Happenings in and around Historic 5 Points, Northeast Denver and Aurora February 2021
Covid 19 Vaccinations in the Community
5 STAR NEWS
Formerly 5 POINTS NEWS. Proud Recipient of the Dr. Syl Morgan Smith Excellence in Media Award and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Colorado Media Award
Wayne Vaden (above) has been a key community resource from the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic. He distributed free N95 masks to brother jeff’s Cultural Center and other prevention items when they were almost impossible to find. Vaden was among nearly 300 people that showed up to brother jeff’s Cultural Center to be vaccinated. His example has opened the door for many in the Black community who are skeptical of the health care system. The COVID-19 Health Equity Response Team has been working to make sure the community has access to Covid 19 vaccinations.
United Nations Concerned by Ethnically Motivated Attacks and Risks of Genocide in Tigray
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Members of the Tigray community have been holding protests throughout the United States and here in Colorado Since November 4th, 2020, the people of Tigray have been weathered by a war between a conglomerate force of Ethiopian and Eritrean forces vs the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Although the war with the Tigray’s elected body, the TPLF, supposedly ended when Ethiopian forces took Mekele on November 28th, 2020, the Ethiopian government has continued their assault on the region, and new reports and personal stories are taken in every day. The appointed Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, states that the offensive has been undertaken to free the tegaru from “decades of misrule by the TPLF,” but widely accepted evidence points to the contrary. This conflict, which draws ever-closer to it’s fourth month, has been called a genocide by the UN, the governmental bodies of several other countries, several news sources, and several humanitarian organizations (inclding the red cross and red crescent). In this assault, Ethiopia has continuously cut the power of the entire region, disallowed reporteres to enter the region, have failed to comply with laws on acute humanitarian aid, and have spread falsified reports about the events and purpose of the assault. To date, the EU, the Biden Administration, The governments of France, Germany, and the UK, and the UN have all called for a withdrawal of Eritrean troops and for the approval of the entrance of humanitarian organizations. –Justice Robinson
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13 Members of the Colorado Tigray community protesting to stop the war and allow humanitarian access
5 STAR NEWS ONLINE NOW at www.brotherjeff.com
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When Black History Month Comes to an End
brother jeff Founder/Editor 5 STAR NEWS
February is Black History Month. What am I going to do when it ends? Keep on being Black. I don’t have a choice and I would not change it for nothing in the world. For a month the accomplishments of our community
have been highlighted in virtual school rooms, newsrooms, print publications, radio stations and more. Imagine if this coverage was shared all year? You would see Black students walking a little taller and thinking much broader. The sad part about seeing Black History Month come to an end is that those who were made aware of Black contributions to this and global society may forget all they have learned in the next eleven months. Don’t let that happen. Keep seeking out more Black stories and talking to more Black people. In fact, look around and you may even discover that Black people exist year-round, not only in February. –brother jeff
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The Regional Transportation District (RTD) welcomed new CEO and General Manager Debra A. Johnson, an executive who brings more than a quarter-century of leadership experience honed at some of the largest transit agencies in the country. Johnson – the first woman in this role in the agency’s 51-year history – takes the reins during a transitional year for RTD,
5 STAR NEWS Monthly Publication February 2021
Publisher brother jeff Editor brother jeff
Layout & Design Cynthia R. Martin Photography brother jeff Lens of Ansar
COVID-19 Vaccine Confessions I knew the Covid 19 vaccine development started way back in January 2020, which at the time I found odd because we were being told the virus was nothing serious. This minor detail was buried in my brain until the people contacted me. I was going to be a champion to help the community hear about potential solutions to preventing this deadly virus. Research had shown doctors to be a trusted source in this pandemic. Organizers of the effort provided all the background and information needed. I was motivated to learn as much as I could about the COVID-19 vaccine. Friends sent me great stuff focused on the Black community. The community sessions started soon after I expanded my knowledge on the subject. At one of the sessions I remember someone yelled out, why are you here? Are you here just to try to tell us what to do and force this vaccine down our throat. At that time the vaccines were under development and we had no idea when they would be ready. I told them I was there because I wanted to make sure that Black folks and other people of color would get a fair chance to get this vaccine. I have no stock in the companies that make these vaccines, but I have an investment in making sure that our community knows what’s going on and doesn’t get placed at the back of the line for this potentially lifesaving vaccine. My response was met with a polite umph. Fast forward. Now the vaccine is ready – safe, effective, as much as can be ascertained. It is ready for roll out. I was not ready. One of my former students is a hospitalist and got the vaccine as soon as it came out. She sent me pictures and
said she only had mild symptoms. This was good to see and hear. The vaccine came out the week before Christmas, but my health system was not going to get it until Christmas week. Lucky us. I am not going to get that goddamn vaccine during Christmas, was my thought. I wanted to enjoy my family, even though it was going to be on Zoom. I blamed it on the holidays, but now the email messages urged me to schedule my vaccine injection before January 5th. This seemed too soon! D-day! Time to go get the shot. I need them to take my picture so I can share with the community. I prepped for the day as soon as I woke up. I need to wear my ethnic mask and stay calm. I felt the little twinge as the needle went in. I flinched just so slightly when the COVID-19 vaccine went in. I had to wait an obligatory 15 minutes. Bam, my 15 minutes were over and no breathing problems, lip swelling, and actually no symptoms at all. I know after a couple of weeks I will have about 50% immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19. My second dose will be in 28 days. They made the appointment before I left.
