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OMMUNITYOMMUNITYVOL. XXXIX Number 34 March 18, 2015 www.communityjournal.net 25 Cents BULK RATE

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINPERMIT NO. 4668

On Saturday, March 16, the day before the national Black Mar-riage Day event observed across the United States celebrating thevirtues of holy matrimony in the Black community, we held ourthird annual event, which coincided with the national observance.The attendance at Brentwood Church of Christ was impressive.

We attracted couples of varying ages and years of marriage, fromsix months to 57 years.Also in attendance were our youngest daughter and her fiancée.

We hope they were encouraged by the event and what the oldercouples shared as to what makes a marriage work—and that it iswork. As Evangelist Barry L. Gainey, the featured speaker at our

Black Marriage Day event, stated, “When you say I do, believeme you will.”But it’s also a labor of love we married couples who are com-

mitted to this centuries old institution wouldn’t trade for anythingin the world.So you can imagine our consternation when we read a story in

a recent Sunday edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MJS).On the front page of that issue was a story about the economic

decline and racial division hampering the rebirth of a city that wasonce the “beer capitol of the world,” and “the machine shop ofthe world.”The story partly blamed the economic decline and slow turn-

around on— of all things—disturbingly low numbers of Blackmarried couples in the city!The statistics for Black marriage in Milwaukee may indeed be

extremely low, especially in comparison to other metropolitanareas, but Black love, and Black marriage is still alive and is stilla desired value in our community.The article’s author neglected to mention this, let alone the var-

ious indicators that have led to the racial divide and decline inBlack marriage in Milwaukee… and nationally.As a matter of fact, the writer should have included the history

of Black marriage in America. That would have been a lot more

INSIDE:INSIDE: THE RETURN OF THE RETURN OF SIGNIFYIN’SIGNIFYIN’!!

Black Love, Black Marriage is Still Alive

FIRST PERSONFIRST PERSONBy Thomas and Clarene Mitchell

First printed in May of 2013

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sunday, March 22, is the national ob-servance of Black Marriage Day, which celebrates andbolsters the institution of marriage in the Black commu-nity. Because of this special day, we are reprinting an ar-ticle first run in 2013 written by MCJ editor and his wife,who will again be holding their Black Marriage Dayevent on that same week, Saturday, March 28 at Brent-wood Church of Christ, 6425 N. 60th St., starting at 2p.m. Go to the Religious page to see more informationin our Relgious event section. Or visit Brentwood-CCM@yahoo.com, or go to the Black Marriage Day Pageon Facebook under, Christian Couples Ministry.

MPS Sup. Driver among urbanschool leaders to meet PresidentObama on the state of education

PULSE OF THECOMMUNITYPhotos and question by Yvonne Kemp

Question ofthe Week:

“What do you thinkabout the 47 Repub-lican senators fromthe U.S. Senate

sending a letter tothe Iranian govern-ment and undermin-

ing PresidentBarack Obama?”

TONY COURTNEY: “It’s showingtotal disresepct to the office of thepresidency and the American peoplewho believe in democracy.”

RACHAEL WOODS: “I think it isvery disrespectful because he (Presi-dent Obama) is the man in charge. Heis our president and he deserveseveryone’s respect.”

DARRIN REASBY: “I am notshocked at all. At the end of the day,they still see him as a Black man andnot the President of the UnitedStates.”

SHERRY HILL: “I think the letter sentto Iran by the 47 “Republican senators”was not only unprecedented, it was un-derminding and circumventing the au-thority of the president and the powersgranted to this office by the U.S. Constitu-tion. This was no accident. It was inten-tional and should be outed for what it isas un-American.”

Compiled by MCJ StaffMILWAUKEE--Milwaukee Public Schools Superin-

tendent, Dr. Darienne Driver, was among 10 other urbanschool district leaders to meet with President BarackObama at the White House Monday. The president and school district leaders discussed ef-

forts to strengthen educational opportunities for studentsin city schools.“I am grateful for the opportunity we had to share the

progress urban districts are making, to share the innova-tive practices we are putting in place to accelerate ourgrowth and to reiterate our support for being accountablefor student achievement,” said Driver in a MPS pressstatement following the meeting.“It was also an opportunity to express concern about

the proposals to reauthorize Elementary and SecondaryEducation Act (ESEA) that would reduce funding formany of the highest-need, highest-poverty districts in theUnited States.Saying MPS was proud to join with other CGCS par-

ticipants in serving all students, Driver said any new planmust help move the nation’s neediest students forward—not backward.“If the choice is between not doing harm or doing

harm, it would seem self-evident that the current waiversystem will have to remain in place until a bill can bepassed that responsibly supports all our students.”During the meeting with the president, Driver and the

other school district leaders provided a number of exam-ples of programs that have made the most of federal fundsprovided to high-needs districts in ways that improve out-comes and opportunities for students. For MPS, that in-cludes the district’s Commitment Schools effort, whichis showing early signs of progress.In its first year, the Commitment Schools initiative is

aimed at transforming underperforming schools intohigh-performing schools through increased resources tosupport school-specific rigorous academic and behavioralinterventions with the ultimate goal of achieving greatercollege and career readiness.Driver also shared with the president how MPS part-

nered with the General Electric (GE) Foundation to de-velop scalable and sustainable in-house models ofinnovative learning that can now share best practices withother schools.“I spoke about our efforts to implement the rigorous

Common Core State Standards and to increase the inte-

gration of science, technology, engineering and math,”Driver said. “I also shared how we are beginning to workwith the College Board to improve outcomes for ouryoung men of color through the president’s My Brother’sKeeper initiative.”The MPS superintendent agreed with the president on

the need to focus—as MPS has done through its Com-mitment Schools process—on providing low-performingschools with the tools they need to be successful.“I also agree that investment in our students with spe-

cial needs and our students who are English languagelearners is critical to our overall success.”Driver said the message of the group to the president

was that urban districts are making steady progress andimplementing efforts to accelerate that growth.“Any efforts to shift funds from high-need districts to

less needy schools—as some ESEA reauthorization pro-posals would—risks reversing that progress. As the pres-ident said Monday, continuing to invest in our children issomething worth fighting for.”

(Left to Right below): MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver, Juan Cabrera, Superintendent, El PasoIndependent School District, TX; Michael Hanson, Superintendent, Fresno Unified School District, CA;Richard Carranza, Superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District, CA; and Barbara Jenkins,Superintendent, Orange County Public Schools, FL. They are seen on the White House lawn after theirmeeting with President Obama.

“I amgrateful for the opportunitywehad to share the progress urban districts are making, to share the innovative practices we are putting

in place to accelerate our growth andto reiterate our support for being ac-countable for student achievement.”

--MPS Sup. Darienne Driver (shown above with MPS student) about her

meeting with President Obama

(continued on page 5)

Before I address a predominantly Whiteaudience on issues of diversity and race, I tryto establish a common ground of mutual frus-tration and pain. For example, I will speak of that day, De-

cember 7th, which lives in infamy in the heartand minds of many Americans. I speak about that day, September 11th,

which we will always remember and neverforget. These single days of terrorism had a lasting

effect on our country. Many Americans losttheir lives. Many Americans were outraged. Many Americans wanted harsh and imme-

diate actions to those terrorists that attackedAmericans on American soil. Then, I ask “Why are the descendant of in-

voluntary immigrants often told to forgetabout the great evil of the middle passage andslavery?” Our country can, rightfully, remember spe-

cific days of terrorism when the casualty num-bers were in the thousands, so how cananyone be expected to forget about the cen-turies of emotional, physical and sexual cru-elty that was exacted upon millions? Even after the 13th Amendment abolished

this barbaric institution of slavery, how can wenot think about the educational inequalities,financial exploitation, and mental crueltiesand that were still enacted upon their descen-dants. And, how can we be expected to forgetwhen we are still reminded in this present dayof our second-class citizenship? There was an interruption. Our ancestors

were stolen and sold as mere commercialgoods. There was an interruption. As brotherMalcolm stated, “we didn’t land on PlymouthRock, it landed on us.” There was an interruption. Individual and family lives, forever, in West Africa, the

Caribbean, South America and North America were inhumanely altered. There was aninterruption. Our ancestors were forced to lose all remnants of their culture and identity. There was an interruption, but there was not a destruction. An interruption, is an un-

wanted delay and unnecessary pause. It impedes progress. It delays progress. The re-siliency and strength of our ancestors is what gave birth to Maya Angelou’s angelicwords “Still I Rise.” Beaten but unbroken. Bloodied but unbowed. Captives but not conquered. Our spirits stand in unison and cry in a foreign tongue

with Cinque who implored the judicial system of America to “Give us Free!” My lovedones, is Denmark Vessey or Nat Turner any different from the great patriot Patrick Henry,who stated “Give me liberty or give me death!” These revolutionaries understood, people will interrupt and inconvenience you-- for

their convenience. Like Frederick Douglass, we must be willing to interrupt the plansof others, especially when they don’t have our best interest at heart. Like Harriet Tubman,we must have the resolve and will to let others know they are being rudely interruptedand must help them learn how to move past the distractions.We live in a society today, where people pride themselves on the ability to multi-task.

