The AC Phoenix: More than a Newspaper, a Community Institution -- Issue No. 2016, October 2014

THE
TRUTH
WILL SET
YOU
FREE
NEWS
YOU
CAN
USE
In Our 31th Year Issue No. 2008 October 2014 Associate Consultants Serving the Triad FREE
Voters Running to Lewis in the Closing Days
of the Campaign for Chief Justice
By Rodney J. Sumler
North Carolinians are sure to pay the price
should Martin be elected this November.
Enter Judge Ola Lewis.
Liberty Street Market
Now Open
Judge Ola Lewis
If you didn’t already believe the maxim
“nothing in life is free,” the race for Chief
Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
may change your mind. In his campaign,
Mark Martin has courted major out-of-state
money and has actively pursued endorsement
from groups ranging from the North
Carolina Republican Party to the Sierra Club.
These political courtships have a price, and
Will Ferguson Be a
Tipping Point for
National Black Youth
Voter Turnout?
By Khalil Abdullah
Michael Brown
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A week before National
Voter Registration, civil rights leaders hope
to increase African American youth voter
turnout by citing the police shooting death
of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., a city
where only 12 percent of registered voters
turned out to vote in the last city council
elections.
Community organizers in New Orleans and
Houston -- two cities with a long history
of confrontations between African-Americans
and the police -- have mixed views on
A graduate of Fayetteville State University
and North Carolina Central University, Judge
Ola Lewis grew up in Fayetteville, NC- the
proud daughter of an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper,
Command Sgt. Major Mose Lewis
and retired educator. Her Mother, Doris
Parker Lewis is a retired school administrator
of the Harnett County Schools. She and her
husband, Reggie Holley of Benson, reside in
Southport NC.
Lewis, the youngest and first African-
American judge elected in Brunswick
County, has established a reputation as
an innovative reformer on the bench.
She has created a true night Drug Treatment
Court, Mental Health Court, DWI
Therapeutic Court,
[continued on page 11]
whether outrage over Ferguson will translate
into voter participation.
Ferguson may be a rallying call in New
Orleans, but it won’t be the dominant theme
for staff and volunteers as they worked voter
registration tables around the city, says Erica
Buher of VAYLA-New Orleans, a multi-ethnic
community organization focused on youth
empowerment. Big Easy youth are attuned
and empathetic to Brown’s killing on August
9, but, according to Buher “what happened
in Ferguson happens frequently in New
Orleans.”
Young people have their own Michael
Browns to focus on. Their names, Buher says,
are virtually unknown outside the city.
Buher remembers when the police officer
-- convicted of shooting Ronald Madison on
Danziger Bridge in Hurricane Katrina’s wake
-- was freed after a court upheld his appeal
in September of 2013. James Brissette, 17
years old, also died on the bridge from
police gunfire. Henry Glover was killed in a
separate Katrina incident. The police officer
charged in his death was also acquitted on
appeal last year in December. “The court’s
reversal hit the community hard,” Buher says
of the Glover case.
Just weeks ago, Armand Bennett, a 26-yearold
African-American man, was shot twice in
[continued on page 14]
On HBCUs, White
House Moves
From Disregard to
Dismantling
By JL Carter Jr
President Obama
Not so long ago, historically Black colleges
and universities were just a thorn in the
side of the Obama Administration. We
will soon long for those days, because
signs of the administrative shift from
disregard to attempts at dismantling
HBCUs, are growing in frequency and
impact seemingly every year.
The Department of Education last
week appropriated more than $171
million to colleges and universities
nationwide to bolster college access
and equity for low-income and minority
students. Several dozens of colleges and
universities received First in the World
grants to increase S.T.E.M. professional
development for minorities, or smaller
grants aimed at supporting Alaskans,
Native Americans, Pacific Islanders,
African-Americans and Hispanics.
Of those dozens, just three HBCUs –
Fayetteville State University, Hampton
University and Prairie View A&M
University, collectively received just over
$3 million in federal support. Hampton’s
FITW grant accounted for $3.5 million,
while FSU and PVAMU received less than
$250,000 each.
It would be easy to make the case that
HBCUs should have received the lion’s
share of the $171 million, but that would
be doing HBCUs a great disservice in
addressing their generational funding
disparities. Howard University alone
receives more than $230 million annual
in federal support – a regrettably
low number for the nation’s flagship
institution serving the underserved and
underrepresented, who typically fall into
these categories after being marginalized
by their race and/or economic status.
The White House has not matched
resources with rhetoric, and its getting
[continued on page 14)
Liberty Street Market
City officials cut the ribbon Oct. 11 to officially
open the Liberty Street Market, a
year-round vendors market at 1591 North
Liberty Street offering fresh produce,
baked goods, apparel and more.
Mercedes Miller, the manager of the
market, says her vision of the market is
inspired by vendors markets in New York
City, Washington, D.C. and Charleston,
S.C. “One of the great things about these
markets is they have a distinct variety of
vendors to pique the interest and meet
the needs of those who live in the city,”
Miller said. “They also have an eclectic mix
of arts, crafts, handmade jewelry and items
distinct to their locale to spark the curiosity
of travelers.”
Likewise, Miller wants the Liberty Street
Market to be a vibrant, engaging venue
where the community gathers, not only by
providing space for farm stands offering
fresh fruits and vegetables in the midst of
a food dessert, but by attracting vendors
that highlight the city’s ethnic diversity
and thriving art scene.
The market was built and is owned by the
city of Winston-Salem. Miller, of Mercedes-
Empowers Inc., manages the facility for
the city.
At the opening, Harry Brittain
of D&H Shiloh Farm in Davidson
Count set up a table to sell greens,
Inside This Issue
[continued on page 3]
Citizens Form Committee To Promote
Winston Salem City Bonds 3
Our Own Worst Enemy 5
NC A&T Takes Top Spot 6
Airline Pilots may Get Better Security
Than President Obama 10
Thurgood Marshall College Fund Spur 12