Dr. TeaNT is a Medical Doctor in the Public Health Sector for Over 30 Years & Counting. Now a freelance blogger – giving the real perspective on popular medial topics. An avid biker, hiker, gardener, walker, reader, and dancer. Read her blog at www.drteant.com
with service changes and budget challenges brought about by the pandemic. At a virtual news conference this afternoon, Johnson told those listening in that, as she shepherds RTD over the course of the next several years, “I have a responsibility to ensure that I work collectively with all the stakeholders, with our customers and, most importantly, with our employees to make this organization the best that it possibly can be.” In introducing Johnson to RTD’s employees, Board of Directors Chair Angie Rivera-Malpiede spoke to Johnson’s enthusiasm and said that she and her Board colleagues “are absolutely thrilled to have Debra at the helm of our agency.” “We really needed to get a leader who would be innovative, creative, think outside of the box, partner and have lots and lots of transit experience,” RiveraMalpiede said, “and we found that in Ms. Johnson.” Johnson joins RTD from Long Beach Transit, where she served as Deputy CEO of the Southern California agency from May 2014 to October 2020.
Contributing Writers & Researchers brother jeff Jim “Dr. Daddio” Walker Jon Bowman Shay J Justy Robinson Distribution Gerald Borden 5 STAR News is a publication of brotherjeff.com 2836 Welton Street Denver, CO 80205 303.297.0823 5pointsnews@brotherjeff.com
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Coping With American Privilege
5 Star News Journalist Justy Robinson
As a black man living in the United States of America, I don’t often think of the privileges I have. In fact, when I think of my life here, I think of having to work harder than my white peers to be considered similarly, or how one trip to anywhere could be my last; although this is all true, I still have privileges. From listening to stories about women I know who’ve been sexually assaulted or regularly objectified, to taking for granted walking outside at night- I have privileges as a man whether they’re oft-considered or not. Moreso recently, I have learned that I have privilege as an American. In learning about the hell that the Tigrayan people are being subjected to, I have encountered numerous situations I didn’t even realize could happen. I didn’t realize a Nobel Peace Prize recipient could become a naziesque autocrat just a year later- while keeping his delusions of
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grandeur and righteousness. I didn’t realize mass rape, murder, displacement, and intentional mass starvation could ever be seen as freeing anyone “from decades of misrule,” and especially not from an elected body in the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). More upsetting to me, I never realized how terms like ‘genocide’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’ garner so little reaction from my fellow Americans. Our indifference as privileged beings is no surprise when we look back at the US before WWII. Most people think the US didn’t realize what was happening to the Jewish People under Nazi occupation- but we knew before the war had even started. Time Magazine created an issue in 1933 that featured a picture of Joseph Goebbels and the line “Say it in your dreams: ‘THE JEWS ARE TO BLAME,’” a full six years before the war was officially declared. What does this tell us? We hear the words and don’t see the faces, we calculate statistics with an inability to empathize, and when we get down to the brass tacks of it, we are too privileged to realize this has happened before- and that we continue to do nothing just like then It makes me ponder on the nature of humanity- can our vision only go as far as the surface of our television sets? Is there nothing inherently sacred about the lives of others, or are we too scared to do what we will inevitably think was ‘the right thing’ in the future, right now? Perhaps we like to talk as if we stand for something but sit idly when it’s time to prove it, or we only fight when the injustice is conveniently right outside of our front doors. Maybe no really cares other than me. Maybe the human race is doomed to sit in individual self-importance for the rest of our existence. –Justice Robinson
COVID-19 Health Equity Response Team Not all Coloradans are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic the same way. There are factors at play for who gets tested, who gets treatment, and who is able to practice social distancing. During this pandemic, we are likely to see the loss of life from the compounded experience of systematic, institutional, and individualized racism imposed on communities of color. People of color are disproportionately likely to be exposed to the virus in low-paying “essential” jobs; are more likely to have limited access to affordable healthcare, childcare, and transportation; are more likely to live in neighborhoods with high air pollution rates; and are more likely to face unsanitary conditions in prisons, jails, and detention centers. Due to these types of inequities, people of color face chronic disease health disparities. Governor Polis established the COVID-19 Health Equity Response Team, headed by the Office of Health Equity. By forming a Health Equity Response Team, Colorado can focus specifically on tackling these inequities to prevent the gaps from widening and ultimately saving lives. This Response Team will work to: • Ensure racial and ethnicity COVID-19 data are accessible, transparent and used in decision-making, • Determine proactive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in specific communities, • Work with state teams coordinating resources and logistics to help curb health disparities related to COVID-19, • Increase access to testing and care services, • Share time-sensitive information about how Colorado communities are experiencing particular challenges related to
the COVID-19 response, and • Develop policy recommendations to better assist and prepare communities of color during the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as future state emergencies. The Health Equity Response Team was established because Coloradans of color are not experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic in the same manner as other communities. Coloradans of color are more likely to have limited access to affordable healthcare and are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 by working in low paying essential jobs. These types of systemic inequities mean Coloradans of color: 1) Have a higher risk of being exposed to COVID-19; 2) Face higher rates of chronic diseases; and 3) Have higher rates of death from COVID-19. The ultimate goal of the Team is to prevent any gaps in COVID-19 outcomes from widening and to ultimately save lives. The Team recognizes that it takes the right legislation to ensure that progress gained today creates long-lasting solutions. The Team recommends the following legislative items for the FY20 session: • Support legislative efforts to ensure essential employees receive workers’ compensation due to risk of exposure to COVID-19 • Support existing campaign to ensure all Colorado workers, regardless of status, industry, or form of employment are able to earn paid sick leave • Support existing campaign to provide whistleblower protections for employees filing complaints against employers failing to comply with public health orders. – covid19.colorado.gov
