CNY Vision Week of August 15 - 21, 2013

8/22/2019 CNY Vision Week of August 15 - 21, 2013

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1 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013syracuse nyaugust 15 - 21 2013

City of Syracuse Political Races


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2 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013LocaL office:

2331 South Salina StreetSyracuse, NY 13205

PH: 315-849-2461

Headquarters: 282 Hollenbeck StreetRochester, NY 14621

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art directorCatie [email protected]

PhotograPherLa Vergne [email protected]

advertisingDave [email protected]

editorial staffLisa DumasGeorge KilpatrickGary McLendonRasheeda Alford

contributorsKo QuayeJames Haywood RollingEarl Ofari HutchinsonBoyce Watkins

CNY Vision is a publication of Minor-ity Reporter, Inc. We are a family ofpublications and other media formatscommitted to fostering self awareness,building community and empoweringpeople of color to reach their greatestpotential. Further, CNY Vision seeksto present a balanced view of relevantissues, utilizing its resources to buildbridges among diverse populations;taking them from information to under-standing.

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CALENDAR

august

{COVER P 6 - 7

City of Syracuse Politcal Races

Heating Up

{local P 4 - 5

Pat Hogan Lays Out Ten Point

Education Reform Plan

Air Guard unit OKd to y drones in

Syracuse area

New Syracuse Group Opposes I-81

Diversion Option

Syracuse ofcials

cracking down on corner stores

Syracuse, Binghamton, Oswego Labor

Unions Recover Some of Madoff Ponzi

Scheme Losses

{national P 8

Obama Promises to Stand Alongside

Civil Rights Lawyers Every Step of the

Way

{OPINIONS/EDITORIAL P 8-11

More Support Needed For Community

Based Activities in Syracuse

By Kof Quaye

Getting on Track

By William Spriggs

In This Issue:1 www.cnyvision.com|august 1- 7| 2013syracusenyaugust1 - 7 2013


16SHAKESPEARE-IN-THE-PARK

Time: 5:30pm-7:30pmLocaon: Thornden ParkAmphitheatreThe Syracuse ShakespeareFesval presents in freeperformances - food and cravendors also available. For moreinformaon, check out www.syrsf.org.

17Farmers Market at the CNYRegional MarketTime: 7:00am-2:00pmLocaon: 2100 Park St.

Open year round. Also openThursdays 7-2 from Mayto November. For moreinformaon: cnyrma.com.

19Courtyard at JamesNeighborhood WatchTime: 6:00pmLocaon: Coutyard at James,708 James St.The Neighborhood Watch Groupsof Syracuse meeng scheduleis subject to change. Updated

schedules are posted throughoutthe month on the Neighborhood

Watch website at www.SyracuseNeighborhoodWatch.org. For more informaon,please contact Tony Borelli at(315) 448-8762 or email [email protected].

20Downtown Farmers MarketTime: 7:00am-4:00pmLocaon: Clinton SquareThe Downtown Farmers Marketis presented by the DowntownCommiee of Syracuse. It is held

each Tuesday in Clinton Squareand features over 50 farmersand produce dealers sellingfresh, seasonal vegetables,fruit, nuts, eggs, cheese,baked goods, owers, plants,handcraed items and more.Some weeks the market hostslive entertainment. It operatesevery Tuesday beginning June 11through October 8, 2013 from 7am to 4 pm. Call (315) 422-8284or [email protected] for more informaon.

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3 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013Dear Editor,In the wake of the Trayvon Marntragedy and the subsequentZimmerman trial outcome, and theatmosphere of outrage, anger, hurtand bewilderment in our communiesand the communies of others, let usconsider a few things:

First, lets be crystal clear about thereal issues. The real issue is not thata young black brother was killed,whether by a non-black person orotherwise; if that was the real issuethen we would/should be outragedat the thousands of Trayvon Marnskilled in the a hood everydaynaonwide.The real issue is not the juscesystem, as much as we want to believethat and as much as it seems sonotwithstanding.

I will say that the killing was racially-movated. I will say that the poisonedmindset of members of the juscesystem -not the jusce system itself - causedthe verdict to be racially-movated.

When you have a juror stang that shefelt that Trayvons parents were biased,thinking that their son could not havebeen guilty of something like what,guilty of walking with Skiles? Andthat same juror could say that she feltthat Zimmermans heart was in theright place.

Juror B-37s interview responsesdemonstrated her inability to see ablack man as anything other thanthreatening and dangerous, andtherefore any acon that might serveto remove the threat can be jusedin her mind. Why do I say both thekilling and the verdict were racially-movated? Is Zimmerman white?

The killing and the verdict were bothracially-movated for one simple fact:The world view of the value levelAfrican-American life is sub-human,plain and simple. The sad part aboutthat generality is African-Americans,through thought and deed, viewthemselves as sub-human.

We kill each other wholesale on a dailybasis. We categorically refuse to trusteach other. We consistently seek thecompany of other than ourselves formaers of business, educaon, i.e., allthings upwardly mobile and upliing.So, the real queson is: How can weexpect others to value our lives whenwe display the lack of value we placeon our own lives every day to theworld?