Page 2 October 2014 The AC Phoenix

Page 3 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
Fall Into a Vanpool
Share the Ride –
Clean the Air – Rake
in the Savings
Fall is just around the corner…the season
of renewal and relaxation. Time to forget
about the high cost of maintaining a
vehicle and the stressful drive to work.
Out with old habits that drain your wallet
and on to a new and easy way to clean the
air. Fall into a vanpool!
The Piedmont Authority for Regional
Transportation offers 7 and 15-Passenger
vans to commuters who live at least 10
miles from their workplace and agree to
share the ride. Riders pay one low monthly
fare which includes the cost of maintenance,
insurance, gas and a guaranteed
emergency ride home. Drivers typically
ride for free!
Vanpoolers meet at a specified location,
Liberty Street Market
Now Open
[continued from page 1]
usually a free PART Park and Ride lot, park
their personal vehicles and board the van
to head to work. Once the work day is
complete, they return back to the Park
& Ride lot. It’s that simple! PART leases
vans to groups who either live or work
in member counties of Alamance, Davie,
Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph,
Rockingham, Stokes, Surry or Yadkin. A
driver and at least five commuters are
required to start a new vanpool. PART can
also assist in getting riders for the vanpool.
With Fall upon us, now is the time to start
preparing for the holidays. Vanpooling is
a great way to save money and make the
work commute easier! For as little as $50
per month, you too could enjoy improved
personal time management and reduced
insurance premiums.
If you are interested in joining or starting
a new vanpool, contact PART at
1-800-588-7787 or by visiting the website:
www.partnc.org.
Citizens Form
Committee to
Promote Winston-
Salem City Bonds
Co-Chairs of Forward Together
Winston-Salem Committee Are
Named
Winston-Salem, NC – Forward Together
Winston-Salem announced today it will
lead the effort for passage of the five
community improvement bonds that
will appear on the city ballot this fall.
Co-chairing the committee are community
volunteers Steve Strawsburg, Sarah
Smith and Walteria Spaulding.
According to the most recent estimate,
the City of Winston-Salem faces more
than $709 million in capital projects
that current revenues are insufficient to
fund. The five separate bonds totaling
$139 million, reflect the priorities set by
city council, input from residents during
public meetings and recommendations
of a volunteer citizen committee that
reviewed the city’s needs in 2011.
“No matter where someone lives in the
city, they will benefit from these bonds,”
says Mrs. Spaulding, committee cochair
and a community volunteer. “The
projects to be funded are prioritized by
urgency of need and include improvements
to roads, parks and greenways,
sidewalks, housing, public safety and
job creation all across the city.
The bonds will provide funding for:
young professionals who have moved
to Winston-Salem after college and
now call it home.. “So for many of the
younger residents like myself, this is our
chance to shape the future of our city
and make an impact in a very visible way
to preserve the quality of life in Winston-
Salem.”
Currently, Winston-Salem has the lowest
debt per capita of North Carolina’s five
largest cities - roughly 60 percent less
than Charlotte and 40 percent less than
Greensboro. The city also has the lowest
combined taxes and fees of any of the
state’s major cities. In fact, in three of the
last four property revaluations, the city
actually has lowered the tax rate.
Additionally, while Winston-Salem’s
population has increased by nearly
50,000 residents, the city has the same
number of employees today as it did
in 2001.
“With interest rates low, now is the most
affordable time to issue bonds,” says Mr.
Strawsburg, committee co-chair and
community volunteer. “If voters approve
all five bonds, there will be a 2.5 cent
increase in the city tax rate. This means
the owner of an average-price home,
approximately $127,000, would pay $32
more a year. That equates to about 9
cents a day.”
“These bonds are not just about Winston-Salem
keeping up with other cities,”
says Strawsburg. “It’s about addressing
our most pressing needs and investing
in the future. It’s about our ability to
continue to provide job opportunities,
safe streets and neighborhoods and a
quality of life all across our city that lives
up to our reputation as the city of arts
and innovation.”
Over the coming weeks, the committee
plans a public information campaign to
make sure residents know how important
the bonds are to the city’s future.
For more information about Forward
Together Winston-Salem, go to Winston-
SalemBonds.com.
sweet potatoes, turnips and other produce
from the 15 acres of vegetables he
farms south of Arcadia. “We don’t sell
anything we don’t grow,” he said.
Elsewhere, Ardella Fuiell-Salimia, affectionately
known as “The Bean Lady,”
offered
exotic, dried heirloom beans. “My mission
is to bring something different to
the table,” she said. To inspire her customers,
most days she also sells something
she prepared with her products,
be it “Tiger Eye” chili, hummus, or homemade
cake made from scratch with her
beans.
Matthew Berry set up a table selling
odds & ends, ranging from handbags to
Winston-Salem State T-shirts, to accessories
such as belts and table computer
covers. Berry said he was drawn by
the market’s location, “and the people
involved.”
“They’re nice people,” he said, “and I’d
“They’re nice people,” he said, “and I’d
like to make some money for them, and
some money for me, and help the community.”
The market is open Thursdays through
Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition,
and to help establish the market as
a place for the entire community, Miller
will be opening it up every first Sunday
of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for
a community yard sale, starting Nov. 1.
Also, Miller said, “Many non-profit organizations,
churches and civic groups
have inquired about using the space for
their fundraisers and private events. It is
indeed a great location for these types
of events and causes.”
Spaces are available at the Liberty Street
Market. For guidelines, applications and
additional information please contact
Terrance McNeil at (336) 793-3441 or lsvm@
earthlink.net. Internships and volunteer
opportunities are available.
sites to attract and retain jobs
and fire facilities
and recreational facilities
struction
and neighborhood improvements
ways
and pedestrian safety improvements
Since 2000, North Carolina’s four other
large cities (Greensboro, Charlotte,
Durham & Raleigh) have approved 13
bond issues for more than $1.2 billion.
“It’s been 14 years since Winston-Salem’s
last bond referendum,” says Ms. Smith,
committee co-chair and one of many

Page 4 October 2014 The AC Phoenix

Page 5 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
Obama’s tone to this group of Blacks was
extremely condescending? They both
showed a great deal of disdain for their
own people. Now just suppose that a
White Democrat had said the same thing.
These very same Blacks would have lost
their minds screaming bloody racism.
With Fudge and Obama it may not be
racism, but it is liberal elitism at its finest.
Fudge claims that the CBC is fighting for
Blacks even when they won’t fight for
themselves. Really? How is supporting
amnesty for illegals helping the Black
community? Every analysis done has
concluded that amnesty would drastically
increase the Black unemployment rate.
How is denying poor mothers the power
to choose which schools to send their
kids to helping better the lives of those
forced to attend subpar schools? I find it
ironic that most CBC members refuse to
send their kids to public schools. There
are more Americans on food stamps
now than at any point in our country’s
history and Blacks are disproportionately
represented in this number.
a deaf ear to their White consultants who
constantly tell them that the Black vote is
unattainable? Just food for thought.
_________________
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of
Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a
Washington, D.C.-based public relations/
government affairs firm.
North Carolina
Central Receives
$897K to Fight
Juvenile HIV
Infection
By JL Carter Sr
Our Own Worst
Enemy
By Raynard Jackson
Raynard Jackson
Black Democrats are the most despised
people on the face of this earth and they
have worked hard to deserve this designation.
They vote upwards of 90 percent for
Democratic candidates for president and
get very little in exchange for their loyalty.
They constantly deliver victory to Democrats,
only to see the spoils of victory go
to other groups: homosexuals, illegals,
and White women.
Jimmy Carter had very few Blacks in
his administration. Bill Clinton had
more, but threw Lani Guinier, one of
his closest personal friends and a top
campaign supporter, under the bus
because of threats by Republicans not
to confirm her as Assistant Attorney
General. Obama has even refused
to interview a Black female jurist for
consideration to the U.S. Supreme Court.
So, I was thoroughly stunned by the
comments of the Democratic chairman
of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC),
Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) during their annual
conference two weeks ago here in DC.
Here is a direct quote from her: “I hope
you will spend this much time with your
local elected officials. I guarantee you
most people in this room have not done
that. With your school board, with your
city council, and so then you won’t be
calling me talking about somebody didn’t
come and pick up your trash. You need
to call your city council person for that.
And I say it that way because, I need
you to understand we all have a role to
play and the Congressional Black Caucus
cannot do it all by ourselves. Everybody
has to do their part …The black caucus
fights for you every day. Even when you
won’t fight for yourself. We fight for you.
Whether its immigration or education,
whether it’s food stamps or housing, we
fight for you every day. So my message to
you is to contain your complaining.”
Now mind you, the CBC is the same group
that criticized Obama for telling them to
stop complaining at their annual dinner
in September of 2011, “Take off your
bedroom slippers. Put on your marching
shoes; Shake it off. Stop complainin’.
Stop grumblin’. Stop cryin’. We are
going to press on. We have work to do.”
Isn’t it amazing that both Fudge and
According to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, in the past five years, the
number of households on food stamps
has greatly increased. In fiscal year 2009
– Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2009
— the number of households on food
stamps was 15,232,115. Five years later, in
2013, that amount had increased by 51.3
percent to reach 23,052,388 households
(or 20 percent of all households). Twenty
two percent of Blacks receive food stamps
during this time period, though Blacks
are 13 percent of the U.S. population.
How does the CBC expect Blacks to be
able to afford to buy a home, if they are
promoting policies that continue to keep
the unemployment rate at high levels?
Fudge and the CBC seem to talk about
fighting for welfare as though it should
be a badge of honor. Would it not make
more sense to brag about how their
policies are increasing employment
opportunities for Blacks, therefore those
needing food stamps is going down. That
would be worth celebrating.
If Republicans would take this message
into the Black community, not only will we
take over the Senate; but we will win the
White House with double digit support
from the Black community. Would this
not be a “conservative” approach to
dealing with some of the issues affecting
the Black community? Would this not be
a worthy expenditure of campaign funds?
The Black vote is up for grabs during this
congressional election and beyond. The
question for Republicans is who will turn
Researchers at North Carolina Central
University’s Juvenile Justice Institute
were recently awarded a three-year,
$897,000 grant by the US Department of
Health and Human Services to combat
substance abuse and the spread of HIV
among young adults.
The grant will raise awareness of health
risks associated with drug and alcohol
abuse, and their links to the transmission
of HIV among 18 to 24 year olds. The
grant follows similar programs at HBCUs
nationwide, including Morgan State University
and Bowie State University.
The collaborative effort recognizes the
close interaction of the campus population
with the larger Durham community,
said Arnold Dennis, executive director of
the Juvenile Justice Institute.
“If we can begin to deal with preventing
substance abuse and reducing the
transmission of HIV using the wealth of
knowledge we have from our behavior
and social science faculty, we can work
towards making sure that our students
and the surrounding community will not
be pulled into these addictive and harmful
behaviors,” Dennis said.

