More Changes Are Coming P.1 Celebrating Black Achievements P.1

Choosing a Charitable Organization P.2 The Preacher’s Corner (New) P.2

Motivating African-American Secondary School Children P.3

More Changes Are Coming More Changes Are Coming More Changes Are Coming More Changes Are Coming

February 13, 2010

IS S UE

24

VOL. 2

On this date in 1818, Absa-On this date in 1818, Absa-On this date in 1818, Absa-On this date in 1818, Absa-

lom Jones, activist and lom Jones, activist and lom Jones, activist and lom Jones, activist and

leader in the Black Pioneer leader in the Black Pioneer leader in the Black Pioneer leader in the Black Pioneer

period, died in Philadel-period, died in Philadel-period, died in Philadel-period, died in Philadel-

phia, PAphia, PAphia, PAphia, PA

On this date in 1970 Jo-On this date in 1970 Jo-On this date in 1970 Jo-On this date in 1970 Jo-

seph L. Searles ,III began seph L. Searles ,III began seph L. Searles ,III began seph L. Searles ,III began

training as a floor partner training as a floor partner training as a floor partner training as a floor partner

with Newberg, Loeb, and with Newberg, Loeb, and with Newberg, Loeb, and with Newberg, Loeb, and

Co. Searles was the first Co. Searles was the first Co. Searles was the first Co. Searles was the first

Black on the New York Black on the New York Black on the New York Black on the New York

stock exchange. stock exchange. stock exchange. stock exchange.

On this date in 1923 The On this date in 1923 The On this date in 1923 The On this date in 1923 The

Renaissance, the first Renaissance, the first Renaissance, the first Renaissance, the first

Black pro basketball team, Black pro basketball team, Black pro basketball team, Black pro basketball team,

was organized.was organized.was organized.was organized.

Check us out online at: www.thepopulacenow.com or follow us on Twitter.com

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By Patrick A. Sellers, An Illinois Correspondent Patrick A. Sellers, An Illinois Correspondent Patrick A. Sellers, An Illinois Correspondent Patrick A. Sellers, An Illinois Correspondent for The Populace Now

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Hello readers, I would like to take this op-portunity to announce a couple of changes to our

publication that will be taking place in the upcoming months. These changes will provide our publication with a new look as well as a broader scope for our content.

Celebrating Black Achievements Celebrating Black Achievements Celebrating Black Achievements Celebrating Black Achievements Is Is Is Is Celebrating Black HistoryCelebrating Black HistoryCelebrating Black HistoryCelebrating Black History

"...and a

good time

was had by

all." And so

it was for

attendees of

the Black Black Black Black

History Month KickHistory Month KickHistory Month KickHistory Month Kick----off Cele-off Cele-off Cele-off Cele-

bration bration bration bration in Freeport, IL on the

campus of Highland Commu-

nity College. A possible sev-

enty-five folks gathered for

something of an unveiling on

January 30, 2010. And I know

that wherever you are, my

fellow Americans, you are

probably celebrating Black

History month in your own

way. Programs and services

and the like are taking place

this month in schools,

churches, social community

centers and so on.

A former native son, Mr.

George Triplett, returned to

reveal something very special

that he'd been working on for

close to three years. After

much investment of time and

personal finance, invitations

were sent out to honorees

who had made history in the

city and in various places in

the world. The accomplish-

ments of musicians, athletes,

educators and more were

spoken of during the KickKickKickKick----

off.off.off.off. All honorees were born in

Freeport, IL. You may have

heard of some: Preston Pear-

son, former Dallas Cowboy;

Robert Johnson, Founder of

Black Entertainment Televi-

sion; Gerald McClellan (made

a personal appearance with

the help of his sister Lisa),

former Middleweight Cham-

pion of the World; Carl Cain,

basketball Olympics partici-

pant. Even the widow (Mrs.

Lily Davis) of former Harlem

Globe Trotter & Entrepreneur

McKinley "Deacon" Davis

honored us with her pres-

ence, reminiscing about her

famous husband.

