New Atlanta Youth Homeless shelter opens Powered by Real Times Media
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
P. 3
Rickey Smiley celebrity bowling challenge
P.7
Georgians protest electroshock treatment for kids
P.9
Volume 88 • Issue 41
Sasha the Diva:
May 19-25, 2016
‘Blended but Not Broken’ makes family work
May 19-25, 2016
COVER STORY
Sasha the Diva helps blended families live in harmony
By Terry Shropshire From outward appearances, Sasha the Diva, the media personality and TV star and public darling, may have appeared to be living an enviable, prosperous life. But inwardly, the matriarch was standing in a thick puddle of mess. She was looking down at the shards of her shattered life and had no idea —not a clue —as to how to put the pieces of her family life back together. “How did she get here?” she questioned herself. She seemingly had it all: a celebrated and popular radio show host, the star of the nationally syndicated television show “Makeover Manor” on TV One, and she had appeared in movies such as Daddy’s Little Girls and The Gospel. She was the “it” girl. Inwardly, however, her home life had become toxic and it was contaminating everyone and everything within the dwelling. Sasha’s family life was tantamount to a simmering volcano that threatened to erupt at any moment because of the friction between the step-dad and the son. The root of the intra-familial strife emanated when, after years of having a household consisting of just a mother and son, Sasha got married to a strongwilled man who imported into the home his own set of sensibilities, paternal instincts and ideas on how to govern a household. The son, blossoming into a young man, reflexively bucked back and rebelled at the step-father, whom he viewed as an unwanted interloper and hostile intruder into the son’s normal way of life. Thus, it became like a “Cold War” inside Saha the Diva’s household with Sasha caught in the middle, trying to mediate a truce between the two warring factions, who were by this time both battered and bruised emotionally. Sasha may have taken the most hits since she was getting it from both sides. The family was about to implode with no resolution in sight — Sasha deemed it a “living hell” —and this became the basis of Sasha’s poignant memoir, Blended But Not Broken. In walks the esteemed and nationally renowned Iyanla Vanzant, the family expert most famous for her close relationship with Oprah Winfrey and
ADW | 2
the host of the ultra-popular “Fix My Life” on the OWN network. For Sasha, this was the last grasp at hope for saving her marriage and her tattered relationship with her son. The son, who was accustomed to being the only male in the house and the sole object of Sasha’s attention and doting, harbored great resentment at suddenly having to share Sasha’s love, not to mention their house with an alpha male. “My family was going through hell and I was getting ready to get a divorce and I hurt my relationship with my son because of it,” she says unabashedly. The main source of the tumult was, as Sasha surmised, “having to choose between your husband and your child. If you are in the Christian faith, when you take on a husband, you take on a wife. That becomes first because you are to follow the order,” she said. “But being a mother I could not do that. I could not turn my back on my child and that was very, very hard. “I even told my husband, if you make me choose, you will lose,” she recalls regarding ultimatum. “That was very hard.” Sasha said that before “looking in the mirror, we always blame someone else. Why didn’t you do this and why didn’t you do that?” Sasha admits that Vanzant was the first and only person who could get Sasha to finally undergo a painful introspection and take inventory on her own missteps in the family fracas. Vanzant, angelic in tone and voice, yet as strong-willed as a bull, helped open up Sasha’s soul. “We have to look in the mirror and start analyzing self. And I realized that I was the problem and I had caused all the hell between my husband and my child and that [week-long session on “Fix My Life” TV show) was really hard when I realized this.” The healing began because all participating parties were willing to give Iyanla Vanzant a try, most of all Sasha. “Vanzant told me that I had did some things that were inappropriate. And I was like, ‘what do you mean inappropriate?’ And when she started to explain relationship with my son and the things that I was promising to him that I should
have never done and how those things made my son feel a certain way — that’s where all the drama was coming from.” Sasha admits that it was painful to cast blame at herself. “And after all the tears and being mad and wanting to walk away, I realized that she [Vanzant] was right. And she said it straight to my face. I couldn’t hear it from anyone else. I couldn’t hear it from my husband. I couldn’t hear it from my friends. I didn’t want to hear it. But I heard it from her,” she said. Before, Sasha was frightened to even leave her son with her husband alone in the same house when she went to work. Now, the two, who used to curse the air that the other one breathed, now have a relationship that is still improving. This is why Sasha wrote Blended But Not Broken, which she will soon take to New York for three major TV interviews and commence with a national book tour. Sasha wants people to know that blended families can work. “You have to take the time in the beginning before you start walking down the isle with somebody. You have to know who you are as an individual. You have to reach toward an understanding of yourself and your child. That person that you are bringing into your life, you have to ask certain questions, from what their relationship is like with their own children, to their exes, to their financial stability, to what your discipline [is like]. My God, my discipline could be ‘go stand in the corner’ and yours could be ‘lock them up in he basement.’ If you don’t have a conversation and you’ve married this person and blended this person with your child, and he goes to discipline your child and you’re like ‘this is how I discipline.’ And you never even had the conversation. So you have to stop. You have to talk. You have to observe. And you have to make sure it is right for everybody, and you have to put yourself second, and your child comes first. Your child is first.
Atlanta Daily World
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. Publication Number 017255 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Atlanta Daily World, 100 Hartsfield Centre Parkway Suite 500 Atlanta, Georgia 30354 Subscriptions: One Year: $52 Two Years: $85 Forms of Payment: Check, Money Order, VISA American Express, MasterCard MEMBER: Associated Press Atlanta Business League Central Atlanta Progress Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce National Newspaper Publishers Website: www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com Lorraine Cochran General Manager lcochran@realtimesmedia.com
Roz Edward
Managing Editor redward@realtimesmedia.com
Terry Shropshire
Managing Editor / Web Editor tshropshire@realtimesmedia
Juan Sifuentes
Graphic Designer jsifuentes@realtimesmedia.com
Atlanta Daily World is powered by Real Times Media The Atlanta Daily World is not responsible for unsolicited photos, manuscripts, etc., unless return is requested with postage. Address all correspondence to and make checks payable to Atlanta Daily World, rather than to individuals.
Follow Us On Facebook.com/ADWnews Follow us @ADWnews
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
NEWS
Atlanta Youth Homeless Shelter opens new Drop IN Center
On Wednesday, May 11, Covenant House Georgia hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its Community Service Center. The ceremony was open to the public and include remarks by Mayor Kasim Reed, Chairman John Eaves, Dean Sam Candler, Covenant House Board Chair John Ridall and Executive Director Allison Ashe. “Thanks to the Cathedral Antiques Show, we have opened a center for homeless, runaway and trafficked youth to access needed services such as Case Management, GED classes, career workshops, and utilize
our computer lab, says Executive Director Allison Ashe, this center will allow us to build relationships with youth who are not ready to enter our shelter and access the care they need.” The Community Service Center will allow youth ages 16 – 24 to access a place to take a shower, wash their clothes and get new clothes, a bagged lunch and services mentioned above. This is one of many initiatives currently underway to address the problem of youth homelessness in metro Atlanta. Covenant House Georgia is a subsidiary of Covenant House International, the largest, privately funded nonprofit service organization serving homeless young people in the Americas. Covenant House Georgia has been providing food, shelter, counseling, education and vocational training to homeless, runaway and trafficked youth in the Greater Atlanta area since 2000. For more information on special events, accomplishments, services and volunteer opportunities, please visit Covenant House Georgia’s website at www.covenanthousega. org or contact us at 404.589.0163.
