Juneteenth 2018 Juneteenth is more than a party with bands exploiting our heritage. Now is the time to change!
June 2018
Special Supplement
Modern-Day Slavery - Did Slavery End in June 1865? SC Rally outside Lee County Prison Calls for End to Prison Slavery By Bratton Young [LiberationNews] - On May 19, dozens of people rallied at the gates of Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina, in solidarity with the ongoing fight of prisoners for better living conditions following a massacre of inmates on April 15 which left seven dead and 50 injured– the worst incident of violence inside a U.S. prison in over 25 years. For eight hours, the dead and wounded were left without medical attention, and some on the inside reported that guards willfully neglected medical emergencies, blocking medics from entering and even laughing as prisoners killed each other. The event was put on by the Party for Socialism and Liberation with the help of Freedom Fighters SC, Students for Justice in Palestine, Black Lives Matter and the Young Democratic Socialists. Also present were members of the IWW-Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee. The events of April 15 culminated in the prisoners’ call for a nationwide strike starting on August 21 until September 9. Lee Correctional, like many prison facilities across the U.S., is home to numerous industries such
as garment, hosiery and other apparel where private corporations have free rein to exploit the labor of incarcerated workers in slavery conditions, paying them less than a dollar per day for their work. The prisoners released a list of 10 demands of the strike, one of which is an immediate end to prison slavery. In order to have these demands met, prisoners will participate in work strikes, sit-ins, boycotts and hunger strikes. The purpose of the rally was first and foremost to echo the prisoners’ demands and to make sure that they will not go unheard on the outside. Along with amazing words from those who have been personally affected by the unjust U.S. prison system, speakers read statements and letters written by those inside the walls of Lee Correctional. One letter voiced, “We are standing against the mass incarceration and the warehousing of Black and Brown people in particular and all peoples in general… Prisoners are still human beings and the present filthy, disease infested, inhumane and hazardous conditions of SCDC are unacceptable and we must take a stand.” Also read aloud were statements from a number of organizations on the inside of prisons in South Carolina and all across the U.S. A statement from
Photos, Liberation News
Unheard Voices OTCJ affirmed, “It is a virtual necessity that everyone that is here today must start seeing the truth and the reality that is taking place in every state across America, not just here in South Carolina. The same crimes against humanity exist in every prison in our country. This slavery must come to an end today or we will see needless rivers of blood flow across our Nation!” A statement from Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, a national collective of incarcerated people who provide legal support and education to inmates from
inside the prison walls themselves expressed, “Knowing you all are outside those gates motivates us to stay focused, do what’s right, and survive this. Know that as you gather outside the gates, we are in here kicking the doors celebrating your presence.” An anonymous Twitter account associated with prisoners inside SCDC facilities said after the rally, “Every prison is buzzing. Prisoners yelling across the rock letting their neighbors know, there are people out there speaking up for them. A 1st in SC.” The May 19 rally will not be the last of its kind. Those on the outside can only provide meaningful support to the prisoners’ struggles if they dare to be as persistent and unwavering as the prisoners themselves. We call on everyone to spread information about the strike as well as the demands of the prisoners far and wide, put pressure on those on the inside and outside who have control over the situation and show your support to every initiative of the upcoming strike by any means necessary. The U.S. prison system must be totally uprooted, and in its place a humane system must be employed. Bratton Young Liberation News www.liberationnews.org
Libyan Slavery in 2018 By Jason Johnson
Refugees and migrants are seen waiting to disembark the Migrant Offshore Aid Station Phoenix vessel after arriving in port on June 12, 2017, in Reggio Calabria, Italy. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Why is Libyan slavery a moral issue for the United States? Not only is the U.S. partially responsible, but the situation has gotten demonstrably worse for refugees since the story broke in November. The majority of the refugees are from Eritrea or the Sudan seeking asylum in Israel or Europe and using Libya as a jumping-off point. However, political winds have been changing in Europe, making it harder for refugees to enter, and at the end of December, the Israeli government gave African refugees 90 days to get out of the country or face arrest. Of course, news travels slow when you’re running for your life, so many people don’t find out that there are refugee restrictions until they’re already in Libya. By that point, slavers offering a way out are able to take advantage. Jason Johnson The Root www.theroot.com For the in-depth story visit: https://www.theroot.com/libyanslavery-is-wrong-and-it-s-partly-america-s-faul-1821863389
“If relatives help each other, what evil can hurt them?” - African proverb June 2018
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JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth Juneteenth is the oldest Black American holiday. It began on June 19, 1865, when the slaves learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, proclaiming the freedom of slaves in 10 states. Since then, Blacks have gathered every year to celebrate this special holiday, now known as Juneteenth. Because this holiday represented what the Fourth of July meant to Americans, Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth in much the same way the Fourth of July was celebrated. Parades were held. Speeches were made. Games were played. Special food was served. Juneteenth officially began with a parade. Brass bands led the procession, followed by Blacks who had once been enslaved. After the parade, people gathered to hear the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order #3. Speeches were made and prayer services were held. Freedom Songs, such as “Free at Last” and patriotic songs, such as “The Star Spangled Banner” were sung. The American flag was seen everywhere decorating floats and grandstands. People were proud to be free, American citizens.
About the Juneteenth Flag The Juneteenth Flag is a symbol that gives all Americans the opportunity to recognize American freedom and African American History. The Juneteenth Flag represents a star of Texas bursting with new freedom throughout the land, over a new horizon. The Juneteenth Flag represents a new freedom, a new people, and a new star. The Juneteenth Flag was created with American red, white and blue colors.
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Over centuries, Caribbean Americans are believed to have come to America through the bondage of slavery while others voluntarily came in search of a better life. They have made significant contributions in America’s history and, during the month of June, all Americans will have the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the history and accomplishments of these immigrants.
