INDEXLocal & State ...........................2Commentary ............................4 Business ...................................5Religion ...................................6Health ......................................7Sports ......................................8

local & state news Business news HealtH news

classified Buying or selling a service, looking for for a good job or a good used car? Check out the classifeds .

BRec Hosts softBall leagueBREC will host its spring softball league meeting Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at BREC’s Womack Ballroom, 6201 Florida Blvd. The softball league includes men, women and coed divisions....See Page 3

small Business education seRies Small Business Education Series pres-ents information on school district’s Fair Share Program at tomorrow’s Small Business Education Series Kick-Off at Southern University’s Global Conference Cente...See Page 5

HealtH Risk you can not smellWiping your hands at work could expose you to lead, cadmium and other heavy metals at levels that exceed health guidelines...See Page 7The Sisterhood Ministry of Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church (Scotlandville)

held Worship and Fellowship Services for the residents of Sterling Place Nursing Home recently..See Page 3

sisteRHood Held woRsHipping seRvice ReligionThe Williams Family will hold their 9th Year Anniversary celebration February 10th through February 12th at the New St. Luke Baptist Church pastored by Reverend Joseph Armstrong...See Page 6

THEWEEKLYPRESS.COM Celebrating 36 Years Of Service To The Baton Rouge Community 225.775.2002

THURSDAY, febRUARY 2, 2011 a people’s publication Vol. 36 • No. 37

b a t o n r o u g e , l o u i s i a n a

Former Baker Mayor Leroy Davis announces his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Baker. The election will be held March 24. Davis will put Baker first by focus-ing on Economic Development to bring new businesses and jobs to Baker, La. He will im-mediately reduce skyrocket-ing water and utility bills; and he will reinstate Senior Citizen discounts for water and sewer.

Davis has served as mayor, interim mayor and has served on the Baker City Council. He has nearly four years experience as mayor and nine years experience as a councilman. Davis is the only candidate with experience as a mayor and as a councilman.

As mayor, Davis was a proven job creator bringing hundreds of new jobs to Baker. He improved public safety by equipping the Police and Fire Department with the necessary resources; and Davis improved the city’s infrastructure by paying and fixing roads and streets. Under his leadership as mayor, Super Wal-Mart, Exxon On The Run, Mur-phy’s Discount Gas, Subway and Wendy’s came to Baker, along with other businesses.

Davis considers his ex-perience as mayor and council-man, his knowledge of Baker city government, its ordi-nances, rules, and procedures, as well as his accomplishments in community service to be some of his most important qualifications. He knows the importance of this position in the Baker city government; and he understands the needs of the community and the need to put the citizens of Baker first when making decisions.

Davis earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois. Davis had a distinguished career as a college professor and admin-istrator; and was a nationally recognized economist. He re-tired from Southern University with 23 years of service, where he served as s Professor and Dean. He is also retired from Alcorn State University after serving eight years as a Pro-

leroy davis candidate for mayor of Baker

See davis, on page 3

Leroy Davis

Joseph G. Dorsey, 60, and Woodrow Arthur Jr., 60, can recall the details of 1966 like it was yesterday.

“We rode a yellow school bus from Scotlandville, Louisi-ana, to Cimarron, New Mexico, in the summer,” Dorsey re-called, “There was 21 youth and the trip was sponsored by Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Scotlandville.”

“We stayed in our uniforms the entire time and that’s what kept conflict down,” said Ar-thur.

Instead of hotel stays, the troop “stopped at military and air force bases to spend the night,” said Arthur.

During a time when racial tension reached its peak in this country and segregation was being practiced in the South,

Boy Scout Pack 492 leader Earl ‘Molee’ Sims and others orga-nized Boy Scouts from across Louisiana to participate in what the American Boy Scouts calls the ultimate Scout experi-ence.

Their voyage took them to Philmont Scout Ranch, the largest national camping facility for scouting in America.

Once there, the Pack be-came the first all-Black scout troop from Louisiana to arrive. They were competing to win the highest honor possible: Eagle Scout; and in the process, they made history.

“At 13 and 14 years old we knew exactly what we were get-ting into; although there were not many of us who could come up with the money for the trip, we were able to strengthen our

brotherhood and help break a barrier that Black Boy Scouts faced,” said Dorsey.

“Under the direction of our

leader, (Sims), we learned every-thing there was to learn about Boy Scouts, “, Dorsey said.

Pack 492 was represented

at the national Boy Scout Jam-boree at Valley Forge Penn.

scotlandville scouts among first all-Black troop to new mexico

Photo from the Willie Harris Collection provided by James Terry III photojournalist

BOGALUSA, LA - At ap-proximately 3:00AM on the day of the official holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King-Monday, Janu-ary 16, 2012 -- the daughter of Louisiana Civil Rights icon Robert Hicks heard a loud, frightening knock on the door of her family’s home in Bogalusa. Barbara Hicks Collins ran to open the front door, only to see her car in flames. By noon of that day, fire marshals determined that in addition to Ms. Hicks Col-lins destroyed car, the burned roof of the Hicks’ home had been an attempt to burn the house down. The Office of Chief Investigations of the Louisiana Fire Marshal, Don-ald Carter, said early Tuesday January 17th that the fire was intentionally set, and is under investigation as a hate crime. The FBI is now involved in the investigation.

The fact that the 2012 fire was intentional is best under-stood by knowing the legacy of Robert Hicks. Civil Rights lion, who died in 2010 was 81. He played a pivotal role in Louisiana’s Civil Rights Movement during the 1960’s

and beyond. His legal victo-ries helped to topple segre-gation in Bogalusa (known as “Klantown, USA”) and change discriminatory prac-tices throughout the South.

Robert Hicks is remem-bered for his role as a founder of the Bogalusa Chapter of Deacons for Defense and Justice, established to protect his family and unarmed civil rights demonstrators from the Ku Klux Klan. The following is an account from an April 2010 New York Times obitu-ary for Robert Hicks:

On February 1, 1965, Hicks received a call to say the KKK was coming to bomb the Hicks’ home . . . . The Klan was furious that Mr. Hicks, a black paper mill worker, was putting up two white civil rights workers in his home. It was just six months after three young civil rights workers had been murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Mr. Hicks and his wife, Val-eria, made phone calls. They found neighbors to take in their children, and reached out to friends for protection

louisiana civil Rights family threatened By Hate crime

Car boomed in front of Hicks family home.

See crime, on page 2

Don Cornelius, the creator and longtime host of the ground-breaking music show ‘Soul Train,’ has died. He was 75.

According to the New York Times, the police responded to re-ports of gunshots at Cornelius’s Sherman Oaks home. They found Cornelius with a gunshot wound to the head that appeared to be self-inflicted, according to the Los Angeles County coroner.

A radio news announcer by trade, Cornelius began moon-lighting at WCIU-TV in the 1960s. While there, he toyed with the idea of creating an African-American version of “Ameri-can Bandstand,” Dick Clark’s influential music show, with live dancing five days a week. On August 17, 1970, the first episode of Soul Train premiered on the station, and by the following year, it was being syndicated in other markets.

“If I saw `American Band-stand’ and I saw dancing and I knew black kids can dance bet-ter; and I saw white artists and I knew black artists make better music; and if I saw a white host and I knew a black host could project a hipper line of speech – and I did know all these things [then it was reasonable to try],” he told the Associated Press in 1995.

“Soul Train” would go on to become the longest-running nationally syndicated show in history, airing from 1971 through 2006. Cornelius held down the hosting duties for most of that run, before stepping away in 1993. He remained as the pro-gram’s executive producer and expanded the brand into an an-nual awards show.

“It’s just so sad, stunning and downright shocking and a huge and momentous loss to the African-American community

and the world at large,” Aretha Franklin said. “Don Cornelius singlehandedly brought about a melding and unity of brother and sisterhood among young adults worldwide and globally with the unforgettable creation of Soul Train.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who was a protegé of James Brown, echoed those sentiments.

“I have known him since I was 19 years old and James Brown had me speak on ‘Soul Train,’” Sharpton said in a state-ment. “We have maintained a friendship for the last 38 years. He brought soul music and dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown and he was a cultural game changer on a global level. Had it not been for Don Cornelius we would not have ever transcended from the Chitlin circuit to become main-stream cultural trendsetters.”

Cornelius recently told the Los Angeles Times that there were early plans to create a

movie based on the franchise. “We’ve been in discussions with several people about getting a movie off the ground,” he said. “It wouldn’t be the ‘Soul Train’ dance show, it would be more of a biographical look at the project. It’s going to be about some of the things that really happened on the show.”

In 2008, Cornelius was ar-rested and charged with spousal battery and dissuading a witness from making a police report, and assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to three years probation.

