1. Art and Diseño

Black History Month 2015
A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
"One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom."
- African Proverb
The Father of Black History Month
Special Supplement
Free
February 2015
The Only Official Black History Organization!
National 2015 Black History Theme
A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture.
www.asalh.net
The Legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson
Black History Month 2014
A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, “Father of Black History month”, was born
December 18, 1875 to two former slaves. Woodson organized the
first Negro History Week in 1926 and founded the Association for
the Study of African American Life and History. Teaching himself to
read, Woodson financed his formal education between back breaking
field work and toiling in coal mines. He admonished Blacks that, “If
a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a
negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger
of being exterminated.” Americans have recognized black history
annually since 1926, first as “Negro History Week” and later in 1976
as “Black History Month.” Since then U.S. Presidents have recognized
each February as Black History Month.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
The Father of Black History Month
Association for the Study of African
American Life and History (ASALH)
asalh.org
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institutions, expose injustice and civil rights violators, and assist individuals and friends of the Black Community.
The African American Voice informs and educates the public on subjects such as health, education, and economics.
In addition, we promote African, African American and Caribbean culture. The African American Voice is connected with organizations,
businesses, schools and other cultures.
February 2015
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BLACK HISTORY
JUNETEENTH CARIBBEAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2015
Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Juneteenth
Juneteenth Caribbean Heritage
Festival Parade 2014
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June 19-21
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February 2015
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black History Month Spotlight: Artist Dwayne Glapion
Artist Dwayne Glapion
Dwayne Glapion is an award-winning American
artist. Dwayne earned a Bachelor’s degree from the Art
Institute of Colorado in graphic design after serving in
the military. He specializes in combining traditional art
techniques with modern digital art tools. He works with
both traditional and digital media but he prefers to be on
the leading edge of the constantly evolving profession
by embracing the latest art tools and technology. It’s this
ability to adapt and change that keeps his work exciting.
He has had his work published on the cover of Studying
Abroad (an international magazine), a commissioned oil
painting of Magic Johnson, has been featured on 9News,
has a portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. on permanent
display at Denver’s MLK Library, and done portraits of
some of Colorado’s icons such as Charles O. Sampson
(First African-American World Champion Bull Rider),
Paul Stewart (Founder of The Black American West
Museum & Heritage Center) and Todd Helton (Colorado
Rockies HOF First Baseman). Dwayne Glapion is a
Denver Colorado based artist for more information visit
the links below:
www.DwayneGlapion.com
www.facebook.com/DwayneGlapionArtist
By Heather Gray
I know much has been written about
this period - primarily the 1950’s and
early 1960’s. I am, however, sharing
some of my experiences and reflections
about growing up in “Jim Crow”
Atlanta, Georgia. As a child, I had
come here from western Canada. Martin
Luther King’s home was about 8 miles
away from my family home in Atlanta.
It was so near yet so incredibly far away.
One of the dilemmas we face today
is about the racist actions on the part of
the police, now and in the past, and also
currently in U.S. foreign and domestic
policy overall. Understanding the role of
racism and white supremacist behavior,
particularly in the South, is perhaps one
way to grasp some insight into it all and
its unfortunate continued legacy from
February 2015
Growing Up In Jim Crow Atlanta
slavery up to now. As William Faulkner
wisely stated, “The past is never dead.
It’s not even past.”
Ultimately, this article, toward the
end, is about how Karl Marx positively
impacted me as a youth in my quest to
understand racism and white supremacy
in the South, but first I had to experience
Jim Crow. I was 16 years old when I
discovered Marx in my high school
library from the Encyclopedia Britannica
of all places. Economics, however, along
with a critique of capitalism and most
certainly anything about Marx or any
alternatives to the southern exploitive
model was not something you could
discuss openly in the Jim Crow south. I
was not yet acutely aware of all the cold
war rhetoric. Besides, what did I know
about anything? And I had no desire at
age 16 to critique capitalism and plus
neither did I understand or know anything
about it. But I was in a exploratory phase
to understand why people were treated
differently. None of this system in the
South made sense to me.
The Advent of Jim Crow and the
Manifestation of White Supremacy
Jim Crow was foreboding. To me, as
a white youth, everyone in the South
seemed in some kind of personal and
societal prison of sorts and afraid to
express themselves. It was rather like
some dark cloud enveloped the region
and the feeling that everything could
explode at any minute... as if we were
sitting on a tinderbox most of the time.
The south, I later learned, was known
as a “closed society”, in other words not
amenable to open discussion, free press,
new ideas or democratic principles.
Critiquing the white supremacist system
www.africanamericanvoice.net
as an individual without organizational
backing made you incredibly vulnerable
if you were black or white with the
repercussions more often being deadly
for blacks and sometimes for whites
as well. And organizational backing
was not a guarantee from suffering
dire consequences. So threats of your
very life, your job, your family, your
affiliations overall were vulnerable if
you critiqued virtually anything in the
oppressive southern Jim Crow system.
Jim Crow was a manifestation of
white supremacy in the southern states
from the 1870’s to 1965. It was imposed
after the Civil War and at the end of
the reconstruction period, which had
provided federal troops in the South to
protect the civil rights of freedmen. Left
to their own initiatives after the troops
Continued on S4
S3
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Growing Up In Jim Crow Atlanta
Continued from S3
left and with virtually no oversight from
the federal government, southern whites
imposed their own tyrannical policies
throughout the region. Central to it all
was control of freed slaves. The white
elite could no longer control Blacks
through slavery so they did so through
ruthless restrictive laws that separated
the races and disenfranchised Blacks
and many poor whites throughout the
region. Greed, I ultimately learned, was
the ulterior motive coupled with white
supremacy, which was a poisonous
formula for everyone in the region. Ferris
University’s “Jim Crow Museum” offers
an excellent brief summary of Jim Crow:
Jim Crow was the name of the racial
caste system which operated primarily,
but not exclusively in southern and
border states, between 1877 and the
mid-1960s. Jim Crow was more than a
series of rigid anti-black laws. It was
a way of life. Under Jim Crow, African
Americans were relegated to the status
of second class citizens. Jim Crow
represented the legitimization of anti-black
racism. Many Christian ministers and
theologians taught that whites were
the Chosen people, blacks were cursed
to be servants, and God supported
racial segregation.
