emPower Magazine Blog

I Got Tested. Will You?

To commemorate National HIV Testing Day, I--along with Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D‐CA), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D‐CA), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D‐DC), and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee--got tested for HIV on Thursday. The testing was part of a press conference held on Capitol Hill to stress the importance of HIV testing and encourage all people to get tested and know their status. 

It might be hard to believe, but 60 percent of U.S. adults have never been tested for HIV, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is why during the press conference Congresswoman Waters said she is working to introduce a bill making it mandatory to include the HIV test in annual check-ups. The Routine HIV Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 2137) would require health insurance plans to cover routine HIV tests under the same terms and conditions as other routine health screenings.

“We need to increase the availability of HIV tests and encourage individuals to get tested so we can reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS.  More people will seek testing if they realize that it’s easy and painless--it can be done by a simple swab inside your cheek, without a needle or blood--and you can get your results back in half an hour,” Congresswoman Waters said.

My test went smoothly and rather quickly. I was asked a few questions. I swabbed my cheeks and I received my results in about 20 minutes. It was that easy. 

Today throughout the country, health professionals are offering free HIV tests. Between running your errands and enjoying the warm weather, take a few minutes to get tested. Find a testing site in your area.

Now I know my status. Do you?

DeShuna Spencer is Publisher/Editorial Director of emPower magazine. She can be reached at editorial@emPowernewsmag.com. 

Remembering Michael Jackson--1958-2009: What Is Your Favorite Video?

By DeShuna Spencer

Michael Jackson, 'King of Pop,' died Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 50. Today, we remember his music, life and legacy.

I grew up watching Michael Jackson. I was four-years-old when some young teachers thought it was a good idea to show my class the music video "Thriller." We were so scared. I remember anticipating watching the premiere of his music videos, "Black and White" and "Remember The Time" on Fox. The next day at school, everyone was talking about it. My parents were very strict; we could not play "blues" in the house, but when Michael Jackson videos would premiere, they would let us watch them. I think my mother let me and my siblings watch Jackson because she met him while working at a hotel in downtown Memphis in the late 70s. She said he was nice. He even gave her a picture of him and signed it. I remember spending a lot of time looking at that black and white picture as a child. I remember being shocked at the drastic change of his appearance in the "Black and White" video. I looked back at my mom and asked, "What happened to Michael?" As time passed and his troubles began to pile up, I still loved him. No matter how often he changed his appearance or made slip ups on camera, such as the balcony incident, the world still loved him. Even if at times it seemed like he didn't love himself.

Jackson was an icon and no one will ever come close to his fame.

Share your Jackson stories with us and vote for your favorite Michael Jackson video below.

THRILLER

BILLIE JEAN

BEAT IT

ROCK WITH YOU

BAD

THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL

SMOOTH CRIMINAL

BLACK AND WHITE

REMEMBER THE TIME

DON'T STOP TILL YOU GET ENOUGH

My Outlook on Life: The Five-Minute Difference Between Life and Death

By DeShuna Spencer

 

My outlook on life changed on Monday.

For the past six years, I have boarded the very last car in Silver Spring and sat in the very back of the train. Monday afternoon was like any other. I was wrapping up work around 4:30 pm. Since Metro stopped running the 5:05 pm bus at the Pentagon, I recently started hanging around a little later since the next bus doesn’t come till 5:19. In my mind, it was better to do a little more work than stand for 20 minutes waiting for the next bus. Around 4:30 on Monday, I was working on a project and had one more detail to finish before leaving. I had planned to stay an extra five minutes to finish it, but at the last minute, I changed my mind and decided to complete it in the morning. So, I grabbed by bag and headed for the Metro. I got to the Silver Spring train station around 4:36 and walked to my usual spot. They announced a delay, but two trains were scheduled to come—one in about a minute, which was not to have passengers and another, which would service Silver Spring in eight minutes. The first train pulled up. Even though the schedule displayed that it was not to receive passengers, we were allowed to board. I sat in my usual spot, at the back of the train, and began reading the news on my blackberry. Because of an issue at the Friendship Heights Metro station, there was a back up of trains on the red line. We were stopping and going the entire time. By the time I got to the Fort Totten Metro station, it was nearly 5 pm. It normally takes about six or seven minutes to get there. It was between Fort Totten and Brookland when our train conductor announced that there was a “black box” issue between Takoma and Fort Totten, I assumed someone left their briefcase and Metro was being extra cautious. We were stuck between Fort Totten and Brookland for almost 10 minutes. By the time I made it to my second train, the yellow line, it was about 5:40.

