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VOL. XXXVIII Number 48 June 25, 2014
The Milwaukee
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W I S C O N S I N ’ S L A R G E S T A F R I C A N A M E R I C A N N E W S PA P E R
MPS students, Board Director Mark Sain, staff and administrators join district partners to celebrate $31 million in scholarships earned by the MPS Class of 2014! (Photo courtesy of MPS)
MPS grads earn $31-plus million in scholarships, topping last year’s total by $7 million
Event unveils total of over $31,457,576; growth comes as MPS focuses on college, career readiness
Milwaukee Public Schools’ Class of 2014 has earned more than $31 million in scholarships, topping last year’s total by about $7 million as the district continues to focus its efforts on preparing all students for college and careers.
The $31-plus million total compares to about $24 million in scholarships for the Class of 2013 and about $17 million for the Class of 2012.
The exact dollar amount -- $31,457,576 and counting -- was unveiled at a Friday morning event. “This is the result of a focus on college and career readiness and an incredible amount of hard work by our students, families, teachers, school counselors, principals, College Access Center staff, and partner organizations including College Possible and Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation,” MPS Superintendent Gregory Thornton said. “Last year, I set a goal of $30 million for this year – and we’ve topped it!” Scholarships help make college a reality for students — and MPS’ college and career readiness efforts are aimed at helping students earn scholarships and graduate with the skills needed to succeed. Those efforts include:
Ride along!
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke rides along side a youth group walking down Atkinson Avenue calling for a stop to the gun violence in the community’s streets during the annual Juneteenth Parade. The Sheriff and his deputies participate yearly in the parade, which preceeds the Juneteenth Day Festival which was held Thursday along Martin Luther King Drive. (Photo courtesy of the Sheriff’s office)
Celebrating a century of living! Kathleen Cunningham
(seated below at left) recently celebrated her 100 birthday with family and friends. She’s seen in this photo with her great niece Veronica Peeple (far left) and granddaughter Toni Harris (far right). (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
• Comprehensive Literacy and Math/Science plans that align with the Common Core State Standards to set a clear, high bar for the skills students must master • Securing a GEAR UP grant worth $30 million to strengthen academic preparation and foster an understanding of the pathways to colleges and universities - Increasing the number of students taking college-level Advanced Placement courses and bringing the College Board’s SpringBoard pre-AP program into seven schools • Expanding International Baccalaureate offerings • Strengthening high school options • Opening two College Access Centers to demystify the process of applying to college and get students thinking about higher education, funded by Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation
National NAACP, local branches urge Congress to pass Voting Rights Amendment Act Compiled by MCJ Staff
Two NAACP Wisconsin State Conference members urged the U.S. Congress Wednesday to protect voting rights and pass the Voting Rights Amendment Act (VRAA), during a news conference outside the Robert W. Kastenmeier U.S. Courthouse in Madison. Wendell Harris, first vice president of the NAACP’s Wisconsin Conference of Branches and Gregory Jones, political action chair of the state conference and NAACP Dane County Branch, discussed the critical need to protect Wisconsin voters from discrimination and highlighted recent examples of voter discrimination in the state. The state conference members made their plea around the same time representatives of the legendary national civil rights organization’s office testified before Congress. They citied the inherent danger Americans face one year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision, which invalidated a key section of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). In July 2013, the Supreme Court invalidated Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, single handedly freezing the use of Section 5, and thus allowing jurisdictions to pass and implement election laws unchecked. Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, nine states and approximately 41 other jurisdictions were required to submit election law changes for preapproval before implementation. “The elimination of Section 4(b) of
• Partnering with College Possible Milwaukee, which works to make college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support MPS’ top-earning schools – those whose students earned $1 million or more in scholarships — include: • Rufus King International High School: $8.8 million • Ronald Reagan College Preparatory IB High School: $7.3 million • Carmen High School of Science and Technology – South Campus: $3.3 million • Riverside University High School: $3.2 million • Milwaukee School of Languages: $1.7 million • South Division High School: $1.3 million • Alexander Hamilton High School: $1.2 million
PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: “We asked North Division High School alums at their class reunion for graduates from the 50s and 60s if it’s still important to hold high school class reunions in the age of Facebook? Why or why not?”
MARIA DONLEYMAXWELL: “Yes. On Facebook you can only reach classmates who are Internet savvy for future class reunions.”
ALAN W. WALKER: “Yes. Facebook is too personal and too much information is shared.”
DR. HOWARD FULLER: “Yes. There is still a huge value to human contact. You can’t hug on Facebook.”
JACKIE SMITH: “Yes. It is important to have the personal contact with friends.”
Beat the heat, but stay active in the summer By Kathy Gaillard
After a long, cold and snowy winter, summer is finally here! June kicks off the season for picnics, trips to the beach, the park, Milwaukee’s festival season and a long list of summerfilled activities. And, while everyone enjoys summer, the heat can be a dangerous—especially for seniors. The older we get, the more vulnerable we are to heat and humidity. According to the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging, seniors 50 and over are less sensitive to heat and feeling thirsty, making it potentially dangerous. During this time, extra precautions should be taken to protect from sunburn, dehydration and heat-related illnesses. Age, weight, and prescription drug use are all factors that can make seniors more or less susceptible to heat hazards. And certainly, seniors want and need to take advantage of
GOLDEN YEARS
the summer’s many offerings, but care must be taken to avoid some of the negative effects of heat such as: Sunburn: Water pills, antibiotics, some anti-depressants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can increase sensitivity to the sun. According to the Mayo Clinic, signs include a pink or red color, pain or tenderness in a particular area and skin that feels warm or hot to the touch. If you get sunburn, the Mayo clinic suggests taking a cool bath and applying over-the-counter aloe
(continued on page 9)
or hydrocortisone cream. If blisters appear, do not break them, but cover them with light, nonstick gauze. Heat cramps: Muscular pains and spasms sometimes occur in the legs or stomach and can affect anyone who sweats. Those suffering from heat cramps should drink water regularly and apply firm pressure to muscle spasms while taking temporary shelter from direct sunlight. If cramps continue for more than an hour, seek professional medical assistance. Heat exhaustion: Several days of consistent exposure to high temperatures and humidity can cause dizziness and weakness, accompanied by nausea and headaches. Seniors will more than likely be sweating heavily. To treat heat exhaustion, loosen all clothing, apply cool clothes or towels to all areas of the skin, and drink plenty of water. Heat stroke: If body's temperature rises to 105 or more degrees, seniors may experience rapid, shallow breathing, vom(continued on page 7)
“SENIORS 50 AND OVER ARE LESS SENSITIVE TO HEAT AND FEELING THIRSTY, MAKING IT POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. DURING THIS TIME, EXTRA PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT FROM SUNBURN, DEHYDRATION AND HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES. AGE, WEIGHT, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE ARE ALL FACTORS THAT CAN MAKE SENIORS MORE OR LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO HEAT HAZARDS.”
