Rosa Parks Middle School Targeted For Turnaround as Seventh ‘Priority School’

March 17, 2011 (Sacramento) – Rosa Parks Middle School has been named Sacramento’s seventh Superintendent’s Priority School, expanding SCUSD’s bold school improvement effort that is already seeing positive results on six other campuses, Superintendent Jonathan Raymond announced Thursday.

As a Priority School, Rosa Parks will get extra resources and innovations to boost learning though improved teaching, engaging curriculum and strong family and community connections.

Superintendent Raymond created the Priority Schools program last spring to improve low-performing schools through the use of proven strategies for raising student achievement. Already, principals at the six original Priority Schools report better attendance, greater family participation, fewer suspensions and generally happier students, which they attribute to a better learning environment.

“Rosa Parks has tremendous potential to be the kind of campus where every student enjoys coming to class every day because they know they’re going to learn something meaningful that will help them achieve their dreams,” said Superintendent Raymond. “Our Priority Schools are great examples of what can happen when a determined principal, an energized faculty and a caring community get the support they need.”

Jonathan P. Raymond Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District 5735 - 47th Avenue Sacramento, CA 95824 (916) 643-9000

Superintendent Raymond took the first step in Rosa Parks’ turnaround on Wednesday by naming John Sloat Elementary School Principal Robert Sullivan to lead the middle school next year. Sullivan has a successful track record of improving student learning, narrowing achievement gaps and forging relationships with students, staff and parents. “It all starts with leadership and building a vision for this community,” Superintendent Raymond said. “I want our leaders to take risks for kids.” Sullivan began with SCUSD at age 17, when he landed a job as a custodian at Tahoe Elementary to help pay for college, eventually working his way up to instructional aide and then teacher. He was an assistant principal at John Still K-8 School until taking over as principal at John Sloat seven years ago. Under Sullivan’s tenure at John Sloat, student test scores have risen dramatically. The school improved its Academic Performance Index (API) base from 664 in 2005 to 761 in 2009 – a 97-point gain. John Sloat is ranked 9 out of 10 on the API scale when compared to similar schools. In 2005-06, 39.7 percent of students achieved proficiency on the California Standards Tests in math.

In 2009-10, that grew to 61.2 percent. In 2009-10, Hispanic student scores rose a remarkable 38 points.

Sullivan will remain at John Sloat for the rest of this school year. The district is now meeting with the John Sloat community to begin the process for finding his replacement.

The decision to include Rosa Parks in the Priority Schools program was made after weighing several factors, including student academic performance. The middle school, which serves about 475 students, dropped 33 points on the API scale last year. With an API of 624, it has the lowest student tests scores of any middle school in SCUSD. The school has also struggled to close achievement gaps. Scores for African American students plummeted 57 points last year; scores for students with disabilities fell 39 points. The school is in its fifth year of Program Improvement status.

Superintendent Raymond emphasized that funding for Rosa Parks’ addition to the Priority School program will come from so-called “categorical” funds – money from the federal government earmarked for high-poverty schools. At Rosa Parks, 100 percent of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch, the federal poverty threshold. Because the Priority Schools are funded categorically, Rosa Parks’ inclusion will have no effect on the district’s anticipated budget deficit of $22.35 million – the projected shortfall if current temporary taxes are not extended by voters.

The Superintendent’s Priority Schools Program is a centerpiece of SCUSD’s Strategic Plan 2010-2014: Putting Children First. As “incubators of innovation,” Priority Schools are piloting research-based, successful instructional strategies and curriculum to be replicated later on other SCUSD campuses. The district’s other Priority Schools are: Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary, Jedediah Smith Elementary, Oak Ridge Elementary, Will C. Wood Middle School, Fern Bacon Middle School and Hiram Johnson High School.

“Despite budget uncertainty and pink slips, we can’t take our eye off of what is most important – quality teaching and learning in our schools, particularly in our most needy communities,” Superintendent Raymond said. “Now is the time to focus on eliminating achievement gaps. Our students cannot wait.” # # #

For Immediate Release Contact: Gabe Ross (916) 643-9145 gabe-ross@scusd.edu

National Women's History Month Tennessee Tech University

In celebration of March as National Women's History Month, Tennessee Tech University's Women's Center has two special events planned.

They include a Tuesday, March 22, presentation about Tennessee women by Beverly Bond, a professor of African-American history at the University of Memphis, and a Tuesday, March 29, discussion about human trafficking and the sex trade by Norma Ramos, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women.

Diana Lalani of TTU's Women's Center said these speakers reflect the purpose of Women's History Month by looking back at women's past achievements and ahead to future accomplishments.

"Women's History Month is a time to celebrate our accomplishments together and a chance to envision more for ourselves," she said.

The theme of National Women's History Month this year is "Our History is Our Strength," and according to the National Women's History Project, the stories of women's achievements are integral to the fabric of history because those stories inspire more expansive visions for the future.

Beverly Bond

Stories of historic Tennessee women will be the topic of Bond's presentation, set for 7 p.m. on March 22 in the Multipurpose Room of the Roaden University Center. Bond said, "I am particularly interested in the ways in which 19th-century African-American women negotiated the boundaries of race, class and gender in the urban South. My research focuses on black women in Memphis from the early 1800s to the beginning of the 20th century." She is the editor and contributing author, along with Sarah Wilkerson Freeman, of a book titled Tennessee Women: Their Histories, Their Lives, Vol. 1 (University of Florida Press, 2009).

TTU Women's Center Director Gretta Stanger said, "[Dr. Beverly Bond] has contributed immensely to our knowledge of Tennessee women in her co-edited book by the same name. She is helping to write Tennessee women back into history."

Bond has also co-authored with Janann Sherman two other books, Memphis in Black and White (2003) and Images of America: Beale Street (2006), both from Arcadia Publishing.

She is the author of several other book chapters, journal articles and encyclopedia entries that explore various topics related to African-American women's history, and among her current projects is a second volume of Tennessee Women.

At the University of Memphis, she has taught African-American history, African-American women's history, African-American intellectual history, and other courses including a Capstone course in African and African-American studies.

Speaker Norma Ramos will focus on the current women's issues of human trafficking and the sex trade in a presentation at 7 p.m. on March 29 at Derryberry Hall Auditorium.

"We are pleased to welcome Norma Ramos," Stanger said. The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, of which Ramos is executive director, "is considered to be the first international organization to be associated with human trafficking," she continued.

Because of her work with that organization, Ramos is the recipient of the Women's Committee Award and the Flor De Maga Award, both from the Puerto Rican Bar Association.

In 2009, she was awarded the Humanist Heroine Award from the American Humanist Association.

"We have discovered that there are several student organizations on campus that are interested in this very serious and widespread human rights issue, so we hope they will be able to attend her presentation," Stanger said.

Ramos is an eco-feminist who links the worldwide inequality and destruction of women to the destruction of the environment.

A Center Stage event, her presentation — like Bond's — is free and open to the public.

Tennessee Tech University For more information about either event, contact the TTU Women's Center at 931-372-3850.

African-American women who live in more densely populated urban areas gain less weight than those in more sprawling auto-oriented areas

(Boston) - Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine’s (BUSM) Slone Epidemiology Center have found that African-American women who live in more densely populated urban areas gain less weight than those in more sprawling auto-oriented areas. The results, which appear in the current issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, were based on data collected in the Black Women’s Health Study, an ongoing study of the health of 59,000 African American women conducted by the researchers since 1995.

