The Role of the Church in the New Social Justice Movements by Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins
James Herman Banning: First Black Pilot to Fly Across America in 1932 by Dr. Philip Hart
A Letter to My Son by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III
Men’s Health Tips from Cleveland Clinic Urologist Dr. Ryan Berglund
Finding Your Fitness Niche is a Cinch! by Kevin
Schmalzried
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Greetings and Salutations,
AN OMISSION:
In our premiere issue (Winter 2018), we neglected to credit photographer Frederick Ross-Johnson for the cover photo of actor Hill Harper. https://www. pinterest.com/ fjohnsonphoto/
If you are reading CODE M for the first time, WELCOME. If you read our inaugural issue, WELCOME BACK! CODE M Magazine has been favorably received and enthusiastically embraced by those who read our first issue. CODE M’s mission is, “to create and nurture a trusting community among men that will inspire, educate and act as a resource throughout the journey of manhood.” I truly believe the timing is right for what we are doing.
I would like for our readers to know that the many hours of collective collaboration behind the scenes, in creating what you are now reading, is a group of incredibly talented, hardworking and dedicated individuals, I affectionately refer to as the “CODE M Family.” Make no mistake although I may be the publisher of CODE M, it is truly a team effort. We were blessed to add, as a Special Advisor, a multi-talented and strong advocate of CODE M to our “family,” Mr. David Christel. Upon meeting David, I knew after our first meeting, I wanted to extend the invitation for David to join our staff. You too, will understand why after you read his words.
In this issue, we support the #metoo movement, but add to it the #MeNtoo?? aspect. Who supports men (and boys) when they have been sexually assaulted or harassed, and why don’t men have the same understanding and support to speak up when it happens? We also feature articles on the church's role in social justice, home schooling your children abroad, investment advice and many other topics we believe will be of interest to our audience.
CODE M Magazine is proud to announce the addition of the CODE M Radio show featured on 95.9 FM in Cleveland, Ohio but will be live streamed on www.wovu.org
CODE M Radio will feature a variety of topics and interesting guests to support and expand on what you read in CODE M Magazine. It will be a fun, thought-provoking and informative show, in which no topics will be off limits. Understanding that we are all busy, we will add the shows in the form of a podcast to our newly designed website, in the near future. I know there are many things you could be doing, so sit back, relax and enjoy this issue of CODE M Magazine.
Remember, it’s about time and it’s about CODE M Magazine.
#LIVEBYTHECODE
CEO / Publisher, CODE M Magazine
CEO / President, CODE Media Group, LLC
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these – Mark 12:30-31
Men do! That mindset is about to change, and CODE M is the vehicle to help men transition into becoming the multifaceted human beings they innately are.
So much has been researched and written about men. The results are mindboggling, confusing and overwhelming, to say the least. No definitive how-to book exists that clearly defines what a man is, how to deal with men, and how men are supposed to act in our increasingly frenetic world. Many men feel trapped in a Catch-22 scenario where they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
The only way through this morass is dialogue. The old rubric has been that men are supposed to hide their feelings, be strong, tough it out, be the breadwinner and hero. How’s that working out? I think it’s pretty safe to say that hiding from ourselves and suppressing our wider range of emotions has created a world of defensiveness, separation, and fear. Something tells me that that is not the world we aspire to deep within our hearts.
Being invited to join the CODE M team truly speaks to my heart. I’m excited about our supporting discussions about all that “stuff” men don’t want to address. I see so many men who are in pain, who feel cut off, who are living in confusion — who don’t know who they are and how to be. They’re not seeing their personal worth, they don’t feel they have a life purpose, they don’t feel supported by the world around them. It’s no wonder that men are not “seen” and understood for who they truly are.
Men often feel that they’ve been automatically labeled and categorized by virtue of their gender. They are now supposed to step onto the “be a man track” and fit themselves into our stratified and highly conditional society. Simple, but utterly demoralizing and dismissive of the true man within. The result is that men shut down, close off fundamental parts of themselves — and the rest of the world is left to figure out just who and what they’re dealing with.
The fact is that men are extraordinary, but we don’t really know the full extent of who we are. We are so much more than our skill-sets, talents, intellect, jobs, titles, careers, financial status, and property. We are born 360-degree human beings with the capacity to express far more than the narrow range of emotions to which we relegate ourselves.
If we desire to find true peace, love and joy in our lives, then we need to drop society’s stunted conventions concerning men, let down our guard, and surrender to our innate expansiveness and depth. It is then that we will experience authentic freedom.
It is said that the longest journey a man will ever take is the 18 inches from his head to his heart. So very true and we can do it.
Join the dialogue with CODE M and let’s take the journey!
David Christel Special Advisor, CODE M Magazine
ON THE COVER & THIS PAGE
Professional Model: Hunter Barnes
About Hunter: Toledo, Ohio native and Kent State University graduate, now residing in Cleveland
Clothes Provided by: Tom James Custom Clothiers www.tomjames.com
Location: University Circle, Cleveland
Photos by: Kamron Khan Kamron Khan Photography
GOING THE DISTANCE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
At Dominion Energy Ohio, going the distance for our customers means more than just delivering safe, affordable natural gas. It means being a positive force in the communities we serve. Our EnergyShare® program has raised $6.8 million and helped more than 70,000 people in Ohio alone These resources, combined with more than 6,300 volunteer hours from our employees, have benefited organizations as diverse as the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition
9 A Letter to My Son by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III
10 Passport to a Global Education: Family Enrolls in Travel Abroad for Schooling by Lorenzo Abram
16 Optimal Health Requires Long Term Approach with Daily Attention by Omar Campbell 18 Investment Advice by James P. Rooney
22 It Takes a Village to Create a New Community by Dr. Bob Haynie
24 Seven Strategies for Increased Employee Engagement by Stacie Riffert
26 Finding Your Fitness Niche is a Cinch by Kevin Schmalzried
28 #MeNtoo?? I’m Not the Only One by Jess Lader
32 #MeToo, Due Process, and the Dark Legacy of Lynching by Girma Parris
36 Poems by Philip W. Lindsey
40 Peer-to-peer Support is What Will Pull You Through the Pain by Dan Dean
42 James Herman Banning: First Black Pilot to Fly Across America in 1932 by Dr. Philip Hart 46 Ten Questions Every Man is Afraid to Ask His Doctor
48 The Importance of Historically Black Colleges by Eric Guthrie, Esq.
50 The Role of the Church in the New Social Justice Movements by Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins
54 Spiritual Health Checkup by Rose Hosler
meet some of our
contributing writers { }
Kevin Schmalzried
Girma Parris
Phil Lindsey
Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III
Jess Lader
James Rooney
Robert Haynie, MD, PhD
Omar Campbell
Stacie Riffert
Philip S. Hart, PhD
Rose Hosler Dan Dean
A Letter to My Son
Dear Elijah,
by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III
What shall I tell you? Shall I tell you your body is of equal value to all citizens? Shall I tell you your rights are protected and racism is now a scourge banished from society? Shall I tell you that you are entitled to freely act and live as a teenaged boy in this country, dance playfully with minor mischief, and speak with a quick immature tongue? Shall I tell you that your body is safe and your mind is valued and your future is free?
If I tell you this, these words will be perjury before God and an assault upon the memory of our ancestors. I must share a hard truth with you today. The truth is you are not safe. You are not valued by certain others because of their persistent melanin phobia. There is nothing wrong with you, but there is something wrong with adults who hold on to myths created to maintain power and control over people kissed by Nature’s sun. You do not yet have the right to be a frolicking teenager like other children in our community, for your boisterous actions might be misconstrued by people who refuse to remove the racialized lens from their soul.
As your father, I am bound by duty and love to share this truth, but it is not the only truth you must know. What is often forgotten and deleted from your primary and secondary curriculum are these simple truths: You are a beautiful boy of color, a child of African descent, a magical creation of God, yet under threat by a mythological dragon birthed into existence by hate, theft, and Freudian fear of your great spiritual power.
These days of recorded “Black Death” will tempt your spirit to run to the room of despair and play the chords of cynicism. Do not shy away from the pain of this moment. Do not become a modern pessimist afraid to take action or one who believes hope is nothing but a fairy tale. Dare to lean into the storm, son, and draw strength from the history you hold and the faith you profess. Not the faith others claim you are to profess, but the faith where justice, protest, intellect, wonder, grace, and righteous fury meet with fists raised to do battle with dragons fashioned by old men.
Never let your anger become unchecked rage, scratching at the lining of your heart. I tell you often, you are loved and designed with purpose and immeasurable potential. You carry a lineage of women who refused to bow and men who dared to live. Never forget who you are and the legacy you hold. The world we live in will attempt to steal your essence and drain away every ounce of your beautiful life from your soul. Never allow the external noise to disrupt your inner life. The practice of silence, meditation, prayer, reflection, community gathering, and healthy grieving will serve to strengthen you on this journey.
I am sorry I must write this letter to you, but it is the duty of every Black father to share the stories of this battle with his son. You are the solution to this nation’s problems and the prey of dying wolves who want yesterday to always be tomorrow. You and your generation are the gifts God has sent to victims of an old story. You are our joy and you are “their” fear. It is unfair that I must share this with you, but your capacity to handle the weight of this truth is evident through your spiritual maturity. I shall always be with you, though it is my prayer my physical body shall precede you in death. This is the silent request of all parents especially those of us who still wait to fully sip from the cup of democracy. It is my prayer that I will leave you the best fuel for this struggle - my love. I love you and shall always fight for you and with you. Be well and be strong my son. Better days are ahead if you choose to fight with your head and heart.
Love, Dad
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III is an activist, cultural critic, writer and Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL. His son, Elijah, is a high school honor student, writer/poet, athlete, and part-time family comedian.
PASSPORT TO A GLOBAL EDUCATION:
Family Enrolls in Travel Abroad for Schooling
Fifteen years, four different private schools, and many thousands of dollars into my three daughters’ education, my wife and I made a decision to homeschool our children. Their educational performance while attending these schools was subpar at best, certainly beneath our standards, and we believed the efforts of the last school’s administrative staff were partly the blame.
“Maybe you’re being too hard on your children,” the principal said to me. This came in response to a question I had asked regarding my kid’s lack of homework assignments being brought home. Well, that’s all I needed to hear. My kids never again attended another private or public school. For what my wife and I were paying in tuition, we could equally afford for one parent to remain at home to teach our kids, while lining up a number of international trips that would serve to reinforce and support our family’s global educational perspective.