4WCOMMUNITY HAPPENINGS The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 2
who•what•where•when•who•what•where•when•who•what•where•when•who•wha
Milwaukee change leaders partner to launch campaign to prevent human trafficking in the city
Brewers wives help kickoff “Fed The Kids” Summer Meals program
Cecelia Gore, executive director of the Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundtion (far left), and Tiffany Weeks, wife of Brewers Second Baseman Rickie Weeks (far right) joined other community, city and county leaders and officials from the Salvation Army in preparing 1,800 lunches for the Salvation Army’s “Feed The Kids” summer meal program. The program is designed to meet the needs of children in Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods. The lunch prep was done at Red Arrow Park, 920 N. Water Street. Begun in 1990, the Salvation Army has prepared and delivered over 2 million meals in Milwaukee. In 2013, The Feed The Kids program provided 127,671 meals to hungry children between June and August. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Sign of the Times!
Bevin Baker, Milwaukee City Health Commissioner, spoke at a Monday news conference at a bus shelter on Wisconsin Avenue between eighth and ninth streets. Baker was one of several speakers who spoke out in support of the “Unlucky Thirteen” campaign to grow awareness and encourage prevention of human trafficking in Milwaukee. The campaign draws its name from research released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) citing that 13 is the average age a person starts being trafficked for sex. The news conference was sponsored by the Human Trafficking Task Force of Greater Milwaukee (HTTFGM), Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Health Department, United Way of Greater Milwaukee, Clear Channel and SERVE Media, who are working collectively in this effort. To maximize attention around the event and the issue, supporters also organized a flash mob leading up to the news conference. Participants in the flash mob carried informational signs and wore cause-related shirts depicting the number “13.” (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Four men riding three-wheeled bicycles sported a sign calling for other Black men in the community to put down their guns during the recently held Juneteenth Day festival. During the Juneteenth Day parade, held before the festival, a group of community youths marched holding signs calling for a halt to the violence that has claimed lives and injured countless others (pictured on front page). (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
PERSPECTIVES
Did United Negro College Fund Take Dirty Money?
The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 3
In honor of Black Music Month...
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Hip-Hop isn’t just music, it is also a spiritual movement of the Blacks! You can’t just call Hip-Hop a trend!”--Lauryn Hill
Why HBCUs need ‘My Brother’s Keepers’ Lauryn Hill
GUEST COMMENTARY By Ivory Toldson, courtesy of thegrio.com
C
The challenge facing HBCUs, both private and public, is primarily financial. (Video still via NBC News)
ontrary to popular belief, the current ratio of black females to black males at HBCUs is less than 2-to-1 (1.57-to-1 to be exact) — nonetheless, it is a disparity with unfavorable consequences, especially when we unpack the numbers.
According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, across the 311,671 students who currently attend HBCUs, there are 68,843 more females than males. Among the private HBCUs supported by the UNCF, the average enrollment for females is 1,499, and the average enrollment for males is 656. According to the American Community Survey, among black people in the United States age 25-years and older, 825,414 more black women have at least a Bachelor’s degree than black men. Notwithstanding, problems with college under-preparation negatively impacts black females and males. In the current educational environment, even our most gifted black males and females with the most dedicated families can leave high school underprepared. In 2014, the Department of Education released the results of the 2011-2012 Civil Rights Data Collection. The data reveals that opportunity gaps exist between black students and their peers across the country, particularly around three key areas: (1) black children are more likely than many of their peers to attend schools that offer a less rigorous curriculum; (2) black boys have higher suspension rates than any of their other peers — 1 in 5 black boys receive an out-of-school suspension; and (3) schools serving the highest percentage of black students tend to have higher numbers of inexperienced teachers. Undoubtedly, these issues are reshaping the higher education landscape for black males in ways that are unfavorable to HBCUs. Over the last 15 years, the total share of black male college students at HBCUs has declined, while their representation at less competitive higher education options has increased. Currently, the top ten colleges for enrolling black males are comprised of 3 for-profit colleges, 4 community colleges, and 3 public 4-year institutions. Today, of the 1.2 million black males currently enrolled in college, 43 percent attend community colleges and 11 percent attend for-profit colleges. Less than half of all black male college students attend traditional 4-year colleges and universities, including 11 percent who attend HBCUs. Education is vital to the economic strength of communities and our progress as a nation. If we are not equipping all students with what they need to be successful in college, in their career and in their lives, we are hindering our communities and our country. Recently, I had a conversation with Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, the president of Florida Memorial University (FMU). President Clark Artis told me that she has come into contact with numerous students who have not had the benefit of advanced math courses because they are simply not offered in their high schools. FMU has responded to these challenges by creating bridge programs for high school students, but as a nation, we have to do a better job of giving all students the opportunities they need to prepare for college. Recently, President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Task Force released its 90-day report, which contained recommendations on steps our society can take to begin to expand opportunity for all. In response, seven university-based research centers jointly issued
“Over the last 15 a statement describing their view of MBK as “an important opportunity years, the total to reframe hopeless, deficit-oriented narratives about boys and young share of black of color, schools that educate male college stu- men them, and communities in which they live.” dents at HBCUs Specifically relevant to HBCUs, has declined, MBK calls for initiatives to make while their repre- sure that all students, including boys sentation at less and young men of color, graduate from high school ready for college competitive higher and have the resources they need to education options complete college. The president has called for an all-hands-on-deck efhas increased. fort. Currently, the top A coalition of leading foundations and businesses that have long ten colleges for worked with others in philanthropy enrolling black to create opportunities for young men and boys of color has anmales are comnounced that they are committing prised of 3 forsignificant resources to research critical intervention points in the lives profit colleges, 4 of boys and young men of color; community colchange the often-damaging narrative leges, and 3 public about them; and catalyze coordinated investments to seed, replicate 4-year instituand scale up effective community solutions. tions.”
