The UrbanTimes News

115-Year-Old Woman Votes in Southern Sudan Referendum

With nearly 4 million registered to vote in southern Sudan’s referendum on independence, and over 60% turnout confirmed, it is to be expected that voters would come from all aspects of society. Everyone from a 115-year-old woman to a murder convict has cast a ballot in what they say is a vital vote for southern Sudan's future.

At the Sadaka primary school polling center, Rebecca Kadi comes to cast her ballot. She looks frail as she arrives in her wheelchair – with good reason. At an estimated 115 years old, she is thought to be the oldest person to vote in southern Sudan’s referendum.

Rebecca Kadi Loburang Dinduch, believed to be the oldest south Sudanese, left her polling station after casting her vote in Juba on January 12, 2011.

Kadi has seen many changes in southern Sudan in her lifetime. The country has gone from colonial rule to civil war and now, she hopes, to independence. She waves a secession flag at the crowds who have gathered to watch her cast her vote.

“We are voting for the referendum and it’s our goal. There is nothing else we need to do but separate from the north,” she says. “Let Salva Kiir lead people as God wants because there is not any other way we can stay with Arabs.”

Her granddaughter, Sarah Modi, says Kadi has always talked about the importance of independence from the north.

“She is saying that she is not voting for herself but for the young ones because she would like to leave the young ones in peace by the time she is not alive,” says Modi.

RICE-CUNNINGHAM BILL REQUIRES NJ SDA TO REPORT MINORITY CONTRACTS AWARDED

A bill sponsored by the Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Ronald L. Rice, and caucus member Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham received final legislative approval. It will require the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) to report on the number of contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses.

“Women- and minority-owned contractors bring a different perspective to their work, and deserve fair treatment under our State’s contracting guidelines,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “New Jersey’s set-aside rules exist particularly to combat the entrenched prejudices which often deny opportunities to hard-working and capable contractors. This bill ensures that we honor New Jersey’s contracting rules when going out to bid for work on much-needed repairs and renovations to our public schools.”

CAUCUS CHAIR CALLS ON GOVERNOR TO APOLOGIZE TO SPEAKER OLIVER

Text Messages Show Governor Christie is “Plain Wrong”

TRENTON – On behalf of the members of the Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Ronald L. Rice, the chair of the caucus, called on Governor Chris Christie to apologize to Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, a Caucus member, whom the Governor called a liar in response to her remarks that she had sought meetings with the Governor to discuss his “tool kit” measures and reach a compromise with him on arbitration reform. Electronic communications between Speaker Oliver’s staff and the front office support the Speaker’s assertions.

“We think the Governor is just plain wrong in his assertions, and we think he owes the Speaker a sincere apology,” said Senator Rice. “It’s understandable for two well-intentioned people to disagree over policy, but character assassination over whether someone sought meetings or not is completely unacceptable, particularly coming from our State’s top elected leader.

BLACK FARMERS/NATIVE AMERICANS SETTLE LANDMARK CLAIMS

Black farmers who were discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for decades are only a presidential signature away from receiving a landmark $1.2 billion settlement from the federal government after the House of Representatives approved the payout.

The House voted 256 to 152 on a measure to approve the black farmers’ settlement - and a $3.4 billion settlement for Native Americans discriminated against by the Interior Department - but not without some heated debate in which some Republican opponents said the settlement is rife with fraud and amounts to nothing more than slavery reparations.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Barbara Lee said in a written statement, “Our actions make amends to the many black farmers who lost their farms as a result of decades of racial discrimination and Native Americans who suffered because the federal government mismanaged their land held in trust. Today we have righted that wrong.”

ORLANDO --

As of Wednesday morning, snow is on the ground in 49 out of the 50 U.S. states.

The lone state without a single snowflake? Florida.

Even Hawaii has snow covering its mountaintops, with about 7 inches of snow atop Mauna Kea, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"As of Jan. 11, 69.4 percent of the contiguous United States is covered by snow," NOAA posted on its website. "This is more than double the snow cover from last month."

Florida may be flake-free, but elsewhere, it's a much different story.

The northeastern U.S. is expected to get a big visit from a Nor'easter, part of the same storm system that left icy roads and bitter cold across the Southeast, including Atlanta, which has caused thousands of flight cancellations in the last week.

Up to 15 inches of snow is forecast for some areas of New York, and officials have begun getting emergency plans in place.

In Chicago, the Windy City has become the "Snowy City."

Officials sent 174 trucks to clear the streets of Chicago as the snow continued to fall.

Traffic has been a nightmare in several spots, and the snow has also caused problems at Chicago's airports.

No End to African American Stamps

A disturbing petition swirls about the Web claiming the African American commemorative stamps so proudly released by the US Postal Service will soon be discontinued. Fortunately the rumors of their demise are gravely exaggerated.

“Nothing could be further from the truth," explained David Failor, Executive Director of Stamp Services, U.S. Postal Service. "These rumors continue to resurface around this time of year."

