COMMUNITY VOL. XXXIX Number 24 January 7, 2015
The Milwaukee
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Rev. JesseJackson comes to Milwaukee to givesupport to family of DontreHamilton in their fight for justice Says the Hamilton case is symptomatic of a larger problem in the “Brew City”
(Above): Surrounded by the Hamilton family, their attorneys and supporters, Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses demonstrators in front of the federal courthouse on Wisconsin Avenue last Friday before marching with them to Red Arrow Park where Dontre Hamilton was killed (pictured at right). Jackson and the family later attended a rally at Holy Temple First Born Missionary Baptist Church (lower two photos). (Photos by Yvonne Kemp)
Compiled by MCJ Staff Civil rights activist, Rev. Jesse Jackson, called for a federal review of the Milwaukee Police Department’s policies after former Milwaukee Police Officer Christopher Manney was cleared of any wrong doing for fatally shooting Dontre Hamilton last April.
Standing on the steps of the federal courthouse last Friday during a rally with Hamilton’s family, their attorneys and 200 supporters, Jackson demanded the U.S. Justice Department—in addition to its current investigation into Hamilton’s death at the hands of Manney, who shot him 14 times in Red Arrow Park after a struggle with Manney’s baton—also conduct a “Pattern and Practice” investigation of the MPD. Federal law prohibits police from engaging in a pattern of conduct that deprives people of their civil rights. According to its website, the Justice Department has launched five such investigations since 2008. During the gathering at the federal courthouse, Jon Safran, one of the Hamilton family’s attorneys, cited more than a half-dozen instances where someone has died or been injured during encounters with police since 2002. “Dontre has more power in the grave than his killers on the street,” Jackson reportedly said to the gathering. “Dontre is not about Black and White. It’s about wrong and right.” “We are driven by Dontre’s spirit, they can’t shoot that,” said the leg-
Margaret Hollmon reviews a book with a student during an RSVP tutoring session at 53rd Street School.
Tutors with Interfaith Older Adult Program: Meeting the Needs of Our Community
Article courtesy of Interfaith Older Adult Program
Margaret Hollmon is a firm believer that “it takes a village to raise a child” and, in Margaret’s words, she is “but one villager.” Hollmon spent years in the classroom, both as a special education teacher with Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and as a reading and math teacher with Nonpublic Educational Services, Inc.
“Dontre has more power in the grave than his killers on the street... Dontre is not about Black and White. It's about wrong and right.”
After retiring in 2010, Hollmon soon realized she missed working with students in the public schools and she felt called to volunteer as a reading tutor. In 2011, Hollmon began tutoring elementary school children at 53rd Street School through Interfaith Older Adult Program’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). RSVP’s Tutor Program, operated in partnership with MPS, pairs adults 55 and older with teachers in order to help students achieve grade level reading proficiency. Hollmon tutors because she wants to help lay the foundation for kids to have successful lives. She insists “it is not hard to do...it just takes a small commitment and a big heart.” While the time commitment (90 minutes a week) is relatively small, Hollmon has found that the rewards of tutoring are great. She recalls working with one student several years ago who was struggling with his reading proficiency. The student was bright but he had difficulty staying on task and completing written assignments. While the student at first resisted her efforts to help him, she connected with him and made an effort to be a calm, encouraging presence in his life week in and week out. Hollmon has a calm demeanor and her perseverance and patience paid off. At the end of the school year, the student thanked her for calming him down and shared with Hollmon that his reading scores had greatly improved. When asked what advice she would give others thinking about tutoring with RSVP she said, “If you can read to a student, listen to that student and discuss what was read, then you can be a tutor. You do not have to be a teacher, you just have to be willing to volunteer.” No formal training or degree is required. Tutors are trained through Interfaith Older Adult Programs and are supported by the organization each step
(continued on page 2)
Hollmon reviews the work of another student.
--Rev. Jesse Jackson
(continued on page 2)
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: “The U.S. Justice Department will investigate whether or not DonPULSE OF THE tre Hamilton’s civil rights were violated when fired Milwaukee Police Officer Michael ManCOMMUNIT Y ney approached Hamilton and eventually shot him multiple times, killing him. Do you Photos and question by Yvonne Kemp
GEORGE C. MATTHEWS, JR.: “He (Dontre Hamilton) was not bothering anyone. the police officer could have used other means to arrest him without killing him.”
think Hamilton’s rights, as a human being, were violated? Why or why not?