While studies conducted at a single point in time have found higher levels of obesity among residents of sprawling areas compared to residents of more urban areas, there has been little information on this topic from studies that have followed residents over time.

The researchers assessed the association of women’s residential environments with weight change and the incidence of obesity during a six year period of follow-up in the Black Women’s Health Study. They focused on nearly 18,000 women who lived in the New York, Chicago or Los Angeles metropolitan areas. The women’s residential neighborhoods were characterized by an “urbanicity score”— considered dense urban neighborhoods.

Patricia Coogan, MPH, D Sc

They found that both six year weight gain and the incidence of obesity were lower among women who had high urbanicity scores as compared to those with low scores. Women who lived in suburban or rural neighborhoods were considered to have low urbanicity scores. According to the researchers, a previous study of these women, found those who lived in denser neighborhoods walked more than women in more sprawling areas. “Policies that encourage more dense and urban residential development may have a positive role to play in addressing the obesity epidemic,” said lead author Patricia Coogan, MPH, D Sc, a senior epidemiologist at the Slone Center and an associate professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health.

Funding for this study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. — 30 —

Boston University For Release Upon Receipt - March 16, 2011 Contact: Gina M. Digravio, 617-638-8491, gina.digravio@bmc.org

Dr. Kern Jackson will discuss the influence of Mobile native Albert Murray

USA Professor and Students to participate in Southern Literary Trail Festival 2011.

Dr. Kern Jackson, director of African-American Studies at the University of South Alabama in the College of Arts and Sciences, will discuss the influence of Mobile native Albert Murray, a noted author on Thursday, March 17 at 6 p.m. at the Ben May Library in Bernheim Hall. The event is free and open to the public. This is just one of a number of statewide events involved with the Southern Literary Trail Festival.

Also accompanying Jackson during his talk will be Barbara Baker, Jay Lamar and Paul Devlin of New York City. Baker and Lamar co-edited the recent book “Albert Murray and the Aesthetic Imagination of a Nation.” Devlin writes in the book about his personal association with Murray, whom the “New York” magazine recently named as one of Manhattan’s cultural icons over the age of 90. Devlin will discuss Murray’s extensive art collection.

Two of Jackson’s students from his introduction to African-American Studies class Travis Davis and Elijah McLaughlin will provide readings from Murray’s “Trading Twelve’s,” the collection of letters that Murray exchanged with fellow writer and friend Ralph Ellison.

Davis, a native of Mobile is a senior majoring in history and McLaughlin of Montgomery is a junior majoring in social work. They are honored to be selected as dramatic readers, highlighting Mobile native Albert Murray. The official festival of the Southern Literary Trail, features a tri-state and three-month celebration with plays, free programs, musical performances and film showings that showcase the south’s heritage as home to the country’s best writing and storytelling.

For more information about events listed on the Southern Literary Trail call William Gantt at (205) 297-8849, or e-mail him at wgg@hfsllp.com.

March 14, 2011 Contact: Joy Crawford-Washington, USA Public Relations, (251) 460-6211

14.7 percent of all African Americans age 20 years or older have diabetes

SPELMAN COLLEGE AND NOVO NORDISK HOST DIABETES TOWN HALL MEETING

ATLANTA (March 11, 2011) According to the American Diabetes Association, 14.7 percent of all African-Americans age 20 years or older have diabetes. To address this alarming statistic and others, Spelman College in partnership with Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, is hosting a town hall meeting, “Diabetes and Its Impact on the African-American Community.”

This event comes on the heels of a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifying a “diabetes belt” comprised of 644 counties across 15 mostly Southern states, with large African-American populations. Leading medical, health and fitness experts will candidly discuss the causes and preventative measures African-Americans need to take to fight against this growing epidemic. The event is free and open to the public.

WHO:
• Kendall Simmons, former NFL guard
• A.J. Johnson, actress, fitness expert, founder, The AJ Zone
• Doxie Jordan, associate vice president, Diabetes Sales Southeast, Novo Nordisk
• Dr. Kathi Earles, MD, medical scientific director, Novo Nordisk
• Donna DeCaille, nutritionist, executive consultant, EnVision Nutrition Inc.
• Gail Richardson, diabetic nurse educator
• Dr. Reginald Fowler, Board Certified Internal Medicine

WHEN:
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
4 p.m.

WHERE:
Spelman College - Cosby Academic Center Auditorium
350 Spelman Lane, SW
Atlanta, GA 30314

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Spelman College: Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically black college boasts an 83 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis, authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson.

More than 83 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 12:1. More than 2,100 students attend Spelman. For more information, visit: www.spelman.edu.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact(s) : Terrilyn Simmons (404) 270-5822 tsimmons8@spelman.edu

Leonid McGill Mystery Novel’s Author Walter Mosley to talk about his work

Newest P.I. McGill Mystery Novel’s Author in Dallas - Tuesday, March 15.

(DALLAS) — Leonid McGill, private investigator, got the job done in Walter Mosley’s first two New York Times bestsellers. Now times are tough, he’s looking for work and his personal life is complicated in the third McGill series installment titled “When the Thrill Is Gone.”

Mosley, described by President Bill Clinton as one of his favorite writers, will be on hand to talk about his work and sign his latest novel on Tuesday, March 15, at the Barnes and Noble bookstore in Lincoln Park, 7700 W. Northwest Highway, Suite 300, in Dallas at 7 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from copies of “When the Thrill Is Gone” sold through March 16 will benefit the Dallas County Community College District Foundation’s George Dawson Scholarship Fund. Book buyers should mention Bookfair ID code 10433746 to help benefit this fund. A voucher (PDF - 81KB) also is available to print and take to the store.

Mosley has written detective fiction, sci-fi and other works described as an edgy blend of literary and pulp fiction. A native of Los Angeles, he traveled east to college and first worked a number of jobs — computer programmer, caterer and potter — before discovering his talents as a writer. African-American PI Easy Rawlins was the character that Clinton discovered. The Rawlins works include thorough historic detail (1940s to the mid-1960s), excellent dialogue and detailed character development. “Devil in a Blue Dress” and “Black Betty” were the first two published novels in the Rawlins series (“Gone Fishin’ ” didn’t find a publisher).

The first two books in the McGill series are “The Long Fall” and “Known to Evil.”

DCCCD is a community partner with Barnes and Noble Booksellers, which is sponsoring the book signing and offering an opportunity for readers to enjoy Mosley’s book and donate to the George Dawson Scholarship Fund.

For more information, contact Allison Neal in the DCCCD outreach office at (214) 378-1722. # # #

Press contact: Ann Hatch 214-378-1819 (610); ahatch@dcccd.edu

Justice Department Obtains $110,000 Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit Against Summerhill Place Apartments in Renton, Wash

Justice Department Obtains $110,000 Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit Against Apartment Complex Near Seattle.

WASHINGTON – The owners and operators of Summerhill Place Apartments, a 268 apartment complex in Renton, Wash., have agreed to pay $110,000 in damages and civil penalties to settle a lawsuit alleging that the complex had discriminated against African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Indian Americans and families with children in violation of the Fair Housing Act, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

“Working families already face enough challenges finding affordable housing,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Unlawful discrimination because of their race, their national origin, or because they have children, should not be one of them.”

