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injustice in America against Black people. “My first real activism was actually the whole effort to get Wayne State to divest in South Africa’s apartheid,” said Ellison. “I actively got involved in protests and sought other viable means to end apartheid in South Africa. I was very active with Wayne’s Black Student Association.” There was another revelation for Ellison at Wayne State. “It was at Wayne State that I became a Muslim,” said Ellison. “I was 19.” Ellison converted to Islam, in part, because “it made me have a sense of inspiration and wonder,” he said. “When I looked at my spiritual life, and I looked at what could impact social change and justice for society, I found Islam. It’s been working for me ever since.” After graduating from Wayne State with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Ellison moved to Minnesota where he attended the University of Minnesota Law School. Upon receiving his law degree, instead of returning to Detroit, Ellison, who was married with two small children at the time, remained in Minnesota for more lucrative employment opportunities to support his young family. Ellison worked for two wellknown private law firms in Minneapolis, where he took on civil rights and criminal defense cases. He also served as executive director of non-profit Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, an organization that mounts legal assistance for impoverished clients. While Ellison was making a difference, he began to realize that he could be more instrumental in helping people as an elected official, by working to change policies and laws, a position that he didn’t relish during his early days of community activism. “Before I was 35, I didn’t know, like or trust many politicians,” he said. “I just didn’t believe that politics and politicians had the answers needed for change.” However, after changing his mind in 2002, the people of Minnesota elected Ellison to the Minnesota House of Representatives, House District 58B. Garnering 84 percent of the vote, Ellison, who was 39 at the time, became the first African American representative to serve in Minnesota’s House. He served two consecutive two-year terms. While it was common knowledge that he was a Muslim, voters seemed more focused on his ability to change things for all the people that he represented. “When I was a state legislator, no one really cared that I was a Muslim.” said Ellison, who represented the city of Minneapolis and approximate-
Curfew is found in violation?” asked city council member Gabe Leland. “Would a college be able to pull up a report on that child and find out that they had some involvement in this very egregious curfew?” Hollowell responded that a citation would not be issued to the child, but to the parent or legal guardian citing them for failure to supervise the child. Offending parents would receive a misdemeanor citation for “failure to supervise,” which would be punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. Leland pressed Hollowell for assurances that curfew violations would not directly impact a young person’s chances of college admissions or employment, but Hollowell admitted guarantees were not possible. “(City departments) get requests on police stops under the Freedom of Information act all the time, but I cannot guarantee that an employer would not be able to trace this to the child.” The city annually enforces a citywide curfew on minors from 6 p.m. on Sunday night to 6 a.m. Monday for the Detroit Fireworks. The curfew has been in place and renewed each year since 2012 when gang violence and shooting erupted during past fireworks shows causing severe injuries. “We wouldn’t even be here having as much conversation about this (proposed curfew) if in fact we enforced what we
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE From page A-1 ly 15 of its suburbs. “Voters listened to and accepted my message.” In 2006, Ellison successful ran for Congress. Upon going to Washington, DC in January, 2007, he recalled that being a Muslim was now the center of a lot of conversation. “When I first got there, it was the only way people identified me,” said Ellison. “When I showed up for anything, people would ask me, ‘Are you the Muslim congressman?’" Ellison raised eyebrows in Washington, and in all political circles around the nation, when he took the ceremonial oath of office with the Quran, versus the Bible. Interestingly, the Quran used was published in 1764 and once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. These days, colleagues in Congress and across other political spectrums rarely bring up his religion. Instead, Ellison is considered one of Congress’ foremost progressive leaders. His priorities are focused on creating prosperity for working families, promoting peace, pursuing environmental sustainability and advancing civil and human rights. Ellison consistently fights for job creation, health care, workers’ rights, a clean environment, quality education, strong consumer protections, protecting the right to vote, and equality and justice for all. He has co-chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus since 2011. He is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and more than a dozen other caucuses and committees that address an array of issues. Ellison was asked to describe the job President Obama is doing. “I’m really proud of President Obama. I think he’s been a great president,” said Ellison. “That, however, does not mean that I agree with him on everything. Right now I disagree with his approach to foreign trade. However, I agreed with him on the Affordable Care Act and Wall Street reform. I also agree with what’s he doing with Cuba, support his right to negotiate with Iran, and what he’s tried to do with immigration.” “Coming back to Detroit is special for me,” said Ellison. “I still have parents, brothers and lots of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends there. I still love Detroit and its resilient people. It disturbed me for a while that Detroit lost its democratic rights through an emergency manager for a period of time. I thought that it was very bad. So when Detroit takes hits, I still cry. When it does well, I still cheer.”
