissemination of the history and culture of Africans and Americans of African descent for 53 years. For more information on the Museum and its programs, please call (773) 947-0600 or you may visit our website at www.dusablemuseum.org.

Donations will be accepted at the Mid Gate Promotions Booth as well as the North Gate. All donations will benefit Hunger Task Force.

Parents protest school closure . . .

(Continued from page 12) comment.

Both Goodlow and Earle are Level 3 schools, which means both are on academic probation.

“Yeah, but we outperformed them on the ISAT [Illinois Scholastic Achievement Test] and we have a higher attendance record than Earle,” contends Clark, a Local School Council Advisory member. “And to steal their (children) identity by renaming the school and taking away their teachers is what really put me over the edge.”

Indeed, Goodlow test scores are higher than Earle. According to CPS data, Goodlow students outperformed Earle when it came to attendance and the ISAT but not that much. In 2012, Goodlow had an attendance rate of 92.6 percent compared to Earle at 90 percent. And with last year’s ISAT, Goodlow students meeting or exceeding state standards was 59.9 percent, while Earle’s was 57.6 percent.

16

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Beyond the pending changes Lilanel Logan, a member of the Northwest Austin Council on the West Side, who attended the news conference, alleges that Goodlow parents are now prohibited from coming inside the school by Goodlow officials for fear that parents might remove their children from the classroom by force.

“There was a security team up here Tuesday that kept parents from going inside the building.

Parents picking their kids up had to wait outside for them,” Logan said.

Miranda added that, “there’s a lot of misinformation floating around here. Parents are emo-

tional about changes taking place at schools so tensions are high.”

The boycotting parents have the support of at least one education advocate.

Jennie Biggs, a member of Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education said she attended the news conference to show her support.

“I don’t live in Englewood or Bridgeport but I believe parents should be able to decide where to send their kids, not the school district,” Briggs said. “Bringing kids from Earle into Goodlow will open up a whole new culture.

One that could have a bad outcome.”

The Crusader Newspaper Group is interested in our readers’ ideas, thoughts and opinions, whether you’re in Chicago, Northwest Indiana or any part of the U.S. we encourage you to send a letter to the editor at crusaderil@aol.com. please limit your letters to 200 words.

BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

www.chicagocrusader.com

NEWS

aircraft carrier with a fully staffed medical trauma center, 56 support vehicles cluding 14 limousines. It is said that it will cost tween 60 to 100 million dollars. Now Ima is glad to see the President go to the homeland, but

(Continued from page 7) at the costs and the govment in a sequester or whatever just maybe he oughtta stay home this time. Ima getting sick at the thought that so many of our folks here at home are homeless, jobless and familyless.

Ima don got a tweeter account, so make sure ya follow me @Imagontellit.

Time to show dem how Ima do it.

Blacks More Willing to Make (Cont’d from page 5) An anonymous letter and copy of taped sex recordings were mailed to King at his SCLC office in Atlanta.

The letter said, “There is but one way out for you.

You better take it before your filthy, abnormal fraudulent self is bared to the nation.”

If anyone has reason to

distrust the federal government’s monitoring of its citizens, it’s African Americans. Yet, we continue to hope against hope, placing our trust in people and institutions that have sought to destroy us.

George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief

of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Website, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/curry george and George E.Curry Fan Page on Facebook.

ENTERTAINMENT: CHICAGO STYLE (Continued from page 12) helping to foster projects for others and not just myself with this production company,” she said. “I am eating the elephant one bite at a time.”

Nash says that “The Soul Man” is a program where

kids can see brown and Black people who really love each other. “We are trying to promote and foster love, relationships and family—the things that we are not seeing today.”

Season 2 of The Soul Man airs on Wednesday nights on TV Land at 11 p.m./10 p.m.

Central. Check your local listings. For more information about Nash, visit www.niecynash.com.

DEPARTMENT CRUSADER CLASSIFIED HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

Pfleger calls street . . .

(Cont’d from page 15) Looking back over his life, Williams said he knows God is his protector. He told of a time when he went on a skiing trip. His car went off the road. What stopped the car was a rock. “That is why I know God is my rock.”

There was another time when he was wearing his friend’s jacket and was accosted by five individuals who tried to take his friend’s jacket at gunpoint. “I told them no. I was surrounded by five men.” “My God showed up, showed he had my back and they had no choice but to flee.” He challenged parents to teach their children about God. In addressing the church, Hunter said there are different types of fathers but all playing the same role including being “a hedge of protector” around their families.