These are people who have acquired a skill on how to continue positive progress on aspecific task while being mired with the duties and obligations of many other distractingtasks. Our ancestors, and other enslaved populations from civilizations past, have had todevelop this skill for survival. We cannot let interruptions deter and distract us from ac-complishing our goal. Yes, there are savage inequalities that exist within the educational

MENMENEMPOWERINGEMPOWERINGMENMENOurInterruption

By Dr. Ramel Smith, “TheBlaquesmith”

“There was an interruption, butthere was not a destruction. An

interruption, is an unwanted delay andunnecessary pause.It impedes progress.It delays progress.The resiliency and

strength of our ancestors is whatgave birth to Maya Angelou’s angelicwords ‘Still I Rise.’

Beaten but unbroken. Bloodied

but unbowed.”

(continued on page 7)

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 2

Free haircutsoffer positivity,mentorship on“BarbershopMondays”Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II

is encouraging residents to take partin Safe & Sound, Inc.’s BarbershopMondays, an initiative to providefree haircuts every Monday for youthand men, age 12 and older, at barber-shops across the 15th AldermanicDistrict.Today’s Barbershop Mondays ses-

sion will go until 6 p.m. at ProjectRespect, 2730 N. 27th St.In line with Safe & Sound’s mis-

sion of uniting residents, youth, lawenforcement and community re-sources to build safe and empoweredneighborhoods, H.O.-M.E Team (He-roes Operating In Milwaukee Every-day) has been created as an initiativeto promote neighborhood connectiv-ity, positive youth engagement in thecommunity, and project-based oppor-tunities for creativity and leadershipdevelopment. The H.O.M.E Team isconducting the Barbershop Mondayseffort, Alderman Stamper said.“The free haircuts on Barbershop

Mondays are meant to facilitate men-torship, networking and communica-tion opportunities wh-ile alsoboosting self-esteem,”Alderman Stamper said. “The bar-

bershop setting is recreated as a wayof imparting positive knowledge,connections and ideas on youth andmen who can then carry that for-ward.”In exchange for grooming services,

patrons will sweep their own hair andadd their names to a contact list forcommunity service projects like lawncare, snow removal for elderly, andneighborhood cleanups.Barbershop Mondays will involve

local barbers from various barber-shops, men from AMANI and otherneighborhoods, and will also offermentorship opportunities, and helpbridge generational gaps betweenyoung men and adults.For more information or to see

how you can be a part of H.O.M.ETeam, please contact Damien Smithat (414) 788-8085 or Damien@safe-sound.org.

The community is asked to beon the lookout for Margaret Byrd,a 65-year-old Northside womanwho has been missing for threedays. Her family describes her asbeing basically helpless, due toher mental illnesses. She is bi-polar and schizo-

phrenic. The family says any in-formation or help from thecommunity would be greatly ap-preciated. If anyone sees her, they are

asked to call the Milwaukee Po-lice Department's non-emergencyline at 414-933-4444. You can alsocall the Byrd family at 414-241-9814 or 262-293-3921.

Free bilingual healthyshopping program tobe held on March 28The bilingual Healthy Shopping on a Budgetprogram will be held at Forest Home Library,1432 W. Forest Home Avenue on Saturday,March 28 at 1:00 p.m.This program will be presented in English andSpanish by Molina Healthcare. The HealthyShopping on a Budget program is free andopen to the public. Molina Healthcare’s Bilin-gual Community Outreach Coordinator willprovide information about how to shop smartand healthy, while staying within a reason-able budget. Alderman José G. Pérez encour-ages all residents to attend.“This is a great opportunity to learn how tomaximize your budget and maintain ahealthy diet,” Alderman Pérez said.More information is available on the attachedflyer.

THETHEPULSEPULSEThe WHO•WHAT•WHERE•WHEN

OF YOUR COMMUNITY

Committee to take up appointment of Dr. Fred L.Crouther to Fire and Police CommissionThe Milwaukee Common Council’s Public Safety Committee

will take up the appointment of Dr. Fred L. Crouther, the latestmayoral appointee to the Fire and Police Commission, at a meet-ing on Thursday, March 19 at 9:00 a.m., at City Hall, room 301-B, 200 E. Wells St.

Members of the public are invited to attend, submit writtenquestions for the appointee or make a brief statement if they de-sire.Dr. Crouther is the pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church on

N. 38th Street and a longtime advocate for civil rights, disadvan-taged populations and disabled people. He’s been a resident ofMilwaukee since 1964, and is involved with organizations includ-ing the NAACP, the YMCA and Milwaukee Inner City Congrega-

tions Allied for Hope. His appearance before the committee is the latest step in Dr.

Crouther’s appointment to the Fire and Police Commission, fol-lowing a series of public meetings during which interested citi-zens were able to learn more about his background and askquestions. After the Public Safety Committee takes up the matter,his appointment may be scheduled for and confirmed by the nextmeeting of the full Common Council.

MISSING!MISSING!

WisconsinSupreme Court

Milwaukee SchoolBoard District 2Milwaukee SchoolBoard District 3

District 10 County SupervisorSpecial Election

(Formerly represented by David Bowen)

Jeff Spence (Incumbent)Wendell J. Harris, Sr. (Challenger)

Michael Bonds (Incumbent)Stephany Pruitt (Challenger)

Supreme Moore OmokundeSolana Ramos

Ann Walsh Bardley (Incumbent)James P. Daley (Challenger)

Justice Bradley has voted for public employee rights and against voter ID while on the court.

Referendum Question (Explanation)Should we change the Wisconsin constitution to have the state’s SupremeCourt justices elect one of their members to be Chief Justice, rather than themethod used for 125 years that makes the longest serving justice the Chief?Yes or No?Voting NO means that EXPERIENCE will still decide who is Chief Justice,not the political beliefs of the justices in the majority.

Early VotingMarch 23-April 3, Mon. to Fri. only•8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.•City Hall, 200 E. Wells, Room 501Questions? Call Milwaukee Election Commission, 286-3491

Above information provided by My Vote Wisconsin

The winner for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice will serve for TEN (10) YEARS. Manycases will come to the court in that time: Civil Rights, education, workers’ rights, votingrights, and Milwaukee’s freedom to govern itself rather than let unfriendly politicians inMadison decide. Vote for Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Chief Justice, who is the leader of the court and of our judicial system, should havethe experience and wisdom that comes from long service. Turning the position into aprize for the party in the majority would make the court even more political than it isnow.

Leaders from the president to school board affect our lives and we need to use ourvotes to choose the ones we think are best, because we deserve the best.

Every voter•Every election•Every time!

April 7 Election•Milwaukee Ballot•Contested Offices(For full ballot with all offices to check your registration, go to myvote.wi.gov)These offices are nonpartisan, so no parties will be listed with the candidates

WHY VOTE IN THE APRIL 7 ELECTION?

ELECTION WATCH 2015

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “You can’t hate the root and not the fruit.You can’t hate Africa, the land where youand I originated, without winding up hating you and me.”--Malcolm X

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 3

THETHEMILWAUKEEMILWAUKEECOMMUNITYCOMMUNITYJOURNALJOURNALPublished twice weekly,Wednesday & Friday3612 North Martin LutherKing Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212Phone: 414-265-5300 (Advertising and Administration) • 414-265-6647 (Editorial) • Website: communityjournal.net • Email: Editorial@communi-tyjournal.net/Advertising@communityjournal.net

Opinion and comments expressed on the Perspectives page do not nec-essarily reflect the views of the publisher or management of the MCJ. Let-ters and “other perspectives” are accepted but may be edited for contentand length.

MCJ STAFF:Patricia O’Flynn -PattilloPublisher, CEORobert J. ThomasAssoc. PublisherTodd Thomas, Vice Pres.Mikel Holt, Assoc. PublisherThomas E. Mitchell, Jr., EditorTeretha Martin, Technical Consultant/Webmaster BillingDept./Publisher’s Admin. Assist.

