WI Web Staff
On April 4, 1968, while Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., a gunman fired a fatal shot with a rifle that ended King's life and what some believed would also end the non-violent movement for civil rights in the U.S.
Today, with the median age of males in the United States at 35.8 years old and females at 38.5, it's safe to say that more than half of the current population wasn't even born when King was assassinated, nor did they witness the reaction or experience the immediate impact of his death in America or across the globe. What they do in fact know, is that King is an icon, and that gun violence continues to wreak havoc in America. They know that the tragic murder of men, women and children due to the widespread access and use of guns and other more deadly semi-automatic weapons remains a prevalent issue in this country.
Thursday, April 4, will mark the 45th anniversary of King's assassination. It's a moment to reflect upon the work King was preparing for at the time of his death. He and other members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were preparing to hold a Poor People's March in the nation's capital. King had moved from the fight for civil rights to a struggle for "silver rights" and economic justice for poor people in America.
The Poor People's Campaign had already begun, by May 12, 1968, thousands of poor people from cities in both the North and South converged upon the National Mall and set up a shantytown called, "Resurrection City." They were there to tell America's leaders that the country's poor had grown weary of asking and now "demanded meaningful jobs at a living wage; [and] a secure and adequate income for all those unable to find jobs [along with] access to land for economic uses; [and] access to capital for poor people and minorities to promote their own businesses; and the ability for ordinary people to play a truly significant role in the government."
King's death didn't stop the Poor People's March from occurring. And, the march didn't eliminate the disparities that exist between the nation's rich and its poor, which is expanding daily. The generation of American's born after King's death, are experiencing first-hand the issues King fought so vehemently against. What a perfect history lesson for them on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline
In her March 18 story, Dorothy Rowley correctly highlighted how inadequate public school policies on truancy and discipline are helping place young black males in the school-to-prison pipeline. But [an individual], whom Ms. Rowley quoted, was seriously wrong to claim that 'for-profit' public charter schools are part of "a dangerous mix that is a direct attack on our little black boys."
Every chartered public school in the District of Columbia is, by law, not-for-profit. And D.C.'s charters serve a higher share of African-American students than the city's traditional school system. The key to ending the school-to-prison pipeline is high-school graduation and college. Some 77 percent of D.C. charter high school students graduate on time – a critical component of college acceptance – compared to 56 percent in the city's regular public high schools.
The District's chartered public schools, which are tuition-free and open to all D.C.-resident students, have taken pioneering steps to help make college affordable for boys of color. Some 195 students at District charters such as Friendship Collegiate Academy, Thurgood Marshall Academy and Maya Angelou PCS recently earned DC Achievers Scholarships, which pay up to $55,000 in tuition and other supports. D.C.'s chartered public schools are building a school-to-college pipeline.
Ramona H. Edelin, Ph.D.
Executive Director
DC Association of Chartered Public Schools
Washington, D.C.
Keeping Dreams Alive!
So many of our young people who have talent never get the positive re-enforcement they need and desire in order to feel confident enough to pursue their dreams. Those dreams quickly become passing thoughts for them as they search endlessly throughout their lives trying to find themselves.
Michelle Phipps-Evans article, "The Emergence of a Young Artist" in the March 21, 2013 edition, about the seven-year-old artist Aqeel Qasir was very healing to me. Many years ago, I once thought of myself as a young artist at the age of 10, but unlike Master Qasir, I didn't have the support of my family or friends. To others my talent for art was looked upon as just a childhood notion for passing the time away, and not to be taken seriously as a career possibility.
As I grew into manhood I struggled, not knowing who I was or what path I should take. It wasn't until some 20 years later while I was sitting at my part-time job doodling on a piece of paper that it occurred to me – "this is what I am suppose to be doing." From that day forward I started reconnecting with the creative spirit that lives in me. Today, my life has meaning and direction.
After reading the article I just had to share my story with you and let you know how important supportive family and friends, and especially a newspaper like The Washington Informer can be to a young creative person. Hopefully someday a mature, master artist, Aqeel Qasir will look back on this article and smile.
Vincent L. Stafford
Suitland, Md.
The wave of mayoral school takeovers across the country has Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker diving in, as well, as he makes plans to take control of the county school system, its budget and oversight of the superintendent.
Baker seems confident that his intervention will provide what is needed to improve the county's troubled school system. He hopes by taking control of the 125,000-student school system and its $1.7 billion budget that he will be able to improve the quality of education the county offers. Good schools, Baker suggests, are necessary to attract residents and businesses to the county.
