Family of Dontre Hamilton release autopsy information
FIRST PERSON
EDITOR’S NOTE: This statement is being provided with the encouragement of Dontre Hamilton’s family and with the involvement of their attorneys, Law Offices of Ian Wallach, Alex Flynn & Associates, S.C., Law Office of J. Blacknell, and Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C.
It has now been SEVEN MONTHS since Dontre Hamilton was shot and killed at Red Arrow Park by former City of Milwaukee Police Officer, Christopher Manney – And the family of Dontre Hamilton continues to wait for a decision by
District Attorney John Chisholm as to whether any criminal charges will be issued in this case, with no decision timeline being provided, despite being told twelve weeks ago, on September 9, 2014, that an additional month was needed to make a charging decision. The family of Dontre Hamilton and their attorneys have now chosen to provide portions of Dontre Hamilton’s autopsy report and other information, so that the public has more accurate information relating to this incident. The facts about Dontre Hamilton are as follows: • Dontre Hamilton was not a homeless individual. He had his own apartment and lived independently.
He was very close and very involved with his family. The Medical Examiner’s records reflect he had an ID, a wallet, a cell phone, a backpack, a blanket, candy, and cash totaling $160.22 on his person at the time of his death. • Dontre Hamilton did not have an extensive criminal record. He had a history of traffic violations, but no criminal record of violence. • Dontre Hamilton had no history of violence against others. • Dontre Hamilton did not have a long history of mental health issues. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia a couple of years prior to the incident. He and his family were actively involved in his treat(continued on page 5)
PULSE OF THE COMMUNITYPHOTO AND QUESTION BY YVONNE KEMP
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
“Do you think Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm’s decision on the Dontre’ Hamilton case will be simular to the Michael Brown and Eric Gardner cases in which two officers in the respective incidences were cleared of wrong doing in the Black men’s deaths? Why or why not?”
TONY COURTNEY: “The decision will be determined by whether or not the D.A. will listen to (his) God voice within. I won’t speculate.”
VANESSA PERKINS: “I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that the case will be treated the same without any difference from Michael Brown. We have already seen it (the decision) is taking too long, in my opinion, to be found guilty.”
“NEIGHBORHOOD”: “Watch and see! The verdict will be the same (as the Brown and Gardner cases).”
OMMUNITY COUR NAL J
Protestors interrupted a recent town hall meeting of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission held at Centennial Hall inside the Central Library downtown. The protestors were calling attention to the recent verdicts of Eric Gardner and Michael Brown. Both men were killed by police officers in New York and Ferguson Mo. They also demanded an end to racial profiling by Police officers. Also present at the meeting was State Sen. Lena Taylor shown at far right seated next to Milwaukee Police auxiliary officers (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
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Legendary alderwoman Vel Phillips honored during MUL Equal Opportunity Luncheon
PAULINE GRANT-JONES: “I would like to think the decision won’t be the same due to the fact that the D.A. consulted with three outside agencies for insight before rendering his decision.”
Vel R. Phillips, an icon in the struggle for civil rights in Milwaukee and a woman of many firsts, was awarded the Time Warner Cable Lifetime Achievement Unity Award during the 55th Annual Milwaukee Urban League Equal Opportunity Day Luncheon held at the Pfister Hotel. Presenting the award to Phillips (second from left) was Ralph Hollmon, President and CEO of the League, Marci Pelzer, senior director of community investment for Time Warner Cable, and Phillip’s son Atty. Michael Phillips. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Civil rights icon Julian Bond talks about racism at YWCA’s “Evening to Promote Racial Justice” Julian Bond, legendary civil rights activist and former chairman of the NAACP, was the featured speaker at the 10th anniversary of the YWCA’s “An Evening to Promote Racial Justice,” held last week at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino’s Event Center. The evening was part of the annual Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women Awards. This year three individuals received the awards (photo at bottom right): Dona Hietpas (winner of the “Empowering Women Award,” far left), Rev. Bryan Massingale (winner of the “Eliminating Racism Award,” center), and Soreh Milchtein (“Bright Futures Award” winner, far right). (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Famed trumpeter meets and greets the community!
Famed Jazz Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis enjoyed some time with the ladies during a post concert reception in the Bradley Pavilion inside the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The ladies are (from left to right): Deidre Y.A. Edwards, June Perry, Dr. Joan Prince, and Vivian King. The reception was a fundraiser for the Black Arts Think Tank, a coalition of community Black arts organizations: Ko-Thi Dance Company, the African American Children’s Theatre, and Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
Community Servant Ron Pounds passes Ron Pounds
A host of family, friends and associates locally and nationally are remembering the life, work and service of Ron W. Pounds, 71, who passed on Saturday, December 6, 2014 following a lengthy illness. A retiree of the City of Milwaukee in Information Systems, Pounds was highly regarded in Milwaukee’s African American community as an educator, writer and organizer dedicated to the uplift and restoration of African world history and culture. Described as a “Renaissance Man,” his role as co-founder and president of the Milwaukee Chapter of ASCAC (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization), founding member of 100 Black Men Milwaukee Chapter and founding member of NBUF (the Black United Front of Milwaukee) list among his many exemplar area contributions. Bro. Oshi Adelabu on Monday, December 8 dedicated a two-hour broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia over
Motherland Internet radio celebrating his legacy. A memorial service in his honor was held Wednesday, December 10 at the Krause Funeral Home, 7001 West Brown Deer Rd. in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. Featuring as guest, Dr. William Rogers and Adelabu, Educator and Milwaukee Harambee Radio & TV Internet show host Taki S. Raton will dedicate his one-hour “MenThink” broadcast to Ron on Thursday evening, December 11, and a feature on the “Legacy of Ron Pounds” will appear in the Milwaukee Community Journal in the Thursday, December 18 edition. Located at 7651 South Jeffery in Chicago, Cage Memorial Chapel will hold the funeral service with visitation at 12:30 p.m., a 1:15 celebration and a 2:30 internment at Oak Woods Cemetery, 1035 East 67th Street. He is survived by his wife, Lillian Carter Pounds and daughter, Jamila Pounds McCallum.
