THE DRUM BECAUSE COMMUNITY NEWS MATTERS
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Private school voucher program: hope or all hype? ; BY
MAY 2011
NUMBER 415
Juneteenth celebrations planed
Renovating Scotlandville
KAMEKO THOMAS
JOZEF SYNDICATE
WITH CONGRESS RECENTLY reinstating Washington DC’s school voucher program, the issue of providing statefunded private school vouchers for public, low-income, and mostly Black students in lowperforming schools is once again on the national radar. The renewed interest has found its way back into the Louisiana State Capitol, where advocacy groups including the Black Alliance for Educational Options are urging legislators to continue the $8 million program for next year and assisting parents in their push to expand the private school voucher program for East Baton Rouge Parish. Known as the Student Scholarship for Educational Excellence, or SSEE, the program became active for the 2008-2009 school year for nearly 2,000 New Orleans students and has received $25 million in state funds. Another » See VOUCHERS pg 4.
SU invites nation back to the Bluff SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY’S ALUMNI federation invites Southernites and supporters to return to Baton Rouge and “bring home the pride and promise of the Jaguar Nation” at the 2011 National Alumni Conference, July 6-10, on the Baton Rouge campus. Organizers said this year's conference welcomes alumni “from across the globe back to the Bluff to reconnect, reminisce, and renew the time-honored tradition of our great University as well as rededicate ourselves to strengthening it for the future.” The deadline to register is June 25 and the fee is $250. Registration is open online at http:// sualumni.org
Chamber opens regional office, page 3
JUNE 4: Juneteenth Parade ; BY
Drum Photos by YUSEF DAVIS
CANDACE J. SEMIEN
and Family Day, Scotlandville Park, 72nd Avenue, 11 am, Free. Contact: (225) 357-7824.
JOZEF SYNDICATE
THE NEW OWNERS OF THE OLD POOLE BUILDING IN Scotlandville (at right) said they are ready for tenants, but not “just any business” will occupy one of the two availabe suites at 8818 Scotand Ave. “We are really interested in having the right fit,” said Ramount Tucker, real estate investor. To the Philadephia native, a right fit in Scotlandville would be a meat and produce store operating out of Suite A, the largest of three units. Tucker is a partner with All In Favor LLC that recently purchased the Scotland Avenue building for $179,000. The group has begun a $100,000 renovation project. Just down the street, remodeling has started on the National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees Local #101 building (above) at 8920 Scotland Ave, and the owners of Scotland Mart, 10888 Scotland Ave, recently received a permit to complete $323,000 in new construction for a 3,400-square-feet convenience store. Earlier this month, state officials joined the LSU Health North Baton Rouge Clinic in a ground breaking ceremony for the area’s new 24-hour urgent care facility on Airline Highway at the boarder of Scotlandville, while the closed Pizza Hut one block away was purchased by Jeannie Tran for $140,000. Tran, who owns adjacent property, plans to reopen it as a restaurant. “The entrepreneurship spirit is alive in Scotlandville community,” said Tucker. “Something’s kicking off in Scotlandville; We can be a part of that and have the people (of the neighborhood) join in.” On June 30, officials from the Southern University School of Architecture will release the Scotlandville Comprehensive Community Development Plan at the Jewel Newman Community Center on Central Road at 6pm for the community to see other expected business and economic growth for the area. The plan is being integrated with the parish’s Master Plan by FuturEBR.
JUNE 17: Juneteenth Gala, angipahoa African-American Heritage Museum & Black Veterans’ Archives, 1600 Phoenix Square Hammond, 7pm. Tickets are $25. Contact: (985) 542-4259. JUNE
18: Juneteenth Celebration, Odell S. Williams Now and Then Museum of African American History, 538 South Blvd., noon. Free. Contact: (225) 225-343-4431.
Beautiful girls meet in BR ; BY
KAYLA PERKINS
SPECIAL TO THE DRUM
BEAUTIFUL BLACK GIRLS, INC. HOSTS several programs and events throughout the year designed to strengthen and encourage young ladies to reach their fullest potential. One program. the annual “Beautiful, I Am” Empowerment Summit, was held May 21 at the Unity Center of Second Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. This is the program’s third year, and the positive influence it has on its attendees grows exponentially each year. More than 100 women and girls came together to celebrate each other, and to be inspired by the lives of other women. A panel of esteemed “Leading Ladies” was selected » See BEAUTIFUL pg 5.
Birth announcements, page 9
DRUM ROLL, page 7
Nominations due June 30, page 11
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THE DRUM
MAY 2011
OPINION THE DRUM BECAUSE COMMUNITY NEWS MATTERS ISSN 1937-2019 Published monthly in Baton Rouge EDDIE PONDS, Publisher CARRIE PONDS, Assistant Publisher CORA LESTER, Managing Editor CRYSTAL JENKINS Editorial Assistant YUSEF DAVIS, Photo Intern Contributing Writers TAQUEE GUNDAR HARRY ALFORD EMMANUEL LEE ALANA MURRAY
CANDACE J. SEMIEN EDDIE PONDS
KAMEKO THOMAS ARTHUR VERRETT JR.