TA’QUISHA MARSHALL: “Well, in my opinioin, I think that the police could have chosen another way to approach him. Yes, his rights were violated as a human being, but justice will not be served. Maybe one day there will be justice. But he (Hamilton) is dead. However, the officer (Manney) has no job. So justice was served.”
SCOTT BALDWIN: “I believe Mr. Hamilton’s rights were violated as a human bing. Because he was in a public park and he was not causing a problem, nor was he a threat to anyone. As a Black man, there’s no such thing as a Black man or White man; there’s only one race, and that’s the human race.”
BRANDY CARSON: “Considering the society we live (in), people’s civil rights are violated on a daily basis in the Black community. However, in Dontre Hamilton’s case, they were not only violated, but stripped from him in a uncivil way.”
The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 2
Rev. Jackson comes to Milwaukee to support Hamilton family
(continued from page 1) endary civil rights leader. Jackson’s visit to Milwaukee was not only to support the Hamilton family, but to also focus the national spotlight on the case which, he believes, has people waiting to see how the wheels of justice are going to play out. After the courthouse rally, Jackson and the Hamilton family led supporters down Wisconsin Avenue to Water Street and Red Arrow Park and the spot where Hamilton died. There, Jackson—using a bullhorn—told the demonstrators that Hamilton will live on as long as they remember him. “It’s time to stop the killing,” the civil rights leader said. During interviews with local
Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses Hamilton family supporters at Red Arrow Park, where Dontre Hamilton was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
media throughout the day—which included a community meeting at Holy Temple First Born Church, 4960 N. 18th Street—particularly after a meeting with Mayor Tom Barrett, Jackson noted the Hamilton case is symptomatic of a larger problem in Milwaukee…and the nation. Jackson reportedly said besides a federal Justice Department review of the Hamilton shooting, the federal government should pour $50 million into boosting Milwaukee’s schools
Tutors with Interfaith Older Adult Programs
(continued from page 1) of the way. Hollmon now serves as a lead tutor at Fifty-third Street School which means that, in addition to her work in the classroom, Hollmon also helps support other RSVP tutors at that school. Last school year, approximately 200 RSVP volunteer tutors like Hollmon volunteered in 48 MPS elementary schools affecting 3,259 students. As a result, more than 50% of students in classrooms with RSVP tutors improved their academic performance as measured by MPS testing data. Additionally, of the students tutored, more than 84% demonstrated improved academic engagement in the classroom during the course of the school year. Recruitment underway for tutors Interfaith is recruiting older adults, not just retired educators, to get involved with this vital initiative. Interfaith aims for all students in need to have caring adults help them build academic skills that propel them toward academic proficiency and ultimately success in life. The Interfaith Tutor Program is one step in achieving this goal. The Tutor Program is flexible; tutors volunteer 90 minutes once a week at a school of their choice at a day and time of their choosing. Not only will students benefit from the tutors involvement, but the tutor experiences the great joy that comes with making a difference. With the school year underway and second semester approaching, now is the time to get involved. If you are 55 years of age or older and interested in learning more about the Tutor Program, please contact Rachel Schepp at Interfaith Older Adult Programs at rschepp@interfaithmilw.org or 414-220-8642.
and restoring foreclosed and vacant homes. “We need a plan for urban reconstruction,” Jackson continued. “It would be a minimal investment to get maximum returns. What’s at stake here is that people—without the proper education—you end up with first-class jails and second-class schools. Jails cost more than schools.” Asked by a reporter if he was butting into a Milwaukee issue, Jackson said: “We live in one city and one country. This is our country, and what affects one of us directly affects the rest of us indirectly, so learning to live together to end some of the anger and fear is what we must do.” --Sources contributing to this story: WISN.com, Associated Press, WTMJ News, WITIFox6News
King Drive Bid offices are moving
Historic King Drive Bid is moving its offices from its current location to 2745 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Suite 206 (the second floor of the Ameritech King Commons building next to the Growing Power Cafe). The King Drive bid will maintain its current phone number and email. The move began Monday, January 5 and is expected to be complete by the end of the week. For more information, call 414-265-5809.
PERSPECTIVES
The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 3 QUOTE OF THE WEEK: 'What I've done on television is try to work hard, try to be factually correct, try to write creatively and compellingly. I want to be myself, and anyone who says, “Oh well, he's a hip hop anchor,” well, that's what I grew up on. I grew up mostly on hip hop and show tunes. I grew up on West Side Story, The Wiz, Godspell, but also Public Enemy…What I do on television is part of who I am. I’m not trying to be anyone else. I’ve always been of the mindset: “Be who you are; just do the work and work hard.”--Stuart Scott, a longtime anchor at ESPN, died Sunday morning at the age of 49 after a long battle with cancer.
UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING
By Rahim Islam
Black Culture is About Achievement, It's About Greatness, and It’s About Excellence
Rahim Islam
The Black community in America, which consists of nearly 47 million people, contrary to popular opinion, isn’t a monolithic group.
The fact of the matter is that Black America is represented by a very large diverse description with unique characteristics to their sub-group: south vs north; east-coast vs west-coast; urban vs suburban; urban vs rural; high, middle, low, and very low income levels; Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Atheist; liberal vs conservative; democrats vs. republicans; college graduates vs. high school dropout; literate vs illiterate; male vs female; adult vs children; straight vs gay; you name it and we have it. While the majority of Black Americans are direct descendants from Africa, via the American slave trade from Africa and therefore considered African Americans. However; there are a significant number of other Black Americans who came to America by way of the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and South America. The bottom line, no matter how we got to America, we’re all descendants of Africa and we’re all considered to be one Black race. Scholars often interpret race as a socially constructed phenomenon, its divisions shaped by common social norms, understandings, and perceptions. However; human fate still rides upon ancestry and appearance. The characteristics of our hair, complexion, and facial features still influence whether we are considered free or enslaved in America. Restated, the color of your skin defines who you are in America and the stereotypes that come with it. In spite of numerous negative stereotypes and propagandas, the Black community in America is extremely complex and diverse, there is
no “one size” that fits all. Like all people, Blacks don’t have a monopoly on good or bad people but the Black culture isn't anything like its being portrayed in the American mass media (i.e. historical books, magazines, religion, television, and radio). Black culture isn’t about being lazy, diseased, criminal, promiscuous, antifamily, anti-American, or helpless. I argue just the opposite, given the overwhelming predicament that Blacks have and continue to endure in America, the Black culture is strong and resilient, it’s about achievement, greatness and excellence. Blacks not just in America but worldwide, have become a conquered group and the results are that blacks have morphed into look-alike clones of the American white cultures. The American white culture hasn’t nearly produced the outcomes for Blacks as it has for whites. Why? The American culture is about the supremacy of America and the white race which is at conflict with aBlack person no matter how well he behaves and/or emulates the American culture. This isn’t an attack against white people - it’s quite understandable for the culture to be what it is. In fact, many other groups, while they are considered American, have not fully embraced the American culture and work hard to maintain their cultural identity (i.e. Asians, Arabs, Latino’s, Jew’s, etc.). This is achieved through maintaining their language, religion, and their customs (they habitat together and recreate their homelands in America). This approach has been extremely difficult for Black people. Since the 15th Century (past 600 years), many Europeans believed that it is their divine right to rule and govern African peoples. As part of the “Manifestation of the evil genius of Europe,” Europeans not only proceeded to colonize the world but more importantly, they also colonized information about the world, making Europe the SUBJECT of world history (his-story: glorify European civilization which started 600 years ago in Europe, owners of “civilization” and the total defamation of Africa and African people) and Africa will forever be defined as the dark continent with its people as cannibals, savages, uncivilized, primitive, with evil traits and desires, and devoid of knowledge and culture, which is just the opposite in that Africa is the “Mother of Civilization” and has a recorded history of nearly 100,000 years with Africans being pioneers of science, religion, chemistry, mathematics, education, astrology, philosophy, architecture, agriculture, medicine, government, etc. Note: The truth is that African history predates Europe by thousands of years. In addition, the world didn’t wait in darkness for thousands of
THE MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY JOURNAL Published twice weekly, Wednesday & Friday
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Colleen Newsom, Classified Advertising Jimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Taki S. Raton, Richard G. Carter, Fr. Carl Diederichs, Rev. Joe McLin PHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp
Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Letters and “other perspectives” are accepted but may be edited for content and length.
