Chicago Crusader 06/28/14 E-Edition

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Blacks Must Control Their Own Community

To To The The Unconquerable Unconquerable Host Host of of Africans Africans Who Who Are Are Laying Laying Their Their Sacrifices Sacrifices Upon Upon The The Editorial Editorial Altar Altar For For Their Their Race Race Audited by

•C•P•V•S•

VOLUME LXXIV NUMBER 10—SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

PUBLISHED SINCE 1940

25 Cents and worth more

Minister may be in hotter water Admits adultery but investigation reveals financial woes and questionable ties

By J. Coyden Palmer A Crusader investigation has uncovered a questionable financial background of a prominent South Side minister who is scheduled to open a charter school in Chatham this fall and who is a key political ally of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Rev. Charles Jenkins, pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, on Easter Sunday admitted to his congregation that he had an eight-year extramarital affair, according to several members of his congregation. He has been reticent however, to divulge his personal financial discretions to his congregation, reportedly.

The Crusader discovered two foreclosure suits filed in Cook County against Jenkins and his wife Tara in 2011 and two federal tax liens filed against Jenkins in the amount of $40,912 in 2004 and again for $41,431 in 2011.

Earlier this month the FBI raided 19 campuses of Concept Schools in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Concept is based in suburban Des

Plaines and is in direct partnership with Jenkins for a Chatham charter school to be opened this fall, which will be located at the old Ultra Sheen plant at 8522 S. Lafayette.

Court records indicate Jenkins and his wife Tara Jenkins took out a mortgage on a South Loop condominium at 1235 S. Prairie on July 20, 2006 with an original debt owed of

$467,875. There was no mortgage payment on the property from Aug. 1, 2010 through June 24, 2011, according to the suit. The prin(Continued on page 3)

THE FORMER HOME of Ultra Sheen is set to become a charter school in Chatham. But the Crusader has discovered some questionable financial practices by Charles Jenkins.

Civil rights bill was only part of the solution

By Glenn Reedus When President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the historic Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964, the 20th Century had not given America its first African-American governor; no major U.S. city had a Black mayor; and network television’s first African-American anchor was five years away from sitting behind the news desk.

LBJ’s epic legislation did not put in place expectations among Black folks for such achievements, according to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). The ranking member of the U.S. House of Representative’s Financial Services Committee, said as of the signing, Black people were expecting merely a better quality of life and possibly an end to overt harassment.

“When you talk about expectations, you are talking about people who thought you will be able to live a decent quality of life for the first time in your life and feel like you were a contributing citizen.

“That might not seem like much to us today, but they were absolutely life-changing and world-changing and certainly U.S.-changing expectations,” Waters said.

Waters noted the legislation was so prominent because “you had people who were

marching, who had picked cotton, who had never eaten in an establishment that accommodated Black and whites. You also had people who had been absolutely oppressed by the police and right-wingers.

“These were people who were coming from pretty dire situations, and now you had people engaged. The expectation was, ‘I am not going to be harassed, and I will be treated with dignity,’” she said.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said there were two mindsets among Black Americans about the legislation.

The dominant one was the new Civil Rights Act was a tool to begin the end of discrimination.

“The reality of the new law was it gave Black people freedom. It didn’t make us free; it made us free to fight for those things that were important to us.” The other mindset was the legislation actually made Blacks free.

The impact of the historic signing will be discussed during the Rainbow PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund’s 43rd Annual Convention on June 28-July 2, in Chicago.

(Continued on page 2)

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS Chair U.S. Representative Marcia L. Fudge led a commemorative ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act. She was joined by U.S. Representative John Lewis (DGa.), who was present when the bill was signed by President Lyndon Johnson.

Several congressional leaders also participated in the ceremony.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Failing Black firm blames city and union (Part II –See story on page 2)

CRUSADERNEWSPAPERGROUP

Chicago set to host National Black Chamber of Commerce

@CRUSADERNEWSPAP

(See story on page 3)

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NEWS

Failing Black firm blames city and union Part II

By Glenn Reedus Last week, the Crusader published the first installment of a three-part series detailing how a Black-owned south suburban union sheet metal company struggles to overcome financial problems the owner said are caused by the city and a local union.

Thomas Wood, who represents the Chicago chapter of the National Association for Minority Contractors and is intimately familiar with the Affordable Comfort Construction HVAC (ACCH) said, “There is no way, even on a multi-million

James Johnson dollar contract, a business could survive off of two percent.” James Johnson said he had an instance when a white general contractor asked him to use ACCH to bid on a job, and all Johnson needed to do was purchase two pieces of business once he won the bid. He added the contractor did not want him to do any work.

“I told him, ‘Hey, I don’t do pass-throughs’,” and walked away.

He said the practice is so prevalent city officials have to know it is going on. “They just ignore it,” he added.

Johnson said he sees a major problem in the industry is “no one with any political power will step up to the plate and say this MBE program is designed to put Blacks out of business.”

Not being accustomed to the role he was being requested to play in that scenario, Johnson explained that with most projects, the sheet metal work accounts for a huge percentage of the construction.

“Often, the minority piece of the contract is satisfied with the sheet metal (work). So, in essence, I become a mini general contractor, and I have pipefitters, insulators, controls, and test and balancers working under me.”

That level of success, Johnson said, ignited vile racial remarks including, “Your kind are not supposed to be in this trade,” and variations of that sentiment. He added that when he went into the trade many of the white engineers refused to speak to him, “but they had to respect me because of my knowledge and background in electronics, cable, satellite, and telephone systems.”

Prior to opening ACCH, Johnson worked as a contractor for the Federal General Services Administration and stated that during his six-year stint there his responsibilities grew, and soon, he was signing multi-million dollar contracts.

“I am just as smart as they are, I have my own business,” he recalled. ACCH was born from that revelation, and Johnson knew that the other Black heating ventilation air-conditioning and cooling (HVAC) companies were not union, were not certified and couldn’t do the work he envisioned for ACCH. The South Suburban resident has carved a niche for his company doing public sector projects, especially for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). ACCH has rehabbed HVAC systems for Morgan Park Academy; Schurz High School; Chicago Vocational Career Academy; and Coonley School.

In 2010, ACCH began to see a spike in contracts. Johnson shared that Cher-Mar Co., a Mokenabased mechanical contractor, began bringing ACCH in on contracts giving the company an introduction to several general

contractors. “The contracts started rolling in, and (from) that point, ACCH went from start-up to major player.”

The payments from the general contractors weren’t as rapid the

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

couldn’t pay those payments in a timely fashion if the general contractors were not paying him in a timely way.

As payments lagged, Johnson struggled to keep his union dues

AFFORDADBLE COMFORT CONSTRUCTION HVAC has battled city and sheet metal workers local union to continue to do the kind of sheet metal work that made it one of the nation’s few Black-owned union sheet metal shops. contractors. Johnson said not only ACCH, resulting in gigantic finan- and benefits payments current. were general contractors taking at cial problems with Local 73.

Johnson explained that when he least 90 days to pay, they would started ACCH, he had real estate “Every hour the subcontractors holdings and several vehicles. He dispute and reduce how much of the work was actually completed work, they are entitled to union sold the real estate and some of the and reduced the amount paid to benefits,” according to Johnson. vehicles to continue to meet payACCH. Cher-Mar, according to His company was responsible for roll, but eventually fell behind Wood, needed ACCH as a busi- making the benefit payments to again. He estimated he paid beness partner to secure additional the local. He said he repeatedly ex- tween $250,000 and $500,000 in contracts because ACCH helped plained to Local 73 officials he assessments.

Civil rights bill was only. . .

(Continued from page 1)

The Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., his wife, Edwina, along with former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young will lead the discussion, which will be moderated by the Rev. Al Sharpton. The Mosses, along with Young, worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose work is credited with leading to the signing of the bill.

Recently during a service recognizing the signing of the Civil Rights bill, Dr. King and his late widow, Coretta Scott King, were posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their work. Previous recipients of the medal included: Dorothy Height; President Nelson

PASS–THROUGHS ARE illegal and something Affordable Comfort Construction HVAC has refused to do. The company’s owner said not participating in that scam has meant non-minority companies are receiving work intended for minority firms.

2

fill the minority participation requirement.

A string of late payments and no nudge by the union to get the contractors to speed up payments started a downward spiral for

Mandela; Rosa Parks; President George Washington; Mother Teresa; Thomas Edison; Sen. Robert F. Kennedy; the Dalai Lama; Dr. Jonas Salk; and many others.

While the 1964 legislation is the most publicized and discussed, it was the culmination of several previous attempts to put an end to segregation and discrimination. Congress tried and repeatedly failed for 12 successive years to pass civil rights legislation.

America’s news media shared the unprecedented stories of the formation of Black organizations, such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

The Civil Rights bill was actually introduced by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

That year, news accounts speculated that the spate of over-the-top racial hostilities, including the shooting death of Medgar Evers, a Mississippi NAACP worker and civil rights activist; the murders of four little girls in Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church; and authorities attacking peaceful demonstrators throughout the South forced Johnson’s hand.

The movement had pulled itself up to a top-of-mind presence in the American psyches.

The United States Commission on Civil Right’s report that year fueled

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

JFK’s necessity to address the civil rights issue. In July 1963, President Kennedy followed an earlier national speech on civil rights by sending Congress H.R. 7152, a bill that addressed resolving the civil rights issue.

The bill sought to eradicate racial, color, religious, sexual and national origin discrimination. The Commission was formed in 1957. Its purpose was to investigate, report and make recommendations to the President concerning civil rights issues.

Two prominent Chicagoans with southern roots: U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Carol Adams, CEO and president of the DuSable Museum of African American History, recalled the extremes white America inflicted on the nation’s Black residents.

In the year prior to the Civil Rights Act signing, Davis recounted that in his rural Arkansas hometown, his parents had to pay a $3 per person poll tax to register to vote. Given that $3 was a full week’s salary for many in and around Stamps, Ark., the poll tax was a covert way to prevent many poor African Americans from voting.

Fifty years later, Davis believes there are those who still want to manipulate the civil rights, especially the voting rights of Black Americans.

“Today, there are those in Chicago who will use subterfuge and deny a (Continued on page 17) www.chicagocrusader.com

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NEWS

Chicago set to host National Black Chamber of Commerce The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) comes to town for its 22nd annual convention from July 10-12 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 E. North Water St., with Johnson Publishing Co. CEO Desiree Rogers serving as the keynote speaker.

Rogers also is the former White House Social Secretary. The convention opens with a series of events including the chairman’s networking reception on the Chicago Riverwalk.

According to NBCC President and CEO Harry Alford, the organization will delve into the most important topics for entrepreneurs, from small business development to maintaining personal health.

“The NBCC is going to a new level,” remarked Alford. “We are the largest Black business association in the world, and the 2014 conference will have the most comprehensive agenda in our history.” The NBCC looks forward to expanding its net-

work and enriching its attendees experience with this year’s agenda.

In addition to the second annual NBCC fashion presentation, hosted

by Deal or No Deal and Celebrity Apprentice star Claudia Jordan, the conference will house a young entrepreneur business competition. Pass The Torch, as the program is titled, will allow three students from the Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago to create and pitch a business plan to celebrity judges J. Alexander Martin, FUBU co-founder, and Chef Roble, celebrity chef. “As an entrepreneur, hospitality professional and recent perfume designer, it’s an honor to be part of the talented panel of speakers at the NBCC convention.

I’m looking forward to exchanging ideas and learning along the way,” said Roble, who will also speak as a panelist.

Each morning will begin with a fitness and nutrition session with famous entrepreneur David Otunga, a Harvard-educated lawyer, actor,

Harry Alford

Alphonso Jackson

Claudia Jordan

David Otunga

Desiree Rogers

professional wrestler, bodybuilder and TV personality. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn will also be in attendance to discuss his agenda for Illinois and vision for minority business development.

Alphonso Jackson, Vice Chairman (recently retired), JP Morgan Chase, and Former Secretary Housing and Urban Development will discuss the American economy and what strategies should be utilized now to improve our great country.

Additional activities on Thursday, July 10 include a tour of Citgo refinery (please rsvp to info@nationalbcc.org); and Facebook Fit Chicago which offers various tools to make small businesses stronger. Register here: https://facebookfit-chicago.splashthat.com/FitLP and use code FacebookFitChicago+NBCC to receive a complimentary registration.

To register for the convention and for a full agenda of activities, please visit NBCCNow.org. Follow the NBCC on Twitter at @National-

BCC and search hashtag #NBCCNow for additional updates. Sponsorship from VISA, Johnson Publishing Company, MassMutual and Clique by Roble and The Chicago and Gary Crusader have made these collaborations possible.

About The National Black Chamber of Commerce –The National Black Chamber of Commerce

was incorporated in Washington, D.C. in March 1993 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to economically empower and sustain African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora.

For more information on the organization, visit NationalBCC.org

Chef Roble

J. Alexander Martin

Minister may be in hotter water (Continued from page 1) cipal due on the mortgage was $485,811 at the time the suit was filed, according to the plaintiff’s attorney Marc D. Engel. The mortgage company was Countrywide Home Loans. According to the Cook County Assessor’s Office, the current market value of the property is $405,620.

The couple also took out a mortgage on another condominium at 222 N. Columbus in Millennium Park. The original debt owed on that property was $373,520 according to the suit. At the time of the filing, the Jenkinses reportedly owed $402,326 on the unit, which is listed in the suit as unit #3009. The 2013 market value from the assessor’s office listed the property at $267,120.

The Jenkinses however, never resided at either of those properties, according to housing records. The couple lived in a property owned by Fellowship in Heritage Place, a gated community in Avalon Park, located at 1133 E. 83rd St. before moving to their current address of 26 E. 14th Pl. Records at the assessor’s office www.chicagocrusader.com

shows the 5,800 square foot townhouse features five bedrooms and four bathrooms, has an estimated market value of $800,360, and has been assessed at $80,360. In 2013, the couple paid $14,361 in property taxes on the townhouse and on Feb. 14, 2014 paid $7,850 in the first installment on this year’s tax.

A spokesperson for the Chicago Public Schools said they are aware of the FBI raid on Concept campuses. Joel Hood said CPS is “monitoring the situation closely,” while officials with Concept declined comment. According to news reports, the Cleveland office of the FBI is leading the investigation. It is part of an ongoing white-collar crime matter, according to the FBI office in Cleveland, but no other information was given to the Crusader at press time.

Officials at the Ohio Department of Education said they were contacted by the owner of Concept, who said the investigation involves how federal grant money is being spent on E-rate technology grants.

Jenkins’ proposed school will focus on the academic disciplines of sci-

Charles Jenkins ence, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Crusader spoke with Ald. Howard Brookins at the June 25 council meeting regarding Jenkins’ moral character and personal finances as it relates to his ability to run a charter school. Brookins has pushed for the school in his ward and said he is a staunch supporter of Jenkins. He said he was unaware of the tax and foreclosure filings against Jenkins, but said it did not

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

change his opinion on the project itself, or Jenkins ability to lead. He did however say he found the FBI raid of Concept “disturbing.”

“No one has questioned the ability of that school and the educators to educate kids. There was a lot of research done by Pastor Jenkins and myself as they look for a concept to get the Legacy Project off the ground,” Brookins said.

But the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has serious concerns about both Jenkins and Concept. Jackson Potter of CTU said Jenkins judgment is clouded because he stands to make a half million dollars in leasing fees in the first year alone in the deal with Concept. He added anytime there is an FBI investigation people should be concerned.

“Concept has a tendency to stretch the limits of what would be considered ethical or proper,” Potter said. “Rev. Jenkins should have known full well the background of this group before he subjected countless children in the community to these egregious behaviors.

CPS’s own criteria for determining whether or not to support a charter

would make these guys primary candidates for releasing their support from the operator.”

Brookins said he will fight CTU and any other entity that tries to stop the Legacy Project because it is important to the community.

