MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Volume 29 Number 7
October 2015
PUBLISHER Rosalind J. Harris
GENERAL MANAGER Lawrence A. James MANAGING EDITOR Angelia D. McGowan
CONTRIBUTING COPY EDITOR Tanya Ishikawa COLUMNISTS FILM CRITIC BlackFlix.Com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Charles Emmons Rosalind J. Harris Angelia D. McGowan Melovy Melvin Charlene Porter Annette Walker
“I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.” – Venus Williams
Many a champion can attest that achieving their goals did not come without obstacles. Therein lies the powerful stories the Denver Urban Spectrum has been proud to share since its inception more than 28 years ago. This month’s cover story by contributing writer Charles Emmons highlights one of the country’s most prolific directors – Tyler Perry. Through adversity he has created a brand that connects with everyday people in every walk of life. The media mogul has created characters that remind us of family and friends that are dear to our hearts. DUS publisher, Rosalind J. Harris, has penned a piece on Organo, highlighting a recent conference that recognized its distributors for their accomplishments in business and in the community and shared where the company is headed. Congratulations to Denver’s own John Brand who soared, receiving his Eagle as a new Sapphire consultant. Our story on the Black astronaut’s reunion at the Shades of Blue, Inc annual gala reminds us that our dreams, if we dare to dream big enough, can take us out of this world. Author Charlene Porter reminds us that entrepreneurship in the African American community is not new in her story on Denver’s legendary restaurateur, Zona Moore, who is celebrating her 90th birthday this month. As the country marks 10 years since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, we take a look at how far we have come as a nation and how far we still need to go as a nation to restore one of America’s most culturally and historically rich cities.
ART DIRECTOR Bee Harris
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jody Gilbert - Kolor Graphix
Angelia D. McGowan Managing Editor
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Melovy Melvin
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Lens of Ansar Bernard Grant
ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANT Byron T. Robinson DISTRIBUTION Glen Barnes Lawrence A. James Ed Lynch
The Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to spreading the news about people of color. Contents of the Denver Urban Spectrum are copyright 2015 by Bizzy Bee Enterprise. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The Denver Urban Spectrum circulates 25,000 copies throughout Colorado. The Denver Urban Spectrum welcomes all letters, but reserves the right to edit for space, libelous material, grammar, and length. All letters must include name, address, and phone number. We will withhold author’s name on request. Unsolicited articles are accepted without guarantee of publication or payment. Write to the Denver Urban Spectrum at P.O. Box 31001, Aurora, CO 80041. For advertising, subscriptions, or other information, call 303-292-6446 or fax 303-292-6543 or visit the Web site at www.denverurbanspectrum.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Colorado- State of Arrest
to a 2014 report on mass incarceration by the National Academies of more black men born in the post- Civil Rights era have served time in prison than graduated from a four0 year college. States like New York, New Jersey, California, Maryland, and South Carolina have made changes in their sentencing laws that have reduced their prison populations, saved millions of dollars, and saw crime rates drop an average 45 percent. Colorado is heading in the opposite direction. Colorado’s 2015/16 fiscal year budget for the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) is $868 million. That’s a $60 million increase over the prior year’s budget. When one divides $868 million by the total number of state prisoners (approx. 22,000), the average cost of incarceration, per inmate, per year, is nearly $40,000. $868 million is a staggering outlay of money for Colorado taxpayers, what makes it even more staggering is over half of all Colorado prisoners are serving sentences for non-violent offenses involving less than $3,000. For example, suppose an offender was serving a three-year sentence for check- kiting $23,000; for taxpayers to shell out $120,000 to the CDOC to fund the prisoner’s term of incarceration is ludicrous.
Op-ed by Michael J. McCarthy
The long arm of the law is nabbing citizens off the streets and isn’t releasing them anytime soon. Colorado’s penchant for prisons has gone too far. It’s time to rethink harsh sentences for non- violent crimes. Leaders from both ends of the political spectrum are joining together to reduce America’s bloated prison populations. So why isn’t more happening in Colorado? In recent news, President Obama toured El Reno Federal Correctional Institute near Oklahoma, City. Obama said he is struck by how many people face years in prison because they made foolish mistakesmany of them similar to the kind of mistakes he made in his earlier years. Much of the mainstream media is covering the bi-partisan effort towards prison reform. When President Obama, the liberal ACLU, and the conservative Koch brothers all agree on something, it is probably worth paying attention. Hilary Clinton decried, “inequities” in our system that undermine American ideals of justice. According
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – October 2015
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I’m a prisoner at Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility. I’m serving a six-year sentence for a walkaway escape from community corrections (CAE in El Paso County). My original crime was theft (a nonreturned rental car) in Summit County in 2005; for which I received a threeyear sentence, and owe $4,000 in restitution. When all is said and done, Colorado taxpayers will have spent over $350,000 for my stay in prison. This expenditure comes from the state’s general fund. The more taxpayers spend on corrections, the less money there is for schools, infrastructure improvements, health care, etc.… Continued on page 26 Denver Urban Spectrum Department E-mail Addresses Denver Urban Spectrum
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