years for Europe tobring us into the light. It was Europe that was in the dark until around the 15th century until the influence of Africa and Asia, which they would ultimately completely colonize. One of the weapons that Europeans have used to perpetuate and maintain the big lie of European supremacy and white privilege and invincibility, and the big lie of African inferiority and nothingness is education (mis-education). The entire education system was designed to subordinate, exploit, create mental confusion and the creation of an absolute and total dependency of Africans on Europeans and to produce people who would participate in the process of European colonial rule, Blacks would participate in the process of their own oppression (i.e. House Negro to the hundredth degree) through the acute alienation (divide and conquer) and the psychological imitation: the behaviors, culture, values, lifestyles, moral preferences, and definitions of morality is fully defined and emulatedby the colonized (de facto completo). In addition, we have been taught to OUTRIGHT reject anything associated with Blacks, in many cases, we revel in the hope that our oppression of each other receives the favor of the oppressor. The majority of the African world had been brain-dead, brain-damaged, and culturally comatose, this can’t be confused with Black culture. Another weapon that Europeans have used to perpetuate and maintain the big lie can be seen in the religion of Christianity. During the enslavement of our ancestors, in the mid1800s, Blacks embraced Christianity as its religion. This conversion hasn’t empowered Black people at no level near the level
of White people because for the most part, traditionally Christianity supported white supremacy. Ask yourself, if you were the Devil/big lie where would you hide? Religion is the perfect vehicle, because once religion becomes an acceptable tradition, a lie can then be covered within the spirituality of a tradition making it virtually impossible for anyone to question the validity of what’s being taught or question the lie. The big lie in Christianity is that God, the creator of the Heavens and Earth and everything in between, is a White man and all of the people of God and Heaven are portrayed as European while the Devil is portrayed as black. The combination of both weapons has created two different diseases: Europeans: white supremacy and privilege and for Africans: inferiority and submission. Note: The Black man in America has a double dose of damage due to the nearly 300 years of chattel slavery and Jim Crow terror, which produced a natural intense desire to be educated by a contaminated education system and a civil rights movement that produced the ultimate emulation and cultural assimilation. We now have the dilemma “legacy of slavery” multiplied with its creation of a “culture of failure,” self-fulfilling prophecy, this can’t be confused with Black culture. Any “real” solution to unpack the compromise Black culture must involve a strong and massive de-Europeanize, de-mystify, detoxify, and de-brainwashing of the Black man’s subconscious mind of Eurocentric everything. The world is ruled by power not blackness or whiteness and every attempt by Africans in America, the Caribbean and Africa has been under-
mined by its own people. In America, the derailing of the movement can be seen in politics, religion, and the disconnection with Pan-Africanism by confused ideologist, middle class frauds, and undercover spies. PanAfricanism is defined as any effort on the part of African people to reclaim any portion of Africa that has been taken away, mutilated, misunderstood, or misrepresented by a non-African to the detriment of Africa. The Africa-centered connectedness is genius, we must understand that we have to make radical changes in our lives and attitudes; we have to build from within. We have to reach out to Africa and Africa has to reach out to us (Sankofa). We are African people, one nation at home and abroad, all people of African descent, whether they live in North or South America, the Caribbean, or in any other part of the world are Africans and belong to the African nation. Only through Pan-Africanism will the African nation be redeemed and restored. We must become Africancentric, which is a sincere effort on the part of African people to regain what colonization and slavery took away and to restore the nation as you originally conceived it to be. Let’s examine more of the Black culture. The technical definition of culture is the characteristics of a group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, arts, view, belief, and trust of themselves, life and economic expectations. Culture is the full range of all learned human behavior patterns. Culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Culture
is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon. It is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds. Our written languages, governments, buildings, and other manmade things are merely the products of culture. They are not culture in themselves. For this reason, archaeologists can’t dig up culture directly in their excavations. The broken pots and other artifacts of ancient people that they uncover are only material remains that reflect cultural patterns--they are things that were made and used through cultural knowledge and skills. Scientist describes several levels of culture that are part of your learned behavior patterns and perceptions. Most obviously is the body of cultural traditions that distinguish your specific society. When people speak of Italian, Samoan, or Japanese culture, they are referring to the shared language, traditions, and beliefs that set each of these peoples apart from others, language is extremely important to culture. A good portion of the global Black community speaks a language other than our native tongue (i.e. English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, etc.). While Blacks have tried to retain their culture, it’s virtually impossible when you speak the language of your conqueror - the fact remains it’s very hard to distinguish Black people from their captives and/or colonialist when Blacks speak a European language. No matter how strong your culture is, over time, a foreign language will dilute it. Today, in the United States as in other countries populated largely by immigrants, the culture is influenced (continued on page 8)
Black history/culture is about achievement, excellence and the greatness of African American people By Taki S. Raton
I was deeply inspired by the words of Rahim Islam when he shared in an area paper that Black culture is about, “achievement, greatness, and excellence.”
