PRST STD - U.S. POSTAGE PAIDRICHMOND, VA PERMIT NO. 639

Vol. 24 No. 410 (2004th Edition) December 1 - 7, 2010 FREE

Earlier this week President Barack Obama made an announcement that has left over 10,000 Central Virginia federal workers stunned. He has proposed to eliminate pay increases for the next two years—a move, he says, will save the nation millions of dollars.

“The hard truth is that getting this deficit under control is going to require some broad sacrifice and that sacrifice must be shared by the employees of the federal government,” the president said.

The state of Virginia and its capital c i t y b e i n g c lo s e t o Washington, D.C.—approximately a 90-mile distance—has left many to question how this will affect local federal employees.

In Richmond, there is the VA hospital and then there’s Fort Lee in neighboring Prince George County where there is an abundance of government employment. It’s those thousands of employees, as well as millions of others across the nation that will experience the sting of the president’s cost-cutting option.

Federal workers are “patriots who love their country,” Obama said, asking “civil servants to do what they’ve always done” for the nation and “play their part.”

This move illustrates how Obama can use his office to get ahead of the newly elected Republicans that now hold the majority in the House and have increased numbers in the Senate.

Republicans had already been talking about a freeze when the new Congress begins in January. Republicans have noted that they have been call ing for a pay freeze for months only to have the request fall on deaf ears. The president being one step ahead of the game, however, doesn’t seem to have upset the par ty. In fact, they seem appreciative.

“We are pleased that President Obama appears ready to join our effor ts,” said Rep. Eric Cantor, R — 7th Distr ict, who publicly came out in suppor t of the measure. Cantor is also the incoming majority leader in the House.

Overall, the purpose of the president’s two-year pay freeze is to address concern over high annual deficits and to f ind a common ground to restore the nation’s economic and f iscal health—not to appeal to the Republican Par ty.

The pay freeze erased plans for a 1.4 percent across-the-board raise next year for 2.1

million federal employees and includes no pay raise in 2012. The move is predicted to save $2 billion in the 2011 fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 and $5 billion by the end of two fiscal years. Over 10 years, it would save $60 billion according to the Office of Management and Budget.

Although Congress has the final word on federal pay, the president’s freeze seems almost certain to win approval given political standings in January. Analysts are expecting the freeze to go over smoothly and if anything, for lawmakers to go further by cutting pay.

The freeze would apply to all civilian federal employees, including those working at the Department of Defense, but will not affect military personnel. The nation’s uniformed military are excluded from the freeze and civilian workers who are promoted would still receive the higher pay that comes with the higher grade or position. Post office employees, government contractors and federal court workers are also exempt.

Studies have shown that government employees’ pay scales have increased much faster than those working in the private sector, which has led to a noticeable disparity in the compensation level for similar jobs. This motion from the president could create an even playing ground.

Locally, the pay freeze will not affect services extended to the public.

Central Virginia federal workers to be affected by pay freeze

President Obama announced a two-year pay freeze for federal employees this week.

The Richmond Voice2 • December 1 - 7, 2010

Angelou is Medal of Freedom recipientVSP offers safety tips for holiday seasonWith the holiday shopping and travel

season in full swing, thieves and fraudsters are making their own special holiday plans to take advantage of preoccupied shoppers and travelers.

The Virginia State Police (VSP) Insurance Fraud (IFP) and Help Eliminate Auto Theft (H.E.A.T.) programs want to make sure the commonwealth’s citizens stay safe over the upcoming holidays.

Virginians can avoid falling victim to these criminals by being observant and taking a few extra precautions while enjoying the season’s festivities. H.E.A.T. and the IFP offer the following safety tips to protect you and your family from the grinches who want to steal more than your holiday.

• Always lock your car and take your keys with you. Don’t leave your car unlocked and running even if you think you’re only going to be a few minutes.

• Park your vehicle in a well lighted area preferably in an attended lot.

• Don’t leave any packages or valuables in your car in plain view. Always lock them in your trunk or cover them so they are not readily visible.

• Always approach your car with keys in hand and check the back seat of your car. If you see suspicious activity or someone is loitering near your car, don’t approach it, and if possible, notify the police.

• Be wary of people who offer you the right-of-way out of a parking space or indicate that it’s okay to proceed. Scammers will motion to you that it’s okay to pull out of a parking space, only to have their accomplice run into you with their vehicle, which may lead to your insurance company having to foot the bill for vehicle repair and possible bogus bodily injury claims.

• When driving, don’t follow too close. You may be setting yourself up to be the victim of a staged crash if the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly.

• If you are in a vehicle crash, be wary of individuals who don’t want to notify the police or get a police report. Also make note of the number, ages and sex of the occupants of the other vehicle along with the license plate number.

• Be mindful of people who approach your vehicle to ask for directions or change, or to hand out flyers.

Writer Maya Angelou and civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis, D-GA, were among 15 announced recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. It singles out those who have made contributions to the security or national interests of the U.S., to world peace or other significant endeavors.

“These outstanding honorees come from a broad range of backgrounds and they’ve excelled in a broad range of fields, but all of them have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture, and made our country and our world a better place,” President Barack Obama said in a statement announcing the recipients. “I look forward to awarding them this honor.”

The award ceremony will take place at the White House in early 2011.

Maya Angelou, a world-renowned poet, author, educator, and civil rights activist is currently the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. This is the third presidential award she’s received, following the Presidential Medal for the Arts in 2000 and the Lincoln Medal in 2008.

Lewis, a longtime congressman, was

a seminal figure during the Civil Rights Movement. While chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he helped organize the first lunch-counter sit-in in 1959, and was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington in 1963. In 1965, he led the Selma-to-Montgomery march on what came to be known as “Bloody Sunday,” drawing a violent, turbulent Alabama police response that prompted the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

Also honored was basketball legend Bill Russell. One of the most successful performers in professional sports, Russell led his Boston Celtic teams to 11 NBA championships in 13 years while also winning five most valuable player awards. He was the first African-American to become a coach of a major sports team at the professional level in the United States.

Among the other honorees were President George H.W. Bush, billionaire Warren Buffett, civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez and president emeritus of the AFL-CIO, John J. Sweeney.

Special to the NNPA from the AFRO-American Newspapers

The Richmond Voice LOCAL December 1 - 7, 2010 • 3

VUU names two new administrators to the president’s cabinetVirginia Union University (VUU) has

appointed two new members to the president’s cabinet, effective Jan. 4, 2011.

Dr. Joseph F. Johnson will assume the newly created position of senior vice president. In this role, Johnson will work in close coordination with Dr. Claude G. Perkins, president of VUU, on administrative and organizational matters. He will be responsible for direct supervision of the Divisions of Academi c A f fairs, Enrollment Management and Student A f fa i r s , a nd Resea rch , Pla n n ing and Special Programs. He will also be responsible for guiding Virginia Union University through the strategic planning process.

Dr. Johnson is currently the senior professor of educational leadership in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership at Fayetteville State University and chair of the Faculty Senate.

He is the former dean of the School of Education at Fayetteville State University

having served in that capacity for seven years. Before joining Fayetteville State University, Johnson was the associate superintendent for Administrative and Support Services for Winston/Salem/Forsyth County Schools for four years. For a span of 14 years (1968 to 1992) Johnson held var ious teaching and leadership positions with Richmond Public Schools.

Also joining the university’s senior team

of administrators is Leon Wyden. Wyden will assume the vice president of financial affairs position. He leaves Howard University where he has served as deputy controller for the past three years. In that position he managed an organization of 25 team members with responsibility for all financial accounting activities. He led Howard’s annual financial audit process and supervised the offices of Accounting and Reporting; Human Capital

Management; Grants Management and Compliance Systems; Effort Reporting; and Endowment Accounting and Audit Systems. He previously served as chief financial officer for SUSS MicroTec, North America, and division controller for the Sam Moore Division of La/Z/Boy, Inc.

Wyden will oversee and direct the establishment of systems, procedures and processes to provide institutional oversight of the financial operations of the university. He will also develop long term cost effective financing strategies to support university initiatives, recommend

operational efficiencies and represent the university’s financial interests to various internal and external constituent groups.

Dr. Perkins, “Both of these gentlemen bring a high degree of professionalism to their new roles at the university. We ant ic ipate them cont r ibut ing i n m e a n i ng f u l ways t o Vi rg i n i a Union.”

Dr. Joseph Johnson Leon Wyden

Harlem Globetrotters to headline Richmond’s Christmas ParadeThree members of the world-famous

Harlem Globetrotters will once again headline Richmond’s annual Christmas Parade on Broad Street on Saturday, Dec. 4 after serving as the parade’s grand marshals in 2009. Known all over the world as the ‘Ambassadors of Goodwill,’ Hi Rise Brown, Dizzy Grant, and Firefly Fisher will “razzle-dazzle” parade goers

throughout the day. The Globetrotters will return to Richmond to open up their 2011 North American Tour at the Richmond Coliseum for two games on Sunday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The 27th Annual Dominion Christmas Parade will begin at 10 a.m., rain or shine, hot or cold, and take the traditional route down Broad Street from the Science

Museum to 7th Street near the Richmond Coliseum. Approximately 90 units are expected to participate, including high stepping marching bands, colorful floats, large helium balloons and more, and of course, Santa.

The Central Virginia Foodbank will be collecting food and monetary donations along the parade route to help feed those in need during the holiday season as part

of the food bank’s Feeding Richmond’s Christmas Spirit theme.

“Our tradition of helping the less fortunate, especially at Christmas, is part of what makes Richmond a special place,” said Robert Kelly, the parade’s voluntary chairman.

More than 100,000 people typically turn out for the Christmas Parade. To find out more about the parade, go to http://richmondparade.com.

