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Page 6: Community-Turnerbovis Construction prepares Minority & Edge Contractors Page 7: Community - Help 92.3 WCOL combat childhood cancer Page 11: Travis Smiley & the Cornel West Show Page 12: Alpha Phi Alpha helping renovate schools in Haiti Page 22: Winterize your hair Page 33:Danny Glover and Network Marketer Rochelle Saulsberry Launch The Movement of Masses
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WOW! Has it been 8 years already? Time really does fly when you are having fun. I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you for your support of Urban Trendsetters News Magazine. February is the 8th anniversary for us and I could not be more excited. This has been an awesome journey however I can’t believe that it has been eight years…nit seems like only yesterday that I was in my basement designing the first edition.
TEAM UTS Publisher/CEO
Sharon S. Gordon Urban Trendsetters, LLC
Contributing Writers Delois R. Wright Les Brown A. Christina Dunlap Mykayla Bryant Tamara Fournier
Distribution
W. Cobre’ Gordon
Photography Ron Cash
Production/Graphics Sharktooth IMD, LLC Ron Cash
Promotions Margo L. Wade Tracy Taylor
Sales Inside Sales Assistants Jessica Goliday Keshia Peterson Jennifer Mulligan
Columbus
Brenda Spencer Denis Liggins Erica Cooper Leonette Robinson
From The Publisher
Because of the support people like you we have survived and continue our goal of being a positive news source for the urban community. In the past few years we have enlarged our territory adding Dayton, Cincinnati and now Cleveland to our distribution market. We have also launched a radio show and launching our new website this month. Our minority outreach efforts
have flourished and we have added a new division to our media suite, UTS Media. UTS Media is the minority outreach component of Urban Trendsetters. We have designed minority media campaigns that include construction projects for Penn National Gaming, The Greater Columbus Convention Center and The Ohio State University-Project ONE. This year I am sure will present many more great opportunities for us to build relationships and allow our readers and advertisers more ways to stay connected and engaged with each other. We are always looking for new ways to develop relationships within the communities we serve and I want to hear from you. This is your publication. Thank you for the ride and we hope that you enjoy this edition of Urban Trendsetters News Magazine and many more editions to come. Dream BIG & OFTEN,
Sharon S. Gordon sharon@urbantrendsetters.com
Dayton/Cincinnati Tamiko Troutman Juanita Michelle Sanae Camela Douglas
Office Manager Annie Prysock
Copyright Urban Trendsetters News Magazine is published and distibuted monthly by Urban Trendsetters Media and Communications, LLC. Our offices are located at 6172 Busch Blvd., Suite 2054, Columbus, OH 43229. Publisher reserves the right to edit, reject or cancel any advertisement or editorial at any time. Publisher will not be responsible for checking accuracy of items submitted for publication or for more than one wrong insertion of advertising copy. All contents of this publication are copy written 2010 by Urban Trendsetters Media and Communications.
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Community News TURNERBOVIS CONSTRUCTION PREPARES MINORITY & EDGE CONTRACTORS FOR BUSINESS ON OSU MEDICAL CENTER EXPANSION PROJECT Outreach & Engagement, The Ohio State University and Jack Jackson, Outreach Coordinator, TurnerBovis Construction. TurnerBovis presented information for the project schedule, bid packages, procurement process and opportunities by Cliff Kazmierczak, Vice President & Project Director, Dan Jones, Purchasing Manager,
1. Dr. Steven Gabbee and Jay Kasey of The Ohio State University 2. John Gregory hosts construction mixer. 3. Joyce Beatty speaks to potential project contractors.
TurnerBovis Construction and National Center for Urban Solutions hosted a mixer for all EDGE and minority contractors at the Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center. The purpose of the event was for Prime Contractors to network with EDGE and minority contractors interested in doing business with TurnerBovis Construction for the purpose of the OSU Medical Center Expansion Project. The event is designed to prepare contractors for the interior bid process. This Project has a goal of contracting 20 percent of eligible work to vendors certified under the Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity program, or EDGE. Over 200 contractors attended the event. The event was hosted by the National Center for Urban Solutions President John Gregory. Speakers for the event included Dr. Steven Gabbe, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Jay Kasey, Chief Operating Officer Health System, Associate Vice President, Associate Vice President. Joyce Beatty, Senior Vice President for
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Urban Trendsetters | More Than A Magazine. It’s A Lifestyle
Turner Construction, Kyle Rooney, Vice President & General Manager, Turner Construction, Reginald Adams, Director of Contracts, The Ohio State University, Lynn Readey, Associate Vice President, The Ohio State University, and Dan Jones, Purchasing Manager, Turner Construction. Clive Stephens owner of Clive Stephens Plumbing, LLC told of his success story in gaining a contract due to his taking the time, efforts and necessary steps to becoming an MBE. TurnerBovis Construction will be highlighting information for the upcoming interior package. For additional information regarding upcoming outreach initiatives contact The National Center for Urban Solutions at 614-857-811.
Community News SAVE THE DATE
Tune in to WCOL to help combat childhood cancer and other deadly diseases (COLUMBUS, OHIO – February 4, 2011) – Radio station WCOL will host its 14th annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® radiothon February 24-25 from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. live from the studio. The radiothon raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, the world’s premier center for the research and treatment of cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. Among this year’s highlights, Columbus-area St. Jude patient Zach will share his experience with radiothon listeners. Zach was treated for a rare brain tumor at St. Jude, and although he returns for followup treatment regularly, he is now a healthy fourth grade student. Zach is just one of several Ohioans who have benefited from the cutting-
edge research and treatment at St. Jude since its opening in 1962. Local listeners interested in helping save the lives of thousands of children can pledge a donation by calling 1-800795-1800 or by visiting www.wcol. com. The radio fundraising program began in 1989 after Randy Owen, singer of the music group ALABAMA, met St. Jude founder Danny Thomas. Since its inception, Country Cares has grown to be one of the most successful radio fundraising events in the nation with more than 200 radio station partners raising more than $345 million in pledges. “I’m so proud that the music that helped me put bread on my table and have a career is the same music and the same fans, to a certain degree, that
SAVE THE DATE Hilton Worldwide and Columbus Convention Center Invites You
THE PERFECT MATCH
Building Destinations Creating Opportunities
have made incredible contributions to Country Cares,” Randy Owen said. “I look forward to the future. I absolutely know we’re making a difference in a very positive way.” St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not
Hilton Worldwide and Columbus Convention Center Invites You
THE PERFECT MATCH
covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a highly respected international polling and research St. 15, Jude2011 was also Tuesdayfirm. March named the nation’s top children’s 6PM until cancer hospital in 8pm the 2010-11 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings published by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, go to www.stjude.org.
Building Destinations Creating Opportunities
THE PERFECT MATCH Building Destinations Creating Opportunities
The Columbus NAACP partnered with the Greater Columbus Convention Center and Hilton Hotels to create new opportunities for economic development and community empowerment MIXER HIGHLIGHTS Prime contractors to network with MBE/WBE/ EDGE sub-contractors on bid opportunities. BID PACKAGE #5 INCLUDES: • Signage • Case/Countertop/Millwork • Flooring, Painting/Wall covering, • Landscaping BID DATE: • March 15, 20
Don’t Miss the opportunity to join the vision
HILTON WORLDWDE & COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER MATCH MAKER MIXER WHEN Tuesday March 15, 2011 6PM until 8pm WHERE: The Greater Columbus Convention Center Room C-120 to 122 Parking provided located on the corner of High and Vine R.S.V.P. Via email @ www.diversityinclusionpartners.com NAACP @ 614-464-1108
Tuesday March 15, 2011 6PM until 8pm
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State News
A New Web Site for Ohio Disaster Volunteers
Columbus, OH – Today the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) and the Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) Office of Health Preparedness announced a new Web site, http://ohioresponds.gov, to support the coordinated volunteer
programs that make Ohio communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. Ohio Responds maintains a pool of volunteers who can be quickly and efficiently mobilized to respond in the event of an emergency. Activities change with each disaster, and can vary from sandbagging to answering telephones to providing medical assistance. ODH is the coordinating agency for Ohio Medical Reserve Corps. Ohio EMA coordinates the remainder of the Ohio Citizen Corps programs
which include: Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Fire Corps, Volunteers in Police Corps Services (VIPS), and USA on Watch/ Neighborhood Watch. This network empowers the “first responders” to focus on saving lives during an emergency, and allows volunteers to quickly mobilize and focus on critical support tasks such as debris removal, staffing shelters or providing critical medical support for disaster victims. As community service continues to grow, Ohio Responds will support volunteering through a variety of programming
to meet the needs of the individual, community and state. Ohioans who wish to volunteer with an Ohio Citizen Corps program found on Ohio Responds can register through the new Web site, http:// ohioresponds.gov. This site will continue to serve existing Ohio Citizen Corps volunteers, unit leaders and points of contact. Ohio Responds was previously managed by the Ohio Community Service Council (OCSC) through the Web site, www.serveohio.org. OCSC will continue to be the point of contact for AmeriCorps in Ohio.
Have you ever wished your school had $2000 that could be used for new band uniforms, band equipment, updated software for computers or other beneficial things?
Presentations are limited to 10 minutes. Enrollment forms must be submitted to the Columbus NAACP by February 25, 2011. Official enrollment forms can be downloaded at www.columbusnaacp.org. Pre-judging for the presentations will take place March 7-11, 2011.
The top 3 schools will perform their research at the Civil Rights Celebration on March 24, 2011 at the
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National News Governor Kasich Commemorates Black History Month, Announces Director of Minority Affairs and Director of Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services
Columbus, Ohio – Governor John R. Kasich today issued a resolution commemorating February as Black History Month and asked Ohioans to live up to the ideals of freedom, equality and justice. “African-Americans have played significant roles in the history of Ohio’s economic, cultural, spiritual and political development while working to maintain and promote culture and history,” Kasich states in
the resolution. “Black History Month is a time for all Ohioans to remember the lessons and teachings of those who helped build our nation.” Black History Month was first recognized 35 years ago by an act of Congress to honor the contributions of African-Americans throughout America’s history. Additionally, Kasich announced the appointment of Lynn Stevens as Director of Minority Affairs. Stevens is responsible for minority outreach and will act as a liaison to Ohio’s minority communities. Stevens most recently served 11 years as the community relations
coordinator for Senator George Voinovich. Prior to that, she served as a caseworker for Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH). She is most proud of her role on the Ohio Bicentennial Commission’s African-American Advisory Council, which held a series of events in 2003 and 2004 to highlight the contributions of African-Americans to Ohio’s history. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati where she received a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and a master’s degree in political science. Kasich also announced the appointment Michael B. Colbert now serving as director for ODJFS. Formerly, he was the agency’s chief financial officer, after being appointed in March 2008. As chief financial officer, he worked to streamline a number of items and provide fiscal flexibility to county agencies whenever possible under the law. He also supervised the agency’s adoption of the Ohio Administrative Knowledge
(OAKS) system, which is the state’s new financial system, and the County Finance Information System (CFIS), which is the system developed for county family services agencies and workforce development agencies to capture financial data in a way that is compatible with OAKS. Prior to joining ODJFS, Colbert was senior audit manager for the Ohio Auditor of State, where he worked for 15 years, managing financial compliance and control, as well as special audits of state and local government entities, nonprofits, information systems and health care billing providers. He is a member of the National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers, the Government Finance Officers Association and the Association of Government Accountants, and holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Central State University.