So, since the real issue is the long-standing devaluaon of African-American life in the eyes of ourselvesand the public, how do we begin tochange it?

Sure, we must combat the tragicallylow value of African-American life bysociety, and that means boycongKoch Industries and their productsbecause they are the nanciers ofZimmermans defense.

It also means a boyco of all agentsof popular culture whose art devaluesAfrican-American life (e.g. rappersand their lyrics), making it dicultfor others to seriously value African-American life.

We must mobilize locally, regionally,and naonally against forms ofpopular culture that convey a lowvaluaon of African-American life andgives young, impressionable African-American minds the idea that it is coolto kill an African-American man, abuseand disrespect an African-Americanwoman, and ill-treat an African-American child.

Yes, to be successful in this maer,we must ght a war on two fronts;mobilizaon is the key word here.

Earlier this year, the state of Californiaopenly announced that so-calledwhite people were ocially a minoritygroup in the state. Do you knowwhat so-called white people did?They organized themselves, wrotelegislaon, introduced it, and backedit with their votes, and got it passed.The legislaon made it unlawful in thatstate to refer to any ethnic group as aminority.

Recently in North Carolina, a group ofAfrican-Americans placed a lien on ajudge as an admiedly retaliaon forhim not acknowledging their birthrights. Do you know what so-calledwhite people did? They organizedthemselves, wrote legislaon,introduced it, backed it with theirvotes, and got it passed. The legislaonmade it a class-D felony to le afrivolous lawsuit. Guess who gets todecide what lawsuit may be frivolous?The same judge.

We are playing the game wrong. Theusual social paciers obviously willnot do the job. Money wont do iteither. Higher standards (upliingprinciples) and power (the power ofan organized collecve), will. Think onthis. In the conscious so-called blackcommunity we pride ourselves onour high intelligence, on our heritage,the fact that our ancestors taught theworld civilizaon, science, culture,etc....and we are right.

However, when it comes to organizingand mobilizing we turn up our nose,saying things like our vote doesntcount. Thats their system, not ours.One of the most basic signs ofintelligence that we observe in theanimal kingdom is the ability of animalsto organize and form communies, orherds, prides, or colonies.

We invented the sciences,mathemacs, etc. Wildebeests cantdo long division, but they can organizeand mobilize themselves.

Think on that.Sharif A. Bey

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4/12

4 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013LOCAL

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Pat Hogan Lays Out Ten Point Education Reform PlanA Ten Point Educaon Reform planwas introduced by Syracuse CityCouncilman and candidate for mayor,Pat Hogan Monday.

Dr. Peter Knoblock Ph.D. stood besideHogan in support of the reform. Dr.Knoblock is the Co-Chair of PublicEducaon Task Force for the Alliance ofCommunies Transforming Syracuse(ACTS) and former Syracuse Universityprofessor.

The graduaon rates in this city arenot acceptable. If we do not focuson our schools, we are giving up,Hogan said. Syracuse must not giveup on our children. We need peopleto move back to the city of Syracuseand the schools need to meet theirexpectaons.

Pat Hogans son aends public schooland Hogan was a teaching assistant inSyracuse schools for three years. Lessthan 50% of students who start 9thgrade this fall will graduate in 4 years.

As Mayor, Pat says that he will:

Point #1: Push for quality full-dayPre-K. If we do not invest in Pre-K,we are not invesng in our future.Plain and simple. We need to close

the gap of pre-k learning among all ofSyracuses children. We can priorizethe city schools budget to make thishappen.

Point #2: Help push for equitablefunding for city schools. The statefunding formula is so skewed fordownstate schools. Low wealthschools like Syracuse arent gengtheir fair share.

Point #3: Preserve the Say Yesto Educaon program and theopportunies it has provided ourchildren. We need to connue to ndongoing support for the school andcommunity eorts provided by SayYes, like health clinics in schools andlegal clinics for tenants rights.

Point #4: Support the compleon ofthe school renovaon program thatstarted 7 years ago. The renovaonhas made a big dierence in theenvironment of our childrenseducaon experience. I pledge to havea Joint Schools Construcon Board thatrepresents the diverse communieswithin our city neighborhoods.

Point #5: Partner and support with allthe non-prot literacy organizaons toaim for a higher literacy rate in the city

of Syracuse.

Point #6: Retain Syracuses greatteachers in the Syracuse SchoolDistrict. Our teachers are working hardin a complex environment and need allof our support.

Point #7: Work to ensure that when ourchildren leave for school, they are in asafe and orderly school environment.Police presence in our elementary andmiddle schools must be mandatory.

Point #8: Expand technical trainingto prepare high school students forcareer-ready jobs.

Point #9: Team with faith-basedprograms, like ACTS (Alliance forCommunies Transforming Syracuse)and Mercy Works, for before and aerschool acvies. Without a vision, thepeople will perish.

Point #10: Create a city campaignregarding bullying in schools andonline. We need to build each otherup, not rip each other down.