Dr. Bryant T. Marks of the Morehouse Research Institute found 19 African-American male initiatives across the private HBCUs that are UNCF member institutions. Consistent with the President’s call, 94.7 percent of them identified mentoring as a major characteristic of their initiatives. However, a recent report from the Foundation Center only identified one HBCU as having a research institute with a focus on Black men and boys. In response to the President’s call to action in MBK, HBCUs have the potential to play a major role in expanding college access. MBK can amplify HBCU leaders’ call for policy solutions to resolve inequities in U.S. public schools that impede academic progress. Consistent with the Task Force’s recommendations, HBCU academic affairs administrators can promote a pathway through AP classes that can help students transition from public schools to colleges and universities. In addition, through research at teacher education programs and trainings, HBCUs can examine the impact of teacher preparation on the academic achievement of Black males and aid in eliminating the discipline gap in our nation’s schools. As the deputy director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, and a researcher who has published extensively on black male achievement, I committed to working with HBCU administrators and scholars to start and sustain programs that expand opportunity for all youth, including boys and young men of color. By taking leadership in the MBK initiative, HBCUs can contribute to the national agenda to help all youth, including black males, to reach their full potential, contribute to their communities, and build successful lives for themselves and their families. Ivory Toldson is the Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Follow Ivory Toldson on Twitter @Toldson
By Julianne Malveaux--NNPA Columnist
When the Koch Foundation gave the United Negro College Fund $25 million, it set off a maelstrom of comments in cyberspace and real time. How dare the UNCF take money from the Koch brothers, some asked. They ought to send it back, said others. One woman told me she would never give to UNCF again because of the Koch donation. Another says the Malveaux Koch donation changes her perception of UNCF. The donation will provide $18.5 million in scholarships, money that is badly needed to get some of our young people out of school, especially with the cuts so many experienced because of reduced access to the Parent Plus loan. Another $4 million will go to the 37 UNCF schools for general support, again to make up some of the losses that came from reduced enrollment due to Parent Plus. The remainder goes to UNCF for their general support. What’s wrong with this picture? Koch scholarships will be awarded to students with good grades, financial needs, and an interest in studying how “entrepreneurship, economics and innovation contribute to wellbeing for individuals, communities, and society.” Sounds like conservative free markets to me. More than that, it sounds like granting scholarships to further the Koch government-reducing, free market focus. Koch protects its interest by having two seats on the five member scholarship committee, with the other three from the UNCF. While non-Koch interests are the majority, it will be interesting to see if a donor can sway a committee. What else? The Koch brothers are making the most of this gift in the media. Rarely have I seen so many headlines generated by a gift of that size. $100 million, maybe. $250 million, surely. But while $25 million will mean a lot to the UNCF, schools such as Harvard would likely consider it nothing more than a modest behest. The Koch brothers must think they’ll get some positive publicity from their gift, and they obviously have the PR team to pitch it. Furthermore, these are the very Koch brothers who have supported voter suppression efforts. They would reduce the size of government, which means the Pell grants that so many students depend on would shrink in size. What one hand gives, in other words, the other takes away. If the Koch brothers would fight to maintain or increase the size of the Pell grant, fewer would look askance at their gift. Instead, many see this as the cynical manipulation of a deep-pockets donor who gets much publicity from their gift. It kind of reminds me of the Donald Sterling gift to the Los Angeles branch of the NAACP. After Sterling’s racist rant, his donation was returned. Still, the NAACP was in the process of giving him a second lifetime achievement award prior to his verbal rampage. Indeed the 2014 outrage against Sterling had elements of class bias. The multi-million dollar players weren’t angry when he discriminated against African Americans and Latinos in the slum housing he owned – which cost him a couple of million dollars to settle with the Justice Department – but they were dismayed when he made negative comments about them. Their earlier silence equaled acquiescence to Sterling’s racism; their protest suggested that they would get angry only when rancid racism was directed at them. (continued on page 9)
“Koch scholarships will be awarded to students with good grades, financial needs, and an interest in studying how ‘entrepreneurship, economics and innovation contribute to well-being for individuals, communities, and society.’ Sounds like conservative free markets to me. More than that, it sounds like granting scholarships to further the Koch governmentreducing, free market focus.”
CORRECTIONS
A title correction to the Greenlee article dated June 13, 2014, “Chicago’s DuSable Museum celebrates life of writer and filmmaker Sam Greenlee.” Dr. Carol Adams’ correct title is “President and CEO” of the DuSable Museum of African American History and the full name and title of the evening’s program moderator is Pemon Rami, Director of Education and Public Programs at the DuSable Museum
THE MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY JOURNAL Published twice weekly, Wednesday & Friday
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MCJ STAFF: Classified Advertising Patricia O’Flynn -Pattillo Jimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep. Publisher, CEO Joan Hollingsworth, Sales Rep. Robert J. Thomas CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Assoc. Publisher Taki S. Raton, Todd Thomas, Vice Pres. Rev. Roxanne Cardenas, Mikel Holt, Assoc. Publisher Troy A. Sparks, Thomas E. Mitchell, Jr., Editor Sports Editor Teretha Martin, Technical PHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp Consultant/Webmaster Josephine Joki, Billing Dept./ Publisher’s Admin. Assist. Colleen Newsom, Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Letters and “other perspectives” are accepted but may be edited for content and length.
RELIGION The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 4
RELIGIOUS QUOTE: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”--John 14:2
St. Matthew Breaks Ground
Representatives of city, county, state and national political figures, clergy and community based organizations “dug in” during the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a new St. Matthew CME Church at the corner of Chambers and Eight Street.(Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Gwen Moore announces Commission on International Religious Freedom Appointment
WASHINGTON, DC – The office of Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) recently announced that House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has recommended Milwaukee resident Hannah Rosenthal to the Commission on International Religious Freedom. “I am so proud to announce the appointment of Ms. Rosenthal to the Commission on International Reli-
gious Freedom,” the congresswoman said in a statement. “ As the former U.S. State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism and the current CEO and President of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Rosenthal has dedicated so much of her time to combatting hatred and bigotry. “I have long supported her tremen-
dous work and the vital role she has played in our international community. I look forward to her continued service and emboldening our fight against hatred, injustice and intolerance.” To learn more about the Commission on International Religious Freedom, please visit their website at www.uscirf.gov.
