September 2019 Edition

Columbus & Dayton

September 2019

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FREE

Dayton, We Love You!

By Cecil Jones, MBA

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Footprints In The Sand

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Saving Health Services to Save Lives

By William McCoy, MPA

By Charleta B. Tavares

The Revival of Dayton, OH.....

OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OHIO.

To find out more about what we’re doing in the community and how you can get involved visit aarp.org/oh.

PUBLISHER’S PAGE Founder & Publisher Ray Miller

Layout & Design Ray Miller, III

Assistant Editor Ray Miller, III

Distribution Manager Ronald Burke Student Interns Jada Respress Olivia Deslandes

Lead Photographer Steve Harrison

Contributing Editors Dante Chinni Suzanne Barker, JD Hon. Randolph Baxter (Ret.) Tessie Belue, JD Lisa Benton, MD, MPH Rodney Q. Blount, Jr., MA Benette Waugh DeCoux Eric Johnson, PhD Cecil Jones, MBA Robin A. Jones, PhD Ako Kambon Doreece Lattimer, MS Darren Lundy, MBA William McCoy, MPA Ray Miller, III James A. Scott, Jr., PhD Deepa Shivaram Sarah D. Sparks Kyle Strickland, JD Fmr. Sen. Charleta B. Tavares

The Columbus African American news journal was founded by Ray Miller on January 10, 2011

It was none other than Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of America’s most celebrated poet’s, and a son of Dayton, Ohio who penned these powerful words, written within one of his most famous poems, “We Wear The Mask.”

His flowing portraiture was flawless.............This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, While we wear the mask.”

It is understandable why the people of Dayton would rather embrace denial than confront the harsh reality of a City in decline. I personally believe that Dayton will have a rebirth and once again shine as that Gem City that so many of us hold in our remembrance and shelter in our hearts. Wishing and hoping will not be enough, however. A reversal of this magnitude will require, 1) A sharply focused and realistic, time-specific, plan for revival, 2) Substantial financial investment in the most depressed communities within the City, and 3) Sober, strategic leadership--not seeking or being satisfied with applause, but securing real measurable and visible commitments to actualize and fully implement the plan for urban revitalization.

This can all be done, but not if the financiers and elected leaders make decisions based on race or racism, rather than true growth and opportunity.

None of us have the time to lament the past and engage in nostalgic reflections of what once was. We all know that Dayton once was a thriving, vibrant city. We all know of the bona fides in aviation, technology, business and entrepreneurship, poetry, sports, music, grassroots politics, organized labor, and invention. Now is the time for thorough, hardcore analysis of what went wrong and what must be done to right the ship of progress and prosperity. Again, we know how we got here--GM plant closings, NCR abandonment, bank redlining practices, housing foreclosures, escalating poverty, unprecedented unemployment, low wage jobs, white flight, failing public schools, passive leadership, poor annexation policies, Good Samaritan Hospital closure, tornadoes, mass shooting, and the resurgence of the KKK. The most recent Census data shows us that Dayton’s population declined significantly from a peak of 262,332 residents in 1960 to only 141,759 in 2010. This was in part due to the slowdown of the region’s manufacturing and the growth of Dayton’s affluent suburbs including Oakwood, Englewood, Beavercreek, Springboro, Miamisburg, Kettering, and Centerville. The City’s most populous ethnic group, white, declined from 78.1% in 1960 to 51.7% by 2010. However, recent census estimates show a 1.3% population increase since 2010, the first increase in five decades.

In addition to the seven (7) cities named above Dayton’s suburbs with a population of 10,000 or more include Clayton, Fairborn, Harrison Township, Huber Heights, Miami Township, Riverside, Trotwood, Vandalia, Washington Township, West Carrolton, and Exenia. The rapid and steady growth of these suburbs and surrounding counties in the region have only exacerbated the decline of the city of Dayton.

While this is undoubtedly a case in which “The cow has already left the barn,” I feel compelled to share the city of Columbus experience with annexation and planned growth. In the years following World War II, there was a general exodus across the country from cities to the suburbs. Residents leaving for the suburbs took a toll on their former cities. Property and income tax bases declined steeply and businesses failed as people preferred to shop close to their new homes instead of venturing downtown. Growing suburbs also began to encircle cities, which cut them off from further growth. To make a long story short, Columbus, under the leadership of its Mayor Jack Sensenbrenner in 1954 decided that it would simply outgrow its suburbs. By annexing new land the City would not only add new residents, but it would also expand the city’s tax base and provide new commercial and industrial centers. For a fee, the City of Columbus was providing water and sewer services. By controlling access to water and sewer systems, the City of Columbus could control growth in Central Ohio.

Let us commit to working together on real issues that matter. We have the talent, commitment, and resources to make a difference in the lives of so many. I look forward to continuing this work with you. We have many allies willing to collaborate with us.

With Appreciation and Respect,

The Columbus & Dayton African American 503 S. High Street - Suite 102 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Office: 614.826.2254 editor@columbusafricanamerican.com

Ray Miller Founder & Publisher

www.CAANJ.com

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The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

In This Issue

9 26 36

And How Are The Children in Dayton Public Schools?

22

The Color Pink

23

My Brother’s Keeper Ohio Statewide Network

24 Congresswoman Beatty

Determined to Move Needle on

Affordable Housing 24

Tavares Appointed to the Ohio Elections Commission

25

Legislative Update

26

College Bound: Support for HBCUs

26

College Bound Support for HBCUs

28

Why CASA of Franklin County Needs You to Join Our Team

29

Book Bags & E-Readers

By: James A. Scott, Jr., Phd

31 Ok Google: Knowledge

Construction for 21st Century

College Bound Support for HBCUs

32

The Woman That Stretched Her Neck Out, And It Did Not Break

Arthur O. Fisher: Historic Dayton Judge Who Broke Barriers

33

34

The Elimination of the Stretch IRA Three Reasons Why There is a Shortage of Skilled Trade Workers

By: Ray Miller, III

By: Rodney Blount, Jr., MA

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Dayton, We Love You!

6

Footprints In The Sand

7

Saving Health Services to 17

Save Lives

8

Dayton 911 - What’s

Your Emergency?

9

And How Are The Children in 18

Dayton Public Schools?

10

Pillars of Wisdom

20

COVER STORY

15

Ohioans Need Relief

22

Twentig, Inc. Presents

from Rx Greed

Harlem Nights

16

Grieving on the Way

to Restoration Social Media, Television

34 Black Businesses, Black

Consumers: A Neccesary Alliance

in Teens

36

17

50 Years of Tiger Pride

37

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

Linked to Depression

FAQ’s on For Educators on Children’s Trauma

4

Arthur O. Fisher: Historic Dayton Judge Who Broke Barriers Community Events

All contents of this news journal are copyrighted © 2015; all rights reserved.

Title registration with the U.S. Patent Office pending. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.

Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, and illustrations will not be returned unless accompanied by a properly addresses envelope bearing sufficient postage. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.

DATYON, WE LOVE YOU!

By Cecil Jones, MBA

Within 40 minutes of the Indiana border, customers, vendors, stores, etc. have yet another time zone of availability open to them. Call/customer/support centers and any business that can take advantage of that additional hour. It is provided by the difference in Eastern and Central time markets could find Dayton, Ohio a good location.

Reunions

Bad things can happen to good people. The devastation cast by the tornadoes in Dayton, Ohio landed upon an area of Dayton in which many Blacks have lived over the last 30 years (Trotwood, Harrison Township and North Dayton). Pictures in social media do not share that some of these people saved for years to own these homs. The pictures don’t tell the story of the people without power for more than a week, even if there was no danger to their home. The pictures did and do not tell the story of those without a financial support system that are depending upon strangers, hoping that the churchs and non-profits will be there to help with the basics.

Housing

Dayton, Ohio: Spiritual, Caring, Technology, Military, Creative, Resilient, Talented, Get-it-Done, First-in-Flight, Friendly, Entrepreneurial, Mobile, Multiple African American Mayors since the 1970s, Fashion, Funk, R&B, Jazz, nearby Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These are some adjectives and phrases that come to mind when I think of Tornado Damage Dayton, Ohio.

The good news is that Dayton will come back. Dayton is creative and resilient.

Dayton has a great backbone, potential and history while recovering from some tragic events and circumstances. A few attributes focused on Dayton are below.

Blacks in Technology

Before Google, Facebook, Amazon and other technology enterprises, there have been a great number of talented yet community focused Black technologists in Dayton, Ohio working for NCR Corporation. NCR has left Dayton but technology talent is present in Dayton. For decades, these brilliant people would gather to share knowledge, help improve each other and uplift the community. Recovering from Grief See www.bdpa.org to connect with some The murders in the Oregon District also let talented technologists in Dayton. us know that bad things can happen to good people. One of Dayton’s strengths is the Location spiritual community. A good characteristic You have heard realtors mention that one of Dayton is that one can easily find a church attribute for a home or business that is home and a supportive community. The important is location, location, and location. historic churches are available. The newer Dayton is on I-75 near I-70, a prime traveling churches are available. The community corridor. Think warehousing, distribution focused programming provided by churches centers, transportation and other primary is present. We continue to pray with you a services that are needed to bring items to you grieve. stores and even to your door.

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As the schools in Dayton celebrate their 10th, 25th, 50th, etc. alumni reunions, the talent and strength is very visible. Many of these reunions have a community focused cause and purpose other than buying a nice outfit and catching up with old friends. Outfits and friends are great. Some of the reunions have added ‘Party with a Purpose’ in a great manner.

A key portion of our salaries goes to housing.

One of the items that appears on the national radar is the affordability of homes in Dayton, Ohio (https://www.bestplaces.net/cost_of_ living/city/ohio/dayton). Many of us believe that housing is too expensive. Yes, there is a housing affordability challenge in many areas in many cities. Relatively, Dayton does better than many cities when we look at housing affordability.

Dayton is resilient. Dayton will recover…

Dayton, We Love YOU! Are you looking for a technology networking group to help you get smarter? What new technology or process have you learned this month? Need advice on how to look for that technology position? Are you considering technology education (courses, certificates or degrees) and need information? Do you have a business, process, project management, personnel or technology question? Please let me know. admin@accelerationservices.net Cecil Jones MBA, ABD, PMP, CCP, SCPM, FLMI, Lean Professional, 614-726-1925.

Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

By William McCoy, MPA For decades, Dayton, Ohio was synonymous with innovation, initiative, and investment. Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (later known as Delco), General Motors, National Cash Register (NCR) Corporation, and Standard Register were among the iconic, flagship companies that helped make Dayton a player on the world stage. Dayton’s economic decline can be traced directly to the downward spiral of these and other companies’ fortunes.

Dayton was also once viewed as a hotbed of innovation, initiative, and investment relative to helping minority enterprises and individuals access capital. During the 1970s and 1980s (and beyond), Dayton was counted among the nation’s leaders in Black economic development- thanks to organizations like Center City MESBIC, Dayton Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Alliance, and Dayton Human Relations Council (DHRC).

Like the corporate juggernauts that made Dayton great, these once-potent organizations have been diminished or disappeared from public view. The roots of their decline can be found in disinvestment, disinterest, and (to a lesser degree) failures in leadership and stewardship.

Center City MESBIC (Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Corporation) was one of the nation’s premier providers of venture capital and other forms of Black business financing. Center City MESBIC was formed in the early 1970s, after President Richard Nixon created the MESBIC program within the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help provide minority business enterprise (MBE) with equity capital and other financing. Under the leadership of Michael Robinson, Center City MESBIC partnered with institutional lenders and others to provide millions of dollars in start-up and expansion funding to Dayton area MBEs. Like many MESBICs, Center City MESBIC was undercapitalized and underfunded.

Yet, it still managed to assist numerous entrepreneurs and enterprises. Center City MESBIC, like many others, fell victim to a hostile political environment. In 1986, there were 145 Black venture companies in the USA, funded by a paltry $39 million in federal money. MESBICs used these funds to leverage $245 million in SBA and other funds. The American Association of MESBICs (which morphed into the National Association of Investment Companies), served as the industry’s trade associationproviding advocacy, leadership, and guidance to its members.

The success of the MESBIC industry was met with opposition- not support or encouragement. The Reagan administration’s Fiscal Year 1987 budget slashed MESBIC funding in half (to just $20 million)! A few years later, MESBIC funding was eliminated.

The federal government’s defunding of MESBICs effectively killed the industry.

Center City MESBIC tried to reinvent itself but could not survive without federal financial support.

The MESBIC industry was wiped out, for all practical purposes during the Reagan Administration- after thriving on $39 million federal funding and surviving on half that a fiscal year later. To put the $20 million in federal funding into context, Donald Trump has reportedly spent over $110 million on golf trips during this first two years in office!

That’s right, the federal government spent more than twice what it invested in MESBICs over a two-year period on two-years of Donald Trump’s golf trips.

Center City MESBIC was not the only organization that helped Dayton area minority enterprise and individuals access financing. The Dayton CRA Alliance, under the leadership of former activist and city commissioner Dean Lovelace, challenged local lenders home mortgage lending practices in the 1980s and beyond.

In the early 1990s, the Dayton CRA Alliance conducted a Community Credit Needs Analysis and negotiated a $250 million Fair Lending Agreement with ten local banks and savings and loan companies and DHRC. This Agreement targeted millions of dollars in mortgage financing for underserved neighborhoods, as well as funding for fair housing and fair lending activities.

The Dayton CRA Alliance also trained to hundreds (and possibly thousands) of Dayton residents on CRA, lending practices, and advocacy.

The Dayton Human Relations Council became one of nation’s leading proponents of minority employment, contracting, and social justice, under the leadership of Jerald Steed. For several decades, DHRC pushed the envelope on minority enterprise utilization, minority hiring, fair lending (by local financial institutions), employment, and related matters. The DHRC was nationally known for its aggressive advocacy and

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

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insistence on minority engagement and inclusion. Unlike Center City MESBIC and the Dayton CRA Alliance, the DHRC still operates today.

History had not been kind to these once, leading-edge organizations. The past struggles, accomplishments, and contributions of Center City MESBIC, the Dayton CRA Alliance, and DHRC have dimmed with the passage of time. The memory of the visionary leaders, who molded and drove these organizations to achieve great things in the face of intense opposition and adversity, has faded from the memory of many within city government, the communities they served, and people they sought to benefit.

In conclusion, Dayton has a storied history of innovation, initiative, and action focused on Black economic development that is in danger of being lost. It is important to remember the things that have been done and the people that did them. The knowledge of the past is a prerequisite to our preparation for and prelude to our participation in the challenges that lie ahead. Failure to acknowledge, embrace, and pass on this history reduces all of the people and victories to mere footprints in the sand waiting to be washed away by the waves of time- like words written in invisible ink (here today, gone tomorrow).

William McCoy is founder and president of The McCoy Company- a world-class, personal services consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, economic development, and training that helps its clients articulate and achieve their visions, solve problems, and capitalize on their opportunities. He has worked with national think tanks, held two White House appointments, and consulted with every level of government, foundations, and the private sector. Mr. McCoy holds a BA in economics and a MPA in finance, and is profiled in Who’s Who in the World and elsewhere. You can reach William McCoy at (614) 785-8497 or via e-mail wmccoy2@ themccoycompany.com. His website can be found at www.themccoycompany.com.

SAVING HEALTH SERVICES TO SAVE LIVES

By Charleta B. Tavares As referenced in the August edition of the Columbus/Dayton African American, our 400- year journey to health equity is real and has not been achieved. It has evaded us as African/Black Americans for many reasons. We are still not prioritized by health care systems, such as hospitals, health policies, programs, and funding. We are still competing with the majority Caucasian populations who are also the majority of the legislators, administrators, healthcare executives, and board members. These are the same individuals that determine where services are located, what kind of services are provided, the number of physicians, nurses and other practitioners who are hired, who receives care/services, when care/services are provided, what policies are going to be supported and how much funding will be provided to support said healthcare institutions.

One of the tragic stories that has played repeatedly in cities throughout Ohio and across the country is the closing of hospitals in cities and specifically, those serving primarily African American residents. This scenario has played out most recently in Dayton, Ohio. A year ago on July 21, 2018, the Good Samaritan Hospital on the Westside of Dayton shuttered its doors. The west side hospital was geographically located in an area of Dayton where more than 85% of the 38,000+ residents were African American. Good Samaritan sat on a sprawling campus of 13 acres that provided comprehensive in-patient hospital services including maternity services, emergency room and major medical services as well as outpatient services.

This is not unlike what happened in the 1980’s with Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital, a maternity hospital, which was located in the predominantly African American near east side of Columbus, Ohio (Bryden Road).

The hospital relocated to the predominantly Caucasian and wealthier community of Westerville, Ohio and left the African American community without a maternity hospital. (Note: African American maternal and infant mortality rates have steadily climbed while Caucasian maternal and infant mortality rates have decreased to below the CDC Healthy People 2020 goal of 11.4 and 6.0 deaths per 100,000 live births respectively). The goals, which are outlined below, will not be met for African Americans in 2020 or even 2050 at the rate we are going and without the will, demand of the people most impacted and the holding of legislators and policymakers accountable.

In December 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services launched Healthy People 20201, which has four overarching goals: • Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death;

• Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups; • Create social and physical environments that promote good health for all; and • Promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages.

These two examples of a hospital closing and a relocation emphasize the lack of priority these populations have in the healthcare environment. This exacerbates the disparities, premature death and disease among African Americans today and continues the devaluing of their health and wellbeing for generations to come.

In addition, to the loss of lives and disparities in health outcomes both communities have lost major economic engines in their respective neighborhoods with lost jobs and investments by other businesses. Good Samaritan also provided residency training for physicians (62 slots) who in many cases later became fulltime employees of the hospital providing valuable services to the residents of the community. Who will now train physicians to appropriately address the needs of African American and economically challenged residents?