“As a father, you want to protect your children…. We know what’s out there and we want to make sure you don’t come into harms way.”

Hunter is the fourth of five children and he and his wife have been members at Saint Sabina since the early 1990’s. Hunter said fathers have to be providers for their families. When Hunter worked at the steel industry, he worked double shifts and held several jobs around Christmas time just to buy toys for his children.

Parenthood, said Hunter changed his priorities in life because God had given him the gift of children. “I thank

God for my children. He saved my life by giving me those children….”

Hunter said men must maintain a presence in their children’s lives and that just because you made a baby does not mean you are a father. “There’s something about being accountable to the children that makes you a father.” Hunter said there are too many absent fathers and that “we need to get away from that.”

While his dad provided for his family, Hunter said his father was not present in his life, as he would have like-

d. His daughter opened his eyes when she asked him to be more involved in her activities. “My children deserve that,” he said.

Hunter said the role of a father is to show children the right way...to make the right choices in life and to teach children to take responsibilities for their actions, to be the disciplinarian and the encourager for their children. “As fathers, we must be examples for our kids….” He also advised men to tell their children they love them.

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

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SPORTS

Three players of African descent on Blackhawks team competes in final Hockey growing in popularity among African Americans

By J. Coyden Palmer The Blackhawks have begun their Stanley Cup Final series against the Boston Bruins, their second Stanley Cup Final in the last four seasons, and the team boasts three Black players, two more than when they won Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2010.

Johnny Oduya, Ray Emery and Jamal Mayers will represent the Black community as the Blackhawks are a microcosm of what is happening around the NHL, which this year had 28 Black players on team rosters. That is the most the league has ever had in one season and there are reasons to be optimistic more Black players will be headed to the NHL in the near future. Just as there are more Black players on the ice, the number of African American fans also is rising.

Evan F. Moore, a Chicago-base freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Red Eye, The Checking Line, Gapers Block, The Hockey Writers and Extra Bilingual Newspaper, has seen the upward trend of new fans. A native of South Shore, Moore grew up a hockey fan although the sport was too expensive for his parents to afford him the chance to play. He said in Chicago he has seen growth among Black hockey fans in recent years although many of them are laying low.

“There is definitely a growing interest in the Black community,” Moore said. “I think the Bulls get-

ting eliminated early in the playoffs and both baseball teams doing poorly are playing a part in why more Black people in Chicago are watching the Blackhawks. You are seeing more people in the hood wearing Blackhawks stuff. They may not know what a power play or what icing are, but they are rocking the hat or sweater jerseys,” he said with a laugh.

Moore added Chicagoans in general want to be associated with a winner and right now that is what the Blackhawks are doing. After eliminating Minnesota, Detroit and Los Angeles to win the Western Conference, the Blackhawks are taking on another tough foe in the Boston Bruins. And while there are

Johnny Oduya more Black fans watching the games on television, Moore said there is a small increase in people ac-

Ray Emery tually going to the games as well.

“I think it has gotten a little bit better,” Moore said. “Being Black and a hockey fan are two things that do not usually go together, like Mitt Romney and beer pong. When I go to games, I get a few double takes, as I’m distinctly in the minority at the United Center,” he wrote in one of his articles.

Helping the NHL sell their product to the community depends a lot on who is on the ice, according to Moore. The 28 players of African descent on NHL rosters included Emerson Etem, a 20 year-old with tremendous promise, who grew up in Long Beach and now plays for the Anaheim Ducks, but still is one of only four American Blacks.

However, more Black American players are on the horizon and history could be made later this year as Seth Jones, son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, is expected to

be the overall number one pick in the draft.

While hockey rinks are still hard to find in the Black community, Moore said there are programs and people trying to engage Chicago Black youth in the sport. One such group is the Panthers Hockey Club out of the Garfield Park community on the West Side. Started by Perry Starks in the 70’s, the club features both inline and ice skating hockey programs for youth. The club also helps players get into high schools with hockey programs. The Blackhawks organization, along with Bauer Hockey has donated lots of equipment and uniforms to the program and Blackhawks players have regularly interacted with

the kids involved.

In the meantime, the Blackhawks are having their hands full with the

Bruins, who like the Hawks recently won a Stanley Cup in 2011. Of the three Black players on the Hawks, Johnny Oduya has had the greatest impact this season. As a defenseman, Oduya will be charged with stopping some of Boston’s best players like Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin. A native of Sweden, Oduya was acquired via trade last season and has been one of the Hawks’ most consistent players.

