VOL. 61, No. 45
November 8 - 14, 2012
www.tsdmemphis.com
75 Cents
The First Family celebrates the outcome of the election. (Photo by Worsom Robinson/Real Times News Service/Chicago Defender)
OBAMA – Unfiltered!
INSIDE
(The following is the full text of President Obama’s victory speech on Wednesday)
hank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. (Sustained cheers, applause.) Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. (Cheers, applause.) It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. (Cheers, applause.) Tonight, in this election, you, the American people,
T The shifting map of U.S. politics. A different type of conversation, starting on Nov. 7. No shortage of pressing issues for Obama. Cohen wins re-election. No boost in sales tax ‘Extraordinarily disappointed’ in Romney loss, says Christie See pages 3–8 MEMPHIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
H- 7 1o - L - 5 4o P a r tl y C l ou dy
REGIONAL TEMPS LITTLE ROCK NASHVILLE JACKSON, MS
Friday H-72 L-52 H-67 L-43 H-73 L-48
H- 7 1o - L - 5 0o Most ly Clo ud y
Saturday H-71 L-56 H-70 L-47 H-74 L-54
Sunday H-69 L-45 H-69 L-55 H-74 L-60
SEE OBAMA ON PAGE 5
Economics and education – a work in progress Symposium targets Americaʼs education crisis Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Dorothy Bracy Alston H- 6 9o - L - 5 0o P a r tl y C l oud y
reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come. (Cheers, applause.) I want to thank every American who participated in this election. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you voted for the very first time – (cheers) – or waited in line for a very long time – (cheers) – by the way, we have to fix that. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone – (cheers, applause) – whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. (Cheers, applause.) I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign.
If we didn’t hear enough conversation about the economy during the 2012 presidential campaign, the day following the reelection of President Barack Obama (Nov 7) the conversation was still top of mind – but in a different setting. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Black Enterprise teamed to present a symposium on economics and education reform, entitled “Today’s Business Crisis: Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce.” The setting
was the Grand Ballroom of the Peabody Hotel downtown. From the opening remarks by Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., president and CEO of Black Enterprise, to the welcoming remarks of Memphis City Schools Supt. Dr. Kriner Cash and Dawn Chirwa, chief of staff-U.S. Programs for the Gates Foundation, there were many recurring themes. Most notable were education and economics; families – particularly parental involvement; culture; community organizing; teachers; thought leaders and partnerships. “When it’s all said and done, this is a conversation about opportunity,
more than anything else,” said Graves. Presenter, Rahim Islam, president and CEO of Universal Companies, framed the 3 ½-hour exchange this way: “This conversation is about how to make business and education work.” Two panels drove the discussion. One featured Kenya Bradshaw, executive director, Stand for Children; former NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway, entrepreneur and a local owner of the Memphis Grizzlies; and Irvin Scott, deputy director of Education for the Gates Foundation. They dialogued on “Helping our Schools.”
The second panel brought together Dr. Roderick Richmond, chief of School Operations, Academic Operations, Technology & Innovation; Yetta Lewis, chief academic officer at Gestalt Community Schools; and Reginald Porter, a member of the Memphis/Shelby County Board of Education. They exchanged ideas on “Developing School Models that Work.” You can’t talk education, economics and business without including technology and social media. So it was no surprise that the entire symposium was filmed and Tweeted, using #EDUreform. SEE EDUCATION ON PAGE 8
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November 8 - 14, 2012
Tri-State Defender
OPINION
Tri-State Defender
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November 8 - 14, 2012
A different type of conversation, starting on Nov. 7 Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Linda S. Wallace
T h e morning after the presidential election is decided, some of us will awaken to heartache while others feel a Linds S. sense of Wallace joy and relief. That’s just the first day of the future: What do we do next? Take a deep breath and grieve, if you feel the need. If your guy wins, have the courtesy to celebrate in the privacy of your kitchen – not at church, at work, or on your front lawn. This has been a hard-fought election and my hope is – whoever wins – will behave like a leader, not a winner. The day after the election, visualize a more collaborative type of political conversation. Close your eyes. Imagine the conversation that can change your life in four years. Imagine a conversation that can change the world. Powerful conversations result from strategic actions. I am proposing a blueprint for developing an American conversation that will keep us from experiencing a campaign as divisive, mean and unproductive again. Let’s not go any lower than this. Gather your family, neighbors and adversaries together. Ask them to imagine the nation they would like to see four years from now. How is it different? Instead of continuing the heated, partisan debate over where America needs to go, let’s start a conversation that begins with the end in mind. Four years from today, America will be a diverse, inclusive nation that serves its citizens, rather than its political parties and special interests. People who want to work have life-sustaining jobs. Corporate leaders are acting responsibly. How did we manage to leave behind this campaign, and arrive at so special a place? It is your job to figure out what steps we took. Use the following questions as a guide: * Which grassroots leaders led the transformative dialogs that brought about change? What prompted citizens to band together as collaborators, rather than combatants? How did the process begin? How did it grow? * What finally caused Americans to recognize that political divisions and gridlock were a threat to the future? Was it a fiscal crisis? A
THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Unemployment: By the numbers
According to the federal unemployment rate report released last Friday (Nov. 2): • The unemployment rate ticked up from 7.8 to 7.9 percent. • The African-American unemployment rate rose from 13.4 to 14.3 percent. • Unemployment rates for African-American women rose from 10.9 to 12.4 percent. • African-American male unemployment dropped from 14.2 to 14.1 percent. • More than 5 million people have been officially unemployed for more than half a year. They have been looking for work for an average of 41 weeks. • More than 600,000 people returned to the labor force as a result of recent trends. • Factoring in hidden unemployment and other measures, the 7.8 percent overall rate of unemployment is reported as 14.6 percent. Thus, the African-American unemployment rate of 14.3 percent translates to an overall rate of 26.4 percent. That means more than one in four African Americans is unemployed. • In some urban areas, as many as half of the AfricanAmerican male population does not work.
series of national disasters? Civic unrest in the street? A groundswell of good will that flowed from diverse religious communities? How did we create a political climate to support these momentous breakthroughs? * What strategies did our leaders put in place to end gridlock in Washington and promote a sense of geographic
interdependency? We are a union of states, but each state affects the whole. What compromise did we reach regarding states’ rights and the scope of federal government? How did that conversation get started? How did we reduce the budget while maintaining our commitment to quality education, access to higher education and social services?
* How did Americans finally master the language of learning, which promotes collaborative dialogs, self-help strategies, personal responsibility, and letting go? This is the language that ultimately enabled us to heal from wounds of slavery; honestly discuss fears regarding America’s changing racial demographics; unite against special
interests, and develop a successful public educational system that closing the attainment and achievement gaps. What moment prompted the tone of political debates to soften, and the message of interdependency to take root? It is possible, four years from now, to hold a more meaningful political conversation that inspires bold ideas
and inclusive economic strategies. We have to stop waiting on the President for change, and start talking more respectfully to the political adversaries down the block. (Linda S. Wallace, a periodic contributing columnist to The New Tri-State Defender, can be reached at theculturalcoach.com.)
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OPINION
Tri-State Defender
November 8 - 14, 2012
Tri-State Defender Platform
• Bernal E. Smith II President / Publisher • Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku Executive Editor
1. Racial prejudice worldwide must be destroyed. 2. Racially unrestricted membership in all jobs, public and private. 3. Equal employment opportunities on all jobs, public and private. 4. True representation in all U.S. police forces. 5. Complete cessation of all school segregation. 6. Federal intervention to protect civil rights in all instances where civil rights compliance at the state level breaks down
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No shortage of pressing issues for Obama CNN
by Tim Lister
Even before he takes the oath of office for a second time, President Barack Obama has a crisis on his hands. On Jan. 2, 2013, America will begin a long fall off the “fiscal cliff” – unless the White House and Congress can agree on a deal to avert the plunge. And that’s not going to be easy. “It’s going to be tough to govern” with Congress still split and the Republican majority in the House intact, noted CNN political contributor David Gergen, who urged the president to heed the words of Winston Churchill: “In victory, magnanimity.” Beyond the domestic agenda, the global economic slowdown threatens an anemic U.S. recovery – while Iran’s nuclear program and Syria’s implosion will also demand urgent attention after the rigors of the campaign trail. The in-tray may not seem as daunting as the one that greeted Obama on his first day in office in 2009, but he’ll have little time to savor his latest victory. In fewer than 60 days, arbitrary spending cuts and tax increases will begin to kick in unless the president and Congress – half of which is still controlled by the Republicans – can find a better way to manage debt reduction. The challenge for Obama and the divided Congress is to come up with a credible consensus that tackles the deficit and doesn’t smother the fragile roots of recovery. The Tax Policy Center estimates that allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire means an average tax increase of almost $2,000 for middle-class Americans. Sucking that much money out of circulation could push unemployment above 9 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Obama has declared that the estimated $109 billion worth of automatic budget cuts to defense spending, social services, education and other discretionary federal spending won’t happen. And White House officials – but not the president himself – say he will preserve the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class but veto any bill that extends the cuts for households with incomes over $250,000. The expiration of those tax cuts would raise some $500 billion in revenues, according to the latest CBO data. If the United States doesn’t address the impending fiscal cliff, ratings agency Moody’s has warned of a further downgrading of U.S. sovereign debt. Foreign governments are watching the situation with trepidation. Sustaining the U.S. recovery is vital to the health of the global economy – with most of Europe mired in recession, Japan facing its own version of the fiscal cliff – its public debt is twice the size of its $5 trillion economy – and growth in China slackening, though most countries would love to have its 7 percent expansion rate.