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Each year the President of the United States proclaims June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month, a month that celebrates the history and culture of Caribbean Americans. It is a month that recognizes the diverse cultures and contributions of Americans who trace their heritage to the Caribbean.
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National Caribbean American Heritage Month
Circular No. 3591 Circular No. 3591 was a directive from Attorney General Francis Biddle to all United States attorneys concerning the procedure for handling cases relating to involuntary servitude, slavery and peonage. Following the formal abolition of slavery in the United States at the end of the Civil War, freed slaves in the American South often found themselves subject to conditions of forced labor that approximated slavery. [1] Author Douglas A. Blackmon has called this period, which lasted until the end of World War II, "the Age of Neoslavery." [2] "Peonage," the working out of a debt, was the term most frequently used for this form of bondage. A federal statute, 18 United States Code 444, enacted in 1867 to criminalize the practice, was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1905; [3] and in 1911, the Court struck down an Alabama law that compelled contract workers to continue in service to their employers.[4] Nevertheless, peonage and other forms of forced labor persisted. "Convict leasing" permitted private employers to pay state and local governments for the labor of persons convicted of crimes; [5] and a practice known as "confessing judgment" forced African Americans to admit to minor offenses, often based on spurious accusations, and bind themselves to white employers who agreed to pay their fines and costs. [6] Because traditional reliance on the peonage law resulted in few convictions and only minor penalties in cases where convictions were obtained, Attorney General Biddle opted to refocus the efforts of the Department of Justice on the broader issue of slavery, directing the department's prosecutors to attack the practice by name and use a wider array of criminal statutes to convict both slave-holding employers and the local officials who abetted them. [7] He announced the new policy in Circular No. 3591.
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JUNETEENTH Open Letter to St. Louis University By AABCA Media Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children; and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” America’s first original sin was slavery. SLU participated and profited from that sin. In the Proverbs verse, the good man represents the African slaves that built SLU. The inheritance is the debt owed to the Africans for forced slave labor that SLU used to build its empire. The children’s children are the descendants of African slaves. The wealth of the sinner laid up for the just would be reparations owed to African DESCENDANTS from SLU. This is from the Book of God! If the slaves that built SLU had been Caucasian Jews, Irish, Italians, etc., reparations for their descendants would have been a given. I would like to make it clear to SLU and other black leaders that Minority Participation is not equivalent to reparations. It’s time for SLU to give justice to the descendants of African slaves. That justice can only come through reparations; if the oppressors decide not to give the descendants reparations, that decision will be met with confrontation, and if it’s confrontation, then in the words of the great Muhammad Ali to his opponents before a fight, “Since we can’t get along, then we have to get it on.” The author James Baldwin once told Dr. Martin Luther King, “The reason why the white man called us n i g g e r s was to justify his mistreatment of us.”
A Talk With The Community - Letter To The African Union African Union Headquarters P.O. Box 3243 Roosvelt Street (Old Airport Area) W21K19 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Dear Leaders of the African Union: My name is Dr. Quintessa Hathaway Hervey. I am a global citizen, and I have grave concerns about the enslavement of migrant workers in the country of Libya. This twenty first century issue is one that must be addressed strategically, methodically, and with the objectives of emancipation and stability for the Libyan people. As global citizens and those in positions of authority, we are mandated to use our voices and power for the greater good. The world is in a posture of reaction when we had an opportunity to be proactive. We cannot afford to continue to be in oblivion as a nation slips into sociopolitical and economic ruin. The gross inequality and atrocity that is happening in Libya is our generational issue. As Former Ghanaian President Kwame Nkurmah stated so eloquently, “It is clear that we must find an African solution to our problems, and that this can only be found in African unity. Divided we are weak; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world.” This is a social catastrophe that can be ended if we are willing. We must do more than denounce slavery in Libya. We must employ all resources in the African Union’s toolbox to abolish this oppressive act. We must do more. It is going to take a collective commitment from all stakeholders on the global stage to investigate, gather intelligence, and create preventative measures. You have the capacity to put individuals on the ground to disrupt the ongoing slavery in Libya. This matter may even require the armed forces of many nations to be exercised in order to bring liberation to the Libyan citizens. I ask for your full throated, intentional, and expeditious effort to tackle the pressing issue of the day; the enslavement of the people of Libya. Although the continent of Africa is not new to slavery or mass deportation of human beings to be used as forced laborers, it is our duty to intervene when the matter is at our doorstep. Too much is at stake, lives are being transformed, and self-worth is being lost as we speak. I ask that the African Union do more to address this humanitarian crisis. In Oneness, Dr. Quintessa Hathaway Hervey, Founder/Owner A Talk With The Community A Function Of Q. Hathaway Hervey Publishing Company LLC www.atalkwiththecommunity.com
Juneteenth Events around the Country 15th Annual Juneteenth Festival African American Heritage Celebration St. Mary's County, Maryland John G Lancaster Park 21550 Willows Road Lexington Park, MD 20653
Shades of Black 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration Harker Heights Event Center 710 Edwards Dr Harker Heights, TX 76548 FREE EVENT!! Shades of Black Juneteenth Celebration is a Great Event for the Entire Family!!
Saturday, June 16, 2018 Juneteenth Festival: noon - 8 pm
This Event is an Indoor/Outdoor Event.
Family Event FREE ADMISSION!
Entertaiment will include Poets, Gospel, Rap, Dance Groups. Fashion and a Natural Hair Show.
Vendors from all over. A Kid’s Corner with Bounce Houses, Video Games, a Hula Hoop Contest and many more kids’ activities. Take a walk thru our Juneteenth Museum and learn the truth about our History. Enjoy Local Cultural restaurants with a taste of Black cuisine. Hours are 2pm to 9pm.
