THURSDAY, MAY 23 - 29, 2013
The Tennessee Tribune 5A
Col. Charles Young Set to be Honored June 5th WASHINGTON, DC — The National Coalition of Black Veterans and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., proudly invites members of the House of Representatives, retired military Flag Officers, representatives of the Black veterans community, the press, and the public to join us as we commemorate the life of American soldier and military leader, Colonel Charles Young. Colonel Young had an exemplary career and was the highest-ranking Black commanding officer in the U.S. Army from 1894 until his death in 1922. “It is not an exaggeration of the facts to say that every Black Flag Officer from Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., to former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell owe their opportunity of advancement through the Flag Ranks to Colonel Charles Young,” says Coalition chair, Charles Blatcher III. “They reached their stars standing on his shoulders.” “Omega Psi Phi is honored to join in a program in recognition of Colonel Young,” says Dr. Andrew Ray, Grand Basileus. “His life’s work thoroughly represents our four Cardinal Principles of MANHOOD, SCHOLARSHIP, PERSEVERANCE and UPLIFT. Colonel Young met the many formidable challenges with courage and fortitude. He pressed on through life, not because of, but in spite of the never-ending challenges.” On Wednesday, June 5th
l-r, Charles Blatcher III and Dr. Andrew Ray
representatives of the Coalition and Fraternity will gather at his grave to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Col. Young’s interment in Arlington Cemetery. We invite the public to join us as we trumpet the achievements of this great Buffalo Soldier and renew our call to have him posthumously appointed Brigadier General by President Barack Obama. The Reverend Dr. Fred Douglas Smith, Jr., Professor of Urban Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC will address the gathering with words of spiritual enlightenment, followed by comments from Chairman Charles Blatcher III, Grand Basileus Dr. Andrew Ray, and other distinguished guests. The trio will present the Colonel with a ceremonial star wreath in honor of the unselfish contribution he made in paving the way for Blacks in the officer’s ranks of the armed forces, as well as to commemorate the official proclamation from President Barack Obama naming his home in Wilberforce, Ohio a
National Monument. The Coalition has been working diligently to see Col. Young promoted to the honorary rank of Brigadier General. In addition to raising his rank, we hope to erect a statue in his honor that will be the first portrayal of a Black military officer on horseback in the nation’s Capitol. The program will commence at 2:30 PM on June 5th but guests are asked to arrive at 1:30 to board the buses that will escort us to the grave site. A private dinner will follow to honor the 35 Congressional Representatives who have joined the Coalition in calling on President Obama for a promotion proclamation honoring Colonel Young. The guest speaker for the “Evening on Capitol Hill Dinner” will be Dr. Sandra Jowers-Barber, Professor of History from the University of the District of Columbia. The topic of presentation will be the “Importance of Black History.” The dinner is by invitation only.
America’s Racial Wealth Gap Triples Over 25 Years
up-front payments for home purchases, they benefited from lowered interest rates As long as most of us can and lending costs. remember, Black communiBy contrast, Black hometies have taught and believed owners were more likely that a college education is the to have high-interest, risky key to social and economic mortgages even when income advancement. But according and credit scores were comto a new research and policy parable to those of Whites. As brief by Brandeis University labor market instability tendscholars, that long-held belief ed to affect Black more negais only one of several factors tively than Whites, accrued affecting Black America’s monetary assets became the ability to build wealth. vehicle to withstand the lack After Brandeis University’s of income and eliminated Charlene Crowell Institute on Assets and Policies many opportunities to invest traced 1,700 working Amerito build wealth. As a result, cans households over 25 years, the researchers Black mortgage borrowers became more than found that the wealth gap between White and twice as likely to lose their homes to forecloBlack families nearly tripled, increasing from sure. $85,000 in 1984 to $236,500 in 2009. For each Brandeis also found that for White families, dollar in income increase during these years, homeownership represents 39 percent of famWhite wealth grew $5.19 while Black wealth ily wealth; but is 53 percent of Black wealth. growth amounted to 69 cents. Because of historic differences in access to “Our analysis found little evidence to sup- credit, the homeownership rate for White port common perceptions about what under- homeowners is also 28 percent higher than the lies the ability to build wealth, including the same rate for Black families. notion that personal attributes and behavioral The State of Lending in America and its choices are key pieces of the equation,” said Impact on U.S. Households (State of Lending, the report by the Brandeis’ Institute on Assets http://rspnsb.li/stateoflending) published earliand Social Policy (IASP). “Instead, the evi- er by the Center for Responsible Lending cited dence points to policy and the configuration of similar Pew data that found from 2000-2010, both