Genetic data related to sodium-regulating hormone may help explain hypertension risk in populations of African ancestry

These news tips provide information reported from research presented at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure research 2010 Scientific Sessions.

Abstract P298

New research points to the existence of a gene on chromosome 5 that influences how much aldosterone is produced — which may be excessive in African-descended populations.

“Aldosterone was very important to their early ancestors living in the arid climate of Africa,” said J. Howard Pratt, study co-author. “Dietary intake of sodium in today’s world is much higher, and there may not be the need for the amount of aldosterone produced, leading to a level of sodium balance that places individuals at risk for hypertension.”

aldosterone

Among people of African descent, plasma concentrations of the sodium-regulating hormone, aldosterone, are under genetic influences and are associated with higher diastolic blood pressure readings, new research shows. Aldosterone is produced by the adrenal gland. It regulates a region in the kidney called the distal nephron, which is critically important for controlling sodium balance and blood pressure.

The study examined genetic data from families on the Caribbean island of Tobago. Researchers determined that the population has about 94 percent African ancestry.

After adjusting for the effects of age, gender and body mass index on plasma aldosterone concentration and blood pressure, genes account for 34 percent of the variation in aldosterone concentration among individuals, and about 25 percent of the variation in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, according to Candace M. Kammerer, study co-author.

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.americanheart.org/corporatefunding.

Focused, Personal Approach for African American Women Aims to Increase Breast Imaging to Reduce Breast Cancer

An African American woman in Chicago is more than twice as likely to die of breast cancer compared with a White woman according to the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force. A new program at Rush University Medical Center aims to bridge this large disparity by adding a breast health nurse navigator to the Rush team to help overcome barriers such as language, health literacy, logistics and fear that have been identified by the task force as reasons why African American women are less likely to get a mammogram than White women.

“The task force found that an estimated 70 percent of White women in Chicago over the age of 40 have received a mammogram in the last two years compared to 55 percent of African American women,” said Sharon Brown-Elms, manager, Rush Breast Imaging Center. “The recommendations of the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force, a group whose leadership includes Rush’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Ansell, have guided our approach.”

During the initial year, the nurse navigator will focus on decreasing no-show rates,

discouraging women from delaying or interrupting treatment, and increasing patients’ comfort level in the hospital environment.

“As a nurse, our navigator is equipped to explain complex concepts. As an individual intimately familiar with the target community, she is attuned to the needs and cultural assets of her audience,” said Brown-Elms.

When women arrive at the Rush Breast Imaging Center or Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center at Rush, the navigator will provide assistance as needed throughout the continuum of care. Her responsibilities will include ensuring timely communication of test results; coordinating appointments; mitigating fears by explaining screenings and procedures; arranging for transportation when necessary; and connecting women to support services and integrative medicine resources that can improve quality of life.

The navigator will conduct follow-up for all women who receive services at Rush’s Breast Imaging Center, contacting approximately 5,000 women during the course of the year via phone, mail, or in person. She will track the weekly no-show rate, calling those who don’t keep appointments and compassionately communicating the importance of screening.

Shama Shrestha, RN, is Rush’s first Breast Health Nurse Navigator. She sees herself as an advocate, teacher, resource and someone to talk to.

“As an advocate I help women come in for mammograms and return for biopsies by helping them overcome powerful, potentially life-threatening barriers to mammograms, whether it is fear, finances, lack of knowledge, time or transportation,” said Shrestha. “Sometimes women just need a simple reminder call with some assurance that it is important to come back and get checked out.”

The project, which is supported by a $75,000 grant from the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is designed to improve access to high quality breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and support services.

“Studies have shown that patient navigators who understand the strengths and needs of the target population can make a real impact on the timeliness of screenings and diagnoses as well as the coordination of treatment,” said Norma Melgoza, assistant vice president, Hospital Operations, Rush University Medical Center.

The navigator will make a special priority of building relationships in predominantly African-American neighborhoods on the South and West Sides of Chicago, offering educational presentations to church and community groups to emphasize the importance of quality in cancer screening and diagnosis.

While the nurse navigator services are available to all who need them, the program strives to reach those who are low income, uninsured and lack a regular medical provider. In 2008, Rush became the first of Chicago’s academic medical centers to serve as an Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program site through a partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health. On an annual basis, Rush provides screening and diagnostic services to approximately 700 wait-listed public health patients.

“At the Komen Chicagoland Area Affiliate, we conducted a needs assessment of our community and realized that we must address breast health disparities in underserved communities,” said Executive Director Michael Ziener. “We are confident that Rush’s Breast Health Patient Navigator Program will improve access to high-quality breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment services for African American women.”

Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

Christopher Paul Curtis to speak at University of Minnesota Book Week 70th anniversary, Oct. 21

Award-winning author Christopher Paul Curtis will help the University of Minnesota celebrate 70 years of Book Week when he gives a lecture Thursday, Oct. 21. Since the 1940s, Book Week has celebrated the impact of children’s literature by hosting some of the most notable writers of books for young readers, including Marguerite Henry, Madeleine L’Engle, Beverly Cleary, and Laurence Yep.

Curtis's last Twin Cities appearance was in 2003 as part of Minnesota Public Radio’s Talking Volumes series. His book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, was the Saint Paul Reads citywide book club selection that same year. The Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis produced Bud, Not Buddy in 2008. Curtis will speak about his forthcoming book, The Mighty Miss Malone, which tells the story of Deza, to whom we were briefly introduced in Bud, Not Buddy.

Christopher Paul Curtis’s work often couples African-American history with fiction. He shows the role that children’s literature can play in educating children about social issues, ideas of citizenship, and history.

Book Week event activities begin at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, at the McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis, when faculty and graduate students from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction will present reviews of some of their top picks from children’s literature published in 2010. Curtis will sign his books during a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. To register for the reception, which costs $10, go to cehd.umn.edu/bookweek/Events/. Curtis’s 6:30 p.m. lecture will be followed by another opportunity to have books signed. New Books for Young Readers will be on display from 12 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, Oct. 22.

Book Week is produced by the children’s literature program in the university’s College of Education and Human Development, which is one of the oldest and broadest of its kind. University of Minnesota research has demonstrated that children’s literature plays a vital role in teaching children reading comprehension -- a vital foundation for academic success in all subjects. A compelling story on a topic that captures a young person’s imagination can help them connect to the material, provide fertile ground for higher-level thinking, and foster a love of reading that can improve academic success.

Curtis’s work often couples African-American history with fiction. He shows the role that children’s literature can play in educating children about social issues, ideas of citizenship, and history.

He is the winner of the Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Scott O’Dell Award. For the upcoming Mighty Miss Malone, Curtis says that while it took some time to capture protagonist Deza’s voice, “when I finally caught her, I couldn’t help falling in love with this bright, tough, kind and loving child.” Curtis says he hopes to finish the novel soon, “because if anyone deserves a break it’s Deza.”

Book Week is sponsored by the Ruth Mitchell endowment, the Children’s Literature Area of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, CEHD, the Red Balloon Bookshop, and the Children’s Literature Research Collections of the University of Minnesota Libraries.

A complete schedule of Book Week events and registration information is available at cehd.umn.edu/BookWeek.

University of Minnesota Contacts: Diane Cormany, College of Education and Human Development, dcormany@umn.edu, (612) 626-5650 Patty Mattern, University News Service, mattern@umn.edu, (612) 624-2801

Southern Stitches to be on display at KFAC

Morehead State University’s Kentucky Folk Art Center has announced a new exhibition titled “Southern Stitches: African-American Quilts from the Collection of Larry Hackley” will be on display.