In Columbus, Ohio, the answer is PrimaryOne Health and her sister Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) who were created to service marginalized and under-served populations including African American residents. The organization provides preventative and comprehensive primary and behavioral health care including dental, vision, OB/GYN, pediatrics and specialty care (physical therapy, pharmacy, nutrition, cardiology etc.) Five Rivers Health Center is filling the void produced by the closing of Good Samaritan in Dayton. Although neither of these two-health center systems are a maternity hospital, they both provide OB/ GYN, maternal health and pediatric services including the CenteringPregnancy® program.

In addition, they also provide enabling services like transportation and community health outreach workers to address other

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support needs to improve health outcomes.

The advocates and residents of the community must do their part to create the will, demand the services and programs needed and hold their elected and appointed officials accountable to address their healthcare needs.

This will not happen simply by reading and talking about it. It takes action – consistent, prolonged and focused to win.

PrimaryOne Health and Southeast Health Services Join Together To Save Services and Lives The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board of Franklin County is working with PrimaryOne Health and Southeast Health Services, Inc. to fill the void created with the closing of Columbus Area Integrated Health Services (CAIHS). The partners are planning to re-establish services for the patients of CAIHS and the residents of the near eastside by October 2019. The partners have held three community meetings (July 31, August 14 and 29) to share information, seek community input on short-term and longerterm service needs from CAIHS patients, family members and community residents.

Services in the near-term will be located on E. Broad Street near Hamilton Park.

For more information visit www. primaryonehealth.org , Facebook @ primaryonehealth or Twitter @ primary1health.

Footnote: 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_ people/hp2020.htm Charleta B. Tavares is the Chief Executive Officer at PrimaryOne Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) system providing comprehensive primary care, OB-GYN, pediatric, vision, dental, behavioral health and specialty care at 10 locations in Central Ohio. The mission is to provide access to services that improve the health status of families including people experiencing financial, social, or cultural barriers to health care. www. primaryonehealth.org.

Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

DAYTON 911 - WHAT’S YOUR EMERGENCY?

By Robin A. Jones, PhD From the Lens of a Native Dayton Resident Dayton Resident “Hello, I’m an African American, and I live in Dayton. I comprise 40% of the city’s ethnic population, a once booming city that has now reached epidemic proportions where nearly 35 percent of people now live in poverty.”

“We have been overwhelmed with the opioid epidemic. Everyday there is a new fatality.

Nearly 400 people died last year, alone of an overdose in Montgomery County, which includes Dayton – my hometown. It has gotten to be so bad, the coroner has setup refrigerator trucks as backup.”

The Opioid Struggles of Dayton.

Unfortunately, this is a true situation.

Struggling cities such as Dayton, Ohio, become a buyers’ market for illegal opiates as more and more addicts are prone to find their way to the supply. They are driven to the ‘high’ to get their ‘fix’. Unfortunate but true.

Dayton Resident “We have one of the most difficult economic situations facing the Dayton population. The businesses that are invading Dayton, are not the typical industry to support a thriving growth factor. The once thriving General Motors (GM) plant, closed in 2008. What do we get as a replacement - a Chinese-owned auto glass company, ‘Fuyao’!”

“While Fuyao gave the economy a small boost, it was a far cry from GM and the salary the workers took home. With over 2,000 workers hired to work at the plant, their wages are, on the average, $15 an hour.

The work – hard, difficult, brutal, and at times – deadly. Fuyao lost an employee because he/she was crushed to death. In my opinion, those are not government standards for the United States. This is a type of job growth Dayton would have snubbed our noses at, by considering it to be beneath us.”

Jobs Come to Dayton to Replace General Motors.

Looking at the lift in the unemployment rate, Fuyao gave Dayton a boost. Fuyao’s billionaire founder and CEO reported that, “Old GM workers are very thankful towards us, because they lost their jobs after the closure.” He admitted: “Wages are comparable to Mexico and China, and not necessarily Dayton.” He believes the employees appear to be happy (MacGillis, 2018).

Dayton Resident “Dayton is trying to make due. Meaning that we are forging ahead with industries that

are and would have been in the past, ‘not our average growth stream’. By opening our doors to the immigrant population, we are experiencing job growth that is not our traditional pathway. Dayton has been a magnet for hundreds of Ahiska Turks, an ethnic Turkish minority (persecuted in Russia and former Soviet republics). They were most recently given refugee status in the last 10 years. By coming to America, freedom has been a gift to them. They are very noticeable around the city with their luxury cars and beautiful homes by renovating vacant houses. The Ahiska Turks have built an industry in trucking. For them, Dayton was a golden opportunity. However the Trump administration is making life more difficult because they are considered Muslim refugees.”

Can Dayton Make a Comeback?

the trend spiraled in an opposite direction.

The approach was dynamic, noting that, “Innovation happens best in close proximity,” (Moretti, 2011). They became knowledgeintensive sectors that took advantage of globalized markets.

Dayton versus Metro Cities.

Dayton - if someone were to ask what happened, is anybody’s theory. If you look in comparison by per capita, to a select group of hyper-prosperous cities, in 1980, Middle America cities such as Dayton were remarkably close to par with their coastal peers. For example, metro Boston, the edge was only 6 percent. New York, 14 percent. In Washington, 31 percent. San Francisco Bay Area, 33 percent, (MacGillis, 2018). However in 2019, these same cities, are fighting within themselves a different battle. From Uber limits to cash-free purchasing and in San Francisco - extreme housing costs. Dayton on the other hand, has been experiencing a domino effect which no one can get their arms around.

What happens when the largest employer in the Dayton area, closes? Where do people go? Work is not a luxury, it is mandatory for survival. The coal-fired plants – gone, the auto dealerships – gone, and one of the largest, NCR – gone. What does that leave ‘Hello Dayton’, when you are at the bottom for the residents? the only way out is UP. Finding solutions Many lay blame to the world of politics. Was will be necessary to follow a path of it the ‘woebegone’ Trump voters, the stay at troubleshooting. Most recently there have home voters, the neglected Clinton voters, or been unexplained deaths in a formerly the third party voters (who split the vote)? middle-class neighborhood. There has been Regardless about who holds the key to blame, a plight of missing women over a span of Dayton is a ‘left-behind’ region. seven months, some homicides, some drug overdoses. Some of the bodies were not The prosperity and social factors of Dayton discovered and were therefore partially eaten, could once be compared to many other major which were all identified within a little more metropolitan cities. There is some irony in than a few square blocks – taken over by this article, because Dayton is very well violence, drug abuse and abandonment. The known for its value of innovation clusters. plight of cities like Dayton is not new, but it Dayton is known to the world for Wright Patterson Air Force Base, most notably has become more and more obscure in recent named after Wilbur and Orville Wright for years. their founded efforts in the flight industry.

Because the market abroad was not as References: expensive, many markets fled the United States for a higher yield on the dollar. It was MacGillis, A. (2018). Retrieved on August noted as the ‘laws of diminishing returns’ due 30, 2019 from https://www.propublica.org/ article/how-struggling-dayton-ohio-revealsto stiff competition from abroad. the-chasm-among-american-cities Overseas, Outsourcing and the Global Moretti, E. (2011). The New Geography of Jobs. Berkeley Economist Markets.

Dr. Jones has a commitment to a strong work ethic, education and a passion for entrepreneurship. In her 40+ years of employment, Robin spent 30 of those years gainfully employed with fortune 50 companies such as GE, IBM, Ashland Oil, and the U.S. Department of Energy, and Department of Defense. Robin started her career path as a database developer building her first database for the F14 Aircraft Fighter planes and from there she catapulted her way to the position of Interim CIO. In her most recent employment capacity, Robin is a retired Senior Manager PMO Director of the While the rise of the Digital Age and the Computer Center at University of California, Internet, was set to free us to live anywhere, Berkeley - Haas School of Business.

On the other hand, there was a knowledgeintensive sector taking over the global markets. Today, manufacturing is typically done overseas, while the wealth accumulates in the hub cities where the intellectual property originated. There is an economic concentration which also plays a role in the tech inequality. It is a fact that more and more wealth flows to locations based according to the industry it supports. Seattle has Amazon and Microsoft. Google and Facebook are dominant in the Bay Area, covering San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and more.

The Columbus African & Dayton American African American News Journal • September • February 2019 2015

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“AND HOW ARE THE CHILDREN” IN DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

By James A. Scott, Jr., PhD The Masai tribe in Africa places a high value on children’s well-being. A traditional greeting that one always says to another is “Casserian Engeri,” which means, “And how are the children?.” Tribe members, even those with no children of their own, would always give the traditional answer, “All the children are well.” Can we say that about the children attending Dayton Public Schools?

Based on past performance and operation of the district, parent views and the Ohio Department of Education School Report Card, it would be difficult to respond with a confident “yes.” Loss of funding, instability of district and school leaders, and chronic absenteeism are three key areas of concern.

Over the past fifteen years Dayton Public Schools (DPS) has not been successful in creating a positive and progressive school culture based on accountability, student achievement and opportunities to prepare students for success in the future. One factor that has impacted the district’s progress is the reduction in school enrollment during this time period. Currently, about 40 percent of students in the Dayton service area attend either a parochial or charter school. While I am not against parochial or charter schools, the fact remains that when students leave the district, their per pupil funding allocation follows them to their new district, charter, or parochial school. Over time, the reduction in enrollment and the financial decrease in DPS budget have limited the resources necessary to support educational programs and services.

It is difficult to maintain accountability relative to data points and performance measures on the annual Ohio School Report Card when there is not stability in leadership at DPS. The district has had three superintendents during the past ten years, and while 12 schools got new principals last fall, 11 more were expected to get new principals in 2019. These transitions directly impact the culture of the district and can confuse parents and the community as to the vision and mission of the next leader in a district struggling to educate a large economically disadvantaged population.

For the Ohio School Report Card, DPS receives grades for up to ten measures and six components. In four components, the district received a component grade of F (grades range from A-F). The Achievement component measures the percent of students who pass state tests and technical assessments related to career-technical programs. The Gap Closing component measures student performance expectations in English language arts, math and graduation, including how well the district is helping English learners to become proficient in English. The Graduation Rate component reflects the percent of students who complete high school with a diploma in

four or five years; the Prepared for Success component measures how “graduate ready and college ready” Ohio’s students are for future opportunities. A key to leading DPS on a path of educational excellence is maintaining proficient leaders at all levels.

The School Board, DPS, families and the community must work collectively to reduce principal turnover and improve the Ohio School Report Card grades.

One factor that directly impacts student achievement is attendance. Many students are not succeeding due to their inconsistent and sporadic attendance. The district has a chronic absenteeism rate of 30.7 percent, defined by the Ohio Department of Education as students missing as few as two days per month or ten percent or more of the school year for any reason. The Dayton Daily News Path Forward project reported that “Of Dayton’s six high schools, four had more than forty percent of their students absent more than ten percent of the school year.

Only Ponitz Career Technology Center and Stivers High School have chronic absentee levels below 40 percent.” While most young children tend to be absent from school due to health-related situations, adolescent and teen absenteeism tend to be related to truancy and transportation. On a positive note, the district is currently working in partnership with the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority to construct a plan that will support the transportation of students to school.

So, what steps is DPS planning to take to turn around the district? Let’s start with teachers.

Teachers are the core of any education system and teacher salary at DPS has not kept pace with surrounding school districts.

Because of this inadequacy, DPS has often been challenged with recruiting, hiring and maintaining quality teachers. Recently, DPS teachers received a “significant raise” to boost recruitment and maintain staff. The School Board ratified a two-year contract with the teacher’s union through 2021-2022, including a three percent raise each year plus much needed and long overdue “salary adjustments” on the district’s salary scale.

The raise would make DPS teacher pay

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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more competitive with other local and urban school districts. These professionals deserve a pay raise, and the collective work of the district and the union is a sign that together we can promote and support our dedicated and competent teaching staff.

Moreover, DPS plans to create a PTO at every school. This is paramount and key to each school empowering parents to engage in decisions that will impact the school and their children. The PTO can support and influence the development of special activities, initiatives, programs, and services that can be implemented in each school to meet its needs and that of its unique community.

Also, there is a new district-wide family engagement initiative that focuses on restoring trust and relationship with families and the community. The district has hired a Director of Outreach and Student Activities to assist families in getting involved in their children’s education and assist the district with communicating better with families and provide school events and meetings that are more community and family friendly.

This combination could make for an engaged school year that strengthens adult relationships and improves child outcomes.

In the Dayton area there are two early childhood models of good practice that have been successful in engaging families and the community. The Miami Valley Child Development Centers, Inc. serves over 2,600 children in Early Head Start and Head Start in Montgomery county and four surrounding counties. The agency invites families into centers to volunteer and read to children and engages families in classroom-to-home activities. The agency also has a program-wide Policy Council, a parent committee at each center, a Fatherhood Engagement Coalition, and a Positive Parenting Program that provides families with practical strategies to assist children with managing their behavior and developing a positive self-concept. The Preschool Promise implements initiatives to connect families in the community. The project has nine part-time paid outreach specialists who facilitate small community events to engage and inform families about the power of preschool programs. Both can offer strategies to promote effective family engagement practices.

Our children deserve our best. There is hope that the district will rise-up and make changes that will enable all students to develop and thrive every day, in every school, in every classroom. It is time for the Dayton community to put education first and never let it become second in the community again. This time next year, we will ask “AND HOW ARE THE CHILDREN” IN DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS? Let us hope the community responds with “ALL THE CHILDREN ARE WELL”.

James A. Scott, Jr., Ph.D., is an Early and Middle Childhood Consultant.

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

PILLARS OF WISDOM

By Ako Kambon We are proud to introduce our newest link just for parents and grandparents….

WISDOM. Allow me to THANK YOU for visiting The African American news magazine. It is rare that two “visionaries” can come together to work, in harmony, on the same project. So I am grateful to Ray and every member of his dynamic team for this opportunity. This link is dedicated to the daily journey of being a parent and I’m honored to be your tour guide.

We call this link Wisdom because Wisdom is spiritual growth. Wisdom is gained.

Wisdom is knowledge and understanding.

Wisdom is usually borne out of mistakes, successes and highs and lows. But, when you put it all together, Wisdom makes you better, wiser and stronger and puts you in position to share your knowledge with others. And the BEST place to start sharing your knowledge is with your children.

Beginning October 1st, every week, for the next few weeks, we will offer three Pillars of Wisdom for you to think about and comment on….Please share your thoughts…We would love to know what you think about the site. Remember, this is a journey, not a quick-road trip! But, for our children’s future it is well worth our quest.

Pillars of Wisdom #1: • YOU ARE THE ADULT… I repeat: YOU ARE THE ADULT… There is an African proverb that says, “When Adults Stand Up, Children Sit Down. When Adults Sit Down, Children Stand Up!” Clearly, we now live in a time when adults have abdicated – given up – our role as family leader to accept the role of family provider (more on this at a later time). As a result of adults now sitting down, our children decided to stand up! But the problem is that our children are absent the experience, education or wisdom to make the wisest decisions. As a parent, YOU are the one who is supposed to stand up and give wise council; you are the one who is supposed to stand up to direct and correct behavior.

Of course, no parent should ever lead or stand without considering the feelings and rights of others. But when it comes to your children, if you don’t stand up, direct and correct, don’t be surprised when your child seeks direction those things from someone else! Don’t you dare then ask, “Where did I go wrong?” or “Where (or Who) did you learn that from?” Your child should have been following YOUR LEAD; and should have LEARNED FROM YOU! We have all heard the statement: “It takes a village to raise a child.” That’s TRUE. But the village is supposed to be YOUR BACKUP, NOT YOUR SUBSTITUTE!

Your child needs to hear you sometimes say YES and your child needs to hear you sometimes say NO. Your child needs to know what YOUR STANDARDS and EXPECTATIONS are. Your child needs to know that what’s acceptable in someone else’s house may not be acceptable in your house (and you better not hear about them doing whatever it is at someone else’s house!).

Listen; don’t let anyone tell you that you are ‘a mean parent’ simply because you tell your child that she/he cannot do something.

Don’t let your children think that you are poor or broke when you choose not to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest trends. Don’t let anyone suggest that you are not showing your children that you “trust” them, simply because you require them to tell you where they are going and what time they coming back.

Today’s society has convinced us that our job as a parent is to entertain and provide.

ENTERTAIN and PROVIDE. ENTERTAN and PROVIDE. Anything other than that, current society tells us, is an invasion on their rights as a human being.

Please hear me and hear me well; I do not believe that the solution to our community’s current dilemma is stronger or harsher discipline. I believe that the solution is stronger, wiser INSTRUCTION at an earlier age.

I submit to you that if we don’t lead our children, others will. If we don’t tell them to stop, the police will. We can be the person(s) they are looking for because we have the WISDOM they need. LEAD YOUR CHILD

BY EXAMPLE and LIKENESS; NOT STATEMENT and DEMAND. One last African proverb: “What you do, speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say!” Our children are listening to what we DO, not what we SAY! Pillars of Wisdom #2: • Encourage your child to DREAM One of the key factors in reaching personal greatness is imagination…Too often, children, especially children from low income households, have not seen or experienced enough mental stimuli to see the world as a stage of opportunity. Too many of our children view the world from their block or their street. The solution is to encourage them to dream; to explore; to analyze everything they can. We must teach them that following the trends of others IS NOT in their best interest. Let them know that those who set trends through Social and Visual Media only want them to do one thing: spend their money.