Colleen Newsom,Classified AdvertisingJimmy V. Johnson, Sales Rep.CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Taki S. Raton, Richard G. Carter,Fr. Carl Diederichs, Rev. JoeMcLinPHOTOGRAPHER: Yvonne Kemp

WhenDid theBlackCommunity StopDreaming?One of the greatest men that the world has ever known is the late, great Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. author of the “I Have a Dream” speech. His dream was not some thoughtless wishthat one makes before going to sleep. This is about the highest level of accountability. Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was a fighter. He was definitely not the pacifist that is being depicted by the media today. Dr. King cared

very deeply for his people and he put it all on the line for all of humanity, America, and specif-ically Black Americans. Dr. King’s dream wasn’t about going to sleep and hoping that thingswould change – just the opposite. He worked, fought, struggled, and paid the ultimate price with his life. The “dream” is a

metaphor for a vision; a vision that was communicated to him by the Creator when he did sleep. Many people in religion say that dreams come from three places: The subconscious; the

Creator; or the Devil. Dreams have also been credited by many artists as being the source oftheir creativity and are often deeply symbolic. I believe that Dr. King’s dream for the Blackman in America came from his conversations with God. Dreams represent one of the most mysterious and interesting experiences in our lives. There

has always been a keen interest in the analysis and interpretation of dreams. Dreams play avery important role in our human existence and evolution. While we forget most of our dreams, there are times that our dreams become pivotal and

definitive moments in our lives. I’m very fortunate to be able to dream every time I fall asleep.In fact, in many cases especially during the day, I only know that I had fallen asleep because Iwould have a dream. I never have bad dreams or nightmares – my dreams are usually aboutmy work, family or our people. In my dreams, I’m usually confronting the daily challenges of my life and many times I will

see the solution in my dream. There have been many times these solutions are the best courseof action for me. Dreams are powerful and none was more powerful than Dr. King’s dream.“And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It

is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation willrise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, thatall men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons offormer slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the tableof brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of

injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedomand justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where theywill not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”(Dr. MartinLuther King Jr., 1963)These words and this dream drive my every spirit and when I have a moment to think about

it, it fill my eyes with tears (my eyes are full right now). These are not the words of a pacifist –these are the words of a prophet, a genius, a champion and a freedom fighter – a person whowas connected to a higher power (God). Dr. King’s dream is the vision for all humanity and Black people are part of that humanity

and deserve to derive the benefits that Almighty God bestowed on the crown of His creation.What has been done to Black people by white people is immoral and just wrong. I can onlythink of one reason why this not only happened, but why it and last as long as it did (300 years). It was for the love of money. The love of money (i.e. power, wealth, influence, control, etc.)

has corrupted people to the point that people will do almost anything to get money. The enslavement of millions of Black people was motivated by pure greed and a deep and

poisonous love for money. There are many struggles by both individuals and groups and the“good guy” doesn’t always win, at least in this dimension. The good guys in this case are those that are being oppressed. One group can inflict pain

and oppression over another group without any apparent consequences. This was the plight ofthe Black people in America for the past 400 years and it continues to be motivated by the loveof money which is masked under a false pretense, superficial, and most ignorant positon likeskin color. This falsehood is fed to the masses to keep us from seeing the real reason why wepractice hate – its greed. If we have any faith in the natural order of things (God), there have to be real consequences

for the foul actions of people. There are some who believe that there is a heaven and a hell.Heaven is for those people who uphold the laws of God and hell is for those who don’t. Whilethis is a very simplified interpretation of heaven and hell, it doesn’t take away the reality thatthe fight of right versus wrong or good versus evil is real amongst men. Freedom isn’t free;sometimes peace (i.e. justice, right, equality, etc.) can’t be achieved without a fight and/or astruggle, and Dr. King’s dream was about taking on this fight and destroying the myth of racialsuperiority. Why? Because we are all the same under our skin. We all are born and not one ofus will escape death. We all have to breathe oxygen and eat to sustain ourselves. Therefore,we are all human and have the same fate as all other humans. Along the way, division, whichwas intended to be a human strength and a beauty, was magnified by an evil spirit (devil) andmade human superiority (white) and human inferiority (black) that has been supported througha number of institutions (i.e. family, religion, law, etc.). The reality is that the most superioramongst us are those that are the most helpful to humanity. I asked you, “Who can determine who their parents will be? If you can control this, then

you can control the color of your skin. You, like me, had nothing to say with who your parentsare. So, this argument is moot. However, just like there are higher levels of good, there arelower levels of bad and this dynamic is what life is all about. This is the challenge of humanlife. Humanity must prevail.

A week ago, I posed thequestion as to why organizersof the commemoration of“Bloody Sunday” referred to itas a “celebration”?Several days later, on the anniversary of that defining

day in American history (March 13, 1965), President Bar-rack Obama answered my query.Standing at the entrance of the Edmund Pettis Bridge,

the nation’s first African American president proclaimedto the 40,000 assembled (and millions watching on tele-vision) that the country owed a debt to those warriors forjustice who braved brutal beatings to bring the world’sattention to Jim Crow and bigotry in a country that touteditself as a beacon of democracy and “justice for all.”“We gather here to honor the courage of ordinary

Americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chasten-ing rod, tear gas and the trampling hoof; men and womenwho despite the gush of blood and splintered bone wouldstay true to their North Star and keep marching forwardtoward justice.”Lying in my hospital bed minutes after being treated

by an African American physician who probably wouldnot have had the opportunity to serve save for the sacri-fices of Black and White civil rights activists, I hung onevery word uttered by the nation’s first African Americanpresident.From my perspective, Obama’s declarations on race re-

lations were among the most insightful of his term. They,no doubt, made many White Americans nervous, if notguilt ridden.That fact was illuminated by the absence of but a hand-

ful of Republican politicians. Also absent were any highprofile actors in the American drama of racial politics ina land whose script is in stark contrast to the tenets onwhich this nation was formed.They were absent from the symbolic march for the

same reason they didn’t attend the movies “12 Years aSlave,” or “Jackie Robinson.”Ask them where they were on this day, and you would

probably get an answer similar to the response you wouldreceive if you asked them why they didn’t attend any ofa thousand demonstrations in recent years that called foran end to profiling, an inequitable criminal justice systemor educational apartheid.But to those honest enough to accept the truth, the pres-

ident declared: “In one afternoon 50 years ago, so muchof our turbulent history—the stain of slavery and anguishof civil war; the yoke of segregation and tyranny of JimCrow; the death of four little girls in Birmingham and thedream of a Baptist preacher—met on this bridge.”What the marchers encountered was not the extended

hands of true Christians or patriots committed to thetenets of our Constitution or Bill of Rights, but insteadthey faced riot-geared state troopers armed with 300 yearsof entrenched bigotry and racial hatred.The reason for the Selma march, conceived as a non-

violent demonstration to draw attention to racial injusticeand the denial of basic rights—including the right tovote—was dubbed by the shocked media that covered theevent as “Bloody Sunday,” a name rooted in the conductof those state troopers and “God loving citizens” who vi-ciously attacked the peaceful marchers, including womenand children.I’m not sure if Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s belief that

“love can conquer hate” is true, but the televised displayof bigotry shocked the nation, and the world, promptingan outcry that ultimately resulted in civil rights legislationand executive orders to protect subsequent marchers.Equally important, Bloody Sunday forced preachers

Police and Black residentsmust respect and work together to win the peacefor our communityLet there be no confusion....we need police officers, we

respect police officers and our community needs good po-lice officers. Our safety, our protection, the employment ofquality police officers enhances the strength of our commu-nities. Over the years, MCJ has frequently honored officers

whose service epitomize good policing. Others will be hon-ored this year as we highlight: “ Men Who Empower Men”.They demand our respect.The death or the shooting of an officer is met with the

same pain and grief as is that associated with the death ofpeople from the community, such as Michael Brown in Fer-guson, Mo.; and in our own backyard with the Dontre Hamil-ton shooting by a Milwaukee police officer last April. There should be no celebration when an officer is killed.

And certainly there is no celebration when another man,woman, or child is funeralized due to shootings, ambushes,or disregard for life.People who take the law into their own hands warrant ar-

rest and a trial in front of a jury of their peers. And officerswho use deadly force require the same. Unjustified actions cannot be condoned. It takes respect

from both sides. Many police officers execute that sensitivityas they approach citizens within the African American com-munity. Residents from our community are most often theones who call for help....they make up many of the 911 callsplaced. So protection is expected and sought.Just as every citizen cannot be lumped into one blanket,

nor can every police officer. It takes a keenly trained officerto address problems, regardless of ethnicity. Mental health issues, domestic relationship issues, crime,

drugs, flagrant abuse of the laws of our society are all partof a poice officer’s training. Seasoned officers learn to address these issues with pro-

fessionalism while still executing the law. Most citizens seekthat professionalism, regardless of race or community geo-graphic.Regrettably, the stereotypes, the subtle under-currents

can influence attitude, responses and actions of a person,even police officers. That’s what we have to improve, to rec-oncile, to ameliorate within the community and the policeforce. A culture of “innocent until proven guilty” is a desir-able given from officers and the community. One’s actionsshould dictate, not an automatic presumption of guilt or at-tack because of the color of one’s skin.The recent Department of Justice report spoke to some of

these preponderances. Ferguson is not every community.However, it clearly describes a lot of communities. We can-not condone misbehavior. Within our power, the police com-munity and the residential community, working together, isthe solution of changing attitudes and outcomes.Let us jointly work toward that end. No blanket assump-

tions about our community and no blanket stereotypes ofour police officers. We need each other..we must respecteach other. The legacy of the late Milwaukee Police Ser-geant Felmers Chaney is called upon today. He would be a perfect intervener if he were alive today

(and albeit, a little younger). May his soul forever rest inpeace. But those whom he trained, those he lead, let ushear from you.

