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Volume 90 • Issue 2

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Look inside for health-related news for you and your family on page 5 August 24-30, 2017

Home Grown

COVER STORY

August 24-30, 2017

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Venture: Kenya Brantley

Atlanta Daily World

ly feel that if people begin to ask themselves those questions, there would be a greater move towards supporting local artisans.

ADW: Did you always envision Greenhouse Mercantile as a space for events, coffee tastings, live music etc.? And how has that impacted business?

Brantley: I have always wanted Greenhouse Mercantile to be a space of community, ideas and collaborations. I love giving local music artists a chance to shine. And from the beginning, I have always loved the retail/coffee concept of business ... it just makes sense. Because of this sense of community, it has allowed me to not only be successful in my business, but impact the lives of others. When business is done right, you’re never really in it for yourself. It should always be to help someone else.

ADW: Was the vision for your company more an aspirational orientation to what society could be if everyone espoused a mercantile approach to getting what they need and making sure people get fairly compensated for their work and wares, or is it a nostalgic throwback to when this sensibility was more the order of the day?

Brantley: I have always been in love with the old “general store” concept. A place where you can find just about anything. I think that people in earlier times understood that a store was more than just a place where people bought flour and fabric. It was a place you could feel comfortable around the people you knew and the people who knew you. It truly was a community of like-minded folks. I aspire that Greenhouse Mercantile will be that kind of place for its customers.

By ADW Staff Even if you have not had the desire to own a business or have never felt particularly entrepreneurial, a good hearty chat with the right entrepreneur can spark something in you to wonder if you possess of bit of that spirit as well. Enter: Kenya Brantley, owner of the general store-inspired Greenhouse Mercantile.

Brantley’s eclectic shop in Newnan, Ga., has a little bit of everything — candles, specialty food items, an amazing apothecary section, all natural cleaning products, jewelry and clothing – and much of it carefully curated and sourced from creative local artisans. It’s also a communal space — intentionally, so. The typical customer enjoys the uncommon things in life and strives to a life of slow living. They are environmentally conscious and enjoy the quality of a great product with hat tips to the fair trade movement. In addition to the local stock, Greenhouse Mercantile sells products that are made in developing countries in return for a fair wage. If you go on a random Tuesday morning at 8 o’clock, expect to stay a while with a cup of Savage Boy Roasters coffee, discuss current events with town regulars and feel good about it. ADW sat down with Brantley for a behind the scenes peek into her venture.

Atlanta Daily World: What was life like before Greenhouse Mercantile, and when did you feel you had the greenlight to open your business?

Kenya Brantley: I am actually a teacher by profession, but after a year in the classroom, I knew that teaching was not for me. It truly takes a special type of individual to become an educator. I feel like after an engaging conversation with my husband discussing the who, what, when, where, how of opening a business, I decided that if I didn’t go for it, it would definitely be something I would regret later. So in 2012, I opened Greenhouse, and have been truly grateful ever since.

ADW: Talk about your engagement and experience with fair trade.

Brantley: I have always been a fan of fair trade and

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Founded August 5 1928; Became Daily, March 12, 1932 W.A. Scott, II, Founder/Publisher August 5, 1928 to February 7, 1934 Published weekly at 100 Hartsfield Centre Parkway Suite 500 Atlanta, Georgia 30354 Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta Mailing Offices.

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paying workers overseas what they are worth. It is the act of saying no to sweat shops and fast fashion.

One of my favorite fair trade brands is Fashionable, where the products are created by women who often have overcome extraordinary circumstances, ranging from prostitution to addiction to living in highly impoverished areas.

Juan Sifuentes

Graphic Designer jsifuentes@realtimesmedia.com

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ADW: What aspects of the fair trade and fare wages discussion often gets obscured or overlooked? How about the discussion surrounding supporting local artisans?

Brantley: One of the biggest challenges of the fair trade movement definitely seems to be the lack of education. Because fair trade is a fairly new concept, consumers are still learning about it and how to become more involved. When I started researching fair trade and the true meaning of fair wages, I was blown away at how many products there were.

From jewelry, to clothing, to coffee and other food items, fair trade is and hopefully always will be an ever-growing, ever-evolving community of workers who deserve the pay that they work so hard for.

The same goes for local artisans. I would encourage everyone to really research, examine, and focus on every product that they purchase. Where was it made? Who was it made by? Will it last or will it end up in a landfill sooner rather than later. I tru-

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Kenya Brantley

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NEWS

August 24-30, 2017

MARTA’S Rhonda Briggins honored by The Court decision in voting rights case National Coalition of Black Women Inc. changes the course of history for black voters for the better

The National Coalition of cellence: Saluting Women of 100 Black Women Inc., MetGreatness in this 21st Century’ ropolitan Atlanta Chapter has event,” said The National Coalinamed Rhonda Briggins as the tion of 100 Black Women Inc., 2017 Catalyst Award recipient.

Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter Briggins, who serves as seevent co-chair Lila Vaughn. nior director of external affairs “Ms. Briggins has a tremendous for Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid track record of influencing Transit Authority, will receive change in communities across the Catalyst Award during the the Atlanta metro area and organization’s Unsung Heroine serving as a catalyst for positive Award Gala. The recognition is change.” given, each year, to an individBriggins, who is a DeKalb ual who brings about a positive County resident, manages change within the community.

MARTA’s government affairs “I’m very humbled and and community relations acthankful to be a recipient of tivities regarding matters on such a distinguished award federal, state and local levels. from The National Coalition of Additionally, she serves as the 100 Black Women Inc., Metropresident for both the Georpolitan Atlanta Chapter,” Brig- Rhonda Briggins gia Transit Association and the gins said.

Conference of Minority TransRecently, Georgia House Speaker David portation Officials.