I got a call from my husband once I boarded the yellow line. He wanted to know if I was at home. I said no and that I just got off the red line. We met up at his job. He said he was happy to see me. He gazed into my eyes and gave me a deliberate kiss. At this time I had no idea what happened. When he told me, I paused. I still did not connect the dots—until I got home and went online. I learned that the accident happened around 5 pm and that a train was hit from behind. I saw the back of the first train up in the air with seats and people spilled on the ground. That’s when I realized that the mangled train was the same one that was eight minutes behind the “no passenger” train. If I would’ve left five minutes later like I planned, I would’ve been on that train sitting in the very back. The difference between my life and death was in a measly five minutes. It makes me shake just thinking about it.

I knew three of the nine people who lost there lives on Monday. I didn’t know their names or their occupations, I only knew their faces. If you take the subway and sit in the same place every day, you are bound to run into the same people. Sometimes we would give each other courteous nods as a symbol of hello; or, every once in a while, if the trains were running extremely behind, we would make small talk. Most often, I would run into the general, who I learned is Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr. from the news reports. He would get on at the Takoma Metro station. He was very tall (compared to my 5’3 stature) and always had a book or newspaper in his hand. We both got off at Gallery Place. If we were on the train together, most likely we would be facing each other at the very last door of the train to get as close as possible to the escalator at the Gallery Place stop.

People always talk about near-death experiences and how it affects them. Some say it makes them take a closer look at death. For me, I am taking a closer look at my life. On Monday afternoon, I was having a “self-pity” party. As I was walking to the Metro that Monday afternoon, I remember asking God a lot of questions. Why was I on this earth? Why wasn’t my business picking up as fast as I wanted? How could I compete with well-funded online newsmagazines? Was I really living a purposeful life? How would I get the money to fund all of my dreams for emPower? Was my “dream” a figment of my imagination? If so, should I continue on? All of these questions popped up in my head. Most people don’t know that while running my very active magazine business, I still work to pay the mortgage and keep food in the fridge since emPower is not turning a profit yet. I don’t like to tell people that bit of information because I do not want to  diminish the integrity of the magazine. So some nights I’m up all night and I go straight to a 9 to 5. I conduct interviews during lunch break. I write proposals and edit articles while commuting an hour on the Metro. After a year of not getting enough sleep, it begins to wear you down. You begin to question things. But on Monday all of that changed for me. Maybe there is purpose for my life. Nothing happens over night. As I wrote last week, a child has to crawl before it can walk. Right now, emPower is still crawling. After all, it has only been one year. As long as there’s breath in me, I will keep moving forward until my mission is fulfilled.

 

 

DeShuna Spencer is Publisher of emPower magazine. She can be reached at editorial@emPowernewsmag.com.

Noteworthy News We Should Know

By Crecilla Scott

There has been so much happening within the last week, it’s hard to keep up.  Among the many newsworthy events, I’ve included three that should be of particular interest to emPower’s audience.

The U.S. Senate Apologizes for Slavery – June 18, 2009

On June 18, 2009, the U.S. Senate passed a non-binding resolution apologizing to African-Americans for America’s involvement in slavery and segregation. The resolution was sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and co-sponsored by 21 senators. According to CNN.com, the resolution “acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery, and Jim Crow laws,” and “apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws.”  Of course, the resolution states that no claims of reparations can be claimed based on the apology. I am happy that the senate acknowledged the government’s wrong-doing. However, I was very disappointed with the uniformed, insensitive, misguided comments left by fellow Americans.  Here is a sample of the comments from CNN’s article: 

1. “Is ‘reparations’ going to be the new euphemism for Welfare? This apology is asinine. In the history of Humanity, all kinds of groups have been treated very badly by others, not just American slaves. Why are they singled out?”
   
2. “Slavery was banned by the federal government, what, 140 years ago? Why this legislation now? A better idea would be to apologize for destroying the Black family by rewarding single motherhood and for the wrongs being committed against White males through "diversity" and "affirmative action" programs.”