This year once again, there was a deluge of inquiries about the possible discontinuance. The release of a new Black Heritage stamp regularly sparks this insecurity. Similar rumors can be seen online from 2005, 2007, and 2009. In 2011, this hapless albatross continues to circle new editions. This year the featured release commemorates legendary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (D-TX). This stamp will join the memorials of 2009 featured African American notable Julia Anne Cooper, who at the age of sixty-five, became the fourth black woman in American history to earn a Doctorate of Philosophy degree, and the 2010 featured stamp of director/producer Oscar Micheaux, the first African American feature filmmaker, the latest in a long list of historic portraits. Sources at the Postal Service calmed this philatelist’s apprehension, but fans of cultural history can rest assured too.

"As a main component of our annual stamp program, the Black Heritage series is alive and well, and here to stay,” Failor said. “Black Heritage stamps, as with all commemorative stamps, generally remain on-sale for one year or as long as supplies last. If a local Post Office has sold out, and has yet to replenish its supply, customers can easily order all stamps online at The Postal Store (www.usps.com/shop) or by phone at 800-STAMP24."

To locate hard to find Black Heritage stamps or stamps featuring African Americans, also visit www.blackhistorystamps.com.

6.09.2011

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns Is 'Panic Stricken' About U.S. Students' Ability to Compete | TheLoop21.com

1.20.2011

RALLY TO GET THE LEAD OUT!
JC Parents tell Epps: No more procrastination,
Fix high level of lead in our schools’ drinking water sources

Thursday, Jan 20, 6pm- 8:00pm
At the Board of Education Meeting
886 Bergen Ave (On the corner of Academy Street)
at Martin Luther King School#11

1.17.2011

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a holiday. His influence and leadership were key ingredients to the success of the Civil Rights Movement. It was his insight on the powers of unity that made segregation a national embarrassment before the world, and drove America to treat Jim Crow as a blight of America, rather than a regional dilemma. No less impactful were his divine communication skills. He delivered the rightfully lauded “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. More than a simple address to a frustrated crowd, it was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. The March on Washington in general and the “I Have a Dream” speech in particular, put much more pressure on the Kennedy administration to advance civil rights legislation in Congress.

There is a power in righteousness that is God-entrusted and Dr. King recognized and praised this in his address. Its effects are historic. Delivered on August 28, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, to over 200,000 civil rights supporters, the full 17 minutes examine issues from poverty to American imperialism. Supported by the activism thrust upon him, Dr. King was named Man of the Year by TIME magazine for 1963, and in 1964, he became the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His prophetic "Dream" still impacts us despite his passing, something recognized by a 1999 poll of public speaking scholars who ranked the soliloquy as the top American speech of the 20th century.

In 2003, the National Park Service dedicated an inscribed marble pedestal to commemorate the location of King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial. In 2004, the Library of Congress honored the speech by adding it to the United States National Recording Registry.

1.14.2011

The Ultimate Merger on TV 1

Looks like former 'America's Next Top Model' contestant and on-air personality Toccara is finding her perfect mate with Donald Trump.

The Donald Trump produced ‘The Ultimate Merger,' on the TV One network featured the former 'Apprentice' headache Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth. After all was said and done she refused to choose a winner. Some viewers grumbled that stars like finalist Al. B. Sure couldn't be in love with the troublesome flash celebrity, so the 'Merger' was not authentic. While Michael Clarke Duncan makes plans with the 'Apprentice' cast-off, the Donald has found someone more than fit for the job. Celebrity Fit Club competitor, entertainment correspondent and model Toccara Jones will be the object of a new season's affections. We are certain brothers will be lined up vying to be cast as the perfect match for the scrumptious bachelorette model and BET correspondent, rather than just get their own 15 minutes.

Happy Birthday Delta Sigma Theta

Black America is in consistent need of organizations designed to pursue our collective purposes. Our community lacks the economic and political infrastructure necessary to lift us from the bottom of America's racial caste system. Delta Sigma Theta is part of that tradition, as are other African American sororities and fraternities.

One thing that many sororities do quite well is pull together money. According to the most recent financial reports I could find online, the Grand Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta saw over $11 million in income during 2008, and carries over $38 million in assets on its books. Roughly half the sorority's revenue comes from membership dues, and much of the remainder comes from "government fees and contracts" (I'm not quite sure what those contracts entail).

Delta Sigma Theta's Group return actually states that the organization received over $25 million in income in 2008, which compares quite favorably with the $31 million hauled in by the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority during the same year. The media hasn't reported on any serious financial problems for the Deltas similar to those experienced by the AKAs, but almost no organizational house is going to be perfect.

Black Greek organizations, with their significance and power, may be well-advised to continue pursuing avenues to best utilize that power. As it pertains to problems such as mass incarceration and educational inequality, black Greek organizations can become meaningful political players in a country that oppresses the citizens whom these organizations profess to represent. Although a great deal of work has already been done, it's never too late to discuss new paradigms of engagement and activism. The late, great Dorothy Height is a perfect case-in-point. She fought for justice until she died at 98.

Happy Founders Day to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. This is a day worth celebrating.
(reprint ~ Dr. Boyce Watkins)

1.10.2011

Violent Rhetoric and Arizona Politics

Violent Rhetoric and Arizona Politics

For those of us who pretend it is alright to call people out of their name, use racial and cultural baiting and associate political thought with violent insurrection should take heed as to their results.