The proposal presented to the state legislature last Saturday received significant pushback and the final bill introduced by lawmakers keeps the school system's budget in the hands of the school board. While Prince George's students are showing some academic progress, critics don't agree that a takeover by the county executive at this time will result in any significant improvements, at least not any time soon. For the first time in recent years, the county's 2013 budget saves teachers from furloughs and reportedly includes raises for teachers, greater flexibility in how principals can manage their budgets and provides for more programs for students in select schools. But the problem facing the schools, critics say, rests in the increasing population of low-income and special needs students. It will take time and additional resources to get these students up to speed, they say, and a takeover, does not address these issues or others.
So, why the urgency to control schools now? Many parents, teachers and education leaders want to know.
Like mayors in big city school districts including the District of Columbia, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, Baker is frustrated and he believes a takeover will do much to save children from under-performing schools. He's willing to let the responsibility rest with him when it comes to improving the county's schools.
But the jury is still out when it comes to determining the success of school districts controlled by mayors. Mayoral takeovers have, in select cases, resulted in more stable school districts with fewer superintendent turnovers and less derision from appointed school boards that replaced formerly elected school boards.
We agree with some who argue that Baker needs to present a plan and not just assume a takeover is needed because other jurisdictions are doing it. What do they have to show, not just in maintaining leadership but also in improved student academic achievement? That's what really matters. Are children matriculating through school better equipped academically under a mayoral or county controlled leadership? If so, why; if not, why not. That's what Prince George's Country residents want to know, and in order to garner their support; Baker needs to demonstrate he has a plan that will produce positive and significant results.
Pepco Region President Thomas H. Graham has been honored as one of the influential Marylanders in 2013 by the Daily Record newspaper.
The Daily Record reports on commerce, finance, law, business, construction and real estate, with a focus on Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Influential Marylanders was created in 2006 to honor individuals who have made a significant impact in their fields and are influential leaders in Maryland.
"It has been my privilege to work with Maryland's elected leaders and government officials in the realm of energy technology" said Thomas H. Graham, who was honored during a March 21 ceremony at the Grand Lodge in Cockeysville, Md. "Maryland's leadership is forward thinking in providing a sustainable energy future for its citizens, and it's an honor as Pepco Region President to play a role in that effort."
The editorial staff chose 50 honorees from 10 categories. Graham is one of the five winners in the "Technology" category.
Other notables who were honored with Graham are Ray Lewis of the NFL Baltimore Ravens, and trial attorney Peter Angelos, majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles.
Pepco Providing Free Trees to Md., District Customers
Tuesday, 26 March 2013 22:23 Published in Local
Third Year of Partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation
In its third year as an Arbor Day Foundation partner, Pepco is providing 2,000 free trees to customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia through the Energy-Saving Trees program.
Launched as a pilot initiative in 2011, the Energy-Saving Trees program conserves energy and reduces household electricity bills through strategic tree planting. Pepco customers can reserve their free trees today at www.arborday.org/pepco.
"The Energy-Saving Trees program saves money and the environment," said Thomas H. Graham, president, Pepco Region. "More than $380,000 in energy savings within 20 years is a substantial benefit to our customers and the region."
Within seconds of accessing the website, an online tool helps Pepco customers find the most strategic location for planting and estimates the annual savings that will result from the tree.
The Arbor Day Foundation calculates that the 2,000 trees are estimated to produce more than $380,000 in energy savings within 20 years. Customers can reserve up two trees per household and the program will continue until all 2,000 trees are reserved.
In exchange for the free trees, customers are expected to care for the trees and plant them in the location provided by the online tool. The two-to-four-foot trees will be delivered directly to the customer at an ideal time for planting.
The Energy-Saving Trees online tool was created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Davey Institute, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Co., and uses peer-reviewed scientific research from the USDA Forest Service's i-Tree Software to calculate estimated benefits.
For more information and updates, visit www.pepco.com, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at PepcoConnect, and download our mobile app at www.pepco.com/mobileapp.
Minister Warns Polygamy Could Follow Gay Marriage Bans
Tuesday, 26 March 2013 22:02 Published in Local
A local critic of same-sex unions has warned that in the event the Supreme Court rules to strike down gay marriage bans, polygamy would follow.
Bishop Harry Jackson, a minister at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md., who waged a vigilant fight against the District's gay marriage mandate and a similar effort last year in Maryland, said during a recent interview on the Christian Broadcasting Company's CBN Newswatch, that he believes conservatives could win at the Supreme Court.