Historian George Fredrickson in his
book “Racism: A Short History” (2002)
states that Jim Crow, in the southern
United States, was one of three overtly
racist regimes in human history. He writes:
What are the distinguishing features
of an overtly racist regime that would
distinguish it from the general run of
ethnically pluralistic societies in which
racial prejudice contributes significantly
to social stratification? First there is
an official ideology that is explicitly
racist. Those in authority proclaim
insistently that the difference between
the dominant group and the one that is
being subordinated or eliminated are
permanent or unbridgeable. Dissent from
this ideology is dangerous and is likely
to bring legal or extralegal reprisals,
for racist egalitarianism is heresy in an
overtly racist regime. Second, this sense
of radical difference and alienation is
most clearly and dramatically expressed
in laws forbidding interracial marriage.
The ideal is “race purity” and the bans
on miscegenation reflect the maintenance
or creation of a caste system based on
the presumed racial difference. Third,
social segregation is mandated by law
and not merely the product of custom
or private acts of discrimination that
are tolerated by the state. The object is
to bar all forms of contact that might
imply equality between the segregators
and the segregated. Fourth, to the extent
that the policy is formally democratic,
outgroup members are excluded from
holding public office or even exercising
franchise. Fifth, the access that they have
to resources and economic opportunities
is so limited that most of those in the
stigmatized category are either kept in
poverty or deliberately impoverished.
This ideal type of an “overtly racist
regime” applies quite well to the
American South in the heyday of Jim
Crow, to South Africa under apartheid,
and to Nazi Germany. Nowhere else were
the political and legal potentialities of
S4
Image, Atlanta Black Star
1950s - Protesting Jim Crow
racism so fully realized.”
While growing up in Atlanta, I
was witness to all of the overtly
racist manifestations described by
Fredrickson. I ultimately learned how
everyone, blacks and whites alike, were
victimized by this dreadful system.
Arriving in Atlanta and an
Introduction to Jim Crow
I’m originally Canadian and
specifically from Edmonton, Alberta in
western Canada. My father moved our
family to Atlanta in the early 1950’s. I
was six years old. He was to teach at
Emory University.
It was late at night when we first
arrived in Atlanta. The next morning,
I remember looking out the window of
the room in the Alumni Building, where
we stayed briefly on the Emory campus.
Here before me, across the street and
standing on the corner, was an exquisite
black woman. I had never seen anyone
you knew. It was rather a “holier than
thou” concept and it translated not only
in the requirement to have superior
attitudes toward blacks but also in
your relationships with other whites.
You almost always had to give the
impression that you were better than
everyone around you - white or black.
Atlanta was filled with all kinds of
Jim Crow symbols in the 1950’s and
requirements to separate the races. It
was crazy. The behavior of everyone
was incredibly scripted in this system.
I was always afraid I had violated some
custom or some person. The tempers of
white southerners seemed to explode
sometimes in anger or in unexplainable
moods. They would become perturbed if
people didn’t act according to the white
supremacist script or they observed
someone letting down their supremacist
guard in the open society...as in being
too friendly to someone black or acting
"While growing up in Atlanta, I was witness to all of the overtly racist
manifestations described by Fredrickson. I ultimately learned how
everyone, blacks and whites alike, were victimized by this dreadful system."
like her in my young life. I had also never
seen someone with black skin. She wore
beautiful colorful clothes and walked
with such grace. I was transfixed.
Then my journey began.
It didn’t take me long to realize that black
folks were treated differently by whites.
To understand any of this, my journey
required, of necessity, learning about white
supremacy and it’s impact on both blacks
and whites. There was no choice in the
matter. White supremacy permeated the
very air you breathed. I had to learn how
to communicate with everyone in this new
culture. It was not easy.
I was raised in a white upper middle
class professional family, and the school
I attended in Atlanta was segregated, of
course. I never had the opportunity to
socialize with black folks. I received no
answers about racial relations in school
or the Methodist church that my family
attended on the Emory campus except that
subjugation of black folks was standard
practice. We weren’t specifically taught
this...the subjugation was everywhere as
witness to the practice.
Decades later I learned that Martin
Luther King, Jr. was occasionally
speaking at the Quaker Meeting not
far from our house but I had no idea
about this. Activities like this were not
widely publicized, of course. It was too
dangerous to do so.
Learning about White
Supremacy - How to Act
As white youth in the South, we were
essentially taught that being white was
superior. It was not stated openly, but
like blacks were their equal.
The culture almost permeated under
your skin, like the hot humid summer
days. It was in the atmosphere and you
couldn’t shake it off.
In all of this scripted behavior to
demonstrate white dominance, even
eyesight was important. Blacks could
never look directly at whites - eye to
eye. To do so would be a challenge to
the status quo - an assumption that both
blacks and whites were on equal footing.
Blacks always had to divert their eyesight
whereas whites could stare directly
almost burning a hole through you.
I knew racist acts and abuses were
committed all around me. This evil was
eminent. You knew it was there yet much
was unspoken. The deeds were just done.
And our living space was strictly
segregated in school, housing, church,
just everywhere it seemed, except when
we went to downtown Atlanta where there
were both blacks and whites on the street.
I knew black folks lived in the south-side
of Atlanta but I was never there.
But then I really didn’t know the
questions to ask and my parents didn’t
understand the concept of white
supremacy in the southern context, so
they didn’t teach us any of that, which
was a good thing. But I know they
picked up what to say and do in the
South’s closed society.
Over the years, however, my
mother, Lois McEwen, repeated to
me what she had learned about her
grandmother in Ontario, Canada. My
Great-Grandmother apparently always
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stressed, “Everyone was welcome at
her table”. I think this was my mother’s
way of critiquing white supremacy.
The irony, as my mother recognized,
was that in the South everyone was not
welcome at the vast majority of white
southerner’s tables. For upper or middle
class whites, the chairs at their tables
were exclusively for other whites, and
only certain whites. Working class
whites were excluded and the hospitality
was never extended to blacks.
Southern whites at church and
elsewhere, however, (particularly the
women) hovered over us young girls to
make sure we acted appropriately. The
issue, I ultimately realized, was about the
white women and black male taboo. It had
been historically a long southern tradition
to keep black males away from white
women or vice versa. It was the ridiculous
and hypocritical chastity of white females
that was the issue and all in the interest of
the white male ego. It was like we white
girls were some kind of untouchables,
trophies, on a pedestal of sorts.
The older women obviously wanted to
ensure that young white girls were pure
to the point that the pastor at church
made us feel guilty about everything
related to sex. The truth of the matter
is white southern males have always
exploited both black and white females.
This has been the case until the feminist
movement inspired by the black civil
rights movement altered the equation
somewhat for black and white women.
White women, however, have been used
as scapegoats in the white male’s desire
for power. If there is anything that is the
fulcrum of white supremacy, sex is one
of the most central of all.
Southern whites, within the white
supremacist model, seemed always to
try to give the impression that they were
better than the other, no matter the race
or class. This was how your status as a
white person was essentially imbued.
