Chicago Defender back issues from February 2007:
Mandatory mentoring not making the grade for new teachers
Feb 01, 2007; ... A recent University of Chicago study found that nearly 20 percent of Chicago Public Schools teachers are not participating in mandatory mentoring aimed at retaining teachers beyond their first and second year in the district. The "Keeping New Teachers" study, released last week by the ...
Peoples Energy gives tips on staying warm during the frigid blast
Feb 01, 2007; ... Peoples Energy is keeping Chicagoans warm today, even as the temperatures fall to ten degrees with a wind chill that makes it feel like it's four degrees below zero. Weather forecasters predict highs in the 20's or high teens into the weekend, with lows at zero or above. Customers can ...
Family violence continues - I should not be surprised
Feb 01, 2007; ... Guest Editorial Everyday I encounter a new surprise. Just when I think that we have turned the corner on awareness about family violence, I am struck by realty. A reality of a society that does not understand the complexity of family violence; a society that does not even recognize the ...
Renowned singers to perform with local choruses at Rockefeller Chapel
Feb 01, 2007; ... Vocalists representing three generations of great singers, who have earned worldwide critical acclaim, will take the stage at Rockefeller Chapel Friday to present a celebration of freedom songs, spirituals and songs from Broadway Friday. The singers include Robert Sims, bass; lyrical ...
TEESEE'S TOWN
Feb 01, 2007; ... Oleta Adams to climax Steppenwolf Theatre's annual festival On Stage! - Dozens of eclectic artists and personalities will perform on the stage of Steppenwolf Theatre Co., 1650 N. Halsted, for a three-week festival dedicated to the unique blend of language, lyrics, poetry and ...
Backfield duo key for Bears
Feb 01, 2007; ... OUR SPORTS If the Bears are going to defy the odds and defeat the favored Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI Sunday in Miami, most experts agree that their running game will have to play a huge role. With Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, the Bears have perhaps the best running ...
Black pols support del Valle's return as City Clerk
Feb 02, 2007; ... Dozens of key leaders in the Black community, led by Democrats State Senate President Emil Jones and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, declared their solidarity with Miguel del Valle in his campaign to retain his seat as City Clerk in the upcoming municipal elections. Noting del Valle ...
Dignitaries and a southside community officially welcomes a Black business legend, WVON
Feb 02, 2007; ... Melody Spann-Cooper couldn't hold back the tears as her watery eyes locked with those of her famous father, radio disc jockey legend and businessman Pervis Spann - "The Blues Man." "The most brilliant man I know is sitting right there," Spann-Cooper said pointing to her father. "I get ...
Chicago Symphony looks to demystify the classics
Feb 02, 2007; ... Classical music can seem like a dark abyss of string instruments, nocturnes and fugues. To many, it's a mystery why myriads flock to Orchestra Hall at 220 S. Michigan Ave. to listen to music composed hundreds of years ago. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in residence at Orchestra Hall ...
State of the Union: Trapped
Feb 02, 2007; ... The stage was set for the State of the Union speech by a president who had one of the lowest ratings in modern history. You have to back to Richard Nixon's 1974 speech during the Watergate scandal to find an equivalent and as a result, Bush' speech was just as unconvincing. As a ...
Judge Jane Bolin - Trailblazer
Feb 02, 2007; ... Judge Jane Bolin was the first Black woman graduate of Yale Law School and the first Black woman judge in the United States. She set an example for me and all other Black women who followed her at Yale Law. As a judge, she was an inspiration for a new generation of women and Black women ...
Smith, Dungy, Obama: Breaking through the color barrier
Feb 02, 2007; ... Guest Editorial January marked at least one major first for African Americans. For the first time in history, not one but two Blacks - the Chicago Bears Lovie Smith and the Indianapolis Colts' Tony Dungy - led their teams to football's premier contest, the Super Bowl. And another ...
TEESEE'S TOWN
Feb 02, 2007; ... Four groups to co-sponsor special Woman's Annual Celebration Women's World - Felicia Middlebrooks, CBS Radio anchor, has signed on to headline the 2007 WITASWAN (Women in the Audience Supporting Women Artists Now!) program on March 31, 12:30 p.m., at Landmark's Century Center Theater, at ...
