Some Undergrads Shave a Year Off College to Save: While educators debate the wisdom of three-year college degrees, some ambitious students are going ahead and finishing their coursework in three years anyhow as a way to save thousands of dollars in tuition.
It takes discipline, they say, a clear study plan and, often, an armful of advanced placement credits from high school.
'I didn't think it was worth it to pay another $40,000 to play with my friends for another year, cheer for a year, and write a thesis,' said Nina Xue, who earned a bachelors degree in history and French in three years this spring at Rice University, where she also found time to be a cheerleader.
Xue says she didn't start college with a three-year plan, but did have a head start with 26 AP credits. She took more than 15 hours of classes during two semesters and studied abroad one summer for credit. At the start of her third year, she realized she had enough credits to graduate at the end of the year.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Obama Says Education a Key to Economic Rebound
Obama Says Education a Key to Economic Rebound: ...To that end, he proposed an 'American Graduation Initiative' to bolster the two-year community college field that serves millions of students as a launching point for careers or a step toward expanded higher education.
Competitive grants would be offered to schools to try new programs or expand training and counseling.
High dropout rates would be addressed by designing programs to track students and help them earn an associate's degree or finish their education at a four-year institution. Money would also be spent to renovate and rebuild college facilities, and online courses would be developed to help colleges offer more classes.
The White House says the cost would be $12 billion over 10 years; Obama says it would be paid for by ending wasteful subsidies to banks and private lenders of student loans.
Competitive grants would be offered to schools to try new programs or expand training and counseling.
High dropout rates would be addressed by designing programs to track students and help them earn an associate's degree or finish their education at a four-year institution. Money would also be spent to renovate and rebuild college facilities, and online courses would be developed to help colleges offer more classes.
The White House says the cost would be $12 billion over 10 years; Obama says it would be paid for by ending wasteful subsidies to banks and private lenders of student loans.
Achievement Gaps Show Little Change for Black Students
Achievement Gaps Show Little Change for Black Students: Despite some progress since 1990, Black students continue to trail White students significantly in both math and reading at critical stages of K-12 education, a new federal report says.
Black students scored 26 to 31 points lower than their White counterparts in 2007 under the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often dubbed “the nation’s report card” because it is one of the few national barometers of achievement during the elementary and secondary years.
Back in 1990, the gap was slightly higher, ranging from 29 to 33 points, said the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). NAEP includes assessments of reading and math achievement at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels.
In presenting the data at a conference Tuesday in Washington, D.C., NCES noted that both Blacks and Whites had achieved higher test scores in 2007 compared with the previous decade. Blacks were able to narrow the gap in fourth-grade math and reading but not in either subject at the eighth-grade level.
Black students scored 26 to 31 points lower than their White counterparts in 2007 under the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often dubbed “the nation’s report card” because it is one of the few national barometers of achievement during the elementary and secondary years.
Back in 1990, the gap was slightly higher, ranging from 29 to 33 points, said the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). NAEP includes assessments of reading and math achievement at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels.
In presenting the data at a conference Tuesday in Washington, D.C., NCES noted that both Blacks and Whites had achieved higher test scores in 2007 compared with the previous decade. Blacks were able to narrow the gap in fourth-grade math and reading but not in either subject at the eighth-grade level.
Young students improve, but later minority achievement gap remains - USATODAY.com
Young students improve, but later minority achievement gap remains - USATODAY.com: For decades, public schools have focused on closing the stubborn achievement gap that separates African-American children from their white peers. New data out today from the U.S. Education Department show that the effort may have a limited shelf life for kids.
Since the early 1990s, schools have helped minority elementary schoolers close the achievement gap in basic math and reading skills, with real progress showing up recently on a federally administered test given to thousands of kids around the time they're in fourth grade.
But by the time they get to middle school, it seems, their progress all but vanishes.
Educators have known for years that scores for all students on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, tend to flatten out in middle school and high school, with few if any year-to-year score gains; but today's findings offer the first complete look at just how poorly older black students do compared with white students.
Since the early 1990s, schools have helped minority elementary schoolers close the achievement gap in basic math and reading skills, with real progress showing up recently on a federally administered test given to thousands of kids around the time they're in fourth grade.
But by the time they get to middle school, it seems, their progress all but vanishes.
Educators have known for years that scores for all students on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, tend to flatten out in middle school and high school, with few if any year-to-year score gains; but today's findings offer the first complete look at just how poorly older black students do compared with white students.
Bill would spend more to make college affordable - washingtonpost.com
Bill would spend more to make college affordable - washingtonpost.com: WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's plan to dramatically increase college student aid took its first step Wednesday on what could be a rocky path through Congress.
A key lawmaker proposed a bill to boost Pell Grant scholarships for low-income students by linking them to inflation for the first time since the program began.
House Education Committee Chairman George Miller's legislation would pay for the expansion by eliminating a massive program of subsidies for private college loans - an idea opposed by lenders and their many supporters on Capitol Hill.
In a statement, the president said the bill will end giveaways to special interests and save taxpayers money.
A key lawmaker proposed a bill to boost Pell Grant scholarships for low-income students by linking them to inflation for the first time since the program began.
House Education Committee Chairman George Miller's legislation would pay for the expansion by eliminating a massive program of subsidies for private college loans - an idea opposed by lenders and their many supporters on Capitol Hill.
In a statement, the president said the bill will end giveaways to special interests and save taxpayers money.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Continental divide separates Africans, African-Americans - CNN.com
Continental divide separates Africans, African-Americans - CNN.com: ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Africa is not a country, and Africans generally do not live in trees or hunt game with spears. Nor do they all walk around in the nude among lions and zebras.
African immigrants to the United States say cartoonish caricatures and a Western media penchant for reporting on Africa's disease, hunger and war -- rather than the continent's successes -- trivialize their cultures. They complain they have trouble dispelling the stereotypes once they arrive in the States.
They concede, though, the myths run both ways and some say they were surprised to find their values more often aligned with those of white Americans than African-Americans.
"I have been laughed at because of my accent and asked all the ignorant questions," said iReporter Ajah-Aminata N'daw, 25, of Fall River, Massachusetts. "Questions like: Did I live on a tree? Roam the jungles naked? Have wild animals at home?"
Death rates in Puerto Rican hospitals higher than in states - USATODAY.com
Death rates in Puerto Rican hospitals higher than in states - USATODAY.com: Patients in Puerto Rico die at statistically higher rates from heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia than those admitted to mainland hospitals, a USA TODAY analysis of new government data shows.
While 11.6% of patients in the states admitted for pneumonia die within 30 days, that number rises to almost 15% in Puerto Rico. Death rates for heart attack also crest above average (18.6% vs. 16.5%) and are slightly higher for heart failure (12.1% vs. 11.2%).
And the rate at which patients were readmitted to Puerto Rican hospitals within a month of discharge also edged up, according to the data. In particular, pneumonia patients landed back in a hospital bed 19.4% of the time, vs. 18.2% in the states.
'The findings highlight the need to focus on the quality of care in Puerto Rico,' says Harlan Krumholz, a Yale cardiologist who helped develop the Medicare analysis released last week of more than 1 million deaths and readmissions in more than 4,600 hospitals from 2005 to 2008.
While 11.6% of patients in the states admitted for pneumonia die within 30 days, that number rises to almost 15% in Puerto Rico. Death rates for heart attack also crest above average (18.6% vs. 16.5%) and are slightly higher for heart failure (12.1% vs. 11.2%).
