The AC Phoenix: More than a Newspaper, a Community Institution -- Issue No. 2018, December 2014

THE
TRUTH
WILL SET
YOU
FREE
NEWS
YOU
CAN
USE
In Our 31th Year Issue No. 2009 December 2014 Associate Consultants Serving the Triad FREE
My Cousin Dwight
By Rodney Sumler
north, to represent him at trial. Vinny had
never tried a case. After a very entertaining
trial and events in the community, these two
young white men got justice.
The legendary basketball coach, Clarence E.
“Big House” Gaines called My Cousin Dwight
a living legend every time he saw him.
Merry Christmas -
Happy Holidays
By Brooke Brown,
WCP Communications
Rodney Sumler, Publisher
The AC Phoenix News
Did you see the movie “My Cousin Vinny” a
story about two young white northerners? As
they drove through the deep south, they were
charged with robbing a store and killing the
owner. One of the accused called his cousin
Vinny, a recent graduate of law school in the
Media Should Treat
Marion Barry Like It
Treats Bill Clinton
By Raynard Jackson
Marion Berry
Last week, civil rights leader and political icon
Marion Barry died and barely after he had taken
his last breath, the media was besmirching his
reputation.
Barry was a “true” civil rights icon, not one
“appointed” by the media. A “true” icon or
leader should be like a candle; the more light
he gives the less he becomes. The more light
a candle gives out to lighten the darkness, the
less it becomes; that is the essence of true leadership
and Barry had plenty of that.
Barry was born in Itta Bena, Miss. but was reared
in Memphis, Tenn. As a high school teen, Barry
had a paper route and was promised a free
trip to New Orleans if he obtained 15 new customers.
Barry and several other Black teens
achieved the 15 new customers goal, but was
denied the trip to New Orleans because the city
was segregated.
So Barry organized all the other Blacks with
This is about My Cousin Dwight, when
he came home from the Viet Nam War in
1972 and two white Winston-Salem police
officers; the lives of 3 high school football
players, who played for Carver, Atkins and
Anderson. Two of them play against each
other in high school and one of them
about four years younger, befriended them
because of football.
During one week of tragedies, John
Withmere was killed in a car accident on
I-40, crashing into a bridge abutment in
Greensboro. John Whitmere had played
football at Atkins and WSSU. Marvin Morrison
was killed in a car accident, while
thumbing a ride home from California.
[continued on page 14]
“This is about My Cousin Dwight, when
he came home from the Viet Nam War”
paper routes and they refused to work
their routes until the newspaper delivered
on their promised trip to New Orleans.
They ended up receiving a free trip to St.
Louis, my hometown because it was not a
segregated city. This was the beginning of
his fight against discrimination.
Barry graduated from LeMoyne College,
now Lemoyne-Owen College, a historically
Black college, in 1958 with a degree in
chemistry. He went on to receive his M.S.
in organic chemistry from Fisk University,
another historically Black college. He was
only a few credits away from receiving his
Ph.D in chemistry from the University of
Tennessee before dropping out to devote
his attention full time to fight for civil
rights for Blacks.
He eventually moved to Washington, D.C.
where he served on the school board, four
terms as mayor and three terms on the
city council. His two signature accomplishments,
by far, are his summer youth
jobs program and mandating strict minority
participation in all DC procurement
opportunities.
His youth job program began in the summer
of 1979 and was eventually expanded to be a
year-round program. Under Barry, government
contracting went from 3 percent to 47 percent
of all procurement. He also hired professional
Blacks to run various government agencies
under his control.
[continued on page 4]
Dr. Ada Fisher
Race Still Matters
When You`re Not
White
By Dr. Ada Fisher
I’m sure that the death of more young black
males will occur at the hands of the police but
racism may not be the total story. As I watched
a couple of businesses burning in Ferguson,
MO I couldn’t help but reflect on the Black
Panther Movement where the police became
a force of their mass destruction, the LA riots
after the Rodney King beating and now the
unfortunate death of Michael Brown. What
did those riots accomplish in the long run?
One of the major problems is young black
males are often perceived as scary not just
by the police but by their own communities
often terrorized by their emerging underclass
culture imbued with a sense of hopelessness.
The irony is that we as a people often brought
to these lands for cheap labor, discouraged
from becoming educated and increasingly
isolated from a strong family structure are
showing no value to a larger technologically
based society. The “Occupy Wall Street”
crowd is showing some of the same but on
a different plane. We can now produce less
with fewer people. Will people of color be
obsolete except for cheap labor or a source
of employment for our new overseers, the
welfare system?
We have given our power to others rather than
remember that dues have to be paid every day.
James Brown’s mantras are lost and should be
readopted, i.e. “I don’t want nobody to give me
nothing, just open the door and . . . “we must
get it ourselves. “Say it Loud we’re Black and
we’re Proud” has wilted becoming a pathetic
discourse of action for too many who pander
to victimization acting as if we say it loud we’re
black and can’t help it. Respect for self must
resonate to our very core for a proud people
keeps themselves in check, informed and on
point. As Malcolm X noted in a different sense
now, “Our chickens have come home to roost
“and we haven’t prepared ourselves for the
fast pace change in society. We the people do
have a voice and the ability to positively act
isn’t being valued.
[continued on page 13]
Merry Christmas! Or, if we’re being politically
correct, “Happy Holidays!” - But why? The word
“Christmas” comes from two old words: Christes
maesse, which means, “the Mass of Christ.” This
is derived from the Catholic Mass, the practice
where the priest re-offers the sacrifice of Christ
on the Cross during the time of Communion.
As a self-ascribed Christian, who revels every
time this year in celebrating the joys of
practically all things Christmas, why is it only
considered politically correct to say ‘Happy
Holidays’? Not making a claim as to an America
that has become too politically-correct,’ but
instead I’m asking, why is it that a person of a
particular faith isn’t allowed to celebrate their
own faith and have pride in it? I have always
taken pride in saying “Merry Christmas” but it
seems as though this is becoming less of the
norm.
Does respecting other’s beliefs mean toning
down my own traditions and faith? In order
to have respect for others and what they
believe, does it require that I not have pride
in my own beliefs and the holidays that I
decide to celebrate?
If any big brand store or business voluntarily
decides to say, “Happy Holidays” in its ads or
on storefront banners, then good for them.
However, should they be forced to admit
that they themselves have an affinity for
supporting and celebrating Christmas in
particular? Why is that such a bad thing?
Inside This Issue
[continued on page 14]
WSSU Receives $275,000
For Scholarships 3
Ferguson: The Mirror That Reflects
America`s Open Secret 3
10 Secrets For A Joyous Holiday 4
Spelman President Issue Statement On
Partnership With Crosby Family 5
Diabetes Help: Your Choice For Free 6
What Does Healthy Aging Mean? 13