Ralston named Briggins to the House CommisThis year’s Unsung Heroine Award Gala will sion on Transit Governance and Funding. take place on Saturday, August 26 at 7p.m. at the “We are delighted to recognize several out- Atlanta MarriottGateway Hotel. standing women during our ‘21 Years of Ex-

Invest Atlanta approves $26 million in bond financing at August board meeting to support homeless initiatives

By ADW Staff Mayor Kasim Reed and the Invest Atlanta Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution at its August 17, 2017, board meeting that will provide $26 million in additional funding for initiatives to eradicate homelessness in the City of Atlanta.

“This funding, in addition to the philanthropic support we have received, constitutes the largest investment in the homeless and homelessness in our city’s history,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “From homelessness to affordable housing, I am pleased that our city continues to apply its economic resources to critical areas of need, enabling us to build a more promising future for many of our residents.”

The $26 million in Homeless Opportunity Bond financing will leverage an additional $25 million in philanthropic support, for a $50 million total initiative to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in the City of Atlanta. The remaining $1 million will cover the costs of the transaction. Additional public and private dollars will come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the State of Georgia, Fulton County and the Atlanta Housing Authority. In total, this represents an investment of more than $115 million toward eradicating homelessness.

Since 2013, the City of Atlanta has reduced the number of homeless by about 52 percent, with a 61 percent decrease in the number of

chronically homeless individuals. The number of veterans who are homeless has been reduced by 62 percent. To further reduce and ultimately eradicate homelessness, the City of Atlanta has established its own continuum-of-care (CoC) and Partners for Home, a non-profit that will oversee the CoC and leverage public and private dollars in funding.

The funding from Homeless Opportunity Bonds will support this strategy by funding nearly 600 units of permanent supportive housing and associated services for the homeless, as well as the acquisition and operation of shelters that will house nearly 250 new emergency, low-barrier shelter beds.

“The city has made great strides in working to reduce and eradicate homelessness here in Atlanta,” said Dawn Luke, Invest Atlanta’s senior vice president of Community Development. “And with this bond issuance, Invest Atlanta and the City of Atlanta will have allocated nearly $140 million to impact affordable housing and homelessness since December of last year.”

This combined funding includes $40 million from Housing Opportunity Bonds, $26 million in Homeless Opportunity Bonds (along with an additional $25 million contribution from the United Way), $60 million through a funding agreement between Invest Atlanta and the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA), and $12 million from the Atlanta BeltLine Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

By ADW Staff A federal district court ruled in favor of the Terrebonne Parish NAACP and four Black voters, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), the law firm of Cozen O’Connor, and longtime Louisiana civil rights attorney, Ronald L. Wilson, in an important voting rights case.

Following an eight-day bench trial earlier this year, the court determined that Louisiana’s use of at-large voting for electing five members to the 32nd Judicial District Court (32nd JDC), the state court encompassing Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the U.S. Constitution. This decision paves the way for an end to a nearly 50-year old discriminatory voting practice and for Black voters to have the equal opportunity — for the first time since that state court was created in 1968 — to elect their preferred judicial candidates.

In a detailed and meticulous 91-page-ruling, the federal district court “found a strong case of vote dilution.” The court observed that “no [B] lack candidate who has faced opposition in Terrebonne has been elected to an at-large position, and [B]lack candidates have received incredibly minimal support from white voters, a pattern which has been consistent over the course of more than twenty years.” Further, the court determined that “a motivating purpose in maintaining the at-large electoral scheme for the 32nd JDC was to limit the opportunity of [B] lack individuals to participate meaningfully and effectively in the political process to elect judges of their choice.” The court noted “the persistent advocacy of the [B]lack community [for a majority-Black single-member district], and the equally persistent opposition to this advocacy which was partially based on justifications that do not seem completely legitimate.”

Plaintiffs filed the lawsuit to force the creation of a majority-Black single-member district that will provide them and other Black voters in Terrebonne with a chance to have a say-so as to who serves them on the 32nd JDC. Many other state courts in Louisiana’s judicial system, including its highest court, the Louisiana Supreme Court, use district-based voting like

the remedy Plaintiffs seek in this case. Indeed, the court recognized in its ruling that outside of New Orleans, a majority-Black city, “a majority of the JDC judges elected in Louisiana are elected by subdistrict.” The court noted that in 1996, a task force created by the Louisiana Supreme Court had found that district-based voting was “the only feasible means of ensuring diversity” in the state court system.

“Having a voice in the political process is a central tenet of our democracy,” said LDF Senior Counsel Leah Aden, lead counsel in this case. “This important decision correctly recognizes the intentionally discriminatory nature of the at-large voting scheme for the 32nd JDC in Terrebonne and ensures that every vote matters.”

“For decades, Black voters and others have pressed to change the voting method for the 32nd JDC in Terrebonne,” said Ronald Wilson.

“Black voters looked to federal court to do what the Louisiana Legislature failed to do on six different occasions between 1997 and 2011 when it did not support proposals that would provide Black voters in Terrebonne with fair electoral opportunity.”

“The most glaring example of how at-large voting has enshrined discrimination in Terrebonne is the fact that this voting method enabled a white judge to be reelected without opposition to the 32nd JDC in 2008 after the Louisiana Supreme Court suspended him in 2004 for wearing blackface, an orange prison jumpsuit, and handcuffs as a Halloween costume,” said Michael de Leeuw of Cozen O’Connor.

“The victory is an example of what can be accomplished when Black communities in partnership with civil rights groups like LDF and other advocates defend our country’s core democratic values,” said Victorien Wu, Assistant Counsel at LDF. “On behalf of Black communities, LDF will continue to challenge voting practices that serve to weaken, discourage, or deny people of their fundamental right to vote.”

Following this liability determination, plaintiffs will request that the court adopt a full and complete remedy to the vote dilution that Black voters have endured in elections for the 32nd JDC.

