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June 17, 2017
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Volume 23 No. 3
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Honoring Our Fathers HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY
Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Announcements
For millions of men Fathers’ Day means gathering with family, firing up the grill and enjoying what makes Fathers’ Day special; spending time together and reflecting on life with your children and family. For millions of kids this special day is set aside to say “Thanks Dad,” you are appreciated. Your presence, guidance, good nature, care, nurture, generosity, love and wisdom have helped shape our lives in positive ways too numerous to Mike McCormick, Executive Director count. From you we learned empathy, perseverance, dedication, American Coalition for Fathers and Children. http://www.acfc.org/ sacrifice in the pursuit of goals and the value of hard work. That’s the reality of Fathers’ Day for millions of men in America this June 18th. For millions of other men however Fathers’ Day has a different meaning. For these millions of fathers, and their children, Fathers’ Day is not a time of joyful reflection and sharing, but a day of sorrow. These millions of fathers have either limited, or lost, contact with their children and been forced to endure life at the hands of a legal system that insists their value to their kids is most importantly expressed by how much child support they pay. These fathers live in a world where government has effectively told them your first priority is to pay up. For the lucky ones, paying up might mean they will get to see their children for a couple of days each month. For those less fortunate, the obligation to pay up is there, but the hope for contact, much less significant involvement with their children, has long since been extinguished. The sad fact is this: Billions of government dollars are spent each year to insure fathers pay up. By comparison, virtually nothing is spent to help fathers denied contact with their children retain a role in their kids’ lives. Continued on Page 4
— Page 6 Three Female FAMU Doctoral Graduates Break Barriers in Engineering
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Dr. Willie Wilson’s successful campaign on passing of Bill 552 and 2034 this week in Illinois According to Dr. Willie Wilson, “With the help of hundreds of determined people just like you, we were able to get our state legislators to listen to our concerns. Senate Bill 552 transformed into Senate Bill 2034, which passed both chambers of the Illinois government and was signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner last week. This bill will prevent nonviolent inmates from sitting in jail for years for misdemeanors just because they cannot afford the low bails that were set for them. This is a big deal not only for those who were and are experiencing this economic prejudice but for the taxpayers of Illinois who were spending millions to keep these people in our jails. This change will benefit Americans of all races – blacks, whites, latinos, asians, everyone. This is the first step of many to bettering our criminal justice system and ultimately, bettering our society as a whole. After talking with the families of incarcerated individuals and hearing their pain-soaked stories of economic struggle back in September of last year, I knew I needed to do all I could to help them. It was from these conversations that I came up with the idea for the Good Samaritan Bailout Project - an effort to pay the bond of nonviolent, misdemeanor offense individuals who simply did not have the means to pay their low bail. These inmates, who often couldn't even afford bail as low as $200, were unfairly spending years behind bars before being proven as guilty. With the help of hundreds of determined people just like you, we were able to get our state legislators to listen to our concerns. Senate Bill 552 transformed into Senate Bill 2034, which passed both chambers of the Illinois government and was signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner last week. This bill will prevent nonviolent inmates from sitting in jail for years for misdemeanors just because they cannot afford the low bails that were set for them.”
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HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY Recent changes to Illinois’ Child Support guidelines reinforce this priority of fathers as first and foremost a wallet. The new guidelines attempt to recognize children need, and want, a greater relationship with their father’s, how they go about expressing that recognition is somewhat suspect. According to the new guideline a father will pay full child support until the child spends more than 145 overnights per year with Dad. At 146 overnights with Dad, the state will give Dad a significant break on child support. The formula begs the question of why 24 hours makes a child so much less expensive to raise. Throughout the child support industry this is known as the “cliff effect.” Effectively it means Dad, or sometimes Mom, but in all cases the “non -custodial” parent will have difficulty ever getting equal time with the kids because of the effect of money transfers from the paying parenting to the receiving parent. In the world of family law and child support agencies the idea of equality, on multiple levels, is non-existent. What drives this train however, is not necessarily the child’s best interest but the fact that states receive significant money from the federal government to operate child support programs. This money is not awarded to the state for keeping both parents engaged, it flows when one parent is effectively removed from the parenting equation. The inconvenient truth for divorced and never married parents is that government has monetized, politicized and criminalized the relationship between children and one of their parents, most often, their father. There are currently two systems in our society for parents who cannot afford to support their children. For custodial parents, primarily mothers, the government offers medical insurance assistance, housing assistance, cash assistance, food assistance, child care and education assistance.