Juneteenth Atlanta Mozley Park 1565 Martin Luther King Jr Dr NW Atlanta, GA 30314 June 15 -17, 2018
Juneteenth Urban Music Festival 2018 Robert R. Church Park South 4 St. Memphis, TN 38103 June 15-17, 2018
For a list of Juneteenth Festivals in your area check: https://www.everfest.com/seasonal/juneteenth-festivals
“If I am in harmony with my family, that’s success.” - Ute proverb June 2018
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St. Louis County Boycott for Economic and Social Justice boycott to show your support for economic development!
YOU ARE THE CHANGE! Arab Businesses
St. Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights
“You can pray until you faint, but unless you get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap.” – Fannie Lou Hamer
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“A family tie is like a tree, it can bend but it cannot break.” - African proverb KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1991 Free June 2018 Remembering Dr. James H. Cone, Professor, Prophet, Pastor, Mentor and Friend By Rev. Dr. Linda E. Thomas It is hard to describe my relationship to the Rev. Dr. James H. Cone – it is hard for all of us who were marked by this great man. Yet, as someone who has carried his legacy, and who must carry this legacy even more boldly now that he has gone home, it is important for me to do what I can to share what this man has meant to me, and by extension, what he means to the Academy and the Church. May my offering be acceptable in your sights. Read, comment, and share. On Saturday morning, 29 April 2018, I received a text from my BFF, Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas that our beloved mentor, Dr. James Hal Cone had died. Although I’d anticipated this communiqué, my mind could not fully grasp the feelings my body held. Like a dam that had burst, memories flooded my mind. My long-term memory bank released a tsunami of images flooding my entire being. I was exhausted in just a few moments. The grieving process had begun and
moves to a new junction as the Life of Dr. James Hal Cone is celebrated at his “Home Going” Service today at 11 a.m. at the Riverside Church in New York City. I am attending that service with my daughter, Dora. This week, I dedicate this blog post to Dr. James H. Cone. The announcement of his passing went around the world in a matter of seconds. My Facebook page showed messages in a variety of languages, some unrecognizable to me. Dr. James Cone did two basic things that reshaped theological discourse throughout the globe. First, he re-imagined the image of God, positing that God is Black. Second, his book Black Theology and Black Power published in 1969 presented the first systematic presentation of Black Theology bringing to light God’s presence in the struggle for freedom by black Americans centered in the gospel message of salvation. Written in light of the commencement of the Civil Rights Movement, this book thundered to the world a theological anthropology that
Dr. Cone and Rev. Dr. Linda E. Thomas at her graduation from Union Theological Seminary.
Black Lives Matter. There are so many ways to write this post. I will take the path of simplicity so that as many people as possible, including children can know this iconic person.. Early Life, Faith Formation, and White Supremacy James Cone was born in Fordyce,
Arkansas, in 1939 and grew up in the small town, Bearden. He lived with a diunital reality: the love and affirmation of the historic Black church realized through African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) he attended with his family and a normative death-dealing Continued on page 6
Starbucks: From Boycott to Victory
Phillip Jackson If Howard Shultz wasn’t the founder of Starbucks, he would have been one of the boycott protesters with us. He said he was “embarrassed” and “ashamed” by the arrest of two Black men in a Starbucks Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who were taken away by police and subsequently held for 9 hours in a Philadelphia jail for the crime of sitting in a Starbucks store and not ordering coffee. Starbucks is widely known as a good operator and an overall good guy in American business circles with its clean stores, open meeting spaces, free Wi-Fi;
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strong community relations, and its great business model consisting of good jobs with fair benefits. But the Starbucks decision to fix this public relations problem with “diversity training” is not the Howard Schultz or even the Starbucks way. Rather than work with the Black community towards a solution to this potentially international issue, Starbucks turned to themselves and created a program for diversity
training that includes closing their stores for one day and hiring the highest-priced diversity trainers money can buy. The Black community wanted to know, “How will we, the Black community-aggrieved by this incident and aggrieved every day--how will we be better because of your “diversity training”? The only answer Starbucks could give was, after the training “You will be better because we will be better.” Sorry! Not
good enough! Numerous studies by Harvard University, MIT, Tel Aviv University and others show that diversity training doesn’t work and can produce the opposite of intended outcomes. These studies conclude that decades of cultural, racial and environmental bias and prejudice cannot be eradicated with one or 50 or 100 “diversity trainings.”