The exhibition opening reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 21, 5-7 p.m. in conjunction with the MSU Reading Series presentation by poet Honorée Jeffers at 7 p.m.

The display at KFAC will run through February 2011.

The exhibition features 16 bold and colorful quilts made by six African-American quilters from Mississippi and Alabama. The quilts were loaned to KFAC for this exhibition by Hackley, a prominent dealer and collector of folk art from Berea. Southern Stitches presents quilts produced during a 10-year period, from the late 1970s through the 1980s.

By the 1980s, there was an active market for grassroots quilts. Collectors sought quilts made by southern African-American quilters. For their part, many of those quilters responded with increased production to satisfy demand for their work. This period was also a time when formerly isolated American regional cultures became faced with the forces of commercial homogenization and the explosion of mass media. The quilts featured in this exhibition reflect those tensions and changes.

“Together, these quilts offer a snapshot of the changes that occurred at the confluence of tradition, market forces, and media-driven popular culture,” said Adrian Swain, KFAC artistic director. “That the outcome was vibrant and exhilarating is a reassuring testament to the creative imagination of these six self-taught artists.”

“Certainly quilts are one of those cultural artifacts most often associated with life in Appalachian Kentucky,” said Matt Collinsworth, director. “Many households in our region can boast more than one hand made quilt, and quilting groups are organized and active in many counties in the region. We’re pleased that Larry Hackley offered us the opportunity to present these quilts as important and interesting documents of another American regional culture. I’m sure our visitors will be eager to see them.”

Kentucky Folk Art Center is a cultural, educational and economic development service of Morehead State University. The Center is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Additional information is available by calling (606) 783-2204 or visiting the Web site at www.kyfolkart.org.

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Morehead State University 150 University Blvd. Morehead, KY 40351 • 1.800.585.6781

African-Americans with high blood pressure need treatment sooner, more aggressively, according to international medical group

Study highlights:

* An international medical group recommends African-Americans be treated for blood pressure at lower threshold levels than the general population.
* The International Society of Hypertension in Blacks’ consensus statement also suggests doctors should move from single drug therapy to combinations of up to four drugs to keep blood pressure comfortably below target levels more quickly.

DALLAS, Oct. 4, 2010 – According to a consensus statement by the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks (ISHIB), high blood pressure in African-Americans is such a serious health problem that treatment should start sooner and be more aggressive. The ISHIB statement is published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

John M. Flack, M.D., M.P.H. Chair of Internal Medicine 2E University Health Center Phone: 313-745-8244 Fax: 313-993-0645 jflack@med.wayne.edu

Complications related to high blood pressure such as stroke, heart failure and kidney damage occur much more frequently in African-Americans compared with whites. “Evidence from several recently completed studies converged to convince our committee that we were waiting a little bit too long to start treating hypertension in African-Americans,” said John M. Flack, M.D., M.P.H., lead author and chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit. The update to the ISHIB’s 2003 consensus statement makes two major recommendations: First, the thresholds at which African-American patients begin treatment should be lowered.

Second, doctors should move quickly from single-drug therapy to multi-drug therapy to keep a patient’s blood pressure comfortably below the thresholds.

“We believe that these recommendations will lead to better blood pressure control, and a better outlook for African-Americans with high blood pressure,” Flack said.

Blood pressure is reported as two numbers, measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The top number represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and the lower number reflects the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.

Blood pressure below 120/80 is considered normal for healthy U.S. adults. However, the ISHIB proposes that doctors recommend lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure in otherwise healthy African-Americans with blood pressure at or above 115/75. Those changes include reduced dietary sodium (salt) and increased potassium from eating more fruits and vegetables, as well as losing weight if necessary, getting regular aerobic exercise and drinking in moderation, Flack said.

“Epidemiological data shows that 115/75 is the critical blood pressure number for adults, and every time that figure goes up by 20/10 the risk of cardiovascular disease essentially doubles. We think it makes perfect sense to start lifestyle changes at that lower threshold,” he said. “The natural history of blood pressure is that it continues to go up as a person ages. In fact, from the age of 50 and onward, Americans have a 90 percent chance of developing hypertension.”

Doctors currently begin drug therapy to reduce blood pressure in patients without a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or high blood pressure-related organ-damage when blood pressure is at or above 140/90. This is referred to as primary prevention. The ISHIB recommends tightening the primary prevention threshold to 135/85 for African-Americans.

In addition, the ISHIB recommends starting treatment earlier for African-Americans who have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease or damage to target organs (the heart, brain, kidneys). This treatment, known as secondary prevention, should start when blood pressure is at or above 130/80, according to the ISHIB statement.

The ISHIB also recommends that doctors move swiftly from single-drug therapy to multi-drug therapy if one agent doesn’t lower the pressure.

“The majority of patients of any race, and certainly African-Americans, are going to need more than one drug to be consistently controlled below their goal,” Flack said. “The debate in the medical community over which single drug is best overwhelms the most pressing question: Which drugs work best together?”

Based on a review of recently completed studies, the ISHIB document provides doctors with step-by-step guidance on the best second, third and fourth drugs to add based on individual patient characteristics. The ISHIB statement provides charts with alternate multi-drug combinations so physicians have several options for keeping patients’ blood pressure under targets, Flack said.

Flack stressed that the ISHIB tried whenever possible to suggest cheaper generic drugs to keep cost from becoming a treatment barrier.

“These guidelines raise the question for addressing issues surrounding treatment strategies and goals for African-Americans with hypertension,” said Sidney C. Smith Jr., M.D., an American Heart Association spokesman and professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, N.C. “Studies continue to accumulate that address ethnic, age and gender differences, as well as optimal therapies.”

A major comprehensive statement regarding hypertension is expected to be published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by late 2011, Smith said.

The American Heart Association participates as a member organization in the NIH Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC) guidelines.

Co-authors of the ISHIB statement are: Domenic A. Sica, M.D.; George Bakris, M.D.; Angela L. Brown, M.D.; Keith C. Ferdinand, M.D.; Richard H. Grimm, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.; W. Dallas Hall, M.D.; Wendell E. Jones, M.D.; David S. Kountz, M.D.; Janice P. Lea, M.D.; Samar Nasser, P.A.-C., M.P.H.; Shawna D. Nesbitt, M.D.; Elijah Saunders, M.D.; Margaret Scisney-Matlock, R.N., Ph.D. and Kenneth A. Jamerson, M.D. Individual author disclosures are on the manuscript. ###

Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association’s policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.americanheart.org/corporatefunding.

Award-winning Filmmaker Addresses Black Aesthetics as Politics

The award-winning African-American author and filmmaker M.K. Asante will speak about the role that art plays in black political life.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs, the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts and the Departments of Philosophy and English are teaming up with the August Wilson Center for African American Culture to co-sponsor Asante’s address at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, at the Wilson Center. His presentation will be followed by a book signing and reception, with music provided by vocalist Carolyn Perteete, a graduate of Duquesne’s Mary Pappert School of Music.

Asante, who the Philadelphia Inquirer has described as “a rare, remarkable talent that brings to mind the great artists of the Harlem Renaissance,” is a professor of creative writing and film at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He is known internationally for nonfiction, poetry and films that interpret the African Diaspora and the African-American experience. Asante’s most recent book, It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation, uses hip-hop as the springboard for examining a variety of social and political issues.