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News You Can Use With Jon Bowman - Now Go Run And Tell That
Jon Bowman 5 STAR NEWS Journalist
Can you imagine what people in Texas are doing, as snow and frozen pipes begin to melt? We know snow, they don’t! So, along with Covid-19--half a million dead-- and vaccines stuck in trucks, which were also caught in several ice and snow events that pounded all places north and east... there is still hope in this great nation, that somehow thing will turn around and become somewhat normal again. Here in Denver, many are following the lead of those who would provide free meals, clothing, and shots in arms, by continuing the work to make sure people have provisions to make it thru to the other side. People like Jesse Modera runs Jessica’s Laundry, in the Safeway Plaza at 20th and Washington. Suds and Love is his way of giving-back. His program is helping folks, both housed and unhoused, to have clean clothes! “We know times are hard, and we just want to make sure people have clothes that
are clean and fresh,’ said Modera. “If people have money but no soap, we provide the Suds and the Love!” Jesse says he is taking the help-share program to another laundry-mat in Thornton to reach even more folks. And then there are the Denver students who are invited to advice on new national Black history curriculum. Dahni Austin, is a sophomore at MLK Early College high, she says when she saw the words, “Say Their Names,” in a copy of a new Black history text book, she welled up with emotion. The book lists the names of people killed in the ‘struggle’ and the book has importance that will be long-lasting in classrooms across the nation. Alana Mitchell, Jenell Nangah, and Kaliah Yizar will serve on the new U.S. history project which has been named Black History 365! The narrative begins in ancient Africa and proceeds up to modern days. These bright young ladies have been in the forefront of pushing Denver Public Schools to diversify its curriculum. They even have a podcast --Know Justice, Know Peace--which will also be the name of the program that all Denver schools will be putting in young people’s study guides. The classes will focus on the historical and contemporary input Blacks, Lations and Indigenous people have had on this nation of ours! With the on-going pandemic, a climate emergency and some say a brown cloud over the State Capitol, his transportation commission says the goal may just be business as usual. Seems the biggest project worthy of Covid funds is a $43 million buck diverging diamond intersection. A paltry $2 million grant to CDOT will be used for the crazy Revitalizing Main Street project. Many in the medical community are shocked that highway projects--instead
Elijah McClain Report Released Aurora City Council released the fruits of the most-recent investigation into the murder of Elijah McClain. The investigators for the report were Johnathan Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs- Dr. Melissa Costello, an Emergency physician and EMS medical director- and Roberto Villaseñor, a former police chief for Tucson, Arizonaand while the Aurora City Council commissioned the members of the board, they had no previous involvement with the council or each other. The board had, in no unclear terms, determined that Officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, & Randy Roedema, committed unlawful actions when stopping McClain. The report states, “To justify an investigatory stop (known as a Terry stop), an officer must have ‘reasonable, objective grounds’ and an ‘articulable’ or ‘reasonable suspicion of criminal activity,’” Not only did all of the three fail to articulate the crime they suspected McClain “had committed, was committing, or was about to commit,” they gave reasons that clearly informed the investigators that they violated the reasonable suspicion clause for a Terry stop. In addition, the officers unlawfully frisked McClain. A frisk can be carried out only when reasonable suspicion has been verified, and an officer feels as if the suspect has a weapon. Not only was the lack of a weapon confirmed by the person who called the police, but by Woodyard’s own account upon arriving near McClain. Finally, the officers unlawfully held McClain in a second Carotid hold after he was forced to ground. The report states that Roedema and Rosenblatt had pinned McClain’s arms to the ground as “Officer 6 8 5 STAR NEWS
Woodyard attempted to apply a carotid control hold.” there is no timeframe given for how long Woodyard maintained the hold on McClain, but “Officer Roedema said he saw Mr. McClain’s eyes ‘roll back and his head starting to go limp,’ and he instructed Officer Woodyard to release the hold.” Once on the ground, McClain posed little threat, so applying a second hold was unnecessary and unlawful. Finally, on the actions of the EMS team sent by Aurora Fire Rescue (AFR), The board determined that they failed to transition command from APD to AFR, and administered ketamine for “excited delirium” without sufficient understanding of his situation. The report says that AFR “stood back” for several minutes as McClain was “moaning, gagging, responding to the officers’ statements, exclaiming in pain, and struggling to breathe,” and when they began operating on the McClain they made no physical contact with him or even asked any questions as to his condition- both necessary steps to rightfully diagnosing a patient. The order to administer the ketamine on the basis of excited delirium was given by Paramedic Jeremy Cooper; and it was Aurora Fire Lt. Peter Cichuniec who advised the team to draw a dosage of 500 mg, which was entirely too much for a person of McClain’s size. Their estimation of his weight was at 190 pounds, a whole 50 pounds heavier than he actually was. There is far more evidence to implicate the three officers who stopped McClain the EMS response team at the scene, and it is recommended for everyone to read the summary of the report. –Justice Robinson
of small businesses--are getting COVID funding, that will likely have a negative effect on respiratory illnesses on the most at risk in our communities. Oh, and did you catch this one... life expectancy in the US dropped one year during the first six months of 2020! with Black Americans losing get this--THREE YEARS with Hispanics losing nearly TWO YEARS! CDC indicates this is a huge decline, last seen during WWII, in the 1940s. Ok, so Denver has some 7,000 historic landmarks, but only 2-3% are NOT WHITE! Folks who track such things say the city--which has had two Black Mayors--reflects a whitewashed version of the city history! (i know another exclamation point) Over the past 50 years City Councilors have made 56 historic districts and 352 individual landmarks adding up to 7,000 properties... with 700,000 people with 30% Hispanics, 8% Black and 4% Asian, can it really be that no people of color have done anything or owned historic or worth landmark status? I THINK NOT!