opportunities and barriers in workplaces, Black family wealth dropped 53 percent, and schools, and communities that reinforce deep- Hispanic families lost 66 percent. By comparily entrenched racial dynamics in how wealth son, average White household wealth dropped is accumulated and that continue to permeate only 16 percent. the most important spheres of everyday life.” So is a college education still a part of The report ranked the biggest drivers of building wealth? America’s racial wealth gap: The answer is still yes. But the rising costs 1. Years of homeownership; of college and mounting student loan debts 2. Household income; together lead to more students – both Black 3. Unemployment; and White – leaving school to earn a steady 4. College education and income before graduation. For Black college 5. Inheritance/other financial support graduates, 80 percent begin their careers with On average, White families became home- student debt. For White college grads, the corowners eight years earlier than Black families. responding debt is 64 percent. Oftentimes inheritance and other financial Charlene Crowell is a communications support favored families with pre-existing manager with the Center for Responsible wealth. With more White families able to re- Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene. ceive family financial assistance, make larger crowell@responsiblelending.org By Charlene Crowell, NNPA Columnist
Atlanta Attorney James L. Walker Jr ends eight year battle of lawsuit
Sony BMG Settles Major Legal Battle ATLANTA, GA — After eight years of litigation, music industry giant Sony BMG Music Entertainment has settled a lawsuit filed by leading industry entertainment Attorney James L. Walker, Jr. In his lawsuit, Walker alleged that the music industry giant refused to allow urban artists effective legal representation. “We felt strongly all along that this was a case we had to fight in order to protect artists and their right to choose effective legal representation and other forms of representation including the best manager, attorney, publicist, accountant in protecting themselves as artists,” said Kenny Walker, spokesperson at the firm. Filed nearly a decade ago in 2005, the Connecticut /Atlanta based Walker & Associates law firm alleged that Verity Records, Provident Distribution, Zomba (now owned by Sony), and Max Siegel, tortuously interfered with contractual relationships that the law firm had with dozens of artists. The case received national attention because no firm had challenged Sony before and won in this manner. (LA Times http://articles.latimes.com/2005/ may/02/business/fi-gospel2). Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. In the complaint (which is shown in full at www.walkerandassoc.com), the Plaintiffs named numerous examples of inappropriate conduct by Sony including intentionally omitting of the firm’s name on album credits, defamation about the firm, and a refusal to pay artists top dollars for the use of their copyrights and intellectual property. For example, during 1999-2002, Walker had secured top payment for nearly 2 dozen artists on the popular “WOW Albums.” Then Sony reps, according to the lawsuit, instructed those artists to terminate Walker or face a possibility of not working on projects at the label. Specifically, the lawsuit insisted that a number of well known clients were directly told not to use the top-rated attorney, including many high profile clients Walker represented like Grammy winners Hezekiah Walker, Donald Lawrence, and Twinkie Clark to name
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just a few. Legendary songwriters like David Frazier and V. Michael McKay were also told not to use Walker on their mega publishing and copyright deals, according to the suit. “Often labels want artists to use attorneys that the labels can control –this avoids paying the artists their worth and saves the labels millions of dollars and is clearly a conflict of interest. When you decide to tell untruths about this firm and threaten our artists, you have crossed the line,” said Attorney James L. Walker, Jr. (@jameslwalkeresq). Verity Records, now called RCA Inspirational, is the largest mainstream gospel label in the world. Based in New York, it is or has been home to gospel music stars Fred Hammond, Richard Smallwood, Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin, John P. Kee, and Marvin Sapp to name a few. Walker has worked with some of the leading names in the music industry including Jamie Foxx, Freddie Jackson, Rick James, DMX, Shirley Caesar and BET’s Bobby Jones, among others. He recently co- chaired the legal team in the successful litigation and settlement between Disney’s Kyle and Chris Massey and A&E/Lifetime networks over the Bristol Palin show. Walker is the author of “This Business of Urban Music” (Random House/Billboard Books), the #1 urban legal reference book and teaches a very popular entertainment law related class, “Michael Jackson: The Business of Music” in Atlanta. Walker will also be headlining the T.B.O.U.M. Entertainment Book Camp this summer (www.thisbusinessofurbanmusic.com), which will educate artists, songwriters, and entertainment professionals on navigating the entertainment industry. “The suit was not about money; it was about the rights of artists to have competent legal representation, be paid for their work, and the rights of artist representatives to work in this business without fear of intimidation and defamation.” said Walker business partner, J. Richard Byrd (@jrichardbyrd)
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