I fully understand the limitaons aMayor has to inuence the workingsof the Syracuse School District, Hogansaid. But the Mayor does have a

voice. I used to support StephanieMiner. Not anymore. Syracuse needsleadership as good as its people. Ipledge to honor this plan and be anadvocate for educaon reform like myfriend Dr. Knoblock.

Pat Hogan

Air Guard unit OKd to fly drones in Syracuse areaThe commander of the Air NaonalGuard unit that operates remotelypiloted drones from its central NewYork base is holding a news conferenceto discuss the expansion of theairspace in which it operates.

Col. Greg Semmel of the Air Naonal

Guards 174th Aack Wing will talkto the media late Monday morning atHancock Field Air Naonal Guard Basein Syracuse.

Naonal Guard ocials say theFederal Aviaon Administraon hasauthorized the wing to operate MQ-9

Reapers in airspace south of Fort Drumin the Syracuse region.

The 174th switched three yearsago from ying F-16 ghter jets tooperang unmanned aircra fromHancock Field. The drones operatedfrom the Syracuse base support

military operaons in Afghanistan.

The unit conducts training exercises atFort Drum, located 70 miles north ofSyracuse.

New Syracuse Group Opposes I-81 Diversion OptionSeveral prominent elected ocialsand business leaders in the Syracusearea have joined forces to oppose anyplans to divert the stretch of Interstate81 that runs through the city.

A new group called Save81.org isholding a news conference Thursday

morning in downtown Syracuse tovoice its opposion to proposals thatwould reroute I-81 away from itscurrent trac paern. One plan beingconsidered by state transportaonocials would turn the elevatedporon of the highway into a boulevardwith stop lights and cross streets.

Members of Save81.org say such aplan would increase trac congesonand drive business away from thedowntown area.

The groups members includeCongressman Dan Maei, several statelawmakers, hotel owners and tourism

ocials.

Supporters say removing I-81 fromdowntown Syracuse will revitalize thecity.


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5 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013PUZZLES

Across1. Victoria Secret oering4. Mint8. Pronoun11. Tiny parcle12. Not sawn14. Your and my15. Kicks16. Honey farmer18. Lawyers charges20. Green vegetable21. In the lead24. ___ lost!27. Pung on30. 60s songwriter32. Crumbled33. Actor Robert34. Fundamental principle35. Temporary36. Southern general in the Civil War37. Dish38. Good shot40. Sr up44. Timely49. High card50. Magical51. Ruhr River city52. Help!53. Kind of number54. Evergreens with red berries55. Cable staon

Down1. Punch2. Gigolo3. Green Gables girl4. Chicago bear?5. Together6. First-aid item7. Microwave8. Uncooked french toast9. Shade10. Do wrong13. Ice ___17. Mechanical and design expert19. West coast city22. Goes quickly23. Close25. Islamic potentate26. Actress, Spelling27. Girl coming into womanhood28. Examinaon type29. Barely beat, with out30. Badgers tunnel31. __ de plume (pen name)33. Evidence piece35. Treat unjustly (2 words)37. Fall guy39. Exploraon target41. Hop dryer42. Desktop object43. For fear44. Out of sync45. Green color46. Eucharist vessel

47. Novel48. Coast Guard ocer, abbr.

LOCALSyracuse officialscracking down on corner stores

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - City ocials inSyracuse are cracking down on cornerstores that violate safety and healthcodes, shung down one businessand ordering several others to close iftheir owners dont x problems within24 hours.

Calling corner stores the scourgeof many secons of Syracuse, MayorStephanie Miner announced Tuesdaythat complaints from residents in low-income neighborhoods prompted cityinspectors to target 10 businesses forincreased enforcement.

One store was shut down immediatelyfor code violaons and ve otherswere ordered closed if seriouselectrical, re and sewage problemsarent corrected.Ocials say the store that was shutdown had gas and sewage leaking inthe basement.

Community leaders say many cornerstores focus on selling loery cketsand alcohol, not healthy foods.

Syracuse, Binghamton, OswegoLabor Unions Recover Some ofMadoff Ponzi Scheme LossesA labor union local in the Syracusearea has received about half of themore than $20 million that it lost inthe Bernard Mado mulbillion-dollarPonzi scheme.

Lawyers from a Westchester law rmdelivered two checks totaling $10.8million to Local 267 of the Plumbersand Steamers Union at its oce insuburban DeWi on Wednesday.

The union had invested $20.6 milliondirectly or through investment fundsin what turned out to be Madoslong-running investment scams.Union ocials say theyre hopingto recover the rest of its investmentthrough the Mado bankruptcycase. So far, more than $9 billion ofthe approximately $17 billion thatMado took from investors has beenrecovered.

Other checks were delivered tothe unions locals in Oswego andBinghamton.

Bernard Mado


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6 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013COVER

By Lisa Dumas

Since the beginning of the year,polical candidates in Syracuse andOnondaga County have been gearingup for highly-ancipated eleconsin November, but, so far, several ofthe races have not yet been withoutcontroversy. Seats on the ballot includemayor, city council, council president,city court judge, schoolboard and

county legislature.