“It would be devastating to my community,” Brookins said. “This is bigger than just the Concept charter school. It also has to do with medical facilities, restaurants, worship service, theatre…it’s a 250,000 sq. ft. development and this is one of the lynchpins to that development, which means hundreds of jobs to my community. I would do anything I can to fight against any temporary stoppage of this project.”

Brookins added he is not concerned about the foreclosure suits or federal tax liens. He said there are many people with tax problems but that does not mean they cannot be good leaders.

Potter said Concept has a “checkered” past when it comes to hiring from the communities they serve.

He said they bring in people from overseas on an H-1B travel visa to (Continued on page 7)

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

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EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL A “TRUMP” CARD IN A STACKED DECK Rape is ugly; there’s no doubt about that! But to accuse innocent people of rape is just as bad. Recently, the so-called Central Park 5 were awarded a $40 million settlement as a result of being wrongfully convicted of committing the rape of a jogger 25 years ago in New York City’s Central Park. The five men, Black and Latino, were teens at the time and ended up spending 13 years of their young lives behind bars. Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Yusuf Salaa and Raymond Santana, confessed to the crime, but later recanted. They allege that they were coerced into confessing by police officers who would not allow their parents to be present during interrogations. Fortunately for them, DNA evidence, along with a confession by a serial rapist, exonerated them.

Enter Donald Trump, the mogul who probably has more money than Satan. Trump is reportedly very unhappy about the settlement, calling it a “disgrace” in an op-ed piece published in the New York Daily News. According to a Huffington Post online article by Simon McCormack, he stated, “My opinion on the settlement of the Central Park Jogger case is that it’s a disgrace. A detective close to the case, and who has followed it since 1989, calls it ‘the heist of the century.’ Settling doesn’t mean innocence, but it indicates incompetence on several levels. This case has not been dormant, and many people have asked why it took so long to settle? It is politics at its lowest and worst form.”

Exactly what does Trump mean by that statement? If justice was served by the exoneration of innocent men, then why does he spew such animosity toward them? Just what are his motives?

It has also been reported that on May 1, 1989, while the case was hot in the media, Trump took out a full-page ad in not one, but 4 New York newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty and saying that “criminals of every age” (undoubtedly a veiled reference to the teen-aged Central Park 5) who raped the woman in Central Park should “be afraid,” according to the New York Times.

What does it say about the character and integrity of a person who seems so blinded by his disdain for those 5 youth that even in the face of new evidence he would go so far as to say that an award of $40 million for spending 13 years in prison is a disgrace? What is a disgrace is Donald Trump, who represents everything reprehensible about the profiling and maltreatment of Black people, and especially Black and Brown men! The Black community has been dealt from a stacked deck regarding fair treatment since arrival on these shores, yet Trump has the nerve to allow his sordid, and, quite frankly, white supremacist, condescending attitude to be displayed for all to see. His is the worst kind of behavior, which is probably shared by many white men of his ilk. Fortunately for the Central Park 5, however, there are others of a saner mindset who feel that proof of innocence is enough to ensure that justice should prevail.

Donald Trump is probably responding to the demons in his head that say that all Black men are criminals and that their lives are not worth taxpayer dollars, even when they are innocent.

There’s something about this that smacks not of “politics in its lowest form” as he says, but of the “plantation politics” that dredges up images of slavery’s past in America. Think about this, though the $40 million is welcomed, how much is 13 years of wrongful incarceration worth? If it is divided evenly, each man will get $8 million before taxes, an amount which is pocket change to Donald Trump. Is this enough to erase the pain and suffering of spending formative years locked away from society?

Probably not! Donald Trump should go somewhere and sit down! A luta continua.

As my great-grandmother was fond of saying “Lord, Jesus help us.”

That request came to mind the other day when I read that the mayor of Chicago wants Chicago to have more decorative lights than any place in the U.S. I tried to make sense of that idea, but I guess my understanding just was not meant to be.

About a week later, my greatgrandmother’s words jumped in my brain again when I read that the mayor was whining about the sign on the Trump building.

Chicago has this super high unemployment rate, especially in our community, the city budget, no matter how you look at it, is in a deficit position, violence is worse than ever in recent memory and we have a mayor who is spending time on lights and signs owned by a billionaire. Does Chicago have more serious problems than these?

I think we do.

The mayor continues to hop from one issue to the next without resolving anything. If he is resolving something it sure isn’t showing up where I live, or any place I visit in the city. Whatever he did in Washington for President Obama might have been really important, but it doesn’t transfer into making him an effective mayor.

I know the previous mayor dealt with things like flower planters on

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Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mr. Mayor you can’t be serious Dear Editor:

Michigan Avenue and other niceties that caused people to call him “the Martha Stewart of mayors” but that happened after he had a few terms under his belt. This current mayor doesn’t have that luxury. He needs to fix something – either the potholes all over the city, the pension for teachers and CPS employees, the budget deficit, and the outbreak of violence. How is bringing us pretty stuff going to improve the lives of Chicagoans.

Maybe he feels as though he can do whatever he wants because there is no announced viable opponent yet. I am not sure, but whatever it is, he definitely needs to change it.

show that these “radio personalities” have ever been effective in preventing or reducing violence?

How is the mayor’s measuring whether this campaign is effective? Actually, there is no way to determine if it is effective. This is just like peeing in Lake Michigan and expecting it to change colors.

Nothing different is going to happen because someone says put down the guns.

This is purely a feel good piece for the mayor. He is not stupid so he fully understands this PSA dri(Continued on page 18)

CHICAGO CRUSADER (U.S.P.S. 596080)

Editor-Publisher

Dorothy R. Leavell

Kevin Jordan

Put down the guns is a laugh Dear Editor: Your paper ran a story a few months ago about the mayor of Chicago meeting with Black radio people asking them to buy into a public service announcement (PSA) campaign called “Put Down the Guns.”

Nobody ever mentioned whose brainchild this was and now I think I know why. It is one of the most ineffective and dumbest PSA campaigns I have ever heard.

Who actually believes that Tyreek n dem are going to put their guns away because someone on the radio said they should?

What empirical data is there to

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COMMENTARY

Major Business moves can draw Leeches Beyond The Rhetoric

By Harry C. Alford NNPA Columnist There is probably no poverty pimp that is lower than the “Leech.” This type of hustler wants to suck up as much money as he/she can within a very short period. These guys are found all over the nation and many try to camouflage themselves by “representing” a nonprofit, as they demand money from reputable corporations who provide products and services to the public and create jobs by the thousands.

They have no shame whatsoever.

It is like a soft robbery. When they succeed there is damage to sincere groups trying to protect the under-served or under-represented. Money given to them is the money that was formerly earmarked for the community. That is where the damage is done.

It happens so much in the activist arena that when true accomplishments are achieved the leeches will claim, “He must have been paid off. How much did he get?”

When we protested a United Air Lines billion dollar project (in Indianapolis) no one believed we

Harry C. Alford could make them do the right thing. When it was announced that victory was ours, a rumor went around claiming that I took a $300,000 pay off. I was enraged by this, being that Kay and I were having financial pains through this, and we would not have lowered ourselves even if it were offered to us. They didn’t want to talk about the $200 million we

brought to the local Black businesses. They just called it a payoff.

Another good example is when the NBCC filed a discrimination suit against U.S. West (now Quest). This went on for a couple of years and it was contentious.

The Black businesses of Denver were terrified that we would come from DC and sue their biggest employer. It was like “You going to get us in trouble.” I would reply, “You Negroes just sit back and watch how Black folks fight those who discriminate against our businesses.” They actually thought we were going to be in trouble for challenging a Fortune 100 company. Every time I went to Denver I would be given certain evidence to support our suit by anonymous citizens (mostly US West employees). During depositions I would let the US West lawyers know that I had such information. The strategy worked and we settled. The last settlement discussion with the CEO was done on their corporate jet that took us to Washington Dulles Airport.

You would think the people of Denver would marvel at the victory for our five members who were made whole by the settlement money. No, they claimed that I

sold them out during the flight.

Silly, our plaintiffs were happy with the settlement money they received and nothing bad happened on that plane - the NBCC did not receive a nickel. Nothing humiliates a leech more than someone playing the “game” correctly with honor and succeeding.

Mergers by major corporations draw leeches like no other transaction. AT&T was merging with Pacific Bell and this California nonprofit decided they would file a lawsuit to contest the merger.

This was their modus operandi whenever there was a merger in California. They would file suit, put up a major fit and embarrass the companies in the public. Then they would offer an easy settlement. The settlement would be a couple of easy steps and no money EXCEPT reimbursement for their legal fees. The law firm would be a one-man shop. That man would actually be the real principal of the nonprofit and his legal fees would be $600 per hour. Five hundred hours of legal fees would amount to $300,000 in his pocket and a kick back to the nonprofit. I saw this guy and his nonprofit do this three times in two years.

High-level leeches can receive

over a million dollars in a merger.

They threaten to hold up the process, which will cost market share and value for the companies trying to merge. It can be intimidating to stockholders, board of directors and executives. One day I hope companies would stop submitting to this and hold their ground.

So now, Comcast and Time Warner have proposed a merger.

This is major in terms of market share, annual sales and a number one position in the telecommunications industry. Its “tall cotton” as southerners would say. Trust me, the leeches will be coming.

Some will be subtle and try to do the shake down behind the scenes and others will be boisterous and try to drag it through the “court” of public opinion. So let’s watch as they emerge and try to discredit these two major corporations in hopes of fast cash or hush money. I don’t think it is going to work this time. American corporations have had their fill of it.

Mr. Alford is the Co-Founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®.

Website: www.nationalbcc.org Email: halford@nationalbcc.org

Freedom Summer – 50 years Later

By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist The 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer is being commemorated this week in Mississippi and it provides the perfect backdrop to reflect on the transformation of not only Mississippi, then the deadliest state in the nation, but the entire region.

As I have written in the space before, there was a popular joke about Mississippi making the rounds during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Supposedly, a Chicago seminary student who was awakened at 3 a.m. by a voice imploring him: “Go to Mississippi! Go to Mississippi!! Go to Mississippi!!!” The seminary student said, “Lord, you said that you will be with me always, even until the end of the earth. If I go to Mississippi, will you go with me?” The heavenly voice replied, “I’ll go as far as Memphis.”

Of course, if the Lord was reluctant to go to Mississippi, the chances of a Black surviving were slim and none. At the time, I had just completed my junior year at Druid High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala. In the summer of 1964. Alabama had its own violent racial history when it came to race relations, but Mississippi was the one state we knew was worse. In fact, whenever a national ranking of www.chicagocrusader.com

any kind came out, we would always say, “Thank God for Mississippi.”

Of course, we all awaited the beginning of Freedom Summer, a national mobilization of mostly college students who would descend upon Mississippi in 1964 to help civil rights activists, led by Bob Moses of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), assist Blacks in voter education and voting.

More than 1,000 college students, about 90 percent of them White, participated. With so many northern White students descending on the state, the nation would be watching. And Blacks like me, who grew up under America’s version of apartheid, knew that virulent White racists in Mississippi would not go quietly into the dark. They would go into the dark – where they did their most vicious work – but they wouldn’t be quiet about it.

And sure enough, at the outset of Freedom Summer, three civil rights workers – James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman – were arrested in Nashoba County

by Sheriff Cecil Price, a member of the Ku Klux Klan. That night, they were released. Tipped off about their impending release, Klansmen abducted the three and murdered them. Their bodies were discovered seven weeks later 15 feet below an earthen dam.

George E. Curry While looking for the three civil rights workers in rivers and swamps, other Black bodies were discovered. One was Herbert Oarsby, a 14-year-old boy who was wearing a Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) T-shirt. The bodies of Henry Hezekiah Dee and Eddie Moore, who had been expelled from Alcorn A&M College for civil rights activities, were also discovered. The remains of five more Black men were found, but never identified.

It wasn’t until 1970 that anyone was imprisoned for the slayings of Chaney, Schwerner and Goodman, with six years being the longest time served.

In 1964, only 6.7 percent of Blacks were registered to vote, the

lowest in the nation. Today, more than a third of Mississippi’s voters are Black and the state has the largest number of Black elected officials in the nation.

But that progress came with a price, with people losing their jobs –and even their lives – simply because they wanted to exercise their constitutional right to vote. The casualities extended beyond the three civil rights workers.

According to the book, “Freedom Summer” by Doug McAdam, in the summer of 1964 alone: • At least four Blacks from Mississippi were murdered because of their civil rights activities; • Four people were seriously wounded; • 80 summer workers were beaten • 1,062 people were arrested • 37 churches were burned or bombed and • The homes or businesses of 30 African Americans were bombed or burned.

Visiting college students weren’t the only ones responsible for the success of that summer. When Berea College withdrew as a training site for students headed South, Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, now part of Miami University, stepped forward.

Attorneys volunteered from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

National Lawyers Guild and the ACLU. Medical professionals, participating as individuals as well as the Medical Committee for Human Rights, also joined the caravans headed to Mississippi.

The level of national support emboldened Black Mississippians, such as Fannie Lou Hamer, to challenge the seating of the allWhite Mississippi delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City.

As Attorney Thomas N. Todd likes to remind us, this was done before the existence of Facebook, Twitter, InstaGram and other social media.

It’s good that civil rights vets are celebrating Freedom Summer this week. But the challenge is to reignite that passion and sense of commitment today. Many of the problems of 1964 are still prevalent today. We need a Freedom Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring.

George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

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COMMENTARY

U.S.-African Leaders Summit Long Overdue

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist President Barack Obama will once again make national and international history when the White House hosts the first United States – African Leaders Summit on August 5-6. In the 238-year history of the United States, no U.S. president has ever invited the presidents of each African nation to convene in Washington, D.C. Announcing the purpose of the summit, the White House stated, “President Obama looks forward to welcoming leaders from across the African continent to the Nation’s Capital to further strengthen ties with one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest-growing regions. The Summit will build on the progress made since the President’s trip to Africa last summer, advance the Administration’s focus on trade and investment in Africa, and highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development, and its people.”

According to the U.S. State Department, the upcoming U.S. – African Leaders Summit will bring the largest number of heads of state ever to be assembled in Washington, D.C. U.S. News & World Report cautioned about what it considered to be “Obama’s High-Risk

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. Africa Summit,” noting, “The president is breaking tradition during a meeting with more than 50 African leaders.”

Gird yourself for strident attacks on President Obama because of this bold initiative on Africa. Instead of applauding this move to improve relations with the continent that is home to seven of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world – Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria.

Without a doubt, the summit is a positive step forward and a long overdue break with the past traditions and “benign neglect” policies

Is on vacation this week will return next week

of the U.S. toward Africa.

Interestingly, both China and Japan have already sponsored and financed successful African leaders summits. Led by China, Asia is the biggest investor in Africa.

What do Asians see or know about Africa that Americans appear to be so slow to grasp? In fact China and Japan have made separate investment commitments to Africa that now total more than $60 billion.

In addition to bustling economies, Africa not only has the world’s largest supply of natural and mineral resources. Beyond the vast reservoirs and deposits of oil, gold, diamonds, platinum, uranium, copper, cobalt, iron ore, tantalum, tin and tungsten, the greatest natural resource throughout Africa is its people.

Even after centuries of oppress-

ion, slavery, colonialism, and neocolonialism, and other forms of massive economic exploitation, African people are resilient and focused on improving their overall quality of life. There is an axiom that still holds true for Africa: As the cradle of civilization emerged from the heart of Africa, so shall the future rise of all of humanity.

The reality is President Obama is now attempting to lead the U.S. in a strategic effort to “catch up” with other global investors who are helping shape the future of Africa. The return on these investments will be tremendous. We need to find additional ways and means to ensure that unprecedented networking and new business development opportunities be also pursued by African American leaders and organizations during these summit meetings.