MCJ EDITORIALMCJ EDITORIAL

SIGNIFYIN’SIGNIFYIN’By Mikel Kwaku Osei Holt

President Obama reminds us we havecome a long way since “Bloody Sunday,”but we still have a long journey ahead

(continued on page 5)

“Failure of Integration”panels attractinggrowing supportin nationalschedulesThis would be one of those mo-

ments in life’s journey where thiswriter finds himself deeply gratefulthat he has had the instinct, con-sciousness and foresight to maintaina set posture on one issue for somany years in his writings, presenta-tions and classroom instruction. For it is the responsibility of the

present, of the living, of the adults tocritique, analyze and if necessary,move towards the correction of ill-charted social patterns such that thefuture – the children – will not inheritmistakes and errors of the adult past. The issue to which is herein ad-

dressed – that ill-charted past error –is, to paraphrase our esteemedscholar ancestor ChancellorWilliams, that integration as we havepracticed this social experiment, hasbecome a key element in the culturalcompromise and self-destruction ofthe Black community.Social integration from the 1970’s

to the 2015 present has positionedthe Black man, his culture, his com-munity, his institutions, his race, hischildren and his future into a state ofdependency, helplessness, and infe-riorization. Quoting the late warriorscholar ancestor and former Wash-ington, D.C. School SuperintendentDr. Barbara Sizemore, “Under inte-gration, nothing all-Black could everbe excellent.”So nearly for the last 45 years, the

Black man has been rendered into astate of cultural, social, professionaland even civilizational mediocracy,generic invisibility and non-being-ness, operating under the precept thatneither he nor his children are to everrise above, beyond, or apart from thestandard of Euro/White. After allhere in 2015, we don’t want to riskbeing or appearing as Dr. Claude An-derson’s remarks in one of his tapes- “Too Black.” And this is where one of the criti-

By Taki S. Raton

(continued on page 6)

(continued on page 7)

President Obama, the first family, civil rights veterans and others approached the Edmund PettisBridge on the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.” (Getty Photo)

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 4

Dear Sisters and Brothers,For those of us who observe the forty days of Lent, this Sunday is

already the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, thebeginning of the holiest weeks of the year—Holy Week.The readings from scripture for this Sunday are: Jeremiah 31: 31-

34, Hebrews 5: 7-9, and John 12: 20-33. Jeremiah speaks comforting words to us: “I will place my law

within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, andthey shall be my people.” And then the punch line: All from least togreatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildo-ing and remember their sin no more.” In John’s Gospel we hear Jesus speaking to some Greeks who said

to Philip: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” And when they met Jesushe said to them: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glori-fied. Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to theground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it pro-duces much fruit.” These Greeks were probably shocked by Hiswords. He was speaking about His own death.Jesus said these words not too much before He would die, a grain of

wheat that would then bear much fruit. And after He died He wouldbe lifted up and draw everyone to Himself. We who claim the name Christian are now the beneficiaries of Jesus

and His mission and ministry. The question the Greeks asked, weneed to ask: “ We would like to see Jesus.” And we too will beshocked by His words to us: We too must be like a grain of wheat anddie to ourselves so that we will produce much fruit. And the fruit weproduce? That is to be determined by how we actually hear Hiswords. If we remember Jeremiah’s words, God’s covenant is within us,

written on our hearts. And the covenant calls us to die to self so weare able to live for others. When we do this we will be fulfilling thequestions of the Greeks; we will be showing Jesus to others by theway we talk to them, love them, treat them, go out of our way forthem and by how we include them in our life and good works. Thiswill be especially true of the most needy in our world and neighbor-hood. When we act for others, we will reach out beyond our comfort zone

and show anyone we meet Jesus who is the source of eternal salvationfor all who obey Him.

RELIGIONRELIGION BREADIN THE WILDERNESSBy Fr. Carl Diederichs,All Saints Catholic Church

Acting on Behalf of Others

On Friday morning at thegym (a unique ecosystem thatoften forces you to watchthings on television you oth-erwise wouldn’t), I happenedto catch a glimpse of a realitytelevision show called“Thicker Than Water” that fo-cuses on the trials and travailsof Christian musician andminister Ben Tankard and hisfamily. The show’s airing of dirty laundry,

and the Tankard clan’s penchant forthe material, made me wonder aboutthe multimedia age’s effect on Chris-tian worship — which seems to bejumping the shark on a routine basis.Virtually at that very moment, Cre-

flo Dollar’s name began trending on

Twitter. In a day that will likely livein infamy for his World ChangersChurch, the good reverend issued abold plea for $65 million dollars. Notto feed the poor, or perhaps protectChristians being persecuted and mur-dered in other parts of the world,mind you — but to name and claim anew Gulfstream G650 (one of themost elite planes on the private jetmarket). You see, Rev. Dollar’s last plane

had engine troubles, and now hismovement needs that G650 so thatWorld Changers “can continue toblanket the globe with the Gospel ofgrace.” Apparently, that monumentaltask can’t be accomplished flyingcommercial.At the risk of mixing religious

metaphors (and with preemptiveapologies to my Jewish friends), Rev.

Dollar’s fundraising request —which it should be noted was quicklyremoved from its website after itcaught fire on the Internet — is thevery epitome of chutzpah. Like many of the adherents of the

so-called prosperity gospel, it wouldalso appear Rev. Dollar has had hisOral Roberts moment.For the benefit of those who may

not remember, a brief history lessonis in order. Oral Roberts was a preacher who,

alongside the likes of Jimmy Swag-gart, Jim Bakker and Pat Robertson(in varying degrees, they were allprogenitors of the mega-church thatplayed a major role in birthing theprosperity gospel movement), pio-neered the very lucrative televange-lism model in the 1970s and 80s.Roberts had flamboyant and outright

distasteful methods of raising moneythat often involved visions from Godof massive capital campaigns. Oneday in 1987, Roberts told his follow-ers that God would “call him home”unless he received $8 million. In case you were wondering how

the story ends, he eventually gotmore than what he needed to remainin his mortal coil — at least until hispassing in 2009.Never mind the fact that, as a man

of God, you’d think Mr. Robertswould have embraced the idea of TheCreator calling him home. Also besides the point is the idea

that something as inherently mortalas money could sway the judgmentof God. Rev. Dollar’s Gulfstream ap-peal recalls the Roberts incident be-cause both requests were soaudacious, self-serving and com-pletely out of step with reality thatyou can only shake your head in dis-belief, or laugh at the preposterous-ness of it all.Except, of course, that there’s

nothing funny about it. Dollar’s bigmoney request was atrocious, bothfrom a fiduciary and public relationsperspective. Churches are in fact non-profit or-

ganizations and have a real responsi-bility to raise and spend moneywisely. The fact that a pastor was able to

entreat his parishioners for a $65 mil-lion IOU speaks volumes about thecompetence of those entrusted withthe church’s finances (disclosure:your writer actually sits on the Boardof Trustees for his own church). Notto mention that invoking the term“ministry” in a solicitation for a pri-vate jet is a gross misuse of the term,to say the least.Without realizing it, Dollar has

managed to detonate a new impro-vised explosive device (IED) underthe prosperity doctrine, which has al-ways been theologically suspect andseems as if its primary concern is tomake its adherents rich rather than

Christian Couples Ministry (CCM) of the BrentwoodChurch of Christ will hold their 5th Annual Black Mar-riage Day Event on Saturday March 28, 2015 from 2:00- 4:00 pm at the church, 6425 N. 60th Street, Milwaukee,WI. The theme of the event will be Respect the Ring.The event will include entertainment by jazz vocalist

Cassandra McShepard and Evangelist Steven Thompson,Minister of the Central Church of Christ, will provide aninspirational message. At each event, special honors are given to the most

newlywed couple and the one that has been married thelongest. A dessert social will be held immediately follow-ing the program.Black Marriage Day is a national observance on the 4th

Sunday of March that celebrates marriage in the Blackcommunity.This event is open to everyone who believes in and

supports the value of marriage in the Black community;this includes singles and individuals from all cultures.Tickets are $20 per person and $25 for two, tickets can

be purchased in advance at Herb’s Hair Studio, 4800 N.Hopkins Street or at the event. For questions, please contact Thomas & Clarene

Mitchell, event organizers, at 414-736-1546 or brent-woodccm@gmail.com. The Black Marriage Day Event Facebook event page

is a source for more information as well.