Page 6 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
Avoiding the
Freshman 15 Can
Have Long-Term
Health Benefits
By Dr. Michele C. Reed
Recently, thousands of African-American
students started college for the first
time and lots of big changes are headed
their way. Life away from home includes
a whole host of new responsibilities like
arriving to class on time, getting good
grades, meal planning on a limited budget
and the list goes on.
One of the biggest challenges during this
time is avoiding the “Freshman 15” - the
amount of weight college students are
said to gain in their first year. Obesity is
a critical issue in the African-American
community, especially for women. Making
unbalanced food choices might taste
good for a moment but can lead to a
long-term struggle with weight. Choices
made during this time can put students
on the road to a healthy and active future
or lead them on a path to bad health.
Here are a few tips for eating and exercising
that will set your student up for success.
Mini-Size the Mini-Fridge
The mini-fridge has limited space and so
does the dorm room. Mini-size popular
food and drink items to fit in the fridge
(and diet). A few options like fruit cups,
small bottles of water, jars of soup, cups
of yogurt, Coca-Cola mini cans of soda
and others can help keep off the extra
pounds.
Buddy Up
Grab girlfriends, frat brothers or new
roommates and get moving! Set a time
each night to work out together, take the
long way to the dining hall or join a fitness
class at the student center. Having
an accountability partner to go on the
health journey with can help keep things
on track .
###
Dr. Michele C. Reed is a Board Certified
Family Medicine Physician in the Long Island,
New York area. Her expert opinion
has been featured in many publications
including Ebony Magazine, Heart & Soul
Magazine, the New York Daily News and
others. She is also a consultant to food
and beverage companies like Coca-Cola.
More insights from Dr. Reed can be found
at www.askdrmichele.com.
North Carolina A&T
Takes Top Spot as
Nation’s Largest
HBCU
By JL Carter Sr
North Carolina A&T Takes Top Spot
as Nation’s Largest HBCU
With more than 10,700 students enrolled
this fall, North Carolina A&T State University
has taken the top spot as the nation’s
largest HBCU by student enrollment.
The Greensboro News and Record yesterday
reported on the Aggies’ latest accolade,
which places the university 200
students ahead of Howard University and
more than 500 ahead of Florida A&M University,
the perennial title holder.
University officials attributed A&T’s enrollment
jump, about 1.6 percent over the
last year, to a focus on recruiting transfer
students and undergraduate retention
strategies.
“It doesn’t serve you well if you bring
them in one door and send them out the
other,” said Akua Matherson, the university’s
associate vice chancellor of enrollment
management.
Don’t Skip Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of
the day. If in a rush, grab a piece of fruit,
cereal, oatmeal or a handful of nuts (keep
a breakfast option in the room). Or get up
a little early and stop by the dining hall
for a bite to eat. Eating breakfast gets the
metabolism going and helps curb hunger
and overeating later on in the day.
Take the Long Way
Get more exercise by going the long way
to and from class or walking or riding
your bike instead of taking the bus. Also,
find the gym or recreation center on your
campus where using weights and cardio
equipment is usually free.
Eat Fruits & Veggies
Yes, eating fruits and veggies while away
at college is still required. While they
probably don’t have Big Mama’s collard
greens or green bean casserole, the dining
hall has great options. Add veggies to
an omelet or pizza or grab a few pieces of
fruit from the dining hall for the room or
backpack.