Asante is also the author of two volumes of poetry and has several films to his credit, including The Black Candle, an exploration of the meaning and significance of the Kwanzaa holiday, which he co-wrote with poet Maya Angelou, the film’s narrator. For his writing, Asante has received the 2009 Langston Hughes Award and a Jean Corrie Prize from the Academy of American Poets. His films have earned numerous international prizes, including an Africa World Documentary Film Festival award and the Breaking the Chains award from UNESCO.

The event is free and open to the public. Call 412.396.6500 for more information.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. The University is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review for its rich academic programs in 10 schools of study for 10,000-plus graduate and undergraduate students, and by the Washington Monthly for service and contributing to students' social mobility. Duquesne is a member of the U.S. President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for its contributions to Pittsburgh and communities around the globe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges acknowledge Duquesne's commitment to sustainability.

Media Contacts: Karen Ferrick-Roman Media Relations Manager 412.396.1154 412.736.1877 (cell) ferrickromank@duq.edu. Rose Ravasio Media Relations Manager 412.396.6051
412.818.0234 (cell) ravasio@duq.edu

IMAGE CREDIT: Author Throwacoup This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

WSSU Group Working to End Strokes Through Education and Awareness

Rams Fighting Against High Blood Pressure and Stroke at Winston-Salem State University began their work this semester by presenting a special educational program featuring Dr. Chere M. Chase, medical director for neuroscience and neuro-critical care with Forsyth Medical Center, on Monday, October 4.

The “Power to End Strokes” (PTES) is a campus-based initiative that began last spring. It is part of a national campaign designed to educate Americans about the signs and symptoms of stroke, particularly African Americans.

“Strokes used to be a condition of older individuals, but now is a condition that can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of age, race or gender,” said Dr. Sylvia Flack, executive director of the Center of Excellence for the Elimination of Health Disparities. “While everyone can be at risk, strokes do occur in African Americans at twice the rate of the white population.”

More than 300 Winston-Salem State University students took a pledge to indicate their understanding of the importance of healthy living as part of the awareness event “Come meet stroke, the OTHER silent killer” which kicked-off the effort in April. ###

Winston Salem State University CONTACT: Nancy Young Director of Public Relations 336-750-8764 youngnn@wssu.edu

Children, males and blacks are at increased risk for food allergies

A new study estimates that 2.5 percent of the United States population, or about 7.6 million Americans, have food allergies. Food allergy rates were found to be higher for children, non-Hispanic blacks, and males, according to the researchers. The odds of male black children having food allergies were 4.4 times higher than others in the general population.

The research, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, is the first to use a nationally representative sample, as well as specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) or antibody levels to quantify allergic sensitization to common foods, including peanuts, milk, eggs, and shrimp. The hallmark of food allergy is production of IgE antibodies to a specific food protein. Once IgE antibody is made, further exposure to the food triggers an allergic response. IgE levels are often high in people with allergies.

"This study is very comprehensive in its scope. It is the first study to use specific blood serum levels and look at food allergies across the whole life spectrum, from young children aged 1 to 5, to adults 60 and older," said Darryl Zeldin, M.D., acting clinical director at the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and senior author on the paper.

"This research has helped us identify some high risk populations for food allergies." In addition to the identification of race, ethnicity, gender, and age as risk factors for food allergies, the researchers also found an association between food allergy and severe asthma.

Food allergy rates were highest (4.2 percent) for children 1 to 5 years. The lowest rates (1.3 percent) were found in adults over the age of 60. The prevalence of peanut allergies in children aged 1 to 5 was 1.8 percent and in children aged 6 to19, it was 2.7 percent. In adults, the rate was 0.3 percent.

The odds of patients with asthma and food allergies experiencing a severe asthma attack were 6.9 times higher than those without clinically defined food allergies.

"This study provides further credence that food allergies may be contributing to severe asthma episodes, and suggests that people with a food allergy and asthma should closely monitor both conditions and be aware that they might be related," said Andrew Liu, M.D., of National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, and lead author on the paper.

The data used for the study comes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006. NHANES is a large nationally representative survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zeldin and Liu note more research is needed to understand why certain groups are at increased risk for food allergy. The authors comment in the paper that food allergies may be under-recognized in blacks, males, and children, because previous studies relied on self-reporting and not food-specific serum IgE levels.

"Having an accurate estimate of the prevalence of food allergies is helpful to public health policy makers, schools and day care facilities, and other care providers as they plan and allocate resources to recognize and treat food allergies," said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., NIEHS director.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Reference: Liu AH, Jaramillo R, Sicherer SH, Wood RA, Bock SA, Burks AW, Massing M, Cohn RD, Zeldin DC. National prevalence and risk factors for food allergy and relationship to asthma: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006. J Allergy Clin Immunol. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2010.07.026

Monday, October 4, 2010 12 a.m. EDT Contact: Robin Mackar, NIEHS 919-541-0073

Honorée Jeffers to be featured in Reading Series

Morehead State University’s Reading Series will feature poet and scholar Honorée Jeffers for a poetry reading on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Kentucky Folk Art Center.

A reception before the reading will be held in conjunction with the opening of "Southern Stitches: African American Quilts from the Collection of Larry Hackley” from 5-7 p.m.

“Turning History into Poetry” will be held Friday, Oct. 22, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

MSU’s Reading Series is sponsored by the B.F.A. degree in Creative Writing Program in the Department of English, MSU’s Arts and Humanities Council, Caudill College of Arts,

Humanities and Social Sciences, Kentucky Folk Art Center, Multicultural Student Services, International/Interdisciplinary programs, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Morehead State Public Radio. Additional information is available by calling the Department of English at (606)783-9448 or by e-mailing Crystal Wilkinson at c.wilkinson@moreheadstate.edu. Morehead State University 150 University Blvd. Morehead, KY 40351 • 1.800.585.6781 • webmaster@moreheadstate.edu

Marygrove College and DTE Energy bring Nomkhubulwane to Detroit

Globe-traveling elephant sculpture aims to start discussions about conservation.

DETROIT, Mich., —In specific response to pressing local and global issues involving environmental sustainability and earth care, Marygrove College, with funding support from DTE Energy, will host Nomkhubulwane (Nom-koo-bull-WAH-nee, Zulu for Mother Earth), an elephant sculpture created by South African sculptor Andries Botha. This life-size sculpture, made of galvanized steel and recycled truck tires, is traveling around the world to raise awareness about how people can creatively address issues caused by the expanding human ecological footprint. Nomkhubulwane is one of 17 elephants on display globally by the Human Elephant Foundation (www.humanelephant.org).

Nomkhubulwane will arrive on the Marygrove College campus on Oct. 8 and will be at Marygrove College for the first week of its stay before moving to Detroit’s Cultural Center, Oct. 20 - Nov. 1, 2010.

Picture: Lux Themba. Photogragher: Garth Walker.

During Marygrove’s hosting of Nomkhubulwane, which also coincides with its hosting of the 2010 Great Lakes Bioneers Conference in Detroit, over 300 children from 20-30 area elementary, middle and high schools will participate in projects on the Marygrove College campus about how they can help care for “Mother Earth.” Their education will be based on lesson plans and activities developed for The Human Elephant Foundation by the Civic Knowledge Project at the University of Chicago.