"I think we can win it," Jackson said. "I think the real issue is the religious liberty issue and the issue of whether we can practice marriage as we believe it on an ongoing basis. Remember that if same-sex marriage is allowed to be mandated by fiat, if you will, at the Supreme Court level for all of America, then, right behind it, polygamy and many other forms of marriage will automatically sweep the land within just a matter of a few years." Meanwhile, on
Meanwhile on Wednesday, as the Supreme Court justices considered a provision that defines marriage as between a man and a woman for the purpose of deciding who can receive a range of federal benefits, some of the jurists who weighed-in the previous day on the meaning of marriage, wondered aloud if the court had moved too fast to address whether gay and lesbian couples have a constitutional right to marry.
While Justice Sonia Sotomayor said there may be value in letting states continue to experiment, Justice Anthony Kennedy – who holds the decisive vote on a closely divided court -- voiced sympathy for the children of gay and lesbian couples.
"There's some 40,000 children in California that live with same-sex parents," he said, as the justices debated during Tuesday's landmark hearing, the state's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. "They want their parents to have full recognition and full status. The voice of those children is important."
If the justices choose to rule broadly, they could overturn Prop 8 and in doing so invalidate every other restriction on gay marriage in the country, according to Fox News.
Justice Kennedy also spoke of uncertainty about the consequences for society of allowing same-sex marriage. "We have five years of information to pose against 2,000 years of history or more," he said, speaking of the long history of traditional marriage and the brief experience allowing gay men and lesbians to marry in some states.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. warned that the court should not move too fast.
"You want us to step in and assess the effects of this institution, which is newer than cellphones and/or the Internet?" he said.
Many of the questions directed to Charles J. Cooper, a lawyer for opponents of same-sex marriage, concerned whether there was any good reason to exclude same-sex couples from the institution.
Justice Elena Kagan, for instance, asked how letting gay and lesbian couples marry harmed traditional marriages. "How does this cause and effect work?" she asked.
Cooper said that "the state's interest and society's interest in what we have framed as 'responsible procreation' is vital."
Theodore B. Olson, who represented the ban's challengers, said California's ban on gay marriage "walls off gays and lesbians from marriage, the most important relationship in life."
(Sources: The New York Times, Foxnews.com, On Top magazine)
"Stopping the Pipeline to Prison and Ending the Prison Industrial Complex Through Education, Jobs and Justice," is the theme of the Friday, March 29 "Silent March and Call to Action," designed to increase national awareness of the disproportionate rates of arrests and incarceration of African Americans.
Led by the historic Metropolitan AME Church (MAMEC) and its Mighty Men of Metropolitan, in partnership with the NAACP-DC, the Metropolitan Washington AFL-CIO, and others, the Silent March is a passionate plea to build coalitions across the nation to put an end to the "Pipeline to Prison" and violence that plagues African American communities.
"African Americans are being imprisoned at four times the rate of other American citizens, largely because of a lucrative 'pipeline to prison system' fueled by a voracious multi-billion dollar 'prison-industrial' complex, and a biased criminal justice system that singles out African American people for prosecution," said the Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, MAMEC senior pastor.
The one-mile march begins at 1 p.m., from MAMEC where it will proceed to Freedom Plaza in downtown D.C. The march will also take place during a time when many Christians around the world will celebrate Good Friday, symbolizing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
A March 25 press conference was held at MAMEC to announce the event.
In addition to Braxton, other participants included Michael Eric Dyson (author, radio host and professor of sociology at Georgetown University) and Courtney Stewart, chairman, "The Reentry Network for Returning Citizens."
"The community needs to see the faces of those who are most affected, have been targeted and disenfranchised as a result of the school to prison pipeline," said Stewart. "Ex-offenders] don't have any money, we don't make laws, we don't control the media and many of us can't vote therefore are eliminated from the political process...so it is up to our faith leaders to support us and send a message to the public and city officials."
Dyson added that, subjecting people to the 'life sentence' of a criminal record in order to fill prisons and feed a greedy prison industry has earned America a 'gold medal.
"We're number one in the number of people we put into prison," said Dyson. "This 'cradle to prison' mentality assaults our humanity and is a shame to us as a people and as a nation."
Former President William "Bill" Clinton will deliver the commencement address at Howard University (HU) on Saturday, May 11, on the Upper Quadrangle of the main campus.
"We are thrilled that President Clinton has agreed to deliver this year's Commencement address," Sidney Ribeau, HU president, said in a March 26 statement. "As a preeminent leader, humanitarian and advocate, his extraordinary global work and commitment to public service will inspire the class of 2013 as they prepare to make their mark on the world."