Page 7 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
4 Most Common
Choking Hazards
By William Spriggs
Truth is, anyone can choke, even adults
who have been eating solid foods for
decades. Here’s how to play it safe and
prevent choking.
Remember the first time you fed your pintsized
grandchild grapes or hot dogs? You
were probably politely told by your son
or daughter to cut these foods into tiny
pieces, so the child wouldn’t choke.
But don’t mistake choking as a hazard just
for the toddler set.
Truth is, anyone can choke, even adults
who have been eating solid food for six
decades. According to the National Safety
Council, choking is the third leading cause
of death in American homes, with foods
being the primary culprit.
“You can really choke on anything,” says
Joan Salge Blake, R.D., a clinical associate
professor of nutrition at Boston University
and media spokesperson for the American
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “You
have to be sure you chew properly and not
swallow in big gulps. It’s also important to
have fluids on hand, so you can swallow
and move things along.”
Alcohol increases your risk. When you
do drink, make sure to keep your alcohol
intake to a minimum, says Sharon A.
Brangman, M.D., professor of medicine
and division chief of geriatric medicine
in at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse,
N.Y. “Drinking alcohol can reduce your
judgment and increase your choking risk,”
she says. “Talking while you’re eating also
raises your risk.”
Since the way you eat your food has as
much to do with your odds of choking as
what you eat, it’s important to pay attention
to both your habits and your food
choices. Here are the scenarios that can
put you at risk for choking and the foods
most likely to trip you up:
Choking Hazards
Noshing by the Handful
It’s easy – so easy – to grab that fistful of
buttery popcorn at the movies, or that
scoop of nuts at the party, especially when
you’re hungry. But putting too much food
into your mouth at once can up the odds
of choking. “Foods that people tend to eat
by the handful can easily get overloaded
in the mouth and aspirated, Brangman
says. Common culprits include nuts, popcorn
and grapes.
A Matter of Size
Some foods are problematic because of
their size. Foods with small diameters that
fit easily into the windpipe can create a
plug, which will block airflow, Brangman
says. Foods that can easily get lodged in
your throat include hot dogs, grapes, and
carrots and require careful attention to
chewing.
Texture Troubles
Certain textures in food can be hazardous,
especially if they’re chewy, dry or viscous.
Edibles with these kinds of textures don’t
go down easily and may require small bites
and extra fluids. Some of the most texturally
challenging foods include bagels,
peanut butter, overcooked chicken, and
thick, Dutch pretzels.
Big Bites
It’s tempting to eat hearty bites of certain
foods, especially when you’re tired and
hungry, and the food looks and smells
delicious. “I once read that many men try
to eat steak about the size of a pack of
cigarettes,” Brangmas says. But don’t take
in more than you can chew. Foods that
often garner a big bite include steaks and
stacked sandwiches.
What to Do If You Choke When You’re
Alone
Let’s say you take all precautions, and
you still find yourself choking and in a
panic, there are a few different steps you
can take. In an article for Prevention.com,
Travis Stork, M.D., an ER physician cohost
of TV’s The Doctors, and the author of
The Lean Belly Prescription, says your first
line of defense is coughing, something
your body does automatically when your
airway becomes blocked. Another strategy
is to call attention to your plight by
making whatever ruckus you can — it’s
possible someone will hear and come to
your aid.
The Mayo Clinic and most health professionals,
including Dr. Stork, recommend
self-administering the Heimlich maneuver:
Make a fist. Place the thumb below your
rib cage and above your navel. Grasp
your fist with your other hand. Press it into
the area with a quick upward movement.
You can also lean over a table edge, chair,
or railing. Quickly thrust your upper belly
area (upper abdomen) against the edge.
Building Partnerships
Between
Police Officers and
the Communities
They Serve
By Ben Jealous
Ben Jealous
What is community policing? In the
wake of increased shootings in Ferguson
and around the country, there has
been a renewed public interest in the
role of police, the extent of police brutality,
and the prevalence of racial bias.
These are not new issues, and in fact
a number of organizations have been
working for decades to increase trust
between law enforcement and the
communities they serve. Among these
is the National Coalition Building Institute
(NCBI), a nonprofit leadership program
headquartered in Washington DC,
whose leaders I spoke with recently.
Founded in 1984, NCBI focuses on
eliminating prejudice and resolving
inter-group conflict. They work in cities
across the U.S. and overseas to build
the capacity of local leaders in schools,
college campuses, police departments,
and environmental organizations to
lead prevention-oriented workshops
and to intervene in the face of tough
inter group conflict. One of NCBI’s key
programs, the Law Enforcement Community
Citizen Project, focuses on building
productive relationships between
police and the communities they serve.
The NCBI Law Enforcement Community
Citizen Project was initially funded in
2002 by a grant from the COPS office
(the office of Community Policing at
the US Department of Justice) to work
in Bethlehem, PA and King County,
WA. Since then the program has been
implemented in Atlantic City, NJ as well
as numerous communities throughout
Pennsylvania, Missoula, MO, and Seattle,
WA.
NCBI is called on to bridge the divide
between community members and
police officers. NCBI leads Train the
Trainer programs, Welcoming Diversity
and Inclusion Workshops, and Leadership
Institutes for officers and community
activists to educate them in skills to
foster cooperative relationships. Some
communities have contacted NCBI
when there have been specific difficulties
between white police officers and
people or neighborhoods of color that
have been singled out by police. From
their experience, NCBI has learned that
it is best to offer communities a prevention-oriented,
trust building approach.
This way, NCBI builds the ongoing capacity
of law enforcement and community
activists to work in partnership to increase
safety for all citizens in the community.
I spoke with Fabienne Brooks, who along
with Guillermo Lopez is co-director of
NCBI’s Law Enforcement Program. Brooks
is a retired Chief of Detectives for the King
County Police Department in Seattle, WA.
She was the first Black female officer in
county history to be hired as a deputy,
and throughout her career she made a
point to immerse herself in the community
that she served. The neighborhood
she patrolled was the same neighborhood
where she attended church and raised her
family. After 26 years on the job, she retired
and joined NCBI so she could continue her
passion for community policing.
Ms. Brooks told me that “an important
part of community policing occurs when
an officer recognizes that they are part
of a community, and the community
understands the same about the officer. It
includes forming empathetic relationships
between law enforcement and community
members, which results in increased
officer safety and safety for all members of
the community.”
The NCBI Law Enforcement Community
Partnership project builds trust between
law enforcement and community leaders
by helping each side to understand
the daily realities of the other. Each has
a key story to tell. Each deserves respectful
listening. By teaching listening skills
and conflict resolution practices and by
helping each side see the humanity and
legitimate concerns of the other, trust
and partnership increases. In addition,
NCBI teaches specific skill sets that help
each side to confront the biases they have
learned about each other that get in the
way of equitable treatment of the entire
community-- particularly the equitable
treatment of people from different racial
groups. NCBI believes in practices that will
bring about institutional change not onetime
trainings or quick fixes.
As just one example of the outcomes of
the NCBI’s COPS and Community project,
consider what happened in Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania. In 2005, a pool frequented
by Latino young people had been closed
for repairs and the young people went to
another pool. Within minutes, the mainly
white life guards felt threatened by the
presence of the Latino young people,
called the police and the police, ignoring
the pleas of the Latino parents for calm,
called for increased back up.
A huge altercation between the parents
and the police continued for months. The
NCBI trained police/ community activist
team was able to bring the parents and
police together, and using their NCBI skills,
bring about increased trust and understanding.
In Ferguson, Former Chief Brooks sees an
opportunity for an effective communitypolicing
program to emerge from the
chaos and violence of the past few
weeks.
[continued on page 11]

Page 8 October 2014 The AC Phoenix

Page 9 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
More than $3 billion for education
over the last eight years. That’s right.
Together, North Carolinians have added
classrooms, funded Pre-K programs,
sent kids to college and kept teachers
teaching. This year alone, more than
half a billion dollars was contributed
to the $11 billion NC education budget.
To see what the money has done in
your community, visit
WeAllDidThis.com.
Must be 18 to play.