Subject matter will include:

*
o “Elephants and “Emotion,”
o “The Three Rs: Recycle, Reduce & Reuse,”
o “Making Better Food Decisions,”
o “Soil Painting,”
o “Elephants and Trauma,”
o “Environmental Terms & Crossword Puzzle,”
o “How We Perceive the World” and
o “Biodiversity and Me.”

* Marygrove College’s Beyond Words Gallery will display student works related to the project. The Gallery will also have an exhibit that further explains the project, its purpose and the migration tour.
* Once the sculpture travels to Detroit’s Cultural Center, Marygrove will continue to be involved by partnering with other institutions on educational projects that engage area youth in Nomkhubulwane’s message.

“The Nomkhubulwane project’s focus on raising awareness about environmental issues through education and artistic expression make this effort one that the College gladly supports,” said David J. Fike, Marygrove College President. “With the help of our sponsor DTE Energy, we are empowering over 300 Detroit school children with the knowledge and means of expression to begin meaningful conversations around ecological issues affecting their community.”

On Oct. 20, after her stay at Marygrove College, Nomkhubulwane will “migrate” to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in the Detroit Cultural Center, where she will reside until Nov. 1, 2010. ###

ABOUT MARYGROVE COLLEGE

Founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in 1905, Marygrove College is an independent liberal arts college and a Catholic institution of higher learning committed to developing leaders for the new global society. The main campus is situated on 53 wooded acres in northwest Detroit.

8425 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI 48221 www.marygrove.edu

CONTACT: Karen Wood Director of Communications and Marketing Marygrove College
Ph: (313) 927-1446 Cell: (313) 316-6456 Fax: (313) 927-1595 kwood@marygrove.edu

Winston-Salem State University's Diggs Gallery to celebrate its 20th anniversary

Winston-Salem State University's (WSSU) Diggs Gallery will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Friday, October 15, 2010, with an evening of art, dinner, jazz and poetry.

Hosted by Chancellor Donald J. Reaves and Dr. Deborah R. Reaves, the reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a program at 7:00 p.m. Former artists who have been featured in past Diggs Gallery exhibitions will be in attendance.

“Have Art, Will Travel – Remembering The Past, Investing In The Future,” is the theme for this 20th anniversary celebration. Attendees will travel through time with a festive tour through the Diggs Gallery by costumed actors from WSSU’s Drama Department. Pride and Dignity from the Hill: A Celebration of the Historic Happy Hill Community, an art exhibit inspired by Winston-Salem’s oldest African American Community, will also be on view. This exhibition pays homage to the struggle and progress of all African Americans through a vibrant interplay of stories and family photos from Happy Hill intermixed with important works by nationally celebrated artists.

Diggs Gallery is named for James Thackeray “T” Diggs, Jr. (1915-1989), a 1934 graduate of Winston-Salem State, a painter and a former WSSU art professor for more than 40 years. The gallery is the major cultural center at Winston-Salem State University and offers one of the largest exhibition spaces dedicated to the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora in North Carolina. Exhibitions, publications and programs address abroad range of artistic expression, with special concentration on African-American and regional art.

The Joe Robinson Quartet will provide the jazz. Robinson, who grew up in the Happy Hill Community himself, has captivated audiences with his music for 40 years and is recognized as a musical pioneer. James Funches also grew up in Happy Hill and is a visual artist as well as an accomplished saxophonist. Several local poets will perform their works to round out the evening. “Diggs is a cultural meeting place where tens of thousands have been inspired over the years,” said Belinda Tate, director of the gallery. “We are inviting the community to come out and take part in this very special, one-time celebration. It is not only for arts patrons, but for all of us who believe that art can bridge cultures and broaden our understanding of the world around us.”

Tickets for the 20th Anniversary Celebration are $50. For ticket information please call 336‐750‐2458, e‐mail diggsinfo@wssu.edu. The Gallery relies on donations to provide activities and exhibitions related to the visual arts for the community.

Diggs Gallery, one of the South’s leading showcases dedicated to African and African‐American art, is located on the lower level of the O’Kelly Library on the campus of Winston‐Salem State University, 601 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Winston‐Salem, N.C. The gallery is a major cultural center at Winston‐Salem State and offers one of the largest exhibition spaces dedicated to the arts of African and the African Diaspora in North Carolina. In 2007, the gallery was identified as one of the top 10 African‐ American galleries in the nation. For more information visit the website: www.wssu.edu/diggs. ###

CONTACT: Nancy Young Director of Public Relations 336-750-8764 (office) 336-413-1472 (mobile) Belinda Tate Diggs Gallery Director 336-750-2460 tateb@wssu.edu October 1, 2010. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Obermann symposium explores history of slavery and gender Oct. 13-15

The 2010 Obermann Humanities Symposium, “Causes and Consequences: Global Perspectives on Gender and the History of Slavery,” will bring a variety of scholars to campus Wednesday, Oct. 13, through Friday, Oct. 15. The scholars will explore slavery and gender and how their two complex histories have intersected in a range of time periods.

The University of Iowa Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, UI International Programs and UI Libraries are sponsoring the symposium.

Two keynote lectures will kick off the symposium Wednesday, Oct. 13. Sue Peabody will present the first lecture “Why Scholars Study Slavery” at noon in 302 Schaeffer Hall. Peabody is currently the Edward R. Meyer Professor of Liberal Arts at Washington State University in Vancouver, and she received her doctorate in history from the UI.

Joseph C. Miller, the T. Cary Johnson Jr. Professor of History at the University of Virginia, will present the second lecture titled "Misleading Modernities: Problematizing Slavery and Gender in History,” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, in Room 1117, University Capitol Centre. “This ground-breaking conference maps a new global history of slavery, reminding us that to understand where we find ourselves in the present, we need to know far more about the past,” said Teresa Mangum, director of the UI Obermann Center for Advanced Studies and associate professor of English in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).

The symposium will feature three panel discussions Thursday and Friday, Oct. 14 and 15, all in Room 1117, University Capitol Centre, on issues such as sexuality, reproduction and the larger theme of the missing gaps in the history of slavery and gender. Though registration is free, it is required to attend the panels. To register, visit www.uiowa.edu/obermann/slavery/>.

“We are delighted to have such an impressive group of slavery scholars coming to our campus,” said Leslie Schwalm, symposium co-organizer. “Each has made important contributions to our understanding of how gender -- as an ideology and a set of practices -- has shaped the structure and experience of slavery."

Schwalm is also a professor in the following UI departments: history; gender, women’s and sexuality studies; and African American studies -- all in CLAS. Two other events will be offered in conjunction with but prior to the symposium, both free and open to the public. These events will provide opportunities for campus and community members to learn more about the history of slavery.

The first screening of the “Slavery in Global Cinema” film series will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, in Room 2520D of the University Capitol Centre with the film “Adanggaman.” The Friday, Oct. 8, “WorldCanvass” program will focus on gender and slavery and will be recorded live with host Joan Kjaer from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Senate Chamber of the Old Capitol.

“The intersection between slavery and gender necessarily has a global dimension, even if it takes different forms in particular national contexts,” said Downing Thomas, associate provost and dean of International Programs. “This event will help us understand both that global dimension and those local contexts.”

A full schedule of events for the symposium can be found at www.uiowa.edu/obermann/slavery. To learn more about the “Slavery in Global Cinema” film series and the Oct. 8 “WorldCanvass” program, visit international.uiowa.edu/WhatsNew.