That is why we are sending out this action alert. You need to know about this summit, not just a curious observer, but as a responsive and responsible grassroots activist or as a globally conscious entrepreneur. Let’s continue to be change agents. As we help Africa, we help ourselves, our families and our communities. The U.S. – African Leadership Summit should be more than a “meet and greet” event. My hope is that President Obama will establish lasting and binding “empowerment” relationships and investments with Africa en route to freedom, justice and equality for all; Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is president of Education Online Services Corporation and the HipHop Summit Action Network and can be reached at: http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/drbfc

Highly sought after H-F grad taking his talents to Yale At 18 years old Desmond Amuh has his college career and dream job planned already. The 2014 Homewood-Flossmoor (H-F) grad recently shunned admission to 12 universities, including three Ivy League schools to attend Yale University and pursue his dream of being the first African American chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Amuh, who said he plans to major in economics and political science, was among the top 10 of a 684-member H-F graduating class. He said it was Yale’s strong economic program, as well as the university’s undergraduate and

Desmond Amuh graduate school music departments that caused him to say no

to Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, University of Chicago and a handful of others. Amuh said he struggled between April and May trying to decide whether it would be Princeton or Yale.

He described studying economics as his passion, and music is what he is committed to. A pianist for 12 years and a clarinet player for nine years, Amuh said he has no interest in playing professionally. He also is a former member of the Chicago Youth Sympathy Youth Orchestra. He also served as the treasurer of the (Continued on page 17)

THE FACE OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY

By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist From its June 18-19 meeting, the Federal Reserve is hedging its bets. It says the US economy is on the mend, but more slowly than expected. They’ve reduced their estimate for economic growth and say that it will take a year or more to get to where we were six years ago. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has offered a starker forecast. Expected growth for the United States is about 3 percent, a level considered “normal” and “in recovery.” They projected something right above 2 percent earlier this year. Now they say the United States economy will grow at about 1.9 percent, below robust recovery, and that it will take until 2017 to get the labor market back on track.

Meanwhile, the stock market seems to signal a healthy recovery, and surveys of human resource professionals say that more employers are offering signing and retention bonuses to get the best employees and to keep them. Ob6

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

viously the nearly 10 million people that are unemployed aren’t being offered any kind of bonuses. Most of them just want work.

That’s not to mention the 3.4 million people who have not worked in half a year or more.

Bonus? Please.

The economic recovery is as bifurcated as our economic reality has always been. The Occupy folks estimated it in a way that galvanized energy and spoke some truth. Does the top one percent of our population get all the benefits of economic growth?

Just about. One of the most telling statistics deals with race and recovery. Aggregately, whites and Asian Americans have fully recovered from economic shortfalls and African Americans have seen their wealth rebound by only 45 percent. They have lost 55 percent of wealth bearing a disproportionate burden from this recovery.

When we parse the data by class, we learn that President Obama’s focus on the middle class leaves the poor where they

Dr. Julianne Malveaux have always been – at the periphery of economic progress. Until the job markets open up at entry level, instead of providing opportunities for the middle class and more, the recovery will not trickle down. Meanwhile, there are members of Congress who truly believe that the unemployed are jobless because they want to be.

These are folks who apparently refuse to read the data about the

search for work.

What does economic recovery look like? It looks like vibrancy. It looks like people joyfully working. It looks like people who spend, if not freely, certainly less cautiously. They don’t have to run an algorithm in their brain before they decide that their child can have an ice cream cone. It means being able to put a few pennies aside for college possibilities. It means having a moment to exhale.

For all the talk of Wall Street exuberance and economic recovery, there are millions who are still waiting to exhale. While we mostly focus on the officially unemployed, the equally pressing concern is about those who are underemployed, working part time when they want to work full time. All of these folks are in the job search mix, and they are too often the people we ignore.

In many ways this is also a “race matters” narrative. Economic recovery looks great for some, good for others, and absolutely dismal for those at the bottom. The un-

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

official unemployment rate among African Americans remains at someplace near 25 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics won’t measure that, because then they will have to report the economic failure inherent in this so-called economic recovery.

The Federal Reserve and the IMF are reporting economic projections that trickle down. They say the economic recovery will not happen as quickly as they once projected, and that they have a “wait and see” attitude.

The Fed is moving closer to raising interest rates, and are withdrawing from their bond buying program that fostered economic stability. Their “wait and see” really means pulling back, which may help the overall economy.

When will those on the bottom, the least, the last, and the left out, experience recovery. Until those who make public policy are prepared to deal with persistent economic bifurcation, economic recovery looks good for some, (Continued on page 17) www.chicagocrusader.com

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GOSSIPTARY

By Ima Gontellit EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is published as political satire, street gossip and humor, and therefore should not be considered as fact but rather as matter of opinion. None of the items therein are collected by the news gathering staff of the Crusader Newspaper Group. Items forwarded to The Chatterbox are kept confidential unless otherwise requested by the author in writing. For submissions please forward to: AChicagoCrusader@aol.com. Original photography and artwork are permitted.

Thank you for reading!

DUMB & DUMBER Folk who thought convicted felon Derrick Smith was dumb be now sayin’ that Ald. Jason Ervin is dumber. They say people was calling into the Voice of the Negro on a talk show hosted by a rapper when people got to dissing the 28th Ward political leader. Instead of stacking the phone lines with his ward employees, he

Derrick Smith jumped on the phone himself and tried to defend himself. Unfortunately, for this man, who apparently likes a nasty stripper’s behind all up in his face, even if its only for two minutes and 28 sec-

Jason Ervin onds, called in personally to take on Rhymefest and Brandon Johnson, Jesse Jackson’s new protege.

Well this “big dummy” didn’t realize that he was talking to a loud mouth rapper and a teachers www.chicagocrusader.com

trembling U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush. This sort of thinking might explain why the congressman, who will probably keep the seat until he gets good and ready to let it go, has been the target of the Cloudy Times as of late. The

union employee who are known for taking control of the microphones. They started asking the embarassed and stuttering aldermen a bunch of tough questions lak how come he always be standing up under the Tiny Emperor lak he do when he should be fighting for the gheri-curl wearing people on de West Side. It’s no secret that Ervin will face somebody in his bid for re-election with or without clothes.

comfortable. Ain’t that how deese whites do it in Chicago politics— they put nasty, silly stories in the paper, try to trigger a federal investigation and then your b . . . . ass is toast? Oh, did we mention, Rush admitted recently he’s under investigation—at least from his own peers in Congress. Will Burns, hold your seat.

-Ima$350,000

-ImaHE GOTTA TRY

Ald. Pat Dowell

We hear De Tiny Emperor has his pick of well-placed Negroes who will do his bidding as he attempts to trick thinking Colored Folk into voting for his second term. When he showed up in Bronzeville at a re-purposed art gallery, we hear his henchmen were trying to convince a bunch of Black artists to show up and applaud and smile and look pleased that the man who hates Black culture was walkin’ through their space. Unfortunately, five of the six artists called had just attended a “12 Years A Slave” watch party and refused. The good news for the little mean mayor is that his bodyguard from the 3rd Ward Pat Dowell was there looking nervous as usual. Next we hear Rahm Emanuel’s campaign advisers are going to have him visit a Harold’s Chicken Shack where he will order a fourth-dark with extra mild sauce and speak loudly about his love of the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

pen. We need her elsewhere.

Dowell is for Dowell. She ain’t messin’ with nobody. We can live with her. She better be glad we got other stuff to worry ‘bout.” Okay.

So can someone tell her de next time the white folks TV cameras be in her face she can crack a smile so she can look less like she just got chased by a 47th Street crackhead with a hard-on.

-Ima-

white folks newspapers keep hashing up all this dirt about a disappearing $1 million that Rush seems to be unable to account for in a way that makes white folks

Minister may be in hotter water

DAMN THEY HATE HIM OOh Lawdy! If my name was Will Burns and I was the alderman of the 4th Ward I’d be looking under my bed when the lights go out. You ever seen that Frankenstien movie where the villagers show up to chase the mon-

-ImaSPEAKING OF ALD. DOWELL Dem saying that this scary acting, really tall alderman can breathe a sigh of relief because her arch enemy will not be running against her for re-election in 2015. Dowell, who took out Dorothy Tillman, after nobody wanted that man named Melvin or Marvin and seniors no longer liked the Mad Hatter, has no base and no real voice in her ward, critics claim. While they like de fact that she will answer her phone and peek out the door if they knock, some believe she is a “place holder until we can find somebody to take her out four years from now.” They claim Dowell was worried that a young, popular woman who lives down the street from her was about to start circulating petitions in August. But one man with a nervous smile, said one day “that ain’t gone hap-

Bobby Rush

That’s the walking around money floating around on de ground from some sort of Hilliary in 2016 group who is paving de way for the first female president of the United Snakes. They say Chicago gone be a hotbed of activity for the white homegirl (who is pretending she’s from Arkansas while pretending to be from New York). What’s interesting is the role the Country Preacher is already set to play now that the Obammy factor will be null-invoid with him out of office. Who got the money? And, is that all?

(Continued from page 3) work in the schools. A foreign national who is in the United States on H-1B visa status with an employer is permitted to work with that employer and remain in the United States for the length of period of his or her approved status.

“They bring in people from their network that are not necessarily qualified to teach in the positions for which they are hired,” Potter claimed. “So we don’t think in a historic community in the Black-belt of Chicago that this is an appropriate match based on their record of abuse and failure to fulfill promises along these lines.”

CTU has said they are planning to go to the Board of Education and ask them to suspend or revoke the charter license for Concept in light

of the FBI investigation. The Crusader asked Mayor Emanuel if he was concerned about the raid and CTU’s plan.

“This is something that will be handled by the CPS board,” said Emanuel before abruptly leaving his press conference.

The link between Jenkins and Emanuel is solid. Jenkins did the invocation at Emanuel’s swearing in ceremony in 2011. Emanuel also appointed Jenkins to the City Colleges of Chicago Board and Jenkins is a board member of the private group New Schools for Chicago, which helps fund new charter schools.

Attempts to reach Jenkins at his home and office for comment were unsuccessful.

Will Burns ster out de town? Well, that’s how they feel about this Burns boy— whom we hear is begging his master named Axlerod to do everything he can to help him leap frog to something else. Now Burns ain’t said nothin’ bout this, but some people who claim to know some volunteers who know some other people who claim to know this stuff says the short, belligerent City Council member really wants to go to Washington. Since he probably won’t take out Mark Kirk in the Senate, the only logical seat he can go for belongs to

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

HARSH SOCIETY 17TH ANNUAL BLACK MUSIC MONTH BREAKFAST CELEBRATING CHICAGO BLUES: Join the Harsh Society for the 17th Annual Black Music Month Breakfast on Saturday, June 28, at the Apostolic Church of God Banquet Hall, 6320 S. Dorchester Avenue, Chicago, IL. The keynote speaker is Billy Branch, and the honorees include Billy Branch, Eric “Guitar” Davis(in memoriam), Cliff Kelley, and Doris M. Rolland. The Master of Ceremonies is CBS 2 reporter Derrick Blakely. The Black Music Month Breakfast is an annual fundraiser for The Vivian G. Harsh Society, Inc. This event celebrates excellence in music and also salutes individuals who serve their community in meaningful ways. For more information, please call 312-544-9188.

A QUEST FOR EQUALITY AND PEACE: Rainbow Push Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund hosts A Quest for Equality and Peace, 43rd Annual International Convention Saturday, June 28 – Wednesday, July 2, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 E. North Water Street, Chicago IL. International Day will be observed on Monday, June 30, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be a Global Human rights Forum and an Africa Investment Forum. Civil and Human Rights Activists across the globe will reflect on the current status of various forms of discrimination in their respective countries, continents, and hemispheres. The panelists will explore different forms of human rights violations based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, etc. The panelists will also reflect on any progress made since the UN Conference on Racism held in Durban, South Africa in 2000. The Africa investment forum will build on previous discussions in Chicago last year and during the 2014 Wall Street Africa Forum. Speakers will explore investment opportunities in various sectors in Africa, and the possibility of several annual trade missions across the continent and hosting an Annual Africa Investment Conference in Africa. For more information, call 773-FREEDOM (373-3366), or visit www.rainbowpush.org.

PERCHIN’ AT THE PIER: Come join fellow anglers at Navy Pier on Saturday, June 28 to catch Yellow Perch and engage in some friendly competition at Perchin’ at the Pier, an all-ages event that is free and open to the public! Navy Pier is partnering once again with Henry’s Sports & Bait/Marine to bring their 10th Annual Perch Derby to Chicago’s lakefront playground!

Participants must register on the North Dock of Navy Pier between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Saturday to enter the competition. At registration, participants will receive a voucher for 8

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

$5 parking at the Navy Pier garages (valid until noon) and a free raffle ticket for a chance to win fishing gear and Navy Pier prizes. There will be a limited number of rods and reels for the public to borrow, however participants are encouraged to bring their own. The competition runs 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. and prizes will be awarded for biggest creel (15 perch limit) and biggest lakeperch.

A valid fishing license is required for participants 16 years and older. For more information regarding Perchin’ at the Pier and other Navy Pier events, please visit navypier.com.

BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS WITH BO BICE AT MUSIC BY THE LAKE: Tickets for the annual outdoor summer entertainment venue Music by the Lake are on sale at musicbythelake.com or by contacting the ticket office at 262-245-8501.

The 2014 concert season features six artist debuts and a range of musical genres including contemporary, children’s music, classic rock and swing.

The weekend summer series features performances spanning the decades from the 1940s boogie-woogie era to today. The Music by the Lake festival appeals to music-lovers of all ages in a breath-taking, open-air setting on Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake. Summer concerts offered in the Ferro Pavilion on the campus of George Williams College of Aurora University feature big band, family, contemporary, classical, musical theatre, opera and classic rock entertainment. On Saturday, June 28, 7:30 p.m., Blood, Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice will be featured.

Tickets: Reserved $100-$80 / Terrace $50 / and Lawn $25. The Campus opens at 6 p.m. Visit musicbythelake.com for tickets and for more information.

HOWL. AT THE MOON, SHERIDAN ARCHBOLD AND ORCHESTRA 33 AT BROOKFIELD ZOO’S SUMMER NIGHTS: This summer, guests can enjoy the cooler evening weather while chilling out Friday and Saturday nights at Brookfield Zoo’s Summer Nights. Enjoy a wide variety of live music and entertainment, and choose from an assortment of food and refreshment options while relaxing and surrounded by the coolest animals and some of the most beautiful landscapes. Summer Nights will also feature kids’ activities and, as the sun sets, the evening will be topped off with a spectacular laser, light, and video show. On Saturday, June 28, Howl at the Moonwill be featured. Howl 2-Go’s crowd-pleasing dueling piano players perform music from all genres. On Friday, July 4, Sheridan Archbold and Orchestra 33 will take the stage. Twelve year old Sheridan Archbold will open the night and sing the Star Spangled Banner in his amazing opera voice. Afterwards, Orchestra 33, a nine piece orchestra, will perform an eclectic set of

JOINING ILLINOIS COMPTROLLER Judy Baar Topinka (second from right) in celebrating Chicago Commons’ 120 years of operation on Tuesday, June 17 is (l-r) Chicago Commons Chair Jim Hill, Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner Evelyn Diaz, and Peoples Gas President Willard S. Evans Jr. (Photo by Teresa Potasiak) popular and legendary songs from all types of genres. For more information, visit www.- CZS.org/PressRoom.

THE BEAST AT HYDE PARK ART CENTER: On Thursday, July 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Hyde Park Art Center invites you to a potluck dinner andconversation inside John Preus’s The Beast, in memory of Colin Ward, an architect, writer, and urban planner. The Beast welcomes the public to enter the space for cultural inquiry and public dialogue. The Hyde Park Art Center is located at 5020 South Cornell Avenue in Chicago. For more information call 773-324-5520 or visit www.hyde-

parkart.org.