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 10, 2014 Page 2
THE PULSE
The WHO•WHAT•WHERE• WHEN of YOUR Community!
F o r m e r l y
t h e
FIRST
4 W
C o m m u n i t y
H a p p e n i n g s
A Milwaukee police officer from MPD’s District Five station has lunch with a child during the 2013 “Shop With A Cop” event. (Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Police Department via Facebook.)
PERSON
By Tyrone Dumas
Executive DirectorSOS Center Garden of Hope After School Program
I was a first time participant as a chaperon for 4 children chosen to participate in the "Shop With A Cop" from the SOS Center Garden of Hope After School program. Each child participant was paired with a Law Enforcement officer representing 14-15 Milwaukee County municipalities, Police agencies and organizations.
Each child and Cop took time to bond during our bus rides from the Journey House to a great buffet breakfast at the InterContinental Hotel with an outstanding program to introduce all the participants and then on to the Walmart at Hwy. 100 and Greenfield where they rolled out the red carpet for all. Each child was given $100 to shop for gifts ( a little more if needed) for their themselves and their families while being escorted by their new found Law Enforcement friend. Upon completion of he shopping experience we returned to The Journey House to enjoy a pizza lunch, enjoy other activities and wrap the gifts. One great story told is about a child who purchased a Christmas tree, with the help of his Law Enforcement shopping partner, because he had nothing at home to place the gifts under. I want to send out a big thank you to all of those who dedicated an entire day from the Milwaukee
County Sheriffs office, all of the participating Law Enforcement officers, the volunteers, sponsors and especially the children who represented the multiple youth agencies and programs for the investment of their hearts, minds and souls to make the 2014"Shop With A Cop" (its 8th year) a huge success. What an incredible day to see the two-way respect, exchange of ideas and the love for our communities children be expressed in such a day a gratitude and giving between the children and our Law Enforcement officers who gave of their personal time, talents and gifts to be participants in the "Shop With A Cop" program where walls of stereotypes, miss-communication, anger and trust were broken down because of this opportunity to share in the spirit of Christmas, Love and Peace! Tyrone P. Dumas is the Executive Director, SOS Center Garden of Hope After School Program, located at 4620 W. North Ave. For more information about the center, call 414-449-9964.
PERSPECTIVES
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 10, 2014 Page 3
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “IT IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO HAVE THE AWARENESS AND TO FEEL IMPELLED TO BECOME INVOLVED, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THERE BE A FORUM OUT THERE TO WHICH ONE CAN RELATE, AN ORGANIZATION, A MOVEMENT.”--ANGELA DAVIS
GUEST GUEST Hattie McDaniel broke new ground COMMENTARY COMMENTARY
I
Police Shooting Victims Lives ‘Worth’ Less than a Ham Sandwich
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist
n Tom Wolfe’s best-selling The Bonfire of the Vanities, New York State Chief Judge Sol Wachtler famously said “a grand jury George E. Curry would indict a ham sandwich, if that’s what you wanted.”