During his rocky divorce battle with his ex-wife, Vikto-ria, TMZ reported that Cornelius made a morbid request in the couple’s divorce papers. “I am 72 years old. I have significant health issues,” Cornelius said. “I want to finalize this divorce before I die.”

Cornelius is survived by his two sons, Anthony and Raymond.

don cornelius dead at 75‘Soul Train’ Host,Creator Dies After Apparent Suicide

Don Cornelius, the creator and longtime host of the groundbreaking music show ‘Soul Train,’ has died. He was 75.

See scouts, on page 3

Page 2 • The Weekly Press • Thursday, February 2, 2012

LocaL&State

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Brains working? Show what you are working with. Banks

It’s African American History Month!

ANOTHER FIRST IN BLACK HISTORY is the selection of Nan-nette Olivetti Brown as the first Black woman to serve on the federal bench in Louisiana as a federal judge. A graduate of University of Louisi-ana at Lafayette and Tulane Law School, she is hailed as one who possesses a wealth of knowledge and legal expertise. Congratula-tions Judge Brown.

RED TAILS, the story of the pioneering Tuskegee Airman, shows the plight and heroic ex-ploits of the all-Black fighter pilot squadron that helped America defeat the Nazis in World War II. Did you see the actors? They include Cuba Gooding, Terrance Howard, Nate Parker, David Oyelowa, and Neyo. The key roles they play help spotlight the historic contribution and public service of Black Americans. It’s worthwhile viewing.

FLIP A COIN. Is HIV - AIDS close to a cure? No, not yet!! Health professionals admit that getting the word in the com-munities is on a rise along with the virus. In our state there is legal services to low-income persons living with HIV and AIDS. For information, check with your primary care physi-cian.

FOR THOSE WHO FOL-LOW THE MARDI GRAS SEA-SON, the king and queen of the Zulus are Elroy James and Tan-yanika Philips respectively. He is a New Orleans attorney, while she is a medical doctor. They will reign during this season.

William Cox, formerly of New Orleans, has been named president of the Allegheny West Conference of Seventh-day Ad-ventists. He is the nephew of the late Dr. C. J. Gilliam and resident Mrs. Gilliam of Baton Rouge.

TULANE UNIVERSITY’S IN EXCHANGE PROGRAM has a great slant for women who are working out their homes. Yes, the organization has about 10 vendors who are in the New Orleans area and

benefit the surround-ing areas. Women are trained to handle the diverse stock of cloth-ing, accessories, and other products to help themselves. Sounds like a winner!

THANKS TO STATE FARM INSUR-ANCE for partnering with Our Lady of the Lake and holding a

recent blood drive. The goal was to raise community aware-ness because January was Blood Donor Wellness Awareness Month. Give blood to some-one to save a life. Blood is the key to life for all human beings; its function is vital to our lives. Lack of blood donations means a high impossibility to help those in times of accidents, transfu-sions or blood cancers. Save a life. Donate blood.

ARE YOUR BOXING GLOVES ON? You may need them or someone you know may need to borrow them. The edu-cation debate at the state legis-lature is getting heated. A plan for teachers without teachers in the planning is the heart of this debate, which promises to be quite a showdown. Members of the Legislature are urged to visit schools before the March debate. Your visits would be an eye opener.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Car-olyn Blevins, James Denman, Patrick Caldwell, Edith Johnson, Michael R. Scott, Walter Dixon, Jr., and Lisa Scott.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTH-DAY to Steven Jerome and Mr. Joseph Dixon.

GET WELL WISHES are extended to Dr.Thelma Cobb, Mrs. Helen Prescott, Mr. Joseph Hubbard, Ms. Leatrice Silas and Monroe Myles.

WITH LOVE AND SYMPA-THY to the Malver Herson fam-ily. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time.

THE JAGS men and women are on a roll!! Go Jags. Lets go LSU.

Have a very blessed week-end. The weather has been beautiful and accommodating for any activity.

Love, Marge

marge's Chit Chat

MARGE LAWRENCE

GEAUXWILDbrzoo.org

By: NormaN J. DotsoN Jr.

Tasha Clark-Amar is a woman of many titles and many responsibilities ranging from wife and mother of two to execu-tive director of the East Baton Rouge parish Council on Aging responsible for a staff of over 80 people and demographic of people widely over looked, senior citizens.

Amar who had just recently taken over the job of executive director a few months ago has much on her to handle with trying to make improvements in the council on aging in the midst of statewide cuts to the budget. However she does not let this affect her ability to serve the senior citizens of EBR, as one of 80 African-American certi-fied to write grants she plans on bringing in money outside of the state mandated funds.

“At my previous job I was able to become certified to write grants and left there with a $50 million grant portfolio,” said Amar. “I worked as the grants administrator for the Dallas/Fort Worth Salvation Army and they trained me to write these grants.”

The council on aging is spe-cifically tailored to assess and meet the needs of all the senior citizens in this parish. Amar has built up her staff from five people to 80, has incorporated a meals on wheels programs, maintains 13 senior centers, and has even raised money to assist with medical and utility bills for the seniors in her parish.

“Many of my seniors don’t have a family that can watch over them and make sure that they get what they need so that’s where we come in,” Amar sym-pathetically.

Amar notes that the biggest difficulty that they face is getting

out to the seniors as many of them either cannot get around on their own or don’t know about the services offered by the council nor seek it out.

“The centers are our best way to reach the seniors and I am in the process of creating more centers to further our reach,” said Amar. “It also al-lows them to keep their inde-pendence and form bonds with one another. They really make these centers their own and they even create small groups with themselves.”

Amar remarks that the centers also makes it seem as though they are not just giving hand outs to the seniors which also helps comfort them. Each center is used to assess senior and open up ways for them to keep in touch with them as well as give them what they need with services ranging from medication management programs to legal services all at no expense seniors. Much of the money used to support these services are donations or obtained through special part-nerships.

Just as the seniors have made this [the council] their own, I make them my own as well which is why I refer to them as ‘my seniors’,” Amar said. “I’m hoping to take the department through a major re-branding with new logos and a totally new identity in the community.”

Currently Amar and her staff service about 10 to 15 per-cent of the seniors in the par-ish due to the severe slashes in the budget but is optimistic with the direction the council is going. In 10 years she sees their being a “mega center” as well as more partnerships and money outside of the state mandated funds coming into the council’s budget.

Wearing Many Hats, Holding Much Responsibility

BATON ROUGE – Does your daughter have a winning personality? Does she belong on stage? Does she enjoy being in the spotlight? Does she have talent? Perfect -- she could be a contestant in the 2012 Pretty Girls Rock! Princess Pageant. This friendly competition aims to provide a platform for Afri-can-American girls to display their accomplishments, talent and beauty while mentoring and focusing on a humanitar-ian spirit, and excellence of the mind, body and ability.

The Pretty Girls Rock! Prin-cess Pageant Casting Call will be held on Sunday, February 12

from 12 Noon to 3 PM at Pinkoli-cious Birthday Party Spa, 10066 S. Choctaw Drive, Baton Rouge, LA and is a fun experience for all involved. No pageant expe-rience is necessary. Attendees will be photographed.

Applicants are expected to show a one-minute talent with or without music or props, a short run way modeling and answer a preliminary interview. Age Divisions: Tiny Princess (ages 5 - 6yrs) • Little Princess (ages 7- 9yrs) Young Princess (ages 10 -11 yrs) • Junior Prin-cess (ages 12 -13yrs)

Highlights include:• Appearance by Ashley

Hebert, Miss Black Louisiana USA 2012

• Appearance by Vitoria “Tori” Turner, Miss Black Loui-siana USA Talented Teen 2012

• Entry to win a Kindle Fire

If you would like to attend this event, send an email to miss-blacklouisianausa@gmail.com with “Princess Pageant Casting Call” in the subject line.

For additional information log onto PrincessPageant.biz or call (504) 756-2478.

The Pretty Girls Rock! Princess Pageant is spon-sored by Miss Black Louisiana USA.

Pretty Girls Rock! Princess Pageant 2012 Casting Call

(including Deacons from Afri-can American nearby churches). Soon, armed black men mate-rialized . . . (Weeks later), Mr. Hicks took the lead in forming a Bogalusa chapter of the Deacons for Defense, recruiting many of

the men who had gone to his home to protect his family and guests . . . .

Mr. Hicks’ role in the Civil Rights Movement also included leading daily protests for months in Bogalusa to demand rights

guaranteed by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He filed suits that integrated schools and busi-nesses, reformed hiring prac-tices at the mill, and put the local police under a federal judge’s control.