Many people believe that family income is the great indicator for children success and greatness. But in reality, cash alone, without a positive value system to guide its use, is simply a funding source for future problems.

In other words, access to family income does not automatically result in success or greatness!

The Columbus African & Dayton African American • September 2019 American News Journal • February 2015

10

Try these suggestions: • If your child loves rap – Great. But require him/her to listen to three other forms of music.

• If your child loves to dance – Great. But expose them to ballet, tap, even country and western. Remember, Whitney Houston’s mega-hit “I Will Always Love You” was written and originally sang by Dolly Pardon.

• If your child loves to draw or sketch – take your child to the art museum. Help them understand the difference between abstract, representational, and non-objective art. This prepares their gift for the world, not just fun.

If you need additional suggestions, hit us back…

And finally, Pillars of Wisdom #3: • Do not ACCEPT or EXPECT EXCUSES In my opinion, there is nothing worse than a grown man or woman who makes excuses for everything that happens in their life. They refuse to take ownership for anything! From their perspective, it’s always someone else’s fault and there is always someone else to blame for their misfortune.

But, that grown man or woman did not become irresponsible at age 18 or 21 or age 25. It started when they were young and their parents (or guardians) allowed them to make excuses for not doing their homework, or household chores; or just allowed them to straight out lie; and all without ANY CONSEQUENCES. Excuses begin at an early age!

How in the world do you allow your son or daughter to sit around the house and do nothing (and their room smells)? How is your son or daughter permitted to be 17 years old or older and not work! Every child must understand that if you do nothing, you get nothing! There are consequences for every action. Your child must understand this universal principal and they must understand it at an early age.

I am often working with single moms who tell me that too many men expect women to take care of them; or the guys they are meeting are totally irresponsible. I always ask, “WHY are you ACCEPTING that behavior from this guy?” but more importantly, “Are you raising your son to be different?” And are you raising your daughter to be self-reliant? Well, if you aren’t, you should.

Excuses are like a drug, they can destroy your spirit and ultimately your soul.

Remember, Parenting is a daily journey, not a quick trip… I’m honored to be your tour guide.

See you next month…Once again, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Ako Kambon is the president of Visionary Leaders Institute and he is sharing his Wisdom information as part of his company’s commitment to community education. All views expressed and information provided are the sole ownership of Mr. Kambon. Should you desire additional information or desire to reprint the information, please contact him at 614-332-5715 or ako@vli123.com.

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Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

NATIONAL SKILLED TRADES NETWORK WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT “CHANGING PERSPECTIVE CHANGING LIFE”

National Skilled Trades Network creates job opportunities in the community through NCCER accredited construction training. We prepare young men and women for lucrative skilled craft jobs of the future, like Solar Photovoltaic Installation (pictured). Possible tuition assistance available through the VTAC construction training program at IMPACT Community Action.

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Construction Trades Training Center: 1994-1996 Britains Lane Columbus, Ohio 43224 Michael Watkins: NSTN Executive Director, NCCER Certified Master Trainer and Master Electrician

The Columbus African & Dayton American African American News Journal • September • February 2019 2015

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The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

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The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

HEALTH OHIOANS NEED RELIEF FROM RX GREED

By Honorable Randolph Baxter (ret.)

For decades, a number of major drug companies have raised drug prices with impunity. Here in Ohio, the average annual cost of brand name prescription drug treatment increased 58% between 2012 and 2017, while the annual income for Ohioans increased only 13%. Prescription drugs don’t work if patients can’t afford them.

That’s why the Senate needs to pass the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act when they return from August recess. It’s time. We thank Sens. Brown and Portman for backing this bipartisan bill in the Senate Finance Committee, and for their continued support of the legislation when the Senate reconvenes.

For too long, drug companies have been price gouging seniors and hardworking Americans.

Consider insulin, which people with diabetes rely on. Its price nearly tripled from 2002 to 2013. But it isn’t a breakthrough drug: insulin was invented nearly a century ago, yet modern formulations remain under patent, thanks to drug makers manipulating the system. Some patients trek to Canada, while others risk their lives by rationing or skipping doses.

Even those of us who don’t need insulin or other prescription drugs are affected by skyrocketing drug prices. We pay not only at the pharmacy counter, but through higher insurance premiums, and through the higher taxes we need to pay to fund programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Older Americans are hit especially hard. Medicare Part D enrollees take an average of 4-5 prescriptions per month, and their average annual income is around $26,000. One in three Americans has not taken a medication as prescribed because of the cost.

The root cause of the problem is clear: the high prices of prescription drugs set by pharmaceutical companies when they first come on the market, which then increase faster than inflation year after year.

In March, AARP launched a nationwide campaign called “Stop Rx Greed” to rein in drug prices for all Ohioans and all Americans.

The bill under consideration in the Senate would cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and crack down on drug makers whose price hikes outpace inflation. The nation clearly needs this reform: the average drug price increase in the first six months of 2019 was 10.5% -- five times the rate of inflation. Ohioans, like all Americans, already pay among the highest drug prices in the world.

Meanwhile, leading drug companies are fighting for the status quo – and blocking needed improvements to the system that could bring relief to seniors, families, and small businesses. Certain major drug companies actually sued the Trump administration so they could keep the list prices of their drugs

secret from the public. The industry is spending record sums to hire Washington lobbyists, and they are running ads claiming that more affordable drugs will actually harm consumers.

But the tide is turning. The National Academy for State Health Policy reports that, so far this year, 29 states have passed 47 new laws aimed at lowering prices for prescription medications. Here in Ohio, the new 2020 state budget creates the Prescription Drug Transparency and Affordability Advisory Council, which will work on making prescription drugs more affordable and accessible. Ultimately, drug costs are a national issue, so federal action is equally essential.

In D.C., there is rare bipartisan agreement that something must be done. President Trump addressed the issue in his State of the Union address, saying: “It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong, unfair, and together we can stop it.”

Ohio’s congressional delegation is in the position to lead on this issue and make a difference for every Ohioan.

We urge the Senate to pass the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act in the fall, when the House is expected to act on its own drug pricing bill.

While there is reason to be hopeful that drug prices will come down, hope is not enough.

Too much is at stake. No Ohioan should be

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forced to choose between putting food on the table or buying a lifesaving medication.

Congress needs to act to stop Rx greed. This legislation should be at the top of the agenda when the Senate returns to Washington.

Sources: Price of insulin increasing https:// www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/50states/2019/03/21/diabetes-insulin-costsdiabetics-drug-prices-increase/3196757002/ and https://www.healthcostinstitute.org/ research/publications/entry/spending-onindividuals-with-type-1-diabetes-and-therole-of-rapidly-increasing-insulin-prices Not taking medication as prescribed due to cost https://www.kff.org/health-costs/pollfinding/kff-health-tracking-poll-february2019-prescription-drugs/ Transparency rule lawsuit https://www.cnn. com/2019/06/14/politics/drug-makers-hhslawsuit/index.html PhRMA lobbying https://www.statnews. com/2019/01/22/phrma-spent-a-recordbreaking-27-5-million-on-lobbying-in-2018new-filings-show/ NASHP Rx law tracking https://nashp.org/ rx-legislative-tracker-2019/ Honorable Randolph Baxter (ret) was the first African American appointed to the bench of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He currently serves as the AARP Ohio State Volunteer President.

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

HEALTH

GRIEVING ON THE WAY TO RESTORATION unexpected loss. Also, Michelle McKinney Hammond’s, How to be Happy Where You Are- Finding Fulfillment and How to Get Past Disappointment books are comforting.

By Lisa Benton, MD, MPH A recent study showed that people who live life from the perspective of optimism will live longer. Optimistic people in this study were less likely to die from cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung problems, and infection.

The Harvard researchers reported about their findings from the Nurses’ Health Study where they followed over 70,000 women forward in time in a prospective study.

They found that being more optimistic is an attribute and attitude that can be learned.

Here is an obvious example of the mind-body connection with a pathway through optimism to better health outcomes. Know that the way you live can give you a better life.

With every tragedy that Dayton has seen in the past few months, weeks and even days, you wonder how applying the methods from this or other studies to have better wellbeing and better health would even be worth considering or make sense.

In the face of any setback, disappointment, hurt or devastating blow, when I was younger, I couldn’t appreciate the sayings that my elders would tell me. “You haven’t lived long enough, “and “just keep on living”, because I didn’t have their perspective or wisdom of their years. These days I get it… sort of…and realize that within each trial, is a lesson, even if I don’t see or get it. I’ve learned and am still learning. It’s an ongoing process.

From the prior sadness, hurt and loss you get the strength to get through the next tragedy.

You learn that as you heal and recover there will be harder and yes, easier days ahead.

You learn to pace your reactions to events and realize the cycle of joy and sorrow is not finished until you take your final breath on this earth. It’s taking the long view of whatever happens or as the Bible verses that talk about finishing the race strong, and not just having patience but knowing it is longsuffering.

In dealing with tragedy, it helps to take it in pieces since the grieving process may be lifelong. There is wisdom in asking for God’s grace everyday or every hour, moment or even second that makes a difference.

Maybe your response to tragedy becomes activism and engagement in the civil process to change laws. Perhaps you’ll start a foundation or join an organization and become a strong outspoken advocate. Your response may be motivation to keep going for those who no longer can. It doesn’t have to be a big response because helping one person get through can mean the world to that single person and you.

Remember internalizing your hurt without a productive outlet can negatively affect your health and well-being the way too much stress can. Studies support the negative effect of

There are enough authors who have written and shared their journeys, speeches and sermons out there that you can enter your specific need at any time in the Google search engine and get almost endless suggestions.

Another practical tip I recommend is pausing and reflecting when you’re making heavy decisions after a crisis. This is when it is time to ask an expert, pastor, counselor or someone who’s opinion you value for help.

I recommend asking yourself will the decision I make now and how I respond in this challenge, disappointment or tragedy, matter in 10 minutes from now, 10 days from now, 10 months from now and even 10 years from now. That is my modification of Suzie stress on health. There is even evidence that Welch’s approach to any decision-making you can die of a broken heart. The condition where you’re unsure of your next steps. is known as Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

It is when a sudden trauma causes a perfectly Connecting and connectedness are the healthy heart to stop working normally and operative words and actions for healing. show signs of failing like after a heart attack While social media can be helpful in getting or heart failure. The symptoms come on messages out and in, don’t be afraid to shut suddenly, can last weeks or months and then it off. Use discretion in what you share on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, emails etc. the person often dies.

You may not be thinking ahead and may share words you’ll be struggling to take back Realize that as you get further from the event later. which broke your heart, your grieving will leave you with variable degrees of sadness. Keeping a journal may be more useful, or There will even be unexpected times of joy going old school to write a letter that you later to let you know that you will be alright. have time to stop and think whether you will It is appropriate to celebrate anniversaries and put a stamp on it and mail it, will give you remembrances. Doing tributes as time moves that second, third or even fourth thought as forward will help you heal. to “do I really want to say this now or ever.”

You’ll find wisdom in the waiting and can Blue lights when an officer gets killed, the check yourself and your emotions one more t-shirts, the marches, the ribbons, the balloon time. release ceremonies for women who’ve had abortions, candlelight tributes, lowering Learn a Little More flags to half mast, outward shared and public Optimism and Cause-Specific Mortality: A expressions of grief are important.

Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Epidemiol.

Know that anniversaries, milestones of 2017 Jan 1;185(1):21-29. doi: 10.1093/ graduations, reunions, birthdays and special aje/kww182. Epub 2016 Dec 7. Retrieved holidays (Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ Christmas) will be harder, but prepare in pubmed/27927621 advance what you will do and how you will From Pain to Purpose: 5 Ways To Cope remember.

In The Wake Of Trauma, Retrieved from: Realizing that you walk through the valley https://www.npr.org/sections/healthshots/2019/08/11/749765103/from-pain-toand there is something ahead waiting when purpose-5-ways-to-cope-in-the-wake-ofyou get through, will be harder on some days trauma compared to others.

Help Guide, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Don’t be hard on yourself if you forget or if retrieved from: https://www.helpguide.org/ you start to feel better and feel happy. It’s articles/ptsd-trauma/ptsd-symptoms-selfnormal to have survivor’s guilt and wonder help-treatment.htm why or why not me, but let it move your forward. Counseling, grief, survivor and Emergency Preparedness and Response by the support groups do make a difference. If you Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, think you have, PTSD-post traumatic stress retrieved from: https://emergency.cdc.gov/ disorder, ask for help. coping/index.asp Faith in the Valley: Lessons for Women on Lisa D. Benton, MD, MPH (The Doctor is the Journey to Peace by Iyanla Vanzant is a In) breastsurgeonlb@gmail.com, Twitter:@ helpful read to walk you through a hard and DctrLisa (415) 746-0627

The Columbus African & Dayton African American • September 2019 American News Journal • February 2015

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HEALTH

SOCIAL MEDIA, TELEVISON LINKED TO DEPRESSION IN TEENS

By Aaron Warnick Teens who take in a lot of social media and television can have more symptoms of depression, a new longterm study finds.

Published in JAMA Pediatrics in July, researchers found that when teens — who are already heavy users of social media and streaming television — increased their screen time, they had more depressive symptoms.

Teens especially experienced lower selfesteem.

Over the course of four years, researchers from Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal asked nearly 4,000 high school students ages 12 to 16 about their screen time and depression. While other research has linked social media and TV use to depression, the new study is the first to follow youth for such a long period of time.

“It is not the fact that they spend 6-7 hours in front of screen,” Elroy Boers, PhD, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Montreal and lead author of the study told The Nation’s Health. “It is the all about the content.”

When consuming media, teens compare themselves to what they see on their screens, researchers noted. And when they repeatedly

see attractive, wealthy people on Instagram or people having fun on Facebook, they may start to feel badly about themselves by comparison.

The design of social media and streaming television can make the problem worse, Boers noted.

“Social media and television run on certain algorithms that remember your search and selection behavior and that suggest content based on this behavior,” he said.

The relationship between depression and social media can create a spiral effect. Teens

with depression are more likely to seek out content that reinforces their emotional state.

And the more they seek it out, the more media algorithms are likely to serve them content that makes them feel badly, creating a feedback loop.

The first line of defense against the negative effects of social media and television programming is parents, Boers says.

“Parents talk with their teens about alcohol use, smoking, driving safely and drug use,” he said. “However, conversations about the negative effects of exposure to certain content on social media and television appear to be less straightforward.”

Not all screen time is negative, the study found. Researchers found that just watching television on its own was associated with less depression symptoms. However, if someone who watched a lot of television started to increase their TV uptake, that was linked with more symptoms.

The study also looked at video games, but found they were not associated with depression. Video games are frequently played online and feature multiplayer elements, so gamers may not be as socially isolated as they are with social media or TV, the researchers suggested.

Aaron Warnick is a writer for The Nation’s Health.

Article from thenationshealth. aphapublications.org.

50 YEARS OF TIGER PRIDE

By Doreece Lattimore, MS Columbus, Ohio will host the upcoming Fiftieth Reunion of the Tigerland* famous East High School Class of 1969 beginning Friday, September 13, 2019. The initial event will be a Fish Fry and Meet and Greet held at the VFW Post 9857, 2330 Stelzer Road. The time will be from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm. There will be various activities for alumni to gather and reminisce. This important milestone causes me to think about the lifelong impact of my years at East.

East High School was home to my mother long before it was home to my sisters and me. We also graduated from East High. I remember my eagerness to attend East from all the glorious stories heard and told to me by my family and neighbors who were like family. We truly did live in a “village” atmosphere. I could not wait to go.

When I attended East there was a systemic preplanned move from school to school. We had not heard of alternative schools or School Choice. Although we considered ourselves lucky, I cannot sidestep the fact that during my era an accepted opinion was that East was not a high performing school academically.

So untrue. So unfair.

The truth was that in addition to sports athleticism there was also academic athleticism. Luckily, the history of athletes has been told and eventually the story of academic excellence will be told. I reflect on

the many accomplishments of my classmates some through challenges known and unknown. In addition to winning two state basketball championships during my years, East also won the All City In The Know Competition, had commended students and scholarship winners on the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, sent students to military academies and into Ivy League colleges and universities some of which were HBCUs . As a result, East High spawned teachers, lawyers, government workers, factory workers, politicians, entrepreneurs, accountants and a Superintendent of Schools.

When I consider the main ingredient in this successful mix, I think of strong teacher dedication and parent involvement. Throw in school leadership, discipline and trust.

Many of our teachers were supportive and dedicated. That made all the difference.

Looking forward to this reunion I know that even after fifty years I will see Mr. Pennell and Mr. McCann. To see them always brings a warm feeling as they have been outstanding in their support and celebration of us. Mrs. Cupoli attended until her passing. My last memory of her was at a reunion line dancing with our classmates.

My friends and I often muse over what helped us have dreams to attend college and become lifelong learners. Our offerings include many ideas. But most of all we talk about dedicated teachers, parent support and having friends whose parents dreamed even bigger dreams for them. When I became a guidance counselor, I asked my son Aaron what helps

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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students achieve. His answer was, “Students rise or fall to teachers’ expectations.” I will add to that, “Give students a dream if they do not have one and help them construct a path to follow it.”

We also had many opportunities to be proud of our racial heritage as the Black Power era was ushered in during my time at East. We saw newspaper reports on riots and proud steadfast people who refused to be subjected to the back seats in buses, jobs and life.

Witnessing firsthand inequities seemed to give us the drive to be “Black and Proud.”

In any telling of this story I would be remiss to omit there was a racial mix of students at East. With it came an undercurrent of self-respect and respect for others including friends, staff and teachers.

To all my classmates and East High Alumni everywhere, “I’m so glad I went to EHS.” *The book Tigerland was written by Wil Haygood.