Given the recent failure of grand juries to indict Darren Wilson, a White police officer in Ferguson, Mo., for killing Michael Brown, an unarmed 18year-old African American, and a similar course followed by a New York City grand jury in connection with the choke-hold death of Eric Gardner in Staten Island, the criminal injustice system has essentially said Black lives are worth less than the value of a ham sandwich. At issue is a grand jury system in the United States that even Arnold Burns, deputy attorney general in the Reagan administration, called a “foolish anachronism.” Essentially, it is a one-sided proceeding controlled by prosecutors that delivers indictments 99 percent of the time – unless an unarmed Black person is killed by a White police officer, as was the case in Ferguson and New York City. Unlike a trial, grand jury proceedings are secret. Attorneys for the victims are not allowed to attend. Witnesses are not cross-examined to gauge their veracity. Even evidence that might cast doubt on a person’s innocence is not required to be placed before the grand jury. The United States is one of the few nations that still use the grand jury system, which is rooted in British colonial law. But Britain discontinued the use of grand juries more than 80 years ago. Traditionally, the grand jury system has been used by the federal government and some states in capital murder cases or major felonies. In addition to protection against self-incrimination, the Fifth Amendment states, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger…” For prosecutors, the grand jury serves as a rubber stamp. According to the Legal Times, “Justice Department statistics recently obtained by Legal Times, which reveal that 99.9 percent of the defendants called before federal grand juries are indicted, buttress the belief – and concern – that prosecutors today almost always get what they want from a system originally set up to protect citizens from governmental overreaching.” It also found, “From fiscal years 1994 through 1998, federal prosecutors secured 122,879 indictments, according to DOJ records. During the same period, prosecutors failed to get indictments in only 83 cases.” The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled though a grand jury is the sole charging instrument for the federal government in serious cases, defined as imprisonment of more than a year, that requirement does not apply to states. In Hurado v. California, a case decided in 1884, the court ruled that states are not constitutionally obliged to use a grand jury to charge a person in a crime. Consequently, only 19 states require that all felonies be prosecuted through grand jury indictments, 23 reserve it for capital offenses and 30 make it optional, according to a study by Gerald D. Robin, a professor emeritus at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Just as Britain did, it is time to
THE MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY JOURNAL
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Remember when…
in “Gone With the Wind”By Richard G. Carter “Do not squander time. That is the stuff life is made of …” Monument inscription, “Gone With the Wind” (1939)
I wonder how many Americans are aware that a portly 44-year-old woman playing a house slave was the first Black winner of an Academy Award? Her name was Hattie McDaniel, honored for her role in the 1939 blockbuster, “Gone With the Wind.” As a lifetime devotee of movie epics, my all-time favorites are three that dealt with race in a special way: Spike Lee’s searing “Do the Right Thing” (1989); the stunning “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962) and, of course, the spectacular “Gone With the Wind.” This month marks the 75th anniversary of the premier of GWTW -- director Victor Fleming’s controversial screen triumph from Margaret Mitchell’s best-selling novel. It debuted in Atlanta on Dec. 15, 1939 and has been re-released from time-to-time over the years -- with a special anniversary version recently reissued on Blu-Ray home video. I have seen the atmospheric, bittersweet story of the old South and the Civil War at least 20 times in theaters and at home. And despite being bothered by its demeaning stereotypes of Black people, such as contented slaves, I simply can’t resist GWTW. Indeed, this towering tale -- with a sterling cast, soaring musical score and beautiful color cinematography including the burning of Atlanta and its aftermath -- combines for big-screen magic. I urge lovers of Hollywood classics to watch the next time it’s on cable-TV's Turner Classic Movies, or pick up the razor-sharp Blu-Ray release.
Like true cinema epics, GWTW revisited a memorable period of history, dealt with powerful people and is more than three hours in length. I am lucky to own a gorgeous, 231-minute laser disc version I purchased when that pristine medium was in its hey-day. My first exposure to GWTW was in Milwaukee during a reissue in the late 1940s. Although a callow youth, I recall being overwhelmed by its grandeur, scope, sound and dazzling Technicolor. I later experienced it in Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Hawaii. I saw it while in college, in the Army, traveling on business and on vacations. Among my most vivid recollections was takingin GWTW in Black-only balconies of segregated Southern movie houses. In a special way, this seemed fitting, owing to skeptical reactions by Black audiences to scenes which glossed-over slavery.
Hattie McDaniels and Clark Gable in a scene from “Gone With the Wind.”
Before production began in 1937, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had to deal with a deep controversy it called “the Negro problem.” Much of the nation’s Black press was in an uproar over how Black history and sensibilities were portrayed in Mitchell’s novel. Since the script routinely used “nigger,” readings for McDaniel’s role of “Mammy” and numerous other Black parts, enraged actors forced to say it. The national NAACP campaigned against the film and producer David O. Selznick -- prompting editorials in Black newspapers asking readers to boycott, and urging all Black characters be removed. Fearing a repeat of race riots that accompanied “The Birth of a Nation” in 1915, Selznick determined to “explain how sympathetic we are and that the only Negro characters in the picture… are treated with great dignity …that we have not char(continued on page 7)
The Black Male: A Targeted Group, Part 7
UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING
Rahim Islam