And the rate at which patients were readmitted to Puerto Rican hospitals within a month of discharge also edged up, according to the data. In particular, pneumonia patients landed back in a hospital bed 19.4% of the time, vs. 18.2% in the states.
'The findings highlight the need to focus on the quality of care in Puerto Rico,' says Harlan Krumholz, a Yale cardiologist who helped develop the Medicare analysis released last week of more than 1 million deaths and readmissions in more than 4,600 hospitals from 2005 to 2008.
Group warns Congress of racial extremists within military | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
Group warns Congress of racial extremists within military | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com: Saying that the U.S. military may inadvertently be training 'future domestic terrorists,' the Southern Poverty Law Center on Friday asked Congress to strengthen policies against racial extremists in uniform.
'Evidence continues to mount that current Pentagon policies are inadequate to prevent racial extremists from joining and serving in the armed forces,' Morris Dees, founder of the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center, wrote to the heads of four congressional committees. 'Because the presence of extremists in the armed forces is a serious threat to the safety of the American public, we believe Congressional action is warranted.'"
'Evidence continues to mount that current Pentagon policies are inadequate to prevent racial extremists from joining and serving in the armed forces,' Morris Dees, founder of the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center, wrote to the heads of four congressional committees. 'Because the presence of extremists in the armed forces is a serious threat to the safety of the American public, we believe Congressional action is warranted.'"
Teen pilot completes cross-country trek - UPI.com
Teen pilot completes cross-country trek - UPI.com: LOS ANGELES, July 12 (UPI) -- A teenager believed to be the youngest African-American female to pilot an airplane solo across the United States has been welcomed home, witnesses say.
Cheering crowds greeted Kimberly Anyadike, 15, at Compton Woodley Airport Saturday as she landed her single-engine Cessna aircraft after a 13-day trek, during which she was accompanied by an adult safety pilot and navigator, Levi Thornhill, 87, who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Saying said her motivation wasn't to gain celebrity or set a record, Anyadike told the Times.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Obama picks Morehouse School of Medicine grad as surgeon general | ajc.com
Obama picks Morehouse School of Medicine grad as surgeon general | ajc.com: A graduate of Morehouse School of Medicine who did her residency in Macon is President Barack Obama’s choice for surgeon general.
Obama announced at a Rose Garden ceremony Monday that he is nominating Regina Benjamin, a 1982 graduate of Morehouse School of Medicine who went on to do her residency at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon.
Muslim Americans encouraged, hopeful after Obama | U.S. | Reuters
Muslim Americans encouraged, hopeful after Obama | U.S. | Reuters: ...Eight years after Middle East militants carried out the September 11 attacks, Muslim Americans are raising their profile, encouraged by the election of Barack Obama, a U.S. president proud of his Kenyan father's Muslim heritage.
The president, who is a Christian, used his middle name, Hussein, at his inauguration. He called for new dialogue with Islamic nations and named a special envoy for the Middle East on his second full day in office.
'We are more optimistic about the future for us here,' said Alqaisi, an accountant. 'They changed the way they communicate with the Muslim countries. We feel like we have more value here now. We hope that will continue in the future.'
Like other immigrant groups in a country of immigrants, Muslims were drawn to the United States seeking opportunity and relief from poverty in their home countries. Arabs went to industrial centers, south Asian Muslims to the West Coast. Some arrived to study in universities; some arrived as slaves.
A 2007 Pew Research Center study says 21 percent of Muslim Americans arrived from abroad during the 1990s.
The president, who is a Christian, used his middle name, Hussein, at his inauguration. He called for new dialogue with Islamic nations and named a special envoy for the Middle East on his second full day in office.
'We are more optimistic about the future for us here,' said Alqaisi, an accountant. 'They changed the way they communicate with the Muslim countries. We feel like we have more value here now. We hope that will continue in the future.'
Like other immigrant groups in a country of immigrants, Muslims were drawn to the United States seeking opportunity and relief from poverty in their home countries. Arabs went to industrial centers, south Asian Muslims to the West Coast. Some arrived to study in universities; some arrived as slaves.
A 2007 Pew Research Center study says 21 percent of Muslim Americans arrived from abroad during the 1990s.
Black-White Gap in Jobless Rate Widens in New York City - NYTimes.com
Black-White Gap in Jobless Rate Widens in New York City - NYTimes.com: Unemployment among blacks in New York City has increased much faster than for whites, and the gap appears to be widening at an accelerating pace, new studies of jobless data have found.
While unemployment rose steadily for white New Yorkers from the first quarter of 2008 through the first three months of this year, the number of unemployed blacks in the city rose four times as fast, according to a report to be released on Monday by the city comptroller’s office. By the end of March, there were about 80,000 more unemployed blacks than whites, according to the report, even though there are roughly 1.5 million more whites than blacks here.
Across the nation, the surge in unemployment has cut across all demographic lines, and the gap between blacks and whites has risen, but at a much slower rate than in New York.
Documentary on Controversial African Studies Scholar
Documentary on Controversial African Studies Scholar: This month on diverseeducation.com snippets of the film “Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness,” which chronicles the life and career of the late Melville J. Herskovits, a pioneering American anthropologist of African studies, will be featured.
Herskovits was a controversial intellectual who established the first center for African studies at Northwestern University in 1948.
The documentary traces Herskovits’ development as a scholar to the shared African American and Jewish experiences of exile, exclusion and political oppression. It raises unsettling questions, asking who has the authority to define a culture, especially if people from that culture are denied the opportunity to engage in the scholarly discourse of defining themselves. Can an oppressed people retain their distinct ethnic identities and still participate as equals in American life? Tune in as prominent scholars, such as Princeton philosopher K. Anthony Appiah and Columbia University historian Mae Ngai, explore these issues through their own experiences as people of color.
Herskovits was a controversial intellectual who established the first center for African studies at Northwestern University in 1948.
The documentary traces Herskovits’ development as a scholar to the shared African American and Jewish experiences of exile, exclusion and political oppression. It raises unsettling questions, asking who has the authority to define a culture, especially if people from that culture are denied the opportunity to engage in the scholarly discourse of defining themselves. Can an oppressed people retain their distinct ethnic identities and still participate as equals in American life? Tune in as prominent scholars, such as Princeton philosopher K. Anthony Appiah and Columbia University historian Mae Ngai, explore these issues through their own experiences as people of color.
Course Watch: Tribal College Offers Gaelic, Russian Classes
Course Watch: Tribal College Offers Gaelic, Russian Classes: Haskell Indian Nations University (Kan.) became the first tribal college to offer its students foreign language courses this academic year, according to the university. Through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program two instructors from Ireland and Russia, Una Meabh Herron and Dmitry Golubev, respectively, joined the Haskell faculty to teach introductory language courses.
Herron also taught a course on Gaelic football. Students in this class then played a game against the Kansas City Gaelic Football league at Haskell stadium.
Haskell is the only tribal college participating in the Fulbright Foreign Language Program. The university will host two more Fulbright teachers from Ireland and Indonesia.
Herron also taught a course on Gaelic football. Students in this class then played a game against the Kansas City Gaelic Football league at Haskell stadium.
Haskell is the only tribal college participating in the Fulbright Foreign Language Program. The university will host two more Fulbright teachers from Ireland and Indonesia.
Hispanic Civil Rights Group at Center of Sotomayor Fight
Cesar Perales has fought his share of critics over the years, in legal battles for minorities denied jobs, bilingual classes in schools and more Latino police officers.
