NAACP makes amends in Sherrod fiascoBy George E. Curry A month ago, I took NAACP President Benjamin Jealous to task for mishandling the controversy over Shirley Sherrod. He deserved every critical thing I said about him at the time. Since he dropped the ball on the controversy created by a right-wing blogger, Jealous and the NAACP have done a masterful job of redemption and damage control. After kicking Jealous in the butt for messing up, it is only fair to give him a pat on the back now that he has made amends. By his own admission, Jealous blew it by criticizing the former Department of Agriculture employee based on a misleading two-minute excerpt of a 43-minute speech. As you recall, Andrew Breitbart, a right-wing provocateur, posted an excerpt on his blog with the following quote from Sherrod: "You know, for the first time I was faced with having to help a White farmer save his farm. He took a long time talking, but he was trying to show me he was superior. I knew what he was doing but he had to come to me for help. What he didn't know, while he was taking all that time trying to show me he was superior to me, was I was trying to decide just how much help I was going to give him." The speech – given 24 years ago, not recently as the blogger had advertised – was a powerful example of moving past one's personal bias. In the portion deliberately left out by Andrew Breitbart, Sherrod said, "Working with him made me see that it's really about those who have versus those who don't, you know, and they could be Black, they could be White, they could be Hispanic. And it made me realize then that I needed to work to help poor people, those who don't have access the way others have." Without hearing the full speech, the Department of Agriculture quickly demanded and received Sherrod's resignation. And without consulting the Douglas, Georgia NAACP chapter president who had invited Sherrod to speak, Jealous said: "Her actions were shameful. While she went on to explain in the story that she ultimately realized her mistake, as well as the common predicament of working people of all races, she gave no indication she had attempted to right the wrong she had done to this man." After reviewing the full tape, Jealous realized he had to right a wrong. Rule #1 of crisis management is this: "Fully acknowledge the mistake." And Jealous did that, saying in a statement: "With regard to the initial media coverage of the resignation of USDA Official Shirley Sherrod, we have come to the conclusion we were snookered by Fox News and Tea Party Activist Andrew Breitbart into believing she had harmed white farmers because of racial bias." Jealous and Board Chair Roslyn Brock apologized to Sherrod and posted the full video on the NAACP's website. But righting the wrong against Sherrod didn't stop there. According to an NAACP press release, "Recently President Jealous, Georgia State Conference President Edward DuBose, Interim Legal Counsel Judge Laura Blackburne and Mrs. Sherrod met for more than four hours discussing important issues and traveling rural Georgia to visit local cooperatives she has supported." In a show of public unity, Jealous and Sherrod delivered a joint address at the annual meeting of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund on Aug. 21 in Epes, Ala. Although pained by the NAACP's initial statement about her speech, Sherrod, working with top NAACP officials, took the high road, determined that the incident would not create a gulf between her and the nation's oldest civil rights organization. In a letter to NAACP members, she said: "Not long ago, I sat here in my living room in Albany, Georgia for an afternoon of deep conversation with NAACP President Benjamin Jealous," she recounted. "As he has done in public, Ben movingly apologized for the fact that the NAACP was initially hoodwinked by Breitbart and Fox into supporting my removal. I told him what I want to tell you: "That's behind us, and the last thing I want to see happen is for my situation to weaken support for the NAACP. Too many people confronted by racism and poverty count on the NAACP to be there for them, especially those in rural areas who often have nowhere else to turn." After such a contentious beginning, one could not ask for a better ending. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach.
The new frontier in civil rights: educationBy Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. The civil rights movement is alive and well in 2010. There is no such thing as the "post-civil rights era," unless you are one of those rare individuals who assume that African-Americans and others have already "overcome" racial discrimination and economic exploitation. I remember well, back in the 1960s and 1970s, there were some who misguidedly believed we should stop marching, organizing, struggling, singing and praying for a better day. Yes, we have made tremendous progress during the last 50 years toward racial justice and equality. But our progress did not happen by osmosis. We had to stand up, speak out, protest, go to jail and, for many, shed blood and tears to get where we are today. We cannot afford now to acquire contemporary amnesia about our civil rights and human rights continuing struggles. That is why today, we are sounding a national alarm about what is happening and not happening in education for African American children. It is past time for African Americans and others who consider themselves to be progressive to speak out and take direct action to ensure that our children get the best possible quality education. A people who will not put the highest priority on the education of their children are a people who are doomed to social and economic hardship and subjugation. Black parents have to exercise their rights and responsibilities to demand better educational options for our children across the United States. We say "our children" because every child in our community deserves the fundamental right to have equal access to a high quality not "low quality" education. Why are we so patient and silent about the failures of school systems that are failing to provide the education 'our' children deserve? Yes, we need a national movement for equal quality education today with no less of a collective sense of urgency than we exhibited five decades ago. Our children are being miseducated, harmed and racially discriminated against. This is a civil rights issue. This is a human rights issue. This is a parental responsibility issue. In cities like New York, Detroit, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Cleveland, St. Louis, Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Norfolk, Louisville, and Jackson, MS, the high school dropout rates are unacceptably high. Disproportionately high dropout rates of African American students from high schools throughout America directly lead to the disproportionatelt high incarceration rates of African Americans in prisons and jails. The continued miseducation of our children will consign future generations to abject poverty and a neo-slave existence. The 21st century offers so many new global opportunities for all people to improve their quality of life. We cannot and should not allow this situation to continue to go unchallenged. We believe in movement building. If you agree with us, come join us. Lets build this movement together for change in education. Add your voice and energy to this important cause. Its time for us to stand up and speak out again. The education and the future of our children are at stake. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is a national civil rights leader, senior advisor to the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and president of Education Online Services Corporation.