Page 10 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
Airline Pilots May
Get Better
Security Than
President Obama
By Hazel Trice Edney
He described it as a “dagger”. That was
the word used by a Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) supervisor
at Reagan National Airport Dec. 6 to
describe a six-inch metal letter opener
with a razor sharp tip at the end of a
three-inch blade.
“This could be used as a dagger,”
Supervisor Joshua Hunt told this reporter
after he was summoned by TSA Officer
Venus Washington. Washington had
discovered the knife-like instrument
inside a large leather purse as it moved
through the x-ray machine at the U. S.
Airways terminal.
The agents were doing their jobs to
protect airline pilots, other employees
and passengers. They gave this reporter a
choice to either trash it, check it, or FedEx
it to herself. She chose the latter.
The TSA officers were unaware that the
U. S. Secret Service had apparently given
the same letter opener the green light
to be distributed by the thousands in a
ballroom where President Barack Obama
alongside First Lady Michele Obama
shook hundreds of hands, separated from
the crowd only by a rope.
That night was Sept. 21 at the 43rd Annual
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s
Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner, where the
President was keynote speaker. The letter
openers, which were incased in black
cardboard boxes alongside matching ink
pens and placed in each chair, were gifts
to the more than 3,000 dinner guests.
The security was so tight for people going
into the gala that the Secret Service
even confiscated umbrellas. Yet, as the
President and First Lady strode from the
stage to the floor and worked the rope
line after the speech, hundreds of people
leaving the event with the ‘dagger’-like
instruments in their possession pressed
to shake their hands and take photos. The
couple interacted with individuals in the
crowd for at least six minutes.
President Obama has spoken at nearly
every CBCF Phoenix Awards Dinner
since he was elected. The friendly, nonthreatening
audience receives him
warmly at the event which showcases the
43-member Congressional Black Caucus
and its honorees.
But, hate experts and those familiar with
assassination plots indicate no event
should be taken for granted. That’s
because ambush - a common strategy
for deadly attacks on elected officials –
remains a constant threat.
spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law
Center (SPLC), among the nation’s leading
trackers of hate crimes, simply pointed
to all the failed plans to assassinate
Obama. They included an Oct. 2008 plot
foiled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives, which arrested
two racist skinheads in Tennessee, who
had taken several steps toward a plotted
killing spree of 88 African-Americans,
culminating with Obama, who was
then only the Democratic nominee for
president.
SPLC reports the number of hate groups
leaped to an all-time high of 1,007 in
2012, coinciding with the presence of a
Black President in the White House. That
- in part - is why President Obama has
been protected by a larger Secret Service
security force than any other President.
The force has done its job successfully,
which is why the loose letter openers
seemed rather odd.
Secret Service spokesman Edwin M.
Donovan said risks can only be minimized,
not totally omitted.
“We’re unable to remove all risks when
our protectees go somewhere - any of
our protectees - the President, the Vice
President or anybody else we protect,”
Donovan explained in an interview with
the Trice Edney News Wire, Sept. 23, the
Monday following the dinner.
Donovan, who was not at the dinner that
night but said he has worked presidential
security in the past, sought to detail why
the letter openers were allowed to be so
close to the President and Mrs. Obama.
“I would say presumably these were
purchased well in advance of the
dinner. So, when our advance agents
get there setting up security, they have
to make a decision based on what the
committee tells us. The host committee
would say, ‘Hey we’re giving these out
as gifts.’ So, you look and you say ‘Oh my
goodness, you’re going to give these out
to everybody that’s attending?’” he said.
“The decision had to be made, ‘Are we
going to ask them not to give them out
until after the President leaves or are we
going to ask them to give them out as
people depart? Or are we going to just let
them give them out the way they want
to?’ So the decision was made to give it
out the way you want to.”
CBCF spokeswoman Shrita D. Sterlin-
Hernandez declined comment on the
CBCF’s interactions with the Secret
Service on the matter of the letter
openers. She wrote in an email, “I am not
comfortable making comments on behalf
of the Secret Service’s security protocols.
Please direct all of your questions about
the security of the President to the Secret
Service.”
Donovan said as long as the President
and First Lady were accompanied by
attentive Secret Service agents as they
shook hands with the crowd, any danger
was minimized.
unusual; to look for anybody that’s acting
in a way that’s not appropriate or certainly
if someone has taken this out of the box
and is brandishing it,” he said.
He compared the letter opener to dinner
ware.
Letter opener and pen set given at highsecurity
CBCF dinner.
“They go into a room to visit people,
we don’t remove the furniture although
someone could pick up a chair
presumably and try to strike them,” he
said. “At that table there were knives and
forks on the table, there were glasses on
the table. Someone could certainly break
a glass and cause a problem for us as well.”
The presence of the razor tipped letter
opener so close to the President was
initially brought to this reporter’s
attention by a photographer who
observed what appeared to be extremely
high security surrounding the event
except when it came to the letter
openers. The photographer asked to
remain anonymous. But that observation
gave rise to this Trice Edney News Wire
investigation into how many high
security areas that letter opener could
enter undetected.
Incased in the same black gift box inside
a purse, the letter opener was not flagged
as it went through the x-ray machine
and bag search at the Secret Service
headquarters where the interview with
Agent Donovan took place Sept. 23.
On Nov. 6, it went undetected through
an x-ray machine and bag search at the
U. S. Capitol. Yet, afterwards, when asked
whether a letter opener would be allowed
inside the Capitol building, U. S. Capitol
Police spokesman Shennell Antrobus
responded in a Nov. 7 e-mail, “Visitors
are strictly prohibited from carrying any
pointed object, such as letter openers,
knitting needles, etc., into the Capitol and
Capitol Visitor Center, at all times.”
Three-inch tip of letter opener inside gift box
given to thousands at high security CBCF
dinner. TSA refused to allow it on an airplane.
Then, on Nov. 20, the letter opener
was not flagged as it went through a
Secret Service x-ray machine and bag
search at the White House. That day, it
was taken into an East Room ceremony
where President Obama bestowed 16
Presidential Medals of Freedom.
security gate, where Officer Washington
took no chances. “I saw something in
here that looked like a letter opener,
but it looked rather sharp,” she said,
removing the purse from the x-ray belt
and beginning to search.
Despite the sharpness of the letter
opener, it apparently did not violate
airport security. The list of “Prohibited
Items” on TSA.gov doesn’t even mention
letter openers. Washington gave a onesentence
explanation as to why it was
not allowed on the plane. “It’s to our
discretion, Ma’am,” she said.
As the Secret Service successfully handles
hundreds of events a year during which
the President and/or First Lady conduct
rope line greetings, the loose letter
openers indicate all loopholes are not
closed.
“A lot of what happens in many instances is
determined by what the President wants
to do,” said U. S. Rep. Bennie Thompson,
ranking Democrat and former chair of
the Homeland Security Committee. For
example, he noted that President Clinton
would unexpectedly go to a McDonald’s
or greet people who have gone through
no security. “So, I think those are some
of the risks associated with it,” Thompson
said.
Stressing how Secret Service agents “put
their lives on the line every day” to protect
the president, Thompson concluded, “I’m
confident that the Secret Service does
a good job. I know that when I chaired
the Committee, the President had
more threats on his life than any other
President before him. So we were able
to, even before he became President, we
got him a security detail there early; and
obviously they’ve done a good job. But,
even with that, there are still potential
vulnerabilites that a president or any
other person with a detail just has to face.”
When asked for comment, Mark Potok, a
“That’s their job to look for anything
It was finally flagged Dec. 6 at the airport