Doreece Lattimer is a proud graduate of Columbus East High School Class of 1969.

She received a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, attended The Ohio State University graduate school in Speech and Hearing Science and graduated from the University of Dayton with a Master of Science in Guidance Counseling. She is the author of a children’s book,” There’s a Splinter in my Foot.” Currently she is working in private practice.

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

FAQS FOR EDUCATORS ON CHILDREN’S TRAUMA

By Sarah D. Sparks While the word “trauma” has become something of a colloquial term, the chronic stress associated with severe and ongoing health and education problems is not related to low-level stressors such as watching a scary movie or getting in a fight with your best friend. As school districts explore trauma-informed practices or work to develop trauma-sensitive schools, a new understanding of trauma is emerging.

What do we mean when we say trauma and traumatic stress?

The National Institute of Mental Health defines two basic kinds of trauma.

The first comes from a single incident, often a disaster such as a hurricane or a school shooting. These affect many students or a whole community and often involve broad community responses.

The second type—and common but often much harder for school staff to spot—is complex trauma, such as chronic neglect, housing or food instability, or physical or sexual abuse.

Complex trauma can lead to so-called “toxic stress,” defined as a response to “severe, prolonged, or repetitive adversity with a lack of the necessary nurturance or support of a caregiver to prevent an abnormal stress response.”

Not all students who experience a traumatic event develop a toxic response; studies have found those with a strong support structure tend to be resilient.

Are “Adverse Childhood Experiences” the same as trauma?

One of the most popular concepts for understanding and gauging trauma is the adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, framework, which uses a set of common examples of abuse, neglect, and family problems that are associated with long-term problems in health, education, and social relationships.

ACEs were coined in a study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the health provider Kaiser Permanente.

Researchers initially interviewed more than 217,000 adults about whether they had ever experienced the following situations: physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; physical or emotional neglect; having a parent or caregiver who died, was divorced, or incarcerated, had severe mental illness, or abused drugs or alcohol; or if they had ever been the victim of or witnessed violence in the home.

Traumatic experiences cluster, researchers oppositional, belying their vulnerability.” found. Children whose families were dysfunctional or unstable were more likely In the long run, those who experienced four to experience abuse or neglect, for example. or more ACEs were four to 12 times as likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, engage in risky In an ongoing series of longitudinal studies, sexual behavior, or commit suicide, compared with those who did not have traumatic researchers found that the higher the number experiences. A 2018 study of K-6 students of ACEs a child experienced (particularly also found each ACE increased a student’s if there are four or more) the worse their risk of absenteeism, behavior problems, and outcomes in education, physical and mental performing below-grade level in reading, health, and the tendency to engage in risky writing, and mathematics. behaviors. Moreover, no individual type of ACE proved more damaging than another; What does federal law say about traumachronic emotional abuse or living with a informed schools? drug-addicted family member caused longterm brain changes in the same way as sexual The federal Every Student Succeeds Act encourages states and districts to incorporate abuse. “trauma-informed practices that are evidenceIt’s important to note that the original ACEs based.” Districts can use Title II money to study focused on adults, and researchers train teachers in “the techniques and supports in the 20 years since the original 1998 needed to help educators understand when study have tailored the types of childhood and how to refer students affected by trauma, adversity included in these lists. The most and children with, or at risk of, mental recent federal survey of adverse childhood illness” as well as “training for all school experiences, part of the National Survey of personnel on how to prevent and recognize Children’s Health, also counts growing up child sexual abuse.” under extreme financial instability, in which families often cannot afford basic food and The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act currently refers to trauma only for housing. preschool-age children. Districts can identify children for early intervention services under What does toxic stress do?

IDEA for experiencing a “substantial case of Studies have found intense trauma and trauma due to family violence.” chronic toxic stress increase inflammation and weaken the immune system, impair However, in several ongoing lawsuits, courts memory and attention, and increase the risk are exploring whether complex trauma may of developmental delays. Neurologically, qualify as a disability that would require trauma has also been found to make children’s a student to be given an individualized brains more “reactive”—quicker to stress, education program, and separately, that harder to soothe, and likelier to interpret and districts may need to adjust a student’s IEP react to neutral situations as threatening. A to address trauma the student experienced 2016 study in the Journal of Applied School after first being identified under IDEA. Psychology notes that “children who have experienced complex trauma may develop Sarah D. Sparks is an assistant editor maladaptive coping mechanisms: anger covering education research. She blogs at outbursts, substance abuse, truancy, and Inside School Research. other challenging behaviors. These behaviors may make students appear hostile and Article from www.edweek.org

The Columbus African & Dayton African American • September 2019 American News Journal • February 2015

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Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

COVER STORY

TWO OHIO CITIES ILLUSTRATE A GROWING DIVIDE BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW ECONOMY

Where those cities stand today and where

By Dante Chinni and they seem to be heading is remaking a crucial Deepa Shivaram part of the American political landscape.

Columbus: College Grads and Building Just 70 miles Cranes apart, the business of Dayton and Columbus are Driving through the streets of Columbus, headed in different directions. the words “Rust Belt” feel far away. The skyline is dotted with building cranes where COLUMBUS, Ohio — The national economy offices, apartments and mixed-use structures continues to hum right along, riding a nine- are rising and where old edifices are being year wave of recovery from the depths of the repurposed and rebuilt.

2008 financial crisis. Unemployment is low Away from downtown, on North 4th Street, and confidence is high among consumers.

Kevin Lykens is converting the red-brick Budd Dairy Building into a 14,000-squareBut inside the numbers, the U.S. economy foot food hall. The owner of Lykens is still churning out both winners and losers. Companies, he says the building already has New economy jobs, such as those in tech 70 restaurants that have applied to move into and creative fields, offer a path toward the space. And he’s not worried about foot higher incomes and more opportunities. traffic to support them — the refurbished While manufacturing jobs, even as they’ve space will be only steps from the Columbus’s increased in the last few years, still make up Short North hipster enclave, where he also a far smaller part of the U.S. workforce than has apartment buildings. they did just two decades ago and are not the “They want to live in this area. They don’t wealth creators they once were. care as much about square footage. How do While much is made of the country’s they get a cool space in a great area and meet regional urban-suburban differences, the their budget?” Lykens says. “We’re building divide between the old and new economy is like crazy, we’re building everywhere. I’ve never seen this type of growth in this city in changing the country as well. the past.”

Two Ohio cities, Columbus and Dayton, sit Since 2010, Columbus has grown by more just 70 miles apart but are stark examples of than 11 percent, adding nearly 100,000 what that growing divide looks like. residents. And it’s not just how many are coming to the city, it’s who is coming.

Columbus, home of the state capital and Ohio State University, is riding a knowledge The state capital and Ohio State draw people economy into prosperity. Buildings are going from across the state, filling the city with a up and being renovated as new businesses young, educated labor pool. The median age in Columbus, 32.7, is seven years younger arrive chasing a growing population. than the rest of the state. And the percentage Just an hour west, Dayton is trying to shake of people with college degrees, 34.8, is eight the rust off its manufacturing roots and find a points higher than the state as a whole. place in the new world. Blocks of downtown A recent analysis in The Wall Street Journal Dayton are empty and local leaders are found that more than a third of OSU students, 36 percent, stay in the Columbus area after working and wondering how to refill them.

The & Dayton African American • September 2019 The Columbus Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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graduation. And the economic growth has fueled a larger Columbus migration, says Josh Lapp, a principal at Designing Local, a community development firm that specializes in historic buildings.

“Columbus has changed a lot, in part because some of those people have stayed because they got jobs. That has helped transform the city into a much more youthful, vibrant feel, which makes people actually want to stay,” Lapp says. “But now people are actually, like, moving here from elsewhere.”

Some companies are taking notice of what Columbus has to offer. Chipotle Mexican Grill moved its headquarters to the city this year. And Amazon placed the metro area on its shortlist of possible locations for its HQ2, second headquarters, with the likes of New York, Los Angeles and Washington.

Perhaps it’s not surprising then that, politically speaking, Columbus has taken on more of a big city cast.

You can see the changes in the 2016 presidential results, when Ohio as a whole flipped toward President Donald Trump after voting twice for Barack Obama. But Franklin County, the home of Columbus, continued trending in the opposite direction. In 2016, Franklin went for Hillary Clinton by 26 points. In 2012, Obama won it by 23 points.

You can also see it more tangibly on the ground. In January, the Columbus City Council elected its first openly gay president, Shannon Hardin, who is also AfricanAmerican. The city, he says, is full of people like him.

“Columbus is thriving because we are smart and we’re open. We’re diverse. We’re a city that’s on the move. We are growing,” Hardin says. “But we don’t want it just to be big. We want to be better.”

“We believe that with the diversity that is coming in, with the culture that we are

COVER STORY

creating, with the strong job market and with the collaborative spirit of public-private partnerships that we will get there,” Hardin added.

In other words, the city’s political and cultural environment is tied to its economy in Hardin’s eyes. And in an era when much of the political talk, particularly among Trump supporters, is centered on workers who have been “left behind,” Columbus stands in stark contrast.

Young, educated and wealthy — and only growing more so — it represents pockets of economic winners, even in one of the industrial Midwest’s crucial “Trump states.”

To the extent Columbus has economic troubles, they are largely coming in the form of too many companies and people wanting to move downtown. The city’s real challenges come with managing growth. Too many people and businesses want to move downtown and a lack of parking is now a challenge as the city tries to determine how it can improve its public transit system — and get more people to use it.

Dayton: Looking for What’s Next Those are the kinds of problems they would love to have a short drive on I-70 in Dayton, where streets are lined with buildings waiting to be refurbished, including the massive Dayton Arcade, more than 300,000 square feet of retail space that closed in 1990.

Behind the structure’s castle-like facade is a crumbling interior waiting to be rebuilt.

There’s an ambitious $70 million proposal to turn the building into an innovation space — partnering with the University of Dayton and local artists and retailers — but financing for the deal has not yet closed and there have been several false starts in the past.

City leaders hope a rebuilt arcade will take Dayton back to it roots in innovation, particularly in manufacturing. Electronic ignition systems and spark plugs were once built here, and even though the city was walloped by a series of General Motors plant closing over the decades, manufacturing is still a central part of the city’s DNA. More than 13 percent of the employees in Dayton’s home county, Montgomery, work in manufacturing, compared to about 7.5 percent in Franklin, Columbus’s home county.

“We’re at our core a manufacturing town.” says Julie Sullivan, executive vice president for regional development with the Dayton Development Coalition. “I don’t see how manufacturing goes away because we will always have things. And somebody has to make those things.”

And there’s still plenty being made here.

In fact, the giant General Motors Moraine Assembly plant that closed has been converted into an automotive glass factory.

Only now the owners are Fuyao Glass America, a subsidiary of a large Chinese company, and there are a lot more robots on the production line.

“It’s state of the art,” says Jim Reed, the plant’s lamination production manager, who used to work at the GM plant. “We have well over 500 robots here. You know, there’s programmers for that. We have CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines. But it’s much cleaner and brighter and just a lot better working environment than what it used to be years ago.

The jobs also pay less. The starting wage at the Fuyao plant is generally $12 to $14 an hour, which is in line with what many local small manufacturers pay, and there are benefits. But those numbers are about half what the General Motors production jobs paid at the Moraine plant.

And those lower manufacturing wages are not just about one plant, they are across the sector and reflected in a lower incomes in the area.

Since 2000, both Dayton and surrounding Montgomery County area have seen steep declines in median household income when adjusted for inflation — by roughly more than $9,000 for each. Nationally those figures have dropped as well, but only by a little more than $1,000.

Those are not the kinds of numbers that attract workers to the area or get young people fired up about staying in town to work at the local shop. Many people voice concerns about a shortage of manufacturing workers in the area. And employers say they have positions available now for the candidates with the proper skillset.

Those problems are visible in the data. Since 2010, Montgomery County has actually seen its population decline by a percentage point.

That’s as the nation as a whole has grown by more than 5 percent. And the county has also gotten grayer in that time as well. With a median age of 39.4 years, it is older than both the national and Ohio medians.

If those numbers sound like a good fit for Donald Trump and his populist message, the 2016 election showed they were, marking a change from the past.

In 2000, even as Ohio voted for Republican George W. Bush, Montgomery County voted for Democrat Al Gore. And Montgomery County voted for Barack Obama twice.

But in 2016, Montgomery narrowly went for Trump, the first time it had gone for a Republican since 1988. This is a place where the promise of “fixing the economy” carries weight.

To be clear, despite its economic troubles, Dayton is not experiencing especially tough times in 2018. Like much of the U.S. economy, the city has seen improvement.

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And there’s more than just manufacturing in the area. CareSource, a Dayton-based nonprofit managed care company that was created to serve the region’s low-income residents, has grown, particularly as Medicaid has been expanded under the Affordable Care Act. It now serves cities across Ohio and in four other states and aims to do more than just help with health care. It also helps people overcome hurdles to finding employment.

“What we’re seeing is 40 percent of the folks that come through our program have been recently released from the criminal justice system, so jail or prison, and/or they have a diagnosis of substance use disorder or severe mental illness,” Karin VanZant, executive director of Life Services at CareSource.

“We’re really talking about those that have had some significant barriers to entering into the job market.”

The goal is to get those workers back into the labor pool in Dayton, and elsewhere, VanZant says.

The company’s growth has it building a new seven-story office space in downtown Dayton that is set to open next year. CareSource is already the downtown’s largest employer, with more than 2,000 workers.

It’s a success story in a city that has had a hard run and it’s in a growing area, health care, but even with the good news, the aging, emptying Dayton area still finds itself operating in a different economy than young, growing Columbus.

In June the Montgomery County unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, almost a point higher than Franklin County’s 4.5 percent. Those numbers are about more than different job pools and labor forces. Behind them are two very different cities, 70 miles apart, with markedly different attitudes about where the economy is leading.

Dante Chinni is a reporter and data analyst for the Wall Street Journal and NBC News.

Deepa Shivaram is a reporter for NBC News.

Article from www.nbcnews.com/politics/ politics-news/two-ohio-cities-illustrategrowing-divide-between-old-new-economyn904766#anchor-ColumbusCollegeGradsan dBuildingCranes

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

TWENTIG, INC. PRESENTS HARLEM NIGHTS...JAZZ & EASY LIVING

By Benette Waugh DeCoux Twentig, Inc. has been an organization for women in the Dayton area for at least 43 years. It was founded by two women, Grace Williams and Alyce Lucas who envisioned a non-profit group of foreward thinking “sisterfriends” who could be of service to youth, the elderly and the community at large.

Twentig was the name selected to mean the organization would include 20 plus, but less that 30. It has worked through the years to maintain high standards and attainable goals for the benefit of the community at large.

Twentig, Inc. is affiliated with the African American Community Fund (AACF), the Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association (DPVA), and the President’s Club comprised of many volunteer organizations. In addition,

individual members are active in sororities, the Links, and other business and professional groups to stay abreast of important issues in the Greater Dayton Area. The President this year is Jacqueline Colvard.

In addition to business meetings there are at least three annual events that members enjoy, the Christmas event, the Retreat, and the summer event.

All members will participate in the annual fundraising event scheduled for Saturday September 14 at the Presidential Banquet Center. Barbara Hudson-Banner is Chair and her Co-Chair is Marilyn Stepney. Funds derived from the profit are divided into the Musical Instruments Committee, The Committee for Community Support and a portion to the Bing Davis Scholarship under

the auspices of the Dayton Foundation.

There are still a few days left to order tickets by contacting Public Relations Committee members, Benette DeCoux, 937-430-0155 or Carol Prewitt, 937-626-8720. The evening will include entertainment by Edde Osbourne, saxophone player, dancing, full course meal and a “signature dessert auction.” Guests are encouraged to attend in gala attire and boas, “all gussied up.”

The photos tell the story of the fun we have throughout each season of the year. Thee photo of members in all white was taken by Noland Lester at our annual Founder’s Day in June.

Benette Waugh DeCoux is a contributing writer for the Columbus and Dayton African American news journal.

THE COLOR PINK

By Suzanne Parks The sanctuary of the church was awash with different hues of pink. Everywhere I directed my eyes, I saw the color. Pink was sprinkled among the members on the praise team, within the young adult demographic, the spray of flowers adorned on top of the casket, the dress worn by a six year old girl whose mother’s life celebration was the reason why we all came.

Even the man I could only assume was the father of the deceased wore a pink dress shirt and pink trousers.

At first I did not make a conscious connection about all of that pinkness until after I expressed my condolences. Focusing on what to say to a mother whose child was slain is a difficult enough task, is it not? So, I saw the pink. But I did not really see it.

But afterwards, I found it odd that so many seemed to favor the shade. I might have even allowed my mind to consider that the black folks, who had gathered, favored a certain amount of flashiness in their attire. I mean some of the young men who wore sagged pants, provided me a glimpse of pink boxers.

Immediately, I decided to reject the they be flashy stereotype. Stereotyping still hoovers deep in me. As if haunting my frontal vortex, even after years of re-programming, I still carry certain misconceptions and biases.

Yet, like all who care about exorcising how we were taught to define ourselves, I work hard at rejecting the unconscious mindsets that we inherited from our ancestors who

were forced to survive during a period of programmed self-loathing.

Anyway, it was not until I observed a middle aged man nonchalantly stroll down the center aisle toward the casket wearing a pair of hot pink and white tie dyed pants, that I decided that there must be significance, not coincidence, associated with the color.