The Abram Global Academy was placed in full effect.
There was absolutely no hesitation. The only risk was keeping my chil-
by Lorenzo Abram
dren under the legislative Common Core State Standards curriculum. Obviously, homeschooling was a viable substitute for that risk. The true work would be setting up a budget, putting together a curriculum, and gaining our children’s cooperation. The latter was the hardest part.
My children hated the idea of being homeschooled. Each of them gave my wife and me lots of lip. But through faith, their homeschooling and travels, they were granted experiences that many American children could only dream of having. Today, my children are now young adults and doing quite well in college and working in jobs that they love.
FIRST STOP: PANAMA
In Panama, my children were exposed to some of nature’s most pristine, untouched forestry. They visited the Panama Canal and watched the large cargo ships slowly move through the locks. We all learned that one of the highest tolls ever paid by a shipping freighter was $250,000. On average, a small yacht pays $35,000 to enter and exit the Panama Canal. The use of the Pan-
ama Canal can save a cargo ship’s owner approximately 30 days of time and upwards of $1 million in savings, depending on its scheduled cargo and delivery date.
Our children also spent a semester enrolled at The Oxford Music Academy in Panama City. They were immersed in a Spanish-speaking environment, studying the language and learning how to build websites. For recreation, they were enrolled in a swim club located in Caledonia, one of Panama’s local neighborhoods. This town could be described as one of the city’s poorest and least privileged communities. The Caledonia streets and its people carry a vibrant energy, and had really good food, especially the empanadas cooked by the local street vendors.
We spent some time visiting Panama’s beautiful interior as well. We visited the cities of David, Boquete, Volcan, and Chiriqui. Chiriqui has some of the most beautiful and picturesque landscapes on the planet.
Like Americans, Panamanian heritage is made up of many different ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese, German, Indian, Jamaican,
continued on page 12
African, and Portuguese, among others. The Panamanian people have many skin tones; however, the Panamanians we found most intriguing were the natives, known as the Guna. The Guna are very noticeable when you walk throughout the city. They have not fully assimilated into the modern day work activities, politics, or lifestyles as many of the other Panamanians have. They sit and walk the streets selling handmade trinkets and wear their clans’ garments, which partially represents their heritage and customs.
NEXT STOP: SHANGHAI, CHINA
Our travel into Shanghai was very easy. Our landlord had prepared many things for us, which included prepaid phones, Internet service, and a few groceries. Each morning, my children would start their school day with a two-hour lesson in Mandarin, taught by a hired tutor who was recommended by our landlord. The tutor, Ming Li, was very excited to teach and spend time with us. After the Mandarin lesson, the girls
“
The true work would be setting up a budget, putting together a curriculum, and gaining our children’s cooperation.”
would complete their basic school assignments and eat their lunch. After lunch, we would all rush out to walk the streets and ride the subway trains, making every effort to see as much of Shanghai as possible. Unfortunately, we only got to see a small percentage Shanghai because it is a tremendously large city. What we did see, however, continues to bring back feelings of amazement!
Being among the Chinese people was probably the biggest highlight of our trip, especially when we visited the People’s Square, consisting of blocks upon blocks of eateries, shopping malls, and a variety of small stores selling knock-off brands of every consumer product known to the common man. In China, “Copy is right!” We saw knock-off brands of every electronic product, watch, or anything else one could conjure.
They are over 24 million Chinese living in Shanghai. Many of them have never seen brown-skinned people like us before. As my family and I walked the streets, we were
constantly stared at and approached by many friendly people with smiles. Many of them – especially the older folks – wanted to touch our hands and hair. This type of behavior continued throughout our stay. We were never bothered by it; we actually enjoyed the attention.
One day, while walking “The Bund,” Shanghai’s most famous strip located within its financial district, my wife and children were greeted by a small group of women who requested a group photo. I stood by while they took photos with these friendly people. Later, we learned that the group were vacationers who had traveled from another province located far away to attend a retreat in Shanghai. Many of the onlookers decided to join in on the opportunity to have their picture taken with my family. Each photo op subsequently led to another, then another.
My girls felt like they had become the most famous folks in Shanghai. This is yet the most exciting meet-and-greet my children have
China
ever experienced. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Finally, a gentleman who we thought to be a security agent stepped in to break up the theatrics! He could tell that things were getting a bit out of hand.
You would assume that with so many people, Shanghai would be a loud and disorderly place – it was just the opposite. I found it to be a very orderly place – very spacious and clean with no cops carrying guns and no worries about crime. It was a place with purpose, where everyone seemed to go about their business with intense focus, enthusiasm, and cooperation. From what I understand, many of China’s policeman wear street clothes, posing undercover. Perhaps this is why there is very little crime in Shanghai, though I’m certain this is not the main reason, simply one of a number of social customs on display in a
communist society.
Additional highlights: We rode on China’s bullet train which took us to a Province called Su Zho, where we walked and hung out in one of the oldest parts of the city whose location is classified as a historical place and protected. We were able to ride through Su Zho on rickshaws and boated on the Yangzi River, adjacent to the city.
NEXT UP: TOKYO, JAPAN
We rented an apartment while in Tokyo, which was extremely small, but typical in this city. As parents, this was the perfect environment to help educate children in basic Japanese living. Our mission for the children was to have them live and eat like the locals, all while touring colleges. “When in Rome...” In this case, “When in Japan...” Coming
from a 12-room home in America to a three-room apartment in Japan wasn’t an easy task, but we made it work very quickly. We ate a variety of flavored ramen noodles and enjoyed shopping at the local grocery stores where the choices were quite authentic. Thankfully, my wife is a creatively good cook. She demonstrated how rice, eggs, and small portions of seafood could be prepared 20 different ways.
In all, we visited five fashion colleges in Tokyo. To attend any of them, my daughter would have to pass a Japanese proficiency course. She/we understood this before traveling there. While in Tokyo, my daughter took a few Japanese language lessons to see if she could adapt to the challenge of learning Japanese. She also enrolled in a Japanese speaking course back at home for one semester. Learning to write, read, and speak Japanese is
extremely tough. Though she’ll be returning to Tokyo someday soon, it won’t be to attend college. No speak Japanese!
THE COUNTRY OF SINGAPORE
Singapore is predominantly an English-speaking country, though I discovered that many of its inhabitants speak multiple languages. When arriving in Singapore, you immediately feel its energy and warmth! Singaporean residents are built up of a community who are proud of what they have established. It is a very hot and humid place, and when it rains, it pours! For my family and I, riding through the streets atop the double-decker commuter buses was always fun.
On its surface, Singapore seems to have all that is needed for a family wanting to raise children in a safe and prosperous community. The country has a world-renowned educational system, and its workers demonstrate a very professional demeanor at all times. No matter what the craft, everyone takes pride in their work. Singapore has extremely clean streets; many of them look as if they were just recently paved and striped with a fresh coat of directional paint. There is very little crime in Singapore. The weather is warm year-round, and the public transportation system is the most proficient we’ve ever experienced. Most of the residents speak multiple languages, but English is the most prevalent. Singapore is a very expensive place
to live, most likely due to all of the things previously mentioned. At least you can see the country’s tax dollars being put to good use.
Here is something interesting to note: Our stay in Singapore was at a time when middle and high school students were preparing for their Regents Exams. During the lunch hour, there weren’t any seats available in any nearby McDonald’s, Starbucks, or other fast food chains or cafes; they were all filled with students studying for their exams.
Overall, this trip placed into clear perspective the importance of our travels abroad and why my wife and I decided to homeschool our children. Where else can you experience so many teachable moments?
Lorenzo Abram was born and raised in Newark, NJ. He is retired, after serving as an Operations Director of Isthmus Energy, based in Bangkok, Thailand. He and his wife Kim, an attorney from New Jersey, have been married for 26 years, and they have three daughters, ages 22, 20, and 15.
Inspiration for our readers...
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. –Oscar Wilde
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. –Mae West
My father used to say, “Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument. –Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. –Winston Churchill
The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them. –Maya Angelou
Sometimes life knocks you on your ass... get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them. –Steve Maraboli
A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live. –Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
I’m the one that has to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life, the way I want to. –Jimi Hendrix
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. –Ralph Waldo Emerson
It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. –Maurice Switzer
The first time I tried organic wheat bread, I thought I was chewing on roofing material. –Robin Williams
Hold fast to dreams – For if dreams die – Life is a broken-winged bird – That cannot fly. –Langston Hughes
Optimal Health Requires Long Term Approach with Daily Attention
by Omar Campbell
The truth is, many of us are not only overweight, but we are out of shape both physically and mentally. In the past, I also have found myself living a sluggish lifestyle and in a depressed state of mind. Too often, we forget to take care of ourselves and our bodies because we are consumed with taking care of others and consistently putting “more important” things first. A mentor once said to me, “You cannot save the neighborhood until you save your own home.” Your body is your home.
To have a healthy body and life, you must take care of things internally. Rather than talking about the things that we do wrong, I am going to address what I believe are key factors associated with not just losing weight but with having a healthy lifestyle.
As a Certified Personal Trainer, I have the luxury of knowing how to strengthen and improve my body. Many people do not know that weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise, and you cannot train away your diet.
The way we treat our bodies in terms of food, rest, stress, and what we put ourselves through mentally and externally, directly correlates to how we look and feel. So why do you want to work out? Is it to look better or be stronger? Hopefully, and most importantly, you should want to prevent or reverse existing or preexisting ailments. Do not fail to understand that adapting healthy eating habits and incorporating accurate and safe strength training techniques are critical components that lead to successful results that will last.
More people today want a quick fix. They want results and they want to see them now. They turn to fad diets, quick weight loss gimmicks and gyms that hire personnel who are not equipped to teach clients correctly. Though I am not a nutritionist, and I do stay within the scope of my practice, basic nutritional facts such as adhering to a diet composed of lean proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats is something everyone needs to know. We have a vast amount of information at our fingertips, and I encourage you to use resources such as your smart phone or computer to educate yourself on proper nutrition.
must also be consistent with exercise. The biggest hurdle I’ve noticed over the past ten years I have been involved in the personal training and group fitness industry is that people being unable to stay consistently active. I believe this happens due to failing to mentally prepare for this lifestyle change. In my opinion, the most vital aspect to working out is mental.