News deadline: 18th of each month The opinions found in the Opinion section reflect the ideas of the writer and are not endorsed by the editors or publishers of THE DRUM. Submissions to THE DRUM may be edited for space and clarity and are published at the discretion of the editorial staff. Phone: (225) 927-3717 Email: news@thedrumnewspaper.info www.twitter.com/thedrumnews Facebook: TheDrumNews Member of New American Media, Louisiana Black Publishers Association, Jozef Syndicate, and the Louisiana Press Association © 2011 Ponds Enterprises LLC
©
Pastorek resignation offers chance to get it right
; BY
THE NEW ORLEANS
TRIBUNE
BEFORE COMING TO NEW ORLEANS to lead the Recovery School District, John White was the deputy chancellor of talent, labor and innovation for the NYC school system. We’re still not sure what a deputy chancellor of talent, labor and innovation does. In fact, the title seems a bit contrived. And yes, we have questioned whether White is prepared to take on the task that lies before him. He worked in New York for about five years. Before that he was the Chicago director of Teacher for America. Before that he taught English. Still, for the sake of children and education, we certainly hope is ready, especially since the job is his. Still, White has hardly had the opportunity to settle in
Revolutionary Rascal
as head of the RSD and he is already kicking up a stir with a plan to oust teachers based on a performance evaluation. That is one reason we pause at the news that Gov. Bobby Jindal backs him to replace State Superintendent Paul Pastorek, whose recent resignation seems hasty if not downright suspicious. Luckily, White would need to get approval from the BESE in order to land such a promotion. And we are hopeful that BESE and the governor will see Pastorek’s surprising and abrupt departure for what it is—the opportunity to STOP, assess the current reform movement, and ensure that the needs and concerns of parents and students in the RSD are truly being met. At The Tribune, we support efforts to provide quality educational opportunities for all of the city’s students. However,
we are not convinced that the current direction of the RSD and its move to clutter the city’s educational landscape with privately-run charter schools is the way to go. With that, there are a number of issues regarding the RSD that ought to be considered before another state superintendent is named. From revisiting the laws that created the RSD and gives the state superintendent and the RSD superintendent their absolute powers to reviewing all RSD contracts with outside vendors to reconsidering the decision to set aside only a small portion of the seats in RSD schools for neighborhood students—there is plenty that ought to give state leaders pause before a new superintendent is chosen. RSD was designed to fix troubled schools and return them to their local governing bodies, not to orchestrate wholesale takeover of a school system, its
budget and buildings, which is exactly what took place in postKatrina New Orleans. Or at least that is what many were led to believe. We’ve since learned the truth. In fact, former Superintendent Paul Pastorek candidly told The Tribune just a few months ago that for him, local control never meant a return to OPSB. And so while Pastorek’s departure was indeed hasty, it has provided the unexpected and welcomed opportunity to take the RSD in a different direction. Let’s not waste it. The New Orleans Tribune is published monthly as one of Louisiana’s leading Black papers with a 145-year legacy of being dedicated to social justice and civil rights for all Louisiana citizens. Find The New Orleans Tribune at www. neworleanstribune.com.
It is important to know what God is doing ; BY ARTHUR VERRETT JR THE DRUM Columnist
AFTER REVISITING MATTHEWS Chapter 24, these potent and powerful passages of scripture recorded gives us great insight and Godly wisdom to discern the signs of the times or the end of the world. Matthews 24:3637 saids, “Verily I said unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” What Jesus is alluding to is that a generation — 40 years — shall not pass in whose lifetime all these signs will occur. Jesus saids to us heaven and earth will
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pass away before his word fails. Everything that God has said in the scriptures must be fulfilled or completed. This proves the inerrancy and accuracy of God’s truth or his holy word. It states in Matthew 4:3-4, “And when the tempter came to him, he said, ‘If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ But he answered and said, ‘It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Jesus is revealing to us an intimate conversation between him and the devil. The devil always speaks to our minds
to discredit or devalue the significance of God’s word. But in all areas of temptations, Jesus only spoke in agreement with what God saids. Looking in retrospect, the many signs Jesus gave regarding the end of the world are: false prophets, wars and rumors of wars, nations shall rise against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms, famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. Jesus saids be not troubled for all these things are the beginning of sorrows. God in his infinite wisdom has allowed modern technology—the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, television, newspapers, magazines and other mediums—to validate » See VERRETT, PG 3.
Unexpected consequences can hurt Black America ; BY HARRY ALFORD THE DRUM Columnist
AS THE SAIDING GOES, “THE ROAD to Hell is paved with good intentions”. This has been the plight of Black America since our emancipation from slavery. Big policy is decided without adequate consideration of our situation or positive inclusiveness of the outcomes. Allow me to journey back into history and also current activity to explain my point. Social Security Program: It sounded so good. An employee will have a part of his income deducted and put into a retirement investment program and the employer
would put up a portion also. The money would be there at the time of retirement (age 65) and disbursed monthly to the retiree. The very big problem is this: Blacks’ life spans are much shorter than whites. This means that Blacks will receive much less of the money they put in and whites will receive a disproportionately greater amount. A great amount of Blacks will not receive any benefits at all as they will die before they are eligible to retire. Much of this sinister formula was known to the architects of the Social Security » See CONSEQUENCES, PG 9.
MAY 2011
THE DRUM
NATIONAL
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Regional Black Chamber Office established in N.O. NEW ORLEANS IS HOME TO THE National Black Chamber of Commerce’s first regional office thanks to the NBCC team and chairman Arnold Baker last month. The new office, located at 929 Julia Street, will serve businesses in the Southeastern Region. The Chamber provides education and advocay on public policy issues such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Global Climate Regulations, tax laws, Brownfields and other important issues that concern businesses and communities.
It’s mission is “to economically empower and sustain African American communities through the entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora�. The chamber also provides training and support at local and national levels for businesses. For more information on the National Chamber, visit http://www.nationalbcc.org/ or call 202-466-6888.
VERRETT Cont. from page 2 that every word God has spoken will or has come to pass as a witness for or against you. It’s paramount today for God’s people to have a thorough knowledge, understanding and revelation of what God is doing. In closing, Noah preached for 120 years that God was going to destroy the world by a flood. Guest what?