22ND INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF LIFE “CARNIVAL OF NATIONS” WITH A GLOBAL DANCE STAGE JULY 4TH WEEKEND: The 22nd International Festival of Life will take place from Thursday, July 3through Sunday, July 6 at Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph (near lake & Ashland) in Chicago.

Over 20 Dancehall, Reggae, EDM, House and Steppers DJs will do their thing from noon to 10 p.m. daily. In addition, actress/vocalist Cynda Williams will be featured on the Harmony

Stage on Thursday, July 3 at 6 p.m.

She is best known for her breakout role in Spike Lee’s “Mo Better Blues,” and her delivery of the song “Harlem Blues” from the film’s soundtrack. Vocalist Maggie Brown will perform on Saturday, July 5 at 5 p.m.. She is one of Chicago’s most talented singers and performers who educates and preserves through her program Legacy: Our Wealth in Music. There will also be a soccer tournament during the festival and much, much more. For more information, call 312-427-0266 or visit www.festivaloflife.biz; or www.- martinsinterculture.com.

Extended Coverage Life insurance for a private corporation owner or other key executive can offer protection to the business and, in turn, to the owner’s family.

Proper planning makes this kind of policy most useful and tax-effective. *** The corporation should not own the policy; it might be subject to a corporate Alternative Minimum Tax. And the family couldn’t withdraw the proceeds except through a taxable distribution.

Milton E. Moses

*** What’s the right kind of life insurance for your needs? We’ve got the answers at the Community Insurance Center, Inc., 526 E. 87th Street, your insurance headquarters.

We have been serving the community since 1962. For more information about the services we provide, call (773) 651-6200. You can also reach us via email at: sales@communityinsurance.com or visit the website at www.communityins.com.

*** More: insurance benefits paid to the corporation may be subject to the claims of the corporation’s creditors. If the decedent had a controlling interest in the corporation, the proceeds may even be includible in his estate. *** Best: the policy should belong to an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust.

That would keep the proceeds from the taxable estate of the insured.

Should the company need an influx of cash after the owner’s death, the trustee can lend. No tax involved.

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

www.chicagocrusader.com

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BUSINESS

Defense Department seeks more laws against high-cost, small-dollar loans New report details evasive practices in predatory lending

By Charlene Crowell When it comes to payday and other small-dollar, high-cost loans, many envision urban areas plastered with signage and neon lights — often in communities of color. And while those images are all too true, predatory lenders have another favored target: America’s military families.

Military installations populated by the men and women who wear the nation’s uniform are also easy targets for high-cost lending. Often young but earning a steady paycheck, highcost lenders beckon them with a wide range of triple-digit interest rates on lending products ranging from payday and auto title loans to refund anticipation checks, installment loans and more.

In 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law the Military Lending Act (MLA). Before its enactment, the Department of Defense (DoD) found that “predatory lending undermines military readiness.” To address the abuses, MLA capped annual interest rates at no more than 36 percent for consumer

credit. Further, it banned the use of a borrower’s bank account as collateral for payday loans.

Has progress been made? Yes. But is small-dollar lending reform complete? Not at all.

Last month DoD issued a report that noted how too many Service members are still caught in predatory debt. Other predatory lending products, such as high-cost installment loans, are now being offered but fall outside the scope of the existing MLA. As a result, DoD now seeks to broaden its current protections to include other forms of abusive credit.

DoD advised Congress that consumer education alone was simply not enough to overcome predatory lenders’ aggressive marketing.

“While the Department also believes that education is both important and helpful, it is simply not as effective in steering vulnerable Service members away from high-cost loans as prohibiting those loans… Financial protections are an important part of fulfilling the Department’s compact with Service members and their families.”

A survey of active duty Service members posed questions concerning members’ perspectives and expe-

Charlene Crowell riences using credit. In response, 88 percent of enlisted members said they did not think they would be inconvenienced if there was no access to credit products with more than 36 percent interest rates.

DoD also asked financial counselors who work with Service members additional questions. Nearly the same number – 87 percent – did not view a 36 percent annual percentage rate as being too restrictive.

With these and other findings, DoD concluded that new, more comprehensive regulations are needed to protect Service members from high-cost credit.

That same conclusion is shared by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). Independent research by CRL has found that high-cost lending robs the most financially vulnerable of their monetary assets: • Repeated payday borrowing costs consumers $3.5 billion in fees each year; • Like payday lenders, auto title lenders derive more revenues from fees than on the actual principal borrowed; • The average car title customer renews his/her loan eight times; * Like payday and car title loans, installment loans have also been associated with repeated refinances and account for as much as 75 percent of this loan business; and • Installment loans typically include high-cost, add-on products such as credit life, disability insurances and discount clubs that significantly raise the total costs of credit.

DoD reports that 67 percent of enlisted Service members reported seeing other military members get in trouble using credit. Additionally,

due to conflicting state statutes, only 24 have the authority to enforce the MLA. In states that already have a comprehensive rate cap in place to prevent high-cost loans of any type, they already extend these important protections to military and civilians alike. However, in states where such triple-digit interest debt trap lending is legal, the DoD’s enhancements would be a welcome way to protect active duty military nationwide.

Reacting to the Department’s report, CRL joined other consumer advocates in saying, “These findings are consistent with earlier analyses by our respective organizations that found that far too often, the important protections established by the Military Lending Act are easy to evade… We applaud the Department of Defense for its commitment to protecting the financial stability of Service members and their families and we look forward to continued progress on this critical issue.”

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

16th Annual Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Expo Attracts Record Turn-out More than 450 prospective and established child care business owners attended the 16th Annual Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Expo recently at the UIC Forum in Chicago to learn and network with industry experts and each other.

Themed “Your GPS to Business Success,” and presented in English and Spanish, the Expo pro-

vided attendees from both home and center-based locations with business solutions, resources, products, information and services, all delivered in one location on a single day.

Expo highlights included the Destination Success! Breakfast, featuring a panel of child care industry experts; Road Map to Growth Business Workshops for

SEVERAL CHILD CARE business owners and advocates received awards from the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC).

Pictured are (beginning second from left) Lourdes Anlly Jasso, New Beginnings Child Care and Educational Program, Inc., in Brighton Park, Hedy M. Ratner and S. Carol Dougal Legacy Award; Janet Marx, owner with Shirley Marx of New World Van Lines, Friend of Child Care Award; Josephine Garrett, Learning for a Lifetime Childcare Center in Chicago’s South Loop, Fast Track Award; and Shanetha Pollnitz, Tiny Tots Tabernacle Childcare in Bellwood, Unsung Hero Award. Presenting the awards were Expo Co-Chair Patty Greene (far left), manager, community affairs and grassroots, Southwest Airlines, and Emilia DiMenco, president and CEO of the WBDC. www.chicagocrusader.com

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION industry experts headlined the Destination Success! Breakfast Panel at the Women’s Business Development Center’s (WBDC) 16th Annual Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Expo held Saturday, June 14, at the UIC Forum in Chicago. Forecasting the future of child care business in Illinois were (from left) Monique Draper, Illinois Action for Children; Janice Lopez, WBDC; Christine Nicpon, Latino Policy Forum; Mark Obuchowski, INCCRRA; Kate Ritter, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Education; and Lindsay Alvis Cochrane, Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Themed “Your GPS to Business Success,” the Expo was a full day of education, inspiration and navigating the ins and outs of business ownership. (Photo by: Tone Stockenström Photo, Inc.) every level of business featuring child care businesses. gram, with workshops offered experts and experienced child care An Exhibition Hall of more year-round, is designed to provide providers; Early Childhood Edu- than 60 booths featured insurance a full range of business services to cation Applause Awards Lun- vendors, bankers, child care asso- prospective and existing child care cheon, honoring outstanding ciations, state regulatory agencies entrepreneurs for home and cenchild care providers and activists for the industry, educational ter-based child care businesses. All in the child care community; and products, business resources and programs and services are offered the 16th Annual Reception cele- curriculum vendors. in English and Spanish. For furbrating 16 years of supporting, The WBDC’s Early Childhood ther information, visit www.WBbuilding and growing successful Education Entrepreneurship Pro- DC.org or call (312) 853-3477.

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EDUCATION

Mayor and President Highlight Early Childhood Education Early Learning Center Part of a Three-Year $36 Million Investment in Early Childhood Education Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined President Bill Clinton last week at the Metropolitan Family Services Early Learning and Wellness Center in Englewood to highlight the importance of increased access to highquality early childhood education.

Mayor Emanuel has committed $36 million in early childhood education over three years to add early learning programming for an additional 5,000 Chicago children.

Prior to the event, Mayor Emanuel invited President Clinton to tour the new early learning center, established to serve the Englewood and New City/Back of the Yards communities. The Mayor made the request because of President Clinton’s work, as president and through his Foundation, stressing the importance of early childhood education.

“Investing in high-quality early

childhood education is essential to our children’s future success,” said Mayor Emanuel. “I have set a goal for the children of the City of Chicago to graduate 100 percent college ready and 100 percent college bound. Early learning provides a lasting foundation for our children as being ready for the first day of college starts with being ready for the first day of first grade.”

To accomplish the goal of having every child in the City of Chicago ready to learn by kindergarten, the City has embarked on an ambitious effort to achieve three distinct goals: • Increase access and serve the most at-risk children in high-quality programs.

• Raise the quality of early childhood programs in Chicago.

• Bolster transparency and accountability across the educational services spectrum.

The City of Chicago supported the development of the Metropolitan Family Services Early Learning

MAYOR EMANUEL AND President Clinton read to children at the Metropolitan Family Services Early Learning and Wellness Center in Englewood during a recent visit to Chicago by the former president. (Photo by Brooke Collins/City of Chicago)

FAMILIES IN ENGLEWOOD and the Back of the Yards communities have Metropolitan Family Services Early Learning and Wellness Centers, which President Clinton was invited to visit in Englewood by Mayor Emanuel. To ensure high-quality education for the youngest resident, both centers bring early education, healthcare, and family support services. (Photo by Brooke Collins/City of Chicago)

and Wellness Center to provide high-quality full day early learning and pre-kindergarten, as well as wraparound and health services for families in the Englewood and Back of the Yards. The new Early Learning and Wellness Center is the first of its kind for these neighborhoods and exemplifies the Mayor’s investments in expanding access and raising quality across the city’s early learning programs. Starting in 2014, all of the City’s early learning centers require that all instructors have a bachelors’ degree or higher.

“When you know better, you do better and we want families to know what quality looks like and what it feels like to be empowered to do better for themselves,” said Jennifer Alexander, Program Director of ECE at Metropolitan Family Services In addition, as part of the City’s ongoing commitment to ensure our youngest learners have access to high-quality education, Mayor Eman-

uel also recently celebrated the first year of full-day kindergarten for all 30,700 Chicago Public Schools kindergarten students.

“We are proud to showcase Englewood’s new Learning and Wellness Center today because it exemplifies the innovative ways we are using the Mayor’s new early learning investments to increase access and quality in under-served communities. The Center is bringing early education, healthcare, and family support together to help our youngest residents thrive.”

The City developed an Early Learning Portal that serves as a onestop-shop to help parents find programs, assess program quality, and understand their child’s eligibility for programs. To access the portal, please visitwww.chicagoearlylearning.org, text your zip code to 773886-1819, or call the Chicago: Ready to Learn! hotline at 312-2291690.

Northwestern College conducts 110th Commencement!

HEROmanity Project Executive Director Buihe Madu Presents Keynote Address Northwestern College President Lawrence Schumacher announced that 270 students were awarded certificates and degrees at the College’s 110th Commencement Ceremony held on Friday, June 13 at the Arie Crown Theater at McCormick Place in Chicago. Graduates completed their studies at the College’s two Illinois campuses, including Bridgeview and Chicago-Jefferson Park, as well as on-line.

The largest group of graduates stemmed from the College’s School of Health Sciences, including the Programs of Health Information 10

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

Technology, Massage Therapy, Coding, Medical Assisting and Radiologic Technology. The bulk of the remaining graduates were from the Schools of Commerce and Technology as well as Legal Studies. These Schools yielded graduates from the Programs of Business Administration, Executive Accounting, and Human Resources Management (Commerce) and Criminal Justice and Paralegal (Legal Studies). Finally, the College saw its third class of Nursing students graduate in 2014.

Northwestern College was honored to feature HEROmanity Project Executive Director Buihe Madu as its Keynote Speaker, the first such address of his career. Madu is also an author, speaker, and social enterprise

NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE’S 110th Commencement featured HEROmanity Project Executive Director Buihe Madu as its Keynote Speaker.

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

marketing consultant. While he is currently a resident of Chicago, Madu is a New York City (Spanish Harlem) native and first generation immigrant of Nigerian parents who came to the U.S. in the 1970’s. He connected with the graduates by describing the conflicts he had growing up, trying to be true to his Nigerian heritage to keep his parents and family happy, while also trying to fit in at school and adapt to the pressure of trying to stay “cool” with your friends. But much of his speech revolved around the turning point in his life when he was faced with the mortality of his father and the heart and kidney transplant his father was granted as a result of the (Continued on page 17) www.chicagocrusader.com

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COMMUNITY

U. S. Rep. Davis reconnects families on Father’s Day On Saturday, June 14, 2014 Congressman Danny K. Davis in conjunction with a coalition of community organizations used Father’s Day to aid victims of the Drug Culture by bringing a group of children to visit their incarcerated dads. The overarching theme, “Restorative Justice” was to reconnect families in need amidst adversity.

Boarding buses at 6:30 a.m.

Congressman Davis and community members traveled for two hours to Sheridan Correctional Center in Sheridan, Ill., where children were afforded a minimum two-hour visit with their fathers.

One of the highlights of this trip included a non-profit community led rap session on the Role of Fatherhood; Parenting Classes/Resources; Mentorship; and Launching the 2nd Chance Family Engagement Initiative.

scattered around the country, making visitation impossible for many.

Even phone calls become difficult and rare because of exorbitant telephone rates. Some imprisoned parents with long sentences may even permanently lose their parental rights.

The lack of parental contact and engagement during imprisonment hurts kids of the incarcerated, psychologically and socially. Many kids of the imprisoned are teased and taunted, shamed and stigmatized for the actions and absences of their parents. This is true even in communities with high rates of parental imprisonment.

Naturally, kids of the imprisoned try to hide the trauma of parental arrests, convictions, and incarceration. Some mask it. Others act out, resulting in school suspensions, dropouts, criminal arrests, and juvenile imprisonment, which main-

HOPING TO RESTORE parental contact and relationships with children of incarcerated fathers, Congressman Danny Davis along with several community organizations helped transport children to a correctional facility on Father’s Day to visit with their fathers.

(CSAC)-West, Father’s Who Care, Services of Illinois/Connections, House, West Section Club WestFerrer Foundation, First Baptist New Landmark MB Church, side Health Authority, and WestCongregational Church, Habilita- SAFER Foundation, St. Leonard’s side Ministers Coalition. tive System, Inc., Lutheran Social

Alderman Pat Dowell joins Don’t Crash Dreams campaign The period from Memorial Day through Labor Day is known as the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers, which is why Alderman Pat Dowell joined students and workers at the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, 700 E.

CHILDREN AS YOUNG as several months old traveled to Sheridan Correctional Center for a two-hour visit on Father’s Day. By the best estimates, about 2.7 tains the “school-to-prison pipemillion children under the age of line” that Attorney General Holder 18 have a parent in prison or jail. mentioned in his speech.