Inside this Issue: Saint Louis African American Artifacts Festival and Bazaar - 3 | Meditation Can Soothe the Soul in Just One Session - 4 Opportunity Zone Program Has Much Potential - 7 | Welcome to Nu Town - 9
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NATIONAL Starbucks: From Boycott to Victory Continued from page 1
In fact, such “trainings” can cause those hard-wired feelings to become more deeply entrenched thus resulting in the opposite of the sought-after effect. The Chicago Boycott – Case Study In Chicago, The Black Star Project organized a 12-store boycott of Starbucks. During the boycott, no anger was displayed. No one was arrested. No windows were broken. No stores were firebombed. Instead, there was plenty of dialogue. Dialogue is the Starbucks way. There were reports of Starbucks’ employees offering the boycotters free coffee and standing with the protesters. Protesters held doors open for elderly customers who did not honor the boycott. One protester even offered to buy a Starbucks coffee for the sick father of a man who expressed guilt about violating the boycott, but explained that his dad could only drink one kind of coffee—only available at Starbucks. It seemed as though boycotters and boycottees had reached a human accord -- The Starbucks Way. The Chicago boycott organizers are now planning community forums at more than 300 Black-owned or managed coffee houses, as well as at faith-based and community-based organizations across the U.S., especially near the 12 Starbucks stores previously boycotted. These community forums will serve as “Black Economic Empowerment Forums”, where attendees will develop
plans to improve the economic vitality of their communities. We wanted Starbucks to be part of this initiative. So far, they have said no. Starbucks is really one of the “good guys” in corporate America but working with the community will only make them better. It’s important to understand that even with over 9,000 stores throughout America, Starbucks shops are really only guests in these communities. Meet Howard Schultz, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors Howard Schultz, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Starbucks Board of Directors does understand Starbucks culture and he understands America. He knows that the Starbucks success is tied to communities’ success. He is unafraid to try new ideas even though those ideas might fail. However, this seems not to be the Starbucks way today. In 2015, Starbucks tried to convene a ‘Race Together” dialogue through its stores. America was not ready then. In 2018, America is coming apart racially, socially and religiously. America is now ready for Howard Schultz’ ideas. But this effort cannot be owned by Starbucks alone. Other corporations, government agencies at all levels, foundations, faith-based and civic organizations along with social institutions and others must partner with Starbucks to make America and the world better. Mr. Schultz’ leadership style has been described as transformational. He does
not think like a businessperson. He thinks like a person wanting to make the world a better place. But even he, superrich, powerful, and well-intentioned, needs the help of the world to achieve this transformational vision and reality. Starbucks, well established in business history, now has a chance to establish itself in human history. In the words of Mr. Schultz: “…if we think about the country today — and I’m not talking about politics — I think the country needs to become more compassionate, more empathic. And we can’t speak about the promise of America and the American Dream and leave millions of people behind. And it’s my view that — leave Washington aside and all the politics aside — businesses and business leaders need to do a lot more for the people we employ, the communities we serve, and we can make a significant difference.” So where does Starbucks go from here? Schultz says that he knows the Starbucks chain “won’t bridge the racial divide on its own” and that a coffee company “can only do so much.” However, he hopes to keep pushing forward and pursue initiatives that matter to him with the “same vigor he pursues
corporate profits.” The Montgomery Bus Boycott that changed America forever lasted 381 days. The Starbucks Boycott is only days 33 days old. Only 348 days to go. Phillip Jackson Founder and Chairman Board of Directors The Black Star Project www.blackstarproject.org
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COMMUNITY
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“If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents.” - African proverb
June 2018
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HEALTH How to Eat Better, According to Dr. Mark Hyman The big fat debate about dietary fat and its effects on your health isn’t the only nutrition advice that’s done a 180 in the past few years. We’ve seen eggs
Lifelong Health. “We should eat eggs; then we shouldn’t eat eggs. Or we should eat oatmeal; we shouldn’t eat oatmeal. We should eat
“So, with all the flip-flopping, how do you know if what you’re putting on your plate is helping or hurting your health?” turn from public enemy number-one to a solid source of protein. Butter — once attached to weight gain and heart disease — has become a mainstay for Bulletproof and ketogenic diet-backers (that is, as long as it’s grass-fed). Same goes for coconut oil. So, with all the flip-flopping, how do you know if what you’re putting on your plate is helping or hurting your health? That’s exactly what Mark Hyman, MD, set out to answer in his new book, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? The No-Nonsense Guide to Achieving Optimal Weight and
meat; then we shouldn’t eat meat. It’s enough to make anybody kind of throw up their hands,” he says. “I wanted to break through the nutrition confusion and help people understand why there’s so much controversy. And then go through each category of food we actually eat and give people a practical roadmap to understand just what the heck they should eat.” To read the entire article visit: https:// dailyburn.com/life/health/markhyman-healthy-food-choices/
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Meditation Can Soothe the Soul in Just One Session By Mary Elizabeth Dallas A single session of meditation can lower your anxiety levels, a small new study finds. “Our results show a clear reduction in anxiety in the first hour after the meditation session, and our preliminary results suggest that anxiety was
reviewed journal. The research showed that a one-hour session had notable benefits. Most of the participants continued to practice mindfulness meditation and experienced even more improvements one week later. “Participants also had reduced mechanical stress on their arteries an hour after the session. This could help to reduce stress on organs like the brain and kidneys and help prevent conditions such as high blood pressure,” Durocher said in a meeting news release. “The results suggest that a single mindfulness meditation session may help to reduce cardiovascular risk in those with moderate anxiety,” he added.
chronic anxiety, the researchers said. Heart changes linked with anxiety can lead to high blood pressure and organ damage. For the study, Durocher and his colleagues recruited 14 participants with normal blood pressure but high levels of anxiety. The investigators evaluated the volunteers’ heart rate,
“Anxiety can raise the risk for heart disease; previous studies have shown that arterial stiffness may be worsened by traumatic life events, job strain, depression and either short-term or chronic anxiety, the researchers said.” significantly lower one week after the meditation session,” said study author John Durocher. He is an assistant professor of physiology at Michigan Technological University’s department of biological sciences. Anxiety can raise the risk for heart disease; previous studies have shown that arterial stiffness may be worsened by traumatic life events, job strain, depression and either short-term or
blood pressure, aortic blood pressure and arterial stiffness before and after a 60-minute guided beginner mindfulness meditation session. This type of meditation focuses on breathing and awareness of one’s thoughts. “This study is different because we examined the effect of a single mindfulness meditation session on anxiety and cardiovascular outcomes, while other studies have examined
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the effect of several days or weeks of mindfulness meditation,” Durocher explained. The study was to be presented Monday at the American Physiological Society annual meeting, in San Diego. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-
WebMD News from HealthDay SOURCE: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, news release, April 23, 2018 WebMD www.webmd.com Mary Elizabeth Dallas HealthDay Reporter HealthDay www.healthday.com
Stay in the KNOW! Join our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/milehighfitness for special offers and timely fitness and nutrition tips! Mile High Fitness & Wellness was founded by Kim Farmer whose primary mission is to bring fitness and nutrition to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Mile High Fitness & Wellness is the proud provider of many municipalities, private companies, school districts, non-profits and other groups located in and outside of Colorado. She has partnered with many practitioners to travel to various locations to provide high quality, professional personal training and nutrition programs, corporate wellness initiatives, assessments, workshops, speeches and more.
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FINANCIAL President and Congress Roll Back Anti-Discriminatory Auto Lending Guidance: What’s Next for Consumers?