Page 2 December 2014 The AC Phoenix

Page 3 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
WSSU Receives
$275,000 Grant for
Scholarships to Allow
Students to Graduate
Support its Almost Home Scholarship
Program that provides financial aid for
Forsyth County students who are near
graduation.
“For the past several years, we have consistently
seen significant numbers of students
unable to complete their degrees
due to the lack of financial support,” said
Chancellor Donald J. Reaves. “The reduction
in federal and state dollars has created
the one issue that the university has
not been able to control in our efforts to
ensure that our students graduate and
graduate in a timely manner. This grant
from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
will allow approximately 22 students each
year for the next three years to graduate
with a college degree.”
Nearly 90 percent of the students at WSSU
receive need-based financial aid and 60
percent of them cannot expect family
contributions to their college expenses
because of their families’ financial situation.
“The majority of our students are the
first in their families to attend college,
said Dr. Brenda Allen, provost. “The cuts
in financial aid have profoundly affected
our student body and that is particularly
troubling because of the impact on
students who are academically eligible
to return and are near graduation. We
know that earning a college degree will
not only improve the lives of our students,
but will reverberate into future generations,
improving the quality of life for their
families and the communities where they
will live and work.”
Given the university’s retention efforts
that include supportive services such
as enhanced advisory, tutoring, career
development and mentoring activities,
the Almost Home Scholarship Program
becomes a key component of the school’s
focus on student success.
“We feel confident that this scholarship
will increase college completion rates for
students who are contending with unforeseen
personal and financial circumstances
that may hinder their ability to complete
their education at WSSU,” Allen added.
The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust was
established in 1947 and is now one of the
largest private trusts in North Carolina. Its
mission is to improve the quality of life and
quality of health for the financially needy
of North Carolina. The Health Care Division
promotes wellness state-wide by investing
in prevention and treatment. The Poor and
Needy Division of the Trust responds to
basic life needs and invests in solutions
that improve the quality of life and health
for financially needy residents of Forsyth
County. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. serves as
sole trustee.
This too, shall pass
Ferguson: The
Mirror That Reflects
America’s Open
Secret
By Clarence B. Jones
In July 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson
formed the 11-member National
Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders,
better known as the Kerner Commission,
to explain the riots that had plagued U.S.
cities each summer since 1964 and provide
recommendations for the future. The
commission’s 1968 report, known as the
“Kerner Report,” concluded that the nation
was “moving toward two societies, one
black, one white -- separate and unequal.”
The commission warned that unless conditions
were remedied, the country would
face a “system of ‘apartheid’” in its major
cities.
One of the major issues the commission
examined was the conduct of police in
African-American communities across the
nation. Among its findings and recommendations,
the commission concluded:
The abrasive relationship between the
police and the minor ity communities has
been a major -- and explosive -- source
of grievance, tension and disorder. The
blame must be shared by the total society.
The police are faced with demands for
increased protection and service in the
ghetto. Yet the aggressive patrol practices
thought necessary to meet these
demands themselves create tension and
hostility. The resulting grievances have
been further aggravated by the lack of
effective mechanisms for handling complaints
against the police. Special programs
for bettering police-community
relations have been instituted, but these
alone are not enough. .
The Commission believes there is a grave
danger that some communities may resort
to the indiscriminate and excessive use
of force. The harmful effects of overreaction
are incalcul able. The Commission
condemns moves to equip police departments
with mass destruction weapons,
such as automatic rifles, machine guns
and tanks. Weapons which are designed
to de stroy, not to control, have no place
in densely populated urban communities.
That was 1968. Is Ferguson, Missouri, the
existential reality of America in 2014?
When the St. Louis County grand jury,
after deliberating over whether to indict
Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in
the shooting death of Michael Brown Jr.,
decided not to bring any charges against
him, it was the spark that reignited the
longstanding anger and simmering distrust
of the system among African Americans
in Ferguson and across the nation.
Their “cup of endurance” had run over. The
inconvenient truth is that many African
Americans see that decision as further
confirmation of their belief that nothing
has changed since the Kerner Report of
1968, and that nothing will; a police officer
who shoots and kills an unarmed black
man will almost always be exonerated.
The question of whether or not Officer
Wilson could have shot to disable Brown
rather than kill him is now irrelevant. To
black youth and African-American communities
in Ferguson and nationwide, the
necessary response now is “No justice, no
peace!”
To those reading this who may think I am
exaggerating: Consider the recent shooting
of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy
carrying a toy pellet gun, by police in
Cleveland, Ohio. Ask yourselves this question:
Had the boy been white instead of
black, would the police have fired their
guns to kill him?
It does not reduce the anger of African
Americans in Ferguson and other communities
that, nationwide, more young black
men die at the hands of other young black
men than at the hands of police. I don’t
have the space here to go into a more
extended discussion of this issue, but suffice
it to say that “black-on-black” crime is
a contributor to the hopelessness that’s
so pervasive today among black men 25
and under.
Most white people in America, and many
middle-class or professional African Americans,
might say, “But why do they have to
overturn police cars and set fire to innocent
businesses?” I’d respond that such
acts, though deeply wrong, are nevertheless
expressions of the aforementioned
hopelessness experienced by so many
black youth today. Their acts of violence
say, in effect, “You don’t listen to us; we
don’t matter in your world. You have no
idea of the numerous, ever-accumulating
acts of disrespect by the police against
us over the years. Unless you pay attention
to and address the systemic hostility
we experience daily from police, you will
never understand us. Moreover, whether
or not you believe us no longer matters,
because we will no longer be ignored. You
will pay attention to our pain!”
President Obama appropriately condemned
the violence, saying, “Burning
buildings, torching cars, destroying
property, putting people at risk -- that’s
destructive, and there’s no excuse for it.
Those are criminal acts.... [N]othing of
significance, nothing of benefit, results
from destructive acts.” He explained that
the achievements of the civil-rights movement
and the passage of the Affordable
Care Act “happened because people vote
... because people organize. ... That’s how
you actually move something forward.”
Unfortunately, I believe that these comments,
though necessary, will have only
limited success at easing the pain of young
black youth in Ferguson and nationwide.
Something more urgent and more direct
is needed. The historic domestic and international
accomplishments of the equally
historic presidency of Barack Obama risk
being overshadow and diminished by a
perceived failure of his administration to
substantively address the ticking time
bomb of distrust between the police and
young black men in our country today. So
here’s what I propose: The president and
the attorney general should immediately
convene a meeting at the White House of
young black men and their representatives
and the chiefs of police of most major
urban communities to address this crisis
head-on.
And the issue is not just a political question;
it is a moral question. As such, it is
the unavoidable responsibility of parents
and grandparents from the” Joshua
generation” to save our children. We are
legacy trustees of the hopes and dreams
of our forefathers and foremothers from
the days of slavery and its ideology of
white supremacy. Consequently, we
have a responsibility, here and now, in
this second decade of the 21st century,
to put an end to the license to kill our
young black men that police across our
nation seem to believe they possess. After
Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim
Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,
we elder “Joshua generation”
trustees cannot say we did not know what
was happening to our young black men
under the United States’ criminal-justice
system today. If we don’t act to save our
children, who will?
The killing of so many of our young black
men by police across the nation is -- to
paraphrase James Baldwin -- our fire this
time.