In the mayoral race, Republicans haveseemingly had a hard me nding acandidate to challenge DemocracSyracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner,who is currently seeking elecon to asecond term.

So much so that, previously, OnondagaCounty Republican Commiee

Chairman Tom Dadeyreportedly put his own

name on the ballot as aplaceholder.

Dadey hadunl July 19

to namean actualcandidateon thepetition,b u t ,since thedeadlinepassed,he mayh a v edecidedto moveo u tof thecity inorder to

disqualifyh i m s e l f a n d

possibly get his name removed fromthe ballot, according to reports.

And, in view of the fact that no ocialcandidates name has been given, therehas been heavy speculaon that theparty will cross-endorse DemocracCity Councilor Pat Hogan, in lieuof endorsing their own Republicancontender.

Consequently, Onondaga DemocracCommiee Chair Mark Englishpublished a leer in Syracuses ThePost Standard inquiring whetherHogan would ask Democrac voters toabandon their party should he chooseto accept Republicans support.

Hogan responded, The people ofSyracuse deserve a choice. The onlypledge I will make is to the peopleof the city of Syracuse to put peoplebefore polics. In the last four years,our neighborhoods have not goensafer, our schools have not performedbeer and our scal strength has notincreased.

However, Hogan has not said whetherhe plans to agree to the potenalRepublican nominaon.

In addion, Dadey recently led alawsuit with the State Supreme Court

to challenge the nominang peonsof Republican candidate Ian Hunterwho, although not endorsed by theGOP, led 680 signatures with theOnondaga County Board of Eleconsto put his name on the November

ballot.

Dadey has been granted ahearing on Aug. 13, accordingto reports.

Alfonso Davis is also acandidate for mayor. Hewill challenge Miner in aDemocrac primary.

Davis ran unsuccessfully

in the Democrac

primary against Miner, Joe Nicoleand Carmen Harlow in 2009.

In 2011 Davis wife, Felicia Davis, wasred by Miner from her posion ashead of the Syracuse Review Board.Miner cited poor performance as herreason for leng go Felicia Davis.

Felicia Davis has a lawsuit pendingin federal court against the city ofSyracuse saying she was discriminatedagainst.

Addionally, Kevin Bo has joined therace on the Green Party line.

In the race for county legislature,Democrats are cross-endorsingconservave Gary Brisson, of NorthSyracuse, to run against currentOnondaga County Legislator KathyRapp, a Salina Republican.

Brisson has been a eld representaveat Naonal Grid for 36 years, and saidhe will rere this year in hopes ofbeing elected to the oce.

Rapp has served as an OnondagaCounty legislator since 1998.

The Democrats endorsed himbecause they needed a candidate,she said. You give people a choice,

thats the system. You denitely cantget mad at someone for stepping up.However, as the longest-servingmember of the legislature, Rapp saidshe looks forward to connuing herme in oce.

Even aer 14 years I sll nd it reallyinteresng, she said. Theres sllissues that need to get solved. I sllget up in the morning and Im excitedto start my day.

According to the Democrac Party,there are no Democrats interested inthe seat.

In the city council arena, the Syracuse

Democrac Commiee has declined


mayor stephanie miner


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7 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013to endorse two incumbent members,Jean Kessner and Lance Denno, infavor of two new candidates, PamelaHunter and Je Wright, to run in theirplace.

Kessner and Denno have reportedlyboth had long-standing conict withthe mayor and are now circulangpeons in order to challenge Hunterand Wright in a September primary.

As a result, Councilor Pat Hoganaccused the mayor of trying toinuence the commiee, but,although Miner acknowledged shehad recently been frustrated withcouncil leadership, she said she in noway aempted to sway the decision.

In addion, Green Party candidateHowie Hawkins said he will run forthe 4th District Common Council Seatcurrently held by Khalid Bey.

Hawkins has run for oce severalmes since moving to Syracuse in1991, including a prior run for the 4thdistrict seat, a bid for mayor in 2005and one for governor in 2010.

But this me, according to Hawkins,

hes condent he will win.

Ive been talking about the issues allalong, Hawkins said. Its just morepeople know who I am and what Imstanding for.

Hawkins said he plans to focus on threeareas if he successfully takes the seat,including scal health, city-fundedjobs for city residents, and economicdevelopment.

All ve city council seats are available,as well as City Council President VanRobinsons seat, and two of the fourcouncilor-at-large seats.

Three school board seats are alsoavailable. Calvin Corridors and RichardStrong are not seeking re-elecon,while President Patricia Body is seekinganother term.

Body currently has the endorsement ofthe Democrac Party, and, accordingto Body, she decided to run becauseshe said she has the most experience.

I think one of the reasons I choseto run is because I think it would bedicult to have seven members with

very lile experience, she said.There are four memberswhove only been there fora year and a half. I willhave been there four.

As for her chancesof being re-elected,Well, you neverknow, Body said. Imhoping they would begood, but you neverknow.

Currently, threeDemocrats and twoRepublicans have ledpeons to run for theseats, overall.