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MAY 2011
VOUCHERS cont. from page 1 $8 million is appropriated in House Bill 1 but is being challenged by budget strains. While it is true that inequity in education is still a source of concern, the notion that private school vouchers are an answer for what ails public education raises many questions, including: are private school vouchers the answer? what additional opportunities, if any, do students who utilize the voucher program have of being academically successful? what guarantees are there that they will graduate, transition into college and lead successful, productive lives? and, what role does accountability have in the education equation? According to former Louisiana BAEO state director Shree Medlock, the alliance has been active in Louisiana since 2007 and was “instrumental” in
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establishing the private voucher program in New Orleans. Medlock, who is now national advocacy director, said parents in East Baton Rouge Parish heard of the voucher program’s success in New Orleans and asked BAEO to help expand the program during a community forum last month. What exactly are these parents expecting from the vouchers program and are those expectations realistic were not discussed during the forum. However, Medlock said that the BAEO’s objective is to “just [provide] the option”. “Not everyone will take it,” she said. “But it is [there] to provide the option. I’ve talked to a lot of people, and they would like to have the option.” Her answer fits directly with BAEO’s written mission: to “increase access to high-quality educational options for Black children by actively supporting parental choice policies and programs that empower lowincome and working-class Black families”. However, there isn’t empirical evidence suggesting that voucher policies or programs will empower lowincome students or Black students. But for BAEO, Medlock said it’s just important that parents have the option. BAEO offers little answers to questions like: if resources for public school system in Louisiana are completely dismantled under the guise of parental choice, and AfricanAmerican children drop out of private schools because of the lack of adequate and appropriate social and cultural support, where will they go? What are their options then? What will they become? Who stands to benefit the most from their failures? And, is this all really the parent’s choice? BAEO itself is not so much an organization as it is a “project” of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning,
headquartered at Marquette University in Wisconsin, the very state whose governor has publicly questioned the viability and necessity of the exact program that BAEO works so hard to promote. In Louisiana, students participating in the voucher program are required to take the LEAP test as a measurement of the program’s success. These scores are compared to the scores of the students of the schools they left. Of the 135 fourth grade SSEE students who took the LEAP test last year (20092010), 34 percent scored basic or above on the English portion of the test, whereas 85 percent of public school students in Orleans Parish scored basic or above during the same year. Can this experience be considered a gain for the students even with the lower scores or is it simply a gain for the spirit of competitiveness which education reformist attest? Louisiana’s student results are similar to a national trend. Diane Ravitich, former national assistant secretary of education, found “there were relatively small achievement gains for students offered educational vouchers, most of which were not statistically different from zero.” Similarly, the National Coalition for Public Education, found “the use of a voucher had no statistically significant impact on overall student achievement in math or reading.” Their 2009 report revealed that students in schools in need of improvement have “shown no improvement in reading or math due to the voucher program.” They found that many voucher schools lack the high quality programs and resources found in public schools; that voters do not support the voucher program; and the DC voucher program does not ensure parental choice. While many people believe
DRUM CALL: Supporters and opponents of the state’s school voucher programs are being encouraged to contact state legislators about the proposed budget that would give $8 million for the program in New Orleans. Others are pushing the public to demand that the program expands to East Baton Rouge Parish Schools. Write in and tell our editors your opinion: news@thedrumnewspaper.info that private school vouchers are the academic be-all, endall for Black students, others disagree. In his article, “False Choice: How private school vouchers might harm minority students”, The New Republic writer Matthew McKnight argues “there are problems with education in America that are so deeply rooted that not even private and independent schools escape them, which renders the notion of school vouchers out of touch with the nuanced problem of the achievement gap that it attempts to solve.” A 2007 research report concluded by psychologists Greg Walton and Geoffrey Cohen showed the same. “In academic and professional settings, members of socially stigmatized groups are more uncertain of the quality of their social bonds and thus more sensitive to the issues of social belonging. We call this ‘belonging uncertainty’, and suggest that it contributes to racial disparities in achievement.” A similar study conducted by Barnard College Professor Steven Stroessner stated that in “performancebased situations in which a person actually expects to be ‘the single representative of a stereotyped group,’ lowered performance results most often occur.” These are valid, and often ignored, points. So, why the hard push for private school vouchers and tax breaks for that matter? The answer to that question lies within the origins of BAEO which is funded by free-marketoriented foundations and think tanks. In 2001 – the year it permanently shut down operations - the John M. Olin Foundation gave BAEO $100,000. In 2009, BAEO received $900,000 according to a Foundation Center IRS report from the Walton Family Foundation. BAEO also received $200,000 from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, as well as an additional $425,000 over a three-year period from the Jaquelin Hume Foundation. These foundations are known to support conservative
and neoconservative political policies and ideologies. Most of them, it is believed, are dedicated toward the eradication of public schools because of their connections and involvement with other policies. For example, Hume Foundation Founder Jaquelin “Jack” Hume also founded the Citizens for America, an organization created to promote President Ronald Reagan’s political agenda by “selling” the public on Reagan’s pet projects, among them the Strategic Defense Initiative and the Contra war. The momentum of education reform is maintained by Foundations like these and states where public education needs major overhaul fall victim to rhetoric. No one who’s seen the statistics on the reading comprehension levels of the state’s African-American students (91 percent are rated “below proficient”) can deny that our children are in great peril, and that steps must be taken to address it. Private school vouchers, however, are reactive in nature, and Louisiana schools and districts statewide need to be more proactive. To assume that an AfricanAmerican child, having been plunked down into a completely unfamiliar and potentially hostile environment from one that—even if not academically sound—was understanding and considerate of his social and psychological needs, will suddenly “swim” in this new environment presumes much of this private school voucher program. It also presumes much of students’ and parents’ mindsets—and that of the private school systems. Kameko Thomas is a Shreveport-based freelance writer covering education, politics, business, and economic development. Thomas is a contributing writer and columnist for Jozef Syndicate. She can be reached at kamekothomas@ theelitemediagroup.com. Candace J. Semien contributed to this article.