It’s very clear to me that the Black man has an invisible target on his back and that target makes him subject to every negative issue facing humanity today. It’s equally clear that this isn’t a new phenomenon but a historical fact that too many of our fathers inherited the psychological trauma (pain) of the enslavement of our ancestors which is deeply buried in poverty and maintained through a flawed socialization process. This combination has contributed to a significantly high proportion of male abandonment within the black community (in many of our large cities, 7 out of 10 children live in single, female headed households). This abandonment, not only makes escape from poverty more problematic and nearly impossible, but the inherited trauma coupled with an extremely hostile environment (physical, emotional, and psychological) communicates black inferiority (trauma) to our Black boys from the moment they are born until the day they die. If one doesn’t recognize this trauma and the impact it has on one’s life and seek help, he will/must likely self-medicate (use of drugs and alcohol). This pent-up anxiety will be addressed one way or another, either through self-medication or through a flawed socialization process that suppresses the trauma and denies use of any/all much needed coping skills. This type of trauma, which comes in so many forms, creates a higher propensity towards drug and alcohol addiction (self-medicating) and negative social behavior and this cycle is repeated with every generation. I contend that too many of our Black boys are absolutely defenseless against an environment that is so hostile towards them which is further exasperated by unstable families and a male socialization process that passes down the trauma, hurt, and legacy of the enslavement of our ancestors. I asked you what does the average Black child living at or near poverty see on a daily basis: He sees a heavy dose of pain and despair (trauma) and he is fed a heavy dose of projected psychological abuse (trauma). Collectively, this represents his environment. What messages are being communicated to the mind of that Black child that will help shape his perception of himself
and allow him to cope and excel? Forget about what we, as parents, tell them. What children really learn is what they see, hear and feel from the external stimuli. Scientist has described a portion of the brain called the “frontal cortex“ which serves two key functions: 1) calculate, quantify, compute, and cognitive and 2) defend and protect the person from external negative and harmful images and messages that have the ability to compromise and weaken his good ego (I call it the psychological immune system). This part of the brain can only do one thing well. For too many of our Black boys, this function of the frontal cortex has to work overtime defending against the many negative images which compromises their cognitive ability and their calculating skills suffer. The negative images and message are a CONSTANT for our Black boys. Let’s examine what I mean by environment. I mean a composite of the key surroundings that help to define and ultimately create the man (the emotional and mental womb). One of my great teachers taught me that “man means mind.” That man is a creature of emotions, ideas, messages, images, and thoughts derived from his surroundings (environment). As they say, you are what you eat. A man is also what he thinks and what we think is a by-product of our environment. Let me unpack the environment so you can get a better understanding of what I’m trying to communicate to you. Family, school, neighborhood, media (television, radio, movies, and newspapers), church (religion), language, commerce and business (ownership), and culture (group expectations and beliefs) – all of these represent the environment that helps to shape the mind of a child and reinforces the beliefs of adults. Obviously, I can’t speak about all of them, but I will touch on a few environment examples. In addition to our socialization processes perpetuating black inferiority and white supremacy as a legacy of the enslavement of our ancestors (this is the worst form of trauma), too many of our families live in poverty. The environment of poverty is crippling especially when one’s culture is compromised by low expectations, indecency and a propensity to live in the lowest levels of our humanity (i.e. sex, self-absorption, etc.). I believe that our culture has been hijacked in the worst way because poverty didn’t mean that we didn’t strive for excellence. Today, while sometimes exaggerated and promoted by an unfair media and many times with no counter, there appears to be too much attention being placed on ignorance and abnormal behavior within the Black culture, which can be clearly seen in our music and our language. Hardcore rap music and its derivatives that promote indecency, lewd behavior, and demeans our women was replaced by rhythm and blues music that primarily promoted working hard to overcome our social conditions and reflected the beauty and struggle of love and togetherness between man and
woman. Some say, that today’s so-called art is only a reflection of what the artist sees; therefore he can promote the filth seen in society. I say, and those of past generations believed, that art should be a reflection of what could be. It should push humanity to its highest heights and not to the lowest lows. Art should be uplifting and encouraging and should be the milestone by which we measure social development. This will ensure that our culture remains active, energized, creative, and relevant. I also believe that language is a factor and a big part of one’s environment and unfortunately, like most of the Black world, we speak a foreign language. For all of the Africans that live outside of Africa (i.e. North and South America, Caribbean), our language is not ours (i.e. English, Spanish, French, etc.). This is understandable given that the majority of us were brought to these places as a captive people and over time, we lost our native language and adopted these foreign languages (I know many of us don’t believe this, but this is fact, English was not our native language). Unfortunately, through the colonization of our motherland, Africa, many African countries also have an “official” language that is not their native tongue. There is a consequence for this. Why, during the enslavement of our ancestors, over a period of time, was our native language removed? This was purposeful and orchestrated for many reasons. The fact of the matter is that it was done because within our language is our history, our pride and our culture. Let me fill you in on a little secret: The English language doesn’t empower Black people. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Within the English language, there are nearly 150 ”commonly“ used words that convey negative connotations about black. Remember that man means mind and words make man. These words and this language can be perceived as hostile, especially to the Black child. What is being communicated to our babies when they hear these words (without explanation) on an ongoing basis? Many of these words have a negative meaning and/or history (i.e. black baby is frowned upon; black cloud is trouble looming; black cat is bad luck; black devil is extremely mean person, etc.). It’s not enough that there are so many ”Black“ words with a negative connation, there are too many words in the English vocabulary that have a positive connation for white. While all of this is troubling, nothing is more troubling than how we have allowed the use of the ”N“ word to become commonplace. We have allowed our culture to romanticize the use of the ”N“ word, not knowing that this word carries and masks the real pain of our past and the inherent inferiority that this word historically has conveyed. Therefore, language, as an environmental factor, continues to wreak trauma (invisible) on the Black man. Poverty, in itself, is extremely traumatizing
By Rahim Islam