The 9th Annual Black Women’s
Think Tank Still Standing
Saturday, February 12, 2011 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sinclair Community College Leadership Development Center; Building 8 - Basement Keynote Speakers: Ms. Renee Sartin, Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University Ms. Tammy L. Cooper, Executive Administrative Assistant, Sinclair
Community College
Additional workshops will be offered. Continental breakfast and lunch provided. Free and open to the public.
Mission
The BWTT is an annual conference dedicated to celebrating, empowering, and improving the lives of women of color. BWTT strives to build networks of women across generations, ethnic/ racial groups, and socioeconomic levels that evoke personal and communal change. For eight years we have provided a forum where women of color can dialogue and seek solutions to the multitude of issues faced in society. The most significant goal of this year’s conference is to share ideas and tools between women on ways to remain standing.
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National News Tri-Caucus(Black-Hispanic-Aisan)StandsUpforMinorityHealth Minority health will suffer if healthcare reform is repealed The Congressional TriCaucus-comprised of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus- decried the political grandstanding of Republican leaders to pass the Patients’ Rights Repeal Act.
making. I urge my colleagues to stop protecting insurance companies, and finally take a step toward protecting the American people.” “For far too long the health challenges of the Asian American community have gone unnoticed and the lethal affects of this ignorance have been felt in our community,” said Representative Judy Chu, incoming Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “It is clear that the Patients’ Rights Repeal Act will disproportionally affect Asian Americans who won’t have access to the healthcare they need. Unfortunately, it will also hurt the millions of Asian-owned small business across the country, by raising taxes on those businesses that are doing the right thing by offering health insurance to their employees.”
Chairs and members of the Tri-Caucus gathered today at a press conference to highlight the disproportionate harm repeal will have on racial and ethnic minorities across the country. “All Americans in the United States have unequivocally benefited from the Affordable Care Act,” said Representative Charles Gonzalez, Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “But it stands to have a greater impact on the communities with the greatest need, and the communities represented by the Tri-Caucus are often the most vulnerable. In particular, Latinos are among the most uninsured in this country and 16 million stand to gain access to quality, affordable healthcare because of the health reform bill. Latinos are also more prone to have certain conditions that are easily managed by the preventive care that health care reform affords them. And lastly, over half of Latinos that had never seen a primary care physician, will be able to see a doctor regularly due to health care reform. All Americans will benefit from the Affordable Care Act. But minority communities, those represented by the Tri-Caucus, stand to lose the most should it be repealed.” “Health
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provides
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all
Americans with more freedom and control in their health care choices,” said Representative Emanuel Cleaver II, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. “The Affordable Care Act was a monumental accomplishment for our country and the African American community. While others attempt to defund, we will defend. Eight million African Americans are currently uninsured or underinsured. Of those with coverage, half receive health insurance through an employer sponsored plan, while the other half rely on expensive self-pay programs. The Affordable Care Act provides $11 billion in new funding for community health centers where a quarter of the patients are black and expands Medicaid to cover an additional 4 million African Americans. Health reform is not optional for African Americans – it is necessary. Bottom
line? We need health care reform – not repeal.” “We must protect the American people from the Republican “don’t care” agenda, said Rep Honda, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “Their agenda for America is simple: They don’t care about those who lose their jobs. Don’t care about those with preexisting conditions. Don’t care about seniors in the donut hole. Don’t care about young adults. Don’t care about those who get sick and whose insurer drops their coverage. Don’t care about those whose insurer hikes their premiums higher than they can afford. Don’t care about community health centers. Don’t care about closing the disparity gap in America’s health care delivery system. I urge my colleagues to vote against this repeal that would take away the progress that we are
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The Republican Patients’ Rights Repeal Act will disproportionally affect Latinos who have the highest uninsured rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States are less likely to be able to afford insurance. It will hurt African Americans, the majority of whom are not covered by an employer sponsored health insurance plan. And it will greatly affect Asian Americans who face disproportionate rates of deadly diseases like cervical cancer, breast cancer mortality and Hepatitis B and won’t be able to get the care needed to survive these illnesses. The Tri-Caucus is committed to healthcare reform that expands coverage to all Americans while also reducing the serious health disparities that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities.
NationalNews Tavis Smiley and Cornel WestThe Smiley West Show
Smiley & West is ready for takeoff. After a four-month pilot process in more than 60 markets across the country, listeners and stations said “We want more!” That’s why broadcasting icon Tavis Smiley, Smiley Radio Properties and Public Radio International are pleased to announce that Smiley & West is now officially a weekly program. Alisa Miller, President and CEO of Public Radio International says, “Tavis Smiley and Cornel West bring a rare dynamism and authenticity to conversation, and a heart-felt dedication to invite listeners to take part in the exchange of ideas and bring wisdom to thought-provoking topics. Smiley and West underscores PRI’s commitment to offer new places to discover our diverse, interconnected world, and to stimulate important conversations in American society, and we are excited to distribute it to audiences nationwide.” What started as an experiment on October 1, 2010 has become an online and offline phenomenon. Co-hosted by Tavis’ longtime friend and collaborator, Princeton professor Cornel West, Smiley & West is not just a radio program. It’s a seven-day-a-week conversation on the Speak Out Network via the website www.smileyandwest.com, social media like Twitter and Facebook, and an “oldfashioned” Speak Out Network hotline. Each week Smiley & West engage in deep dialogue in the “Hot Stuff” as they dissect the hottest news of the moment. Listeners get to turn the tables in the “Take ‘Em To Task” segment and challenge Smiley & West on something they said. The second half of the show features “icons and issues”, in-depth, 30-minute conversations with legendary
leaders, artists and thinkers - and folks on the front lines of issues close to the hearts of Smiley & West. In just the first four months, Smiley & West spoke with comedian Garry Shandling, bluesman Buddy Guy, Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, funkmaster George Clinton and playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. They also tackled issues like mass incarceration with law professor Michelle Alexander, education reform with Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp, the Great Recession with former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, healthcare reform with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Haiti with author Edwidge Danticat and the mid-term elections with New York Times columnist Frank Rich. In celebration of Tavis Smiley’s 20 years in broadcasting, Smiley & West is the latest innovation in a long, distinguished career in television, radio, publishing and new media. A common theme to emerge during the pilot process was the need for a movement. A movement built on the ideas, morality, and spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., bending in the direction of social justice. Smiley & West is a virtual meeting place for that movement, putting the “public” back in public radio. The program’s listeners reflect the multicultural, multiracial, multiethnic audience of the 21st Century. Smiley & West can already be heard in more than 80 communities across the country including major markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philly and San Francisco. An aggressive carriage strategy for 2011 will build on the energy created by the 20th anniversary celebrations for Tavis Smiley and public events with Smiley & West. Smiley & West also have more than 200,000 Twitter followers and more than 150,000 Facebook fans which allows this program to bring together its radio and new media audiences in a unique and engaging way. Join the ongoing conversation known as Smiley & West and help write America’s next chapter. Each Friday afternoon, a new program is available to stream at www.smileyandwest.com
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GlobalNews
Alpha Phi Alpha To Renovate Haitian School Plan Announced At One-Year Anniversary of Earthquake
Baltimore, MD- One year ago, the world came to a standstill at the horrific and shocking news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Today, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. announced plans to help rebuild one of the damaged elementary school buildings. Alpha is the world’s oldest collegiate fraternity of black men, and the first integrated collegiate fraternal organization in the U.S. It has scores of Haitian-born members and Haitian descendants among the nearly 200,000 men initiated into Alpha since its founding in 1906. Upon learning of the catastrophe last January, fraternity members across the U.S. began collecting funds, and supplies. A delegation of brothers, including health and medical professionals, educators and social scientists, journeyed to Haiti on a humanitarian mission. The delegation, led by fraternity
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brothers in and around Port-AuPrince. Those family members received direct contributions of cash, food, tents, toiletries, first aid supplies and fraternal love from the men of Alpha. They also had a chance to send video messages back to their relatives in the U.S., letting them know they had survived. During the fraternity’s annual convention, in July, in Las Vegas, delegates adopted a plan to renovate one of the schools in the Croix de bouquet area of Haiti. The school During the Christmas holidays, the fraternity sponsored s a holiday dinner for Haitian children at the school soon to be i s l a t e d renovated by the fraternity in Croix de Bouquet, Haiti. Here, to be Brother Samuel Darguin interacts with the kids at the dinner. (international) General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., an Atlanta college administrator and minister, located more than 15 families of Alpha
renamed the Alpha Academy. “We’ve had an architect and members of the fraternity pay a visit
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to the site and we have schematic designs for the renovation of the school ready to go,” said Mason. “We are pleased to announce that plans are underway for renovation to begin in March, with completion scheduled for midsummer.” In addition to repairs, the fraternity, through contributions to its Alpha Haiti Relief Fund, is providing furniture and supplies. Along with the national relief fund, local chapters all across the U.S., in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean are raising funds for the project. Anyone interested in donating to the fund, please visit apa1906.net. If you would like to see the video of Alpha’s trip to Haiti, please visit www.youtube.com/apa1906network.
Green & Trendy
Do Black People Care About the Green Movement? By Shane Roberts
When you turn to your favorite cable news network, a story may feature an environmental issue, and more often than not, that report will have one of two memes: Americans trying to save some remote brown people from some “unforeseen” toxic-industrial tragedy. Or the real tear-jerking report, some remote brown people and their lands are being exploited by some corrupt officials in their particular region, and subsequently, they’re begging for assistance from American citizens. In both instances, we are asked to donate to the charity of our choice in hopes to help ease the suffering of said brown people, but we are never told to demand a halt to the extraction and destruction of their resources in their homeland. In a 2010 interview, the New York Times Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nicholas Kristof commented that he always had trouble finding a way to get his readers to act upon the stories that involve large-scale, and often times horrendous, environmental atrocities being committed by humans throughout the third world. Kristof, in a truly sincere moment, actually shed light on why we, as Americans, tend to look at issues that effect third world nations with apathy. “I think it’s not real...there is this compassion fatigue as the number of victims increases,” he said. Kristof’s statement serves as starting point for how Americans perceive the pressing environmental issues of the day: climate change, global warming, deforestation, food and water security, and a host of other issues that call for immediate action.