What are some of the first things you think about when you want to get into better physical shape? It may be how much time you have or how much will it cost you. Rather than questioning and doubting if you can do it, just start to be more active. You can begin with just doing some basic exercises at home, but the key is to not quit. You also need to prepare for the obstacles and pitfalls you may face such as during holidays or birthdays with relatives and friends. How are you going to maintain your regimen through those temptations? How are you going to combat friends asking you to come out for drinks on a night when you have an early workout the next morning? Preparing mentally for your journey is mandatory in order to stay on track.
Just as you must be consistent with your nutrition, you
You must be true to yourself and hold yourself accountable to do the work necessary to achieve your goals, and be dedicated to reclaiming your body! And remember, it is not important how many times you get derailed but how many times you reset your tracks and continue forward.
Omar F. Campbell, owner of Limitless Chanxes based in Cleveland, Ohio, has been a certified personal fitness trainer and group fitness instructor for 10 years. He has a B.S. in Wellness from Ohio Valley University. Omar is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and certified in Fitness and Nutrition. Omar specializes in muscle confusion and endurance techniques to promote optimal results. He is currently studying to become a Master Trainer so he can teach others to become trainers.
I begin my inaugural contribution to Code M by putting forward this notion: Our poor decisions, mistakes and moments of regret can often carve pathways to future successes and triumphs. If, that is, we engage in clear and humble thinking to critically assess our errors, learn the lessons and make proper adjustments. If this process becomes our habit, we will specialize in turning momentary failures into future opportunities and successes. My subject herein is investing.
In my 35 years in the business, I’ve experienced both exhilarating success and humbling failure, and along the way I’ve made every poor decision and mistake common to humankind. Here’s one that still resonates today: I began shopping at Amazon.com in the early 2000s. I bought a few books and music CDs (remember those?) and within the week, the soon-to-be ubiquitous box was on my doorstep. Their software worked perfectly and provided better complimentary product recommendations than any store clerk I’d ever met. Thus, I often bought more than I’d intended. It was easy, convenient and lifechanging. Since then, as Amazon has vastly expanded its offerings, I’ve remained both an advocate and active customer.
So, where’s the mistake I’m lamenting? It’s simple, really. While shopping in this brand new way, I did so in the singular role of consumer, rather than also thinking as an entrepreneur and producer. Amazon was transforming my life yet I never considered that if my life were being revolutionized by this online shopping experience, is the same also true for others? Thousands of others? Tens of thousands? Millions? Tens of millions? And if so, had I encountered an investment opportunity, maybe one of a lifetime?
I never did put money behind my conviction by buying and holding shares of this revolutionary company, and here’s what I’ve missed.
From May 1997, when Amazon was trading at $1.50 a share (accounting for stock splits) until today, the stock has risen to $1,500 a share. You can do the math. Worse still, 2008’s brutal bear market took Amazon’s stock down 60% to below $40 a share. Can you imagine that? Believe me; it wasn’t easy to buy any stock in late 2008 and early 2009, never mind an internet retailer losing money regularly. It was a courageous enough feat to simply hold onto what we owned, not sell everything and go into hiding. With the clarity only hindsight offers, however, that was the buying opportunity of my lifetime. Had I taken the risk to invest in my strong consumer conviction with $30,000, for instance, I would have a cool $1.1 million in Amazon shares today. Thus, my lament.
Amazon’s success is an extraordinary example, of course, but we can all think of dozens of other potential investment opportunities front and center every day. We shop with them, dine with them, and otherwise use their services and buy their products regularly. We use Google’s search engine, Netflix’s entertainment services and Apple’s iPhones. We share our lives on Facebook, our opinions on Twitter and our pictures on Snapchat. We buy sneakers and athletic gear from Nike and Under Armour, and our entertainment centers from Best Buy. We ship and receive our packages through Federal Express and UPS. We cruise with Carnival and Royal Caribbean, book hotels on Priceline and TripAdvisor, lodge at Marriott and Hiltonbranded hotels, drink coffee at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts and grab lunch at McDonalds and Chipotle. The list goes on.
continued on page 20
As we do, are we also critically assessing these companies as potential investments; and are we attempting to spot smaller, under-the-radar companies and doing the same due diligence? Are we consistently looking for the outstanding growth companies of the future? Is this a habit, a mindset that we carry with us throughout each day?
The wealthiest people I’ve met during my financial advisory career were generally from two classes: either successful business owners, or those who worked hard and excelled at their chosen careers. One commonality in both classes is they took educated risks and invested their savings into the greatest companies of the day, those busy enhancing the lives of millions. Generally, they chose leading companies in industries they were most familiar with, providing them an advantage over their peers. A generation ago, the growth names included Exxon Mobil, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Costco, Disney, Coca Cola, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Cisco, Adobe and others. Many are still alive and thriving. In the present day, you well know some of the great growth companies from the products and services you use regularly, either at home or work. They are changing your life for the better and in rare cases, revolutionizing it.
It’s important to note that I’m not recommending the purchase of any of the companies mentioned herein, especially at this later stage of the economic cycle. I’m instead advocating a new method of thinking and behaving: Consumer, entrepreneur and producer all wrapped into one.
Also, I am most certainly warning you away from active trading. The most successful investor of our lifetime, Warren Buffett, at the dawn of 24-hour trading is known to have asked, “24-hour trading? When are people going to have time to think?” One of Buffett’s main investment tenets is to, “think a lot and act a little.” He believes every investor should have a card that gets punched each time an investment decision is made, a card with only twenty total punches over a lifetime. “If we only had twenty,” he says, “we’d think
long and hard about every investment beforehand.” We’d study the company carefully, the market cycle and other relevant data, and we’d move judiciously. We’d, “think a lot and act a little.”
If we are unwilling or unable to put the time and effort into the analysis, Buffett believes, we should be an optimist, nonetheless and use a low-cost S&P Index fund as our chosen investment vehicle. I’ve always considered it smart to listen to and mirror extraordinarily successful people in all walks of life.
HERE ARE THE TAKEAWAYS:
1) As you navigate your way through the day, think and act not only as a consumer but as an entrepreneur and producer as well. Stay aware and awake to the never-ending opportunities.
2) What stores, restaurants, services, leisure experiences, technology breakthroughs, etc., have been superb in your experience? Which ones have changed your life for the better, improved your health, helped your business efficiency, or provided you more time with your family? Are they public companies? Will they soon be?
3) Carry a journal with you. Take notes – review them – add to them – discard some. Save interesting articles and ideas in an investment file and review them periodically. Make it an active, daily practice. Create a target list of investments and cull it often. Read target company reports. If you need help understanding their financials, seek help.
4) Keep a store of cash available at all times, especially when the market has tripled in value in the past eight years (i.e. 2018). Remember the old Wall Street saw: “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” Be prepared, both financially and emotionally, to act when the market presents an irresistible opportunity, as it always will (i.e. 2009). In the meantime, think a lot, act a little, and methodically build your wealth.
Until next time, stay well and prosperous.
James P. Rooney, recently retired, was Senior Vice President, Stockbroker, Financial Advisor and Wealth Manager for Merrill Lynch from 1983 until 2017.
Kamron Khan is a photographer based in Cleveland, OH. She specializes in working with couples from their engagement through to their wedding day, and entrepreneurs ready to invest in their brand imagery. Her clean, romantic and modern style has allowed her to be featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, The Knot, and Munaluchi Bride.
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it takes a village to create a new community
by Dr. Bob Haynie
Given that the number one employer in Northeast Ohio is the health care industry, for the past 13 years, I have been working with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to introduce Cleveland to careers in the health sciences. This involvement led to my joining the Board of Trustees at the Cleveland School of Science and Medicine (CSSM) at John Hay High School.
In 2009, I met a freshman at the school who was interested in becoming a doctor. To assist in fulfilling his dream, several of my medical students and I formed a partnership with CSSM high school students to develop educational programs based at both the medical school and the high school. As a result of this relationship, the Joan C. Edwards Foundation asked to partner with our university and CSSM to provide an annual scholarship for a graduating John Hay student to offset the cost of attending our undergraduate and medical school. This scholarship allows a graduating CSSM student to graduate from nearby Case Western Reserve University undergraduate and medical school debt free.
John Hay High School
As a result of our early success working with a specialty school, we decided to partner with Bolton Elementary school, a school not as fortunate as CSSM. A preschool through eighth grade school, Bolton has been designated an investment school because of its failing status. It is located in Fairfax, a poor community, which has one of the lowest life expectancies in Northeast Ohio. My interest in Bolton is two-fold. First, the university’s new Health Education Center will be located in the Fairfax area. Second, my two oldest children attended Bolton in the 1960s. Doing research on the current status of Bolton, I found separate quotes from two principals:
1. A former principal: “Just took ownership of the filthiest school full of some seriously decrepit looking teachers.”
2. Current principal: “It is with great pleasure and honor that I welcome you to a brand new 2016-2017 school year. I am excited to become a member of the Bolton School community.”
Because of this latter quote, three CWRU colleagues and I have decided to offer services to support Bolton. On our first visit, a situation immediately caught our attention: the presence of the Juvenile Justice Center right across the street from the school. The psychological impact on me was profound and I can’t imagine what impact it had on the children, teachers and the community having a juvenile detention center close by.
However, this has motivated me even more to assist the school by any means necessary. Our goal is to help transfer the school and surrounding areas into learning communities and, hopefully, encourage the migration from the institution across the street to institutions of higher learning. For the past two years, we have had monthly meetings with the principal and weekly meetings with the site coordinator for the Community Wraparound program. To date, we are working on a number of programs to assist in moving the school into a more positive direction.
Robert Haynie, MD, PhD, is Dean of the Robbins Society and Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the School of Medicine. He earned his PhD in Organic Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 1972 and his MD from the CWRU School of Medicine in 1978. Dr. Haynie is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and a former Chair of the Admissions Committee and the Committee on Students.
“
On
our first visit, a situation immediately caught our attention: the presence of the Juvenile Justice Center right across the street from the school. The psychological impact on me was
profound and I can’t
imagine what impact it had on the children, teachers and the community having a juvenile detention center close-by.”
Seven Strategies for Increased Employee Engagement
by Stacie Riffert
Employee engagement has been a hot topic amongst corporations, large and small, for almost two decades now. Most organizations recognize the importance of an engaged team, which helps lower the risk of turnover, boosts customer satisfaction, realizes higher productivity, improves the bottom line, and increases the company’s overall chance of success. Yet, less than 33% of employees are engaged in their jobs in any given year.