It was an overwhelming af-

ternoon.

(Continued on page 4.)(Continued on page 4.)(Continued on page 4.)(Continued on page 4.)

By Bobbie Collins, An Illinois Correspondent Bobbie Collins, An Illinois Correspondent Bobbie Collins, An Illinois Correspondent Bobbie Collins, An Illinois Correspondent for The Populace Now

“A Minority Perspective”“A Minority Perspective”“A Minority Perspective”“A Minority Perspective”

Patrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. Sellers

Publisher

Bobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie Collins

Editor-In-Chief

Lee DixonLee DixonLee DixonLee Dixon

Webmaster

The Populace Now Volume 2 Issue 24 Page 2

Choosing a Charitable OrganizationChoosing a Charitable OrganizationChoosing a Charitable OrganizationChoosing a Charitable Organization By Buffy Griffin, A North Carolina Correspondent Buffy Griffin, A North Carolina Correspondent Buffy Griffin, A North Carolina Correspondent Buffy Griffin, A North Carolina Correspondent for The Populace Now

Shortly after any need or tragedy arises, or-ganizations begin to gear up and provide available resources to both rescue and assist accordingly. Subse-

quently, those out for self-gain began their plans to selfishly defraud and steal from those that are already in desperate need. Compassionate people naturally have a heart for giving and helping when and where it is needed. However, greedy people also help (themselves) when and where they find or create opportunity. Sadly, not only do they not care that they

progress taking place and you’ll see just how much your contribution is still needed and can help.

When researching, keep in mind that

not all organizations are non-profit. Yet

all organizations require funding to re-

main useful and effective. Always ask

how the money is distributed, which

includes the percentage that goes to

keeping the organization running and

the portion that actually goes to your

cause. Better yet, you can take the ini-

tiative and start your own organization,

providing aide to those you feel need it

most or that you feel more compassion-

ate toward.

Preacher’s CornerPreacher’s CornerPreacher’s CornerPreacher’s Corner

Now FaithNow FaithNow FaithNow Faith

How many of you have

heard the scripture, "Now

faith is the substance of

things hoped for, the

evidence of things unseen?" (Heb. 11:1)

Over the last few months, God has been

dealing with me on the little things in life,

the things we ignore or take for granted

and overlook as just another word. I'm

thinking of faith that can move moun-

tains; faith that can raise the dead; faith

that can perform miracles. Biblical faith.

We all love to profess our faith. But what

kind of faith is it?

Have you ever heard someone say

something like, "I will pray that God will

deliver you or heal you?" or "I hope things

turn out well for you?" Or maybe you

have heard, "Yes. I remember when I was

young and God brought me out." There is

nothing wrong with saying these things, if

you mean them. But beware of diluted or

"fluffy" faith.

Let's look at the scripture again and I

will show you what God revealed to me

today. "Now faith is the substance of

things hoped for, the evidence of things

unseenunseenunseenunseen." We all know this simply means

things just have not yet materialized. But

you must believe in the power of the

Almighty and claim it as though it has

already happened. That's NOW faith.

Here's the revelation: NOW faith is not

faith that says, "I'll pray that God will

work it out. NOW faith says, "In the name

of Jesus, it is DONE!" NOW faith has al-

ready claimed the victory in every trial

and situation. This is not tomorrow's faith

or yesterday's faith. This is NOW faith.

We need a revival of NOW faith in the

body of Christ. NOW faith leaves no room

for doubt. NOW faith leaves no room for

fear. NOW faith is the substance that

sustains this walk we call Christianity.

NOW faith is what will carry the Gospel

even to those that have chosen NOT to

hear His Word.