Chicago Street Journal For non-custodial parents, primarily fathers, who cannot afford to support their children by paying child support, the government offers driver’s license revocation, wage garnishment, tax refund intercepts, interest on unpaid support balances, arrest and incarceration in debtors’ prison. Sadly, it is our children, and by extension society, who pay the price for these misguided policies. Social science research is overwhelmingly clear on this point. Children who have shared parenting, meaning both parents are engaged in their kids’ lives to the maximum extent possible, have better outcomes than children who are raised primarily in single parent headed households. This is not to say there are not children who turn out superbly well being raised by single parents. However, the data cannot be denied. Children who retain a significant relationship with BOTH parents, even when those parents are no longer together as a couple, do better academically, have higher employment rates, are less likely to use drugs, are less likely to commit suicide, are better at maintaining long term relationships, for girls – are less likely to become pregnant as teens –, and overall live longer lives. As we celebrate Dad this Fathers’ Day, let’s do something meaningful for the over 23 million kids in America who have no, or limited, contact with their fathers, let’s welcome Dad back into family life as an equal participant. Our kids need and deserve nothing less than a full relationship with him. Michael McCormick joined the ACFC board in 1998. His professional background developed in the financial services industry, working with nonprofit organizations in the area of corporate and member development, as well as community relationship building. McCormick acted as the primary spokesman for ACFC during the Elian Gonzalez situation. He has been interviewed extensively by the media regarding shared parenting. McCormick authored shared parenting bills and initiatives have been introduced in several states. He provides legislative testimony and has presented at multiple public policy and professional association gatherings. His commentary has been carried in numerous national publications.
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MAYOR EMANUEL ANNOUNCES FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD OPPORTUNITY FUND INVESTMENTS TO GROW AND STRENGTHEN BUSINESSES ON SOUTH AND WEST SIDES Funding for 32 Neighborhood Businesses Generated by Large Downtown Developments FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE City of Chicago June 8, 2017. Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced a Chatham vegan restaurant, a North Lawndale plant nursery and a West Humboldt Park art gallery are among 32 initial businesses to receive investments from the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. Launched earlier this year, the initiative generates funding from downtown development projects to support commercial growth on Chicago’s south and west sides. “These investments are going to directly support neighborhood entrepreneurs on Chicago’s south, southwest and west sides,” Mayor Emanuel said. “But they will also expand quality food options, create neighborhood meeting places, support tech business growth, and generate new retail options. By linking growth downtown directly to growth in our neighborhoods we can ensure the entire city of Chicago thrives for generations to come.” The initial recipients were selected from more than 700 applications to the program, created by Mayor Emanuel through reforms to the City’s Zoning Code in the spring of 2016. Approval criteria involve a proposal’s ability to have a measureable, catalytic impact on a community or commercial corridor, based on the availability of similar goods or services and project feasibility, among other factors. Funding for the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund is generated from voluntary payments made by downtown development projects .The payments are in exchange for density bonuses that allow developers to exceed zoning limits for a specific development site. Eighty percent of the payments are applied to the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund for distribution to eligible projects within the West and South sides. The remainder is split in support of infrastructure improvements downtown and improvements to landmark buildings across the city. Approximately $3.2 million will be distributed to the first round of recipients, to support projects including: Build-out of Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream at 56 E. 47th St. in Bronzeville Expansion of Garifuna Flava Caribbean restaurant at 2516 W. 63rd St. in Chicago Lawn Purchase and rehab of Original Soul Vegetarian restaurant at 203 E. 75th St. in Chatham
Renovation the family-owned grocery store Carniceria La Hacienda at 5159 S. Kedzie Ave., in Gage Park Purchase, rehab and expansion of Ambassador Floral at 11045 S. Halsted St. in Roseland Renovation of theater space at the West Austin Development Center at 4920 W. Madison St. in Austin Establishment of a second location for Brown Sugar Bakery at 4800 W. Chicago Ave. Purchase and build-out of a second location for Ivory Dental at 8344 S. Halsted St. Establishment of a new office for media-tech marketing company Digital Factory Technologies at 7400 S. Stony Island Ave. Eligible costs for Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grants include property acquisition and rehabilitation, small business training, and local hiring subsidies. Up to 65 percent of total project costs are eligible for funding through the program. Grants that exceed $250,000 require City Council approval. Project eligibility is limited to low-to-moderate income areas. The program is administered by the Department of Planning and Development. “The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund generates critical support for retail and commercial projects in neighborhoods that need them,” Planning Commissioner David Reifman said. “That means more jobs, goods and services that create a foundation for more public and private investment and stability.” A complete list of projects and more information is available at www.neighborhoodopportunityfund.com.
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son what I needed, and without batting an eye he said ‘yes, ‘ and it was done,” she said. “Through that opportunity, I was able to receive a Fulbright fellowship, and it was life-changing. I spent seven to eight months in Nigeria conducting research and teaching collegiate level students.” Anderson, who completed two engineering fellowships in California, including the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium Summer Fellowship at the University of California, explained how her experience at FAMU empowered her to embrace her culture and who she is as a scholar.