So, I leaned over to my pew partner who made his own pink fashion statement in a black silky wife beater accented in pink Moroccan tiles that he wore over a black long sleeved dress shirt. I asked him, in that muted voice we use during wakes, why almost everyone in attendance wore the soft rosiness of a muted red, whether it was the tie that complimented the black suit of one of the clergy or a tight fitting dress that seemed more appropriate for club attire.

His answer was quite simple. It was Nae’s favorite color.

Lois L. “Nae” Oglesby met her untimely fate in a city that has been pounded by untimely fates. Destiny being what it is, Dayton, Ohio has been the recipient of more than its share of unfortunateness.

I could make a rather exhaustive list of those factors that are having an impact upon Montgomery County such as the economic aftereffects of being one of the hardest hit cities in Ohio during the Great Recession of 2008. Or I could reference the recent and heavily politicized scandal involving an ex –Dayton Commissioner, state law maker and others in leadership, all men of color.

But on that day, when I made the decision to attend the funeral of a young mother

The Columbus African & Dayton African American • September 2019 American News Journal • February 2015

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fallen by a spray of bullets fired from an assault weapon by a mass murderer whose motivation is still unclear, two things stood out in my mind.

Upon entering into the metro-area, I saw what I first assumed was massive blight.

Then I realized I was seeing the remaining signs of mass devastation left in the wake of the funnel clouds that seemed to target the Valley. For sure, there was this eeriness to the sight that left my stomach feeling icky.

But there was also the color pink within a sanctuary of profound gut-wrenching mourning, not unlike the storms with its own genus of unexpected loss.

However, the color took on a hue not so much of devastation, although that is the umbrella that sits on top of Dayton in the moment.

Pink became not only the color of honoring the one who went behind the veil, it signaled the rejection of weariness from all of that which they have been forced to endure.

This pretty color, because they wore it instead of the more traditional black, was the statement that there would no longer be an acceptance of the unconscious bias associated with negative double-entendre assigned to anything dark, including the color of their skin.

The mourners wore pink which for me signaled the coming of a much needed hope, strength, unity, a declaration for we are still here and an eventual recovery.

So in the end, pink is the new, watch us survive even these things that have tried to destroy us.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER OHIO STATEWIDE NETWORK

By Kyle Strickland, JD In 2014, President Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) and called on communities across the country to take action to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and ensure all youth reach their full potential. Nearly 250 cities accepted the call to action by launching local-based initiatives. In Ohio, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown has helped community leaders launch MBK chapters in more than 10 regions throughout the state since 2015.

While several of Ohio’s MBK communities have made tremendous progress since the launch of the MBK imitative, many communities have experienced leadership transitions and are in need of more guidance and support. Understanding this need, My Brother’s Keeper Ohio was launched in October 2018 to create a learning community and support system for Ohio’s MBK communities. The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity at The Ohio State University leads the coordination of the statewide network and works in partnership with the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Senator Sherrod Brown to help MBK communities build capacity, implement evidence-based strategies, and measure progress in closing opportunity gaps faced by Ohio’s youth.

Recently, we were awarded a three-year federal grant to support the work of MBK Ohio. This grant will send 10 AmeriCorps VISTA members to local MBK chapters to help build the capacity and sustainability of programs that work to advance opportunities for youth of color and other marginalized youth throughout the state. Thanks to this support, we will establish the MBK Ohio Youth Leadership Coalition, a statewide peer network that will connect youth to mentorship and programming that supports educational attainment and workforce development.

On October 2nd, 2019, we are hosting the 2019 MBK Ohio Statewide Convening, which will provide a space for community members, leaders, local residents, organizers, and young people from across the state to learn from one another and unite collectively to help MBK communities develop a plan of action for racial equity in their communities.

This convening will offer participants with opportunities to engage with one another through interactive workshops, training sessions, and a robust resource fair. Keynotes will be provided by Senator Sherrod Brown and Michael Smith, Executive Director of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and Director of Youth Programs at the Obama Foundation.

MBK Ohio commits to moving the needle on some of society’s most stubborn challenges by tackling issues on a systemic level, rather than just an individual one. We cannot just

support programs. We must also develop the solutions necessary to dismantle the structural inequities in our society by focusing on policies and historical barriers to opportunity. MBK Ohio will mobilize communities to promote action, investment, and policies that create tangible opportunities for youth of color across Ohio and ensure that impacted youth and families are empowered to help lead institutional change efforts.

To learn more about how you can get involved with the My Brother’s Keeper initiative in your community, join us at our conference in October and contact me at strickland.95@ osu.edu. We hope to see you there!

Kyle Strickland is the Senior Legal Analyst at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity at The Ohio State University. He also serves as the Director of My Brother’s Keeper Ohio.

To Advertise in The Columbus - Dayton African American contact us at: editor@columbusafricanamerican.com Ray Miller, 503 S. High StreetPublisher - Suite 102 750 East Long Columbus, OH 43215 Street, Suite 3000 614-571-9340 Columbus, Ohio 43203

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Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

POLITICS CONGRESSWOMAN BEATTY DETERMINED TO MOVE NEEDLE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING Beatty’s ‘Affordable Housing Listening Session’ brought together government agencies, organizations, financial institutions, nonprofits, and community leaders making an impact in their neighborhoods to find workable solutions to expand and improve affordable housing in Central Ohio and across the country.

August 20, 2019, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) spent the day highlighting her ongoing work and commitment to making a difference on affordable housing issues in Central Ohio. She kicked the day off with a listening session, hosting national, state, and community leaders to identify priorities, policies, and practices to address the growing cost of renting and owning a home in the Third Congressional District of Ohio. The listening session was followed by a tour of the district, led by The Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, to show these stakeholders firsthand the consequences and history of affordable housing in Central Ohio.

Beatty ended the day leading a community conversation to hear the stories of more than 400 constituents in obtaining and living in safe, secure, and stable housing.

“We need to make sure hardworking Central Ohioans can afford their rent or mortgage, while also paying their bills and still have money left to save for their future,” Beatty said during the listening session. “All of us have a role to play because that is how we move the needle.

Attendees included officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, City of Columbus, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, The Ohio State University, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Central Ohio Transit Authority, Ohio Capital Corporation, Huntington Bank, Columbus REALTORS, Wallick Properties, Woda Cooper Companies, Columbus Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Mid-Ohio, IMPACT, National Church Residences, Homeport, Women’s Fund of Central

Ohio, YWCA, Community Shelter Board, Affordable Housing Alliance, Human Service Chamber of Franklin County, Urbancrest Mayor Joseph Barnes, South Central Hilltop Association, and South Linden Area Commission.

In the evening, Beatty hosted her ‘Affordable Housing Community Conversation’ at the King Arts Complex joined by hundreds of constituents and officials from the morning listening session. The event provided Central Ohioans and their families the opportunity to talk with Beatty, housing experts, government officials, and their neighbors about the need for more available, affordable, and sustainable housing. Many constituents shared their struggles with staying in their homes and asked about what was being done at all levels of government to help solve the growing problem.

“We have seen the statistics, but numbers do not tell the story. So, whether you are renting, want to purchase a home, receive rental assistance, or looking for rental assistance, I want to hear from you,” Beatty offered. “It is important for me to not only hear you but to take your story and message to Washington.”

She concluded, “I am determined to make change happen, but it requires a movement.

We are all in this together.”

TAVARES APPOINTED TO THE OHIO ELECTIONS COMMISSION Former State Senator Charleta B. Tavares was recently appointed to the Ohio Elections Commission (OEC). Tavares was recommended by the Senate Democratic Caucus to fill the unexpired term of a Democratic OEC member who had resigned.

“I am honored to be recommended by my former colleagues in the Ohio Senate and appointed by Governor Mike DeWine.

The work of the Commission is consistent with my efforts in the General Assembly to ensure fair campaign practices and campaign finance laws,” stated Tavares.

History of the Ohio Elections Commission The Ohio Elections Commission was created in 1974 because of the circumstances surrounding the Watergate affair in the early 1970’s. Similar to the Federal Elections Commission, the Ohio Commission was created as a means of enforcing the state’s campaign finance and fair campaign practices laws. The Commission was originally composed of five (5) members who were appointed by the Secretary of State upon recommendation by the respective Chairmen of the Democratic and Republican parties.

Two members each were affiliated with the respective parties. The fifth member of the Commission, who acted as the chair,

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

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was affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican party on an alternating basis.

Campaign Finance Reform and the Restructuring of the Commission in 1995 Aside from minor tweaking, there were no major reforms in Ohio’s campaign finance laws in the period from 1974 through 1995. Along with the major reforms in the campaign finance laws of 1995 and the imposition of campaign contribution limits into Ohio’s political culture, the Ohio Elections Commission was reformulated in 1995, and reestablished as an independent government agency in the state of Ohio as of January 1, 1996. The Commission was reconstituted as a seven-member body. Six members (three members from each major political party in Ohio) were to be appointed by the Governor upon recommendation by the Democratic and Republican caucuses of the General Assembly. By statute, the seventh member could not be affiliated with either major political party and was to be appointed by the six partisan members of the Commission.

The OEC meets monthly to hear complaints, disposition and to determine violations, if any. The next meeting is scheduled for October 10, 2019.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

POLITICS

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE protections. Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) and Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) proposed companion legislation After the horrific and in the House. senseless mass shooting in the Oregon District Senate Bill 63 – sponsored by Sen. Cecil of Dayton, Ohio, the Thomas (D-Cincinnati)*, to require universal Democratic Leaders and background checks on gun purchases. Rep. members of the Ohio General Assembly Phil Robinson (D-Solon)* is proposing call on the majority Republican members, companion legislation in the House.

Leaders and Governor to keep Ohio’s children and families safe.

Senate Bill 62 – sponsored by Sen. Thomas*, would ban bump stocks The Democratic leaders are emphasizing the importance of passing two widely supported Senate Bill 64 – sponsored by Sen. Thomas*, gun safety measures, universal background would increase the minimum purchasing age checks and a “red flag” law. More than of firearms to 21.

90 percent of Ohioans support universal background checks for gun purchases and Senate Bill 65 – sponsored by Sen. Thomas*, Governor DeWine has expressed his support would close the gun show loophole. for implementing a red flag law. They are Senate Bill 43 – sponsored by Senators. also calling for immediate hearings on Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Stephanie commonsense gun safety proposals laid out Kunze (R-Hilliard), bipartisan legislation

by Democrats in recent months, as the vast that would prohibit individuals convicted of majority of Ohioans support commonsense domestic violence from purchasing a firearm. solutions to keep kids and communities safe.

Additional bills being developed or Senate Leader Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond previously introduced to address gun safety Heights) issued the following statement: include:

By Senator Charleta B. Tavares (Ret.)

“I am praying for strength and healing for all those suffering in Dayton, El Paso and across our country as we continue to struggle with the effects of escalating gun violence,” said Leader Yuko. “Fear of violence at school, at the grocery store, on a Saturday night out with friends robs us of our freedom. Ohioans are crying out for us to do something. Today, we are calling on our Republican colleagues to join us in saying ‘enough is enough.’ We must take common sense action to protect our citizens.”

The Ohio House Minority Leader, Emilia S. Sykes (D-Akron) who is also a member of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) further stated: “As legislators, our job is to create meaningful policy that promotes and protects the well-being of Ohioans. While these bills are not a complete solution to addressing gun violence, it is a step in the right direction to keep our promise of safety and security for Ohio’s children and families. As legislators, we must do something as the people of this state have directed us. I urge my Republican colleagues to hold hearings on these bills— and any others that will better protect our communities from further acts of violence.”

Democratic and OLBC sponsored bills to address responsible gun ownership and safety in the 133rd General Assembly to date include: Senate Bill 19 – sponsored by Sen. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland)*, to enact red flag

August 22 raised awareness about the wage gap for Black women and their families by recognizing Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the day in the new year to which Black women must work to earn what white, nonHispanic men made in the previous year alone.

“This is my third term as a legislator in the Ohio General Assembly. For five years, my colleagues and I have been talking about opportunities to close the wage gap. I have introduced legislation such as House Bill 91, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program—which would provide 12 weeks of family and medical leave benefits that can be used to address a serious health condition, to care for a family member or to bond with a new child. In addition, I introduced HB 221—which establishes an anonymous wage discrimination hotline. We need to stop talking about wage disparities and start acting to ensure that all women are paid fairly for their work,” said Rep. Boyd.

The average Black working woman in Ohio is paid only 64% of what her white male counterpart is paid, regardless of educational background and job description. Her median pay for working a full time job amounts to a • Reps. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) and yearly wage gap of $18,797 less per year in Brigid Kelly’s (D-Cincinnati) proposed safe median earnings. storage bill to keep firearms out of the hands “On this Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, I of minors. urge my colleagues across the aisle to work • Ban on high-capacity magazines, proposed with us to pass legislation that increase women’s earnings. This will make it easier

by Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson). to combine work and family responsibilities • Address funding for school safety, and improve not just women’s economic including security doors and restricted security, but Ohio families’ economic access, sponsored by Rep. Mary Lightbody security. Such policies will also improve Ohio’s economy, which is one important (D-Westerville). priority we all share,” added Rep. Boyd.

• Mental health information provided at purchase site, proposed by Rep. Beth Liston Ohio ranks among the worst states in the nation in equal pay for Black women. The (D-Dublin). amount of money lost totals up to more than • Restrictions on purchase of body armor and 23 months of rent and more than three years’ high-capacity magazines, proposed by Rep. worth of food for a family. *There are currently nineteen (18) members Adam Miller (D-Columbus). including one Asian American member For additional • Increase gun safety training hours, proposed participating in OLBC. information on the Ohio Legislative

by Rep. Miller.

Black Caucus, contact Chris Scott, Executive Director OLBC at cscott@ *Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Members ohiolegislativeblackcaucus.org Ohio Legislative Black Caucus: Members Former Sen. Charleta B. Tavares, Priorities D-Columbus, is the 1st Democrat and We will keep you informed on the progress African American woman to serve in the of the bills sponsored and passed by the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio members of OLBC over the next two years of Senate from Franklin County. She is also the 133rd General Assembly that specifically the first African American woman to serve in speak to the needs, opportunities and leadership in the history of Ohio and the 1st challenges facing Ohio’s African American Democrat woman to serve in leadership in both the Ohio House of Representatives and and communities of color. the Ohio Senate (House Minority Whip and State Rep. Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland) on Senate Assistant Minority Leader).

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

EDUCATION

COLLEGE BOUND: SUPPORT FOR HBCUS

By Ray Miller, III “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Morehouse College, Class of 1948) The road to success in life starts with primary and secondary education: get good grades, take the right classes, get involved in extra-curricular activities, do your community service and go to college.

Simple? Not really.

Unfortunately, for many African American youth today going to college seems about as attainable as a trip to Mars. What’s holding us back? First, it’s the cost of going; tuition and fees just seem to be as high and as unsurmountable as Mount Everest. But with scholarships and other funding, financing a college education whittles the mountain down to where it is manageable.

The second drawback to going to college is, unfortunately, something that America cannot seem to get past; i.e. race. Even in the 21st century, African Americans continue to receive unequal and inadequate education. The advances we have made as a people can be attributed to the unyielding commitment to delivering top shelf education by our Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs).

In order to recruit more students to attend HBCU’s we need to understand the history behind the higher education system in America. Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) have a history of discrimination when it comes to selecting and accepting students of color. In the book Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery and the Troubled History of America’s Universities, by Craig Steven Wilder, the author reveals how some of the earliest collegiate institutions in this country were funded through slavery.

Furthermore, PWIs often used slave labor to build their campuses and serve the students and faculty. This type of behavior was passed down from generation to generation until the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in 1863. But segregation continued even up until the Civil Rights movement almost 100 years later.

Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) were founded for the sole purpose of providing quality education for African Americans. When the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, more than four million slaves were granted their freedom. As a result, the South was in disarray and the economic fabric of the country was falling apart. Congress convened to create the Freedman’s Bureau

in 1865, an organization designed to provide assistance to the newly freed slaves during their transition into citizenship. The bureau was responsible for creating jobs, setting up housing and providing education. That same year, Congress passed the Higher Education Act that included a clause to create federally funded schools for Negros.

Under the new legislation, abolitionists and supporters of the Freedman’s Bureau worked with the government and private donors to build schools around the country, particularly in the South where slavery was dominant.

In addition to teaching freed slaves, many of these schools also taught children and Native Americans how to read, write and basic trade skills. Many of those schools expanded and grew into what we know today as Florida A&M University (which stands for Agriculture and Mechanical), North Carolina A&T University (Agriculture and Technical) and others.

Prior to the Higher Education Act and before the Civil War, there were several institutions that were founded by abolitionists to educate free blacks. Cheyney University (1837) and Lincoln University (1854) both in Pennsylvania and Wilberforce University (1856) in Ohio were founded years before slavery ended. Many of the students who graduated from these schools migrated to the South to teach at the newly formed colleges.

Since the late 1800’s, more than 100 schools sprung up around the country, all of them dedicated to teaching and caring for African Americans. Since then, HBCUs have developed a tradition and culture for educating the black community. Some of the most prestigious and influential leaders of our history such as, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois (Fisk), Booker T. Washington (Hampton), Thurgood Marshall (Howard), Marian Wright Edelman (Spelman) and many others are all graduates of these great schools. The tradition of excellence has been passed down from generation to generation and today, that legacy is under attack.

The enrollment rate for Black students at HBCUs has dropped significantly over the past few years. One factor is that many students, particularly in Ohio, are simply not aware that HBCU’s exist and have resources to help them. Combined with an increase in poverty, single parent households, and the socalled “pipeline-to-prison” complex, young people are faced with more issues than ever before. For them, survival is the first priority and going to college is nothing more than a dream deferred.