Beyond being dismissive and ignorant to the true economic and psychological harm suffered by African Americans and their descendents, many of the comments were so far removed from reality and devoid of historical accuracy that it was scary.  Clearly, true American history is not being taught in American classrooms.

But the question remains, is an apology enough?  Should the federal government, which sanctioned the discrimination and unequal treatment of its African American citizens, be allowed to simply say, “my bad?”

President Barack Obama’s Op-Ed: “We Need Fathers to Step Up” – June 23, 2009

In observation of Father’s Day, President Barack Obama authored an op-ed in Parade magazine.  Here is an excerpt:

“As an adult, working as a community organizer and later as a legislator, I would often walk through the streets of Chicago’s South Side and see boys marked by that same absence—boys without supervision or direction or anyone to help them as they struggled to grow into men. I identified with their frustration and disengagement—with their sense of having been let down. 

In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence—both in my life and in the lives of others. I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill. We can do everything possible to provide good jobs and good schools and safe streets for our kids, but it will never be enough to fully make up the difference.

That is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one.

As fathers, we need to be involved in our children’s lives not just when it’s convenient or easy, and not just when they’re doing well—but when it’s difficult and thankless, and they’re struggling. That is when they need us most.”

President Obama is an outstanding example of manhood. I am proud of the example that he is setting for our country.

Section V of the Voting Rights Act Upheld – June 22, 2009

With a unanimous vote of 9 – 0, the Supreme Court ruled that a local Texas government authority should be allowed to challenge and “bail out” of the “preclearance” provision of the 1965 Voting Right Act. This 1965 provision requires 16 states to seek federal approval before they are legally able to making changes to their election process. The 16 states are required to obtain federal permission before making changes to their election processes because of a history of racial discrimination against minority voters.  Section V of the Voting Rights Act was upheld by an 8 – 1 vote.  The dissenting justice was, of course, Clarence Thomas.  It may actually qualify as a crime for me to waste my time writing about this sorry, psychologically twisted and deranged man.  Therefore, I will not waste my precious time focusing on his horrendous self-hate.  Instead, we should all be grateful that the Voting Rights Act lived to see another day.

 

Crecilla Scott is the founder of Infinity Research, LLC, a social science research company in the Washington DC area. She is the host of a local TV show, “Conversations with Crecilla.” She is also a passionate speaker, who has given professional presentations for various organizations and federal agencies. She can be reached at Crecilla@liukarama.com.

 Additional Resources

http://www.parade.com/export/sites/default/news/2009/06/barack-obama-we-need-fathers-to-step-up.html

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/18/senate-apologizes-for-slavery/

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/08pdf/08-322.pdf

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/22/scotus.voting.rights/index.html

http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/document.html?doc=18&title.raw=Voting%20Rights%20Ac

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31487579/ns/politics-white_house/

Pearls for Potty-Training: Reversing Conspicuous Consumption

By Marian Williams

Pre-schoolers have mini graduations in caps and gowns.  Sixth-graders get balloons, dinner and a cake.  Students who complete eighth grade might get a class ring and a t-shirt.  What is left for high school?  College?  When our kids get promoted from sixth grade, we hope that they will have at least two if not three or four more graduation exercises (middle, high, college, and possibly graduate school).  Don’t get me wrong, we should encourage our babies any way that we can.  If that is what motivates some, then maybe that is the way to go.  The heart of this matter is not allowing special occasions to become totally materialistic or insignificant because our means of recognizing them has become commonplace.  We want to give our kids something to which they can look forward.

This all ties in with the concept of conspicuous consumption--balloons, certificates, copious amounts of plastic trinkets--all made in China.  Instances like these perpetuate our image as “Ugly Americans.”  Economists, global business watchdogs, and environmentalists have reported the disproportionateness of what Americans consume, compared to the rest of the globe.

This reflection is two-fold. As community-builders and citizens of the Earth, we should always be conducting self-checks to ensure that we are doing the most good for the most people using as few resources as possible.  Additionally, we should have a long-range view.  This might include the duration of our child-rearing years or it might be generations to come.

For some alternative ideas for celebrations, graduation or otherwise, you can revisit the days when we actually made presents and decorations.  Everyone is over-committed and over-worked, but I might even challenge myself to not take the easy route (at least once per year).  For instance, maybe I will have a barbecue instead of going out to eat.  Maybe I could make a cake instead of visiting the grocery store bakery.  If you don’t bake, ask someone to bake one for you.  You’ll be sure to return the favor in the future.  It’s okay to enlist help.  In these times, and any other for that matter, it’s okay to go potluck style.  It’s more economical and, let’s face it, many of us need encouragement to live within our means.  Every event does not have to be a gourmet catered state dinner.

