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MINORITYREPORTER

from information to understanding

september 9 - 15 2013

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In This Issue:

CALENDAR

MINORITYREPORTER
from information to understanding

september 9 - 15 2013

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september
Location: Carter St. Community Center, 500 Carter St. 19 13th Annual Diversity Conference Time: 8:00am-4:45pm Location: Seymour College Union For more information: (585) 395-5876 www.brockport.edu/diversity 27 Become A Rochester Police Officer APPLY NOW Exam date: November 16, 2013 Application deadline: September 27, 2013 Call: 585-428-6716 www.cityofrochester.gov/police October 5 DELTA 5K FOR EDUCATION AND HEALTH Time: 9:00am-3:00pm Location: Lake Riley Lodge, Cobbs Hill Park, Rochester, NY 14610 Description: A fun-filled day to raise funds for higher education scholarships and community service projects in Greater Rochester. Visit our website: http://racdeltasigmatheta.org for more information. Registration fee is $20.

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13 Hispanic Heritage Month 2013 Kickoff Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm Location: City Hall Atrium, 30 Church St Join Rochesters Hispanic Heritage Committee as we kickoff another great month of activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. 14 Family Health Forum Time: 8:30-2:00pm Location: 149 Brooks Avenue This Health Forum serves as a venue that allows the Health Ministry of Geneses Baptist Church to provide education on safety, health promotion and prevention, conduct health screenings as well as a means to inform the community on current trends in health care. Lunch will be provided. This event is free and open to the public on a space available basis! You will not want to miss this event. We encourage you to register today and mark your calendars now.For more information and to register to attend please contact Genesee Baptist Church at (585) 436-7250 or geneseebc@ geneseebaptistchurch.org 16 Voice of the Citizen Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

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{COVER
Ben Jealous Leaving NAACP

PG 7

{LOCAL

PG 3 - 5

art director

Gel Salon Gets Wall Makeover with MLK Mural Rochester School Modernization Program Revamps Local Schools Strong Museum Holds Fair for Kid Entrepreneurs

editorial staff EDITORIAL ASSISTANT


Claribel Oliveras

{feature

PG 6

Advertising

Judge: N-word illegal at work, even if youre black

Dave McCleary Yahya Abdullah advertising@minorityreporter.net Temple Boggs, Jr. Todd Elliott

photography Columnists

{state

PG 7

NY commission seeks lawmaker clients 3 teens charged with raping student at NY college

{national

PG 8 - 10

ADOPT
Birth Date: June, 1998

Reid introduces Syria resolution in Senate George Zimmermans wife says he is selfish Patients bill soars as health law program falters

{world

PG 12

is described as a determined, strongwilled young lady. She dreams of owning her own fashion empire someday, earning millions from her very own fashion line. When not daydreaming of her future, Tikeria enjoys watching the Jamie Foxx Photograph by Lori Griffith show, playing Mancala or drawing. Tikeria would thrive in a structured, loving home that will encourage and support her. She will do best with a forever family who will be patient and loving while she learns to love herself again.
If youre interested in learning more about Travino or other waiting children, visit: www.ChildrenAwaitingParents.org or call 585-232-5110.

Tikeria

Gloria Winston Al-Sarag C. Michael Tillman Rev. Michael Vaughn Vincent Felder Diane Watkins Mike Dulaney Davy Vara Ayesha Kreutz

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Obama touts worlds economic progress at G-20

{COLUMNS:

PG 13-15

Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppards Resignation Is Long Overdue! By davy vara

Expert Collision Repair on ALL MAKES


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ROC Rhythms Presents MC Ron G Music is in me Music is release therapy for me. Music is my way of getting the emotions I have out in a positive way. If I have a bad day, then I might make a happy song. Its something that helps me get through my day. Music is in me. As a teenager and well into my twenties, Ive always loved rap music. The beats, the metaphors, the hooks, the videos; I loved it all. I would say over the last ten years, the creativity and artistry that rap music used to have is gone. I dont know whats going on with the music industry, but it seems like record deals are handed out like Skittles to men and women with no real talent. The quantity is endless, while the quality is extremely limited. When you listen, well I would say try to listen to rap music today, either the lyrics make no sense, just a bunch of words that rhyme, or it so sexually explicit that it makes you wonder how it made it into the stores. I grew up on gospel my entire life but I never got into gospel rap. I didnt believe that I could enjoy gospel rap because it doesnt have the style or the swag of secular rap music. Then I happen to come across MC Ron G. Beats like J Millz and a rap style like Huey, Ron G wants to change the idea that you cant live a life of fun and serve God at the same time. MC Ron G grew up in Rochester with his parents. He was given the name MC Ron G in high school from one of his best friends and his grandmother coined the meaning of the name, which is Magnifiying Christ Rons Gift. He discovered his own talent just hanging around his uncles rehearsals. I have a huge music background, I was always in church, he said. My family plays instruments and sings. I was at one of my uncle rehearsals and he asked me if he could rap to it. Ron didnt take it seriously but got on the mic and freestyle. That gave him the motivation he needed and where he found his talent. He felt he could be heard the best through his rap. Though Ron G grew up in church he was still privy to secular music, especially rap music. He chose a different path to follow when he chose gospel music. Gospel rap was more positive. It gave me what I needed to get through whatever I was going through. Ive done worldly rap. Ive done other music. Ive never cursed in my rap, it was always clean, but I have done it. Gospel rap is really what brought me to Christ. My first gospel rap song, I got saved from my own song. Ron G said growing up he loved the music of St. Louis rapper turned actor, Nelly and rapper Chamillionaire. I loved their music and I also loved how they gave back to their community. They give back to where they come

ron g from. I always wanted to give back to the kids of where I come from. Ron G said he would love to work with famed gospel artists Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Canton Jones, who is his favorite and of course other gospel rappers in the business, from whom all he derives his inspiration. Hes collaborated with local musician T-Keys, his girlfriend Kiniesha Randle and hopes to collaborate with local gospel singer, Nyerry Weaver on his next album. Most of the inspiration now comes from the bible. Im getting more into reading my bible and pulling my message from it. I like to use to use the stories of the bible and relate them to what goes on today. Ron G has been performing for over three years in Rochester at local churches, venues and concerts including the 2013 Kingdom Bound Festival and Clarissa Street Festival. He also performed in North and South Carolina. He has his own record label, Vision Productions, in which is the labels first artist. God has really blessed me to travel and have my own label. Of course it would be nice to have a record deal with a big label because theres a ready-made machine behind be. But Im working hard to get recognition. Ron G said he will keep making his music regardless of the pressure to conform and make sure that Rochester gets credit where credit is due. Rochester is home. Im gonna always be Rochester and Im gonna make a big mark here. For me, itll be easier to stay true to my music because I want to make music that I want to listen to. When you start to make music that everyone else wants to listen to then you lose your way. When you make music for yourself, it comes out better. Ron G just dropped his first album P.O.E meaning Power Over Everything. Hes working on a clothing line called HERO, meaning Humble, Exemplary, Righteous and Ordained that he hopes to get into stores in the near future. But, his focus is spreading the word of God through his music first. My favorite scripture is Luke 10:19, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. I want my music to let the world know that no matter what the situation or the trial, God still has power over everything.