According to sociologists Bruce Western and Becky Petit, that The children of the formerly inmeans one in 28 kids in the United carcerated suffer, too. A collection States (as of 2010) has a mother or of federal and state laws, for infather, or both, in lockup – a dra- stance, bar mothers and fathers matic change from the one in 125 with drug felony convictions from rate a quarter of a century ago. Ap- federal social welfare programs, proximately one in nine Black chil- such as cash assistance for the poor, dren have an imprisoned parent, food stamps, vouchers for rental four times as many 25 years ago. housing, apartments in public Furthermore, 14,000 or more housing, and subsidized student children of the imprisoned annual- loans for college educations. Some ly enter foster care, while an unde- states prevent parents with felony termined number enter juvenile convictions from voting and ban detention and adult prisons. them from obtaining employment The losses children experience licenses for jobs like truck drivers from of an imprisoned parent are and barbers. many. While imprisoned, governThe coalition is comprised of ments deprive parents of consistent non-profit community organizacontact and engagement with their tions and individuals some of children. Their kids rarely visit whom are already engaged with them in prison because these par- children of incarcerated parents/ents are often isolated at great dis- moms: Attorney Richard Boykin, tances from their communities. A AKARama Foundation, Breaksad example is the recent decision through Urban Ministries, Comof the federal bureau of prisons to munity Renewal Society, Commurelocate their inmates to prisons nity Support Advisory Council www.chicagocrusader.com

passengers died in car crashes in Chicago. Fifty-one percent were African American and 23 percent were Hispanic.

“We’ve all heard of Driving Under the Influence, but what about Driving While Intexticated,”

ceptible to accidents, because they believe nothing bad is going to happen.

“It only takes a few seconds to send a text,” the alderman said.

“In those few seconds, however, a person is 23 times more likely to

ENGLEWOOD RESIDENT MICHAEL REED (center) answers reporter’s questions about the importance of Don’t Crash Dreams campaign. Alderman Pat Dowell joined the 24-year-old Reed and other workers and students for a news conference at the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, 700 E. Oakwood Blvd., to stress the need for young people to drive responsibly.

The Don’t Crash Dreams campaign, which runs through Labor Day, targets African American young men 18-34 years old. This age group is involved in the most car accidents caused by texting and driving, cell phone use, not wearing seat belts and Driving Under the Influence.

Oakwood Boulevard, for a news Dowell asked. “Despite laws that crash, according to the National conference on driving safety. The prohibit texting and driving, cell Highway Transportation Safety 3rd Ward Alderman represents phone use and driving without a Administration, six times more one of the five South Side com- seat belt, people—especially young likely to cause an accident than munities being targeted by the people—still do it. Texting while driving intoxicated, and is the Don’t Crash Dreams campaign to driving is fast becoming a city, same as driving after having four beers.” raise awareness among African state and national epidemic.”

This summer, the Center for InDowell went on to explain that American young men on the dangers of texting and driving, not ner City Studies and the Illinois in addition to the human toll of wearing seat belts and Driving Department of Transportation are pain and suffering, car accidents joining forces to get the word out have an economic impact on Under the Influence.

From 2009-2011, figures from to 18-34 year olds to modify their African American communities. the Illinois Dept. of Transporta- behavior behind the wheel. This On average, the National Safety (Continued on page 17) tion show that 234 motorists and is the age group that is most susBlacks Must control their own coMMunity

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ENTERTAINMENT

By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ

By Raymond Ward A SUMMER READ: McMillan tackles many of the issues of just about every modernday family: the plight of aging family members, health care, social agencies strangled in red tape, drug addiction, homosexuality, grandmothers raising their grandchildren (or, as McMillan puts it, "pulling a second shift")...In McMillans skillful hands, characters are as familiar as personal friends and family members; they breathe, sigh, cry and make us angry and make us laugh, sometimes all on the same page. ....Dallas Morning News Terry McMillan, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Getting to Happy. Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back is back with the perfect book for your summer reading pleasure.

Who Asked You? (NAL Trade Paperback; $16.00) a hilarious and heartfelt novel introducing an all new cast of classic McMillan characters, in paperback for the first time this summer. Who Asked You? is McMillan at her best; a wicked comic bold and deeply human story about how a family falls apart and then stitches itself together.

‘Hidden Colors 3’ is a hard hitting, jaw dropping look at racism Dick Gregory is brilliant!!!

Is white people’s ice colder? Does Black people’s distrust of banks compel them to spend all their money and not save any? Do Black women know that the fake hair that they are wearing could be hyena or raccoon hair? Did Black people who were passing ever form their own secret societies? Is there a correlation between the chemicals in perms and fibroids? Did Thomas Edison take credit for inventing the telegraph when, in fact, a Black man named Granville T. Woods was behind this invention? These questions and many more are discussed in the

Dick Gregory

Terry McMillan Betty Jean, or BJ lives in a down-at-its-heels, racially diverse area of Los Angeles and works as a hotel maid, as well as caring for her husband, a retired UPS worker suffering from Alzheimer's. Of her three sisters, all transplanted to L.A. from New Orleans, she has been the least economically successful and two of her three kids are struggling as well; her daughter Trinetta is a drug addict with two young sons and her own son Dexter is in prison. The eldest, Quentin has made a good life for himself as a chiropractor, but lives in another state and distances himself as best he can from his family, all the while racking up an alarming string of divorces. BJ's two sisters--Venetia and Arlene--both have plenty of money and lives that are good at least on the surface, but neither offer much in the way of support to BJ. When Trinetta leaves her kids with BJ for good, BJ's immediate help at first comes from her best friend and long-time neighbor Tammy (who happens to be white) and her husband's care worker Nurse Kim. Who Asked You? unfolds through the perspectives of a rotating cast of characters, pitch-perfect, each playing a part, and full of surprises.

Each of the characters have surprising idiosyncratic qualities --from the fact that sexy Nurse Kim is also a Harry Potter fan, or that Tammy has a black belt, or that BJ who never went to college, likes literary fiction-and brought perfectly to light in McMillan's inimitable voice. When life reaches a crisis point for each sister, whether from the death of a loved one, a divorce, or the discovery that not everything can be in your control, they find each other, and eventually everyone, even Quentin, finds their way back home.

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mind-boggling and eye-opening honest discussion about race, the documentary “Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism.”

Featuring celebrity interviews from hip hop legend Nas, David Banner, Dick Gregory, Paul Mooney and more, celebrated documentary filmmaker and New York Times Best-Selling Author Tariq Nasheed skillfully reveals the truth about racial politics in America with the third installment in his groundbreaking documentary series “Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism,” which starts in theaters this weekend nationwide.

Naturally intrigued by the history of African-American social perceptions, Nasheed began to notice racial differences in the psychology of dating while studying and promoting his series of relationship books, which earned him recognition in the late night realm with appearances on “Conan” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” In lecturing at various venues, he was taken aback by the differences in dating, sex and re-

lationship questions asked of him by his multicultural audiences revealing perceptions of the African-American culture that he felt were exaggerated and false.

The ideas broached by the celebrities in this documentary had me scratching my head and at the same time saying, man that makes sense!

The documentary delivers seven rules of racism: Keep people confused as to what racism is; Keep positive contributions of Black people hidden; Don’t exempt Black women and children from white supremacy; Use compromising Blacks to retain white supremacy; Black people must be controlled; Minimize efforts and significance of slavery and Jim Crow and Create policies to

keep Blacks economically non-competitive.

For each rule, the celebrities, who also included Dr. Frances Cress Welsing and Sharazad Ali, offered support based on historical facts.

Control was attempted after slavery through Black Codes, lynching, FBI intelligence and Sundown rules, among others. As it concerns economics, Ali said that “We brag about how much something costs, and white people talk about how cheaply they bought something.”

Nas offered that “Athletes do it up, and it feels like the money is fleeting.” He also cautioned that Blacks’ distrust of white people also makes them spend money as fast as they (Continued on page 13)

Tariq Nasheed and Dr. Umar Johnson

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ENTERTAINMENT

International Festival of Life scheduled for July 4th weekend A Carnival of Nations – Four Days International Music, Food, Sports, Shopping and More

more will be featured.

The Festival of Life takes place from 4 - 10 p.m. Thursday, July 3 and from 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 4 - 6 in Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St. in Chicago’s trendy West Loop. Get tickets now at www.martinsinterculture.com/ifol/ifoltickets.html, or go to www.eventbrite.com. Advance tickets are $15/$20 at the gate; $5 children 6-11; free to children under 6. Weekend passes are $55.00. For more information, call 312-427-0266.

Participating sponsors are NBC 5 Chicago, The Chicago Park Dis-

Live international music on three stages, a 3v3 Soccer competition, a food court with an international flavor and a marketplace filled with cultural items are some of what you can expect at the 2014 International Festival of Life. Returning to Union Park for the July 4 weekend, the four-day festival will showcase the cultures of Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico.

You’ll need a passport for this musical journey. Headlining open- ing day Thursday, July 3, is Latin Mambo king Tito Puente, Jr., the Brazilian carnival sounds of Chicago Samba and the Mexican band, Forever Musical. R&B legends The Manhattans and Reggae Ambassadors Third World featuring A.J. Brown rock it out on the 4th of July. Also on Independence Day, a procession of the independent nations of the Caribbean, Africa, Central and South America, and Mexico promenade in their colors in order of independence. World music reigns on Saturday, July 5 with St. Vincent’s own Calypso star Kevin Lyttle, Haitian artist T-Mickey, Belize puntarama from Supa-G, Israel’s leading World-Reggae band, Zvuloon Dub System, and the music of Ethiopia and Brazil. Closing it out on Sunday, July 6, are Reggae superstars Luciano and Romain Virgo and R&B crooner Glenn Jones. For a complete schedule of performers, go to www.festivaloflife.biz.

For the first time, sports will be a part of the family-focused event.

There will be a four-day 3v3 Soccer tournament with teams competing for the Festival of Life Cup, and a cash prize. Congo drumming, cultural dances, domino games, a hot El Salvadorian swimwear fashion show, talent contests for all ages and

It’s never been done before.

It’s never been done, it’s never been tried. Maybe it’s never been thought of, either, but that hasn’t stopped you. Once a valid idea pops into your head, it’s not long before the idea becomes more.

You’ve been around long enough to know, however, that the road to success can be paved with spikes and nothing ever happens smoothly. In “The Man from Essence” by Ed-

(Continued from page 12) earn it. In order to make our economy stronger, “we have to make a decision to spend with Blacks,” experts said.

The documentary gives example of white people stealing the inventions of Black inventors and putting their names on products. There was also a discussion of the difference between slavery of the African people within their own continent and the American economy-driven form of slavery.

The reasons for the Brown Fellowship and Blue Vein societies, groups that were comprised of Black elites, were also explored. The documentary detailed the origins of Chicago

by DuSable and the origins of New York’s Central Park, which began as Seneca Village as a meeting place for Africans.

Gregory is in great form as the elder statesman in this documentary; he proves that while he may be older, he is just as sharp as he has ever been.

Originally born in Detroit, Michigan, Nasheed’s family ventured to Birmingham, Alabama, at a young age where he was placed into some of the South’s first integrated schools. At the age of 17, he decided to leave the South for sunny California where he struggled for a number of years living on the streets. Common sense, life experience and daily

www.chicagocrusader.com

trict, American Family Insurance, Bellaforma Wine, A.I.K. Solar, Rogers Park Fruit Market, LaFruteria, Inc, Rasta Love Punch, Republic of Haiti, Bronzecomm.com and CCHHS County Care, African Spectrum, Urban Grind TV, WSRB FM/Soul 106.3 FM, WVON AM and Breezy Radio. The Chicago Marriott @Medical District/UIC is the official hotel of the Festival of Life.

The International Festival of Life is committed to “Bringing Nations Together” and “Living Together as One.”

The Manhattans

THE BOOKWORM SEZ ‘The Man from Essence: Creating a Magazine for Black Women’

By Edward Lewis with Audrey Edwards, foreword

by Camille O. Cosby c.2014, Atria $25.00 / $29.99 Canada 311 pages

ward Lewis (with Audrey Edwards), you’ll see that that phenomenon crosses all industries.

By age 28, Edward Lewis had already endured his share of awkwardness: he’d lost a football scholarship at one college and had flunked out of law school at another. He was, however, able to find and keep a good job at a major bank in Manhattan, which led to an opportunity that would “transform” his life.

The vice president of a New York investment firm invited a “bunch of… young bloods” to a think-tank meeting, promising them financing if they came up with a business idea that would work. One of the attendees mentioned that his mother always dreamed of a magazine specifically for “Negro” women and, offhandedly, the investment VP paired him and two others with Lewis, who knew “something about finance.”

Eager to own their own business, the four men – Clarence Smith, Jonathan Blount, Cecil Hollingsworth, and Lewis - set up a partner-

ship in March, 1969, and began looking for an editor for their new magazine, even though they “knew a little more than zip about Negro women and the consumer market…they comprised.”

There was, of course, a learning curve – including a disastrous almost-name of the magazine, staffing problems and many wars of words – but in the spring of 1970, Essence magazine debuted. Despite an initial problem with funding, a revolving editorial door, plenty of in-fighting, lawsuits, ousting of partners, and “out-of-control behavior,” the magazine thrives with a readership that today “remains ever faithful.”

And of the original four partners, Lewis was the “last man standing” when Essence Communications Inc. was sold to Time Warner in

2008.

This story of a magazine as told by “The Man from Essence” is a good one. It’s filled with advice, insight, and hot-button gossip, but that’s not all. It also includes stories about people who probably won’t like those stories told.

Indeed, author Edward Lewis (with Audrey Edwards) leaves nothing unsaid in this business memoir and I found that completely irresistible. Here, readers learn a bit of background on what it takes to launch a successful magazine – what to do and definitely what not to do – and we get a behind-the-scenes taste of a business like this. Along the way, Lewis gives us a sense of the times and attitudes in which this iconic magazine was launched and incu(Continued on page 17)

trips to the local Hollywood public library aided his development of the “Hidden Colors” documentary series.

The documentary proves that there is nothing wrong with Black people, as some people may suggest.

Many of the issues that Black people bring up while discussing racism are well-grounded theories, supported by real circumstances.

“Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism” plays at Chatham 14 Theaters ONE NIGHT ONLY June 27 for two shows. Check the theater or visit http://hiddencolorsfilm.com/hidden-colors-3.php for more information.

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ARTS AND CULTURE

Pierre Lockett steps down as Joffrey Ballet Director of Community Engagement It was announced Monday, June 23, 2014 that Pierre Lockett, former Joffrey Ballet dancer and current Director of Community Engagement, will be stepping down from this position after 25 years of service to the organization. He will serve as a consultant for the Joffrey’s Community Engagement Programs through 2015, and will spearhead the campaign to find his successor.

Lockett, 54, will continue his extensive work with youth in Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District and service organizations with the intention of bringing dance to children who are not typically exposed to the art form. He expects to concentrate his efforts in the Bronzeville community where he resides, partnering with the Mandrake Park, Quads Community Development Center and several schools in the area.

“I am proud of my legacy at the Joffrey and the impact the Community Engagement team has had on thousands of students. I am fully aware of the influence that dance has had on my life and I am committed to helping others have the same experience,” said Lockett. Aside from the physical connections associated with dance, he feels that dance also helps develop important life skills:

discipline, confidence, respect, teamwork and knowledge of self. “I see dance as a catalyst that can be used to transform lives, inspire imagination and increase possibilities.”

Lockett’s dance career spans an impressive 32 years with 25 dedicated to the Joffrey as a performer and dance education champion. A dynamic performer who captivated audiences for 20 years, Lockett danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1982-88, The Princeton Ballet from 1988-1989 and the Joffrey from 1989 – 2002. After retiring from dance, he joined the Joffrey’s administrative staff in 2002 as a Development Associate. Shortly thereafter, he took over the Community Engagement programs and was soon promoted to director in 2004 by Joffrey co-founder/artistic director, Gerald Arpino. “Bringing dance to the youth of Chicago has helped me realize that my true passion was not on the stage but in the classroom and in the studio.”