Decades later, on October 24, 2007, a fire destroyed the Hicks family home. There was no investigation of that fire, just a report stating that the fire was of “undetermined cause.” The fam-ily rebuilt the home at the same location. Four years later, there is no question that this January 2012 fire was intentional and a hate crime.

The family of Mr. Hicks, including his wife of 62-years Valeria Hicks, daughter Barbara Hicks Collins, and son Charles (Chuck) Hicks are very active in keeping the legacy of Mr. Hicks alive. Valeria Hicks and Barbara Hicks Collins continue to live in the Bogalusa family home that was threatened by arson on Mon-day January 16.

In 2010, the Hicks family es-tablished a “Robert ‘Bob’ Hicks Foundation for Human and Civil Rights.” Daughter Barbara Hicks Collins gives presentations throughout the region on the leg-acy of her father, the Civil Rights Movement, and is continuing to document her father’s history for this generation and generations to come. Son Charles (Chuck) Hicks is a prominent community and labor activist in his Wash-ington, DC home. On August 28, 2010, 48 years after Dr. King’s March on Washington, a street in Bogalusa was named after Robert ‘Bob’ Hicks.

The National Congress of Black Women (NCBW) has stepped up to bring national attention to what has occurred. NCBW’s National Chair, Dr. E. Faye Williams says:

“Getting the word out across the nation is one of the best protections for the family since there is a strange silence thus far on the part of national media about this hate crime. Ad-ditionally, we must contact the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General, at 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530, urging him to find the culprits and bring them to justice. “

Activist Dick Gregory, who knows the Hicks family, says: “This attack on the Hicks Fam-ily is an attack upon the spirit of a community. It is an attack on all of us. We cannot stand idly by and allow these perpetrators of domestic terrorism to act without consequences.”

Crime from page 1

BATON ROUGE, LA - Peter J. Breaux, Ph.D., professor, South-ern University Department of History, will lecture on “Loui-siana’s First Crusade for Civil Rights” on Thursday, February 9. Breaux’s talk will highlight the historical aspects of civil rights in a crucial period of the 19th Century in Louisiana.

The event is the sec-ond in a series of heritage lec-

tures held monthly at the Old Governor’s Mansion. The event, sponsored by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana (FHL), is free to organization members and $10 for guests. The public is invited to attend.

A reception, hosted by Calandro’s Fine Wines and Select Cellars, begins at 6 p.m. and the lecture at 6:30 p.m.

Breaux has also taught

at Florida A & M and Savannah State University. In Baton Rouge, he was an active participant in the Scotlandville Community Comprehensive Development Plan process and in Future BR and is now volunteering with Together Baton Rouge.

The lecture will be held in the East Room of the Old Governor’s Mansion, 502 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge.

Lecture by SU Professor ”Louisiana’s First Crusade for Civil Rights”

Thursday, February 2, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 3

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CLASSES mEETS onCE wEEkLyFor more information contact

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Classes onCe weekly at: wesley United

Methodist ChUrCh 544 Government street Baton Rouge, La. 70802

Dr. Joe Connelly, Senior PastorDr. Alonzo Campbell, Director/Instructor

(225) 938-5746

Super Tax Day is brought to you by:

Be sure to bring:• Valid photo identification• Income documents including W-2s and 1099s

This is your money. You earned it. We want to make sure you get it. For more information, call 2-1-1.

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© 2012

Get therefund you deserve.

If your 2011 household income was under $50,000, you may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit – which could mean up to a $5,700 tax credit from the IRS and free tax preparation to make sure you get your full refund. IRS-certified volunteers will be on hand at Super Tax Day to help you file taxes and process your return. Even if you didn’t think you earned enough to file taxes, you could qualify for a refund. Our volunteers can help maximize your refund by checking for all eligible tax credits and charging absolutely no fees.

• Original Social Security card for everyone claimed on your return

• For direct deposit refund: a cancelled or voided check or bank account routing number and account number

SUPER TAX DAY • Saturday, February 4 • 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. Baton Rouge Community College • Magnolia Library

• Earned Income Tax Credit of up to $5,700 • Free tax preparation (IRS-certified)

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BATON ROUGE - BREC will host its spring softball league meeting Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at BREC’s Womack Ball-room, 6201 Florida Blvd. The softball league includes men, women and coed divisions.

Teams must register and submit their league fees and forms by Wednesday, March 7 at BREC’s Eugene A. Young’s Administration Offices, 6201 Florida Blvd.

League fees:•Men’sdivision:$395per

team•Women’sdivision:$300

per team•Coeddivision:$295per

team for the Sunday league, and $395perteamfortheweekday

leagueTeams must submit com-

pleterostersbyMarch26at5p.m.

Coed Sunday league par-ticipants will play at BREC’s Perkins Road Community Park, 7122 Perkins Road, beginning March25.Men,womenandweeknight coed league par-ticipants will play at BREC’s OakVillaSportsComplex,2615Oak Villa Blvd., beginning the week of March 26.

BREC will schedule post-poned games at the end of the season.

To learn more about BREC’s spring softball leagues, contactMarcat225-273-6401ormpalmer@brec.org.

BREC Hosts Spring Softball League Meeting Feb. 7

The Sisterhood Ministry of Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church (Scotlandville) held Wor-ship and Fellowship Services for the residents of Sterling Place Nursing Home recently.

A service to include selec-tions from the Voices of Adonai (GMCBC Youth Choir) under the direction of Loneka Battiste; welcome and opening statement by Janifer Peters, president of the Sisterhood Ministry; read-ing of the scripture by Rita Jack-Lewis; and prayer was rendered by Edna Crocket, chaplain of the Ministry. Minister Valarie Oliver, Associate Minister at GMCBC,

delivered a dynamic and most inspirational sermon. Following the Invitation to Discipleship by Crockett and Closing Remarks by Peters, all in attendance joined in singing what has become the Sterling Place National Anthem, “This Big Light of Mine”. A won-derful fellowship followed the service.

The Sisterhood of GMCBC has been rendering Worship Services at Sterling Place every second Sunday of the month for the past 12 years; the first ser-vice was conducted on March 11, 2001. Fred Jeff Smith is Pastor of Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist

Church. GMCBC Sisterhood Min-

istry gathered for Worship and Fellowship Services at Sterling Place Nursing Home are from left: President Jani-fer Peters, Rita Jack-Lewis, Minister Valarie Oliver, Caro-lyn Breaux, Elaine Simmons, Mary Wilkinson, Barbara Hawkins, Edna Crockett.

Sisterhood Held Worshipping Service

The Sisterhood Ministry of Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church worshipping with the residents of Sterling Place Nursing Home.

fessor, Dean, Research Director and Extension Administrator. Davis has served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Baker Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and has been a mem-ber of the Executive Council of the Istrouma Area Boy Scouts of America. He is the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award – Boy Scouts of America. He served on the Baker High and Bakerfield Elementary Schools Advisory Committees. He is a member of the Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church. He is an U.S.

Army veteran, a member of AmericanLegionPost502,andalife member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Davis has been an active member of the Baker com-munityfor35years.

He is married to Elaine Griffin Davis, a retired Assis-tant State Director of Special School District in the State De-partment of Education. They are the parents of twin sons: Griffin Leroy Davis, M.D., M.P.H. and Garvin Henderson Davis, M.D., M.P.H. and have four grandchildren.

Davis from page 1

“Our expedition was signif-icant to us because of the time and the era in which it happened; and from that point on we were always networking with other scouts informing them of what was missing from their Boy Scout experience: Philmont Ranch,” Dorsey said. “Our trip made it possible for other Black Boy Scouts to visit Philmont, such as the camp in Scotlandville led by Donald Share Myer,” he said.

Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America’s largest national high-adventure base. The Ranch provides an experience in backpacking country along hun-dreds of miles of rocky trails.

Program features combine Old West experiences such as horseback riding, burro packing, gold panning, chuck wagon din-ners, and interpretive history with thrilling challenges for today, such as rock climbing, burro racing, mountain biking, and .30-06 rifle shooting. It is the ultimate Boy Scout experience, said Dorsey.

We had the unlimited amount of “scout spirit,” we sang and put on skits when we were all at base camp together, we “turned it out,” he said. “What I remember most about the experience resulted from the hike up the mountain, we were so high up in elevation that we were literally next to clouds,” said Arthur who lives in St. Gabriel.

scouts from page 1

By AndreA L. TAyLorDirector of North America Community Affairs at Microsoft Corporation

The importance of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM as it’s commonly known, can’t be underestimated in preparing students for an in-creasingly technological tomor-row. By 2018, the U.S. will have more than 1.2 million job open-ings in STEM-related fields ac-cording to the U.S. Department of Labor. Regretfully, there is likely to be a significant short-age of qualified college graduates to fill them.