William Jefferson Clinton was the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice – first in 1992 and then in 1996.
Under his leadership, the country enjoyed the strongest economy in a generation and the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs.
FAIRFAX, VA -- Last month's inaugural Soul Train Cruise lived up to the iconic television show's legacy as "the hippest trip," as the sold-out ship returned to port filled with ecstatic travelers calling the voyage "one of the best in the history of all cruises."
Anchored by an incredible array of concerts by the most iconic acts in R&B history -- including Patti LaBelle, The O'Jays, Kool and the Gang, Jeffrey Osborne, and Russell Thompkins Jr. & The New Stylistics -- the Soul Train Cruise was also host to exclusive activities and events.
Wine tasting with Jeffrey Osborne, dancing until dawn as special guest DJ Biz Markie spun the hits, stepping up to the legendary Soul Train Line, and playing classic Soul Train games such as the Scramble Board, filled the days and nights.
The cruise was highlighted by the screening of the documentary. "The Hippest Trip in America,?" hosted by Tony Cornelius, the son of founder Don Cornelius, and a Soul Train producer. Tony later joined in panel discussions about his father and the impact his vision had on popular culture throughout the world and multiple generations.
With luxurious vacation amenities ranging from lavish meals to deluxe accommodations, The Soul Train Cruise was such an unprecedented success, that Entertainment Cruise Productions and StarVista Entertainment/Time Life will launch two additional voyages within the next 12 months.
Soul Train Cruise Fall will depart on Oct. 5 from San Diego, Calif., and Soul Train Cruise 2014 will depart on Feb. 23, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Cabins are available now at www.SoulTrainCruise.com or by calling (toll free) 1 855 SOUL TRAIN (768-5872).
More than 300 black women from 10 states recently traveled to the nation's capital to urge congressional representatives to pass policies and programs that empower black and underserved families – particularly single mothers and the working-poor.
Among issues addressed by the women, who had the opportunity to visit the offices of their congressional leaders, were public education, gun violence.
"We must make sure that our faces are a part of the debate and dialogue," Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) said. "We are known for doing what we have to do to keep it moving. Women -owned businesses are creating jobs. They train and employ those who have been shunned by society."lence and the creation of jobs with livable wages.
The women also met with Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), and others, as part of the second annual Black Women's Roundtable Women of Power Summit.
Summit speakers included Dr. Gail Christopher, W. K. Kellogg Foundation; Elizabeth Powell, American Postal Workers Union; Dr. Lorretta Johnson, American Federation of Teachers; Becky Pringle, National Education Association; Judith Browne-Dianis, Advancement Project; Diane Babineaux, International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers; Dr. Judith Moore, Sisters Saving Ourselves Now; Rev. Marcia Dyson, Women's Global Initiative, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, economist; Felicia Davis, UNCF Building Green Initiative; Lori George Billingsley, Coca-Cola Refreshments; and Clayola Brown, A. Philip Randolph Institute.
The meetings with leaders were followed by a congressional briefing featuring Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY).
"We must make sure that our faces are a part of the debate and dialogue," Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) said. "We are known for doing what we have to do to keep it moving. Women owned businesses are creating jobs. They train and employ those who have been shunned by society."
Rep. Moore applauded President Barack Obama's signing of an expanded Violence Against Women Act. "Violence against women is a pandemic disease," said Moore. "As Vice President Joe Biden would say, 'this is a big deal.'"
Melanie L. Campbell, convener of Black Women's Roundtable, addressed the purpose of visits.
"As my mentor, Dr. Dorothy I. Height often said, black women get the job done. We see the problems tearing at the fabric of our community every day so we knew that we needed to kick off our conference up here on Capitol Hill to let our legislators know that we have an agenda and we intend to make sure our voices are heard."
Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, added that, "I'm looking in the audience at women of power who turned out thousands of people to the polls."
Meanwhile,mMany of the Summit participants have played significant roles registering and mobilizing more than one million voters in national and local elections since the Unity Voter Empowerment Campaign started more than a decade ago.
"Our folks in Alabama can't afford to make a mud pie," said Shelia Tyson, convener of Alabama Black Women's Roundtable. "We came here on a song and a prayer to let these lawmakers know that our people are hurting. They're loosing jobs and homes. We've got hospitals closing. We can't keep watching dissention and lengthy filibusters in DC. Black families need help now or we need to elect new leaders."
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