“I am pleased that this settlement will both assist those who were discriminated against, and ensure rights are protected going forward,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Jenny A. Durkan. “The fair housing training for Summerhill’s employees and the plan to provide a recreation area for all the tenants, including children, will provide a brighter future for all prospective residents.”

The lawsuit, filed on July 16, 2010, named as Summerhill Place LLC (the owner of Summerhill Place Apartments), Gran Inc. (the management company) and Rita Lovejoy (the former on site manager). Lovejoy is no longer employed by the other defendants.

The suit alleged, among other things, that defendants steered Indian tenants away from one of the five buildings at Summerhill, treated tenants from India less favorably than other tenants and discouraged African-Americans, Hispanics and families with children from living at Summerhill. The suit arose after the Fair Housing Council of Washington conducted testing at Summerhill, and the results of that testing were reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, the secretary of HUD determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that discriminatory housing practices had occurred, issued a charge of discrimination, and referred the matter to the Department of Justice.

“HUD has the authority to bring cases under the Fair Housing Act based on any credible evidence that discrimination is occurring at a housing development, even if no specific individual steps forward to file a formal complaint,” said John Trasviña, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Whenever HUD discovers that a housing provider is turning away potential tenants or mistreating current residents because of their race, ethnicity, or family composition, HUD will vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act.”

Under the terms of the settlement, the defendants will:

*
Pay $85,000 to tenants and prospective tenants who were harmed by the discriminatory practices alleged in the lawsuit;
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Pay $25,000 to the government as a civil penalty;
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Maintain a common recreational area for all their tenants, including children;
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Provide fair housing training to their employees; and
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Develop and maintain non-discrimination policies at Summerhill.

Individuals who are entitled to share in the settlement fund will be identified through a process established in the settlement. Persons who believe they were subjected to unlawful discrimination at Summerhill should contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743 mailbox # 9997 or e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov .

Fighting illegal discrimination in housing is a top priority of the Justice Department. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.


Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Project on History of Black Writing to showcase 100 Novels Project on March 16

LAWRENCE — On March 16, the Project on the History of Black Writing at the University of Kansas will present a first showing of selections from the 100 Novels Project.

The exhibit will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Alcove G in the Kansas Union.

The 100 Novels Project explores and celebrates the political, social, cultural and historical significance of 100 works of black literature. The temporal scope of the works is wide ranging, spanning from the late 19th century to the 21st century. Many of the works have been transformed into film and were staples on the New York Times bestseller list.

The Project on the History of Black Writing houses each of these texts within its archives. This is first of many exhibits that will highlight a small selection of authors and their works.

The Project on the History of Black Writing is one of KU’s important but often overlooked literary and historical resources. It has been in the forefront of research and inclusion efforts in higher education for 25 years.

Founded in 1983 at the University of Mississippi-Oxford, the project has more than 900 novels in its collection published by African-American authors since William Wells Brown’s “Clotel; or, the President’s Daughter” (1853). The ultimate goal of the project is to collect every novel ever published by an African-American writer. -30- The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.

kunews@ku.edu | (785) 864-3256 | 1314 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045 March 10, 2011 Contact: Maryemma Graham, Project on the History of Black Writing.

Elementary Education Majors Participated in African American Read-In at Farrell Elementary School

Twenty-one Westminster College elementary education majors participated in the 22nd National African American Read-In Feb. 23 at Farrell Elementary School.

The students are enrolled in a literacy methods class taught by Dr. Charlene Klassen Endrizzi, Westminster professor of education.

The read-in is sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English to help students value diverse children's authors. Westminster pre-service teachers selected books by African American authors to share with students in grades one-six. Each classroom received a copy of the book that was read, donated through funding from Westminster's Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

"During the read-in, I could feel the students' cultural pride," said junior Genevieve Sieckowski. "They felt valued and loved."

Seniors Jenisa Jeblee and Lauren Ritter led far-ranging discussions on questions from fourth-graders that included "Why have blacks and whites not been viewed as equal in the U.S.?"

"Children can teach us so much," said junior Jessica Pardee. "We just have to be willing to listen."

Ulana Ainsworth reading to second-grade students.

In addition to current Westminster students, several Westminster alumni participated: Farrell Elementary literacy coaches Nicole Stabile Lombardi and Valerie Morrison organized the read-in in collaboration with Klassen Endrizzi; Japraunika Wright is elementary assistant principal; and Carole Borkowski is elementary principal. Klassen Endrizzi noted the contrast between the experiences of recent Westminster guest speaker Jonathan Kozol in the 1960s and this read-in 46 years later.

"In his first year of teaching in Boston, Kozol wanted his African American fourth-graders to know and love black authors, so he shared the work of Langston Hughes," Klassen Endrizzi said. "The following day, he was fired. Today, our Westminster students went to Farrell with similar intentions and received rave reviews from students, teachers, and administrators."

"We have grown as a nation, yet racial tension still exists," Klassen Endrizzi added. "Our pre-service teachers offered a powerful demonstration of educators consciously choosing to share children's books representing marginalized people outside mainstream America."

Klassen Endrizzi, who has been with Westminster since 1993, earned undergraduate and master's degrees from Fresno Pacific College and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. She is the author of Becoming Teammates: Teachers and Families as Literacy Partners.

Contact Klassen Endrizzi at (724) 946-7189 or e-mail endrizck@westminster.edu for more information.

About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College ranks first in the nation as "Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math," according to Forbes.com. Westminster is a top tier liberal arts college, a national leader in graduation rate performance, and a "Great School, Great Price," according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster ranked 38th among liberal arts colleges, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 373 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.

The Blood of Jesus VIDEO

This movie is about the accidental shooting of a woman and of the faith in Jesus that brings her back. As she lies dying, her soul goes on a symbolic journey in which it rejects Hell for Zion, Satan for God, at the foot of the cross. When she awakens recovered, the choir of sisters and brothers from the church come in to sing and celebrate the miracle. The movie offers a glimpse into Southern Baptist life from an African-American perspective. It was written and directed by pioneering independent filmmaker Spencer Williams, and made specifically for African-American audiences in segregated movie theaters. The Blood of Jesus remains one of the most highly regarded films of Williams' career, and it was placed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1991. In 2008, SMU's print of The Blood of Jesus was preserved with a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Title: The blood of Jesus. Creator: Amegro Films. Contributors: Williams, Spencer (writer, producer, director); Sack, Alfred (producer) Date: Original created in: 1941
Part Of Tyler, Texas Black film collection.

KeywordsL African Americans; Baptists; religion; drama. Original Media: 35mm cellulose acetate film. Form / Genre: Motion pictures, Melodramas. Digital Resource Type: video. Digitization Date: Digitized for web: 2009

FILM and TEXT CREDIT: Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, G. William Jones Film and Video Collection The blood of Jesus

Racial identity tied to happiness, study finds

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Black people who identify more strongly with their racial identity are generally happier, according to a study led by psychology researchers at Michigan State University.

The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, appears in the current issue of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, a research journal published by the American Psychological Association.

“This is the first empirical study we know of that shows a relationship between racial identity and happiness,” said Stevie C.Y. Yap, doctoral candidate in psychology at MSU and lead researcher on the project.

Previous research has found a relationship between racial identity and favorable outcomes such as self-esteem, Yap said, but none has made the link with happiness.