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NEWS

August 24-30, 2017

www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com

Steve Bannon is out at the White House, NAACP applauds exit

By Frederick H. Lowe Stephen K. Bannon, who some Black leaders called a White supremacist while lobbying against his appointment to the White House staff, has lost his job as President Donald Trump’s chief strategist.

President Trump told senior aides that he planned to remove Bannon two days after telling reporters during a news conference at Trump Tower in New York that “Bannon was his friend, and he is not a racist.”

President Trump made the comment about Bannon not being a racist after White supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Va. It led to violent confrontation between White supremacists and counter protesters. A woman was killed and 19 were injured.

The president said the Nazis and their opponents were both to blame for the violence that took place in Charlottesville.

His statement caused an uproar and many blamed Trump’s response on Bannon’s influence.

Bannon, who earned an MBA from Harvard, was the executive chair of Breitbart News. He described Breitbart as the platform for the Alt-Right, which included White supremacists, Nazis and members of the Klu Klux Klan.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, said the Alt-Right is a set of far-right ideologies, groups and individuals whose core belief is that ‘White identity’ is under attack by multicultural forces using ‘political correctness’ and ‘social justice’ to undermine White people and ‘their’ civilization. … Alt-righters eschew ‘establishment’ conservatism, skew young and embrace

White ethnonationalism as a fundamental value.”

Bannon, the Southern Poverty Law Center said, sees himself as a leader of the Alt-Right movement.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in February that caucus members wanted to meet with President Trump as long as he didn’t include Bannon.

Jeffries said on MSNBC last February that Bannon was a stone-cold racist and a White supremacist sympathizer.

The White House said Bannon submitted his resignation August 7 but it was to be announced August 19.

The NAACP quickly applauded Bannon’s exit, but also called on the president to denounce the residue of the Charlottesville hate march and to also dismiss other members of this staff who are connected with philosophies of hate: “The NAACP is glad to see Steve Bannon out of the White House,” said Derrick Johnson, interim president and CEO of the NAACP in a statement. “Ousting one key staffer, however, can’t erase the words used by President Trump this week in defense of domestic terrorists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists. President Trump provided permission for these hate groups to exist. Following the travesty in Charlottesville, Virginia, numerous other rallies and white supremacist groups are being mobilized across the country. These groups are not rallying for peace, or for the preservation of Confederate memorabilia. They exist purely to foment hatred and violence. And they march with the president’s blessing.”

Johnson continued, “President Trump must denounce in words and in deeds these White supremacists and urge them to stop their senseless rallies and killings and unlawful demonstrations. We further call upon the President to remove the people who share Steve Bannon’s poisonous beliefs from the White House, including Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka.

President Trump needs to send a clear message to our great country: That his administration disavows bigotry in all of its forms, and that racist ideologies simply will not be tolerated.”

Body cams show cops more polite to white drivers

By Alex Shashkevich-Stanford Police officers consistently use less respectful language with black community members than with white community members, the first systematic analysis of body camera footage shows.

Although subtle, widespread racial disparities in officers’ language use may erode police-community relations, researchers warn.

“Our findings highlight that, on the whole, police interactions with black community members are more fraught than their interactions with white community members,” says Jennifer Eberhardt, professor of psychology at Stanford University and coauthor of the study in the Proceedings of the National

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Academy of Sciences.

The findings about racial disparities in respectful speech held true even after researchers controlled for the race of the officer, the severity of the infraction, and the location and outcome of the stop.

To analyze the body camera footage, researchers first developed an artificial intelligence technique for measuring levels of respect in officers’ language that they then applied to the transcripts from 981 traffic stops the Oakland, California Police Department made in a single month.

The data show that white residents were 57 percent more likely than black residents to hear a police officer say the most respectful utterances, such as apologies and expressions

of gratitude like “thank you.”

Black community members were 61 percent more likely than white residents to hear an officer say the least respectful utterances, such as informal titles like “dude” and “bro” and commands like “hands on the wheel.”

“To be clear: There was no swearing,” says coauthor Dan Jurafsky, professor of linguistics and of computer science. “These were well-behaved officers. But the many small differences in how they spoke with community members added up to pervasive racial disparities.”

“The fact that we now have the technology and methods to show these patterns is a huge advance for behavioral science, computer science, and the policing industry,” says Rob Voigt, a linguistics doctoral student and the study’s lead author. “Police departments can use these tools not only to diagnose problems in police-community relations but also to develop solutions.”

Many police departments nationwide have been using body-worn cameras to monitor police-community interactions. But drawing accurate conclusions from hundreds of hours of footage can be challenging, Eberhardt says.

Just “cherry-picking” negative or positive episodes, for example, can lead to inaccurate impressions of police-community relations overall.

“The police are already wary of footage being used against them. At the same time, many departments want their actions to be transparent to the public.”

To satisfy demands for both privacy and transparency, the researchers needed a way to approach the footage as data showing general patterns, rather than as evidence revealing wrongdoing in any single stop.

So, researchers examined transcripts from 183 hours of body camera footage from 981 stops, which 245 different OPD officers con-

ducted in April 2014.

In the first phase of the study, human participants examined a subsample of the transcribed conversations between officers and community members—without knowing the race or gender of either—and rated how respectful, polite, friendly, formal, and impartial the officers’ language was.

In the second phase, the researchers used these ratings to develop a computational linguistic model of how speakers show respect, including apologizing, softening commands, and expressing concern for listeners’ well-being. They then created software that automatically identified these words, phrases and linguistic patterns in the transcripts of the officers’ language.

In the third phase, researchers used this software to analyze the remaining transcripts —a total of 36,000 officer utterances with 48 3,966 words. Because the team had so much data, they could statistically account for the race of the officer, the severity of the offense, and other factors that could affect officers’ language.