Study: Putting religion on your résumé hurts your job chances - unless you're Jewish Article courtesy of the Washington Post via “The Rundown”
It was a big deal on AMC's "Mad Men" when Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce hired Michael Ginsberg in season five. Hiring "the Jew," as Roger Sterling referred to him, was an attempt to update the agency's image in an era (1966) when those who clung to the notion that business was a WASPy boys' club were on the wrong side of the generation gap - a potential problem for an ad firm looking to reach young consumers. "Turns out everybody's got one now," Sterling said, referring to Ginsberg. Turns out, according to a new study, that when you're Jewish and searching for a job, you're not just one of the chosen people, you're one of the more chosen people, at least in the modern American South. The study of religious discrimination in hiring recently
published in the journal Social Currents found job applicants whose résumés betrayed a religious affiliation were 26 percent less likely to be contacted by an employer except for Jewish applicants. Researchers Michael Wallace, Bradley R.E. Wright and Allan Hyde of the University of Connecticut sent 3,200 fake applications to 800 jobs within 150 miles of two major Southern cities through a popular employment Web site. Each employer got four résumés with comparable job qualifications. The only thing that set the fake job candidates apart was whether their résumés mentioned involvement with a religious group - such as membership in the Muslim Student Association or Hillel House, a Jewish organization. Résumés for the control group indicated no religious
Peter and Paul: Role Models of Christianity
This year the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday, June 29. The readings are: Acts 12: 1-11, 2 Tim 4: 6-8, 17-18, Matt 16: 13-19. Peter and Paul were so different. What they had in common was both were Jews and knew Jesus. Peter walked with Jesus and was there when Jesus was hauled off to be killed. Peter loved Jesus, but in spite of that love, denied that he knew Him, three times. But for Peter, as well as the others who fled rather than be caught up in the death march of Jesus, Peter was forgiven and turned around and became the leader of the band. Paul may or may not have ever seen Jesus. He certainly heard of him and after his crucifixion, became part of the "jihad" against Jesus' followers. He was an accomplice to murder, if not a perpetrator. And then, suddenly he was changed, radically and became an "apostle" to the Gentiles. This hyper-fervent Jew now becomes the bearer of Good News to folks he considered scum. We don't know what happened to cause this "change of heart." It happened and the entire Christian world can be grateful, especially those of us who are not Jews.
BREAD IN THE WILDERNESS
By Fr. Carl Diederichs, All Saints Catholic Church
Both men came to Rome and both were murdered there a few years apart. They have become the role models for us; both sinners, both had a change of heart and both were not only forgiven but were given roles that insured that the small Christian sect would grow world-wide. And they ended their lives as "witnesses" to the forgiving love of God as
In Loving Memory
(continued on page 9)
shown us by the life and death of Jesus. Will we be witnesses, martyrs? We hope and pray that we are not. We all want to die of old age sitting in our easy chairs with our loved ones around us. But there are still martyrs today. And again, most become martyrs because they stand up for the poor and the powerless by taking on the power structure. Few, if any, are killed because they won't renounce an aspect of doctrine or dogma. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not killed because he believed in the Trinity or Virgin Birth. Archbishop Oscar Romero was not shot dead while celebrating mass because he would not renounce his belief in the Immaculate Conception or The Communion of the Saints. Both men were shot dead because they stood up for the poor and powerless. They were vocal advocates for those on the margins of society, for the throw away people. Can we follow in the paths of these heroes? With God's grace we can step out and risk even our lives for the other. But we will probably die of old age. And that is okay as long as our lives were spent for the weak and the oppressed, the poor and the powerless. St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Martin, St. Oscar, pray for us!
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POLITICS & G OVERNMENT
The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 5
City•County•State•National
Taking a healthy stroll
Mary Burke leads at Juneteenth
Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke with attendees during the recent Juneteenth Day along Martin Luther King Drive. (Photo courtesy of Urban Media News)
Article courtesy of Urban Media News
Ald. Russell Stamper, II (second from left) was joined by some residents in the Sherman Park Neighborhood and Mayor Tom Barrett in a walk through the area as part of the “Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days” initiative kicked off earlier in the week by the mayor. The walk began at the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club on Sherman Boulevard. “Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days” is a city-wide effort to engage city residents and families to lead a more active lifestyle and implement physical activity into daily routines. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Alderman Stamper creates Community Crisis Response Team The recent rash of violent gun crimes across the city and in the 15th Aldermanic District has prompted newly elected Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II to create the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT). The team - composed of community activists and Alderman Stamper - has a mission to assist and inform the community and to foster a stronger, more vibrant and healthier community. "The CCRT will go through neighborhoods proactively to prevent crime and to serve as a conduit to vital resources," Alderman Stamper said.
"The CCRT will stress crime prevention while educating our community about how to get the fastest responses from the authorities and how to hold these same authorities accountable for slow or no responses at all," Alderman Stamper said. Alderman Stamper said the CCRT will provide work opportunities and resources "to better all within the 15th District. "The CCRT aims to help our community by being in direct contact with our community at the street level," he said. Please contact Alderman Stamper's office at 286-3771 for more information about the CCRT.
Property owners in Milwaukee’s 15th Aldermanic District on the north side will be able to purchase vacant lots from the city for $1, under legislation sponsored by Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II and approved by the Common Council on Tuesday. “It’s my hope that this pilot program will unburden the city of its obligation to maintain vacant lots resulting from the foreclosure crisis,” Alderman Stamper said. “There’s no reason that these parcels shouldn’t be turned over to responsible home owners, who will in turn be able to see to their upkeep and improve their neighborhoods.” The city currently owns more than 2,700 vacant residential lots, a disproportionate number of which (15 percent) are located in the 15th Aldermanic District. Alderman Stamper said that many of the properties were taken as a part of the tax foreclosure crisis, and that, due to
neglect, blight and criminal activity, the city was forced to demolish the buildings that stood on those properties. Under the local pilot program, each vacant residential lot in the 15th Aldermanic District will be offered to adjacent property owners for the purchase price of $1, provided the buyer is a City of Milwaukee resident. If more than one neighbor is interested in the property, the lot may be subdivided, but buyers must be in good standing with the city and agree to pay taxes on the property after it is sold. “This program stands to save the city money, get properties back onto the tax rolls and help rebuild our neighborhoods from the inside out,” Alderman Stamper said. “If it meets with success in my district, we may be able to expand it to other parts of the city.”
City-owned vacant lots will sell for $1 in 15th Aldermanic District
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Every year, Milwaukee communities commemorate Juneteenth Day, the date federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to announce the end of the Civil War and enforce the end of slavery. Last week marked Milwaukee’s 43rd annual Juneteenth Day celebration. Community members celebrated with a parade and festival on the city's North Side, where they enjoyed a visit by Gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. Burke, currently tied with Scott Walker in the race for Governor of Wisconsin, met with community members celebrating Juneteenth in Milwaukeelast Thursday and in Madison on Saturday. Burke called the celebration “an opportunity to renew our commitment toward a stronger and more united Wisconsin.” Mary Burke has made strengthening Milwaukee a key priority in her campaign for governor and a central part of her vision to turn the state into a top-ten thriving economy. Mary knows Milwaukee is full of resources and institutions that can help get Wisconsinites back to work. Recently, the Anne E. Casey Foundation issued a report exposing Wisconsin as one of the worst states in the nation for African-American children. For Burke, such outcomes are unacceptable. She believes that every person
should have the resources and opportunity to succeed. As Scott Walker fended off rumors of being involved in a “criminal scheme” to skirt campaign finance laws, Burke’s visit made a notable impression on festival goers who have felt left behind by those in power in the state’s Capitol. In contrast to Walker, her brand of politics doesn’t take communities or their issues for granted. Wisconsin can and must do better when it comes to providing opportunities to everyone - whether it’s access to higher education or bringing family sustaining jobs to hard working families all across the state. Burke knows in order to get ahead we have to make Milwaukee a real priority again - and provide opportunities to people who need them. Nearly four years after taking office Walker’s draconian budget cuts, rejection of federal dollars, jobs failure, and attacks on local control have left him out of touch with the real struggles everyday Milwaukeeans face as they simply to try to move up and get ahead. As the governor fights for his political life, in both the race for governor and the legal wrangling of the federal John Doe investigation, voters in Milwaukee are getting very familiar with a leader committed to fighting for them, a leader named Mary Burke.