MAY 2011
BEAUTIFUL cont. from page 1
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to speak candidly about their personal life experiences, struggles, triumphs and everything in between. Among the panelists were Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Linda Colar, Dr. Leah S. Cullins, an Assistant Professor at Southern University, Donna Collins Lewis, District 6 Councilwoman, and Dena Neal, the Executive Director for Total Assurance, with Kristi Davis of WBRZ, Channel 9 as the facilitator. Attendees also enjoyed entertainment by Jo’Quisha Hillard, Miss Black Louisiana USA Talented Teen 2011, Jian Mancusso, a teen a dancer and aerobics instructor, and the Star Hill Anointed Hands of Testimony puppet ministry.
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THE DRUM
MAY 2011
FEATURE
JUSTIN MOORE: valedictorian, future neurologist
Photo submitted by SONYA GORDON
JUSTIN J. MOORE, THE VALEDICTORIAN AT BATON ROUGE MAGNET HIGH School with a 4.8 grade point average, has been named a 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar by the U.S. Department of Education. He was one of only two students in the state and the only area student to receive the honor. In April, the U.S. Presidential Semifinalists were named, and Moore was the only East Baton Rouge Parish student to make that cut, as well. As an Advanced Placement Scholar with distinction, Moore won six Science Olympiad medals this year: three in regionals and six (three gold, three silver) at the state level. Overall, he has won 11 medals in Science Olympiad. He also placed first this year and last at the Chemistry Olympiad regionals and took first place in state and regionals in the Biology II Literary Rally. In addition, he is the captain of his school’s Science Bowl team and led Baton Rouge High School to its very first, first-place state finish in several years. Moore has been awarded an Honorary National Achievement and a National Merit Scholarship. He holds the AP Statistics Award and also has won awards in AP Chemistry, French V AP, English II and III Honors and American History Honors. When not studying and winning various competitions, Moore conducted research with professors Jason Walker and Yong Hwan Lee at Louisiana State University on a cancer cure using oncolytic virotherapy and other modern gene therapy methods. He submitted his work to the prestigious Toshiba ExploraVision Contest and won an honorable mention out of six regions nationwide. “I feel extremely honored to receive such a prestigious award. Receiving this national honor has been exciting for both me and my school, which hasn’t had a Presidential Scholar in many years,” Moore said. “I believe that my work ethic and my determination have finally paid off, and I think that this is a wonderful culmination to my high school career. I wish to thank my mother, Sherlita Moore, for all her valuable time, tireless effort and extreme commitment. I also would like to acknowledge my siblings, Aaron, Alyssa and Myla, for their undying support.” He is captain of the tennis team and a Magnet Ambassador. He enjoys learning languages, speaks French fluently and currently is learning Spanish and Chinese. In his spare time, Moore plays piano and is also interested in aviation and astronomy. Moore plans on becoming a neurologist. Outside school, Moore is involved with the American Heart Association, Remnant Church and more. From nearly 3.2 million graduating high school seniors, only 121 students were chosen as 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholars, the nation’s highest honor for graduating high school seniors. Moore was one of two from the state.
Top fifth-grade students head to middle school KALEB BATISTE Parent: Jessica Sterling Fifth Grade: Greenbrier Elementary School Attending Next Year: Sherwood Middle Magnet SAXON CHARLES BOUDREAUX Parents: Georgianna and Harold Boudreaux Fifth Grade: Forest Heights Academy School attending next year: McKinley Middle Magnet ANTIONE DESHAWN COLLINS JR. Parents: Tarkeshia White and Antione Collins Sr. Fifth grade: Winbourne Elementary School School Attending Next Year: Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet School
ANTOINE COLLINS JR
STEVEN FLORES
BREEA GROSS
BRYSON JOHNSON
STEVEN FLORES Fifth Grade School: Park Forest Elementary BREEA GROSS Parents: Janice Gross and Thomas Stephens Fifth Grade: Scotlandville Elementary Next year: Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Middle Magnet Academy BRYSON JOHNSON Parents: Andre and Lisa Johnson Fifth Grade: McKanstry Preparatory School
Submitted by SCHOOLS
Salutatorian also future Morehouse Man
IT HAS ALWAYS been JOHN QUEEN JR.’S dream to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, and now his dream will come true after being named one of 1,000 national 2011 Gates Millennium Scholars. Beginning next year, the Belaire High School senior, who is 18, will have the all his college tuition, texts and expenses fully covered by the program – through graduate school, if he chooses. The son of Karvett Tillery-Queen and John Queen Sr., Queen said he would like to pursue a dual degree program and eventually become a chemical engineer. “I’ve always heard great things about Morehouse and looked up to that school since I was a young kid visiting it in Atlanta. I also toured it this winter,” Queen said. “I also know a few people who have attended Morehouse, and I’d like to start out there studying computer science and then move on to a graduate school for chemical engineering.” Queen’s father, a plant supervisor, and his mother, the owner of an accounting firm and finance, human resources director of Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge, have always encouraged him to study hard and make plans to further his education. “This is so exciting, and I’m still kind of in shock. My mom, who is a single parent...has pushed and encouraged me to study really hard.” With a 4.34 grade point average and a 23 ACT score, Queen also is a finalist for Herff Jones Leadership and Sam Walton Community scholarships. He also takes college algebra at Louisiana State University, and is president of the school’s Student Government Association, Beta Club and the Future Business Leaders of America and vicepresident of his senior class. He also is the salutatorian for the Class of 2011 at Belaire High School.