And then there is Travis Williams who used to coach at Tennessee State University and Fort Valley State both HBCU schools. he is suing the NCAA or thinking about it, as he says they stole his intellectual idea to have an HBCU All-Star Game during the NCAA Final Four tournament in Indianapolis, in the spring. He pitched the idea to the NCAA, which had great interest in the idea... so interested they decided to move ahead with the idea, and only offered Williams a small consulting role, an offer he turned down. Williams says the HBCU game is billed as a great platform of exposure, justice, equality, and an inclusion for our HBCU’s , students which will show case the talented players and students along with coaches from the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, CIAC, as well as TSU and Hampton. Not to mention, but I will the funds that will flow back to the Black schools after the tournament! THAT’S ALL I GOT, NOW RUN AND TELL THAT! –Jon Bowman
Annual Juanita Gray Community Service Awards Denver Public Library honored four community members at the annual Juanita Gray Community Service Awards ceremony. The event, held virtually this year, is a signature part of the library’s Black History Month celebration. Annually, Denver Public Library along with the Library Commission honors African American men, women, and youth who have made outstanding contributions to the Denver Metro area through the Juanita Gray Community Service Awards. Juanita Gray was a former library staff member and community advocate. The awards were established in 1988 to honor Gray’s legacy, dedication, and advocacy of the African American community. Each year, the Juanita Gray Awards committee consisting of community and library staff members ask the community for their nominations and selects a winner. The 2021 Juanita Gray Community Service Award recipients are: Terri Gentry, Jason McBride and Tay Anderson. The Youth Award recipient is Jayla Hemphill. A third generation Denverite, Terri Gentry is an interior designer and owner of A Terrific Design; she is also a sales manager at Joy’s Consigned Furnishings. Gentry is a board member of the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center. She conducts museum and walking tours and gives presentations to schools, community groups, government agencies, and businesses. Jason McBride is a champion for our youth. Born and raised in Park Hill, he has worked in the East Denver community since 2010. He hosts an annual school supply drive as well as gives out hot lunches. McBride hopes to show
young people in our community there are options in education and expose them to different career choices. Hailing from a family of educators, Tay Anderson is an At-Large Director on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. He has dedicated his life to protect the rights of women, African Americans, Latinx, LGBTQIA, Indigenous, Muslim, and disabled persons. Anderson has participated in public demonstrations and dialogues with school district leaders, state leaders, and members of Congress. Jayla Hemphill is the 2021 Youth Award recipient. The 2021 Youth Award includes a $1,000 scholarship sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and Visible. Hemphill is a high school senior and community activist. She was a speaker at the Denver Public Schools Black Lives Matter rally and participated in the Be the Change event. Additionally, she delivered a speech at a gun control rally advocating for gun laws at the Colorado State Capitol. Hemphill is an active member of Students Demand Action and has been instrumental in the effort to recruit teachers of color for employment for her school. This year’s nominees also included Dr. Joyce Brooks, Sandy Douglas, Bishop Kevin Foreman, Elijah Huff, Ari Lipscomb, Janice McDonald, Jonathan McMillan, LaDios Muhammed, Maedella Stiger, LaDawn Sullivan, Marcus Weaver, and Sondra Young. “The Denver Public Library is so proud to host this annual event honoring unsung heroes in our city,” said Michelle Jeske, Denver’s City Librarian. “All of this year’s nominees are truly exceptional and we salute their commitment to our community.”
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THE DROP: The People’s Station Lands on 104.7 FM R&B and Hip Hop station, THE DROP begins broadcasting on its brand new dial position, 104.7 FM, on February, 15 2021. Now Coloradans searching for old school crate classics, new vibe music and Colorado’s hottest independent artists can tune their radios to 104.7 FM from their homes, cars and smart devices. Complementing THE DROP’s existing HD2 live stream and THE DROP APP, this additional high-fidelity form of access provided by the permanent 104.7 FM radio position , further affirms the station’s mission to increase grassroots engagement that resonates with communities often underserved by traditional media outlets. With its distinctive and unique sound, THE DROP continues to build a commercial free media movement that reflects the tastes of a young, multicultural audience across the Centennial state. THE DROP debuted in June 2019 as one of the country’s first public media urban alternative radio stations with a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Already garnering accolades such as Westword magazine’s ‘Best New Radio Station of 2020, the community continues to show support and appreciation for THE DROP 104.7’s organic and relaxed nature. Suggestions, taken directly from listeners via social media and the station text line at 303.893.DROP, frame the music mix and content of the shows hosted by DJ Dif’Rent, Amerykah Jones, Unique, DJ Bella Scratch, Maleman and weekend hosts, DJ Cavem and PK. Nikki Swarn, THE DROP’s general manager and program director says, “This station has always been about the people.