The Joffrey’s Community Engagement department provides arts education to over 5,000 students from underserved neighborhoods throughout Chicago. Approximately 86% of the program’s participants come from low-income households and partici-

Pierre Lockett with students/Photo by Matt Hollis pate in the Chicago Public Schools’ free or reduced lunch program.

Lockett is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Dance, 1984 and the Black Theatre Alliance/Ira Aldridge Award for Best Performance in a Music or Dance Program 1999. In June of 2006, he received the Artist of the Year Award from The Hyde Park School of Ballet.

In November of 2009, he received Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Award for his commitment to the growth and vitality of helping neighborhoods achieve excellence. He has also served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and The City of Chicago’s Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP). Other credits include nu-

merous commercial, television and movie appearances including Save the Last Dance and The Company. He has served as Master of Ceremonies for a number of children’s dance concerts including Wheeling High School’s, Aids Benefit Dance Concert 2004 and the Joffrey’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, Come Dance With Us in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

21-year-old Cellist Gabriel Cabezas headlines Grant Park Music Festival concert July 2 Cellist Gabriel Cabezas will make his Grant Park Music Festival debut performing Camille Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra in Millennium Park Wednesday, July 2. Under the baton of guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, the evening’s program will also feature works by Richard Danielpour and Francis Poulenc (See MUSIC NOTES elsewhere on this page.) Cabezas, a Chicago-area native, shares a common heritage with Maestro Guerrero, who is a native Costa Rican.

Gabriel Cabezas, 21, has appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, the National Symphony of Costa Rica, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New World Symphony, and the Nashville Symphony, The Sphinx Virtuosi in concert at Carnegie Hall, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago at South Shore Cultural Center, among others. Cabezas has been portrayed as “...an intense player who connects to the music naturally, without artifice, and brings a singing line to the cello” (David Stabler, The Oregonian) and his debut performance with the Cleveland Orchestra described as a “...remarkably poised and elegant account, with superb attention to phrasing, nuance and tonal coloration” (Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer).

A passion for chamber music and collaboration has taken him to Marlboro Music, Music@Menlo, 14

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Music from Angel Fire, the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, Bargemusic, and Chicago’s Symphony Center Presents series. His television appearances include performances with Yo-Yo Ma at “The Tavis Smiley Show” and “Good Morning America”, and with Béla Fleck in “From The Top – Carnegie Hall” hosted by classical pianist Christopher O’Riley.

2013-14 season highlights include a subscription debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as a

The Music Ministry of Emmanuel Baptist Church, 8301 S. Damen Ave., and The Brotherhood Connection present “The 1st Annual Gospel/Jazz Fusion Concert” Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. featuring Chris Rob, producer/pianist and vocalist with The Brotherhood Connection Chorale, Flora Robinson, director. The concert is being presented to honor 100 outstanding young men from Chicago Public, Charter and private Schools Sunday, June 29 at 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

Avon E. Walker is Project Director, Dr. Rogers W. Jackson is Pastor and Dr. L. K. Curry is Pastor Emeritus of Emmanuel Baptist Church. For more information, call 773-2396828 or visit emmanuelbaptistchurch.org. ********

Gabriel Cabezas

Chicago Gospel Music Festival Friday, June 27 - 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Chicago Cultural Center, Michigan & Randolph Preston Bradley Hall; Rev. James Cleveland protégé Ami Rushes, Keshia McFarland, Witness, Adrian B. King & Company and the cast of “Motown: the Musical.”

return to Chicago’s International Beethoven Festival and the annual Sphinx Virtuosi national tour.

Cabezas’ 2012-13 engagements included concerts with the Detroit Symphony, the Nashville Symphony and the National Symphony of Costa Rica, as well as appearances with Musicians from Marlboro, at the International Beethoven Festival, and ChamberFest Cleveland.

Formerly a recipient of an Education Grant by the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation (rebf.org), Cabezas has supported music outreach

and education programs including Midori’s Partners in Performance, the Sphinx Organization (sphinxmusic.org) in which he is a Sphinx Laureate, Costa Rica’s national SINEM music education program, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Citizen Musician movement. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Carter Brey. As a writer, Cabezas has been featured in Teen Strings Magazine and has been a contributing writer for Strings Magazine.

temporary, and urban AC gospel performances. Chicago gospel quartet, Deacon Reuben Burton and the Victory Travelers; The Reunion Choir of Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer will pay tribute to their late leader, Dr. Charles G. Hayes.

Goerke, soprano; Jill Grove, mezzosoprano; Garrett Sorenson, tenor; Shenyang, bass.

******** Grant Park Music Festival

Saturday, June 28 - Ellis Park at 37th and Cottage Grove Saturday’s program presents McDonald’s “Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour;” Erica Campbell of Mary Mary, Kurt Carr, the Mississippi Mass Choir, and Anthony Brown & Group TherAPy. Sunday, June 29 - Ellis Park at 37th and Cottage Grove will feature a mixture of traditional, con-

Friday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. & Saturday, June 28 at 7:30 p.m. Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park: Barber Fadograph of a Yestern Scene Haydn Symphony No. 98 Janáek Glagolitic Mass Grant Park Chorus and Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conducting; Christopher Bell, chorus director; Christine

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

Wednesday, July 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Danielpour Darkness in the Ancient Valley Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto in A minor Poulenc Suite from Les Biches Grant Park Orchestra, Giancarlo Guerrero, guest conductor; Gabriel Cabezas, cello; Tracy Cantin, soprano.

Friday, July 4 at 6:30 p.m.

Independence Day Salute – Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, Christopher Bell, conducting followed by fireworks over Lake Michigan. ******** www.chicagocrusader.com

**** CHiCAGO CRuSAdeR 06-28-14_Sheriff 9/8/07 2007 6/25/14 5:50 PM Page 15

SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING

A Moment to Super Size Your Thinking

By Effie Rolfe God knows how to get Your Attention. I believe that our Heavenly Father is always speaking to us. But far too often, we fail to recognize the sound of His voice.

We give a million excuses rather than to engage in an up close and personal relationship. As any father, God longs to spend time with his children and he knows exactly how to make you pause for the cause.

Have you ever noticed how quiet the city becomes during a storm? I’m not too sure of other ethnicities, but as far as Black folk are concerned—the quickest way to hear a pin drop is during a thunder and lightening storm. I remember experiencing thunderstorms growing up in Arkansas.

Immediately, we were told to

Effie Rolfe

turn all electrical appliances off, sit down in a corner and away from the windows and doors.

This must have been a cultural thing, because as an adult, I have found that many African Americans were taught the same thing.

A year ago, I recall a terrible storm in the Chicago area. After a severe thunder and lighting storm, I posted a comment on my Facebook page “Ok, God I hear you—it’s time to turn off the computer.” Interestingly, before I could turn off my computer and unplug it—I got nearly 200 likes.

People began responding with their own traditions such as cover the mirror—because it draws lightening, turn off all the lights, sit in the hallway, be still and countless others.

Also, you may recall the devastating tsunami in 2004. This cat-

The Crusader Gospel Corner Congratulations to Rev. Stephen J. Thurston and the members of New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church and Worship Center in celebration of their 80th church anniversary. Last week, they remembered the 2nd Generation: The Movers (19571978) and honored the legacy of the late Rev. John Lee Thurston. The historic church held a nightly revival on Tuesday through Thursday featuring guest speakers Dr. Joseph B. Felker, Jr., Rev. T.L. Barrett, Jr. and Bishop William A. Ellis. Additionally on Friday, June 20, the 2nd Generation Choir featured former Inspirational and Youth Choir members in a musical under the leadership of Versoal Collier. Grammy and Stellar Award winner Lady Tramaine Hawkins was special guest for the evening. The international recording artist shared favorites including “Goin’ Up Yonder,” “I Never Lost My Praise,” “Changed” and “The Potter’s House.” *** Pastors and ministers all across the city came to show huge support for Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, birthday and father’s day celebration last Sunday, June 15 at Fellowship Baptist Church to relive the “What A Fellowship

Rev. Dr. Clay Evans www.chicagocrusader.com

Hour.” Rev. Charles Jenkins, James Bass, Apostle Richard D. Henton, Rev. Maceo Woods, Bishop William Ellis, Rev. Stephen Thurston, Elder Lamont Lennox, Pastor Carey Gidron and Bishop Larry Trotter. Also, Governor Pat Quinn presented a proclamation to Rev. Evans and Cook County Commissioner Toni Preckwinkle was on hand. Elder DeAndre Patterson and Pam Morris hosted the celebration and Pastor Gordon Humphrey delivered the message during the “What A Fellowship Hour” on Inspiration 1390 AM. *** Join Dr. Darlene Allen Nichols on Wednesday, June 25, 7:00 p.m. at the Dixmoor Apostolic House Of Prayer, 14314 S. Winchester Avenue in Dixmoor. The pastor is Suffrugan Bishop Freddy Hill. *** In the meantime, the 29th Annual Chicago Gospel Musical Festival is this weekend.

The festival kicks off with free entertainment at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.) on Friday, June 27 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and continues at Ellis Park (37th and Cottage Grove) on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Ellis Park, the festival will feature two stages in the heart of Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood—the birthplace of gospel music.

The Chicago Gospel Music Festival weekend starts on Friday, June 27 at the Chicago Cultural Center in Preston Bradley Hall starting at 11 a.m. with a performance by Tiff Joy; followed by a performance by recording artist and vocalist Lorie Smith at 11:30 a.m. The first day of the Gospel Music Festival concludes with the talented Adrian B. King & Company at 3:30 p.m.

The McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour will make a stop at the Gospel Music Festival on Saturday, June 28 at Ellis Park featuring previously announced artists Kurt Carr, the Mississippi Mass Choir, Anthony Brown & Group TherAPy, Uncle Reece and Moses Tyson, Jr. Saturday’s festivities will be hosted by vocalist and sister duo of Erica Campbell and comedian Jonathan Slocumb. The performances on the main stage will begin at 5 p.m.

On Sunday, June 29, the Chicago Gospel Music Festival will celebrate the life and music of the late Dr. Charles G. Hayes in a tribute featuring Pastor Derail Smith and the Dr. Charles G. Hayes Reunion Choir and Elder DeAndre Patterson, at 5 p.m. to open the evening’s performances. Karen Clark Sheard performs on the main stage Sunday at 5:45 p.m. The dynamic gospel music duo of producer VaShawn Mitchell and vocalist Tasha Cobbs will perform at the main stage at 6:45 p.m.

The festival concludes Sunday evening with Grammy® award winning songwriter and singer Tye Tribbett at 7:45 p.m.

The stage will feature performances on Saturday and Sunday from Noon - 4 p.m. On both days in Ellis Park, the festival will feature a Kids Activity Zone with face-painters, caricature artists and McDonald’s Characters.

The Health & Wellness Oasis returns and attendees can gather health information, speak with experts and participate in activities that encourage healthy behaviors. In partnership with the Cook County Hospitals, attendees will learn about accessing preventative screenings and care. The Art Fair & Marketplace will offer festivalgoers the opportunity for a unique shopping venue featuring fine art, crafts, jewelry, clothing and more.

For the full line up visit chicagogospelmusicfestival.us.

astrophe killed over 250,000 people in 14 countries. I was watching a documentary and the parents said their son had 7 dreams that something very bad was going to happen on the beach. Of course, they didn’t know exactly what it would entail. Later, during their vacation to Thailand, the couple went scuba diving.

They noticed a few strange occurrences such as beneath the water surface bubbling like a whirlpool. Even more mysterious were the fish and sea animals had vanished from the waters. The husband said ‘its like they knew something was coming and didn’t want to be around.’ Sadly, when the couple came up from diving, they saw the devastation on the land and hours later discovered their 15-year-old daughter did not survive the catastrophe.

I would like to bring attention to those two things—first, the scuba diver mentioned how the fish had left the ocean. Secondly, the parents had mentioned their son had seven dreams indicating something very bad was going to happen on the beach. Of course they weren’t sure and as a result did not deem it necessary to listen to him. However, in hindsight, the youth was very much in sync with nature. How often do we fail to listen to the still small voice of God? He may speak through a friend, neighbor, pastor, book or a dream. It is ex-

tremely important that we always listen to what God has to say in his infinite wisdom.

Additionally, reports had indicated that many animals were found in the mountains during that horrific storm. Obviously, they had a keen sense of danger and moved swiftly to a place of safety avoiding the waves. This has always intrigued me, that even the animals—species that humans consider as lower level of creation were in tune with the Infinite and heard and obeyed His guiding presence. I believe that every thing that God made has purpose and ultimately yields to His Supreme Being. It’s up to us to listen or drown it out. Perhaps we should trust our instincts more.

Scripture tells us that, “Even the winds obey his command.” If everything in this world kneels to God’s power—then it behooves you and me to make sure that our spirit is aligned and in sync with the Master of the Universe.

When we are positioned to be in tune and in touch—it will manifest a life of safety, grace, goodness and God’s best.

Does God have your attention…? ©Effie Rolfe is the author of “Supersize Your Thinking,” a Media Personality and Motivational Speaker. You can visit my website: effierolfe.com or follow me at twitter.com/effiedrolfe.

Taffi Dollar discusses the challenges many women face Along with Creflo, her husband of 27 years, Taffi Dollar is co-pastor of World Changers Church International, a global ministry with a presence on six continents.

Through one of the church’s ministries, the “Radical Woman’s Ministry,” which she oversees, Dollar is particularly focused on empowering women in the area of relationships. “So many women face the challenges of developing and nurturing strong relationships–whether it’s in the home, at work, or in their church communities,” she explains. “Through our ministries and my own circle of friends and family, we talk about the issues surrounding positive relationships and out of those conversations come many revelations, one of which is that God’s grace is key. Having His grace helps us to improve our relationships with one another. I can speak intimately about it because I’ve experienced it in my own life.”

Dollar believes very strongly in the concept of grace, so much so that she says many marriages end because of a lack of grace, not be-

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

Taffi Dollar cause of a lack of love. This is one of the many topics she explores in her new book “Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have.”

“Grace allows us to experience the different seasons of life and sometimes it’s those opportunities and or changes that we should embrace rather than shutting the door on the relationship,” Dollar says. “It’s the many adjustments of life that we have to be sensitive to and have a willingness to work through. Having God’s grace at (Continued on page 17)

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

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HEALTH

HCI addresses health disparities Highlighting its history and working models

By Melanie L. Brown The Healthcare Consortium of Illinois (HCI) was honored to have Salim Al Nurridin, CEO of HCI and Louanner Peters, executive director of EntireCare, coordination of HCI, present at its 11th Annual Health Disparities Leadership Summit & Awards Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton recently. The National Minority Quality Forum and the Congressional Black Caucus Braintrust, joined forces to host the event in Washington, D.C. Many legislators, policy makers, clinical experts, and distinguished honorees were in attendance to discuss solutions that will ultimately help reduce disparities in health-care

quality.

Healthcare Consortium of Illinois was established in 1991 as a “Medicaid Reform” organization.

It was first created to meet the healthcare needs of residents on the South Side of Chicago which in the past were receiving fragmented and inadequate medical services. Today, 22 years later, HCI is still a membership organization with 60 plus members representing hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), medical services and supplies, social services, businesses, faith-based organizations, home health agencies, and more.

HCI attacks disparities with awareness and advocacy with General Assembly meetings. The meetings are held monthly to give public officials and policy experts

THE NATIONAL MINORITY QUALITY FORUM and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., in collaboration with the Congressional Black Caucus Braintrust, joined forces to host the event in Washington, D.C. an opportunity to hear directly from those on the front line trying to serve communities most impacted by disparities. Some of the most recent speakers at the General Assembly meetings were Congresswoman Robin Kelly; State Representative Lou Lang; State Senator Michael Hastings; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwrinkle; Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims and a host of other appreciated guest.

EntireCare’s model, which is one of the Innovation Projects of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS),

WORKERS AND AFFILIATES of the Healthcare Consortium of Illinois at the Health Disparities Leadership Summit dinner at the Ritz Carlton.