Consequently, Microsoft has established several initiatives to help improve student skills in STEM and to encourage youth to pursue careers in the technol-ogy industry.

The state of STEM educa-tion has been a leading topic of conversation in recent years in the public and private sectors. More than 100 CEOs, including Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, came together in 2010 to launch Change the Equation; an historic effort to scale up effective models for improving STEM education.

President Obama in his State of the Union address in January 2011 said, “Maintaining our lead-ership in research and technol-

ogy is crucial to America’s suc-cess. But if we want to win the future — if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas — then we also have to win the race to educate our kids.”

Microsoft has made signifi-cant investments in STEM educa-tion to inspire young people to consider these fields in an effort to win the future.

Blacks at Microsoft, an em-ployee resource group, annually hosts Minority Student Day for area high schoolers from under-represented ethnic backgrounds to highlight the opportunities available to them in technology fields. Other programs supported by Microsoft include Imagine Cup to help students and the public understand the transformational role that technology can play in our daily lives and DigiGirlz, to dispel gender stereotypes and to help increase the number of women in STEM careers. Partners in Learning, Games4Learning, and Kodu Game Lab provide educators and students with innovative new approaches to STEM education. Locally, Mi-crosoft partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Boeing Company and other area companies to create Washington

By LAuren VicToriA BurkeSpecial to the NNPA from the Washington Informer

It starts with the Superior-ity Syndrome: People acting as if they’re more important than a U.S. President — when they clearly are not. To fingers in the face. To people questioning his already established and proven citizenship.

The incidents of disrespect towards President Obama con-tinue.

When people criticize Ad-ministration policy, that’s just politics. But several incidents di-rected at this President appear to find new lows. Of course, people can disagree with the President. But, why can’t people respect the Office of the Presidency?

The very public nature of disrespect towards President Obama is noteworthy. Did Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) have to con-duct business with the President in front of reporters?

Wasn’t there a better time and place? Would a visiting leader from a foreign country be greeted with a finger in his face by a Governor? If not, why would it happen to the leader of our own country? Could a hockey goalie have executed a quiet no-show for a White House invitation honoring his team? See Facebook for the answer on that one.

It wasn’t the end of the world when Speaker John Boeh-ner refused the President’s date

to speak to a joint session on jobs in September 2011. And yes, the White House picked that date to steal attention from a GOP debate. But like so many mo-ments of disrespect towards the 44th President: No one can find another example in American history where a U.S. President requested a date to address Congress and was refused. Can anyone find another incident like the Brewer one? That the list below can even be compiled is telling.

1. The birther fiasco (2009-2011). No evidence. No proof. No documentation. But the story traveled on for years. Yes, Ha-waii is part of the United States of America.

2. “You lie” (Sept. 2009). That any individual — no less a member of Congress watching a U.S. President during a joint session on live national televi-sion — is so lacking in self con-trol that this moment was made possible is incredible — even in an age of incivility. Remember this happened only nine months into Obama’s presidency and is another “we can’t remember that ever happening ever before” moment. Close your eyes and pretend Rep. Maxine Waters was Wilson doing this to President Bush and image the reaction.

3. Signs of the Tea Party (July 2010) and Naked Racism (April 2011). Anyone remember California GOP official Marilyn Davenport’s racist e-mail? Did she ever resign for that? I re-

member all the criticism of the NAACP – particularly from Black Republicans — for their “Tea Party resolution” of 2010. Where was that indignation re-garding what can be viewed in this video? Click here.

4. Donald “unchecked ego” Trump inflames birther fiasco, media assists (April 2011). The mouth of Donald Trump is a powerful thing when joined with a 24-hour cable news cycle desperate for viewers. That news organizations invited Trump on the air unchallenged with zero proof of what he was saying speaks volumes on the state of journalism. That Trump was completely comfortable de-manding that a U.S. President “show him his papers” displays a superiority complex that ex-ists among those who can’t accept someone they view as “lesser” in a position of power over them.

4 (tie). Deadbeat dad and probable one-termer thinks his presence before the President actually matters and needs to tell everyone (Sept 2011). The disrespect isn’t that probable one term Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL) wouldn’t attend the President’s Sept. 8 speech. The disrespect is that Rep. Walsh actually believed that everyone knowing he wasn’t attending was important. That he needed to announce he would not at-tend on national television, as if anyone cared, was yet another delusional superiority episode.

That proudly showing public disrespect towards the President is a winning strategy in some political circles reveals a lot.

5. Newt Gingrich’s “Ke-nyan anti-colonial behavior” comment (Sept 2010). Even Washington Post columnist and conservative thinker George Will slammed this attempt to define the President as “foreign.” Never mind the facts: President Obama wasn’t reared by his father in Kenya with whom he spent only a month of his 50 years on this earth. The strategy to define the President as a “foreign” or “alien” being was started by Sarah Palin in 2008.

6. One of the underlying premises of disrespect towards the President is that he can be or-dered around and dictated to like he’s Tipi the laundry boy. The presumption that a U.S. Presi-dent can be ordered around is a new phenomenon that appears to have gotten underway around January 2009. From big mouth Congressmen to millionaires with nothing to do, you name it — they all inherently believe they can order President Obama around. At least Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an actual leader of something. Regardless, read this and ask yourself if you think this would have happened to Presidents Bush, Reagan or Clinton.

7. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer puts her finger in the President’s

By dr. BenjAmin chAVisNNPA Columnist

The growing Occupy the Dream movement for economic equality and empowerment emerging across the United States has correctly determined that one of its top priorities is to support fervently the passage of a Constitutional Amend-ment to make all federal elec-tions publicly financed. Getting corporate money out of politics will stop and prevent the fatal lynching of our democracy. The Constitutional Amendment will be effective in the expanding national campaign to confront income inequality and economic injustice that is a direct result of the cruel manipulation of the political process by the greed and avarice of the 1%.

Democracy in the United States especially from the ex-perience and perspective of the African American community has always been on the one hand a reflection on the his-tory of how Black people in America have had to struggle to get the right to vote, and on the other hand there has always been a crucial need to focus on the contemporary challenges

and opportunities to fulfill the American dream of a quality life, equal liberty, and the pur-suit of happiness and economic empowerment.

But the truth is that this is not just a matter of urgent concern for Black people alone. If democracy is not for all, then it is really not a democracy. Economic discrimination and inequality is just as wrong and devastating as racial discrimi-nation and inequality. That is why the valiant sacrifices and struggles of African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, Na-tive Americans and others to overcome the debilitating reali-ties and consequences of racial and social injustice have also inured transformative benefits to all Americans across the lines of race, class and ethnicity.

There is a clear correlation between the rise in poverty, in-come inequality and the bas-tardization of American democ-racy by the 1%. The systematic denial of the democratic right to equal economic opportunity has already consigned millions of Americans to the severe hard-ships of unemployment, hous-ing foreclosures, inadequate

health care, cynicism, and massive hopelessness. For far too many Black Americans and Latino Americans, the money-controlled political system that aids and abets the hijacking of democracy in the United States has also led to the apartheid-like disproportionate incarceration of men, women and juveniles across the nation.

Thus the priority need for the Constitutional Amendment on this issue cannot be over-stated. American democracy is now in serious jeopardy from the political abuse and neglect of the economic in-terests of the 99% by the 1% who disproportionately control the wealth of the nation. Too many of our elected officials are brought out and paid off to do the regressive bidding of their financial masters. Democracy is being undermined more and more each day as a result of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission two years ago. Since that back-ward 5-4 decision, corporations have been permitted to use their money to pay for the unlimited broadcasting of game-changing political advertisements that

determine the defeat or election of candidates for the office of the President, members of Con-gress and other elections. The ‘conservative’ Supreme Court cancelled a 63-year ban on the use of direct corporate money in federal elections.

That is exactly why we have to free the life and future of American democracy from the despicable hands of the 1% hangmen’s noose by passing the following Constitutional Amendment:

• Section1. All elections for President and members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate shall be publicly financed. No political contri-butions shall be permitted to any federal candidate, from any source, including the candidate. No political expenditures shall be permitted in support of any federal candidate, or in opposi-tion to any federal candidate, from any source, including the candidate. Nothing in this Sec-tion shall be construed o abridge the freedom of the press

• Section 2. The Congress shall, by statue, provide limita-

CommentaryThursday, February 2, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 4

The 10 Worst Moments of Disrespect Towards President Obama

The views expressed in the editiorial columns are not necessarily the veiws of The Weekly Press or its staff. Address all opinions and comments to: Letters to the Editior, P.O. Box 74485 Baton Rouge, La. 70874 or E-mail them to: theweeklypress@yahoo.com

See lynching on page 5

By WiLLiAm jones

The money that so many Governments pledged as of this date has never showed up in Haiti. That is what I am getting from news reports. As I have stated before. I simply did not and do not trust the lead-ership in Haiti.