Comedy show at Brentwood to benefit scholarship fundBrentwood Church of Christ’s Lois M. Chapple Scholarship Fund presents: “Laugh To Educate”

Comedy Show, featuring comedians D-Rock and Marlin Hill, for one night only, March 21, 2015.Doors will open at 7 p.m. Brentwood COC is located at 6425 N. 60th St. The cost of admissionis $10 per person. Concession items will also be sold during the event. All proceeds raised fromthe show will go towards the Chapple Scholarship Fund.Spring Revival at Prince of Peache Baptist ChurchPrince of Peace Baptist Church will hold a Spring Revival April 12-14, starting each night at

7p.m. The theme of the revival is, “Revive Me, O Lord” (Psalm 80:18-19).The guest preacher will be Clinton D. McFarland, pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga.There will be three devotional speakers each night of the revival: Pastor Robert Angel, Redemp-

tion Fellowship Baptist Church; Pastor Ripton Stewart, Transformation Temple Christian Church;Pastor Kenneth Cutler, Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church.Prince of Peace is located at 3701 N. 35th St., Steven R. McVicker is pastor.For more information, call 414-444-6700.

Brentwood Church of Christ’s ChristianCouples Ministry to hold 5th annualBlack Marriage Day event March 28

Creflo Dollaris furtherproof that‘prosperitygospel’ is fullof false profitsOPINIONby Javier E. David

(continued on page 8)

Creflo Dollar

interesting to read than cold, meaning-less statistics that only fueled the firesof misinformation and myth, as wellas illustrate the negatives of our plightas a people through the centuries inthis nation since we set foot on theseshores in chains.Despite the naysayers and their sta-

tistics, next to the Black church, theinstitution of marriage (and its in-evitable off-shoot, family) is one ofthe most powerful and important in-stitutions in Black America.It is—in our opinion—the reason

for our continued survival as a peopleon these shores from the “curious in-stitution” (slavery), through the op-pressive American Apartheid systemknown as “Jim Crow,” to today’s sup-posed “post-racial” society of theObama era.Marriage and the fuel that drives the

institution—Black love—is still im-portant and is experiencing a revivalin America, as evidenced by the an-nual Black Marriage Day recognizingits importance to us.But it wasn’t always easy…and still

isn’t given the statistics and the unfor-tunate action of some of our folks.What the author of the MJS articleneglected to include was the impact ofslavery on marriage and Black love.During slavery, Africans were de-

nied the right to marry in the eyes ofthe law, according to a Black weddingguide book titled, Jumping the Broomby Harriet Cole.According to Cole, slaveholders

considered their captives to be nothuman, only property that could bebought and sold. As such, they had norights.It was further reasoned by the “mas-

sah” that if slaves were allowed tomarry and live together, they might“find strength in numbers that couldlead to a revolt,” Cole wrote.Fortunately, our ancestors didn’t let

enslavement keep them from express-ing love…or getting married! Our an-cestors creatively and secretly usedthe African rituals taught to them fromearly childhood to express love andmarital unity right under the eyes ofWhites.Our ingenuity created the tradition

of “jumping the broom.” The broom,according to Cole, held “spiritual sig-nificance for many African peoples,representing the beginning of home-making for a couple.”Cole wrote a woman of the Kgatla

people of southern Africa wouldsweep the courtyard of her in-lawsone day after the wedding “symboliz-ing her willingness and obligation toassist in housework at her in-laws res-idence until the couple moved to theirown home.”Thus during slavery, with the per-

mission of the slave owner, beforewitnesses and to the beat of talkingdrums (until, according to Cole, they

too were outlawed for being instru-ments of indecipherable communica-tions for the enslaved), a couple“would pledge their devotion to eachother and finally would literally jumpover a broom into the seat of matri-mony.”That tradition—and countless other

heretofore lost or forgotten acts fromthe Motherland—have been revivedwithin the last 10-plus years and arefinding their way back into Blackweddings as a symbol of unity be-tween a Black man and Black woman. In fact, we incorporated this tradi-

tion into our wedding in 2009 andproudly have our broom framed andon display in our home.And though methods of enslave-

ment were used to set Black men andwomen against each other, we still—despite the brainwashing—stillloved…and love each other! We havedone this—and continue to do this—because of our strong spiritual baseborne from African traditions andmixed lovingly with the Christianprincipals regarding matrimony weadopted and stubbornly hold dear.Yes, we do love as Black people.

Despite the nagging myths of our peo-ple being consumed by the physicalexpression of love (which isn’t lovebut lust).Yes, we do love as Black people de-

spite modern day systems that work todestroy our family units. Many of usremember the movie Claudine from1974. We can quickly recall this movie

mostly because it showed how thewelfare system forced Black womento choose between loving a Black manand being able to get the welfare ben-efits she needed to put food on thetable. The welfare system forcedBlack women to fend for themselves,just as slavery did when Black menwere sold away from the women thatthey loved.

We do love, despite the dire newsstories of domestic violence between“co-habitants” or reports, editorialsand essays on the widening chasmseparating Black men (viewed asnothing more than unfeeling “playas”who use love as a weapon for sexualgratification with no concern for the“consequences” they help produce);and women (looked upon as angry,bitter and alone, struggling to care forthose “consequences” without thehelp, support and love of the individ-ual who helped produce them).We’re more than myths, stereotypes

and statistical numbers that increasethe coffers of bureaucracies whileleaving us bereave of any assistanceto eliminate the negatives that con-tinue to weigh us down and slow ourprogress as a people.The roots of Black love run deep, as

Lerone Bennett Jr. chronicled in his1981 Ebony article, The Roots ofBlack Love: New research under-scores strong bonds of Black concern.He noted, “As a matter of hard his-

torical fact, the true story of Blacklove – love colored by, loved black-ened by the Black experience – is theexact opposite of the tradition myth.”He went on to note that “Black lovewas denied legal sanction and supportand the Black family was systemati-cally violated.“For more than 200 years, slaves

were violently denied the right tomarry legally, and slave masters vio-lently and repeatedly separated hus-bands from wives and children fromparent.”How can a people who are just a

few generations removed from legal-ized slavery be freed from the linger-ing impact of these systematicbarriers?The MJS reporter could have asked

the couple he noted in his article (Rev.LaHarve Buck and his wife who havebeen married for close to 50 years.)what makes their marriage strong andlong-lasting (he didn’t).Instead of just the narrow view of

bleak statistics, the highlighting ofcouples such as the Buck’s is neededto give hope and encouragement tothose who are in a relationship— orsingle—yet struggling with the deci-sion to take the next step and “jumpthe broom”.He might have been surprised by

the answer: “Love and friendship”—with the emphasis on love. Love isthat aforementioned fuel, the founda-tion on which the institution is built…and must be built if it is to withstandthe harsh realities of life and livingthat we expect, but are rarely preparedfor.Love, remembering the lessons of

our history, and applying both in equalamounts will continue to revive the in-stitution of marriage and increase thenumbers of those living “happily ever-after.”Indeed, the social conditions for

Milwaukee Blacks must improve.When our society truly fosters justicefor all, equal access to resources andopportunities, there will no doubt beincreases in Black marriages.

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 5

BLACKMARRIAGE DAY(continued from page 1)

and politicians, teachers and tea party members (yeah,they were around 50 years ago), millionaires and minionsto come to grips with the reality that was illuminated bythe police (mis)conduct that filled black and white tele-vision screens from California to New York.America was shocked, and foreign nations questioned

the proclamations that this country was indeed the homeof justice and democracy. Russia denounced America’sblatant hypocrisy. South Africa applauded the acknowl-edgement that apartheid was not limited to that racist gov-ernment.Of course, Selma was not the only scene of a racist re-

sponse to freedom, and police complicity in upholding asystem of legalized bigotry.Around that same time of the Selma march, I was met

with bricks and racial epithets when I joined the NAACPand civil rights icons Vel Phillips and Father JamesGroppi as we peacefully marched across the 16th Streetviaduct. Our quest was passage of an open housing ordi-nance. (Yes, young brothers and sisters, up until a few years

ago, Black Milwaukeeans were not allowed to live be-yond the artificial boundary of Keefe Avenue, Juneau,27th and Holton Streets).Appropriately, Obama didn’t ignore the wave of police

shootings of unarmed Black men, which is highlightedby the unbelievable turn of events in Ferguson, MO, Mil-waukee, New York and, most recently, Madison, WI.While exonerating the police officer involved in the

killing of an unarmed Black man in Ferguson, Obama’sJustice Department issued a scathing report on the city’spolice department and its criminal justice system. Notonly was the police department accused of maintainingblatantly racist policies, but even the courts were com-plicit in a racial profiling scheme.But don’t be naïve to believe Ferguson is unique.While I can’t prove the MPD is using its station to fill

the city coffers as is the case in Ferguson, I have longcontended the city’s overnight parking ordinance is a taxon the poor.Moreover, several reports have shown our neighboring

suburbs disproportionately single out Black drivers fortickets. Oh yeah, even law enforcement acknowledgesstate drug laws are weighed against Black Milwaukeeans,a major reason Wisconsin has the highest Black incarcer-ation rate in the United States.“Just this week, I was asked whether I thought the De-

partment of Justice’s Ferguson report shows that, with re-spect to race, little has changed in this country,” thepresident said.“I understand the question, for the report’s narrative

was woefully familiar. It evoked the kind of abuse anddisregard for citizens that spawned the Civil RightsMovement,” he continued.