Deferring judgment day
Now that the hyper-partisan presidential campaign is out of the way, there may be a window for compromise. But with Congress due to be in session for only 16 more days in 2012, that may extend only as far as a deal to kick the can down the road once more – resulting in a Band-Aid rather than a grand bargain. House Speaker John Boehner told CNN last weekend that was the most likely path. “I think the best you can hope for is some kind of bridge,” he said. Boehner and other Republicans have demanded spending cuts and other measures that would exceed any increase in the federal borrowing ceiling. Deferring the day of judgment is unlikely to impress the markets. Nor will another bout of protracted wrangling over raising the debt ceiling, something that will likely become necessary early in the new year.
President Barack Obama waves to thousands of supporters in Chicago after his victory speech. (Photo by Worsom Robinson/Real Times News Service/Chicago Defender)
In September, Moody’s indicated it would downgrade the U.S. sovereign rating from its “AAA” rating without “specific policies that produce a stabilization and then downward trend in the ratio of federal debt to GDP over the medium term.” Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. rating in 2011 after the first bout over the debt ceiling. And as more baby boomers begin retiring and adding to the burden on Medicare and Social Security, it won’t be long before entitlement programs come under even greater pressure. Meeting in Mexico over the weekend, G-20 finance ministers cited the U.S. fiscal cliff as the biggest risk to global growth. Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty warned of “dire consequences” if it’s not tackled. If the fiscal cliff is the most immediate problem, the consequences of a eurozone break-up could be equally as damaging. The G-20 ministers voiced concerns about the “complex implementation” of much-needed reforms. The potential for the events in Europe to add to the president’s woes is probably underestimated because that situation seems interminable and impossible to unravel. It’s only been a month since the International Monetary Fund warned of “a downward spiral of capital flight, breakup fears and economic decline” in Europe. Given that EU-U.S. trade was worth $636 billion in 2011 and U.S. investment in the EU was about $150 billion, Europe’s economic health is hardly marginal to America. The European Union has averted imminent crisis by putting the European Central Bank on steroids, allowing it to use massive financial firepower to buy the bonds of troubled members. But Spain is not yet ready to accept bailout terms, Greece is already dangling off a fiscal cliff and several of Europe’s largest economies are either in or on the edge of recession.