For the study, the researchers surveyed black adults in Michigan. The results suggest the more the participants identified with being black – or the more being black was an important part of who they are – the more happy they were with life as a whole, Yap said.

Stevie C.Y. Yap, doctoral candidate in psychology.

The study also explored the reasons behind the connection. Yap said it may be fueled by a sense of belongingness – that is, blacks with a strong sense of racial identity may feel more connected to their racial group, which in turn makes them happy. This sense of belongingness is especially important for happiness in women, Yap said. “For men, the potential factors relating identity to happiness is still an open question,” he said. Yap’s fellow researchers are Isis Settles, MSU associate professor of psychology, and Jennifer Pratt-Hyatt, assistant professor of psychology at Northwest Missouri State University.

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Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

Contact: Andy Henion, University Relations, Office: (517) 355-3294, Cell: (517) 281-6949, Andy.Henion@ur.msu.edu; Stevie Yap, Psychology, Office: (517) 339-3966, yapstevi@msu.edu Published: March 04, 2011

Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison to Speak, Receive Honorary Degree at Rutgers’ 245th Commencement May 15

For first time, universitywide ceremony will be held at new Rutgers Stadium.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Toni Morrison, recognized as one of the most influential writers in American literary history, will be the keynote speaker at Rutgers’ 245th anniversary Commencement Sunday, May 15, it was announced at today’s Board of Governors meeting.

Morrison, who in 1993 became the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature, also will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree at the first universitywide graduation ceremony at the new Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway.

Morrison’s nine major novels – The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Beloved, Jazz, Paradise, Love and A Mercy – have earned extensive critical acclaim. She received the National Book Critics Award in 1978 for Song of Solomon and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Beloved. Both novels were chosen as main selections for the Book of Month Club in 1977 and 1987, respectively. Additionally, Beloved was chosen by the New York Times Book Review as the best work of American fiction published in the last quarter century.

Morrison is the Robert F. Goheen Professor in the Humanities, Emerita, at Princeton University. She was appointed to that position in 1989 and held the post until 2006. Prior to her appointment at Princeton, Morrison was the Schweitzer Professor of the Humanities, College of the Humanities and Fine Arts, State University of New York at Albany, and a senior editor at Random House for 20 years.

Morrison has received numerous other prestigious awards, including the 2010 Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, 2000 National Humanities Medal, 2000 Library of Congress Bicentennial Living Legend Award, 1996 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and 1993 Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters. Morrison is a trustee of the New York Public Library and a member of the American Academy, the Institute of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a member of the American Philosophical Society, Cities of Refuge North America and the Author’s Guild, where she served on the Guild council and as foundation treasurer. She also served on the National Council of the Arts for six years.

Morrison earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Howard University and a Master of Arts in English from Cornell University.

Media Contact: Steve Manas 732-932-7084, ext. 612 E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu

World-renowned opera singer Simon Estes to visit UW-Green Bay

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will welcome world-renowned opera singer Simon Estes to campus on March 4, 2011.

Estes, a bass-baritone, will offer a Master Class from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Fort Howard Hall in the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public.

Estes will also conduct an informal discussion for music students from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Student Life/American Intercultural Center, University Union, Suite 150. Estes will talk to the students about music and leadership.

A native of Iowa, Estes began his career at the University of Iowa where he was the first African-American member of the “Old Gold Singers.” He made his professional debut with the Deutsche Opera in Berlin in 1965. Since then, he has performed with the world’s leading opera companies and orchestras. Estes is one of the performers who helped break down racial barriers in the opera world.

Besides his performances, Estes also teaches music at Iowa State University and Wartburg College. Estes travels the world giving master classes and talks designed to teach not just music, but also artistic and personal values.

Simon Estes

Estes was originally scheduled to visit campus on Feb. 25 but has rescheduled. The appearance is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Provost’s Office, the Office of Student Life, the American Intercultural Center, Music Educators National Conference – Green Bay chapter, American Choral Directors Association, the Music discipline and the Arts and Visual Design academic unit. This the second time Estes has come to UW-Green Bay. The singer gave a Master Class on campus in 2004. #11-24 UW-Green Bay, CL815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2214 Posted by: Robert Hornacek | February 28, 2011 - 10:19 am

New PAS Chair Hopes to Promote Professional Integrity, Study Abroad Programs for Students

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Mar. 3rd, 2011) ― Karin Stanford has always wanted to change the world. As a child growing up in Inglewood, she wondered why the black boys in her neighborhood were disappearing. She found out many were sent to the California Youth Authority, often wrongly accused and abused.

“I saw it as a problem,” Stanford said. “I thought I could make it better, make a difference.”

Today, Stanford is changing the face of Cal State Northridge’s Department of Pan African Studies (PAS) as only the second woman to head one of the oldest and largest black studies programs in the nation. She also has recently authored “Images of America: African Americans in Los Angeles,” a book she hopes will change the image of the “history” of blacks in Los Angeles.

Stanford went off to college with her mind set on becoming a prison warden or an attorney. She double majored in community service and political science and earned bachelor’s degrees from California State University, Chico. By 1988, she had earned a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California, but her interests began to change.

Karin Stanford, chair of the Department of Pan African Studies. Photo by Lee Choo

“I became increasingly involved in local politics and activism. Jesse Jackson had run for president. The anti-apartheid movement was big and I was learning more about international affairs,” Stanford recalled. She decided to leave Los Angeles and move to Washington, D.C. to earn a doctorate in political science at Howard University. Stanford said her view of the world began to change, influenced by her work as a congressional aide and with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and her travels to other countries. A college advisor at Howard urged her to apply for a post-doctoral fellowship that sent her career in another direction. “My life chances were rooted in my interest in learning,” Stanford said. “I never planned on being an academic.” She was a post-doctoral scholar and instructor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from 1992-94 and then worked as an assistant professor at the University of Georgia in political science and African American Studies from 1994-97.

She was happy to return to California, her home state, in 2003, as a professor in California State University, Northridge’s PAS department.

“I believe being here is a gift to me,” Stanford said. She carved a niche on campus as an expert on “hip hop culture” as head of the department’s Hip Hop Think Tank and director of the DuBois-Hamer Institute.

Stanford said it is an honor to serve as chair of a department with such a rich history. The department was officially formed in 1969 as the Afro-American Studies Department. It was organized in the wake of campus protests and the mass arrest of hundreds of students who were angry about the treatment of students of color.

“This department has contributed to the growth and development of so many people,” she said. “When students graduate, they leave with a sense of accomplishment, self-esteem and respect for African and African-American culture.”

Her goals as chair include promoting professionalism and integrity, faculty development and expanding study abroad programs and courses that are more policy-oriented for students.

She is the author of several books and articles, including “If We Die: African American Voices on War and Peace,” “Black Political Organizations in the Post Civil Rights Era,” and “Beyond the Boundaries: Reverend Jesse Jackson and International Affairs.”

For her latest book, Stanford partnered with the Institute for Arts and Media at CSUN to put together a collection of images of black life from the beaches to Hollywood to the streets of Central Avenue. The book includes a mix of photos from everyday people to early settlers like Bridget “Biddy” Mason, 1940s and 50s singing great Nat “King” Cole, the legendary Mayor Tom Bradley and the late pop superstar Michael Jackson.

“I hope readers understand the diversity of black life in Los Angeles and the contributions we have made,” she said.