WEC_ad1_5.167x6.75.indd 1

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LOCAL
Gel Salon Gets Wall Makeover with MLK Mural
By Delani Weaver Last week there were several businesses, organizations and residents around the city doing their part to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington and the legendary I Have a Dream speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. Local hair salon Gel Salon has decided to commemorate King and his speech by having a mural of King painted on the side of the salons building. Gel Salon, located on Park Ave., is coowned by James Carducci and his wife Missy, and they have been in business over ten years. The city required that the buildings wall be painted, and Carducci decided to take advantage of an opportunity presented to him from one of his stylists. Heather DeMars, the stylist, said, My brother-in-law, Joe Mora, is a huge part of Wall Therapy and asked if we would be interested in putting up a mural on our building. I was just the middle-man who asked James Carducci if he would like to participate in something like that, and he was all about it. As for the image of the mural, that was all the artists idea. Wall Therapy is a project sponsored by Dr. Ian J. Wilson, of the University of Rochester, in an effort to use mural art to drive artistic expression and inspiration. Case Maclaim, one of the Wall Therapy artists, was flown in from Germany to paint the mural, which will cover the wall of one side of the building and be repaired as needed for one year. Owner James Carducci said, This is a conservative area and I thought it would great to have such a great man on our building. In addition, DeMars said she thinks the mural will be a figure for peace and unity for the community. I would like to think that the mural would have a great effect on the Park Ave. community, DeMars said. There is nothing like this anywhere in the Park Ave. area and it is nice to see Park Ave. be a part of something like Wall Therapy. To me, its a sign of coexisting and peace, and just happiness and understanding. Its a positive thing, and I think people in the community will feel its positivity. Gel Salon is a great little salon that has so much positivity and love for the community, DeMars continued. Our doors are open to everyone, and all the stylists in Gel are amazing people and the owner is a great, giving man. And if this mural brings anything to Gel, then I hope its recognition for their support of the community. And I hope people feel comfortable walking through our doors even just to say hi

and get a haircut. Carducci said, Whos gonna talk smack about Martin Luther King and

all hes done? Im excited that were gonna have an icon on our building. Its gonna be cool.

Rochester School Modernization Program Revamps Local Schools


Students and staff at Enrico Fermi School 17, Helen Barrett Montgomery School 50, and Charlotte High School will be the first to enjoy new facilities and technology during the soon to begin 2013-2014 school year. The Franklin High School campus will be complete by the end of the summer. The Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board (RJSCB), the school district and the city have recently joined together to create the Rochester School Modernization Program. The goal of the program is to set a precedent for new standards in educational facilities and invest in business and job growth for the city of Rochester. With the Modernization Program we are creating community centers with bright welcoming schools at the center. Our schools are becoming the focus of the neighborhoods, said Lois Giess, chairwoman of the RJSCB. We want our students to feel respected and valued as they experience the new schools. This multi-phase, billion-dollar project will begin with Phase 1, which will be under the management of Gilbane Building Company. Contractors, trades and specialists will be handling renovations and installations of new electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems; windows, roofing, security systems, networking and parking lots. This will take place over the next three years. Renauto, executive director of the RJSCB said, Weve made tremendous progress in this initiative. The first projects that started last summer are completed and students are moving back into their updated schools, new school projects are underway and due to be completed next year, and we continue to move forward, hit our milestones and stay on budget. Most importantly, we are modifying buildings to meet evolving teaching and learning needs based on what each school requires, including technology integration; new science labs; expanded gymnasiums, kitchens and cafeterias; updated classrooms; and school-based health centers. RJSCB is making sure that Rochester companies and workers, minorities and women included, benefit as much as possible from this project. To date, $193 million in construction and professional services contracts has been given from RJSCB. Ninetytwo percent of that has been given to Rochester companies. Additionally, minorities, women, and small and disadvantaged businesses account for 28.4 percent of the project. The Modernization Program reflects what is excellent about Rochester with dedicated neighborhoods, committed school staff and boards, the city of Rochester, our local state representatives, and local construction and architectural firms working together with support of the building trade unions to create schools for the 21st Century, said Ms. Giess.

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LOCAL
Strong Museum Holds Fair for Kid Entrepreneurs
By Delani Weaver Some people wait years into their adulthood to start their own businesses. Local kids are saying theres no need to wait, however, and Strongs National Museum of Play helped them promote their startups. Strong Museum held the first Kidpreneur Fair 2013 Thursday evening. Sixteen local children, ranging from ages six to 15, each set up a table around the main floor of the museum to showcase their businesses, sell some of their items and give out business cards. The event was sponsored by the city of Rochester, as well as several local businesses and organizations including Henderson Ford, WXXI Kids, radio station WDKX, Advantage Federal Credit Union, Mood Makers Books and more. Chocolate treats, bow ties, jewelry, accessories, books and other items were sold by the kids while they mingled and networked with each

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PUZZLES

other and residents from all around the city. Raffle tickets were given out and attendees were given the chance to win a bike and gift certificates to Toys R Us and local bookstores. In addition, Bishop Gregory Parris of the Church of Love Faith Center sponsored a book bag giveaway for children attending the event. Each kidpreneur then lined up in the theater and introduced themselves and their businesses to the crowd. The highlight of the event was the reading of childrens book Champions of Change, by authors and kidpreneurs Jeremiah and Joshua West. Jeremiah, 8, and Joshua, 6, are the sons of Olivia and Norman West of West Advisory Group who were also the hosts and coordinators of the event. We are so excited that so many people came out tonight to support the kids, Norman West said. This is our first kidpreneur event. Hopefully, it will be something that we can do every year.