MAY 2011
THE DRUM
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DRUMROLL
To be included in the DRUMROLL section, submit your accomplishment and photo to thedrumnewspaper@gmail.com. Make sure your full name and details of your accomplishment are provided along with a contact phone number. Photos should be sent as .jpeg or .tiff 300dpi files. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has appointed JAMES CARTER to become the city’s Criminal Justice Commissioner. Carter, along with a Criminal Justice Council and “Mayoral Strategic Command will coordinate all the efforts of the criminal justice system and community to reduce murder and crime. A lifelong resident of New Orleans, Carter is the former City councilman of District C.
degrees from Southern University and a doctorate from Colorado State University. BRIAN ELLIS LOWE, of Monroe, has been names the senior director of sales and client services for the Memphis Grizzles basketball team. In this capacity, he oversees staff and fan development, service and retention, and increasing sales revenues. He is a graduate of Grambling State University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sports administration. This appointment comes after stints with the Unites States Olympic Committee, Amateur Athletic Union Headquarters, Pittsburg Pirates, and Game Face Marketing and Sales Inc. JAMES CARTER
The annual parish-wide Army Cadet Challenge, which is the President’s Challenge for Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) cadets, was held recently at Tara High School. High school JROTC battalions’ team winners placed: 1st. Glen Oaks, 2nd Istrouma, 3rd Tara, 4th Belaire, 5th Scotlandville Magnet, 6th Northeast, 7th Woodlawn, and 8th Broadmoor. This is the seventh consecutive year the GLEN OAKS HIGH SCHOOL team has won the top traveling plaque for the competition. Glen Oaks’ team won top place for male teams and second place for female teams. Istrouma High School’s team won second place for male team and first place for female team. WRKF-FM radio host JIM ENGSTER has received the Racial Justice Award from the YWCA Greater Baton Rouge. The honor recognizes his on-air advocacy of racial and social justice. Engster is also president of the Louisiana Radio Network in Baton Rouge. His show airs weekdays at 9am on 89.3FM in Baton Rouge and can be heard online at www.wrkf.com. TAZINSKI LEE, of Monroe, has been promoted to dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Mississippi Valley State University. She is the first female to serve in this position at the university. Lee was also chair of the department of social science and has published research on the politics of racial domination and criminalization of young Black males CHANCE W. LEWIS has been selected to lead the United Negro College Fund’s reform of teacher training programs at selected universities. He will address evidence that shows the nation’s teachers are not being adequately prepared to educate and prepare students in the 21st century. The Istrouma High School graduate was recently appointed as the Carolyn Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor and Endowed Chair CHANCE LEWIS of Urban Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s
Environmental Protection Agency chief LISA JACKSON was featured as Time Magazine’s 100 influential people. Jackson, 49, grew up in New Orleans and gratuated from Tulane University. She now leads the nation’s push for clean air, clean water and a clean energy economy In his resignation as state superintendent, Paul Pastorek passes the reigns of the Louisiana Department of Education to deputy superintendent
OLLIE TYLER until the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education hires another superintendent. She has served as the deputy superientendent in the department, superintendent for the Caddo Parish School System in Shreveport, interim superintendent for the Orleans Parish School System, and was a mathematics teacher, an assistant principal, the director of middle schools, as well as deputy superintendent for Caddo Parish Public Schools.
OLLIE TYLER
New Roads native CLAY YOUNG has joined the morning show on Baton Rouge radio station WJBO AM 1150. Young now hosts, “Baton Rouge’s Morning News”, along with Kevin Meeks, weekday mornings from 5:30am - 9am.
Deltas present Miss Jabberwock, court Baton Rouge Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated crowned QUEEN VICTORIA BROUSSARD; Little Miss Jabberwock Queen Kenyell Caldwell; First Princess KAWAYNA RIDGLEY; Second Princess TRINITY GIVENS; and Third Princess GINGER DOUGLAS. Photo by MYLES PHOTOGRAPHY
Regents Board recognizes outgoing student rep The Louisiana Board of Regents recently honored outgoing student member Demetrius Sumner of Southern University and A& M Collefe during it regular meeting and introduced new student member, John Mineo from the University of New Orleans. Sumner, who is student government association president at Southern, represented the student population of all Louisiana universities. The political science major from Dallas was a vocal advocate against the merger of Southern University of New Orleans and the University of New Orleans. The legislation to merge the two campuses was later defeated and amended to merge UNO into the University of Louisiana System.
Wright and Calvey Funeral Home opens in Ponchatoula HAMMOND—More than 300 people toured Wright and Calvey Funeral Home, 300 South Cherry in Hammond on April 1 to see the city’s newest funeral home. “We are going to render professional service, accept all insurance policies, we can meet all your insurance needs, and you can call for pre-arrangement.” “We would like to thank everyone who came, Hammond mayor Mason Foster, the council, and funeral directors from Louisiana and Mississippi,” said Gregory Wright Sr., one of five owners. “We also would like to thank the pastors, Florida Parish Bank and all their officials, loan originator Tonja Wright and Pastor Samuel Brown for motivation us during the purchase of the building.”
Drum photo by EDDIE PONDS
Owner of Wright and Calvey Funeral Home from left to right Darrell Calvey, Gregory Wright Sr., Edward Wright Sr., Conrad Wright, and Bryant Wright Sr.