California State University, Northridge has more than 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 66 bachelor’s and 53 master’s degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.

Media Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler || carmen.chandler@csun.edu (818) 677-2130

Emory Libraries to Preserve Rare African American Scrapbooks

Rare African American scrapbooks at Emory’s Manuscript, Archives and Rare Books Library (MARBL) can be saved from the perils of disintegration thanks to a $170,000 three-year matching Save America’s Treasures grant. 



The grant will be used to conserve African American scrapbooks and create digital surrogates to enhance access to the historical materials – the scrapbooks of artists, writers, students, vaudeville performers, preachers and former slaves. The Emory Libraries will provide the matching amount.

Thirty-four scrapbooks have been selected, with dates ranging from 1883 to 1975. They include the scrapbooks of author Alice Walker, vaudeville performers “Jolly” John Larkin and Johnny Hudgins, entertainer and playwright Flourney Miller, Spelman College graduate Virginia Hannon, and former slave and author W.S. Scarborough, who became a professor of classics at Wilberforce University, and eventually its president.

“Scrapbooks have often been treated as the unwanted children or the neglected orphans of the archives. They are difficult to handle, they are often in fragile physical condition, and they are a mix of memorabilia of every description and taste,” says Randall K. Burkett, MARBL’s curator of African American collections.

A page from Alice Walker's scrapbook

“These scrapbooks give us a glimpse into how these artists and students and former slaves thought about themselves, their families, their work. The funding for this project will allow us to preserve these important memory books.” 'The scrapbooks are deteriorating rapidly' MARBL and the Emory Libraries’ preservation department and Digital Curation Center will collaborate on the project, says Laura Carroll, manuscript archivist and principal investigator for the grant.

The scrapbooks contain items that disintegrate quickly or are easily damaged, such as folded newspaper clippings, pressed flowers and single-use paper items such as ticket stubs, napkins and telegram paper. The objects usually were attached with adhesives such as cheap tape, pastes or cement glue, also harmful to the archival materials.

The project is urgent because the scrapbooks are deteriorating rapidly, Carroll says. “We’re losing original information. People annotate their photographs.” Walker, for example, wrote original poems in her scrapbook. “The clock is ticking.”

Once the project begins, the scrapbooks first will be sent to preservation to be stabilized to prevent further damage. Digital surrogates will be created, which will be used in classrooms and MARBL’s reading room, unless researchers request the originals.

“The originals will still be available,” Carroll says. “Nothing replaces the original.” The work is expected to begin when funds arrive mid-year and will take place over the next three years.

The Save America’s Treasures grant is awarded through the Department of Interior and the National Park Service, in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

###

Emory University 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 USA 404.727.6123

Contact:

1. Maureen McGavin: 404.727.6898
2. Elaine Justice: 404.727.0643

Dr. Clara Small Earns Harriet Ross Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award

SALISBURY, MD---When Harriet Tubman led escaped slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad, her brave acts helped pave the way for African-Americans in the United States for generations to come.

Today, community leaders like Dr. Clara Small, professor of history at Salisbury University, are ensuring those deeds are not forgotten.

For her efforts in preserving Tubman’s memory, Small is the African-American Tourism Council of Maryland’s 2011 Harriet Ross Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.

“I cannot think of any individual more deserving of this award than Dr. Clara Small,” said SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach. “Her efforts to preserve and promote African-American history, including Harriet Tubman, are well known throughout the state. Her dedication, however, does not end there. A leader on campus and in the community, her reputation as a scholar and educator extends beyond Maryland. We are proud that she has spent more than three decades enriching young minds at Salisbury University and that she continues to be a shining star at our Maryland University of National Distinction.”

Small also will be recognized during the Maryland General Assembly on Thursday, March 10, during the 11th annual Harriet Ross Tubman Day of Remembrance, commemorating the 98th anniversary of Tubman’s death in 1913.

Dr. Clara Small

The history professor is currently working as with the National and Maryland park services to help establish the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park near the site of Tubman’s birthplace in Dorchester County, MD. Recently, she shared her admiration for Tubman as a sculpture dedicated to the anti-slavery pioneer was dedicated on SU’s campus: “Can the value of this remarkable woman be doubted? Her efforts to end slavery, and additionally, her fight for women’s suffrage, speak eloquently about her ability?”

In addition to helping establish the Underground Railroad, Tubman aided the Union Army during the Civil War, recruiting and training spies and scouts, and leading at least one charge along the Combahee River in South Carolina that disrupted Southern supply lines and freed more than 750 slaves. Following the war she promoted education in the South and, with friend and supporter Susan B. Anthony, became a national spokeswoman for the suffrage movement.

A member of the Maryland Governor’s Commission to Study the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland, Small is well known in the community for her talks on African-American and women’s history, averaging about 90 each year at schools, churches, prisons, halfway houses and civic meetings.

She is the author of an article, “Abolitionists, Free Blacks and Runaway Slaves: Surviving Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the book A History of African-Americans on Maryland’s and Delaware’s Eastern Shore, and two books: A Reality Check: Brief Biographies of African-Americans on Delmarva and, with the Rev. David Briddell, Men of Color, to Arms! Manumitted Slaves and Free Blacks From the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland Who Served in the Civil War.

In addition to her scholarly work, she adds her leadership to a number of local organizations, including Pemberton Hall Manor, SU’s Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, and the Thomas E. Polk Sr. chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers. Through a grant from the Community Foundation, she helped promote and sponsor the annual Buffalo Soldiers Summer Youth Workshop to educate area children.

At SU, Small has been a noteworthy professor both in and out of the classroom. She has served as an advisor to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first African-American sorority on campus. She was the long-time advisor for SU’s Union of African-American Students and was a catalyst for establishing a student chapter of the NAACP.

She also organized the Maryland Gamma chapter of the Pi Gamma Mu honor society in the social sciences at SU, serving as its co-advisor since 1982. Nationally, she was named its chancellor of the northeastern region in 1991 and has been re-elected to the post every three years since. In 2005, the international organization honored her with its Faithful Service Award.

Beyond her service to the campus, Small has provided food and comfort to those in need. She coordinated efforts in the Salisbury community to send more than 140 boxes of relief supplies to victims of Hurricane Floyd in her native North Carolina, going beyond local collection to drive three vanloads of food, blankets, clothing and other needed items to the stricken area. She was the first person at SU to organize relief efforts for victims in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. At the local level, she continues to coordinate the collection of non-perishable goods for the Maryland Food Bank in Salisbury and other agencies.

Small is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the University System of Maryland’s highest faculty honor, the Board of Regents Award for Excellence, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award. She also has earned the Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council’s Tee O’Conner Award for outstanding contributions to African-American heritage issues, as well as the Wicomico County Commission for Women’s Community Service Award and the SU Alumni Association’s Faculty Appreciation Award.

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Salisbury University · 1101 Camden Ave. · Salisbury, MD 21801 · 410-543-6000 For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.

LISTINGS FROM DIRECTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ARCHITECTS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

Cincinnati -- A University of Cincinnati-developed tool to enhance the professional prospects of African American architects has just gone "high tech."

The Directory of African American Architects, developed by UC professor of architecture Dennis Alan Mann and by former UC colleague and current Hampton University professor of architecture Bradford Grant, was most recently published in hard- copy form in 1996. A recently updated listing of licensed African American architects practicing in the United States totaling 1302 names has just been placed on the Web at blackarch.uc.edu.