“Understanding and improving the interactions between the police and the communities they serve is incredibly important, but the interactions can be difficult to study,” Jurafsky says. “Computational linguistics offers a way to aggregate across many speakers and many interactions to detect the way that everyday language can reflect our attitudes, thoughts and emotions—which are sometimes outside of our own awareness.

“I’m hopeful that, with the development of computational tools like ours, more law enforcement agencies will approach their body camera footage as data for understanding, rather than as evidence for blaming or exonerating. Together, researchers and police departments can use these tools to improve police-community relations.”

www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com

August 24-30, 2017

Black Breastfeeding Week: 40 years strong Black Breastfeeding Week was created because for over 40 years there has been a gaping racial disparity in breastfeeding rates. The most recent CDC data show that 75 percent of white women have ever breastfed versus 58.9 percent of black women. The fact that racial disparity in initiation and even bigger one for duration has lingered for so long is reason enough to take seven days to focus on the issue, but here are a few more: 1. The high black infant mortality rate: Black babies are dying at twice the rate (in some place, nearly triple) the rate of white babies. This is a fact. The high infant mortality rate among black infants is mostly to their being disproportionately born too small, too sick or too soon. These babies need the immunities and nutritional benefit of breast milk the most. According to the CDC, increased breastfeeding among black women could decrease infant mortality rates by as much as 50 percent. So when I say breastfeeding is a life or death matter, this is what I mean.

And it is not up for debate or commenting. This is the only reason I have ever needed to do this work, but I will continue with the list anyway.

2. High rates of diet-related disease: When you look at all the health conditions that breast milk—as the most complete “first food,” has been proven to reduce the risks of—African American children have them the most. From upper respiratory infections and Type II diabetes to asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and childhood obesity—these issues are rampant in our communities. And breast milk is the best preventative medicine nature provides.

3. Lack of diversity in lactation field: Not only are there blatant racial disparities in breastfeeding rates, there is a blatant disparity in breastfeeding leadership as well. It is not debatable that breastfeeding advocacy is white female-led. This is a problem. For one, it unfortunately perpetuates the common misconception that black women don’t breastfeed. It also means that many of the lactation professionals, though

well-intentioned, are not culturally competent, sensitive or relevant enough to properly deal with African American moms. This is a week to discuss the lack of diversity among lactation consultants and to change our narrative. A time to highlight, celebrate and showcase the breastfeeding champions in our community who are often invisible. And to make sure that breastfeeding leadership also reflects the same parity we seek among women who breastfeed.

4. Unique cultural barriers among black women: While many of the “booby traps”™ to breastfeeding are universal, Black women also have unique cultural barriers and a complex history connected to breastfeeding. From our role as wet nurses in slavery being forced to breastfeed and nurture our slave owners’ children often to the detriment of our children, to the lack of mainstream role models and multi-generational support, to our own stereotyping within our community — we have a different dialogue around breastfeeding and it needs special attention.

5. Desert-Like Conditions in Our Communities: Many African American communities are “first food deserts”— it’s a term I coined to describe the desert like conditions in many urban areas I visited where women cannot access support for the best first food-breast milk. It is not fair to ask women, any woman, to breastfeed when she lives in a community that is devoid of support. It is a set up for failure. Please watch this video and educate yourself on the conditions in many vulnerable communities about what you can do (beyond leaving comments on blogs) to help transform these areas from “first food deserts” into First Food Friendly neighborhoods.

Ms. Tibbs, it’s National Breastfeeding Month.

Why is breastfeeding a public health priority?

Calondra Tibbs: Breastfeeding is a critical public health issue, as it is the optimal source of infant nutrition, and has long-term health

benefits for mom and baby. Breastfeeding protects babies from infections and decreases the risk of leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome and obesity. For mothers it reduces their risk of breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes and heart attacks.

Breastfeeding has many benefits, so why are there still disparities among black women and women living in poverty?

Tibbs: Disparities persist, as with many health outcomes, due to several barriers such as low availability and access to breastfeeding support, lack of family and community support, unaccommodating workplace and childcare environments, and aggressive marketing of infant formula.

Among infants born in 2014, black infants had the lowest breastfeeding rates of all reported race/ethnicity groups. Only 68 percent of black infants were ever breastfed as compared to 85.7 percent of white infants. Initiation rates for infants of mothers living in poverty was 73.2 percent among infants born in 2014.

Structural barriers disproportionately impact women of color and women living in poverty. For instance, birthing facilities using breastfeeding-friendly practices are less likely to be located in communities with high percentages of people of color or residents living in poverty.

In addition, the lack of federal legislation regarding paid family medical leave to support working families can impact decisions on returning to work. One-in-four women return to work within two weeks of delivery, and lowwage earners return to work sooner than higher wage earners. This limits the ability of women to establish breastfeeding prior to returning to work. And, although there are mandates for workplaces to support breastfeeding women, those working in the service industry are less likely to have adequate accommodations to support the pumping and storing of human milk.

Why has it been so important to increase breastfeeding rates among black infants?

Tibbs: Although there have been great strides in breastfeeding, this persistent disparity in breastfeeding rates suggests that there are other factors that impact breastfeeding in the black community. The goal of our collective efforts should be to improve maternity care practices for black women; champion workplace and paid family medical leave policies; provide skilled and culturally-attuned breastfeeding support in communities; and engage the broader community to promote a culture of breastfeeding.

What is the local health department’s role in supporting breastfeeding?