But none of those crusades compares with the tempest his Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund has stirred because of the dozen years that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor served as one of its board members.
Conservatives have called the group’s stances against capital punishment and for abortion rights, as well as its advocacy of affirmative action in worker discrimination cases, “extreme” and “shocking.” Some have suggested Sotomayor’s longtime association with the group is an indication that she is biased and would be unable to render impartial decisions as a Supreme Court justice.
The critiques leading up to this week’s Senate hearings on Sotomayor’s confirmation have stunned Perales, who calls them an attempt to derail her nomination by over-politicizing the work of his legal defense fund.
But none of those crusades compares with the tempest his Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund has stirred because of the dozen years that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor served as one of its board members.
Conservatives have called the group’s stances against capital punishment and for abortion rights, as well as its advocacy of affirmative action in worker discrimination cases, “extreme” and “shocking.” Some have suggested Sotomayor’s longtime association with the group is an indication that she is biased and would be unable to render impartial decisions as a Supreme Court justice.
The critiques leading up to this week’s Senate hearings on Sotomayor’s confirmation have stunned Perales, who calls them an attempt to derail her nomination by over-politicizing the work of his legal defense fund.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
100 Years Old, NAACP Debates Its Current Role - washingtonpost.com
100 Years Old, NAACP Debates Its Current Role - washingtonpost.com: NEW YORK -- In the beginning, the purpose of the nation's oldest civil rights organization was well defined: to achieve equal justice under the law for black Americans.
One hundred years later, as 5,000 members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gather here to set an agenda, little is so clear-cut.
The NAACP faces a slew of questions: Has the election of the first black U.S. president marked the end of the civil rights agenda? Must an organization traditionally focused on the plight of black Americans expand its mission? What should a black civil rights organization do in 2009?
The NAACP has long been a prism through which to view the puzzle of race in America, and the current uncertainty promises to be a presence at its week-long centennial convention, which will include addresses from President Obama and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
Friday, July 10, 2009
New Credit Card Law May Have ‘Unintended Consequences’ for Low-income Students
New Credit Card Law May Have ‘Unintended Consequences’ for Low-income Students: College students who lack a financial safety net to assist with higher education expenses might experience some difficulty accessing credit when a new law signed by President Barack Obama in May becomes effective in February 2010.
The new law, the “Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009,” has many provisions that specifically target young collegians. Title III of the new legislation aims to protect young consumers by requiring students under 21 to have a co-signer, show ability to pay monthly bills or prove that they have completed a financial literacy course.
Nearly 80 percent of American families have credit cards, paying about $15 billion in penalty fees annually. The law is designed to foster more “transparency, accountability, and mutual responsibility,” according to the White House. For example, the law requires advance 45-day notices on APR increases and that statements tell credit card-holders how long it will take to pay off a balance and what it will cost in interest if they only make the minimum monthly payments.
The new law, the “Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009,” has many provisions that specifically target young collegians. Title III of the new legislation aims to protect young consumers by requiring students under 21 to have a co-signer, show ability to pay monthly bills or prove that they have completed a financial literacy course.
Nearly 80 percent of American families have credit cards, paying about $15 billion in penalty fees annually. The law is designed to foster more “transparency, accountability, and mutual responsibility,” according to the White House. For example, the law requires advance 45-day notices on APR increases and that statements tell credit card-holders how long it will take to pay off a balance and what it will cost in interest if they only make the minimum monthly payments.
Black Newspaper in Boston Suspends Publication
Black Newspaper in Boston Suspends Publication: BOSTON – An African-American newspaper that covered Boston's busing riots of the 1970s, the fall of Black political leaders, and the rise of the state's first Black governor, Deval Patrick, has suspended publication after 44 years and laid off its 12 employees.
Bay State Banner publisher and editor Melvin Miller said Tuesday that financial pressures and a sustained falloff in advertising have forced him to close the weekly newspaper, at least temporarily.
Miller, a 75-year-old Boston attorney who founded the paper in 1965, said he had prepared for a long economic turndown but could not risk pouring in more of his own money. When or if the paper reopens depends on any potential new investors, but Miller said he would not actively “go around twisting arms” to convince people.
The paper most recently had a weekly circulation of 34,000.
Bay State Banner publisher and editor Melvin Miller said Tuesday that financial pressures and a sustained falloff in advertising have forced him to close the weekly newspaper, at least temporarily.
Miller, a 75-year-old Boston attorney who founded the paper in 1965, said he had prepared for a long economic turndown but could not risk pouring in more of his own money. When or if the paper reopens depends on any potential new investors, but Miller said he would not actively “go around twisting arms” to convince people.
The paper most recently had a weekly circulation of 34,000.
Native American Players Looking for Recognition
Native American Players Looking for Recognition: Less than four months ago, Wayne Holmberg scored 21 points to help lift his team to a small-schools Alaska state basketball championship.
It was as good as it gets for Holmberg, who had spent most of the roller-coaster season practicing in a makeshift cafeteria gym after his small western Alaska village of Kalskag had a fire burn the entire school to the ground.
All that daily struggle was over. Holmberg was on top of the world as a state champion.
The 16-year-old’s borders were dramatically expanded this week during his first trip outside Alaska.
Holmberg is in Phoenix for the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI), the only all Native American NCAA-affiliated basketball tournament in North America.
It was as good as it gets for Holmberg, who had spent most of the roller-coaster season practicing in a makeshift cafeteria gym after his small western Alaska village of Kalskag had a fire burn the entire school to the ground.
All that daily struggle was over. Holmberg was on top of the world as a state champion.
The 16-year-old’s borders were dramatically expanded this week during his first trip outside Alaska.
Holmberg is in Phoenix for the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI), the only all Native American NCAA-affiliated basketball tournament in North America.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" | NBC Philadelphia
Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" | NBC Philadelphia: More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.
"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor.
The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers' first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.
"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."
The next day the club told the camp director that the camp's membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Interracial Roommates Can Reduce Prejudice, Campus Studies Find - NYTimes.com
Interracial Roommates Can Reduce Prejudice, Campus Studies Find - NYTimes.com: One new study, of Princeton students, used daily questionnaires to monitor roommate interactions and perceptions.
“In the earliest weeks of the relationship, the positive emotions declined for minority students with white roommates,” said Mr. Trail, an author of the study. “It wasn’t that the white students started being mean or negative. Instead, it was a drop-off in positive behaviors, like smiling or making eye contact, that led the minority students to feel worse.”
A study of students at Duke University, using lists of their close friends before college and at the end of freshman year, found that white students, the least likely to have had close friends of a different race, were the most likely to develop more diverse friendships as freshmen — while black students, who came in with more interracial friendships, had a decline in cross-race friendship freshman year. The study found little change freshman year in the diversity of Asian and Hispanic students’ friendships.
Freshmen with roommates of a different race — or those who lived alone in a dorm — were the most likely to diversify their friendships.
“In the earliest weeks of the relationship, the positive emotions declined for minority students with white roommates,” said Mr. Trail, an author of the study. “It wasn’t that the white students started being mean or negative. Instead, it was a drop-off in positive behaviors, like smiling or making eye contact, that led the minority students to feel worse.”
A study of students at Duke University, using lists of their close friends before college and at the end of freshman year, found that white students, the least likely to have had close friends of a different race, were the most likely to develop more diverse friendships as freshmen — while black students, who came in with more interracial friendships, had a decline in cross-race friendship freshman year. The study found little change freshman year in the diversity of Asian and Hispanic students’ friendships.