According to theOnondaga County Boardof Elecons, there are38,508 Democrats, 11,625Republicans and 16,461registered voters notaliated with anyparty in Syracuse.

COVER stORy


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8 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013NAtIONAL

By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) It wasstanding room only in the East Roomof the White House. The passionateroar of conversaons and the clink offorks lled the room. Then, a calm andburst of cheers and applause as thePresident strode onto the plaorm.

It was the 50th Anniversary of theLawyers Commiee for Civil RightsUnder Law, being saluted in a specialWhite House recepon by PresidentBarack Obama and Aorney GeneralEric Holder. Shoulder to shoulder,civil rights lawyers, LCCR sta, board

members and supporters from acrossthe country stood in the same roomwhere President John F. Kennedyand then Aorney General RobertKennedy rst met with 244 lawyers,rst establishing the commiee amidstthe civil rights bales in the summer of1963.

With that historic backdrop and amidstmajor new civil rights issues a halfcentury later, the guests in the packedroom ancipated what this Presidentwould say in the August 1 recepon.

In this very room President Kennedybrought together some of our naonstop lawyers y years ago hoping to

enlist them in the ght to make societymore just, he said. Looking back it isclear why President Kennedy, duringone of the most turbulent mes in ourhistory, turned to this profession. Heknew that the prize of equality wouldnot be won only in the streets. But, italso had to be won in the courts andthe state legislatures and in Congress.And he knew that in order to protectfair and equal access to jusce, weneeded to do more than just changeminds, we also had to change laws.

Its been only eight months since thepresidenal elecon in which theLawyers Commiee and others foughtmajor court bales against new vong

law that would have underminedthe Black vote. And with the recentSupreme Court ruling that eecvelygued the pre-clearance mandateof the Vong Rights Act; plus newconcerns about racial proling andstand-your-ground laws, civil rightslawyers are as passionate as ever.A lawyer himself, President Obamaacknowledged the challenging roadahead.

From the Civil Rights Act, to the FairHousing Act, to the Vong RightsAct, me and again, you have putyour hands on the arch of historyand bent it a lile bit in the direconof jusce. As Eric menoned, we

gather here today mindfully that ourwork is not yet done. There are basicrights like the right to vote that sll

have to be protected. There are toomany Americans who are sll facingdiscriminaon, he said. As we markthis anniversary, its important to notethat the civil rights movement wasntjust about racial equality. It was alsoabout jobs, economic jusce; the civilrights movement was about equalaccess to the courts, the full proteconof our Constuon. Those are all thingsthat connue to challenge us today.And the good news is that we havean organizaon like this that is ableto mobilize and galvanize leadershipfrom all across the country.

These were words of revival coming

from Americas rst Black President,who only weeks ago candidly discussedthe pain of racial proling in America.At that me, he was opining on thereacons to the not-guilty verdictin the George Zimmerman seconddegree murder trial. Though lesspersonal in his recepon remarks, hewas just as pointed.

Im condent that you will, like Ericand me and others, want to connueto make the law work for all and I wantto thank you for what this organizaonhas accomplished and I look forwardto watching you accomplish even moreand stand alongside you every step ofthe way.

Lauded by the President as havingbeen among the original groupconvened by President Kennedy, abeaming U. S. Rep. John Conyers(D-Mich.) and Robert Mucklestone, aSeale aorney who is now a LawyersCommiee trustee, were especiallyproud of how the organizaon hasremained strong.

Its amazing what the Commieedoes now, said Mucklestone in abrief interview. Its gone way beyondwhat was envisioned at the beginning.Theyve goen very, very talentedpeople and of course Barbara does aspectacular job, he said, referring to

LCCR Execuve Barbara Arnwine, whohas led the organizaon for 30 years.

Congressman Conyers, whose string ofhallmark bills since his 1965 elecon,include the End Racial ProlingAct stressed the importance of theLawyers Commiee for the past andthe future. What I want to see themdo now is connue what theyvebeen doing for these y years. Tobe invited to the White House by thePresident. These lawyers from all overthe country, singled out for their civilrights work, is an honor that none ofthem will ever forget.

Other guests include civil rights royalty

such as the SCLC Vice PresidentRev. C. T. Vivian, a lieutenant of Dr.Marn Luther King Jr.; former Md. Lt.

Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend,the daughter of the late Sen. Robert

Kennedy; and Va. Sen. Henry L. MarshIII, the rst Black mayor of Richmond,Va., who once shared a law rm withthe late Oliver W. Hill, one of theaorneys represenng plains inBrown vs. Board of Educaon thatended the separate but equaldoctrine.

In opening remarks, Arnwine focusedmainly on the visionary work of theLawyers Commiee.

We, the board, sta and supportersof the great Kennedy Vision thatemanated from this room 50 yearsago recognize the remaining immensechallenge of achieving inclusion,

racial jusce and opportunity for allAmericans, she said. The overt andsubtle racial discriminaon and racialdisparies of our me requires thatthe private bar brings the best of ourtalent and dedicaon to dismantlingthese barriers and combangdiscriminaon in any and all forms. It isour duty and responsibility as lawyersto build the bridges that will transionour naon to a powerful model forthe world of racial, ethnic and genderequality, inclusion for all people, andeconomic and polical jusce.