Page 4 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Media Should Treat
Marion Barry Like it
Treats Bill Clinton
By Raynard Jackson
10 Secrets to a
Joyous Season
Don’t be surprised or feel guilty if
your holiday is stressful — and don’t
entertain the fantasy that everyone
else’s season is picture-perfect. Some
moments will be memorable, some will
not, and some you’ll want to forget, but
remember: We’re all in this together!
If you can learn to take the holidays
one moment at a time, you’ll survive
and thrive. To help you, here are ten
holiday mantras to repeat to yourself
and to practice throughout the season.
8. I will be my own best friend. Be on your
own side. Listen to yourself. Pat yourself
on the back when you do well. Forgive
yourself when you don’t. You teach this to
your kids and grandkids — now apply it
to yourself.
9. I won’t wait for permission to take care
of myself. You don’t have to make yourself
so exhausted with holiday preparations
that your children and grandchildren
have to beg you to rest. That sets a bad
example. Show them that you value
yourself and your time by putting your
feet up or taking time off for a movie. And
if you can’t give yourself permission, then
I do!
Raynard Jackson
[continued from page 1]
These actions were unprecedented in D.C.
and have never been duplicated since,
though every D.C. mayor has been Black.
So, by the time Barry was set up in a sting
operation by the FBI smoking crack cocaine
in 1990, he had established himself as a
political powerhouse in D.C.; he had 20 years
of being an advocate for good before he had
his first negative blip as an elected official.
This is why I found the media’s behavior so
offensive when, upon Barry’s death, they
immediately began mentioning his arrest
for smoking crack. Is it a legitimate part of
Barry’s life’s narrative? Of course, but not in
the immediate aftermath of his death. Could
the media not allow his body to grow cold
before they talked about his personal flaws?
Whenever the media interviewed or
discussed Barry, they somehow seemed to
always find a way to interject his crack arrest
into the story. But somehow this same
media never mentions former president Bill
Clinton’s many dalliances with women when
they interview him or discuss his legacy; they
hardly mention his admitted sexual affair
with a White House intern, Monica Lewinski.
How many of you are aware of 60 Minutes
correspondent and CBS News chief foreign
affairs reporter Lara Logan admitted to
having sexual affairs with two American
men simultaneously in Iraq that led to
the two men getting into a fist fight over
her (I guess she took her CBS News title
literally). U.S. State Department contractor
Joe Burkett and CNN correspondent
Michael Ware fought a battle royale over
Logan in a Baghdad safe house which
put innocent people’s lives in jeopardy.
How many of you are aware that NBA
broadcaster and TNT announcer Marv Albert
was accused of raping at least two women
and agreed to plead to lesser charges.
He was suspended for two years, but his
personal issues are rarely, if ever, mentioned.
I would just simply say, pull up a picture of
each of these people and make your own
conclusions.
Barry, without question, has created more
Black millionaires in this area than all
other people combined. Without Barry,
there would be no Bob and Sheila
Johnson, co-founders of BET, America’s
first Black billionaires.
Without Barry, there would be no R.
Donahue Peebles, head of Peebles
Corporation, the largest Black-owned
real-estate development company in
America. At the age of 23, Barry appointed
him to the Board of Equalization and
Review, the real estate tax appeals board;
at the age of 24, he was made chairman
of the board, one of the most powerful
boards in D.C.
To my dismay, even Black-oriented –
but not Black owned – media outlets,
including The Root (owned by the
Washington Post) and The Grio (owned
by NBC) have been no better than the
White media’s portrayal of Barry.
To White folks who seemed to be
confused by the love affair average Blacks
had with Marion Barry and are always
asking me why Blacks seem to almost
worship him; to those with that question,
I say for the same reason average Whites
seem to almost worship Ronald Reagan.
For all of Barry’s personal demons, like a
candle, he used himself up to lighten the
path for others. That is why people called
him “Mayor for Life.”
__________________
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of
Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a
Washington, D.C.-based public relations/
government affairs firm.
1. I will put myself on my list of loved ones.
If you take care of yourself even half
as well as you parent and grandparent
everyone else, you’ll be way ahead
when the holidays are over. Watch
your sleep, nutrition, and exercise —
and make sure you’re having fun, too.
2. I will practice saying no sometimes.
It’s okay to deny your grandchildren
what they demand once in a while. The
kids will appreciate the extra TV time,
special snacks, and new toys more if
you give them a little less often. And
you’ll get to see that they love you
even when you’re not a pushover.
3. I will play with my grandchildren, not
just supervise. Your grandchildren will
never remember all the laundry you did
for them — but they’ll never forget the
time you all went down the slide together.
So don’t just supervise, participate.
4. I will not keep my grandchildren
entertained every minute. Downtime
is an opportunity for imagination, and
children need that more than they need
yet another activity. Don’t feel guilty if
you take them along to run errands, or if
you let them entertain themselves with
some holiday coloring sheets, or simply
leave them alone for a while to read or
relax.
5. I will underschedule myself (and I’ll still
have too much to do). We tend to forget
to budget our time and energy during
the holidays and instead loan ourselves
to our extended families as cheap labor.
Try to pace yourself for the long season.
And when an emergency or another
essential task arises, cross something off
your “To do” list before you add the new
item.
6. I will break the guilt habit and stop
should-ing myself. Replacing thoughts of
this is who I should be with thoughts of
this is who I am will help you get through
the holidays with less stress and more
fun. You don’t expect your grandchildren
to be perfect — why should you have to
be?
7. I will expect the best. Make positive
prophesies for the holidays. They could be
self-fulfilling. Besides, anxious worrying
never helps — it just adds stress even
before anything negative happens.
10. I will treat my family the way I treat my
friends. You know who your friends are
and you know what they’re like. You don’t
expect them to change overnight and you
probably don’t take everything they say
or do personally. You ask them questions,
listen to their answers, and give them the
benefit of the doubt. If you can do the
same with your family, you’ll be a great
role model for your grandchildren.
UAPB Alumna Vinita
Hegwood Addresses
National Controversy
Over Ferguson
Tweets
Vinita Hegwood
Vinita Hegwood, a graduate of the University
of Arkansas – Pine Bluff resigned
her position as a teacher at Duncanville
High School in Dallas last month, following
public reaction to a series of tweets from
Hegwood on the Michael Brown murder
investigation in Ferguson, Mo.
Hegwood, who issued an apology for
the tweets, took to her personal website
to offer more insight on the pressure she
faced from the public, and from her former
employer. From her blog:
I informed my principal of my tweet, and
that it may or may not be problem. His reply
to me was to “stay off Twitter.” It was at THIS
point that my account was made private,
and subsequently deactivated. Not out of
fear of any keyboard coward, but from a
professional directive.
By Sunday, I was nationwide news; only
I had no clue. I was disconnected, trying
to complete a graduate school paper. The
only other communication I’d had with my
school district was a text from my principal
asking if my tweets had been deleted.
Sunday night, I got an automated phone
call from the school district informing me
(and everyone else who got that call) there
was a statement on the district’s website
regarding ME. This was the first inclination
I had that there was an issue.

Page 5 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Spelman President
Issues Statement
on Partnership with
Cosby Family
By JL Carter Sr.
Spelman President Beverly Daniel Tatum
Answering speculation about the relationship
status of Spelman College
with Dr. Bill Cosby, Spelman President
Beverly Daniel Tatum recently wrote
to the campus community about the
history of the Cosby family’s philanthropy
and current ties to the school.
In light of the recent news stories about
Dr. Bill Cosby, many news outlets have
inquired about our relationship with
the Cosby family. We have responded to
those inquiries by providing factual information.
Below is the statement that has
been provided:
“The College is not in a position to comment
regarding the allegations. The College’s
primary connection with the Cosby
family is the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby
Ed.D. Academic Center, which opened at
Spelman College in 1996. At the time, an
endowed professorship named for Drs.
Cosby was also established to support
visiting scholars in the fine arts, humanities
and social sciences as well as Spelman
College’s Museum of Fine Art. The
academic center and endowed professorship
were funded through a philanthropic
commitment from the Cosby family
made more than 25 years ago, and at this
time there are no discussions regarding
changes to the terms of the gift.”
While I cannot control how media outlets
position information, and more than one
has distorted our statement, I think it is
important that all of you have the facts.
Two Cosby daughters attended Spelman
College. Our building is named after Dr.
Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby. The endowed
professorship is named after both Cosby
parents. The historic $20 million gift that
the College received in 1988, more than
25 years ago, came from the Cosby family.
Though it is not appropriate for the College
to comment publicly on specific allegations
against any individual, sexual assault
is a profoundly serious issue for any
educational institution. Please know that
we do not condone sexual violence in
any form and understand our critical role
as a women’s college to lead in the fight
against it. I trust you will read all news
media critically, informed by these facts.
This Is Your Special
Invitation! Healing
Force
You are cordially invited to attend and
participate in the upcoming concert by
“THE HEALING FORCE” on Sunday, December
14, 2014 (4:00 PM) in the sanctuary of
Grace Presbyterian Church, 3901 Carver
School Road. As you may already know,
this is one of the outstanding and popular
performing groups in our area and you
will not want to miss this last concert of
the 2014 season for our Concert Series.
Another special treat will be the guest performance
of Will “EJ” Furches, a Minister of
Mime and CEO of “A Slice of Heaven Desserts.”
There will be a reception following
the concert, including some of “EJ’s” desserts.
Although the concert is FREE, we appreciate
financial support from friends like
you, to continue our ministry: SPON-
SORS ($50.00 AND UP), CONTRIBUTORS
($25.00 TO $49.00), COUPLES ($15.00)
AND SINGLE NAMES ($10.00). All checks
should be made out to : Grace Presbyterian
Church........For: Concert Series. Checks
should be sent or delivered to the church
or to Eloise Lipscomb or R. V. Boone, Sr.
before December 9, 2014. For further information
call R. V. Boone, Sr. at 336-767-
4087. Thanks for your support! Rev. Toure’
C. Marshall is the senior pastor of Grace.
Spread the Word! Happy Holidays!
An Associate Consultant’s
Newspaper
Established in 1983
Rodney J. Sumler, Publisher
Jerome Johnson, Managing Editor
Dwight A. Jones, Editor
Ann F. Sumler, Finance Director
Advertising Constants
Chenita Johnson, Gerald Green
A Creative Mind, Graphic Design
Ideas expressed in this publication
are not necessarily those of the
publisher or staff.
(336) 635 4096 Fax (336) 635 4567
e-mail: acphoenix@bellsouth.net
SUCCESS IS YOURS!