Charlene Crowell Despite federal laws addressing discrimination in housing, credit, and more, President Donald Trump signed on May 21, a rollback of an antidiscrimination guidance affecting auto lending. The presidential signature also marked the first time that a policy that had been in effect for several years was reversed through a special, streamlined legislative process under the Congressional Review Act. The significance of this action will have national and rippling effects. Nationwide, auto loans represent the third highest category of consumer debt – behind mortgages and student loans. With so many communities across the country lacking accessible, metropolitan public transit services, owning or having access to a reliable automobile is central to access jobs, health care, education and more. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the sale of 17.14 million new cars in 2017 by franchised dealerships surpassed $1 trillion in sales. The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) has also noted that 80 percent of vehicle loans are financed through dealers. Further, as the number of auto loans grow, so does the average cost of a new car. According to Experian, one of the three major credit reporting bureaus, the average loan amount for a new car in late 2017 was $31,099 and came with an all-time high record monthly payment of $515. The comparable figure for an average used car payment of $371 came with an average loan of $19,589. When racial discrimination is added to these already significant numbers,
consumers of color wind up paying even more – due to the color of their skin, instead of the quality of their credit ratings. Over the last few years, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) was the legal basis for lawsuits and settlements involving Ally Financial, Fifth Third Bank, and the financing arms of major auto manufacturers Honda and Toyota. This law makes it illegal to discriminate on race or other protected classes in credit transactions. In auto lending, indirect auto lenders – those who finance loans through dealers – are creditors who must uphold the law. Thanks in part to the 2013 CFPB indirect auto lending guidance, consumers of color were awarded restitution totaling more than $140 million for alleged discrimination. “Countless lawsuits have shown how people of color pay millions more for their car purchases, compared to similarly situated whites,” noted Delvin Davis, a CRL Senior Researcher. “Without a regulator that enforces fair lending standards, African-Americans and Latinos stand to bear the weight of discrimination without any relief.” The presidential signing was made possible by both chambers of Congress turning to the Congressional Review Act. This law allows simple majority votes in the House and Senate to override regulation. Until now, this act had only been used to undo new regulation; this recent usage marks the first time that a long-standing policy was the focus. Mick Mulvaney, the illegally appointed Acting CFPB Director, said, “Given a recent Supreme Court decision distinguishing between antidiscrimination statutes that refer to the consequences of actions and those that refer only to the intent of the actor, and in light of the fact that the Bureau is required by statute to enforce federal consumer financial laws consistently, the Bureau will be re-examining the requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.” Strong and opposing views quickly surfaced upon the President’s signing. Karl Frisch, Executive Director of Allied Progress, is one such consumer activist. “President Trump can try to spin it any way he wants, but the bottom line
is this – black and brown folks are systematically charged more for their car loans even when they have the same credit as whites,” said Frisch. “This president has consistently shown us that consumers are not of any importance to him, particularly when they are people of color.” Research supports Frisch’s critique. Discrimination in Auto Lending, authored and published earlier this year by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), found that despite federal laws banning credit discrimination by race or ethnicity, race remains a key factor in the cost of financing auto loans. Like secret shoppers, NFHA sent eight teams of testers to dealerships to inquire about purchasing the same vehicle. Each team was told to ask the same questions and then report on their experiences. Although all testers encountered challenges to securing information needed to secure the best auto loan available, non-White testers noted being treated disrespectfully and receiving a higher-cost quote for financing than the White testers. Numerically, the sum of experiences found: • 75 percent of the time, White testers were offered more financing options than Non-White testers; • 62.5 percent of the time, Non-White
testers who were more qualified than their White counterparts received more costly pricing options; and • On average, Non-White testers who experienced discrimination would have paid an average of $2,662.56 more over the life of the loan than lessqualified White testers. For consumers everywhere, but particularly for consumers of color, Mulvaney’s harsh words signal that so many of the hard-fought battles to bring fairness and equality are at risk. Prior to the House vote taken on May 8, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee warned her colleagues about the regressive effects that would occur if the measure was enacted. “This resolution would set back efforts to prevent discriminatory auto lending, make it harder for responsible businesses to follow the law, and harm consumers,” said Waters. Sadly, when it comes to financial fairness in auto finance, truer words were never spoken. The real question for consumers is, ‘What’s next’? Charlene Crowell Deputy Communications Director Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) www.responsiblelending.org
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“The wealth which enslaves the owner isn’t wealth.” - Yoruba Proverb June 2018
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REMEMBERING JAMES H. CONE Remembering Dr. James H. Cone, Professor, Prophet, Pastor, Mentor and Friend Continued from page 1
anti-black racism. White culture of the south and elsewhere in the United States at that time actively displayed social norms that devalued Black people. Cone and his brother always stayed up late until they heard their father’s truck drive up, signaling that he was home from his day of work. Cone’s mother comforted her sons by teaching them the power of God in history and in every present moment. She taught them that Jesus’ power was with them and that Jesus knew about suffering so he understood the plight of black people. She also taught that the Holy Spirit was actively present, giving them a kind of protection and freedom that transcended the worries of this world. Their church taught them the same. And even though they were surrounded by dangers of white supremacy, and therefore always in danger, they were in God’s hands. Education, Vocation, the Persistence of Racism and Cone’s Response Cone went to Shorter College and Philander Smith College in Little Rock receiving his B.A. in 1958. Acknowledging his call to ordained ministry, he entered divinity studies at Garrett Theological Seminary and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1961. He received his M.A. from Northwestern University in 1963, and his Ph.D. from the same institution in 1965. There, too, he experienced racism. Upon finding out that James Cone was black, his initial scholarship was reneged and he had to take on janitorial duties to support himself. Despite everything, though, he persevered. He told