A2 The Afro-American, May 7, 2011 - May 13, 2011

AFRO National Briefs

Your History • Your Community • Your News
The Afro-American Newspapers
Baltimore Office • Corporate Headquarters
2519 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4602
410-554-8200 • Fax: 1-877-570-9297
www.afro.com
Founded by John Henry Murphy Sr., August 13, 1892
Washington Publisher Emerita - Frances L. Murphy II
Chairman of the Board/Publisher - John J. Oliver, Jr.
Executive Assistant - Takiea Hinton - 410-554-8222
Receptionist - Wanda Pearson - 410-554-8200
Director of Advertising/Sponsorship Development & Sales
Susan Gould - 410-554-8289
susangould@afro.com
Advertising Manager - Robert Blount - 410-554-8246
Sr. Advertising Account Executive - Annie Russ - 410-554-8235
Advertising Account Executive
Marquise Goodwin - 410-554-8274
Director of Finance - Jack Leister - 410-554-8242
Archivist - John Gartrell - 410-554-8265
Director, Community & Public Relations
Diane W. Hocker - 410-554-8243
Editorial
Executive Editor - Talibah Chikwendu
E-mail: editor@afro.com
Managing Editor - Kristin Gray - 410-554-8277
Washington Bureau Chief - Zenitha Prince - 202-332-0080, ext. 119
E-mail: dceditor@afro.com
Global Markets
Director - Benjamin M. Phillips IV - 410-554-8220
bphillips@afro.com
Washington Circulation/Distribution Manager
Edgar Brookins - 202-332-0080, ext. 116
Baltimore Circulation/Distribution Manager
Sammy Graham - 410-554-8266
Production Department - 410-554-8288
Washington Office
1917 Benning Road, N.E. • Washington, D.C. 20002-4723
202-332-0080 Fax: 1-877-570-9297
General Manager
Edgar Brookins - ext. 116
Office Administrator - Mia Hayes-Hawkins - ext. 112
Customer Service, Home Delivery and Subscriptions:
410-554-8234
Customer Service@afro.com
Billing Inquiries: 410-554-8226
Nights and Weekends: 410-554-8282
Gas-Saving Tips for Cash-Strapped Drivers
The Department of Energy (DOE) and Federal Trade
Commission have released several tips for consumers to save
money at the pump.
According to the two agencies, consumers should drive more
efficiently. Drivers should avoid aggressive driving and excessive
idling, observe the speed limit, remove excess weight from their
vehicle, and use cruise control and overdrive gears.
“Weaving in and out of traffic, not using the highest gear,
jumping on and off the throttle, and generally not keeping a
steady-state speed are also shortcuts to the nearest gas station,”
MotorWeek’s John Davis said.
Drivers should also keep their vehicles in shape. Engines
should be properly tuned, tires should be properly inflated and the
recommended grade of motor oil should be applied.
According to the DOE, fixing a serious maintenance problem
can improve gas mileage by up to 40 percent, properly inflating a
vehicle’s tires can improve mileage by up to 3.3 percent and using
the proper motor oil can improve mileage by up to 2 percent.
Drivers should also plan their trips carefully. Carpooling or
altering work hours to avoid peak rush hours can prevent more
frequent trips to the pump due to gas wasted in rush hour traffic.
Multiple errands should also be combined into a single trip.
Proposed Merger of Southern University with White
Institution Faces Stiff Opposition
Debate is heating up in New Orleans, as Louisiana’s governor
seeks to merge the city’s sole historically Black state-funded
university with a mostly White, nearby institution in an effort he
said will improve both schools’ educational conditions.
According to The Associated Press, Gov. Bobby Jindal, a
Republican, is pushing a bill that would merge predominately-
Black Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) with the
University of New Orleans.
Campuses of both higher education facilities, which are
in close proximity to each other, were severely damaged by
Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the storm’s aftermath, enrollment
and graduation rates at both schools plummeted, particularly
at Southern University, whose graduation rate has significantly
dropped.
According to 2011 U.S. Department of Education figures,
SUNO’s rate of graduation for students attending over a six-year
period, rose to eight percent from the post-Katrina low of five
percent, the lowest in the state and among the lowest for a public
historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the country.
The six-year graduation rate at the University of New Orleans
(UNO) is 21 percent. “It makes no sense to have colleges blocks
apart, neither one of them with graduation rates we can accept,”
Jindal said at a weekly legislative news conference in Baton
Rouge, La., according to the AP.
Meanwhile, more than 200 Southern University supporters
gathered to protest the proposal, which they believe would cause
the school to lose its legacy as an HBCU. “It will be the death of
SUNO,” student government vice president Ellis Brent Jr. told the
AP.
Nation on Watch After bin Laden’s Death
Nearly 10 years after former President George Bush vowed to
capture Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, the terrorist was
ambushed and killed under President Barack Obama’s watch.
In an unexpected, late night speech on April 30, Obama shared
news of bin Laden’s death with the world.
“Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted
operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small
team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary
courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took
care to avoid civilian casualties,” Obama said. After a firefight,
they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”
In the days following bin Laden’s capture, the FBI and
Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement warning
law enforcement groups that his death may spark extremist attacks
in the U.S. and worldwide. Meanwhile, transportation hubs like
Boston’s Logan Airport tightened security for fear of a retaliatory
attack from al Qaeda and bin Laden supporters.
“The death of Osama bin Laden is an important success not
only for the United States, but the entire world. Our efforts to
combat terrorism, however, do not fixate on one individual, and we
remain completely focused on protecting our nation against violent
extremism of all kinds,” said Janet Napolitano, secretary of the
Department of Homeland Security, in a statement.
Comcast Pledges Funds to Benefit Minorites
As Comcast moves forward with its merger with NBC
Universal, the media giant has pledged $20 million towards
building minority owned digital businesses.
In a letter last July to Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Comcast
said it would, at the helm of the merged company, provide
training, internships and mentoring to minority students as well as
distribution and funding to business owners. The company is now
in the verge of making good on that promise, company officials
said recently.
Comcast will also provide free video and high-speed internet
service to schools and libraries in underserved and low-income
areas, as well as low-cost internet service to 2.5 million low-
income households.
“Comcast is committed to providing opportunities for diverse
businesses to expand and grow,” David Jensen, vice president of
Content Acquisition for Comcast, said in a statement. “We look
forward to considering a number of fresh and viable programming
proposals from Hispanic and African American programmers to
create new channels that will complement the robust lineup of
programming choices we already offer our customers.”
Leaders of several civil rights organizations praised Comcast’s
initiatives, saying they will provide more diversity on and off the
air.
“This agreement represents a positive step in the right direction
for the principle of diversity, inclusion and economic opportunity,”
Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League,
said in a statement. “We applaud Comcast and NBC Universal for
its willingness to enter into written commitments toward the goal
of building a first-class communications concern. We thank them
for their insight and commitment.”
Comcast plans on starting eight new networks that will be
independently owned by Hispanic or African Americans. Two
African-American owned networks are expected to launch by Jan.
28, 2013.

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The Afro American (Baltimore),

WFB_HmMrtg_A_11.25x10.indd 1 The Birmingham Times, The Afro American (Washington) K 100 L/S K-45 4/27/11 5:15 PM