May 19-25, 2016
City Council approves purchase of key link to Buckhead trail The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Monday allowing the city to purchase temporary and permanent easements and necessary right-of-way to a 60,000-square-foot linear path at 650 Canterbury Road NE, The city would pay MARTA $176,270 for the property. The path would provide trail users critical and direct access from the Path 400 Trail to from Miami Circle north to the Gordon Bynum bridge at the back of Lenox Square. “We are excited to put in place yet another piece of this important green space project for the City of Atlanta,” said District 6 City Councilmember Alex Wan. “This investment, alongside those also being made by our collaborative partners in this vision, provides further connectivity and amenities for our pedestrians, cyclists, runners and other users of the trail.” “PATH400 is where it is today because of the many partnerships that exist to make it happen,” said Denise Starling, Executive Director Livable Buckhead which is spearheading the project. “The City of Atlanta was one of our founding partners
and continues to be a great supporter. Today’s Council action is just one more demonstration of their commitment and I am very appreciative of their efforts.” The purchase is a partnership with the City of Atlanta, Park Pride and Livable Buckhead. Park Pride and LBI are both contributing $100,000 (each) in addition to the $176,270 is contributing. Several other agencies and organizations are involved in the development of PATH400, including Georgia Department of Transportation, the City of Atlanta, MARTA, Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Unit B, and Trees Atlanta.
Billions later, housing projects remain rundown, dangerous By Drew Johnson, Urban News Service Billions of taxpayer dollars have gone to improve government housing lately, but Jay Owens still lies awake at night holding his daughter while the sounds of gunshots puncture the air. Congress will spend $6.3 billion this year for overhead and maintenance of federal lowincome housing projects. This expense has risen $2 billion annually since President Obama took office. That record amount is atop $4 billion in stimulus funds for capital improvements and energy-efficiency measures at aging public housing facilities in 2009. Despite this growing taxpayer outlay, some occupants of housing projects say their residences remain dilapidated and plagued by gangs and drugs. “My daughter and I hear gunshots almost every night, close to our unit, and there’s major drug use and drug dealing outside the units around here,” said Owens, a tenant of a housing project in the Atlanta suburb of Newnan, Georgia. The projects are a “major drug hub,” according to Owens, and it can be challenging to find a parking space because, “so many drug runners park on my street, they take up all the parking.” Such complaints are common among public-housing dwellers across the country. “I see lots of gang crime,” said Sharon JaffeJohnson, who lives in a Reno, Nevada, project. “I’ve witnessed drunks and fights. A neighbor was just arrested for throwing a potted plant through her neighbor’s front window.” Violence in public housing seems to be ratcheting up. Just last month, 30 alleged gang members were arrested in association with a dozen murders and 24 shootings across several Harlem projects.
The problems in those areas, however, go beyond crime and drugs. “There are run-down units. Poor maintenance is a problem,” Owens said. “There’s trash on the ground even though there are plenty of trash cans.” Despite increased maintenance dollars, Minneapolis’ Glendale public housing facility lacks the insulation necessary to prevent ice from forming inside the units’ windows in the winter, according to a Facebook group fighting for better living conditions. Why do these billions of dollars spent to enhance public housing projects fail to furnish inhabitants safer, healthier and more comfortable environments? Much of that money is wasted, according to taxpayer watchdog David Williams of the Washington, D.C.-based Taxpayers Protection Alliance.
“The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s own inspector general caught local housing authorities that run housing projects wasting millions of dollars that could have gone to improving conditions at the projects,” Williams said. “Tax dollars that should have been used fixing leaky pipes, or insulating drafty windows, or funding efforts to increase public safety were just frittered away. Completely wasted.” Federal inspectors appear to share Williams’ assessment. In one instance, HUD officials determined that Bridgeport, Connecticut’s housing authority wasted $118,000 in federal funds to build, among other things, restrooms and a break room for employees who oversee the housing projects. After completion, however, the new facilities failed to comply with the fire code and were unusable.
The federal government took over three housing authorities in southwest Missouri earlier this year after malfeasance emerged. Due to their close proximity, the housing authorities in the towns of Anderson, Lanagan, and Pineville, Missouri, shared the same staff. HUD determined that those employees failed to maintain low-income housing units adequately. They also misused $240,000 of taxpayers’ money that should have funded renovation projects. Instead, they improperly purchased vehicles and illegally engaged in nobid contracts with friends. “The maintenance man…is my son-in-law,” LeAnn Martin, the executive director of the combined housing authorities, wrote in a 2015 letter to HUD’s inspector general “He has been employed with us for nine years and done an outstanding job.” Martin said that the property was maintained properly. Martin also promised that some of the missing taxpayer-purchased items that evaded inspectors who audited the housing authority’s inventory lists might turn up. “We will be cleaning up the garage and inventorying supplies,” she wrote. “In the near future.” “Clearly, not all of the people in charge of public housing projects have respect for tax dollars or the people who live in the projects,” said Williams, the watchdog. “And that’s heartbreaking because the people living in the projects are low-income Americans who don’t always have the option to move somewhere safer or cleaner or healthier. Where else can they afford to go? Many of them are effectively held hostage and forced to endure dangerous and unhealthy conditions, all because local officials don’t use taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars responsibly.”
3 | ADW
May 19-25, 2016
BUSINESS
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
GDOL co-host Atlanta Career Expo BDPA celebrates appointment of with Mt. Ephraim Baptist top leaders to national board The Georgia Department of Labor will help the City of Atlanta and Mt. Ephraim Baptist Church with the Atlanta Career Expo on Thursday, May 26. The expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Adamsville Recreation Center located at 3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. S.W. Employers and organizations expected to participate in the expo include: AREAS USA, Ark Family Counseling Center, Atlanta Country Club, Avon Products, Brenau University, CCME Training Service, Central Michigan University, Coin Assurance Wireless, Crown Healthcare Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, Exposure Events, Goodwill of North Georiga, Home Is Where The Jobs Are, Krispy Kreme, New Horizons Computer Learning, Primerica, U.S. Air Force and others. The expo will feature a number of
employers, educational institutions, and resource agencies that provide assistance for all job seekers. The employers will be hiring or discussing current and future employment opportunities, while other organizations will provide education and other resources. The expo is free and open to the public. Last year, the event attracted more than 500 job seekers and a number of attendees were hired as a result. Applicants are encouraged to bring a resume and dress appropriately to improve their opportunities for jobs. For more information about the jobs, or to apply online, visit www.employgeorgia.com to create an account and upload or create a resume. Having an Employ Georgia account expedites the interview process.