It meant assuming some kind of status
even if it required a fabrication (as in,
stating untruthfully that your family
ancestry was aristocratic, your relatives
once owned the largest cotton mill in the
South, etc.). Growing up I never knew
whether or not to trust my white friends
because often what they said about
themselves was exaggerated or were
outright lies. And forbid you should
challenge anything they said about
themselves. It was simply not done. Not
polite. It was exhausting sometimes to
be a part of this practice and to observe
the exhibition of hollow pride.
References:
James C. Cobb, The Selling of
the South: The Southern Crusade
for Industrial Development,
1936-90 (Chicago, 1993)
George M. Fredrickson, Racism: A
Short History (Princeton, NJ, 2002)
The article was revised
from an earlier version on
Counterpunch “Growing Up in
Jim Crow Atlanta” (2011)
HEATHER GRAY produces “Just
Peace” on WRFG-Atlanta 89.3 FM
covering local, regional, national and
international news. She can be reached
at [email protected].
Heather Gray
Justice Initiative
Look forward to part 2 in the March Edition!
February 2015
The Voice of African Americans in Colorado
"If you think you're too
small to make a difference,
you haven't spent a night
with a mosquito."
- African Proverb
FEBRUARY 2015
KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1991
FREE
RECLAIMING THE DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR. LEGACY
Citizens protest against NAACP and some Black pastors inability to and failure to address civil rights and inequality issues.
TEXT ALERTS:
Text hands up to 90975 to stay connected
check fergusonaction.com for updates.
FERGUSON ACTION HOTLINE:
314-329-7667 (This line is for action
information updates, you can leave a
message and someone will get back to you.)
February 2015
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Inside this Issue:
Deadline that African Americans
Need to Meet - 3
State of the Black Union - 8
A Century of Black Life, History,
and Culture - 12
BLACK COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR PROGRESS
Black Autonomy Network Community Organization
(BANCO)
Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C)
(866) 737-9783
www.coalition4change.org
(269) 925-0001
www.bhbanco.org
THE ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE
COZETTA HAMMOCK-WEST
ONUS
5148 ORLEANS COURT
DENVER, COLORADO
TELEPHONE: (303) 373-3939 (303) 304-0379 (cell)
e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
(202) 817-1331
www.changeisonus.org
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The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial
and national antagonism when it affords to all people – regardless of race, color
or creed – their human and legal rights. Hating no person and fearing no person,
the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as
long as anyone is held back.
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Help Keep the Black Press alive and make a difference.
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February 2015
COMMUNITY
February 15 is a Deadline that African Americans Need to Meet
Maya Wheeler
By Maya Wheeler, MHA
By now, I’m sure, you have heard
the word that, for anyone who does not
get health insurance through their job,
Sunday, February 15th, is the last day
to sign up for health insurance this year.
For you and your family, I hope that this
is one deadline that you plan to meet.
African Americans are roughly twice
as likely to be uninsured as the rest of
the population. Before the Affordable
Care Act, nearly one in four African
Americans did not have coverage. The
historic changes brought by health care
reform have enabled millions to find
affordable coverage but many more
still have not yet signed up – leaving
their health and the financial security
of their families at risk. It’s time to take
advantage of this monumental piece
of national legislation that has forever
changed our ability to access quality
health care.
Connect for Health Colorado is our
statewide health insurance Marketplace,
the only place where residents of our
state can buy health insurance with
financial assistance to lower the cost.
For us, as African Americans, this means:
Financial Assistance
• Families and individuals who qualify
can use tax credits to pay part of their
monthly premium.
• The average tax credit for eligible
customers last year was $262/month.
• Some young adults are seeing plans
for under $50/month, after the tax
credit.
No Insurance Discrimination
• Insurance companies cannot deny
you coverage based on pre-existing
conditions, or even charge you more
based on your health.
• Your monthly costs are based on your
age, where you live and whether you
smoke.
Security
• Ensures that families always have
guaranteed choices of quality,
affordable health insurance if they
lose their jobs, switch jobs, move, or
become sick, which will significantly
reduce disparities in accessing highquality health care.
Preventive Care
• New plans are required to cover
preventive care and wellness benefits at
no charge. Cost-sharing requirements
do not apply to preventive services.
• This will help African Americans,
who are often less likely to receive
preventive care, to protect their health
and avoid more costly treatment.
Free, In-Person Help In
Your Community
Connect for Health Colorado has
established a customer support network
of over 400 Health Coverage Guides
across the state who are trained to talk
you through the application process
and personally answer any questions
that you may have. Find them at
Connectforhealthco.com
Church of the Month
I strongly encourage you to visit
these assistance sites, where Guides are
available on a walk-in basis:
Denver
Center for African American Health
3601 Martin Luther King Blvd
Denver, CO 80205
www.caahealth.org
(303) 355-8333
Aurora
Aurora Coverage Assistance Network
791 Chambers Rd.
Aurora, CO 80011
www.aumhc.org
(303) 617-2328
Colorado Springs
Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
Colorado Springs, CO
www.ppacg.org
(719) 635-4891
Peak Vista Community Health Centers
Colorado Springs, CO
www.peakvista.org
(719) 632-5700
Or, find out more by logging on to
www.connectforhealth.com.
Maya Wheeler is a member of the Connect
for Health Colorado Advisory Group, Chair
of the Aurora Human Relations Commission
and President of the Colorado Black Women
for Political Action.
Maya Wheeler, MHA
President
Colorado Black Women for
Political Action
A Ride
with Room
The best times are
spent with friends.
But my old car never
seemed to have
enough room to take
everything we needed. So I found an
“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do
it.” James 4:17 (NLT)
Church Usher's Union of Colorado
Auto
Loans
52nd Annual Western Regional Conference
The Church Usher's Union of Colorado will host the 52nd Annual
Western Regional Conference in Denver, CO April 9-11, 2015 at The
Double Tree Hotel 4040 N. Quebec St., Denver, CO 80216.
Ushers please take note and come share with us.
For further information you may contact CUUC State President Sis.
Priscilla Brown at 303-877-8145 or Usher Sis. Vanessa Evans
at 303-343-0124.
February 2015
SUV and Ent helped me finance it –
right at the dealership.
Now weekends are even better,
because we can take everything and
everyone.
Apply online
or ask for Ent
at the dealer!
(719) 574-1100 or 800-525-9623
Standard credit qualifications apply. All loans subject to final credit approval.
Equal Housing Lender | Federally insured by NCUA | Equal Opportunity Lender
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© Ent Federal Credit Union, 201 5
Ent is a registered trademark
of Ent Federal Credit Union.