For more information or special accommodations to attend any of these events, contact Schwalm at 319-335-2299 or leslie-schwalm@uiowa.edu.

STORY SOURCE: University News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, IA 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Leslie Schwalm, UI History Department, 319-335-2299; Lois Gray, University News Services, 319-384-0077, lois-gray@uiowa.edu; Writer, Katelyn McBride

The City of St. Louis will receive a federal grant for historic preservation project

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, SEPT. 27, 2010—The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today that the City of St. Louis, a Certified Local Government, will receive a $10,000 grant through the federal Historic Preservation Fund. The city will use the grant to develop a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for contributing resources associated with the history of the Ville, a historic African-American community in the City of St. Louis.

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 authorizes a program of federal matching grants, known as the Historic Preservation Fund, to assist the various states in carrying out historic preservation activities. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and in Missouri, is administered through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' State Historic Preservation Office.

Plan de la Ville de St. Louis des Illinois sur le Mississippi, avec les differente projects de la fortifies. Map by Goerge de Bois St. Lys, 1796. Courtesy Missouri Historical Society.

Under changes made to the act in 1980, each state is required to earmark a minimum of 10 percent of its Historic Preservation Fund monies for exclusive use by Certified Local Governments. CLGs are communities that have established, under their local government, a historic preservation program that meets certain standards set by the state and the NPS. Local governments that maintain CLG status are considered to be partners with the SHPO and the NPS in the nation’s historic preservation program. Missouri currently has 50 local governments that have attained CLG status.

The grants were awarded based on a competitive scoring process and the direct relation of the projects to the identification, evaluation, or protection of historical, architectural or archaeological resources. Grant-funded projects must pertain to the accomplishment of the State Historic Preservation Officer’s responsibilities as outlined in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, must be carried out in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards for Archaeology and Historic Preservation” and must meet requirements of the National Register Programs Guideline (NPS-49).

For more information about the CLG program, visit the department's SHPO website at dnr.mo.gov/shop/certifie.htm or contact Jo Ann Radetic at 573-522-2473 or e-mail jo.ann.radetic@dnr.mo.gov. ###

Volume 38-567 (For Immediate Release) Contact: Sue Holst 573-751-6510 / After Hours: 573-340-9DNR (9367)

Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65102 800-361-4827 573-751-3443 E-mail: contact@dnr.mo.gov

Gerresheimer Sued By EEOC For Gender Wage Discrimination And Retaliation

Plastics Company Fired Black Woman for Complaining About Unequal Pay, Federal Agency Charges

ATLANTA – Gerresheimer Wilden Plastics (USA) L.P., a glass and plastics manufacturer based in Peachtree City, Ga., violated federal law when it paid an African-American employee less than non-blacks for performing equal work and then fired her in retaliation for complaining about the discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it announced today.

According to the EEOC’s suit, the employer terminated Donna McLeod from her position as a quality assurance manager in January 2009 in retaliation for filing a charge of discrimination with the EEOC. McLeod, who was hired in February 2008, complained internally about race-based wage discrimination in October 2008. After the employer concluded there was no discrimination in wages, McLeod took her grievance to the EEOC. Within six weeks of receiving notice of the charge of discrimination, the employer terminated McLeod.

The agency alleges that Gerresheimer Wilden terminated McLeod because she filed a charge with the EEOC, and that such conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agency filed suit (Civil Action No. 1:10-03082) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement. The EEOC is seeking back pay and compensatory and punitive damages for McLeod. The lawsuit also seeks injunctive relief designed to stop race discrimination and prevent it from recurring in the future.

Gerresheimer Wilden Plastics (USA) L.P. develops and produces high-quality specialty products made of glass and plastic, primarily for the pharma and life science industry. The company is represented in Europe, the Americas and Asia by 40 production plants employing approximately 9,400 people. As of 2009, Gerresheimer Wilden employed approximately 2,825 employees in the Americas, with 13 facilities in the United States, including the facility in Peachtree City. The parent company is based in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

Black Motorcyclists- Even in Helmets- More Likely to Die in Crashes

New Johns Hopkins research suggests race plays a factor in accident survival

African-American victims of motorcycle crashes were 1.5 times more likely to die from their injuries than similarly injured whites, even though many more of the African-American victims were wearing helmets at the time of injury, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

Results of the research revealing these racial disparities, published in the August issue of the American Journal of Surgery, suggest that injury-prevention programs — like state laws mandating the use of motorcycle helmets — may not be sufficient to protect all riders equally.

“For reasons that we are still trying to figure out, one size of injury prevention does not fit all groups of people and just wearing a helmet is not enough,” says Adil Haider, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study’s senior author. “Helmet for helmet, African-Americans have more lethal injuries.”

Adil H. Haider MD, MPH, FACS

Haider, who is also co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgical Trials and Outcomes Research, suspects several factors may combine to account for the gap in survival between black and white victims. Previous studies of other accidents and illnesses have shown that lack of health insurance, reduced access to care, poorer quality of care and a greater number of pre-existing illnesses or injuries contribute to racial differences in survival. It is also possible, he says, that riders of different races may prefer different types of helmets or more dangerous types of motorcycles. More research is needed, he says, to determine what role, if any, these issues may play.

Motorcycle crashes injure roughly 88,000 people a year in the United States and kill 4,810 annually. The rate of fatal motorcycle crashes has been steadily rising for the past decade and now account for nearly 1 in 8 motor vehicle deaths.

In the new study, Haider and surgical resident Dr. Joseph Crompton reviewed National Trauma Data Bank information on 68,840 people involved in motorcycle crashes between 2002 and 2006. Along with the finding that even after controlling for factors such as insurance status, gender and injury severity, black crash victims were 1.5 times more likely to die from their injuries than similarly injured white victims. This was so despite the fact that black motorcycle crash victims were 30 percent more likely to be wearing helmets when injured than were white crash victims. The research also found that whites who were not wearing helmets were less likely to die than African-Americans who were wearing helmets, and that the highest mortality rates were among African-American motorcyclists without helmets.

Helmets have been proven to reduce traumatic brain injury deaths following motorcycle crashes and reduce the cost of hospital stays.

But with this new study in mind, Haider says, more focus should be placed on injury-prevention programs that go beyond imploring motorcyclists to wear helmets, since they alone do not appear to be doing enough to protect some crash victims — particularly African-Americans — from death.

Funding for the research was provided by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Deans Stipend Award to Crompton and the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery New Faculty Research Support Grant to Haider.

Other Johns Hopkins researchers involved in the study include Keshia M. Pollack, Ph.D., M.P.H.; David T. Efron, M.D.; and Elliott R. Haut, M.D.

Media Contact: Stephanie Desmon 410-955-8665; sdesmon1@jhmi.edu

International Law Scholar to Deliver UB Law School 2010 Mitchell Lecture

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Henry Richardson III, an international law scholar with a special interest in Africa, will deliver this year's Mitchell Lecture at the University at Buffalo Law School 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, in 106 O'Brian Hall on UB's North Campus.

The Mitchell Lecture, which is free and open to the public, continues a distinguished tradition that began with the first year of the lectures series in 1950.

Richardson, professor of law at the Beasley School of Law at Temple University, says he will draw from his recently published book "The Origins of African-American Interests in International Law" (Carolina Academic Press). In the book, Richardson explores the birth of the African-American international tradition and the roots of African-Americans' stake in international law. Richardson said he used the themes -- both historical and contemporary -- for his lecture.