You can even get your kids involved.  There are all kinds of re-usable materials that make great decoration ideas--newspaper, old glass containers, and plastic bags.  You can merge new and old, kind of like the principle of semi-homemade.  You might have to by a 99 cent bottle of paint for the newspaper or a $4 everyday bouquet to separate into the glass containers as centerpieces. One of the neatest things about doing this is that the items are consumable, biodegradable, or recyclable.  There is minimal impact on our planet. Being green is not a fad. It’s a new way of life.  Actually it’s a case of everything old being new again.  Re-purposing isn’t new.  Just think about your first grade teacher who used and old coffee can as a pencil holder or your uncle who stores tools in old paint cans.

I had a colleague who told me that his family was so big that on his birthday all he got was a kiss and a handshake.  No, maybe we don’t have to deny ourselves to this degree, but intangible gifts are sometimes the most memorable and they are free.  In the end, considering this approach is more fiscally and globally responsible. It also encourages creativity and interaction with children, extended family, and community.  

Marian Williams is a native of Prince George’s County, Maryland.  She is a graduate of Hampton University and has worked for several years in the fields of Special Education and Social Work. Williams is the author and illustrator of a children’s book: Bigdaddy: A Granddaughter’s Love Story.  She has also been featured in Today’s Minister’s Wife Magazine. She is married and has one daughter.

Reflections on Year One

By DeShuna Spencer

A year ago today I embarked on the biggest, most daunting adventure of my life when I launched emPower magazine. Within this past year, readership has tripled, new writers have come on board and partnerships have been created. However, like any 1-year-old we're still figuring out how to walk on our own. We still have a lot of growing to do.

Quite often I get asked why did I start emPower. I simply say because I got tired of complaining.

I grew tired of the dinner parties running till 3 a.m. debating about the black community. We would sit for hours discussing what should be done to fix a lot of the disparities facing a certain segment of the black community or the relevance of a black leader, etc. And at the end of the night, many of us would retire to our homes in our safe, cozy neighborhoods and do nothing. I grew tired of reading about the high school drop out rates, the murder rates, the HIV rates, the wealth gap and all of the other statistics that paint a bleak outcome for black folks. Not only did I get tired of reading about it, I also became annoyed with talking about it. Don't get me wrong, words are powerful, but so are our hands to give and our wallets to donate. I made a decision that I would not debate unless I was ready to act.

I've had people tell me that I'm a "special person" for starting emPower. I'm not special. I'm just a regular person who had a dream. I didn't attend an Ivy League school. I attended an HBCU. I don't have any prominent letters before or after my name. I have a bachelor's degree. I'm not on any of the large public speaking circuits. I'm virtually unknown. I don't have companies like NBC, The Washington Post or Viacom pumping money into my venture. My husband and I took a piece of our savings to launch and run the magazine. I'm just like many of you.

This has been quite a year, but this is just the beginning. Team emPower plans to continue delivering relevant information and offering our readers ways to become activists within your own communities. By this time next year, we hope to have expanded our business to new multimedia tool.

I look forward to watching emPower grow from a wide-eyed 1-year-old to a mature adult. I hope that you will continue to tag along for the ride.


DeShuna Spencer is Publisher of emPower magazine. To leave a comment or suggest a topic, send an email to editorial@emPowernewsmag.com.

Join Team emPower on June 27 for National HIV/AIDS Testing Day in Washington DC. To find out how to get involved, email info@liukarama.com and type "HIV Campaign" in the subject line.

Propaganda 101: Has Fox News Completely Lost its Mind?

By Crecilla Scott

I am in utter disbelief that anyone in this country can take Fox News seriously, at least not anyone who claims to be a reasonable human being. Their coverage of politics in general and President Obama in particular, is at best, shameful. I am completely amazed that educated “professionals” have the audacity to broadcast misinformation, lies and inflammatory rhetoric every single day.