Tibbs: Local health departments can play a vital role in supporting breastfeeding and ensuring access to breastfeeding support. Local health departments and their partners are uniquely positioned to address breastfeeding by supporting policy, systems, and environmental changes that enable women to breastfeed at optimal rates. These include encouraging breastfeeding-friendly workplace and hospital practices and expanding community-level breastfeeding support.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recognized the critical role local health departments have in supporting breastfeeding in underserved communities. This effort, led by the NACCHO, supported 72 projects in 32 states. Collectively, they provided over 90,000 one-to-one encounters and over 3,000 breastfeeding support groups. Grantees also instituted innovative practices to address structural barriers to breastfeeding by building workforce capacity, partnering with worksites and collaborating with hospitals and healthcare providers to ensure continuity of care for breastfeeding mothers. These efforts were positive steps towards increasing breastfeeding among black women and women living in poverty.

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LIVINGWELL

August 24-30, 2017

www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com

AEMI supports renovation of Grady Women’s and Infants’ Center

By ADW Staff Grady Hospital’s Women’s and Infants’ Center will undergo a $20 million renovation and expansion, thanks in part to funding from a New Markets Tax Credit allocation received through Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. (AEMI).

AEMI is a certified Community Development Entity created by Invest Atlanta in 2006 that specializes in providing gap financing for large-scale, high-impact projects in Atlanta’s distressed neighborhoods.

Grady’s Women’s and Infants’ Center is home to the only specialized obstetric ICU in Georgia and serves prenatal and gynecological care for vulnerable populations not able to receive care elsewhere. Once the renovation project is complete, the Center, which has not received substantial upgrades in more than two decades, will be able to provide improved medical services to thousands more women. Grady estimates they’ll be able to handle 20 percent more deliveries (up to 3,700 annually), 29 percent more prenatal visits (around 17,500 annually), and 37 percent more services visits for women (around 13,000 annually).

The care provided to Grady’s patients will improve, thanks to better coordination for

Whether changing the oil, replacing the wiper blades or checking the tires, finding the time to perform simple preventative vehicle maintenance is money in the bank. The non-profit Car Care Council is here to help.

According to research conducted by IMR Inc., one out of three consumers that put off routine vehicle maintenance do so because they cannot find a convenient time. In addition, millennials and those who own older vehicles are more likely to delay routine maintenance.

“There is an old adage that if you take care of your car, your car will take care of you,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Making time to perform routine auto care not only ensures a safer, more dependable vehicle, but car owners can preserve the tradein value and save money by addressing small issues before they become more complicated, expensive repairs.”

The most common maintenance procedures to keep a car operating safely and reliably while maintaining its longterm value involve checking the oil, filters and fluids, the belts and hoses,

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August 24-30, 2017

Try this: The West End’s vegan strip The West End has the vegan scene on lock. Go meatless for a weekend.

City employees now have an extra incentive to improve their health and fitness.

prenatal, birthing, and post-partum care, as well as the installation of modern design and equipment. The upgrades will also result in operational efficiencies at one of the most important public hospitals in the southeast, and the creation of 50 full-time jobs.

AEMI officially closed on an $8 million New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation on Wednesday, August 16. The Urban Research Park CDE and SunTrust are allocating $12 million and $2 million in NMTC respectively. Grady is covering the remaining project cost.

Construction has already begun, and the first phase of the project is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

The second phase is slated to begin in 2018.

The improved Women’s and Infants’ Center will help Grady perform at the highest levels of patient satisfaction, clinical quality, and operation efficiency, while delivering more for women and children when it matters most.

brakes, tires and air conditioning. The CCC also recommends an annual tuneup and wheel alignment.

To make it easier for car owners to remember to include auto care in their busy schedules, the council offers a free custom service schedule and email reminder service. This simple-to-use online resource can be personalized to help make auto care more convenient and economi-

LIVINGWELL

City of Atlanta opens new employee wellness center

Viva La Vegan 1265 Lee Street SW Atlanta, GA 30310 Run by a brother and sister team, this new vegan haven near Capitol View is all about vitality.

They aim to preserve the comfort in comfort food — serving up classics with both soy and soy free options for chicken and waffles, Philly cheesesteaks, salmon burgers, and chicken gyros, tacos, chicken sandwiches, chimichangas and raw collard wraps — all sided with crispy, garlic French fries. Super flavorful.

KarbonStar Vitality Vegan Café and Juice 1542 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd.

Atlanta, GA 30310

By ADW Staff

Tipster: Routine auto care drives home savings

By ADW Staff

www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com

cal.

In addition, the council’s popular Car Care Guide for motorists and is available at no charge, electronically or by printed copy, in English and Spanish. The guide covers major services, component groups within the vehicle, service interval recommendations and much more.

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The City of Atlanta recently opened a new, 12,000-square-foot employee Wellness Center in the City Plaza building across from City Hall. The new facility is the only one of its kind in the 10-county metropolitan region, offering health, fitness and Employee Assistance Program services under one roof.

As part of Mayor Reed’s ‘A Healthier You’ Initiative, the Department of Human Resources partnered with Healthstat, Kaiser Permanente to plan the new Employee Health Center. The Health Center will offer an on-site medical clinic, which will provide access to acute care, urgent care, health risk counseling and chronic disease management.

Healthstat will coordinate with Morehouse Medical School and Grady Health System to provide physician leadership for the employees covered under BCBS and all other active employees.

“The job of a public health servant is an extremely challenging one. If we can help City employees and their families receive more convenient access to care and achieve their personal health goals, we can create a more productive workforce — all while better managing the City’s overall health care costs,” Healthstat CEO Crockett Dale. “Our goal is to change lives, and we’re honored to play a role in the continued success of Mayor Reed’s ‘A Healthier You’ initiative.”

The new, approximately $3 million Center was funded entirely through insurance reserve funds generated through contracts with insurance vendors, pharmacy rebates and performance guarantees. No general fund dollars were used for the project. According to 36-month projections by EPIC Brokers and Consultants, this care will allow the City of Atlanta to save $2 in health care claims costs for every $1 it invests in the program. These savings will come from the clinic’s combined ability to reduce the rising cost of health benefit plans and improve city employees’ productivity.