Across 1. Expert 5. Ciao 8. All __ Jazz 12. Blood-related 13. Blockhead 14. Uncivil 15. Office fill-in 16. Bobby of the Bruins 17. Eager 18. Oriental 21. Victory symbols in World War II 24. Hanging strand 28. Finale 29. Hithers partner 31. Florida city 32. Trot or canter 34. Spoil 36. Nip partner 37. Underway 39. Doctorate 41. Linda ___, Supergirls alias 42. Spice 44. Together 46. Postmans tote 48. Indian dress 51. By way of 52. Strip of wood 56. Ballyhoo 57. To __ is human 58. Mishmash 59. Skirt lines 60. Seize suddenly 61. Kind of column

Down 1. Hoods gun 2. Four stringed guitar (abbr.) 3. Lip 4. Pull out a dowel 5. Develop well 6. Turkic tent 7. Protected bird 8. Pass through 9. Expression of affection 10. Commotion 11. In___rity 19. Whatever 20. Butt 21. Vegetarian 22. In a state of chaos 23. Fool 25. ___ Ste. Marie 26. Master of ceremonies 27. Was sweet on 30. Shuteye 33. British troops, in slang 35. Pie content 38. Drink with jam and bread? 40. Code of life 43. Accepting that.. 45. Eskimo dwelling 47. Italian currency 48. Movie theatre talk 49. Yes, captain 50. Dashboard abbr. 53. Austrian peak 54. Knot 55. Construction site container

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feature

Judge: N-word illegal at work, even if youre black


There has always been an undercover debate as to whether or not black people should use the N-word. Some blacks say its ok because it doesnt have the same connotation for blacks using as it does for whites using it. Some feel the word has gone mainstream for blacks being that its used in music and movies. Others feel its a derogatory word no matter who uses it or the connotation behind it. A federal jury has rejected a black managers argument that it was a term of love and endearment when he aimed it at black employee. Jurors awarded $30,000 in punitive damages Tuesday after finding last week that the managers four-minute rant was hostile and discriminatory, and awarding $250,000 in compensatory damages. The case against Rob Carmona and the employment agency he founded, STRIVE East Harlem, hinged on the what some see as a complex double standard surrounding the word: Its a degrading slur when uttered by whites but can be used at times with impunity among blacks. But 38-year-old Brandi Johnson told jurors that being black didnt make it any less hurtful when Carmona repeatedly targeted her with the slur during a March 2012 tirade about inappropriate workplace attire and unprofessional behavior. Johnson, who taped the remarks after her complaints about his verbal abuse were disregarded, said she fled to the restroom and cried for 45 minutes. I was offended. I was hurt. I felt degraded. I felt disrespected. I was embarrassed, Johnson testified. The jury ordered Carmona to pay $25,000 in punitive damages and STRIVE to pay $5,000. Outside court after her victory, Johnson said she was very happy and rejected Carmonas claims from the witness stand Tuesday that the verdict made him realize he needs to take stock of how he communicates with people he is trying to help. I come from a different time, Carmona said hesitantly, wiping his eyes repeatedly with a cloth. So now, now youre sorry? Johnson said outside court, saying she doubted his sincerity and noting Carmona had refused to apologize to her in court last week. She said he should have been sorry on March 14, 2012, the day when he told me the N-word eight times. Her lawyer, Marjorie M. Sharpe, said she hoped the case sent a strong message to those who have tried to take the sting out of the N-word. ... Its the most offensive word in the English language. Carmona left the courthouse without immediately commenting, as did all eight jurors. In closing arguments, Sharpe had said Carmonas use of the word was intended to offend and any evidence that defendants put forth to the contrary is simply ridiculous. When you use the [n-word] to an African-American, no matter how many alternative definitions that you may try to substitute with the
Finding fresh food at a fair price shouldnt be so difficult. All summer long, Foodlink will be at various locations throughout the city of Rochester offering fresh produce at affordable prices. Cash, EBT, WIC, and Debit are accepted at all Farm Stands and Curbside Market locations. Spend $5 in SNAP benefits and receive an additional $2 towards your purchase. To find a list of all times and locations visit foodlinkny.org

Brandi Johnson, left, and her lawyer, Marjorie M. Sharpe, leave federal court in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013, after a civil jury awarded $30,000 in punitive damages in addition to the $250,000 in compensatory damages that had been awarded last week.

[n-word], that is no different than calling a Hispanic by the worst possible word you can call a Hispanic, calling a homosexual male the worst possible word that you can call a homosexual male, Sharpe told jurors. But Carmonas lawyers said the 61-year-old black man of Puerto Rican descent had a much different experience with the word. Raised by a single mother in a New York City public housing project, he became addicted to heroin in his teens and broke it with the help of drug counselors who employed tough love and tough language. Carmona went on to earn a masters degree from Columbia University before co-founding STRIVE in the 1980s. Now, most of STRIVEs employees are black women, his attorney, Diane Krebs, told jurors in her opening statement. And Mr. Carmona is himself black, as you yourselves can see, Krebs said. In his testimony, Carmona defended his use of the word, saying he used it with Johnson to convey that she was too emotional, wrapped up in her, at least the negative aspects of human nature. Then he explained that the word has multiple contexts in the black and Latino communities, sometimes

indicating anger, sometimes love. Carmona said he might put his arm around a longtime friend in the company of another and say: This is my [n-word] for 30 years. That means my boy, I love him, or whatever, he said. He was asked if he meant to indicate love when he called Johnson the word. Yes, I did, he responded. The controversy is a blemish on STRIVE, which has been heralded for helping people with troubled backgrounds get into the workforce. Its employment model, which was described in a CBS 60 Minutes piece as part boot camp, part group therapy, claims to have helped nearly 50,000 people find work since 1984. Sharpe told jurors that STRIVEs toughlove program cannot excuse Carmonas behavior. Well, if calling a person a [n-word] and subjecting them to a hostile work environment is part of STRIVEs tough love, then STRIVE needs to be reminded that this type of behavior is illegal and cannot be tolerated, she said.

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STATE

3 teens charged with raping student at NY college


NEWBURGH, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities say three male students have been charged with raping a female student inside a dormitory at a Hudson Valley college. Police in the city of Newburgh tell local media outlets that the freshman student was attacked early Sunday morning in a dorm at Mount Saint Mary College. Police say the suspects are a 17-yearold from Brooklyn and two 18-yearolds from Hempstead and Rocky Point on Long Island. The three freshmen were charged with first-degree rape and released on $25,000 bail apiece after being arraigned earlier this week in Newburgh City Court. Mount Saint Mary is a private, liberal arts college with an enrollment of about 2,700. Its located in Newburgh, 60 miles north of New York City.