“The president, however, rejected that “nothing” haschanged in terms of race relations since Bloody Sunday(Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday). “What happened in Ferguson may not be unique, but

it’s no longer endemic, or sanctioned by law and custom;and before the Civil Rights Movement, it most surelywas.“We do a disservice to the cause of justice by intimat-

ing that bias and discrimination are immutable, or thatracial division is inherent to America,” he declared.Of course “a common mistake is to suggest that racism

has banished, that the work that men and women went toSelma is complete (was in vain) and that whatever racialtensions remain are of those seeking to play the ‘racecard’ for their own purposes.“We don’t need the Ferguson report to know that’s not

true,” he declared. Evoking, as he did several times during his speech, the

gospel of Isaiah and other prophets, the president con-cluded: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew theirstrength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They willrun and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.”President Obama’s speech was not as insightful as I

would have hoped, but he went further than he has in thepast to forcibly open America’s eyes to the reality of racerelations in America.Ironically, a report released within days of the Selma

march revealed 52% of White Americans believe bigotryis a thing of the past. That means a majority of Americansare either foolish, ignorant or blind.Things are better in America than they were when I was

growing up, but the journey left is still a long one. Andwe should remind those who think legislation can endbigotry, that you can’t legislate attitudes.In case you haven’t heard, I’ve been in the hospital for

over five months. A strong case can be made that my re-peated medical setbacks can be linked to the assumptionthat Obama’s words, and the civil rights advocates’ work,have fallen on deaf ears. Hopefully, I’m wrong, but…Hotep

SIGNIFYIN’:We have come a longway since “Bloody Sunday,” butwe still have a long journey ahead(continued from page 3)

“Yes, we do loveas Black people.Despite the nag-ging myths of our

people being consumed by thephysical expres-

sion of love (whichisn’t love but

lust)...Yes, we dolove as Black people despitemodern day

systems that workto destroy our family units.”

Acting on Behalf of Others

“Equally important, Bloody Sundayforced preachers and politicians,teachers and tea party members(yeah, they were around 50 yearsago), millionaires and minions to cometo grips with the reality that was illumi-nated by the police (mis)conduct thatfilled black and white televisionscreens from California to New York.”

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 6

cal errors of our past has surfaced over these 45 years hence and we need tobe clear about this understanding. It is not herein positioned that we shouldnot access or not exercise the right to access mainstream corridors. It is notherein positioned that we should not live and work amongst others. This is not a legal discussion, but one of culture, community and future.

The civil rights act of July 2, 1964 outlawed discrimination based upon race,color, religion, sex or national origin and ended racial segregation in “publicaccommodations.” This edict is not in dispute. But what is in question is the quality and substance of our living present

and of our participation in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in the institutionsserving our communities and of our status as a people on the national stagein relationship to other groups - particularly peoples of color - since the 1970’swhere much of the de-segregation laws were implemented. And also to beclear, de-segregation and integration are two separate entities. What again is in question is how the Black community has interpreted this

concept of de-segregation, via social integration, and what traditional triedand true practices, norms, values and institutions were compromised and dis-carded – by us – in this process. Specifically, this discussion is an issue of culture, family, group economics;

of how we raise our children, the socialization of our youth, the stability ofour central city communities, perceptions (or misperceptions) of our history,our proper placement on the world stage of time and achievement, the qualityof our future, and just who we are (and are not) in relationship to other peoplejust to mention a few. One primary arena where we were in error is that in America’s multicultural

pluralistic society, it is demanded and expected that each respective grouptake care of and be responsible for its own families, communities, children,institutions, culture, nation, and race no matter the current reality, conditions,or the nature of any unique historical circumstance.Citizenship, group civility and self-respect start with who you are as a peo-

ple, with the best of what you have been and with the promise of the continuedcultivated best of that through your progeny which you can become. It istherefore the responsibility of each respective group to nurture, protect andeternalize the perpetuation of their unique exemplar racial characteristics ontotheir children. Carter G. Woodson 82 years ago quite plainly observed this concept in his

1933 work “Mis-Education of the Negro” when he posited that, “The differ-ence or races, moreover, is no evidence of superiority or of inferiority. Thismerely indicates that each race has certain gifts which others do not possess.It is by the development of these gifts that every race must justify its right toexist.”As with all cultures in America and throughout the globe, Black “Old

School” during Reconstruction and Jim Crow would ensure that its member-ship was raised with what this writer terms the quality of Dual Cultural Mas-tery (DCM). It is the responsibility of the community, of the adults, of the family and of

the community based institutions that the cultural membership love and mas-ter their unique Way; love who they are; love their unique talents, skills, gifts,and genius; are raised with a high, positive, and healthy sense of self-esteem,self-identity and self-ideals such that the cultural members – and in particulartheir young – will be raised with concrete and unwavering traits of identity,purpose, direction: respect for themselves, for their elders and for others. This first line of DCM also provided what Dr. Francis Crest Welsing calls

a Cultural Immune System (CIS) or Cultural Grid (CG) which – like in all

other groups – act as a cultural, emotional, psychological, and spiritual barrierfrom negative influences and as a protective insulator within a society thatmay be hostile, fearful or discriminatory towards others who are different.This is the first phase of DCM. The second phase of DCM is mastery of

the broader mainstream pluralistic society into which the ethno-cultural mem-bership must work, participate, compete, socialize and by choice, perhaps,live.Thus, the basic ingredients, unique nature, laws, sensitivities, standards,

qualities and expectations of the broader society must be taught within eachrespective ethno-cultural membership communities ideally before memberarrival or active member participation in mainstream domains. This is thesecond line of Dual Cultural Mastery. In order - master, love and embrace the best ways of your culture of origin,

of your kind first, and second, master the ways of the dominant system ofwhich you are to become a part.At the most minimum of levels, the young must be prepared and should be

expected to enter mainstream society with the traits of positive and acceptablehuman interaction; proper decorum in regards to dress, speech and attitude;civil cooperation; work ethic preparedness; entry level competency mastery;competitive skill sets, and social orientation towards the onward flow of hu-mankind ideals.The individualized practice of social integration within the Black commu-

nity relative to our collective responsibility to our own literally destroyed allof the above. By 1987, any and all traits of unified Black “Old School” valuesand practice relative to DCM was completely absence and abandoned by theBlack social integrant in our nation’s central city communities. And this is merely only one example of the horrible consequence of African

American social integration into Euro-American society – the individualiza-tion of our people and the abandonment of our social responsibility to ourcollective racial membership, particularly to our children and youth, and in-deed the abandonment of our social responsibility as a respective unique cul-ture in relationship to others in the broader mainstream arena. I mean really, how does American society and its groupings of cultures

view Black people today, especially the Black male? So why is this writer grateful that he has maintained this posture on social

integration for so many years? Because now there are multiple national Black voices on this issue attract-

ing a growing number of young listeners joined by elders who are now claim-ing their stance but heretofore have not had the vehicle to address in theirheart what they knew was wrong.On Sunday, December 28, 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a panel was

convened at Elm Grove Baptist Church to a well-attended audience to addressthe question: “How has Integration Affected Black Businesses and the BlackFamily?” Panel members included Dr. Ava Muhammad, Louis Ali, the Irri-tated Genie and a host of other prominent leaders from our nation’s Blackcommunity.One such program participant was Bobbie Clarke from Baton Rouge. She

was a guest on my “MenThink” Harambee Radio & TV broadcast on Thurs-day, January 15, 2015. On the question of the de-segregation of publicschools for example, she commented:“Why would you want to give up a classroom environment of and by your

own where your children are getting a good education, where they are lovedand respected and send them to a classroom where they are hated, disre-spected and despised? It does not make any sense.” She adds that during this school de-segregation or integration era, “The

number of Black youth who are not graduating from high school is shameful.We have never seen this trend before.”And the multiple Black voices continue to grow. Coming up on April 3,

2015, a panel will be convened to explore the question: “How Has IntegrationFailed Us?” Presented on the campus of Howard University in Washington,D.C. in the Blackburn Auditorium, panelist will include Sis. ZaZa Ali, Dr.