“I am proud to offer this new Wellness Center to the hard-working women and men who keep our city running,” said Mayor Ka-

sim Reed. “The City of Atlanta is the only local government in the state to offer paid family leave, to achieve a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index for four consecutive years, raised minimum wage for workers and is now the only local government to offer a health and fitness facility of this caliber to its employees.

The City of Atlanta invests in its employees’ physical health, emotional health and financial wellbeing.”

The Wellness Center includes a 5,000-square-foot fitness center and will triple the number of exercise machines available to employees, as well as full-service locker rooms and a juice bar. Employees will be able to take advantage of group and individual fitness training programs, lifestyle and wellbeing engagement programs, nutritional programs and access to fitness coaches. As well, Psychological Services and Employee Assistance Program (PSEAP) educational and wellness programs will be offered in the Health Center space. The City’s PSEAP offers employees access to low or no-cost counseling and other psychological wellbeing services.

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August 24-30, 2017

COMMUNITY

Private Bank of Buckhead & Decatur adds Shanita Hall as new Treasury Management Sales Officer

By ADW Staff

positive pay help our treasury clients become better, safer and more efficient companies,” Private Bank of Buckhead, a division of she says.

National Bank of Commerce, which also inHall is a Georgia native and graduated cludes Private Bank of Decatur with a BBA degree in Finance and PrivatePlus Mortgage, has from Georgia State Universinamed Shanita Hall, CTP, as ty. Outside of work, she is an Vice President and Treasury active volunteer with Junior Management Sales Officer.

Achievement, participating in “Shanita transcends her various programs that provide sales role by acting as a trustlearning opportunities for local ed financial advisor,” says Mark students interested in business Torbert, Senior Vice President and finance. Most of her famof Treasury Management for ily is from coastal Georgia, so National Bank of Commerce. seafood is a way of life, and she “Our clients view her as an exenjoys all of the hometown fatension of their business and vorites, especially a good Low rely on her to help make critiCountry boil. She resides in cal decisions when it comes to Atlanta. their payables and receivable Private Bank of Buckhead processes as well as debt man– now in its 11th year – brings agement and fraud mitigation.” Shanita Hall, CTP a private banking approach to A Certified Treasury Profesall clients across all functions sional for the past 15 years, Hall enjoys seeing of the bank. On January 1, 2017, the bank, the positive impact that her work has on the including its Private Bank of Decatur and lives of her treasury clients. “It’s a great feeling PrivatePlus Mortgage divisions, completed to know that the credit we extend as a finan- a merger with National Bank of Commerce. cial institution along with the many treasury PrivatePlus, which is represented in Bucksolutions and services that we provide such head and Decatur, does business nationally – as direct deposit, remote deposit capture and 50 states and the District of Columbia.

www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com

Black PR Wire to launch online church directory If you’re looking for a church, Black PR Wire may soon be the answer to your prayers.

If you’re a ministry hoping to be found, the nation’s first and largest Black news distribution wire service is launching a Church Directory and looking to include your church.

An online resource booklet, the Church Directory will allow churches throughout the nation to promote their ministry and services.

“Black PR Wire welcomes all faith-based ministries to be listed in the Church Directory,” says Bernadette Morris, CEO of Black PR Wire. “This is a great opportunity for churches to increase visibility. It also enables faith-believers to discover a church home online.”

Churches and ministries interested in being listed in the free online directory may download and complete the form listed found on blackprwire.com. The deadline for submissions is September 15, 2017, and the directory will be available starting October 2017.

Black PR Wire is a leader in effective news delivery services to the Black and Caribbean markets both nationally and internationally. With a comprehensive database and listing of over 1,500 Black (African American, Caribbean and Haitian) organizations and media, Black PR Wire is incomparable to any news distribution service targeting this market.

www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com

ENTERTAINMENT

Thundercat, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Sean Paul and more are also set to perform at ONE Musicfest 2017 ONE Musicfest 2017 is headed for Atlanta with a nod-worthy lineup. Now in its eighth year, the music and arts festival will feature performances from Jill Scott, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, and possibly a farewell show from Yasiin Bey (Mos Def).

In 2015, Scott released her fifth studio effort Woman -home to the Grammy-nominated single “Can’t Wait.” Reggae star Marley also released his forthcoming album Stony Hill, due on July 21, on his 39th birthday. As for Bey, this rare performance comes after last year’s passport incident where the rapper/actor was not permitted to leave South Africa until last November. In January 2016, he revealed he would be “retiring from the music recording industry.”

Other acts for the one-day festival, landing at the Lakewood Amphitheatre on Sept. 9 will include Sean Paul, Jidenna, Kaytranada, Too $hort, Tank and the Bangas. The kickoff celebration will take place on Friday, Sept. 8, with sets from Thundercat, J.I.D., Ari Lennox and Noname at the Tabernacle Atlanta.

Jason “J” Carter, president and founder of Sol Fusion Media Group, which produces ONE Music Fest, says in a statement, “Every year, ONE Musicfest grows and expands. We’ve built something that fans can really look forward to and we aim to create moments that inspire and invigorate attendees. Expect this year to be historic. We can’t wait to see you there.”

The 2016 ONE MusicFest sold out quickly with a lineup that boasted an Outkast reunion, Killer Mike, CeeLo Green, Ice Cube and Andra Day.

Dick Gregory dies at 84

By Stacy M Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor

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Legendary civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory died on Saturday. He was 84.

Friends, family and celebrities took to social media to honor the icon and innovator of the Black community.

“It is with enormous sadness that the Gregory family confirms that their father, comedic legend and civil rights activist Mr. Dick Gregory departed this earth tonight in Washington, DC,” said Christian Gregory, his son, in a statement posted on Facebook.

“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and love and respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.”