Commissioner Joan Garner to host 3rd Annual Job Fair ADW Staff Reports The Housing and Community Development Department Workforce Development Division, Fulton County Commissioner Joan P. Garner, District 4, and employers seeking to fill positions will hold their 3rd Annual Job Fair hosted by Joan P. Garner. The annual Job Fair hosted by Commissioner Garner with the support of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners brings employers who are ready to hire within 90 days to job seekers who continue to search for viable employment that will meet their individual and family needs. Applicants searching for employment will also have time to register with Workforce Development to learn of training opportunities and job search resources such as computers and obtain advice on how to develop job search strategies. Workforce Development staff will help them refine their resume writing skills, learn compelling interview strategies to land a second interview or job offer and obtain information on how to dress appropriately when they visit employers to seek work or participate in an interview. Over 500 job seekers attended the 2015 job fair with over 200 job opportunities available. At least 150 applicants received employment. To prepare attendees for success the job fair takes a holistic approach to assisting those who attend by presenting on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 a resume writing seminar will be held at 11:00 a.m., followed by an interview Skills workshop at 1:00 p.m. and a dress for Success workshop at 3:00 p.m. The interviews will take place 10:00am to 2:00pm on June 16th at the Adamsville Regional Health Center, 3700 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30331. For more information, contact Felecia Church, Fulton County External Affairs Department, Communications Division, at 404-612-5570 or 404-713-5995 or Kenneth Fitzgerald, Workforce Development Division at 404-613-6381 Citizens in need of reasonable accommodations due to a disability including
ADW | 4
communications in an alternative format should contact the Disability Liaison in the Housing and Community Development Department at (404) 613-7944 within five days of the event. To obtain Georgia Relay Access, citizens should dial 711. Atlanta ‘s Youth Homeless Shelter Celebrates Ribbon Cutting for New Drop In Center On Wednesday, May 11, 2016, Covenant House Georgia hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its Community Service Center. The ceremony is open to the public and will include remarks by Mayor Kasim Reed, Chairman John Eaves, Dean Sam Candler, Covenant House Board Chair John Ridall and Executive Director Allison Ashe. “Thanks to the Cathedral Antiques Show, we have opened a center for homeless, runaway and trafficked youth to access needed services such as Case Management, GED classes, career workshops, and utilize our computer lab, says Executive Director Allison Ashe, this center will allow us to build relationships with youth who are not ready to enter our shelter and access the care they need.” The Community Service Center will allow youth ages 16 – 24 to access a place to take a shower, wash their clothes and get new clothes, a bagged lunch and services mentioned above. This is one of many initiatives currently underway to address the problem of youth homelessness in metro Atlanta. Covenant House Georgia is a subsidiary of Covenant House International, the largest, privately funded nonprofit service organization serving homeless young people in the Americas. Covenant House Georgia has been providing food, shelter, counseling, education and vocational training to homeless, runaway and trafficked youth in the Greater Atlanta area since 2000. For more information on special events, accomplishments, services and volunteer opportunities, please visit Covenant House Georgia’s website at www.covenanthousega.org or contact us at 404.589.0163.
in Information Technology and leadership. Smith is the recipient of the 2013 Rochester Black Data Processing Associates will NAACP Youth Service award. Smith’s four US appoint America’s top leaders in the Information patents (2 pending), received the 2014 Mayo Technology industry to their National Board Excellence through Teamwork Award and has and National Executive Committee at their served by teaching project management classes 38th Annual National BDPA Technology to junior project managers at Mayo Clinic. Conference and Career Fair, August 10-13, Smith earned both a Bachelor’s and MBA and at the Westin Hotel, 210 Peachtree Street in received a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Smith Atlanta. BDPA’s Career Fair is says that he wants to create free and open to the public. best practices strategies for Well-known as technology content management and best giants, BDPA National Board practices for BDPA chapters. of Directors and National With over 20 years in the Executive Committee IT business, Vincent Shorter members Curtis L. Jenkins, is the Senior Director, North Regional Vice President America IT Supply Chain Lead Northeast; Hayward at Monsanto, a Fortune 500 West,Regional Director leader in global Agricultural Northeast; William M. Sciences. His organization Smith Jr., Regional Director is responsible for delivering Midwest; Vincent Shorter, solutions that help produce Director At Large; and Ashton over $4.5 billion in revenue in Clark, Director At Large, were the seed and crop protection tapped for top leadership business. Reaching the rank of positions in the organization. Mike A. Williams Lieutenant Colonel, Shorter “We are delighted to National BDPA President retired after 20 years of add such a diverse group of talent and thought leadership to our Board. I service in the U.S. Army where he was assigned look forward to working with all of them to to Honduras, Kuwait and several U.S. locations. strengthen our brand, grow our membership, While employed at Monsanto, Shorter earned a and expand our programs,” said Mike A. dual masters’ degree in Business Management Williams, National BDPA President. BDPA and Information Technology Management continues to fulfill its mission and work to from Webster University and a Bachelor of bridge the digital divide by providing career Science degree in Business from California growth opportunities for its members. BDPA State University. Added to his impressive is the largest African American Information credentials is the Chief Information Officer Technology Association in the country and has Certification from the National Defense University in Washington D.C. Ashton Clark is over 40 chapters across the United States. Earning recognition as an IT trailblazer, a Business Process Partner based at the Chicago Curtis L. Jenkins has 20 years of Information headquarters of MillerCoors. Additionally, Technology and business experience. Jenkins Clark serves as an internal IT Consultant for is Director of the Information Technology their revenue management and marketing Program Management Office for Solenis, LLC, functions, as well as Tenth and Blake, the and is responsible for the portfolio of projects company’s Craft and Import division. Clark and demand management for the entire identifies himself with BDPA as one of the enterprise. Jenkins has been an active member thousands of new millennials who are at BDPA’s forefront of shaping S.T.E.M. and leader of the BDPA Philadelphia Chapter since 2002 and served as the Immediate Past opportunities for its members of color. At President in 2008 and 2009. He also served as 13-years old, award winning Clark successfully the Corporate Advisory Council Chairperson launched 24/7Mixtapes.com and UTicketIt. com, an online event registration and for BDPA Philadelphia. Senior manager in the technology practice management service for general admission of Deloitte Consulting LLP and with over 25 events. As a result, he won the 2012 National years of corporate IT experience, Hayward Black MBA Association’s “Whiteboard West is the global leader for Solution Challenge” Business Plan Competition. Quickly Network’s Technical Architecture Practice of rising in the entrepreneur world, Ashton Technology consultants. West provides sales, was recognized by Young, Fabulous & Selfdelivery, and advisory services for Deloitte Employed Magazine as their No. 2 out of the Top Consulting clients. He is also a co-lead in the 20 Young Entrepreneurs in 2011. A member of Deloitte Education Collaborative – an award the 100 Black Men of America Chicago chapter, winning mentor program that pairs Deloitte Clark is also a motivational speaker and mentor professionals with high school students. to young entrepreneurs. With a Bachelor of Serving as an expert in all aspects of technology Arts degree from the University of Illinois at strategy, infrastructure, and architecture, West Urbana-Champaign, Clark is pursuing an MBA leads a staff of certified experts in the areas of degree at Northwestern University’s Kellogg cloud, virtualization, network architecture and School of Management. security and was recognized by the Philadelphia For more information on BDPA’s National Business Journal. Board and National Executive Committee, BDPresident and former Southern Minnesota PA’s 38th Annual National Technology ConferVP of Strategic Planning and teacher of the ence and Free Career Fair, August 10-13, 2016, highly regarded Southern Minnesota High in Atlanta, Ga., or sponsorship opportunities, School Computer Competition team, William contact BDPA info@bdpa.org, www.bdpa.org. M. Smith Jr. is a Senior Project Manager at Mayo Clinic with nearly 20 years of experience ADW Staff Reports