Special elections to be held next year

A Writ for two special elections to be held on January 11, 2011.

This past election Del. H. Morgan Griffith was elected to serve in the 9th Congressional District and Sen. Robert Hurt was elected to serve in the 5th Congressional District both for the U.S. House of Representatives. The results from the Nov. 2 elections were officially certified by the Virginia State Board of Elections on Nov. 22. Upon receiving their resignations the governor issued the Writ for the Special Elections.

Griffith served Virginia’s 8th House District which includes the County of Roanoke (part) and City of Salem, while Hurt served in the 19th Senate District which includes Campbell County.

The Richmond VoiceLOCAL4 • December 1 - 7, 2010

Gov. McDonnell proclaims December Virginia Christmas Tree MonthVirginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell honored a 168-year old tradition when he proclaimed

December 2010 Christmas Tree Month in the Commonwealth. In 1842, a professor at the College of William and Mary named Charles Minnegerode introduced the German custom of the Christmas tree to the citizens of Williamsburg when he decorated a tree with strings of popcorn, gilded nuts and lighted candles.

The decorations may have changed over the decades but for Virginians, the tradition of choosing fresh, locally grown Christmas trees has become one of the most popular of the holiday season. Virginia Christmas trees are an essential part of the seasonal celebration.

Selecting, harvesting and decorating real Virginia grown Christmas trees bring families and friends together to share the joy and good will of the Christmas season. And the advantages don’t stop there. When buyers choose real Virginia Christmas trees, their purchases benefit the grower, the environment and the state’s economy as well as those who enjoy the tree’s freshness, fragrance and lasting beauty.

Real Virginia Christmas trees contribute to a healthy environment by adding oxygen to the air, providing wildlife habitat and increasing soil stability. Virginia Christmas trees are a renewable resource and for every one harvested, two to three seedlings are planted in its place.

The governor’s proclamation noted that consumers can drive an hour or less in any direction in Virginia and find fresh Virginia Grown Christmas trees to purchase. At those farms and retail stands, they will be able to choose from a wide variety including white and Scotch pines, Norway and Colorado blue spruces as well as Douglas and Fraser firs. Buying real Christmas trees from Virginia growers helps them maintain their agricultural operations and helps expand the overall economy of the state.

For information about fresh Virginia Grown Christmas trees, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has published the 2010 Virginia Grown Christmas Tree Guide, available online at www.virginiagrown.com, by calling 804.786.3951 or by sending a request to VDACS, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.

Governor McDonnell’s Christmas Tree Month proclamation is available at http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/vagrown/pdf/christmas2010.pdf.

Donations to Central Virginia Food bank

(L-R): Kim Albright, regional manager, Virginia Wal-Mart stores; First Lady Maureen McDonnell; Fay Lohr of the Central Virginia Food Bank(Photo courtesy of Michaele White, governor’s photographer)Kicking off the holiday season First Lady Maureen McDonnell joined Wal-Mart and the International Bottled Water Association to present donations to the Central Virginia Food Bank in Richmond. In total, Wal-Mart and Diamond Springs donated 8,241 lbs of food and 1,151 lbs of water to the Food Bank. In addition, Wal-Mart donated $200,000 to the Federation of Virginia Food Banks.

On Nov. 22 First Lady Maureen McDonnell kicked off the official start of the Virginia Christmas tree season by accepting a large fir tree, several wreaths and 75 white poinsettias from Virginia farmers. The tree, wreaths and plants will decorate the Executive Mansion inside and out throughout the holiday season. Joe Freeman of Mistletoe Meadows Tree Farm in Willis, provided the Christmas tree; Sue Bostic of Joe’s Trees in Newport, donated wreaths; and the Virginia Nursery and Landscaping Association provided poinsettias. L to R, 1st row: Jenna and Jake Bostic; L to R, 2nd row: Linda Jones, Joe Freeman, First Lady Maureen McDonnell, Sue Bostic.

The Richmond Voice December 1 - 7, 2010 • 5

The Richmond VoiceOP-ED

The VOICE UnleashedThe VOICE UnleashedWe did it! Last year this time, many

Richmonders, including local elected officials and community members, didn’t think the first elementary public charter school would ever be a reality in our commonwealth’s capital city… The nay-sayers were proved wrong! As of August 11, 2010, 8:10 a.m., a charter school was born – only the fourth charter school in the state! What’s even more significant and noteworthy about this accomplishment is that it’s our city’s first new public school in over ten years. The school’s opening demonstrates Richmond Public School Board’s commitment to 21st century education models for the children and the families of this city. Coupled with President Obama’s support for urban charter schools and Governor McDonnell’s commitment to education reform in the commonwealth, I can see that real leadership equals progress. The people demand school choice and educational options and they deserve it. As most of you know, I resigned as president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters in March 2010, mostly because of my affiliation with the Patrick Henry Charter School and the unfound perception

that this was interfering with my role in the crusade. Despite any political price I may have paid, (yes, the crusade I still love you and always will), that organization gave me my first real opportunity to demonstrate to the greater Richmond community my ability to lead and help empower others to be advocates and activists for better neighborhoods and schools. I can truly say it was well worth it! I know the 150 chi ldren at Pat r ick Henry and a lot more to come, will greatly appreciate the actions and sacrifices I and many others made over the last two years.

I want them to know, it was never about me, but always about them and their future.

At the end of day, I’m reminded of what Dr. Martin Luther King once said the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in the time of controversy and challenge. If I have to go through the controversy and pol it ica l f ight ing to be able to make a difference in people l ives, I welcome the challenge every time. -- Antione M. Green

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.As we enter the final days of 2010, one

of the outstanding issues of the past 12 months is the inadequate education that the majority of African American children and young adults are receiving throughout the United States. All parents, and in particular, African American parents, want the best for their children. Thus, the empowerment of parents around the issues of improving the education of young people in the African American community should remain one of the highest priorities.

They say that information is power. Black parents need accurate and timely information about the var ious options and rights that they have concerning all the educational systems, programs, and institutions available. Having a greater knowledge of how to access better and more effective educational opportunities is critical to parental empowerment.

Recently the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Grade 12 Reading and Mathematics National and Pilot State Results were released by the National Center for Education Statistics. In both math and reading African American 12th graders scored considerably lower than white or Asian American students. There was a significant achievement gap in terms of the racial breakdown of 12th graders that took the test across the nation.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Ducan stated that the results of NAEP Grade 12 “suggests that high school seniors’ achievement in reading and math isn’t rising fast enough to prepare them to succeed in college and careers.

Secretary Ducan was correct in general terms. But when it comes to the disparities and inequities that Black American children and youth are facing in the educational systems in America, parents in our communities need to be more vocal,

organized, mobilized, and involved in the decisions and policies that impact the quality of education.

All children deserve equal educational opportunity. There needs to be a focus where the need is greatest and where the achievement gaps are so glaring and obvious. Low-income and working class Black families are facing increasing hardships economically as well as dysfunctions in too many of the schools in these communities. Yet this educational crisis can be and should be turned around. Our children want and deserve a better chance at life and it begins by demanding and struggling for a better high quality education. Nothing less than the best for our children is acceptable. That is why I have been somewhat encouraged lately to witness Black parents bind together in the different regions of the nation on the questions of parental choice and educational reform.

Looking into 2011 and beyond, Black parental empowerment will be key to any successful movement for change in the educational options for our children. The Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) www.baeo.org provides some of the best information and strategies to empower Black parents and to help bring about a better educational future for all our children.

6 • December 1 - 7, 2010

Empowering Black American parents

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

All our lives we’ve heard stories about The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Now we can add to that two grinches – Rush Limbaugh and Mike Huckabee – who stole the Obama family’s Thanksgiving. Or, at least tried. While the rest of us were preparing to express gratitude for our blessings, those two spent the days leading up to Thanksgiving urging President Barack Obama to expose his wife, two daughters, and mother-in-law to groping.

Huckabee, told his television friends on Fox: “If he thinks this is an appropriate way for us to deal with security as he has defended, then I’ve said, ‘OK, Mr. Obama, take your wife, your two daughters, and your mother-in-law to Washington Reagan National Airport and have them publicly go through both the body scanner and the full enhanced pat-down in front of others. And, if it’s OK for your wife, your daughters, and your mother-in-law, then

maybe the rest of us won’t feel so bad when our wives, our daughters, and our mothers are being put through this humiliating and degrading, totally unconstitutional, intrusion of their privacy.’”

Limbaugh said he should “take his daughter to the airport and have a TSA grope her” to prove it is safe.

These are yet more examples of critics who have an issue with the president attacking his family instead of criticizing whatever public policy issue they find objectionable. It’s fine to attack the idiotic way the Transportation Security Administration has rolled out tougher screening measures. But it’s not okay to use the Obama daughters in particular for target practice. They’ve done nothing to deserve such crass treatment by men who should know better.George Curry

The Richmond Voice LETTERS TO THE EDITORP.

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The crass men of the rightIn late September, Sen. John McCain

(R-AZ) wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressing his concerns that the Pentagon’s Working Group review of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy was operating under the condition that “the policy will be repealed” rather than studying if it should be changed. “I urge you and Admiral Mullen to modify the review and the survey instrument, or to conduct supplemental surveys, aimed at ensuring that the question of whether the DADT policy should be changed is answered,” McCain wrote in a letter dated September 28, 2010.

Responding to the senator’s request in a previously unreleased letter from Oct. 25, 2010, Gates explained that the review was not a “referendum” on the policy, stressing, “I do not believe that military policy decisions — on this or any other subject — should be made through a referendum of service-members.” He also emphasized that the final report would inform military leaders of the impacts of lifting the ban and help guide Congress in its decision making.