Obama’s foreign policy headaches
While getting a deal on deficit reduction is the top domestic priority, Iran’s nuclear pro-
gram will likely be the president’s main foreign policy headache. Obama has said repeatedly that Iran will not be allowed to obtain or build a nuclear weapon on his watch. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a different threshold: that Iran cannot be allowed to achieve the capability to build a bomb. As long as Iran continues to install centrifuges, expand its nuclear facilities and add to its stockpile of enriched uranium, that threshold comes closer to being met. Israel is as consumed with its own election campaign as the United States has been. For whoever takes office in January – and Netanyahu is favored to win – the Iran issue will again be front and center. Asked in an interview Monday whether he would “pledge that Iran won’t have a nuclear program” by the end of his next term, Netanyahu said, “Yes.” Despite the lack of personal rapport between Obama and Netanyahu, Washington will try to restrain Israel in the hope that the damage inflicted by trade and financial sanctions against Iran will bring about a change of heart in Tehran. Netanyahu has said he won’t be restrained by anyone if Israel’s existence is threatened. The United States will want to delay any military action for as long as possible, given the unpredictable consequences in a Middle East already torn by revolution and Islamist renaissance, and the fear that striking Iran’s nuclear facilities might actually rally support for the regime rather than undermine it. Sanctions – the favored weapon of the United States and European Union – have curbed Iranian oil exports and other trade, causing a dramatic devaluation in the Iranian rial. High inflation and growing hardship, so the argument goes, will eventually force the Iranian leadership to come to the table for productive talks on its nuclear program. Several rounds of multilateral talks this year made no headway, giving some credence to Romney’s jibe that Iran is four years closer to a nuclear weapon than when Obama took office. But with the election over, another stab at dialogue is possible without exposing the president to accusations that he’s soft on the
The shifting map of U.S. politics CNN Political Editor
by Paul Steinhauser
Washington – The electoral map is changing, and the 2012 presidential election is proof. While many of the shifts favor the Democrats, some benefit the GOP. Four years ago then-Sen. Obama became the first Democratic candidate since 1964 to carry Virginia in a presidential election, and the first to win North Carolina since 1976. Tuesday’s election results confirmed that
the 2008 results were no fluke. Virginia, which was once a reliably red state in presidential elections, can now be shaded purple. And North Carolina may be headed that way in the future. It’s also safe to say that New Mexico, a swing state for cycles past, has turned blue. And Nevada may be following down the same path in the future. An increase of the Latino share of the electorate, as well as the edging up of participation by younger voters, are partially behind these shifts.
“The biggest geographic breakthrough of 2008 is now consolidated. Obama in his first win captured a series of Sunbelt states that had leaned strongly toward the GOP over the previous four decades: Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida in the southeast, and Nevada and Colorado in the southwest, plus New Mexico, where Democrats had done better,” said CNN Senior Political Analyst and National Journal Editorial Director Ron Brownstein. “The same forces brought all of these states into play-growing diver-
ayatollahs. With Russia adamantly opposed to stiffer United Nations sanctions and a new leadership in China, building an international consensus on Iran will be difficult. On the other hand, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is weakened as a political force as his second and final term draws to a close. Cliff Kupchan of the Eurasia Group says that unlike in 2009, when a possible deal was sabotaged by regime bickering, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “is probably strong enough to make a deal stick should he so choose. But a recalcitrant and bucking Ahmadinejad would make that outcome more difficult.” For the White House – a delicate balancing act will demand a close reading of Iran’s and Israel’s intentions. But Iran is not the only overseas crisis that needs urgent attention. With every passing week, the revolt in Syria becomes more difficult to influence and more likely to spill into neighboring states. Some analysts expect a more muscular U.S. approach now that the election is out of the way – one that might include setting up a zone in northwest Syria that is beyond the reach of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already foreshadowed a change in approach – saying the United States will engage more with the country’s internal opposition and less with the exiled and largely ineffectual Syrian National Council (SNC), which is Turkey’s preferred representative. Managing the military drawdown in Afghanistan – something that was rarely discussed in the presidential election campaign – will be another challenge. Afghan security forces have been stood up; they are more numerous and more capable than four years ago. But two years before the scheduled withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops, the Kabul government looks fragile and the Taliban undaunted. Critics have voiced concerns that the publicly announced withdrawal date only lets the Taliban know how long it must hold out before it can make another bid for resurgence. Efforts to wean the “good” Taliban off the battlefield and into negotiations has so far gone nowhere. For Obama, whose first campaign stressed winning the war in Afghanistan and getting out of Iraq, the collapse of a government supported by so many billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars would be a humiliating reverse. Last month, the International Crisis Group said the outlook was far from assuring.
Different problems, same solution
Whether it’s Syria, Iran or the fiscal cliff, Obama must use the same principles to find a solution: develop a dialogue, find common ground, exploit opportunities and occasionally employ a well-calibrated threat. That’s what happened in 1997, when the Clinton administration reached a deal with the Republican congressional leadership to reduce the federal deficit and achieve a balanced budget in five years. The deal cut spending, and it cut taxes by $91 billion over five years – while allowing the debt ceiling to rise to $5.95 trillion. We have come to an agreement that will lead us to less Washington spending, to tax relief for working Americans, to security for our senior citizens, and less dependency on government, more responsibility, and opportunity for individuals, communities, and states,” said former Sen. Trent Lott, then the Republican leader in the Senate. Ahhh, the good old days. Now the statutory debt ceiling is at $16.4 trillion, with no sign of a deal on taxes or spending.
sity and improving democratic performance among the growing population of college educated whites. The same factors allowed the president to win several of them Tuesday night, and to run almost step for step in the others, even in a year when his white performance substantially eroded,” added Brownstein. But not all the shifts favor the Democrats. “There are some states that have gotten redder. Obama carried Indiana four years ago but lost by 10 points this year, indicating that Indiana may
The electoral map is changing, and the 2012 presidential election is proof. While many of the shifts favor the Democrats, some benefit the GOP. See color-coded map on the front page. (CNN)
be reverting to its Republican DNA. Sen. John McCain carried Missouri by the thinnest of margins in 2008, but Mitt Romney won that state by ten points,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. The map has changed. And it will again.