Freshmen with roommates of a different race — or those who lived alone in a dorm — were the most likely to diversify their friendships.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Perspectives: Progress Made and the Significant Work That Lies Ahead
Perspectives: Progress Made and the Significant Work That Lies Ahead: In perhaps the most important voting rights case in a generation, the Supreme Court issued a ruling this past June22 that has tremendous implications for African-American and other minority voters. The case, Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder, threatened to strike down a core provision of the Voting Rights Act. The provision at issue—the Section 5 preclearance provision—serves as a roadblock that prevents certain states and jurisdictions with long track records of discrimination from implementing discriminatory laws. The law operates by requiring these jurisdictions obtain federal review of their voting changes before they can go into effect.
While this case was brought with the precise objective of gutting the core Section 5 preclearance provision, the Court rejected the constitutional challenge to the law, leaving the Act in place to protect the rights of minority voters.
While this case was brought with the precise objective of gutting the core Section 5 preclearance provision, the Court rejected the constitutional challenge to the law, leaving the Act in place to protect the rights of minority voters.
Non-Discrimination Policies and Support Groups Help Ease Campus Life for Gay and Lesbian Students at HBCUs
Earlier this year, a group of gay and lesbian students at Winston-Salem State University, a mid-sized historically Black institution in the conservative Piedmont region of North Carolina, petitioned the school’s administration to add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policy. The proposal was actually warmly received by many of the college’s faculty, students and administrators, according to Michael Evans, a junior at Winston-Salem State and active member of the school’s Gay Straight Student Alliance
The board of trustees voted to approve the policy and Evans says many of the group’s members feel empowered by it.
“You can actually walk to class and not feel threatened,” said Evans, a 20-year-old junior majoring in molecular biology. “At Winston-Salem State, you don’t see a lot of gay bashing but you hear a lot of remarks. This protects us from that.”
Winston-Salem State University is among a growing number of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that now include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies. In the past six years, HBCUs have updated their policies or enacted rules to broaden the rights of gay and lesbian students and workers. These colleges include schools, such as Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Fisk University.
The board of trustees voted to approve the policy and Evans says many of the group’s members feel empowered by it.
“You can actually walk to class and not feel threatened,” said Evans, a 20-year-old junior majoring in molecular biology. “At Winston-Salem State, you don’t see a lot of gay bashing but you hear a lot of remarks. This protects us from that.”
Winston-Salem State University is among a growing number of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that now include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies. In the past six years, HBCUs have updated their policies or enacted rules to broaden the rights of gay and lesbian students and workers. These colleges include schools, such as Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Fisk University.
Three Black Fraternities Unite With Big Brothers Big Sisters in a National Partnership
Three of the nation's largest African-American fraternities – Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. – have joined with the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) organization to help Black boys succeed.
The fraternities, which collectively represent 250,000 college educated-men, see their involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters as mentors and advocates for African-American youth as part of a catalyst that might begin to break the negative cycles of crime, violence and low academic achievement, BBBS officials say.
Many of the children mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters' nearly 400 agencies are from single-parent families. According to BBBS, research finds that children with mentors are more likely than their peers to stay in school, avoid violence, reject illegal activities and have positive relationships with their families and others.
“When you look at those people who really need mentoring the most, the majority are African-American, and the majority of those are Black males,” said Richard Lee Snow, executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. “We feel as a national leadership organization that we need to step up to the plate and bridge this gap that continues to grow of our young boys not having role models and mentors.”
BBBS says that the collaborative effort will expand Big Brothers Big Sisters' nearly 20-year national partnership with Alpha Phi Alpha. Together, the fraternities will work with the organization to develop programs to encourage members and friends in their large professional, personal and social networks to also support the BBBS’ expansive network of volunteer mentors for youth.
“We recognize that most of the Black boys who are without a father in their household probably need someone who looks like them to be available to them. We see it as part of our responsibility to reach out to members of our communities and help,” said Charles Johnson Jr., communications director for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
The fraternities agreed that officially joining in a national initiative with the BBBS was a natural fit.
The fraternities, which collectively represent 250,000 college educated-men, see their involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters as mentors and advocates for African-American youth as part of a catalyst that might begin to break the negative cycles of crime, violence and low academic achievement, BBBS officials say.
Many of the children mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters' nearly 400 agencies are from single-parent families. According to BBBS, research finds that children with mentors are more likely than their peers to stay in school, avoid violence, reject illegal activities and have positive relationships with their families and others.
“When you look at those people who really need mentoring the most, the majority are African-American, and the majority of those are Black males,” said Richard Lee Snow, executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. “We feel as a national leadership organization that we need to step up to the plate and bridge this gap that continues to grow of our young boys not having role models and mentors.”
BBBS says that the collaborative effort will expand Big Brothers Big Sisters' nearly 20-year national partnership with Alpha Phi Alpha. Together, the fraternities will work with the organization to develop programs to encourage members and friends in their large professional, personal and social networks to also support the BBBS’ expansive network of volunteer mentors for youth.
“We recognize that most of the Black boys who are without a father in their household probably need someone who looks like them to be available to them. We see it as part of our responsibility to reach out to members of our communities and help,” said Charles Johnson Jr., communications director for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
The fraternities agreed that officially joining in a national initiative with the BBBS was a natural fit.
Monday, July 06, 2009
New Credit Card Law May Have ‘Unintended Consequences’ for Low-income Students
College students who lack a financial safety net to assist with higher education expenses might experience some difficulty accessing credit when a new law signed by President Barack Obama in May becomes effective in February 2010.
The new law, the “Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009,” has many provisions that specifically target young collegians. Title III of the new legislation aims to protect young consumers by requiring students under 21 to have a co-signer, show ability to pay monthly bills or prove that they have completed a financial literacy course.
Nearly 80 percent of American families have credit cards, paying about $15 billion in penalty fees annually. The law is designed to foster more “transparency, accountability, and mutual responsibility,” according to the White House. For example, the law requires advance 45-day notices on APR increases and that statements tell credit card-holders how long it will take to pay off a balance and what it will cost in interest if they only make the minimum monthly payments.
The new law, the “Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009,” has many provisions that specifically target young collegians. Title III of the new legislation aims to protect young consumers by requiring students under 21 to have a co-signer, show ability to pay monthly bills or prove that they have completed a financial literacy course.
Nearly 80 percent of American families have credit cards, paying about $15 billion in penalty fees annually. The law is designed to foster more “transparency, accountability, and mutual responsibility,” according to the White House. For example, the law requires advance 45-day notices on APR increases and that statements tell credit card-holders how long it will take to pay off a balance and what it will cost in interest if they only make the minimum monthly payments.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
NYC Muslims push to add holidays to school year
NEW YORK -- Moneeb Hassan remembers having to choose between a final exam in American history or celebrating the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha. In the end, he chose both.
Hassan, 17, is one of thousands of Muslim students in the city who must perform a balancing act between his academic and religious obligations during his holidays. But the nation's largest school district hasn't sanctioned official Muslim holidays.
"People came to this country for freedom of religion," Hassan said. "We're just asking for fair and equal treatment."
Muslim activists lobbying to add the holy days to the school calendar - which takes school off for Christmas and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - were heartened this week by a City Council resolution supporting the observance of the two holidays - Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Number of Black Male Teachers Belies Their Influence
"I was kind of shocked," said Tynita, 15, of Upper Marlboro. "I have never had a black male teacher before, except for P.E."
Tynita's experience is remarkably common. Only 2 percent of the nation's 4.8 million teachers are black men, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, Thomas, a social studies teacher at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School, never had a black teacher himself.