Unfortunately, Gates’ response did not

assuage McCain, who reiterated his opposition to the study during a recent appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press.” But the senator is one of the only individual concerned about the scope of the report. Two of the four service chiefs — Navy chief Adm. Gary Roughead and Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz — are on public record as endorsing the comprehensive nature of the review. Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos — who has expressed concerns about the “risk” of repeal — also predicted that the Pentagon’s review of the policy would inform the military about how best to implement a repeal and allow the Marines Corp to change the policy “smartly.” Similarly, during a hearing last week, Army Gen. Car ter F. Ham — the co-chairman of the Pentagon’s Working Group on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — told Senate Armed Services Committee, “We believe this is probably, as far as I could tell, the most comprehensive assessment of a personnel policy matter that the Department of Defense has conducted.”Igor Volsky

DADT repeal continues to divide

December 1 - 7, 2010 • 7

Thoughts on technologyWhat past elections prove is that the key

to political success is understanding what the voters really want. The race for 2012 has already begun and hard economic times leave little voter tolerance for tone-deaf politicians. If a representative does not feel the voter’s pain they will feel pain from the voters come the next election.

There are countless polls, studies, think tanks and groups that present interpretations of the mood or pulse of the country. But generic polls and nationwide trends are meaningless to a representative who has a constituency to whom they must answer. All elections are local therefore the consensus of their constituents is the Holy Grail if a candidate or a representative is to be successful. Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and advertising all work to get the representative’s message

out, but how does the representative get meaningful information back without an expensive and manpower intensive effort of sorting through thousands of letters and e-mails, conducting expensive polls, at tending countless town hall meetings and meet and greets. Why can’t we use technology to quickly find the consensus on any topic in near real time? What if, when you received a comment or opinion from a constituent, you could also know what percentage of your voters agree with them? What if you could send targeted messages to a group of voters that share a common opinion about a given topic or issue? What if you could only work with the voters in your district and shut out the noise from operatives in other districts or states? Brent Regan

Against federal salary freezeIn the last five years we have had a

massive increase in the federal payroll of those who earn over $150,000 from 7,400 to roughly 82,000. The number of federal workers earning $150,000 or more a year has soared tenfold in the past five years and doubled since President Obama took office, a USA TODAY analysis found. Is this our tax dollars or government bankroll?

Has the federal government ever produced anything, do federal workers produce anything? What percentage of the GDP does the government contribute? So to date we’re in debt roughly $14 trillion with

government increasing the debt ceiling and now your dollars will be diluted even further with the federal government salary freeze.

But the government doesn’t care. They have a huge stockpile of gold that they stole from every American citizen since 1933. So we go to work to get paid in worthless paper while they have a huge stockpile of gold, but roughly 30 percent of our worthless paper goes back to the government. Is this the neo-slavery regardless of your race?Mickey D.

The Richmond VoiceRELIGION

Facebook - banning pastor acknowledges past transgressions8 • December 1 - 7, 2010

A pastor who said Facebook was a “portal to infidelity” and told married church leaders to delete their accounts or resign once testified that he had a three-way sexual relationship with his wife and a male church assistant.

The Rev. Cedric Miller confirmed the information reported by the Asbury Park Press of Neptune, which cited testimony he gave in a criminal case in 2003. The relationship had ended by that time.

Miller gained national attention when he issued the Facebook edict recently. He said it came about because much of the marital counseling he has performed over the past year and a half has concerned infidelity stemming from the social-networking website.

The 48-year-old leader of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune Township had claimed Facebook ignites old passions, and he ordered about 50 married

church officials to delete their accounts with the social networking site or resign from their leadership positions.

Miller had previously asked married congregants to share their login information with their spouses — as he does — and now plans to suggest that they give up Facebook altogether. The minister also said he would leave the site.

In court testimony he gave in April 2003, Miller said his wife had an extramarital affair with the church assistant. Miller said he participated in many of the sexual encounters and said the assistant’s wife was sometimes present, too.

Miller said the dalliances — which occurred in the Millers’ home — sometimes took place during Thursday Bible study meetings and Sundays after church. But the minister said the encounters “came to a crashing halt” when several women in the church accused the assistant of having sex with them.

The testimony was given in connection with a criminal case against the assistant that was eventually dismissed. The names of the church assistant and his wife were not disclosed, and Miller told the newspaper that he was concerned that revisiting the incident would “irreparably” hurt some people.

“It has come to my attention that a very

painful part of my past has resurfaced,” Miller wrote in an e-mail. Noting that his court testimony w a s m a i l e d t o h i s c h u r c h l e a d e r s a n d o t he r pa s to r s several years ago, Miller said, “This was resolved at that time and accordingly we will not allow it to detract from our mission at hand to save as many marriages as we can.”

Miller said people must lo ok a t h i s Fa c eb o ok directives in the proper context.

“My life as a minister, husband, father and friend has led me to the conviction that I must do all that I can to help as many people strengthen, preserve and repair the often times fragile cords of marriage,” Miller wrote.

Rev. Cedric Miller

Boycott presents for a true ChristmasRetailers are looking at a rosy holiday

season, but one church pastor is ready to pour a little sour milk in their eggnog.

According to the National Retail Federation, holiday retail sales will increase by 2.3 percent over last year, totaling $447.1 billion in sales during November and December. That figure, however, is less an economic indicator than it is a symptom of the diseases of materialism and immediate gratification that plague the country, according to Pastor Fred Sellers.

“Where in the Bible does it say, ‘Thou shalt buy an HD TV?’” said Sellers, pastor of Victory Church of Norman, Oklahoma and author of “The Prophet of Vail Mountain.”

“Seriously, we are inundated with TV specials and movies that remind us that the true blessings of Christmas exist not inside a box, but in our hearts. We hear it in our holiday songs and we hear it when we attend services, so why do we still persist in pursuing this gluttonous amount of material goods? If we truly did believe what our church leaders, movie producers, songwriters and our hearts are telling us

about the true meaning of Christmas, what are we doing spending hundreds of billions of dollars this year for things we don’t need?”

Sellers, whose book explores and challenges the modern nature of faith, believes that the religious view of this gross materialism isn’t something anyone would want to see written in a Christmas card.

“For those who are faithful, this is not what Christ intended when he died for our sins,” he added. “While He would be pleased that we use this time to reflect on our lives and try to bring joy to others, I doubt the mob scenes at stores [last Friday] would make him believe we understood the message he was trying to send us.

“Truly, will our kids get more out of that new video game system and all the countless hours they’ll spend being hypnotized by it than they would out of spending real time with their families? The hard truth is that most kids, if given the choice, would probably choose the video games over their parents most of the time, and that’s sad and entirely preventable.”

Recognize your pastor, deacon, trustee or active church member in

The VOICE as one of our Religious Spotlights*Profiles should include a high-resolution photoSend profiles to aj@voicenewspaper.com

The Richmond Voice December 1 - 7, 2010 • 9

God help us to end poverty in our time

Fax The Voice (804) 644-5617

In this holiday season when 15.5 million children are living in poverty—many hungry and homeless; when the gap between rich and poor is the highest ever; when the very richest Americans have reaped a huge tax windfall from the Bush tax cuts and some political leaders want to give them more; and when, incredibly, some political leaders are playing politics with the very survival of our children and earth in our nuclear saturated world by blocking immediate passage of the start treaty to control nuclear weapons pray for an end to child poverty in all of its forms.

49 percent of American babies born into poor families will be poor for at least half their childhoods, an Urban Institute study finds. An estimated 14.1 million Americans under age 18 are poor. Approximately 4.2 million children are born annually according to the study.

By Marian Wright EdelmanThe poverty of having a child with too little to eat and no place to sleep, no air, sunlight

and space in which to breathe, bask and grow.The poverty of watching your child suffer and get sicker and sicker and not knowing

what to do or how to get help because you don’t have a car to get to the emergency room or health insurance.

The poverty of working your fingers to the bone every day taking care of somebody else’s children and neglecting your own and still not being able to pay your bills.

The poverty of having a job, which does not let you afford a stable place to live, and being terrified you’ll become homeless and lose your children to foster care.

The poverty of losing your job and searching and searching and searching for another amidst an epidemic scarcity of work.

The poverty of working all your life caring for others and having to start all over again caring for the grandchildren you love.

The poverty of earning a college degree, having children, opening a day care center and taking home $300 a week or even a month if you’re lucky.

The poverty of loneliness and isolation and alienation having no one to call or visit, tell you where to get help, assist you in getting it or care if you’re living or dead.

The poverty of having too much and sharing too little and having the burden of nothing to carry.

The poverty of convenient blindness and deafness and indifference to others, of emptiness and enslavement to things, drugs, power, money, violence and fleeting fame.The poverty of low aim and paltry purpose, weak will and tiny vision, big meetings and

small action, loud talk and sullen grudging service.The poverty of believing in nothing, standing for nothing, sharing nothing, sacrificing

nothing, struggling for nothing.The poverty of pride and ingratitude for God’s gifts of life and children and family and freedom and country and earth and not wanting for others what you want for yourself.

The poverty of greed for more and more and more, ignoring, blaming and exploiting the needy and taking from the weak to please the strong.

The poverty of addiction to drink, to work, to self, to the status quo and to injustice.The poverty of fear, which keeps you from doing the thing you think, is right. The

poverty of despair and cynicism.

The Richmond VoiceEDUCATION10 • December 1 - 7, 2010

Tom Joyner spearheads HBCU’s targeting online degree programsAs a growing number of students opt to

pursue online degrees instead of attending traditional universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are looking to build their online offerings.

According to the Associated Press, various HBCUs are looking to implement potentially lucrative online programs.