This President and CEO of Universal Companies notes in a multi-part series in the Milwaukee Courier Newspaper in his Part I on December 27, 2014 that Black culture is not about being lazy, criminal, promiscuous, anti-family, anti-America, dependent , victimized or helpless but that our gains on these North American shores “are nothing short of remarkable.” Included in Part 2 published January 3, 2015, this nationally acclaimed speaker and writer positions in the Courier that what is being promoted today about Black people and Black culture, “is void of our true history in this county” and that the absence of such historical documentation “serves the White Supremacy and Black Inferiority” paradigm. One of the goals of African Centered education is to prepare African American students to inherit and ascend to notable ideals of ethical prominence, cultural integrity, creative accomplishment, and academic excellence as modeled by classical, historical, and present day Higher Order preeminent Black and African World exemplars. In this regard, it is therefore necessary that the African American community exercise its birthright to know the totality of our history throughout time, presence and contribution on this planet earth from humankind origin to the current day. It is our responsibility and ours alone to teach and share these masterful and magnificent mirrors of our African World exemplar models with our children and further within the annals of the continued onward flow of contributory corridors towards Black community uplift and towards the broader societal attainment of progressive hu-
mankind ideals. Such examples indeed for our children and for our community have to be rescued, reclaimed, reinterpreted (from an exclusive African frame-ofreference), reconstructed and resurrected from the obscurity of history’s hidden colors and restored to their proper placement on the world stage of time and achievement. Islam’s words to this writer were heartedly reflective of the mission, objectives and goals in 2014 when African Global Images, Inc. presented its installation for the second consecutive year at MATC. Themed “Time, Presence, Civilization In Black – The Rescue and Restoration of Masterful African World Creation, Invention and Accomplishment on the Global Stage of Time and achievement,” this 86-item exhibit was featured last Black History Month at the downtown campus location, 700 West State Street. Sponsored by the President’s Diversity Council of Milwaukee Area Technical College, this installation has as its mission to “elevate, enhance and advance African American national and global historiography to the next level of world status, research, scholarship and instructional methodology.” To achieve this mission, the installation has as its objective to extract African World historiography and in particular African American history from its limited, colonized inferior status, definitions, imagery and frame-of-reference inherent within the confined 396 years of Westernized thought from 1619 to the 2015 present and reconnect our unique North American Black circumstance to our total African global experience of prideful accomplishment – and lessons learned therein – on the world stage of time and achievement. And to further expand on Islam’s perspective, Blacks in this country historically under our enslavement, captivity and/or sojourn to North America from 1619 through the 87-year Jim Crow era ending in 1964 were not only resilient and resistant, but were also masterfully adaptive, masterfully creative, masterfully skilled and masterfully equalizing. By “equalizing,” we are not talking about being “equal” to anybody else. The term “equalization”
herein is meant that in an African/Colored/Negro/Black context during these 396 years, the Black collective noted examples that wherever we were in America during this pre-integrationist period, we were able to survive, adapt, duplicate, match, improve upon, compete, excel and master any and all progressive North American humankind societal and professional engagements. It is really and only Black people – our African inheritance and our own forbearers on these shores – whom Black people need to be “equal” to. Islam’s phrasing that our gains in North America “are nothing short of remarkable” brings to mind in this writer’s thinking that we must remember the process of North American enslavement. Generally and without detailing specifics in this treatment, our African ancestry was captured in Africa, kidnapped and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, held captive in North America, seasoned so as to discourage the will to resist, transformed in personality from a free African consciousness to that of an enslaved identity, altered/redefined and recreated to live and work in the service of another group of people for life and onward perpetuity in subsequent Black generations. That we were able to counteract the effects of this experience, adapt to the reality of a new life and a new “Way” on alien soil under such horrid circumstances and still re-evolve to command a state of mastery in all areas of Westernized humankind and professional engagements within just a few generations of being in colonial America whether enslaved or free - is of itself nothing short of “remarkable.” This is how our history should be viewed and this again is representative of how the African American journey should be taught on this next level of global African historiographical research, scholarship, instructional methodology and on a reclaimed world status of honor, dignity, and respect. The only time on this world stage when Black people in America began to regress, decline and socially decay would be these last 45 years from the 1970’s to the 2015 present under integration where and when we were mistakenly urged by civil right leadership to employ another man’s standard, definition and imagery as our only (continued on page 8)
RELIGION The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 4
Ministerscall for end to gun violence
Surrounded by other local pastors, Minister Gregory Lewis of Pastor’s United called on all men and women of faith to join the organization in to work and pray for an end to gun violence in light of the shooting death of a 13-month old Hmong child. The news conference was held recently on the steps of Tabernacle Community Baptist Church, 2500 W. Medford Ave. Immediately following the news conference, Pastors United, along with Northcott Neighborhood House invited the community to join them for a Watch Night Service in Tabernacle’s sanctuary where more than 100 families who have been impacted by gun violence in 2014 participated in a special candlelight vigil of worship, praise, singing and preaching. (Photo by Yvonne Kemp)
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The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 5
YOUTH&EDUCATION
The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 6
School board's actions cut benefits liability by $2.6 billion over last six years Efforts allow for more resources to be directed to classrooms and students
Decisions by the Milwaukee Board of School Directors to make changes to benefits and other changes have reduced the district’s long-term liability for other post-employment benefits (OPEB) significantly, according to a report presented during the Board’s November meeting. Since 2007, the OPEB liability has been reduced by a remarkable seventy percent (70%).