Each country that pledged and have not reported their pledge should be reported and known to the world. Those countries that have made up to their promise should be known to the world.

Something just does not add up.

It is said that some of the money had been spent on soaring rents and over priced supplies. Consider this: project Medishare, the University of Miami hospital, spends $30,000.00 a month on electric alone. It cost another $3,500.00 a month to rent an

SUV in Haiti. That is a crying shame.

Now get this: Tax records show that “Save the Children’s Haiti” financial direc-tor’s – just one of the 1,200 Haiti employees - earns $200,00.00 an-nually. Now, if that do blow you mind I do not know what else can.

I proposed in the beginning that a group com-posed of contributors should be sent there to overlook the spending process for the Haitian people. Those people should not be living in plastic tents today. Shells could be made consisting of plywood could have been in place by now. The inner walls could come later.

The United Nations should address itself to the extensive damages such as in Haiti and Japan. That Is The Way I See It.

The Way I See IT

The Way I Projected

See STEM, on page 7

The Importance of STEM in Encouraging the Next

Generation of Tech LeadersConstitutional Amendment to Stop the Lynching of Democracy

Leadership. Commitment. Unity

As I sat in the House of Representatives chamber this evening, these were the themes I heard President Obama speak to in his State of the Union ad-dress.

But as I listened to President Obama, I looked at obstructionist leaders in Congress and I couldn’t help but get angry.

It is past time to throw aside partisan differences, put America first and embrace the American values of equal opportunity and fairness for all.

In communities across the country, the NAACP has marched, rallied, and raised our voices to let our leaders know job creation can’t wait. President Obama has heard our call, and tonight he laid out his ambi-tious blueprint for continuing to improve the economy and put people back to work.

Unfortunately, too many members of Congress are com-

mitted to nothing but blocking the president’s work. They are more concerned with scoring political points than getting us out of the worst economic slump since the early 20th century.

Every day, NAACP leaders nationwide speak with people who are working harder than ever before, and still strug-gling to make ends meet. Just this week our North Carolina NAACP leadership conducted a tour throughout the state to chronicle the effects of jobless-ness, underemployment, and poverty.

We know many of you have similar stories, and we want to hear them. Will you share with us your story on how the economic crisis has affected you and those you love?

http://action.naacp.org/job-crisis-stories

Marcellus Brown is 43 years old. He doesn’t have a steady job,

State Of Union Reaction From NAACP Leader: ‘I’m Angry’

WilliamJones

See lEadErS on page 5

See obaMa on page 7

Thursday, February 2, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 5

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Making a Difference by Paving a Way.

Ruby Dee Activist

Benjamin Todd Jealous NAACP CEO

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There are those who give back not just during the month of February, but every month.

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but he wants one. He’s from Scotland Neck, North Carolina, but travels 30 miles to apply for unemployment and look for jobs. There are no resources or living wage jobs in his com-munity.

Davette Bulluck, a mother of three, is unemployed in Rocky Mount, North Caro-lina. She cleans yards, washes dishes, and collects cans in the streets for money. Her utility bill exceeds her monthly income by $500. She’s skipped many meals so her children can eat, and often faces the prospect of choosing between electricity, water, and food.

President Obama’s Ameri-can Jobs Act would create 1.9 million jobs for people like Marcellus and Davette in places like Scotland Neck and Rocky Mount. His summer jobs and tourism initiative will create hundreds of thousands more, and stimulate an economy built to last and designed for sus-tained prosperity.

I applaud President Obama for adopting our long-standing priority of economic stability in communities of color, for his bold stand on job creation, and for leading the charge on revers-ing the economic crisis.

But Congress must match his leadership. Millions are suf-fering, and systemic poverty persists in almost every corner of the richest nation on earth. In moments like this, extreme partisanship is a luxury our nation cannot afford.

It is time to pass much-needed legislation to foster workforce training and create the kinds of jobs that allow Marcellus, Davette, and count-less others to thrive, not just survive.

It is time for cooperation to trump personal political agendas.

And until it does, we must continue to speak out, stand up, and be heard.

Benjamin Todd Jealous President and CEO NAACP

Leaders from page 4

tions on the amounts and timing of the expenditures of such pub-lic funds and provide criminal penalties for any violation of this Section.

• Section 3. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate leg-islation.

• Section 4. This article shall be inoperative unless it is ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in several States, as provided by the Constitution.

Members of Congress, including Dennis J. Kucinich, Keith M. Ellison and Jesse L. Jackson Jr and many others, are in the process of affirming their sponsorship and support of this important Constitutional Amendment. Let your member of Congress know that you sup-port the legislation.

Our call to action is for you join us in raising consciousness about this legislative ‘solution’ that will require a strong grass-roots movement in every state. Occupy the Dream, www.occu-pythedream.org , is mobilizing across the country to support the Constitutional Amendment.

Let’s work to fulfill Dr. King’s dream of economic equality for all. Let’s stop the lynching of American democracy.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) and of Education On-line Services Corporation, as well as the National Director of Occupy the Dream.

Lynching from page 4

BATON ROUGE, - Small Business Education Series presents information on school district’s Fair Share Program at tomorrow’s Small Business Education Series Kick-Off at Southern University’s Global Conference Center, attendees will hear from area experts and small-business owners on various aspects of running a business. This will include information on the East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s new Fair Share Program for women and minority

owned businesses. The series starts at 8am.

Session topics range from government procurement op-portunities and the effective

use of social media to business planning, securing loans and preventing fraud, among others. Speakers will represent the city of East Baton Rouge, the School

System’s Fair Share Program, the Small Business Administration, Louisiana Economic Develop-ment, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and many more.

Small Business Education Series Presents Information On School District’s Fair Share Program

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BATON ROUGE, LA –The Williams Family will hold their 9th Year Anniversary celebration to be held February 10th through February 12th at the New St. Luke Baptist Church located at 538 South Boulevard which is pastored by Reverend Joseph Armstrong.

The members of the Wil-liams Family Gospel Singers ex-tend an invitation to local gospel groups to come and share with them in their 9th Year Annual An-niversary.

On Friday, February 10th

will be their “Blue Jean Night” which kicks off their anniversary. This night will feature Pastor Wil-lard Nixon, Sr., along with the Ap-ostolic Gospel Singers and Tonya & The Daughters of Destiny. The time of this event begins at 6:30 p.m.

That Saturday, February 11th at 5:00 p.m. will the big Black History Musical Celebra-tion. Featuring many of the local singers as the Williams portray many famous African Americans from the past. For instance, the

“Singing in the Old Time Way”The Williams Family

See family, on page 7

By DonalD lee

In 1st Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified), the Apostle Paul offers great insight from our heavenly Father, But the natu-ral, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaning-less nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.

Another passage of scrip-ture (2nd Corinthians 6:14, KJV) tells us: Be ye not yoked together with unbelievers: for what fel-lowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what con-cord hath Christ with Belial?

Christian singles, be diligent in the time you spend with your

heavenly Father. The depths of His love for you are so great that your natural mind can’t begin to com-prehend them, save for revelation by His Holy Spirit (1st Cor-inthians 2:9, 10). So, when the Father tells you He knows the type of mate who best suits you, trust Him.

It is so important for singles that desire spouses to practice living lives of consecration — holy, set apart for true devotion to God.

Your time with God make you less likely to be deceived by a devil approaching you in the form of a good-looking, charm-ing person.

First John 4:1 says: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God …

Put another way, spending

quality time with the Father enhances your spirit man’s ability to discern (or accurately judge) whether the person who is show-ing an interest in you is someone committed to God.

You see, when God tells you He knows the end from the beginning, He already

knows (you can infer) before Sheila marries Mike how their story ends. The Lord knows — even when Mike is declaring his undying love for Sheila — that he’d (eventually) be saying to her: “It’s over. I’ll be more than fair, but I want a divorce.

“Hey. You can have the rental property. I’ll have Paco put bars on it for you. So, don’t thank me or nothing. It’s a rough neighborhood. You can have your car and … I’ll figure ev-erything else out.”

This dialogue — taken from filmmaker Tyler Perry’s hit movie “Why Did I Get Mar-ried?” — is a powerful depiction of what ultimately happens in many marriages. It’s a crush-ing, albeit accurate, portrayal of what happens (or what can happen) when children of Light, the Christ, connect with children of Belial, the devil.