ELECTION 2012
Tri-State Defender
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November 8 - 14, 2012
OBAMA
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
(Cheers, applause.) We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service. And that is a legacy that we honor and applaud tonight. (Cheers, applause.) In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward. (Cheers, applause.) I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. (Cheers, applause.) And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. (Cheers, applause.) Let me say this publicly. Michelle, I have never loved you more. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation’s first lady. (Cheers, applause.) Sasha and Malia – (cheers, applause) – before our very eyes, you’re growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. (Cheers, applause.) And I am so proud of you guys. But I will say that for now, one dog’s probably enough. (Laughter.) To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics – (cheers, applause) – the best – the best ever – (cheers, applause) – some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning. (Cheers, applause.) But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together. (Cheers, applause.) And you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way – (cheers, applause) – to every hill, to every valley. (Cheers, applause.) You lifted me up the whole day, and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you’ve put in. (Cheers, applause.) I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym or – or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else. You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. (Cheers, applause.) You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. (Cheers, applause.) You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who’s working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home. (Cheers, applause.)
Four more years for President Barack Obama. The President accepted the win in his home city of Chicago. (CNN photo)
That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won’t change after tonight. And it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter – (cheers, applause) – the chance to cast their ballots like we did today. But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future. We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers – (cheers, applause) – a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation – (scattered cheers, applause) – with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow. We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened up by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. (Cheers, applause.) We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this – this world has ever known – (cheers, applause) – but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being. We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies
in our schools and pledges to our flag – (cheers, applause) – to the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner – (cheers, applause) – to the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president. That’s the – (cheers, applause) – that’s the future we hope for. (Cheers, applause.) That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go – forward. (Cheers, applause.) That’s where we need to go. (Cheers, applause.) Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock, resolve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. (Cheers, applause.) A long campaign is now over. (Cheers, applause.) And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. And you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. (Cheers, applause.) Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. (Cheers, applause.) You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together – reducing
our deficit, reforming out tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do. (Cheers, applause.) But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us; it’s about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self- government. (Cheers, applause.) That’s the principle we were founded on. This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared – (cheers, applause) – that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, so that the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great. (Cheers, applause.) I am hopeful tonight because I have seen this spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the
Republican Mitt Romney makes his concession speech after President Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term. (Photo by Ken Tuohey/CNN)
stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. (Cheers, applause.) I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. (Cheers, applause.) And I saw it just the other day in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8year-old daughter whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. (Cheers, applause.) I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own. And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president. (Cheers, applause.) And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. AUDIENCE MEMBER: We got your back, Mr. President! PRESIDENT OBAMA: I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful ideal-
ism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. (Cheers, applause.) America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love (ph). It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. (Cheers, applause.) You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try. (Cheers, applause.) I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.) And together, with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, America. (Cheers, applause.) God bless you. God bless these United States. (Cheers, applause.) (Transcript courtesy of the Federal News Service).