CDC launches healthy eating initiative The Million Hearts initiative announces the launch of a new Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Resource Center, developed in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Eating-Well magazine. The resource center features lower-sodium, heart-healthy recipes and family-friendly meal plans, with an emphasis on managing sodium intake, a major contributor to high blood pressure and heart disease.

By helping individuals and families access content and recipes to promote consumption of healthier foods, this consumer-friendly addition to existing Million Hearts tools supports the initiative’s goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes.

“Because sodium is a major contributor to high blood pressure, it is important to help people understand how they can manage sodium intake at home,” said Janet S. Wright, MD, FACC, Ex16

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

ecutive Director of Million Hearts. “This online resource offers practical, accessible eating and lifestyle-based solutions for people looking for ways to reduce sodium in their diet and create heart-healthy, tasty meals for themselves and their families.

All the recipes featured in the resource center include nutritional facts and use everyday ingredients found at local supermarkets and have been tested by Eating Well’s test kitchen. Search and filter options make it easier to quickly find the right meal based on prep time, cuisine, course, and number of servings. The meal plans are flexible, easy to use, convenient, and can be customized to an individual’s dietary needs. “This resource helps people see that it’s not about giving up the food you love, but choosing lower sodium options that taste great,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the CDC. “Small changes can make a

big difference. We can prevent 11 million cases of high blood pressure each year if everyone reduced their daily sodium intake to 2,300 mg.”

To learn more about the Million Hearts Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Resource Center, visit http://recipes.millionhearts.hhs.gov/. Million Hearts is a joint initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. For more information about the initiative and to access resources, visit http://millionhearts.hhs.gov.

Million Hearts is a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Million Hearts brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.

was highlighted. EntireCare is designed to provide community based, patient centered and care coordination based on a full assessment of one’s physical, emotional and social needs. The ultimate objective is to keep the Medicaid insured ages 55 years and over as healthy as possible and make the Primary Care Physician the principal source for healthcare instead of the Emergency Room.

The program covers over 13 zip codes and 25 communities on Chicago’s South Side. EntireCare will be expanding to the Southland as well.

Going Beyond Medication to Treat Chronic Pain Nearly 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain — that’s more than the number of people living with heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined. Often experienced as pain that lasts over three to six months, chronic pain is a serious and debilitating condition that, if left unmanaged, can negatively impact nearly every aspect of your life.

Chronic pain is the leading cause of long-term disability in U.S. and is a significant burden to the health care economy and society as a whole. It costs as much as $635 million annually in direct medical treatment costs and low productivity, according to government statistics. Surprisingly, 40 percent of work absences are due to back pain, second only to the common cold.

Zac Cover, a former fire fighter and triathlete, knows the devastating impact of chronic pain. In 2006, the Floridian was hit by a car while cycling and suffered multiple injuries, including broken ribs, a badly injured leg, fractured arm and severed nerve in his

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

GOING BEYOND TRADITIONAL medication for many people now involves using a neurotransmitter. Patients who once suffered chronic pain are reported to only have tingling sensations. The transmitter blocks the pain signal before it can reach the brain. broken collarbone.

He underwent seven operations and was bedridden for nearly six months. While the surgeries corrected the physical damage to his (Continued on page 17) www.chicagocrusader.com

**** CHiCAGO CRuSAdeR 06-28-14_Sheriff 9/8/07 2007 6/25/14 5:50 PM Page 17

Civil rights bill was only part of the solution (Cont’d from page 2) person’s equal protection, especially voting rights.”

He explained the Civil Rights Act did bring about significant changes in laws, but there is still much room for improvement. “We have to be very careful that we don’t lose our rights.”

“We ain’t free yet; freedom is a hard-won thing. And, each generation has to win it again.

I am scared to death when I see one person can write another person one check for $2.5 million as a campaign contribution,” Davis said, adding, “The drums are rumbling and we had better heed the rumbling.”

Adams echoed Davis’ sentiments, “I believe we thought we had won, and so, we became less vigilant and less active. We didn’t understand you have to fight as hard to keep a gain as you did to get it.

We see the rollback now on

every single thing.”

Waters explained a rights rollback can be avoided if Black people organize. “Back when the Civil Rights Act was passed, (Black) people felt empowered, and they would feel empowered now if we organized and truly demonstrated we are acting on our own behalf.”

The St. Louis native said civil rights organizations, the Congressional Black Caucus (which she is a member), and Black non-profit organizations, “that are supposedly working on behalf of minorities,” should coalesce. “Leadership comes from those who are truly leaders and see it as their responsibility.

“Organizing is difficult and time-consuming, and it is tough to convince others to do something, but if you can, it is powerful.”

While a student at Fisk University, Adams witnessed first-

Highly sought after H-F grad . . .

(Continued from page 6) National Honor Society and even strangers. Despite and vice president of the his academic credentials, French National Honor So- Amuh’s family still finds itciety. self in need of help to fiA graduate of Lenart Re- nance his college education. gional Gifted Center, Amuh He related that his family said he was unconditionally makes too much to qualify supported by family, friends, for financial aid.

hand the power of organizing.

She and dozens of other students rallied against the reality that African Americans were not allowed in many of Nashville’s restaurants, stores and movie theaters. The group knew that trying to get service in those places most likely would result in their arrests.

Their actions became a selffulfilling prophecy, and the students were arrested for their attempts at integration.

Adams said the Fisk students felt empowered because of the efforts of Diane Nash, who helped organize students and led lunch counter sit-ins in

The Man from Essence . . .

(Cont’d from page 13) bated, which is both entertaining and informative.

That makes this book a nice surprise, and not just for fans of the magazine. If you’re up for an advice-dispensing business biography that also dishes dirt, in fact, “The Man from Essence” is a book to try.

THE FACE OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY . . .

(Cont’d from page 6) dismal as ever for others.

Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author.

(Continued from page 15) tionship is the depth of love, trust, transparency, understanding, honesty and open and honest communication,” she says. “By evolving into grace-based relationships, I was able to assign different and more positive meanings and translations to the things we said or did for each other. By doing so, we were able to really talk and communicate much better, which has led to healthier, stronger bonds amongst us.”

A Louisville native, Adams said students “felt an obligation not to be an “accomodationist.” The students’ real life example of that attitude was Z. Alexander Looby, a prominent local attorney who represented the students. The Fisk community became outraged shared Adams, when, during the hearing, the judge had Looby arrested and placed in jail.

“Everyone thought this was so unfair. Attorney Looby was an elder; he was a pillar of the community and was a Howard Law School graduate.” Adams said local Black residents immediately raised

the bail money so Looby did not have to spend the night in jail.

In 1965, Richard G. Hatcher, former mayor of Gary, IN, worked as an attorney in Jackson, MS, along with thousands of others answering the call of civil rights leaders to come there and file lawsuits.

Hatcher said he has traveled to Mississippi several times in the last 49 years.

Hatcher and a contingent of prominent African Americans are fostering the legacy of the bill and its impact. The group is currently completing plans for a Civil Rights Museum to be housed in Gary.

Going Beyond Medication to Treat Chronic . . .

(Cont’d from page 16) body, Cover was left with excruciating pain that lasted for years. His doctor prescribed medication that helped ease the pain but left him foggy-headed, with a poor memory and unable to enjoy activities he loved.

After months of trying other unsuccessful treatments, Cover’s doctor recommended neurostimulation, also known as spinal cord stimulation (SCS) — an advanced therapy option used to manage chronic pain in the arms, legs and

Taffi Dollar discusses the . . . the center helps us to work through challenges rather than walking way from them.” Dollar also adds that in her own journey, fear spilled over into her marriage and how she was raising her children. “I began to understand that the difference between a gracebased and a fear-based rela-

Tennessee and organized the Freedom Riders.

Adams added that John Lewis’ civil rights work in the early 60s also served as a catalyst for the Fisk students’ efforts. The students weren’t frightened to be in jail, according to Adams “because we had each other.” The Fisk administration, she said, was proud of the students and actually sent their homework assignments to them in the jail.

Students were also inspired by the fact W.E.B. Du Bois had spent time at Fisk, Adams said. She recalled that about 25-30 students spent a week in jail.

Through her books, speaking engagements, ministries and community outreach endeavors, Taffi Dollar is well on her way to fulfilling her personal and spiritual mission of engaging, inspiring and uplifting women.

With the release of “Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have,” she hopes to reach multitudes of women who are allowing fear to drive the decisions in their relationships rather than the grace-based equal exchange of ideas.

trunk, and pain caused by failed back surgery. SCS involves implanting a small device (the size of a silver dollar) along the spinal cord where it emits low intensity electrical pulses that intercept the body’s pain signals before they reach the brain, replacing feelings of pain with a more pleasant tingling sensation.

Dr. Timothy Deer, president-elect of the International Neuromodulation Society, says he has seen an increase in the number of people receiving SCS. “Spinal cord stimulation is an important therapy option for patients who have

not been able to alleviate their chronic pain through traditional methods, such as back surgery or pharmacological options,” Deer said. “Studies have shown SCS can reduce pain by 50 percent or more, and patients have the option to try a temporary implant to see if they’re comfortable with the therapy.”

Over time, Cover was able to resume almost all his normal activities — like biking, swimming and running — because he can now better manage his pain. In fact, he was able to draw from this experience and began working as a clinical

specialist at St. Jude Medical, the company that manufactured his device.

He now works with patients also suffering from chronic pain who have or are about to receive SCS systems.

Cover urges others suffering from chronic pain to talk to their doctor about the best treatment option for them. “Spinal cord stimulation has given me back a life I didn’t think I would have again,” he said. “My pain level is much lower and I’ve been able to stop taking pain medication. It’s dramatically transformed my quality of life.” (StatePoint)

Alderman Pat Dowell Joins Don’t Crash Dreams (Continied from page 11)

Council and the Illinois Secretary of State estimate that every major traffic safety accident results in $9,000 in property damage, $100,000 in medical costs and $1.4 million in lost wages over a lifetime. Consequently, the 40 lives lost annually to fatal car accidents result in an estimated loss of income of $62 million.

Of the young people who

stood with Dowell, five are drivers and admitted to texting and driving in the past.

Michael Reed said the campaign would get him to change his behavior.

“The more exposure we have to campaigns like this, we understand that we shouldn’t text and drive, we shouldn’t drink and drive, it becomes embedded in our heads,” said the 24-year-old college graduate. “You have

a future lawyer, you have a future doctor and the alderman says ‘Don’t Crash Dreams,’ it becomes second nature for us not to do it.”

In addition to elected officials, the “Don’t Crash Dreams” campaign is working with schools, churches and community-based organizations to get them involved. For more information, follow @DontCrashDreams.

Northwestern College Conducts 110th Commencement! misfortune of a 16-year-old Colombian boy. Madu described how fate and destiny touched him as he used his limited Spanish (he learned growing up in Spanish Harlem) to interpret for his father as he hugged the Colombian father who had donated his son’s organs so that he could live.

Madu urged the graduates to live their lives filled with bold dares, advising that their academic journey may have prepared them for careers,

www.chicagocrusader.com

but that it wouldn’t insulate them from real world breakdowns as they went through life. There were two things that would assist them in meeting life’s challenges and losses he advised: “the heart of a hero and the soul of your humanity – the part of you with a story to tell – your HEROmanity.” In urging them to live boldly and daringly, he provided them a little advice. “Make the difference you make in your career the treasure. Use your career

(Continued from page 10) as the canvas to tell your story, to live your destiny and share your art. Place your heart there and you’ll never be lost at what to do next.”

Northwestern College President Lawrence Schumacher also addressed the Class of 2014, emphasizing that success does not come easy, pointing out that many of the graduates had faced numerous obstacles, worked through them, and trudged through a long and arduous journey to bring them to the

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

day’s commencement ceremony. After sharing a story about his own father, President Schumacher challenged them to do what they loved rather than just taking “safe” jobs in the world. “You can fail at something you don’t love,” he told them, “so you might as well go out and do what you love to do.”

About Northwestern College: Northwestern College (NC) is accredited by the Higher

Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, www.ncahlc.org. The college offers focused career-oriented associate degree and certificate programs with flexible schedules and a supportive faculty. Day, evening, weekend, online classes and online programs are available. More information can be found at www.northwesterncollege.edu or by calling toll-free (888) 2052283.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

17

EVANS

CONDOMINIUM 6200 SOUTH EVANS C O N D O M I N I U M ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD C L A I M A N T S ; D e f e n d a n t s , 13 CH 26507 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause on June 5, 2014, Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, July 28, 2014, at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described property: P.I.N. 20-15-422-029-1023, 20-15-422- 0 1 3 - 0 0 0 0 .

Commonly known as 6208 SOUTH EVANS AVENUE UNIT 3 AKA 6208 SOUTH EVANS UNIT 3, CHICAGO, IL 6 0 6 3 7 .

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 25% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale which will entitle the purchaser to a Deed to the premises after confirmation of the sale.

For information: Visit our website at http://service.atty-pierce.com. Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. only. Pierce & Associates, Plaintiff's Attorneys, 1 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602. Tel.No. (312) 476-5500. Refer to File Number 1 3 1 5 8 1 4 .

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES C O R P O R A T I O N Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I613658

**** CHiCAGO CRuSAdeR 06-28-14_Sheriff 9/8/07 2007 6/25/14 5:50 PM Page 18 ASSOCIATION;

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (Cont’d from page 4) ve is nothing but some sort of appeasement to addressing the problem. It is not something of substance. It is insulting to the intelligence of the Black community.

Rene Parker COMMERCIAL/ WHOLESALE SPACE Commercial/Wholesale space for rent in the Chatham area…

11.000 square feet. Contact bob at 773-488-1411.

HOUSES FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.; P l a i n t i f f , v s .

GEORGE A. WILDER; D e f e n d a n t s , 13 CH 28145 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause on April 3, 2014 Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: Commonly known as 6537 South Vernon Chicago, IL 60637.

Avenue, 20-22-217-013-0000.

P.I.N. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Property Act. Condominium Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours.

No refunds. The property will NOT be for inspection open For information call Sales Department at Manley Deas Plaintiff's Attorney, Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (312) 651-6705.

1 3 - 0 3 8 2 7 0 JUDICIAL SALES INTERCOUNTY C O R P O R A T I O N (312) 444-1122 Selling Officer, I613687

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION RES-IL ONE, LLC, P l a i n t i f f , v s .

RASHAD UNDERWOOD, CITY OF CHICAGO; AMERICAN GENERAL FINANCIAL SERVICES OF ILLINOIS, INC., NOW KNOWN AS SPRINGLEAF FINANCIAL SERVICES OF ILLINOIS, INC.; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS; AND UNKNOWN TENANTS, OCCUPANTS, L E A S E H O L D S , D e f e n d a n t s , 13 CH 27288 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, July 28, 2014, at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: Commonly known as 6337 S. Langley Avenue, Chicago, Il 60637.

20-22-206-012-0000.

P.I.N. The mortgaged real estate is a multi-family residence. The successful purchaser is entitled to possession of the property only. The purchaser may only obtain possession of units within the multi-unit property occupied by individuals named in the order of possession.

Sale terms: Bidders must present, at the time of sale, a cashier's or certified check for 10% of the successful bid amount. The balance of the successful bid shall be paid within 24 hours, by similar funds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Ms. Jennifer J. Sackett-Pohlenz at Plaintiff's Attorney, Clark Hill, PLC, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (312) 9 8 5 - 5 9 1 2 .

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES C O R P O R A T I O N Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I613661

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION CITIMORTGAGE, INC. P l a i n t i f f , v s .