3
HEALTH
Avoid Cramping When Exercising
Kim Farmer
Exercise can bring with it some aches
and pains, and muscle cramps are no
exception! If you are new to exercise
or don’t stay hydrated properly, you will
likely experience cramps. A muscle
cramp is a contracted muscle that does
not relax even when not voluntarily
being used. Cramps can last from
a few seconds to an hour or longer
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Publisher
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The Black Press Creed
The Black Press believes that America
can best lead the world away from racial
and national antagonism when it affords
to all people – regardless of race, color
or creed – their human and legal rights.
Hating no person and fearing no person,
the Black Press strives to help every
person in the firm belief that all are hurt
as long as anyone is held back.
Contact us at 719.528.1954 or
[email protected]
African American Voice
P.O. Box 25003
Colorado Springs, CO 80936
Keeping the Community
Informed Since 1991!
4
and it can involve the entire muscle,
part of the muscle or several muscles
acting together. What are some tips
for preventing or at least minimizing
muscle cramps and their causes? Keep
reading.
A low fitness level is definitely a
potential reason for muscle cramping.
If you don’t work out on a regular
basis and are just playing a game of
ball or trying a 5K run, you may push
yourself harder and more intensely
than you typically would in the course
of training. You are subjecting your
muscles to a stronger force and they’ll
protect themselves through spasms.
Injury - If you have recently
experienced an injury such as a broken
or fractured bone, your muscles may
spasm as a protective mechanism to
minimize movement and stabilize the
injured area. The muscle may also
spasm if you have injured the muscle
itself.
Cramping at rest - Cramps at rest are
very common in older adults although
they can be experienced at any age.
They often occur at night since there
is little movement during sleep and
muscles tend to get stiff. Night cramps
can be painful and disrupt nightly
sleeping patterns. Keep in mind that
the calf muscle is a common area to
experience cramping especially at night
and is usually caused by a shortening of
the calf muscle caused involuntarily by
pointing your toe to stretch your feet.
Dehydration - You may already know
why hydrating is so important when
working out, but if not, here’s another
reason: NOT hydrating can definitely
contribute to muscle cramping. The
loss of body fluids from diuretics or low
fluid intake can increase instances of
cramping. Staying hydrated contributes
to a stable ‘salt’ balance as sodium is the
most abundant constituent of body fluid.
A loss of sodium can cause dehydration
leading to muscle cramping. There’s a
theory that a salty substance can send a
message to the brain to prevent nerves
from firing that cause muscle cramps.
Researchers at Bringham Young actually
tested this theory with pickle juice and it
worked!
Stretching - You are much more
likely to cramp if your muscles are tight.
The fix is easy - you need to stretch your
muscles. If your job requires a lot of
sitting or staying in one position for a
long time, frequent breaks throughout
the day can help minimize cramping.
Stretching every day can go a long way
toward avoiding muscle cramping.
To recap: get fit, keep your body
hydrated, use electrolytes (if you
exercise a lot), stay flexible (stretch!),
and try something salty. One of these
tricks or a combination of all of them,
can help you avoid muscle cramps!
Contributors: Kim Farmer of Mile
High Fitness. Mile High Fitness
offers in-home personal training
and corporate fitness solutions. Visit
www.milehighfitness.com or email
[email protected]
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ConnectforHealthCO.com
February 2015
BLACKONOMICS
What’s in a Million?
James Clingman
Exactly what is there in one million
Black folks united in their will and
purpose? What is in a million brothers
and sisters who are tired of the same old
rhetoric, the same old leaders, and the
same old ways of dealing with political
and economic empowerment? What’s
in a group of one million Blacks who
are unapologetic about their identity?
What’s in such a group that, collectively
and cooperatively, is willing to sacrifice
some of its members’ time, talent, and
treasure for the uplift of Black people in
this country?
Considering our relative position
within the political system, is it rational
to believe that one million like-minded
Black voters could affect positive change
by leveraging their votes to obtain
concessions from candidates prior to
and after an election? What would be the
result of one million Black independentthinking voters deciding to register
as “No Party Affiliation” rather than
as Dems, Repubs, or any other formal
political party? What if we followed
through on Theodore Johnson’s article
on The Root.com, Black America Needs
Its Own President?
Is it reasonable to think that one
million conscious Black consumers
would have the power to affect the
bottom line of corporations to the point
of getting those companies to take
public positions in support of justice for
Black people? Could those one million
consumers ultimately obtain reciprocity
in the marketplace by leveraging and
redirecting a greater portion of their
dollars to their own businesses?
Many questions to answer, yes, but
those questions point to choices; they will
suggest to some of us, first, that Black
people would never declare themselves
independent of the Democrat Party and
that Black people will never cooperate
in support of one another economically.
But to others of us those questions raise
attractive alternatives to what we are
doing now; they suggest very strongly
that we can be more self-determined via
simple but powerful tactics that impact
the two systems that run this nation and
the world.
Recognizing that everyone will
not want to walk the road toward
economic and political transition (After
all, everyone did not want to go with
Harriet Tubman), there are no “marching
orders” being trumpeted by the group
that is shouldering the responsibility of
bringing together one million conscious
Black voters and consumers. This is
a “Whosoever will, let him come”
movement.
The movement is simply called,
“One Million Conscious Black Voters
and Contributors.” To the skeptics out
there who think Black folks are too
individualistic to come together in such
a large number, that one million Black
folks will not cooperate, that we have
too many schisms among us, and we will
not trust one another, we say, “Not so.”
The key word in the name of the group
is “Conscious.” Even further, there is no
need to pressure anyone to join. I know
there are one million conscious Blacks
in America (about 2%) who will join
this movement without being prodded,
which eliminates our need to cajole,
persuade, or spend a lot of time trying to
convince them of why they should. If we
can’t find two in every hundred among
us, the result would be analogous to
Abraham failing to find a few righteous
men in Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Million Man March proved
that Blacks will come together across
religious, ideological, and economic
lines for a righteous and necessary cause.
Those who attended nearly 20 years
ago will remember the cooperative and
accommodating spirit among the men,
the supportive attitudes of the women
who stayed home and encouraged their
men to participate, and the subsequent
follow through by many of the men
upon returning home. Much good work
was done by individuals who were
committed and determined to keep the
promise they made that day.
As Amefika Geuka always quotes
Marcus Garvey, “There is nothing
common to man that man cannot do.”
We have already shown through many
collective efforts that all we need are
a relative few conscious, committed,
dedicated, and intentional men and
women to accomplish the tasks at hand.
With that in mind, rather than ask
“what’s” in a million, we must see
“who’s” in a million? If you have not
added your name to the list, one thing
is for sure: You are not in the million.
Names are being added every day; just go
to www.amefika.com to be informed, and
send an email to iamoneofthemillion@
gmail.com to sign up.