We hear these problems that are affecting us, and sometimes feel as if we don’t have any power to help, or even more tragically, we may not have anyone in our inner circles that would care enough, outside of a sympathetic acknowledgment or donation, to act upon a given issue. Americans, and people in general, have moral compasses that guide them to act in tremendously generous ways, whether it’s with their time or money, but, as Kristof astutely asserts, “I think that my job as a journalist is to find these larger issues that I want to address, but then find some microcosm of it.” Humans are very social animals, and helping others is more than just making ourselves feel better, but in many cases, it touches on the very fabric of what forms rich and diverse cultures. The question is now, how do we get black people, who through no fault of their own, have a hard time defending nature because civilization brings them every resource they need to survive? Well, first, there is perception that blacks do not care about the environment. This notion tends to affect the hiring practices of some of the largest environmental organizations. When is the last time Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson brought up the absolutely putrid absence of minorities in positions of authority within the these institutions? President Barack Obama made symbolic moves to bring minorities into the forefront of large government agencies that have direct impacts on the environmental policies. Appointments like Lisa Jackson at the EPA, Margaret Hamburg as commissioner of FDA, Regina Benjamin as the Surgeon General, and not to mention, First Lady Michelle Obama’s active involvement in issues pertaining to childhood obesity and nutrition all show that, the White House is taking an impressive stance on the protection of environment and human health. But, why are blacks still absent in debates about environment, yet
blacks are, more often than not, the main victims of environmental issues? Why aren’t the majority of blacks up in arms against some of the worst purveyors of environmental issues. Despite President Obama’s appointments, with regard to the environment, in America, it’s business as usual. Since the issues have always been presented to us, in the corporate media and most environmental rallies, as larger than life, we cannot contextualize them within our own experience, leaving most of us in a tragic position: supporting the very corporate institutions which sole purposes are to exploit and, eventually, kill us. This seems, on the surface, a bold indictment of corporate practices, given we can mark the anniversary of legal personhood granted to corporations by our esteemed Supreme Court. One could argue that corporations have the same moral capacity as the NY Times readers Kristof described earlier, but even he would have to
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admit, and this statement is purely speculation, that morals are clearly not inherent to corporations. Moral sentiments are usually saved for commercials, it’s called greenwashing. These limited liability lesions, called corporations, intrinsic nature is profit above anything else, including life. We, as blacks, have not, wholeheartedly, joined the environmental battle with “tree-huggers” because U.S. industry, has systematically, since Reconstruction, stripped us of our ability and right to feed ourselves. This system has never respected our right to life. See, we all know our ancestors were brought here to forcibly labor on the land, and once the industrial revolution dictated our removal from chattel-slavery, we were uniquely positioned to feed ourselves because we had been feeding the nation for over 250 years. This has always placed fear in the hearts of the paternalistic owners of this country, and they have moved – Continued on page 29
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N-word Trendsetter Speaks
A federal jury seated in Philadelphia may soon decide whether there should be a double standard regarding the usage of the “n-word” by white and black employees in the workplace. Specifically, the jury will consider the case of former Fox 29 anchorman Tom Burlington, who was fired after using the n-word during a staff meeting, wherein reporters and producers were discussing Robin Taylor’s coverage of a 2007 mock funeral led by the Philadelphia Youth Council of the NAACP to bury the n-word.
on trial: By Monique W. Morris
Franz Fanon wrote in The Wretched of the Earth, how those with a “colonized mind” will “initially express against their own people the aggressiveness that they have internalized” without question. In other words, when African-Americans use the word -- in the workplace or not, they are also contributing to a hostile environment.
According to court documents, the dispute began when Robin Taylor, who is white, used the word while discussing the event. In that discussion, Taylor apparently referenced the fact that participants had used the full word “at least a hundred times or more” at the event. In response, Burlington allegedly stated, “Does this mean we can say ni**er now?” In response to his question, Nicole Wolfe, a producer and one of the three African-American employees who were present at the meeting exclaimed, “I can’t believe you just said that!” Burlington has claimed that he was “discriminated against because of his race,” because he was fired for using the full word, while AfricanAmericans were heard using the word in the workplace without reprimand. U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick denied Burlington’s claim that he was the victim of a hostile work environment, but allowed the
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the powerlessness and subjugation of a people. The root of that slur does not change because those who have been victimized by it decide to adopt its usage when referring to one another.
Verdict: it’s never ok case to go to trial. Judge Surrick has suggested that Burlington may have been a “victim of political correctness run amok,” and that he could not conclude that there was a “reasonable justification for permitting the station to draw race-based distinctions between employees.” This is an issue that goes far
beyond political correctness. The n-word has a legacy in the dehumanization of African people in America, which has led to the segregation of opportunity and advancement that we experience today. To be clear, there was no n-word before the transatlantic slave trade -- it was a slur created to cement
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Words matter; and their contexts matter. The field of journalism, and the newsroom in particular, is not known for its racial diversity. In fact, only 11.2 percent of newsroom supervisors nationwide people of color, with the inclusion of African-Americans on the decline. According to the American Society of News Editors, the number of African-American journalists has decreased by 539 since 2001, while the number of Asian American, Latino, and Native American journalists increased – Continued on page 29
Family Trends
Oprah’s sibling surprise is all too familiar to black families By Ronda Racha Penrice
or unwed motherhood was ever taboo, especially in the African-American community. But in the 1950s and 1960s, it was quite a fall from grace. That doesn’t
A
f t e r tantalizing promos of Oprah promising to reveal a family secret that “shocked her to her core” and that she personally feels is a “miracle,” there are many people, especially black people, who just don’t think that discovering an unknown half-sister is such a big deal. From TV shows like Showtime’s Soul Food, where Tyra Banks was once introduced as the child the three sisters never knew their father had, to the countless jokes from black comedians about children thinking one man is their father only to find out later that another man actually is, it’s just becoming old hat. When it comes to unknown relatives just popping up, our family trees don’t stop shaking. And the advent of Facebook has only made it easier to deliver such news. Still, just because Oprah is among many others who’ve discovered an unknown sibling, that doesn’t make her news unremarkable. In fact, today’s episode is probably a useful one for many African-Americans. For one, it firmly roots Oprah in a specific place and time of African-American history. In this day and age, it’s hard to imagine that teenage pregnancy
mean that there were no teenage pregnancies or unwed mothers; it only means that it was not socially acceptable. Last week, Oprah got Piers Morgan’s buzzmeter working overtime by truthfully admitting that the stillborn birth of her child gave her a second chance as a teenager. She seriously doubted that if the child had lived she would be who she is today. In her mother Vernita’s case, the deck was highly stacked against her. She was a poor, inadequately educated, country girl navigating the big city. Yes, today, her daughter is a billionaire but we’ve learned for every Oprah, there’s a Patricia, Pat and Jeffrey. Pat battled drugs and died in 2003 at the age of 43. Before that, Jeffrey died of AIDS at age 29 in 1989. And, now, there’s the open revelation of a fourth child given up at birth that she left at the hospital. That child was placed in a foster home
and eventually adopted in Milwaukee, home to Oprah’s mother and her other siblings. Not surprisingly, Patricia, herself, also became a young mother. In an emotionally-wrenching snapshot of Vernita Lee that Oprah taped she speaks of giving Patricia up. Although Patricia is seated alongside her, she never warmly acknowledges her youngest daughter and remains transfixed on Oprah as she answers very difficult questions. Already a mother of three by the time she became pregnant with Patricia, who bears the same name as her other daughter but was not named by her, Lee admits she gave Patricia up because she wanted to get off welfare. Even after all these years, it’s clear that Lee is uneasy with what she did. “It was a terrible thing that I had done,” she shares, with sadness and regret in her voice, “gave up my daughter when she was born.” Women like Vernita are ones that we’ve read about for certain in some of our most beloved African-American novels. But, more importantly, they are women that we all know. They don’t all have a child who grows up to become a famous billionaire but there’s almost always at least one who, in spite of all the obstacles, succeeds. And that one usually carries a huge weight on her or his shoulders. This is what we saw on Keyshia Cole’s BET reality show The Way It Is. And, again, what we know to be true in our everyday lives. It would be wonderful if everybody came from an intact and loving home with one mother and one father. Given the many horror stories, life in the black community would sure be a lot easier. Unfortunately, that’s not how it is for
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a lot of us. And just because the ideal dynamic is not some of our realities doesn’t mean that we have to wallow in that and be less than. Oprah is a living testament to that. Life really is full of lemons but you can still make some seriously good lemonade. As Oprah observed to her sister and her audience, their mother can’t embrace her because she’s stuck in 1963. “You can let the shame go,” she spoke to their mother through the camera. “It’s really alright. There are millions of people all over this country who are just like you, who have given up their children because they knew at the time they could not provide for them.” So while Oprah sharing the long-lost sister she never knew she had might not be as exciting as giving every member of her audience a car or a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia, it’s the real life story behind who Oprah Winfrey is and why she has been so successful. Stories like discovering her long-lost, secret sister might not be sexy but they are the backbone of what has fueled The Oprah Winfrey Show for 25 years. They represent the uncomfortable reality that we all encounter at some point of our lives. Instead of hiding from the truth, Oprah has helped many embrace those difficult times, understand them and make the best lemonade out of them. We hold Oprah in such awe because she was made for this. She’s not only a host; she’s both a victim and a survivor. If Oprah Winfrey, the child of an unwed teenage mother shuttled from Mississippi to Milwaukee to Tennessee, sexually abused as a child, with the weight of a needy family on her shoulders, can become one of the single most significant phenoms in television history plus own her own network then truly there is hope for us all.
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Young & Trendy
For African Youths, True Love Really Waits By Eryn Sun
Since launching its first initiative in Uganda in 1994, True Love Waits – a ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention – testifies to the remarkable decline of the HIV/AIDS infection rate in Africa. More than 1.6 million African youths have heard the TLW message promoting sexual abstinence until marriage. Additionally, nearly 46,000 married adults have committed to faithfulness, and more than 41,600 decisions to follow Jesus Christ have been recorded. What makes the TLW ministry unique from other HIV prevention programs all over the world is their biblical approach to sex – it’s about following God’s plan for purity. TLW urges a comprehensive call to sexual purity that involves the mind, spirit, and behavior. God created sex for a lifetime commitment between one man and one woman, the program teaches. Everyone who makes a commitment signs a pledge card that states: “Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship.” The biblical view of sexuality is resonating with a growing worldwide audience. Over 79 countries have contacted LifeWay about their sexual abstinence campaign. From the African continent, inquiries have come from people living in Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Tanzania, West Africa, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Uganda is one of the largest success stories of the initiative, where government leaders are crediting the remarkable decrease in the HIV/AIDS infection rate – from 30 percent of the population to about six percent – to powerful faith-based abstinence programs like True Love Waits. Janet Museveni, Uganda’s first lady, actively joins her husband to create awareness in promoting abstinence over “safe sex” methods. For the past 10 years, she and her husband have promoted True Love Waits in speeches
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In a study developed by Rand Stoneburner, CNSNEWS.com reported that the Uganda prevention model, if used elsewhere, has the potential to reduce the AIDS rate in Africa’s worst-stricken countries by a startling 80 percent. Several African countries have sent representatives to Uganda to learn how it has so radically decreased its HIV/AIDS rate. Museveni told the group she believes True Love Waits could be implemented anywhere and be effective.
and ad campaigns, and worked closely with faith-based organizations such as Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. Larry and Sharon Pumpelly, Southern Baptist missionaries, were instrumental in helping implement True Love Waits in Uganda in 1994. Larry Pumpelly remarked on the Musevenis’ influence, stating that they added tremendous credibility to the TLW program. Janet Museveni persuaded Uganda’s minister of education to allow TLW material into the schools and opened many opportunities for the ministry to talk and teach students about abstinence for hours at a time. “We use a visual approach and incorporate a story technique and dramas to teach True Love Waits to Uganda’s boys and girls,” Sharon explained to LifeWay ministries. “The only paper we use is the True Love Waits commitment card that the students sign promising to be sexually abstinent until they marry. The presentation takes anywhere from 3 to 4 hours, depending on the number of questions the students ask.” “Schools are very open to our presence and presentations,” she continued. “Non-Christian kids are also responding, and some are accepting Christ.” Jimmy Hester, co-founder of True Love Waits, told The Christian Post how refreshing it is to see many schools in Africa open to hearing about not only the vital importance
of abstinence, but about the lifesaving power of the Gospel as well. “Some leaders in Uganda say that this turnaround has literally saved a generation,” Hester highlighted. “We believe that expanding True Love Waits to other parts of Africa has the potential of dramatically lowering the HIV/AIDS infection rate in those countries as well.”