"I love teaching, and I feel like I am needed," said Thomas, 33, of Bowie. "We need black male teachers in our classrooms because that is the closest connection we are able to make to children. It is critical for all students to see black men in the classrooms involved in trying to make sure they learn and enjoy being in school."
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Kentucky State University May Open Boarding School for Black Males
Kentucky State University May Open Boarding School for Black Males: Kentucky State University President Mary Sias says the school is trying to find funding to open a boarding school for Black males.
Sias told The State Journal of Frankfort that the proposal is part of an initiative to increase the number of Black men who earn college diplomas. She says high school students would live in campus dorms, have their own teachers and an on-site principal at the historically Black college in Frankfort.
The pilot program could start in the fall of 2010 if KSU receives enough federal and grant funding. Sias says there would be room for 30 to 50 high school students to participate.
Sias told The State Journal of Frankfort that the proposal is part of an initiative to increase the number of Black men who earn college diplomas. She says high school students would live in campus dorms, have their own teachers and an on-site principal at the historically Black college in Frankfort.
The pilot program could start in the fall of 2010 if KSU receives enough federal and grant funding. Sias says there would be room for 30 to 50 high school students to participate.
Wisconsin Becomes 11th State to Offer In-state Tuition to Undocumented Students
Wisconsin Becomes 11th State to Offer In-state Tuition to Undocumented Students: Undocumented students in Wisconsin received a gift on Monday when Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle signed a provision that allows such students to receive in-state tuition rates under certain circumstances.
The law makes Wisconsin the 11th state to offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. It will only extend to students who have lived in Wisconsin at least three years prior to graduating from high school or obtaining a GED.
It’s estimated that 400 to 650 undocumented immigrants graduate from state high schools every year, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The signing comes just days after students — including students from Wisconsin — traveled to the nation’s capitol to participate in a mock graduation ceremony in support of “The DREAM Act.” The proposed legislation would allow undocumented students to receive a college education and ultimately, permanent citizenship. It would also restore states’ rights to offer in-state tuition to undocumented students, as previously reported in Diverse.
The law makes Wisconsin the 11th state to offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. It will only extend to students who have lived in Wisconsin at least three years prior to graduating from high school or obtaining a GED.
It’s estimated that 400 to 650 undocumented immigrants graduate from state high schools every year, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The signing comes just days after students — including students from Wisconsin — traveled to the nation’s capitol to participate in a mock graduation ceremony in support of “The DREAM Act.” The proposed legislation would allow undocumented students to receive a college education and ultimately, permanent citizenship. It would also restore states’ rights to offer in-state tuition to undocumented students, as previously reported in Diverse.
What We Can Learn From Unconscious Racial Bias | Newsweek Life | Newsweek.com
What We Can Learn From Unconscious Racial Bias | Newsweek Life | Newsweek.com: ... So, I was actually excited to read about a new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in which researchers from the University of Washington confirmed the validity of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The IAT made a lot of news late last year when results showed that 70 percent of those who took it harbor an unconscious preference for white people over black people. And no, I'm not talking about 70 percent of white people—I mean people of all races who took it, including African-Americans.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival - 2009 - Giving Voice
Smithsonian Folklife Festival - 2009 - Giving Voice: The Power of Words
in African American Culture
Giving Voice will present the deep, rich threads of the African American oral tradition. Through the power of words, African Americans have given voice to the needs, hopes, aspirations, and dreams of a people whose traditions are a major force in American culture. The program will showcase this living legacy by featuring exemplary bearers of oral traditions on the National Mall.
Through theater, poetry, storytelling, radio, and humor, the Giving Voice program will celebrate the community roots of African American oral expression. During performances, discussions, radio broadcasts, children's programming, and community celebrations, Festival visitors will hear many compelling stories about the struggle of a people to create a voice and communicate a culture. For example, visitors will experience the role of radio in stimulating and disseminating Black expressive culture, and hear how storytellers, poets, and actors draw upon their experiences at home and in community spaces to create and present their art.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
New Plan Ties Lower College Loan Payments to Income - NYTimes.com
New Plan Ties Lower College Loan Payments to Income - NYTimes.com: For the first time in years, there is good news for college students who borrow to pay for their education.
Starting Wednesday, the federal Education Department will begin offering a repayment plan that lets graduates reduce their loan payments, based on their income.
“We know today’s borrowers are concerned about their ability to repay student loans in the current economic environment,” Arne Duncan, the education secretary, said in a statement. “This new plan addresses the issue head-on by giving them the option of a reduced monthly payment tied to their annual income.”
Also on Wednesday, the interest rate on new federal Stafford loans, the most widely used federally guaranteed student loan, will drop to 5.6 percent, from 6 percent. By 2012, the rate will fall to 3.4 percent, under a schedule mandated by Congress.
The changes come as student borrowers face a difficult job environment and after many families have found it harder or impossible to use home equity loans to pay for college.Study Finds Widening Generation Gap in United States
Study Finds Widening Generation Gap in United States: From cell phones and texting to religion and manners, younger and older Americans see the world differently, creating the largest generation gap since the tumultuous years of the 1960s and the culture clashes over Vietnam, civil rights and women's liberation.
A new study released Monday by the Pew Research Center found Americans of different ages increasingly at odds over a range of social and technological issues. It also highlights a widening age divide after last November's election, when 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio.
Almost eight in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger people and older people today, according to the independent public opinion research group. That is the highest spread since 1969, when about 74 percent reported major differences in an era of generational conflicts over the Vietnam War and civil and women's rights. In contrast, just 60 percent in 1979 saw a generation gap.
Asked to identify where older and younger people differ most, 47 percent said social values and morality. People age 18 to 29 were more likely to report disagreements over lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.
A new study released Monday by the Pew Research Center found Americans of different ages increasingly at odds over a range of social and technological issues. It also highlights a widening age divide after last November's election, when 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio.
Almost eight in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger people and older people today, according to the independent public opinion research group. That is the highest spread since 1969, when about 74 percent reported major differences in an era of generational conflicts over the Vietnam War and civil and women's rights. In contrast, just 60 percent in 1979 saw a generation gap.
Asked to identify where older and younger people differ most, 47 percent said social values and morality. People age 18 to 29 were more likely to report disagreements over lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.
Despite Ruling, Testing Debate Far From Settled
Despite Ruling, Testing Debate Far From Settled: The U.S. Supreme Court renewed debate Monday over the fairness of high-stakes testing with its ruling that White firefighters in New Haven, Conn., who scored high enough to win promotion on an exam Black firefighters didn't, were unfairly denied promotions as a result of their race.
"The Supreme Court sides with the White (firefighters) without really exploring the test itself for possible biases or deciding whether or not the test was the only test that could determine who is fit to be [promoted]," said Dr. Darnel Hunt, director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
"I would imagine, that the [opposition] will find solace in this decision and use it to try to argue that the test is the right measure of merit, and if minorities don't do well then that is their fault. This decision opens the door for that," said Hunt, who is concerned that this type of thinking could harm the college admissions bid of minorities who don't score well on admissions exams. The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide and make it harder to prove discrimination when there is no evidence it was intentional.
"The Supreme Court sides with the White (firefighters) without really exploring the test itself for possible biases or deciding whether or not the test was the only test that could determine who is fit to be [promoted]," said Dr. Darnel Hunt, director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
"I would imagine, that the [opposition] will find solace in this decision and use it to try to argue that the test is the right measure of merit, and if minorities don't do well then that is their fault. This decision opens the door for that," said Hunt, who is concerned that this type of thinking could harm the college admissions bid of minorities who don't score well on admissions exams. The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide and make it harder to prove discrimination when there is no evidence it was intentional.