While we know that news should be objective, fair, and balanced, it goes without saying that news should be truthful. Fox News hosts, analysts, and commentators have continually reported false information and inflammatory accusations against President Obama and his administration.  For example, a June 8, 2009 broadcast of “Fox and Friends” falsely stated that President Obama said “there is no more terrorism,” during his speech in Cairo Egypt.  Ralph Peters, a Fox News analyst, proceeded to accuse President Obama of “pretending” that terrorism “doesn’t exist.” I don’t know what speech those clowns were listening to, but President Obama’s speech in Cairo included the following statements:

“…let us be clear: Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women, and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet, Al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people.”

Those words don’t sound like someone who is “pretending” that terrorism doesn’t exist.  The last time I checked, killing innocent men, women and children qualifies as a terrorist act. 

Most Fox News on-air personalities continually use highly provocative, insulting terminology in their news programs.  E.D. Hill, former host of Fox News' “America's Pulse,” infamously referred to the Obamas’ greeting as a “terrorist fist jab.” Also, according to Media Matters, Andy Martin, a guest on Sean Hannity’s show, claimed that Barack Obama’s work as a community organizer was “training for a radical overthrow of the government” and referred to a potential Obama presidency as a “socialist revolution,” and accused Obama of having a “radical ideology.”

Glenn Beck, another Fox News host, is equally provocative.   The following text is taken directly from the transcript of foxnews.com regarding Beck’s June 10, 2009 show:

“… Our country is vulnerable; our enemies know it as much as we do and groups like Al Qaeda are even planning to work with white supremacists…coming through our southern border.”  “Second, there's going to be a witch-hunt for two groups: the Jews and conservatives…Now the question is how do we pull ourselves together to defend ourselves against a common enemy?”

I don’t know about you, but this sounds like an encouraging call-to-action for all of the paranoid crazies to come out of the wood works.  Does this type of language sound like “news” to any reasonable human being? This type of provocative speech does not even qualify as entertainment.

Most recently, Shepard Smith, a lone, sane Fox News commentator, warned that Fox viewer emails have become “more and more frightening.”  He went on to say that the emailers are “out there in a scary place.”  In fact, he promised viewers that the following e-mail is a “representative sample” of what he receives:

“I cannot stand Hussein. He is a socialist Marxist, who is at fast rate destroying our country…”
If such emails reflect the thought and tone of the average Fox News viewer, then their on-air personalities’ rants and lies are even more unforgivable. As Colbert I. King, a Washington Post columnist stated, words have consequences. Instead of masquerading as a legitimate news and information channel, Fox News should rename their station, LIAN (Lying, Instigating, Anti-Obama Network).

Crecilla Scott is the founder of Infinity Research, LLC, a social science research company in the Washington DC area. She is the host of a local TV show, "Conversations with Crecilla." She is also a passionate speaker, who has given professional presentations for various organizations and federal agencies. She can be reached at Crecilla@liukarama.com.

Additional Resources
http://mediamatters.org/research/200812170007
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200806060007
http://mediamatters.org/research/200906080011
http://www.politics.com/video/bxvunbIWNyI/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525746,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14rich.html
http://tpmtv.talkingpointsmemo.com/?id=2706277
http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/06/shep_smith_on_extremist_violence.php
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/glenn-beck-pot-is-boiling-attack-on-capitalism-collapse-of-the-constitution-june-10
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/glenn-beck-pot-is-boiling-attack-on-capitalism-collapse-of-the-constitution-june-10/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525746,00.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/05/jon-stewart-calls-fox-new_n_211756.html
http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0608/Foxs_addresses_baby_mama_drama_Producer_used_poor_judgment.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/11/fox-news-calls-michelle-o_n_106655.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060503023.html

MSNBC, The New York Times & ACORN: What do they all have in common?

By Tim Nevels

Recent reports on Drudge Report have shown that MSNBC intentionally made our new President look better to the American people when he was still a candidate. Not only is this an insult to the political system, but also it is down right wrong. When did the American people elect the media? Let's also take a good look at ACORN.  ACORN is now being investigated in many states for voter registration fraud. When ACORN's background was researched by MSNBC and other liberal media outlets during the Presidential Election. they found many wrongdoings by the organization, but refused to run the stories, thinking it would hurt President Obama's chances of getting elected.

It has been taught in many journalism classes to get the story not be the story. Obviously many of the major players didn't attend that class. Look at MSNBC’s coverage of any political news story and it seems that no Republican makes any sense and all Republican's are racist. So I guess according to liberals, if you are black and a conservative, then you hate yourself.