Wesley Muhammad, Bro. LouisAli, the Irritated Genie, Dr. Rigaly, and MalikFarrakhan.Printed event descriptor questions include: Did Black people during the

1960’s march for equality or for integration? Are Black children better edu-cated under the socially engineered idea of integration? Do Black contractorsreceived more contracts under integration? Do Black people own more land,businesses and property under integration? Do Black politicians respond tothe needs of Black people better under integration? What is the state of Blackmarriages under integration – are we losing the ability to bond with the op-posite sex? Has the health status of Black people improved under integration?Are Black people more spiritually moral under integration? What is the so-lution?A similar future panel is additionally being organized for a presentation

date in Jackson, Mississippi. And Milwaukee is on the short list for possiblescheduling in the coming months.Bro. Louis Ali of the Hot Black Coffee Party (HBCP) out of Baton Rouge

says of his co-effort in organizing these events on integration’s failure in thecommunity that, “The Black business infrastructure has been destroyed. Howwas it destroyed? When was it destroyed? The quality of education for ourchildren has greatly diminished. The Black family structure has been seri-ously weakened. We can no longer properly discipline our children. Ouryouth are killing one another in yet still increasing numbers. What is thecommon denominator of these and other occurrences enveloping our com-munities?”He adds that, “These occurrences all happened around the same time and

parallels exactly in intensity to the degree in which African Americans weresocially integrated into American society. We want to raise the question withthese panels, ‘Has integration worked for Black people in America?’” The Rev. Clarence Lumunba James, Sr. from Chicago in his 2009 title,

“Lost Generation or Left Generation – The Loss and Recovery of Black Fam-ilies,” writes that, “Never before in the history of the human family has anentire group of people discarded their own ‘Way’ in order to imitate anothergroup and thereby become someone other than themselves.” What exactly happened to Black people from the time of the death of Mar-

tin Luther King on April 4, 1968, or from the time of the attack on the BlackPanther Party during nearly the entire year of 1969? Was there a plan toweaken the Black family - Black male/female relationships and the rise anddevelopment of Black manhood in particular as we move into the 70’s? How is it that the Black community lost total control over the socialization,

education and development of Black children from the 1970’s onward? Whathappened to the economic infrastructure of the Black community from the1970’s into the 2015 present? Why are our children killing one another? Whatis the impact of social integration on these occurrences during this span oftime?We must have the courage to raise, respond and properly address these and

other inquiries affecting the welfare of our people and for the future of ourchildren. These panels now moving around the country is an excellent be-ginning. We cannot move forward unless we know what happened to us in the past.

As again, Chancellor Williams shares with us:“To be ignorant of history is to be ignorant of what you are trying to do

now. History will show you where we have been, how we arrived where weare, whether we have traveled the best routes. And, it will indicate – if wepause long enough to reflect – the best route to travel on from this point intime.”African Centered curriculum model staff development specialist Taki S.

Raton is an adjunct college instructor and host of his own Thursdayevening radio show, “MenThink” on Harambee Radio & TV. A writer andlecturer on African American male issues and African World Historiogra-phy, he can be reached for presentation and consulting inquiries at: bly-dendelany@yahoo.com.

“Failure of Integration” panelsattracting growing support innational schedules(continued from page 3)

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 7

Credit Restoration Workshop – Are you lookingto buy a home, a car, improve your credit score orimprove your quality of life? Come join us atGreater Springhill Missionary Baptist Church3801 N. 20th St Milwaukee, WI. For more infor-mation call us at 888-588-2341. Free to the pub-lic.

Do you need help with: Finding a job, gettingtrained for a job, developing job skills, earning aGED, getting back in to school, getting in to col-lege, finding ATODA services or legal issues? It’stime to do it NOW. If you are between the ages 16and 23 you may be able to get help with these serv-ices listed previously through the WCS Community Improvement & Job Train-ing Program. To learn more please call Ward Jenkins at 414-788-3063 orTorre Johnson at 414-234-0663 or stop by the Holton youth & Family Centerat 510 E. Burleigh St. Milwaukee, WI.

Sign up to Join BECKUM STAPLETON LITTLE LEAGUE. Boys and Girls ages 4-15 years old. Tee Ball 4-6 yrs, Minor 7-8yrs, Majors 9-12 and Junior 13-15yrs.Fees $100.00 per child (includes raffle tickets).

All parents/guardians must bring a birth certificate and three documentsproving residency, or one document supporting school enrollment. ContactCassandra Frazier at 414 - 372-5794. For more information visit www.beck-

umstapleton.com. Beckum-Stapleton is celebrating their 51st year. Openingday is Saturday, May 2, 2015. Sign up every Saturday, March 21st andMarch 28th at the Little League office 911 W. Brown St.

Dedicated to Black Women That Got Black Men’s Backs – Brothers spon-soring Black women to be recognized in the Milwaukee Community JournalNewspaper edition should have their $25 per woman fee in by Tuesday,March 24.

This is your last opportunity to participate. Call Tony Courtney at 374-2364. Take time to sponsor Black women that have or has had your back.Grandmother, Mother, Wife, Fiancee, Sister, Cousin, Aunt, Business Partner,Employer, Employee, Organizational Head.

KALEIDOSCOPEKALEIDOSCOPEthe MCJ l i fes ty le & en te r ta inment sec t ion

FROMTHEBLACKBy Tony Courtney

system for far too many of children; but, remember the timeswhen our ancestors risked harsh beatings—and even death—fortrying to learn to read. Yes, there are glass ceilings that prevent usfrom getting to the top of the corporate ladder; but, remember thetimes when there was no ladder or economic opportunities at all.Yes, there is still evidence that we have second class citizenship;but, remember the times when our ancestors counted as three-fifth of a man or soulless chattel. My loved ones, there was an interruption for our ancestors;

but, there was a revolution before the destruction. Do not befooled into thinking temporary gains are permanent or will con-tinue to grow without true struggle. Our ancestors gave us a blue-print how to march on through brutal injustices. Our ancestorstaught us how to keep on keeping on. If we fail to listen and learn,we and our children, for generations to come, will enter a new

slavery, a new Jim Crow. Or have we already blindly been led tothe slaughter? Have we failed to see the backward movement be-cause we are intoxicated with sports, entertainment, drama, gossipand other corruptible materialistic goods? Family, I am guilty. Ihave been intoxicated by the American Dream. However, thequiet beauty in the temporary interruption is I have the ability torefocus. Let us not lose the ability to effectively multi-task. Letus not grow weary and faint. Let us not forget the dark history ofour past. On the contrary, let us be more than conquerors andmount up with wings as eagles as we soar to our glorious destiny.Finally, let us understand that expediency is an issue and we mustact with the fierce urgency of now.Family, when you feel beaten down, lethargic, and just sick

and tired “of being sick and tired” and are ready to abandon hope,I invite you to remember our ancestors who entered the door ofno return and endured the middle passage. My maternal grand-mother, Momma Daisy always use to tell me “Baby, I’m kicking,just not high.” When it’s hard to keep kicking, remember thosewho kept kicking when they were in literal chains packed ashuman sardines and shipped away from their homeland. Myloved ones, let us all refocus and understand we can’t stop kicking,not until victory is won!Selah. AsheThe BLAQUESMITH

Our Interruption(continued from page 1)

There is but one world and one people. There is no superiority ofone people over another based on the color of one’s skin. What dis-tinguishes one group from another is their good and bad deeds – thisis the only measurement. Will good (knowledge) prevail or will bad(ignorance) prevail? This is the fight that Dr. King waged for most ofhis short adult life. This was his dream and his vision. Dr. King’sdream (vision) has been the mantra of the Black community since wearrived here on the first slave ship stripped of our culture, dignity, hu-manity, and our freedom. We have withstood, time and time again, many real challenges that

threatened our very existence. From the nearly 350 years of torture,brutality and inhumane treatment known as the American institutionof slavery, the demoralizing structural and systemic inhuman treatmentunder the racist Jim Crow laws to the institutional racism of today thattraps nearly 45 million Black people in a near permanent substandardeconomic position, the collective dream and vision was to sacrificeand fight until victory was ours. This is the same dream and spirit that kept millions of our Black an-

cestors hopeful that someday we would be free; someday we wouldbe able to vote; someday we would control our own destiny. No oneis going to do this for us. We must do it for ourselves. DREAMS ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR VISION AND