Community Colleges See Demand Increase as Funding Decreases - washingtonpost.com
Community Colleges See Demand Increase as Funding Decreases - washingtonpost.com: Hundreds of thousands of students are likely to be turned away from low-cost community colleges across the country over the next year because of funding cuts at the very time that record numbers of students are flocking to the open-admission schools, according to education officials.
The Obama administration is promising to help the country's almost 1,200 community colleges, which educate about 12 million students, or 44 percent of all undergraduates, including the majority of blacks and Hispanics. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel recently said that the administration was working on a plan that would allow as many as 5 million more students or laid-off workers to attend the schools, which are at the fore of retraining efforts.
The Obama administration is promising to help the country's almost 1,200 community colleges, which educate about 12 million students, or 44 percent of all undergraduates, including the majority of blacks and Hispanics. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel recently said that the administration was working on a plan that would allow as many as 5 million more students or laid-off workers to attend the schools, which are at the fore of retraining efforts.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Off the Beaten Path
Off the Beaten Path: ...The number of nontraditional college students — defined as students not attending college right after high school or who must work while attending — has seen steady growth since the 1980s as more people already working or raising a family decide to get a degree. A report by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2002 said 73 percent of all undergraduates were nontraditional students.
Some 81 percent of Black and American Indian students have at least one characteristic of a nontraditional student; 76 percent of Hispanic, 67 percent Asian and 66 percent of Whites do as well, according to the American Council on Education.
And for the 2008-2009 school year, a for-profit institution that seemingly caters to this population — the University of Phoenix — enrolled more new students than any other program in the country.
That could spell trouble for traditional programs slow to adapt to nontraditional needs. With the graduating class of 2008, the University of Phoenix’s online campus overtook Florida A&M and Howard universities as the top producer of bachelor’s degrees awarded to African-Americans.
According to U.S. Census figures, in 2005, there were 17.5 million college students. About 37 percent of them were 25 years old or older. Projections by NCES show more growth for the nontraditional crowd than for those entering college following high school graduation over the next few years.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Jena 6 Cases Near Conclusion
Jena 6 Cases Near Conclusion: Five of six Black teens accused of beating a White high school classmate in a case that led to the biggest civil rights protest in decades will plead guilty in a deal expected to be finalized this week, Louisiana court officials involved with the case told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The six students were initially charged with attempted murder in the 2006 attack on Justin Barker and became known as the “Jena Six,” after the town where the beating took place.
Charges against Carwin Jones, Jesse Ray Beard, Robert Bailey Jr., Bryant Purvis and Theo Shaw were reduced to aggravated second-degree battery.
Court officials, who asked not to be identified because the agreement was not yet public, told the AP that those five will plead to lesser charges Friday but would not be specific. Officials also would not talk about penalties.
The six students were initially charged with attempted murder in the 2006 attack on Justin Barker and became known as the “Jena Six,” after the town where the beating took place.
Charges against Carwin Jones, Jesse Ray Beard, Robert Bailey Jr., Bryant Purvis and Theo Shaw were reduced to aggravated second-degree battery.
Court officials, who asked not to be identified because the agreement was not yet public, told the AP that those five will plead to lesser charges Friday but would not be specific. Officials also would not talk about penalties.
DREAM Act Rally Provides Visual Reminder of What’s at Stake for Undocumented Students
DREAM Act Rally Provides Visual Reminder of What’s at Stake for Undocumented Students: The commencement ceremony on this hot Washington, D.C., afternoon was an emotional one for many of the students gathered. They weren’t being recognized for years of hard work to achieve their dreams. It was recognition of the dreams denied to them — undocumented immigrants who could not attend college — that elicited tears.
Gathered for a mock graduation ceremony, nearly 500 immigrant students and their supporters descended on the nation’s capital earlier this week to bring attention to the plight of undocumented students and rally for passage of the DREAM Act.
Sponsored by the United We DREAM Coalition, the ceremony was part of a growing campaign in which students nationwide participated in local commencement exercises to garner support for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for many undocumented students brought to the country by their parents.
Gathered for a mock graduation ceremony, nearly 500 immigrant students and their supporters descended on the nation’s capital earlier this week to bring attention to the plight of undocumented students and rally for passage of the DREAM Act.
Sponsored by the United We DREAM Coalition, the ceremony was part of a growing campaign in which students nationwide participated in local commencement exercises to garner support for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for many undocumented students brought to the country by their parents.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Some Progress for Missouri University on Diversity; Agreement With Hispanic Board Signed
Some Progress for Missouri University on Diversity; Agreement With Hispanic Board Signed: More than three years after being condemned by an independent auditor as one of the worst universities for faculty diversity and overall racial inclusivity the auditor had ever seen, the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) reports some improvement in its diversity profile.
In 2006, only three of the university’s 115 full professors were Black and one was Latino, the Associated Press reported. Today, with associate and full professor combined, there are two Latino professors and 11 African-American professors, university officials say.
University of Missouri-Kansas City Chancellor Leo E. Morton, and Alfonso Z�rate, chair of the university’s Hispanic Advisory Board, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Wednesday to establish a framework to address the persisting racial issues, such as increasing the number of underrepresented minorities, financial aid assistance for students that qualify, and improving efforts to recruit and retain minority faculty.
In 2006, only three of the university’s 115 full professors were Black and one was Latino, the Associated Press reported. Today, with associate and full professor combined, there are two Latino professors and 11 African-American professors, university officials say.
University of Missouri-Kansas City Chancellor Leo E. Morton, and Alfonso Z�rate, chair of the university’s Hispanic Advisory Board, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Wednesday to establish a framework to address the persisting racial issues, such as increasing the number of underrepresented minorities, financial aid assistance for students that qualify, and improving efforts to recruit and retain minority faculty.
Nightlife Area's Dress Code Seen As Discriminatory
Morning Edition, June 25, 2009 · It's standard practice for nightclubs to enforce dress codes, banning t-shirts, sneakers or hats. But in Kansas City, Mo., a new entertainment district has established some pretty strict rules that some claim discriminate against young African Americans and Latinos. And now the city is trying to encourage business development downtown, while ensuring patron's civil rights.
It's almost midnight on a steamy Saturday evening, and Kansas City's new Power and Light District is teeming with people. About a dozen new bars, restaurants and clubs are clustered around one block – which has a central, open-air plaza. A lot of people are here for the first time.
But not everyone is having a good time.
"I don't look like everybody else here — plaid shirt, Abercrombie and Fitch, they probably think I'm some Mexican from LA," says Mark Vasquez, who was just turned away at the entrance. He's here from Houston with his brother – who was wearing the same outfit, but got in: a black t-shirt, dark jeans, and sneakers.
"First it's like nothing on my shirt, you can't come in with a blank shirt, and then when a lot of people are showing that, they let them in with blank shirts," he says. "They say my shirt is too long."
Vasquez probably should have been admitted. The dress code here bans sleeveless shirts on men, excessively baggy or sagging clothing, work boots, and sports attire, when liquor is being served.
"I didn't think dress codes were an issue until the Power and Light District," says Dan Winter, of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and western Missouri. He's been steadily fielding complaints since the downtown district opened last year. "You can't put a major attraction like that, right next to the center of the African-American community and expect them to feel comfortable restricting what they wear, and only what they wear, really."