Council makes it official: 2nd annual Bronzeville Week to celebrate arts, history and community
Council makes it official: 2nd annual Bronzeville Week to celebrate arts, history and community Milwaukee’s Bronzeville will again take center stage as a destination for art, entertainment, history and culture when the 2nd annual Bronzeville Week is held August 2 – August 9, hosted by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs. Approved unanimously as an official city-sanctioned event at today’s meeting of the full Common Council, this year’s Bronzeville Week will kick off with a major street festival, Alderwoman Coggs said. “With no African World Festival this year, I am hoping Bronzeville Week can attract a wide array of visitors who want to experience the flavor and energy of the Milwaukee Bronzeville of the early to mid-1900s, when Bronzeville was the busy, primary hub of commerce, culture, and arts and entertainment for Milwaukee’s African-American population,” the alderwoman said. Alderwoman Coggs said Bronzeville Week 2014 will feature a positive focus and vibe, and will include a variety of activities and events. Bounded by Garfield Avenue to Center Street, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive to 7th Street, the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is wholly located in the 6th Aldermanic District. The district is a City of Milwaukee redevelopment initiative inspired by Milwaukee’s original Bronzeville, and it is striving to revitalize the area of Milwau-
kee where African-American culture has been a mainstay. The Bronzeville Redevelopment Plan seeks to create economic development
in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in a way that recaptures the enthusiasm and attractiveness of the original Bronzeville District.
YOUTH&EDUCATION The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 6
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”--Victor Hugo
EDUCATED QUOTE: “By teaching you will learn; By learning you will teach!”--Latin proverb
60thAnniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
We’ve Come a Long Way but We Have a Long Way to Go
Part Two
Rahim Islam
North alumni rekindle memories at reunion
Alumni representing classes from the 1950s and ‘60s at North Division High School gathered recently at the Italian Conference Center to renew old acquantences and rekindle memories during that legendary school’s reunion dinner/dance. The next day, Saturday, they gathered again at Dretzka Park for a picnic. Yvonne Kemp, who is an alum of North Division, took this photo. ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTORIAL•ADVERTOR-
Moving Forward Together
Mark Mone
By Mark Mone Interim Chancellor--University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Change constantly happens in life, and that fact is certainly true for universities. A major change happened recently at UWM with the departure of Chan-
cellor Michael Lovell and my appointment to the position of interim chancellor. A hiring process is already under way to find a new permanent chancellor, which we hope to complete by the end of the year. I am new to the position of chancellor, but I am not new to the university. I joined UWM’s faculty in 1989 and have served primarily as a professor in the Lubar School of Business and director of the Lubar Executive MBA Program, including our relations with many community and business organizations, career services operations and related areas. In recent years, I have also served in a special position in which I’ve worked with leaders from across the university to develop UWM’s 2020 strategic plan, and to develop and implement campus-level programs to make the university a better place to work. Those experiences over the past 25 years have helped me develop a broad perspective that will serve the university and community well during the interim period. They have also helped me develop a plan to guide us during the interim year that I am calling “Moving Forward Together.” Some of the Moving Forward To-
gether plan focuses on internal activities such as completing our strategic planning process, stabilizing student enrollment and finding new resources to fund major campus initiatives and appropriately pay our employees. Other parts of Moving Forward Together involve the community and especially include further engagement with those we serve in Greater Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin through research, education and service activities. You can see the work of each of our schools and colleges as we engage in local, regional and broader endeavors. There are many excellent examples, among them: • The College of Nursing operates two Community Nursing Centers – Silver Spring in Westlawn and House of Peace in the Walnut Way neighborhood. • The School of Education is not just preparing tomorrow’s teachers, counselors and administrators. It is also overseeing a dozen charter schools and additional programs that prepare teachers for urban education. • The Helen Bader School of Social Welfare works alongside Growing Power and other community organizations to help city residents develop healthier diets and create
Greater Milwaukee Foundation invests nearly $30,000 toward Milwaukee area summer programs, activities
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation awarded $29,800 in grants to area agencies through its second annual Summer Grants for Kids program. Grants of up to $1,000 each were given to 30 selected agencies throughout the metro Milwaukee area to support supervised summer programs and activities that introduce kids to new experiences, provide opportunities that would normally be unavailable to them and encourage the participation of their parents and family members. “We were thrilled with the variety of quality experiences that our nonprofit partners provided to area youth last summer with help from our Summer Grants for Kids program,” said Janel Hines, director of grant programs. “We were fortunate to offer the opportunity again this year and, through support from our donors, to nearly double the amount of money available.” Grant recipients include the following nonprofits: Milwaukee County Bay View Community Center: for its Summer of Learning day camp for 3- to 12-year-olds Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee: to support scholarships for children to attend Camp Whitcomb/Mason Children’s Hospital and Health System Foundation Inc.: for Camp Ujima, a six-week summer day camp that provides a safe haven for youth victims of community violence COA Youth & Family Centers: for camp scholarships for low-income youth to attend Camp Helen Brachman Cops & Kids Foundation, Inc.: to support two to three Cops and Bobbers fishing events with at-risk youth from Waukesha and Milwaukee counties CORE/El Centro: to expand its Sustainable Sprouts gardening and nutrition program for children ages 6 to 12 DanceCircus: supporting participation in Youth Dance Company Summer 2014 Danceworks: to provide scholarships for children ages 3 to 17 to attend its weeklong Summer Creative Arts Camps Discovery World: in support of its summer camps and teen workshops First Stage Children’s Theater: for its Summer Theater Academy Girls Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast: toward outdoor leadership experience at summer camp HeartLove Place: to expand its summer youth garden program for youth ages 3 to 12
La Causa: to support Take Flight, an 11-week summer program for children ages 5 to 12 at its Early Education & Care Center that will focus on enhancing literacy and science skills Latino Arts, Inc.: to support two instructors for a five-week Latino Arts Strings Program. The instructors are alumni of the program. Lead2Change: to assist with transportation costs for the Dream Big! Summer Leadership Program for teens Milwaukee Ballet Company: supporting the Summer Relevé community outreach Program Milwaukee Center for Independence: to provide scholarships for children to attend Sensational Summer Camp, a camp especially for children ages 6 to 9 with autism and other sensory disorders Milwaukee Public Museum: for its Summer Urban Academy, an eight-week camp focused on science that serves underserved children ages 8 to 14 from the central city Our Next Generation: for an eight-week day camp that combines academic, enrichment and recreation activities for central city children Penfield Children’s Center: to support costs of at least five field trips for children from its Early Education and Care Program. Destinations include Discovery World, Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee Public Museum, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and the Mitchell Park Domes. St. Marcus Lutheran School: to help grow its four-week summer school program, which combines academics and enrichment activities The Friendship Circle: to support a three-week project, building a life-size, polystyrene boat as part of its Camp Gan Israel TRUE Skool Inc.: for its six-week Summer Urban Arts Program for 14- to 19-year-olds United Community Center: for a five-week summer enrichment program that serves more than 900 children from kindergarten to high school Urban Ecology Center: to support scholarships for children ages 3 to 8 to attend summer camp Wild Space: for its five-week Summer Creative Arts Program for fifth- through eighth-grade students in Milwaukee Wisconsin Humane Society: to support People Animals Learning, a violence prevention program for at-risk Milwaukee area youth ages 10 to 13, at the agency’s Ozaukee campus
more food-related jobs in the process. If the University of WisconsinMilwaukee is going to make a greater difference – to realize our mission of research and access – we will further embrace and focus in diverse areas such as these to improve the lives of those we serve. We will not take a break in these or any other activities during the time when a new chancellor is being selected. We will instead move ahead, preparing UWM for its next chancellor and a strong future. I look forward to further working in the community that UWM serves while I am interim chancellor.