"The Web listing serves as an accurate means for professionals in the field to gauge the progress of African Americans within architecture until a revised hard copy of the directory can be published. For instance, it's a valuable tool for first-generation African American firms where the founders are nearing retirement age. Many of these firm founders are looking for young African American architects to bring in as partners, to eventually take over," explained Mann.

The new website currently contains an alphabetical listing of licensed African American architects and the city and state where they reside. A state-by-state listing is also available. More detailed contact information, such as business addresses and phone numbers, is not available on this site but can be obtained through the hard-copy directory or other sources. "Most states have contact information for licensed architects on the Web or available via phone," Mann added.

Dennis Alan Mann

In the near future, this site will also contain summaries of the surveys of African American architects that Mann and Grant have completed. It will contain an "in memoriam" section listing licensed African American architects who have passed away since publication of the last directory. It will also link to related sites. Through ongoing research connected to African Americans in architecture, Mann has noted some encouraging trends. For instance, the number of African American woman practicing architecture has more than doubled in the last decade.

When the first Directory of African American Architects was published in 1991, 49 African American women were listed as licensed practitioners. Today, that number stands at 111. As a whole, however, African Americans represent just slightly more than 1 percent of the country's licensed architects. -30-

Jan. 20, 2000 Contact: Mary Bridget Reilly 513-556-1824 mary-bridget.reilly@uc.edu

Signal Soldiers commemorate African Americans' service

Signal Soldiers commemorate African Americans' service Feb 26, 2011 By Spc. Charlene Apatang Mendiola.

Strength, courage, and determination describe the African-American men and women who have struggled and contributed to their success within the U.S. military.

The 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion hosted the Black History Month celebration on Camp Victory, Feb. 16, to highlight the distinguished military heritage of African Americans who have, since the Civil War, committed themselves to the nation's defense.

Highlights of the 90-minute event included a slideshow presentation of "Little Known Black History Facts," singing of the National Anthem and the Black National Anthem and keynote speaker, Maj. Ericka M. Brooks, executive officer with the 40th ESB.

Brooks, a U.S. Military Academy graduate, remembers a time when her attendance at West Point as an African American female was not an option. My grandfather and all of his brothers were in the military at a time when only whites could be officers, she said. "I am standing here as an officer in a fully integrated unit."

Spc. Tyrek Parham, a human resources specialist with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th ESB sings the Black National Anthem during the Black History Month celebration. Photo Credit: Spc. Charlene Apatang Mendiola.

Brooks' accomplishments are not insignificant. Despite the number of military conflicts African Americans were involved in, they were not fully integrated into the U.S. armed forces until 1948. It is important that history is taught and learned, Brooks said, otherwise past mistakes will be repeated. Photos of African American heroes such as President Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois hung on the walls, creating a timeline honoring those who lead, overcame, and broke down barriers to make America a nation of unity.

"Dr. Martin Luther King is a remarkable icon," said Sgt. Dustin Leechadwick Yates, a radio and communications security repairer with Company B, 40th ESB. "He is known to be one of the initiators of the civil rights movement who fought for fair treatment and equality for every person in America."

Every ethnicity has played a role in getting where we are today, Brooks said. There are values in people, their culture, traditions and experiences; sharing this helps make U.S. forces much more
powerful.

"Behind the lines of race, color, or creed, we become a stronger force," said 1st Lt. Anthony Browitt, a battalion maintenance officer with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th ESB. "A force united through common goals and through racial lines makes us the strongest military in the world."

"Black history is a part of American history," said Brooks. "We wouldn't be the America we are today if it weren't for that."

From THE DICK CAVETT SHOW. September 18, 1972. The Raelettes are: Vernita Moss, Susaye Green, Mable John, Dorothy Berry, & Estella Yarbrough.

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: The Official Homepage of the United States Army

VIDEO CREDIT: cavettbiter

Honoring John Henry (“Dick”) Turpin, Chief Gunner’s Mate, USN. (1876-1962)

National African American History Month in February celebrates the contributions that African Americans have made to American history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our Nation””s history. This February, we””ve selected a few African Americans who served in the U.S. Navy to feature here on the blog. For more on the African American Experience in the Navy over the years, visit the Naval History & Heritage Command””s website or the award-winning African Americans and the U.S. Navy presentation.

John Henry Turpin was born on 20 August 1876. Enlisted in the Navy at New York City on 4 November 1896, he was a member of USS Maine’s crew when she was destroyed by an explosion in February 1898. He survived that disaster, and the boiler explosion on USS Bennington in July 1905, as well as serving on several other ships before he left active duty in 1916. Recalled to service when the U.S. entered World War I in April 1917, on 1 June of that that year, Turpin became Chief Gunner’s Mate on USS Marblehead, one of the Navy’s first African-American Chief Petty Officers. He served actively in that rank until transferred to the Fleet Reserve on 8 March 1919. John Henry Turpin retired as a Chief Gunner’s Mate on 5 October 1925.

When not serving on active duty, Turpin was employed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, as a Master Rigger. He also qualified, in his civilian capacity, as a Master Diver. From 1938 through World War II, he voluntarily made inspirational visits to Naval Training Centers and defense plants. John Henry Turpin died on 10 March 1962. Navy Live is the official blog of the United States Navy and is maintained by Department of the Navy, Office of Information (CHINFO). February 23rd, 2011 posted by tjohnson This is a World Wide Web site for official information about the United States Navy. It is provided as a public service by the U.S. Navy's Office of Information, Washington, D.C..

The purpose of this Web site is to provide information about the United States Navy to the general public. All information on this site is considered public information and may be distributed or copied unless otherwise specified. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested.

Sonia Sanchez is a special guest on the UMass Dartmouth Campus on February 28 and March 1

February 28: 7p.m.: In closing the Black History Month events, renowned author and poet Sonia Sanchez will give a keynote address and book signing. Books will be available for signing in the auditorium foyer at the end of the event.

On March 1, 2 p.m.: Opening kick-off for Women's History Month Sonia Sanchez will give a poetry reading and hold a writing workshop.

The public is invited to these free events in the UMass Dartmouth main auditorium at the Dartmouth Campus, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth. Parking is in lots 5 and 7.

Sonia Sanchez. is a poet--mother--professor and a national and international lecturer on black culture and literature; women's liberation, and peace and racial justice. Sanchez is a sponsor of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Board Member of MADRE:

Sanchez is the author of over 16 books including Homecoming, We a BaddDDD People, Love Poems, I've Been a Woman, A Sound Investment and Other Stories, Homegirls and Handgrenades, Under a Soprano Sky, Wounded in the House of a Friend (Beacon Press, 1995), Does Your House Have Lions? (Beacon Press, 1997), Like the Singing Coming off the Drums (Beacon Press, 1998), Shake Loose My Skin (Beacon Press, 1999), and most recently, Morning Haiku (Beacon Press, 2010). In addition to being a contributing editor to Black Scholar and The Journal of African Studies, she has edited an anthology, We Be Word Sorcerers: 25 Stories by Black Americans. BMA: The Sonia Sanchez Literary Review is the first African American Journal that discusses the work of Sonia Sanchez and the Black Arts Movement.