NY commission seeks lawmaker clients


MICHAEL GORMLEY ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New Yorks new corruption-fighting commission is asking all state lawmakers to provide never-before-required details about their outside work - including a list of law clients - prompting the Legislature to lawyer up for a possible challenge to the panels authority. The request by the Commission to Investigate Public Corruption comes on the heels of a sordid spring of a half-dozen federal indictments against lawmakers and questions about whether lucrative outside employment could create conflicts of interest. According to a letter sent late last month and obtained by The Associated Press, all lawmakers must provide data for outside employment that paid over $20,000 in 2012, a description of what work the lawmaker performed, how the wage or salary was determined, and - critical for the many attorneys in the Legislature - a list of your clients in any civil matters or in any publicly filed criminal matters. The commissions deadline is Thursday. If lawmakers dont comply, the commission could subpoena people and records. The letter goes well beyond what current ethics laws require. The parttime lawmakers, who are paid $79,500, are currently asked only to check off a salary range for any other employment. They arent required to identify clients that could reveal conflicts of interests, something lawmakers have blocked for years, arguing their clients identities were protected under attorney-client privilege. Recent ethics disclosures, for example, show Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos makes as much as $250,000 a year in a law firm and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver makes up to $450,000 in another. Gov. Andrew Cuomo created the commission two months ago to investigate corruption in state government, with power under New Yorks 1907 Moreland Act to interview witnesses, hold hearings and seize evidence. But under that law, such a commission can only investigate executive branch agencies, not the Legislature. The Assemblys Democratic majority hired a lawyer to advise the chamber, raising the first legal concerns about the commissions authority to investigate the Legislature. A letter sent to Assembly members and obtained by the AP said only executive agencies are to be investigated by Moreland commissions and an outside attorney was hired to the extent the commissions work might bring it in contact with the Legislature. It says the Assembly will respond to legitimate inquiries from the commission while preserving proper respect for the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers. The memo states the Senate will retain counsel as well. But Senate Republican spokesman Scott Reif said the Senate hasnt. Neither Reif nor Assembly majority spokesman Michael Whyland would comment on any plans to challenge the commissions authority. The commissions executive director, Regina Calcaterra, didnt respond to a request for comment. The lawmakers concern is based in part on a mostly overlooked provision of Cuomos executive order that requires the independent commission to refer cases to the state police superintendent, who is appointed by Cuomo. Ultimately, the referral decision is going to be made by the state police, said commission Co-Chairwoman Kathleen Rice, the Nassau County district attorney who is a cochairwoman of the commission, in a recent interview. Richard Brodsky, a former Democratic assemblyman who is now a senior fellow at New York Universitys graduate school of public service, said: There is an apparent legal inconsistency between the broad granting of authority to someone appointed as a deputy attorney general, which is necessary to make this function, and the attempt to make the state police the gatekeeper, which makes little sense. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said the state police role is only a procedural issue because under law the attorney general cant act on these issues without a referral from the executive branch. The role for state police has concerned lawmakers since the administration of Gov. Eliot Spitzer was hit with ethics charges over its control of state police in the 2007 scandal known as troopergate. The Senate Republican leader at the time, Joseph Bruno, had accused Spitzers aides of using state police for political surveillance in the scandal investigated by Cuomo, who was then attorney general.

NATIONAL
Reid introduces Syria resolution in Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has formally introduced the resolution giving President Barack Obama the authority to use military force against Syria. Reid filed the measure on Friday during a brief Senate session. Lawmakers return from their five-week recess on Monday and will begin to debate the resolution. A vote to move ahead on the resolution is expected on Wednesday. The Senate is deeply divided over whether to approve military strikes in response to chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Republicans and Democrats have expressed opposition to the measure, which the Senate Foreign Relations Committee narrowly approved on a 10-7 vote on Wednesday.

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Jealous Leaving NAACP, Pondering GOP Growth in Black Community NAACP Ben Jealous recently praised Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell (in background) for his position on the restoration of voting rights to convicted felons. PHOTO: Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press (TriceEdneyWire.com) - Benjamin Todd Jealous, announcing his resignation after five years as president of the NAACP this week, said he is leaving Dec. 31 in order to spend more time with his wife and two young children. But, he is also contemplating the leadership of another movement to reconnect Blacks and the civil rights agenda with the Republican Party. The reality is that, youve seen it with my outreach to [Newt] Gingrinch and [Grover] Norquist and [Virginia] Governor Bob McDonnell on criminal justice reform issues. The reality is that as a people, we were most affective in pushing our agenda when we had one agenda that was shared between Black members of both parties, Jealous said in an exclusive interview with the Trice Edney News Wire this week. And so weve got to get back to civil rights having a beach head in both parties and there being a common civil rights agenda that is shared and is held in common by Black Democrats and Black Republicans. Listing a string of elected Republicans where he has found common ground, Jealous says he sees signs that this movement could be successful. It has been very hard sometimes in these partisan times, but we have found allies in unlikely places, he said. Governor Deal in Georgia is helping to downsize prisons. So is Rick Perry in Texas. Gov. Kasich in Ohio is a big proponent of affirmative action for the business sector. Gov. McDonald of Virginia has been proponent of second chances, both in employment and in voting. And the question is, if a Republican can stand for any of this anywhere, then why cant they stand for all of this everywhere? So, I think its important that we get back to doing what [Congresswoman] Shirley Chisholm admonished all of us and that

is, We have no permanent friends, we have no permanent enemies, we just have permanent interests. Jealous, a Rhodes Scholar who, in 2007, became the youngest person to ever lead the NAACP, pointed to this agenda as one of the possible goals of a political action committee, (PAC), that he started with two friends six years ago in 2007 in order to help fund then Sen. Barack Obama in his primary stages. In addition to a new teaching job at a university, he and those friends who he identified as Steven Phillips and Andrew Wong - will revisit that Vote Hope PAC with major questions in mind. Were going to figure out whether or not now is the time that we can succeed in building a super PAC that will accelerate the breaking of state level glass ceilings of candidates of color across the South and South West, he said. Now is the time that we can finally create the equivalence of Emilys List for People of Color candidates with a real eye toward transformations that we think are possible in the South and the South Westbreaking glass ceilings in those states in the former Confederacy and on out to California, and with progressives retaking the South perhaps permanently. Emilys list is a PAC founded in 1985 with a goal of electing pro-choice Democratic women to public office. Jealous says the PAC he envisions would include Republican and Democratic candidates. In recent history, the Democratic Party has been able to claim an overwhelming majority of the Black vote, consistently more than 90 percent in presidential elections. While Democrats are largely credited with civil rights gains, Jealous says many of the major gains of the 50s and 60s came about because of bi-partisan cooperation because of Blacks in both parties. He recently expounded on his vision during an Aug. 26 forum sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundations America Healing initiative, reflecting on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington.