Despite the Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy and similar cases, our Ancestors continued to fight for the abolition of Jim Crow and other racially discriminatory laws.
One particular organization that fought for racial equality more than any other was the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) founded in 1909 by the great W.E. Dubois. For about the first 20 years of its existence, it tried to persuade Congress and other legislative bodies to enact laws that would protect Blacks from lynching and other racist actions. Beginning in the 1930s, the NAACP's Legal Defense and Education Fund began to turn to the courts to try to make progress in overcoming legally sanctioned discrimination. From 1935 to 1938, the legal arm of the NAACP was headed by Charles Hamilton Houston. Houston, together with Thurgood Marshall, both Black unsung heroes, devised a strategy to attack Jim Crow laws by striking at them where they were perhaps weakest—in the field of education which included the following four cases: Murray v. Maryland (1936) - Disappointed that the University of Maryland School of Law was rejecting black applicants solely because of their race, beginning in 1933 Thurgood Marshall (who
UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING By Rahim Islam
was himself rejected from this law school because of its racial acceptance policies) decided to challenge this practice in the Maryland court system. Before a Baltimore City Court in 1935, Marshall argued that Donald Gaines Murray was just as qualified as white applicants to attend the University of Maryland’s School of Law and that it was solely due to his race that he was rejected. Furthermore, he argued that since the "black" law schools which Murray would otherwise have to attend were nowhere near the same academic caliber as the University’s law school, the University was violating the principle of "separate but equal." Moreover, Marshall argued that the disparities between the "white" and "black" law schools were so great that the only remedy would be to allow students like Murray to attend the University’s law school. The Baltimore City Court agreed and the University then appealed to the Maryland Court of Appeals. In 1936, the Court of Appeals also ruled in favor of Murray and ordered the law school to admit him. Two years later, Murray graduated. Missouri ex rel Gaines v. Canada (1938) - Beginning in 1936, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund decided to take on the case of Lloyd Gaines, a graduate student of Lincoln University
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KALEIDOSCOPE
It’s Time for a Business Tune-up!
the MCJ lifestyle & entertainment section
DEPOT THE CAREER
2. Experience “The Customer Happy New Mid- Year! Experience” – Are your customers That’s correct. Instead of Happy being treated as you expect them to? New Year, I’m checking to see where It is always a good idea to experience you’re at with the various goals you the “customer experience”. Have set at the beginning of the year. you ever called your office to see Now that half of the year is over, how long it takes your staff to answer it’s time to check under the hood of the phone, are they polite, can they your business and assess if the same By Wendy Johnson, PhD answer basic questions; can they “beginning of the year” energy and ” handle a difficult customer? excitement still exists today. Are you Doing this will give YOU a chance trending in a direction that is cultivating relationships and generating revenue or is your business on autopilot still to take a step back and observe the details that make up the experience. After your assessments ensure that you acknowledge the people that “passed the looking for direction and guidance? In today’s information age, unstable economy and moving technology, busi- test”, effectively communicate your observations and let your team know the nesses must know when and how to implement the necessary changes. Busi- areas that need to be improved. 3. Automate & Integrate – Do you know what your employees are doing? ness owners who fail to incorporate quarterly or mid-year “tune-ups” find If not, it is time to assess their duties and explore ways to efficiently comthemselves reacting to matters that could have been resolved if the proper assessment took place. So, let’s be proactive and check under that hood and plete various tasks. As you know, technology advances daily and the ability to automate and integrate your efforts becomes easier and easier. see what’s really going on. Take a step back and review their tasks and determine if you can streamline Here are some suggested “tune-up” tactics: 1. Watch and Properly “Assess” Your Spending - In an unstable econ- some duties and leverage their talents in other areas. You can also look for omy it is vital that you properly assess your business “needs” and “wants”. ways to eradicate tasks from your operations and sales efforts. These are Ensuring that you have the appropriate business necessities are critical how- things to think about and assess. Making the time to tune up your business is not easy, however it will assure ever do not cut your budget so drastic that it negatively impacts the “customer that you’re being innovative, keeping your business fresh and ensuring the experience”. During difficult times business owners typically cutback or eliminate their relationship you have developed with your customer is being properly nurmarketing efforts. Instead of cutting back you may need to amp up your ef- tured. Just note…if you don’t alter the way you do business, you risk not being forts. Remember…it is imperative that you Market, Promote then Sell. No one in business in the long term. We want to hear from you! Please email me at drwendy@drwendyjohncan purchase your product or service if they don’t know about it. If you do need to cut back, look for the best approaches to pulling back such as, mar- son.com if you have a professional or personal development topic you want keting tactics that do not yield you desired results or business non-essentials. us to explore.