The White House recepon culminateda string of events celebrang theorganizaons 50th Anniversary this

year under the mantra, MovingAmerica Toward Jusce. Theanniversary coincides with the

50th anniversary of the March onWashington for Jobs and Freedom

coming up August 28.

The East Wing of this White Houseis hallowed ground to the LawyersCommiee, said Jane Sherburne,a Lawyers Commiee co-chair, toldthe crowd. We were founded in thisroom y years ago at a me whenour profession had not yet consciouslyrecognized a role, much less anobligaon, to defend the rights of BlackAmericans in a harshly segregatedsociety, she said. Mr. President, wehave not stopped sinceLast year,under the leadership of the lawyers inthis room, we contributed more than90,000 hours of legal services valuedat 47 million dollars in support of

Lawyers Commiee work.

Helping to recognize the work was EricHolder, who just last week announcedthat he will pursue federal courtpermission to force Texas to pre-clear its new vong laws.

Despite everything that the LawyersCommiee and so many othershave accomplished over the last halfcentury, there is no doubt that ourjourney as a naon and as a people arefar from over. So our important workmust go on, he said. I can assure youthat this administraon, this Presidentand this Jusce Department are rmlycommied to using every tool at our

disposal to connue to ensure that thecivil rights and the vong rights of allAmericans are protected.

Obama Promises to Stand AlongsideCivil Rights Lawyers Every Step of the Way

President Obama


9/12

9 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013

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10 www.cnyvision.com |august 15 - 21| 2013OPINION/EDItORIAL The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do notnecessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision

KOFI QUAYE

When I met RasSimein Anu, hehad experiencedwhat hedescribed as ad is appoint ingturnout for anevent he hadorganized in thecommunity afew days before.

It didnt surprisehim that the turn

out was low.He knew from the beginning that itwouldnt be an easy task.

Experience had taught him thatgeng the Syracuse African-Americancommunity to come out to aend,support and show solidarity for acause is always a hard sell.

But, he was determined and put allhis me, energy, eort and resourcesinto making sure that the event waspublicized by word-of-mouth, yers,public service announcements andjust about every method that could beused.

Yet the turn out was no dierentfrom what he had experienced inthe past; low. According to him, heis not discouraged. If anything, he is

more determined and movated. Heimmediately focused his aenonon another community based eventscheduled to be held at the DunbarCenter on July 3.

He had invited Dr. Umar AbdullahJohnson to headline a series ofcommunity based events as part ofan ongoing eort to raise awareness,educate and inform members of thecommunity on issues that impact theirlives.

The general theme was The PsychoAncestral Breakdown, the tle of a DVDdocumentary Anu had put together.

He also stated that the low turn outat the last event has reinforced hisconvicon that the community needs alot more people like him to connue toorganize events, make speeches, writearcles, use social media such as YouTube and everything else in betweento connue to make as much noise aspossible to increase awareness of theirplight.

And that is precisely what he does. Heorganizes community based events,puts together DVDs, CDs, bookletsand books, all focusing on the centraltheme that the African-Americancommunity has to use availableresources to bring change.

I have never been more surprisedand fascinated at the same me as Iwatched him in acon that Saturdayin June. He decided to turn ourunplanned meeng at the restaurantof a mutual friend into an interviewsession he would videotape.

Within minutes, the restaurant wastransformed into a make shi studiowith his digital camera sing atop astand and commanding a perfect viewof the three of us sing down andtalking.

It took me a minute or two to make thetransion from a writer and journalist

who usually asks the quesons tobeing part of a discussion answeringquesons generated by Ras Simien Anuwho le no doubt in anyones mindabout his objecve; the economic,social and polical empowerment ofthe African people globally, and therole that can be played by leaderssuch as Dr. Umar Johnson, Dr. AmosWilson and other African-Americanshe describes as mater teachers.

It was the kind of ideologically drivendiscussion that leaves lile or no roomfor total objecvity or neutrality; youare either for or against.

I asked myself a few quesons as

I listened to Ras Simien Anu andL. Davis discuss the issues. DontAfrican-Americans know by nowthat the situaon is bleak in terms ofemployment, educaon, nancial andeconomic power, etc.?

What about all the media hype overthe years that focused mostly on thosesame areas and called the people toacon?

Is there the need for individuals likeAnu to literally put their lines on theline and connue to advocate, pushand lead the community with themessage to wake up and do somethingbefore it is too late as he said?

Meeng Anu claried a lot of thingsfor me, not the least of which is thefact that the consciousness movementis very much alive and gatheringmomentum, as a result of the unringeorts, me and energy put into it bymany like him who pursue it daily andtry to get others involved.He alluded to my personal conneconwith the late Dr. Amos Wilson, whomhe describes as one of the most brilliantminds to emerge from the African-American community in recent years;whose research into the condionof the African-American condion inAmerica led him to him to write books

on the subject.