Actuarial Liability
Actuarial OPEB Liability Valuation, 7/1/07 Actuarial OPEB Liability Valuation, 7/1/13 *reflects district changes to benefits Cost avoidance from the Board's 9/18/14 adoption of Medicare Advantage program for retirees Actuarial liability after Medicare Advantage (adopted by the Board in September 2014) Cumulative reduction since the 2007 report (inlcudes Medicare Advantage)
“The McKinsey Report, an independent study commissioned by the Governor and Mayor in 2009, highlighted benefit costs to retirees as a significant financial challenge for MPS,” said MPS Board President Dr. Michael Bonds. “The Board has worked diligently, often making tough decisions even prior to Wisconsin Act 10, to dramatically cut the OPEB liability. This has improved the district’s financial outlook and allowed us to redirect dollars back to the classrooms, with a focus on improving student achievement.” The firm of Gabriel, Roeder, Smith and Company has completed an actuarial valuation for the district every two years for the past six years. The 2007 GRS OPEB valuation projected the actuarial liability to be $3.78 billion
in 2013. The most recent OPEB valuation by the firm finds the actuarial liability to be $1.2 billion. This means the district has reduced the long-term actuarial OPEB liability by $2.6 billion. The most recent change involved a move to Medicare Advantage for eligible retirees, which cut liability by $250 million. Other actions which the Board has taken to reduce long-term liability include freezing a supplemental pension for current teachers, eliminating supplemental benefits for new teachers, and changing the benefit structure for some part-time employees. Bonds explained that the Board will continue to explore ways to make operations effective and efficient while putting more resources into classrooms.
7/1/13 Valuation $3,784,100,000 $1,403,000,000 $250,000,000
$1,153,000,000 $2,631,100,000
EDUCATED QUOTE: “My mother said I must always be intoler-
ant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.”--Maya Angelou
KALEIDOSCOPE
The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 7
the MCJ lifestyle & entertainment section
“Sista Speak...Speak Lord!”
NEW NEW DECISIONS DECISIONS
REBRAND
Rebirth is here. 2015 came like we all knew it would. But did we really prepare for its arrival? Let us come up with new marketing strategies to rebrand ourselves for the better. Research a new logo, symbol or design that personifies who you truly are. Reinvest radical change within yourself and know that you are the competition! Load up and lean forward to put yourself in lead positon. There is no reason for you to ever be second. Rebranding allows us to provide new value to ourselves. Isaiah 43:19 states that God will do a new thing in you! Do you not perceive it? Rebranding allows Him to reposition us on to a new path. Sonya Marie Bowman
CHANGE
As the new year comes in we make new year resolutions. We say we're ready to start anew... Some of us may want to lose weight Some of us may want to change our outlook on Life Some of us may want to Change the World… We can go on and on with what we may want to Change this New Year. Make your Change List and pick the one closest to your heart to work on for this year…I have. Wishing All of You Success on the Change You will Choose. Always Keeping it Real, Tara R Pulley
RESULTS VS DESIRES
Determine your will through your power. Opt for outcome verses income. Resolve indecision. Form a plan and finish it. Leave your comfort-zone. Influence yourself. Compete for growth not for recognition. Control nothing relinquish everything. Ask for the inconceivable. Choose YOU! Zelda Corona
24th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Prayer Service Saturday, January 17, 1:30 pm
The 24th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Prayer Service will be held Saturday, January 17, 1:30 PM, St. Michael Catholic Congregation, 1445 N. 24th Street, Milwaukee. Father Thomas Jackson, OP, of Chicago is the guest speaker and he will be examining the sacredness of all life. Dr. King’s 1967 “A Christmas Sermon on Peace” addressed the sacredness of life. The sermon highlighted war, segregation and discrimination. Dr. King pointed out that “all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny.” Father Jackson will be examining today’s network of mutuality. A musical prelude will take place 1:30 pm followed by the service at 2:00 pm. The event is sponsored by the Black Catholic Ministry Commission-Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, St. Michael Catholic Congregation, and the 2015 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Prayer Service Planning Committee. Funded by the Black and Indian Mission Grant.