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
TITANS OF INDUSTRY
May 19-25, 2016
Real Times Media and Prudential host Titans of Industry tour
Ed Gordon with Derek Dingle, senior vice president, Black Enterprise magazine. a plan to execute your financial vision,” says Steven A. Davis, former Chairman and CEO of Bob Evans Farms, Inc. “Don’t be afraid to have conversations with people about money,” he added. Which is, by the way, how Real Times Media CEO Hiram Jackson opened the symposium. Having substantive and concrete conversations about money, being proud of making money, and then developing strategies into growing wealth and transferring it to the next generation. To read this article in its entirety please visit atlantadailyworld.com By Terry Shropshire An illustrious body of business connoisseurs conveyed the paramount importance of financial self-sufficiency, inter-generational wealth creation and legacy building to urban sophisticates during Real Times Media’s celebrated “Titans of Industry” six-city tour that stopped in the Capital of the New South. But the raison d’etre for the tour may have been most succinctly crystallized by the powerful and poignant personal testimony of Dorinda Walker that startled the crowd at the W Midtown Hotel. Walker, the current director of consumer strategy and key initiatives, multicultural marketing, for Prudential U.S Businesses, gave this emotionally-penetrating description of her once-precarious living conditions: Walker’s great-grandfather was the quintessential embodiment of the American Dream, an immigrant from St. Kitt (a Caribbean nation) and business savant who owned businesses, a mansion and acquired properties in The Hamptons in the early 20th Century — at a time when such things seemed almost nearly unfathomable and unattainable for most blacks. However, after his death in the 1940s, the family experienced a precipitous fall from financial grace. “By the time my mother was born in 1953, there was no evidence of my greatgrandfather’s legacy,” she said as the stunned audience let out a collective groan. “And his great-granddaughter – me – ended up living in the projects as a teenager. “So it’s really important to me that we have these discussions because we know how to generate wealth” Walker continued. “We know that we should be saving more, spending less, investing and giving back to others. But for some reason, when it comes to intergenerational wealth, we fall short.” This is the reason for the Titans of Industry
colloquium – orchestrated by Real Times Media CEO Hiram Jackson and hosted by esteemed journalist and TV personality Ed Gordon – which is a national tour that seeks to inculcate invaluable financial tools to African American businessmen and women so that we can begin to leverage the trillion-dollarplus gross national income into viable and sustainable wealth. Gordon, most famous for his tenure as host of news and political shows at BET, asked the following questions during the seminar: How does a family like Walkers descend from near aristocracy to abject impoverishment? Why is it that most blacks never develop intergenerational wealth at all? And how do blacks close the financial chasm existing between their white counterparts? Gordon broached the topic of the average gross wealth of blacks vs. their white counterparts, sharing the grotesque statistic from the 2015 African American Financial Experience Prudential that says the average income for the white family is $74,000. “The highest earning black family (on average) is worth only $18,000,” Gordon shared. “Education is probably one of the great equalizers of our day,” said Dr. William Pickard, the Chairman and CEO of Global Automotive Alliance, LLC. “If we can just get that degree, we have a reasonable chance of getting on that train. We must – we must – have more discipline in our community about ‘fake it until you make it.’” Pickard ended his thought with a profound pontification, which most people never give thought to: “The rich teach their children to acquire. Middle class people teach their kids to sell. Poor people teach their kids to consume. And that is the endless spiral that you see generation after generation. So I say education and then being reasonable and then practical about our wants and our needs.” It is monumentally important that you have
Caring for a loved one is a 24/7 job. Families could use a little help.
Find out what we’re doing to support caregivers at aarp.org/caregiving.
www.aarp.org/ga |
facebook.com/AARPGeorgia |
@AARPGA
Paid for by AARP.
5 | ADW
COMMUNITY
May 19-25, 2016
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
Big Brothers Big Sisters celebrates graduating seniors Our annual graduation celebration is particularly special to us at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA), because no other event better embodies everything we work towards from making the initial one-to-one mentoring match between a Big and Little to providing guidance and support on the path to building a strong and trustful friendship between mentor and mentee. The outcome of a strong mentoring match speaks for itself - last year the graduation rate was an incredible 98 percent, and we expect a graduation rate well above 95 percent this year as well. One of this year’s 65 graduating seniors is 17-year-old Stephon whose immediate future plans include attending Clark University, and a possible scholarship from Brandis University. In his letter to nominate his Big Brother Kamal for Big Brother of the Year – a title of which Kamal is extremely deserving of – Stephon wrote: “The constant support he has given me – by coming to all of my home games in both football and lacrosse, attending honor events, and showing up to events that my mother couldn’t attend - has really impacted my life in the best way.”
Stephon’s impactful journey is just one of the several stories that will be shared at the graduation celebration. The event will include a light luncheon, reflections from Bigs, Littles and their families, and of course the all-important commencement ceremony, where graduating Littles will be presented with a special diploma. At BBBSMA we are extremely proud of our graduating Littles who have all turned out to become remarkable young men and women, and we would like for you to be a part of wishing them all the best in their new endeavors. Please RSVP by Friday May 27, 2016 to Mikkel.Hyldebrandt@ bbbsatl.org or call 404.601.7062.
Kenny Leon’s Celebrity
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016
Noni Ellison Southall W.W. Grainger, Inc Golf & Gala Co-Chair
f l g o& la ga
Terri J. Vaughn Nina Holiday Entertainment Golf & Gala Co-Chair
Charmaine Ward Georgia-Pacific Golf & Gala Co-Chair
Celebrity Golf Tournatment Bear’s Best Atlanta Registration 7am Shotgun 9am
Gals on the Greens Ladies Golf Clinic Regisration 11am Start Time 12pm Lunch & Awards Reception
Star Studded Gala Millennium Gate Museum Cocktails, Dinner, Live Auction Cocktail Attire 7pm-11pm
For more information, please visit www.biddingforgood.com/KLTrueColorsGolfGala or contact LaTeshia Ellerson at lellerson@truecolorstheatre.org
ADW | 6
Atlanta Father’s Day Celebration at Georgia Railroad Freight Depot Art Terrell radio personality on Kiss 104.1 FM and WSB TV 2 personalities, will serve as master of ceremonies as a diverse representation of men and women cooks from communities across Atlanta join local celebrities, politicians, and other dignitaries on Sunday, June 19 at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot for year two of Family Food Fest, Atlanta’s premiere multicultural Father’s Day celebration. “Family Food Fest Atlanta was created to offer an annual multicultural, family-oriented experience where local men and women can come together to show off their cooking skills, raise money for local charities, and celebrate strong father’s,” says event manager, Diane Larche´. “We are extremely excited about our second year after launching this spectacular event last year at the Georgia Aquarium. We are the same team that produced a similar father’s day celebration for 14 years in Atlanta. In addition to an opportunity to sample an assortment of dishes prepared by professional and self-proclaimed master chefs from all walks of life, the three-hour charity event will feature a health pavilion, a kid’s zone and live musical performances featuring various genres. There will be a silent auction and give-aways that include a stay at Breezes Resort & Spa in Nassau Bahamas, and round trip airline tickets on Southwest Airlines. Professional Chefs on hand to flaunt their culinary skills for the occasion include Chef Idris Muhammad, at the Commerce Club,; Chef Keith Kash, Who’s Got Soul Southern Café and Café 55 at Atlanta City Hall; Chef Jermaine Bethea; Todd Jones “the Donutologists who won peoples choice award last year and Mixologist Tokiwa Sears who will