Companies have been focused on this metric for years, but the engagement numbers haven’t changed much since the year 2000. In one of Gallop’s recent reports, The State of the American Manager, it was determined that managers account for as much as 70% of variance in employee engagement scores; thus, bringing truth to the phrase “people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers.” Is there anything you can do to make your employees feel involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace? Happily, YES!
Leaders should view every interaction with an employee as one with the potential to influence engagement and inspire effort. How leaders interact with and manage their employees can substantially affect engagement levels in the workplace, which in turn influences the company’s bottom line. Here are a few strategies that organizations can use to help build engagement with their employees:
1. HAVE AND COMMUNICATE A CLEAR VISION
Engagement starts with the leadership communicating a clear vision for the organization. People naturally want to belong to something greater than themselves. Your vision should inspire passion and commitment from your employees (and other stakeholders) and should serve as the rally cry for your organization. If you team knows, understands, and believes in the direction you are moving, they are much more likely to engage.
2. EXPLAIN THE WHY
People need to understand why they are being asked to do things. The best managers and leaders are transparent with their teams (to the extent they can be). Let your team know why they are doing things (or not doing them) and how their work fits into the bigger picture. The more they understand, the more likely they will want to help.
3. SET PROCESSES, PROCEDURE, AND EXPECTATIONS
From the first day of employment, make sure you have clearly laid out processes, procedures, and expectations for each employee. People crave certainty and find it stressful when they are unsure of what is expected of them from day to day. If you are clear from the beginning, neither you nor the employee should encounter surprises.
4. GET TO KNOW EACH INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE
The strongest leaders take the time to personally connect with their teams. They get to know them at a personal level outside of their work and remember that they are human with real thoughts, feelings, responsibilities, families, and challenges. They are interested in their hobbies and families and recognize that they need to allow employees to bring their “whole self” to work. Showing you care creates trust and loyalty. Knowing that they are respected as individuals at work can have a significant impact on how employees view not only their jobs, but their overall lives.
5. UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATORS
We each have different motivators that drive our desires and our decisions. As a leader, it is your duty to identify the motivators for your team. Each person is likely driven by a different factor; therefore, by understanding them, you will be better equipped to tap into the right ways to engage your team.
6. CREATE AN INCENTIVE STRUCTURE
Now that you know what motivates the individuals on
your team, you can create incentives that speak to those motivators. Great organizations have at least six different incentives available for their teams. Examples of motivators and incentives to support them:
• Learning – on-going training and development opportunities
• Leadership – opportunity for advancement into management roles
• Expert Status/Recognition – new hire mentor, trainer
• Altruistic – community service projects
• Relationships/Connections – committees (i.e. safety, employee engagement), team building events
7. ENCOURAGE REGULAR FEEDBACK
People want to feel valued and know their input matters. Give your team a safe forum to let you know what is happening within your organization. Be open to ideas and suggestions from your team. Often the best ideas and solutions come from the people living through the pain points or those who are closest to the customer. Remember, you don’t need to act on everything. However, you should address and acknowledge each suggestion and explain why you are tabling it for now.
The best leaders ensure that their employee engagement efforts are aligned. They find ways to communicate the impact of the engagement efforts throughout the organization, throughout the year, and they share best practices across the organization. Strong leaders use every opportunity, every touchpoint, and every communication vehicle to reinforce the organization’s commitment to employee satisfaction and engagement. Employee engagement becomes a part of the organization’s strategy. Your team is your organization’s most important asset; make caring for them a priority. If done right, these seven strategies will help you inspire trust and motivation within your team.
Stacie Riffert is a certified FocalPoint business coach and is the owner of Empowered Leadership, LLC. Stacie’s 20 years of business experience as a General Manager and Sales Director with PepsiCo and the proven Focal Point tools combine to powerfully empower business owners to maximize their productivity and profitability. For more information visit https://stacieriffert.focalpointcoaching.com or contact her directly at sriffert@focalpoint coaching.com
Finding Your is
Fitness Niche
a Cinch
by Kevin Schmalzried
As a strength and conditioning coach, one of the questions I often face from friends and family is, “Will you write me a training program?” While it is my job to help people in that manner, the question embodies a sort of cart-before-the-horse mentality.
In certain settings, it’s entirely appropriate to put in the time to develop and follow a full training program with razor-sharp, exact numbers regarding volume, duration, intensity, etc. However, unless you’re already training at a high frequency and your livelihood depends on your physical capacity to perform a given task better than someone else, it’s unlikely to be a good starting point. A program of that depth can be intimidating, confusing, and extinguish your well-intended fitness flame before it really even burns.
The simplest yet most crucial starting point is to establish a goal. What do you want from “working out” and why do you want it? The answers to those questions should be the backbone of your program. The “best” training programs from the “best” strength and conditioning coaches in the world won’t do much for you buried as a PDF in your computer or collecting dust on the shelf.
Let’s say you’ve established your goal. You’d like to be overall more physically fit because you want to live a longer life of a higher quality. That’s a perfectly reasonable goal that (depending on your current level of fitness) really isn’t all that complicated to achieve. Progressively increasing your overall level of literal “activity” is a great, realistic way to get the ball rolling.
Find ways to sprinkle in “exercise” where appropriate. Ride your bike to, from, or after work, take a walk on a lunch break, check out (and participate in) a sports league at the local YMCA, go for a swim or paddle a kayak when the weather is nice, give skiing or snowboarding a try, commit to a short daily routine at home of a few sets of 10 body weight squats and push-ups.
Is it realistic for you to commit to waking up at 4:30 a.m. on a daily basis and heading to a gym with an expensive monthly membership? Maybe, but that requires a lot more discipline than most people can commonly accept and exhibit. If that’s what works for you, great, but often setting such a high bar right out of the gate leads to failure in the long term.
Starting your fitness routine doesn’t have to look that archaic or be that mind-numbing. Not everyone can cope with the clanging-banging simplicity of picking things up and putting them down routinely. For some it’s therapeutic, for most it isn’t, and that’s okay.
The human body is capable of amazing things when progressively pushed to true physical capacity. However, that physical capacity can deteriorate rather quickly when we let it dwindle. So what’s a good starting point? Thirty minutes of physical activity every day is generally a good recommendation of where to begin. But don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to that on a daily basis if you and a buddy are in the middle of a good pickle ball session. The point is you shouldn’t even necessarily feel like you’re “exercising.” Find an activity you enjoy and see where fitness fits into your life, and it’s much more likely that both it and you will be sustainable over a longer period of time.
Kevin Schmalzried, CSCS, USAW, is an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and head strength and conditioning coach for their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.
I’m Not the Only One
by Jess Lader
illustration by Jessika Williams
It is time to start a global movement for men and boys that empowers them to find a healthy identity. The #MeToo movement for women has opened the door for men to start talking about their own experiences with sexual abuse and harassment. There are many factors that contribute to how a man is now defined. There is confusion around it. The dialogues that need to take place can be scary for some men. Men typically don’t want to discuss their feelings because they might be considered less than a man for it – in today’s society, sensitive can equal sissy. They can be categorized and labeled for their experiences in a disparaging way. When it comes to the topic of sexual abuse and harassment, there is a considerable amount of fear that men face. The reality is that they are in fear of being rejected and not honored for their experience. How can men find a healthy identity with these challenges?
“I’ve always been a big proponent about education and starting young,” says David Christel, ghostwriter and Special Advisor to CODE M Magazine. He continues, “People have their ideas about what is and isn’t appropriate and how to deal with something. Like in my family, you did not talk about anything. Period. And now I think that for millennials there’s a great deal of confusion for them as to which way to go. How does one communicate anymore? Now technology has gotten to the point where we can divorce ourselves from face-toface interaction with people by just texting. People feel they can say and do anything via technology and there are no consequences. How does one get a dialogue going with boys and men of all ages to take a step back and look at the entire puzzle piece of society in which men are supposed to somehow navigate in a successful way?”
For men and boys, it can be difficult to be vulnerable and talk about their feelings. It’s a scary thing because of the unknown outcome. Toxic masculinity is defined by adherence to traditional male gender roles that restrict the kinds of emotions allowable for boys and men to express, including social expectations that men seek to be dominant (the “alpha male”) and limit their emotional range primarily to expressions of anger. Strong and silent is the example that has been set for them and to deviate from that expectation creates fear. Fear of being emasculated, rejected, or labeled. That label can sometimes be permanent, especially when combined with bullying. There are so many platforms now for someone to bully another person that it can become a global phenomenon. The embarrassment and humiliation that accompanies it is overpowering.
In young boys, if an adult bullies them, their self-esteem plummets. Not only is a lack of trust established with adults, but a child thinks that this behavior is acceptable. There is a way to break the cycle but they have to be exposed to a better example – one that is safe and free of fear. Boys and men are taught not to appear vulnerable so they hold in their truths out of self-protection. If they divulge what they think to be damaging information, they are facing unspeakable retaliation from their family and peers. David Christel describes when he was raped by two men and he couldn’t tell anyone. If he spoke about it, he would relive it constantly by the looks he was given by fellow students, teachers, neighbors, etc. “It was devastating to me in the 1960s. Imagine what it’s like now. It’s why people consider suicide as the only option. We need to discuss the issues that men shy away from. In education, young people need to feel that it is safe to explore their feelings and to
continued on page 30
talk about their experiences. If they’re in pain, it’s okay to let that out.”
In order to create a safe space for young boys and men, education has to happen at all levels. Our educational system is failing our boys. You have boys going through puberty, trying to figure out some kind of archetype that they fit in to. Education is something that doesn’t just happen at school and at home. It needs to happen everywhere in society. And it’s possible. Empowerment begins with education.
There are men that become so shut down they are not willing to support others who are free to be themselves. “My particular perspective is that I don’t care what color you are, I don’t care what age you are – you are a human being. Let’s start from that commonality and work from there,” says Christel. He feels that we need a different teaching impetus in our country. “There are going to be those who just aren’t going to let go, not going to change, stay right where they are, and they’re going to push others to be like them.”
People are afraid of losing their identity, possessions, and their way of life. There has to be a way to help men realize we’re all in this together. Women and alpha males are not the enemy. There is no one definition for what it means to be human. Learning to be accepting of what we don’t necessarily understand is paramount so that men feel free and safe. Christel offers a simple solution: “It starts person by person. It’s who you are on a daily basis: your consistency, your congruency, your sense of self-esteem, and what you put out there is going to radiate outwardly. And if you have that self-assurance, not ego, but that self-assurance to just be who you are, other people will pick up on that and they actually relax around you.”