Ordos, China: A Modern Ghost Town

Ordos, China: A Modern Ghost Town

American ingenuity and perseverance are more than enough to overcome the propaganda of prosperity purported by China and its enthusiasts. If their housing boom is really a false depiction of China's economic dominance, then it is time for America to re-double its efforts. We can surpass their fake efforts with real gains. The time to get educated and prepared for our new economy is now.

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A JEWEL REMEMBERED

Eugene Kinkle Jones, born in 1885, an energetic and important race relations activist of the early twentieth century, advocated interracial cooperation as a means for African Americans to gain socioeconomic parity. Jones's father, a former slave, was one of the first blacks in Virginia to graduate from college, and his mother was born free. Both of his parents were teachers.

Jones was raised in an interracial environment and learned much by watching his parents interact with their white colleagues. He received a B.A. from Virginia Union University in 1906 and an M.A. from Cornell in 1908.

His teaching career included positions at State University and Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Jones worked for more than forty years with the National Urban League, where he was, among other things, executive secretary (1917-41) and general secretary (1941-50). With Charles Johnson, he founded Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life in 1923; it published writers such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay. A friend of Arthur A. Schomburg, Jones had a hand in establishing the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Studies, in Harlem. Jones was also one of the seven founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in 1906. Eugene Kinkle Jones died on Jan 11th, 1954 in New York City.

(reprinted courtesy of blackpast.org)

COURT DIRECTS HEARING ON IMPACT OF STATE CUTS ON NJ STUDENTS

The NJ Supreme Court today issued an order for a remand hearing before the Honorable Peter E. Doyne in ELC's challenge to the State's 2010-11 underfunding of the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA). Judge Doyne also acted as Special Master in the 2009 remand hearing on the constitutionality of the SFRA.

According to the order, the hearing will focus on a singular question: "... whether school funding through SFRA, at current levels, can provide for the constitutionally mandated thorough and efficient education for New jersey school children."

The Justices placed the burden of proof in this matter on the State, requiring evidence that the dramatically reduced funding levels provided to school districts in FY2011 provide the necessary resources to enable students to meet the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS -- the State's academic standards covering all subject areas).

The order specifically states that "districts with high, medium, and low concentrations of disadvantaged pupils" are to be considered, and that the benchmark for determining whether T&E is being met is the CCCS.

"The Supreme Court has again reaffirmed that the State's responsibility to provide a thorough and efficient education is fundamental and extends to all students," said ELC Executive Director David G. Sciarra. "The Court also is standing behind its 2009 ruling that the SFRA formula, as enacted by the Legislature, would be fully funded. The State now must prove that the students' right to a thorough and efficient education can still be preserved after a $1 billion state aid cut."

The order requires a report from the Special Master by March 31, 2011. ELC and the State must file responses to that report by mid-April. However, an official trial schedule has not yet been determined.

(Courtesy Sharon Krangel ~ Education Law Center)

THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY

To establish a new peace on race relations in America, a little volatility may be necessary. If the party you're interacting with is not willing to share power willingly (which most people are not), you must sometimes fight a little bit to obtain your share (peacefully, of course). By being in the White House and taking the most powerful political position in the world, President Obama has taken an unthinkable amount of power into his possession. Therefore, the subsequent struggle and backlash were inevitable.
~ Dr. Boyce Watkins

NEWARK MUSEUM EXHIBIT: African American Images from 1890 - Present

Posing Beauty explores the ways in which African American beauty has been represented in the media. In three sections, "Constructing a Pose," "Body and Images," and "Modeling Beauty and Beauty Contests," this exhibition examines contemporary understandings of beauty by framing the notion of aesthetics, race, class and gender within art, popular culture, and politics.

Posing Beauty features approximately 100 works drawn from public and private collections and will be accompanied by a book by the curator of the exhibition, Dr. Deborah Willis, Chair of the Photography and Imaging Department at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. The exhibit runs from Feb 2nd to Apr. 28th 2011.

Higher HIV Rates for Black Women

Reportedly, 93.4 of all new HIV cases among women in NYC occur among black and Latina women. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a majority of the newest reported infections among women in that city were obtained during heterosexual sex.

Black women account for more than 66 percent of all new cases (beating Latinas two to one), and sistas getting infected fastest are 30 to 39 years old.

Though my sexual partner and I have assured each other of our negative statuses, I have never actually seen his paperwork; nor has he seen mine. Plus, even though I'm pretty sure he's not an IV-drug user, and I don't think he's slept with (or is sleeping with) men, I don't know that for sure.

That made me think: If I write HIV-related stories for a living and I'm not fully informed about my risk, how informed is the average sista?

(excerpt Tomika Anderson - The Root)

Read more at BlackAIDS.org.

Our World

When A President Leads Hope Does Spring Eternal

115-Year-Old Woman Votes in Southern Sudan Referendum

Who Says the Revolution Won't Be Televised?

President's Weekly Address

A Moment of Silence

The First Lady Battling Child Obesity