Three Female FAMU Doctoral Graduates Break Barriers in Engineering (Black PR Wire) (FAMU NEWS) According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), minority women comprise fewer than 1 in 10 scientists and engineers in the United States. Studies from researchers around the world reveal that one antidote to this disparity is to ensure there are more role models in underrepresented communities.
Carnes added, “I feel proud to be an African-American woman in the STEM fields. There’s not that many of us (women). We’ve been challenged because STEM is male dominated, (but) we are examples of the things that you can set your mind toward and finish. We are no longer ‘Hidden Figures.’ We have definitely been revealed.”
Three Florida A&M University (FAMU) female doctoral students, who are also best friends, recently received their doctorates in engineering. They endured setbacks, including the loss of a classmate and overcame financial hurdles to ensure that they join the next generation of engineering leaders who will help close that gap.
In addition to inspiring the next generation to break barriers, the trio wants to encourage them to pursue careers that will improve our way of life. They say the best place to develop a career that makes a difference is at FAMU.
On April 29, Miami native and Fulbright Scholar Renee Gordon received her doctorate of philosophy in mechanical engineering; Miami Beach native and Winifred Burks-Houck Professional Leadership awardee Shannon Anderson received her doctorate of philosophy in civil engineering, with a concentration in environmental engineering; and Birmingham, Alabama native and NSF International Research Experiences grantee Marcella Carnes received her doctorate of philosophy in civil engineering with a concentration in structures. Each earned their doctorate degrees under the guidance of FAMU’s School of Graduate Studies and Research and through support as participants in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Title III Funding Program. They are considering next steps including job offers and research opportunities. In the meantime, Gordon and Anderson will spend the summer teaching and helping to recruit the next generation of engineering students, while Carnes prepares for her wedding. “We realize that we’re breaking barriers when it comes to minorities and also women in STEM fields,” Gordon said. “I feel like it’s really important for our young Black and Brown boys and girls to know that they can aspire to be whatever they want to be including engineers.”
“Not only did we receive the financial support, but we also received emotional support; we received the bond that we share in this community and a family that’s striving to achieve the same goal. We have a shoulder to lean on when we feel like we can’t move on,” said Carnes, who also enjoyed unique opportunities when she studied abroad in Poland as a part of a program that allowed her to study civil engineering at campuses in four countries. Gordon expressed the important role that mentors like her major professor Peter Kalu, Ph.D., and the engineering school’s Title III Director Reginald Perry, Ph.D., played in her successful matriculation. “FAMU’s programs have been a tremendous help in assisting us both academically and professionally. The faculty and staff have been amazing,” she said. Gordon also recalled a time when FAMU’s Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., personally stepped in to help her complete an important component of her research experience. “I had an abstract and paper accepted for presentation at a conference in Cape Town, South Africa, and I went to different departments looking for support for travel there. It was such a huge opportunity. I told Dr. Robin-
“The most important thing that FAMU has taught me is confidence in myself. My education process from middle school all the way up to my bachelor’s was at predominantly White institutions where I felt like the odd one out in honors classes, gifted classes and Advanced Placement classes,” she said. “At FAMU, I felt like ‘I am actually supposed to be here, ‘ and everyone is on equal footing, not just skin color wise but also education wise.” The women agree that confidence helped the trio work through system crashes, equipment failure, multiple trials and errors, and even with overcoming tragedy, as they all worked toward the finish line of their education. In 2014, they suddenly lost colleague Tarra M. Beach, an environmental engineering doctoral candidate. She passed away before she received her doctorate. Her goal was to “contribute to the sustainability of the environment and work on STEM education with underrepresented children.” “She would have been the first woman to graduate with her engineering Ph.D., from the Title III program at FAMU. So, we were next in line to just follow her example, her dedication, her passion and drive,” Anderson said. Beach’s legacy helped motivate the young women to complete their goals. “Losing Tarra was very hard. She was driven toward education. She was so close to finishing and to know someone worked that hard and not necessarily reaped that benefit was emotionally draining for us,” Carnes said. “But it also let us know we are blessed to be here and that we can move on. Her legacy is that she believed in education and through us, and all women, she is here. Through our eyes, she has her Ph.D., because she was such a scholar.” Gordon explained the loss of Beach and earning a degree in a field where women and ethnic minorities are underrepresented taught her and her friends the lesson of a lifetime: nothing is impossible when you persevere. “It was tough, but we had each other. We stayed connected. Just keep on going. Be determined. Be persistent,” Gordon said. A video about this inspirational story is available on YouTube.com.
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