to both adults and their children and when nearly two-thirds of Black families and their children live in or near poverty, this alone is cause for alarm because the large-scale impact has exponential psychological and emotional ramifications (poverty squared). Extreme poverty creates a significant level of despair and hopelessness which manifests in one’s culture. It also manifests itself in living conditions. Too many of our children live in substandard housing and sub-standard neighborhoods (blighted neighborhoods). The physical environment of open and green spaces is absent or inadequate; well-groomed front yards and clean streets; functioning traffic and night lights, functional and usable recreation facilities and parks; high level retail and commercial corridors; increased employment opportunities for the neighborhood residents; access to healthy food and a health delivery system; high levels of arts and other community amenities; partnership with the police and fire departments to support the feeling of safety; high crime levels that infiltrate poor neighborhoods; low-to-no dependence on public assistance and public housing; and quality educational opportunities starting from pre-school thru post-high school. All of these issues have traumatic ramifications on children living in poverty. While the physical environmental trauma is off the chart, what takes place in these homes is more devastating to our children, including but not limited to: Discipline for many children equates to physical abuse (beating our children is commonplace in our community); sexual abuse - because there are so many ”step“ fathers around our children, we have a disproportionate level of children being sexually molested; ongoing and positive communication with our children, especially our babies (children need to know that they are loved, which must be communicated frequently); children with access to adult and pornographic content on television (children who are exposed to this type are traumatized and are more damaged going forward); children with parents in prison some for very long stays (visiting or not visiting the father can be a traumatic experience); use of alcohol and drugs even if its so-called ”recreational“ which I believe is also detrimental to our children (the trauma of children seeing this use and the ramifications of that use that they must navigate); and the new phenomenon of ”sibling“ management. I refer to sibling management as the ability of our children to manage the dysfunction of families that have children with different fathers, but the same mother and often different last names, and the need to navigate and attempt to build upon the relationships between the children of these men (fathers). In many of these families, I’ve seen young mothers with 3-4 children and the same number of fathers, and many of these homes remain fatherless. Unfortunately, with many of these mothers being so young, the likelihood that
(continued on page 5)
RELIGION
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 10, 2014 Page 4
Can Spirituality Help You Age More Gracefully? Article by Rachel Dornhelm courtesy of San Francisco Radio Station KALW from its project titled, “The Spiritual Edge” via News America Media.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.–As people get older, they often try to come to terms with their lives. They may ask themselves, what happened along the way and why? Aging may also come with new and different challenges, like the loss of independence or a debilitating illness. Research suggests that spirituality can help. At a recent meeting for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), KALW’s Rachel Dornhelm spoke with Lydia K. Manning, associate professor of Gerontology at Concordia University in Chicago, about spirituality and aging in older adults. Dornhelm produced this interview through a Journalism Fellowship from New America Media and GSA, supported by AARP.
RACHEL DORNHELM: How did you get interested in the subject of aging? LYDIA MANNING: I had an experience when I was young. I was very close to my grandmother who ended up in a nursing home when I was seven. So from the ages of seven to about 14 or 15, I spent a lot of time visiting with her. As a result I had many friends who were actually residents in the nursing home. I realized early on that I had a connection, interest, and a fondness for being around and working with older adults. DORNHELM: So what was your dissertation topic and what are you researching now? MANNING: For my dissertation topic I interviewed women in late, late life. All of the participants were
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER By Rev. Joseph McLin
ADVENT SEASON THE REASON FOR HOPE
Advent season begins with HOPE for all the people on God’s great earth. It is the anticipation of only good things to come. Does any other human emotion run as deep as hope? Some of us believe fairytales are nearly as universal as Hope, which passes down from one generation to the next an almost irrepressible sense of belief that in the end, the forces of evil will lose their struggle and the brave of heart and good will somehow triumph. For four centuries, the people of Israel had only silence from their God. Not one prophet had made an appearance before them. They could only wait, pray and wonder if God’s displeasure with them would ever end. However, one small flicker of Hope remained; the ancient promise of a Messiah. And on that single promise, the people of Israel kept their hope alive. Then suddenly, the stories and rumors began to spread around about the possible birth of a child that would be like no other. A new and forever change in the lives of mankind was indeed unfolding before the world. Let me try and explain just what God was up to. These are just some of the events
over 85 years old. I was very interested in their spiritual experiences and how that factored into late, late life and approaching death. How they were making meaning as they approached their end of life? From that, I realized there was something happening with spirituality and resilience. The women I talked to described having the ability to withstand profound hardship and adversity, particularly in late, late life. In many ways their spirituality was a buffer and a tool. DORNHELM: Were these people who always self-identified as spiritual? MANNING: The women I talked to for my dissertation were all 85 and over, and for most of them spirituality reflected some kind of continuous narrative in their lives. DORNHELM: I’m curious how you define spirituality in your work. MANNING: With the women I interviewed, I came to the table with a broad definition rooted in the [social-science] literature. It was: 1. Intense awareness of the present; 2. Transcendence of the personal self; 3. Feeling of connection with all of life, the universe or a supreme being. Of course, there are so many different ways to define spirituality. I just think of it as connection to something bigger or greater. Or the Other--big O. DORNHELM: You mentioned the literature. What does the scientific literature say about spirituality and aging? Are there any interesting correlations or trends? MANNING: There are positive correlations between religion and wellbeing. Higher levels of religiosity often indicate higher levels of subjective wellbeing and happiness, and [better] health outcomes.