HOPE. “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die life is a broken-wingedbird that cannot fly,” wrote Langston Hughes. If you just go by thenumbers, the Black community in America is in real and serious trou-ble. Unfortunately, time is running out for the Black community tocome up with a solution that will begin to put them back on track. Un-less this happens and happens quickly, Blacks will become a permanentunderclass in America (I estimate that we have about 20 years). Whilethe current outcomes are astronomical and daunting, they don’t takeinto consideration the anemic challenges that our pipeline will produce.Unfortunately, our problems will get worse. The ignorance about theBlack man’s struggle in America is all but lost amongst the currentyoung generation and those that were born in the 40s and 50s are dyingand when they go, we would have lost the last survivors of those wholived during segregation and KKK terrorism. For those born during this period knew - they knew who was the

enemy of the Black man. Today, with racism being ostensibly invisiblethe struggle is different and requires a different type of trained mind,which many of our young people don’t possess. Our young peopleare under severe oppression and trauma but without knowledge of theirpast, they are unable to mount an effectively strategic fight, resultingin potentially severe internal doubt and pervasive hopelessness. “There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When

will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negrois the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We cannever be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel,cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels ofthe cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from

a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long asour children are being stripped of their self-hood and robbed of theirdignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as

long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New Yorkbelieves he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied,and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, andrighteousness like a mighty stream." (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..,1963)Like the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which was constructed by

the German Democratic Republic that completely cut off (by land)West Berlin from surrounding East Germany – the work that was doneto remove the Iron Curtain wasn’t the end, it was the beginning of thereal work. Discussions immediately began for an emergency mergerof the German government and economies. On May 19, 1990, thetwo German states signed a treaty agreeing on an economic and socialunion with the Deutsche Mark replacing the East German mark as theofficial currency of East Germany. Despite many challenges, theprocess of unification moved ahead and today Germany has a well-developed trade system which includes both import and export servicesand is rich in terms of skillful, talented and educated employers, whichhelped the German economy to become pioneers in manufacturingindustries over other countries in the world (i.e. machinery, vehicle,electronics, chemicals, etc.). Over the past 50 years, the Black community has become sissified

because of very minor gains. The turbulent 60s, which included thecivil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., wasn’t theend – it was the beginning of the real work to be done. The movementproduced some gains but nothing enough to really address the alarmingdisparities that Black people face as a result of where we started inAmerica. Did we think we were going to reverse issues that took hun-dreds of years to develop in one decade? The 60s produced landmarkfederal legislation but the struggle wasn’t over, instead it was just thebeginning. America has grown up a little, but not much. No longer isopen racism acceptable, but racism is still alive and well, engrained inall of America’s systems. Where is the fight today and who is waging it? Yes, racial bigotry

and prejudices have been challenged openly, but massive levels of biasremain; discrimination is rampant, and racism is alive (powerful peopleare able to implement their racist views). Today, with nearly 50 yearsof social inactivity our community is asleep. This is why our challengesare growing and not diminishing. We continue to be damaged by inferior housing, inferior education,

inferior food, and inferior thinking. Our inferior thinking is tied to afundamental belief that someone else is going to do for us (especiallythose who have amassed a fortune from our conditions) what we mustdo for ourselves. Why is it that every fight Blacks have fought for free-dom and civil rights in the country has been absolutely rejected anddefended against by the white establishment? Not one gain that we’veachieved in this country was a gift; all of them were hard fought wins. During those struggles, we lost time, wealth, dignity, and many

times our lives for these very basic gains. Even today, instead ofachieving more, many of our previous gains are being rolled back.Our disconnection from our past, our inability to understand Dr. King’sdream (vision); and our inability to dream has significantly contributedto our hopelessness and collective paralysis. As a group, we’ve takenour eyes off the prize, especially the most educated and successfulamongst us who, in their efforts to be accepted, have been assimilated. Rahim Islam is a National Speaker and Writer, Convener ofPhiladelphia Community of Leaders, and President/CEO of Uni-versal Companies, a community development and educationmanagement company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. Fol-low Rahim Islam on FaceBook(Rahim Islam) & Twitter(@RahimIslamUC)

UNIVERSALLYSPEAKING(continued from page 3)

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 8

spiritually mature.There’s absolutely nothing wrong

with being wealthy, yet there’s some-thing particularly egregious withpeople who do so at the expense andmanipulation of needy people.That is particularly true of preach-

ers who use a position of service toenrich themselves on the backs ofcredulous, lower-income worship-pers. With prosperity gospel preach-ers, you can’t help but wonder if theywant believers to gain material goodsfor the express purpose of makingthemselves richer.Requests like the one made by

Dollar are pernicious for a host ofreasons. It makes Christianity aneasy target for skeptics and makes itall but impossible to spread the goodnews in a world being rent asunderby strife and bad news. It’s a syn-drome epitomized by one observer as“Big Box Christianity,” which intruth is a perversion of religious doctrine.What proponents of the “name it and claim it” theology — to the extent it

can be called that — don’t realize is that their interpretation of scripture issimplistic at best and duplicitous at worst. It feeds on the angst of people who are often desperate to improve their

lives and circumstances. It mocks the notion of a kind and benevolent Godwho, contrary to popular opinion, doesn’t behave like some sort of cosmicversion of Ed McMahon gifting checks from American Family Publishers onrandom families.The idea of a pastor asking for $65 million to buy a jet creates the false im-

pression that God’s blessings can be purchased. In addition, it completelymocks Biblical instructions for tithing and offering. For the countless numberof small congregations — whose leaders don’t have Gulfstream jets, fancycars or big houses at their disposal — parishioner giving is their sole meansto pay their bills and remain afloat.For most church goers, tithing and offering is a serious expression of their

commitment to their faith, their God and their congregations. It’s virtuallyidentical to any donation one would make to a secular charity or cause. Theyshould have a reasonable expectation that their hard-earned dollars won’t bemisused or for that matter spent on lavish or frivolous indulgences.Rev. Dollar’s manipulative call for money was not only made in bad taste

and even worse judgment, it was a profound disservice to his congregants.At this point, those under his stewardship really should consider whether theywant to entrust their spiritual development to a man who pulls such an absurdstunt.Javier E. David, a longtime contributor to TheGrio, is weekend editor for

CNBC. He can be found tweeting about a broad range of interests, includ-ing music, movies, popular culture and Steelers football, at @TeflonGeek.

(continued from page 4)

Creflo Dollar is furtherproof that ‘prosperitygospel’ is full of falseprofits “The idea of a pastor ask-

ing for $65 million to buy ajet creates the false impres-

sion that God’s blessingscan be purchased. In addi-tion, it completely mocks

Biblical instructions fortithing and offering. For thecountless number of small

congregations — whoseleaders don’t have Gulf-

stream jets, fancy cars orbig houses at their disposal— parishioner giving is theirsole means to pay their bills

and remain afloat.”

City of Milwaukeehosts Career Fair

The city of Milwaukee hosted a career fair for city resi-dents inrterested in learning about the different careeropportunities available in the public service sector. Thecareer fair took place last week in the City Hall rotunda.(Photo by Yvonne Kemp

Ayahmi John-son (show atabove photoon the left inpool holdingbeach balland wearinghat, sus-penders andfake mus-tache wasgiven a Birthday poolparty at Nicolet HighSchool inGlendale.(Photos byYvonneKemp)

Birthdaypoolparty

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 9

spiritually mature.There’s absolutely nothing wrong

with being wealthy, yet there’s some-thing particularly egregious withpeople who do so at the expense andmanipulation of needy people.That is particularly true of preach-

ers who use a position of service toenrich themselves on the backs ofcredulous, lower-income worship-pers. With prosperity gospel preach-ers, you can’t help but wonder if theywant believers to gain material goodsfor the express purpose of makingthemselves richer.Requests like the one made by

Dollar are pernicious for a host ofreasons. It makes Christianity aneasy target for skeptics and makes itall but impossible to spread the goodnews in a world being rent asunderby strife and bad news. It’s a syn-drome epitomized by one observer as“Big Box Christianity,” which intruth is a perversion of religious doctrine.What proponents of the “name it and claim it” theology — to the extent it

can be called that — don’t realize is that their interpretation of scripture issimplistic at best and duplicitous at worst. It feeds on the angst of people who are often desperate to improve their

lives and circumstances. It mocks the notion of a kind and benevolent Godwho, contrary to popular opinion, doesn’t behave like some sort of cosmicversion of Ed McMahon gifting checks from American Family Publishers onrandom families.The idea of a pastor asking for $65 million to buy a jet creates the false im-

pression that God’s blessings can be purchased. In addition, it completelymocks Biblical instructions for tithing and offering. For the countless numberof small congregations — whose leaders don’t have Gulfstream jets, fancycars or big houses at their disposal — parishioner giving is their sole meansto pay their bills and remain afloat.For most church goers, tithing and offering is a serious expression of their

commitment to their faith, their God and their congregations. It’s virtuallyidentical to any donation one would make to a secular charity or cause. Theyshould have a reasonable expectation that their hard-earned dollars won’t bemisused or for that matter spent on lavish or frivolous indulgences.Rev. Dollar’s manipulative call for money was not only made in bad taste

and even worse judgment, it was a profound disservice to his congregants.At this point, those under his stewardship really should consider whether theywant to entrust their spiritual development to a man who pulls such an absurdstunt.Javier E. David, a longtime contributor to TheGrio, is weekend editor for

CNBC. He can be found tweeting about a broad range of interests, includ-ing music, movies, popular culture and Steelers football, at @TeflonGeek.

The Milwaukee Community Journal March 18, 2015 Page 10