I recently had a conversation with some-

one about my health. They informed me

that some folks they know suggested

that I put a little more trust in the Doctor

and that I was a fool for stepping out on

faith. They said that God can still work it

out. It just takes time. NOW faith says

otherwise. NOW faith says that by His

stripes I am ALREADY healed. God shows

NOW faith to us every day. Jesus

showed NOW faith to us on the cross

when he died for a sinful world (things things things things

unseen).unseen).unseen).unseen). NOW faith is the substance

that breathes new life into an old, decay-

ing spiritual walk. NOW faith saves mar-

riages, builds bridges and (dare I say),

kills the stronghold of dogma in churches

that builds denominational walls, which

divide the body of Christ.

Come into the fullness of the glory of

God. Open up your heart and mind to the

gems in His Word that we have allowed

to remain hidden. Be the best you can be

for Him. Don't keep praying for FUTURE

blessings, deliverance, and healings. But

I won't hate on you if don't adopt a NOW

faith perspective. Because I have just

gotten a double dose of NOW faith for

myself!

Pastor Fletcher is married to Lindsey and

is the father of three young children.

By Jerry "J.J." FletcherJerry "J.J." FletcherJerry "J.J." FletcherJerry "J.J." Fletcher, Pastor of New Vision Fellowship, A Florida Correspondent A Florida Correspondent A Florida Correspondent A Florida Correspondent for The Populace Now

are taking from those less fortunate but the fact is that some of them actually work within the charitable organizations. Because of this, those in need continue to lack and both the compassionate giver andandandand the intended recipient, have been cheated. We’ve all heard the horror stories and many have thought, “Why bother to help when the money isn’t going to those in need?” Some even go as far as refusing to help and try to persuade others to do nothing as well. While some of the re-sources are unfortunately misused and misdirected to say the least, certainly not all is lost. Take the time to do some research on the organizations and the

Volume 2 Issue 24 The Populace Now Page 4

It is necessary for edu-

cators to motivate stu-

dents. Psychologists

define motivation as

"an internal process

that activates, guides, and maintains

behavior over time." It is difficult how-

ever, for teachers to motivate students

whose backgrounds are different from

their own. In the year 2000, the U.S.

Department of Education reported that

"students of color comprised nearly 40

percent of the nation's school age

population, but the overwhelming ma-

jority of teachers are white." My inter-

est is in motivating African-American

students and helping them to achieve

their education goals.

Most parents would say that they

want their children to do well in school

and get good grades. Parents also

want their children to have friends and

to participate in after school activities.

Add to this that most teens are encour-

aged not only to learn academics but

also to develop a social life or to find a

job. You can see there are a myriad of

activities that compete with academics

for a teen's time and interest. It is no

different for African-American stu-

dents. And the majority of their par-

ents report that their children like

school, despite the racism encoun-

tered there. So why is the educational

system failing African-American stu-

dents? Why is there a persistent

achievement gap between African-

American students and white stu-

dents? Could it be motivation or the

lack thereof?

Educators site many reasons for the

lack of motivation among A-A students.

Among them: low socioeconomic

status, poor parenting skills, negative

peer pressure, and lack of knowledge of

A-A History. These all have students ask-

ing, "What good is it to acquire an educa-

tion?"

One of the most important issues when

teaching or motivating students of color

is convincing them that learning will en-will en-will en-will en-

hance the quality of their lives.hance the quality of their lives.hance the quality of their lives.hance the quality of their lives. Parents

are the most effective motivators of their

children. Some parents of minority stu-

dents need help to understand their role

in encouraging their children to learn.

Schools need to provide parents informa-

tion on tracking practices, and the differ-

ences between honors and Advanced

Placement classes, regular classroom

placement, and remedial classes. Par-

ents of A-A students also need to be

helped in working with teachers to moni-

tor and effectively enhance their chil-

dren's academic progress. Teachers (and

this is vital) should become aware that should become aware that should become aware that should become aware that

the cultural influence on parenting val-the cultural influence on parenting val-the cultural influence on parenting val-the cultural influence on parenting val-

ues and behavior is different in the Aues and behavior is different in the Aues and behavior is different in the Aues and behavior is different in the A----A A A A

community. community. community. community.