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Hester, meanwhile, noted that there’s a much different attitude with an African student who makes a pledge compared to a student in the United States. Those who make a commitment in Africa have a greater motivation and a much more serious reason to keep it. “In a continent ravaged by AIDS, these African commitments literally have life-and-death consequences,” the co-founder of TLW explained. From April to October 2010, more Continued on page 29
Education
Spike Lee Urges More Black Men To Become Teachers
ATLANTA -- Filmmaker Spike Lee joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan in issuing a call Monday for more black men to become teachers, making their plea at the country’s only all-male historically black college. The two took part in a town hall meeting at Atlanta’s private Morehouse College just a week after President Barack Obama urged more people nationwide to become teachers. Duncan told an audience that more than 1 million educators are expected to retire in the coming decade and that federal officials are hoping to harness that opportunity to create a more diverse teaching work force, noting that less than 2 percent of the nation’s 3 million teachers are black men. “Everybody can’t be a business major,” Lee told the auditorium packed with male high school and college students. “We have to educate ourselves. We have to educate our young black men.” Lee, a Morehouse graduate, said he
was influenced most - outside of his own family - by two of his Morehouse professors. Both educators attended Monday’s gathering and were asked to stand up to be honored. Duncan used the occasion to promote the federal TEACH campaign. The program was launched in the fall to persuade more minorities - particularly males - to enter education. The federal government has launched the teach. gov website, a one-stop-shop for anyone wanting to enter teaching, including professionals hoping to switch careers. “If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation, if you want to make a difference in the life of a child, become a teacher,” Obama said in a video address taped for Monday’s event. “Our country needs you.” The Education Department also recorded TV commercials with Oprah Winfrey, performer John Legend and others to talk about the influence of teachers on their lives. Duncan said he will visit
Los Angeles next month, seeking to recruit more Hispanics for teaching. Duncan said that while many school districts are confronting layoffs and tight budgets, there are many high-need areas such as science, mathematics and special education facing a teacher shortage. School districts nationwide hire between 80,000 and 200,000 new teachers each year, even in tough economic times. Duncan pointed to 8,500 unfilled teaching jobs listed on the teach.gov website as of Monday. The government is working to help students obtain more financial aid for college and to create loan-forgiveness programs once they graduate and commit to teaching, Duncan said. He urged private organizations to get involved in recruiting minorities to teaching and supporting them once they’re in the classroom. “The government can’t begin to do this
alone,” he said. Social activist Jeff Johnson is joining the effort. The MSNBC contributor has launched a task force that aims at putting 80,000 more black male teachers in classrooms across the country in the next four years. Johnson told the audience that being a teacher isn’t considered “cool” in the black community and that perception must change. “They look at business, engineering and law as professions that will make them better men, but the very profession that determines what the next generation looks like isn’t even on their radar,” Johnson said.
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Feburary 2011
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The Journey Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. released the following statement: President Obama’s historic Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was passed by Congress last year, has greatly benefited many in the United States, and in Charles E. particular those among us Blake, Sr. who have not previously had health insurance. As the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, one of the oldest and largest Holiness-Pentecostal denominations in the world, with an estimated membership of six million people in fifty-seven nations across the globe, I write in support of the law and urge Congress not to repeal the law or pass any amendments that will weaken it. I am joined in this position by our ruling council, our bishops and their Chairman. As I have argued before, based on our understanding of the Holy Scriptures it is not only our mandate to encourage men and
women to come into right relationship with their Creator, but also to proclaim and advocate justice and compassion throughout all creation. “Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” -- Proverbs 31:89 NKJV Therefore we petition Congress today, speaking on behalf of millions of Americans who have benefited from the health care law. There are several historic provisions that we seek to preserve: the current restriction on insurance companies’ ability to deny coverage to children on the basis of pre-existing health conditions, the extension of coverage to children under 26 through their parents’ health insurance plans, the mandate for every American to have health insurance by 2014, and the provision of subsidies for the needy to
cover health insurance are among the most important. In this, the richest country in the world, thirty-two million Americans were without health insurance coverage prior to the passage of this law. Today the elderly benefit, as the law will close the “donut hole” in prescription drug benefits through Medicare by 2020. And the poor, who are of particular importance to us as Christians, benefit immediately from the expansion of Medicaid coverage to those within 133% of the poverty level and ultimately from the expansion of coverage to childless adults by 2014. Because of this law many will be spared untold hardship and unnecessary suffering due to ill health and death. It is of particular importance to us as Christians that the law does not require any health care plan to offer coverage for abortion, and requires that taxpayer funds not be used
for fees related to the provision of abortions. As Christians is also critical for us to urge fiscal responsibility among our national leaders. For this reason we support the health care law as currently enacted which will reduce the national deficit by $143 billion over the first 10 years. We urge the members of Congress, and in particular the leadership, to resist the temptation to make this vitally important piece of legislation, which has such important benefits for needy Americans, the subject of divisive, partisan attacks. Finally, we call upon all Americans of faith and on all Americans of good will to stand with the President in support of this historic legislation.
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This Month in
Salute to the Founder of Black History Month
Black History Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875 – April 3, 1950) was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African He was one of the first scholars to value and study Black History. He was a founder of the Journal of Negro History. Dr. Woodson is known as the Father of Black History. Dr. Woodson devoted the rest of his life to historical research. He worked to preserve the history of African Americans and accumulated a collection of thousands of artifacts and publications. He noted that African American contributions “were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them Race prejudice, he concluded, “is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind.” In 1926, Woodson single-handedly pioneered the celebration of “Negro History Week” for the second week in February to coincide with marking the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The week was later extended to the full month of February and in 1976 and renamed Black History Month.
Happy Black History Month!
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Black History The GRIO Surveys Rank Top African Americans of All Times Business Executives 3. Civil Rights, Political Organizations and Religious Leadership 4. Politically Relevant Intellectuals, Writers, and Artists They have chosen the top five most impactful persons in each area. From these responses we have also compiled a list of the top 25 TheGrio’s 2011 African-American Leadership Survey African-Americans in our nation’s As a website devoted to the news, political history. Final Report opinions, and contributions of black January 2011 people in America and around the world, TheGrio.com is interested Top Ten in understanding what the past teaches us about our current political Overall, our experts had widely moment and how it helps us prepare divergent opinions about this for the future. In this spirit, TheGrio extensive list of leaders, but they assembled a group of 25 contemporary shared extraordinary agreement academics, artists and activists to about the few individuals who have assess the most impactful Africanhad the most impact in American American leaders in U.S. history. Each history. According to our experts is uniquely suited through scholarship, these are the top 10 African-American experience, and commitment to black political leaders in U.S. history in the TheGrio’s 2011 African-American Leadership Survey 1 communities to assess Final the legacy of Report order they were ranked: African-American leadership. 1. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each member of the expert panel 2. Barack Obama was asked to complete a survey, which asked them to assess 170 black 3. W.E.B. Du Bois leaders. These leaders are individuals 4. Thurgood Marshall who worked in times as distant as 5. Malcolm X American slavery and moments as 6. Frederick Douglass recent as our own. The experts made 7. Harriet Tubman independent rankings of each leader 8. Rosa Parks on the list. The expert jury also nominated leaders not included in the 9. Ida B. Wells-Barnett original list. An alphabetical list of all 10. Ella Baker 170 leaders and all additional names is included at the end of this report. At first glance this list may not seem surprising. These names are widely regarded as some of the greatest Categories of Leadership African-Americans to have ever lived. There are some findings here worth African-American leadership has noting. taken many forms over the decades. It is fascinating to note that Dr. Our jury of experts considered Martin Luther King, Jr. is clearly the contributions from political leaders in consensus choice of this group. four broad areas. King never held elected office. He 1. Elected and Appointed Political was harshly criticized in his own lifetime both by the American public Leaders and by some members of his own 2. Lawyers, Legal Advocates and
community. Although he was still a very young man at the time of his assassination, his contributions shine forth as a signal, extraordinary legacy of leadership and achievement. President Barack Obama is the only living leader included among the Top 10. He is ranked a very close second to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This result is nothing short of extraordinary given that President Obama is a relatively
young leader who only became known to a national American audience in the past four years. Many of the experts on this panel have written critically of various aspects of his presidency. All of the experts on this list are deeply knowledgeable of the long trajectory of black struggle in America and the many personalities who have been part of it. His presence among these giants of black political history is indicative of the symbolic and substantive importance of his presidency despite his often-embattled administration.