Backup goalie Ray Emery may not get any ice time during the playoffs, but he has been an integral part of the Blackhawks success this season. Due to the lockout that began last September, teams played a condensed schedule with four games sometimes during a seven-day period. Coach Joel Quenneville used Emery a lot to rest Crawford and Emery responded by having one of his best seasons as a pro. In 19 starts, Emery went 17-1 and recorded three shutouts. A free agent after this season, it is not known if Emery will resign from Chicago or will he opt for more money as a starting goalie elsewhere.

Jamal Mayers did not play a lot this season. But the veteran is a physical presence on the ice and might see some ice time against the rugged Bruins in this series. Mayers has also played a role in helping develop the Blackhawks’ young talent core.

Moore said regardless of the outcome in the series versus the Bruins, this has been one hockey season to remember for Chicago fans. For Black Chicagoans, it has been an opportunity to get more exposure to the sport.

Arena earlier this month, the announced crowd was 6,811, the largest crowd for the Sky the last two seasons.

After finishing up with post-game interviews, Diggins had a 25-minute Q&A session with those who made the two-hour trip from South Bend.

Sitting at mid-court in front of a microphone, Diggins broke down in tears as she told her fans she loved them and reflected back on her career at Notre Dame and growing up in Indiana. She apologized for becoming emotional, but said the outpouring of support for her across the country has become overwhelming. She said this is the first time in her life she has ever been away from home for an extended time. “I really didn’t get a chance to spend too much time in Tulsa before the season started and we started traveling. But I like the city of Tulsa and the Oklahoma fan base has been amazing,” she said.

Diggins said she has learned to deal with the pluses and minuses of her celebrity. She first came into the public’s eye in 2011 during Notre Dame’s run in the NCAA tourney. She caught the attention of rapper Lil

Wayne, an avid basketball fan, who began Tweeting about her. Next thing you knew Wayne was wearing Diggins’ jersey during concerts and the hip-hop generation took notice.

“I try and just be myself,” said Diggins on keeping herself grounded. “I love my fans I really do. I appreciate them. I’m really focusing on my game because that’s my job, but being a role model is the other part of my job. I’m having the time of my life though because I’m living out my dream.”

In the meantime Diggins Shock team is struggling thus far, with a 1-7 record, although three of those losses have come in overtime. After a slow start, Diggins is now averaging 11 points and five assists a game. In the game against the Sky, she finished with eight points and afterwards praised her opponents. She said right now she is still learning the league and the players but believes her game will continue to improve as the season goes along.

“I’m striving for our team to be better and for me to better my own game,” she said. “It’s like I’m a freshman in college all over again.”

Jamal Mayers

Diggins homecoming brings out hundreds

By J. Coyden Palmer

They came in 15 chartered buses and yelled the entire game to support their hometown hero who has become one of the most popular athletes in America. But don’t think for a second that Skylar Diggins is enjoying the bright spotlight the WNBA has cast her in. Instead the 22 year-old South Bend native would like less attention as she focuses on her basketball game. Though the WNBA has made Diggins a part of their national “Three to See” campaign, she humbly explains why she is uncomfortable with the publicity and feels more attention should be paid to the sport of women’s basketball and veteran players who have helped build the league’s brand.

“I’m not one of the three to see in the WNBA, I was one of the three to see in college,” Diggins explained.

“There are a lot of great vets in the league. I think it is disrespectful to them for me to be one of the three to see. I haven’t done anything yet. Although nobody has said anything to me, I can see how all the publicity we www.chicagocrusader.com

rookies are getting would make some of the veterans jealous. The campaign is putting a target on my back.”

Diggins said she understands the WNBA needing to market her and the two other members of the “Three to See” campaign—Brittney Griner (Phoenix) Elena Delle Donne (Chicago). They are the most touted rookie draft class in the league’s 17year history after being drafted consecutively in April. However she says it is a lot of pressure for someone who is just starting their career.

Last month Diggins graduated with a business degree from Notre Dame.

She said she prefers to see herself as a new college graduate just entering the marketplace like thousands of other American grads. While she said she does not think she deserves all of the accolades and press yet, that does not mean she is not striving to become one of the best players in the world.

“I’m not one of the Three to See at this point, but I’m working on my game every day so that eventually I will be a premiere player in this league,” said Diggins with a serious tone in her voice. Diggins popularity

SKYLAR DIGGINS, WNBA burgeoning star deflects accolades about her popularity during a recent interview with the Crusader. is having a positive effect on ticket sales across the league. In their game against the Chicago Sky at Allstate

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Saturday, JUNE 22, 2013

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

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