The differences between the percep-

tions of teachers and those of A-A par-

ents can only be addressed with honest

communication that is based on mutual

respect. For instance, A-A parents are

more likely to utilize physical punishment

and emotional withdrawal than other

ethnic groups because of the high value

that they place on obedience. It is clear

that one of the most important factors in

motivating A-A students is making par-

ents part of the educational team. With-

out their help, motivating A-A students

will at best be extremely challenging.

Today, the classroom is one arena in

which the traditional Eurocentric per-

spective is most obvious. Because

negativity and hopelessness pre-

dominate in news reports and re-

search regarding A-A and because

most textbooks reflect a Eurocentric

bias in most high school history

classes, the students are likely to

hear about slavery, Martin Luther

King, Jr., and possibly Rosa Parks.

Students are unlikelyunlikelyunlikelyunlikely to learn, for

example, that in spite of many obsta-

cles including racism and oppres-

sion, nearly four hundred A-A men

and women earned doctorates from

the period spanning the late 1800's

to World War II. And they're

unlikely to be taught that one of the

founders of Georgetown University

was a half -black man who

had earned a Ph.D., in Belgium be-

fore the Civil War. An unawareness of

h e r i t a ge e f f e c t s s e l f - p r i d e

and contributes to lack of direction.

Many factors contribute to low

a c h i e v em e n t r a t e s o f a

high percentage of A-A students. But

the most important is racismracismracismracism. Until

our nation's school systems and soci-

ety as a whole develop ways to truly

put all students on an even footing,

there will be a disproportionate num-

ber of children of color left behind.

Teachers must understand the ef-

fects their personal biases have

when interacting with students. No

one can deny that the problems of

our nation's school districts concern-

ing students of color are great.

But they are not impossible, if we

take the challenge one student at a

time.

Motivating AfricanMotivating AfricanMotivating AfricanMotivating African----American Secondary School Children American Secondary School Children American Secondary School Children American Secondary School Children By Harry Taylor, Harry Taylor, Harry Taylor, Harry Taylor, B.S. History and MSE, Adult Ed. An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent, for The Populace Now

Widow of Mr. McKinley “Deacon” Davis

Freeport Community College Graduate

and community icon

Former World Middleweight World

Boxing Champion

First African American

teacher in Freeport history

Former Eastside Recreation

Director

Renowned African American

Musician

Freeport African American

Alderman

First Freeport African American

Principal

African American Historian

First African American Fireman

In Freeport’s history

(Motley)(Motley)(Motley)(Motley) who became the first social who became the first social who became the first social who became the first social

worker for Jane Addams Mental Health.worker for Jane Addams Mental Health.worker for Jane Addams Mental Health.worker for Jane Addams Mental Health.

Time and space simply will not allow us

to say so much more about each of

these folks. In days to come, perhaps

some would do us the honor of writing

further details about their experiences

and presenting them here in The Popu-

lace Now.

We'd like to thank Marty Blake Photogra-We'd like to thank Marty Blake Photogra-We'd like to thank Marty Blake Photogra-We'd like to thank Marty Blake Photogra-

phy for the great photos taken during the phy for the great photos taken during the phy for the great photos taken during the phy for the great photos taken during the

event and reproduced for this article.event and reproduced for this article.event and reproduced for this article.event and reproduced for this article.

Our final thank you goes again to Mr. Our final thank you goes again to Mr. Our final thank you goes again to Mr. Our final thank you goes again to Mr.

George Triplett for the perseverance George Triplett for the perseverance George Triplett for the perseverance George Triplett for the perseverance

necessary to put together the wonder necessary to put together the wonder necessary to put together the wonder necessary to put together the wonder

photo/bio exhibit of the dayphoto/bio exhibit of the dayphoto/bio exhibit of the dayphoto/bio exhibit of the day--------that is now that is now that is now that is now

on display at our Freeport Public Libraryon display at our Freeport Public Libraryon display at our Freeport Public Libraryon display at our Freeport Public Library--------

thanks to Ms. Carol Dickerson, Director.thanks to Ms. Carol Dickerson, Director.thanks to Ms. Carol Dickerson, Director.thanks to Ms. Carol Dickerson, Director.