WINSLOW O YOUNG; 6200 SOUTH EVANS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; 6200 SOUTH EVANS C O N D O M I N I U M ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD C L A I M A N T S ; D e f e n d a n t s , 13 CH 26507 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause on June 5, 2014, Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, July 28, 2014, at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described property: P.I.N. 20-15-422-029-1023, 20-15-422- 0 1 3 - 0 0 0 0 . known COURT as 6208 SOUTH STATE OF INDIANA ) IN THECommonly ALLEN SUPERIOR EVANS AVENUE UNIT 3 AKA 6208 ) SS: ) FORT SOUTH WAYNE, EVANS INDIANAUNIT 3, CHICAGO, IL COUNTY OF ALLEN 6 0 6 3 7 .

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The A CHILD IN NEED OF SERVICES: ) Cause No.: 02D08-1207-JC-263 / 264 / than 265 a of the unit other purchaser Malik Jerrell Green mortgagee shall pay the assessments and ) SUMMONS FOR SERVICE BY Shinayah Alberta Robin Green the legal fees required by subdivisions Emani A. Green ) PUBLICATION & NOTICE OF CHILD IN (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Children ) NEED OF SERVICES HEARING Condominium Property Act Sale terms: down by certified funds, balance 25% And ) within 24 hours, by certified funds. No Alexis M. Moore, mother ) refunds. The property will NOT be open ) Steven J. Green, father for inspection. Upon payment in full of the ) amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale which will entitle the TO: Steven J. Green purchaser to a Deed to the premises after of the sale. confirmation noted parent, whose are unNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the aboveFor information: Visitwhereabouts our website at known, and who is the parent of Malik J. Green (born on July 12, 2000), Shinayah Alberta R. Between 3 http://service.atty-pierce.com.

Green (born on January 15, 2002), and emani A. Green (born december 27, & 2004), that the p.m. and 5 on p.m. only. Pierce Associates, indiana department of Child Services has filed its Amended Verified Petition Alleging the ChilPlaintiff's Attorneys, 1 North Dearborn dren to be in Need of Services, in accordance with indiana Code 31-34-9-3, and that an adjudiStreet, Chicago, Illinois 60602. Tel.No. cation hearing has been scheduled with the Court.

(312) 476-5500. Refer to File Number 1 3 J.1Green 5 must 8 appear 1 4is scheduled .

THE ADJUDICATION HEARING at which Steven INTERCOUNTY SALES for July 29, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. at the Allen Superior Court, 715 SouthJUDICIAL Calhoun Street, Fort C O R P O R A T I O N Wayne, iN 46802. At said hearing, the court will consider the Petition and evidence thereon Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 and will render its decision as to whether above named minor children are children in need of services and shall enter adjudication accordingly. I613658

LEGAL NOTICE

UPON ENTRY OF SAID ADJUDICATION, A DISPOSITIONAL HEARING will be held in which the Court will consider: (1) Alternatives for the care, treatment, or rehabilitation for the children; (2) the necessity, nature, and extent of your participation in the program of care, treatment, or rehabilitation for the children; and, (3) your financial responsibility for any services provided for the parent, guardian, or custodian of the children, including child support.

YOU MUST RESPOND by appearing in the case in person or by attorney within thirty (30) days after the last publication of this notice, and in the event you fail to do so, an adjudication on said petition and a dispositional decree may be entered against you without further notice.

THE ATTORNEY REPRESENTINGTHE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SERVICES is Alisa Rude, 201 east Rudisill Street, Suite 200, Fort Wayne, iN 46806; telephone (260) 4586414.

date this 20th day of May 2014

Lisbeth A. borgmann Clerk of Allen County

6/14, 6/21, 6/28

18

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. Effective May 1st, 2014 you will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver's license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues. For information: Visit our website at service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5 pm. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES, Plaintiff's Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300, CHICAGO, IL 60602.

Tel No. (312) 476-5500. Please refer to file number PA1307986. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300 CHICAGO, IL 60602 (312) 476-5500 Attorney File No. PA1307986 Attorney Code. 91220 Case Number: 13 CH 14207 TJSC#: 34-7156 I613033

HOUSES FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SILVERLEAF FUNDING, LLC, P l a i n t i f f , v s .

DD&H CONSTRUCTION, INC., SYLVESTER HAYES, UNKNOWN PROPERTY MANAGERS AND LESSEE/TENANTS OF DD&H CONSTRUCTION, INC., UNKNOWN OWNERS, GENERALLY, AND NON-RECORD C L A I M A N T S , D e f e n d a n t s , 13 CH 28233 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: Commonly known as 6414 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60621.

P.I.N. 20-20-211-028-0000.

The mortgaged real estate is a mixed residential/commercial building.

The property may be open for inspection by contacting Andrew Yonke at (312) 9 2 9 - 1 8 4 0 .

Sale terms: Bidders must present, at the time of sale, a cashier's or certified check for 10% of the successful bid amount. The balance of the successful bid shall be paid within 24 hours, by similar funds.

For information call Mr. Gary E. Green at Clark Hill PLC, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (312) 9 8 5 - 5 9 0 0 .

JUDICIAL SALES INTERCOUNTY C O R P O R A T I O N (312) 444-1122 Selling Officer, I612719

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK ILLINOIS COUNTY COUNTY, CHANCERY DEPARTMENT DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. P l a i n t i f f , v .

BRIAN MALONE A/K/A BRIAN K MALONE, SILVER COAST CITADEL ASSOCIATION CONDOMINIUM D e f e n d a n t s CH 14207 13 7205 S YATES BLVD APT 4A CHICAGO, 60649 IL NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 24, 2014, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 25, 2014, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive - 24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 7205 S YATES BLVD APT 4A, CHICAGO, IL 60649 Property Index No. 21-30-104-042-1064. The real estate is improved with a 4 or more units condominium with no garage. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third ILLINOIS COUNTY, party checks will be accepted. The COUNTY DEPARTMENT, CHANCERY balance, including the Judicial sale fee for O N D I V I S I Abandoned Residential Property JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., Municipality Relief Fund, which is f P l a i n t i f calculated on residential real estate at the .

V rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction KELI L. KNIGHT A/KA KELI KNIGHT; thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser PNC BANK, N.A. F/K/A MIDAMERICA not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or BANK, FSB; THE BLACKSTONE wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC.; hours. No fee shall be paid by the BANK OF CHICAGO; AUSTIN mortgagee acquiring the residential real OWNERS AND UNKNOWN estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale CLAIMANTS; NON-RECORD or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or OCCUPANTS, UNKNOWN other lienor acquiring the residential real D e f e n d a n t s estate whose rights in and to the CH 29670 12 residential real estate arose prior to the 6511 SOUTH Property Address: sale. The subject property is subject to BLACKSTONE AVE. UNIT 1 CHICAGO, general real estate taxes, special 60637 IL assessments, or special taxes levied NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE against said real estate and is offered for C O N D O M I N I U M sale without any representation as to Fisher and Shapiro file # 12-061822 quality or quantity of title and without (It is advised that interested parties consult recourse to Plaintiff and in "AS IS" with their condition. The sale is further subject to own attorneys before bidding at mortgage confirmation by the court. Upon payment in foreclosure sales.) full of the amount bid, the purchaser will PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure the purchaser to a deed to the real estate entered on May 6, 2014, Kallen Realty after confirmation of the sale. The property Services, Inc., as Selling Official will at will NOT be open for inspection and 12:30 p.m. on August 8, 2014, at 205 W. plaintiff makes no representation as to the Randolph Street, Suite 1020, Chicago, condition of the property. Prospective Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidders are admonished to check the court bidder for cash, as set forth below, the file to verify all information. If this property following described real property: is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the Commonly known as 6511 South unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a Blackstone Avenue, Unit 1, Chicago, IL mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and 6 0 6 3 7 the legal fees required by The Permanent Index No.: 20-23-219-030-1016 Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS The mortgaged real estate is improved 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a with a dwelling. The property will NOT be condominium unit which is part of a open for inspection. The purchaser of the common interest community, the purchaser unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the of the unit at the foreclosure sale other assessments and the legal fees required than a mortgagee shall pay the by 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). assessments required by The The judgment amount was $72,617.17.

Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS Sale terms for non-parties: 10% of 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE successful bid immediately at conclusion MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU of auction, balance by 12:30 p.m. the next HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN business day, both by cashier's checks; POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER and no refunds. The sale shall be subject ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF to general real estate taxes, special taxes, POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE special assessments, special taxes levied, WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE and superior liens, if any. The property is ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE offered "as is," with no express or implied LAW. Effective May 1st, 2014 you will need warranties and without any representation a photo identification issued by a as to the quality of title or recourse to government agency (driver's license, Plaintiff.

Prospective bidders are passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into admonished to review the court file to verify the foreclosure sale room in Cook County all information and to view auction rules at and the same identification for sales held ww w . k a l l e n r s . c o m . at other county venues. For information: For information: Sale Clerk, Fisher and Visit our website at Shapiro, Attorney # 42168, 2121 Waukegan service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours Road, Suite 301, Bannockburn, Illinois of 3 and 5 pm. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES, 60015, (847) 291-1717, between 1:00 p.m.

Plaintiff's Attorneys, One North Dearborn and 3:00 p.m. weekdays only.

Street Suite 1300, CHICAGO, IL 60602.

I608590 Tel No. (312) 476-5500. Please refer to file number PA1307986.

THE JUDICIAL Blacks Must control their own coMMunity SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300 CHICAGO, IL 60602 (312) 476-5500 Attorney File No. PA1307986 Attorney Code. 91220 Case Number: 13 CH 14207 TJSC#: 34-7156 I613033

iN tHe CiRCuit COuRt OF COOK COuNty, iLLiNOiS COuNty dePARtMeNt - CHANCeRy diViSiON CitiMORtGAGe, iNC., Plaintiff, -v.NOSAKHARe OSAyAMWeN, KAy SOLANGe, uNKNOWN OWNeRS ANd NON-ReCORd CLAiMANtS defendants 12 CH 26206 731 eASt 69tH PLACe Chicago, iL 60037 NOtiCe OF SALe PubLiC NOtiCe iS HeReby GiVeN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 23, 2014, an agent for the Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 24, 2014, at the the Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker drive - 24th Floor, CHiCAGO, iL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:Commonly known as 731 eASt 69tH PLACe, Chicago, iL 60037 Property index No. 20-22-424-016-0000. the real estate is improved with a single family residence. the judgment amount was $158,782.92. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to the Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. the balance, including the Judicial sale fee for Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. the subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS iS” condition. the sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. the property will NOt be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. if this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by the Condominium Property Act, 765 iLCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). if this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by the Condominium Property Act, 765 iLCS 605/18.5(g-1). iF yOu ARe tHe MORtGAGOR (HOMeOWNeR), yOu HAVe tHe RiGHt tO ReMAiN iN POSSeSSiON FOR 30 dAyS AFteR eNtRy OF AN ORdeR OF POSSeSSiON, iN ACCORdANCe WitH SeCtiON 151701(C) OF tHe iLLiNOiS MORtGAGe FOReCLOSuRe LAW. effective May 1st, 2014 you will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues. For information, contact Plaintiff’s attorney: HAuSeLMAN, RAPPiN & OLSWANG, Ltd., 39 South LaSalle Street - Suite 1105, CHiCAGO, iL 60603, (312) 372-2020. Please refer to file number 12-2222-20640. tHe JudiCiAL SALeS CORPORAtiON One South Wacker drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, iL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALe you can also visit the Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. HAuSeLMAN, RAPPiN & OLSWANG, Ltd. 39 South LaSalle Street - Suite

1105 CHiCAGO, iL 60603 (312) 372-2020 Attorney File No. 122222-20640 Attorney Code. 4452 Case Number: 12 CH 26206 tJSC#: 34-8295 NOte: Pursuant to the Fair debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. i610115 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF Cook County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery Division.

Wells Fargo Bank, NA P l a i n t i f f , v s .

Michael J. Moody aka Michael Moody; Sheena Foy; ICUL Service Corporation; United States of America; Unknown Owners and Non-Record Claimants D e f e n d a n t s , 12 CH 30485 Sheriff's # 140482 F12070122 WELLS Pursuant to a Judgment made and entered by said Court in the above entitled cause, Thomas J. Dart, Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, will on August 1, 2014, at 1pm in room LL06 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction the following described premises and real estate mentioned in said Judgment: Common Address: 6961 South Eberhart Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637 20-22-416-008-0000 P.I.N: Improvements: This property consists of a Two Story Multi-Family Residence.

Sale shall be under the following terms: payment of not less than ten percent (10%) of the amount of the successful and highest bid to be paid to the Sheriff by cashier's check or certified funds at the sale; and the full remaining balance to be paid to the Sheriff by cashier's check or certified funds within twenty-four (24) hours after the sale.

Sale shall be subject to general taxes, special assessments.

Premise will NOT be open for inspection.

Firm Information: Plaintiff's Attorney FREEDMAN ANSELMO LINDBERG LLC Anthony Porto 1807 W. DIEHL., Ste 333 IL 60566-7228 Naperville, foreclosurenotice@fal-illino i s . c o m fax 630-428-4620 866-402-8661 For bidding instructions, visit www.fal-il l i n o i s . c o m This is an attempt to collect a debt pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I609653 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.; P l a i n t i f f , v s .

JANN WILLIAMS; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD C L A I M A N T S ; D e f e n d a n t s , 12 CH 19353 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause on January 29, 2013, Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Friday, July 18, 2014, at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described property: P.I.N. 20-20-407-009-0000.

Commonly known as 6727 SOUTH GREEN STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60621.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 25% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale which will entitle the purchaser to a Deed to the premises after confirmation of the sale.

For information: Visit our website at http://service.atty-pierce.com. Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. only. Pierce & Associates, Plaintiff's Attorneys, 1 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602. Tel.No. (312) 476-5500. Refer to File Number 1 2 1 0 1 7 9 .

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES C O R P O R A T I O N Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I611549

www.chicagocrusader.com

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COMMUNITY

BMOA and “D-Low Shuffle creator take over River Oaks Fans of all ages got a close-up look of how to do the “D-Low Shuffle” properly, as the dance’s creator, Daryon “D-Low” Simmons launched the Black McDonald’s Operators Association’s (BMOA) “100 Years of Summer” at the River Oaks Center.

A BMOA official said the organization wanted to kick off the summer in a positive way so they brought in D-Low for the June 14 event. The intent of the event “was to promote positivity and peace through the power of music and dance.” The D-Low Shuffle is one of the hottest dances around.

Besides two D-Low perfor-

mances, patrons received prizes, and McDonald’s giveaways.

The Black McDonald’s Operators Association [BMOA] is a membership organization comprised of 14 Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana-area McDonald’s restaurant owners. While contributing to the success of McDonald’s as the world’s leading food service retailer, BMOA members are also committed to exhibiting leadership, supporting education and developing partnerships within the AfricanAmerican communities that they serve. For additional info, please visit www.bmoachicagoland.org.

D-LOW AND HIS Crew wow the crowd with their fancy footwork during the “D-Low Shuffle” performance Saturday, June 14 at River Oaks Mall.

D-LOW (LEFT) TEAMED up with the Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA) of Chicagoland and NW Indiana for a surprise pop-up party at River Oaks Mall. Pictured on the right is Derrick Taylor, president of the organization.

D-LOW JOINS THE crowd of excited fans as they dance along with the artist to his popular song, the “D-Low Shuffle.”

SPECIAL OLYMPICS VOLLEYBALL Team Illinois won Friday, June 20 winning them the Gold Medal. Posing (left to right) is Christina Shutz, Jelani Allen, Wills Grosclaude, John Riley (kneeling), Kelcie Calvin, William TWO PHOTOS SHOW members of Team Illinois who make their way to New Jersey for the 2014 Special Olympics.

Rodriquez, Troy Fielder, Jason Akbar, Nicholas Conner and Jason Coy. www.chicagocrusader.com

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SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014

Blacks Must control their own coMMunity

www.chicagocrusader.com