Sonia Sanchez

Sanchez is recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts, the Lucretia Mott Award for 1984, the Outstanding Arts Award from the Pennsylvania Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Community Service Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, she is a winner of the 1985 American Book Award for Homegirls and Handgrenades, the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Humanities for 1988, the Peace and Freedom Award from Women International League for Peace and Freedom (W.I.L.P.F.) for 1989, a PEW Fellowship in the Arts for 1992-1993 and the recipient of Langston Hughes Poetry Award for 1999.

Does Your House Have Lions? was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Sanchez is the Poetry Society of America's 2001 Robert Frost Medalist and a Ford Freedom Scholar from the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Her poetry also appeared in the movie Love Jones.

Sonia Sanchez has lectured at over 500 universities and colleges in the United States and has traveled extensively, reading her poetry in Africa, Cuba, England, the Caribbean, Australia, Europe, Nicaragua, the People's Republic of China, Norway, and Canada. She was the first Presidential Fellow at Temple University and she held the Laura Carnell Chair in English at Temple University. She is the recipient of the Harper Lee Award, 2004, Alabama Distinguished Writer, and the National Visionary Leadership Award for 2006. She is the recipient of the 2005 Leeway Foundation Transformational Award. Currently, Sonia Sanchez is one of 20 African American women featured in "Freedom Sisters," an interactive exhibition created by the Cincinnati Museum Center and Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition and she was the recipient of the Robert Creeley award in March of 2009.

For more information contact Donna Moore, dmoore@umassd.edu or call 508-999-9222.

Author: Donna Moore [Contact] Date: February 25, 2011 Department: Cultural

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth • 285 Old Westport Road • North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300 Phone: 508 999-8000 • TDD: 508 999-9250 (for the hearing impaired)

Racism Shapes African-American Women’s Views on Depression Care

Study of African-American women living in Portland, Ore., reveals racism, expectation to be a “strong Black woman” are significant obstacles to depression care

African-American women’s beliefs about depression and depression care are consistently and systematically influenced by racism, according to a new study conducted at Oregon Health & Science University. The results are published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

To be eligible for the study, participants had to be 18 or older, consider themselves African-American, have a score of 15 or higher on Patient Health Questionnaire Depression scale and have experienced intimate partner violence at some time in their lives. Thirty women participated in four private focus groups facilitated by African-American female community members of the research team.

Study participants were asked about their experiences and beliefs surrounding the relationship between violence and health in general, mental health, depression, and depression treatments. They also were asked to discuss their recommendations for improving depression care. The researchers found one issue dominated discussions about depression care — the participants’ deep mistrust of what they perceived to be a “White” health care system.

From left to right: Christina Nicolaidis, M.D., OHSU; S. Renee Mitchell, Interconnections Project community partners at large; Mary Jo Thomas, Multnomah County Department of Mental Health and Addiction; Vanessa Timmons, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Portland; and Stephanie Wahab, M.S.W., Ph.D., School of Social Work, Portland State University

“These women were extremely wary of most depression treatments and providers they associated with ‘White’ systems of care. Although they acknowledged that violence, depression and substance abuse adversely affected their health, discussions about health care revolved around their perceptions of racism,” said Christina Nicolaidis, M.D., M.P.H., principal investigator and an associate professor of medicine (general internal medicine and geriatrics), and public health and preventive medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine. “Based on our findings, we recommend health and mental health providers endeavor to better understand and acknowledge how racism informs the experiences and perceptions of their patients.”

The expectation of being a “strong Black woman” also was a significant barrier to recognizing depression and seeking care. Co-investigator S. Renee Mitchell has used this finding to launch a campaign asking: “Strong Black woman – what are you burying, your feelings or the myth?” The research team also has organized several community depression and violence awareness events titled “Redefining the Blues.” An additional event is planned for the fall.

Study participants expressed a desire for community-based depression programs that addressed violence and drug use and are staffed by African-Americans with “real-life experiences.” In response to this request, the research team used their study data to create a community-based, culturally tailored depression-care program, which they currently are pilot-testing at Bradley-Angle House’s Healing Roots Center, a drop-in center for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

The researchers make clear that their results aren’t reflective of all African-American depressed women, especially those who live in places with larger African-American populations, those with higher incomes and those who have not experienced intimate partner violence.

“Future study is needed to test the generalizability of our findings, as well as the effectiveness of culturally specific interventions in reducing depressions severity and improving depression care among African-American women,” the researchers concluded.

The research team comprised Nicolaidis; Vanessa Timmons, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Portland; Mary Jo Thomas, Multnomah County Department of Mental Health and Addiction, Portland; A. Star Waters and S. Renee Mitchell, Interconnections Project community partners at large, Portland; Stephanie Wahab, School of Social Work, Portland State University; and Angie Mejia, OHSU Department of Medicine.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, and the Northwest Health Foundation Kaiser Permanente Community Fund.

About Oregon Health & Science University

Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only health and research university and Oregon's only academic health center. OHSU is Portland's largest employer and the fourth largest in Oregon (excluding government). OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support activities not found anywhere else in the state. It serves patients from every corner of the state, and is a conduit for learning for more than 3,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to every county in the state.

Media Contact: Tamara Hargens-Bradley 503 494-8231 Email Tamara

Florida’s first African American Guardsman continues service in community

Grandson carries on family tradition of National Guard service By Staff Sgt. Blair Heusdens Florida National Guard Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., (Feb. 23, 2011) – It was 1963. Northeast Florida was center stage of the Civil Rights Movement. Protests, marches and riots – some peaceful, some violent – marked a period of resistance from segregation and movement toward equal rights in America.

Amidst the racial tension, James Solomon Bryant, an African American postal worker from Jacksonville, Fla., became the first African American to enlist in the Florida National Guard in October 1963. Bryant remembers feeling proud as he walked down the streets of downtown Jacksonville in uniform for his first drill at the Maxwell C. Synder Armory, located on the corner of Market and State Streets.

“When it was announced that I was the first black Guardsman, people would look at me like, ‘What? Him?’” remembers Bryant. “It was an accomplishment, you can imagine. We just thought of the armory as some place of socializing, but it was the headquarters that controlled the first line of defense; and you’re a part of it.”

Bryant served in the Air Force during the Korean War, before returning in 1953 to North Florida to find a job as a postal worker. The opportunity to join the Florida National Guard came from a co-worker at the post office, a second lieutenant in the 55th Command Headquarters. He mentioned to Bryant that he was interested in getting an African American into the National Guard. Bryant, though unwilling at first after nearly 10 years out of the service, decided to give it a go.

Pride of service

Bryant remembers taking his physical and the oath of enlistment into the Florida National Guard in the evening so as not to draw too much attention. His aptitude tests indicated he had mechanical abilities. A slot was available in the motor pool section of the 55th Command Headquarters, so Bryant came into the Florida National Guard as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic.

“I grew up around trucks, so it wasn’t anything I hadn’t done as far as changing tires, working on engines and transmissions,” said Bryant. “I was not a novice to that.”

Bryant served four years in the Florida National Guard. During that time, he had the opportunity to serve on state active duty during Hurricane Dora in 1964 by providing a generator to power a local school. He was also on active duty during the 1964 race riots in Jacksonville, pulling duty at the armory where rioters were held. Bryant was also chosen for the honor of driving Governor Kirk and Generals Ballard and Simmons for a review of the troops during Kirk’s gubernatorial inauguration in 1967.