I had the opportunity to study at two great schools, Hampton University in Virginia and Wilberforce University in Ohio. Both institutions opened my eyes to a world that I never knew existed. Going to college for most people can be intimidating, but for me,

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

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it was like a second home. The education that I received is as good as or better than most Ivy League schools. However, the difference is that my professors cared about me. I was not a number, but they knew me by name and they took the time to make sure that I got the most out of my college experience. They believed in me and wanted me to succeed. To me, this is a significant difference between HBCUs and PWIs. Over the years I had the opportunity to work with youth from various backgrounds around the state. Everywhere I went, I ran into young people who had a passion for success. Most of them wanted to escape their worlds by going to college, but they could not afford it. Others were ignorant of the opportunities and resources that were available to them at various HBCUs. This was a wake-up call for me. I had to do something to help make a difference.

In 2009 I called upon several friends who were HBCU alumni and I asked them to help me put together a college fair. We had no money and no idea how to put on such an event, but we did it anyways. That year, we had 15 HBCUs that attended our fair and more than 500 people showed up. So many people were thankful for that event and as a result, several young people from Columbus enrolled and were accepted to various HBCUs that fall. Their lives changed for the better and now they are able to pass on the torch.

On Saturday, September 21, 2019 we will celebrate the ninth anniversary of the Central Ohio HBCU College Fair. This event has grown into the largest event of its kind in Ohio. We are expecting over 30 HBCUs and more than 2000 college-bound students, friends and family members. This event is free and open to the public with workshops, door prizes and more. There will be a special performance by our Black Greek organizations and live music. Students will have the opportunity to talk to local alumni and learn more about their history and why it is so important to attend a Historically Black College/University.

It is important to support our HBCUs, not out of obligation, but out of respect for those who paved the way for the freedoms and opportunities that we have today. Celebrate their legacies by helping our young people reach their dreams. Pay it forward.

Ray Miller, III is the Founder/Executive Director of the Ohio HBCU Foundation.

Miller started the HBCU College Fair in 2009 to educate young people about the lifestyle, education and cultural opportunites available at Historically Black Colleges around the country. For more information visit his website at www.ohiohbcucollegefair. com.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

WHY CASA OF FRANKLIN COUNTY NEEDS YOU TO JOIN OUR TEAM

By Suzanne Barker, JD In 2012, I was looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity where I could help my community. I was drawn to CASA of Franklin County’s unique mission of advocating for children in the foster care system. I did not know much about children in foster care, the juvenile court system, the child welfare system or the many issues that impact families that find themselves in that system. Why was there even a need for CASA? Before answering that question, let me first share what CASA is. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate and it is a national program dedicated to training volunteers to serve as advocates in court for abused, neglected and dependent children. Courts throughout the United States have carved out this special role to allow everyday citizens to be trained and engage with families in crisis and the juvenile court system. There are nearly 1,000 CASA/ GAL programs in 49 states recruiting, training and supporting volunteers to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children. In 2018, CASA of Franklin County served 870 children with the help of 252 volunteers. That same year,

43 CASA programs served 9,521 children in 52 Ohio counties.

There is clearly a desire for communities to have CASA programs. The opioid crisis in Ohio and throughout our nation has seen a dramatic increase of children in care as families battle with substance abuse. This increase is overwhelming our child welfare system, our courts and is increasing the need for more CASA volunteers across the nation.

So, why are CASA volunteers important?

CASA volunteers serve a vital role by engaging in the juvenile court system to try and help improve the outcomes for children in the foster care system. They are every day, ordinary people who have decided to step into the world of a child who may have experienced abuse and neglect. They are not paid for their service but do so out of the desire to give back. CASA volunteers visit with their child in their placement regularly, attend hearings and court on behalf of their child, speak to teachers, doctors, therapists, child welfare professionals, parents, family members, etc., all to gain a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the child and the family. With this information, they are able to offer an independent, fact based perspective to the court of what would be in

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

28

the child’s best interest. A CASA volunteer also articulates the child’s wishes to the court so the child’s voice is not lost in the process. It is a volunteer opportunity unlike any other because not only does it serve a vulnerable population but it is a unique educational opportunity for the volunteer as well. Through their volunteerism, CASA volunteers learn a great deal about the needs and issues facing children in the juvenile system, the child welfare system’s impact on families, how the juvenile courts work, and substantive issues that impact families and the community resources available to address the varied needs.

Being a CASA volunteer has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. I eventually joined the staff of CASA of Franklin County so that I could be instrumental at supporting future volunteers in this very important role. The increase of children in care means we need more volunteers. We need you to join our CASA team because a child in care needs your advocacy today! To learn more about becoming a volunteer, please visit our website at www.casacolumbus.org.

Suzanne Barker is a Staff Attorney with CASA.

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

By Ray Miller Frederick Douglass - Prophet of Freedom

By David Blight

Smoketown - The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance

By Mark Whitaker Mark Whitaker’s Smoketown is a captivating portrait of this unsung community and a vital addition to the story of black America. It depicts how ambitious Southern migrants were drawn to a steel-making city on a strategic river junction; how they were shaped by its schools and a spirit of commerce with roots in the Gilded Age; and how their world was eventually destroyed by industrial decline and urban renewal. Whitaker takes readers on a rousing, revelatory journey—and offers a timely reminder that Black History is not all bleak.

In this “cinematic and deeply engaging” (The New York Times Book Review) biography, David Blight has drawn on new information held in a private collection that few other historian have consulted, as well as recently discovered issues of Douglass’s newspapers. “Absorbing and even moving…a brilliant book that speaks to our own time as well as Douglass’s” (The Wall Street Journal), Blight’s biography tells the fascinating story of Douglass’s two marriages and his complex extended family. “David Blight has written the definitive biography of Frederick Douglass…a powerful portrait of one of the most important American voices of the nineteenth century” (The Boston Globe).

The Sun Does Shine - How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

By Anthony Ray Hinton

Tigerland

By Wil Haygood Against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous periods in recent American history, as riots and demonstrations spread across the nation, the Tigers of poor, segregated East High School in Columbus, Ohio did something no team from one school had ever done before: they won the state basketball and baseball championships in the same year.

They defeated bigger, richer, whiter teams across the state and along the way brought blacks and whites together, eased a painful racial divide throughout the state, and overcame extraordinary obstacles on their road to success.

In Tigerland, Wil Haygood gives us a spirited and stirring account of this improbable triumph and takes us deep into the personal lives of these local heroes. At the same time, he places the Tigers’ story in the context of the racially charged sixties, bringing in such national figures as Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Richard Nixon, all of whom had a connection to the teams and a direct effect on their mythical season.

In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama.

Stunned, confused, and only twentynine years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity and believed that the truth would prove his innocence and ultimately set him free.

The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times. Destined to be a classic memoir of wrongful imprisonment and freedom won, Hinton’s memoir tells his dramatic thirty-year journey and shows how you can take away a man’s freedom, but you can’t take away his imagination, humor, or joy.

The Divided City - Poverty and Prosperity in Urban America

By Alan Mallach

How to Kill A City - Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood

By P. E. Moskowitz

In The Divided City, urban practitioner and scholar Alan Mallach shows us what has happened over the past 15 to 20 years in industrial cities like Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland, and Baltimore, as they have undergone unprecedented, unexpected revival.

He draws from his decades of experience working in America’s cities, and pulls in insightful research and data, to spotlight these changes while placing them in their larger economic, social, and political context. Mallach explores the pervasive significance of race in American cities and looks closely at the successes and failures of city governments, nonprofit entities, and citizens as they have tried to address the challenges of change.

Peter Moskowitz’s How to Kill a City takes readers from the kitchen tables of hurting families who can no longer afford their homes to the corporate boardrooms and political backrooms where destructive housing policies are devised. Along the way, Moskowitz uncovers the massive, systemic forces behind gentrification in New Orleans, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York.

The deceptively simple question of who can and cannot afford to pay the rent goes to the heart of America’s crises of race and inequality. In the fight for economic opportunity and racial justice, nothing could be more important than housing.

29

Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

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EDUCATION

A 400 YEAR HISTORY OF COURAGE, BRAVERY, OK GOOGLE: KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION FOR 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP AND SACRIFICE - OUR MILITARY SERVICE

By Tim By EricAnderson Johnson, PhD I am the son of a career military parent.constitutes My father knowledge served in What the an United Airforce for in age States of information?

Is thirty years achieving the highest rank for knowledge and information the same thing? aThe noncommissioned Chief Master ability to discern officer, fact from fiction is so Sargent.

Hisinfather, my grandfather, James convoluted contemporary discourse that D. Anderson Sr. (1915-2010) from Ruleville, is seems to be contingent on what someone Mississippi attended State and believes. There are aJackson range of serious later attended Tuskegee Pilot decisions that arethe predicated on Army one’s ability Training Center, where he became a pilot to distinguish the dissimilarities between as a Tuskegee Airman during WWII. After true and false. All parents are inherently the war hetowould resettle the Los with Angeles obligated provide theirinchildren the area fly eleven years for the the California basicand ability to determine difference Civil Airtrue Patrol. served between and My falsebrothers or fact have and fiction. in the military as well; one serving fifteen Today there is a buffet of information years in that the United StatestoAirtheForce sources are tailored tasteand of the the other serving in the Ohio Air National Guard. consumer. All claiming veracity of some Finally, oldest served four sort, evenmy when theyson flat John, out contradict one years in the United States Army, he another. It seems possible to findwhere a source was stationed in South Korea in the missile that validates almost anything one believes defense deployment Four generations about the world andunit. the happenings in it. of black men from my family have served This reality is further complicated by the use during war and peace time on with honor and of social media and other line sources. distinction.

How does one evaluate the answers one gets from a question posed to “Siri”, “Google” or In four-hundred-year history military anyour other on line source masquerading as a service was not initially a part of our truth teller? The basic ability to assess good experience.

Although prior to August 1619, and bad or effective and ineffective may have Africans were among earlier expeditions always been complex, but in a time where to North and South America, primarily as there is no shortage of material to evaluate, laborers on board European vessels. These there seems to be no end to the possible expeditions were by and large, military variation of actuality. expansions of colonial European monarch In its most formsSpain, and nations.

Those rudimentary nations included understandings information is Dutch the England, France, Portugal and the observations of things, empires whichand wereperceptions all heavily involved in people, happenings or some combination of the slave trade and the colonization of North the three. are and thosethewho would argue and SouthThere America Caribbean.

The that Africans knowledge information in effect first notand of an expedition,are who came thecolonized same thing.

However, therewere are from those to north American who suggest is the result of Angola.

Theythat wereknowledge aboard a Portuguese slave ship which information was pirated by other slave traders examining with experience (first and to the British.

Eventually these handsold or otherwise) or intellectual analysis enslaved Africans would find themselves and oftentimes both. As a consequence, in Jamestown, Virginia in August of 1619. knowledge is often thought of as the result Jamestown become theisepicenter for of a process.would For many there a significant slavery, migrating slave trade along the distinction betweenthegathering information eastern seaboard colonies from While Georgiathis to and constructing knowledge.

Massachusetts. issue has forever been a subject in the human experience, the introduction of the internet The slave atraders, the European Monarchs has added complexity that is relatively new along with their military brought slavery into to the human condition. The implications what is humorous commonlyinreferred as How the Middle are not any way. should Passage.

In 1770, the descendant an we understand data and material bornof from enslaved African and a former slave, Crispus virtual sources? Are virtual experiences Attucks would the world hands or of aare British a reflection of die the atreal they soldier at the Massacre Rebellion encounters thatBoston have to be understood by in Boston Massachusetts.

His death would different criteria? More importantly, should be as the first blood only shed for we recognized consider material sourced by America’s independence from England. the virtual world as information let alone knowledge? The impact of the virtual world Both states and the on thecolonial lived experience can British not be military denied. offered slaves their freedom they chose In fact, there are many people if who spend as to serve in their respective military.

Slave much or more time in virtual worlds as they owners would allow their slaves to enlist in

do in the “real world.”

When seekers of information and knowledge are no longer required to analyze information, the sources, or even the point of view of the informant; what impact does that have on the knowledge manufacturing process.

Moreover, when the process to acquire knowledge is little more than typing words into a search engine or much less verbally the military during the Revolutionary War. issuing a query to “Siri,” “Google,” or any With the promise that at the end of their other named artificial intelligence are we in enlistment, they would earn their freedom. affect replacing the thinking process itself?

However, this was a promised not kept. Many Certainly, these are notwere newkilled concerns but of these black militiamen in battle the introduction of online sources has added and those who survived were often placed a complexity to theNot issue thatthe is American somewhat back into slavery. until unique.

For too many people there is a sense Civil War and at the urging of Fredrick of truth and validity virtual sources that is Douglas would blacktoserve in the military. dangerous. In fact, the plethora of material accessiblepressured online isand both an improvement Douglas, persuaded President and a deterioration. improvement in allthat Lincoln to allow theAnformation of an more information is available to more people black military regiment. The Emancipation than there has ever been in history.

A Proclamation set forth byhuman Lincoln which deterioration in thatinitall hasstates, lulledestablished people into abolished slavery the fictitious belief that if it’s on line the foundation for the recruitment itof“must free be true”.and Certainly, thisblacks dilemma been blacks enslaved to has become present in in the the Union book world of soldiers Army. for Thethousands 1st Kansas years. There are many inaccurate, incomplete Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment would and downright false things printed books, be the first all-black regiment, theinsecond however there is something to be said that all black regiment would be the Fiftyone canMassachusetts know who wroteVolunteer the book and could Fourth Infantry understand the point of view of the author.

Regiment, known as the Massachusetts Online sources often omit 54th (and made known in thethose 1989critical film, aspects Both of the knowledge construction Glory). regimens were commanded methodology. by white officers, blacks could not become commissioned officers, but couldbetween obtain rank In a world where the distinction true as noncommissioned officers.

Both sons of and false seems to be much less discernable, Fredrick Douglas served in the Massachusetts how do we teach children to analyze material 54th as noncommissioned officers.

One they receive from online sources?

It would of Douglas’ sons was wounded during the seem that many adults have little hesitation failed assault against Confederate at repeating false material sourced forces only by Fort Wagner in Charleston South Carolina. internet sources. We are now living in Lincoln later creditisthe recruitment a worldwould where news delivered in and 140 service of black soldiers as the major turning characters and social media memes are often point in theasoutcome the willingness American Civil examined truth. ofThe and War. maybe even the ability to think critically about information that we agree with appears After the Civil United States to be less presentWar, for athe variety of reasons.

Congress passed legislation that enabled

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

31

The result is often less informed people with much more access to information. Parents are faced with the incredibly difficult task of building in their children the capacity and skills to scrutinize notions of true and false with a fluid sensibility to be open to new ideas while adhering to a solid standard that meets the threshold of fact and factual. A task that is in no way simple but necessary black to serve in age peacetime in less the to livesoldiers in an information that puts western frontier.

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The Buffalo our children attend, Soldiers, the valueasofa domestic potential peacekeeping military did participate purchases, the impact force of medication, the in fierce battles with indigenous of our the usefulness of supplements we tribes put in plains. bodies, the quality of our air, water, and food or any other meaningful decision, our The first commissioned officer of the ability to black discern fact from fiction is directly United States military served in USCT. connected to our ability to live any quality A of former and West Point graduate, Henry life we slave desire.

O. Flipper became this nation’s first black Helping our children the skills and commissioned officer develop as a Buffalo Soldiers. capacity to discern true and false or fact from He would later be court-martialed and fiction be the single lose hismay commission, only tomost haveimportant his case skill they118 willyears needlater, to reach potential. appealed whentheir then President More importantly, if they skill how Bill Clinton exonerated his lack priorthis court martial would they distinguish information that is conviction and restored his commission. life threatening from information that is lifeBeyond, keeping the peace in the plains of saving. The ability to critically process the North America, Buffalo Soldiers havepassing fought validity and relevancy of material outside of United States’ borders.

Buffalo as information can serve as an advantage in Soldiers fought in the Spanish-American a world have where asking “Siri” or” Google” in War 1898,qualifies The Philippine-American someofcircles as doing research. War The (1899–1902) and World War I. Domestically, ability to engage in a knowledge production five hundred were process that isBuffalo directlySoldiers connected to among critical our nation’s first national park thinking represents the ability to rangers; navigate patrolling Yosemite Park, Sequoia a water way that is National filled with sharks and National Park and the Sierra National Park. alligators. Now let’s go and think about that!

Their signature cavalry hats with the four Dr. Eric L. Johnson currently serves as the indented side peaking at the top is still worn Chief Consultant with Strategies to Succeed and coveted by the at National Service and is on the faculty VirginiaPark International Rangers of today.

The seventy-five year University. He is the former Chief old of National Service for pitch-bear, Smokey Research Park Publications the United States Air Force Academy.

Continued on Page 32

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

THE WOMAN THAT STRETCHED HER NECK OUT AND IT DID NOT BREAK of female black students in a predominantly Spanish and Anglo majority school. NativeAmericans and foreign students made up the next group. Blacks did not have any representation in the small town, on the faculty or on the university’s staff. She stuck her neck out for me, a poor, black, ignorant female student that no one at that registration table cared enough to value the dilemma.

By Tessie Belue, JD, Mdiv Some of us are “politically correct,” racists,’ misogynists, homophobes and xenophobes.

When the political climate renders these forms of hatred unpopular, we may sublimate them. As long as they exist, they are like time bombs, until someone triggers and we explode. One might express these forms of hatred among those we trust. Family is an excellent breeding ground for these forms of hatred. All of us come from a family, whether biological, adopted and/or extended.

There are people wherever we play, live, eat, exercise, shop and generally, associate with other human beings. They are all members of some family.