We can do more to help our
organizations, our businesses, and our
schools by leveraging our votes and
by “contributing” our resources to
this movement, thereby, getting more
political quo in return for our political
quid and reciprocity in the marketplace.
Be “One of the Million” and let’s
finally let our people and everyone else
know that we are very serious about
being economically and politically
empowered. Whosoever will…
Visits
http://www.blackonomics.
com/radio-shows/ and listen to Elliott
Booker’s show, Time for an Awakening.
Geuka and I discuss the One Million.
James Clingman
Writer on Economic Empowerment
www.blackonomics.com
Fifty Years Later: The Difference that Rust Made
towns and cities where Black colleges
and universities were located. Dr. Leroy
Frazier, Dr. James Tucker, and Mr.
Henry Mayfield led that effort forty
years ago.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
An act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
By Dr. Leroy Frazier
Did you know? The Rust College
class of 1974 was recently remembered
for the significant difference that they
made in changing local, state and federal
voter registration laws for college and
university students throughout the
February 2015
Country. They filed and won a federal
lawsuit that opened the doors for college
students to register and vote in the city
that they reside while attending colleges
throughout the Country (Frazier v.
Calicutt). This helped to change election
results in small college towns and cities.
It helped to elect Black candidates in
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by
any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.
www.africanamericanvoice.net
5
STATE OF THE BLACK UNION
Ten Facts about NAACP, Colorado Springs and El Paso County
Rosemary Harris Lytle
NAACP Colorado/Montana/Wyoming
State Conference President
Bill Edler
El Paso County
Sheriff
Darryl Glenn
El Paso County
County Commissioner District 1
Steve Bach
Colorado Springs
Mayor
By Margarita Stokes and James Tucker
1. Blacks are not welcome in Colorado Springs. Jim Crow practices are common in city government, schools, downtown businesses and other
institutions. White city leaders support and practice Black economic exclusion and oftentimes use black faces to support conservative white agendas.
(See Rosemary Lytle, Henry Allen, Darryl Glenn, Reverend James McMearn and the Black Pastors Union.)
2. The NAACP national staff supports civil and human rights violators. For example during Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday, NAACP
representative Rosemary Harris-Lytle along with Colorado Springs School District 11 and Colorado Springs Utilities hosted a breakfast at Colorado
College. Colorado College, Colorado Springs School District 11 and Colorado Springs Utilities are civil rights violators. (See Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964) Note: The 2015 theme was reclaiming Dr. King’s Legacy.
3. Fort Carson officials practice Jim Crow economics and deny soldiers access to Reliable Black Press. Fort Carson officials banned the African American
Voice from post. It is a clear violation of the US Constitution First Amendment.
4. Soldiers are profiled by local law enforcement. Service Members and their families are consistently and deliberately traumatized by law enforcement
and the District Attorney’s office through discriminatory and selective domestic violence legislation that has been specifically targeted at this
demographic which suffers greatly from PTSD. The City, County and Military officials re-traumatize this demographic when individuals serving in combat
and family members are subjected to unfair administrative discharges and stacked charges by the police and vindictive prosecutors. END MINIMUM
SENTENCING. The City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County officials consistently devour distressed military families as a source of revenue. Compare
the lines each and every day at the courthouse versus the virtually nonexistent lines at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. END THE 3 STRIKES LAW.
5. El Paso County schools are segregated. Inequality, racial discrimination and economic discrimination are common practice.
6. Roberto Garcia, Colorado College’s former Director of Admissions was unceremoniously dismissed by Colorado College’s President Jill Tiefenthaher. This firing
was sanctioned by the college’s board of trustees. In short, Roberto Garcia served at the college for twenty-five years with great performance reviews. Throughout
his time in the admissions office minority enrollment increased steadily. Yet, in 2014, Tiefenthaher used a common practice of getting rid of individuals who are
true to themselves and live, implement and promote best practices in diversity. That practice is firing anyone who goes against prescribed political agendas by
utilizing Colorado’s “At Will Employment Termination.” Garcia did not retire, he was a target and the measures used against him were discriminatory.
7. The NAACP has repeatedly voted against Net Neutrality. Ordinary citizens in Ferguson heavily relied on social media to show brutal actions against
them by the police through this medium. The NAACP and others like Al Sharpton’s National Action Network swooped down on the scene only when
there was so much publicity given to Ferguson via citizen journalists on the ground using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter--organizations
which the NAACP seeks to limit in free distribution of information to the masses.
8. The NAACP is absent in helping ordinary citizens with mass incarceration and very rarely present in assisting people of color when it comes to
defending them against the states excessive charging system.
9. The NAACP uses churches to promote its own political candidates unfairly in efforts to use a religious stamp of approval for candidates it endorses for
its own political agenda.
10. The Colorado Springs local NAACP President Henry Allen in December 2014 participated with Sheriff Elect Bill Elder, County Commissioner Darryl Glenn in a “dog
and pony” panel discussion sought to assure citizens in Colorado Springs and El Paso County that an incident like Ferguson could not happen here. Voices of opposition
like Margarita Stokes were surreptitiously threatened with arrest by County Commissioner Glenn when Stokes complained that heavy handed tactics are a common
practice with local law enforcement to include the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Springs Police Department and the local District Attorney’s Office.
Reprinted with Permission from Ed Billings
6
www.africanamericanvoice.net
February 2015
CALENDAR
The Black Educator’s Network (B.E.N.)
Monthly Monday Meeting Schedule at Library21c
1175 Chapel Hills Drive - Ent Conference Center
#1 Nightclub in Colorado
February 23, 2015 - 5:30 PM
March 09, 2015 - 5:30 PM
April 13, 2015 - 5:00 PM
May 11, 2015 - 5:00 PM
For more information contact:
Theresa Newsom, Ph.D. Candidate and B.E.N.
Founder/Facilitator
(719) 650-0478
[email protected]
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
Julie Reiskin, Executive Director
655 Broadway
Suite 775
Denver, CO 80203
[email protected]
www.ccdconline.org
Like us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/CCDC.CO
The Kasbah / Sports Scene
Direct Line: (720)-961-4261
15373 E 6th Ave Unit D
Aurora, Colorado
Direct Private Fax: (303)-567-6582
Organizational Line: (303)-839-1775
Organizational Fax: (303)-839-1782
(303) 367-0591
www.thekasbahdenver.com
Urbanites Leading the Pikes Peak Region
Scholarship Opportunity
The Urbanites Leading the Pikes Peak Region
(ULPPR), a 501c3 non-profit organization
and its partnering organizations are
pleased to invite high school seniors
to participate in the 2015 Scholarship
Program. In the past, the ULPPR has
experienced great success with our
Scholarship Program, and we hope to
build upon that success with deserving
students who will commence their
collegiate study in the fall of 2015.