that preceded the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. There was this elderly married couple; a priest named Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth. There was never a doubt of their love and loyalty to God. Their only spoken regret was in all their married years, was not having a child together. One day Zechariah was approached by the angel Gabriel, and was told he and his wife were soon to give birth to a baby son, and they were to name him John. And John would go out and tell the world of the “ONE” that will come after him. Soon after, the old priest and his wife were bringing up John the Baptist. However, before the birth of John, when Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy, the angel Gabriel had visited her cousin the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to a local carpenter named Joseph. Gabriel told Mary that God had sent him to let her know she had “found favor with God”; and that she would soon be “with child”, and give birth to a son and that she would name him “JESUS”. “How will this be”, Mary asked the angel, “since I am still a virgin”? Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit “would come over her”. After also telling Mary about his
There are a lot of mechanisms operating there. If you have a population that is pretty dedicated to church attendance, for example, and identify as religious, maybe there are other behaviors that complement that lifestyle. Maybe less smoking, less risky behavior. If you look in the literature, the relationship between positive outcomes in later life, and higher levels of spirituality and religion, are still mysterious. DORNHELM: What to you are the most interesting points of inquiry to follow up on? MANNING: My work has been focused on positive association and experiences. I do think there is room for looking at trauma related to religion or spirituality, and how that impacts people later in life. And I think it would be interesting to look at cohorts of Baby Boomers. How many conversions and reconversions have they had? (If they’ve gone away from religion) do they identify as spiritual later in life? DORNHELM: Is there anything else we should be thinking about with respect to spirituality and aging? MANNING: In the world of scholarship and the academy we are quick to make assumptions. So even if academicians or providers aren’t religious, it is important to offer a space for older adults to be spiritual beings, if that is important to them-especially in medical care. If you’re dealing with end-of-life issues, and someone is asking you to meet them in a spiritual place, it’s important for providers to honor and remain open to that. "The Spiritual Edge" is a project of KALW public radio in San Francisco and the Templeton Religion Trust. previous visit to her cousin Elizabeth, Mary believed him, and then meekly responded to Gabriel, saying “I am the Lord’s servant”. Mary now knew she had received the greatest honor God could bestow upon her and the world; the mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Think about the people in this wonderful story: the elderly couple’s gift of a child, “John the Baptist”; The Virgin Mary, and the responsibility God had bestowed upon her. Now when I speak to you of faith, it is not something that we just acquire and use. It should be a way of life. We need to nurture our faith just like we nurture a child that we want to grow into someone special. The more we put into our faith journey, the more we will receive from it. As we continue through this Advent season, don’t leave Hope behind. And as we get closer to a New Year let us make resolutions to be better disciples in spreading the “Good News” of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us try to be more patient with each other. Take the time to say thank you, and repeat to yourself: “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM THAT STRENGTHENS ME”!!!
FIRST PERSON
Hamilton family releases autopsy report, clarify aspects of case
(continued from page 1) ment. • Dontre Hamilton was legally sleeping at Red Arrow Park, not bothering anyone, and not doing anything illegal on April 30, 2014. • Dontre Hamilton was unarmed at the time he was confronted by Christopher Manney at Red Arrow Park. The attached portions of the Autopsy Report reflect the following: General External Examination: • Christopher Manney, in his formal “Response to Charge” document submitted to the Milwaukee Police Department on October 1, 2014, described Dontre as “in his 20’s, with a very muscular build.” However, in describing Dontre’s body, the Medical Examiner states that “The body is that of a well developed, overweight (body mass index of 26.5), adult-black male that weighs 169 pounds, is 67 inches in length, and appears compatible with the reported age of 31 years” (Christopher Manney’s description is completely inaccurate.) Description of Gunshot Wounds: • With each of the fourteen gunshots and fifteen gunshot wounds, there is no stippling or unburned or burned gunpowder particles on the skin surrounding any of the entrance gunshot wounds, therefore, Christopher Manney was some distance from Dontre when he fired each shot. • At least 7 of the 14 bullets travelled downward: Wound 2 – bullet traveled downward. Wound 3 – bullet travelled downward. Wounds 4 and 13 – bullet travelled downward. Wound 5 – bullet traveled downward. Wound 8 – bullet travelled downward. Wound 9 and 16 - bullet travelled downward. Wounds 10 and 11 – bullet travelled downward. Wound 14 establishes that Christopher Manney shot Dontre Hamilton in the back. Blunt Force Injuries: In addition to the gunshot wounds, Dontre Hamilton also sustained the following injuries: • Abrasion on the right side of his chin. • Abrasion on the right rear of his scalp. • Contusions on the rear midline and on the left rear of his scalp. • Multiple abrasions on the front midline of his neck. • Contusions on his right upper arm These