Page 6 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Diabetes Help: Your
Choice, For FREE
By Dr. P. Gould
Adding mealtime insulin to your type
2 diabetes treatment doesn’t have to
throw your whole life out of sync. If you
learn what’s new and take it one small
step at a time, you may find that you
can fit mealtime insulin into the rhythm
of your life, until it’s a part of your daily
routine. As you enter a new phase of
managing your diabetes with mealtime
insulin, you can build on all you already
know. All of your hard work to manage
your diabetes was worth it and still
counts.
Humalog is used to treat people with
diabetes for the control of high blood
sugar.
Mealtime insulin doesn’t have to throw
your whole life out of sync. One way to
take your Humalog®mealtime insulin is
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Racial Bias
Diminishes Optimism
of Latinos over Time
By Barbara Ferrer
Migration of Latino families to America is an
inspiring story of men, women and children
leaving their native countries, often searching
for better opportunities and safety for their
families. Yet, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s
recent poll of Latino families also reveals that
a different narrative develops - frustration
from racism and discrimination is wearing
down Latinos over time in the United States.
The newest Latino immigrants are brimming
with hope, as they pursue opportunities to
better educate their children, improve personal
finances and find affordable housing.
Meanwhile, those who have travelled a similar
path - Latinos with generations of family
roots in the U.S., as well as those with more
education and higher incomes - are decidedly
more sceptical and disappointed.
Clearly, a significant gap exists between the
life experiences of Latinos and those of many
other immigrants. Historically, immigrants
arrive on American shores and the prospects
for their life outcomes vastly improve. They
may harbor initial fears and anxiety about
finding jobs, housing and social services, but
as they assimilate into American society, they
enjoy the expected immigrant experience of
having their quality of life improve for each
generation.
But that narrative is reserved for mostly white
immigrants.
For people of color, and as the survey demonstrated,
especially for Latinos, there is a far, far
different reality. The longer Latinos are in the
U.S., they grow less and less hopeful about
their opportunities in this country.
Our poll discloses that as Latinos face discrimination
at individual and institutional
levels, their fears and anxieties increase over
time.
For instance, while Latinos respect police and
cite a need for law enforcement, they are
deeply concerned about police brutality -
18 percent said they know a Latino friend
or relative abused by police. Moreover, an
astonishing 68 percent fear that police will
use excessive force against Latinos, and 37
percent said law enforcement officers treat
Hispanics unfairly. But racial bias is not limited
to law enforcement. Latinos also fear they
may face discrimination in the workplace and
virtually anyplace they may go in public, such
as stores and restaurants.
For America to progress, this must change.
How can a nation be perceived as just and
fair, when it’s fastest growing demographic
lives in such fear?
As a nation, our first step should be to abandon
talk of the mythical “colorblind society”
and instead focus on understanding the
diversity rooted in our communities and
the strength that can be drawn from these
different cultures. Immigrants should feel
respected in this country and invited to fully
participate and engage in our society, and in
making it a better society.
Here is a stunning example of how racism, or
just the perception of bias, plays out: asked
how they would proceed if facing difficult
financial problems, 47 percent of Latinos
earning between $40,000 and $75,000 a
year said they could not depend on a loan
from a bank or credit union, while 38 percent
earning more than $75,000 also had no
confidence they could turn to this traditional
means of financial help.
Energized by the hope and promise of this
nation, Latinos are coming to the U.S. wanting
to be vibrant members of their new communities.
[continued on page 11]
Open Your Mind
Before Opening Your Mouth
‘More Powerful Than
the March of Mighty
Armies Is an Idea
Whose Time Has
Come’
By Clarence B. Jones
Clarence B. Jones
Demonstrators in Ferguson and various
major cities nationwide have been peacefully
protesting the failure of the St. Louis County
grand jury to indict police officer Darren
Wilson for the killing of 18-year-old Michael
Brown Jr. They carry signs that say, “Black
Lives Matter,” “Claim Power,” “No Justice, No
Peace,” and “Shut It Down.” They have also
engaged in four-and-a-half-minute “die-ins”
(a minute for each hour that Brown’s body
lay in the street after he was killed) at the
entrances of malls, major street intersections,
and highway-access ramps.
Regrettably, a majority (or at least a substantial
number) of white adults either don’t
understand or are opposed to such demonstrations.
“Why are they doing this?” they ask.
“This doesn’t help their cause.”
Years ago the author James Baldwin was
being interview on television by David Susskind,
the interviewer on a popular, syndicated
late-night TV show. Susskind asked Baldwin,
“Jimmy, what is it that you and your people
want?” Baldwin leaned in close to Susskind
and replied, “David, whatever you and white
people want I want.”
White racism, a product of the doctrine of
white supremacy and the legacy of slavery,
remains a pernicious social disease afflicting
white police officers operating in black
communities nationwide. Race relations
in America remain mired in ongoing, 24/7
hypocrisy.
As Michael Eric Dyson recently wrote in The
New York Times:
Black and white people rarely view race in
the same way or agree about how to resolve
racial conflicts, and black people have furious
moral debates among ourselves out of white
earshot.
These colliding worlds of racial perception
are why many Americans view the world so
differently....
As I wrote in my last blog post, after years of
cumulative abuses by police in Ferguson and
African-American communities nationwide,
the “cup of endurance” has run over among
most African Americans, especially parents of
young black men killed by police. Continuing
demonstrations in Ferguson and the words
on the signs carried by demonstrators reflect
this impatience. What is more powerful than
a placard that reads, “Black Lives Matter”?
In that same blog post I wrote:
The historic domestic and international
accomplishments of the equally historic
presidency of Barack Obama risk being
overshadow and diminished by a perceived
failure of his administration to substantively
address the ticking time bomb of distrust
between the police and young black men
in our country today. So here’s what I propose:
The president and the attorney general
should immediately convene a meeting at
the White House of young black men and
their representatives and the chiefs of police
of most major urban communities to address
this crisis head-on.
Yesterday the president did just that and
actually went even further, including leaders
of various civil-rights organizations and
young people from Ferguson in a meeting
at the White House. All persons of good will
seeking to address this critical issue of how
police serve African-American communities
should support and applaud the president’s
initiative.
Similarly, I applaud my colleagues at the
University of San Francisco for initiating a
“teach-in” on the topic of Ferguson and the
nationwide protests. Colleges and universities
are the preeminent marketplace of ideas.
Indeed, teach-ins addressing U.S. policy in
Vietnam played a historic role in developing
a domestic consensus to end the war.
Hopefully other colleges and universities will
follow the leadership of the University of San
Francisco on shedding light and understanding
on the issues raised by Ferguson and their
potential role in enabling our country to be
the very best that it can be.
Yes, as Victor Hugo put it, “more powerful
than the march of mighty armies is an idea
whose time has come.”

Page 7 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Do You Qualify To
Have Your Home
Weatherized?
By Gerald Green
find out more information about how to
apply and eligibility requirements, please
contact the Piedmont Triad Regional
Council, 1398 Carrollton Crossing Drive
Kernersville, NC 27284 (336) 904-0300.
Stephanie Roseboro
There is a program in North Carolina
called the “Weatherization Assistance
Program”, (WAP) this program falls under
the administration of the Piedmont Triad
Regional Council. Weatherization reduces
your energy bills by using measures such
as insulating your walls, roof and etc…
Stephanie Roseboro is an intake specialist
with the program; she and Beverly
Terry are the two persons that not only
assist individuals with their paperwork
and documentation, the two decide if
you are eligible for the program. Stephanie
brings a wealth of knowledge about
the program and often sets up booths at
different venues to conduct community
outreach in efforts to educate and spread
the word about the weatherization program.
The (WAP) started out in 5 counties and
has since spread into 7 counties, this is
an awesome program. It operates on a
grant that is renewed yearly through the
U.S. Census Bureau. Many individuals
and families may be eligible to have their
homes weatherized. The current counties
that the program is being offered in are:
Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth,
Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham. To