During annual training at Fort Stewart, Ga., in 1966 Bryant received top marks and praise from reviewers while serving as the chief of the unit’s motor section. The report states that, “Specialist 5 Bryant of Maintenance was in charge and is very capable, a definite credit to the unit.”

“In the motor pool, we just prided ourselves because we wanted our vehicles to look top-notch,” said Bryant. “The deuce and a half had to hum right. We tuned them to perfection and they recognized that.”

Bryant said there were some problems because of his race, but, for the most part, he got along well with his fellow Soldiers.

“I look at it as God-given, how you treat people,” said Bryant. “Because I came not as a novice, I came as a citizen; I came as a married person; I came as a deacon; I came as a valued employee with the postal service. So a combination of skills that were God given – just being able to treat people right – endeared me to them and we got along good.”

After leaving the Florida National Guard, Bryant became more involved with the post office and received his introduction into postal management when he became the first black assistant safety officer in 1971. He continued to advance in leadership positions throughout his 35-year postal career before retiring in 1988.

“God’s Men”

Bryant took the values he learned in the military, along with his concern for people, and put them into service within the Jacksonville community. He was ordained as a deacon at the Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Jacksonville in 1958. Through the church he became involved in local politics, where he had the opportunity to meet and interact with many different people within the community.

“God called me into ministry, not as a pastor of a church, he just simply spoke to me early one morning,” said Bryant. “He said, ‘God’s men,’ very audible. He gave me direction of what he wanted, which is to make men of caliber – not in the limelight or spotlight – just men.”

Bryant assembled a group of approximately 20 men to make a difference in the community. He believed that good men of character from all walks of life could have a positive impact in the Jacksonville area.

“I told them this, ‘I don’t care who you are; you leave that at the door, because now we are all men of equal ground. We are able to do things for people God’s way,’” said Bryant.

Bryant is involved in several projects within the Jacksonville community through his ministries. He works closely with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Advisory Council, which encourages partnerships between law enforcement and the community. Bryant also helps ex-offenders who are coming out of the prison system and works closely with the Baker County Correctional Facility. This past Christmas, Bryant and his peers helped 63 local children through the Angel Tree program.

“We look at religion as a blessing,” said Bryant. “Not because of title or prominence, but to be able to do something for people and keep that common touch.”

Family ties

As the eldest of six children, family has always been very important to Bryant. His large family includes four children (one who died in 2000), seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Patriotism and sense of service are evident in the military tradition within his family. Bryant’s son, the late James S. Bryant, III, served in the Florida National Guard and one of his grandsons, Sgt. Douglas Bryant, currently serves in the Florida National Guard as an information technology specialist.

“When I was younger, I used to visit Camp Blanding,” said Douglas. “My grandfather would take me out there and show me around a little bit and he gave me the story along the way about him being the first black national guardsman.”

Like many, the youngest Bryant saw the benefits that the Guard offered for education, but has come to appreciate the impact the National Guard has had upon his family and the opportunities that are available to him.

“As I started going through the day-to-day operations of the Guard and as I went through school, it allowed me to find a career within the Guard,” said Douglas.

With a degree under his belt, Douglas is focused on the future, a future he sees with the Florida National Guard. One of his goals is to become a warrant officer.

“I want to be the first officer in the family,” said Douglas. “Being a trailblazer; it’s kind of hard to picture yourself doing that; because nobody before me has done that. I not only want to make myself proud, but also my family and my country. I want to try to make some more first time-type history within the family.”

The eldest Bryant doesn’t regret his military service and carries an immense amount of pride in his accomplishments and service.

“It gave me an opportunity to really know how to transition from civilian to military at a phone call,” Bryant said. “I call it ‘Operation Ready.’ You become the state’s first defender. You never forget that ever that you’ve sworn the duty.”

Although his military service was groundbreaking, Bryant’s service to the Jacksonville community has been with less display but is no less important. A self-professed workaholic, Bryant plans to continue to work to make a positive difference in the Jacksonville community.

“There are so many good programs to keep our young people involved,” said Bryant. “We take pleasure in sharing what’s happening in Jacksonville. We have a cross section of things that we’re doing; we’re not making a big splash, just doing it.” ###

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Florida National Guard Public Affairs

Submariners Recognized as Black Engineer Award Winners

By Kevin Copeland, Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Five submariners were recognized at the 2011 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) in Washington, D.C., Feb. 19.

Rear Adm. Bruce E. Grooms, Lt. Cmdr. James Mahoney, Lt. Michael Paisant, Lt. Thomas Dotstry and Lt. j.g. Cameron Lindsay were all recognized at the awards ceremony for demonstrated technology leadership contributions within the African-American community.

Two award competitions are held annually for BEYA recognition, one for Professional and Career Achievement, and one for the organization's Modern Day Technology Leaders. Sponsored by the Career Communications Group, the BEYA awards program recognize men and women from around the country who demonstrate outstanding performance in a technical field and show great potential for shaping the future course of science, technology, engineering and math.

Grooms was recognized for with the award for Professional Achievement in Government. This award is presented to a highly professional past the midpoint of their career which signifies achievements in government as a role model and leader for other minorities.

110218-N-ZB612-090 WASHINGTON (Feb. 18, 2011) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead delivers the keynote address at the 2011 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) Stars and Stripes dinner. The event is part of the BEYA Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst/Released)

Grooms is currently assigned as the Assistant Deputy, Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5B) on the Chief of Naval Operations staff in Washington, D.C. Mahoney, Paisant, Dostry and Cameron were recognized as Modern Day Technology Leaders. Mahoney, a native of Sumter, S.C., is currently assigned as deputy assistant chief of staff for Resources and Requirements for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain; Paisant, an Atlanta native, is currently assigned as navigator and operations officer aboard Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Montpelier (SSN 765); Dotstry, a native of Newport News, Va., is currently assigned as admissions advisor at the U.S. Naval Academy; and Lindsay, a Kernersville, N.C. native, is currently assigned as assistant engineer, sonar officer, and dive division officer on Virginia-class attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Capt. Richard R. Bryant was also announced as a recipient of the Professional Achievement in Government award and will be recognized as the 14th recipient of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Golden Torch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Government at the 37th Annual NSBE Conference in St. Louis March 26.

"I am very humbled, and internally pleased to be recognized for this award," said Bryant. "Just to be considered is an immense honor, but to be selected is something more touching. I am glad that I am able to bring the message about the Navy's nuclear propulsion program to some who do not understand the program and may not have the opportunity to see it. It is a challenge to maintain a diverse work force in the Navy's nuclear program, because individuals who qualify for nuclear engineering are certainly qualified for other civilian occupations."

"It is poignant and very spiritual for me to receive this award in my hometown of St. Louis, because I grew up in the rough section of Kinlock and not many nuclear engineers come from there," continued Bryant. "Presentation of the award there sends a strong message that hard work and determination can be springboards to future success. Once again, I am extremely humbled by my selection, and having known previous recipients, it is tough for me to realize I belong in their company."

NSBE is the premier organization serving African-Americans in engineering and technology, and are the link between the African-American community and the world of technology. The Golden Torch Awards link the accomplishments of distinguished African-American engineers and technical professionals with college bound dreams of pre-college students.

Bryant is currently the Special Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Chairman's Action Group at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He will soon assume command of Commander, Submarine Squadron Three in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

For more news from Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/sublant/.