Steppin' Out with KJ
Feb 02, 2007; ... Two big events hitting Chicago (well, the entire country!) this weekend. Let's start with the Super Bowl and Chicago's own investment in this historical event. First of all, we are going to win this! second of all, what makes this a greater historical event is that for the first time, ...
Acknowledging our Jackie Robinson of science. . .finally
Feb 02, 2007; ... The same year the Chicago SunTimes bestowed upon Percy Julian its "Chicagoan of the Year" honor, his Oak Park home was set ablaze by arsonists who didn't Like the idea of a Black family setting up shop in their white-only 'burb. Julian and bis wife and children stayed put. So the ...
Earl's World: Joe Turner's Come and Gone cast captivated Congo Square's audience at Goodman Theatre
Feb 02, 2007; ... The splendid cast that Congo Square brought together for the performance of the late playwright August Wilson's play Joe Turner's Come and Gone is an ideal ensemble who under the direction of Derrick Sanders, captivated the audience with a magnificent interpretation. Members of the cast ...
Start Black History Month 2007 with a bang
Feb 02, 2007; ... Welcome to another edition of In the Mix ... your complete gathering of the who, what, when, where and why of the first weekend of Black History Month 2007. This week my picks are all events that will celebrate the rich history of us, a phenomenal group of people. Stay warm, safe and let's ...
Sounds of Inspiration
Feb 02, 2007; ... GO BEARS GO! Inside of a Super Bowl weekend, the Bears will not be the only ones making their mark in Miami. Gospel superstars, Yolanda Adams and Tye Tribett will help excited fans and gospel music lovers go to another level. Get ready for the 8th Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration which ...
Election official: Too early to tell how effective early voting will be
Feb 08, 2007; ... Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Alien beamed over some good news Wednesday, just three days into the city's early voting system. "It's too early to say if early voting is meeting expectations," Alien told the Defender. "But we had 831 people come out to vote on the ...
What does it mean when the president won't listen?
Feb 08, 2007; ... In the last couple of months there have been some disturbing developments that tell us a great deal about the Bush administration and the danger that it poses to the world. A bi-partisan commission the Iraq Study Group came out with a series of recommendations on how the U.S.A. can deal ...
Changing the future by supporting Black owned businesses
Feb 08, 2007; ... Guest Editorial America is filled with communities of ethnically and racially diverse people groups. The people in these communities, understandably, love and support one another spiritually, physically and financially. That support is apparent to me when I visit most of these ...
Second Micheaux installment looks at editing techniques during African American Auteurs Series at the Gene Siskel Center
Feb 08, 2007; ... Dr. Jacqueline Stewart, associate professor of radio/television/film at Northwestern University leads the unique Auteurs Series as lecturer. Before and after the showing, Stewart guides the mixed group of students and members of the general public in a discussion about the film and the life of ...
Geraldine de Haas & Jazz Unites stages 22nd memorial Tribute to Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson
Feb 08, 2007; ... Over the past two decades, Geraldine de Haas and Jazz Unites has been providing a memorial tribute to African American vocalists Marion Anderson and Mahalia Jackson. This year's celebration is scheduled for Feb. 11 at the Harris Theatre, 205 E. Randolph Dr., in Millennium Park, at 4 ...
TEESEE'S TOWN
Feb 08, 2007; ... Pincham and Montgomery to keynote Thurgood Marshall Tribute Legal Eagles - Two of Chicago's - indeed the nation's! - most respected and revered men of the bar, R. Eugene Pincham and James D. Montgomery, keynote Friday's "second Annual Renaissance Gala," a tribute to the 40th anniversary ...
Howard student calls for 'Semester of Abstinence'
Feb 08, 2007; ... A Howard graduate student and social worker has an idea to help students stay free of HIV/AIDS: Abstain from sexual activity for a semester. "Howard, we have a problem and it can't be ignored," Carl Miller, a graduate student and social worker, said. "Student leaders and the entire ...
Black History
Feb 08, 2007; ... Martin Luther King, Jr., 1964 An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the ...