Page 8 December 2014 The AC Phoenix

Page 9 December 2014 The AC Phoenix

Page 10 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Weatherization
Assistance Program
Frequently Asked
Questions
How do I find out more about applying
for weatherization assistance?
It is easy to find out if you are eligible and
to apply for weatherization. For weatherization
assistance through Piedmont
Triad Regional Council (PTRC), residents
must live in Alamance, Caswell, Davidson,
Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, or Rockingham
County and must meet certain
income limits (see table below). Call our
office for additional details at
(336) 904-0338.
Am I eligible?
As many as 150,000 households in Alamance,
Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford,
Randolph, and Rockingham counties
are eligible for weatherization services.
If you receive Supplemental Security
Income or Aid to Families with Dependent
Children, you are automatically eligible
to receive weatherization services.
In other cases, preference is given to:
• People over 60 years of age
• Families with one or more members
with a disability
• Families with children
One of the primary factors affecting eligibility
is income. If you believe you may
be eligible or are interested in finding out
more about the program, please fill out
an interest form and one of our Weatherization
Specialists will contact you to answer
your questions and determine if you
are eligible. You can also call our office at
(336) 904-0338 to find out more. The entire
application process usually takes less
than 20 minutes to complete.
If I rent, can I still apply?
Absolutely. Weatherization is often completed
on rental units. Single family
homes, mobile homes, and townhomes
are all eligible. However, if you rent, you
must get permission from your landlord.
Is there a cost to me or to my landlord?
Subgrantees are required to request
$275 toward the cost of weatherizing the
dwelling.
What happens after I have been told
I qualify for the Weatherization Program?
If you are eligible, the PTRC will put you
on a waiting list for services. The time on
the waiting list can vary depending on
the time of the year and the number of
other households that have applied. The
average wait time varies between 6 and
12 months.
The first step in the process is a professional
energy consultation. This “energy
audit’ is an assessment of your home’s
energy use and an analysis of which energy
conservation measures are best for
your home. Such measures may include
additional insulation, weather-stripping,
caulking, servicing of the heating or air
conditioning unit, hot water conservation
measures or more. Work does not
include new roofing or siding.
Next, our contractors will arrive in two
stages to evaluate your heat system and
to weatherize your residence. After the
work stage is complete, PTRC inspectors
will return to make certain that everything
is working properly and that nothing
was missed.
How will I benefit by participating in
this program?
Weatherization reduces your energy bills
for a long time. Some measures such as
insulating your walls or roof can provide
you with savings for 30 years or more.
Others, such as making your heating or
air conditioning more efficient, will provide
savings for 10 to 15 years. The US
Department of Energy has documented
that the average energy bill is reduced by
$215 per year following weatherization
measures.
Families can hire an “Angel” this holiday
season!
2014-2015 Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Income Guidelines are shown below:
Local Caregivers
Help Seniors Battle
Holiday Blues
While the holidays are filled with fun festivities
for most of us, this can be the most
depressing of all seasons for the elderly.
Many seniors pine for lost loves one and
have families hundreds of miles away. It’s
often a struggle for seniors to decorate,
shop, and prepare a meal, especially for
those with health issues who can’t move
around with ease.
So, instead of rushing out to the store to
buy a meaningless, last-minute gift that
may end up tucked away in Grandma’s
closet, local families are hiring holiday
companions for their elderly loved ones!
Visiting Angels, one of the leading inhome
senior care companies in the nation
(with a location in our area), has
caregivers who can help seniors beat the
holiday blues this holiday season.
Senior Holiday Blues:
Roughly 1 in 4 seniors (age 65 or older)
suffers from depression. And, **nearly
one-third of all older Americans who live
at home, live alone *More than 70% of
older Americans polled say they feel isolated
and lonely. Studies show holidays
trigger HALF of all depressive episodes.
“The holidays can be tough on seniors because
many have lost people they loved.
Plus, they aren’t as mobile to visit friends
and family or even decorate or shop,” said
Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels. “Our
caregivers socialize with seniors, take
them shopping and keep them engaged
instead of sitting at home feeling isolated
and depressed. Our caregivers also give
families a heads up about their senior’s
state-of-mind, to differentiate between
the holiday blues and full blown depression.”
How Angels Help Seniors Beat the Holiday
Blues:
• Help prepare for the season – Visiting
Angels caregivers can help seniors decorate
the tree, wrap presents, shop for
gifts, bake cookies or simply spend time
with them at home.
• Encourage seniors to exercise – Various
studies reveal that staying physically active
not only makes people feel good, but
it has the same effect on mood and brain
chemistry as anti-depressants.
• Keep alcohol use to a minimum – Alcohol
is a known depressant. Visiting Angels
caregivers can create some other festive
drinks such as eggnog or a flavored hot
chocolate to help seniors cheerfully toast
the season.
• Create alternative presents other than
expensive gifts – Giving certainly can
make seniors feel good, but in times of
financial despair, giving gifts can create a
lot of stress. Instead, Visiting Angels caregivers
can help seniors write and send
personalized cards to family and friends.
• Keep seniors connected socially – Volunteer
at a soup kitchen (or other organization)
with a caregiver – giving back
greatly improves peoples’ moods and
increases their sense of self-worth. Caregivers
can also teach seniors how to use
computers or cell phones to stay socially
connected with family and friends. They
can take seniors to a local coffee shop or
to look at holiday lights for some festive
cheer outside the home.
• Listen closely – Sometimes all seniors
want is someone to listen to them.
Through conversation, caregivers can
help seniors live in the present (instead
of dwelling on “the good old days”) and
keep their holiday expectations realistic.
Senior Holiday Blues vs. Senior Depression:
Senior holiday blues are often temporary
and go away when the season ends. The
holiday blues are also associated with
the time change – as daylight hours become
shorter. If the blues continue after
the season, it could be a warning sign of
depression.
Senior depression is often mistaken for
other age-related issues. In fact, stressrelated
events such as the holidays may
trigger half of all depressive episodes, according
to the U.C. Davis Department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
Common signs of senior depression include***:
• Lack of appetite
• Extreme fatigue – excessive sleeping.
• The body shuts down to escape from
the outside world
• Problems concentrating
• Anti-social – may stop doing normal
things such as going to church
• Older adults may not express sadness
(unlike kids with depression)
• Abuse of drugs or alcohol
• Being angry – sarcastic and criticizes
others’ joy of the season
About Visiting Angels Living Assistance
Services:
Visiting Angels was established in 1991
in Baltimore as an independent agency
caring for seniors in their homes. Today,
Visiting Angels has more than 450 private
duty agencies throughout the United
States. Visiting Angels agencies employ
only experienced caregivers and conduct
the most comprehensive background
screenings to ensure that their caregivers
meet or exceed the company’s high standards.
For companion care, Alzheimer’s
care, Dementia care and the country’s
best palliative care program, make Visiting
Angels your choice in senior home
care. For more information on Visiting Angels
or to find a location near you, please
visit www.visitingangels.com.

Page 11 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Racial Bias
Diminishes Optimism
of Latinos over Time
By Barbara Ferrer
[continued from page 6]
Furthermore, Latinos clearly care about
their children’s future. The vast majority of
Latino parents are attending parent-teacher
conferences and school functions, as well as
volunteering at the schools and working with
administrators and teachers. For Latino parents
of pre-K through second grade students,
89 percent attended teacher conferences, 77
percent contacted teachers about academic
performance, 74 percent had meetings with
a counselor or principle, 71 percent attended
events and 63 percent volunteered for class
projects.
Still, their participation would increase and
be broader if the schools did more to welcome
parents. Survey respondents noted
that more translators should be available,
especially for school board meetings, PTA
meetings and other policy-setting sessions.
All parents must feel welcomed in the schools
their children attend.
Our poll has identified the role discrimination
plays in diminishing optimism and opportunities
for many Latinos. In reality, when one
group is held back, it hurts all of us; we need
everyone’s best effort to build a secure future.
As we learn from each other, we recognize
that our strength is our diversity. Addressing
discriminatory practices and policies is
paving the way for a better United States of
America.
Barbara Ferrer is chief strategy officer for the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Winston-Salem
and Greensboro
Partnering to
End Veteran
Homelessness
Winston-Salem and Greensboro have
made significant progress in their efforts
to house homeless veterans and will work
together to end veteran homelessness in
the Triad by the end of next year, Mayors
Allen Joines of Winston-Salem and Nancy
Vaughan of Greensboro announced
today.
“No one who has served our country as
our veterans have should have to live on
our streets,” Joines said, “and by working
together, we look forward to the day
when that will no longer be the case.”
need,” she said.
Winston-Salem began tracking the
number of homeless veterans with its
point-in-time count in 2007, Joines said.
“At that time they comprised 15 percent
of our census of the homeless population,
double their rate in the population of our
community as a whole. As of the point-intime
count last January, this was down to
just 8 percent.”
Likewise, the number of homeless
veterans identified through point-in-time
counts in Greensboro has dropped from
11 percent of the homeless population in
January 2011 to 8 percent in January 2014.
“Addressing homelessness and poverty
issues is a top priority for me personally,
and for the city of Greensboro,” Vaughan
said. “While there is much work to be
done, we feel confident that we now have
a program in place to make our ultimate
goal of eliminating veteran homelessness
a reality.”
In recognition of their success thus far,
both cities have been invited, along with
67 other U.S. communities, to participate
in Zero: 2016, a national campaign
organized by Community Solutions to
end veteran homelessness by December
2015 and end chronic homelessness by
December 2016.
Darryl Kosciak, the executive director of
Partners Ending Homelessness in Guilford
County, said that the goal of ending
veteran homelessness will be achieved
when the Triad has the resources in place
to quickly house anyone identified as a
homeless veteran. “This doesn’t mean
there will never be another homeless
veteran,” he said. “It means that we will
have housing for everyone we know is a
veteran.”
Partners Ending Homelessness
coordinates the efforts of agencies in
Guilford County that serve homeless
veterans, including The Servant Center
and Caring Services Inc. In Forsyth
County, that coordination is provided by
the Winston-Salem/Forsyth Commission
on Ending Homelessness, which works
with such groups as Veterans Helping
Veterans Heal and The Salvation Army
to implement the 10-Year Plan to End
Chronic Homelessness.
Jones and Vaughan praised both
organizations and the agencies they
work with. “We are very grateful for the
outstanding job they have accomplished
thus far in getting us to where we are
today,” Joines said. Vaughan added,
“This partnership puts an emphasis on
these combined efforts and adds muchneeded
resources to reduce the number
of veterans who are without permanent
housing in our communities.”
of the game-changers has been the
Supportive Services for Veteran Families
grant from the VA,” Kurtz said. “This grant,
administered by United Way of Forsyth
County, covers Forsyth, Guildford, Stokes,
Surry, Yadkin, Davie and Davidson
Counties and focuses on providing
short-to medium-term support for verylow-income
veteran families who are
either literally homeless or at high risk of
homelessness.”
SSVF services are delivered through
partnerships with the Salvation Army of
Winston-Salem, the Salvation Army of
Greensboro, the North Carolina Housing
Foundation and Goodwill Industries
of Northwest North Carolina. “SSVF is
designed to be flexible, and support
veterans and their families around their
most critical needs with the focus of
achieving housing stability,” Kurtz said.
“Our program has a 90 percent success
rate of helping veterans exit to permanent
housing.”
Kaye Green, the director for the Salisbury
VA Medical Center, said the VA is gratified
by the efforts by both cities to tackle
veteran homelessness. “We owe it to
our veterans to ensure that they are
not homeless,” she said, “and through
our partnership with Guilford County
and Winston-Salem, we look forward
to the day when we can say, ‘mission
accomplished.’”
Too often, homeless veterans move
back and forth between Winston-Salem
and Greensboro seeking services. This
can make it hard to account for them,
Vaughan said. “By building relationships
and sharing strategies and data across the
Triad, we will be able to create a system
of care to ensure that homeless vets get
off the streets and get the services they
Andrea Kurtz, senior director of
housing strategies for United Way of
Forsyth County, said the Department of
Veterans Affairs has been a key partner
by providing grants, housing vouchers,
outreach services and other programs
to identify and house homeless veterans
and help them address the underlying
causes of their homelessness. One