From our name to how we engage with our listeners, it’s all about our Colorado community. Without this local support our 104.7 FM signal wouldn’t be as impactful. This is such a special time for public media especially here in Colorado. We owe a huge thanks to our community, our listeners and our partners for helping make this possible.” THE DROP also continues to play a pivotal role in Rocky Mountain Public Media’s commitment to expand and extend the relevance of public media to new and more diverse communities across Colorado. “THE DROP is so much more than a radio station,” Swarn continued, “We are truly a lifestyle brand. The station provides a place in the media landscape for a variety of musical genres and reinforces a sense of community for a diverse listenership. Listeners can DROP into the music, cultural issues and community resources in one place. It’s a movement built by and for the people of Colorado.” “We are thrilled to make an investment in acquiring the 104.7 FM radio home for THE DROP,” said Amanda Mountain, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Public Media. “The format of this radio station plays a critical role in shaping the public media of the future and in creating a Colorado where everyone is seen and heard.” Local funding partners for the purchase of the FM translator include the Gates Family Foundation, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, and through an anonymous donor, whose support expanded its footprint beyond a digital signal alone. For more information about THE DROP 104.7 FM and THE DROP app, please visit thedrop303.org or on all things social @thedrop303.
President Biden Has Reopened the SBA Door
James “Dr. Daddio” Walker Sr.
We’re dealing with so much pressure and serious situations with the Covid 19 virus and the people in Texas, Louisiana, and other southern states are dealing with freezing weather. There just seems to be so many obstacles we’re dealing with. I can say the Biden administration is doing the best that they can, but I don’t like the idea of prolonging anything right now. We do not have time to do this bipartisan thing they are talking about and I don’t think it’s necessary. We have seen through the last four years that there was no bipartisan environment and there was only one thing with Trump, his plan to eliminate, kill, and destroy the White House. So right now we are not talking about getting the Republicans to come across the table. We are not gonna get them across. The president needs to use his power like he said he was going to do. As it relates to the economy, in my generation the Small Business Administra-
tion was Black folk’s way out. The Black community was able to get money and grow because of the SBA. President Biden opened that door to allow companies with less than 20 employees to put in applications for a SBA loan. He said you have until Wednesday, March 10, 2021 to do that. There needs to be so many Black, Latinx, and other minority peoples getting in line for that money to start the economy again. It is not the big corporations that care for this country, it is small businesses that have been the backbones of the success for all communities, if not the country. Period. Today, we must be preaching and using any avenue available to us to get the message out that President Biden brought back the SBA for minority businesses. What about the Covid vaccination? I have not pursued my Covid shot yet. I intend to take it, but I want to see how my friends that have taken it react. They’re saying take the shot, but have we heard of anyone dying from taking the shot in the country? We’re dying at the highest percentage from the virus. I know I am gonna take it, but I have buddys who have taken it and I just want to see that second shot. I may take it somewhere around April or May. I’ll be ready to take that Pfizer vaccine. Johnson and Johnson shouldn’t be allowed to make a vaccine, when they have so many outstanding lawsuits. If we are going to see things get better for the Black community, we are going to have to build our communication networks. We’re gonna need something that gets into our homes and our families everyday like Latinx folks, who have their own TV stations, their own newspapers, and own radio stations. What do we own? –James “Dr. Daddio” Walker Sr.
Judas and the Black Messiah
Fred Hampton, a young, charismatic activist, becomes Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party — putting him directly in the crosshairs of the government, the FBI, and the Chicago Police. But to destroy the revolution, the authorities are going to need a man on the inside. The new movie explores the role William O’Neal played in Hampton’s death. William O’Neal’s secret life came to an end three years after the Chicago police raid that killed charismatic Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. Judas and the Black Messiah stars Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, and Martin Sheen. Directed by Shaka King. Now in theaters and streaming through March 14 on HBO Max.
Chairman Fredrick Allen Hampton Chairman Fredrick Allen Hampton was the Chairman for the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, and the
Deputy Chairman of the National Black Panther Party. In his youth, he got involved with black people as much as he can. At Proviso East High School, he led the school’s interracial comittee and saw the removal of a policy the school had to only nominate white girls for homecoming queen. After graduating with honors he studied pre-law at Triton Junior College, and also attended what is now Malcolm X College and University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. He was instrumental in funding the Illinois Branch of the Black Panther Party, and though only 20, he became a respected leader for the party. In his branch, he instituted programs such as a free breakfast and health clinic, and the formation of a Rainbow Coalition- essentially uniting several local gangs to work for the betterment of all. This Meteoric rise however, made him a target. J. Edgar Hoover, FBI Director at the time, took notice and labeled Hampton an agitator to be eliminated. The FBI added William O’Neal to their payroll- a criminal they intended to pardon if he infiltrated the Chicago Branch of the Black Panther Party. Inside the party, O’Neal had a rather meteoric rise in his own rightbecoming Hampton’s bodyguard, only months after joining. With intel gained from O’neal, and after he drugged the Chairman, the FBI invaded his apartment with warrants and killed several party members who were there. They ripped his wife from their bed and murdered him with several shots as he slept. It was later found out that they had fired ninety shots, while only one came from someone inside the apartment; and they never found any illegal weapons- the claim that allowed them to take out the warrants.