Henry J. Richardson, III Klein Temple University Beasley School of Law • 1719 North Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19122 Hall, Room 706 tel: 215.204.8987 fax: 215.204.1185

"I'm going to reflect on some of the lessons, insights and implications we can draw from the historical development of African-Americans' interest in international law," Richardson says. "With respect to their welfare, how international law in certain cases is interpreted can make a difference." Historically, for example, the capture and sale of Africans as slaves was condoned by international law. "The slave trade was a grand, ugly international enterprise as it fed into the North American corner of the British Empire," he says, "and you can only fully understand it through its international connections. In this context, African-Americans' international interests have their roots in the history of Africa and slavery well before the formal organization of the United States." Another more recent example, he says, is the United States' ratification in 1945 of the United Nations Charter.

Pioneering civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richardson says, about the human rights provisions of the charter and their applicability to U.S. citizens.

"African-Americans not only supported ratification of the charter, but they had an interest in the authority of those human rights provisions being interpreted to be binding and authoritative in the United States," Richardson says. "In part, that would mean that the treaty would provide more or less the equivalent of an American civil rights statute. But in the 1940s there was fierce dedication to there not being a civil rights statute.

"The doctrinal and legal basis for the charter having that effect as a civil rights statute was there. But the U.S. implementation of the charter had written into it an interpretation that its human rights provisions were not binding on any nation" – an instance, he says, when a different interpretation of international law would have advanced the cause of civil rights by decades.

Richardson shares with UB Law Dean Makau W. Mutua a deep interest in the fortunes of Africa. After Richardson graduated from Yale Law School in 1966, he served for more than two years as international legal adviser to the government of Malawi shortly after that southeast African nation gained independence from British rule. There he advised on inherited treaties and a range of southern African international legal negotiations and questions.

After returning to the United States, he earned a master of laws degree from the

University of California at Los Angeles, was associate professor of law at Indiana and Northwestern law schools and served on the staff of the National Security Council in charge of African policy during President Jimmy Carter's administration. After periods as senior foreign policy adviser to the Congressional Black Caucus and as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel of the Department of Defense, he joined the Temple Law faculty in 1981.

Richardson has written many scholarly articles for the American Journal of International Law and other international law journals. He teaches courses on international law, constitutional law and foreign policy, international human rights and international organizations. He also was a co-founder of the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the Africa Interest Group of the American Society of International Law and Temple's International and Comparative Law Journal. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a counsellor to the American Society of International Law.

UB Law School's Mitchell Lecture Series was endowed by a gift from Lavinia A. Mitchell in memory of her husband, James McCormick Mitchell. An 1897 graduate of the Law School, Mitchell later served as chairman of the Council of the University of Buffalo, which was then a private university. A reception will follow the lecture.

Mitchell Lecture programs have brought many distinguished speakers to UB Law School. They have included Irene Khan, C. Edwin Baker, Derrick Bell, Barry Cushman, Carol Gilligan, Elizabeth Holtzman, Stewart Macaulay, Catharine McKinnon, Carrie Menkel-Meadow, Richard Posner, Clyde Summers and John Payton.

University at Buffalo Contact: Ilene Fleischmann fleisch@buffalo.edu 716-645-7347

El-Kati Distinguished Lectureship in American Studies Presents a Talk by Stanford University’s Harry J. Elam, Jr.

What: The El-Kati Distinguished Lectureship in American Studies presents a talk by Stanford University’s Harry J. Elam, Jr. The lectureship, established by Macalester alumni Dr. Stanley M. Berry ’75 and Bertram M. Days ’74 along with Ava B. Days, honors Macalester Prof. Mahmoud El-Kati’s career (1970-2003) as a lecturer, writer and commentator on the African American experience.

Who: Harry J. Elam, Jr., vice provost for undergraduate education and a distinguished member of the Stanford faculty for two decades, is a scholar of African American drama. His talk, which will reference Penumbra Theatre’s Sleep Deprivation Chamber written by Adrienne Kennedy, is titled “Struggling with Racial Legacies: Adrienne Kennedy and the Power of African American Theatre.” Elam is the author of Taking it to the Streets: The Social Protest Theater of Luis Valdez and Amiri Baraka. Elam, an expert on playwright August Wilson, also wrote The Past as Present in the Drama of August Wilson.

When: Monday, October 4, 2010 - 4:45 p.m. Where: Macalester College, Weyerhaeuser Board Room, 1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, Minn. Contact: Barbara Laskin 651-696-6203 Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105, Tel: 651-696-6000

'Future Pharmacists Program' Debuts at College of Pharmacy

Program designed to attract more African-American and Hispanic high school students to the profession of Pharmacy.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – The Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus and the Campus’s Liberty Partnership Program debuted a “Future Pharmacists Program” this summer. It was created to expose high school students from traditionally underserved groups and neighborhoods to careers in pharmacy.

Students enrolled in the Future Pharmacists Program will continue to participate during the academic school year, and a summer program will be available again in July 2011.

“The College of Pharmacy has a significant commitment to increase the enrollment of minority and at-risk students,” said Dean Emeritus Stephen Gross with the College of Pharmacy. “The pharmacy profession provides a unique opportunity to ensure that such students gain access to the health professions so that they can serve their communities.”

Completed in 1995, the Zeckendorf Health Sciences Center houses facilities for programs in nursing, pharmacy and health sciences. Photo: Brooklyn Home - Long Island University

Created for juniors and senior students from high schools in Brooklyn, the program is funded by the New York State Education Department. Designed by Dean Gross and Assistant Dean Lorraine Cicero, it consists of three segments: The Changing Role of the Pharmacist; Careers in Pharmacy; and Educational Preparation for Pharmacy College and Career Development. Sessions include presentations from distinguished pharmacy practitioners; panel discussions with pharmacy students; career workshops; laboratory experiences in searching drug information databases and in preparing ointment prescriptions in the compounding laboratory.

The “Future Pharmacists Program” is presented by the College of Pharmacy in collaboration with the Haley Group and the Long Island University’s Office of Institutional Advancement and Student Affairs.

For more information about the Future Pharmacists Program, contact the College of Pharmacy at (718) 488-1004.

Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences...
Established in 1886, the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy became affiliated with Long Island University in 1929. In 1976, the College became a fully integrated unit of the University and was renamed the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. One of the oldest and largest schools of its kind in the country, the College is located on the Brooklyn Campus and boasts an illustrious roster of alumni, including pharmacy professionals who are at the top echelons of their fields, and at the forefront of groundbreaking developments in the pharmaceutical industry. The College educates nearly one quarter of the pharmacists in New York State and many who find careers elsewhere.

The Brooklyn Campus is distinguished by…

dynamic curricula reflecting the great urban community it serves. Distinctive programs encompass the arts and media, the natural sciences, business, social policy, urban education, the health professions and pharmacy, and include the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, the D.P.T. in Physical Therapy and the Pharm.D. in Pharmacy. A vibrant urban oasis in downtown Brooklyn, this diverse and thriving campus offers academic excellence, personalized attention, small class size and flexible course schedules. In 2006, a $45-million Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center was opened to serve the Campus and the surrounding community. In 2007, the Cyber Café was launched, providing a high-tech hot spot for students and faculty members to meet and eat.