Respect is a word that few people truly understand any-
more. Technology allows us to do whatever we want with impunity and without consequences. Internet trolling is an example of this type of behavior. Internet trolls latch onto the most marginalized people in society – what they consider to be easy targets. They look for someone to blame and to attack that helps them feel better about themselves. Rather, consider what would happen if you just say something nice to someone – you both benefit. But again, fear overrides everything. It’s such an innate thing. It’s been deeply ingrained. So how can we create a safe world for boys and men? There needs to be a dialogue and it needs to start now. It has to start from the ground up, a grassroots movement. Christel says: “Words are powerful, but what’s even more powerful is when you’re with somebody face to face. They hear your story and they hear that it’s safe to share that story. That they are given permission to tell their story. Or to relax around those that have very intense stories. It just takes that one-on-one thing.”
Many men that have been through trauma never talk about it in an open forum. A study conducted in the UK in 2016 found it takes a male abuse survivor twenty-six years on average to come forward. Men need to be able to have a release and an outlet – this is what happened and this is how I feel. It should be easy, but it definitely isn’t. Hiding from it doesn’t heal it. Having a creative outlet can be a healing component. So many people are not given that opportunity. But when a man can stand up and speak honestly about his feelings, it can be powerful for all parties involved. There is a power in story and it can transform lives. So how do we give men the confidence to safely speak up?
Christel created a one-night only production called The Testosterone Testimonials: The Measure of a Man. He had fourteen men write their own monologues about their experience growing up male in American society, which they then performed in front of an audience
(which happened to be a packed house that night). The men ranged from a nineteen-year-old former gang member to a state senator, as well as a Rabbi and a transgender man. But there was a commonality among them because they were sharing honest accounts about their lives. The other similarity was many of the monologues started with how the man was hesitant to participate in this production. Yet, the men found the strength in the process to speak honestly about their feelings which was inspiring.
One man poignantly said: “So much of the aggression in our culture, particularly sexual violence, is the result of the need for one to express power through violence. Instead we need to learn and teach ourselves and within the relationships and communities we live that true power is based on loving, sharing, cooperating with and serving one another as friends, as lovers. Those are the lessons I have been taught that have given me my self-definition as a man. It’s what Martin Luther King taught us when he said the day would come when people were judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Another man used humor to discuss the topic: “I have never lived my life intending it to be a model for anyone. I don’t know what a men’s movement is – if it exists, I don’t want to be part of it. Movements are something done in bathrooms or by symphonies. One result is a pile of crap, the other in what can sometimes be called beautiful music. I have a strong feeling that anytime you couple the word men and movement, the result will be the former.”
This man chose a creative metaphor to explain it: “Emotions are like air in a balloon: you have to let them out, otherwise, the balloon cannot hold it all in and must release the pressure, then men, like balloons, will simply burst and that is not a pretty picture. Being a man
and not showing happiness, sadness, or pain is not what should be used to measure a man – but rather decide what is lifeless and uncaring. For no matter who or what you are, someone out there loves you and will miss you, but if you do not show kindness, understanding, acceptance and love to those around you, then you have missed out on a big part of the world and those who make it worth living,”
Once the production concluded, the men received a long, standing ovation and many in the audience was in tears. Christel encourages communities to come together to create a similar production because the results were so positive and uplifting.
In conclusion, we need to be humble enough to admit when we don’t understand something and to truly listen to another person when they are telling us about their experience. Honor them for having their experience. Don’t dismiss it. The underlying fear is what makes someone dismiss it. We have to address it head on. Treat each other like a human being. Recognize that we are all the same. Let’s support ALL men and release the fear.
For more information on The Testosterone Testimonials, please visit https://www.theessentialword.com/t3
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment or abuse, there are resources available. Please reach out to the following organizations if you need help:
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) 800.656.HOPE (4673) https://www.rainn.org/ Darkness to Light (End Child Sex Abuse) 866.FOR.LIGHT https://www.d2l.org
Stop Rape Now (UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict) http://www.stoprapenow.org
#MeToo, Due Process &
the Dark Legacy of Lynching
by Girma Parris
Looking at the #MeToo movement through the historical relationship of black men, sexual assault and due process can provide a window into the movement’s potential benefits and problems if proceeding in its current form.
Historically, black men have been linked to the issue of sexual assault and due process. A core justification for southern segregation in the post-Civil War south was the protection of white women from newly free and supposedly predatory black males. Lynching, an extralegal form of capital punishment that doubled as public spectacle, was thought to be both an appropriate punishment and effective deterrent for black rapists — the coup de grace breach of racial customs upon which southern segregation lay. Lynching, as a tradition operating outside the legal system, swapped due process for visceral public retribution for alleged black crimes.
Knowledge of this enduring stereotype has served to silence black women in their plight to achieve justice for their own experiences of sexual assault involving black men. Black women experience sexual assault at rates higher than women overall (except for Native-American women) and report these crimes at comparably low rates. Internalizing the discrimination experienced by their brothers, fathers, mentors, and community leaders has often led to subordinating their own abuse in the name of racial unity – bringing their black assaulters to justice doubling as confirmation of this, the granddaddy of black stereotypes.
The connection between black men, sexual assault and #MeToo revolves around the role of due process in the prosecution of sexual assault. The US Constitution demands the provision of a fair process for any person denied life, liberty or property by the government. Quoting Professor Zephyr Teachout from her op-ed in The New York Times, due process refers to “a fair and full investigation, with the chance for the accused to respond.” The right to due process is constitutionally guaranteed only in situations where the government
is involved: criminal/civil prosecutions or litigation. As rape is a crime in all 50 states, prosecutions of criminal rape cases require due process. For incidents involving private employment/school enrollment, its provision is not required. Nevertheless, to preclude litigation, private entities (private firms and universities not receiving government aid) often employ their own procedures to deal with issues as their occurrence can impact workplace/education environments. Federal Title IX protections that prohibit discrimination based on gender in universities receiving federal funds (as most institutions of higher education do) result in these institutions providing some form of procedures to handle situations of alleged sexual improprieties among faculty, staff, and students. In short, employers, schools, government institutions all have some procedures and processes to deal with incidents involving sexual misconduct. The question (controversy) often revolves around the efficacy of these procedures and whose interests seem to be favored by the procedures, the accused or the accuser. More on this below.
Two out of three sexual assault victims are never reported and over 90% of perpetrators never see any jail time. Nevertheless, it is private and public forums (private employers, university campuses, the halls of government) that have received the most recent media attention concerning sexual assault. It is these institutions upon which the #MeToo movement has focused: institutions where procedures to handle sexual harassment/assault have often either failed or been beyond the reach of sexual assault victims. For many women, living with harassment has been the default reality. Faced with the reality of unsympathetic/ unresponsive management, school officials and HR departments dismissing their complaints and tarnishing their reputations as liars or humorless, women have often opted to simply endure unwanted solicitation, sexual innuendo and even assault from their male peers. Black women have a long history with sexual assault and the silencing of their complaints. In slavery, their white masters raped them with legal impunity. This continued during the years of Jim Crow. For black
women, the gender dynamics described above have been exacerbated by issues pertaining to race: their accusations are even less credible than their white peers (especially when their assailants are white); and they have been reluctant to report the transgressions of their black peers out of racial loyalty, fear of community shame (the betrayal of “snitching,” for example) or general unease with reporting incidents. Concerning the latter, the rarity of black men in positions of leadership places an additional burden on black women to not bring down one of their “own” considering their scarcity (see accusations brought against Congressional Rep. John Conyers, recording artist R. Kelly, and music mogul Russell Simmons). Subsequently, the #MeToo forum has also given black women a forum and encouragement to transcend these hurdles for justice, to confront their abusers regardless of their race. This is a much needed and welcome development, one that should be encouraged and nurtured in some form.
The history of lynching however, also offers a cautionary tale to the seeming progress of #MeToo. In the zeal to protect white womanhood (and to justify white supremacy), white mobs exploited false accusations of rape to bypass due process procedures in favor of the public retribution of lynchings, which became a primary tool in enforcing racial customs. Ida B. Wells’ innovative, investigative work of the late 19th and early 20th century revealed that accusations of black rape were merely ruses for white supremacist violence, but the rationale survived as lynchings propagated during these decades.
During the first half of the 20th century, anti-lynching advocates repeatedly proposed federal anti-lynching legislation. Southern senators, possessing veto power in congress through the mid 1960s, perennially thwarted these efforts, employing the rationale of the perilous black brute. Expressing his opposition to the Dyer Antilynching Bill in 1921 during the House floor debate, House Representative Assel of Louisiana inquired, “You calmly discuss it here impersonally, but should your wife or daughter be criminally assaulted by an African continued on page 34
brute would you be restrained?” Lynching was thus not merely an institution operating outside of the law. The law supported it in fact if not in official proclamation.
Since lynching’s heyday, the stereotype of the predatory black male has endured in popular and political circles, evident in America’s first movie blockbuster, D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation in 1915, as well in contemporary times with the disproportionate rates of incarceration and capital punishment for black men.
Although the aims of advocates for victims of sexual assault are obviously more noble than those of southern white supremacists a century ago, those favoring disposing of due process to better protect accusers of sexual assault – as was the legal trend on college campuses during the Obama administration – can also result in potential miscarriages of justice. Although expulsion from college or loss of work hardly equate to lynching, with the permanency and ease of access to information on the Internet, ambivalently resolved allegations can profoundly circumscribe future prospects for the accused. Those defending #MeToo’s extra-due process approach accuse its critics as merely wanting to re-center the vulnerability of men in sexual assault allegations over the protection of victims. They argue that it is women, not men, who have historically lacked access to due process. This certainly does pertain to much criticism of the movement and is accurate in describing how women have been unjustly treated. Nevertheless, provisions of due process – whether referenced literally as in criminal law or idiomatically as in processes and procedures in private institutions referred to as such to handle these issues – are designed to protect the accused. That is the philosophical foundation of the American judicial system. Blacks of yesteryear accused of rape could have used such processes and protections to win their innocence, but lynchings bypassed such.