The ULPPR is committed to identifying and awarding scholarships to
outstanding students who have demonstrated an interest in attending
college after high school. We urge you to review the enclosed
materials very carefully and to submit an application to be considered
to receive a scholarship in various amounts ranging from
$500-$1250 of undergraduate study starting with the 2015 academic
year.
The deadline for submission is Friday, February 20, 2015. Please contact
JJ Frazier for more information or if you know a student who would like to
participate in this opportunity.
JJ Frazier, Chair
Board of Directors
Urbanites Leading the Pikes Peak Region (ULPPR)
(719) 634-1525 or (719) 244-2133 (cell)
We Keep Your Culture Alive!
African American Voice is Colorado's Black news
source, online, in print every month, and mobile. All
the time at www.africanamericanvoice.net
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Call 719.528.1954 for more information.
We strongly encourage your family and friends
to read the African American Voice online and to
spread widely!
Read the African American Voice Online!
Anytime, Anywhere.
Visit www.africanamericanvoice.net
February 2015
www.africanamericanvoice.net
7
COLORADO BLACK CULTURE
Black Lives Matter - Civil and Human Rights Violators
Marillyn A. Hewson
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Chairman, President and CEO
E. Stanley Kroenke
Denver Nuggets
Owner
Jim Gibbons
Goodwill
CEO
8
Major General Paul J. LaCamera
Fort Carson
Commanding General
Pat Bowlen
Denver Broncos
Owner
Michael T. Baxter
Parkview Medical Center
CEO
Scott Blackmun
United States Olympic Committee
CEO
George Hayes
Memorial Hospital
CEO
W. James McNerney, Jr.
The Boeing Company
Chairman and CEO
Jim Laffoon
Security Service Federal Credit Union
President
Cornell William Brooks
National NAACP
President
Colonel Dennis P. LeMaster
Evans Army Community Hospital
Commander
Margaret Sabin
Penrose-St. Francis Health
President & CEO
Tom Boasberg
Denver Public Schools
Superintendent
Doug McMillon
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
President and CEO
The African American Voice dislikes race-haters, racists, racism, racial discrimination, civil and human rights violators.
www.africanamericanvoice.net
February 2015
INTERNATIONAL
Iran Issues Report On US Criminal Justice System Human Rights Violations
By April V. Taylor
American mainstream media has
conveniently not reported on the release
of a report by the Iranian organization
Global Centre to Support Human
Rights. The 115-page document was
unveiled at Tehran University, and it
details human rights abuses perpetrated
by Washington and the criminal justice
system. The irony of the report coming
out of Iran, a country former president
Bush referred to as being part of the axis
of evil and that is widely considered to
be anti-denocratic, is not lost. Countries
around the world who the United States
has historically called out for human
rights violations are not mincing words
when it comes to directly addressing the
human rights abuses perpetrated by the
United States. The report coming out of
Iran does not just focus on the abuses
occurring at Guantanamo and black
sites; it goes directly to what many see
as the most egregious abuses – those
perpetrated by the American criminal
justice system. Ahmad Esfandiari, the
chief of the organization who released
the report, expressed the hypocrisy
of the United States stance on human
rights abuses. He states, “Human rights
have always been attacked and violated
by the world governments, powers, and
arrogant powers who have also used it as
an instrument to suppress independent
governments and prior across the world.
Today, those who claim to be advocates
of human rights are themselves the
biggest violators of human rights.”
Esfandari based his claim on multiple
facts from the report including the fact
that more than 1,000 Black people were
killed by law enforcement during 2014
and dozens of American citizens were
put to death. Based on this recent report
and many others, it is apparent that
American policing relies on everyday
brutalities. One statistic that highlights
this comes from Amnesty International
who find that police killed 540 people
using stun guns from 2001 to 2013.
Many of those killed were unarmed
and did not pose a serious threat. The
United Nation’s Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination
ruled this post August that there was
a national trend of law enforcement
officers using excessive force against
communities of color. The recent focus
on the killing of unarmed Black men
must not cause people to lose sight of
the fact that the abuse of human rights
by law enforcement is not something
that just started happening.
One example of the sordid human rights
abuses committed by law enforcement
is the torture committed by Chicago
Police Department Commander Jon
Burge and his subordinates against more
than 100 Black men. These men were
given electric shocks, forced to endure
radiator burnings and mock executions,
and many remain behind bars after
have confessions coerced out of them
Photo, Kulture Kritic
through the torture. The use of prison as
a social control mechanism has seen the
United States take imprisonment to new
heights, with more Americans locked
up than what Joseph Stalin had locked
up in gulags at the height of his regime.
Another illustration of the extreme use
of prisons in the United States is that fact
that America has an incarceration rate
that is 27 times that of Saudi Arabia, a
country the United States has repeatedly
cited for human rights abuses.
While some may choose to turn a
blind eye to the human rights abuses
cited by Iran because of the country of
origin, Iran is not the only source citing
US human rights violations. Amnesty
International released a report regarding
has cited multiple human rights
violations stemming from the death of
Michael Brown and the ensuing protests
that were met with violence from police.
They have also cited the fact that the
540 deaths of Americans from stun
guns from 2001 to 2013, when many
were unarmed and posing no serious
threat, as evidence of human rights
violations. The UN Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination
also issued a report in August 2014 that
cited the trend of excessive use of force
against minority communities by law
enforcement as troubling. If the United
States plans on salvaging any respect
from the global community, it is time for
the country to stop pointing fingers at
other governments and start to address
its own complicity in the human rights
abuses of its own citizens.
April V. Taylor
Kulture Kritic
www.kulturekritic.com
Black Law Lesson 101: Witness the Power of Remaining Silent
By Matt Agorist
Many INNOCENT individuals have
been imprisoned, or otherwise harmed,
merely because they chose to answer
questions asked by some Law Enforcement
Officer or government official, agent,
representative, tribunal, or employee.
It is very important to understand
that the 5th Amendment protects the
innocent more than the guilty.
Knowing how to assert your rights is
not only a good idea to prevent from being
unlawfully kidnapped or caged, but it is
also a successful catalyst for change when
applied on a large enough scale.
In the video below, activist Kenny Suitter,
shows how to properly remain silent during
police interactions. It is as simple as stating,
“I do not answer questions.”
Because of the SCOTUS ruling in
Salinas v. Texas, you are now expected
to know that you have a right against
February 2015
self-incrimination, and unless you
specifically and clearly invoke this
right, anything you say or do not say,
including your mannerisms at the time
you stop talking, can be used against
you. You actually have to say, “I do not
answer questions.”