If God doesn’t approve of the person you desire, remem-ber: Father knows best.

Donald Lee, founder of King-dom Living Christian Center in Dallas, is co-author of “Married to Commitment,” a powerful book on commitment that ministers to married couples, singles and divor-cees. To order your copy, call Xulon Press toll-free at (866) 909-2665 or purchase it online at http://www.xulonpress.com. E-mail Pastor Lee at pastordonjlee@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter at @don-aldj_lee.

Singles: When It Comes To Relationships, The Heavenly Father Knows Best

DonaldLee

It was one of those weeks where, if I accomplished any-thing that delicious slice of infor-mation has completely eluded the tiny gray cells floating in my cranium. It is not as if those little gray cells had anything else to do.

As I suffused my weary body into my La-Z-Boy chair, I knew I was tired but I could not figure out what I had done during the week to make me this tired. After all, it did not seem like I had accomplished any-thing of significance this week. I was trying to do something, of course, but I had absolutely nothing to show for it. What was I trying to do this past week?

A verse of Scripture began

haunting me as I thought about this. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). What was I supposed to “doeth” that I did not get around to “doething”?

Of course, there was that funeral I had this past week. Un-fortunately, I opened my book to the wrong page and begin the funeral by saying, “Dearly be-loved we are gathered together here to unite these two in holy matrimony.”

Holy macaroni! What a difference the

wrong page makes. At least I was not officiating at a wedding and said, “Ashes to ashes, and dirt to dirt.” Although, to be

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honest about it, I have had some weddings where I thought that phrase fit.

I was tempted, only for a moment, to query the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage but I feared she would tell me. There is

something to say about mystery. Nothing is more mysterious than the feminine side of the marriage equation. Odd isn’t it that the marriage equation is not always

Trying To Go Somewhere, I Ended Up Nowhere

See nowhere, on page 7

Thursday, February 2, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 7

health

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cally pointed out that changes which occur in a human being is redirected to pull from the core of his own humanity to reaffirm self worth and purpose. he will then by nature acquire the will to do for himself and others.

Space is not available to cover concerns of so many people

concerned with the conditions at Jetson. it is happening there. What i do know is that most of these youth can be changed, from contrition in a prepatory school for Angola to rehabilitation for a positive life that may lead to a life of meritorious glory. That is the Way I See It!

SyStem from page 4

all funny or remotely appropri-ate about the use of a lynching reference about Michelle obama,’’ he said. ‘’it’s - i’m speechless.’’

As President Bush pointed out so eloquently during the Black history Month event, the noose represents ‘’more than a tool of murder but a tool of intimidation’’ to generations of African-Ameri-cans. Nooses not only robbed some of their lives but many of their peace of mind.

‘’As a civil society, we must understand that noose displays and lynching jokes are deeply offensive. they are wrong. And they have no place in America today,’’ he said.

Neither o’reilly nor ingraham has been reprimanded by their re-spective employers even though the Fox News personality did offer a half-hearted apology.

At least ingraham didn’t drop the l-word but her suggestion that Sharpton, a former presidential candidate and respected member of the African-American community and beyond, is a petty thief reeks of race-baiting and negative ste-reotyping of African-Americans and black men in particular.

But it’s hardly the first time ei-ther has ventured into questionable and offensive territory. how can

we forget o’reilly’s less-than-informed comments regarding a dinner he shared last year with Sharpton at Sylvia’s in harlem? o’reilly expressed surprise over how similarSylvia’s was to other restaurants in New York restau-rants.

‘’there wasn’t one person in Sylvia’s who was screaming, ‘M-Fer, i want more iced tea,’’’ he said.

As the Washington Post’s rob-inson sadly observed on MSNBC in February, ‘’All you can go by is his words and his actions. And he keeps saying these things that sound pretty darn racist to me.’’

has talk radio learned anything from imus’ decline and fall? of course not, because it didn’t take imus too terribly long to get a new gig.

our nation’s media outlets should not provide a platform for racialhostility and hateful speech now or in the future. What kind of messageare we sending to our chil-dren, our nation and our world?

in such an historic election year, we cannot stand aside and allow individuals to use the airwaves as an outlet for insensitive and misguidedcommentary. if you hear something that offends you, speak up.

talk Radio from page 4

ering all children.the CDF Action Council, build-

ing on the best practices in states and lessons learned about children falling through the bureaucratic cracks of Medicaid and SChiP, strongly urged Congress to enact the All healthy Children Act, S. 1564/h.r. 1688, introduced by representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) in the house and Senator Bernie Sanders (i-Vt) in the Sen-ate. the measure would provide comprehensive benefits including dental and mental health, simpli-fied bureaucracy, and a national eligibility plan for families up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. We thank the 62 house co-sponsors for their support. how-ever, we regret that neither a single house republican nor any other Senator joined them to push for coverage for all children.

the CDF Action Council strongly supports long overdue health cov-erage for everyone in America as soon as possible—because children cannot wait. As SChiP comes up again for reauthorization in early 2009, we hope every Member of Congress will insist on covering every child and pregnant mother now by enacting and adequately funding the provisions of the All healthy Children Act.

Specious claims that we could not find the money—$70 billion over five years—to cover all children is belied by that amount spent in eleven months for tax cuts for the top one percent of richest Americans and in seven months for the iraq War. We do not have a money problem in America: We have a priorities and political will deficit. it is time for all adults to protect the health of our children.

the citizens of the nation must demand that our leaders free our children from the false ideological and political tugs of war among those who put excess profits ahead of children’s lives.

how well did Congress protect children in 2007? Not well enough: 276 Members of Congress had good CDF Action Council Con-gressional Scorecard scores of 80 percent or higher, and 198 of those had stellar scores of 100 percent. But 231 members scored 60 percent or lower—a failing grade from our school days.

Whether Members of Congress are liberal, conservative or mod-erate; Democrat, republican or independent, children need all of them to vote, lobby, speak for and protect them. Adults need to listen carefully to what candidates say they will do for children and fami-lies and, once they are in office, we need to hold them accountable. Please thank your Members of Con-gress with scores of 80 percent or above and let those with scores of 60 percent or below know you are dissatisfied with their performance. And please convey that same mes-sage to each presidential candidate. We must demand that our leaders commit to children as a condition of our vote.

Marian Wright Edelman is Presi-dent of the Children’s Defense Fund and its Action Council 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 and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

ChildRen from page 4

(NAPSM)-A survey commissioned by two leading health organizations found that although two out of three African Americans (61 percent) ex-pressed concern about developing heart disease and two out of five (40 percent) expressed concern about developing Alzheimer’s, only about one in 20 are aware that heart health is linked to brain health.

the Alzheimer’s Association is joining forces with the American heart Association to educate African Americans that by managing their cardiovascular risk, they may also strengthen their cognitive health.

“What’s good for your heart is good for your brain,” says Jennifer Manly, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Associa-tion spokesperson. “every healthy heartbeat pumps about one-fifth of your blood to your brain to carry on the daily processes of thinking, prob-lem solving and remembering.”

“By the year 2030, the number of African Americans age 65 or older is expected to more than double to 6.9 million,” said emil Matarese, M.D., American heart Association spokes-person. “Although Alzheimer’s is not part of normal aging, age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. So it is important that Af-rican Americans take steps now to decrease their risk of heart disease, which research has shown could also decrease the risk of cognitive decline.”

Did You Know?• Compared to the general public,

African Americans have a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and vascular dementia.

• More than 40 percent of African Americans have high blood pres-sure (hBP) and are at risk for stroke, which can lead to greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s or other vascular cognitive dementias.

• every year, more than 100,000 African Americans have a stroke.

• having high cholesterol increases the risk for stroke and may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s.

Manage Your Risks• Watch the numbers. remember

that desirable blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmhg. Keep your body weight in the recommended range and make sure that the total choles-terol is less than 200mg/dL.

• healthy lifestyle choices include staying mentally and physically ac-tive, staying socially involved, reduc-ing your intake of fat and cholesterol and not smoking.

Visit www.alz.org/heartbrain or call the American Stroke Associa-tion, a division of the American heart Association, at (888) 478-7653 or the Alzheimer’s Association at (800) 272-3900 and you’ll receive a bro-chure with heart and brain health information and a free pedometer, while supplies last.

What’s Good For Your Heart Is Good For Your Brain

Research shows a link between heart and brain health, which means impaired heart function could lead to impaired brain function.

apart. You must continue to hold on to your faith and stay before the Lord. But, it may be that the time has come when you may need to take some quality time for yourself and spend some of that time with God.