Black history about achievement, excellence and greatness of African Americans
The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 8
Black Culture is About Achievement, It's About Greatness, and Excellence
(continued from page 3) by the many groups of people that now make up the country. Black Americans are the subject of ideas and behaviors that do little to describe our vast diversity and merely cast us in neatly fitted caricatures for mass consumption. It’s easy for white America to only see the Black family and the troubles being promoted void of our history in this country and the damage that has been done - this makes their argument of inferiority more believable. While the election of President Barak Obama delivered an image more powerful than many could have imagined, we must not lose sight of the more general narrative on the perception of Black people perpetuated by mass media. I contend, when things are put in context, our ills are understandable and our gains are nothing short of remarkable. In fact most Americans (Black and white) are little informed about American history and operate at the tyranny of racial ignorance, mythology, and propaganda. Racial ignorance continues and even though not mentioned, is the most complex issue facing all Americans. While this issue is very complicated, in my humble opinion, the legacy of slavery has crippled our ability to address the issue of race head-on. The descendants of the slave owners must come to understand the pain, hurt, and damage inflicted on a whole group of Black people and how the structural deficiencies entrapped millions of Black children and their families. The descendants of the enslaved must equally come to understand the distinction between this hurt and the true Black culture. In spite of the overwhelming challenges that Black people face in this country and abroad, at the core of the Black struggle in America there is clear and convincing evidence of a Black culture of resilience. This is why we must know our history. I’ve become a student of our history and it is very clear to me that Black culture is about achievement, greatness, and excellence. In my next article I will discuss more about the achievements, greatness and excellence of Black America. Rahim Islam is a National Speaker and Writer, Convener of Philadelphia Community of Leaders, and President/CEO of Universal Companies, a community development and education management company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. Follow Rahim Islam on FaceBook(Rahim Islam) & Twitter (@RahimIslamUC)
City of Milwaukee Health Department Issues Cold Weather Health Advisory
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an alert for the area, stating that cold temperatures and brisk winds may result in wind chills that could reach between 20 and 34 degrees below zero. A wind chill advisory begins at 12 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, through 12 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8. Following this period, there could be additional times from late Thursday night into Saturday morning with bitterly cold wind chills. To remain safe during cold weather, the MHD suggests: • Minimizing the time spent outdoors. If you do go outside, let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return. • Wear appropriate outdoor clothing and dress in layers. Be sure to cover exposed skin, including your fingers, nose, and ears. • Make a car survival kit that includes blankets, extra clothing and high-energy foods. Ensure that your vehicle’s fuel tank is a least half full and the battery is charged. • Be aware of the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite can occur within minutes when unprotected skin is exposed to very cold temperatures, causing the affected area to appear white or grayish-yellow in color and feel firm or waxy. Hypothermia is life-threatening, and occurs when the body temperature drops too low, causing shivering, drowsiness, clumsiness and confusion. Both require immediate medical treatment. • Heat your home with devices approved for indoor use, and ensure they are properly vented to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning or fires. Never use wood-burning or coal-burning grills, camp stoves, or other outdoor devices indoors. • Keep pets safe by bringing them inside and ensuring trips outside are brief. It is very important during cold weather to check on family members and neighbors who may
be at risk for illness or injuries, especially young children, the elderly, and those with certain medical conditions.