Brooklyn Home - Long Island University Contact: Helen Saffran,Associate Director of Public Relations. Brooklyn Campus, Long Island University. (718) 488-1419 Helen.Saffran@liu.edu

Rev. C.T. Vivian Education the Next Frontier for Equal Rights

MACOMB, IL - - In his Sept. 17 speech at Western Illinois University, Rev. C.T. Vivian, a Macomb native and WIU alumnus who was a close friend and lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said today's minority students are not receiving the level of education, or educational support, they can and should be.

Vivian spoke at WIU, as well as Edison School and Macomb High School, as part of a national initiative sponsored by The HistoryMakers project. Citing low college-placement test scores and high dropout rates for African American high school students, Vivian delivered a passionate speech in front of a crowd in the University Union Sandburg Lounge.

"What we did for civil rights then, we've got to do that in education now," he said. "There's got to be an education movement that's just as important as the Civil Rights Movement was."

Rev. C.T. Vivian, a Macomb native and WIU alumnus who was a close friend and lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., speaks at WIU on Friday, Sept. 17 (WIU Visual Production Center photo by Larry Dean)

Though the era of segregation may long be officially over, there is still much to be done for equality, Vivian argued. "'Every struggle makes a greater struggle necessary,'" he said, quoting the poet Walt Whitman. "It's not just about passing a [equal rights] bill, but how do we live up to that bill? We've got to civilize everybody in this country. That [African American students being disadvantaged] would not be happening to part of the society if the whole society was civil." Rev. C.T. Vivian was born Cordy Tindell Vivian in 1924 in Howard County, Missouri. He told the audience that his parents had a dream for him to be able to receive an education, which at the time would have only been expected to last until the eighth grade. "I never would have been who I was if not for Macomb, Illinois," he said. "We'd lost everything in the Great Depression, and they wanted to protect the one thing they still had [their child].

They wanted to leave Missouri because of segregation, so we came to Macomb because I could start first grade here and go all the way through college."

Vivian graduated from Macomb High School in 1942 and went on to attend Western Illinois University, where he worked as the sports editor for the student newspaper. His career as an activist began in Peoria, (IL), where he participated in his first sit-in demonstrations, which successfully integrated Barton's Cafeteria in 1947.

Well-known for his participation in the movements against discrimination in the South, Vivian founded the Black Action Strategies and Information Center and launched Churches Supporting Churches. He was appointed to the executive staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., named him national director of affiliates.

According to his official bio, it was two years later, in an incident that would make national news, Vivian confronted Sheriff Jim Clark on the steps of the Selma (AL) courthouse during a voter registration drive, and, after delivering an impassioned speech, was struck on the mouth by Clark. Vivian had studied for the ministry at American Baptist College in Nashville, (TN) in 1959, where he had met Rev. James Lawson, who teaching Mahatma Ghandhi's nonviolent direct action strategy to the Student Central Committee.

In 1969, Vivian wrote the first book on the modern-day Civil Rights Movement, "Black Power and the American Myth." He also started a program to send Alabama children to college, which would later become the national program Upward Bound. In 2003, Macomb City officials designated a portion of West Murray Street as C.T. Vivian Way. Macomb Mayor Mick Wisslead also proclaimed Sept. 26 as C.T. Vivian Day.

Vivian stressed the value of the opportunity for African American students to serve as leaders after graduating from college and not just focusing on "making a buck," and urged educators of young people to focus on "not just legalisms, but the greater struggle that's necessary" for equality.

"The question is, how do we lift a nation?" he said. "We talk about the power of education, but what are we doing about it? Our students are not educated at the level they need to be. They might graduate from high school, but are they college ready? Or they drop out. Every problem we have in society is based on the lack of knowledge."

He reminded the crowd that "Martin King," as he called him, led "not a political movement, but a moral and spiritual one."

"What he said was 'To redeem the soul of America,'" Vivian said. "That's different from 'Let's get a bill passed.'"

The HistoryMakers is a national non-profit educational institution that works to develop an archival collection of thousands of African American video oral histories, with the goal of completing 5,000 interviews of both well-known and unsung African Americans. The Back-to-School with The HistoryMakers program deploys living African American history makers into schools in more than 30 states to recount their own school experiences and the struggles they encountered. Along with Vivian, other participants in the program include former U.S. Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, poet Nikki Giovanni, actress Marla Gibbs, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and CNN’s Soledad O'Brien.
For more information, visit thehistorymakers.com.

Posted By: Alison McGaughey, University Relations. Phone: (309) 298-1993 * Fax: (309) 298-1606

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Sherman Hall / 1 University Circle Macomb, IL 61455 USA 309•298•1414 - info@wiu.edu

Gov. Beshear celebrates re-opening of former Cherokee State Park facility

Historic African-American facility to be part of Kenlake State Resort Park

AURORA, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear took part in a ceremony today to celebrate the renovation of a building that once served as a state park for African Americans in the days of segregation.

The renovated dining hall at the former Cherokee State Park near the Kentucky Lake shoreline will be used as a meeting and event facility for Kenlake State Resort Park. Cherokee, which included a bathhouse, beach and cottages, opened in 1951 to serve African American guests. It was closed in the 1960s with desegregation.

“This project preserves an important aspect of African American history, an important part of state park history and an important part of Kentucky history,” Gov. Beshear said. “It will become another distinctive attraction for Kenlake State Resort Park and this region.”

The former park and the remaining structures were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The Kentucky State Parks have been working on improvements at the dining hall for the last few years. The property is now part of Kenlake and the dining hall will be used for special events, meetings and weddings. Gov. Beshear recognized the efforts of the Friends of Cherokee, a local support organization interested in preserving the building.

Besides members of the friends’ group, the Governor was joined by Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow, Parks Commissioner Gerry van der Meer and Marshall County Judge-Executive Mike Miller. ###

Commonwealth of Kentucky Press Release Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Contact Information: Kerri Richardson Jill Midkiff 502-564-2611

Study Finds Big Racial Gap in Suspensions of Middle School Students

A new study by education researchers Daniel J. Losen (Civil Rights Project at UCLA) and Russell Skiba (Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Indiana University) says Middle schools across the country are suspending children with alarming frequency, particularly in some large urban school districts, where numerous schools suspend a third or more of their black male students in a given year.

Middle schools across the country are suspending children with alarming frequency, particularly in some large urban school districts, where numerous schools suspend a third or more of their black male students in a given year, according to a new study by education researchers Daniel J. Losen and Russell Skiba and published today by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The study found that African-American children are suspended far more frequently than white children in general, with especially high racial differences in middle school, causing them to miss valuable class time during a crucial period in their academic and social development.

In a national sample of more than 9,000 middle schools, 28.3 percent of black males, on average, were suspended at least once during a school year, nearly three times the 10 percent rate for white males.

Black females were suspended more than four times as often as white females (18 percent vs. 4 percent).

For all students in the schools examined, the suspension rate was 11.2 percent. Hispanic males faced a 16.3 percent risk of suspension.In 18 urban districts examined more closely, the average suspension rate for all students was 22.2 percent, double the average for all districts.

The study found that 175 middle schools in these districts suspended more than one third of their black male students. Of those, 84 suspended more than half the black males enrolled. Schools with high rates of suspension were also found for other racial groups.

The report – Suspended Education: Urban Middle Schools in Crisis – can be found on both the CRP and Southern Poverty Law Center websites. Losen is a senior education law and policy associate at the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles. Skiba is director of the Equity Project at Indiana University’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy.