Get on your knees before God and tell him of how you are feel-ing inside. And maybe the words wont come out exactly as you wish but you can have a good weeping, wailing crying falling, out tantrum and give all those problems to him.

While you are praying, you might forget some of the things that vexed you but God knows what you are going through. he can read the pain, which flows through your tears. even though he knows what’s troubling you, he still wants to tell him about it and bring your problems and burdens to him.

therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hands of God, that he may exalt you in due time, “casting all your cares upon him, for he cares for you,”(1st Peter 5:6-7).

After you finished having your tantrum. You may have a stopped up nose and swollen eyes and mucus running down your lip and dried tears on your face, but you’ll feel better after emptying yourself of those things which had been heavy on your heart.

Sometimes we go for weeks or months trying to take matters into our hands and try to solve our own problems. We are not super humans; we can’t handle every-thing alone. We need God’s help. We have to let go of those situ-ations and let God handle them. there are some things we can’t humanly do anything about.

tantRum from page 6

(NAPSi)-here’s an alert worth paying attention to: According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), learning your risk for type 2 diabetes could save your life.

Diabetes is a serious disease that strikes nearly 21 million children and adults in the U.S. it is named the “silent killer” because one-third of those with the disease--more than 6 million--do not know they have it.

For many, diagnosis may come seven to 10 years after the onset of type 2 diabetes. early diagnosis is critical for successful treatment and can delay or prevent some of the complications such as heart diseases, blindness, kidney disease, stroke and amputation.

that’s one reason the ADA holds the American Diabetes Alert® Day, a one-day wake-up call to inform the American public about the serious-

ness of diabetes, particularly when it is left undiagnosed and untreated. the day is held on the fourth tuesday of every March.

on that day, people are encour-aged to take the Diabetes risk test, either with paper and pencil or online. the risk test requires users to answer seven simple questions about age, weight, lifestyle and family history--all potential risk factors for diabetes. People scoring 10 points or more are at a high risk for type 2 diabetes and are encouraged to talk with a health care professional.

An estimated 54 million Ameri-cans have pre-diabetes. those with pre-diabetes have blood glucose lev-els higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

early intervention via lifestyle changes such as weight loss and

increased physical activity can help delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Among the primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes are being over-weight, sedentary, over the age of 45 and having a family history of diabetes. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians and Pacific islanders are at an increased risk, as are women who have babies weighing more than 9 pounds at birth.

the Diabetes risk test is avail-

able in english and Spanish by call-ing the ADA at 1-800-DiABeteS (1-800-342-2383) or online at www.diabetes.org/alert.

though the Alert is a one-day call to action, awareness about type 2 diabetes is important anytime of the year, so free Diabetes risk tests are available online and by calling ADA all year long.

A free Diabetes risk test is avail-able all year long to determine the risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Could You Be At Risk?

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If you do not have a doctor and have not been screened in the last 12 months, these cancer screenings are available to you for free.

Presented as part of the comprehensive Cancer Program

of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins. Screenings

made possible by donor gifts.

(225) 215-1234 (888) 616-4687

Breast Cancer ScreeningTuesday, March 1110am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm

LSUHSC Mid City Clinic1401 N. Foster DriveBaton Rouge

Colorectal Cancer ScreeningThursday, March 1310am –2pm

Wal-Mart2171 O’Neal LaneBaton Rouge

Breast Cancer ScreeningTuesday, March 185pm – 7pm (Appt required)

Woman’s Hospital9050 Airline HighwayBaton Rouge

Prostate and ColorectalCancer ScreeningsWednesday, March 2610am –2pm

Ed Price Building Materials7835 Airline HighwayBaton Rouge

In Partnership With:

Our Lady of the LakeWoman’s HospitalYWCA Encore Plus

LSU Hospitals Health Care Services Division

Breast Cancer ScreeningFriday, March 1410am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm

Leo S. Butler Community Center950 E. Washington StreetBaton Rouge

Colorectal Cancer ScreeningMonday, March 1710am –2pm

Brusly Town Hall601 S. Vaughan StreetBrusly

Have You Been Screened?

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face (January 2012). The photo speaks for itself. Of course there are strong political dis-agreements between President Obama and Gov. Brewer. But is it just possible there was a better time and place for this conver-sation? Brewer said she felt “a little threatened” by President Obama. Please.

8. GOP House, prompted by Tea Party — refuses to raise debt ceiling (Aug 2011). Sounds like this was just hard-ball politics right? Let’s review the facts: The debt ceiling had been raised 69 times since 1962 without incident. Seven times during Bush ii and 18 times during reagan. Suddenly, with President Obama, a shiny new precedent is set with regard to raising the debt ceiling. Another never before seen incident is born.

9. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (r-kY) Pub-licly Announces His Top Politi-cal Priority (dec 2010). McCo-nnell wants the President out

of office? No news there, but, wait, there’s more to it. “Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term,” Sen. McConnell told the Heritage foundation. Of course the Senate republican Leader doesn’t want the President to be re-elected. But what’s with the public announcement? in July 2010 McConnell acknowledged his single most important politi-cal goal: President Obama being a one-term President. Again: in public and on national televi-sion.

10. Speaker Boehner refuses speech date request (September 2011). No it is not the end of the world. Of course, the White House intentionally wanted to step on a GOP debate that same night. But, this is yet another first in American history. Once again, no one can find another instance where a President of the United States requested a date to address Congress and was refused.

Obama from page 4

STeM, a nonprofit focused on improving STeM teaching and learning in Washington state.

recently, Microsoft an-nounced the findings of two national surveys of college students currently pursuing STeM degrees and parents of k–12 students. The goal of the surveys was to gain insight

about what can better prepare and inspire students to pursue post-secondary education in STeM subjects. Based on the college student survey findings, many students indicated that the decision to study STeM starts before college. indeed, the next great engineer is not developed overnight.

STEm from page 4

following persons will portray the following person:

• Sister Mary Thomp-son-robertson will be Cicely Tyson;

• Reverend Charlie Fisher, Sr., will be Sam Cooke;

• Mama Francis Coleman will be Lena Horne;

• Sister Schantel Colman will be etta James;

• Reverend Thelma Pearl will be rosa Parks, and

• Brother Edward Ausbon will be Thomas dorsey. And other surprise guest will be there

to share in this program.On Sunday, february 12th

will be their Climax Service, which begins at 3:00p.m. rev-erend Sterling Wrights, who is pastor of Beachum Grove and New Charleston Baptist Churches, will give the mes-sage.

for more information, please contact Sister felecia Williams at (225) 335-2424, Sis-ter Michelle Williams at (225) 778-0198 home and cell (225) 223-1738 or Sister Sandra faye Williams at (225) 358-1855.

Family from page 6

even. As i reflected upon my week

past, i duly noted the activities that occupied most of my week. Apart from the funeral, i had sev-eral hospital visits to make. As is usually the case, people conspire to go to the hospital at the same time but never at the same hos-pital. One even went out of town to go to a hospital.

Other visits were made and other activities attended. Certain deadlines were staring me in the face and i stared right back at them defiantly. i am not sure who won.

Services and Bible studies needed to be prepared for which can take up a lot of time. Then, don’t you know it; my truck is always out of gas when i am in a hurry. i suppose i could fill my tank up when it got down to a certain level, but where would the fun be in that? Nothing com-pares to the adrenaline of being in a hurry and late for an appoint-ment and then running out of gas.

do not get me wrong here. it is not that i do not enjoy giving my wife a call on the cell phone when stranded along the side of the road. it is the highlight of the stranded experience. Usually, her response to my phone call is what stresses me out.

“What,” she declares in that sarcastic tone of hers, “have you run out of gas again?”

it is her theatrical use of the word “again” that i believe

Wiping your hands at work could expose you to lead, cad-mium and other heavy metals at levels that exceed health guide-lines.

every day, millions of Ameri-cans working in manufacturing and industrial settings use laun-dered shop towels-the red, blue or white fabric towels that are so commonly seen in a worker’s hand or pocket—as part of their daily tasks. The towels are delivered by launderers, used throughout the day, then collected, washed and sent out again for delivery to other companies.

Gradient, an environmental and risk science consulting firm, studied the amount of heavy metal residue found on laundered shop towels and discovered that metals remained on these towels after washing. Over time, exposure to these metals could result in various negative health effects, including cancer and reproduc-tive problems.

The Gradient study, “evalua-tion of Potential exposure to Met-als in Laundered Shop Towels,” commissioned by kimberly-Clark

Professional, analyzed results of laundered shop towels submit-ted by various manufacturing industries, including automotive, metal manufacturing, printing and transportation. research con-firms that 100 percent of the towels tested contained toxic heavy met-als, with 26 heavy metals appear-ing in over 90 percent.

in the course of a day’s work, the residue on shop towels may be transferred onto workers’ un-protected hands as they use the towels. Workers can then transfer metals from their hands to their faces and mouths, and once heavy metals are on workers’ faces, they may be swallowed.