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Tri-State Defender
November 8 - 14, 2012
After sales tax defeat, which way is up? Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Tony Jones
Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell Jr. says that the defeat of the proposed half-cent sales tax referendum should be taken as a clear signal that it’s time for the body charged with unifying the schools to avoid any more distractions and get down to brass tacks. As the county’s chief executive, Luttrell will be heavily involved with the new system, and is part of the 21-member Shelby County Transition Planning Commission that is crafting the new school system. Listed on the Nov. 6th Election Day ballot as Resolution No. 18A, voters rejected the measure by a more than 2 to 1 margin – 172,625 voting to reject, 78,075 in support. “I wasn’t really surprised that it was defeated, but I was really surprised at the margin of the defeat,” Luttrell told The New Tri-State Defender on the day following the decision. Luttrell, who had voiced his objection to the measure earlier, counts the vote as a good lesson in common sense. “I think the public saw it for what it really was, asking for a tax without any real definition of how it was to be used,” he said. “It’s always difficult to promote a tax, but they were promoting a tax without any
clarity or specifics of how it was to be used.” Seen as the brainchild of Commissioner Mike Ritz, heavily Mark pushed by Luttrell Jr. the Memphis arm of nationally-recognized child advocacy group Stand for Children, and backed by a cadre of local elected officials, the measure’s proponents claimed the voters’ approval would create $60 million for education, with $30 million earmarked for the new school system to replace an estimated $57 million budget shortfall. Mayor AC Wharton Jr. supported the measure, suggesting that if Resolution 18a was adopted it could help cut property taxes, and also bolster funding for Pre-K education. Longtime Memphis City Schools Board Commissioner Patrice Robinson advocated for the tax from it’s beginning. “The sales tax makes more sense than a property tax because anyone that travels here will be contributing,” said Robinson. “But bottom line, we need those dollars to move our children forward. I was insulted
Signs urging support for the proposed half-cent sales tax increase to benefit schools are piled into this car outside of the headquarters of Stand For Children on Wednesday, following the defeat of the measure on Tuesday. (Photo by Tony Jones Ink!)
when I read an email from an attorney informing me that Tennessee is number 49 out of 50 states in per pupil expendiPatrice t u r e s . Robinson Everybody keeps talking about creating a worldclass school system. How are you going to do it without money?” The effort in pushing the idea was not well structured, Ritz has publicly admitted. “The political leaders were all over the map. That didn’t help.” And down the line, a big
dollar deficit is waiting. “It’s going to have to come from the property tax,” according to Ritz. “And the (proposed) suburban school districts, they’re going to be in great need of money.” Which is all well and fine, Luttrell said, but avoids the real need at the core of the measure. It doesn’t matter how much money is available if a sound structure for using the funds isn’t in place. “We know that there is a $57 million deficit that we are facing, but there are efficiencies and measures that can be realized that can close that gap, and then at that time we will decide how to fund education for the new unified system,” said Luttrell. “It’s going to take a strong will by the unified school board to make some tough de-
cisions immediately and it’s going to take some strong political will by the county commission to assist in defining the budget. We are facing an August 2013 deadline. It’s time to start making some tough decisions with a strong degree of haste.” He also said the vote against Resolution 18A was a perfect indicator that the Transition Planning Committee is the right structure to get it all done, especially in light of the lessons of the national election. “The transition committee has done a good job and it’s time to let it do its work. We have good gender representation, we have good racial representation and we have reached a consensus with our plan,” Luttrell said. “There have been some racial sentiments on both sides
of this issue, but our primary objective is to stay focused on the responsibility to our children. Any sense of racism that is detected in this process we are duty bound to step up and admonish it and do our best to beat it down.” Robinson also underlined the need for community commitment in the transition. “There was a walkout at Fairley School because they didn’t want to be made to go to school on time. As a community, we have got to say that education is important,” Robinson said. “I see kids with their parents in the middle of the school day all the time. It’s got to stop. They have iPhones, but wouldn’t vote to support this funding. There has to be a paradigm shift in how this community views education.”
Tri-State Defender
ELECTION 2012
Page 7
November 8 - 14, 2012
Down goes Flinn; No sweat, says Cohen Special to The New Tri-State Defender
by Tony Jones
Steve Cohen
No sweat, no threat, Congressman Steve Cohen told The New Tri State Defender following his trouncing of ninth-district GOP opponent Dr. George Flinn Jr. in Tuesday’s election. Defeating Flinn 188, 245 to 59,676, the victory ensures Cohen’s fourth term in the seat. Attempts to contact Flinn by TSD press
time were unsuccessful. “I never felt any pressure,” said Cohen. “I followed my gut and listened to the people in the 9th district that I’ve been working with all my life. We didn’t have to hire a pollster or run a lot of ads, but in the end we were right. “A lot of people criticized us for it, but we didn’t need a lot of advertising to beat him. Except for the extreme right wing, we just talked to the people in the district and listened to them.” President Obama’s re-election should be
Shouts of “O-bama” and “four more years” rang out after it became clear that President Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, would be sworn in as the 45th president next January. (Photos by Warren Roseborough) Longtime community activist Georgia “Queen Akua” kept her Obama sign close at hand as she awaited the Election Night results.
beneficial said Cohen, who has enjoyed the president’s backing. “It’s going to be difficult in getting the president’s jobs bill through the house, but jobs are going to be my number one priority. My former House colleague is the Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis. I am going to be trying to be on the front burner of any program she has that can get money here to Memphis. President Obama’s re-election gives me more friends in high places and that always helps.”