his white student colleagues that he would eventually write about the God Human relationship from the perspective of black people, and they retorted that black people were not worthy of being reflected upon theologically, but just as his classmates at Garrett discounted his scholarship so did the white theological academy. Even so, Cone critiqued white theologians and the white church because he believed that to be the task of the theologian. His writings radically criticized one of the US’s most beloved theologians, Reinhold Niebuhr – whose theological imagination thrilled white culture while telling Black folks whose lives were mired by structural racism to “go slow” as they pushed for equality during the Civil Rights Movement. Anyone who knew James Cone knew that he cared very little about what white folks thought of him or his theological commitments. He focused his entire life on the theological relationship between God and Black people. Moreover, his focus was not on “when we all get to heaven” but rather on “Thy Kingdom come on earth …” His entire vocation endlessly proclaimed that the “Kingdom” of God – as evinced in the lives of Black people – was indeed an integral and powerful vision of what the Church needed to be – this was very different from the white theology espoused by
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most white theologians and the majority of white churches. Systematic Theological Response: Black Theology and Black Power (1969) When the dreams and frustrations of Black People erupted in protest and resistance in the 1960’s, James Cone put pen to paper and wrote, Black Theology and Black Power, declaring that God was in the midst of these eruptions, making these protests and demonstrations “good.” Moreover, since the God of Black people loved Black people as much as White people, and since that same God
died on the Cross for Black people as God had for White People, then as baptized Christians, Black people had no choice, but to love themselves as they loved their neighbors. This meant rising up to defend themselves when White Christians participated in the oppression of Black people. For Cone, institution’s entrapment of black citizens in cycles of poverty, poor education, discriminatory laws, and a church unrepentant for its open racism was the deep and insipid sin that the nation needed to confront. But though white society and the white church would shout “Peace! Peace!” as dogs attacked beautifully, Sunday-church clad black folks and KKK members bombed churches and killed beautifully Sunday-church clad black children, people of African Descent across the nation shouted, “There is no peace!” Systematic Theological Response: The Cross and the Lynching Tree (2011) In 2011, Cone’s final book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree was published. Hear his words: “What is invisible to white Christians and their theologians is inescapable to black people. The Cross is a reminder that the world is fraught with many contradictions–many lynching trees. We cannot forget the terror of the lynching tree no matter how hard we try. It is buried deep in the living memory and psychology of the black experience in America. We can go to churches and celebrate our religious heritage, but the tragic memory of the black holocaust in America’s history is still waiting to find theological meaning. When black people sing about Jesus’ cross, they often think of black lives lost to the lynching tree … to the gun of white police” (Cone 2012: 159-160).”
Cone’s resilience came from the teachings of his early faith community. His faith was matched by a deliberate Christian ethics grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity and as his scholarly record demonstrates, he made consistent scholarly contributions throughout his life. These writings demonstrate his evolving self that adapted to encounters with interfaith traditions, black women’s and women of color’s articulation of sexism and gender discrimination in their cultural context, ecological theology, and much, much more. His legacy includes nine books of which four have been translated into nine languages. He published over 150 articles; was granted numerous distinguished awards and lectured at myriad universities and public societies and institutes throughout the United States, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The power of Cone’s work is that it calls for the Church to connect its collusion with, if not direct participation in, institutions that oppress black people in America to the cross and the lynching tree, thereby linking the execution of Jesus by the Roman State, with the murder of black people by lynching, whether by mob or by gun. Moreover, the resurrection represents God’s love for the marginalized to create movements like the Civil Rights movement, and Black Lives Matter, #MeToo – to mark resistance against “populist” thrusts to “Make America Great Again.” The Church must be the “head light rather than the tail light.” Cone’s work calls for non-black leaders of the church, who are part of the culturally dominant groups in America, to recall the marks of the church and to re-member the church. Perhaps, in this time and place, the
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question for the church is, what is the church going to choose to be? Who is the church going to serve? And that is what we must continue to do, friends. That is what we must continue to do – to preach to the Church, to all people, to pay heed to the marginalized voices within it so that it might “re-member” or become whole flesh again. Cone pointed a way forward back in 1969 when he published Black Theology and Black Power, as a reminder for the church in the United States to get back into its body, to deal with its pain and injustices. And if there is one thing that he taught so many of us over the years – students, mentees, readers, all of us – was that it is only when we use our distinct theological voices can we be sure that we speak the most clearly. So in memory of my teacher, mentor, and friend – keep on speaking! Dr. Linda E. Thomas has engaged students, scholars and communities as a scholar for thirty-one years. She studies, researches, writes, speaks and teaches about the intersection and mutual influence of culture and religion. Her work is rooted intransitively in a Womanist perspective. An ordained Methodist pastor for 35 years with a Ph.D. in Anthropology from The American University in Washington, D. C. and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, Dr. Thomas’s work has taken her to South Africa, Peru, Cuba and Russia. She has been recognized as an Association of Theological Schools Faculty Fellow as well as a Pew Charitable Trust Scholar. Black Theology Project www.btpbase.org Rev. Dr. Linda E. Thomas Professor of Theology and Anthropology Chair of LSTC’s Diversity Committee Editor of “We Talk. We Listen.” https://wetalkwelisten.wordpress.com/
June 2018
BEYOND THE RHETORIC Opportunity Zone Program Has Much Potential
Harry C. Alford Over the last three decades there has been little significant legislation come out of our congressional small business committees. When the late, great Parren J. Mitchell retired from the House Small Business Committee as Chairperson, it kind of marked the end of great legislation relative to small and minority business procurement and investment. Fortunately, the Honorable Tim Scott, Black Republican senator from South Carolina had a vision and has made it a reality. The Opportunity Zone Program, officially the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is now law and quite active. The Clinton Administrations had similar programs such as the Enterprise Zones and Empowerment Zones. However, those lacked some transparency and promoted gentrification