Page 11 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
Building Partnerships
Between
Police Officers and
the Communities
They Serve
By Ben Jealous
[continued from page 7]
“Now, there is a chance for police and
the community to hear each other,” she
said. “The focus needs to be on how
people are treated. If you can train
officers how to treat ALL people with
dignity and respect - that is a victory.”
Brook’s co-director Guillermo Lopez
explained that community policing
cannot be accomplished with the wave
of a wand, “You don’t go in trying to
change a whole department; you go
in trying to change a few people, who
eventually come to change the whole
department. We can start by focusing
attention and financial resources
on organizations like NCBI, so they
can continue spreading the word that
emphasize the ‘serve’ aspect of “Protect
and Serve”.
“The establishment of a sustained value
and practice for coalition building skills
between Community and Law Enforcement
is a pathway to conflict resolution
and will create a climate which fosters
violence prevention”. Joyce Shabazz,
Consulting Associate Senior Trainer /
Director Of Affinity Caucus Programs
As Brooks told me, “Police officers meet
with the community, hear tough things,
say tough things and confront their
prejudices together - this is how we will
move forward.”
Voters Running to
Lewis in the Closing
Days of the Campaign
for Chief Justice
[continued from page 1]
Domestic Violence Therapeutic Court,
and a Sex Offender Accountability Court.
These courts reduce the rate of recidivism,
restore families, and save tax payers
money. According to the National Association
of Drug Treatment Court Professionals,
for every $1 spent in treatment, the
judicial system saves $9 in incarceration
cost.
Given her impeccable record, voters across
the state are surprised to learn that her
campaign has been met with such hostility
by those in power. Yet, she has managed
to maximize limited resources to run neck
and neck with her incredibly well-funded
opponent.
“Voters don’t want to elect a judge who
is bought and paid for,” said Lewis. “Politics
have a place in our society, but the
bench is no place for those who base their
qualifications on connections to the political
Establishment. People-centeredness,
fidelity to the rule of law, and leadership
experience will provide the people of
North Carolina with the Supreme Court
they deserve. They don’t need a Chief
Justice who has a laundry list of political
favors to repay from the moment he is
sworn in.”
Still, the road has not been easy for the
candidate whose innovative solutions as
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge set
a roadmap for the state. What was already
an uphill battle became all the more challenging
when the Republican Party Establishment
voted to endorse Mark Martin.
It was a decision that may have backfired.
“The people I run across every day see
that endorsement for what it was- insider
politicians protecting one of their own,”
said Lewis. “With so many citizens tired of
politics as usual, there has been a strong
backlash against the Party and the Martin
campaign for their underhanded, exclusionary
tactics.”
Despite the endorsement of the Party,
Martin has yet to be able to establish a
strong lead in the polls. In fact, the vast
majority of voters in North Carolina
remain undecided about this crucial race,
with Martin’s money advantage unable
to deliver a major advantage. Observers
point to serious questions about Martin’s
motivations and trustworthiness.
“When the same candidate gets endorsed
by the Republican Party and the AFL-CIO,
it is hard to know where that individual
stands,” said Lewis. “Moreover, his reliance
on insider connections and overtly political
campaign has lost him votes across
the state.”
Martin’s fitness for the Supreme Court has
also been called into question. The underhandedness
used to get those endorsements
and his treatment of his opponent
have made many question whether his
temperament is suited to be an impartial
judge. In fact, he told Judge Ola Lewis
during one debate that she should have
“stayed in her place”- a revealing choice of
words that should be alarming to women
and minorities.
Lewis, on the other hand, has stood out
to voters for her sincerity and solutions
to problems plaguing a Supreme Court
that has consistently ranked among the
worst in the nation. Additionally, her performance
at debates has allowed her to
showcase a command of the issues that
surpasses her opponent. This momentum
has been capitalized with endorsements
coming from Charlotte Mayor Dan Clodfelter,
the Raleigh Wake Citizens, the Charlotte
Mecklenburg Black Political Action
Committee, and numerous other leaders
and organizations that represent grassroots
voters- not big moneyed special
interests or political insiders.
With the trends of the race, many are predicting
a similar result to what was seen
in Virginia just a few months ago when
Eric Cantor was taken down by Dave Brat.
“Our campaign is not the most well-funded,
but Mark Martin is the insider’s insider
and the people of North Carolina are ready
for someone who will stand up for them,”
said Lewis. “We are ready to deliver a victory
that will send shockwaves through
the political Establishment in Raleigh.”
Regardless of the ultimate outcome on
November 4th, Judge Ola Lewis already
appears to be the story of this election
cycle- particularly as the U.S. Senate race
looks less and less competitive, in part due
to the alienation many voters felt after
Party insiders endorsed Martin. Challenging
the favorite son of the political bosses,
Lewis has quickly become the champion
for people who want a better Supreme
Court, and this race is poised to be one
of the most watched judicial races in the
country on election night.
Moreover, this campaign holds particular
significance in the state of North Carolina.
For the first time, we have two African
Americans running for the Supreme
Court, and if communities come together
and vote that history can be made. Additionally,
in the case of Judge Ola Lewis,
we can avoid history repeating itself as
Judge Elreta Alexander and Judge Henry
Frye were previous African Americans
who were defeated by opponents who,
in Alexander’s case specifically, were less
qualified.
Given the trajectory of this race, I am confident
in Judge Ola’s ability to make history,
but we need our readers to turn out. We
have a distinct opportunity to have a true
champion of the people as Chief Justice,
and, if we turn out to vote, she will most
certainly do us proud!
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
Nigeria to Send 200
Students to HBCUs in
2015
By JL Carter Sr
Officials from Nigeria today announced a
commitment to send 200 students from the
African nation to historically Black colleges
and universities beginning in 2015. The
announcement was made by the Hon. Kingsley
Kuku Special Adviser to the President
on Niger Delta, during the annual White
House Initiative on HBCUs conference.
According to officials, 100 students will
travel to the United States each semester
during the academic year, with a goal of
spurring economic development in Nigeria
with the training they will receive at HBCUs.
“Hon. Kingsley Kuku has a Presidential
directive to synergize with the White House
initiative for HBCUs : to explore and tap it’s
rich potentials that abound without compromising
standards in our race to build a
variable and competent workforce in the
Niger Delta, as part of a deliberate program
to ameliorate the years of neglect in the
region,” said Eugene Abels, Head Education
at Office of the Special Adviser to the President
on Niger Delta.
Alabama A&M University and Alabama
State University have served as pilot institutions
for the program, having enrolled
students from the Niger Delta over the
last two years through special programs.
The announcement comes on the heels of
the Young African Leaders Initiative, which
recently concluded at several Black colleges
including Howard University, Morgan State
University and Clark Atlanta University.

Page 12 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
Do You Reside in The
12th Congressional
District?
Thurgood Marshall
College Fund Spurs
Latest HBCU-China
Partnership
By JL Carter Sr
Officials from the Thurgood Marshall
College Fund returned from an extended
trip to China this week, where they sought
out new study abroad opportunities
for students at the Fund’s 47 member
institutions.
The partnership, which promises to
provide more than $500,000 in funding
to support international travel and living
expenses for students, is the latest serious
step in a continuing effort by some HBCUs
to establish a footprint in the Far East.
Black colleges like Xavier University and
Texas Southern University have infused
Chinese learning opportunities through
the establishment of Confucius Institutes,
hubs for language and cultural immersion
that are established and approved jointly
by American campuses and Chinese
Ministry of Education. These institutes
have created exchange in research and
academic development, and cultural
exposure for students and faculty, and
have been in operation since 2012 and
2013, respectively.
At Prairie View A&M University, students
in the school’s first executive MBA
cohort traveled to China this summer
for interaction with local businesses
and immersion. And at Delaware State
University, articulation agreements have
been in place with Chinese universities
since 2010.
Carola McGiffert, who serves as president
of the 100,000 Strong Foundation and
accompanied TMCF officials on the trip
to China, wrote in the Huffington Post
that Black college outreach to the east
was more than a matter of exposure,
but essential career preparation and
diplomacy for the United States.
This is not about charity to low-income
minority students. This is not even
philanthropy. It is, in the new vocabulary,
impact investing. It is an investment in
America’s future. As a nation, we cannot
afford having only a small slice of the
population understand China. We must
make a strategic investment in our young
people if we are going to get the US-
China relationship right both now and in
the future.
Vince Coakley is a candidate for NC’s
12th Congressional District
Do you reside in North Carolina’s 12th
Congressional District? And if so,
don’t you get the intuitive feeling that
something special is “in the air” this year?
It’s election season and here we go again.
If you’re at all like me, seeing one political
ad is like seeing them all: Even if you try not
to breathe too deeply, when it comes to
those political ads from career politicians,
doesn’t it feel like only a lot of “hot air”? If
you’re not following politics or watching
TV ads, you’re not missing much. If you
are, however, you’ll soon conclude that
it’s merely political history repeating itself
in an endless cycle of “rinse and repeat”
-- where career politicians promote
themselves by attacking their opponents,
then defending themselves against their
opponents’ counter-attacks.
Time and time again, unsuspecting
voters have gotten caught in the crossfire
between self-absorbed career politicians
who run for elected office but then
inevitably turn their backs and drain
valuable resources away from both our
people and their communities. The sad
reality is that career politicians are often
completely out of touch with “We the
People,” and their ability to lead us in any
meaningful capacity is largely imaginary.
How gullible do they think we are?
Whatever happened to “love thy neighbor
as yourself” and advancing the vision
that we all should be able to enjoy the
fruits of our labor? Generally speaking,
career politicians are unconcerned
about brotherly (or sisterly) love or
even improving our most run-down
communities. Too often, career politicians
rely on their past achievements --
assuming that they already have your
vote in hand – and they rarely share any
vision or offer any plans for a brighter
tomorrow. But as the Bible clearly reveals
to all of us in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there
is no vision, the people perish . . . .”
[continued on page 13]
This too, shall pass