Lincoln University administrator Marcus Hill is currently looking to adopt online degree programs at the university after obtaining an online doctorate degree himself.

Spearheading the movement is syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner, who launched HBCUsOnline.com with his son last September.

“My father noticed very early on that a lot of the students doing the online education boom were members of his listening audience,” Tom Joyner Jr. told the AP. “Those listeners could be better served by HBCUs.”

HBCUs have long been hailed by the

Black community for their rich traditions and legacies, and experts believe that the universities should attempt to recapture Black students from online, for-profit universities such as the University of Phoenix.

According to the American Council of Education, though Blacks comprised nearly

12 percent of total enrollment in higher education in 2007, 21 percent attended for-profit universities, many of which were online.

Nearly one-third of the country’s 4,500 universities offer online degrees, the Sloan Consortium points out. But just 10 percent of the nation’s 105 HBCUs offer similar programs, according to the White House Initiative on historical Black institutions.

Education officials believe that finances have been the primary roadblock for HBCUs obtaining online programs, as many of the institutions usually have small endowments and are mainly tuition-reliant.

Some experts also believe that the Black institutions’ implementation of

online degrees could sharply reverse sagging graduation and retention rates that are linked to financial difficulties for many of its students,

But some fear that the celebrated “HBCU experience” will be lost in translation when

attending online classes. Joyner’s HBCUsOnline boasts 25

online programs from Hampton and Texas Southern Universities. With other institutions expected to join in the future, Joyner says the site will also utilize social media to help students capture the essence of the Black college experience.

“Everyone knows I’m passionate about my HBCUs, and I’m working hard to find ways for my beloved Black colleges to survive well into--and beyond--the 21st century,” Joyner told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

“HBCUsOnline is offering a convenient, easy-to-use way for students to complete their undergraduate degrees or better yet, get a graduate degree,” Joyner said in a statement. “We’re going to treat every student as if they’re on an HBCU Campus. They’ll be part of a community that will be with them from registration to graduation!”

Special to the NNPA from the AFRO-American Newspapers

Joyner founded The Tom Joyner Foundation to provide financial assistance to students at HBCUs. He is now leading a movement to place HBCUs online.

New report says minorities do not become professorsUniversity faculty and academic administrators

must consider the differing needs of underrepresented minority graduate students to attract them into academic careers, according to a recent report sponsored by the California Community College Collaborative (C4) at the University of California (UC), Riverside.

The report by Audrey J. Jaeger, an associate professor at North Carolina State University, and Karen J. Haley, an assistant professor at Northern Illinois University, is based on interviews with 45 graduate students and 16 faculty and administrators at UC Riverside from 2008 to 2010.

The researchers found administrators were not fully aware of the considerable challenges faced by underrepresented minority graduate students. The administrators saw all graduate students as similar to themselves: locked into a career path that would lead to jobs at research universities or as a researcher in government or industry.

Almost no one saw the students as candidates for faculty jobs at state colleges or community colleges, career paths of actual interest to graduate students.

The report – Under-represented Minority Graduate Students at the University of California, Riverside: Prospective Faculty? — concludes that to address the dearth of underrepresented minority faculty,

administrators need to be aware of the needs and desires of underrepresented minority graduate students and provide support systems to address their needs. The report also states that the students lack mentors and advocates to help them reach their goals.

While scholarly research has heavily focused on the diversity of student bodies at colleges and universities, little attention has been given to the makeup of professors. The report, and a follow up investigation underway that focuses on underrepresented minority faculty at community colleges in California, aims to address why there is a dearth of underrepresented minority professors.

The report notes that underrepresented minorities make up about one-third of the U.S. population and college enrollment. However, in 2005 only 17 percent of nation’s full-time professors belonged to an underrepresented minority group.

The report focused on UC Riverside because of its highly diverse undergraduate student body and because C4, a community college policy and research center, is located at UC Riverside, said Elizabeth Cox, assistant director at C4.

Cox, John Levin, director of the collaborative and interim dean of the UC Riverside Graduate School of Education, and several graduate students assisted in preparing the report.

The report highlights five findings:(1) Positions outside a research university

appeared to offer graduate students a better work-personal life balance, which was shown to be more important than the perceived benefits of a faculty career.

(2) Students committed to a faculty career expressed an unwillingness to recreate the status quo. In other words, students did not want to be told what to research. Instead, they wanted to undertake research “that mattered,” such as work that would connect to their families and community.

(3) Race is an authentic influence for underrepresented minority domestic graduate students selecting a faculty career. Decisions were based on the needs of family and

community.(4) International graduate students seek career

flexibility as well as social purpose. Similar to underrepresented minority domestic graduate students, international students were connected to their cultural values and were interested in helping other people through the knowledge they acquired receiving their doctoral degree.

(5) Faculty and academic administrators’ perspectives shape and limit the potential possibilities of career choices for graduate students.

The report also offers four recommendations:(1) Provide graduate students opportunities

to gain knowledge of, and experience with, various career paths.

The Richmond Voice December 1 - 7, 2010 • 11

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The Richmond VoiceENTERTAINMENT

Philly celebrates Gamble & Huff Walk: Music moguls make history on S. Bd. St.

See “Gamble & Huffˮ on pg. 13

12 • December 1 - 7, 2010

Dear Gwendolyn:I have been married for 16 years. They

say the first five years are the hardest. However, my entire 16 years have been hard. When my wife told me she was p regna nt , I i m med ia t ely marr ied her. This is the problem: Two months after we were marr ied I came home and she was talking to a man on the phone.

We have two children. The thing that hurts me the most is that she cheated on me with my cousin. At first she denied it, but after about 10 years, she said it was true. Gwendolyn, I love her and when she admitted to sleeping with my cousin, I felt empty inside. She says that no other man can financially satisfy her. What should I do?BenjaminDear Benjamin:

Because she started cheating from the beginning of your marriage leads me to think the man calling was actually the father of her first child – and maybe the second child.

Now, oh wow! Regarding your wife.

Benjamin, she does not love you and probably never did. Let me tell you this: As soon as she finds another man who can financially “satisfy” her, she is gone. When a wife cheats with her husband’s best friend, it is horrible. But, when a wife cheats with her husband’s cousin, I won’t even mention what that is. After all, the newspapers wouldn’t print. Benjamin, do not allow this woman to consume the best of your youthful years. Some hur t cannot be erased. Her adultery (especially with your cousin) will forever remain beyond repair. Therefore, leave her. Provide for the children, if they are young, but move on. There is nothing wrong with being in love. But, think about it. Love is supposed to be of joy and happiness and not --- pain.

My wife cheated on me although I love her!

Ask Gwendolyn Baines

Songstress Anita Baker drops new CD in 2011

By Kimberly C. Roberts Recently a legion of Philadelphia natives,

Camden residents and “people from all over the world” gathered in front of Philadelphia International Records (PIR) as the city renamed the 300 block of South Broad Street (between Spruce and Pine Streets), the location of the historic building owned by music moguls Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, “Gamble & Huff Walk”. The monumental event marks the first time that any individual(s) has had a location on Broad Street named in their honor.

The renaming ceremony, hosted by broadcast icon Jerry Blavat, was attended by Mrs. Fatimah Gamble, Mrs. Regina Huff, Grammy Award-winner Billy Paul, William Hart of the Delfonics, Phil Terry of the Intruders, community activist Charlie Mack, Ducky Birts, columnist Elmer Smith, broadcaster E. Steven Collins and producer/songwriters Bunny Sigler and Dexter Wansel, as well as Joe Tarsia, who engineered the majority of the recordings released on the PIR label.

Also in attendance were city council members Anna Verna, Blondell Reynolds Brown, Jannie Blackwell, Frank DiCicco and Donna Reed Miller, as well as Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson. There was also a very special guest of honor - Gamble’s 95-year-old mother, Ruby, who said, “It’s a wonderful day, and I’m very happy that he realized his dream, and I love him!”

On this perfect day, before an enthusiastic crowd of friends, family, fans and well-wishers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 as the first recipients of the prestigious Ahmet Ertegun Award, were presented with a number honors, including a proclamation from Mayor Michael Nutter, as well as a miniature replica of the Liberty Bell.

“It is so exciting to be out here,” Mayor Nutter said. “I know many of you are lifelong Philadelphians, and even if you’re not a lifelong Philadelphian, we literally grew up on this music.”

There was also a resolution from the members of city council, as well as a citation read by state Rep. Ron Waters and Louise Williams.

Taking the podium, Kenneth Gamble said, “When I think about this day, I’m so thankful, because I think about all the days we were over at the Shubert building, and this building right here was Cameo Parkway [Records], with Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp, and the Orlons and Bobby Rydell and all of them. “Believe it or not, there were times when they wouldn’t even let me in this building. Can you believe that? They’d say Kenny’s in the building! Get him out! Am I lying Huff? I’m telling you the truth!”

“That’s because he wrote a song called, The 81, by Candy and the Kisses!” Blavat interjected.

The 300 block of South Broad Street in Philly was renamed Gamble & Huff Walk, in honor of prolific hit-monsters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame mainstays Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, founders of the Philly Sound.

“Let me finish,” Gamble said. “So one day I got in this building,” he continued and they were kicking me out. I got in the elevator, and the elevator got stuck. They had to call the fire department to get me out. But I’ve got a lot of great memories of

this building, and the day Huff and I and Thom Bell signed the papers to buy this building -- you got that? The day that we bought this building, ‘cause they tr ied to kick me out of the building, it was a

It’s been so long. In fact, it’s been six years since Anita Baker’s last CD, “My Everything,” was released. The Detroit native had taken almost a decade off before that to deal with her ailing mother and raise her two sons, now teenagers. She and her husband, businessman Walter Bridgforth, divorced in 2007.