Page 12 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Review: The Red Tent
By Dr. Ada Fisher
In a storyline that time and preachers
seem to have forgotten comes forth a
woman of strength and character by the
name of Dinah (pronounced Deenah),
the only daughter of Jacob and a rightful
heir to share in the honor accorded the
twelve tribes of Israel. Beautifully told
with characters so strong that the identity
of the actors meddled into The Red
Tent where the secrets of womanhood
are shared and traditions lovingly
passed from mothers to daughters.
My father, Dr. Miles Mark Fisher often
spoke of the secret meetings of Africa
developed around womanhood training
and a similar corrollary for men in huts,
sequested places in the solemnity
of the woods and other gatherings
to keep traditions alive. These were
captured in many of the slave songs of
which he wrote and from information
passed down through my grandfather
a slave and his mother whose Native
American roots were also laid bare.
And so it goes from one generation to
the next being increasingly lost over
time by generations who disregard
the cautions and lessons to be learned
from the teaschings of life in the Bible.
It is the story between the lines of Genesis
34 that Anita Diamaant’s book, The Red
Tent captures on why things with females
were done as they were. Jacob’s only
daughter Dinah, leaps from the veils of
the women of the tent revealing much
still hidden involving her mothers Leah-
-Jacob’s first wife and her birth mother,
Rachel--Jacob’s more beautiful wife who
captured his heart and was the mother of
Joseph and Benjamin, as well as his dowry
slave wives from Labum Zilpah and Bilhah.
.
A dozen sons but only one daughter.
Though rivalry and jealously plagued
Jacob’s sons, his wives with no hint of
jealousy born from a strong sense of duty,
share with Dinah. This story which only
she is best positioned to convey from
the love and treasures of the women
who raised her and taught her midwifery
showed how this sisterhood illuminated
them. Dinah would survive the death of
her husband at the hands of her brothers
with a challenge to male authority. Not
until much later would she appreciate
their maltreatment of her brother Joseph.
In the Lifetime television two part
miniseries, The Red Tent, as do present
headlines often remind us of the plight
of women including their loves and
abuse. Their refuge in life’s storms was
in a tent where women could gather
undisturbed during menses, birthing
cycles and illness. It was there that
females openingly shared stories of
Jacob’s courtship with his four wives,
were initiated into their tribal religious
as well as sexual practices learning of the
tolerance required for ways they didn’t
understand and might not agree with
but needed to know less they become
hurt by the brutality of subjegation.
Their allegiance to other women would
give Dinah the strength as noted in
Corinthians to bear all things, believeth
all things, hopeth all things and endureth
all thing from the faith of their G-d.
Could the liberation of attitude, heart
and exploration force upon this woman
of substance as it did Mary Magadelean
in a pervasive war on women, a lesser
role for in the eyes of men who were
history’s scribes may have felt the need
to dampen her role in promoting the
faith and challenge traitions which
were less enlightened. Lessons learned
in The Red Tent would well prepare
Dinah to cope with the tumultous
world of ancient womanhood? This
would sustain her in developing a
perspective regarding eye opening
cultures involving kings, shepherds,
slaves, farmers and traveling caravans.
Dinah’s tale begins with the story of
her mothers: Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and
Bilhah, the four wives of Jacob. They
loved Dinah and gave her the gifts that
were to sustain her; but it was and is the
sisterhood of The Red Tent, which can
bind women through all generations
if we would be kinder to ourselves.
In Confronting Sexual
Assault, HBCUs Can
Balance Men and
Women’s Interests
By Imani Jackson
JUST DO IT!
Collegiate sexual assault is a national crisis.
An estimated one in five women is victimized
before graduation. Such staggering
figures prompted the Obama administration
to launch the “It’s On Us” initiative,
to reverse the trend. The issue is widely
reported. Currently, Newsweek is crowdfunding
college rape investigations.
While sexual assault should not occur, an
expansive survey reported HBCU sexual
assault rates are lower than at majority
institutions. In fact, only one HBCU, Morgan
State University, is undergoing federal
investigation for its handling of sexual
assault. In 2012, one reported rape happened
at MSU.
What causes fewer HBCU sexual assaults?
According to the survey, HBCU students
drink less alcohol their PWI peers. Maybe
we know we can’t act like others with
equal consequence. Maybe we also can’t
afford beers on tap and limitless kegs.
Don’t get it twisted. HBCUs are not problem-free
utopias. Some argue shame culture
encourages HBCU sexual assault victims
to suffer in silence. And with a topic
so vast, a complete picture is difficult to
paint. But, all students are entitled to
safety. Some reminders follow:
A woman decides her place. Most reported
sexual assault victims are women.
College scenarios often include victim
blaming. What did she wear? Where was
she? Did she resist? Inherent in societal
skepticism toward victims is patriarchy
and respectability. What if HBCUs—increasingly
welcoming and hiring women
presidents—champion shifting gender
dynamics?
Black women presidents know ‘isms.’ They
can bring not only statistics, but also lived
experiences to the table. If some of black
America’s most powerful women contribute,
we can spur meaningful dialogue.
HBCUs can also remind our populations
to value female resident assistants and
cheerleaders as much as male star athletes
and drum majors.
Stereotypes decrease systemic safety.
On the flip side, mainstream culture
continues to paint black men as primary
culprits. One such example was the viral
Hollaback! street harassment video, in
which a curly haired, curvy actress named
Shoshana Roberts is harassed more than
100 times in a day. Only black and Latino
men were included in the video, although
white men also harassed Roberts.
Selectively editing out the white men
reads like a cultural lie of omission. One
can’t overstate the project’s racial and
sexual connotations. Roberts, as a sexual
assault survivor, would naturally want to
call attention to men’s misplaced intentions
toward women. That’s a meritorious
position. Similarly, the video could have
been particularly dangerous if the men
in it reacted violently when their interest
wasn’t returned.
Instead, uninspiring tropes upstaged
Hollaback!’s efforts. Mainstream media
(and the white cameraman who edited
the video) positioned street harassment
in a way that feels like strange fruit, Emmett
Till and white damsels needing protection
from brown skinned brutes and
Mandingos. Plus if we’re keeping it all
the way real, Roberts could easily be one
of our Creole cousins or an HBCU dance
team favorite. Still, her race or appearance,
isn’t the main point. Pandering to
fear of marginalized people is. Remember
the Central Park Five?
In the very necessary street harassment
dialogue, HBCUs can make noise. We can
address norms and social cues. We can
also collectively say “nah” when tropes
trump nuance.
Government funds are necessary. Recently,
the federal government awarded
Howard University $600,000 in grants to
address sexual violence. This fall, Howard
University held a Title IX freshman
orientation. Additional grants should be
awarded to address the issue. Sexual assault
at HBCUs is one of degree, not kind.
Diverse Education reported comments
from Amelia J. Cobb, director of Ending
Violence Against Women: The HBCU Project.
“All universities need to have five or six
key departments at minimum to be involved
in developing a protocol for addressing
violence against women on
campuses,” Cobb said. “They include the
student health center, campus police,
student housing and residence life, the
counseling center, the judicial board and
the office for student services and disabilities.”
Schools serve students who need information.
School is about learning, and
some students need to unlearn misogyny.
Some need to be taught the necessity
of consent, merits of progressive courtship
and how to value themselves and
each other. Others need to know the risk
of incapacitating drug and alcohol consumption
and how it erases consent.
Intersectional intellectuals can lead forums.
Fraternities and sororities can peer
educate. Students can report sexual assaults.
Then, campus police departments
should provide student access to the
campus crime log. Students can employ
buddy systems, text friends when going
on dates, and generally look out for each
other.
Ultimately, HBCUs can continue resisting
rape culture. We can work to prevent
grounds for student theses like Emma
Sulkowicz’s senior project at Columbia,
in which she carries the mattress she
was raped on until her rapist is brought
to justice. We can work to prevent rape
victims like Howard alumna Kristen McKovery
who told The Root a fellow student
turned his music up when she banged on
the wall for assistance mid-assault.
HBCUs can’t afford to rest on our relatively
favorable statistics and deprioritize
education efforts. Our schools are our
homes; therefore, student safety must be
paramount—man, woman and non-binary.
Balancing student interests means
protecting all students.
SUCCESS IS YOURS!