(Continued from page 1.)(Continued from page 1.)(Continued from page 1.)(Continued from page 1.)

Following a presentation of honorees

and after hearing from some, we ad-

journed to the second floor atrium to

enjoy framed photos and biographical

information that George gathered dur-

ing his quest. As people mingled and

observed, tasty morsels (fit for royalty)

were enjoyed by caterers Mr. and Mrs.

Roy (Joy) Sellers of Freeport's Sellnoir

food establishment (538 E. Stephenson

Street).

To record the day, CBS affiliate chan-

nel 23's cameraman was in place. The

local paper sent a photographer and

reporter. And Sellers Media Group (yes,

your very own) videotaped the three

and 1/2 hour unique event. Yours truly

was the Mistress of Ceremonies and

Mr. Sellers enjoyed a moment at the

microphone on behalf of Sellers Media

Group and your newsletter, The Populace

Now.

These are Freeport FirstsFirstsFirstsFirsts that highlighted

the day: Alderman, Albert Williams, 1953; Alderman, Albert Williams, 1953; Alderman, Albert Williams, 1953; Alderman, Albert Williams, 1953;

R.N., Caroline Edison, 1954; Police Offi-R.N., Caroline Edison, 1954; Police Offi-R.N., Caroline Edison, 1954; Police Offi-R.N., Caroline Edison, 1954; Police Offi-

cer, Albert Lenoir, 1955; Basketball Olym-cer, Albert Lenoir, 1955; Basketball Olym-cer, Albert Lenoir, 1955; Basketball Olym-cer, Albert Lenoir, 1955; Basketball Olym-

pian, Carl Cain, 1956; Male Teacher, Roo-pian, Carl Cain, 1956; Male Teacher, Roo-pian, Carl Cain, 1956; Male Teacher, Roo-pian, Carl Cain, 1956; Male Teacher, Roo-

sevelt Banks, 1958; State of Illinois Dept. sevelt Banks, 1958; State of Illinois Dept. sevelt Banks, 1958; State of Illinois Dept. sevelt Banks, 1958; State of Illinois Dept.

of Public Aid Sec'y, Catherine Taylor of Public Aid Sec'y, Catherine Taylor of Public Aid Sec'y, Catherine Taylor of Public Aid Sec'y, Catherine Taylor

(Banks), 1958; Female graduate of Free-(Banks), 1958; Female graduate of Free-(Banks), 1958; Female graduate of Free-(Banks), 1958; Female graduate of Free-

port Community College, Geraldine Jones, port Community College, Geraldine Jones, port Community College, Geraldine Jones, port Community College, Geraldine Jones,

1966; Caseworker for Ill Dept. of Public 1966; Caseworker for Ill Dept. of Public 1966; Caseworker for Ill Dept. of Public 1966; Caseworker for Ill Dept. of Public

Aid, became Lead caseworker, Sharon Aid, became Lead caseworker, Sharon Aid, became Lead caseworker, Sharon Aid, became Lead caseworker, Sharon

Taylor (Williams), 1974Taylor (Williams), 1974Taylor (Williams), 1974Taylor (Williams), 1974

Other notableOther notableOther notableOther notable Firsts Firsts Firsts Firsts who were honored on

January 30: Female Teacher, Arnetta : Female Teacher, Arnetta : Female Teacher, Arnetta : Female Teacher, Arnetta

Campbell (McGee); Principal Patricia Nor-Campbell (McGee); Principal Patricia Nor-Campbell (McGee); Principal Patricia Nor-Campbell (McGee); Principal Patricia Nor-

man andman andman andman and finally, Gail Caruthers finally, Gail Caruthers finally, Gail Caruthers finally, Gail Caruthers

Celebrating Black Achievements Celebrating Black Achievements Celebrating Black Achievements Celebrating Black Achievements Is Is Is Is Celebrating Black HistoryCelebrating Black HistoryCelebrating Black HistoryCelebrating Black History

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