5 ways to avoid identity theftBy GREGORY EVANS When is the last time you took that extra step to protect your personal information via the Internet? Last year, some 1.1 million adults were victims of identity theft. And the odds increase if you are a young adult or a small business owner. These days, almost everything is done over the Internet, such as paying bills, checking bank account information, even social networking. What the public does not realize is computers have vulnerabilities. And when people enter personal information, it is up for grabs to thousands of online scam artists. Identity theft is not to be taken lightly. Cyber security expert Gregory D. Evans has devised with five easy ways to help prevent this from happening to you: Many times, there is only one computer for everyone in the household, so everyone is using the same computer. Kids often go to sites that allow spam and pop-up ads that can slow the computer down. Adults in the household should install programs such as E-blaster or Spector Pro so they can limit certain websites and see exactly where their kids are going on the computer. Set up firewalls Use complex passwords Shut it down Secure all systems Firewalls that come already installed in your personal computers, does not mean that your computer is hacker proof. To learn your computer's vulnerability status, visit AmIHackerProof.com. Gregory Evans a cyber security expert and former computer hacker, is president and CEO of LIGATT Security International.
Urban League: 100 years of serviceBy Nancy Flake Johnson
The conference offered the opportunity to relive the history and legacy of the movement, showcasing the work of our affiliates and focusing on the mandate for the future of the Urban League Movement. The theme of the conference was "I Am Empowered" to make a difference in our community. Throughout the conference, Urban Leaguers were moved by the depth and impact of the history of the movement. The Urban League is directly responsible for integrating labor unions, training millions of workers and opening doors and shattering ceilings of corporate America to blacks and other people of color. Through its legacy of leadership, the League has been meeting the core needs of African Americans and others in urban communities in education, job skills training and placement, housing, health and entrepreneurship since its founding in 1910. It is quite a legacy. When the Urban League was founded 100 years ago, our nation was in the midst of change. On the heels of the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson – in which the U.S. Supreme Court established the separate-but-equal segregation law – it became clear to rural Blacks that the economic, social and political oppression in the South would continue. At the same time, the industrial revolution was building manufacturing plants and word quickly spread that opportunity could be found in northern and urban cities. Fleeing the brutality of Jim Crow laws, lynchings and racism that were raging throughout the South, The Great Migration of African-American families began. But when Black families reached the north, they soon discovered they had not escaped racial discrimination. Without connections, these families were relegated to menial jobs, poor housing and limited access to health care and education. To address the needs of these families, the National Urban League was founded in 1910 by Dr. George C Haynes, an African American sociologist who was the first African American to receive a doctorate from Columbia University and Ruth Standish Baldwin, a Caucasian woman who was the widow of a railroad magnet. Under their leadership, three organizations merged to become the one-stop center where Black families could go for help. That legacy continues today – a legacy that was honored and celebrated at the League's centennial anniversary in Washington, D.C. Three of the previous seven presidents of the National Urban League – Vernon Jordan, John Jacobs and Hugh Price – attended the conference to share their perspectives for the future, bringing the League's legacy to life for many attendees. President Barack Obama also addressed conference attendees, focusing on his administration's commitment to education and the hard-fought battles that have been won with the Stimulus Bill, Health Care Reform and Finance Reform. Obama's speech was received with tremendous pride, thunderous applause, a standing ovation and a deeper appreciation for the weight on the president's shoulders. All left with a heightened commitment to work with the administration to petition for federal resources to address the needs of urban and African American communities. Attendees also heard speeches on vital policy issues from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and U.N. Ambassador Susan E. Rice. Civil rights activists Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow Coalition, Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network and Ben Jealous of the NAACP also shared their wisdom and insight with conferees. And Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed shared his views on race relations in America. The League also honored several notable African American leaders including Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who credited former Los Angeles Urban League President John Mack for helping him to come into his manhood by challenging him as a young NBA star to do more for his community. U.S. Congressman James Clyburn, boxing celebrity Laila Ali, and actresses Angela Bassett and Alfre Woodard also were honored. However, as much as the conference was a celebration of achievements over the past 100 years, it was just as much an urgent call to further action for all Americans that our movement still has vital work to do. The disparities are still too great: The dropout rate of our youth is 50 percent or more in many urban communities. The incarceration rate is disproportionately