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What is Good Governance?
District 9 Councilwoman Candi Cdebaca
Last month, I took part in the first of four monthly “good governance trainings” for City Council members. The term “good governance” led me to believe that we would be discussing better ways to engage with our constituents in a more transparent, ethical, and accountable way. Instead, we ended up talking about how to play politics better. Go figure. I don’t know about you all, but the issues we vote on are not a game to me. The underlying messages and takeaways from this “training” were as follows: Good governance = Be nice to me, and I might vote in support of things you care about, IF you are nice enough consistently. Good governance = NOT taking up too much time from your colleagues to ask questions during our weekly Council meetings, when they are on the record and at a time that is most accessible to most of your constituents. Good governance = NOT taking the
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issues you are voting on to heart. They are just policies, not lives or anything. Good governance = NOT sharing public meetings in public forums and engaging publicly with the public. Government business should be done quickly, quietly, and with the least modern engagement possible with the public. Make up your mind well before you hear public comments/ hearings and make sure to keep your votes quick and simple. Good governance = NOT about policy or constituents. It’s about the electeds who are the “center of the municipal universe” and making sure our “arranged marriage” feels good to us. I disagree with all of the above—and so do most people who have ever defined good governance. Because the full Council was attending this training, it was subject to Open Meetings law and was meant to be open to the public. In order to make it actually accessible to my constituents, I livestreamed the meeting from my official Facebook page and engaged with constituent comments. I was reprimanded for this during the training. This reveals to me that the issues at the root of this group therapy session had nothing to do with “good governance”—and instead everything to do with insecurities, projections, personal convenience, political games, and all the rest of the baggage on full display there. I’m not here to play, play. I am here to tell The People what is being done in their name without their knowledge. Period. And nobody is doing it secretly: I am putting it out there in every way, all the time, in its most complete format for viewers to make their own assessments of what is happening. –Councilwoman Candi Cdebaca
Are You Celebrating Black History Month
5 Star News Journalist Shay J
Since 1926 we have celebrated Black History month, originally known as Negro History Week. The celebration took place the second week in February in honor of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdates. In 1970 the week-long observance became a monthly declaration of Black achievement that the nation recognized. During Black History Month, many would reflect on our history and heritage. We were giving praise and paying homage to historical figures and the moments that shaped our culture. Black History Month hasn’t been a celebration that all agree with. The criticism isn’t just from other races, but this has been a controversial conversation within our Black community. The argument has different perspectives, but the Black viewpoint is that we should celebrate Black history throughout the entire year. We simply should require more recognition, and the 11-month neglect of our history isn’t acceptable. Now, I don’t know what side of the conversation you’re on, but I hope you
Denver Releases Youth Violence Prevention Plan The City and County of Denver released its Youth Violence Prevention Comprehensive Plan, which outlines long-term strategies that take a public health approach to preventing youth violence across the city. The plan was developed by Denver’s Youth Violence Prevention Action Table (YVPAT) and the Office of Children’s Affairs will lead and implement its strategies beginning March 1. The YVPAT was formed by Mayor Michael B. Hancock in November 2019. Its goals were to identify and raise awareness of programs that could help address youth violence, pinpoint any gaps where the city could provide more support and develop the Youth Violence Prevention Comprehensive Plan. The YVPAT is composed of youth, government partners from local, state and federal levels, the courts, public school system, public housing authorities, health care, youth-serving organizations and its national partner, Cities United. The YVPAT also developed the Youth Advisory Council of Denver, a group of diverse youth between the ages of 15 to 21, and engaged them as subject matter experts to help identify strategies and develop the plan. “Engaging youth in shaping our plan was critical to defining our strategies,” Mayor Hancock said. “Our young people were at the table with us as partners - giving us fresh perspectives and relevant information about their experiences, their needs and their interests - informing what strategies would be effective in preventing youth violence in our city.” Denver Public Health reported that an average of 700 people who are directly affected by gun violence each year are under the age of 25. This has become a public health crisis, and Denver is committed