Gregory had been in a Washington, D.C., area hospital battling an undisclosed illness. However, as late as Thursday, family members were said to have been upbeat about his recovery and he even had plans to appear at a show on Saturday in the nation’s capital.

Born Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 12, 1932, Gregory became a comedian and civil rights activist whose social satire changed the way Whites perceived African-American comedians, according to his biography.

Dick Gregory entered the national comedy scene in 1961 when Chicago’s Playboy Club (as a direct request from publisher Hugh Hefner) booked him as a replacement for white comedian, “Professor” Irwin Corey. Until then Gregory had worked mostly at small clubs with predominantly Black audiences (he met his wife, Lillian Smith, at one such club), according to his biography.

“Such clubs paid comedians an average of five dollars per night; thus Gregory also held a day job as a postal employee. His tenure as a replacement for Corey was so successful — at one performance he won over an audience that included southern White convention goers — that the Playboy Club offered him a contract extension from several weeks to three years,” Gregory’s biography said. “By 1962, Gregory had become a nationally known headline performer, selling out nightclubs, making numerous national television appearances, and recording popular comedy albums.”

While a student at Sumner High School in St. Louis he led

August 24-30, 2017

Fabian Williams paints towering mural of Hosea Williams

By ADW Staff Following the City of Atlanta’s decision not to enforce an ordinance regulating the painting of murals on private property, Fabian Williams installed a towering mural of Atlanta civil rights activist Rev. Hosea Williams -- painted on the side of a parking deck at Studioplex in the Old Fourth Ward.

“I mainly went with Hosea Williams because I’ve been driving through this city since 2001 and I’d never seen a picture of him,” said Williams, who was commissioned by Studioplex to do the piece.

Hosea Lorenzo Williams was a United States civil rights leader, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist, and politician. He may be best known as a trusted member of fellow famed civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King, Jr.’s inner circle. Under the banner of their flagship organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King depended on Williams to organize and stir masses of people into nonviolent direct action in myriad protest a March protesting segregated schools. Later, inspired by the work of leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Gregory took part in the Civil Rights Movement and used his celebrity status to draw attention to such issues as segregation and disfranchisement, according to his biography.

“When local Mississippi governments stopped distributing Federal food surpluses to poor blacks in areas where SNCC was encouraging voter registration, Gregory chartered a plane to bring in several tons of food,” the biography said. “He participated in SNCC’s voter registration drives and in sit-ins to protest segregation, most notably at a restaurant franchise in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Only later did Gregory disclose that he held stock in the chain.”

Gregory’s autobiography, “Nigger,” was published in 1963 and it became the number one best-selling book in America.

Over the decades it has sold in excess of seven million copies.

He explained his choice for the title in the foreword of the book, where Dick Gregory wrote a note to his mother, his biography explained.

“Whenever you hear the word ‘Nigger’,” he said, “you’ll know their advertising my book.”

Through the 1960s, Gregory spent more time on social issues and less time on performing, his biography noted. He participated in marches and parades to support a range of causes, including opposition to the Vietnam War, world hunger and drug abuse.

Dorothy Leavell, chairman of the NNPA and publisher of the Crusader Newspaper Group said that this was a sad moment and a great loss to America, especially Black America.

This is a sad moment and a great loss to America and especially Black America.

“Dick Gregory was a personal friend, but also a voice for Black America which has now been stilled,” said Leavell. “Dick was also a close friend to the Black Press and the National Newspaper Publishers Asso-

campaigns they waged against racial, political, economic, and social injustice. King alternately referred to Williams, his chief field lieutenant, as his “bull in a china closet” and his “Castro”.

Williams, of no relation to the reverend, is a visual and performance artist best known for his work depicting the seemingly state sanctioned violence perpetrated against black men.

Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Williams studied fine art at East Carolina University. After working for 13 years in the advertising industry with a long list of clients from Nike, Warner Bros to HBO, he decided to move to a purely expressive practice, outside of the commercial space, where he had the freedom to express more political and socially relevant contemporary themes.

Accessing and updating the Black Arts Movement’s centering of a racialized aesthetic, Williams’ vibrant and illuminated art interrogates both the liberatory and oppressive forces at play in black American life. In his entire body of work, Williams employs a broad scope of source material from commercial illustration, classic portraiture, and hip-hop iconography, to confront issues of race and the larger public’s oft uninterrogated consumption of black cultural icons and products. Williams’ early realist paintings were of the men who he played pick-up ball with on Venice Beach, California during his stint in marketing and design. Through his formal education, Williams cultivated an interest in realism, particularly the work of Italian painter, Carvaggio. He also is stylistically inspired by the naturalistic works of Norman Rockwell. His series Rockingwell, an homage to Rockwell, reimagines Rockwell’s depictions of America through a racial and pop-cultural informed lens. In much of his work, Williams often idealizes the seemingly ordinariness of black life and situates hip hop icons and everyday citizens alike in sometimes idyllic and sometimes imperfect postures.

In 2008, Williams began his ongoing art battles through the World Wide Art Federation in Atlanta. These bravado filled exhibitions, in which artists paint against each other in timed bouts, distinguish themselves from others of their ilk as they are deemed by the artist an extension of public art, hip-hop and 80’s wrestling. ciation (NNPA).”

Leavell continued: “While we mourn this loss we are grateful for the many contributions he made that have helped us all.”

Chavis agreed.

“Dick Gregory epitomized the rare combination of being an intellectual genius and one of our greatest social visionaries,” Chavis said. “The National Newspapers Publishers Association deeply mourns the passing of freedom fighter Dick Gregory.”

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August 24-30, 2017

GUEST COMMENTARY

GUEST COMMENTARY

by Julianne Malveaux

by Santura Pegram

Confederate statues fall, but economic racism lingers Cheers to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, one of the first mayors to take Confederate statues down and to make the strong point that these statues represent nothing but oppression. You should check out the speech he delivered, in May, at MarketWatch.com.