Barney Frank recently reneged on his vote for the original amendment that would stop any group under indictment or convicted of voter fraud from receiving federal money or taxpayer grants. He reneged because ACORN is a major player on the Hill these days. ACORN has helped elect Democrats for years now, although it attempts to call itself a non-partisan organization. The corruption and fraud only exacerbate the true problems facing this country and fair elections.

Personally, I have no problem with any organization that helps Democrats get elected, if they are registered as an organization that has a charter. ACORN's charter is not to promote one-sided political thinking. Four former ACORN workers in western Pennsylvania will face trial on charges that they forged, illegally solicited or illegally filled out voter registration cards before the November election. Does this sound like an organization that has followed its charter? Not even close. Democrats are in the majority it is unlikely that ACORN will stop these types of tactics.

As I look at the current news cycle. Judge Sotomayor’s upcoming confirmation hearings are the talk of the town. Within a blink of an eye, every Republican talking head has made absolute fools of themselves. No doubt the media are going to play up the incendiary speeches and radio entertainers. This only seems to work when Conservatives speak. No doubt there has to be at least one Democrat that would not approve of Judge Sotomayor. Yet, you will never see one clip of them making a fool of themselves. Personally, I think she will make a great judge and also wish she did not have to back down on her statement about white men and a Latina women. In this case, the Republican talking heads are wrong and sound like Archie Bunker when they call her a racist. We as minorities completely understand what she means. If you haven't lived in an urban environment with drugs and gangs, how can you understand how to give practical judgment from the bench when you have lived in an environment void of minorities? The law is not color blind.

On the other hand, conservative talk radio has no equal when it comes to listeners, for the same reason conservative television shows have more viewers. It is that belief of self-reliance the so many conservatives and Republicans hold so dear. I also can understand why channels like MSNBC are so far Left leaning and newspapers like the New York Times will never give a conservative or Republican any good press. They feel as though someone has to speak for the liberal side of the country, although this is not there business purpose. Their purpose is to report the news. Not be the news. We as Americans should demand more from our news coverage. Demand that journalists give us nothing but the story. Giving both sides of the story would be nice.

In the next few years, we will see the demise of the New York Times, an obvious left leaning paper, with 2,700 subscribers leaving every month. Of course newspapers are better for wrapping fish than reading these days. It does not help when everyone in the newsroom think and look alike. Unless you are a liberal minority you can forget about getting a job at any of these companies. To them all minorities are liberal and hate conservatives, which is just as big of an insult as Republican talking heads calling judges like Judge Sotomayor a racist. Please take the time to not only read the news programs that agree with your own personal point of view, but also those that disagree. Like me, you will truly understand both sides of the story.

Don’t Forget Separated Dads On Father's Day

By Eric Legette

As the country prepares to celebrate the upcoming Father's Day Holiday, we will honor those fathers who are responsible and care for their children financially and emotionally everyday. But, on this Father's Day, let’s not forget about the men who are being left out—separated/divorced fathers.

Last year, our then Presidential hopeful Barack Obama made a speech on Father's Day. Within the speech he referenced the importance of fathers in the lives of their children. Also, he requested that more men step up to the plate and own up to their responsibilities as fathers. I had a problem with that particular statement. Many, like our now elected President, are unaware of the other side of the story.

A major problem for separated/divorced fathers is, after the ending of a relationship many fathers are deliberately alienated from their own children. There are several tactics used to accomplish this goal. However, the most successful and humiliating tactic is false allegations. In visitation cases, this tactic is used to reduce the amount of time fathers once enjoyed prior to the separation. As the system investigates the allegations, the father will be ordered to only see his children under the watchful eye of a court ordered social worker or another party designated by the presiding judge. This is an especially painful experience for a father accustomed to seeing his children on a regular basis. How do I know? I am that father and, until this day, going through that ordeal was the most painful experience of my life. There are other obstacles this population of fathers must overcome such as:  lack of finances to pay for private attorneys, insensitive attorneys whose main objective is to get paid instead of providing quality representation, lack of awareness of the family court process, thus setting fathers up to have an unsuccessful outcome, and maternal family interference (grand parents, aunts, uncles, etc.).