From page A-1 have on the books now. We’ve had a curfew all of the time, so if we acted like we had a curfew we wouldn’t be here now,” commented City Council member Janee’ Ayers.
June 17-23, 2015 Page A-4
Identity Why is it a big deal when a person decides to identify with a particular race and then works to ensure racial equality for all? Is she a traitor for abandoning her own race and instead form an allegiance with the Black race? I don't think she should be crucified for her choice of wanting to be Black. After all, it is not a crime to identify with any race. Her mistake was that she should have made it clear that she is White but considers herself Black. There was no need to hide that. She should have acknowleged her race while proclaiming her love of seeing herself as a Black person. We have a litany of examples of Whites who have worked diligently to address racial equality and in some cases did more than their Black counterparts. I've seen many examples in organizations where the White leaders in those groups have done more to address racial equality than Blacks who were part of the same groups. It is not so much about skin color, even though that has significant weight. It is more about color consciousness and not being afraid to express the solidarity of our humanity by affirming other people's racial identity and working toward racial harmony. For example, the late Maryann Mahaffey, the former president of the Detroit City Council who was White but worked harder to champion racial equality than some of her Black colleagues on the council. She was never afraid to talk about the conditions of Black children in this city. She did not hide her sentiments about the unequal access and lack of opportunities that relegated Black children to an uncertain future compared to their White counterparts. The many times that I would visit her office during the time I was covering city hall, Mahaffey would narrate stories of her personal journey and political struggles, at the center of which was equality for all people. She talked about being arrested in front of the South African embassy in Washington, D.C. for protesting against the racist apartheid regime in South Africa that had imprisoned freedom fighter Nelson Mandela. Mahaffey took pride in that protest at the South African embassy. It was a seminal moment for her and it became the crowning example of her push against racism. On the Detroit City Council she was a crusading voice for social justice, sometimes to the chagrin of her colleagues on the council, some of whom were shamefully less vocal than she. Unlike the Spokane NAACP president, Mahaffey did not lie about being Black. She demonstrated in varied ways that Black lives matter in this city and she fought for the opportunities to ensure that Black children had equal opportunities.
From page A-1 Mahaffey did it so well that everyone knew that to get anything passed through her desk no matter who you were, you had to demonstrate a social justice consciousness and an understanding of the divide we have when it comes to opportunities. She was genuine, honest and direct in her demands both publicly at rallies and at the city council table. She was a leader who was not afraid to dive into the racial waters to ensure that children from oppressed communities were not left behind. If Mahaffey had decided to run for mayor, she would have been the first White mayor of Detroit, 40 years before Mike Duggan. Another example of a woman who was White but stood for Black equality in Detroit and the region was the late Eleanor Josaitis, the cofounder of Focus: HOPE. Josaitis was unique. Though always calm, she had a commanding presence that drew people to her. She believed in a movement and reached out to a lot of people. She helped make Focus: HOPE a social justice movement. Before I met Josaitis, even though I had read a lot about her work, I would receive calls from her informing me that she had just read my latest article. One day we met and that started a conversational relationship that led to lunch meetings. One day we decided to go for lunch at La Dolce Vita restaurant on Woodward. She asked me to pick her up from her Focus: HOPE office. In the car she shared a lot of stories of her past struggles with racism and racial resentment simply for her decison to stick with Black Detroit after the 1967 riot. As we drove to La Dolce Vita it was as if I was spending time in some sort of a racial reservoir of knowledge, listening to what this simple but powerful woman had been through just to make sure that Black children could smile. At lunch she talked about how she was able to convince powerful corporate leaders to support the work of the organization. She talked about how her house was firebombed when she first decided to move to Detroit after the riot. She lamented the pain and the struggles that many poverty-stricken families in this city go through. She wanted to make all of their lives better. She loved children and never wanted to see them suffer. She did not lie about being Black. She showed color consciousness. Her legacy is one that challenges many of us — especially our so-called Black leaders — in Detroit including those heading powerful institutions to do what Josaitis did. Being Black is one thing. But working to help alleviate the condition of Blacks in this city is another. I've seen a number of African Americans in powerful positions simply afraid to make a decision when it comes to ad-