to ending this type of violence by implementing strategies that create pathways to justice, increase safety and expand educational and employment opportunities for youth through city-supported, community-led and youth-informed programming. “The human suffering and loss associated with youth violence is not one neighborhood’s problem to solve. We all have a role to play in ensuring that young people grow up safe, healthy and happy with opportunities to thrive,” said Kristin Bronson, Denver city attorney who has chaired the Action Table since its inception. “This plan represents a seismic shift in how the city approaches youth violence prevention and offers a message of hope to youth and their families.” The Youth Violence Prevention Comprehensive Plan includes almost two dozen long-term strategies, including the development of new youth centers, expansion of safe zone events, access to mental and behavioral supports for youth and families, enhanced programming through community-based organizations, adoption of innovative data-sharing models and through a regional collaborative approach, continued community outreach on youth violence prevention efforts. Two key strategies will ensure the work remains a top priority for the city have already been put into place: designating a city agency and recruiting a coordinator fully dedicated to implementing the plan and advancing the work. The Office of Children’s Affairs will be the lead city agency and Jonathan McMillan, a mentor and community activist, has been hired as the youth violence prevention coordinator. “The Youth Violence Prevention Plan is an innovative initiative that seeks
believe that we have a reason and right to celebrate. What are we celebrating, you ask? Well, we have infinite reasons. As a people, we have been resilient, brilliant, innovative, and unstoppable. Our people have made priceless deposits into our nation. The fact is one month can’t possibly hold adequate time to highlight African American accomplishments. However, let’s be honest, we don’t take much time to applaud our works. All year long, we are inundated with images of people being murdered, incarcerated, unruly, struggling, and discriminatory stereotypes of our people. We must tell our authentic stories and the men and women who took part in them. We must reject the monolithic stories that continue to be on display. Now is the time to challenge, create, and change the narrative that we are force-fed daily through mainstream media about our culture. We have many heroes and she-roes who deserve to be honored. Celebrate Black History and Celebrate Black Now because we are worth it. Now I am Black -365 days a year, and I applaud our people all year long, and during February, I applaud us as well. –Shay J
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No Matter the Flavor, Nicotine is an Addictive Drug
Leanne Wheeler
I just closed my second holiday season without the benefit of celebrating with my Dad. Unlike those who are not celebrating with loved ones because of #SaferAtHome initiatives, which is certainly a hardship, I am not celebrating with my Dad because he died in March 2019 of lung cancer. My Dad, an Air Force Veteran, was carried from In-Home Hospice to a Hospice Facility, with hours to live. Before dawn-break on the 5th of March, he died, ending years of suffering from Non-Small Cell Squamous Lung Cancer. NSCS lung cancer comes from smoking combustible tobacco, and it ravages the body, the mind, and the spirit in unimaginable ways. My earliest memories of Dad’s birthday, which was March 1st, was his annual renewed commitment to STOP smoking. You see, his younger brother, also an Air Force Veteran, died of NSCS lung cancer at 47 years old. His own mother died of NSCS lung cancer at 77 years old. Until her massive heart attack and subsequent stroke, she smoked Pall Mall Reds. Can
you imagine an addiction so gripping that you have one half of your lung removed, are pulling an oxygen tank, and you cannot STOP smoking? Her addiction would only be cured by her death. Listen, there will be folks who will say – or who have ALREADY been in your ear – about the virtues of flavored nicotine, delivered through products other than combustible tobacco. Undoubtedly you’ve heard or will hear tales of nicotine addiction “step down” strategies, from sellers who sell nicotine products for profit. Because they care? If these strategies are effective, then why flavor them, at all? Our representative government, at the state and municipal levels, have been lobbied by an industry whose entire business premise is rooted in nicotine addiction. The industry has YET to produce a medical professional – a pulmonologist, and oncologist, or an osteopath, to come forward in support of nicotine use of ANY kind, no matter the delivery system (combustible tobacco, e-cigarettes or vape devices). We have also not seen any studies that demonstrate e-cigarettes or vape devices as a proven harm reduction strategy. The new year, in particular because of the COVID pandemic – proven to afflict your respiratory system – would be the ideal time to give yourself the gift of good health, full and easy breaths, and your very presence in celebration (even if only by Zoom). If you’d like more information on how to quit, please hop over to the Colorado Quit Line, at www.coquitline.org; and if you’d like to work with a BIPOC counselor to address what is a stressful season, please reach out to Element of Discovery, at www.elementofdiscovery.com. –Leanne Wheeler
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Denver Pledged to Improve Education for Black Students. But Exactly How is up to Each School.