Added lighting makes home safer as well as brighter
Feb 08, 2007; ... Adding lighting to your home can make it safer and brighter, and can also make it easier to accomplish everyday chores and projects in the kitchen and many other areas. This does not mean simply getting bigger light bulbs. Light fixtures have bulb size limitations and you can't always ...
Washington tops Dunbar in boys' playoff opener
Feb 08, 2007; ... Sparked by a smothering second-half defense, Washington rolled to a 60-43 victory over Dunbar in a first-round Public League boys' playoff game Wednesday. Washington, which reached the Public League championship game last season, now advances to second-round play which will take place ...
Rison takes over at NCCU
Feb 08, 2007; ... Defender staff report Mose Rison has been named as the new head football coach at North Carolina Central University. He replaces Rod Broadway who left North Carolina Central to become the new head coach at Grambling State University. Rison, 53, served as the North Carolina ...
Winnie Mandela rescheduled at St. Sabina
Feb 07, 2007; ... The sold-out Black Speakers Series at the Faith Community of St. Sabina Catholic Church, 1210 W. 78th PL, on Feb. 9 featuring human rights activist Winnie Mandela, the head of the African National Congress (ANC) Women's League in South Africa, has been rescheduled to Feb. 16 at 7:30 ...
BSP to host school volunteer day
Feb 07, 2007; ... Some folks took exception when Oprah Winfrey opined that inner city children aren't as interested in education as their Black South African counterparts. Phillip Jackson and others at the Black Star Project, 35th and King Dr., did more than moan and groan about the comments. The BSP ...
'Boys to men' or boys to boys?
Feb 07, 2007; ... We have all probably heard of the singing group, Boyz to Men, right? Sounds like a logical sequence of growth, don't you agree? Well, it seems we have another trend going for our Black males today, and that is growing from men back to babies. While they physically grow in stature, instead of ...
African American Auteurs Series at the Gene Siskel Center kicks off with feature on Black filmmaker and Illinois native Oscar Micheaux
Feb 07, 2007; ... The movie is about Black education, the lynching of innocent Black people, and even features a rape scene where a white man tries to rape a Black woman whom he later finds out is his own daughter. It sounds controversial even for today's audiences but more shocking is that this film was released ...
Chicago Humanities Festival presents ragtime star Reginald R. Robinson and Howard Reich in concert
Feb 07, 2007; ... Reginald R. Robinson, a young musician who has revived the genre of ragtime for contemporary audiences will be featured with Howard Reich Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Thorne Auditorium, Northwestern School of Law at 375 E. Chicago Ave. sponsored by the Chicago Humanities Festival and Alice ...
TEESEE'S TOWN
Feb 07, 2007; ... Covenant with Black America gets NAACP Image Award nod Congratulations - to Chicago-based Third World Press, the publishing house whose The Covenant With Black America has been nominated for a coveted NAACP Image Award in the category of "Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction." Chicago ...
Merri Dee, Runako Jahi top list as local Black legends
Feb 07, 2007; ... Welcome to another edition of In the Mix ...your complete run-down of the who, what, when, where and why of our city's movers and shakers. Black History Month 2007 is in full swing with various celebrations of our rich heritage and history. As I continue my quest to bring you a few of our city's ...
Malaysia launches tourism campaign
Feb 07, 2007; ... KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - This multiracial nation's tourism tagline is "Malaysia Truly Asia," and true to its slogan, it is home to a unique potpourri of Asian cultures - Malay, Chinese, Indian - along with many indigenous groups on Borneo island. Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, ...
Deerfield entrepreneur continues family legacy of food service excellence
Feb 05, 2007; ... If there are three things that Charles H. James knows well, it's food, financial soundness and a good business deal. Those three attributes are what James believes will take him to next realm of as chairman and CEO of C.H. James Restaurant Holding LLC. "I have been in the food ...
Chicago Defender opens its archives in photographic exhibit: Journey to Empowerment
Feb 05, 2007; ... The Chicago Defender, and its parent company Real Times Media, are offering Chicagoland residents a historic look at the city's Black historical roots. Journey to Empowerment, uses photos to honor the history of the Black political movement in Chicago. The exhibition comprises ...