injuries are indicative of Dontre Hamilton being beaten by Christopher Manney. (Although Christopher Manney claims he had been beaten to the head by Dontre Hamilton, we have seen no evidence of any such injuries, however, photographs not publicly released but seen by the attorneys and family, depict no redness, bruises, abrasions, contusions, lacerations, or any visible injuries to Christopher Manney’s head, face, neck, shoulders, chest or back.) Drug Use: • The toxicology report reflects that Dontre Hamilton was not using any illicit drugs, and no traces of illicit drugs were found in his system whatsoever The facts regarding the incident which have been established to-date are as follows: On April 30, 2014, Dontre Hamilton was lawfully in Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee. He was sleeping and not bothering anyone. Two Milwaukee Police Officers responded to complaints regarding Dontre sleeping. They determined that Dontre was not doing anything wrong, left him alone, and left the park. They acted appropriately and should be commended for their professionalism. The officers returned a second time due to another complaint, and again -- upon confirming that Dontre was not bothering anyone or doing anything wrong -- they did not disturb him, they explained the situation to the Starbucks employee, and then left the park. Again, they acted appropri-
ately and professionally. Christopher Manney, then a City of Milwaukee police officer, later came to the park. Although there were no open police assignments for him to investigate anything, he requested that an assignment be created for him to again confront Dontre Hamilton. There were again no allegations that Dontre was doing anything wrong or bothering anyone. But Christopher Manney, according to the investigation conducted by the City of Milwaukee Police Department, Internal Affairs Division, approached Mr. Hamilton and conducted an impromptu and unlawful “pat-down”. As described by Chief Edward Flynn on October 15, 2014 -- when Chief Flynn announced the basis for the termination -- Christopher Manney “failed to have reasonable suspicion that Mr. Hamilton was armed with a weapon or posed a threat to him or others prior to conducing a pat-down search, and acted contrary to training he received on February 22, 2012, specific to the engagement of homeless individuals during a Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) overview.” After this unlawful physical search of Mr. Hamilton, there are disputed eyewitness reports about how the altercation began, and whether it was Christopher Manney who indeed delivered the first strike to Dontre, with the wooden baton, (and prior to Dontre engaging and any further altercation). Christopher Manney ultimately shot Dontre fourteen times, emptying the clip from his service weapon. Dontre Hamilton died from the gunshot wounds. As of today -- seven months after the fatal shooting – the family has been provided no evidence supporting Christopher Manney’s claims of an alleged vicious attack by Mr. Hamilton. No documents or information have yet been made available relating to: • Photographic substantiation of any of Christopher Manney’s alleged injuries to his head, face, neck, shoulders, chest or back, the areas claimed to have been struck by Dontre’s fists and the wooden baton. • Medical record substantiation of any of Christopher Manney’s alleged injuries. DA Chisholm is still allegedly awaiting the results of both an FBI and an independent expert analysis and opinions as to whether the use of force by Christopher Manney was appropriate in this case (and the characterization by Chief Flynn that Christopher Manney’s use of force was acceptable is certainly premature, given the fact that the DA is still considering bringing criminal charges against Christopher Manney).
The Black Male: A Targeted Group, Part 7
The Milwaukee Community Journal December 10, 2014 Page 5
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they would become pregnant again is high unless she has had a medical procedure that would prevent her from having more children (so this problem is likely to become more complicated). Many children are lost in this pyramid of dysfunction. A whole host of abuses take place in these type of environments with many children suffering from lost identity and emotional abandonment. How does a child manage the injustice that takes place with the father of one sibling doing more for his child than the other? How does the child manage the transfer of love that was once with the sibling’s father but is now towards another man (child or no child)? How do children manage the relationship between each other when it is clear that their differences are sometimes magnified? Different discipline strategies for different children; different educational expectations based on the family lineage of the siblings; children that are sick and/or diagnosed with mental and physical disorders; these and many other issues challenge families under so-called ”normal“ circumstances but these issues are extreme in families with high levels of poverty and siblings from different fathers. This issue is likely to continue because with the state of ”manhood“ and ”male hood“ of our Black men. How many men can truly handle this situation as the new father? How many men can, not only emotionally and financially, take care of their own children? How many have the capacity to take care of other children? How many men can adequately manage this situation? If you take a mother with four children with four fathers, that man will be challenged on multiple levels, starting with many of these mothers not see-
Ooops! Our Bad!
On “The Pulse” page in our December 3, 2014 edition of the Community Journal, we mistakenly identified newly elected and sworn in Milwaukee County Supervisor Martin Weddle (shown above) as “Mark Weddle.” The Community Journal wishes to apologize to Sup. Weddle and his family for the error.