We have to, as a civil rights community, really think deeply - not just about how we build bonds amongst each other but how we, frankly, reintroduce civil rights to the Republican Party, which for a hundred years was the party of civil rights in many ways, he told teh audience at the Washington, D.C.based Newseum, where the forum was held. And I believe that if we, in the next fifty years, would get a little bit more sophisticated about how we work our politics, if we in the next fifty years could be a little bit more inspired, quite frankly by our grandparents and lessons that they understood very well. If we can get back to a place where civil rights is a little bit less partisan; then we can move forward even faster than we think is possible. Although he believes civil rights must be universal, he says Blacks will have to initiate the movement. I think, quite frankly, the first courageous step is going to have to be with us saying that were going to have the hope to even talk to the other side of the aisle, he told the forum audience. Because right now we reinforce the isolation of our own agenda in ways that may be expedited in the short term, but detrimental in the long term. His fellow civil rights leaders, still basking in the aftermath of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, expressed shock at the announcement of his resignation Sunday afternoon. Ben Jealous has operated with integrity and a real sense of handson activism. Not only was he able to revive the NAACP and raise its budget to higher heights, he joined us in the streets in real civil rights activity on the ground. From the suites to the streets he will be missed as head of the NAACP but I am sure he will not leave us in his contribution to the struggle, said the Rev. Al Sharpton in a statement. NAACP Chair Roslyn Brock praised Jealous for his successes in a telephone press conference on Monday. She also issued a statement saying, Under his leadership, the NAACP has built a highly competent staff that will carry

our mission forward and meet the civil rights challenges of the 21st century. Our board, staff and volunteer leaders throughout the country deeply appreciate his sacrifice, and will continue to implement our gamechanging goals for the next half century that include the restoration of Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, implementing Trayvons Law, bolstering civic engagement efforts and ensuring our community is enrolled in the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Jealous also said in the interview that he is pleased with his accomplishments. What Im most proud of is that I leave the organization bigger, stronger, more powerful and more financially sustainable and with a clear set of priorities for the next half century, he said. Yes, like every NAACP leader, I leave here passing a baton on to the next person to help finish a race that will go on for a very long time. But I leave here knowing that we are better prepared to finish that race than we have been in a very long time. He hints at his desire to exacerbate the finish of that race just from a new venue. Professionally, Im very clear Im going to go teach. Personally its very clear I need a lot more time at home to be Dad. Politically, Im walking in with a question, which is can this be done? Can we create a big, robust PAC that is ultimately funded from the grassroots to help accelerate the careers of transformative candidates of color?

Benjamin Jealous

9 www.minorityreporter.net | september 9 - 15 | 2013

NATIONAL

Patients bill soars as health law program falters


RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR WASHINGTON (AP) - Coping with advanced cancer, Bev Veals was in the hospital for chemo this summer when she got a call that her health plan was shutting down. Then, the substitute insurance she was offered wanted her to pay up to $3,125, on top of premiums. It sounds like one of those insurance horror stories President Barack Obama told to sell his health overhaul to Congress, but Veals wasnt in the clutches of a profit-driven company. Instead, shes covered by Obamas law - one of about 100,000 people with serious medical issues in a financially troubled government program. Raw political divisions over health care have clouded chances of a fix for the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, leaving families like Veals and her husband Scott to juggle the consequences. Thats not a good omen for solving other problems that could surface with Obamacare. You dont advertise one thing and then give the customer another thing, said Veals, 49, who lives near Wilmington, N.C. I finally felt for the first time going through this cancer that I had something dependable, and somebody pulled the plug. In a statement, the federal Health and Human Services department said the program continues to provide excellent coverage. But the department said it was unable to provide current enrollment numbers, which might reflect the impact of belttightening this summer that led North Carolina and 16 other states to turn their programs over to federal officials. Known as PCIP, the program was intended as a temporary lifeline for people denied insurance because of medical problems. Its supposed to provide coverage at premiums that healthy people would typically pay. PCIP will end Jan. 1, when Veals and other enrollees will be able to transition to new insurance marketplaces where they may be able to find lower-cost plans. Jan. 1 is also when Obamas law will forbid insurers from turning away people in poor health. At the same time, virtually all Americans will be required to have coverage. Many who are currently uninsured will be able to get tax credits to help pay premiums. Part of the problem with PCIP stems from a decision by the president and Congress more than three years ago to cap funding at $5 billion. Some experts warned that might not be enough to last through the end of 2013. Veals is a breast cancer survivor now battling colorectal cancer. A runner, she has participated in more than 125 fundraising races for cancer research. Her husband Scott is self-employed, a slow-motion replay operator for televised sporting events. Bev Veals had been uninsured for 27 months before she was able to get on the North Carolina PCIP plan early in 2011. She considers herself a strong supporter of Obamas law. But even with insurance, deductibles and copays for cancer care strain the budgets of most families. And that doesnt count lost wages and expenses not covered by insurance. It starts as a hand-packed snowball that someone starts pushing down the hill, said Veals. It gains momentum and speed, it gets bigger and bigger, and swallows everything in its path. The more than $3,000 extra the Veals will have to pay this year is not discretionary money, she explained. This is heat-the-house-in-the-winter money. When her home health nurse called her at Duke Cancer Center about the health plan changes, Veals was on a chemotherapy pump. Her first thought was they missed a payment. Then she remembered her premium was set for automatic payment and wondered if their account was low. Her mind racing, she worried somebody had hacked their finances. Scott Veals called the North Carolina PCIP plan and learned it was being turned back over to the federal government on July 1 because of financing problems. After more digging, he found out their premiums would go down somewhat in the federal plan, to $420 a month. But there was a catch: They had already met their deductible in the North Carolina plan, and also reached their annual out-of-pocket maximum of $6,250. With the federal plan, they would have another deductible of $1,000 for the rest of 2013, and a total of $3,125 in out-of-pocket costs before reaching that plans catastrophic limit. Deductibles and copayments shift some financial responsibility to patients. We are paying 18 months of deductibles and out-of-pocket cost for one years worth of coverage to two insurance companies, said Scott Veals. The problems with PCIP bubbled up in February, when federal officials unexpectedly announced an enrollment freeze. Although fewer people had signed up than originally expected, very costly cases were draining its budget.