higher for African-American men than other ethnic groups. These factors and others are inhibiting the ability of our community to achieve economic self-reliance and make valuable contributions to our society. This is the work of the Urban League Movement and it is just as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. And the Atlanta Urban League stands ready to continue the legacy of instilling hope, linking our community to opportunities that will result in economic empowerment and the eradiation of poverty. The pathways to empowerment are education, careers, homeownership/wealth creation, health and entrepreneurship. These pathways are the foundations of the work of the Urban League. Our mission is to systemically move families from economic instability to economic empowerment and self-reliance. Nancy A. Flake Johnson is the President/CEO of the Atlanta Urban League. She can be reached at www.atlul.org
The real world, according to SherrodBy Marian Wright Edelman
By now, most of the nation has followed the story of former U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official Shirley Sherrod, who was forced to resign from her post earlier this month after dishonestly being accused of racism in a March speech – only to be vindicated as soon as someone took the time to get a copy of what she actually said and allow the truth to come to light. But for those who know Shirley and her husband, civil rights leader Charles Sherrod, the fact that the smears on her character were outrageous and false was never in doubt. It also was not a surprise to learn that the real message of Shirley Sherrod's speech was actually something quite different and critically important: not just her own ability to overcome racially motivated attitudes, but her insistence on our need to work together to address the real division in our country—the one between the haves and have-nots in our wealthy nation that has devastating effects on poor people of every color. Before she was appointed to the position as USDA Georgia State Director of Rural Development, Sherrod was a founder and key leader of the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative for Economic and Social Justice (SRBWI), which grew out of the Children's Defense Fund's Black Community Crusade for Children, the Federation of Community Controlled Child Care Centers of Alabama (FOCAL), and the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education's work in the South. She served as Georgia State Lead for SRBWI, where she helped promote the first human rights agenda in the United States aimed at eradicating race, class, cultural, religious, and gender barriers experienced by southern rural Black women. But as her colleagues at SRBWI point out, Sherrod has spent a lifetime fighting for economic and social justice for all people—something she pledged to do on the night her father was brutally murdered in 1965. As she opened her speech that evening, she noted it was the 45th anniversary of her father's funeral, and said, "He was a leader in the community. He wasn't the first to be killed by white men in the county. But I couldn't just let his death go without doing something in answer to what happened. "I made the commitment on the night of my father's death, at the age of 17, that I would not leave the South, that I would stay in the South and devote my life to working for change," she said. "And I've been true to that commitment all of these 45 years." It's a commitment she shares with her husband Charles, who was the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)'s first field secretary and a cofounder of the Albany Movement in Georgia during the civil rights era. He then earned a doctor of divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary before returning to Georgia to spend many years working with community organizations and serving on the Albany City Council. Later, in one of the sections of the speech that was deceptively cut, Sherrod made clear that her experience 24 years ago helping a poor white farmer only confirmed a larger truth about the need for all of us to overcome racial divisions: "Working with him made me see that it's really about those who have versus those who don't," she said. "They could be black, and they could be white, they could be Hispanic. And it made me realize then that I needed to work to help poor people—those who don't have access the way others have." She continued, "I've come to realize that we have to work together. You know, it's sad that we don't have a room full of White and Blacks here tonight, because we have to overcome the divisions that we have… "Our communities are not going to thrive. Our children won't have the communities that they need to be able to stay and live in and have a good life if we can't figure this out, you all," she said. "White people, Black people, Hispanic people, we all have to do our part to make our communities a safe place, a healthy place, a good environment." That was the message that was wrongfully cut out of the original coverage of Sherrod's speech and lost in the ensuing debate: The message about the need to create healthy, safe communities for our children to live and thrive and about the need for all of us to work together in order to address the common threat of poverty—especially at a time when the gap between rich and poor is at the highest recorded level ever. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children's Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org. |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last month, the National Urban League, led by its eighth president and chief executive officer Marc Morial, celebrated its 100th Anniversary of service in America. More than 4,000 members of its 98 affiliates, guild and young professionals from 36 states and the District of Columbia joined the Urban League's civil rights, corporate and community partners in the celebration. 