Page 13 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
How to Master Bad
Habits
By John Raye
John Raye
It took me close to 20 years to break a smoking
habit. It was one of the hardest things I have
ever done in my life. Any habit, good or bad, can
be made or unmade. It all depends on your state
of mind.
I tried for years to quit. I desperately wanted to
quit. I knew why I should quit. But I just didn’t
know how! The mind was willing, but there was
a “thorn” in my flesh.
So for years, I became a closet smoker. I didn’t
dare be seen smoking in pubic, largely because
of my status and standing in the community (one
of the nation’s first black television news anchors).
As a center of influence, I knew some people,
especially young people, looked up to me, and
would follow my example. So with the exception
of family members and certain close friends, I hid
my smoking addiction. So you would never see
me walking into a store or gas station to buy a
pack of cigarettes. Oh no! No way! Not me! Other
people, mostly close, trusted friends, did that for
me. They were the keepers of my secret.
When the Surgeon General broke the news linking
smoking to cancer, it was headlines everywhere.
Many people quit. But I didn’t. So I hid. I
hid because I didn’t want to be seen as a vain,
weak, ill-tempered, simple-minded man who
couldn’t control himself.
After all, I was a role model, a television news
anchor. A celebrity, a star, who never sought to be
one! Television and radio commercials, newspaper
ads, bus signs, posters, and big billboard signs
carried eye-catching messages such as: “Watch
John Raye tonight. He Finds Out What You Need
To Know! Details at 11:00!”
Heady stuff for the son of Louisiana-born sharecroppers
back in the early 1970’s!
Still, there were times when I felt like a high price
hooker. Many times, I would sneak off to catch a,
“quick” smoke! There were days when I would do
two-packs a day, especially when working under
deadline. Yeah! I had it bad, real bad! Worry and
stress can make a man do some strange things!
Consider the following:
One night, out of sheer desperation, I drove to a
nearby garbage dump and threw two cartons
of cigarettes into the first container that I saw.
I was done. Finished. Through with it! Tired of
lying, slipping off to sneak a smoke. This was it!
No more cigarettes and I meant it! I then drove
home, satisfied that I had conquered the demon
that had tormented and held me captive for
so many years. I felt ok for the first few hours.
But around midnight, I began to experience the
feeling best expressed by
the Prophet Job who lamented, “that which I
greatly feared has come upon me”. What came
upon me, more precisely, was a, “nicotine fit!”
Within minutes, I was in my car, heading back
to the same garbage dump, hoping to find the
same container and my two carton of cigarettes.
I found them. Wet and soggy, but I found them.
Went home, turned on the micro-wave, and you
know exactly what I did next. The nicotine won.
Common sense lost. I didn’t break my habit. It
broke me! Wasn’t long before I went back to running
and hiding to sneak a smoke.
It’s easy to make a habit…hard to break one.
Good habits have to be created. Bad habits, like
weeds, develop without effort.
You see, we are all first and foremost, creatures of
habit, and all habits, good or bad, are first created
in the mind. Whatever you continue to do over
and over, soon becomes second-nature. Some
experts say it takes 21 days to make a habit, and
21 days to break a habit. All I can say is, “being
young and dumb,”…I didn’t know what to do! You
know what I mean… “monkey see—monkey
do!”
Either way, anything you continue to do over and
over, soon becomes a part of your nature. You do
without being told. Like a trained baby seal, you
jump high without being told!
And you know longer have to think; habits put
your brain on auto-pilot!
Early on, for example, I was taught and trained
to work for everyone and anyone who would give
me a job. The thought of giving myself a job never
occurred to me!
The great writer, thinker and author, Napoleon
Hill wrote that nature has given man absolutely
control over just one thing, and that one thing is
the ability to think and control his own thoughts.
Wow! What an awesome piece of knowledge! I
never knew I had control over anything, let alone
my thoughts!
So, thought control is the master key to breaking
a bad habit. You cannot control what goes
into your mind, but you can control what stays
in your mind. And since the human mind can
only entertain ONE thought at a time, there is
absolutely no excuse for not being in control of
your own mind!
Therefore, keep your mind only on what you
want; erase or eliminate what you don’t want.
Had I had this kind of knowledge, it never would
have taken me some 20 years, to quit a habit,
guaranteed to bring much pain and suffering,
and perhaps an early visit to the graveyard!
But listen to me good! You will always pay for
what you don’t know! Somebody lied when they
said, “a little learning is a dangerous thing!” Oh
no! A little learning is a great thing! Nobody
rings the bell for stupidity and ignorance!
So keep learning as much can, for as long as
you can! The learn and earn habit is one you
should strive to master for the rest of your life.
Master your thoughts and you automatically
master all habits—good or bad! Control over
your thoughts is the one habit, you always
want to keep, and master, because when
you control your thoughts, you really control
your life! Now, you can take that to the bank!
--John Raye, a life-health coach, is an eight year
cancer champion. He lives and writes in Kernersville,
N.C. (www.johnraye.flp.com) 336-782-8383
(rayeandrosie@aol.com)
Do You Reside in The
12th Congressional
District?
[continued from page 12]
Are you ready for a breath of fresh air?
Let’s band together with a resounding
“NO” to career politicians” and an
enthusiastic “YES” to all our local
communities that need transformative
leadership and fresh ideas. That’s why
African-American voters need to rally
behind Vince Coakley as he runs for
election as US Congressman from North
Carolina’s 12th District.
As a former broadcast TV journalist, lead
news anchor, and popular Charlotte area
radio host, Vince Coakley overcame the
day-to-day challenges of bringing news
to the local community for 18 years. Vince
believes we must empower families and
restore our communities by defending
freedom while also promoting liberty
and opportunity for all Americans. Vince
is committed to ending the current
dysfunction in Washington, DC that’s not
only keeping Americans out of work, but
also preventing small businesses from
growing and hiring new people as they
expand successfully. Vince firmly believes
in the Almighty power of God in his
family, in his personal life and in his own
community.
He and his wife Debbie have been
married for 22 years, live in Charlotte and
are the proud and loving parents of four
fine children.
Vince Coakley is a fierce fighter who
survived a potentially disabling tumor
that required brain surgery and has clearly
won his personal battle to continue
bringing us a transformative message
of restoring family, neighborhood, and
community.
Vince is a truly compassionate and
articulate gentleman who stands for you,
for us, and for the inestimable power
of our inalienable rights. Vince Coakley
represents the positive values, virtues,
and interests of all the people, but
without empty promises or rhetoric.
It’s time for all of us to do our best to pitch in
and restore our families, neighborhoods,
and communities. It’s time we had more
21st Century businesses, more jobs, and
better skills. That is why I’m encouraging
you to actively support and vote for Vince
Coakley, a transformative new leader
who seeks to get America and Americans
working again.
I’m here to testify, “There’s something
special about Vince Coakley”. It’s time to
breathe deeply once again, but this time
around there’s a bit more clean fresh air
in the room!
North Carolina
Court of Appeals
Allows Opportunity
Scholarship Funds to
Go Forward
Below is a statement from Darrell Allison,
President of Parents for Educational Freedom
in North Carolina (PEFNC), regarding
the decision by the State Court of Appeals
to allow the disbursement of funds to be
distributed for Opportunity Scholarship
Program participants:
“Today’s historic decision allows nearly
2,000 students already enrolled in the
Opportunity Scholarship Program to continue
to attend their new schools with
confidence and security for this school
year. Throughout this challenging process,
we’ve heard from parents and school leaders
about the significant academic progress
children can make when they are able
to learn in the environment that’s best for
them. We appreciate their unwavering
commitment while the case made its way
through the courts.
Furthermore, we are grateful for the tenacity
of the legal teams representing the
General Assembly, as well as our partners
at the Institute for Justice. Together they
stood up for the intervening parents in
this case and the thousands of families
who desired this option. Of course, the
fight is not over. We will continue to push
for an expedited answer on the merits of
the case, which we believe will ultimately
be upheld as constitutional,” Allison said.
The Opportunity Scholarship Program,
passed in July 2013, creates scholarships
of up to $4,200 for low-income and
working-class families to attend a private
school. To qualify, a child must be currently
enrolled in a North Carolina public school
and reside in a household that qualifies for
federal Free and Reduced Lunch (about
$44,000 for a family of 4).