do nonalcoholic beverage demos. “There is still time for men and women to sign on to showcase their cooking skills and be a part of the celebration- you don’t have to be a professional chef either,” said Kevin Ashford, spokesman for Family Food Fest Atlanta. “Also, this is not only a fun and tasty charity event celebrating fatherhood Congressman Hank Johnson, (D-GA); Congressman John Lewis, (D-GA); Roger Bobb, Bobbcat Films; Santiago Marquez, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce COO, Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves and Commissioner Marvin Arrington, Dekalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, are among the honorary chairs. Orientation for cooks, chefs, caterers and restaurants and volunteers is Saturday, May 21 at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot from 1-2 p.m. RSVP to Famfoodfestcooks@gmail.com or call 404 344-6594. Kareoke Night with Nancy’s Pizza Camp Creek is Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. Family Food Fest Atlanta sponsors include: Kiss 104.1 FM, Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power, MARTA, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Walmart, Waffle House, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Signal Outdoor, Upscale Magazine, Urban Lux Magazine and Sheen Magazine, Orientation for cooks, chefs, caterers and restaurants and volunteers is Saturday, May 21 at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot from 1-2 p.m. RSVP to Famfoodfestcooks@gmail.com or call 404 344-6594. Kareoke Night with Nancy’s Pizza Camp Creek is Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. For more information visit www.familyfoodfestatlanta.com call 404 344-6594, or email familyfoodfestatlanta@gmail.com
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
ENTERTAINMENT
May 19-25, 2016
Marlon Wayans lands NBC prime time show By Terry Shropshire Another member of the Wayans comedy dynasty is headed to prime time television. Marlon Wayans, the youngest brother of one of the most successful comedy families of all time, has ironically landed a family comedy, NBC’s “Marlon.” “Loosely inspired by the real life of star Marlon Wayans, this update to the classic family comedy centers on a loving Marlon — season pilot (but immature) father committed to co-parenting his two kids with his very-together exwife. While his misguided fatherly advice, unstoppable larger-than-life personality and unpredictable Internet superstardom might get in the way sometimes, for Marlon family really always does come first — even if he’s
the biggest kid of all,” reports Deadline. Wayans will be joined on the show with Essence Atkins (“Smart Guy”), Notlim Taylor (“Disney’s My Princess Makeover”), Amir O’Neil (“White Water”), Bresha Webb (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Diallo Riddle (“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”). Christopher Moynihan serves as writer and will executive produce with Wayans, Rick Alvarez, Michael Rotenberg and pilot director Andy Ackerman. In 1990, the Wayans family along with Marlon skyrocketed to national fame via the comedy show, “In Living Color.” The show made Marlon’s older brothers, mainly Keenan Ivory and Damon, household names and launched the careers of David Alan Grier, Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey and
Jamie Foxx, After the show ended four years later, Wayans went on to star in the cartoon series “Waynehead,” “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” and “The Wayans Bros” and hit the jackpot in the theaters with blockbuster movies “Mo Money,” “White Girls” and the ultra-successful “Scary Movie” franchise, the highest-grossing black comedy of all time, which also starred and produced by he and his brothers. Marlon Wayans, 43, currently serves as executive producer and host of “Funniest Wins,” a competition TV show where contestants are picked from every genre of comical entertainment. The run date has yet to be announced. Stay tuned.
Rickey Smiley Celebrity Bowling Challenge with Porsha Williams, Karlie Redd, Da Brat
By Terry Shropshire Very few people are able to combine the goofy and ridiculous with a serious subject matter. In this manner, Rickey Smiley is a direct descendant of Tom Joyner in that he puts on popping parties that have a very real and direct purpose for uplifting individuals and providing opportunities in the communities of Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala., his hometown, as well as the rest of the country. The Rickey Smiley Foundation hosted a celebrity bowling challenge in suburban Atlanta that featured the likes of Porsha Stewart, Da Brat, HeadKrack, Gary With da Tea, Karlie Redd, Demetria McKinney, Meelah Williams, Ed Lover, Tameka Foster, the Atlanta Dream
of the WNBA, and many others. The bowling tournament was taped for TV One’s hit docu-series “Rickey Smiley or Real,” which airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on TV One.
7 | ADW
EDUCATION
May 19-25, 2016
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
DeKalb Lawyer’s Annual Suzanne Shank delivers Georgia Piedmont Scholarship Breakfast Technical College’s commencement address features Billy Murphy By Zaundra Brown
On Saturday, May 21 at 9 a.m. at the Lou Walker Senior Center located at 2538 Panola Rd. in Lithonia, the DeKalb Lawyers Association will host its Annual Scholarship Breakfast. This year’s guest speaker will be the Honorable Judge William “Billy” Murphy, Jr. from Baltimore, Maryland who represented the family of Freddie Gray who died in police custody on April 12, 2015. TV/Radio Personality, Rashan Ali will host the event and there will be a special musical performance by Judge William “Billy” world renowned Saxophonist, Ryan Murphy, Jr. Kilgore. Judge Murphy is the founder and senior partner of Murphy, Falcon & Murphy in Baltimore, Maryland. Murphy has practiced for 42 years and has long been a pioneer in drawing public attention to the history of injustice toward African-Americans. He has appeared on national news outlets and was featured as himself on HBO’s The Wire. Tickets are $35 and proceeds will assist in providing scholarships to deserving law students. To purchase tickets go to www.dekalblawyersassociation.org.
Dr. Jabari Simama, President, Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) is pleased to announce Ms. Suzanne Shank, Chairwoman, CEO & Co-Founder of Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C., one of the nation’s top municipal bond underwriting firms, will be the college’s 2016 Spring Commencement Speaker. The commencement ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., will be held at Georgia World Congress Center (in the Georgia Ballroom), 285 Andrew Young International Boulevard, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Ms. Shank is the first AfricanAmerican female to lead a publiclytraded financial institution, and is in high demand as a financial expert who is well respected on Wall Street. As a founding partner of Siebert Brandford Shank, this native Georgian has watched the firm grow from a start-up organization to a major powerhouse. Her firm has completed over $2 trillion in municipal, corporate bond and equity transactions—have any of them been in Georgia or for Georgia-based firms. Shank’s reputation as an industry leader has led to broadcast interviews on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Wall Street Week. “We are delighted to have Suzanne Shank as this year’s
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
2016 Spring Commencement Announcement
Commencement Speaker,” stated Dr. Simama. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be inspirational to our students and guests. Ms. Shank is a trailblazer and one who is committed to giving back to students in particular. We are pleased she has accepted our invitation to share her insight with our 2016 graduates.” “I am honored to have been invited to serve as Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s 2016 Commencement Speaker,” stated Suzanne Shank. “I am impressed with the high standards and quality of education the students receive at this institution. This student-centered college is preparing their graduates to succeed in a rapidly changing, global economy. I commend the students, faculty and staff of Georgia Piedmont Technical College, and I look forward to joining them in for this very momentous occasion,” she continued. As an advocate for education, she serves on the advisory board to the President at the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as the Graduate Board of Trustees for The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Shank holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech and an MBA from The Wharton School. With over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, she is certain to deliver an inspirational and enlightening address. The event is open to the public.