“It’s clear from these findings that zero-tolerance policies are pushing too many children out of school at a critical point in their education and are having a disproportionate impact on students of color,” said Marion Chartoff, a senior SPLC staff attorney specializing in education issues. The study adds to a growing body of research questioning the fairness and effectiveness of zero-tolerance polices, which often mandate suspensions for specified offenses.“

As the number of suspensions for kids of all races and all grades has risen dramatically, the gap between suspension rates for blacks and whites has more than tripled – from about 3 percentage points in the 1970s to over 10 percentage points today,” Losen said. “The incredibly high frequency of suspension use in urban middle schools, and the large numbers of youth of color who miss school as a result, is rarely discussed in debates about what we must do to improve our schools.”

The researchers focused on middle schools because studies suggest that suspensions in those grades may have significant, long-term repercussions for students and because few previous studies have separated middle school data from that for all grades, masking the extraordinarily high frequency of suspension in middle schools. Using 2006 data from the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights – the most recent data available – the study examined suspensions in approximately 9,220 middle schools in every state in the country. This data was used to calculate the percentage of a given racial or ethnic group suspended at least once during a school year.

Most of the 18 urban districts studied had several schools that suspended more than 50 percent of a given racial/gender group. In the Palm Beach County, Fla., school district, for example, the suspension rate for black males was 53 percent. The Milwaukee, Wis., school district had a suspension rate of 52 percent for black females.“The study shows very high rates of discipline for black students in some of our large urban districts,” Skiba said. “The important policy question this raises is whether we as a society are comfortable with putting this many students out of school, especially since we know about the negative effects of being out of school.”

An earlier study of all out-of-school suspensions in one state found only 5 percent were issued for disciplinary incidents typically considered serious or dangerous, such as possession of weapons or drugs. The remaining 95 percent were either categorized as “disruptive behavior” or “other.”

The study released today also notes there is, in general, no evidence that racial disparities in school discipline are the result of higher rates of disruption among black students. The study recommends that policymakers pay much closer attention to school suspensions at the school and district level and use this information as part of school and district evaluations. Further, the U.S. Department of Education should identify and address unlawful discrimination, and federal law should require an increase in the collection and reporting of school suspension and related discipline data, especially data that looks at both race and gender. This data could help identify schools with high suspension rates for review, as well as determine the need to provide technical assistance on effective alternatives to suspension for schools in crisis.

FULL REPORT IN PDF FORMAT: Suspended Education: Urban Middle Schools in Crisis

The Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles For Immediate Release: September 14, 2010 8370 Math Sciences, Box 951521 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521 (310) 267-5562 crp@ucla.edu

In Memoriam: Dr. Ronald Walters

"What was most impressive about him was that he was such a humble man even in all of his fame." - Dr. Nina Harris, School of Public Policy

Professor Emeritus Ronald Walters, an internationally recognized political scientist, died on September 10 after a long illness. He was 72.

Walters had an illustrious career as a teacher, writer, researcher and political activist. He played major roles in the presidential campaigns of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and won many prestigious academic and publishing awards.

Walters wrote a weekly syndicated column of political commentary that appeared in newspapers around the nation. He remained a powerful intellectual and political force until his death.

"Ron Walters was an eminent and inspiring professor, teacher, author, mentor and human being," said Acting University President Nariman Farvardin. "He had a great impact and made a real difference in the world and to all those who knew him. His death is a tremendous loss. Our sincerest condolences go out to his wife, Patricia, and all his family." This past August in one of Walters' last weekly syndicated columns, he shared his view from the mountain - looking back at the civil rights movement he had taken part in and to the future that he hoped to shape.

He recalled Washington in August, 1963, and the "progressive spirit of the original nonviolent march, which held out the hope of racial reconciliation, and that America would finally cash a check of justice that would allow all of us to invest in the great project of democracy."

Then, Dr. Walters reminded his readers that there is still "work to be done...at home," and that African Americans "should try out their local mobilization legs" to prepare for the fall elections. The stakes will be high, he reminded - "jobs and justice and respecting the values of the movement for which so many people gave their lives, time and energy."

Before retiring from fulltime work in July of 2009, Walters carried three major titles at the University of Maryland: Director of the African American Leadership Institute, distinguished leadership scholar at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership, and professor of government and politics. He was internationally known for his expertise on African American leadership and politics, his writing, and his teaching.

"Ron was an inspiration to all, especially those aspiring to be future leaders," recalls his Academy colleague, Nina Harris. "He touched the lives of students through his teaching and mentoring and will be missed by so many. There was a constant stream of media setting up in the Academy of Leadership Library to conduct interviews but yet he seemed unfazed by it all. He was a part of our family, and I am grateful that I was able to be a part of his journey."

Dr. Walters is survived by his wife, Patricia Ann Walters.

CAREER

Walters' career blended academic achievement, a bookshelf of publications and significant political activity. He held senior positions in both of Jesse Jackson's runs for the White House and lived to see the first African American to hold the U.S. presidency.

Walters received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Government with Honors from Fisk University (1963) and both his M.A. in African Studies (1966) and Ph.D. in International Studies (1971) from American University.

Prior to coming to the University of Maryland in 1996, Walters served as professor and chair of the political science department at Howard University, assistant professor and chair of Afro-American studies at Brandeis University, and assistant professor of political science at Syracuse University. Also, he served as visiting professor at Princeton University and as a fellow of the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Walters was a former member of the governing council of the American Political Science Association. Walters also served as the senior policy staff member for Congressman Charles Diggs, Jr. and Congressman William Gray.

In 1984, Walters served as deputy campaign manager for issues of the Jesse Jackson campaign for president, and in 1988, was consultant for convention issues for the Jackson campaign, then directed by former Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. He served as board member of the Black Leadership Forum, the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, and other organizations.

PUBLICATIONS

Dr. Walters wrote over 100 articles and ten books. His book, Black Presidential Politics in America, (1989), won the American Political Science Association's Ralph Bunche Prize and the Best Book award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS). Pan Africanism in the African Diaspora (1993) also won the NCOBPS Best Book award.

His most recent books were White Nationalism, Black Interests: Conservative Public Policy and the Black Community (2003), Freedom Is Not Enough: Black Voters, Black Candidates, and American Presidential Politics (2005), and The Price of Racial Reconciliation (2008).

The University of Maryland libraries summarizes some of his major publications online.

RECOGNITION

Walters won many awards, including a distinguished faculty award from Howard University (1982), Distinguished Scholar/Activist Award, Black Scholar Magazine (1984), W.E.B. DuBois/Frederick Douglass Award, African Heritage Studies Association (1983), the Ida Wells Barnett Award, Association of Black School Educators, (1985), the Fannie Lou Hammer Award, National Conference of Black Political Scientists (1996), Distinguished Faculty Contributions to Campus Diversity, University of Maryland (1999), and the Ida B. Wells-W.E.B. DuBois Award for Distinguished Scholarship from the National Council for Black Studies (2000).

He was awarded the honor of "Alumnus of the Year" by the School of International Service of the American University in 2000.

Walters frequently appeared on local and major media as an analyst of African American politics, such as CNN, CBS News, Nightline, NBC Today Show, C-SPAN, the PBS Newshour and Think Tank, and All Things Considered (NPR). Walters wrote a weekly opinion column for the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service and Web sites.

Memorial plans have not yet been announced.

University of Maryland For Immediate Release September 11, 2010 Contacts: Neil Tickner, 301 405 4622 or ntickner@umd.edu