dressing issues like diversity and racial equality. They simply did not have the courage of Mahaffey and Josaitis. They are happy being in those positions as the first Black in a given position. But that does not mean anything to the future of Black children if you cannot demonstrate what you've concretely done to help better their lives. That is the example that Josaitis and others set with Focus: HOPE by addressing the needs of Black kids, including the lack of opportunities. Her organization continues to provide training and empower our young people to have a future and to be become responsible and productive members of our community. So instead of getting distracted with the story about whether it was right or wrong for the Spokane NAACP leader to claim Blackness,, we should be more concerned about what those leaders who are Black by blood and ancestry are doing for their communities. We should be putting the spotlight on those who say that by virtue of them being Black they should not be held accountable to deliver for their communities. We should be worried when our civic leaders are so consciousply silent on issues that concern Black lives. We should be appalled when we have Blacks in corporate leadership positions or in higher levels of other organizations in this town but are afraid to make any seismic changes that reflect a need to embrace racial diversity. Instead, they keep giving excuses about why changes cannot take place. Mahaffey and Josaitis did not give excuses. They stepped up. Mahaffey got arrested and Josaitis' house got firebombed. That did not deter them. That is why we remember them as individuals who changed the human condition and made their mark on the human chapter on racial equality. For those who are bereft of color consciousness but quickly and opportunistically use their Black identity to advance to positions of influence in organizations but do little or nothing in that role to make life better for Black children, and all children what should we remember them as? They are Black and moving through the ladder of leadership, but unlike Mahaffey and Josaitis, they can't pass color consciousness. And we will keep asking for their color conscious morality until they show us. Bankole Thompson is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle. He is the host of “Redline with Bankole Thompson,” on WDET-101.9FM (Detroit Public Radio), which airs live every Thursday 11am-12noon. He is the author of two books on President Obama, the culmination of a series of sit-down interviews with Obama. E-mail bthompson@michronicle.com or bankole@bankolethompson. com
Free Home From page A-1
Detroit has a year-round curfew for minors 17 and under at 10 p.m. and is lifted at 6 a.m. The city has also instituted a special curfew for the three-day Devil’s Night period leading up to and including Halloween. The curfew has been in effect for 19 years,
we couldn’t stand by and watch this young family go through more pains,” said Audi.
During the public comments section of the hearing, Rev. Anthony excited the crowd with an impassioned discourse which pointed out the racial overtones of the proposed legislation.
Audi added, "In times like this, you gain a better appreciation of the remarkable kindness of the people of Detroit. We render the kind of family-bettering assistance we give here at DRMM because many kindhearted individuals and organizations in metro Detroit support us in various ways, and we sincerely thank them."
“Everyone should expect to have a fun, safe time with their friends and families when they attend events in the city,” said Anthony. “However, implementing a curfew that will unfairly target young people in the city of Detroit is not the most effective solution to these critical issues. It could also give unnecessary credence to the often-discussed issue of only targeting people of color in situations such as this. “The question of whether or not curfews curtail violence or promote a safer community has never been empirically substantiated to our knowledge. However, the question of maintaining civil liberty as a necessity for our democracy has been substantiated since the founding of our nation.”
Hearn is grateful. "I am very thankful to DRMM for coming to rescue me and my children in our time of need. I thank God for His many blessings; our prayers have been answered," Hearn said.
In celebration of Black fatherhood
By Marcus Ivery
As a child, I was fortunate to not only have my father present, but active in my day-to-day life. He was a role model to me, showing me what to do while teaching me what not to do. He was the anchor of our family, having proudly taken the baton from my grandfather who set the template for fatherhood in our family.
sentee fatherhood in our collective communities. Every day, and especially as we approach and celebrate Father’s Day, the void seems wider and more enveloping than ever. This is where I share my role as son and father with others. I cowrote a book about fatherhood with my father, I mentor young men and I remain committed to changing the paradigm about Black fatherhood.
Now, as a father myself, I have the So, on this Father’s Day while I roadmap to both continue and build Marcus Ivery celebrate being a father and the unon the legacy set forth by my father matched joy of my sons, and I honor and grandfather. My commitment, dedication, active and present involvement are all normal to my father — his love, dedication and leadership me. It’s what was done for me, so it is what I do — the feeling is bittersweet. for my sons. The legacy continues. We must not only continue the legacy of leading our families, we must also do the same for Yet, in the familial zone that is my biological family, I am not unaware of the impact of ab- our communities.