This photo taken Aug. 27, 2013 shows Bev Veals waiting for her chemotherapy treatment at Duke Cancer Center in Durham, N.C. Coping with advanced cancer, Veals was in the hospital for chemo this summer when she got a call that her health plan was shutting down. Then, the substitute coverage she was offered wanted $3,125, on top of premiums. It sounds like one of the insurance horror stories President Barack Obama used to sell his health overhaul to Congress, but Veals wasnt in the clutches of a profit-driven company. Instead, shes covered by Obamas law _ one of about 100,000 people with serious medical issues in a financially troubled government program. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A few months later, federal officials gave states running their own PCIP plans an ultimatum: take on some financial risk or turn the programs back to Washington at midyear. In those 17 states, Washington put in new costsharing requirements to help keep the program financially viable through the end of the year. If the administration saw problems coming, Obamas budget did not reflect it. The president did not request any new funds for PCIP. The No. 2 House Republican did make an attempt to pump more money in, but it was fraught with politics. Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia proposed to divert funds from elsewhere in the health care law, unacceptable to Democrats. His idea also failed to get Republican support. Our elected officials, some of whom have been impacted by cancer, must come together to identify a bipartisan solution to fund this program for the remainder of 2013, said Emily Shetty, who handles federal policy and lobbying for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Veals and her husband say they are looking forward to full implementation of the health care law next year. But getting through the next few months will be a struggle. We both knew there would be bumps along the road but we never thought there would be this kind of bump, she said.

10 www.minorityreporter.net | september 9 - 15 | 2013

NATIONAL
George Zimmermans wife says he is selfish
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) - George Zimmermans wife, Shellie, said she stood by her man through everything but once he was acquitted of murder charges in the 2012 shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin, he left her with a bunch of pieces of broken glass. Zimmerman, who filed for divorce from George Zimmerman on Thursday, told ABCs Good Morning America in an interview aired Friday that her husband is selfish. In the interview, she said her husband only stayed in their house three or four nights since the trial ended in July and that they even tried counseling but she moved out Aug. 13. I have a selfish husband and I think George is all about George, she said. Last week, Shellie Zimmerman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge for lying during a bail hearing following her husbands arrest after the fatal shooting of 17-yearold Martin. She was sentenced to a years probation and 100 hours of community service. Her husband did not attend the hearing in the Sanford, Fla., courtroom. I stood by my husband through everything, she told ABC, and I kind of feel like he left me with a bunch of pieces of broken glass that Im supposed to now assemble and make a life. ABC first reported the divorce filing Thursday. Email messages and phone calls to George Zimmermans attorney Mark OMara were not immediately returned. But Zimmermans brother, Robert Zimmerman, wrote on Twitter: Pray 4 them. Shellie Zimmermans felony perjury charge came after she lied about the couples assets when her husband was seeking release from jail on a lower bond. Court records show that in the days before the June 2012 bond hearing, Shellie Zimmerman transferred $74,000 - broken into eight smaller transfers ranging from $7,500 to $9,990 - from her husbands credit union account to hers. It also shows that $47,000 was transferred from George Zimmermans account to his sisters in the days before the hearing. Amounts of over $10,000 would have been reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Much of the money came from donations to a website that had been established to pay for George Zimmermans defense. During the bond hearing, Shellie Zimmerman testified that the couple had limited funds because she was a full-time student and her husband wasnt working. After she pleaded guilty, she told ABC that she lied. I can rationalize a lot of reasons for why I was misleading, but the truth is that I knew I was lying, she said. In the interview on Friday, Shellie Zimmerman said shell seek custody of the couples two dogs and a share of anything he might win in a defamation lawsuit hes filed against NBC. I have been married to a person for about seven years and I dont think I ever really knew him at all. She says her husband was verbally

Shellie Zimmerman

abusive toward her and that he has been making what she considers reckless decisions. She didnt specify what those decisions were. In my opinion, he feels more invincible since his acquittal, she added. Shellie Zimmerman said the timing seems right to begin a new life. I have supported him for so long and neglected myself for too long, Shellie Zimmerman said. And I feel like Im finally starting to feel empowered again.

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11 www.minorityreporter.net | september 9 - 15 | 2013

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WORLD

Obama touts worlds economic progress at G-20


JOSH LEDERMAN ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - Touting economic progress at the Group of 20 summit, President Barack Obama said the nations economic powers no longer face the threat of a financial meltdown and can turn their attention to issues of tax evasion, job creation and climate change. For the first time in three years, instead of an urgent discussion to address the European financial crisis, we see a Europe that has emerged from recession, Obama said Friday at a news conference wrapping up a three-day European trip that included the two-day G-20 meeting in St. Petersburg. Obama was dogged at the summit by revelations of spying by the National Security Agency and held private meetings with the presidents of Brazil and Mexico to assure them that his administration would work to resolve tensions over allegations that the NSA monitored their communications. After separate sessions with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Obama said he told both leaders that he takes the allegations of spying on their communications seriously and said he promised to address their concerns. What we do is similar to what countries around the world do with their intelligence services, Obama said. But what is true is that, you know, we are bigger. We have greater capabilities. He said he wants a review of intelligence efforts to determine the costs and benefits. Just because we can get information doesnt necessarily always mean that we should, he said. Both Pena Nieto and Rousseff have expressed outrage over revelations that the NSA kept tabs on their communications. The spying was reported by Brazils Globo TV, which cited 2012 documents from NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Pena Nieto says it would constitute an illegal act. Rousseff responded by canceling a trip to Washington by a team of aides preparing for her upcoming U.S. visit. Though the civil war in Syria and Obamas call for a military response to chemical weapons use there dominated much of the conversation, Obama said the 20 leaders also paid heed to a litany of issues such as helping foster growth in emerging economies, promoting infrastructure and fighting corruption. He said the nations agreed to continue with financial reforms and to address tax evasion and avoidance that he says undermines budgets and shifts the tax burden. The president spoke after the U.S. government reported that the unemployment rate had dropped to 7.3 percent, the lowest in nearly five years. But the jobs picture remained tepid. More Americans stopped looking for work and were no longer counted as unemployed and the combined job creation in June, July and August amounted to the weakest three-month stretch of job growth in a year. With a confrontation brewing with Congress over raising the nations borrowing limit, Obama warned lawmakers that it shouldnt risk a U.S. default over paying bills weve already racked up. He said he was determined that the world has confidence in the full faith and credit of the United States.