Page 13 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
Race Still Matters
when you’re not
White
By Dr. Ada Fisher
[continued from page 1]
A second problem is the jobs too many youth of
color as well as white youth aim to do and do well
involve entertainment which includes music and
sports. It saddens me to see the number of kids
and gang members who buy sports jerseys for college
teams that they aren’t likely to attend. It is
true that a young black male has a better shot at
becoming a physician than making it to the NBA
or NFL particularly with the influx of foreign born
players; yet tens of thousands of our kids aim to
be professional athletes and have built a culture
of casualness toward academics and technology
while dressed in sports paraphernalia. Where are
our doctors? Who will be our next nobel scientists?
Thirdly, too many of our young and old regardless
of color, misperceive the value of their talents.
Coming from a time when folks had to have two or
three jobs just to make it, Obamacare has triggered
a resurgence of this because anything over 29.5
hours means companies would have to pay benefits
which affect their bottom line.
Finally for me is the lost cultural institutions vital for
our growth, safety and security which have become
dysfunctional -- Churches are glorifying ministers
instead of G-d. Families are being disserted by men
as heads and primary supporters. Children and
adults lack civility in their actions often with crude
and disrespectful behavior as they are left to their
own devices in raising themselves from the bowels
of infested drug dens. Small businesses have disappeared
and when present are owned by folks
who don’t look like us, identify with us or recycle
money in our communities. Public housing facilities
designed to accommodate us have become
as the Nazi Concentration Camps are perceived
as Negro Removal projects. And our HBCUs falter
from lack of capital in our endowments, financing
for students who want to go to college and leadership
which can adequately manage the funds on
hand and in demand.
Are we as Black people becoming an unnecessary
inconvenience? Illegal immigration, leadership
which promotes everyone’s benefit from gains
largely achieved by us and the elimination of help
from the now Obama authorized defunct Regional
Minority Small Business Assistance and changes
in Plus Loan educational assistance are pushing
Blacks to the back of the bus again. We need to get
off the damn bus and become the entrepreneurs
who brought the nation Garrett Morgan’s fire extinguisher,
Hugh Cale’s vision for Elizabeth City State
University, Reginald Lewis’ Beatrice Foods or Black
Wall Street in Durham, NC, Roseboro, Oklahoma,
Atlanta, GA and elsewhere. We need to buy Black as
a nation whether from Glory foods to Black Enterprises
magazine to Steps by Stephens and other
options to economically stimulate communities
of color.
It’s been over sixty years since the 1954 desegregation
decision of Brown versus the Topeka, KS Board
of Education ruling stating separate but equal
wasn’t fair. How long is long enough to rectify the
ills of the past? The courts are gradually eroding the
validity of the issue of race. Those living in this skin
of high melanin content best learn that there will
be no rescuer for us but us and it is time to rise up
and take responsibility for our own lives. We may
truly be entering the time of an emerging war of
brown versus black rather than deal with the issue
of automatically granted unearned white privilege
which still values some over others.
Part II the Republican victories in perspective.
_______________
Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a physician who was a
medical director in a fortune 500 company,
previous member of a county board of education,
licensed secondary education teacher,
author, poet, gifted public speaker and
is the NC Republican National Committeewoman.
Her Book ‘Common Sense Conservative
Prescriptions solutions Good For what
Ails Us,’ book I is available through amazon.
com. Contact her at P.O. Box 777, Salisbury,
NC 28145; drfisher@dradafisher.org.
What Does Healthy
Aging Mean?
By Dr. Leandris Liburd
Sitting in her favorite reclining chair and
looking out the window of her apartment,
Marian reflected on over 40 years of living,
working, and raising a family in “The City
that Never Sleeps.” She migrated to New
York City from North Carolina in her midtwenties,
and would spend the next four
decades enjoying the parks, playgrounds,
museums, and performing arts that have
long characterized “The City.” She acclimated
to the “hustle and bustle,” the diversity
of peoples, language, and customs, and
she came to appreciate the access provided
by the public transportation system
—despite the deafening noise of the train
that passed by her apartment about every
20 minutes well into the night. The drive
and pace of the city demanded that she
keep up in order to survive, and until age
65, she was able to hold her own in the
community she had come to love.
Three days before her retirement, Marian
woke up to her alarm as she had done
every morning for the last 25 years to get
ready for work. This week marked the
countdown to the next phase of her life
—the phase of “retiree,” time to be more
than a part-time grandmother, and the
flexibility to travel and spend quality time
with friends.
Marian sat up, swung her legs toward the
floor, and when she went to stand up, she
fell to the floor.
Not able to pull herself up, she called her
daughter who lived “down the hill” and
asked her to come up and help her. When
her daughter arrived, she called an ambulance.
Marian had suffered a stroke. She
survived, but never returned to work. She
received her retirement certificate and
gifts in the mail. After several months of
physical and occupational therapy, Marian
was able to pack up her apartment and
move back to the south.
I first met Marian in 1980, and she was
always up for having a good time, planning
family reunions, and hosting card games
and Sunday dinners at her apartment.
During one of my last conversations with
her before she passed away in 2005, she
asked, as if thinking out loud, “Leandris,
when did I get old?”
According to a report issued by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
The State of Aging & Health in America
2013 , “The growth in the number and proportion
of older adults is unprecedented in
the history of the United States.”
Two factors – longer life spans and aging
baby boomers – will combine to double the
population of Americans aged 65 years or
older during the next 25 years to about 72
million. By 2030, older adults will account
for roughly 20% of the U.S. population.”
Are we as intentional about preserving our
health as we are about planning financially
for retirement and older adulthood? Or, will
the consequences of chronic conditions
such as uncontrolled high blood pressure
catch older adults off guard and diminish
the quality of their remaining years? What
does it mean to age in a healthy way?
Healthy aging is a public health issue. It is
also a health disparities issue. The health
status of older adults is related to race and
ethnicity (for example, minority status is
associated with life experiences of multiple
forms of discrimination), socioeconomic
position, and sexual orientation
and gender identity. Gaps in education,
income, and wealth, along with the
cumulative impact of chronic stress and
social exclusion associated with race and
language barriers negatively impact the
health of older adults.
Not unlike most public health issues, ensuring
older adults remain healthy and independent
for as long as possible requires the
active engagement of individuals, families,
community institutions and organizations,
policymakers, employers, and the public
health and healthcare sectors, to name
a few. We also need prevention research
and strong public-private partnerships to
chart a long term and equitable vision that
comprehensively meets the needs of older
adults.
Branch and Meng in their article “Global
Perspectives on Public Health and Aging” in
Public Health for an Aging Society remind
us that “Lack of preparation, inadequate
public health and public policy development,
and understaffed and undertrained
medical care providers can have detrimental
consequences in population health, as
limited health care resources can be easily
overwhelmed by the sustained increase in
demand because more people are living
longer with more chronic conditions.”
How each of us lives during our youth will
likely impact how we age. In many instances,
we have the ability to prevent and/or
delay debilitating chronic diseases. It is in
everyone’s best interest to take action to
protect the health of older adults.
Norfolk State Enters
Partnership with
South Africa
By JL Carter
South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool
was a guest lecturer at Norfolk State University
this week, where he announced a
new partnership between the nation and
NSU to foster scholarship and research
interests for students throughout the African
Diaspora.
According to a release, the partnership will
foster study abroad, faculty research and
program development in benefit to the
university and to South Africa.
Rasool said the goal of the network is to
“transplant the methodologies of teaching”
at the institutions so students from
both continents can benefit and gain a
global perspective. He said with the downturn
of economies across the world, there
is potential for African and African-American
citizens, investors and educators join
together.
“The choices for black young people
across the world lie on such a narrow life
edge,” Rasool said. “You’re not just here to
fulfill your dreams…the fact of the matter
is…we have a responsibility.”
The “Friends of South Africa” university network
program will involve NSU and the
University of the Western Cape, University
of Cape Town, Cape Peninsula University
of Technology, University of Kwa-Zulu
Natal, WITS University and the University
of Johannesburg. Norfolk State is one of
several HBCUs with existing partnerships
in South Africa, with recent partnerships
inked between the country and Morgan
State University and Howard University.