(continued from page 3) Higher Order attainment and thereby abandon our tried and true Black American and African World pristine exemplary models of achievement, greatness, excellence and mastery. The late honored ancestral scholar Dr. Barbara Sizemore out of Chicago would remind us before she passed in 2004 that, “nothing Black or allBlack could ever be excellent” under integration. Unfortunately we are, in consideration of print space, unable in this writing to lend specific examples of Black mastery in America during the eras of enslavement, Reconstruction and Jim Crow. But to incorporate an overview of what Black resilience, resistance and masterful adaptations, creativity, and equalizing skill sets would look like during these periods, Chicago Black Star founder and director Philip Jackson tells us in one of his presentations that when Black men were released from enslavement in 1865, they became blacksmiths, bricklayers, carpenters, merchants, teachers, doctors, lawyers, farmers, ranchers, cooks, soldiers and more. They built houses, towns, communities, businesses, families, schools, universities, institutions and futures. And many of these men he says by Western standards had less than a third-grade education. Dr. Claude Anderson would remind us (and as echoed by our good Bro. Dr. Booker Coleman in Hidden Colors 1), that even right after 1865’s Emancipation Proclamation and well into the 1900’s, Black people collectively were the fastest growing educated populace in America. As a group, we would have been the most skilled-competitive in a free open market up to the point of integration in the 70’s. And again to underscore this particular historical feature, Sharazad Ali also in Hidden 1 tells us that, “They don’t keep you out” because you are the worse or inferior. “They keep us out because we are the very best.” In other words, we were not “seg-
regated” or “kept out” necessarily only because of racism or White Supremacy as we talk about it today. Black people were and are locked out in many American and Westernized streams because of our potential and esteemed ability to successfully compete with others. One studies history so as to build upon it in order to learn lessons, replicate models and become a greater people. We can return to our supreme and godly essence as we were Pre-Dynastically and in Kemet; during the Great African Kingdoms – particularly that of Mali and Songhay. We can rebuild our communities even by replicating the genius of our African Moor ancestry for example who brought Europe out of the Dark Ages over the 781 years from 711 to 1492. If our Kemetic and African Kingdom ancestors could uplift, teach and civilize themselves and the world; if the Moors could bring Europe out of their Dark Ages, we can most certainly and assuredly even in one generation rebuild, resurrect and restore respectively our own families and central city communities nationwide. And there are Black “Old School” era paths to guide us to again be that Higher Order example of exemplary dignified group behavior; models of a strong loving, caring and nurturing
Black family; models of how we raise and educate our children and prepare them for community uplift and positive societal membership. We have in our history our own models of how we should build (rebuild) our communities economically; models of how we can create our own institutions that we control and embellish with our own supreme and godly greatness so that again we may be that proud Black/African mirror for ourselves, for our children, for our future, for America and for the planet to follow as – again – we can lend our own unique and proud Black/African contribution towards the onward flow of civilized humankind ideals. Although as noted, space does not permit a rendering specifically of who and what these models may be. But this writer is proud to reveal that for this the third consecutive year, African Global Images, Inc. is invited back to MATC’s downtown campus for a designed installation during this coming Black History Month 2015. Components generally will include Humankind Beginnings; Black First in the Americas; Who Were the Ancient Kemites/Egyptians?; The Achievement and World Contribution of Ancient Classical Kemet; Great African Kingdom Universities; The Moors in Europe; Black Mastery
During the Enslavement, Reconstruction and Jim Crow Eras; A Tribute to Black Inventors; “Rewinding Black In Time;” Black Sport Victories in 2014; Saluting African American Women Astronauts and Pilots; Recognizing the Talents of Black Youth Entrepreneurs, and the genius of our children from the Milwaukee Courier Newspaper series, “Young, Gifted & Black.” Specific examples will be noted in a later writing promoting this MATC feature. We are also extremely proud to share that this 2015 MATC installation will be dedicated to the legacy of Ron W. Pounds who joined the most honored realm of the ancestors on December 6, 2014. We want to again thank Bro. Islam for the reminder and for the inspiration that Black culture is about achievement and excellence. In this regard, Black History Month 2015 can be a highly anticipated occasion for us to remember and celebrate our greatness as a people.
Taki S. Raton is a writer and lecturer in the African Centered Model and in African World Historiography. An adjunct professor at the Springfield College Milwaukee Campus and President/CEO of African Global Images, Inc., he can be reached for inquiries at: blydendelany@yahoo.com.
“Mister Speaker, I am proud that the Milwaukee Community Journal hails from the 4th Congressional District. It has consistently informed, analysed and entertained readers for nearly 38 years. I am pleased to give praise to Patricia O’Flynn Pattillo and her staff for providing a voice to the community and providing educational opportunities to students. I wish them many more years of success.”
--A segment from Cong. Gwen Moore’s remarks she made on the Congressional Record paying tribute to the Milwaukee Community Journal’s Dr. Terence N. Thomas Scholarship Annual Brunch
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The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 9
The Milwaukee Community Journal January 7, 2015 Page 10