ing or benefiting from functional relationships with men. Their ability to support a man as a woman has been compromised. This is further challenged by the inability of our men also not seeing or benefiting from functional relationships with women. So a man who inherits this type of family is very unlikely to be successful. Guess what? Who loses and who continues to lose?... Our children. After the emotion and newness of a relationship wears off, the real work begins and how many men are really prepared for such responsibility? Many children are lost in this pyramid of dysfunction. Our children are damaged during these experiments and are also damaged when they dissolve. A whole host of abuses take place in these type of environments with many children suffering from lost identity and emotional abandonment. With so many families and their siblings having different fathers, the management of this for children is extremely traumatizing depending on the mental and social stability of the adults involved (what I’ve seen and heard is that some of the most challenging and complex behavior is exhibited during this process). While all of the issues referenced above are extremely traumatizing to our children, our boys are impacted more mainly because our boys are taught to ”suck it up“ and “get over it” because they’re not to demonstrate any emotions. The Black male’s ”manhood“ is constantly being challenged by the fear exhibited by the White-controlled establishment due mainly to our history in this country. To say that history has been a hostile existence is a very big understatement. During the enslavement of our ancestors, our people suffered tremendously. The torture, while pronounced and horrific, our men endured while being targeted and methodically whipped, beaten, hung, and murdered, sometimes as entertainment, is incomprehensible. I cannot begin to describe the atrocities inflicted on Black men by White slave-owners. Why do you think that race relations remain so fragile today? The Black male is feared by White men, because like the children of our ancestors, the children of the slaveowners were also affected by the American institution of slavery (there are psychological scars that White people inherited, one is fear of Black male). That deep-rooted fear of the Black male comes from inheriting the guilt of what their ancestors did to our ancestors. ”Oh here he goes again with that slavery talk.” -yes, because IT ABSOLUTELY MATTERS. I’ve tried to connect our history in this country with our current levels of poverty and also our severe levels of psychological hurt. Who and what caused the hurt? What was the motivation and/or justification for this treatment that is now in our DNA? I say that what happened to us can only be describe by a maniacal level of fear coupled with hate and jealousy, while
others say it was just an economic issue. To say it’s just economic, is to attempt to justify this period and literally takes a whole people off the hook (responsibility) and it becomes a distraction masks the real issues and motivations for the capture, permanent enslavement, torture and killing of our ancestors. All my adult life I’ve been hearing about achieving better race relations in America. It’s nonsense and won’t happen because it will require the White man to acknowledge his White privilege that he has acquired through his belief in White supremacy. Where did this hate of the Black male come from? It can be found in almost every American institution. For decades, it was communicated and taught that the Black man isn’t wholly human (he might look human but he’s an animal because he has no soul). You can whip him, beat him, torture him, and you can even kill him, but you want to avoid this because he is valuable property. There was no sin applied to the slave owners because our ancestors were considered nothing more than chattel. This was supported by one of the biggest institutions in America: Christianity. During that period and even today, Christianity portrays God as a White man, his son a White man, and everything in heaven as White - the biggest trick ever played - but equally portrayed the Black man as inept and a curse of the devil therefore worthy of a deep-seated hate. Oh I forgot, even though our ancestors lived under these conditions for more than 300 years, this shouldn’t have any impact on their children today! The HATE is just as alive today as it was then; it just looks different and it’s just as traumatic to Black males. Black men and Black boys feel this hate like the heat on a hot day and because it’s not discussed and suppressed, the trauma that the Black male experiences is absolutely hostile. Another American institution which has been extremely hostile to the Black male is mass media. The Black male is portrayed as being super strong with a super strong sexual appetite, lazy, shiftless, not trustworthy and dangerous. American media continues to portray the Black male in the most negative way possible, which has created a heightened sense of fear of the Black man. Coupled with the historical treatment of Blacks, this psychology is toxic and the fear has not disappeared but grown and morphed from one generation to another. Just think for a minute: If you caused tremendous harm against someone and you never even acknowledged it, let alone made any attempt to repair it, wouldn’t you be in a constant state of fear? I remember seeing someone that I beat up when we were children and hoping that he had forgotten or at least forgiven me (I felt some kind of way. I experienced a little fear). How many examples do you need to see? Blood was spilled to end slavery in America,
but that wasn’t enough because those that had the power to implement their hatred reinvented chattel slavery through economic slavery so that many of our ancestors suffered through the accumulation of debt (sharecropping) and outright physical terror (KKK), Jim Crow laws and segregation. Did those who practiced these brutalities against our ancestors become suddenly healed? Absolutely not! If they had, then why was every right that our ancestors fought for met with resistance, anger and extreme hatred from the white community? How could our ancestors live under these extreme conditions for nearly 300 years without it having an effect on their descendant? The FEAR is just as alive today as it was then it just looks different and it’s just as traumatic on Black males and Black boys. There have been ongoing attacks against Black men in the media. I don’t know what your thoughts are but when a Black man is on the wrong side of a legal issue, he is castigated for months by the media. The media acts like a pit-bull on a bone and the Black man is the bone. I don’t know what happened with Bill Cosby, I just feel the coverage is just over the top. Many of his projects, being considered, have been canceled and I even heard that they were contemplating charging the White-owned publisher with criminal charges for failing to put any negative stories in Bill Cosby’s autobiography (you know the venom is extreme when they go after White people who benefited from a Black person). Look at the Ray Rice situation too. Again, I’m not condoning the physical abuse that he caused his wife, but I have never seen such a national outcry and they don’t want to see this family survive (the wife has pledged to stay with her husband). They want to absolutely destroy this man! What happened to the concept of repentance and correction for a big mistake made by a young person with death being the unofficial penalty? I wouldn’t be surprised if the parents of Ray Rice weren’t brought up on criminal charges for birthing him. How about Marion Barry? When he died, we were privy to hundreds of hours of nonstop castigation of this man and his character. Smoking crack notwithstanding, this man was a hero for Black people in Washington, D.C., but the media wanted to make sure that his heroism be buried with him and that those that don’t know and are a product of the media’s B.S. would believe this slander. Anybody that has done crack and watched the tape of Marion Barry taking a hit of a crack pipe, knows that that man was no crack addict and a victim of a some sort of sting – orchestrated by a woman and very poor judgment. Marion Barry, was a true Black man. Why? He proved his commitment to our people by gaining office and doing something for our people. He loved our people and built a life
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