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Justice activists take a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to police dept changes
; BY DENISE STEWART Black America Web reporter
JUSTICE ADVOCATES IN NEW Orleans are welcoming the pledge to clean up that city’s police department but they said they’ll wait to see what really happens This is following the February release of a scathing U.S Department of Justice report. “I am not surprised at what the report revealed, because it’s what we’ve been saiding for a while,” said Yvette Thierry of Safe Streets/Strong Communities. “I am concerned about what will be the next step,” Thierry told BlackAmericaweb. com. The 115-page report showed that New Orleans police officers have often used deadly force without justification, repeatedly made unconstitutional arrests and engaged in racial profiling The report found that the department has long failed to adequately protect New Orleans residents because of numerous shortcomings, including inadequate supervision and ineffective methods of taking and investigating complaints. “A lot of the problems existed before Katrina, but after Katrina, you focus on them
even more because people have so many challenges just putting their lives back on track,” Thierry said. In 2006 she lost a mentally ill brother-in-law at the hands of New Orleans police officers, she said. “His mother called for help in taking him away,” Thierry said. When the police came, they asked the family to clear out of the house, she said. “Because the family wasn’t in there, we never really knew what happened,” Thierry said Thierry and Shaena Johnson of the Louisiana Justice Institute, said for years now, families have sought answers in the deaths of sisters, brothers, cousins and friends. They’ve questioned unexplained stops and arrests by police. “We’d been asking for some months for an investigation. A coalition of groups and individuals last spring requested that Perez intervene,” Johnson told BlackAmericaweb.com. “Now we have a working relationship with the NOPD and they seem eager to rectify the problems in the system. That means a lot,” she said. “It’s still early in the process, but it seems like they are on the right track.” In a letter dated May 4,
2010, more than two dozen advocates asked Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general, Office of Civil Rights, to “intervene in the reform of the NOPD through utilization of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which authorizes the Department of Justice to file civil lawsuits against law enforcement agencies that engage in a pattern of violating people’s rights and obtain a court order to monitor and reform them.”
Less than 24 hours after that letter was sent, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu met with 16 of these leaders and six attorneys from the US Department of Justice, and then announced that he had invited the Justice Department to come to New Orleans and perform an assessment of the NOPD and the criminal justice system. In their letter to the Department of Justice, advocates said: “Our local police, elected officials, and local federal agencies have sat silently for years – complicit in the brutality of NOPD ineptitude, mismanagement, corruption, and abuse of power. For years there has been a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers of the New Orleans Police Department that deprives persons of rights, privileges, and immunities secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States,” the letter stated. Department of Justice representatives reviewed records, conducted interviews and met with community groups as a part of the investigation of the police department and the criminal justice system. “In July when a Black
man and white woman were attending a community meeting, they experienced racial profiling firsthand,” Thierry said. “They were stopped by police simply because there was a black man in the car with a white woman.” Advocates said many of the problems in New Orleans are class based, and not necessarily race based. “We are a city of the haves and the have-nots,” said Johnson. “There is a vast income gap. The minorities and the poor are the ones who are treated unfairly by the system. They arrest people for unpaid traffic tickets.We’ve found that 67 percent of those arrested for minor offenses are low income African Americans.” Johnson, said what is needed is a total change in the culture of the New Orleans Police Department. ”This report provides us with an honest assessment that will help us to take a datadriven approach to making our streets safer and reforming the NOPD,” Landrieu said. “The findings are sobering and the challenges ahead are daunting, but we will do whatever it takes to make this right.”
Willie G. Johnson, Jr. ATTORNEY AT LAW
Partner of Seale, Smith, Zuber & Barnette Area of Practice: Civil & Trial Litigation
(225) 892-1709 (225) 924-1600 ext. 103 w j o h n s o n @ s s z b l a w. c o m
CONSEQUENCES cont. from page 2
Cortney Janae Gordon Our families rejoice a new life's begun! Our circle is richer with the birth of this one! Carlita and Melvin Gordon along with sister Brittany and brother Melvin “Trey” welcomed
CORTNEY JANAE GORDON into the world at 3:30pm on April 3, 2011 She weighed 5 lbs., 14 ozs.
Geordon Jamal-Douglas Gwinn
Proud parents George and Debbie Gwinn and sister Danaila announce the birth
GEORDON JAMAL-DOUGLAS GWINN. He was born 7lbs 7.3oz on April 3, 2011, at 3:02 am at the Baton Rouge General Hospital on Bluebonnet.