Opportunity Zones, covering parts of 18 states, were designated on April 9, 2018. Q. What is the purpose of Opportunity Zones? A. Opportunity Zones are an economic development tool—that is, they are designed to spur economic development and job creation in distressed communities. Q. How do Opportunity Zones spur economic development? A. Opportunity Zones are designed to spur economic development by providing tax benefits to investors. First, investors can defer tax on any prior gains until the earlier of the date on which an investment is sold or exchanged, or December 31, 2026, so long as the gain is reinvested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Second, if the investor holds the investment in the Opportunity Fund for at least ten years, the investor would be eligible for an increase in basis equal to the reasonable value of the investment on the date that the investment is sold or exchanged. Q. What is a Qualified Opportunity Fund? A. Qualified Opportunity Fund is an investment vehicle that is set up as either a partnership or corporation for investing in eligible property that is located in an Opportunity Zone and that utilizes the investor’s gains from a prior investment for funding the Opportunity Fund. Q. Do I need to live in an Opportunity Zone to take advantage
“The Clinton Administrations had similar programs such as the Enterprise Zones and Empowerment Zones. However, those lacked some transparency and promoted gentrification more than economic empowerment.” more than economic empowerment. The federal agency in charge of overseeing the program is the Internal Revenue Service. The following is a great description of what the law is all about: Q. What is an Opportunity Zone? A. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities qualify as Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by the state and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury via his delegation authority to the Internal Revenue Service. Q. Who created Opportunity Zones? A. Opportunity Zones were added to the tax code by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. Q. Have Opportunity Zones been around a long time? A. No, they are new. The first set of
of the tax benefits? A. No. You can get the tax benefits, even if you don’t live, work or have a business in an Opportunity Zone. All you need to do is invest in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Q. I am interested in investing in an Opportunity Zone. Is there a list of Opportunity Zones available? A. Yes. The current list of approved Opportunity Zones can be found at Opportunity Zones Resources. This list will continue to be updated as more Opportunity Zones are approved. A complete list of approved Opportunity Zones will be published later this spring after all Opportunity Zones have been nominated, certified and designated. Q. How does a taxpayer become certified as a Qualified Opportunity Fund? A. To become a Qualified Opportunity Fund, an eligible taxpayer self certifies. (Thus, no approval or action by the IRS
Photo, Olu Eletu/Unsplash
is required.) To self-certify, a taxpayer merely completes a form (which will be released in the summer of 2018) and attaches that form to the taxpayer’s federal income tax return for the taxable year. (The return must be filed timely, taking extensions into account.) Q. How can I get more information about Opportunity Zones? A. Over the next few months, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service will be providing further details, including additional legal guidance, on this new incentive. More information will be available at Treasury. gov and IRS.gov.” The National Black Chamber of Commerce will be working with Senator
NBCC
Scott to ensure that all states take advantage of this program. For instance, Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois, has already secured 325 neighborhoods eligible for investors. Check with your congressional representative for the latest news for your area. Make sure they are aware that you have a personal stake. Realtors, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, retailers, etc. should stay on top of the opportunities as they unfold. Let us all give the Honorable Senator Tim Scott a well-deserved “salute”. Harry C. Alford Co-founder, President / CEO National Black Chamber of Commerce www.nationalbcc.org
National Black Chamber of Commerce®
National Black Chamber of Commerce® The National Black Chamber of Commerce® is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora. www.nationalbcc.org
4400 Jenifer St. NW Suite 331, Washington, DC 20015 phone: 202-466-6888 | fax: 202-466-4918 info@nationalbcc.org
“Make some money but don’t let money make you.” - Tanzanian Proverb June 2018
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theblackbusinessschool.com www.africanamericanvoice.net
June 2018
Welcome to
Nu Town James Tucker
Missouri New Madrid
Making a Positive Difference
Nu Town Legacy Keeping History Alive
New Town is the east side of New Madrid. It is also written as Nu Town. It is east of Main Street and South of Route U or Dawson Road, but excluding the area west of Line Street. The majority of the population in this section of New Madrid are African Americans. Nu Town dates back to the origin of the city in 1783.
A place name familiar to residents of New Madrid with a very interesting origin is New Town or Nu Town. As it turns out, this is the oldest traceable area name in the city still in use. Through the years, the east side of New Madrid has retained the designation of New Town. This section of New Madrid is predominantly Black in population, but the use of the name New Town cuts across cultural and race lines. The universal usage of the phrase New Town by the town residents has preserved a term that dates back to the very origins of the city and provides a link with the days when the Mississippi River seemed determined to erase the town from the maps. In one final ironical twist, today New Town is really the oldest part of this very old City and can be defined in historical terms like no other part or section of New Madrid. http://www.new-madrid.mo.us/index.aspx?NID=128
June 2018
“Learning expands great souls.� - Namibian proverb www.africanamericanvoice.net
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NU TOWN
O’Bannon School Reunion History As told by James White The revival of the O’Bannon School Reunion was the brainchild of Homer Murray, Carolyn Butler, Verlena Flournoy and Mrs. Virgie Shannon. I was asked to join as the decorator for this event at a planning meeting on Memorial Day in 2004. The first reunion was held in New Madrid on Main Street at Beth Harden Banquet Hall in 2006. To date, it is the largest attended reunion that we have had. The attendance topped out at 175 people. The second reunion was held at Drury Inn Hotel’s Cape Girardeau in 2008. Sadly, that year we lost our treasurer, Mrs. Virgie Shannon. She made her transition on the night of the Meet and Greet. The reunion of 2010 was held at Shriners Hall. Three of our founders, after having Left to Right: James White, Carolyn Butler, Virgie Shannon, Verlena Flournoy, Homer Murray. worked tirelessly on previous reunion events, decided to resign – Carolyn, Verlena, and Homer. Because of their dedication, O’Bannon’s reunions were memorable occasions for all alumni. My niece, Manasseh, and I committed ourselves to planning future reunion events after this. The reunion of 2012 was destined to happen. Although it had a rocky start, Marcie White and Leroy Gunn joined forces with us and helped make this reunion a joyful event. It was held at Comfort Inn in Miner, Missouri. In 2014 and 2016, the reunions were held at the Bootheel Club House.