Shirley Q. Liquor and the Long Beach Ten: For those who don't believe Jim Crow is back...
Feb 05, 2007; ... The same week the threat of a massive protest caused the cancellation of a white (gay) male's "blackface" routine in West Hollywood, that same protest threat failed to save nine of ten black youth on trial for what was deemed a racial attack in Long Beach. I've been preaching for some ...
Dr. Martin R. Delany:A man missing from Black history
Feb 05, 2007; ... The use of history as a tool of liberation is an ongoing battle that the African in America must come to grips with. Far too many African in American people reject the use of history as a tool to understand the past, the present and the future. The rejection of history, by many of us, ...
The death of marriage
Feb 05, 2007; ... Guest Editorial A few weeks ago, the New York Times reported that for the first time in our history "51 percent of [American] women are now living without spouses." In order to reach this conclusion, the Times played fast and loose with the statistics counting as "women" ...
TEESEE'S TOWN
Feb 05, 2007; ... CSU kicks-off Black History Month with new permanent photo exhibit For Openers - Four years ago, Dr. Erma Brooks Williams, senior executive director for Board and Governmental Affairs at Chicago State University, discovered a void of information on the legislative activities of African ...
Lovie Smith shares his roots of faith, family
Feb 05, 2007; ... Miami-Growing up in Big Sandy Texas, Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith learned early in life that the most important things were family and belief in the Lord. "My mother was a very strong woman," Smith said during a news conference Saturday. "One thing about her was she wanted us to be ...
As Web evolves, blind left behind
Feb 09, 2007; ... The last time Ray Campbell tried to buy Cubs tickets online, Tickets.com asked him to enter the text in a distorted image in order to prove that he was not a robot programmed to automatically buy tickets for scalpers. The only problem: Campbell couldn't read the text in the image. In fact, he ...
Smithsonian traveling exhibit of historic bus boycott makes stop at DuSable Museum
Feb 09, 2007; ... On December 1, 1955, the actions of 42-year-old Rosa Parks, a secretary for the NAACP in Montgomery, Ala., sparked a movement that would forever change the lives of African Americans in the latter 20th century and beyond. Some of that history is recaptured in an exhibit that recently ...
World-class Math & Science Academy to open on the West Side
Feb 09, 2007; ... A longer school year, science labs, and more reading and math than taught at other Chicago high schools are what await students at the yet-to-open RoweClark Math & Science Academy. Rowe-Clark will open this fall at 3645 W. Chicago Ave. More than 500 students keen on honing ...
Katrina recovery in major need of national summit
Feb 09, 2007; ... This year's State of the Union Address by President George W. Bush offered little hope for the thousands of New Orleanians who fled the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and never returned and those who did return home. Not a reference to the tragedy that halved the population and left the ...
New York police need federal oversight
Feb 09, 2007; ... Guest Editorial It comes as no surprise that, in New York City (or any other large city, for that matter), Blacks and Latinos are stopped more frequently by law enforcement officers than whites are. But, recently released data suggest that, perhaps, the city is failing to live up to an ...
When beauty cuts more than skin deep
Feb 09, 2007; ... Two sisters defy the Hollywood thin-is-in look. Standing in the midst of actors, Chandra Wilson doesn't look like one. Just ask her. Wilson could pass as the short and stocky character with dark hair, dark skin and flabby arms, not a confident surgeon trying to juggle a ...
Steppin' Out with KJ
Feb 09, 2007; ... The great thing about Chicago is the weather. Just kidding. But considering how brutal the weather is, there are always options to do so many things indoors. As cold as February is, we have to admit that it's one busy month. First of all we've got the Valentine's Day ...
BET's Transmission previews Levert's In My Songs
Feb 09, 2007; ... Mood music ... If you are in the mood for love in time for Valentine's Day please check out our good friends over at BET.com's TRANSMISSION, which previews top albums in hip hop and R&B a week in advance for BET.com's users listening enjoyment. TRANMISSION is previewing the ...