For every chart made by federal officials
illustrating HBCU incompetence, mismanagement
and waste at administrative
levels, several charts which could show
the ties between funding disparities and
severe understaffing and inadequate
technology infrastructure for HBCU operations
go unmade. The disparities have
existed since the inception of the HBCU
concept, but for the first time in history,
we have had to reconcile the dissonance
of typical HBCU neglect with a president
of our hue, our voice and our generational
dreams.
To be fair, it hasn’t been easy for President
Obama, either. It was just a few years ago
that he faced the peculiar task of having
to show support for HBCUs, without giving
his political enemies the impression
that the Black president was being unnecessarily
favorable to Black colleges.
Obama, who did not grow up near, at-
Page 14 October 2014 The AC Phoenix
than any single recent incident, an observation
about other cities that is shared by
tend or work in any region with any Black people at the very top of political and financial
food chains who know well our
colleges, was forced early into realizing
Hazel Trice Edney, former Editor-in-Chief of
that HBCUs were a dormant, yet powerful own lack of passion, knowledge, involvement
or power to change the course of
the National Newspaper Publishers Association
and current president of the Capital
piece of mobilizing key allies in the Congressional
Black Caucus and blue states our institutions, are ready to deal the final
Press Club in the District of Columbia.
for support of his most urgent issues. death blows to our timeless institutions.
Will Ferguson Be a
Tipping Point for
National Black Youth
Voter Turnout?
By Khalil Abdullah
[continued from page 1]
the head during a NOPD traffic stop by an
officer who allegedly turned off her camera
before the confrontation. The incident
initially went unreported to the public by
the police superintendent’s office. Buher
says it reminds people all over again of the
NOPD’s lack of transparency.
“We worked to register voters through
National Voter Registration Day up until
October 6 which was the last day for us,”
Buher says. Some 23 sites included college
and university campuses as well as organizations
like Covenant House and Liberty’s
Kitchen, which offer services to the homeless
and formerly incarcerated juveniles,
respectively.
“We work hard to reach that 18 to 24-yearold
transitional age group because they’re
such a critical age and they’re the hardest
to reach,” Buher explains, adding that In
Louisiana, “you can actually register to vote
when you’re 16. A lot of that under-18 age
group is pushing back on the concept that
voting is the only way you can be civically
engaged.”
Yet, in Houston, Christina Sanders, the director
of the Texas League of Young Voters
Education Fund, is convinced that Ferguson
has been an “aha moment” for some
of her city’s youth and a catalyst that may
yield an increase in voter registration rolls.
“This is a time when I’ve seen more young
people connect to the power of the ballot,”
Sanders said. She attributes increased
interest to social media. “Social media, like
Facebook, and the ability to connect with
people around the country who are saying
the same thing, feeling the same way, that
changes the conservation.”
Sanders concurs with Buher that voter registration
is not a panacea or silver bullet to
foster change, but the Houston native sees
voter registration as the gateway for young
people to become more involved in determining
how to define and address critical
concerns within their communities.
“Youth should not expect everything to
happen overnight, because things didn’t
get the way they are overnight,” Sanders
said. “Voter registration isn’t sexy, but if you
connect with young people about Ferguson
and how it affects people’s lives on so
many different levels, you have the capacity
to build on the fire in people’s bellies.
You can build these small fires into a firestorm.
What I say to young people is that
voting is an opportunity, but your job is to
constantly participate.”
Sanders maintains that Ferguson has
brought out a higher level of interest
among African American youth in Houston
After a visit to Ferguson before the funeral
of Brown, Edney says she had intense discussions
with the media writing class she
occasionally teaches at Howard University
as an adjunct professor.
“The students are extremely interested in
what’s going on in Ferguson. They wanted
to know about the disposition of the people,
about the next steps the community
plans to take. Even more than the Trayvon
Martin shooting almost two years ago, Michael
Brown’s death has been a wake-up
call to many communities.”
Edney found the stories Ferguson residents
told her about police abuse to be appalling,
but Brown’s death seems to be a tipping
point. “People are in a mood for action.
They feel it’s time to do something.”
On HBCUs, White
House Moves
From Disregard to
Dismantling
By JL Carter Jr
[continued from page 1]
worse. For every HBCU Student All-Star
that is named by the White House Initiative
on HBCUs, there are hundreds of students
denied the opportunity to matriculate
or complete a degree at an HBCU due
to a lack of financial aid. For every line
of support for HBCUs and their students
uttered by Education Secretary Arne
Duncan, policy and funding consistently
makes him, and those who echo his sentiments,
liars.
This too, shall pass
He worked hard to feign concern for
Black colleges, despite having no one on
his cabinet, no one in his inner circle, with
any ties to or experience with Black colleges.
He navigated it well by using the
adoration of Black students and leaders
earned from his historic election, floating
a carefully crafted myth about increases
in federal loans to low-income students
and calling it additional support for HB-
CUs, done by way of a willing salesman in
then-White House Initiative on HBCUs Executive
Director and current Morehouse
College President, John Silvanus Wilson.
But the president couldn’t hide his coolness
towards HBCUs for long. Before his
first term could end, his Department of
Education orchestrated and authorized
the great Pell Grant/PLUS Loan debacle
of 2011. Two years later, he announced
plans to tie federal aid funding to a new
rating system, one which will punish
schools for low graduation rates, student
loan defaults, alumni employment rates,
and other measures which fly in the face
of the HBCU mission and profile.
And here is the latest sign that the highest
offices in the nation do not want HBCUs
around – millions of dollars going out in
an effort to stimulate innovation and opportunities
to every type of school except
those where the funding is needed most,
and, according to data, where the dollars
would be best spent.
The other side of this equation has been
the easy out given to the Obama Administration
with the growing movement
towards support for Minority Serving
Institutions, or, MSIs. Three little letters
are overtaking the Big Four in the attention
and support from federal and state
resources, with eager legislators quick to
find a way out of funding Black colleges
but not taking support away from minority
students.
The ironies of this movement? The hub
for the research and talking points on
MSI support is based at a northern, highly
selective white institution, with most of
its work centering on the outcomes and
examples of excellence based at Black
colleges. And yet, these same colleges,
which totally fit the MSI billing, have
found no traction from the center to advance
the national HBCU narrative, or secure
transformative funding for a historically
Black campus from federal sources.
In the end, there aren’t enough HBCU
students to boycott or march for long
enough to reverse this trend. There isn’t
enough wealth among HBCU graduates
to stand in the gaps opened wide by federal
and state neglect. And HBCU leaders
have yet to figure out how to plead their
own cases for existence through Black
media.
At all levels, we’re all screwed up. And the
Morning by Morning
New Mercies I See.

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