program and most Blacks were void of the knowledge. It was a major transfer of wealth in a very subtle manner. A very big hustle indeed! The Interstate Infrastructure Program: During World War II, General Eisenhower marveled at the German Autobahn (their freeway system). He emulated it with the interstate freeway system for the United States. When the freeways came to urban areas they went to the line of least resistance – the Black neighborhoods. Black retail establishments everywhere were subject to eminent domain and bulldozed over for infrastructure improvement. From the Fillmore in San Francisco to Black Bottom in Detroit they were done in forever in the name of freeways and new development. Some of our greatest neighborhoods and cultural centers were lost forever. The Great Society: There was nothing “great” about this. In fact, our deficit and annual budgets are suffering from the largesse of charity. It was a great narcotic to our victims of poverty rather than a solution. It told the masses to sit down and be taken care of rather than rising up and empowering themselves. The end result has been a trans-generational dependency on welfare and public housing living rather than a positive transition from poverty to self sufficiency. African Americans as a people are burdened by the weight of helplessness
and dependency to the point of distinction. Somehow we must throw this “yolk” from our “neck” and begin to stand tall and strong. Ethanol Promotion: They should have done their historical perspective on this. Henry Ford commissioned George Washington Carver to develop ethanol from peanuts to relieve our dependence on oil (manipulated by John D. Rockefeller) for our cars. The great scientist George Washington Carver worked diligently on it at Tuskegee University but went to his grave without successfully mass producing it. Yet, here we are in the 21st century trying it again. It just doesn’t work and what is worse it adversely impacts the rest of our economy. The subsidies (billions of dollars) given for ethanol production has caused a great shortage in corn production for the rest of our agricultural markets. The end result is that groceries, fuel and energy prices are going through the roof and there is no significant improvement on our carbon emission footprint. This is a supreme mistake and failure that causes Black families and consumers more harm than others in that we have fewer dollars to waste and to be exploited. When they catch a cold we will get pneumonia. Ethanol has been a direct assault on Black families. Higher Energy Costs / Less Energy Consumption: This assumption by
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environmentalists and progressive politicians is very flawed. It does not take into account that staying warm, air conditioned, cooking and traveling to essential places is necessary and basic to common living. There are many who feel that if we skyrocket energy prices, i.e. $8 per gallon gasoline and triple the average household energy bill people will lower their consumption levels. They don’t take into account that you must travel to work, eat every day and protect your family from ill health. While whites may sell their summer cabins, Blacks cannot afford a home at all and move into shelters or the streets. While whites may sell one of the family cars, Blacks will not be able to buy a car at all. This strategy is totally out of touch but yet it exists. That is why they have the oil moratorium in the Gulf Coast while the world cost of oil is rapidly increasing. That is why they have onerous EPA regulations without justification. That is why they are proposing to cut energy assistance (LIHEAP) in the new budget. This is why the National Black Chamber of Commerce is forming a new division to be a watchdog on such policy and measure the impact on Black America. Harry Alford is president/ CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce He can be reached at halford@ nationalbcc.org
CAPITAL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 5056 Hooper Road ~ Baton Rouge, La Rev. R L Robertson Sr., Pastor
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BUYTHEBOOK
Book Briefs
Children’s book brings little boy with big mission ; BY TAQUEE GUNDAR Book Reviewer
Ron’s Big Mission THE
IMAGINARY
CAPTURES
BEGINNINGS
OF
RONALD McNair’s dream of becoming an astronaut. In the story, Rose Blue and Corinne Naden introduce nine-year-old Ron and his fantasy for flying and becoming a pilot. On this particular occasion, Ron skips breakfast and hurries to the library. Only this time he passes up his favorite books: the ones “that shows kids who look like him” he needed specific books for his big mission. After finding
the books, he tried checking them out and although he could use the library only White
people could check them out. Focused. Determined. Resistant. Ron would not leave
these books behind. He decides to protest the unfair 1959 law even though he really didnt understand it. His mother couldn’t help and the police officer wouldn’t. When the librarian saw his determination, she gives him a library card. He takes the book home to plan the great mission that ultimately leads him to his big dream: becoming an astronaunt. BuytheBook and encourage every little boy who’s determined to carry out big dreams.
‘Under Pressure’ surprises teens with reality on friendships ; BY YUSEF DAVIS Student Book Reviewer
Quentin “QB” Banks is the director of U-Turn, a program dedicated to changing the lives of teenagers in Queens, New York. One day he was with two of his most influenced students, Torry and Chase, when they
were gunned downed in their vehicle by a street gang that Chase indirectly joined. Turns out the gang wanted him dead because he was trying to get away from them. Now they are all going to the hospital because Torry and QB were badly injured. Will Chase ever tell them
Billingsley Book signing Bestselling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley travels to the Scotlandville Library July 9 with her newest novel Said Amen, Again. Billingsley, author of Let the Church Said Amen and more than 20 other novels, is a former television reporter and has won numerous awards for her journalism and fiction, including the Nova Lee Nation Award from the Greater Dallas Writing Association and the prestigious Gold Pen Award for Best New Author for her first novel, My Brother’s Keeper. She will host a discussion on her characters and the upcoming book, starting at noon.
the truth about his gang? Will Torry and QB die because of Chase’s lies? How will the gang react when they see that Chase is still alive? The answers to these questions will keep the reader locked in the story. R a s h a u n Hughes’s Under Pressure shows how the world is trying to pull young Black
crowds away from everything positive and that they should actually think about their future. The book even shows how the teenagers over come some of these problems. Even as his first novel, it is an excellent book for teenagers. BuytheBook.
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Rapper and actor Ludacris has joined forces with DoSomething.org to support the Epic Book Drive to help libraries in New Orleans restock their shelves as they continue to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He has filmed a public service announcement urging students across America to share their books. “The campaign is giving something as simple as a book to a student in a much needed area...so they can have the opportunity to read, communicate and be inspired,” he said.
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Sapphire readers can anticipate the release of her new novel, The Kid, next month. The book leaves the life of Claireece “Precious” Jones (heroine of Push) and at the start introduces her orphaned son Abdul who narrates his chaotic journey into adulthood in the same profane, vivid first person that iconic of Sapphire. The novel was purchased by Penguin Press and is scheduled to be published this summer.
community readers program Village Help Sometimes, it takes a village to get us where we need to be. This is a free service to readers who need nonmonetary help from within the “village”. To request Village Help, call The Drum at (225) 927-3717 or send an email to news@thedrumnewspaper.info
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KING’S CHILDREN FULL GOSPEL 3024 Amarillo Drive ~ Baton Rouge, La (225) 355-1042 Rev. Robert Joseph Sr., Pastor
Eyes Open with Tony Brown Weekdays 5:30am - 7:30am www.eyesopenwithtonybrown.com
MAY 2011
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Meterologists predict active hurricane season; Are you ready? TO HELP LOUISIANA RESIDENTS determine if they’re ready for a hurricane, LSU AgCenter housing specialist Claudette Reichel developed a 20-question quiz. “The answers you give can help you evaluate whether you’re well-prepared or whether you need to take some action now,” Reichel saids. The quiz covers everything from whether your family has a written emergency plan to supplies you have on hand. As hurricane season kicks off, Reichel and other experts said it’s a perfect time to
evaluate where you stand and what you can do to be betterprepared if a storm heads your way. “Even if you’ve been through a hurricane before, it’s easy to forget some of the preparations that can protect your property and family, so it’s a good idea to review your plans and make sure you haven’t left anything off,” Reichel saids. “Taking the right precautions before a storm has the potential to save time, money, hassles and even lives if a hurricane strikes.” LSU AgCenter experts said the following hurricane quiz can
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DANCED
at a Louisiana festival?