One day I arrived at work and picked up my voice mail messages. One message boomed so loudly and clearly that the caller seemed physically present. The voice said, “I know it may sound stereotypical but that woman is not black!” I knew to what the caller referred.

This is an example of a mistaken belief that a certain ethnic group, blacks, all sound alike, an idea that Movie Director, Spike Lee, ridicules in his 2019 movie, “The Black Klansman.” My own feelings much to my chagrin have emerged when I think that no one hears me. I will utter some statement or ignorant belief and I definitely ought to know better. Why? I was born in the deeply southern confederate slavocracy of South Carolina. My parents did what Isabel Wilkerson describes as, “the great migration, in her book, “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.” They left Spartanburg, South Carolina for Columbus, Ohio during the early forties. I do not know whether they perceived themselves as participating in a great migration. My parents may have called their journey, “Going up North or Up South.”

They did not teach me as a child to hate others that were different. They did not say, “Do not talk, associate or mix with those “white folks!” However, they owned a black and white television. As a young child of four and five, I watched it. My mom and I returned to South Carolina, I was approximately six.

I used to beg her repeatedly to fix my hair into Shirley Temple Curls. She ignored me.

Was I born with some desire to have Shirley Temple’s Curls? Of course not! I watched Shirley Temple on television. Did I in my childish mind value the little girl’s hair?

Momma never said, “No, Shirley Temple is a white girl and stop trying to act or be white!” I did not say that Shirley’s skin color was invisible. I had not learned yet to assign some negative value to it!

I have had some extraordinary experiences in exploring other cultures and taking the risk that they will accept me. In 1964, I left Columbus for New York City at age nineteen. New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world. For example, I loved the Japanese Store, Takashimaya on

Maxine Witt Emmons (Left) and Tessie Belue (Right)

Fifth Avenue. It hardly occurred to me that I might be unwelcome even trying out my few words of Japanese on the sales clerks. My visits to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York led me to write pen pals ranging from Native youth in Montana and Canada to others in Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, including two soldiers in Viet Nam. In August 1966, I began my first year at a small (less than 2000 students) New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico. I slowly had begun to learn that ethnic peoples would test me with one or more of the five forms of hate outlined in the first paragraph of this article. I began to experience subliminal and obvert hatred from blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Native-Americans and whites. I describe myself laughingly today as an equal opportunity survivor of ignorance.

I met the woman that stretched out her neck and it did not break one day in the university gymnasium during spring registration. I blithely entered the school gymnasium and walked to the registration table. I was a senior and heard, “Sorry, you cannot register!”

Apparently, I had lost my focus during final exams week and had not reported to my parttime work-study job as a keypunch operator in the school business office. Therefore, a business office department head fired me and hired someone else, leaving me without those monies allotted for the work-study job on my school budget.

It left an impact upon me because while back in New York City after graduation, I worked as a temporary key punch operator. I thought of her and wrote her a letter. She responded and told me that shortly before receipt of my letter, a Social Security recruiter had visited her office, seeking bi-lingual, Spanishspeaking claims representatives. She had told him about me.

Social Security Administration hired me later as a bi-lingual claims representative. My experience with her helped me to develop the faith to avoid judging people solely based upon their being white, brown, yellow, red or black. Maxine and I last spoke one day in 1997, after my return to Columbus. She was suffering from a life-threatening illness. She began our conversation with these words: “I do not think racism will end until we marry each other and are all mixed up!” I did not argue with her. I might have answered today, “Sorry, even if we were all descendants of the same mother, we might find a way to hate.”

Being politically correct often, fails to ameliorate deeply held beliefs that rest subliminally beneath the surface. These beliefs often based upon fear, ignorance and hatred will affect how one views persons of other cultures. I have learned that as an educational trainer of different groups how political environment governs people respond to cultures from their own. One of the solutions is self-knowledge of one’s fears, ignorance and hatred plus a sincere willingness to change.

In November 2013, I received a telephone call from one of her daughters. I knew as soon as I heard her daughter’s voice that my dear beloved friend had moved on. The daughter said that while searching through her mother’s things, I was the only student’s name that her mother had kept. My friend had stuck her neck out for me and even in the end; it did not break the bonds of love! Our I turned away. Eyes blinded with tears, I was relationship had continued from that day in heading to nowhere in particular when I felt 1970 when she stuck her neck out for me and someone grabbed my left arm and I heard did not break until her death on November 21, 2013 a voice, “What’s wrong?” I turned to find a white woman looking at me as I poured out Tessie Nellie Belue is a retired former my circumstances, namely,” I will not be able educational trainer/facilitator. For thirteen to register for school because I do not have years she worked in Columbus, Ohio for The a work-study job!” She grabbed my arm, Mentoring Center of Central Ohio She also marched me stridently back to the registration taught for the Columbus School District as table, and militantly asserted, “You register a substitute in Spanish, French and English her! She is an honor student! I will find her as a Second Language. She earned her a job!” She did. In fact, she found me two, Juris Doctorate (JD) from the University one working in her department because she of California at Davis and her Masters of was the Head of the University Placement Divinity from the American Seminary of the Office and the other in the Psychology West.

Department. I was one of a miniscule group

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

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The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

BUSINESS THE ELIMINATION OF THE STRETCH IRA?

By Darren Lundy, MBA The United States Tax Code can be very confusing and complicated, as many of you already know.

In most situations, it takes a consultation with a Certified Public Accountant to make sense of many of its’ ambiguous rules and regulations. In 2018, we witnessed a major overhaul to the US tax code. An overhaul of this magnitude had not occurred since 1986. I was in my early 30’s and distinctly remember one monumental change to the income tax code. If you remember, interest payments made on credit card debt was an allowable write off; similar to how we currently write off mortgage interest paid throughout the year. As soon as I began benefiting from this awesome strategy the tax code changed and the buying incentive was eliminated. It appears once the general populace becomes aware of a tax loop-hole, the establishment decides it’s time to eliminate it. Well, here we go again! Currently, there are some major tax proposals making their way through Congress.

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019) recently passed overwhelmingly in the House, but as of this writing it sits limbo in the Senate. The bill includes numerous retirement-related provisions, however, buried at the end of the bill under Title IV are the “Revenue Provisions” where Congress tells us how they plan to pay for these provisions. It’s by essentially eliminating the so called “Stretch IRA.” It is an estate planning strategy used by many savvy financial professionals to maximize multigenerational wealth. The “Stretch IRA” under current law states that after the death of the IRA owner a designated beneficiary can extend distributions and the tax deferral over their lifetime.

For example, a 30-year old designated beneficiary can stretch distributions on an inherited “Stretch IRA” over 53.3 years. A designated beneficiary means an individual who is named on the IRA or company plan beneficiary form (not an estate, charity or most trusts). This allows the beneficiary to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) based on their life expectancy. An RMD is the amount that owners of a traditional, SEP or SIMPLE IRA account and qualified plan participants must begin withdrawing from their retirement accounts by April 1 following the year they reach age 70½. By using the “Stretch IRA,” the beneficiary can keep the inherited IRA for years, continue tax-advantaged growth and minimize the tax impact of the IRA distribution. This strategy

works exceptionally well when naming because most do not have large IRAs. The smaller IRAs are likely to be consumed grandchildren as beneficiaries on an IRA. during the IRA owner’s lifetime for living The SECURE Act, if passed, will change expenses and through required minimum all of this. The “Stretch IRA” would be distributions (RMDs). Since people are eliminated and replaced with a 10-year living longer, lifetime RMDs may exhaust payout for most IRA or plan beneficiaries much of the IRA before it even gets to the (but the current rules are grandfathered for beneficiaries. deaths before 2020—those beneficiaries will still be able to do the stretch). Being The elimination of the “Stretch IRA” as a required to completely deplete an inherited powerful estate planning tool may or may IRA over a 10-year period could create a not become a reality. The US Senators have potential tax nightmare. Imagine, inheriting not brought the proposal up on the floor for a vote. Only time will tell. Consider this a large IRA while still working, in addition unique wealth building strategy before it’s to your current salary. Now is the time to too late. sit down with an advisor to address these estate planning issues. Alternative plans G i v e u s a c a l l f o r a c o m p l i m e n t a r y are available right now that will have long- consultation. term sustainability, without wondering what Darren is a Columbus, Ohio native who has Congress will or will not do next. earned degrees in Business, Accounting, Under the SECURE Act there would be and an MBA. He has over twenty-five (25) exceptions for a group referred to as “Eligible years’ experience in financial services. The Designated Beneficiaries” which include Ohio Company, First Union Securities, and the surviving spouse, a minor child (but not Merrill Lynch were instrumental in his career prior to starting his own Wealth Management a grandchild), a disabled beneficiary (subject Firm, Money Consciousness LLC, (614) to the strict IRS requirements), a chronically 776-4311. He holds his Series 65 and Life ill person, or an individual who is 10 or less and Health licenses. Investment advisory years younger than the deceased IRA owner. services are offered through Foundations Most people will not be affected by the 10- Advisors, LLC an SEC registered investment year payout replacing the “Stretch IRA” advisor.

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Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

BUSINESS

3 REASONS WHY THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF SKILLED TRADE WORKERS vocational training, the shortage of skilled trade workers may have an adverse affect on future job prospects as many companies lose projects and money (up to over $100 million dollars in some cases) due to labor shortages.

By Oanh Nguyen Given the fact that the national unemployment rate stands at 5.3% and the underemployment rate is nearly 15%, it can be hard for people to understand how many employers actually face an acute shortage of skilled trade workers. It turns out that for plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC technicians, electricians, welders and others in similar occupations, there are more job openings than qualified workers to fill them—meaning that these specific occupations are in high demand.

Following are three reasons why there is such a disparity between available employees and open positions in the skilled trades.

Retiring Workers Since it takes a great deal of physical stamina to handle tasks such as HVAC repair, welding, and construction work, almost all skilled laborers stop working at the age of 65. As baby boomers working in the skilled trades are now beginning to retire, staffing company Adecco estimates that up to 62% of all firms in the United States are finding it difficult to find qualified individuals to replace the retirees. Construction workers, electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, pipe layers, and those working in energy extraction will be in particularly high demand. The shortage of qualified skilled trade workers is expected to grow even worse in the coming decade. Recent statistics show that about one in five skilled workers are 55 years of age or older, which means that more people will retire from skilled trade work in the coming years.

Popularity Problems Perhaps the biggest reason why there is a shortage of skilled trade workers is that high schools, counselors, and parents have for many years put an emphasis on pushing young people to obtain a college or university degree as opposed to training at a technical school. Additionally, many young people are attracted to white collar jobs because they allow them to work comfortably in a climatecontrolled office year-round and avoid physically demanding labor in potentially tough environments. Hands-on jobs are generally stigmatized and many feel that only “low-class” people without other job options work in technical fields, but this is far from the case. White collar jobs are no longer by default the best paying jobs with the most The Energy Boom opportunities, as there are more qualified graduates for these jobs than there are job Energy and construction agencies are openings, creating the current situation currently thriving and are set to continue where we have too many overeducated and growing for the foreseeable future. In fact, underemployed college graduates.

Texas alone employed well over 250,000 oil and shale gas workers by the end of 2012. In Summary Gulf coast chemical companies working with natural gas companies have already found While there may be many reasons why themselves facing acute labor shortages. any one company or industry is facing a Over 50% of all construction companies shortage of skilled trade workers, the three have reported losing one or more trained, problems outlined above are common ones experienced worker to other construction that affect many manufacturers, construction companies. This means that individuals companies, energy companies and other with a welding degree, electrician training, firms. Thankfully, trade schools like are pipefitting certification and other, similar becoming increasingly popular, but it remains qualifications will likely have opportunity to be seen if the number of graduates from finding work. While the abundance of these schools can make up for the present and skilled trade jobs certainly makes it easy future labor shortages that are plaguing many for graduates to find work upon completing US companies.

BLACK BUSINESSES, BLACK CONSUMERS: A NECCESSARY ALLIANCE

By Starla Muhammad CHICAGO—Entrepreneurship is nothing new in the Black community. Black people have historically worked hard to establish, maintain and grow their own businesses to cultivate an economic base in providing goods, products and services to consumers. Despite obstacles including lack of access to capital, resources, connections and at times inconsistent support from the public, the entrepreneurial spirit continues to be alive and well in Black America.

That spirit coupled with the ongoing push by Black business advocates encouraging Black folks and others to patronize and support these businesses, can influence a Black business “boom” and be a catalyst for change

and transformation in and for the conditions Black,” said Revin Fellows, co-founder of of Black people through jobs and community National Black Agenda Consortium. development.

Created in 2004 by John Templeton, “We can never solve our economic problems a historian and Frederick Jordan, an of the Black community while spending most engineer, National Black Business Month of our money with the people that live outside is an opportunity to recognize Black-owned of it. We can never control our community as businesses around the country and also a long as others own most of the businesses in chance for consumers to make a concentrated it,” said Minister Taharka Shakur during an effort to spend money with these companies.

August press conference in Chicago kicking off National Black Business Month. Local There are approximately 2.6 million Blackentrepreneurs and activists spoke on the owned businesses in the United States. The importance of Blacks doing business with number of Black or African American-owned and promoting Black businesses not just in firms grew 34.5 percent between 2007 and August, but all year around.

2012— from 1.9 million to 2.6 million in 2012, according to the most recent statistics “Once we have these businesses in our from the Census Bureau. Black women communities that will resolve our crime. have been leading this charge of Black That will give these youth some identity of entrepreneurship. The number of Black what they can do so I encourage you all to female-owned firms climbed 66.9 percent, encourage others to support this month and be a part of our ongoing agenda of buying Continued on Page 35

The Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019

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The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

BUSINESS

from 900,000 in 2007 to 1.5 million in 2012, noted the Census Bureau. Additionally, these 1.5 million Black female-owned businesses accounted for 58.9 percent of the nation’s 2.6 million Black or African American-owned businesses, the bureau reported. Of these 2.6 million in 2012, 109,137 had paid employees.

headlines several years ago when she and her family only patronized Black-owned businesses in Chicago for a whole year.

“Maggie Anderson laid the blueprint for what every person in the city has to do.

So we need to know where to go, where the existing businesses are, so we can do better patronizing them and then we have to support them not just with our consumption dollars. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad didn’t want a nation of consumers, he said he wanted a nation of producers. We should be a nation of producers and employers and so these businesses need loans and they need equity investments, they just don’t need consumption though consumption would help a lot,” said Cedric Muhammad.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, annual receipts from Black-owned businesses totaled $150 billion, 2.5 million Blackowned businesses have no paid employees (95.8 percent) and only 109,000 had at least one paid employee. But with a consistent, targeted effort, those numbers and figures can grow.

Averi Frost is executive director of the Central Ohio African-American Chamber of Commerce based in Columbus. There is a lot of hunger and energy around the idea of Black entrepreneurship whether it means ownership or supporting others in business, she explained. “One thing that we’re definitely seeing is that because we know that there’s systematic and historical challenges with access to capital as far as financial institutions to our businesses, it is even more important now of an effort as far as consumers for us to make sure we’re supporting our businesses as does every other community frankly,” said Ms. Frost.

“If we are able to better circulate the dollar within our community it’s going to have a greater impact. Any entrepreneur is most likely to hire somebody and to invest in a community that looks like them or reflects their values,” she added.

The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey through his Universal Negro Improvement Association and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, patriarch of the Nation of Islam, taught economics is a key component of Black survival and prosperity in America.

Mr. Muhammad’s “Do For Self” program was transformed into reality with the establishment of successful Black Muslimowned businesses in the 1960s and 1970s. He taught Black America to “spend your money among yourselves, build an economic system among yourselves and unite to pool your resources.”

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan reintroduced Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint calling on not only Muslims, but all Black wage earners—the poor, the middle class, and the wealthy—to make affordable contributions, on a regular basis, into a single “national treasury.” Some of this money could be used to open new Black businesses or invest in existing ones to make them stronger. The Nation of Islam continues to promote the need for Black-owned businesses and land. If 16 million Black wage-earners contributed a nickel a day, seven days a week that would equal 35 cents per week.

In 52 weeks or one year that totals $18.20 which multiplied by 16 million people equals $291.2 million.

“As consumers, we have to do a better job spreading the word, not just the bad experiences but the good experiences too and doing a better job of spreading the good gospel that way more of us can support these “We can say whatever we want about the businesses,” said Ms. Frost. president. His personality doesn’t matter. The context of the environment matters and there “We’re not in the beginning stages of it but have been opportunities that we haven’t taken we’re trying to get back to connecting with advantage of as producers and as employees,” each other so it’s happening in silos. For the said Cedric Muhammad, an economist and chamber we’re trying to make it kind of an CEO of Hip-Hoppreneur Inc. Black people umbrella effort to pull together everything we must have an agricultural and manufacturing own so that we can all support each other.” base, he argued.

The We Buy Black Convention aims to do “There’s no way out of this condition other just that. The convention is a marketplace than to go to the land and other than to of over 120 Black-owned businesses and popularize building trade professions and will be held Aug. 23-25 in Atlanta allowing to develop some type of a manufacturing consumers an opportunity to spend money with these businesses. “Currently in America, base in the inner city or the more rural areas Black people have the highest rates of which can be done,” he said. Agribusiness poverty, of homelessness, of joblessness, of will feed into manufacturing and that would crime, and imprisonment. However, Black create a significant level of employment then people spend more money than any other entrepreneurship if Black businesses could ethnic group, with an annual purchasing be financed. power of $1.3 trillion. Of all these funds, less than 2 percent is spent within the Black Black businesses must do a better and more community,” noted convention organizers. intentional job of strategically marketing themselves to increase visibility in their Observers are optimistic that there is a Black communities, said Ms. Frost. “Not just like business “boom” and it can continue to grow being on Facebook or doing random radio and expand with targeted and deliberate work ads; making sure your actual target customers and effort. are hearing what you’re talking about. And that can even go a step further by being “It’s really reenergizing because for those of us who’ve been at this, and I’m young. involved in a trade organization, a Chamber I’ve only been in this type of spirit for 10 of Commerce and/or like signing up for these years. But my peers and those ahead of us, directories,” she explained. The Central Ohio for a little bit it seemed like we were just African-American Chamber of Commerce kind of fighting a losing battle in doing this has available a list of 400 Black entrepreneurs work but there wasn’t a collective energy in the state. and conscious effort to support each other.