Chicago BMOA to salute McDonald's first Black prez at Gala Tribute
Feb 09, 2007; ... Presidential Pride - Don Thompson's historic rise within the McDonald Corp. as the first African American to be elected president of McDonald's USA will be celebrated during a Black History Month Tribute on Tuesday evening at Navy Pier's Crystal Garden. More than a thousand of our town's most ...
Sounds of Inspiration
Feb 09, 2007; ... Lemmie Battles, one of gospel music's finest, considers herself a walking miracle, which is why her sophomore project on New Haven records is entitled You're Looking at A Miracle. Indeed, the singing evangelist that has been compared to the likes of Grammy Award-winner, Shirley Caesar, has a ...
Obama offers 'something new and different' as he announced '08 presidential bid in Springfield
Feb 12, 2007; ... Jennifer Lee planned to visit Springfield this weekend to attend U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential announcement, until she got an e-mail stating she needed a ticket. Two days before the announcement, Lee learned she could still attend and watch from afar; so she called her friend ...
Ald. Hairston: Welcome to McDonald's
Feb 12, 2007; ... As the Chicago Black McDonald's Owner/Operators Association lauded Don Thompson, the first African American president of McDonald's USA, the family of one of the founders of the association reflected on the early years of its existence. "Thompson's track record at McDonald's makes him a ...
Education and economic independence
Feb 12, 2007; ... In this present era of economic and educational onslaught against the African Community in America, it is important that we understand that the rise of the African Centered Education Movement should be linked to our quest for economic independence. We must free the "African mind" ...
The state of Black California: Three-fifths compromise is alive in the sunshine state
Feb 12, 2007; ... The California Legislative Black Caucus released its commissioned study on the state of Black Californians last week. The brainchild of Caucus Vice Chair, Assembly Majority Leader, Karen Bass, the study is an expansion on the state of Black Los Angeles report released by the Urban League ...
Black congressional leaders stand on broad shoulders of few but influential predecessors
Feb 12, 2007; ... Guest Editorial This year's Black History Month arrives just as African American lawmakers are expected to have their greatest influence to date within the hallowed halls Congress. Not only did Americans last November vote for a sea of change in Washington, they also paved the way for ...
Earl's World: David Zinman's concert was phenomenal for its colorful variety and fervor
Feb 12, 2007; ... Conductor David Zinman brought to the subscription concert during his final program at Orchestra Hall an unusual interpretation of 20th Century music in the compositions of J. Strauss Jr., Richard Srauss and Gyorgy Ligeti. Maestro Zinman introduced the concert with the internationally ...
TEESEE'S TOWN
Feb 12, 2007; ... Black kids wanted for key roles in Chicago's The Color Purple Casting Call - The folks bringing the smash Broadway hit, The Color Purple: The Musical, to Chicago in a couple of months are looking to cast talented African American youngsters in several key roles. An open audition/casting ...
Black History
Feb 12, 2007; ... Black Facts Source: BlackFacts.com February 12, 1793 First fugitive slave law enacted by Congress In 1793, Congress passed the first Fugitive Slave Law to implement the provisions in the Constitution. It stated that to reclaim an escaped slave a master needed only ...
Crane advances in boys' playoffs
Feb 12, 2007; ... Sparked by the return to the lineup of star forward Brandon McGee, Crane defeated Hyde Park, 62-56 Saturday in the final first round game of the boy's Public League playoffs. The victory advanced Crane to the second round of the playoffs on Wednesday where they will face ...
CSU men, women in final home games
Feb 09, 2007; ... Defender staff report It's Homecoming Weekend at Chicago State University with the men's and women Basketball teams hosting a doubleheader Saturday at the Jacoby Dickens Center. The women's team will take on Calumet College of Indiana at 2 p.m. followed by the men's battle with ...
Crane battles Hyde Park in Public League playoffs
Feb 09, 2007; ... The final Public League boy's first round playoff game will take place Saturday when Crane battles Hyde Park Saturday. Tip-off at the Hyde Park gymnasium is set for 4 p.m. The game will be telecast live on WMEE-TV Channel 23 with Kenny McReynolds and Jim Blaney handling the play-by-play ...