Men fighting for their children is more of a problem than people realize. I believe this is so because of our obsession in focusing on men who are irresponsible fathers. Consequently, when people do hear of men fighting for their children, it is not taken seriously, because so many other fathers are not doing the right thing. I have heard this excuse for over 13 years! It is so unfortunate that separated/divorced fathers willing to remain part of their children’s lives do not receive the attention they so richly deserve, not as a pat on the back but due to their struggle, a struggle that has and continues to cause fathers to commit suicide. So, on this Fathers Day holiday my request is, if you know of a man facing challenges related to his children, please do the following:

• Pray for him
• Encourage him
• Support him
• Listen to him and allow him to vent his frustrations
• Go to court with him for support

These simple gestures have proven to be very valuable in helping men to avoid becoming depressed and walking away from his children due to frustration. You could be contributing to one less child being left fatherless!

Eric Legette is the President/Founder of Fathers With Voices a program designed to assist separated/divorced fathers involved in parental conflicts and the family court system. He is also the author of Closing the Curtain on Baby Mama Drama. Contact fatherswithvoices@yahoo.com.

While the Blame Game Continues, Will Anything Ever Change?

By Crecilla Scott

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading many articles and comments on the plight of black folks in America. No matter what I read, most of it comes back to the poor quality of life that many African Americans face.  Many of the comments blame the government in general and President Obama in particular for not doing enough to help those who have lost their jobs and homes. Some of the articles blame structural inequalities such as the financial industry’s racist, predatory lending practices and the justice system’s racist, unequal, “just us” policies. Others cite cultural deficiencies—such as too many baby mamas and not enough education—as the primary culprit. None of these arguments are new.  But the question is, when will things change?

Obviously, there are many reasons for our continued struggle to obtain true equality, protection, and inclusion in society. Likewise, there are many solutions that must be implemented concurrently if we are to see a drastic change in our circumstances. While our problems are due to both structural and cultural obstacles, I believe we should critically examine factors that are within our control.  One such factor is our attitude about education. We have to do more to get our children to graduate from high school. Period. We can’t expect our quality of life indicators (education attainment, health, employment, income, wealth, etc.) to improve if we don’t focus on graduating our youth from high school and college. We should also encourage trade school for those who are not interested in college. 

Another factor we can change is our ability to plan for the future. We should speak to our children about the responsibilities of supporting a family. Having children when we are living at home and completely unprepared to take care of ourselves and a new family is not cool.  We are often inhibited by financial difficulties, but here’s something we can do for free: We should have conversations with our children to encourage them to think about what they’d like to do with their lives, and then encourage them to accomplish some of these goals while they are young, single, and childless. 

More than anything, I’ve come to believe that much of the “chicanery and foolishness” (borrowed from Gina at whataboutourdaughters.com) is a result of mental slavery.  Many of us still do not realize that we are free. Free to take out enough loans to earn an MBA and start a multi-million dollar business.  Free to become an award-winning journalist. Free to become the next African American to head NASA. Free to become a billion dollar real estate developer.  Free to become a highly successful, highly sought-after lawyer. Free to become the best pediatric neurosurgeon in the world. 

Hopelessness and ignorance create the perfect storm for intergenerational transfer of poverty and struggle. I know that the odds are stacked against us. I know that there are real, tangible structural obstacles that make life difficult for us. But people make it difficult on themselves when they drop out of school or have multiple children without the benefit of a spouse. Yes, I blame structural inequality for getting us into this mess, and to a lesser extent, I blame some cultural forces for perpetuating our condition. But if we make changes in our attitude and priorities, we can forge a brighter future for our children.

Crecilla Scott is the founder of Infinity Research, LLC, a social science research company in the Washington DC area. She is the host of a local TV show, "Conversations with Crecilla." She is also a passionate speaker, who has given professional presentations for various organizations and federal agencies. She can be reached at Crecilla@liukarama.com.

Additional Resources

http://field-negro.blogspot.com/2009/06/does-our-culture-discourage-wealth.html
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/06/obamas-economic-recovery-overlooks-racial-inequity/
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22890.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Donahue_Peebles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Martin_(lawyer)
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/car1bio-1
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/car1bio-1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30673930/wid/3/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104082329
http://liukarama.typepad.com/empowermagazine/2009/04/the-state-of-black-america-are-we-experiencing-d%C3%A9j%C3%A0-vu.html