In speeches, books and arcles andother acvies, Dr. Wilson reiteratedwhat had been said before, but witha sense of urgency and immediacy,that the African-American communityin America and around the world hasto take control of their desny andmake a conscious and concerted eortto empower themselves polically,socially and economically.

Dr. Amos Wilsons books and speecheshave become quite popular recently.He pulls no punches when it comesto aacking the establishment andblaming the system for creang

problems for African-Americans. I methim in New York City in the 70s, andplayed a key role in the early stages ofhis wring and publishing career.

It was my suggeson that we makea book of a series of arcles he hadwrien on the psychology of the BlackChild that led to the publicaon of hisrst book tled The DevelopmentalPsychology of the Black Child. The restis history, as they say. It paved the wayfor other books that established him asa solid intellectual heavyweight with adeep insight into the dynamics of thepower structure and its relaonshipto the African-American communityand what can be done to minimize

and ulmately stop the damage it hasdone over the years.

In prey much the same way, RasSimien Anu is replicang what manyhave done; geng the message outto the people, poinng out what hasgone wrong and what to do makeblack empowerment a reality and heneeds our support, encouragementand parcipaon

I admire him just as much as I did Dr.Wilson, Malcolm X, and other masterteachers who have sought to lead theway. He is doing everything he canwith minimal resources and not muchsupport and parcipaon from the

community.

While it true that a subject as thepsycho-ancestral breakdown of theAfrican-American condion mightsound a lile too esoteric or evenacademic for many, he has developedand nurtured a passion for it andbelieves it holds the key to meengthe challenges that face the globalAfrican community.

One thing is for sure; he is dedicatedto creang an awareness of what heperceives as a huge problem facingAfrican-Americans. He also believesin what he is doing and that is just asimportant.

More Support Needed For Community Based Activities in Syracuse


11/12


President Obamahas kicked oa series of talks

to Americasworking familieson the economy.He started inG a l e s b u r g ,Ill., wherehe succinctlydescribed asoluon toour economictroubles: making

the middle class the engine ofAmerican prosperity.

Obama said: I care about one thingand one thing only, and thats how touse every minute of the 1,276 daysremaining in my term to make this

country work for working Americansagain. Several things ow from theemphasis on the middle class. Thepresident indicated that policies inrecent years have focused too heavilyon what government could do to helpthe wealthy.

For instance, he pointed out a majorswitch in post-World War II economicpolicy when, beginning in the 1980s,Washington doled out bigger taxcuts to the rich and smaller minimumwage increases for the working poor.And, he observed, Even though ourbusinesses are creang new jobs andhave broken record prots, nearlyall the income gains of the past 10

years have connued to ow to thetop 1%. The average CEO has goena raise of nearly 40% since 2009, butthe average American earns less thanhe or she did in 1999. This switch inpolicy and the outcome of growinginequality were fueled in a belief thatthe engine of American prosperity layin its wealthy entrepreneurs-not in itsvibrant middle class.Thank you for signing up to receiveour blog alerts. You will receive yourrst email shortly. The presidentsummarized this as bad economics:This growing inequality isnt justmorally wrong; its bad economics.When middle-class families have

less to spend, businesses have fewercustomers. When wealth concentratesat the very top, it can inate unstablebubbles that threaten the economy.When the rungs on the ladder ofopportunity grow farther apart, itundermines the very essence of thiscountry.

Several things ow from this analysisthat arent as clearly arculated by thepresidents speech at Galesburg. First,the connued emphasis in Washingtonon runaway government spending anddecits is really a conversaon basedon a belief that the engine of Americanprosperity is a rich and privileged classthat doesnt have to pay taxes. Prots

are up. American growth-the GDPmeasuring the size of our economy-has recovered and connues to grow.The ability of America to pay its bills

is not falling, the willingness of therich to pay their fair share is. But aconversaon dominated by what the

rich are willing to pay is a diversionfrom a conversaon on what Americaneeds to sustain its growth. And, it isthat frank conversaon that peoplewant to take place; then we can judgeif spending is growing too fast ordecits are out of control.

The president did menon the middleclass grew when unions could ght forworkers. And that has not changed.Middle-class values go to democracyin economic acvity-balancing thepower of employers and employees.Unions and the right of workers toorganize and raise their voices at thetable when the pie is being cut areessenal to a vibrant middle class.

The president must have an agendato strengthen the rights of workers toorganize.

Middle class-led growth had severaldimensions to it. The president touchedon a few of those elements. One waseducaon and the aordability ofa college educaon. But he le outaccess to a high-quality educaon formiddle-class children. The massivedefunding of public higher educaonby American states means the greaterchallenge to middle-class children isaccess to a high-quality college. Thepresident talked about cost savingsthat public colleges could engage in,like online course work. I know that

the parents who are paying Harvardtuion would not welcome paying foronline course work.