The problem for sexual assault victims is that this system designed to protect the accused is coupled with cultural biases (affecting judges and juries) that favor “boys being boys” and lays all responsibility for controlling men’s licentious behavior with women. Subsequently, victims of sexual assault are doubly disadvantaged in achieving justice – culturally and via judicial philosophy. Remedying this system requires understanding the need to retain our progressive judicial philosophy in all processes and procedures dealing with assault and harassment allegations while recognizing and addressing how cultural biases affect the efficacy of due process procedures in action. This begins early at the home and in primary and secondary schooling with an emphasis in teaching growing boys about sexual harassment and assault. The same energy spent drilling into young women the need to be sexually responsible and the perils of teenage pregnancy should also be drilled into men instead of wagging our fingers at young women and patting young boys on the back for engaging in similar youthful indiscretions. Protecting victims should not mean walking away from our judicial progressivism, nor should it equate with the use of such lofty philosophies to shield predatory men. We’ve already had lynching and black women have taken far too much for the team to salvage guilty black men. Due process, black women and women of all races deserve better. They all deserve true due process.
The Gift of Grace
How should we mourn our Mother? Who gave us life and love and dreams. How do we tell the world we love her? Tears are not enough, it seems. Should we sing a song of tribute? Build a monument of stone? Or find a quiet corner, and Meditate alone?
We still hear her words of comfort. When we needed her the most. We remember cheerful laughter, Should we then raise a toast?
To her life, her love, her memory! For memories never die. Remember, though, when we’re alone That it’s ok to cry.
Mom’s journey now has ended And we must stay and grieve. Days and weeks pass slowly When our friends and family leave, The memories, often blurry, Run together like the weeks They cannot repel the sadness Or give us solace that we seek.
But though we mourn her passing In unique and private ways We must remember what she taught us, And how she lived her days With humor, grace, and patience, With love for family, and friends. We must pass it forward always Our gift to her, that never ends.
the gift of grace mother's day
grace from the grave father's day
Grace from the Grave
And what then for our Father? For he suffers more than us. He lost his lifelong partner, In whom he dared to trust That she would always be there Devoted by his side
To share memories of their journey A long well traveled ride.
Now she is gone before him Not by her desire or choice. In the jet trails and the flowers
Listen closely, hear her voice, “Take care of your Father, It’s not easy. I should know. But he loved me and he loves you too. We were proud to watch you grow.”
“And now his family is all he has. Along with memories fading fast. He has but one more journey; Joining me will be his last. Love him with patience … humor… grace Look through my eyes and try to see He always tried to do his bestLove him as you love me.”
day
Reflection
Dad looked up and stared at me; His blue eyes aging, but still clear. “Reflection, Son. Reflection. It’s like I’m looking in a mirror. When I look at you, I see myself, about twenty years ago. I’m on the final laps of life, you have a few to go. We don’t communicate so well; It’s hard to tell you how I feel, But now I’m feeling pretty scared, and I sure hope that Heaven’s real. I made a list of things I learned; I hope you understand, Maybe you can learn from me; you’ll be a better man.”
“Go 60, don’t go 80. You’ll still get there way too soon. Turn the TV off at night, watch the clouds drift past the moon. Tell your wife and kids you love them; Use every chance to hug them tight. And listen to the crickets and the tree frogs sing at night. Life is like a movie; There’s a large supporting cast, Surround yourself with love and friendship, they’re the only things that last. Don’t be too hard on others; And give yourself a break, Maybe, Son, it’s not too late to learn from my mistakes.”
“The doctor thinks the cancer’s back, and there’s nothing he can do. I guess I understand it, after what I put my body through. Your Mother and I discussed the end – one of us would be the first. I can’t bear to talk about it, but watching her die was the worst. She was a special woman; Now she’s waiting up above. At least I hope that she is waiting, I was a little hard to love. I’d much rather she was sitting here, my ashes blowing in the wind. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that I’ll be with her again.”
“You kids are what we’ve left this world. You are our legacy. I hope you got the best of her, and not so much of me. Look at me as if you see your own reflection in a mirror. Heed the ever-present warning, ‘Things may be closer than they appear.’ I’m tired, and old. I’ve made mistakes, but I worked hard, and did my best. When God gives me a final score, I hope the good outweighs the rest. Reflection, Sons, and Daughter. Reflection is the key. God give you strength and courage to change – based on what you see.”
Peer-to-peer Support is What Will Pull You Through Your Pain
by Dan Dean
My whole body had been tingling for about a month — recurrent symptoms from a bulged disc, I thought. Restless nights and uncomfortable sleep, along with turning into a chair contortionist, was becoming normal. Grudgingly, I met with my primary care doc who referred me to a neurologist.
The night before my neurology appointment, I met a friend for dinner. Unaware of my situation, he asked how I was doing. I told him about my looming appointment and concerns, preoccupied that something serious may be going on. “Ah, c’mon man, what are you kidding me? You’re fine.”
Moments later, he admitted to pulling a classic bro move — the suck it up and deal maneuver. Not wanting to dwell on the situation, I told him not to worry about it. Inside, though, I felt foolish and ashamed for trusting him with personal information.
Chances are that this situation has probably happened to you, whether it was with a friend, your partner or someone at work. The topic could be health, a relationship or a job — it really doesn’t matter, the aftermath feels the same. If you’re anything like me in those situations, your upper lip gets stiffer and the walls around you get higher.
It’s safer to keep up a strong defense because there’s no room for judgment from the outside —
no need to get burned in the way I did and no need for our insecurities to hang out like laundry flapping in the breeze. There’s some allure and practicality to that — to a point. Not everyone needs to know your business. Some folks simply don’t have the bandwidth to consume it anyway.
If you’re going through something or need to vent, finding a confidante is essential. We’re not tight-lipped about everything, men, but we tend to get tripped up on the emotional stuff or in situations that make us look weak.
Over the last several months, I’ve connected with men of various walks of life, interviewing them about the importance of peer-to-peer support for an online psychosocial educational curriculum for my nonprofit, M Powerment. It’s designed to help male cancer patients and survivors thrive after treatment.
Whether it’s the toughest, bravest men in society — our military — or ones who achieve wealth or fame that most of us would dream about — athletes and coaches — their comments are all the same. Peer-topeer support is essential for helping them cope with challenging circumstances and other day-to-day stressors. As one of my friends in the Air Force told me, “If we don’t get it out to someone, our problems will consume us. After all, we’re human and have the same range of emotions as everyone else.”
He suffered from severe depression after one particularly grueling tour of duty in Baghdad. He confided to a couple of trusted friends in the service, along with his wife, about his challenges, and he successfully worked his way out of that depression. Peer-to-peer support isn’t a magic bullet, but the shared experience removes isolation, normalizes challenges and provides possible pathways to making it through.
As a cancer survivor, I can attest to the power of peerto-peer support. While I’m fortunate to have had
empathetic, supportive friends during my treatment and after, there were parts of the cancer experience to which they just couldn’t relate.
When I’m with my cancer tribe, there’s no need for the preamble of how I got cancer and what it was like. Instead I can focus on its impact and importance to me. When I meet another survivor for the first time, there is a built-in brother and sisterhood where you feel like you knew that person for much longer than you actually do. The firemen, professional athletes and coaches, and military members I interviewed all have had similar experiences.
One huge challenge many of us face is if and how we talk to our partner about what’s challenging for us. In some cases, we don’t want to look weak in front of them or, even if we have the willingness to disclose, our partners are not prepared to see us off our white horse and out of our shining armor.
While it’s not meant to replace actual communication with your partner, peer-to-peer support is a great resource to work through your challenge with someone else who’s been in your shoes or can empathize with your situation. Share what’s on your mind with a receptive audience to make sure you get it out, and then those potentially problematic communications at home have a lot less teeth to them.
In 2014, I was in a relationship with an unsupportive girlfriend as my mom was passing away from cancer. I realized quickly I couldn’t turn to her for support through my mom’s decline and passing, and the stress of that experience was overwhelming me. So I tapped into a couple of close friends who had lost parents at a similar age. Their experiences didn’t take away the pain of my mom’s death, but their words definitely helped to normalize what I was experiencing.
The ultimate goal achieved then and sought with any challenge: to not feel so alone.
James Herman Banning: First Black Pilot to Fly Across America in 1932
by Dr. Philip Hart
My wife Tanya Hart and I attended the Black Panther world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood the week the movie opened. Hollywood’s African-American A-list talent like Ava DuVernay, Reginald Hudlin, and Snoop Dogg, were there as well, cheering loudly throughout the movie along with 3,000 other Black Panther fans. The aviation scenes in the movie reminded Tanya and me about the movie we are developing that tells the story of my mother’s uncle James Herman Banning. Banning and his mechanic and co-pilot Thomas C. Allen were the first black pilots to fly across America in 1932. I first learned of Banning’s aviation exploits when I was growing up in Denver looking at photographs in family albums. I took this family story and helped create children’s books, a documentary film, museum exhibits, magazine articles, and now a motion picture based upon Banning and his aviation peers. My younger brother Chris was inspired to become a pilot and the first African American to be Chairman of the National Transportation Board (NTSB). My family has been involved with aviation for close to 100 years and our movie about Banning and Allen will place these reallife black hero’s compelling story firmly in the center of American popular culture a place Black Panther now occupies.
Marvel’s Black Panther has far exceeded box office expectations topping one billion dollars worldwide thus far and a sequel is already in the works. The motion picture paradigm in Hollywood has changed with Black Panther’s success as the movie clearly shows that Afrothemed films can sell tickets in foreign markets. The Hollywood gatekeepers have seen their assumptions challenged and it could make for a renaissance with movies featuring people of color both in front of the camera and behind the camera. Black Panther in its story-telling emphasizes Afro-futurism, technology, fierce women, and a Cain and Abel theme rooted in family conflict. The sovereign state of Wakanda presents an independent African nation that is technologically advanced.
A Black Panther movie franchise now seems likely within Disney’s Marvel Studios franchise system rooted in stories about super heroes. What about real-life heroes with Afro-centric themes and technological pursuits and movie making? One possibility in this regard is my mission of developing a movie franchise based upon the adventures of early African-American aviators. My 2013 Oxford University Press online photo essay “Early African American Aviators” features ten men and women pilots who are real-life heroes that led adventurous lives while pursuing the new technology of aviation soon after the Wright Brothers took the first manned flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in December 1903.
These real-life heroes include Emory Malick who earned his pilot’s license in 1912; Eugene Bullard who flew for the French Air Force in World War I; Bessie Coleman who earned her pilot’s license in France in 1921; James Herman Banning who was the first black pilot to fly across America in 1932; William J. Powell who founded the Bessie Coleman Aero Club in Los Angeles in 1929; Hubert Fauntleroy Julian the Black Eagle of Harlem who
helped Emperor Haile Selassie establish the Ethiopian Air Force in the 1930s; and other adventurers.