2 APS students receive college degrees before high school graduation By Sheila Tenney
Dr. Jabari Simama, President
and The Board of Directors of Georgia Piedmont Technical College with The Board of Trustees of the Georgia Piedmont Technical College Foundation
Invite you to attend our
2016 Spring Commencement Saturday, the Twenty-first Day of May, Two Thousand Sixteen at
Ten o’clock in the morning Ms. Suzanne Shank, Keynote Speaker Founding Partner, Siebert Brandford Shank & Company at the
Georgia World Congress Center
285 Andrew Young International Boulevard, N.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Equal Opportunity Institution
ADW | 8
On Friday, May 6, two Atlanta Public School high school seniors from Maynard Jackson High School received associates degrees from Atlanta Metropolitan State College about three weeks before the students graduate high school. One of the two students is Maynard Jackson High School Valedictorian, Ms. Taylor Dalton who graduated with two associate degrees, one in pre- engineering and the other in Mathematics. Ms. Dalton will be entering Georgia Tech as a junior in August. Ms. Nuri Omolara received an associate degree in pre-engineering and will be attending North Carolina A&T University in August as a junior majoring in Engineering. The students, were able to earn both high school diplomas and college degrees at the same time due to their participation in the state‘s Move on When Ready, Dual Enrollment Program. “We are very proud of the outstanding Dual Enrollment programs that are byproducts of the excellent collaborative relationships Atlanta Metropolitan State College has with the Atlanta Public School System. More than 250 high school students are currently enrolled in these programs. AMSC has a special purpose Pre-Engineering Dual Enrollment Program at Maynard Jackson High School that is part of a collaborative
relationship that AMSC has with Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), stated AMSC President, Gary McGaha. The Move on When Ready (MOWR) program provides for students who are dual credit enrolled at a participating eligible public or private high school, or home study program in Georgia, and a participating eligible postsecondary institution in Georgia. These students take postsecondary coursework for credit towards both high school graduation or home study completion and postsecondary requirements. Atlanta Metropolitan State College has very strong baccalaureate degree programs in the STEM disciplines of Biological Science (a pipeline for the health professions of Medicine and Dentistry) and in Applied Mathematics. Ninety-five percent of the full-time faculty who teach in these disciplines have Ph.D.’s in their teaching disciplines. AMSC also has baccalaureate degree programs in Digital Media & Entertainment Design, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, a joint Bachelor’s Program on the AMSC campus in Teacher Education with Kennesaw State University and an online program in Educational Leadership. For more information regarding Gerogia’s Move On When Ready, Dual Enrollment Program contact your local school‘s guidance counselor or visit www.atlm.edu.
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
LIFESTYLE
Atlanta protests against electroshock treatment and drugs for children
May 19-25, 2016
Unwed dads fight for fathers’ rights By Grant Clark, Urban News Service
ADW Reports Hundreds of marchers for children’s rights were out in force today against an American Psychiatric Association meeting being held in Atlanta. Protesters from the NAACP, Nation of Islam, and Concerned Black Clergy joined Citizens Commission on Human on Rights and survivors of psychiatric abuse to oppose the APA’s recent proposal to the FDA to reclassify electroshock devices—that deliver up to 460 volts of electricity through the brain—into the same risk category as powered wheelchairs and hearing aids and to include their use on children. Shock survivor Evelyn Scogin spoke about devastating memory loss and the end of her teaching career after receiving roughly 35 ECT treatments over a 6-month period. I experienced much more than “slight memory loss,” Scogin said. “I didn’t recognize my best friends.” Not having a strong support network, and trusting her doctors, Scogin said she “lacked the insight to stop the treatments.” While many Americans are unaware that 100,000 people in the country are electroshocked every year, Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), the mental health watchdog that organized the march, says reducing the ECT device risk category could put tens of thousands of children at risk of being damaged from electroshock. ECT device manufacturers have never provided the FDA the required clinical trials to prove its safety and effectiveness. Despite this, the American Psychiatric Association claims that ECT should be given to children who are “treatment resistant” (drugs failed to work). Antidepressants are still widely prescribed for children and adolescents despite the FDA warning that they may cause suicide in children. Eight million American children are on psychotropic drugs, many of whom will get worse and be labelled “treatment resistant.” The idea that they may be electroshocked as an alternative is abhorrent to the parents and others marching in today’s protest. “This is unconscionable to even consider doing this to a child,” says Dr. Linda Lagemann, a clinical psychologist who retired after 23 years in practice. “Someone’s getting rich and someone’s getting hurt. This really must be stopped.” According to the FDA, ECT can cause physical trauma (including fractures, contusions, injury from falls, dental and oral injury), prolonged seizures or delayed onset seizures and complications, including heart attack and even death. Other significant risks include temporary or permanent memory loss, confusion and cognitive dysfunction. Georgia State Senator Donzella James, speaking at the press conference following the march, called for state legislation to ban the use of ECT on children. She said Georgia’s provisions to protect children and others from ECT were grossly insufficient
and cited a World Health Organization recommendation to governments that: “There are no indications for the use of ECT on minors, and hence this should be prohibited through legislation.”1 Francys Johnson, President of NAACP Georgia said, “NAACP fully supports a ban on electroshock for children, especially children of color, who have already suffered enough at the hands of psychiatry.” Joining Senator James was Congressman Dan Burton (IN) who said the risk of children being electroshocked was of such concern that he came to Atlanta to speak out about this and his opposition to the APA’s push to reduce the risk classification of the ECT device. Burton has long fought for parental and children’s rights, helping spearhead the passage of the Federal 2004 “Prohibition on Mandatory Medication Amendment” prohibiting children being forced onto psychotropic drugs as a requisite for their schooling. He said: “State and Federal governments need to intervene and prevent this current FDA and APA initiative to make the ECT device low risk and available as a treatment for children. This is already a $1.2 billion a year industry and it is incumbent upon the FDA to protect consumers and families from making it a more profitable one at the expense of people’s safety.” In a candid and emotional presentation at the conference, both legislators spoke of the devastating effects of ECT on their own family members. They were joined by a gentleman named Ken (last name withheld), who was given 30 ECT treatments in one year at the age of 21. “People talk about the memory loss, which is a problem,” he said, “But it also hurts your ability to build relationships, to trust, because you’ve been betrayed.” Senator James and Congressman Burton plan to participate in a public hearing on the issue to be held by CCHR on Sunday, May 15, 2 pm at the Hyatt House Atlanta, 431 Marietta St.
U.S. Army Specialist Christopher Carlton is passionate about two areas of service in his life: his country and his family. But when the soldier shipped out for a tour of duty in the Middle East in early 2010, he had no idea his toughest — and most traumatic — battle would play out after he returned from the war. For the past six years, the 33-year-old veteran from Williamsport, Pennsylvania has been fighting what feels like a losing battle for a father’s rights to his biological child, who was given up for adoption without his knowledge or consent. Today, because of adoption policies that often value the rights of birth mothers above those of unwed fathers, Carlton is left financially and emotionally exhausted, and no closer to learning any details about his daughter, let alone being a part of her life. “It’s just devastating,” Carlton said of the legal ordeal. “I’m extremely stressed, I’ve probably aged myself eight to 10 years over this.” For the war vet surviving on disability benefits, the salt in the wound is the fact that it began with a painful lie: his former girlfriend told him the baby had died while she secretly arranged for the infant to be adopted in Utah. Carlton and his girlfriend were living together in Williamsport when she told him she was expecting his baby in September 2009. He said he intended to raise the child with her. The couple split up a few months later, but Carlton said he continued to support her with cash gifts and other help, such as shoveling snow for her. “Eight months into her pregnancy, she just up and disappeared,” Carlton said. “I was calling her like crazy. I thought she was missing.” She showed up at his door just six weeks later with news that sickened him: the baby had died. A full year passed before Carlton discovered, during a court hearing, that his child was alive and living with adoptive parents, following legal proceedings in Utah. A ruling in the Utah Supreme Court case of Carlton v. Brown, filed in 2014, confirmed that Carlton’s then-girlfriend, unbeknownst to him, traveled to Utah and gave birth. She initially told him the baby was a boy. She later admitted in a hearing, according to court records, that the baby boy was, in fact, a live girl, whom she had given up for adoption. But despite the evidence that he was misled, a judge denied his petition contesting the adoption. Utah’s adoption policy is that a child is better off with an unfamiliar married couple than with a single biological parent. And a “fraud immunity” statute in state adoption law means that if someone is found guilty of lying during an adoption, it still cannot be overturned. State adoption authorities say they have no position on this provision, other than to obey the law. In Utah, mothers unilaterally can offer babies for adoption if their fathers fail to meet a series of criteria within 20 days of an adoption notice. The Utah Supreme Court ruling confirms Carlton’s statement that he was not approached for his consent to the adoption because he failed to take a little-known legal step: signing a father’s registry that ensures his right to be notified of any legal proceedings involving the child. Carlton is far from alone: many unwed fathers across America fight for their rights in states where policies are skewed against them. Carlton was one of a group of 12 fathers who launched a 2014 class action federal lawsuit demanding $130 million in damages and challenging the constitutionality of Utah’s adoption statute. All the plaintiffs, like Carlton, had said under oath that they had seen babies, whom they wanted to help raise, offered for adoption without their permission. The suit was dismissed last fall, but the fathers’ individual battles continue. Rob Manzares, a contractor with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, also has spent six years — and some $330,000 in legal costs — fighting for custody of a daughter who secretly was offered for adoption. “I’m not going to give up,” Manzares said. “If I have to go to the U.S. Supreme Court, I will.” Manzares, however, has seen some success. After taking his fight to the Utah Supreme Court, he was awarded visitation rights to his child. Carlton, on the other hand, knows virtually nothing about his daughter — where she is, with whom, how she looks, or even what her name is.