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There are four women among the Top 10. While Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks are women who are widely known and whose accomplishments are taught in American grade schools, both Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Ella Baker are less well-known figures for many black Americans. That these experts judged these women as significant contributors to black political efforts is an indication that they should be included in our broader curriculum of black history. The span of black political leaders included in this Top 10 list includes those who struggled against slavery (Tubman and Douglass); those who were active during the nadir of race relations at the turn of the 20th century (Wells-Barnett and Du Bois); those who led the struggle for Civil Rights (King, Marshall, Baker and Parks); those who insisted on selfdetermination (X); and a contemporary elected leader (Obama). Such a broad sweep indicates that our experts believed there were many points in American history when leadership was necessary and when black Americans stepped up to provide that leadership. Top 25 Black Leaders The list of the Top 25 leaders adds interesting diversity to the list of Top 10. 1. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2. Barack Obama 3. W.E.B. Du Bois 4. Thurgood Marshall 5. Malcolm X 6. Frederick Douglass 7. Harriet Tubman 8. Rosa Parks 9. Ida B. Wells-Barnett 10. Ella Baker 11. Booker T. Washington 12. Adam Clayton Powell 13. James Baldwin 14. Dred Scott 15. Paul Robeson 16. A. Phillip Randolph 17. Fannie Lou Hamer 18. Marcus Garvey 19. Jesse Jackson, Sr. 20. John Johnson 21. Mary McLeod Bethune 22. Carter G. Woodson 23. Nat Turner
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AFRICAN
24. Harry Belafonte 25. Charles Hamilton Houston 26. Langston Hughes (There is a three-way tie for Belafonte, Houston and Hughes) This list includes more living leaders: Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Harry Belafonte. The list also includes educators Mary McLeod Bethune and Carter G. Woodson, underscoring the extent to which education has been an important site of political contributions for black Americans. The list also includes artists Robeson, Belafonte, and Hughes, which underscores the importance of artistic and literary expressions within black politics. The list includes two additional women, Hamer and Bethune, reminding us that women have made critical leadership contributions to AfricanAmerican politics. This list also includes two more black Americans who lived as slaves: Scott and Turner. Their inclusion signals the continuing importance America’s slave legacy.
Top Elected and Appointed Black Political Leaders We asked our expert panel to choose the top leaders in each of four different categories of leadership. In the area of Elected and Appointed Political Leaders these individuals generated the most agreement. Barack Obama Shirley Chisholm Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Harold Washington Colin Powell Barbara Jordan John Lewis President Obama received nearly unanimous support as worthy of inclusion among the top leaders. No other candidate in this area generated as much agreement. Shirley Chisholm and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. are somewhat surprising inclusions. Undoubtedly the heavy representation of New York based jury experts is likely responsible, in part, for their inclusion. Something else is likely at work here too. In the context
of an Obama presidency, Chisholm’s unlikely and inspiring candidacy for the American presidency has renewed resonance, as does the ground breaking first that is the Congressional career of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Colin Powell is one of the few conservatives to make the lists of top leadership. Our experts judge his historic leadership positions in the American military and national government as worthy of recognition.
Harold Washington, Barbara Jordan, and John Lewis are all leaders with robust reputations for independence and courageous, outspoken advocacy on behalf of black community interests. They are also recognized as coalition builders who earned broad crossracial support and respect as a result of their accomplishments. By choosing these leaders our expert panel is signaling an assessment of their capacity to be both fiercely independent and widely respected as the kind of skills necessary to make an impact on black political life. The chart below shows the top leaders in appointed and elected office. There are two ties in this category. Therefore, seven
names are listed. Top Black Political Leaders in Law, Legal Advocacy and Business We asked our expert panel to choose the top leaders in each of four different categories of leadership. In the area of Law, Legal Advocacy, and Business, these individuals generated the most agreement as worthy of consideration as most impactful. Thurgood Marshall Charles Hamilton Houston Rosa Parks Dred Scott Madame CJ Walker John Johnson Homer Plessy Our experts ranked Thurgood Marshall, Charles Hamilton Houston, and Rosa Parks as the most impactful leaders in issues of law and legal advocacy. Each was critically important in the struggle for integration in America. This is indicative of the continuing assessment that despite the challenges of the past 50 years, the battle to integrate America’s schools, workplaces, public spaces and government remains the defining effort of black politics. Our experts also include famously unsuccessful litigants Dred Scott and Homer Plessy as among the most impactful leaders. Our experts recognize that failures can be as important successes in setting the tone and direction of black politics. Our experts chose Madame CJ Walker and John Johnson as the most impactful business executives. Both of these business leaders made extraordinary political contributions. Walker remains one of the most generous individual contributors in the history of the NAACP. In many ways the legal work of the Marshall, Hamilton and others on this list was made possible by Walker’s contributions. Johnson’s black publishing empire had a similarly powerful impact in the modern political era when he magazines offered a primary platform for black political leaders to engage
Top African Ameri 22
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Urban Trendsetters | More Than A Magazine. It’s A Lifestyle
with African-Americans in a national forum. It is notable that current Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is not included in the list of most impactful leaders - despite being the only African-American other than Marshall (who received 92% of votes from experts) to serve on the Supreme Court, and despite being a decisive conservative vote on many issues of social and political significance affecting black Americans. Top Black Leaders in Civil Rights, Political Organizations and Religion We asked our expert panel to choose the top leaders in each of four different categories of leadership. In the area of Civil Rights, Political Organizations and Religious Leadership, these individuals generated the most agreement as worthy of consideration as most impactful: Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcolm X Frederick Douglass Harriet Tubman Ida B. Wells-Barnett Ella Baker A. Phillip Randolph The leaders on this list are most represented among the top 10 most impactful leaders overall. Six of the seven top leaders in this category were also chosen in the Top 10.
Our experts believe that this is the area from which our most important leaders have emerged. Both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X are ranked at the top of this list. Despite the many differences in their approach, style, and philosophy, our experts judge them to have made tremendous contributions. It seems that our experts believe robust disagreement among leaders is a point of strength for black communities. No living civil rights leader was included among the top choices. This might be read as an indication that our experts believe the era of impactful civil rights leadership has passed. The chart below shows the
choose the top leaders in each of four different categories of leadership. In the area of Politically Relevant Intellectuals, Writers, and Artists these individuals generated the most agreement as worthy of consideration as most impactful: W.E.B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington Oprah Winfrey James Baldwin Paul Robeson Cornel West Toni Morrison As in the case of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X in the category above, our experts have chosen both W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington as the top leaders. Many observers of African-American history highlight the t u r n - o f- t h e - 2 0 t h century tensions between Du Bois and Washington as indicative of the diversity and contestation within black political thought. The experts have decided that both men and their ideas deserve recognition. Three living African-Americans are included in this list: Oprah Winfrey, Cornel West and Toni Morrison. This is the largest number of living persons included in any top list. It is also important to note that more additional names were added by our experts in this category than were added in any other. The wide variety of cultural, literary, and artistic contributions by African-Americans thinkers and artists led to a robust list of potential leaders. These individuals
are the ones who our jury saw as making the greatest political (not artistic) impact in black America. The chart below shows the top leaders. For consistency this list includes seven leaders. However, the distance between the scores achieved by the Top 5 and the rest is much clearer in this case. Role of Black Leaders We also asked our experts to assess the most important roles fulfilled by black political leaders in three different historical eras: (1) the decades before the 20th century, (2) the decades of the 20th century, (3) in our present moment Our experts responded by rating the top three roles fulfilled in each epoch and their responses offer some important insights. In the years before the 20th century our experts believed that black leaders were primarily responsible for teaching and mobilizing black communities for action. This mobilization role was also considered primary during the 20th century, and was joined by role of affecting local and national politics as a critical responsibility.
American question top leaders in order. Again, seven are listed just for consistency with the first list and because this list also produced a tie. Top Black Leaders: Politically Relevant Intellectuals, Writers, and Artists We asked our expert panel to
In one of the most interesting findings in our survey, the experts suggest a new and critical role for black leaders in our contemporary moment. Mobilizing black people for action and affecting policy remain important, but our experts agree that building bridges to other racial communities is more important in contemporary America than it was in the past. Perhaps the perceived importance of this bridging role is part of the reason that President Obama is the sole living leader to make the Top 10.
icans of All Times Urban Trendsetters | More Than A Magazine. It’s A Lifestyle
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Style Directory Michelle Obama and WalMart
Wal-Mart President and CEO Bill Simon looks on as First lady Michelle Obama takes part in Wal-Mart’s announcement of a comprehensive effort to provide healthier and more affordable food choices to their customers.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest grocer, says it will reformulate thousands of products to make them healthier and push its suppliers to do the same, joining first lady Michelle Obama’s effort to combat childhood obesity. The first lady accompanied Wal-Mart executives Thursday as they announced the effort in Washington. The company plans to reduce sodium and added sugars in some items, build stores in poor areas that don’t already have grocery stores, reduce prices on produce and develop a logo for healthier items. “No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart’s U.S. division. As the largest grocer in the United States, Wal-Mart’s size gives it unique power to shape what people eat. The grocery business is nearly twice the size of No. 2 competitor Kroger. The company also has massive influence on products made by other manufacturers and sold at the store. Mrs. Obama said the announcement has “the potential to transform the marketplace and help Americans put healthier foods on their tables every single day.” “We are really gaining some momentum on this issue, we’re beginning to see things move,” she said. The nation’s largest retailer plans to reduce sodium by a quarter and cut added sugars in some of its private label products by 2015. It also plans
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to remove remaining industrially produced trans fats. The foods Wal-Mart will concentrate on our products like lunch meats, fruit juices and salad dressings, items that contain high levels of sugar or sodium that consumers don’t know they’re ingesting.. A number of food makers have made similar moves, lowering sodium in their products based on shopper demand and increasing scrutiny by health groups. Bumble Bee Foods, General Mills Inc., Campbell Soup Co., PepsiCo Inc. and Kraft Foods Inc. all announced sodium reductions to their products in this spring
alone. During the press conference Wednesday, Andrea Thomas, Wal-Mart’s senior vice president of sustainability acknowledged those industry efforts but said,”Our goal is not to supplant these efforts, but to encourage their widespread adoption. We see our role as a convener and a catalyst. “ Food makers say they are trying to reduce sodium gradually, making it a more palatable change to its customers and giving the industry time to reformulate products. Most said they support efforts to curb sodium in American’s diets but are waiting to see if the Food and Drug Administration decides to mandate a reduction. Wal-Mart said it would reduce prices on fruits and vegetables by $1 billion a year by attempting to cut unnecessary costs from the supply chain. The company also said it would work to reduce price premiums on healthier items made with more expensive ingredients. “Our customers often ask us why whole wheat pasta sometimes costs more than regular pasta made by the same manufacturer,” said Thomas. Mrs. Obama has a history of working with Wal-Mart. She once served on the board of Westchester, Ill.-based TreeHouse Foods Inc., a food supplier for the store, but resigned in 2007 while her husband was campaigning for the presidency. Barack Obama had criticized the store over wages and benefits it pays employees.
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Fit & Trendy
‘Idol’ Vet Mandisa
Drops 90 Pounds before 3rd CD Release Former “American Idol” finalist Mandisa Hundley, a two-time Grammy nominee who finished in the top 10 the year Taylor Hicks won, is now 90 pounds lighter and planning to release her third gospel album April 5, called “What If We Were Real.” She tells the Associated Press that her emotional weight loss journey began two years ago, and the struggles fueled her new music. “Where I was at the beginning of this album and where I ended up are two very different places,” she told The AP in an e-mail. “It’s been a process. I will always struggle with my weight. It’s the thorn in my flesh.” Standing on a scale one morning and seeing a disappointing number prompted Mandisa to finally get real with herself and her fans. “I had gained weight and was so frustrated at that moment that I said so on Twitter.” She tweeted: “I’m fed-up and over it.”