The first movie in this franchise will be The Hallelujah Flight based upon Jack Lynn’s novel and my children’s book Flying Free: America’s First Black Aviators. This movie tells the story of the first black pilots to fly across America in 1932 – James Herman Banning and his mechanic Thomas C. Allen who called themselves “The Flying Hoboes.” This movie is based upon a screenplay developed with Walt Disney Pictures by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Charles Fuller (A Soldier’s Story).
The second movie in the franchise is Flying Free with Bessie Coleman based upon treatments my wife Tanya Hart and I developed when our production company was housed at Walt Disney Studios. One of our producing partners on these films is our daughter Ayanna Hart who is COO and Senior Producer at Fancy Film/Silver Lake in Los Angeles. Among her movie credits is finishing producer for Beatriz at Dinner, a 2017 film starring Salma Hayak and John Lithgow.
continued on page 44
If the first two films in this real-life heroes’ franchise achieve both critical and commercial success, then we will proceed with development of a third movie about the flamboyant aviator Hubert Fauntleroy Julian who later in his adventurous life was an international arms dealer. The stories of all these black pilots are well known in Europe thus ensuring that they will sell tickets in European movie theaters. This market reality was reinforced when we were doing archival research for our 1987 PBS documentary film Flyers in Search of a Dream about early black pilots. This film used clips from other period films I located like Unemployment, the Negro and Aviation (1935) and the melodrama The Flying Ace (1926). But the bulk of the film archival footage we located was is the Pathe film archives in Paris, France and in the film archives at Rank Film Studios outside London, England.
My PBS film has been a top seller in the PBS Video catalogue (www. shopPBS.org) since 1988 giving me confidence that there is a solid market for movies about America’s early African-American aviators. These reallife heroes can be just as compelling as super heroes – from Black Panther to The Hallelujah Flight – Afro-centric themes, technology, brave black men and women can be compelling both in real life and on the big screen. My children’s book Flying Free: America’s First Black Aviators was named A 1992 Notable Children’s Trade Book in Social Studies by The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. In its award presentation, my book was described as having “Courage, glamour, danger, early death – this book has it all, with simplicity and dignity besides.” In a similar vein, Black Panther has courage, glamour, danger, and early death. Both Black Panther and The Hallelujah Flight can establish a new paradigm for Hollywood moviemaking – black characters as heroes. From The Flying Hoboes to Black Panther – from real-life black heroes to black superheroes. Our time is now!
Mark Birtha, President, Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. A real winner in the gaming industry, in his career and in life. Read his journey from humble beginnings to the top of his game!
• “Cleveland’s “Hidden Figures” at the NASA Glenn Research Center
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• “Spring Photo Tips for Amateurs” by Phillip Germany II
10 Questions Every Man is Afraid to Ask His Doctor Find
out what you need to know from an expert
As a urologist, Ryan Berglund, MD, regularly fields difficult — and often embarrassing — questions from his patients and from callers on a local radio show on Friday evenings.
Here are the 10 most common urology-related questions he gets and his answers to each.
1. Is it normal to feel something in my testicles or scrotum? There are a lot of normal structures outside the testicle in the scrotum. Some abnormal things:
• Something that feels like a bag of worms in your scrotum, particularly on the left side, is a collection of abnormally large blood vessels called varicocele. This can lead to infertility and decreased testicle size.
• Hydrocele is fluid collected around the testicle.
• Spermatocele is excess fluid or a cyst in the epididymis.
• The varicocele, spermatocele and hydrocele are abnormal, but most people don’t do
anything about them. If you feel an actual lump inside the testicle, there is a concern of testicular cancer. A man should examine his testicles once a month in the shower, supporting the testicle with one hand and feeling with the other hand. If you feel a hardness or irregularity inside the testicle, it’s important to contact your doctor.
2. Can a man break his penis?
Yes. There is no bone in the penis, but it has a very strong layer around it called the tunica albuginea that allows for rigidity during an erection. A penile fracture occurs when that fibrous connective tissue “breaks” during intercourse. When the erectile bodies fill with blood at high pressure, this strong layer keeps the blood inside and allows for an erection. When it breaks, that layer tears and you bleed through it. There’s usually a very loud, painful snap followed by detumescence (the erection subsides). The result is bruising and swelling, and it is a surgical emergency.
Dr. Ryan Berglund Cleveland Clinic
3. What does normal semen look like? When should I worry? Normal semen is thick and white, but it can have different consistencies.
• Blood in the semen, if it’s persistent, is a condition called hematospermia, and may relate to a prostate problem.
• If you have a foul-smelling ejaculate with pain, have your doctor check for infection.
4. I am a young man and cannot get an erection. Is that normal? The risk of having severe erectile dysfunction under the age of 50 is less than 5 percent, so it’s worthwhile to chat with your primary physician if you encounter that problem. Erectile dysfunction at a young age may relate to:
• A past trauma
• A vascular problem
• A disease that affects the nerves or blood vessels, such as diabetes or hypertension. Some prescription drugs, illegal drugs, and smoking can also cause erectile dysfunction.
5. What is the normal range of penis size? Can you make it larger? The normal range is about 3.5 to 7.5 inches, with the average about 5.5 inches. For a normal-sized penis, there’s no safe way to make it larger.
6. My penis has acne. Is that a concern? What spots on my penis or scrotum are abnormal?
People can get infections or irritation of the hair follicles on the penis, and that is not unusual. But if you notice the following, see your doctor:
• Something that looks like an ulcer or a breakdown of the skin with a weeping wound
• Something that looks like a head of cauliflower — probably a wart
• Something that starts out as a red area but expands and drains pus — can signal a more serious infection
7. Can I give my wife a urinary tract infection or can she transmit one to me? Can I get a sexually transmitted disease from a toilet seat? In general, we don’t consider urinary tract infections (UTIs) as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). There are some STDs, though,
that can cause symptoms similar to a UTI. A standard e coli UTI — the most common type — is not sexually transmitted, as e coli is a ubiquitous bacteria in that area. Women who are prone to UTIs may get one after intercourse, but it doesn’t mean that her partner is carrying an STD. No, the woman cannot transmit a UTI to you. While it is feasible to contract an infection from an unclean toilet seat, this would be an unusual mode of transmission.
8. Should I or shouldn’t I be circumcised?
The use of circumcision for medical or health reasons continues to be debated. This is a very personal decision that no doctor can make on behalf of his patient. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the overall health benefits outweigh the risks. However, AAP does not recommend routine circumcision for newborn males. The procedure might be recommended in older boys and men to treat phimosis (the inability to retract the foreskin) or to treat an infection of the penis.
9. My penis curves. Should I or can I fix it?
That’s Peyronie’s disease, and curvatures up to about 30 degrees don’t cause any functional problems. Curvatures greater than 30 degrees may affect intercourse. To fix this problem:
• A doctor can inject a collagenase drug into the scar tissue that causes the curvature.
• A doctor can do a surgical excision of the scar tissue with a graft or a penile prosthesis.
• A doctor can perform a plication, or surgical unbending of the penis.
10. It takes me a long time to pee and takes a while to start. Should I be worried? Most urinary problems from the prostate are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Medications can help in some cases, but if problems are so severe that the patient is unable to empty his bladder, there are surgical interventions. Some people worry that this symptom could signal prostate cancer, but most urinary problems are not related. Those problems that are, show up at a very late phase of advanced disease.
The Importance of Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs)
by Eric Guthrie, Esq.
Recently, the Blacks in Government Carl T. Rowan Chapter, the Thursday Luncheon Group (TLG), and the Office of Civil Rights hosted Congressman Sanford Bishop at the Department of State. Three of the five speakers on the program were Morehouse College Alumni: Gregory Smith, Esq., Eric Guthrie Esq., and Congressman Sanford Bishop. The other two speakers, Stacy D. Williams, TLG President, is a Southern University Alumni and Gregory Smith is a Southern University Law School Alumni.
Gregory Smith opened the program with very poignant words on black history, and how achievements of blacks in America, and in other countries, transcend in the fields of science, medicine, sports, arts, education and law. Next, Eric Guthrie commented on the importance of HBCUs in the mission of the Department of State, especially in leadership positions. He called for all HBCU alumni to stand and be recognized. The presence of HBCU alumni in the auditorium truly reinforced his opening statement! Mr. Guthrie then introduced Congressman Bishop and shared the story of their meeting through Morehouse Alumni business, and their dinner at the National Democratic Club. Eric’s comments centered around Congressman Bishop’s leadership and selfless service to the community that has enabled him to serve 12 terms in the U. S. House of Representatives.
The Shortest Poem: “I, why?”
Congressman Bishop’s life is truly historical. Ranging from living through desegregation in southern Alabama, to meeting Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays (then President of Morehouse College) as a young boy, to attending Morehouse College, to singing with the Morehouse Glee Club at the funeral of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to starting his legal career with the support of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Congressman Bishop has not only seen history, he has been part of history!
The constant theme of his words of wisdom were based on the shortest poem, “I, why?” What are we supposed to do? What is our purpose? What is our role in bringing about change? These two small words are a powerful question we can always ask ourselves. This question is never fully answered as there is always work to do. And, as the challenges of the world change, we should keep asking “I, why?” to make sure we are centered and focused on our role in change.
Indeed, Congressman Bishop is a living example of “I, why?” After winning a class action lawsuit, where he represented prison inmates that were constantly exposed to deplorable conditions, he had to confront the reality that the State Legislature did not want to spend the court ordered ten million dollars to address the conditions in prison. As a result, he successfully ran for the Georgia House of Representatives and later, the Georgia Senate. While in the Georgia Legislature, he worked tirelessly to approve the fund-
From left: Gregory Smith, Esq., Congressman Sanford Bishop, and Eric Guthrie, Esq.
ing necessary for resolving the inmate issue. In Congressman Bishop’s words, “win a case, help a client; pass a law, help the entire state.” Thus started his legendary path to 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In his final words, Congressman Bishop commented on how the “pendulum” is swinging the other way. As I contemplated on that comment, two thoughts came to mind: 1. As there are forces that are constantly attempting to fight the progress that has been made in the last 50 years, I am glad Members of Congress like Sanford Bishop are in positions to fight for the community. 2. Would the attendees use the words of the Congressman to ask “I, why?” and become agents of change? As the pendulum is swinging the other way, agents of change that take positive action can become the force that reverses the movement of the pendulum in the right direction. The audience expressed their sincere apprecia-
Closing Diplomatic Overtures
Stacy D. Williams, President (TLG), presented Congressman Bishop with the TLG medallion for his participation in the event. Finally, Steve Goldstein, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, offered closing remarks highlighting the first African-American Diplomat, Ebenezer Don Carlos Basset who served in Haiti from 1869 to 1877, former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, and the recent success of Derek Hogan, one of the Department’s Deputy Executive Secretaries.