With images and stepby-step guides like this, the website www. ready.gov can help you prepare a plan specific to your family size and needs. help you gauge whether you’re prepared. They recommend you take action if you answer “No” or “I don’t know” to any of these 20 questions: –Do you have a disaster survival plan? –Have you planned an evacuation route and destination? –Do you have an emergency communication plan for staying in touch with or getting messages to friends and family? –Is your homeowner's and flood insurance coverage up-to-date and sufficient to replace your home and belongings if they are damaged
EG
or destroyed? –Do you have an inventory of your property and belongings? –Do you have copies of your insurance policies, household inventory and other important papers, as well as other valuables, in a safe place – one that’s waterproof and fireproof? –Do you know how to turn off your utilities (electricity, gas and water)? –Do you have a plan and supplies on hand to protect and secure your home and outdoor items (and your boat and pool, too, if you have them)? –Has your roof been
Erika L. Green elgreenlaw@yahoo.com
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Did you know tourism generates more than $850 million in state taxes annually? So why not invite your friends and family to Louisiana for the Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, Contraband Days in Lake Charles, the Red River Revel in Shreveport or the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans? When you go to a festival, Louisiana starts dancing. For ideas on what to do this weekend, visit our website. © 2011 The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
inspected within the past six months? –Have you trimmed the trees and shrubs around your house? –Has your car been maintained, and are the tires, including the spare, in good condition? –Do you have a plan of what to do with food in your refrigerator and freezer in the event of a possible power outage? –Is your emergency phone list up-to-date and handy? –Do you have emergency survival supplies such as batteries, a battery-operated radio, flashlights, lanterns, fuel, nonperishable food for three days, water/water jugs, manual can opener, medicines, traveler’s checks or cash, and other necessary items on hand? –Do you have an emergency supply kit for your car? –Do you have a plan of how to take care of family members with special needs (those with disabilities, infants or the elderly)? –Have you decided what you will do with your animals if you must evacuate? –Have you budgeted for the added expenses to protect your home, buy supplies, evacuate, clean up and recover? –Have you discussed your emergency plans, duties and rules with your family? –Do you know the LSU and Southern University Ag centers offer publications and other free information on disaster cleanup and recovery on their websites (www.lsuagcenter. com and www.suagcenter.com) and through its parish offices across the state? For more information on preparing for a disaster or recovering from one, contact your parish LSU and Southern University Ag Center office. The LaHouse Resource Center near the LSU campus in Baton Rouge and its online website www.lsuagcenter. com/LaHouse has additional information and exhibits of hurricane-resistant building systems and methods.
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The Drum Newspaper’s most prestigious Five Under 35 recognition awards is now taking nominations for Baton Rouge’s and Ponchatoula’s five, up-and-coming industry leaders under the age of 35. This award celebrates the depth of talent within the Black community including rising stars of entertainment to successful non-profit leaders. All of the Top Five Under 35 recipients have involvement that go well beyond normal working hours, and their days are extended by a large number of civic and community activities. In order to qualify for consideration, individuals must have been born after December 31, 1975, and have lived and worked in Baton Rouge or Ponchatoula for at least two years. Official nomination forms are due June 30, 2011.
2011 NOMINATION FORM
Nominee Information: 1. First Name: 2. Middle Name: 3. Last Name: 4. Job Title: 5. Company Name: 6. Company Address: 7. City: [ ] Baton Rouge [ ] Ponchatoula 8. Direct Phone Number (office/cell): 9. Nominee Email Address: 10. Website: 11. Age (on December 31, 2011): Nomination Category: Select one only: [ ] Activism/Political Involvement [ ] Business [ ] Education [ ] Entertainment [ ] Medical/Health Care Nominator’s Contact Information (required): 1. First and Last Name: 2. Daytime Phone Number: 3. Email Address: 4. What’s your association with the nominee? 5. Is the nominee aware that you have nominated them? Please note that the nominator’s identity may be disclosed to nominees if asked. *multiple nominations will not enhance the success of a nominee.
NOMINATION QUESTIONS
(Answers are limited to 300 words maximum per question):
1. Give a brief description of the nominee's professional achievements. Suggestions: include the nominee's recent accomplishment or past distinctions and awards specific to ther nomination category.
2. Tell us about the nominee's level of expertise. Suggestions: include the nominee's educational qualifications, the name of the institution they graduated from, professional memberships or designations, and years of work in their field or nomination category.
3. Tell us about the nominee's leadership abilities and experience. Suggestions: demonstrate the nominee's leadership and innovation, how has the company or the nomination category grown because of the nominee's leadership?
4. Tell us about the nominee's community involvement. Suggestions: include positions on boards (charitable organizations or professional organizations), explain the nature of their involvement and how it has advanced the goals of the industry category, and include any distinctions and awards for community service.
5. In summary, tell us what makes the nominee unique and outstanding? 6. Provide one additional letter of support for your nomination. (Max. one-page). Email all nominations to: news@thedrumnewspaper.info or mail typed nominations to: The Drum, 17253 Lavingne Road, Ponchatoula, La 70454 For information on sponsoring or attending this special event, contact our advertising department at (800) 653-6170 ext. 303 .