OPINION/EDITORIAL
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.

How Soon We Forget!


This week I want to bring our attention back to the Trayvon Martin case that was talked about so much over the last several months.
C. MICHAEL VAUGHN

The reason I want to bring it back up is in reference to what occurred in the city of Rochester about two weeks ago (as of this publishing). What occurred is that a video of an arrest was made showing an officer hit and wrestle to the ground someone that he was trying to arrest. By the admission of the person that was getting arrested, she was pregnant. This video-taped incident has gotten some black people in Rochester up in arms against the police. It has even gotten some members of the clergy to call for the resignation of Chief Sheppard! My synopsis of this is that it is absurd, and I am tired of having the same black people speak for me! Here is why. First of all, you have African-American clergy members calling for the resignation of an African-American

police chief. Why would AfricanAmericans call for the resignation of an African-American because of the actions of one of his officers? What we have got to stop doing is adhering to this crab-in-the-barrel mentality. If anyone on the police force can help understand the plight of our young African-Americans, who are overwhelmingly connected to police action, it is another African-American! Why does this case have relevance to the Trayvon Martin case? It is because the reason many people were upset at the verdict (including me) was because we realized that if George Zimmerman would have obeyed his superiors and stayed in the car, Trayvon may have been alive today. If the person in the video would have obeyed the police and not resisted arrest, the subsequent actions would not have happened. What some black people, and indeed those calling for the resignation of Chief Sheppard, overlook is that the person that was being arrested did not follow the instructions of a uniformed police officer. When one chooses to be disobedient, there are consequences that may arise. However, I contend that those consequences are a result

of previous actions; meaning that actions had to occur in order to make those consequences manifest. And what needs to occur now is for people to focus on the genesis of the event, not just the consequences. If the prosecutors would have focused on what George Zimmerman did in his disobedience, maybe the outcome of the case would have been different. Likewise, if the person that was getting arrested would have obeyed the officer, they most likely would not have been hit and wrestled to the ground. We cannot not dismiss the actions of those involved in cases like this and still be sure to ascribe the proper responsibility to those involved. It bothers me that the community would like to lump me into the crew of African-American clergy that would suggest something so absurd as calling for the resignation of the police chief, and not even look at the actions of the person getting arrested. I want it to be known that this AfricanAmerican clergy member does not support the position that they came up with. While I only have passing knowledge of Chief Sheppard, I believe he is a man of integrity and wants to do

the best for the people that he serves. He is not someone that we need to get rid of; he is someone that we want to be sure that we keep! I trust that if there was something that was done wrong by the officer in the video (as it appears there may have been); it will come out. We need to exercise patience and allow the process to work, keeping an eye on it, but letting it work its way out. If we can state that it was the start of disobedience by George Zimmerman that led to Trayvons death; we have to say that the disobedience of this woman in resisting arrest is what led to her getting hit and wrestled to the ground. Neither Trayvons death nor this woman getting hit was right, but we cannot say that George Zimmerman should be held accountable because he started it and give this woman a pass. After all, she started it! If you would like to contact me, please email me at mvaughn.seniorpastor@ newwineskin.org

13 www.minorityreporter.net | september 9 - 15 | 2013


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STRAIGHTno chaser

OPINION/EDITORIAL
The arrogance of some white folks calling for unwarranted apologies because we thankfully still have black men in our community unafraid to speak their minds seems to be something their ancestors no doubt did to an uppity negro once upon a time. Like a friend of mine just shared with me (and I paraphrase), If you dont like what I say, take a number, go sit down and act like I really give a damn. These requests for apology seem to be a trend. In May 2013, I wrote an open letter to Monroe County Legislator Willie Lightfoot when County Executive Maggie Brooks called for an apology from him because he referred to those in county government as crooks. What? Has it not been proven that some of them are? So, what is he supposed to be apologizing for, telling the truth? Just recently, some organization called Unite demonstrated their intent to divide by calling for an apology from Adam McFadden. Let me get this right. Now, they asked the community whether we thought Adam should

The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.

Apologizing for Being Black


apologize for using the n-word. What a joke. Negroes please. We have been using the n-word all of our lives and to those not in tune and who have no clue, the n-word has not only been a word found insulting by some who use it a means to be derogatory, but it is also a term of endearment in our community. As I recently stated in a column, Adam has no need to apologize. His community, those who are truly black, understood what he meant in his rant; which was intended as enlightenment and educating his community. Take a number and sit down white folks. Your days of controlling everything are about to be over. However, your attempt to publicly control what rolls off the tongue of strong black men is duly noted. And then there is the embattled Howard Eagle, who cant seem to get his words right, at least in many instances, enough to silence his online critics. However, whether I agree or disagree, he has the right to say whatever. Whether he is right, wrong or indifferent, he alone will be the one to suffer any consequences, if there are any. I do question and take exception, however, to the way the alleged crme de la crme organization, Unite, has treated him. What is interesting is how they allegedly formed to combat racism but have black-balled him and his intent to bring his wisdom and experiences to the table. If racism is truly what you are battling, would it not make sense to have the person you perceive as Racist No. 1 at the table, so you can learn something? I just dont get it. When they did not embrace him, I considered them fakers, and I drew a line through the name of the organization. I chalked them up as one of these groups who fails to walk it like they talk it.

GLORIA WINSTON AL-SARAG

trending these days.

Recent controversies have been whitewashed with statements like, It is not what they said, but their poor choice of words. What poor choice of words? Whether I agree or disagree with the content, I respect to the highest their right to say whatever they said. And what annoys me most is any pompous arse feeling they have the God-given right to chastise anyone in public like they are slaves on the whipping post,

Rochester, NY Police Chief James Sheppards Resignation Is Long Overdue!