Page 14 December 2014 The AC Phoenix
My Cousin Dwight
killed black men just because they can
and expect a district attorney not to indict
By Rodney Sumler
and prosecute them. Too many policemen
across America seem to think they have a
[continued from page 1]
license to kill any man of color.
Merry Christmas -
Happy Holidays
By Brooke Brown,
WCP Communications
[continued from page 1]
Christmas is one of the most celebrated
holidays. Both the secular and the sacred
celebrate it, but for different reasons. While
this is a time for many to celebrate the
birth of Christ, some see it as the greatest
money making time of the year - fueled by
the buying and exchanging of gifts. Then
again, there are those who don’t care one
way or the other, except that they get time
off from work and school. Either way, it is a
very important holiday both commercially
and spiritually.
If you still maintain respect for others and
sincerely have no ill will toward others,
then why is it not okay to be honest about
what’s in your heart?
When I say “Merry Christmas” to a fellow
friend, or even a stranger for that matter,
it’s not a ploy to press upon them my
beliefs, religion or traditions; it’s simply
my way of showing love, care and respect.
And, if in return that person decides to
return that gesture of good will in any
formulation of words, it makes me happy.
I don’t see a need for them to necessarily
say, “Merry Christmas” back to me, however,
just the moment of shared sincerity
between two people is enough to brighten
my day. After all, is that not the initial
intent of saying ‘Merry Christmas’? It’s not
to brandish your religion as if it were a
weapon that you’re to bring down upon
another, as this alleged ‘political correctness’
may hold you to believe, but instead
its recognition for a time of year that we
as a community celebrate.
During both the Thanksgiving and Christmas
holidays, we try to put in extra effort
to give thanks for and remind ourselves
of our abundant blessings. We also take
extra care to treat one another with kindness.
In fact, the need to generalize our
personal season greetings, through the
presumptions that we can’t possibly have
shared feelings of joy and love for our
fellow man if we use a phrase that is personal
to us and our own belief, seems to
me to be quite backward, redundant and
possibly ironic (if you can be all three of
those things at once).
Here’s what I do know - we as a community
and a nation may not be perfect, but at
this time of year many of us participate in
celebrations and traditions that are dear to
our hearts, and at this time of year so many
of us feel compelled from within to share
these joyous feelings with all of those
around us. The holidays simply serve as a
reminder that we can be nicer to others,
more grateful for our families and all that
we have, and it ultimately forces many of
us to try our best at being better people.
This willingness to open ourselves up
and to share a bit of who we are, by using
a phrase from our personal beliefs and
faiths with others, can ultimately affect
positive change. In other words, celebrating
Christmas or any other holiday for that
matter, should not be awkward.
The kind words we exchange may be different,
and may have different origins, but
what’s at the heart of the matter is what
counts the most.
Whoever you may be, wherever you are
from, and whatever you may believe in,
I urge you to not be tamed into generalizing
the love in your heart, and to instead
feel free to share with others, family,
friends and strangers alike, whatsoever
comes to mind around this time of year. If
you’re a retailer and care about the political
correctness of the phrase “Merry Christmas”,
you’ve already lost! According to an
article published in Politico a few years
back, even the folks in Washington, D.C.,
favor using the phrase “Merry Christmas”
over “Happy Holidays”.
Faith is all around us and should not be
underestimated because we are worried
about offending someone.
So as a proud Christian, and open-minded
individual, with all the love in my heart, I
say unto you, “Merry Christmas!”
Brooke Brown is a contributing writer for
Christian World Views Today (www.cwv.
today) and serves as a researcher/journalist
for WCP Communications in Culver City,
California.
Marvin Morrison was a former Anderson
High School football star and later
a member of WSSU`s football team. He
became very good friends of these older
players. Dwight Jones played football at
Carver and survived what should have
been a deadly confrontation with two
white Winston-Salem police officers.
On a warm November Saturday night and
an over whelming crowd at my Dungeon
Club on North Liberty, My Cousin Dwight
took my 357 magnum pistol from behind
the bar at the club. When I became aware
of what he had done I went looking for
him. I knew he was distraught over the
deaths of two of his friends during that
same week. I found him 5 blocks away on
14th Street in front of Hooper`s Funeral
Home, where Marvin Morrison`s body
‘laid-in-state.’ My Cousin Dwight was
leaning up against a light pole with my
357 pistol in his right hand. I called out to
him from my car, Dwight, Dwight give me
my gun! He crouched down in a military
position with both hands on my pistol
pointing it at me. I quickly put my car in
reverse, trying to hide behind the steering
wheel and began backing away from him.
It`s now about 1:30am. In the next minutes
2 Winston-Salem police cars converged at
the front of Hooper`s Funeral Home and
got out of their cars with their weapons
drawn and pointed them at My Cousin
Dwight who is 6 feet 3 inches and weights
240 lbs. I jumped out of my car and started
running back towards My Cousin Dwight
and I begged the white policemen, PLEASE
DON`T SHOOT HIM. HE IS SICK!!! Please
don`t shoot him. He is sick! As he continued
pointing my pistol back and forth at
them, they continued several times, asking
him to drop the weapon, until he finally
dropped it and he was arrested and taken
to jail.
In this situation these two brave and compassionate
white police officers had every
right to use deadly force to protect themselves
and shoot My Cousin Dwight. This is
far different, is it not, from what policemen
are doing today. You can expect to be shot
with deadly results, if you have anything
they decide is a weapon or extend your
arm towards a police officer, especially at
night. What has happened to a multitude
of policemen across America? When did
this moral collapse and disregard for life
occur, especially the lives of young black
male Americans? When did the use of
deadly force, shoot first and be questioned
later mentality take over? I wish the two
white police officers who had compassion
for My Cousin Dwight, were the norm
In America Today. I wish that I knew their
names. My family would thank them again
for not being desensitized to how too
many policeman seem to feel today. Too
many policemen, the past year have
After incarceration for observation and
treatment, My Cousin Dwight delivered
barber and beauty supplies in Virginia,
North Carolina and South Carolina. That
job created an interest and he attended
barber college in Norfolk,Va.
After graduating, he enrolled in a beautician
school in Atlanta, Ga. He worked for
other companies in the field of cosmetology
for several years, then opened a
beauty salon in Charlotte, NC.
My Cousin Dwight was inspired by our
Aunt Eller Johnson-Pitts, a graduate of
Howard University. Our Aunt Eller taught
English at Howard University until she
retired. My Cousin Dwight enrolled in Winston-Salem
State University and majored
in English. After graduation, My Cousin
Dwight worked in the WSSU library and
taught freshman English. He has tutored
many high school athletes. Some of them
played college football. A few are on their
way to playing professional football.
Today he is my family`s, “Spook Who Sat
By The Door” Please visit him and tell him
that I sent you. He runs Zeke`s Shoe Shine
Shop in down town Winston-Salem. Stop
by and get one of the best shoe shines
in the Triad. His first book 0600 Hours:
Memoirs of Viet Nam & the Demise of the
Black Community will be released soon.
Coach Big House was correct. My Cousin
Dwight Anthony Jones is a living legend.
One day Dwight asked Big House, “Coach
why do you always call me a Living
Legend?” And Coach Gaines said, “ Any
man that points a 357 at white policemen
in the black community on a Saturday
night and lives to talk about it is a living
legend.”

Page 15 December 2014 The AC Phoenix

Page 16 December 2014 The AC Phoenix