The writing is on the wall for the Tea Party element of the Republican Party, said Cohen. “They lost two seats in the House that they should have won but they’re so far right now they lost them. They lost 10 Tea Party freshmen. I think people are starting to see the Tea Party as part and of the problem, not the solution,” said Cohen. “They need to work with Democrats, they need to work with women. They need to be more like the Republican party of Howard Baker; or even Bob Dole.”
The Peabody Ballroom at the Peabody Hotel downtown was “hooray-central” for area Democrats. State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, who was unopposed in District 93, came sign-ready to the watch party held at the Peabody Hotel.
ELECTION 2012
Page 8
‘Extraordinarily disappointed’ in Romney loss, says Christie CNN
by Gregory Wallace
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a strong backer of Mitt Romney’s presidential bid who raised eyebrows praising President Barack Obama’s disaster response after Superstorm Sandy hit his state, said Wednesday he was “extraordinarily disappointed” by Romney’s Tuesday night loss and that he’s “not thinking about” his own political future. At a press conference in Harvey Cedars, the normallyoutspoken Christie was blunt on Romney’s chief failing: “He didn’t get enough votes.” “I’ve lost elections,” he said. “And I know how it feels and it hurts, and I’ve never run for president so I can’t imagine after putting in the kind of effort that Gov. Romney’s put in over the years to run for president, how badly it hurts this morning for him to have come up short. So I have great respect for him. I consider him a good, good friend. I hope that he continues to be a voice in public life in our country because I think he’s a good and decent man.” Romney conceded his second White House run to Obama early Wednesday morning, saying, “This is a time of great challenges for America and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.” Christie campaigned over a series of months for Romney, who he endorsed while others sifted through the then-crowded GOP field and after insisting he would not seek the presidency himself this cycle. He was thought to be on Romney’s vice presidential shortlist and delivered the Republican National Convention keynote address. But he stirred conversation with his more recent praise for Obama in the wake of Sandy. When the president
visited the Garden State to tour the dama g e , Christie said he “cannot thank the president enough Chris for his Christie personal concern and compassion for our state and the people of our state.” Romney praised Christie’s handling of the storm and his campaign said the ObamaChristie meeting should not be seen through a political lens. “I wouldn’t call what I did an embrace of Barack Obama,” Christie said when asked at the press conference about the moment. “That’s become the wording of it but the fact of the matter is, I’m a guy who tells the truth all the time, and if the president of the United States does something good, I’m going to say he did something good and give him credit for it.” The governor said the moment in no way suggested a souring on Romney. “I traveled literally tens of thousands of miles for him, raised tens of millions of dollars for him, and worked harder I think than any other surrogate in America – other than (Wisconsin Republican Rep.) Paul Ryan, who became his running mate,” Christie said. With the 2012 presidential race in the bag, political chatter no doubt will turn to speculation about the 2016 campaign, where Christie’s name would appear alongside a number of others. Christie did not deny interest in the position, but said at this point, he is focused on his current job. “I want to get through this storm today, ok?” he responded to a reporter’s question.
November 8 - 14, 2012
EDUCATION
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
‘Average is over’
Fresh from an educational conference at the Council of Great City Schools, Cash reflected on some takeaways from the conference. “The day of average is over. It’s only about good, better and best. And that’s what we’re trying to do here in Memphis,” said Cash. “It’s no longer about cheap labor but about cheap genius,” he said, pointing out that 43 percent of Asians attending American universities had a perfect 800 on their SAT test. “That’s who we’re competing against in the twenty-first century. We are competing with China. Let’s get globally competitive and let’s do it now.” According to Cash, “The new literacy is how quickly we can learn and relearn; to be quick and agile; bringing value added to the table.” Graves complimented Cash when he affirmed, “our missions are totally in harmony.” “When my father started this company his focus was education. Black Enterprise has made education our top priority. American education is broken and we’re all responsible for its repair,” Graves said. Islam, also agreed. “Education and economics, that’s what Universal Companies is all about. They are the two systems we need to focus on,” he said. “We’ve discussed political rights, religious rights, civil rights, legal rights, but no one is focusing on economic rights.” Any plan tackled must be a plan that’s focusing on neighborhoods and it has to be comprehensive and it has to be at scale, Islam said. “We have to have a strategy; a back-end and front-load strategy… because when white America gets a cold, African Americans get pneumonia.” Islam delved into the disparity of deeply entrenched cultural issues, putting on the floor “the legacy of slavery.” He said hate and fear have to be dealt with. Noting violent
NEWS
crimes and particularly the murder rate, he then refere n c e d black joblessness, the leadership gap, and kids Earl acting Graves Jr. crazy because their parents are acting crazy. “ I t ’s b a d , ” Islam said, “ b u t there’s hope.” “ W e need to stop letting Rahim others Islam come in and fix our problems. African Americans have to lead the effort. There are only two areas that African Americans can fix: restoring our culture and rebuilding the African-American family.” It’s not possible to address “the whole issues of AfricanAmerican families without addressing the whole being – even spiritually we’re messed up,” he said.