Testimonials RACHEL YVONNE JACKSON The most memorable time at O'Bannon School for me was the school cafeteria’s homemade chili with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
DENISE DAY The most memorable time at O’Bannon School for me was the family picnic held at the ending of each school year!
CALLIE FLOURNOY The best part of my childhood in New Madrid was the connection to several families. To name a few: The Williams, Ross, Patterson, Kellum, Young, Tucker, Smart, Price, Hill, Howard, Murray, Finney, White, Wilderness, Hick, Burgess, Minner, Byrd, Cobb, Sewell and Johnson family. I always look forward to my visits back home. My best memories were my friends, their parents, the community and teachers at O’Bannon Elementary and Junior High School. JAMES WHITE Picture a thriving town with businesses up and down Main Street: grocery stores, furniture stores, filling stations, hotels, a funeral home, a court house, a telephone company, fish markets, Henry Thomas’s Cafe, The Blue Front on Mott Street and White’s Golden Lily Cafe… Nu Town Russell Street was the main stroll for Blacks. It included Horace Cobbs’s Liquor Store and his wife’s cafe on the corner of Riley Street, Russell and Mr. Saint Minner’s Grocery Store on the corner of Vandeventer Street, Reverend Gladney’s Grocery Store and Cafe and Junior Graham’s Club; this was the “good time place” with patrons from St. Louis and Chicago coming to hear some of the all time greats: B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Albert King, and Roscoe Jordan, just to name a few.
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“To get lost is to learn the way.” - African proverb www.africanamericanvoice.net
June 2018
NU TOWN
Brief History of O’Bannon School Welton O’Bannon was born in 1798 and died in 1865. He is the founder of O’Bannon School which was established in 1862, during the time when slaves were not allowed to read nor write. In 1899, a three room brick building was used for first through sixth grades. The graduating class of 1909 included Laura Ellis. In 1914, Miss Laura Ellis became the principal’s assistant. In 1929, Mr. T.B. Howard was named principal. Mrs. Pearl Norvell from Carbondale, Illinois, and Ms. Laura Ellis were his assistants. The high school was started in 1930-31. An assembly room was built with folding doors transforming it into a five room building. In addition, electric lights were installed in all the rooms along with running water. On October 15, 1932, a newspaper was published by Mr. T.B. Howard called the “Community Outlook”. It was published bi-monthly by the Workmen's Association and O'Bannon High School. In 1951-52, O’Bannon's faculty consisted of Mrs. Laura Howard, Mrs. Gilchrist, Mrs. Pipkins, Mrs. A.C. Turner, Mr. Travis Howard, Mr. Jason, Robert Riley and Professor W.G. Thompson. Many of the founders and participants involved in the O'Bannon Class Reunion were scholars of teachers from the years 1951 and 1952. Rose Hester Gray was a teacher with an eighth grade education. Due to a shortage of teachers, O’BANNON SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS those willing and capable lended their help in educating students. Submitted by Theodis “Ted” Maltiba
Ms. Gray is the mother of Diana Gray Walker and the Tucker brothers, Terry and Maurice Hicks.
• First Negro School in New Madrid, Missouri, a one room shack (1862-1867) near Cypress.
Special note: Mrs. Laura Howard was an educator, principal and servant for over fifty years. O'Bannon was a segregated school and on many occasions had to use second-hand, outdated books with torn pages. The books included limited information about African American history.
• Great earthquake caused the school to go into the river and was moved to the C.M.E. Church site. • In 1899, a three room brick building was built for grades 1-6. • From 1907 to 1914 (Mr. Cherry, principal) twelve students graduated 8th grade. • 1930-1931, the 9th and 10th grades were added. • 1932-33, the 11th grade was added with a total of 60 students enrolled in grades 9 thru 11. An all-out campaign was launched to improve sports. • 1933-1934 school year closed with 63 students in grades 9-11, and 165 students in grades 1-8. • 1934-35 school year saw the addition of the 12th grade and the school’s first High School graduation. • 1965 saw the demise of O’Bannon Schools.
O’Bannon School: 1862-1970
June 2018
Written by Rev. Rolland Brown Edited by Callie Flournoy and Rubbie Hodge
“By crawling a child learns to stand.” - African proverb www.africanamericanvoice.net
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NU TOWN New Town aka Nu Town located in New Madrid, Missouri
ATTEND HISTORICAL BLACK CHURCHES IN NU TOWN Beebe Memorial Christian Methodist Church 314 Tennessee Ave., New Madrid, MO 63869 573-748-9820
Mount Olive Baptist Church 315 Missouri St., New Madrid, MO 63869 573-748-2081
Mount Pisgah Freewill Baptist Church 300 Vandenvender St., New Madrid, MO 63869 573-748-7227
VISIT THE HISTORICAL AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERIES Open Every Day - Year Round Fannie Powell Cemetery corner of Hwy. U and County Road 728
Sand Hill Cemetery Bloomfield Road
Minner Cemetery West Side of County Road 728
Remember Our Ancestors “A Family Tradition”
Libation | A Ritual in African Life By Kimani Nehusi
Libation in Africa is a ritual of heritage, a drink offering to honor and please the Creator, the lesser divinities, our sacred ancestors, humans present and not present, as well as the environment. This ritual is also practiced in many other parts of the world. The ritual achieves this objective by promoting oneness. The ultimate purpose is to promote the cosmic order of oneness and balance of the beings and things in the universe while safeguarding the correct relations among and between all the beings and things in existence. The origins of libation are so old that the first records of the ritual can be found in the legends, myths, sacred literature and language of Kemet (ancient Egypt). Kimani Nehusi www.africanholocaust.net
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“Children are the reward of life.” - African proverb www.africanamericanvoice.net
June 2018