9 | ADW
May 19-25, 2016
AUTO FOR SALE AUCTION July 23 2016 at 7am Ride Now Auto Repair 1581 Lester Road Conyers GA 30012. 2001 Ford Taurus SES over 208 thousand miles needs transmission and other repairs. We will take the highest biding price. Phone 404-524-7147. No title 1996 Honda Accord V6, over 227 thousand miles. Needs transmission and major repairs. We will take the highest biding price. No title.
It pays to advertise in the Atlanta Daily World.
Contact ADW sales representative at
678-515-2053 or lcochran@realtimesmedia.com Atlanta Daily World for the advertisment results you are looking for.
CLASSIFIEDS
ATLANTA DAILY WORLD – Pick Up Locations
Subscribe for 2 Years and Save!
How to place a Classified Ad
RATES: Mail Subscription Rates (Check one) 1 Year for $52 2 Years for $85
ONLINE: www.atlantadailyworld.com
PAYMENT: Check, Money Order, American Express, MasterCard or VISA Name: City:
MAIL: ATLANTA DAILY WORLD 100 Hartsfield Centre Parkway Suite 500 Atlanta, GA 30354 EMAIL: lcochran@realtimesmedia.com
Address: State:
Zip:
Phone:
TELEPHONE: 678-515-2053 PAYMENT: Cash, check, or credit card DEADLINE: Every Tuesday, 12:00 pm (noon)
Email: CLIP AND MAIL: ATLANTA DAILY WORLD 100 Hartsfield Centre Parkway, Suite 500 Atlanta, Georgia 30354
ADW | 10
Atlanta Library - 1116 Martin L King Dr Shell Service Station - 1720 Martin L King Dr M L K Coin Laundry - 2860 Martin L King Dr African Braid - 3050 Martin L King Dr Adamville Rec Center - 3201 Martin L King Dr Adamville Library - 3424 Martin L King Dr Shummy - 3550 Martin L King Dr Linda’s Cleaners - 3565 Martin L King Dr Yasin - 3641 Martin L King Dr Washington Park - 101 Ollie Street Washington Tennis Center - 102 Ollie Street 100 Black Men of Atlanta - 241 Peachtree Street Executive Shoe Shine - 241 Peachstreet Kanley Restaurant - 75 Piedmont Road Citizen Trust Bank - 75 Piedmont Road Post Office - 576 Piedmont Road PUBLIX - 595 Piedmont Road Playmaker Barber - 270 Ponce De Leon Eats - 600 Ponce De Leon Borders - 650 Ponce De Leon Kroger - 725 Ponce De Leon Dugus - 777 Ponce De Leon PUBLIX - 1007 Ponce De Leon Merkerson’s Fish Market - 740 Ralph D Albernathy Blvd SW Scott Library - 1917 Candler Road Gutbusters - 2107 Candler Road CVS - 2458 Candler Road Gene Package - 2538 Candler Road Gene Laundrymat - 2538 Candler Road Big Men Package - 2594 Candler Road Dramatic Design - 2701 Candler Road Music Media - 2701 Candler Road Amber Bristo - 3910 Flat Shoel Parkway Master Barber - 3910 Flat Shoel Parkway T Nails - 3665 Flat Shoel Parkway Kroger - 2875 N Decatur Road PUBLIX - 2155 N Decatur Road Kroger - 3108 Briar Hill Road Post Office - 3104 Briar Hill Road Up Sweep Beauty Salon - 3649 Flakes Mills Road PUBLIX - 3655 Flakes Mills Road Mo Better Restaurant - 3927 Flat Shoals Parkway Barber Shop - 3929 Flat Shoals Parkway PUBLIX - 3870 N Druid Hills Road Helen S. Mills Multi Purpose Facility - 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. SE Healthful Essance - 875 York Avenue NW Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Auburn Avenue Library - 101 Auburn Avenue The Apex Museum - 135 Auburn Avenue Silver Barbershop - 392 Auburn Avenue Auburn Cleaners - 388 Auburn Avenue McGhee Tennis Center - 820 Beecher Street Big Daddy - 3085 Campbellton Avenue Nail Spot - 589 Cascade Road Kroger - 590 Cascade Road Stylistic Hair Salon - 590 Cascade Road Shear Barber Shop - 590 Cascade Road Cascade Nail - 590 Cascade Road Spark Unisex - 591 Cascade Road Ethnic Braid - 593 Cascade Road China Cafereria - 609 Cascade Road Cascade Grill - 1053 Cascade Road CVS - 2237 Cascade Road Big Daddy - 2284 Cascade Road Frills Hair Salon - 2290 Cascade Road Dream Wings - 2292 Cascade Road Louisana Seafood - 2298 Cascade Road Hans Express - 2345 Cascade Road J R Cricket - 2348 Cascade Road Kroger - 3425 Cascade Road Papa John’s - 3425 Cascade Road Atlanta Fulton Library - 3665 Cascade Road PUBLIX - 3695 Cascade Road Pak Mail Center - 3695 Cascade Road Tire Plus - 3735 Cascade Road Kaiser Permante - 1175 Cascade Parkway Dixie News - 13 Decatur Street Chanterelles - 646 Evans Street Baltimore Crab - 1075 Fairburn Road Trends Barber Shop - 1075 Fairburn Road LT’S - 1270 Fairburn Road Mr Abdullai - 2377 Fairburn Road Ben Hill Rec Center - 2405 Fairburn Road The Barber Shop - 2841 Greenbrair Pkwy The Herb Shop - 2841 Greenbrair Pkwy Le Nails - 2841 Greenbrair Pkwy Salon Culture - 2841 Greenbrair Pkwy Medu Book Store 2841 Greenbrair Pkwy Citgo Service Station - 2995 Headline Drive Master Beauty Supply - 3031 Headline Driver Mr Everything - 870 Martin L King Dr Key Low Cut Barber Shop - 876 Martin L King Dr The Beauty Beauty Industry - 901 Martin L King Dr Advance Tax Service - 903 Martin L King Dr Citizen Trust Bank - 965 Martin L King Dr
Credit Card#:
Call to place your classified ad
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
ADW is Publishesed Every Thursday
RATES: Open Classified Advertising Rates $25.00 for four lines . Additional lines $5.50 each. A line consist of 26 characters including spaces and punctuation. All rates listed above apply to line ads. DISPLAY ADS: Contact 678-515-2053 or lcochran@realtimesmedia.com
We Accept...