In closing, “thank you Representative Bishop.” We appreciate your service and your historical, influential and important Black History Month message to the Department of State. You make all Morehouse and HBCU Alumni proud to be in the same struggle for excellence
The Role of the Church in the New
by Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins
Social Justice Movements
In the fifty years following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., racial, social, and economic divisions continue to grip the nation in ways that would ring familiar to King and others of his day. Not surprisingly, post-racial America has yet to materialize.
King’s words from his sermon collection Strength to Love, stand as a direct response to the current leaders of the religious right (religious right are those individuals that seek to speak for the majority voice) who have become comfortable as the apologists for an administration whose priorities and leadership don’t embody the faith ideals they supposedly claim. He states:
“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”
The prophetic zeal King speaks of has been the fabric of the church for generations. The church, and faith communities in general, have long been the seedbed for efforts and movements that have changed society for the better. The Abolition movement was grounded in churches throughout the North. Quakers and persons of other Christian denominations, both black and white, played a valuable role in leading slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
The Black Social Gospel movement of the early 20th century shaped and led by figures including W.E.B. Du Bois, AME Zion bishop Alexander Walters, Howard University dean Kelly Miller, and Baptist minister Adam Clayton Powell Sr. was the point of origin for many efforts, including the Niagara Movement, which ultimately gave birth to the NAACP. Fortunately, the work continues in the efforts of many who are at the center of present social justice movements.
In sharp contrast to the messages coming from some on the religious right are leaders like the Rev. Dr. William Barber, formerly the president of the North Carolina
NAACP and originator of the Moral Monday movement. In 2014, he founded Repairers of the Breach, an organization formed to educate and train religious and other leaders of faith to pursue policies and organizational strategies for the good of the whole and to educate the public about connections between shared religious faith. Recently he has been part of the revival of the Poor People’s Campaign, originally instituted by Martin Luther King, Jr., and based on religious and constitutional values that demand justice for all – coupled with the belief that moral revival is necessary to save the heart and soul of our democracy.
The movement is committed to lifting up and deepening the leadership of those most affected by systemic racism, poverty, the economic war, and ecological devastation and to building unity across lines of division. Perhaps most notably, Dr. Barber gave an electrifying speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia that vividly made the connection of faith with social action:
“I am worried by the way that faith is cynically used by some to serve hate, fear, racism and greed.
Listen to the ancient chorus in which deep calls unto deep.
Pay people what they deserve, share your food with the hungry. Do this and then your nation shall be called a repairer of the breach.
Jesus, a brown-skin Palestinian Jew, called us to preach good news to the poor, the broken and the bruised and all those who are made to feel unaccepted.
Some issues are not left or right or liberal versus conservative. They are right versus wrong.
We need to embrace our deepest moral values...for revival at the heart of our democracy...When we love the Jewish child and the Palestinian child, the Muslim and the Christian and the Hindu and the Buddhist and those who have no faith, but they love this nation,
are reviving the heart of our democracy.”
Another voice of change is that of the Rev. Starsky Wilson, equally at home navigating the halls of power and standing arm-in-arm with protesters, making him an influential voice for justice in St. Louis. Wilson serves as head of the Deaconess Foundation, a Christian fund that focuses on aiding children and strengthening local nonprofits. His work for the group draws on years of experience at the United Way and the Urban League, as well as in his ministry at St. John’s United Church of Christ in St. Louis.
After the August 2014 killing of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, Reverend Wilson joined in protests and has served as co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, created by Missouri’s governor to assess racial inequity in the St. Louis area. The Deaconess Foundation gave $100,000 to support community organizing by local nonprofits responding to the crisis.
Reverend Wilson is encouraged by the trust building that’s taken place since the unrest in Ferguson, but says there hasn’t been enough change: “Not enough deliverables for people who are in distress. Not enough shift in legislation and regulation.”
Another voice, while somewhat surprising, has proven just as compelling. The Rev. Rob Lee, a United Church Of Christ minister has recently become widely known because of his lineage along with his stand on racism.
Lee’s speech at the VMAs on Aug. 27 introduced Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer who was killed 15 days before, after being mowed down by a car as she protested white supremacy in Charlottesville.
“My name is Robert Lee IV, I’m a descendant of Robert E. Lee, the Civil War general whose statue was at the center of violence in Charlottesville,” he said. “We have made my ancestor an idol of white supremacy, racism, and hate. As a pastor, it is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin.
From his pulpit, Lee implored his parishioners to condemn the racism swirling around them, insisting they
would be doing the church wrong if they remained silent. “It’s not the message that we’re used to hearing from our pulpits. But maybe now is the time to start having those messages,” Lee said in an NPR interview.
What is clear from these examples of leadership that are grounded in the church are the elements of making real change possible. The need to educate, organize, and ultimately mobilize have been, and remain at the center of any successful movement. In these days of unimaginable division and strife, remembering this longstanding strategy is an important tactic to prevent being consumed by the all too understandable frustration and anger that the current climate brings with it.
Educate: Institutions can make certain that people are armed with the critical information surrounding critical issues. From voter suppression, to criminal justice reform, to gun violence and beyond, being equipped with the facts as to how these issues affect our communities can motivate more individuals to be committed to making the necessary changes. Also educating communities that are struggling for social change that they are not alone, and that others have gone before is a barrier to burnout.
Organize: Helping communities to realize their collective strength is paramount. We see that voices effectively gathered around critical issues can make change take shape. Every movement has found success when the talents, skills, and passions of each member is put to meaningful use.
Mobilize: With each recent election, the Alabama Senate race, the Virginia Delegate races, or the Pennsylvania Congressional race, we see that every vote does indeed count. Every high school student, from Florida to Chicago helps to press the case for gun legislation. The emails, phone calls, and knocks on doors are the life blood of making certain that people know that they can make much needed change come about. Even in the face of harsh opposition and negativity we must not forget that for generations others have done the work to make the change. When faith becomes action, faith is alive!
Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins serves as Senior Vice President for Innovation in Public Programs at Union Theological Seminary, where he develops programming aimed primarily at those not enrolled in Union’s degree programs.
Spiritual Health Check-Up
by Rose Hosler
When we think of health and wellbeing, the focus usually is on physical and emotional health. It isn’t until we are in a difficult life situation or health crisis that our spirituality or lack of, comes into our awareness. We often speak of the mind/body/spirit connection but how many of us really take it in?? The mind, body, and spirit are interconnected and when these are in balance then we are healthy. Have you had a spiritual health checkup lately? To check in with spirituality and spiritual health I asked questions to my friends and colleagues in this profession: Rabbi Alan Lettofsky; Rev. Brent Raitz, M.Div, BCC (Association of Professional Chaplains); and Rev. Ikwo Umosen, D.Min, BCC (Association of Professional Chaplains), hospital chaplain (endorsed hospital chaplaincy)
How do you define spirituality?
Rabbi Lettofsky: “All human beings experience the world in such a way of our five senses. Spirituality is going beyond those five senses, there is more going on than we can sense. This may be expressed in many ways, through religion, various practices, or meditation. When we look at science, especially medical science spirituality is not measured, not concrete. We have to go back to our own spirituality to make sense of our lives and the universe.”
Rev. Raitz: “For me it is my connection with God. Spirituality is a defining piece that orchestrates all the rest, the physical and emotional. Not only my connection with God, also how I love my wife, children, and the relationships I have with others.”
Rev. Umosen: “To me it is looking inward to use the resources we have from within that empower us to maximize our fullest potential. Many times we function in two realms; the mind and body, we forget the spiritual realm. Religion is outward based in ritual, tradition, and rules. Spirituality is informal, flexible and internal. What one is comfortable in believing that supports you.”
We understand and see physical, mental/emotional health, what about our spiritual health?
Rabbi Lettofsky: “Sometimes we cannot cure disease, but we pray for healing. It involves connection with self, others, and community. One feels at peace, that things are ok. We tend to focus on our spirituality when faced with illness and death. Having spiritual health is knowing there more to life than just our body. Love, beauty, our relationships, that is what counts and lasts. Realizing there’s more, we do not live forever, and we are not perfect. My spiritual health comes through my relationships especially with my grandchildren, they will remember me after I have died. My reward is in the next world.”
Rev. Raitz: “Spiritual health is about balance. What speaks to a person maybe through journaling, prayer, connecting with nature, the people around you. Spiritual health can guide how you take care of the physical and emotional body. Also, for me how I love people as God loves people.”
Rev. Umosen: “Creating an environment of spirituality, part of being. What activates the spirit, the goodness, kindness within us? Building relationships, talking about life, even nature, empathy, and compassion creates spiritual health.”
For those who are struggling with spirituality or feel it is missing, where can they begin?
Rabbi Lettofsky: “Asking a person what is important in his life. What is of value to you? Not material. I would help them find meaning in his life. As we can take things for granted, especially in times of health. When illness fall upon us I feel it is my role to support a person when they need to focus on their spirituality.”
Rev. Raitz: “For me it would be talking with the person, checking to see if they are connected. Either through a church, group of friends, a spiritual advisor, or what speaks to them. Getting in touch with the spiritual side in day to day life. When people are ill or have lost a job, relationship, they may feel abandonment, anger, disappointment with God. People have different ways of connecting and it is helpful to explore that. Focusing on what their spirituality has looked like when they have felt good. Helping them to reignite that feeling of connectedness.”
Rev. Umosen: “I would ask what is your meaning or purpose in what you are doing right now. Asking a person what they feel is missing in their life. It can be easy to bridge the gap – we have to be conscious of the mind/body/ spirit. It is three dimensional, cannot function independently. Helping someone find what makes them whole, purposeful. As men age tend to be more retrospective as they think about their life and how spirituality comes in.
The mind/body/spirit are intricately connected. Take time to assess and check-in with your spiritual self. What speaks to you spiritually? How do you feel connected?
Thanks to Rev. Raitz, Rev. Umosen, and Rabbi Lettofsky for their wisdom and love. Peace and Blessings for your Spiritual Health!!