In the wake of a viral video being watched around the world, which shows Rochester, N.Y. police officer Lucas Krull driving a pregnant woman into a wooden porch davy vara railing post, punching her in the head, and then throwing her on the ground; some Rochester-area clergy members have called for Rochester Police Chief James Sheppards resignation. This request led Rochesters Democrat and Chronicle newspaper to run a piece titled, Its way too soon to be talking about Chief Sheppard resigning. But is it really too soon? I say absolutely not. In fact, if you ask me, his resignation is long overdue. And heres why. Since being appointed as chief in 2010, Sheppard has consistently shown that he is unable to control his out of control police force. One of the first major signs of this came in May of 2011, when Rochester police officer Mario Masic, known as Cowboy on the streets, arrested Emily Good after she video-recorded him conducting the racially-profiled traffic stop of an African-American motorist. But it wasnt even so much the actual incident involving Goods arrest. It was more what Chief Sheppard did after the incident. With news of Goods arrest, and her video going viral, Sheppard wasted not one second in supporting officer Masics actions. He stood behind Masic, even though Masic arrested an innocent woman for exercising her first amendment rights and, in doing so, violated the Constitution of the United States, as well as his sworn oath to not only serve and protect, but to uphold the Constitution. But perhaps equally disturbing, if not in some ways more than Goods arrest, is what happened just weeks later, again, under Chief Sheppards command. Rochester, N.Y. police officers descended upon a community meeting held in Rochesters historic Corn Hill neighborhood that was in support of Emily Good, and retaliated against the meetings attendees, myself included, by using a pink childrens school ruler to measure the distances that our cars were parked from the curb. The officers issued tickets to cars that were as little as half an inch over the allowed legal limit. In my opinion, these officers were completely out of control, allowing their personal feelings and animosities to interfere with doing their jobs, and actually violating their own Code of Ethics, specifically this part: I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities or friendships to influence my decisions. I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will.... And again, this occurred under Chief Sheppards command. Or how about when Chief Sheppard failed to bring disciplinary action against Rochester police officer Ryan Hartley? Hartley lied, not only on a police report, but also in court, under oath; therefore committing perjury twice when he said that Rochester resident Jeramie Barideaux failed to come to a complete stop while driving his vehicle on the citys northeast side. Officer Hartley knowingly and intentionally lied in order to pull Barideaux over, in what was an illegal stop, which was captured on city surveillance cameras. The video found the fact that, contrary to officer Hartleys lies, Mr. Barideaux did in fact bring his vehicle to a complete stop. And, despite a Monroe County Court judge finding that Rochester police officer Ryan Hartley lied about the Barideaux traffic stop, Chief Sheppard refused to do anything. In a separate incident, also involving officer Hartley, Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard again refused to take any disciplinary action against him, after a second Monroe County Court judge found that officer Hartley lied when he said he had a warrant and entered a suspected drug dealers home. In fact, Hartley illegally broke into the home before the warrant had been issued. Despite this, Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard refused to take any action against Hartley, a proven liar. Or what about Chief Sheppard rushing to judgment himself, saying that seven Rochester, N.Y. police officers were justified in the execution-style shooting of Israel Izzy Andino, who was shot at least 11 times by all seven officers? Sheppards comment, saying that the officers were justified, as Andinos body lay uncovered on a sidewalk for hours at the beginning of the investigation, was unprofessional, and once again is indicative of a chief who is unfit to lead. So, is it too soon to be talking about Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard resigning? Are you kidding me? Its long overdue!

15 www.minorityreporter.net | september 9 - 15 | 2013

OPINION/EDITORIAL
APOLOGIZING...from previous page
Lots of that going around, or havent you noticed? The word hypocrisy also comes to mind when I think of them. Please dont sit there in the comfort of your lounge chair reading my words and try to act like you dont understand what I am saying. Some of you, I know, love to live in denial and act like reality does not apply to you. I am not naive enough to believe that every person, white, black, green or yellow, who smiles in my face, means me or my community any good. When strong black men come under attack, I do pay close attention and am not afraid to speak on it. The fact that so many come under attack only solidifies for me that these are further attempts to participate in genocide directed at my community. The trend is not just local. The trend, as far as I am concerned, became even more prominent ever since President Obama was first elected. Historically, where would we be as a people if Frederick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, A. Phillip Randolph,

The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Elijah Muhammad, Dr. Freddie Thomas, Jim McCuller, Jim Ellis, Willie Lightfoot, Sam White, Malcolm X, Dr. Huey P. Newton, Ron Brown, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Ken Gibson, Richard Hatcher, Carl Stokes, Ken Gibson, Harold Washington, John H. Johnson, Dr. Anthony Jordan, John Mitchell and others felt the need to apologize just because they were black? What if Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson Sr., Marion Barry, Cory Booker, Muhammad Ali and Minister Farrakhan were apologetic for their blackness? Where would we be in Rochester if

those still living, like Dr. Walter Cooper, Ron Good, Minister Franklin Florence Sr., Minister Raymond B.T. Scott, Bill Johnson, Assemblyman David Gantt, Charles Price, James Norman, William Clark, Van White, Calvin Lee, Dana Miller, and others were consistently asked to apologize for being black? Think about it. No other culture is required to apologize when they are speaking truth. Why us?

The Thurman King School of Black Church Leadership


a continuation of the Alternate Education Program and the Pearl Program

Dont ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Howard Thurman
Pastor, poet, educator & CRCDS graduate
The Thurman King School is a three-year continuing education program designed to give working ministers and clergy in the black church creative tools and strategies for enhancing their ministry. Classes are held the first Saturday of each month.

Dont delay! Classes begin September 7th! Register today: call (585) 340-9540 or visit www.crcds.edu
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16 www.minorityreporter.net | september 9 - 15 | 2013

13th Annual

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Become A Rochester Police Officer

City of Rochester

Budgeting for Public Safety

of the citizen

Its more than a job. Its my career.

Your Neighborhood.

Your Projects.

Turning Ideas into Action with Direct Decision-making Power Join Mayor Thomas S. Richards to offer your ideas for projects to improve public safety in your neighborhood. Dates and Locations: 6 pm to 8 pm Mon., Aug. 26: Edgerton Community Center, Stardust Ballroom, 41 Backus St. Wed., Sept. 4: Thomas P . Ryan Community Center, 530 Webster Ave. Thurs., Sept. 5: Danforth Community Center, 200 West Ave. Mon., Sept. 16: Carter St. Community Center, 500 Carter St.
Outside the city call 428-5990

APPLY NOW Exam date: November 16, 2013 Application deadline: September 27, 2013
Call: 585-428-6716
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