“I was feeling embarrassed and ashamed. I realized that I had only talked about how great things were. I never let people in when they were not. It was then that I decided I’d talk about the bad things too,” she said. The result is what Mandisa calls her most honest record to date. She began recording “in a very dark place.” The title track and the song “Just Cry” came out of those early sessions. However, by the end of the process, she said she was back to a place of peace and joy, with the song “Lifeline,” about unwavering trust in God, the last track she recorded. Mandisa is on her way to losing 100 pounds but said she doesn’t have a goal weight. “My only goal is to be healthy physically, spiritually, and emotionally. That is a lifelong journey,” she said.
Pay gap widening between U.S. male, female doctors CHICAGO (Reuters) Newly trained female doctors in the United States make nearly $17,000 less than their male counterparts, even though women increasingly are choosing careers in higher-paying medical specialties, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. They said there has been a widening gender gap in starting salaries for female doctors, rising from a difference of $3,600 in 1999 to $16,819 in 2008. “It is not surprising to say that women physicians make less than male physicians because women traditionally choose lower-paying jobs in primary care fields or they choose to work fewer hours,” Anthony Lo Sasso of the School of Public Health of the University of Illinois at Chicago said in a statement. “What is surprising is that even when we account for specialty and hours and other factors, we see this growing unexplained gap in starting salary. The same gap exists
for women in primary care as it does in specialty fields,” said Lo Sasso, whose findings were published in the journal Health Affairs. The study is based on survey data from more than 8,000 doctors exiting training programs in New York, a state that is home to more
residency programs and resident physicians than any other in the United States. While historically women have tended to choose primary care fields such as family medicine or pediatrics, the percentage of women entering those fields dropped from about 50 percent in 1999 to just over 30 percent in 2008, roughly on par with male doctors. But even though women doctors are choosing higherpaying medical specialties, they still made considerably less than men in 2008. The team found the gap widened even after adjusting for choice of specialty, practice type or number of hours worked. “Essentially, what we see is our ability to explain that difference in salary between men and women goes away. What we’re left with is almost
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a $17,000 salary difference between men and women,” Lo Sasso said in a telephone interview. “We weren’t expecting to see this widening gap in salary over time and the inability to account for it with any observable characteristics.” While the study does not show why, Lo Sasso said the team cannot rule out gender bias as an explanation. But he thought it likely that female doctors were taking less pay in exchange for regular schedules or other familyfriendly benefits. “What we think it is essentially women trading off some salary for other nonmonetary aspects of the job,” he said.
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WINTERIZE YOUR HAIR
Luckily Phil the Groundhog predicted an early spring, but we still haven’t seen the end of snowy, icy days. If you’re looking to escape cabin fever, why
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not turn your home into a spa? In the winter we tend to focus on dry, damaged skin, but don’t forget about your hair. LUSH has an at-home recipe for keeping hair moisturized and shiny (not to mention beating boredom) using items you have in the kitchen, no traveling required! Formulated by product creator Helen Ambrosen, our DIY Avocado Hair Mask will give distressed driedout strands the winter pick-me up they need, while our apple and lemon juice blended treatment will have hair shining straight through to spring. If you’re interested in hearing more, let
me know and I’ll send through the recipe! And for winter hair problems like straw-like strands to static, here are a couple ideas of what we have for lack-luster locks: H’Suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment ($17.95) Saturate dry hair with as much or as little as your parched hair requires. Leave on for 20 minutes allowing avocado, fresh softening bananas, olive oil and eggs add insane moisture, while watercress and balsamic vinegar add otherworldly shine. Wash off, condition if necessary and behold! Silk!! R&B Hair Treatment ($18.95) Revive and Balance dry, brittle or
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split ends. R&B was created to keep coarse hair in check with deeply moisturizing olive, avocado and coconut oils. Smooth some through dry hair to finish a style or softening static electricity. Jasmin & Henna Fluff Eaze ($20.95) This vegan henna treatment is loaded with lots of emollient oils, such as almond oil, jojoba oil, Brazil nut oil, hemp oil and wheatgerm oil, all of which were chosen to calm fluffiness, add shine and control the ends of the hair, while olive oil, gives added shine and acts as a great tonic for the scalp. The effects of Jasmin & Henna last long after use as it prevents static from forming long after it’s rinsed away.
Contact Me Today Sharon S. Gordon www.sharongordon.soulpurpose.net 614-679-7318
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Feburary 2011
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Happy Valentines Day Little Switches Can Make All The Difference
—Even the best relationships can get stale, so Patti Stanger, relationship specialist and star of Bravo TV’s hit show “The Millionaire Matchmaker,” offers tips on how little switches can make all the difference in people’s relationships and lives. “After my clients find their matches, I remind them how important it is to switch things up,” suggests Stanger, who is partnering with the Cottonelle brand to share expert relationship advice. “Just one little switch in your routine can get you out of a
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relationship rut.” Surprise your partner: On a random day, surprise your spouse with something he or she would love. Make a favorite meal, buy favorite flowers or leave a heartfelt note on the nightstand. Whatever it is, make sure it’s personal to show you listen and you care. Get active: Find time to raise your heart rate with your mate. Join a gym together, sign up for dance lessons or go bowling. Get those feel-good endorphins going to help strengthen your bond while doing something
positive for yourself. G e t out: When schedules are hectic, going on dates often falls off the priority list. Commit to have one date night a month and switch off who plans it. It can be as simple as dinner and a movie, as long as it gets you out of the house and tuned in to each other without your kids or other distractions. Upgrade: It’s hard to love others if you don’t love yourself first. Visit the salon and get a new hair- style or professional makeup application to freshen up your look. Be sure to ask the artist questions so you can recreate the look at home. Refresh your space: Home is another place that may deserve a makeover. Little switches such as a new paint color can boost your mood.
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Try something new in the bathroom by adding candles, indulging in luxury bath towels or switching from other toilet paper to Cottonelle Ultra bath tissue, the thickest bath tissue in the aisle (compared to double-roll equivalent bath tissue), to make your home more pleasant for both of you. Want more help spicing up your relationship? Now through May 1, you may have a chance to win up to 90 daily prizes—including dance lessons for two, salon treatments, a home theater and more—each designed to inspire those little switches to help get you out of a relationship rut. To enter the “Make the Ultra Switch” sweepstakes, visit the Web site www.CottonelleUltraSwitch.com. No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chance of winning. Promotion ends 5/1/11. Open to legal residents of the U.S. and Canada who are 21+ years. A happier home life may be easier to achieve than many couples realize.
-Continued –Continued from page 13 in a stealthy and genocidal manner in order to keep us from our land. From the terroristic crimes committed by the KKK that helped coerce two separate Great Migrations, to the recent housing bubble that cunningly looted large amounts of wealth from black families, our Western civilization is infinitely taking from us, even though we are as finite as the resources of earth. This is genocidal conduct as clear as day, yet Mad Men marketing ploys continue to capture our minds so corporations can buy us off cheaply with the latest iPhone or hybrid automobile. How can we fully understand the damage being done to the environment, when we are being gutted, much like the forests in Congo, from the inside-out? How are we to convince young African-Americans to care about the environment when their lives, in a city, are completely dependent upon corporate entities to provide for their basic needs? Are we supposed to believe black farmers will be able to compete, in the long-run, with the Green Revolution’s disregard for small farmers and dependence on
– Continued from page 14 by 167, 23, and 44, respectively. Unfortunately, the debate about whether and how to regulate the usage of the n-word is not unique to Burlington’s case. The recent resurgence of the debate about
heavily government-subsidized “Monsanto-ing” of agriculture? Even if someone with a heart in government takes up these issues affecting small farmer’s right to sustain a living from the land, much like Shirley Sherrod and Van Jones courageously did in the last couple of years, they are lambasted by the media and forced to apologize for disrupting business as usual. How can we fight along side Indigenous nations to protect sacred grounds when our only engagement with them is through the spectacles at movie theaters and sporting events, complete with war chants and insensitive caricatures? An awful trick continues to be played on us. So no, we are not on the front line of the climate change debate now, but we can be, if people who are at the head of GreenPeace and other environmental agencies recognize that, there is no way to save the environment if we do not broaden the movement, ideologically, to include the fight to free blacks, and all other poor people this world people, from the precarious circumstances we find ourselves in now. We are the brown people that are dying from toxic pollutants in food,
whether the word should be banned in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an example of how persistently we are haunted by this word and its legacy. Though referencing individuals via racial epithet is dramatically different than reading a highly contextualized usage of
Continued from page 13 than 70,000 young people in Africa pledged to biblical purity through True Love Waits International, bringing the total number of commitments to more than 959,000. “We are very close to having 1
water, and the air. We are the ones that have been displaced from our lands and made to feel like asking for reparations is a ludicrous suggestion. This is the environmental movement. Since the majority of blacks live in urban settings, our most valuable resource is our people. We cannot allow black men to continue to be preyed upon by the prison industrial system. We cannot allow black women to be poisoned by corporate waste products in the water, food, and air. This is the environmental movement. Our environmental movement starts by accepting we have been indoctrinated to believe we are part of this country, that we are free, but, in reality, we are a third world community within America, equipped with all the characteristics of a banana republic: puppet leaders, a few affluent examples of “making it” to give us the allusion of progress, paramilitary institutions terrorize the poor in order to stagnate and depress uprisings, and, most importantly, given only “hope” that our condition will change. We can change this by securing our right to feed ourselves. Let’s continue to push President Obama to reign in corporate and
financial institutions so we can have tangible markers of progress, not just empty policies that only lead to the continual extraction of resources from our global community. Let’s start asking fundamental questions of civilization, whether or not it can exist in it’s current state. Do not give credence to the corporate suggestion that a few “green” changes to economy will help prolong our fate. Stop making me believe if I recycle, take a bike to work, turn off the lights after I leave the room, buy eco-friendly products, become a vegan, or do anything else that reduces my “carbon foot-print” will help stave off the destruction of the real world. These are all marketing schemes to keep me shopping, keep the system afloat. If we stop corporation profiteering, we will see the change we so desperately need. I may sound like a doomsday, paranoid schizophrenic or a “negative Nathan,” but every time I go outside, and breath the air, I ask myself: “What would I do if I didn’t have the privileges of civilization? How long could I survive?” As I answer that question everyday, I move closer to reality and further away from this myth called civilization.
the word in literature, we are all accountable for the language we use. The trial to determine whether Burlington was wrongfully terminated and whether African-Americans can dehumanize each other with immunity is set to begin on January
million young people in Africa make documented commitments to biblical purity through this initiative, which will be an incredible milestone,” said Hester. A new generation of youths is being born again in Africa, carrying a message of hope and boldly
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18th. However, the real question is whether we will use this incident as a wake-up call to demand the full recognition -- from others and from ourselves -- of our humanity and implementation of a higher standard of dignity in the workplace and beyond.
declaring that true love waits.