But no matter how long it took to get Baker to get back in the studio, her faithful fans will be happy to know that “21st Century Love” is on its way in the spring of 2011. But expect some surprises.

Baker worked with rapper Snoop Dogg on a remake of the Curtis Mayfield classic, “Give Me Your Love.”

“I always wanted to do this love theme from ‘Superfly’ because I grew up on it,” Baker told Snoop in a video of their

recording session. “You were a little baby, and I was a teenager when it came out, and it affected both of us. If I’m going to do a record in the 21st century, I need to come into the time. Not losing myself and you not losing yourself. [I said] we can call Superfly, and that’s Snoop.”

Anita Baker

The Richmond Voice ENTERTAINMENTGamble & HuffFrom Page 12

December 1 - 7, 2010 • 13

beautiful thing, and I thank God for it.” “And then they tried to burn us out!” Huff

added, referring to the arson fire that took place at 309 S. Broad St. earlier this year.

“But let me just tell you this. We’ve got a lot of friends in this city,” Gamble continued, “City Council, the mayor, the governor and all of you who showed up here today. So we’re going to make a triumph out of this tragedy, because they can’t stop the music. No matter what you do, you can’t stop this music!”

“I’m thankful,” Huff said of the honor. We put in a lot of hours in this building. That studio was like, 24/7. I mean, it was around the clock. I had a ball meeting Gamble here in Philadelphia, coming from Camden. I couldn’t wait to get over here because I rose through the musical ranks in Camden and I wanted to get into the music business, but Philadelphia had the record companies. You had record companies

all up and down Broad Street during those years, and meeting Gamble was a blessing for me. We became more than songwriters. We became friends, and we’ve been friends all through the years, through success, drama and all that. I could do it all again, the same way!”

While it was indeed a proud and joyous moment in Philadelphia history, I believe that it was a bit tarnished by the fact that none of the stellar musicians who put their indelible stamp on PIR’s memorable music (known collectively as M.F.S.B.) were present at the festivities, and the only person who acknowledged them at all was Huff.

Granted, many of them are deceased, but I personally know of one legendary instrumentalist who made an immeasurable and indeed pivotal contribution to The Sound of Philadelphia, but was blatantly snubbed by the organizers of the event. Meanwhile, Motown’s “Funk Brothers” have had an award-winning documentary made about them and have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Something about

that just doesn’t sit well with this reporter. Motown celebrates their musicians. Aren’t our guys just as worthy?

I think we would all agree that extraordinary and enduring recordings of Gamble & Huff would not have been possible without the supremely t a lented sidemen who contr ibuted their skill and in many cases, their ideas to the music. As an R&B purist who has discussed the music, and the merits of these very musicians with Gamble & Huff on many occasions throughout the years, I hope that this unfortunate and baff ling trend does not continue as the executive vice president of Chuck Gamble gears up to celebrate PIR’s 40th anniversary, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Gamble & Huff partnership.

Special to the NNPA from The Philadelphia Tribune

Philadelphia International released a number of the most popular soul music hits of the 1970s, including “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, “Back Stabbers” and “Love Train” by the O’Jays, and the Grammy-winning “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Bil ly Paul. Gamble & Huff were pioneers of Philadelphia soul.

Freddie Jackson releases first CD in seven yearsYou may not have heard his name in

a while, but Freddie Jackson has a new release, and it’s “For You.”

The crooner, who made such ‘80s classics as “You Are My Lady” and “Rock Me Tonight,” may have fallen to the wayside temporarily when R&B became more about the bump and grind than the smooth seduction, but apparently the balance of music is slowly being restored.

Jackson, a Harlem native who still lives in the historic neighborhood, came to prominence in the ‘80s, when he was discovered singing background for artists like Melba Moore.

Jackson’s first CD, 1985’s “Rock Me Tonight,” proved to be one of the most successful debuts ever, garnering hits like the title track and the crowd pleasing “You Are My Lady.”

Jackson enjoyed the success that came with it and toured all over the U.S. and the world. But a few years down the line, R&B had moved to a different place, and Jackson’s brand of soul wasn’t the flavor anymore.

“I had gotten a little despondent with the music industry, and I felt like R&B singers were not getting the respect that they deserved,” Jackson says. “My audience has always stuck with me, whether or not I have a record out. That proves to me

that R&B and soul are still alive, and that people still want it. There are still a lot of people who like a melody and still want songs that have some romance. People are tired of the trendy stuff, and they’re dying for quality music that’s gonna touch them and stick with them.”

Jackson says “For You” was created to please that loyal audience. He worked with veteran producer Barry Eastmond, known for his work with Anita Baker and Billy Ocean, and who created some of Jackson’s biggest hits. Jackson says Eastmond encouraged him to get back in the studio, and the one song they worked on turned into an album.

Freddie Jackson

The Richmond VoiceHEALTH NOTES14 • December 1 - 7, 2010

The Chicago-based manufacturers of Four Loko, a popular caffeinated alcoholic energy drink, were among the four recipients of a warning letter issued by the Food and Drug Administration, who claimed the caffeine used in their products was unsafe, according to the Associated Press.

The “FDA does not find support for the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is “generally recognized as safe” which is the legal standard,” Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA said in a statement.

The letter, sent to Four Loko, Charge Beverages, New Century Brewing and the United Brands Company said the use of caffeine in the companies’ alcoholic energy products could impair its consumers’ perception of intoxication. The FDA also stated that the government can seize the products, often called “blackout in a can,” if no changes are made.

“Let these rulings serve as a warning to anyone who tried to peddle dangerous and toxic brews to our children. Do it and we will shut you down,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. “This

ruling should be the nail in the coffin of these dangerous and toxic drinks. Parents should be able to rest a little easier knowing that soon their children won’t have access to this deadly brew.”

Developers of the drinks came under scrutiny in recent months after several college students were hospitalized after

consuming the drink. As a result, six states including New York, Michigan, Utah, Washington and Oklahoma have banned the beverages and other states are considering similar measures.

Maryland became the most recent state to ban Four Loko when state Comptroller Peter Franchot convinced two of the state’s beverage associations to stop distributing the drink to local stores, according to The Baltimore Sun. The state moved to ban the drink after the death of 21-year-old Courtney Perry of Easton, MD. According to CBS affiliate WJZ-TV, Perry’s friends and relatives

said she was drinking the beverage the night she crashed her pickup truck into two utility poles.

In response to the FDA’s letter, developers of Four Loko announced that it will remove caffeine and other ingredients from their product nationwide.

“We have repeatedly contended--and still believe, as do many people throughout the country-- that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is safe,” the company’s founders said in a statement. “If it were unsafe, popular drinks like rum and colas or Irish coffees that have been consumed safely and responsibly for years would face the same scrutiny that our products have recently faced. By taking this action today, we are again demonstrating leadership, cooperation and responsible corporate citizenship.”

The beverages, which are sold in various flavors, contain as much alcohol as three beers and as much caffeine as three cups of coffee. Experts say teens have flocked to the drink because of its sweet taste and cheap costs. But some speculate that the ban of the beverages will just lead to their illegal sale.

The FDA singled out these manufacturers and their products: Charge Beverages Corp. (Core High Gravity HG, Core High Gravity HG Orange, and Lemon Lime Core Spiked), New Century Brewing Co., LLC (Moonshot), Phusion Projects, LLC (Four Loko) and United Brands Company Inc. (Joose and Max).

Special to the NNPA from the AFRO Staff

FDA warns of alcoholic caffeinated energy drinks as “blackout” in a can

Partyers rushed to stock up on Four Loko before it gets pulled from shelves after FDA says it’s unsafe

New transplant project aims to spur kidney swapsToo often, would-be kidney donors are

wasted because the friend or loved one they want to help isn’t a match. Now a new national database promises to help find matches for those frustrated pairs so they can be part of so-called kidney exchanges and cut the wait for a transplant.

If the long-awaited pilot project by the United Network for Organ Sharing pans out, specialists predict it eventually could result in an extra 2,000 to 3,000 transplants a year through “kidney paired donation,” where someone donates a kidney on a patient’s behalf so they can receive a compatible organ from someone else in return.

“The more people involved, the more people match,” explains Dr. Dorry Segev at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, which pioneered kidney swaps and is one of four transplant coordinating centers helping to run the UNOS project.

Kidney paired donation is increasing but still rare — with more than 760 performed in the last three years — and patients today often must track down participating centers on their own and travel hundreds of miles for surgery.

“I do have friends that are on dialysis

that can’t afford to come this far to receive a transplant,” says Heather Hall, 31, of Denham Springs, La., who was one of 16 patients to receive a new kidney during an unusually large exchange at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington.

Born with bad kidneys and needing her third transplant, she read about Georgetown’s program after doctors in Louisiana said she’d become too hard to match. Her aunt donated on her behalf.

The UNOS project, which began in October, is part of a broader effort to increase kidney paired donation, considered one of the best bets at boosting live-donor transplants — the optimal kind. Some transplant centers already have formed regional alliances to mix and match larger numbers of patients and their would-be donors. Even some small hospitals are making a name for themselves by amassing lists of potential swappers.

“We’re trying to tell folks, ‘Don’t take no for an answer,’” said transplant surgeon Dr. Adam Bingaman of San Antonio’s Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital, who led another 16-way kidney exchange last month.

Of the more than 87,000 people on the yearslong national waiting list for a kidney, at least 6,000 instead could qualify for a kidney swap if only they knew about that option, Bingaman recently wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Fewer than 17,000 kidney transplants are performed in the U.S. each year, and just over a third are from living donors, relatives or friends who happen to be biologically compatible.