‘Step up to the plate’
At one point, Graves noted the brilliance of the day’s speakers, and injected a pivotal observation. “But you guys have to engage us (the business community) and help us find a way to get involved. Because at the end of the day, if we don’t employ them, who will?” The propositions and proposals from the panelists were mixed with best practices. “To start, we need more men – men willing to step up to the plate,” said school board member Porter. “We’re looking for men in the teaching profession, but also in the visibility profession.” Children, said Porter, need a wider range of exposure. “If you really want to get involved,” he said, “start a char-
ter school and give real application to practical issues. I’d love to see an ESPN school where athletes take physics, as it relates to sports; a FedEx school, where kids learn the practical application of technology and business, and a Black Enterprise School where they learn hands of journalism.” Bradshaw credited Memphis Challenge for giving her exposure to things she didn’t know existed in Memphis, even though she grew up in Orange Mound. Now a local and state organizer of Stand for Children, Bradshaw’s team was out front in the unsuccessful move to garner voter approval for a half-cent sale tax increase to fund education. “We’ve never really educated all of our children,” said Bradshaw. “We are underfunding our schools on every level – local, state and federal. People in our community are going to have to speak up for our children. They are our children whether you birthed them or not.”
‘Completely involved’
Now coaching basketball at Lester Elementary School, Hardaway said, “You have to wear two hats for the kids nowadays, because for some parents, their kids are not a priority, but they come with lots of issues. You have to first find out what’s going on in the household.” The home has to be the root of it, he said, giving credit to his grandmother, who raised him. “I wanted to come back home and make an imprint in the community because I was these kids,” he added. Irving said his career path became education instead of athletics because of his teacher. “I admire great teachers who push their kids. I had a teacher who didn’t criticize us, but she introduced us to Robert Frost. She even made me do my own poem,” he said. “I didn’t want to be an educator. The person I really wanted to be was Tony Dorsey of the Dallas Cowboys, when I was in the ninth grade. I’m glad I didn’t go out for the Cowboys. I’m glad I’m a teacher. I’m so much happier.”
Tri-State Defender
Lewis, whose charter school in Hickory Hill is getting national attention, said, “We focus on building community schools. To build education, we focus on being completely involved in the education process. For me, education and the community are hand in hand. You can’t do one without the other.”
‘Real changes’
Richmond directed plenty of thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its funding support “Thanks to them we’re looking at both leadership effectiveness, teacher effectiveness and accountability. We have to make sure everyone from the top down is accountable. It begins with leadership,” he said. Graves, apparently pleased with the first in a series of such symposiums, posed this question: “Why did we choose Memphis?” “I can’t think of a better place to begin this conversation,” he said. “There’s a real challenge here between the schools – Shelby County and Memphis City Schools.” Six other symposiums are planned in 2013, said Graves. “It’s our hope that Memphis can serve as an example of public and private partnerships working to improve schools and the educational workforce,” he said. “I don’t mean corporate America and city owners, but I mean African-American businesses, such as professional black executives who will take an interest and form some sort of group or compose something similar, like Memphis Tomorrow; who can come together to make changes – real changes and substantative changes in the culture and the community.”
(Dorothy Bracy Alston is a journalist, author, freelance writer and adjunct English professor. Visit Dorothy’s blog at http://www.CisbaAssociates.blo gspot.com; join her on Facebook at www.facebook .com/dorothybracyalston, email her at DBAlston@hotmail.com or call 901-570-3923.)