More cheers to Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh who had statues removed in the dead of night to avoid Charlottesville-type confrontations between racist White supremacists (also known as “good people” according to “45”) and those who oppose them. And though he does little that I agree with, in the interest of equal praise, I must lift up Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who had the statue of Roger Taney removed from the Maryland state house. Taney was an especially vile racist who authored the Dred Scott decision in 1857. He wrote that Black people had no rights that Whites were bound to respect, and provided justification for enslavement, even as many in the rest of the nation were clamoring against the unjust institution.

As the statues are falling, economic racism is not fading. African Americans still earn just 60 percent of what Whites earn. We have just 7 percent of the wealth that Whites have. The unemployment rate for Black workers is double the unemployment rate of White workers.

Even with equal incomes, Blacks find it more challenging to get mortgages or other access to capital and our economic rights are being challenged every day.

It is important to note that these statues were not erected immediately after the Civil War. Of course, Southern Confederates — a bunch of losers — were too broke to build statues. They were still trying to recover from the devastation of the Civil War. How did they plan to recover? They needed a captive labor force to work their fields, just as enslaved people had before the war. So they ensured quasi-captivity through intimidation. That need was partially responsible for the emergence of the KKK. They inspired fear, suppressed resistance, and, through Black Codes and Jim Crow, engineered the near-re-enslavement of Black people.

Black people who wanted to leave the South after the end of Reconstruction had to do it in the dead of night. Black people, who had land, were often forced to concede it or be killed. The Emergency Land Fund, a now-defunct organization that documented the Black loss of land, indicated that Black folks lost as much as 90 percent of their accumulated land by 1970, at least partially due to trickery and intimidation.

The origins of the wealth gap lie in this

loss of land, and in the intimidation that kept African American people in near-slave status in the South. Confederate statues, flags, and Klan activity appeared wherever there was resistance—during and after the reconstructions, in the 1920s, after the Red Summer of 1919 and the return of Black men from World War I. Again, we saw the rise of this activity, these statues and these flags, in the 1950s as the Civil Rights Movement pushed hard for equality. When people talk about taking “their” streets back, what they really mean is they want Black people (and other people of color) in their place; in their economic place and that place, for them, is subordinate.

So while Confederate statues are falling (not quickly enough—there are more than 700 of these odious symbols still standing), and Confederate flags are waving less frequently, the economic racism the Confederacy established is alive and well. Just ask the young Black couple redlined away from a banking opportunity, or the innocent arrested person who can’t pay bail. Ask the Black student whose loan burden is nearly twice that of her White counterpart, or the Black woman who pays more, and at a higher interest rate, for a car loan.

Sure, we have come a long way since those ugly days of enslavement or stark segregation, but some power comes from the Benjamins.

And, according to some estimates, it will take more than 200 years to close the wealth gap.

The statues may be falling, but economic racism is alive and well.

While I commend Republicans Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, John McCain and so many others for condemning their president for his abject and ugly racism, I wonder if any of them would be so forceful in condemning economic racism, or in advocating for reparations. Absent their willingness to do that, they can earn style points for their remarks, but they do not seem prepared to change the harsh realities of Black life in our country today.

I challenge those who would tear down the statues and take down the flags to show equal zeal in tearing down the walls of economic racism.

Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist and founder of Economic Education. Her podcast, “It’s Personal with Dr. J” is available on iTunes. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available to order at www.juliannemalveaux.com at Amazon.com. Follow Dr. Malveaux on Twitter @ drjlastword.

A Lingering reflection of America’s past: Donald Trump and the new face of dissension of Nebraska for his recent public comments regarding President Donald Trump’s insensitive response to the violent act which took place in Charlottesville, Va. This act, which involved a group of white supremacist demonstrators pushing for the protection and maintaining of Confederate symbols like that of General Robert E. Lee on public land and counter-protestors opposing such a decision, is yet another squandered opportunity for Mr. Trump to publicly challenge the ongoing hatred that is now escalating across America.

The comments coming from Sen. Sasse were nothing new to anyone, especially African Americans and Latinos. However, the fact that they finally came from someone “white” who had enough courage to challenge one of their own – publicly – concerning America’s oldest problem, and the fact Sasse is a Republican too, has sent shockwaves on both sides of the political aisle.

Now, the question of the hour is what the rest of his fellow Republicans (and Democrats too) will do to help move the chess pieces in Washington and in their respective states to mount an effective strategy against a tyrannical President who has lost control of not only his political career, but his mental capacity as well.

While many minorities throughout the United States agree with Sen. Sasse’s Facebook sentiments that “white supremacy and racism are a ‘cancer’ and un-American,” one must also do a lot more than spur feel-good

rhetoric and join hands with people of other ethnic groups to sing “We Shall Overcome” or “We Are The World.” Instead, why not push this president to actually create more than controversy? Since economic conditions are the culprit for most issues ranging from crime to unemployment to homelessness and more, create economic opportunities for all Americans beginning with those who currently lack them. Take action by penalizing companies who waste enormous profits on their ‘Alphabet Boys and Girls’ (CEO’s, CFO’s, COO’s) and their board members who utilize Golden Parachute agreements to acquire riches and turn around and drive companies into the ground before they exit. Create opportunities that increase international trade. Spread the wealth if not the love.

Otherwise, one thing is certain above everything Sen. Sasse mentioned: “violence is coming.” After all, you can only mistreat a dog for so long before it finally retaliates against the hands that have abused it.

Santura Pegram is a freelance writer and the director of Public & Intergovernmental Relations for STS Logistics LLC – Seaport Transportation Services LLC in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. A former protégé-aide to the political matriarch of the State of Florida, Pegram often writes on topics ranging from socially relevant issues to international business to politics.

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