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Trendy Palette Creative Cooking Could Land You
$1 Million
—Ladies and gentlemen, start your ovens. A smart recipe idea could win you $1 million in the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. Enter now through April 18, 2011 at www.bakeoff.com in the categories Breakfast & Brunches, Entertaining Appetizers, Dinner Made Easy™ or Sweet Treats. Here’s one tasty idea from finalist Maurice Chinn, 44th Contest, to get you started: Oatmeal Raisin Cheesecake Crumble • 1 pkg. Pillsbury® Big Deluxe™ refrigerated oatmeal raisin cookies (12 cookies) • 2 cups Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Chopped Pecans • 2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened • 1 can (14 oz.) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk • 1 tsp. McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract • 2 LAND O’LAKES® eggs • 1 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour • 3⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar • 1⁄2 cup cold LAND O’LAKES® Butter • 3⁄4 cup Hershey’s® cinnamon chips • 1 cup raisins • 1⁄2 cup oats Heat oven to 350° F. Press cookie dough rounds evenly into bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the pecans; press firmly into dough. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium until smooth. Add milk, vanilla and eggs; beat until well blended. On low speed, beat in 1⁄2 cup of the flour. Pour over crust; spread evenly. In medium bowl, mix brown sugar and remaining 1⁄2 cup flour. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips, raisins, oats and remaining 1 cup pecans. Sprinkle over cheese mixture. Bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until set. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Visit www.bakeoff.com for official contest rules and entry forms for the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest.
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Trendy Palette
Soul Food Receipes Basic Soul Food
Collard Greens
Ingredients:
Instructions:
4-6 bunches of collard cleaned and steamed 5 slices of bacon 1 smoked ham hock 1 large chopped onion seasoning salt to taste 1 bunch of green onions (optional) black pepper to taste 7 cups of water
Lay collard greens on top of each other, (no more then 4 at a time) roll and then cut in half with a knife. Cut even smaller if you have large leaves. Line the bottom of a large stock pot with the bacon. Cook on medium heat until done, obtaining as much bacon grease as possible. Add the water to the stock pot and the grease and bring to a boil. Now add the 1/2 of the chopped onion, ham hock, pepper and salt to taste. Let mixture boil for 10 minutes. Add the collard greens, other half of the onions and more salt and pepper to taste if desired to the stock pot. Rapidly boil for 45 minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 4-6 hours. Serve with green onions.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 104 calories 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono) 4 mg cholesterol 18 g carbohydrates 3 g protein 1 g fiber 216 mg sodium 35 mg potassium
Chicken with Dumplings Ingredients: A hen or 5-6 pounds of chicken 1 quart of water 1 cup of milk 1 teaspoon of salt 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon of shortening 3 cups of flour Season salt (season to suit taste)
Instructions: Put water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Cut the hen/chicken into pieces. Place the pieces into the pot of boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 ½ hours or until tender. • • • •
Combine the milk, salt, eggs, shortening, and flour in a bowl. Stir ingredients until a ball forms (add more flour if needed) Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough into a very thin sheet. Cut the dough into 1- inch strips.
•
Then cut the dough into ½ inch squares.
Once the meat has completely cooked, separate the meat from the bone. Drop the bones back into the pot and lay the meat aside. Then add the dumpling squares into the pot a few squares at a time until all the dumpling squares have been added. Cook the dumplings until they are completely done. (They should float when they are completely cooked.) Then add the meat back into the pot with the dumplings. Serve and enjoy. NOTE: Leaving the bones in the pot keeps the dumplings from sticking to the bottom and burning. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or 2 knives, cut butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Make a well in the center and gradually pour in the buttermilk mixture, stirring with a fork until just combined.
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Feburary 2011
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Travel Trends Meet AfricanAmerican Disney Imagineer Michael Davie
By Madge Evans Recently a select few of people had the opportunity to attend the Disney Dream Christening Celebration and Inaugural Cruise. One of the most valuable players and a member of the creative driving force behind the Disney Dream, Disney’s brand new 4,000 passenger maritime marvel is Michael Davie, an African-American Disney Imagineer from the Walt Disney Imagineering team, the design and development branch of The Walt Disney Company. The word itself comes from the marriage of imagination and engineering and has been used by Disney since the 1950s. The imagineering team utilizes persons with multiple skill sets ranging from show writers to graphic designers to architects to engineers, which leads us back to the focal point of this story, Michael Davie. Davie is a native of Chicago, Illinois and attended Florida A & M University where he majored in civil engineering and has now been with Disney Imagineering for 13 years. In discussing the entire process of Disney Dream with Michael, we now know the conceptualization of Dream was initiated in 2003, with imagineers toying around with the idea on and off for three years until 2006 when the team became more serious, and then finally starting the actual design plans in 2007. Being an integral part of the team, Davie actually had to relocate, taking his wife and kids with him to Germany (birthplace of Dream), a move he said was a wonderful opportunity for them all. Once in Germany, the partnership between Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney Imagineering, and the Meyer Werft Shipyard commenced … building what is now this spectacular ship named Disney Dream. Davie’s official title of project manager enabled him to carry out his duties in a dynamic multi-level work environment, which included collaborating closely with a designer from Norway to give the ship, in Michael’s words, that “old, classic transAtlantic” look. Although he stated Disney’s prior ships, Magic and Wonder, were an inspiration for the design team, Michael spoke that no stone was left unturned with Disney Dream and rest assured that every aspect from the elegant chandeliers, to the constructed outdoor decks, to the murphy beds which emerge from some of the stateroom ceilings, was thoroughly thought out in a way so that the “Disney brand would be presented in the utmost way.” The Disney Dream, designed by Micael Davie’s team, arrives at night at
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Port Canavaral, Fl. From partnering with I-Crave to design the high-tech, neoninfused, card-access only 9,000 square foot teen club, Vibe, to the adult-only nighttime entertainment area, The District, to the 1340-seat opulently adorned Walt
Disney Theatre, Davie played an essential role in the design of all these areas and more. Not to mention, Disney is the only cruiseline that gives passengers an exciting fireworks display at sea!!! On a personal level, when asked about
how it felt to be one of a few AfricanAmericans placed in this amazing position with Disney or if he ever thought he would be working as a Disney Imagineer living abroad in Germany, Davie responded with “it is all a surreal and humbling experience.”
Meet African-American Disney Imagineer Michael Davie
Cruise Itinerary: 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise Allure of the Seas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Nassau, Bahamas; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Phillipsburg, St. Maarten).
A non-refundable deposit of $25 per person ($50 per stateroom) is due by March 1, 2011. The balance
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Actor Danny Glover and Millionaire Network Marketer Rochelle Saulsberry Launch The Movement of the Masses
Atlanta, GA (February 3, 2011) -- Actor Danny Glover and Rochelle Saulsberry have launched the Movement of the Masses, a global
grassroots initiative designed to help people of all races overcome economic challenges and develop the capacity to accumulate and sustain
wealth. Saulsberry, who is Danny Glover’s “Lethal Weapon” and documented Millionaire Network Marketer, has been called a millionaire maker and she believes in helping people to get money issues out of the way. Glover comments, “The movement will help people to become the architect of their own rescue!” The Movement will tour and go into well thought out and planned communities, cities, towns, and nations in order to train, educate, and motivate people about
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economic empowerment, personal growth and development, and business opportunities. The first stop on the tour will be in communities throughout Florida and Georgia. Facts: * There are approximately 14 million unemployed persons in the United States of America. * The unemployment rates for adult women (8.1 percent), teenagers (25.4 percent), blacks (15.8 percent), and Hispanics (13.0 percent) continues to show little change. * Experts agree something must be done to help create jobs and economic opportunities in urban communities. For more information, visit www. movementofthemasses.blogspot.com
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Let Us Put Your Business in the Streets!
Business Resource icon George Fraser. It offers exclusive networking opportunities, a series of educational workshops, and a unique expo where vendors showcase their products and services. This event also usually features high profile speakers such as the likes of Magic Johnson, Les Brown, Iyanla Vanzant, Lisa Nichols, and more. www. FraserNet.com
By Dante Lee
A
ccording to the United States Census Bureau, African Americans are 5 times more likely to fail in business than their white counterparts. Furthermore, of the 27 million businesses in this country, barely 2 million or 7% are owned by African Americans. There are tons of resources available to business owners and entrepreneurs, but because of these devastating statistics, I’ve decided to compile a list of the top ten resources that are specifically designed to help African Americans be more successful in business. Here they are: 1) Black Enterprise Magazine - Founded in the 1970’s, this monthly magazine continues to be an excellent source of news, insight, and tips pertinent to African
American professionals and business owners. Furthermore, they are the only publication that regular reports on the stories and experiences of successful Black business owners. www.BlackEnterprise. com 2) Minority Business Entrepreneur (MBE) Magazine - This bi-monthly publication serves as a nationwide forum for minority and women business owners. They share tons of information on how to secure contracts with major corporations and government agencies. www.MBEmag. com 3) Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference - Produced by Black Enterprise magazine, this conference is a great event for aspiring and established business owners. In addition to being able to network with hundreds of deal makers, this conference also features innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to know about to stay ahead of the curve. www.BlackEnterprise. com/ec 4) FraserNet PowerNetworking Conference - Usually held in Atlanta, this conference is produced and hosted by best-selling author and business
5) National Black Chamber of Commerce - This non-profit organization is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora. Members receive their quarterly publication, legislative updates, an opportunity to participate in their international trade missions, and access to their annual business convention. www. NationalBCC.org 6) “Black Business Secrets: 500 Tips, Strategies and Resources for the African American Entrepreneur” By Dante Lee - Published by SmileyBooks, I recently wrote this book to give aspiring and established business owners the ultimate know-how and inspiration to be successful in business. In 15 chapters and 336 pages, I literally share 500 secrets on how to build a profitable company. I also interview several Black millionaires and billionaires including Bob Johnson, Farrah Gray, Nadine Thompson, Tom Burrell, and more. www.BlackBusinessSecrets.com 7) The Network Journal - Founded in 1993, this publication is a monthly print and online business magazine for Black professionals and business owners. It is dedicated to educating and empowering
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its readers by providing news and commentary on issues that affect the growth of business and the advancement of professionals in the workplace. www. TNJ.com 8) National Black Business Council (NBBC) - This organization aims to create and support programs that will close the economic and digital divides between minority and majority businesses. They accomplish this by establishing strategic partnerships with Fortune 1000 companies that provide member businesses with procurement opportunities and access to capital. www.NBBC.org 9) Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) - A part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, this agency is an entrepreneurially focused organization committed to wealth creation in minority communities. Their mission is to actively promote the growth and competitiveness of large, medium and small minority business enterprises (MBEs). www.MBDA. gov 10) National Minority Franchising Initiative (NMFI) - This online directory includes over 500 franchisors committed to increasing minority representation within their franchise system. It was created in the year 2000 to level the playing field and meet the needs of a largely under-represented market. www. MinorityFranchising.com Dante Lee is an award-winning business coach, the co-founder of Lee Moss Media, and the best-selling author of “Black Business Secrets: 500 Tips, Strategies, and Resources for the African American Entrepreneur” available in all major book stores.