Workers using the typical number of towels, 12 per day, may be exposed to levels exceeding U.S. environmental Protection Agency (ePA), California ePA and ATSdr toxicity standards for lead, cadmium, antimony, beryllium, cobalt, copper and molybdenum.

The research found it unlikely that metals found in the tested towels could come from a single industry source. for instance, be-

ryllium is not commonly used in manufacturing sites, but was pres-ent in a number of the towels.

Because workers cannot see, smell or feel heavy metal contami-nants on “clean” laundered shop towels, they are not aware that the towels could contain elevated levels of heavy metals.

if workers must use laun-dered shop towels, they should take the following precautions:

• Always wash their hands after handling a shop towel, es-pecially before eating.

• Avoid wiping their hands or face with a shop towel—even one that is laundered.

• Never take shop towels home for personal use or wash them with clothes at home.

for more information, visit www.thedirtonshoptowels.com.

A Health Risk You Cannot See, Smell Or Feel

(NAPSi)—Although more than 5 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease (Ad), and while that number is expected to jump to 13.5 million by 2050, there is reason to hope. That’s good news for the almost 15 million more Americans—fam-ily members, friends, neighbors and volunteers—currently car-ing for their loved ones with Ad without any real options to help them get better.

Alzheimer’s is the only dis-ease in the top 10 causes of death without a way to prevent, cure or even slow the progression of the disease. in fact, between 2000 and 2008, deaths from Ad increased by 66 percent, while deaths from HiV, stroke, heart disease and prostate cancer all declined significantly.

Scientists have learned a great deal about potential underlying causes of Ad, and advancements in treatments have been accom-plished in recent years. To spur more breakthroughs and speed discoveries, scientists are focus-ing on early detection through neuroimaging of the brain.

“We have to understand Al-zheimer’s from its earliest signs in order to treat it effectively,” said Michael Weiner, M.d., principal investigator of the Alzheimer’s

disease Neuroimaging initiative (AdNi). “if we can get a fuller pic-ture of the brain and identify signs of the disease before someone gets ill, we can develop better treat-ment options, which could slow the progression and one day even prevent or cure Alzheimer’s.”

AdNi, the largest Alzheim-er’s study of its kind, is now in its second phase (AdNi 2). Sci-entists are looking for volunteers ages 55 to 90 to participate in the study to allow them to continue their research at the pace needed to be successful against the dis-ease. They are seeking healthy individuals, those with some memory concerns and people with diagnosed Ad.

Participants will not only be contributing to the search for treatments and a cure for Ad, they will also have the benefit of ac-cess to leading medical experts in the field. in many communi-ties, it is difficult to find someone who knows specifically about Alzheimer’s disease, so clinical trials can be a great way to work with specialists.

“We cannot cure what we do not understand,” said dr. Weiner. “But with the help of volunteers across the nation, we’re on the right path and making great strides to end the Alzheimer’s epidemic.”

Volunteers: A Key To Curing Alzheimer’s Disease

could easily earn her an Oscar. i once presented her with an Oscar Meyer wiener, but she did not enjoy the joke. Personally, i thought it was a great joke and i really did not appreciate her reaction. Needless to say, i have not repeated that sin, although temptation is what it is.

i suppose i did do things and accomplished something this past week, but it really does not explain why i am as tired as i am tonight. i can remember there was a time that i did not even know the meaning of tired. i got tired all right; i just did not know the meaning of the word tired.

Then the whole thing dawned on me. it was almost like being hit on the head with an iron skillet by you knows whom. The lights flashed. The light bulb went on. i had an epiphany to end all epiphanies.

The rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the family of God fel-lowship, PO Box 831313 , Ocala , fL 34483 . Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

NOwhErE from page 6

Page 8 • The Weekly Press • Thursday, February 2, 2012

other news

 

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BATON ROUGE —The fi-nancial emergency that Southern University declared in October is showing up now as the Baton Rouge university begins to lay off tenured faculty members and staff.

Chancellor James Llorens said Friday that the immediate layoffs include fewer than 10 staff employees and tenured architec-ture professor John Delgado, who will lose his job as of Feb. 15.

A few more tenured faculty cuts were expected this month, Llorens said, but a few resigna-tions and retirements offset that need.

The Advocate (http://bit.ly/yrHWOW) reports that 30 more tenured faculty members could receive termination notices in March,

The chancellor said the extra cuts this month were required because of an extra $2.94 million state budget cut to Southern that came down in December because of declining state revenues.

Delgado, who said he plans to appeal his firing, informed the Southern Faculty Senate on Fri-day that he is being let go. Del-gado said he was surprised and saddened.

The termination letter was dated Jan. 10, but Delgado said he did not get it until Monday because it was placed in his cam-pus mailbox without any other notification. The letter states the termination was necessitated by the “current financial state of Southern ... resulting largely from decreased state funding ...”

Southern declared a financial emergency, called exigency, in October as a result of ongoing state budget cuts and student en-rollment losses. Exigency, which

is generally considered a serious blemish to a university, allows Southern to more easily lay off tenured faculty and ax degree programs.

The expedited layoffs of an estimated 52 non-faculty staff members are being “staggered” throughout the semester, Llorens said. In addition to eliminating more than 10 percent of the Southern faculty, the plan calls for staff layoffs in human re-sources, information technology and campus maintenance and then other terminations around the rest of the university, Llorens said in December. The academic college consolidations also will mean fewer deans and academic department heads, he said.

Faculty leaders on Friday continued to criticize Llorens and his administration for an alleged lack of transparency and faculty involvement in the campus reor-ganization process.

“Right now, they have the license to get rid of anyone they want to,” said Faculty Senator Jacqulin Jacobs, who minutes prior argued, “There’s too much

corruption on this campus.”The Faculty Senate is de-

manding to know the procedures and criteria for terminations and that a proper appeals process is used. In the short term, Llorens said student credit hours and classes taught by each professor are being considered, as well as an academic department’s ability to overcome the personnel losses. The larger reorganization effort is taking a more comprehensive ap-proach to the reviews, he said.

Southern physics professor and Faculty Senate member Diola Bagayoko said Llorens is “admin-istrating by manipulation.”

The Southern “retrench-ment and reorganization plan” approved in December also means consolidating many of the university academic colleges and departments. The draft plan would have the five colleges as the College of Education, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology; College of Business; College of Natural Sciences and Agriculture; and College of Nurs-ing and Allied Health.

But the “target” goal also is to consolidate the number of academic department from 44 to 13, although Llorens said the number could change by the time the decisions are finalized at the end of the spring semester.

Bagayoko said most com-munity colleges have more than 13 academic departments.

Faculty Senate Vice Presi-dent Thomas Miller said such an “astounding structural change” would certainly mush differing academic programs that do not belong with each other into the same departments.

“No sane person would make such a major change with-out nefarious purposes ... to radi-cally transform the institution,” Miller said.

Southern Faculty Senate President Sudhir Trivedi also reiterated plans to sue the uni-versity while alleging that the university and the Southern Board of Supervisors ignored their own bylaws and guidelines for declaring and implementing exigency. The faculty has raised more than $10,000 for legal fees, he said.

Llorens has emphasized that the reorganization should eliminate the need for faculty and staff furloughs for the next school year.

Employees are required to take 10 percent of their job time off without pay for the current fiscal year that ends June 30.

After another school year of anticipated enrollment losses in 2012-2013, Southern’s plan is pro-jecting to start growing student enrollment. Continuing tuition increases also should offset some state budget cuts, according to the reorganization plan.

SU Begins Laying Off Employees

NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has ruled that Halliburton, the Houston-based company that supplied cement for the ill-fated Ma-condo well that blew in the Gulf of Mexico, may not have to pay many of the pollution claims that resulted from the catastrophic spill because it was shielded in a contract with well-owner BP.

Still, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said Tuesday that Halliburton is not ex-

empt from paying punitive damages and civil penalties that arise from the April 20, 2010, blowout off the Loui-siana coast. Those penalties could amount to billions of dollars.

The judge also said Hal-liburton’s indemnity could be voided if the company is found to have defrauded BP. He did not rule on BP’s allegations that Halliburton committed fraud by declaring the cement safe to use.

Judge: BP Contract Shielded Halliburton in Spill

Oil is burned off the surface of the water near the source of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, in this June 19, 2010 file photo. BP alleges that Halliburton, a subcontractor on the doomed Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, destroyed data after the Gulf oil spill.