Without their own donor, patients await a cadaver kidney — and nearly one in three patients may never get one because their immune system has become abnormally primed to attack a new organ, says Georgetown kidney transplant director Dr. Keith Melancon. Black patients are most at risk, but anyone can become “sensitized” from pregnancy, blood transfusions, dialysis or, like Louisiana’s Hall, a previous transplant.

Patients are able to meet more matches.

The Richmond Voice December 1 - 7, 2010 • 15

The Richmond VoiceACTIVITIES & MEETINGS16 • December 1 - 7, 2010

December 3RPS Winter Resource Fair

Richmond Public Schools will hold its annual Winter Resource Fair for families of students enrolled in the district’s Early Head Start and Head Start programs Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Arthur Ashe Center, 3001 North Boulevard.

A number of community agencies, non-profit and faith-based organizations, civic groups and local businesses will be on hand to provide information on available resources in the areas of housing, health, education, nutrition, financial literacy, employment, fire safety and more. For more information, contact Krystal Montague at 804-319-3180.

December 4AIDS Day Workshop

Parents, grandparents, and other adults who care about children and teens are invited to a free workshop titled “Talking With Your Children/Grandchildren about HIV/AIDS” on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Greater Ebenezer AME Church, 3941 Terminal Avenue in Richmond. The workshop, which will be conducted by The Balm In Gilead, Inc. is being held in observance of World AIDS Day.

World AIDS Day, observed Dec. 1, mobilizes people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. The observance represents an opportunity for organizations to address the pandemic, which disproportionately affects people of color. To register for the workshop, call Daphne Walker-Thoth at The Balm In Gilead, 804-644-2256 ext. 106 or e-mail dwalker-thoth@balmingilead.org by Nov. 22.

December 2RPS Celebration of Cultures

The Richmond Public Schools Parent Resource Center will sponsor its 5th Annual Celebration of Cultures and Traditions Dec. 2 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Miles Jones Elementary School, 200 Beaufont Hills Drive.

The exhibit-style and family event will highlight holiday celebrations and other traditions from different regions of the world, including foods, music, dress, dances and games. Countries and cultures featured this year include the Middle East, Cambodia, the Philippines, Mexico, and China. The free event also will celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. For more information, call 804-780-6081.

December 7Redd Multicultural Night

Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary School will celebrate the school’s cultural diversity with its annual “Multicultural Night” Dec. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will feature performances of world music by the school’s band, orchestra and choir. The program also will include global art activities for children and an international dinner.

Redd Elementary School is located at 5601 Jahnke Road in Richmond. For more information, contact Joel Moses at 804-780-5061.

December 1Cornelius Jones in SVU Cameo

Catch Richmond native Cornelius Jones, Jr. in a cameo appearance on “Law & order: SUV” on Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. Jones will appear as Dr. Cutler in the episode titled “Rescue.” This will be Jones’ second appearance in the popular NBC drama. His first appearance in 2006 was directed by “ER” veteran Eriq La Salle. Jones attended the Mary Munford Elementary School, Thomas H. Henderson Middle School and completed his freshman year at the George Wythe High School Magnet Program for the Arts. In 1992 Jones auditioned and was accepted to study vocal music at The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC. Since then he has appeared on many other television programs, Broadway shows, and performed with many notable artists.

HIV Awareness ForumOn Wednesday, Dec. 1, the Chesterfield Alumnae chapter and the Eta Tau chapter of Delta

Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated will co-host an HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention Forum from 7 - 9 p.m. on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in the Student Commons, Richmond Salon rooms III and IV. This event is free and open to the public.

Refreshments will be served; in addition to free HIV screening, speakers, literature and pr izes. For more information, contact Sharon Slade at 804-786-5201 or go to www.chesterfielddst.org.

Awakening Choir PraizeFestThe Black Awakening Choir of Virginia Commonwealth University will be holding it’s

annual “Fall PraizeFest” Concert on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.. The concert, will help raise money for their Spring Tour and will take place at Second Baptist Church, 1400 Idlewood Avenue in Richmond.

The award winning choir is known to have high energy worship experiences, which incorporate sharp choreography along with traditional and contemporary gospel songs.The Black Awakening Choir is set to tour DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey during the Spring semester singing at various churches and schools. The tour’s purpose is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the East Coast. While touring, school performances will be geared toward recruiting prospective Virginia Commonwealth University students, and to promote the importance of gaining a higher education. Monetary offerings given during the Fall Praize Fest and additional fund raisers will help deduct tour cost for choir members and musicians.

December 6Union or Secession: Virginians Decide

Virginia was central to American identity for its role in the founding of the United States and its political principles. Both the Confederacy and the Union wanted to claim Virginia’s historical legacy. Union or Secession explores what Virginians thought and debated as the crisis unfolded. Explore the choices Virginians faced as they decided their fate and that of the nation—Union or Secession, from Dec. 6 – Oct. 29, 2011, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Library of Virginia Exhibition Gallery and Lobby Cases, 800 E. Broad St., Richmond.

Through letters, journals, newspapers, official documents and correspondence, and maps and broadsides (the vast majority of these items from the library’s incomparable collections), Union or Secession offers insight into the complex and conflicting geographic, cultural, economic, and political factors that faced Virginians in 1860 and early 1861.

The exhibition shows that Virginians’ choice on the question of secession was far from certain as dramatic moves were being made outside the state. For more information, call 804-692-3592.

December 4

December 9Annual Holiday Memorial

The 20th Annual Holiday Memorial, meant for remembering loved ones lost to violence will take place Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Richmond City Hall Lobby near the “River of Tears” statue. The event is presented by The Coalition Against Violence in conjunction with the Richmond Victims-Witness Assistance Program, Office of the Commonwealth Attorney.

The guest speaker will be Mayor Dwight C. Jones. Bows will be provided for attendees to write their lost loved ones name on. When name is called, attendees can place bows on the base of the statute. The Coalition Against Violence dedicated the statue Sept. 10, 1996; statue artist Don Early.

December 10Ginger Day Program

Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University will conduct a Ginger Day educational program where specialty niche crop producers and consumers alike will learn of ginger’s health benefits when used as a spice, its potential profitability for growers supplying “locally-grown” demand, and its derivative value-added products and holiday-appropriate recipes.

Free and open to the public, the program is set for Friday, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at VSU’s Randolph Farm Pavilion located on River Road, Ettrick. Participants will learn about selecting seed-pieces.

Space is limited so anyone interested in attending is encouraged to make a reservation. For reservations, directions or more information, contact Carol Herrold, VSU administrative specialist, at 804-524-5960 or e-mail cherrold@vsu.edu.

Cornelius Jones, Jr.

The Richmond Voice NATIONAL December 1 - 7, 2010 • 17

Crenshaw Post Office dedicated to Mayor Tom BradleyBy Jason Lewis

Congresswoman Diane Watson introduced the resolution to change the name, and President Barack Obama signed it, becoming Public Law 111-279. The U.S. Postal Service, in conjunction with Congresswoman Diane Watson and the City of Los Angeles, has honored Tom Bradley, the first African American Mayor of Los Angeles, by naming the post office at 3894 Crenshaw Blvd after him.

“I am pleased that the president signed this bill to rename the Crenshaw Post Office in honor of a person who dedicated 20 years of his life as mayor of the city of Los Angeles,” Watson said. “Bradley spearheaded a period of enormous growth in Los Angeles. He brought the 1984 Olympic Games to Los Angeles, which elevated the city to the center stage of the world. A few additional achievements include the gleaming downtown skyline and the initiation of a much needed subway and light rail system. The Tom Bradley Post Office will serve as a testament to Bradley’s unprecedented legacy.”

Los Angeles Postmaster Mark Anderson

was very pleased with the post office being named after Bradley. “The Postal Service is very proud and honored to have one of our buildings named for Tom Bradley,” Anderson said. “Post Offices are a very important part of every community, providing universal service to every single business and resident, while facilitating commerce and keeping people connected. Thus it is so appropriate to have a post office dedicated to this great man, who devoted much of his life to public service, and left behind a legacy of duty, peace and economic growth.” Anderson also noted that it was very fitting that Crenshaw Station be the one dedicated to Bradley, because it is located in the city’s 10th district, which Bradley served as Los Angeles city councilman from 1963 to 1972, before being elected mayor.

A special commemorative pictorial postmark commemorated the day, and it will be available, free of charge, for 30 days at Crenshaw Station or by mail.

Bradley served as a five-term mayor of Los Angeles from 1973 to 1993. His 20 years in office mark the longest tenure by any mayor in the city’s history. His 1973 election made

him only the second African American mayor of a major U.S. city. Bradley spent a lifetime bridging racial barriers and used his skills to forge extraordinary coalitions. He opened the doors for minorities and

women, and was key to the racial peace that the rapidly diversifying city enjoyed during most of his five terms as mayor. Special to the NNPA from the Los Angeles Sentinel

(L to R) Lorraine Bradley, Phyllis Bradley, Congress-member Diane Watson, Los Angeles Postmaster Mark Anderson, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, Congress member-elect Karen Bass. Photo by Marty Cotwright

Ethics proceeding against Rep. Maxine Waters cancelledThe House ethics subcommittee cancelled

the Nov. 29 hearing that was scheduled to consider allegations of ethics impropriety against California Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters.

The Committee on Standards of Official

Conduct panel said in a statement it postponed an adjudicatory hearing, the equivalent of a trial by the committee, because new evidence has surfaced. The matter has been referred back to investigators.

The California congresswoman decried the delay, saying it showed “a complete disregard for due process and fairness” given that the investigation began more than a year ago.

“Today, the committee has brought discredit upon itself and this institution by denying me, and more importantly my constituents, the right to set the record straight,” she said in a statement.

Waters became a target of the ethics panel over allegations that she helped OneUnited, a Massachusetts-based,

minority-owned bank in which her husband owned stock and once served as a board member, receive $12 million in bailout funds.