“The Career Coach
Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education PART TWO
(continued from page 6)
(an all-black college) who applied to the University of Missouri Law School but was denied because of his race. The State of Missouri gave Gaines the option of either attending an all-black law school that it would build (Missouri did not have any all-black law schools at this time) or having Missouri help to pay for him to attend a law school in a neighboring state. Gaines rejected both of these options, and, employing the services of Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, he decided to sue the state in order to attend the University of Missouri's law school. By 1938, his case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, and, in December of that year, the Court sided with him. The six-member majority stated that since a "black" law school did not currently exist in the State of Missouri, the "equal protection clause" required the state to provide, within its boundaries, a legal education for Gaines. In other words, since the state provided legal education for white students, it could not send black students, like Gaines, to school in another state. Sweat v. Painter (1950) - Encouraged by their victory in Gaines’ case, the NAACP continued to attack legally sanctioned racial discrimination in higher education. In 1946, a Black man named Herman Sweat applied to the University of Texas’ "white" law school. Hoping that it would not have to admit Sweat to the "white" law school if a "black" school already existed, elsewhere on the University’s campus, the state hastily set up an underfunded "black" law school. At this point, Sweat employed the services of Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and sued to be admitted to the University’s "white" law school. He argued that the education that he was receiving in the "black" law school was not of the same academic caliber as the education that he would be receiving if he attended the "white" law school. When the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1950, the Court unanimously agreed with him, citing as its reason the blatant inequalities between the University’s law school (the school for whites) and the hastily erected school for blacks. In other words, the "black" law school was "separate," but not "equal." Like the Murray case, the Court found the only appropriate remedy for this situation was to admit Sweat to the University’s law school. McLaurin v. Oklahoma Board of Regents of Higher Education (1950) - In 1949, the University of Oklahoma admitted George McLaurin, a Black man, to its doctoral program. However, it required him to sit apart from the rest of his class, eat at a separate time and table from
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www. communityj ournal. net
Sista Speak... Speak Lord!
The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 7
ABUNDANCE
NOT ENOUGH We live in a society where we often say NOT ENOUGH We will say: Not Enough Sunshine Not Enough Hours in the Day Not Enough Money Not Enough Material Things We get so caught up and focus on the Not Enough we don't have We forget about What we do have Enough of Tara R. Pulley What we tend to not remember is that we have God!!!! When we put God first He will assure us that having a relationship with Him You Have Enough Don't let society dictate what is Not Enough and Let God be Enough!! Always Keeping It Real, Tara R. Pulley
FORTUNATE Money does not denote true fortune or happiness…Fortune to me is true friendship. I feel fortunate to have made a new friend in class that told me: “Money chases her, she does not chase money.“ You see, that’s a God/Faith alliance that will not work for many because they choose not to believe. How fortunate for those of us that do believe. I know I am fortunate to have one lifelong friend, that always includes me, is not “sometimey” with her moods…She is consistently true to her word. You see, that’s called true friendship, hard to come by and worth more than gold. How fortunate for those of us that have one real friend. So I will spend less time worrying about and doing things with those so called friends, who’s word is not bond. You can take Sonya Bowman that to the bank. True investment of time with real friends is where the greatest fortune awaits us all. ==Sonya M. Bowman
“IT IS WHAT IT IS”
All We Need Some people seek more because they never had enough. Some people pursue more because they want to impress. Some people search for more because they feel empty. Some people want more because they are greedy. Some people strive for more because they want to give. Some people request more because they want to take. Some people achieve more because they want to grow. Some people ask for more because they never sought it Zelda Corona within themselves. Some people look for more because they need answers. Some people inquire for more because they are afraid to ask questions. Some people try for more because they are simply afraid not to. Some people crave for more because they are hungry. Some people pray for more because all of the above have failed. Vision Represents Faith!!!--Zelda Corona
The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 8
Study: Putting religion on your résumé hurts Universal Companies (continued from page 7) your job chances - unless you're Jewish
(continued from page 4) affiliation. The others indicated the applicant was atheist, Catholic, evangelical Christian, Jewish, pagan, Muslim or a made-up religion called "Wallonian." Employers preferred the control group. This confirmed the researchers' hypothesis that employers would be put off by overt statements of religious identity. Even in the South, which is more religious than any
The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 9
other part of the country, it's possible that employers would view overt religious expression as potentially offensive to clients and co-workers. Muslims were least likely to be contacted by employers, receiving 38 percent fewer e-mails and 54 percent fewer phone calls than the control group. Atheists and pagans were also unpopular and, to a lesser extent, Wallonians and Catholics. Evangelicals fared about the same as the control group.
Scholarship winners recognized by Milwaukee Urban League
Aaron Wilder and Meredith Gingold are the 2014 Dr. Wesley L. Scott Scholarships. They received the scholarships during the meeting of the Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals held recently at Manpower Group headquarters, 100 Manpower Place. Wilder is one of the MUL’s NAS Achievers and a 2014 Black Excellence Students. With Wilder and Gingold are (far left) Ralph Hollmon, president and CEO of the MUL, and Dorinthia Robinson. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
National and local NAACP branches urge Congress to pass VRAA
(continued from page 1) the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has opened the door to all sorts of mischief inside our Nation’s sacred voting box, and as such we risk the disenfranchisement of whole segments of our society,” said Lorraine C. Miller, NAACP Interim President and CEO. “ The right to vote for all is under threat and the time to act is now.” Rev. Francys Johnson, NAACP Georgia State Conference President, testified that since the Shelby decision, “We are witnessing the wholesale elimination and changing of polling locations, significant changes in the methods of electing school board, town and city council members, a rush to move to at-large districts, and limiting early voting to have the purpose or effect of denying or abridging the right to vote.” As part of that decision, the Court invited Congress to revise the VRA to provide for protections against voting discrimination that reflect current circumstances. “The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Voting Rights Act made clear that Congress has the authority and obligation to fix the VRA; protecting the fundamental right to vote,” Jotaka Eaddy, NAACP Senior Advisor to the President
and CEO and Senior Director of Voting Rights. “What this Congress does with the Voting Rights Act is the real measure of this Nation’s commitment to free, fair, and accessible elections. The United States must never again permit racial discrimination to silence our witness of freedom and darken our light of liberty in this world.” Wisconsin was one of many states where NAACP branches held rallies calling for the protection of voting rights for all Americans. NAACP branches in Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Carolina and other states held rallies to mobilize community members to protect the right to vote. During the news outside the Madison federal courthouse, Harris and Jones stressed the VRAA would provide common sense solutions to prevent discrimination against all voters regardless of race, including remedies to address current discrimination as it is occuring, an ability to review voting changes in places that have engaged in discrimination in the present and recent past, and better public notification of potential voting changes to enhance accountability.
AACC Women in Business Luncheon
Eve Hall (center), president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) congratulates to representatives of high schools that participated in the join Milwaukee Public Schools-AACC pilot entrepreneurship program titled, “Shaping Our Future.” Patricia Bridges (far left), co-director of Nova High School, and Tamika Isabell (far right), a math instructor at Assata High School talked about the impact the program has had on their students during the monthly AACC “Women In Business” luncheon held at the Milwaukee Yacht Club, 1700 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Did United Negro College Fund Take Dirty Money?