It seems like the tide has spinned on that and It is important to bridge the gap between it’s really refreshing,” said Ms. Frost.

Black businesses and consumers, said advocates. There are several avenues Stop asking God to bless us with a prayer promoting Black businesses folks can find he has already answered, said Mark Allen, via apps, online and print directories and of chairman of National Black Wall Street Chicago. “We’ve got the economic power to course, word of mouth. turn our communities around. It’s up to us.

And while Black businesses must do their Everybody can be a leader in their own right.

If you’re concerned about the violence, how part, so must Black consumers. “The do you spend your money?” consumer is always going to do their part which is to spend but unfortunately they’re Starla Muhammad is the Managing Editor of not aware of our existing Black-owned The Final Call newspaper. businesses,” said Cedric Muhammad.

He touted Maggie Anderson, who made Article from www.BlackPressUSA.com

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Columbus & Dayton African American • September 2019 TheThe Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

HISTORY

ARTHUR O. FISHER: HISTORIC DAYTON JUDGE WHO BROKE BARRIERS

By Rodney Blount, Jr., MA Dayton has recently been afflicted by several tragedies including a historic tornado outbreak in May and a tragic mass shooting on August 4 that claimed the lives of nine victims. African Americans were devastatingly affected by both incidents, including six of the nine victims in the mass shooting. These events have tried to cast a cloud over the “Gem City,” but residents and supporters have stayed strong by holding several rallies, rebuilding and fundraising (including a benefit concert hosted by Dave Chappelle on August 25).

Dayton’s population, especially its African American population, has remained resilient for over 200 years. They have included such people as Joseph Wheeler, an emancipated resident of Dayton since 1824 and a member of the American Sons of Protection, which was organized in 1849 to help black residents of Dayton who were denied city services paid for by tax dollars. Dayton was also the home of Louise Troy, a pioneer black teacher who helped establish the Dayton Branch of the NAACP. From these roots, Arthur O. Fisher emerged as a civil rights champion who used law to fight for the rights of others, especially the youth.

Arthur O’Neil Fisher was born on November 12, 1919 in Wilmington, Ohio, to Arthur A. and Ethel M. (Darnell) Fisher. His father shined shoes for a living. The family moved to Dayton when Fisher was four years old. Fisher excelled in the classroom and graduated from Steele High School, the University of Dayton and the University of Cincinnati-College of Law. According to former Dayton mayor Rhine McLin, her father, (legendary politician C. Josef McLin, Jr.) encouraged him to go to law school and become a judge. McLin said, “My daddy believed we had to have an African-American in every profession and in elected offices, not only because they would be good role models, but they would set a good example for other kids to follow.”

Fisher’s father hoped he would never have to fight in what he considered “the white man’s war,” Fisher went on to serve with distinction in World War II as a bombardier-navigator with the legendary Tuskegee Airmen in the 477th Bombardment Squadron. Fisher was a second lieutenant in the segregated armed services when he and 100 black airmen were restricted to barracks for 14 days while facing court-martial and a possible death penalty after they refused to sign a statement promising to discontinue sit-ins at white officers’ clubs. The impasse ended after President Franklin D. Roosevelt died and Harry S. Truman signed an executive order abolishing segregation in the armed services on July 26, 1948.

Honorable Arthur O. Fisher

In 1953, then-Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Sr. appointed Fisher as the first black person to work in the prosecutor’s office. Fisher had previously served as an assistant Dayton prosecutor.

This was the beginning of a long career in breaking barriers. In 1961, Fisher became the first black to be elected judge of the Dayton Municipal Court. In a cutting indictment of segregation in 1963, Judge Fisher said, “Segregation scars the soul of both the segregator and the segregated. It retards the mental, moral and physical development of the segregated. It robs society of what the disadvantaged person or group might contribute to enrich the community.” By 1970, he broke another barrier as the first black person to win election to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, presiding over the domestic relations division. Judge Fisher swore in Mayor James H. McGee as Dayton’s first black mayor in 1970. Later, he became the first black judge of the county’s Juvenile Court.

Judge Fisher was a steadfast advocate for youth. He started several rehabilitative programs for kids while a Montgomery County juvenile court judge, including the Fisher Chemical Abuse Program, the community service restitution program, the Dora Lee Tate Youth Center and home detention programs. While working with children in juvenile court, Fisher once said, “This is where you’ve got to show them that, ‘Hey, I love you. I want to help you.

You can make it. There’s a world out there for you. You don’t have to do this kind of thing. And when you can get them to trust you, you create within each of them a certain dependence on you. They believe in you, and you believe in them. Oh, yes, you can change

The Columbus African & Dayton African American - September 2019 American News Journal • February 2015

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them. I’ve seen it happen many times.” Judge Fisher received many awards including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Living Legend award.

He was also President of the Dayton Unit of the NAACP from 1961-62 and served as a host on local radio station WHIO. Judge Fisher retired in 1994 and died in 2002 at age 82 while living in Hilton Head, South Carolina. He was survived by his wife of 47 years (Carolynn), three daughters (Shellee Fisher, Tracy Singletary, and Teri Trotter), several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. The late Carolynn Fisher was a graduate of Mansfield Senior High School and Central State University. She taught in public schools for 25 years and was an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the Links, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, and the Sophisticates.

In 2017, a memorial was unveiled for the late judge at a rededication ceremony for the Jefferson Township Park, now known as the Arthur O. Fisher Park. The plaque that was unveiled memorializes his life, and his commitment to the community. “The real beauty of this park is the legacy it provides for those who never knew him and will never know him,” Teri Trotter, Fisher’s daughter, said. “Even though they won’t know him, they will know about him.” The park is made up of more than 150 acres of land, with a fishing pond, 8 baseball fields, 12 basketball courts, 10 tennis courts and 4 volleyball courts. It’s open all year.

“Judge Arthur O. Fisher was a most dedicated and qualified attorney and jurist who distinguished himself by his efforts on behalf of children and families in the juvenile justice system,” said Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Jr. “A man committed to his family, his church and his community.” I am going to end this article with Judge Arthur Fisher’s own words, “I tell all my audiences that every child has got to be born with a spark of divinity. We’re all children of God. And what we have to look for and seek is that divinity, no matter how much it’s hidden. To me this is the only way we can put our hearts and minds together in trying to do something about this problem, and it is a great problem. These are critical times. All I can do on a daily basis and on an individual basis is to try and make a little difference in somebody’s life. That’s all I can do. And that’s all I’ll continue to do.”

Works Cited www.daytondailynews.com/ Dayton’s African American Heritage, by Margaret E. Peters Rodney Blount is an Educator and Historian. He received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Ball State University and a Masters of Arts degree from The Ohio State University. His work has been featured in several publications. Rodney is a native of Columbus, Ohio and is a member of several organizations.

COMMUNITY EVENTS Columbus, Ohio September 12, 2019 Political Forum/Discussion The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity will kick off their fall bi-weekly series with a forum entitled Fueling the Resistance or Politics as Usual? Black Women’s Politics Pre-Dating the Trump Era. Presented by: Dr. Wendy Smooth, Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, The Ohio State University.

Location: The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity Address: 33 West 11th Avenue 43210 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Admission: Free Contact: http://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/weeklyforum/ September 13, 2019 Carribean Festival Join us for the 3rd Annual Columbus Caribbean Festival!!!!

It is two days of celebrating the culture and heritage of the Caribbean islands right here in Columbus. There will be a parade, live music, amazing food, island drinks and vendors.

For more information visit the site below.

Location: Scioto Mile Promenade Address: 233 South Civic Center Drive 43215 Time: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Admission: Free Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-columbuscaribbean-festival-tickets-58680800855?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse September 14, 2019 Brown Gils Mentoring Open House We are welcoming the entire community to come and see what Brown Girls is about! Join us to register your Brown Girl(s), get information about volunteering and mentoring and meet our amazing team of dedicated individuals who help make the magic happen! We have so much in store for Brown Girls this year and our Open House is your chance to get all the information you need.

Location: Beatty Community Recreation Address: 247 North Ohio Ave. 43203 Time: Noon - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brown-girls-mentoringopen-house-tickets-70394095635?aff=ebdssbdestsearch September 20, 2019 Speak Up for Children Breakfast The Court Appointed Special Advocates CASA) of Franklin County invites the community to join them for their 19th Annual Speak Up for Children Breakfast. This year’s featured speaker will be Lt. Governor Jon Husted. This event is free; however, reservations are required.

Location: Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel Address: 50 N. Third Street 43215 Time: Networking 7:15 AM, Breakfast program 8 – 9:00 AM Admission: Free Contact: https://casabreakfast2019.eventbrite.com; https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/casa-of-franklin-countys-19th-annualspeak-up-for-children-breakfast-tickets-67064438541?aff=ebdss bcitybrowse

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

September 21, 2019 9th Annual Central Ohio HBCU College Fair The largest HBCU College Fair in Central Ohio is back! Come out and learn about the history, culture and educational opportunities available at Historically Black Colleges/Universities. Enjoy free workshops, free door prizes, music and more. For more information visit the website below.

Location: Barnett Recreation Center Address: 1184 Barnett Road, 43227 Time: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Contact: www.OhioHBCUCollegeFair.com September 23, 2019 Conversation on Racial Economic Inequality Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity of Ohio State University and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) are partnering to have a conversation on racial economic inequality in Ohio. Professor Darrick Hamilton, Executive Director of the Kirwan Institute, will offer opening remarks on the state of racial economic inequality and Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chief of Equity and Inclusion at NCRC, will moderate a conversation with local advocates to discuss challenges and best practices around this issue.

Location: Hilton Columbus Downtown Address: 401 North High Street 43215 Time: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM Admission: Free Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/race-and-communitydevelopment-in-ohio-tickets-69281016385 September 28, 2019 UNCF Walk for Education Join the Columbus United Negro College Fund for their annual Walk-for-Education at Wolfe Park. Participants can also enjoy health vendors, music and food. For more information visit the website below.

Location: Wolfe Park Address: 105 Park Drive, 43209 Time: 8:00 AM - Noon Admission: Walker (Donation), Spectator (Free) Contact: www.UNCF.org/local-offices/columbus October 2, 2019 My Brother’s Keeper Statewide Conference The conference will provide a space for community members, leaders, residents, organizers, and young people from across the state to learn from one another and unite collectively to help MBK communities develop a plan of action for racial equity in their communities. This convening will offer participants opportunities to engage with one another through interactive workshops, panel discussions, and a robust resource fair. All ages are welcome!

Keynotes will be provided by Senator Sherrod Brown and Michael Smith, Executive Director of the MBK Alliance and Director of Youth Opportunity Programs at the Obama Foundation.

Location: Fawcett Event Center Address: 2400 Olentangy River Road 43210 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Admission: Free Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-mbk-ohiostatewide-convening-featuring-senator-sherrod-brown-registration64678325613?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse

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The Columbus & Dayton African American - September 2019

COMMUNITY EVENTS Dayton, Ohio September 13, 2019 Selma The Musical The award-winning touring cast from Selma The Musical: The Untold Stories, is bringing you a soul stirring musical theatre experience! This production explores the lives of the forgotten figures of Selma; the birthplace of the voting rights movement. From Author, Spoken Word Artist, Playwright and Mississippi Native, J.P. Haynes and Infecting Change Productions, LLC, Selma The Musical: Location: Corinthian Baptist Church Address: 1920 Tennessee Avenue, Cincinnati 45237 Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Admission: $35 Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/selma-the-musicalthe-untold-stories-cincinnati-oh-tickets-65048565009?aff=e bdssbdestsearch September 14, 2019 All About You, Girl We are excited to host over 75 young ladies (ages 11-18) for a day of empowerment. The day will be packed with fun activities and breakout sessions that will surround the 5 principles of All About You: Gather, Grow, Grind, Glow and Give! Your young ladies will leave confident, loved, enriched and full of insight in how they can continually evolve into the best version of themselves.

Location: The Heritage Center at Zion Global Ministries Address: 9180 Cincinnati Columbus Road, West Chester 45069 Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Admission: $20 Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-about-you-girlconference-tickets-55120922162?aff=ebdssbdestsearch September 21, 2019 Tailgate for Your Health Join the Bob Ross Auto Group for a special health day at the dealership. Participants will enjoy music, food and get free heart screenings, CPR information or visit the Mobile Mammography unit. Prize drawings every hour. For more information visit the website below.

Location: Bob Ross Mercedes, Buick, GMC Address: 85 Loop Road, 45459 Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Contact: www.BobRossAuto.com September 21, 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art Exhibit The Museum of Spiritual Art will be unveiling a new 12-piece collection, “The Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Created by area artist Marlena Hebenstreit, the paintings depict moments in the life of Dr. King with a focus on his spirituality. Refreshments will be served.

Semi-formal attire is requested. Admission to the Museum is a $5 or more donation. RSVP to 937.790.1017 by 9/16/2019.

Location: Museum of Spiritual Art Address: 318 South River Street, Franklin 45005 Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Admission: $5 Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unveiling-of-newmartin-luther-king-jr-paintings-tickets-71009650777?aff=e bdssbdestsearch

September 26, 2019 An Evening with Honorable Melody J. Stewart Join us for an event worth celebrating with Ohio’s first elected African American Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Judge Melody J. Stewart, as she shares her journey. She will inspire us all with her empowering story of how she has navigated throughout her career, flipped her fears, and dared herself to reach for the highest bench in the State of Ohio.

Location: University of Dayton Address: 300 College Park 45469 Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Admission: Free Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-supreme-dare-in-youtickets-68630998163?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse September 27, 2019 Infant Mortality Conference Join us on Friday, September 27, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. at Sinclair Community College, Building 12, for the Third Annual Infant Mortality Conference presented by Everyone Reach One Infant Mortality Task Force. This conference is open to, professionals, advocates, service and health care providers, policymakers and citizens at the local and state level. Registration, parking, breakfast and lunch are free for attendees. Please register

by Monday, September 16, 2019.

Location: Sinclair Conference Center Address: 444 W. Third Street, Building 12 45402 Time: 8:00 AM – 3:45 PM Admission: Free Contact: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/their-story-is-our-storytickets-61888502176?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse October 5, 2019 Alzheimer’s Walk Ohio will host one of the nation’s largest Walks to End Alzheimer’s as the annual event brings attention to the impact and reach of the disease. More than 3,000 people are expected to participate in this event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter. This is a great way to support efforts for a cure, celebrate a loved one or honor caregivers. Register today for the Walk. Sign up as a Team Captain, join a team or register to walk as an individual.

Location: Fifth Third Field Address: 220 N. Patterson Blvd. 45202 Time: 8 a.m. registration; 10:30 a.m. walk begins Admission: Free Contact: 937-610-7014 October 13, 2019 Lecture Series The Harriet Beecher Stowe House is sponsoring a lecture on Freedom, Citizenship, and Equality: The Story of the US Colored Troops. Almost 200,000 black soldiers fought for the Union during the Civil War. Their story is a unique chapter in the American conflict. These men were freedom fighters who fought for emancipation and for full citizenship rights. Mr. Gibbs discusses events significant to these men that led up to the Civil War, and what made these men different from the other thousands who fought and died in the War Between the States.

Location: Harriet Beecher Stowe House Address: 206950 Gilbert Ave. 452 Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Admission: $7 Contact: https://stowehousecincy.org/events-and-lectures.html

Please note: Information for this section is gathered from multiple commnuity sources. The Columbus & Dayton African American is not responsible for the accuracy and content of information. Times, dates and locations are subject to change. If you have an event that you would like to feature in this section, please email us at editor@columbusafricanamerican.com. Submissions are due the last Friday of each month.

The Columbus African & Dayton African American • September 2019 American News Journal • February 2015

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governmentjobs.com/careers/franklincounty

Franklin County employees help Central Ohio thrive Local government employees contribute to the community while being a part of a dynamic, fair and flexible environment. Visit our website today to see how you can make a difference!

MARILYN BROWN

JOHN O’GRADY 39

KEVIN L. BOYCE

The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER

Saturday, Oct. 12 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Registration for screenings ends at 1 p.m.

Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute 2835 Fred Taylor Drive (State Route 315 and Ackerman Road)

FREE

Hats and Gloves | Flu Vaccinations | Food | Child and Family Portraits | Sports Physicals Family Entertainment | Giveaways and Raffles | Narcan Training | Parking

Get health expertise from local organizations at the Health Expo and free health screenings* and consultations by experts from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, including: • • • •

Height, weight and body mass index Blood pressure Food and nutrition Foot care

• • • •

Skin screening General health Hearing screening Medication review

• • • •

Vision screening Smoking cessation Sports physicals Stroke awareness

*Screenings subject to change.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is committed to improving health in central Ohio.

Learn more at wexnermedical.osu.edu/hcd2019

CORPCOM_19224513-1.06

Community Health Partners: Columbus Public Health Franklin County Public Health Columbus Medical Association Foundation Ohio Housing Finance Agency

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The Columbus African American News Journal • February 2015