The congresswoman was accused of arranging a meeting between the Black-owned bank officials and Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson in 2008 without disclosing her husband’s history with the company.

The Wall Street Journal, one of two newspapers that chronicled the receipt of $12 million in federal money under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, has pointed out that members of Congress may vote on matters that affect their financial holdings. But, the paper noted that the rules are unclear about the role members of Congress can play in contacting executive branch agencies about firms in which they have a financial stake.

The Congressional Black Caucus member has maintained that her efforts to ensure that the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act assisted small and minority institutions were not solely on behalf of OneUnited. Special to the NNPA from the AFRO-American Newspaper

Rep. Maxine Waters

The Richmond VoiceNATIONAL18 • December 1 - 7, 2010

Black farmers finally get Senate action, Boyd says it’s long overdueThe Senate cleared a $1.15 billion

appropriations measure recently to settle a decades-old discrimination suit by Black farmers, paving the way for one of the largest civil rights settlements in history, if the bill clears the House.

The nation’s Black farmers were awarded the money as part of a larger $4.6 billion dollar settlement awarded to them and Native American farmers.

The action stems from the settlement of Pigford v. Glickman, a class-action lawsuit named after Timothy Pigford, a Black farmer from North Carolina. Pigford’s suit claimed that Black farmers received little or no U.S. Department of Agriculture support in the form of loans and grants compared to their white counterparts. The case, which began in 1997, saw a settlement reached in 1999 that stated qualified farmers could receive $50,000 to settle claims of racial bias.

However, many farmers missed the filing deadline to receive payment. A settlement reached last February allowed those farmers to resume pursuit of their claims.

“The passage of this bill is long overdue,” said John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association, in a statement.

“Black farmers have already died at the plow waiting for justice,” Boyd said. “I hope the ones who are living will see justice. The amount of money will not put farmers back into business.”

The appropriations bill was stalled in the Senate for months while Democrats and Republicans fought over how to pay for the settlement. The stalemate was broken during the first week of the lame duck session of the 111th Congress when Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, dropped an objection to the package, after Senate leaders agreed not to finance it through additional deficit spending.

The matter now goes to the House where even more recalcitrance is expected from lawmakers who contend that the settlement adds to what they consider excessive spending at a time of federal budget deficits.

According to the USA Today, the settlement will be paid for from a surplus in nutrition programs for women and children and by extending customs user fees.

President Barack Obama praised the Senate for ending that chamber’s refusal to clear the settlement. In a statement, he expressed hope that the House would follow in the Senate’s footsteps and pass

the bill as well.“I applaud the Senate for passing the

Claims Settlement Act of 2010, which will at long last provide funding for the agreements reached in the Pigford II lawsuit, brought by African American farmers, and the Cobell lawsuit, brought by Native Americans over the management of Indian trust accounts and resources,” Obama said.

“I urge the House to move forward with this legislation as they did earlier this year, and I look forward to signing it into law,” he continued.

The legislation also included an extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and settlements for Native American water rights.

Spec i a l t o the NNPA f rom the AFRO-American Newspapers

John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association, in front of the U.S. Capitol, earlier this year. Supporting the Black farmers bill were CBC members Barbara Lee, left, and Shelia Jackson Lee, right.

Paycheck fairness act dies in Senate, partisan politics to blameBy Shernay Williams

The Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have strengthened equal pay opportunity laws for women, failed to clear the Senate. The bill would have amended portions of the existing Equal Pay Act of 1963, and would have made wage discrimination based on sex unlawful. The Senate narrowly rejected the act by a vote of 58-41. The bill needed 60 to move forward. Over a year ago, the legislation passed the House by significant

margins. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., blamed partisan politics.

“Republican Senators stood against fundamental fairness for America’s working women and families struggling to get by; with a parliamentary tactic, they have prevented the Paycheck Fairness Act from moving forward,” Pelosi said in a statement. “But the problem remains: women are still earning just 77 cents for every dollar men make. And in this time of great economic

challenge, that difference in pay makes a big difference for families.”

Last year, women who worked full-time earned median weekly wages that was 80 percent of their male counterparts. They earned $657 compared to men’s $819, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The ratio of women-to-men earnings crested at 81 percent since the Labor Department began comparing earnings in 1979. That peak came in 2005 and 2006.

Opponents of the Paycheck Fairness Act said it was too stringent and would have prevented employers from justifying legitimate pay differences. “Some women may get pay increases, but what is going to happen is inevitably you will move toward a very rigid civil-service-like pay system, and there won’t be any opportunity for significant merit-based raises,” Lawrence Lorber, a Proskauer Rose LLP labor law expert, told The Wall Street Journal.

Nancy Pelosi blames partisan politics for the rejection of the Paycheck Fairness Act

RNC chair Michael Steele remains under fireBy James Wright

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s term ends in January 2011, and he has not definitely said whether he will run again for the position. Steele is being criticized by party activists for being ineffective despite the fact that he played a key role in the GOP’s success in the recent midterm elections. Steele said that the country came back to the Republican Party after two years of failed policies supported by President Obama.

“The American people signaled that they wanted change on Nov. 2,” Steele said to a group

of reporters at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Southeast Washington, D.C.

“They did not want health care reform, which is the worst piece of legislation passed by Congress. They did not want the policies of Obama, [Sen. Harry] Reid and [U.S. House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi to continue.”

During the 2010 midterm elections, the Republicans recaptured control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The GOP picked up six seats in the U.S. Senate but the Democrats still have control of that chamber with 51 Democrats, two Independents and 47 Republicans.

Special to the NNPA from The Washington Informer

Michael Steele

The Richmond Voice NATIONAL December 1 - 7, 2010 • 19

Rangel once defiant now apologetic Diversion of hurricane recovery fundsRep. Cha rles Rangel

formally apologized to his supporters and colleagues for his ethics woes, saying there is “no excuse for my acts of omission.”

In an e-mail message sent out by his re-election campaign, the veteran New York Democrat says: “I apologize for the embarrassment I have brought upon you.”

The House ethics committee has recommended Rangel be censured for violating 11 counts of ethics rules, including failure to report assets and income and misusing his office to raise money for a public policy center to be named after him. The full House is expected to vote on the sanctions, the most serious next to expulsion, when lawmakers return after Thanksgiving.

A once defiant Rangel pleaded with the ethics panel to show him “fairness and mercy” and said he’s not a crooked politician out for personal reward. While his House colleagues will determine his punishment, the prevailing sentiment back home is that any decision on Rangel’s future in Congress ultimately rests with him and the voters.

Rangel, 80 years old and in office since 1970, repeated what he told the House ethics committee last week, that “there has never been any corruption or personal gain in my actions.”

The Army veteran, who earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his valor, called last Thursday’s hearing one of his most

difficult days since being left for dead in North Korea during the 1950 Battle of Kunu-ri.

A group of Rangel supporters -- including longtime friend and former New York City mayor David Dinkins -- is urging the House to reject the recommendation of censure.

“Charles Rangel has done so much for this community in the Congress, I think he should go out when he damn well pleases,” said Rachel Cummings, a 56-year-old substance abuse counselor. “He’s not going to walk away with them saying, ‘He’s guilty of this, guilty of that.’ Give him a break.”

This past August Rev. Al Sharpton, a Harlem resident and civil rights leader, said that Rangel’s ethics battle was akin to a “political crucifixion.” He believes the violations are serious but said Rangel’s fate should be determined by voters.

Sharpton said Harlem should decide and “if and when it’s time for Charlie Rangel to go, we’ll decide that. It won’t be imposed by people outside the community.”

Rep. Charles Rangel

By Shernay WilliamsSome low-income Mississippi residents,

still in need of recovery funds five years after Hurricane Katrina, will receive disaster recovery assistance following a recent settlement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. After two years of litigation, the department agreed to redirect to needy residents for home rehabilitation a portion of funds earmarked for other Mississippi recovery efforts, including the expansion of the state’s commercial port.

The $132.8 million will also provide rehab funding to homeowners who were previously denied governmental support because of a stipulation against rebuilding homes damaged by wind during the 2005 catastrophe. Through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program, these low-income citizens will be eligible for up to $75,000 in repairs and home reconstruction or receive assistance to seek permanent alternative housing, according to the Mississippi Center for Justice.

The lawsuit, filed by the Mississippi NAACP chapter, the Mississippi Center for Justice and Gulf Coast Housing Advocates on behalf of the needy residents, challenged Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s decision to spend $570 million in federal hurricane recovery money to expand the state’s port at Gulfport. “This is a major accomplishment for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit as well as the thousands of households previously denied assistance that will now be eligible for the federal aid they have always needed,” Larry Schoen, one of the attorneys that represented the residents,

said in a statement. “It is a testament to the commitment of these plaintiffs and the willingness of all parties to work toward a pragmatic and satisfactory solution.”

Advocacy groups say priority was given to the insured when it came to federal assistance. Over $1.4 billion in grants were paid to homeowners with insurance, but only $387 million went to low and moderate-income households, according to Mississippi Federal Disaster Recovery reports in March. Which means only 27 percent of poor residents saw those recovery funds.

“Our focus always has been to get Mississippi to finish housing first,” said James Crowell, treasurer of the Mississippi NAACP. “With this plan, Mississippi has committed to repair low-income households...We can now make progress toward repairing and rebuilding housing in low-income African American neighborhoods that have been neglected for the past five years.”

Special to the NNPA from the AFRO-American Newspapers

Haley Barbour

GOP’s “dis” of president ignites Maryland Democrat’s angry rebuke Flexing their post-election muscle,

Capitol Hill Republicans, as the lame-duck session opened Nov. 15, stymied President Barack Obama’s first bi-partisan overture, leaving many Democrats stewing over the perceived disrespect.