(continued from page 3) Do basketball players really think that Sterling is the only NBA owner who harbors racist views? Those owners have enough sense not to articulate them publicly. If they know that other owners share Sterling’s views then they condone closed door racism, not the open door kind. If they are aware, and don’t care or share, they are making deals with the devil. If the Koch brothers are the devil, then most of our organizations are making deals with the devil. Look at the list of sponsors for any African American organization or event. Sit through a board meeting, and listen to folks review possible sponsors, many corporate. There are “good” corporations whose diversity portfolio is robust, and then there are those who need a little help. The need for funds notwithstanding, are we for sale for the price of a table or a few salmon (used to be chicken) dinners? On the other hand, when the New York Times criticized the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation for its corporate support, Elsie Scott, the then-director said that if we spent money on certain products it was only right that
we get their support. Does this apply to the Koch donation? Unfortunately, too many African American organizations buy what we want and beg for what we need. Many in the African American community have $25 million to give to the United Negro College Fund. Many could spend the dollars to support our students. The fact that we do not leaves us vulnerable to contributions like Koch, contributions that come with strings and, perhaps, a conservative agenda. Should UNCF President Michael Lomax send the money back? Only if someone steps up to replace it. The $18.5 million for scholarships represents 3,700 scholarships for students. If the $4 million is divided equally among 37 schools, it means $108,000 per school, enough to hire back one of the people laid off and to support some programs. Should Michael Lomax lay down with the devil? Where is the angel? Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
white students, etc. McLaurin, stating that these actions were both unusual and resulting in adverse effects on his academic pursuits, sued to put an end to these practices. McLaurin employed Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund to argue his case, a case which eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court. In an opinion delivered on the same day as the decision in Sweat, the Court stated that the University’s actions concerning McLaurin were adversely affecting his ability to learn and ordered that they cease immediately. THANK GOD FOR THE NAACP!! Even today, the NAACP continues to fight justice on behalf of Blacks with the recent attempts made by nearly 35 states to roll back the Voting Rights Gains of the 1960 using numerous voter suppression tactics (most of those legal challenges were temporarily won). In the case that came to be known as Brown v. Board of Education was actually the name given to five separate cases that were heard by the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the issue of segregation in public schools. While the facts of each case are different, the main issue in each was the constitutionality of state-sponsored segregation in public schools. Once again, Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund handled these cases. Although it acknowledged some of the plaintiffs’/plaintiffs claims, a three-judge panel at the U.S. District Court that heard the cases ruled in favor of the school boards. The plaintiffs then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. When the cases came before the Supreme Court in 1952, the Court consolidated all five cases under the name of Brown v. Board of Education. Marshall personally argued the case before the Court. Although he raised a variety of legal issues on appeal, the most common one was that separate school systems for blacks and whites were inherently unequal, and thus violate the "equal protection clause" of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, relying on sociological tests, such as the one performed by social scientist Kenneth Clark, and other data, he also argued that segregated school systems had a tendency to make black children feel inferior to white children, and thus such a system should not be legally permissible. Meeting to decide the case, the Justices of the Supreme Court realized that they were deeply divided over the issues raised. While most wanted to reverse Plessy and declare segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional, they had various reasons for doing so. Unable to come to a solution by June 1953 (the end of the Court's 1952-1953 term), the Court decided to rehear the case in December 1953. During the intervening months, however, Chief Justice Fred Vinson died and was replaced by Gov. Earl Warren of California. fter the case was reheard in 1953, Chief Justice Warren was able to do something that his predecessor had not—i.e. bring all of the Justices to agree to support a unanimous decision declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional. On May 14, 1954, he delivered the opinion of the Court, stating that "We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. . ." Expecting opposition to its ruling, especially in the southern states, the Supreme Court did not immediately try to give direction for the implementation of its ruling. Rather, it asked the attorney generals of all states with laws permitting segregation in their public schools to submit plans for how to proceed with desegregation.
After still more hearings before the Court concerning the matter of desegregation, on May 31, 1955, the Justices handed down a plan for how it was to proceed; desegregation was to proceed with "all deliberate speed." Although it would be many years before all segregated school systems were to be desegregated, Brown and Brown II (as the Courts plan for how to desegregate schools came to be called) were responsible for getting the process underway. WHAT IS OUR REALITY TODAY? The integration of public schools was never achieved – segregation is alive and thriving. Public education is still separate and still very much unequal. According to the U.S. Department of Education in 2009-2010 school years, there were nearly 8.2 million Blacks attending public schools and approximately 400,000 that attend private school (nearly 80% attending religious schools with the majority Catholic Schools). What’s most astonishing is that nearly 77% of all Black students attended predominantly all black schools within urban cities with nearly 30% of white students leaving public schools altogether. The academic disparities are alarming - Black High School graduation rates hover around 60% compared to 80% for whites. When you unpack these numbers, many of our high schools are dropout factories with many hovering under 50%. Also, within these numbers is another glaring statistic – black boys are dropping out of high school at a disproportionally rate higher than black girls (almost 3-1) and both black boys and black girls are ranking near the bottom on SAT exams and entry into elite colleges. Black trail whites by nearly 30 percentage points in history, geography, civics, math and reading. These numbers are discouraging but more damaging when coupled with high levels of poverty rates, unemployment, teen pregnancy, and incarceration rates, and high level of divorces amongst Black families. Couple with the never-ending fight for resources, many of the schools that Black children attending are what we call “opportunity gaps” – they are simply inferior to predominantly all white schools, which I believe was the true purpose of Brown v. Board of Education case. Not only was it about addressing the issue of “separate” but it was also about “unequal.” Not only our school facilities unequal and inferior, many of our schools lack the very essentials to educate our children (i.e. Books, Equipment, Facilities, Educational Programs, Summer School, etc.). There are several components that are absolutely necessary for equitable education: facilities, funding, and teachers. Given the struggles that Blacks have had in this country from the beginning, you would’ve thought that at least one commitment would be fulfilled for Black people – equitable schools. While I’m in full support of the legal challenges that our great ancestors made to fight structural racism, discrimination, and bias against Black people, but inherit in their defense was that Black led schools were inherently inferior. What has made our schools inferior then and now is the inadequate and unequal funding that it has gotten. Every negative demographic can be tied directly to academic achievement; in fact, they are now calling our public schools “pipelines to the prison industrial complex” – another form of slavery. Why has the fight for equality been so elusive in this country for Black people, especially in the area of education and given our history. Unfortunately, like before, today America refuses to live up to its creed of fairness and equality and has opposed at every turn to fully provide education to Black children. I think it’s now time to legally challenge these disparities – I’m a supporter of the idea of Reparations.
The Milwaukee Community Journal June 25, 2014 Page 10