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Tech Trends Huffington Post and BET co-founder Sheila Johnson Introducing New Site For African-Americans By The Associated Press
The Huffington Post and BET co-founder Sheila Johnson are launching a HuffPost section devoted to African Americans. The section, “HuffPost GlobalBlack,” is expected to debut in early March. The Huffington Post is set to make an official announcement about the new platform Thursday. “Our goal is to cover more stories of importance to the black community,” says Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the New Yorkbased Huffington Post. “We have the supreme irony of having the first African-American president, which is such a historic event and a milestone, while at the same time, conditions for African-Americans are deteriorating, in terms of unemployment, in terms of high school graduation, in terms of the number of AfricanAmerican males in prisons,” Huffington says. GlobalBlack is the 27th section for the Huffington Post, but its first racially based one. It plans to soon launch a Latino section.
A February 2010 survey by Edison Research and Arbitron found that about 25 percent of all Twitter users are black, roughly double the percentage of blacks in the U.S. population. About 11 percent of all U.S. Facebook users are black, the socialnetworking site reports. A greater percentage of whites than blacks and Latinos have broadband access at home, but laptop ownership is now about even for all these groups. “In all of this digital space, the African-American voice is really falling off the radar screen,” says Johnson, who sold the Washington D.C.-based Black Entertainment Television to Viacom in 2000. “We’re on other radar screens, with other digital sites, which is wonderful. But I really wanted to bring the real news, the storytelling - to really bring back the voice of the black community on some relevant news and views.” “We’re going to be able to fill that void,” Johnson adds.
Spike Lee still waiting for watershed moment in Hollywood’s racial landscape by Cassandra Szklarski,
Director Spike Lee says he’s still waiting for Hollywood to open up to black filmmakers in a meaningful way. Days before the Academy Award nominations are to be announced, the outspoken director says not much has changed since the historical 2002 Oscar wins of Denzel Washington and Halle Berry. That ceremony marked the first time both the best actor and best actress Oscars went to African-American actors. That same year, Sidney Poitier was given a lifetime achievement award. Lee says the high-profile wins had observers declaring “a new dawn” in Hollywood’s racial landscape, but adds that nothing has changed since then. The director, whose films include “Malcolm X” and “Do the Right Thing,” says it will take more than an award to change the movie business. Lee went to Toronto to take part in the Canadian Film Centre’s celebrations
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to mark Black History Month. He’ll be discussing the use of music in his films with Toronto-based director Clement Virgo. At last year’s event, Virgo discussed
race issues with acclaimed filmmaker Norman Jewison and director Lee Daniels, who was riding high on an Oscar nomination for helming the film “Precious.” The nod made Daniels only the second black filmmaker to be nominated for best director in the history of the Academy Awards. The first was John Singleton, who was nominated in 1992 for “Boys N the Hood.” “That was not a watershed moment,” Lee said Thursday of Daniels’ success (the bestdirecting Oscar ultimately went to Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker”). “I remember a couple years ago, when three or four black people won — Halle won an Academy Award, Denzel won and Sidney Poitier won a career achievement award and people were saying, like, ‘Oh, this is a new dawn. “Nothing happened, you know. People
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looking at superficial things trying to think there’s great movement that happened. And it hasn’t happened.” Despite critical acclaim for his work, Lee has never been nominated for best directing Oscar — only in the screenwriting and documentary categories. The Academy Award nominations come out the same day Lee is due to speak in. Leading contenders this year include “The Social Network,” “The King’s Speech” and “Black Swan.” There are no obvious African-American frontrunners. Speaking from a Minneapolis airport as he waited for a flight to St. Louis, Lee said technology has opened the door to marginalized voices by allowing more independent films to be made, but that too has had little impact in expanding attitudes. “Independent filmmakers don’t have a place in theatres, per se, to show their work outside festivals. So it’s half empty, half full,” he said.
Cover 2Cover $UPER RICH
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ussell Wendell Simmons was born in Queens, New York on October 4, 1957, the middle of three sons to bless the marriage of Daniel and Evelyn Simmons, a public school administrator and NYC parks administrator, respectively. Russell and Rick Rubin co-founded Def Jam Records, the legendary hip-hop label, in 1984. Russell parlayed his success in music into several fashion lines, most notably, Phat Farm and Baby Phat. Meanwhile, as Chairman and CEO of his umbrella organization, Rush Communications, he also ran an ad agency, produced movies and TV shows, and published a magazine. Forbes Magazine recently named Simmons one of “Hollywood’s Most Influential Celebrities.” And USA Today dubbed him one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years,” calling him a “hip-hop pioneer” for his groundbreaking vision that has influenced music, fashion, jewelry, finance, television and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy. From creating his seminal Def Jam Recordings to writing his New York Times best-seller “Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success,” Russell
party you threw for Soledad O’Brien. I came over and told you I’d been trying to interview you for years. Thanks for finally hooking me up. Russell Simmons: My man! Of course I remember you. I felt bad. How was that possible? KW: A lot of publicists have never heard of me. RS: Well, it’s great to talk to you. What’s going on, baby? KW: I didn’t get to tell you that I grew up in the same neck of the woods, in St. Albans, which is right next to Hollis. RS: Yeah, same thing.
is recognized globally for his influence and entrepreneurial approach to both business and p h i l a n t h r o p y. Since giving back is of primary importance to him in all aspects of life, he has consistently leveraged his influence in the recording industry, fashion, television, financial services, and jewelry sectors to advance the interests of a host of charitable causes. A devoted yogi, Russell also leads the non-profit division of his empire, Rush Community Affairs, and its ongoing commitment to empowering at-risk youth through education, the arts, and social engagement. Furthermore, he serves as UN Goodwill Ambassador for The Permanent Memorial to Honor the Victims of Slavery and the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. Here, he talks about his new book, “Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All,” a how-to tome which champions meditation over materialism as the path to true wealth. Kam Williams: Hey Russell, thanks for the time. I don’t know if you remember me, but we met at that
KW: What gave you the idea to write the book? RS: Well, the last time I wrote a book (Do You!), I got a chance to pull together all these teachings and frame them in such a way that I could share them with other people. But honestly, I can look back on it, and admit that my motivation was a little bit selfish, because I needed to do this for my own evolution. It was a sort of a cleansing process. I expected that I could get the stuff out of me, and frame it, so I could understand it. But I didn’t appreciate the book’s potential to touch the lives of others until Oprah praised it. She was my first interview after it came out, and made it go to the top of the best-seller list. After that, people would come up to me and say that the book changed their lives. What could be more gratifying? So, that inspired me to write this book, with a little more selfless intention. This book is about remembering to remember, and the mantra to be a good giver. Good givers are great getters, and I just wanted to share that with people in a way that they could really digest it.
Urban Trendsetters | More Than A Magazine. It’s A Lifestyle
KW: I told my readers I was going to be speaking with you and they sent in plenty of questions. The first is from Attorney Bernadette Beekman, who gives you a big shout out as a girl from Hollis! She says: many people are so busy working they do not have time to breathe deeply or be present on a daily basis. In fact, I was speaking to a friend who is a yoga teacherin-training yesterday and she said quite often, when she is at her fulltime job at a nonprofit, she realizes that a whole day has gone by without her having breathed deeply. Russell, how, from a practical perspective, can people with worries and everyday jobs still seek a higher path? RS: The whole book is about being conscious, and is filled with practices to bring you to presence. The book is dedicated to that mantra, that state of consciousness. We wish we could live in a state of nirvana, or a state of Christ consciousness, or a state of yoga, or Samadhi. All of them are one and the same: to be awake, to be present. That idea of Heaven on Earth is what I mean by Super Rich, and the ease that comes with needing nothing. Yoga can be defined as a state of needing nothing, and that’s what we’re looking for. So, this book is about moving towards that enlightenment. KW: I learned a long time ago that happiness doesn’t come from the accumulation of material things. RS: You can only sit your ass in one seat at a time. KW: FSU grad Laz Lyles asks: What experience prompted the transformation of your personal ideas about wealth and got you on a spiritual path? RS: We all want to operate in order. Sometimes we have to go through struggle to realize that. Your birth in the physical form is to teach you to operate in order. I think that’s the experience. Struggle is your great teacher. I’m an older person. I was a drug dealer. I was a gang member and a lot of other things. My evolution has been gradual. When I first started practicing yoga, I remember feeling really free of anxiety momentarily. – Continued on page38
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Continued from page 37 So, my journey began when I found the easing of anxiety through the physical practice of yoga. Then, the yogi scripture taught me things that I knew in my heart were true, because the study of the scripture is really the study of the self. Then I saw that what’s in the yogi scripture is also in the Bible, the Koran and the Torah, and that these practices do bring us to a more easy place. Yoga is defined as a state of needing nothing. And union with God happens, when the noise is gone. KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: When you were growing up what did you want to do? RS: I didn’t know what I wanted to be. Remember The Message by Grandmaster Flash? [Sings] “You see the drug dealers counting twenties and tens, and you want to grow up to be just like them.” I saw people
hanging on the corner. I didn’t know any better. I was lucky enough to go to college and start to feel differently. There, I developed the courage to do something original that I was passionate about, which was music and hip-hop. I started throwing parties, and became an entrepreneur of sorts. It just kinda evolved. I didn’t have a drive to be anything in particular until I found a passion, which is what this book is about. Finding a dharma, a way to really give. But I wasn’t fortunate enough to have something I wanted to be all my life, until I started to achieve it. KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: Jerry Lewis used to sing a song that said, “Money isn’t everything … unless you’re very poor.” How ‘easy’ is it to give this kind of spiritual advice when you’re rolling in dough? RS: Well, there’s a story in the
book about a guy who lives in a shanty house. He knows he’s got to find some bread and water each day, yet his mind’s at ease. God always provides, and he lived to be 100. Then, by contrast, there’s the anxietyprone billionaire who’s always worried about the stock market and ends up dying in his fifties. So, you have to ask yourself, “What do we want money for? What does it do for us?” If you say money makes us happy, then examine that. Is it the toys? Is it the simplicity, the ease that money can provide? That’s not the ease that we’re seeking. It has to be to calm the mind. I say this because, when you need nothing, you can operate from abundance. Jesus taught two sermons. One for the masses, which said, if you act in accordance with these laws, then God will take care of you. The second one said, “Operate from abundance if you can.” So, the
anxiety-filled followers were able to pay their taxes by listening to Jesus. But His disciples only needed to put their all into service. I have so many illustrative stories I could relate, like Puffy’s, who on the way up wanted to make sure he was doing everybody’s job. He enjoyed the work, but not because he was going to get this or that. That’s the real rap. KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Do you have any advice for an aspiring film maker living on ramen? RS: Larry, stay on your hustle. You ain’t gonna starve no matter what happens. Living on ramen! My guess is he’s most likely overweight. We suffer from neediness, when in fact we already have everything. If he’s focused on being a filmmaker, and not anxiety-filled and worried about living on ramen, he will make headway.
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