VIEWPOINTS
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
May 19-25, 2016
GUEST COMMENTARY
GUEST COMMENTARY
by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
by Julianne Malveaux
The power of the black press Whenever there is a steady series of public questions being raised about the “power” of black Americans, you should always first consider the motive and purpose of the questions. Such was the case when Richard Prince wrote a column, which was posted on The Root, titled, “Is the Black Press Still Powerful?” Of course, the answer is “yes,” What was the underlying motive for this question being asked? There is a larger contextual reality that also needs to be considered. The truth is that during past year, there has been a consistent series of so-called “mainstream” news articles, editorials, and blogs that have questioned the relevance, power and legitimacy of black-owned businesses and institutions. In addition, during this same time period, the effectiveness and contemporary purpose of our traditional civil rights organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) have been called into question. A few months ago the New York Times published a story that questioned whether Howard University and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were still relevant and worthy of continued existence. It is not a mere coincidence that some of these news articles and blogs are being written again by supposedly “well-intentioned” African Americans. We certainly support and defend the right to freedom of the press and the right of all people to express themselves. Of course, the press has the right to be wrong. With that right, however, goes a responsibility not to distort the truth. This is not about neither freedom of the press nor freedom of speech. This is about the issue of racism and its proclivity to define and question reality. This is about the fact that we still live in a society that continues to be undergirded by the ideology of white supremacy that presupposes the false notion of black inferiority. And as long as that is the case, there will be a need for powerful black institutions. The black church is powerful. The black press is powerful. HBCUs are powerful. The NAACP and SCLC are still needed. While we have made considerable progress in the last 50 years, we still have not overcome racism
Malia Obama goes to Harvard, Fox fans call her ‘monkey’
and its negative impact on black America. And that fact is sometimes conveniently overlooked by black journalists who work for such White-owned outlets such as the Washington Post and The Root. For me and my codefendants in the civil rights case known worldwide as the Wilmington Ten, this is a personal matter when someone takes issue with the presentday “power” of the black press. In 1972, the Wilmington Ten were unjustly sentenced to a combined total of 282 years in prison in the state of North Carolina. We were falsely accused and wrongly convicted of arson and conspiracy to assault charges doing a 1971 racial riot over public school desegregation in Wilmington. A little more than a year ago, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the Black Press USA, launched an effective national campaign to get an official “Pardon of Innocence” for the Wilmington Ten. For more than 40 years, many in the established media in the U.S. had published articles about the alleged “guilt” of the Wilmington Ten. In fact, the New York Times published a story in the late 1970s under the headline: “The Case Against the Wilmington Ten.” By the end of 2012, however, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue agreed with the NNPAled effort as she issued an unprecedented Pardon of Innocence to each member of the Wilmington Ten. Gov. Perdue courageously stated, “This was a case of naked racism.” We are very grateful to all of the black newspaper publishers and writers throughout the United States. Let’s us never underestimate the enduring value and respect of all our black-owned businesses and institutions. Of course, we always open to constructive criticism and recommendations concerning how to strengthen the economic status of the businesses that are vital to our forward progress. However, it would be a tragic error to assume that because we now have a black American as president of the United States, there is no longer a need to sustain the very institutions, organizations and businesses that have contributed so much to our progress. We all should be more supportive of the black press, black church, HBCUs, Editor’s Note: This editorial is being repeated due to its ongoing relevance.
Powered by Real
Times Media
Volume 88 • Issue 24
www.AtlantaDailyWorld .com
Malia Obama deserves congratulations. Admitted to Harvard University, she has decided to take a gap year, a mature choice that many students make when they want a break between intense and competitive studies and college. This is a great time for her to take a gap year. After these eight years in the White House as a “first daughter,” she now has a chance to enjoy life and pursue some of her non-academic interests. She speaks fluent Spanish, so perhaps she’ll take some time to travel to Mexico, Cuba, or Spain. She is interested in television and film, so perhaps she’ll work as a production assistant (or even a commentator) on a television program. She may be interested enough in politics to volunteer for some down-ticket candidate. Imagine the boost she could give to California Attorney General Kamala Harris in her Senate race this fall! It is going to be interesting to see how this young woman’s life unfolds. In reaction to Malia’s good news, the racists are out in full force. According to the website AddictingInfo.org, the Fox crew was so vitriolic that Fox had to close down a page due to the volume and negative comments regarding her announcement. The content of the messages hardly deserves reprint, but it is no surprise that the beautiful young lady was called a “monkey,” not to mention the “N-word” and worse. She was admitted because of affirmative action, several wrote. Every stereotype one can imagine was heaped on this young woman. Come on, people! Malia Obama won’t be 18 until July 4. She’s a kid. Dislike President Obama and his wife, Michelle, if you want to. Call them names. I am sure that by now, ugly name-calling affects them as much as water rolling off a duck’s back. But it is especially vile for racist haters to direct such ire to a young woman, who is really just a girl. Perhaps some feel she has no right to innocence because she lives in the White House. But it’s heartbreaking to bear witness to the venom this young lady has attracted. While it is heartbreaking it is hardly surprising. Hatred seems to be the winning ticket in our nation. That Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president is frightening. He won by dominating a large and crowded field, winning primaries
DFCS offers retroactiv e food stamps P. 3
Jada Pinkett Smith’s Oscar boycott
P. 6
and delegates when some thought he had little chance and even less organization. He’s thrown more than $30 million of his own money into this race, so far, and is likely to spend millions more even as he begins to stump for contributions. His winning platform has been to insult any and everyone, from Mexicans (“rapists”), Muslims (moratorium on entering the country), his opponents (Lying’ Ted, Little Marco, and more), Hillary Clinton (Crooked Hillary, “screeching” Hillary, playing the “woman card”), to all the women he has insulted (taking swipes on everything from their looks to their bodily functions). The “Stop Trump” movement was too little, too late. Apparently, the plurality (not majority) of primary voters want a blustering, bullying, braggart to lead our nation. And judging from the abhorrent comments Malia Obama’s success has garnered, there are many who would emulate Mr. Trump with his vile meanness. How has meanness and racial resentment become the order of the day? Whatever happened to civility? What happened to the adage that if you have nothing kind to say, say nothing? What happened with being glad for a young person who has been admitted to college? W Republicans don’t own a monopoly on meanness. I was appalled that Secretary Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders went after each other like mortal enemies, shouting over each other, bandying hostile accusation, and generally behaving as if they were auditioning to lead the Republican Party in style, if not content, when they last debated. They’ve both calmed down, perhaps realizing that they have much more in common than not. Indeed, Hillary Clinton owes Bernie Sanders a “thank you.” His candidacy has appropriately pushed her to the left, especially on issues of economic justice, and made her a much better candidate. I don’t ever want to hear the word “post-racial” again. Comments directed toward Malia Obama suggest that our nation is pre-civilized, not post anything. The hate directed at a young woman, and the hateful rhetoric that has characterized the Trump campaign are two sides of the same coin.
Atlanta Dream presents reading initiative P.9
Georgia’s firefi h t over assault weapogns
January 21-27,
2016
11 | ADW
May 19-25, 2016
ATLANTA DAILY WORLD
www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com
Atlanta Daily World for the advertisment results you are looking for. , 2016
May 5-11
com ailyWorld.
ia
s Med by Real Time
ntaD www.Atla
f A culture og: concealin Blacks and mental illness
Powered
Volume
e 39 88 • Issu
Contact ADW sales representative at 678-515-2053 or lcochran@realtimesmedia.com ADW | 12