Prince George's County Board of Education May Name Upper Marlboro School After Obama - washingtonpost.com
Prince George's County Board of Education May Name Upper Marlboro School After Obama - washingtonpost.com: President Obama's name would grace a new Prince George's County elementary school a few miles from the White House under a proposal scheduled for a vote tonight, barely five months after he took office.
If the Prince George's Board of Education approves the plan, Barack Obama Elementary School would be the first in the Washington region named after the president. The school is under construction outside the Capital Beltway in Upper Marlboro and is slated for completion by year's end.
If the Prince George's Board of Education approves the plan, Barack Obama Elementary School would be the first in the Washington region named after the president. The school is under construction outside the Capital Beltway in Upper Marlboro and is slated for completion by year's end.
Minority-serving Institutions Battle for Budget Consideration
Minority-serving Institutions Battle for Budget Consideration: For minority-serving institutions coping with the greatest recession in decades, there may be major gains for those who earn the title of “Hispanic-serving agricultural college or university.”
Already called “HSACU” among government relations experts, the designation may pay off big for some Hispanic-serving institutions. The 2008 Farm Bill created six new small programs for such colleges and universities, and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is asking Congress for $260 million in total start-up funding for next year.
With university endowments down and states cutting back on public-college funding, such new pots of money, however small, are attracting interest among college leaders. In addition to this battle, minority-serving institutions are asking Congress to fund a new — but as yet unfunded — program to address the digital divide at Black colleges, HSIs and tribal colleges.
Books By Martin Luther King Jr. To Be Republished
In a statement, Dexter King called the deal “a historic partnership.”
“Beacon Press will be a dedicated public outlet for his work and will help bring his urgently needed teachings of nonviolence and human dignity, and his dream of freedom and equality to a new global audience,'' said King, chair of his father’s estate.
Beacon, a department of the Unitarian Universalist Association, publishes books on social justice, human rights and racial equality. Among the authors it has published are James Baldwin, Derrick Bell, Cornel West, Howard Thurman, Marian Wright Edelman and Roger Wilkins.
On Jan. 18, 2010, the federal holiday observing what would have been King’s 80th birthday, the Boston-based publisher will release new editions of several of King’s most important works, which have been unavailable for nearly two decades, including:
Stride Toward Freedom, first published in 1958, is King’s memoir of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 and 1956.
Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, first published in 1967, is King’s last book and an analysis of the state of American race relations and the movement after a decade of U.S. civil rights struggles.
Trumpet of Conscience, first published in 1968, contains five lectures King gave in 1967.
Strength to Love, first published in 1963, is a volume of his most well-known homilies and the book in the civil rights leader’s briefcase when he was killed on April 4, 1968.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Education Chief to Warn Advocates That Inferior Charter Schools Harm the Effort - NYTimes.com
Education Chief to Warn Advocates That Inferior Charter Schools Harm the Effort - NYTimes.com: The Obama administration has made opening more charter schools a big part of its plans for improving the nation’s education system, but Education Secretary Arne Duncan will warn advocates of the schools on Monday that low-quality institutions are giving their movement a black eye.
“The charter movement is putting itself at risk by allowing too many second-rate and third-rate schools to exist,” Mr. Duncan says in prepared remarks that he is scheduled to deliver in Washington at the annual gathering of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
In an interview, Mr. Duncan said he would use the address to praise innovations made by high-quality charter schools, urge charter leaders to become more active in weeding out bad apples in their movement and invite the leaders to help out in the administration’s broad effort to remake several thousand of the nation’s worst public schools.Among Many Peoples, Little Genomic Variety - washingtonpost.com
Among Many Peoples, Little Genomic Variety - washingtonpost.com:
...All of Earth's people, according to a new analysis of the genomes of 53 populations, fall into just three genetic groups. They are the products of the first and most important journey our species made -- the walk out of Africa about 70,000 years ago by a small fraction of ancestral Homo sapiens.
One group is the African. It contains the descendants of the original humans who emerged in East Africa about 200,000 years ago. The second is the Eurasian, encompassing the natives of Europe, the Middle East and Southwest Asia (east to about Pakistan). The third is the East Asian, the inhabitants of Asia, Japan and Southeast Asia, and -- thanks to the Bering Land Bridge and island-hopping in the South Pacific -- of the Americas and Oceania as well.
The existence of this ancient divergence has long been known.
What is new is a subtle but important insight into what happened on a genomic level as the human species spilled across the landscape, eventually occupying every habitable part of the planet.
...All of Earth's people, according to a new analysis of the genomes of 53 populations, fall into just three genetic groups. They are the products of the first and most important journey our species made -- the walk out of Africa about 70,000 years ago by a small fraction of ancestral Homo sapiens.
One group is the African. It contains the descendants of the original humans who emerged in East Africa about 200,000 years ago. The second is the Eurasian, encompassing the natives of Europe, the Middle East and Southwest Asia (east to about Pakistan). The third is the East Asian, the inhabitants of Asia, Japan and Southeast Asia, and -- thanks to the Bering Land Bridge and island-hopping in the South Pacific -- of the Americas and Oceania as well.
The existence of this ancient divergence has long been known.
What is new is a subtle but important insight into what happened on a genomic level as the human species spilled across the landscape, eventually occupying every habitable part of the planet.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Quest to Be Heard - washingtonpost.com
A Quest to Be Heard - washingtonpost.com: ...He walked fast, knowing that time is against him. The old black farmers whose case he comes to Washington to discuss were getting older, dying off, and they still had not been repaid for the years of discrimination to which the government had subjected them. A few weeks before, when President Obama had released his proposed budget, he had included $1.25 billion for the 70,000 farmers with outstanding claims -- an amount that as far as Boyd was concerned was $1.25 billion short.
He paused at the entrance to the congressman's office, smoothed a wrinkle out of his jacket and cleared his throat.
"National Black Farmers Association," he added after a moment.
Eight-and-a-half years, and he was still introducing himself.
Earlier that day, Boyd had been just another farmer trying to get soybean seed in the ground during the short window that is planting season. He picked up his cousin and a hired hand just after daybreak to begin working on a 116-acre tract of land, hustled back to his house to change into a pinstriped suit and black cowboy boots, and grabbed a cup of coffee and a copy of the congressional directory.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Holder Urges New Hate Crimes Law
Holder Urges New Hate Crimes Law: WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder said this week that recent killings show the need for a tougher U.S. hate crimes law to stop “violence masquerading as political activism.”
“Over the last several weeks, we have witnessed brazen acts of violence, committed in places that many would have considered unthinkable,” Holder told the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.
He cited separate attacks over a two-week period that killed a young soldier, an abortion provider, and a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Federal agents and prosecutors are already involved in local investigations of each attack.
The violence, Holder said, “reminds us of the potential threat posed by violent extremists and the tragedy that ensues when reasoned discourse is replaced by armed confrontation.”
“Over the last several weeks, we have witnessed brazen acts of violence, committed in places that many would have considered unthinkable,” Holder told the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.
He cited separate attacks over a two-week period that killed a young soldier, an abortion provider, and a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Federal agents and prosecutors are already involved in local investigations of each attack.
The violence, Holder said, “reminds us of the potential threat posed by violent extremists and the tragedy that ensues when reasoned discourse is replaced by armed confrontation.”