In the past, we made the likes of theUniversies of California-Berkeley,Michigan and Virginia the public Ivies,high-quality research universieswith rankings that rivaled Ivy Leagueschools but with public endowmentsto level the playing eld with the vastendowments of Harvard and Yale sotop faculty could be recruited to teachmiddle-class students. And, in part,the rise in public funding led to a risein compeon for leading professors.This is an element of rising inequalitythe president did not menon, but

must be part of the rebuilding of amiddle class-not simply cheapeningmiddle-class educaonal opportunity.

Middle class-led growth meansadming that people can legimatelydemand public goods-like high-qualitycolleges. The American middle classof the post-World War II era was verydependent on a renewed sense thatpeople could demand public goods-high-quality primary and secondaryeducaon, libraries and public parksand quality public roads and highways.In the post-World War II era, muchof that demand was met throughstate and local eorts. But, based onarcane local taxing schemes that oen

segregated high-quality public goods-like public primary and secondaryeducaon on tax sources ed toincome segregaon. Sll, the public

sector and public goods are vital to afunconing middle class.

This economic recession was themost severe of the post-war era inshrinking the revenues of state andlocal governments. The presidentmust address the dying public sector.While he touts the growth of private-sector employment, this recovery hasuniquely been marked for the shrinkingof public-sector employment. Yet,the demand for schools has not gonedown, the demand for public safety-police, reghters and emergencyhealth responders-remains constant.The president must show moreleadership on this.

President Bush responded whenthe nancial sector was collapsing,

forcing the American people to seethe essenal nature of a funconingnance sector-even one that wascorrupt and had speculated the naoninto a recession. President Obamamust make the same case for thepublic sector. If the nancial sectoris the heart of the economy, thenthe public sector is the economyskidneys. You wont live without aheart, but you also will not live withoutkidneys.

So, if the lesson that Bush pushed wasthat there were banks too large to fail,President Obama must be leading uswith acons because there are ciestoo big to fail. The loss of revenue

for Detroit-a city straddled with abyzanne scal structure designedby Michigan policians at odds withits major city, and based heavily onincome taxes-is not simply the resultof a shrinking populaon base, but acollapsed labor market. The downwardspiral the city was sent in by the 2001economic downturn and the weakrecovery through 2007 is a cauonarytale of where we are in state and localnance, not a singular event ed toDetroits polical leadership.

Certainly, the banks saved by theTARP under President Bush andconnued when President Obamatook oce were not managed in a

stellar way, either. And, similarly, theirfailures could be explained away asthe funcon of roen morals andmisguided incenves. But, those truthswould not outweigh the calculus of thenecessity of their sector to funconso we can have a modern economy.Similarly, no truths about Detroitoutweigh the necessity of funconing,high-quality, well-funded schools, safestreets, regular sanitaon, clean waterand well-maintained transportaonstructures-whether buses or smoothlypaved streets.

The president did menon poverty,and among the key elements of thepost-war middle class were programs

aimed at middle-class safety nets.We dont operate an economy thatguarantees success, but a middle classis dependent on an economy that

prevents people from falling too far.Today, we are connuing to pull away inthe quality of that safety net. Southern

states, long in rebellion against amiddle-class naon, are speeding uptheir pulling away from the fabric ofAmericas social safety net. It is whythe South is disproporonately thehome of Americas poor and, as weare learning from recent research, thecradle of the growing immobility ofpoor.

The South breeds poverty not justthrough its porous safety net thatwould prevent poverty, but thatsame crashing of incomes aensthe mobility of those who do becomepoor from climbing back. A strongmiddle class means a renewedcommitment to a naonal set of

standards for the adequacy of benetsfor unemployment, Medicaid andTemporary Assistance to NeedyFamilies. And it means the presidentmust be unequivocal that a solidmiddle class rests on no cuts to SocialSecurity benets. In fact, the post-war middle-class society was markedby expansion and increases in SocialSecurity benets.

The president signaled he hadresponded to all the Republicancricisms. His health care reform wasnot slowing job growth. His inialeconomic plan that passed withno Republican votes reversed theaccelerated loss of jobs to connued

and steady private-sector job growth.The decits he inherited frommassive tax cuts for the wealthy andunfunded wars were now almost halftheir size relave to the size of theeconomy. Now, he wants to have theconversaon on restoring the middleclass.

Lets hope the talking heads ofWashington and the media consensusmove with him in describing thenaons problems and change thepage with the president. Lets hope theconversaon that moves forward is onthe real decits that aect Americasworking families-the decit of jobsfor our young people, the decits of

quality school slots for our childrenand the decit of security for ourrerements and health. Fiscal decitdebates need to be relegated to a pastvision of America that thought wecould grow a country by feeding therich. That vision failed. The presidentwants to reignite the American dream;a country of prosperity for all based onthe engine of the middle class.

-----------------------William Spriggs serves as ChiefEconomist to the AFL-CIO and is aprofessor in, and former chair of theDepartment of Economics at HowardUniversity. Bill is also former assistantsecretary for the Oce of Policy at the

United States Department of Labor.

OPINION/EDItORIALThe views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do notnecessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision

Getting on Track

WiLLiaM

sPriggs


12/12


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CNY Vision Week of August 15 - 21, 2013