Chalkbeat Journalist Melanie Asmar
Michael Atkins recalls getting off the bus he took across Denver in sixth grade and hearing a teacher snidely say, “Here come the bus kids.” To succeed at the mostly white school he attended, “I needed to adopt the goalong-to-get-along strategy. I needed to try and act white,” said Atkins, who is Black. “We ask children to do that every single day.” Several decades later, Denver Public Schools is still grappling with how to serve Black students well. Atkins is now the principal of Stedman Elementary School. Along with every other principal in the district, he was required to develop a plan this year to celebrate Black students’ strengths and close academic gaps between Black students and their white peers. The plans are an important piece of a landmark Black excellence initiative in Denver. But a Chalkbeat review of the
more than 160 plans submitted by schools and charter networks found that while some are detailed and actionable, others are not. Many Black parents, teachers, and scholars fear that Denver’s decentralized approach to improving education for Black students isn’t powerful enough to make lasting change. “As you can see with the variation in these plans, it’s left to the imagination of the leader of that school: whether they understand it being a problem, how they understand it being a problem, and where they see their universe of influence,” said Eddie Fergus, an associate professor at Temple University who has worked with Denver Public Schools on this topic for years. Recent events show it’s still a problem. Teona Bonés was in math class her sophomore year when a teacher called a fellow Black student “boy.” The reason some students were failing his math class, the teacher said, was that they weren’t working hard enough. Bonés’ classmate spoke up about having to balance schoolwork with working multiple jobs to support his parents and siblings. Bonés, who is now a senior at Denver’s George Washington High School, said the teacher dismissed her classmate’s comments — and added a racial epithet. “He called him ‘boy’ in front of the entire class,” Bonés said. Two years ago this month, the Denver school board passed a Black Excellence Resolution. It was shepherded by Jennifer Bacon, a Black former educator who is now vice president of the board. “The board embraces the excellence of Black and African American students and will prioritize and target their academic
achievement,” the resolution says. Change is important, because data shows Black students are less likely to be enrolled in rigorous classes and more likely to be suspended from school than are their white peers. They are overrepresented in special education and underrepresented in gifted and talented programs. The resolution directs the district to do three things: Audit its structures to figure out how the system as a whole can better serve Black students, train all staff on implicit bias and culturally responsive education, and require each school to dissect its own data and develop an action plan to increase Black students’ success. In the time allotted last summer to produce its plan, George Washington High School leaders submitted the bare minimum. But they didn’t stop there. Leaders then set to calling the families of all 279 Black students, who make up about one-quarter of its student body, said Assistant Principal Fred Harris. They also sent out surveys. “How would you define Black excellence?” they asked students. “How should we measure it at George Washington?” What they heard was that Black students were tired of talking about test scores and how they were underrepresented in honors and rigorous International Baccalaureate classes, a gap that George Washington has been trying to close for years. “Black excellence is coming together and growing together about any issue we face within the Black community,” one student wrote in response to the survey. “It shouldn’t be measured,” another said. “Every Black student is excellent and should be praised. They should be taught that they’re excellent.”
School leaders are still mulling next steps, but Harris said one idea is to create a Black excellence center inside the school, a “home within a home” for Black students and staff that would aim to replicate the culture of historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. “Not every kid in our building is a great student, and if we keep measuring them by those arbitrary numbers, we won’t find out positive things,” he said. “We want to create an environment where kids culturally feel accepted here and want to come to school here.” Many Black teachers and community leaders question whether a school-byschool approach can create meaningful change. Black community activist brother jeff Fard thinks the district should lay out, “‘This is what we already know, this is what we’re not going to tolerate, and let us show you the best practices and expectations as it relates to Black excellence.’” William Anderson is helping to lead the Black excellence work at Manual High School, which has already succeeded at closing some academic gaps. “I wish there was some sense of continuity between [the plans] so we could have measurable outcomes across the district,” said Anderson, who teaches social studies at Manual. “If you tell a school that may not have many Black students in it, few Black staff, and the leadership isn’t Black to create a Black excellence plan, I don’t know how they’re doing that in a meaningful way. “I don’t know how you know what you don’t know.” Sataira Douglas, a teacher at Green Valley Elementary School, declined an invitation to help formulate her school’s Black excellence plan because of the February 2021 8
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Improving Education Continued From Page 13 Sataira Douglas, a teacher at Green Valley Elementary School, declined an invitation to help formulate her school’s Black excellence plan because of the “We have kids who go from school to school, and when we aren’t working as a district, that’s where kids fall through the gap,” Douglas said. But district officials say top-down mandates aren’t the answer. “I don’t think a strictly compliance approach will get us the long-term sustainable shifts,” said Kevin King, a principal supervisor. “This isn’t a compliance checklist. We are changing adult mindsets and conditions and allowing the Black excellence that is [there] to better shine.” Accountability lies with principal supervisors like King who are checking in regularly with school leaders, monitoring their progress, and offering coaching along the way. “It’s not a one-and-done,” said Sheri Charles, who is also a principal supervisor. “Nor is it a gotcha. We entered into this work with leaders and literally framed it as a conversation.” Chalkbeat filed an open records request for the plans; the district charged $150 to redact some sensitive data. Reading through more than 160 plans, Chalkbeat found some common themes. Many schools pledged to hold more staff meetings to discuss Black students’ academic data, provide training for teachers, and do book studies of texts such as “White Fragility” or “How to be an Antiracist.” Several mentioned adapting curriculum to be more culturally relevant, a districtwide effort spurred by Black students at Denver’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College high school. Many also
pledged to make an effort to connect with Black families. There were also common flaws in the plans. Several had blank spots or placeholders. A few strayed from the focus on Black students to reference Hispanic students or students of color. Some plans lack clear action steps and reveal disconnects between school leaders and their Black students. “Get to know students by name and face,” one plan said. Another pledged to identify a single Black student for the gifted and talented program through “creative” means. District officials recognize the wide variability in the quality of schools’ Black excellence plans, but they say that’s OK. The plans are a work in progress. “We need to meet our leaders and our schools where they are and recognize that it’s a journey,” said Charles, one of the principal supervisors. “The plans are never done.” District leaders also acknowledge that institutional racism exists in Denver Public Schools. Black students make up about 14% of the district’s 92,000 students. But only about 4% of Denver teachers are Black. The majority of teachers — more than 70% — are white. “We’re asking people to suddenly be concerned about Black excellence when the data says they haven’t historically been concerned with Black excellence,” said Vernon Jones, the executive director of a group of semi-autonomous districtrun schools. “What the district needs to own is we’ve asked people to do some things they may not be equipped to do.” – Chalkbeat Journalist Melanie Asmar Entire article at co.chalkbeat.org
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