GOP leaders - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner - on Nov. 16 cancelled a White House meeting with the president that was slated for Nov. 18, citing “scheduling conflicts in organizing their caucuses,” according to the White House. The bi-partisan conclave was rescheduled to Nov. 30.

Condemning the move as “same old ‘gotcha’ party politics,” Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., lambasted his GOP peers.

“When the president calls and asks a member of Congress to meet at the White

House, you go,” he said in a statement. “You put down everything else, you cancel all your other appointments, and you go. This is the leader of the free world and the commander-in-chief of our nation. You do not say, ‘let’s reschedule.’”

According to a Politico article, the White House had been warned for weeks not to assume the Nov. 18 invitation had been accepted.

But the cancellation also reflects wariness among Republicans toward the White House that stems back to January, when President Obama “hijacked” a Baltimore GOP meeting, delivering a one-sided public rebuke—which Republican aides agreed to televise at the last minute.

“He has a ways to go to rebuild the trust,” a top Republican Hill staffer told Politico. “The

Baltimore thing was unbelievable.” The president’s cooperation on a GOP-

proposed earmark ban may be one step to building that trust. Saying the issue was one he championed during his time in the Senate and in the White House, the president said in a statement that he will “look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans to not only end earmark spending, but to f ind other ways to br ing down our deficits for our children.”

But in a Nov. 15 blog post, GOP leader John Boehner questioned the president’s commitment, saying, “Nowhere in his statement does the president urge the leaders of his party to hold simple up-or-down votes on imposing an earmark ban, something House and Senate Republicans

will do this week…. Why is President Obama standing in the way of our ability to move forward and take this critical step towards restoring public trust?”

Cummings said the meeting cancellation demonstrates the GOP’s intent to eschew any attempts at partisan reconciliation.

“Minority Leader Boehner and Republicans in Congress are misleading the American people about their interest in bi-partisanship and should be ashamed,” said Cummings. “President Obama reached out to help end earmarks and was blasted by Boehner. President Obama invited Republicans to the White House and they blew him off. President Obama has worked toward landmark transparency in government and just recently, Republican Congressman (Darrell) Issa accused him of corruption.

The Richmond VoiceWORLD BRIEFS

(804) 644-9060

From NNPA/GIN

Two finalists in Guinea’s first national election have both declared victory, complicating the West African country’s first democratic exercise, after 52 years of authoritarian rule.

Veteran opposition leader Alpha Conde was officially declared the winner in a surprise upset as he had received only 18 percent in an earlier poll. Candidate Cel lou Dalein Dia l lo, who was comfortably ahead in the first round of voting, received several thousand votes less than Conde in the final vote. His supporters immediately cried foul and clashed with riot police.

After the results were declared on Nov. 15, Conde, 72, reached out to Diallo, saying “The time has come to join hands.” Diallo, 58, a former prime minister, said he is planning an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The contestants hail from Guinea’s two largest ethnic groups, the Peul and Malinke. Diallo’s Peul community has never held the presidency while the Malinke are heavily represented in the ruling military junta.

A former French colony, Guinea is mineral-rich with as much as half of the world’s reserves of bauxite, and significant

deposits of gold and diamonds. Still, it is ranked near the bottom of 182 countries on the U.N.’s Human Development Index.

Meanwhile, a New York-based group that monitored Guinea’s historic election via text messages from voters is now monitoring outbreaks of violence between the nation’s opposing parties.

Jennifer Swift-Morgan of Alliance Guinea said rioting in the capital city of Conakry prevented verification of the SMS allegations. The main goal now, she said, “is to make sure the world knows this crisis has broken out.”

Some $690,000 sheep will be slaughtered in Senegal during - a ritual that marks the Festival of Sacrifice Eid Al-Adha, known in West Africa as Tabaski. It is a highly important day in the Muslim calendar.

“It is the Quran which recommends that each individual, each adult believer who has the means, must slaughter a sheep. It is obligatory,” said Imam Aliou Cisse of the Grand Mosque of Sacre Coeur.

The festival commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael, at which time God, rewarding his obedience, allowed him to slaughter a ram instead.

The mass sacrifice will be preceded by a beauty contest, now in its second year,

for the most appealing sheep. The prize is $4,000. Organizer Marianne Bathily, of the African marketing agency EXPagency, says the competition is a platform for Senegalese “to express their passion for sheep,” an animal with huge religious significance in Islam.

Immigration has been approved for nearly 8,000 Falash Mura, Ethiopians of Jewish descent, who have been waiting in inhumane conditions, some for more than a decade, to come to Israel.

The government recently announced it would bring 7,846 Falashmura Jews to Israel during the next four years. Many have been living in transition camps built in the 1990s in Gondar, Ethiopia, for Russians and Ethiopian migrants.

Israel initially rejected the Ethiopians ties to Judaism, but religious officials later declared them the “seed of Israel.”

Natan Sharansky, chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel, warned that housing for the Ethiopians was urgently needed. “We can’t repeat mistakes of the past and permit a situation in which they will have to stay [in absorption centers] for years,” he said.

Knesset Member Shlomo Molla, who supported the immigration decision, said it

was long overdue. He recalled a visit to Gondar a year before.

“We saw the distress that people face, and their suffering and the suffering of their families,” he said. “The fact that it will take three years to bring them here is ridiculous, and I hope that the government will shorten the unbearable waiting period.”

As per the government decision, no further immigration by Falash Mura members will be allowed once this project is completed.

As anti-smoking campaigns backed by higher taxes take hold in U.S. cities and around the world, “big tobacco” has turned its eye toward Africa.

Tobacco consumption will double in the next 12 to 13 years in sub-Saharan Africa, predicts Evan Blecher, a South African economist with the American Cancer Society, without major policy interventions.

“As income rises, so does tobacco consumption (nearly on a one-to-one basis) and developing countries are growing rapidly, China and India are growing at more than 8 percent a year and the average economic growth in Africa is 5 percent a year.”

Still, an anti-smoking movement is pushing back. Kenya and Niger have enforced national smoke-free policies, and South Africa, which has had smoke-free laws on the books since March 2007, “continues to play an important role in the region, demonstrating that smoke-free laws can work in Africa”, notes the report: Global Voices: Rebutting the Tobacco Industry, Winning Smokefree Air.

T h i s w e e k , a c t i v i s t s w i t h t h e Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria plan to release a report from the tobacco industry watchdog-Corporate

Accountability International - presenting new evidence of persistent efforts by the tobacco industry to obstruct the FCTC on the African continent.

‘Protecting Against Tobacco Industry Interference’ will be released at the World Health Organization’s Convention on Tobacco Control in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit is set to go to trial in a Boston court, accusing Lorillard Tobacco Co. of enticing Black children to become smokers by handing out free samples in urban neighborhoods.

The plaintiff, Willie Evans, alleges that the firm used an illegal marketing strategy to get his mother to begin smoking Newport cigarettes at age nine, which led to a lifelong addiction and her death to cancer.

20 • December 1 - 7, 2010

Tobacco giants push to increase cigarette sales to Africans

Senegal prepares for mass slaughter of sheep in religious ritual

Presidential contenders declare victory in Guinean race

Alpha Conde

Housing crisis seen for 8,000 Israel-bound Ethiopians of Jewish ancestry

Over 600,000 sheep will be slaughtered in Senegal in one day.

The Richmond Voice

The VOICE flashes back to: Sarah VaughanSarah Vaughan was known as “one of the most wondrous

voices of the 20th century”. During the course of a career that spanned nearly

50 years, she was the singer’s singer, inf luencing everyone from Mel Torme to Anita Baker. She was among the musical elite identif ied by their f i rst names.

When she was 18, friends dared her to enter the famed Wednesday Night Amateur Contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. She performed “Body and Soul,” and won first prize.

Vaughan began her solo career in 1945 by freelancing in clubs on New York’s 52nd Street like the Three Deuces, the Famous Door, the Downbeat and the Onyx Club.

By late 1947, she had topped the charts with “Tenderly,” and as the 1940s gave way to the 1950s, Vaughan expanded her jazz repertoire to include pop music. As a result, she enlarged her audience, gained increased attention for her formidable talent, and compiled additional hits, including the Broadway show tunes “Whatever Lola Wants” and “Mr. Wonderful.” While jazz purists balked at these efforts, no one could deny that in any genre, Vaughan had one of the greatest voices in the business. In the late 1960s, Vaughan returned to jazz music, performing and making regular recordings.

While for many years her signature song had been “Misty,” by the mid-70’s, she was closing every show with Sondheim’s “Bring In The

Clowns.” In 1982, while in her late fifties, Vaughan won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocalist for her album, “Gershwin Live”!

Vaughan consistently retained a special place in the hearts of fellow musicians and audiences alike. She continually performed at top venues, playing to adoring sell-out crowds well into her sixties. Remarkably, unlike many singers, she lost none of her extraordinary talent as time went on. Her multi-octave range, with its swooping highs and sensual lows, and the youthful suppleness of her voice shaded by a luscious timbre and executed with fierce control, all remained intact.

In 1989, Vaughan’s health began to decline, although she rarely betrayed any hints in her performances. During a run at New York’s Blue Note ja zz club i n 1989, Vaugha n received a diagnosis of lung cancer and was too i l l to f inish the f inal day of what would turn out to be her final series of public performances.

Vaughan returned to her home in California to begin chemotherapy and spent her f inal months a lter nat ing st ays in the hospit a l and at home. She d ied in 1990, a week a f ter her 66th bi r thday.

Recordings of Sarah Vaughan were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old, and that have “qualitative or historical significance.”

December 1 - 7, 2010 • 21

March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990

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