Senate Unanimously Approves Resolution Apologizing for Slavery - washingtonpost.com
Senate Unanimously Approves Resolution Apologizing for Slavery - washingtonpost.com: The Senate unanimously passed a resolution yesterday apologizing for slavery, making way for a joint congressional resolution and the latest attempt by the federal government to take responsibility for 2 1/2 centuries of slavery.
'You wonder why we didn't do it 100 years ago,' Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), lead sponsor of the resolution, said after the unanimous-consent vote. 'It is important to have a collective response to a collective injustice.'
The Senate's apology follows a similar apology passed last year by the House. One key difference is that the Senate version explicitly deals with the long-simmering issue of whether slavery descendants are entitled to reparations, saying that the resolution cannot be used in support of claims for restitution. The House is expected to revisit the issue next week to conform its resolution to the Senate version.
'You wonder why we didn't do it 100 years ago,' Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), lead sponsor of the resolution, said after the unanimous-consent vote. 'It is important to have a collective response to a collective injustice.'
The Senate's apology follows a similar apology passed last year by the House. One key difference is that the Senate version explicitly deals with the long-simmering issue of whether slavery descendants are entitled to reparations, saying that the resolution cannot be used in support of claims for restitution. The House is expected to revisit the issue next week to conform its resolution to the Senate version.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Americas Promise Alliance - Our Work
Americas Promise Alliance - Our Work: Our Work
With more than 300 national partner organizations and their local affiliates, the Alliance is uniquely positioned to mobilize Americans to act. Through hands-on, multi-sector collaboration, we are changing the way organizations do business, and magnifying their power to make a sustainable difference for young people. We have made a top priority of ensuring that all young people graduate from high school ready for college, work and life through an on-going Dropout Prevention initiative. Our work involves raising awareness, encouraging action and engaging in advocacy to provide children the key supports we call the Five Promises:
* Caring adults such as parents, teachers, mentors, coaches and neighbors
* Safe places that offer constructive activities when young people are not in school
* A healthy start and healthy development
* An effective education that prepares young people for college and work
* Opportunities to help others through service
Commentary: Breaking the 'pipeline' to prison - CNN.com
Commentary: Breaking the pipeline to prison - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- One of the most dangerous threats facing black America right now is quietly stealing our children at a young age.
Incarceration is becoming the new American apartheid, and poor children of color are the fodder.
So many poor black babies in rich America enter the world with multiple strikes against them: born without prenatal care, at low birthweight and to a poor, and poorly educated, teenage single mother and an absent father.
At crucial points in their development after birth through adolescence, more risks pile on, making a successful transition to productive adulthood significantly less likely and involvement in the criminal justice system significantly more likely.
This is America's pipeline to prison, a trajectory that is funneling tens of thousands of youths down life paths that lead to marginalized lives, imprisonment and, often, premature death.
Nationally, one in three black boys and one in 17 black girls born in 2001 is at risk of imprisonment during their lifetime.
It's time to sound a loud alarm about this threat to American unity and community, act to stop the growing criminalization of children at younger and younger ages, and tackle the unjust treatment of minority youths and adults in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems with urgency and persistence.
Colin Powell, foot soldiers battle America's dropout 'catastrophe' - CNN.com
Colin Powell, foot soldiers battle America's dropout 'catastrophe' - CNN.com: ...The number sounds shockingly low, but it's actually not far off the national average. A 2008 study by America's Promise Alliance, a group founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, concluded that only 52 percent of students in the nation's 50 largest school systems graduate in four years. About 57 percent of Hispanic and 53 percent of African-American students graduate with a regular diploma in four years, according to the study, which puts the national graduation rate at 70 percent.
'Finishing high school is absolutely basic to being a success at any place in our society. We can't afford this,' Powell said.
"If we lose these youngsters from our educational system, it doesn't mean they're all going to jail," Powell said. "It just means they're not going to have the same earning potential as they would if they finished school. And ultimately that will affect them, and it will affect the nation."
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Government Intervention Needed on School Segregation, Experts Say
Government Intervention Needed on School Segregation, Experts Say: Reversing the resegregation of many of the nation’s school districts may require congressional leadership and the president’s attention, said lawyers, policymakers and educators assembled on Capitol Hill Friday to discuss policies that would encourage more integrated schools.
The policy briefing, “New Initiatives for Integrated Education in the Obama Era: Reversing the Resegregation of the Past Two Decades,” drew about 75 attendees and gave several scholars the opportunity to share papers and research studies.
“Congress hasn’t done anything positive to help the desegregation of schools since the 1970s,” said the panel’s moderator, Dr. Gary Orfield, a professor from the University of California, Los Angeles and co-director of the Civil Rights Project /Proyecto Derechos Civiles.
At the end of the 1960s, Southern public schools were among some of the nation’s most integrated because of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. However, today, the region is experiencing an increasing amount of resegregated school districts.
The policy briefing, “New Initiatives for Integrated Education in the Obama Era: Reversing the Resegregation of the Past Two Decades,” drew about 75 attendees and gave several scholars the opportunity to share papers and research studies.
“Congress hasn’t done anything positive to help the desegregation of schools since the 1970s,” said the panel’s moderator, Dr. Gary Orfield, a professor from the University of California, Los Angeles and co-director of the Civil Rights Project /Proyecto Derechos Civiles.
At the end of the 1960s, Southern public schools were among some of the nation’s most integrated because of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. However, today, the region is experiencing an increasing amount of resegregated school districts.
NAACP demands apology for ex-election leader's posting - WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina |
NAACP demands apology for ex-election leader's posting - WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina |: COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The state NAACP is demanding an apology from a former South Carolina official whose Internet posting suggested a gorilla that escaped from the Columbia zoo was an ancestor of first lady Michelle Obama.
NAACP president Lonnie Randolph said Monday that former Election Commission chairman Rusty DePass has not offered a 'proper' apology. Randolph says the NAACP isn't giving DePass undue attention, rather decrying racially charged commentary against the Obamas.
Minutes after the gorilla's escape was reported, DePass posted: 'I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors - probably harmless.'
The Facebook posting was captured on a South Carolina politics blog, and DePass later said that it was a joke about statements Obama has made about evolution.
Prominent black conservative and South Carolina national committeeman for the Republican National Committee Glenn McCall says he's spoken with DePass about the comment.
NAACP president Lonnie Randolph said Monday that former Election Commission chairman Rusty DePass has not offered a 'proper' apology. Randolph says the NAACP isn't giving DePass undue attention, rather decrying racially charged commentary against the Obamas.
Minutes after the gorilla's escape was reported, DePass posted: 'I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors - probably harmless.'
The Facebook posting was captured on a South Carolina politics blog, and DePass later said that it was a joke about statements Obama has made about evolution.
Prominent black conservative and South Carolina national committeeman for the Republican National Committee Glenn McCall says he's spoken with DePass about the comment.
Minority kids grow to majority in some counties - USATODAY.com
Minority kids grow to majority in some counties - USATODAY.com: Young Americans who are minorities outnumber young whites in almost one of every six U.S. counties. It's a demographic wave that is transforming more parts of the nation and raising questions about who is a minority.
An analysis of the under-20 population shows that minority youths are the majority in 505 counties and that 60 counties have reached that milestone in this decade.
declines in the number of white kids," says Kenneth Johnson, demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute who analyzed Census data. "This isn't about immigration anymore."
The multiplying effect of diversity is rapid. In 2008, 34% of U.S. residents were minorities, but 48% of babies born in the USA were minorities. The number of white youths has dropped 5.3% since 2000 while the young minority population grew 15.5%. "It will be hard to define who is a minority in the future," says Robert Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech.
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