Don’t concern yourself with what
kind of interrogation you’re in. Don’t
worry about whether Salinas applies
in your particular situation. Just invoke
your 5th Amendment right immediately,
verbally, and clearly.
View the video here: http://youtu.be/
NrlrUy9Avmc
Being stopped by police can be a
particularly stressful experience. An
innocent individual can easily get tricked
into self-incriminating themselves as
the police officer badgers and pries
for information.
Memorizing laws and statutes can go
a long way, however, having a business
Image, Youtube/Kenny Suitter
card handy, that states your rights
for you, is much more convenient,
especially when under the stress of a
police stop.
Here is a good example of what that
business card should look like:
Side 1:
“I hereby invoke and refuse to
waive all of the following rights and
privileges afforded to me by the United
States Constitution. I invoke and refuse
to waive my 5th Amendment right to
Remain Silent. I invoke and refuse to
waive my 6th Amendment right to an
attorney of my choice. I invoke and
refuse to waive my 4th Amendment right
to be free from unreasonable searches
and seizures. If I am not presently under
arrest, or under investigatory detention,
please allow me to leave.”
Side 2:
“Officer, I Assert My Fifth Amendment
Rights As Stated On This Card“
Pursuant to the law, as established by the
United States Supreme Court, my lawyer
www.africanamericanvoice.net
has advised me not to talk to anyone
and not to answer questions about any
pending criminal case or any other civil,
administrative, judicial, investigatory
or adjudicatory matter. Following his
advice, I do not wish to talk to anyone
about any criminal, civil, administrative,
judicial, investigatory or adjudicatory
matter, without my lawyer present. I
waive no legal rights, nor give any
consents, nor submit to any tests or other
procedures, without my lawyer present. I
ask that no one question or talk to me,
without my lawyer here to advise me.
If you’d like a downloadable version
of this card you can get it here: http://
www.assertrights.com/Statement%20
if%20Stopped%20-%20Assert%20
Rights_10-copies.pdf
Matt Agorist
The Free Thought Project.com
www.thefreethoughtproject.com
9
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10
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315 S Santa Fe Ave
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February 2015
COLORADO SPRINGS COMICS
Ada Anagho Brown
President
Roots to Glory Tours
Reprinted with Permission from Ed Billings
Contact:
(410) 429-0804
(410) 428-6402
[email protected]
www.rootstoglory.com
P.O. Box 92
Stevenson, Maryland 21153
www.facebook.com/
rootstoglorytours
Roots to Glory Tours:
Is dedicated to facilitating
the return of all Africans in
the Diaspora back to Africa.
The mission of
Roots to Glory
Tours (RTG) is
to bridge the
gap by guiding,
introducing and
being a part of
the experience
of discovery
and reconnection
for African
Americans as
they embrace
their long
lost families.
February 2015
www.africanamericanvoice.net
11
BLACK CULTURE
A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture
African descent had played no role
in the unfolding of history and were a
threat to American civilization itself. A
century later, few can deny the centrality
of African Americans in the making of
American history.
This transformation is the result of
effort, not chance. Confident that their
struggles mattered in human history,
black scholars, artists, athletes, and
(ASALH) - Over the past century,
African American life, history, and
culture have become major forces in
the United States and the world. In
1915, few could have imagined that
African Americans in music, art, and
literature would become appreciated by
the global community. Fewer still could
have predicted the prominence achieved
by African Americans, as well as other
people of African descent, in shaping
world politics, war, and diplomacy.
Indeed, it was nearly universally
believed that Africans and people of
football, boxing, and basketball. In a
wave of social movements, African
American activism transformed race
relations, challenged American foreign
policy, and became the American
conscience on human rights.
While the spotlight often shines
on individuals, this movement is the
product of organization, of institutions
and of institution-builders who gave
"Indeed, it was nearly universally believed that
Africans and people of African descent had played no
role in the unfolding of history and were a threat to
American civilization itself. A century later, few can
deny the centrality of African Americans in the making
of American history."
leaders self-consciously used their
talents to change how the world viewed
African Americans. The New Negro
of the post-World War I era made
modernity their own and gave the
world a cornucopia of cultural gifts,
including jazz, poetry based on the
black vernacular, and an appreciation of
African art. African American athletes
dominated individual and team sports,
changing baseball, track-and-field,
direction to effort. The National
Urban League promoted the Harlem
Renaissance. The preservation of
the black past became the mission of
Arturo Schomburg and Jesse Moorland,
leading to the rise of the Schomburg
Research Center in Black Culture
and Howard University’s MoorlandSpingarn Research Center. The vision
of Margaret Boroughs and others led
to the African American museum
movement, leading to the creation of
black museums throughout the nation,
culminating with the Smithsonian’s
National Museum of African American
History and Culture. Student activism of
the 1960s resulted in the Black Studies
Movement and the creation of black
professional associations, including the
National Council of Black Studies, and
a host of doctoral programs at major
American universities.
At the dawn of these strivings and at
all points along the road, the Association
for the Study of Negro Life and History,
now the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History
(ASALH) has played a vital role. When
he founded the Association in 1915,
Carter G. Woodson labored under
the belief that historical truth would
crush falsehoods and usher in a new
era of equality, opportunity, and racial
democracy, and it has been its charge
for a century. In honor of this milestone,
ASALH has selected “A Century of
Black Life, History, and Culture” as the
2015 National Black History theme.
The Association for the Study of
African American Life and History
(ASALH)
www.asalh.net
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)
Howard Center
2225 Georgia Avenue, NW
Suite 331, Washington, DC 20059
phone: 202-238-5910 | fax: 202-986-1506 | email: [email protected]
Established in June 1991, African American
Voice is the only African American newspaper in
Colorado Springs that covers the Front Range.
Support the Black Press!
Support Black Communities
United For Progress!
Support Black Culture!
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12
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February 2015
BLACK HISTORY
Young Orthopaedic Surgeon returns to Serve his Community
By Rayven Irons
According to the well-known African
Proverb, “It takes a whole village to
raise a child.” These words are true
when it comes to the success of Dr.
Alex Simpson, D.O., who is the latest
Orthopaedic Surgeon to join Front
Range Orthopaedics. Simpson is a
positive young black male, who came
from humble beginnings in Widefield,
CO. Today I will share with you
Simpson’s journey to success, and how
it took a village (a supportive family,
understanding friends and community
resources) to raise a successful man.
Simpson’s message is an inspirational
one and he is and has always been a
positive role model. His supportive
upbringing lead to his focus and
determination.
Simpson began his educational
journey in Widefield School District
3, where he graduated from Mesa
Ridge High School. He was always
a focused student who grew up in a
supportive environment. He was taught
at a young age that school came first, no
matter what. He was also taught to be a
positive member of the community, and
to follow the golden rule: treating others
as he would like to be treated.
His mother and father stressed the
importance of doing well in school and
how it can help one achieve success.
His mother was extremely determined
and disciplined when it came to raising
Simpson and his younger sister and
investing in their success. His extended
family, including his aunts, uncles, and
grandparents were also his supporters.
Both of his grandfathers served as
positive role models. Simpson’s
grandfather, Norvell Simpson, an
active member of the Colorado Springs
community states, “I took him to the
first day of elementary school, and he
stayed focused for 26 years, through all
the educational programs.”
Simpson has always been a focused
and goal oriented individual. “You
have to stick to your guns and focus,”
Simpson
said.
Throughout
his
academic journey, he knew he wanted
to work with the human body; he even
considered becoming an athletic trainer.
While in college, everything started to
fall into place, and he made the decision
to become a doctor.
As a young man, getting into the
competitive field of medicine was a
challenge, however, Simpson stayed
focused and knew, “This is my end goal,
and I’m going to do whatever it takes to
reach that goal.” Simpson said, “I’m not
going to accept anything less than the
goals that I set out.” He expressed that
once you stick to your goals, everything
else is pretty easy.
Another challenge was balancing
family, school-work, and friendships.
Staying focused meant less time for
socializing. Some people did not
understand that studying was a priority
and the books came first. He again found
supportive people to surround himself
with that understood the importance of
studying, and encouraged him to do his
best. He met his wife in college, who
has been extremely supportive through
all of the years of hard work and long
work hours. Her love and support surely
helped him stay focused.
Focus and a supportive network
were not the only factors contributing
to Simpson’s success, he also received
support from the community. Simpson
was awarded scholarships from Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity, Sachs Foundation,
and the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship
Foundation (TASF) to name a few. He
also received a generous scholarship
from his wife’s family, whom are active
in the Los Angeles black community.
The scholarships helped him fund
his undergraduate program, where he
attended University of Nevada, Las
Vegas (UNLV). The Sachs Foundation
supported him during medical school,
where he attended Touro University
Nevada College of Osteopathic
Medicine, in Henderson, NV.
Continued on S7
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S5
INFLUENTIAL BLACK FIGURES
Minister Keith Gill
Black Hands Drum Ensemble
Co-Founder
Rhonda Fields
State Presentative
House District 42
Joan Clemons
Hillside Community Center
Program Coordinator
Janice Frazier
Urbanites Leading the
Pikes Peak Region
Chair, Board of Directors
Col. Stacey T. Hawkins
U.S. Air Force Academy
10th Air Base
Wing Commander
Dr. Alex Simpson, D.O.
Front Range Orthopaedics
Orthopaedic Surgeon
CSM David M. Clark
Fort Carson
Division Command
ergeant Major
4th Infantry Division
Dr. Andre D. Spencer, Ed.D
Harrison School District 2
Superintendent
Rayven Irons
Communications Professional
Tracy Hilts
Penrose-St. Francis Health
Chaplain
James Tucker
African American Voice
Publisher
Disability Advocate
S6
www.africanamericanvoice.net
February 2015
EDUCATION
Young Orthopaedic Surgeon returns to Serve
his Community
Continued from S5
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity offers
scholarships targeted towards black
male students, however, all students
can apply. The Sachs Foundation
offers college scholarships to Black
residents of Colorado. The Tuskegee
Airmen Scholarship Foundation offers
annual scholarships to excellent young
individuals in their pursuit to academic
success.
Simpson advises young scholars to
reach out to those in their community
for assistance in locating scholarships
and resources. Schools, churches, and
even older siblings can offer helpful
guidance. There are many scholarships
available to help aid scholars in their
academic pursuits. He also advises
that young men and women believe in
themselves.
There may be people out there that
don’t know what you are capable of
accomplishing. There were people who
doubted him. Some said he may not get
into medical school, and it would be a
hard road. “Believe in yourself, and
have a foundation that you will accept
nothing but the best,” said Simpson.
“You stay true to that, and have faith it
will come true, then it will.” He never
doubted himself, but he appreciated the
constructive criticism and used it as a
motivating factor.
Simpson completed his Orthopedic
Surgery Residency at Ohio University
Doctor’s Hospital/Grant Medical Center
in Columbus, Ohio. He then completed
an additional year of fellowship training
in advanced foot and ankle surgery at
the Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center
in Columbus, Ohio. He joined the
Front Range Orthopedics team August
2014. Simpson Specializes in Foot
and Ankle Surgery, Sports Medicine,
Trauma and General Orthopedics. He
returned to Colorado Springs to bring
his children closer to his family, so
his kids can grow up in the same type
of supportive environment he grew
up in. He enjoys the hometown feel
of Colorado Springs. He’d also like to
follow in his grandfather’s footsteps,
and do a lot in the community. Simpson
is a perfect example of what our
youth can become when a community
works together and makes positive
contributions. Each individual plays a
role: parents, extended family, friends,
schools, churches, and organizations
can contribute to our youths’ success.
Let our community continue raising
doctors, lawyers, educators and leaders.
Remember, “It takes a whole village to
raise a child.”
Front Range Orthopaedics
www.fro.com
719-473-3332
Sachs Foundation
www.sachsfoundation.org
719-633-2353
Alpha Phi Alpha
www.springsalphas.org
Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship
Foundation (TASF)
www.taisf.org
310-215-3985
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February 2015
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S7
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The
EduCtr
Presents the 6th Annual…
Salute to
Excellence in Education
Scholarship and Awards Gala
A Program to Honor Black Educators
Friday March 6th, 2015 • VIP Reception 5:30 pm, • Program 7:00pm
DoubleTree Hilton Hotel - Denver
3203 Quebec Street, Denver, CO (Martin Luther King Blvd. & Quebec Street)
Guest Speaker – Dr. Charlotte V. Ijei
Director of Pulpil Personnel and Diversity
Parkway School District, St. Louis, Missouri
Please call Lee 720-447-3358 for information about the Salute, vendor
tables, sponsorship information, advertisement, and ticket/table sales.
www.theeductr.com
“I chose UCCS because of the opportunities
within the College of Business — internships,
scholarships, and exploring different careers.
The smaller class sizes have given me the personal
assistance I need to be successful. UCCS is building
prestige in its programs and is becoming one of the
best schools in the state. You should check it out.”
— Thaddeus Bland, Jr., Sophomore, Business
Reach higher.
Choose UCCS.
Learn more at uccs.edu
or call 719.255.8227
S8
www.africanamericanvoice.net
February 2015