The Crisis back issues from April 2008:
The Gift of Giving
Apr 01, 2008; ... "God never intended for some of his children to live in inordinate, superfluous wealth while others live in abject, deadening poverty, and He has left enough and to spare in this world for that purpose." Those are the wise words of our cover subject, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The ...
Why Does Race Still Matter?
Apr 01, 2008; ... Forty years after the death of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and 40 years after the Kerner Commission issued its landmark report declaring that the nation was "moving toward two societies, one black, one white - separate and unequal," why does race still matter? Do we still live in two Americas? ...
African American Giving Circles Help Needy
Apr 01, 2008; ... Claudia Thorne had always given money to causes: donations to her son's school, to her church, and to her college alumni association and other nonprofits. But she wanted to do more. Thorne found the perfect solution after attending a gathering of the African American Women's Giving ...
Q+A: Activist Steers Mission of Black Organizations
Apr 01, 2008; ... Gary L. Flowers has been a longtime advocate and activist in the Civil Rights Movement from his days working at the prestigious law firm of Hill, Tucker and Marsh in his native Richmond, Va., to his research for the PBS documentary The Road to Brown v. Board. Flowers' resume includes ...
IN BRIEF
Apr 01, 2008; ... CALIFORNIA DREAMS Karen Bass became the first African American woman to be elected speaker of the California Assembly. Bass is the first Democratic woman to hold the post. ALL IN THE FAMILY Andre Carson, grandson of the late Rep. Julia Carson (D-lnd.), won a special ...
Supreme Court Hears Case Challenging D.C. Gun Ban
Apr 01, 2008; ... In 2004, Washington, D.C., resident Valencia Mohammed's 23-year-old son, Imtiaz, was killed. The man who shot him had murdered five people within seven years, she says. In 1999, her 14-year-old son, Said, was accidentally shot and killed. The two young men became victims of gun violence despite ...
Words
Apr 01, 2008; ... "Until I lucked into a comedy club at age 20, just on a whim, I assumed I would pick up things for White people for the rest of my life. If I had known this, it would have taken away the inevitability that I was gonna be nohing." - Chris Rock upon learning that his great-great-grandfather, ...
Payton Takes Helm of NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Apr 01, 2008; ... As a student at Harvard Law School in the 1970s, John Payton worked with the Boston NAACP as the city struggled to integrate its public schools. Decades later, Payton, 61, has come lull circle. In December he was named the DirectorCounsel and President of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational ...
Legislation Hopes to Help Gang Members
Apr 01, 2008; ... According to the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), an African American boy born in 2001 has a one in three chance of going to prison in his lifetime. In September, the organization published a report on the epidemic, "America's Cradle to Prison Pipeline." But if the Democrat-controlled ...
Black Female Jockey Rides Against All Odds
Apr 01, 2008; ... Homeless, Sylvia Hams wandered the streets of Orlando, Fla., living in cars and not caring whether she lived or died. She had lost custody of her children and long battled with mental illness. Somehow Harris ended up eating lunch with a minister at a soup kitchen. It was 1999 and he ...
ACCORDING TO REPORTS
Apr 01, 2008; ... AMERICAN HEROES Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman topped the list of the most famous people in American history, according to "Famous Americans: the Changing Pantheon of American Heroes." The study surveyed 2,000 high school juniors and seniors from each of the ...
LIVES
Apr 01, 2008; ... APPRECIATION Johnnie Carr: Montgomery's Mother of Courage I was deeply grieved to learn of the death of a revered member of our Montgomery, Ala., community. A treasured mentor and friend, Mrs. Johnnie Rebecca Carr died on Feb. 22, after suffering a stroke. She was 97. Just days ...
A Message From the Old School
Apr 01, 2008; ... Paving the path with good manners and self respect can open many doors for African American boys, despite the various challenges they are likely to face. AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS are facing an uphill battle when it comes to success. Traditional institutions and age-old strategies are being ...
How We Remember King
Apr 01, 2008; ... A fallen leader lives on in the reflections of four thoughtful voices Alvelyn Sanders I was born approximately four months after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. My mother (Dr. Georgianne Thomas), who had marched in the Civil Rights Movement while a student at ...
Native Son
Apr 01, 2008; ... One hundred years after his birth, Richard Wright's dramatic journey continues. The life of African American literature's native son was as dramatic, improbable and inspiring as any of his fictions. His legacy stimulates readers and writers alike. He taught America the meaning of ...
Sound Check
Apr 01, 2008; ... Radio personality Tom Joyner gives back while entertaining Nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner is more than your run-of-the-mill disc jockey. His mix of informative, inspiring and entertaining news has made him a familiar name in African American households. Joyner, 58, ...
BEYOND BARS
Apr 01, 2008; ... An author and a publisher offer tips for the newly paroled After more than a decade of false starts, 38-year-old Joe Robinson still marvels at the publication of his book last December. For him, the self-help and entrepreneurial guide marks a new chapter in his life. "I love ...
LIFTING UP, GIVING BACK: Changing one life at a time
Apr 01, 2008; ... "If you want to lift yourself up,"Booker T.Washington once said,"lift up someone else." He knew, as did his rival W.E.B. Du Bois, that uplift could take many forms. Donations of time, talent and energy, for example can often be more valuable than simply writing a check. The Crisis spoke ...
Bold Messenger: Wells Raised Her Voice in the Face Of Danger
Apr 01, 2008; ... Books Bold Messenger: Wells Raised Her Voice in the Face Of Danger Ida: A Sword Among Lions by Paula J. Biddings (Amistad, $35) reviewed by Erin Aubry Kaplan What besets a racial-justice movement most? Dissension among the leaders, disagreement over goals and tactics, ...
The S-Word: Author Takes on Another Troublesome Term
Apr 01, 2008; ... BOOKS The S-Word: Author Takes on Another Troublesome Term Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal by Randall Kennedy (Pantheon Books, $22) reviewed by Amy Alexander In Sellout, Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy turns his finely tuned legal brain loose on the question of ...
Following in History's Long, Winding Path
Apr 01, 2008; ... BOOKS Following in History's Long, Winding Path On the Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail by Charles E. Cobb Jr. (Algonquin, $18.95) reviewed by Clifford Thompson The Civil Rights Movement brought true democracy to the United States. Charles E. Cobb Jr.'s On ...
Image Awards Celebrate African American Excellence
Apr 01, 2008; ... On Valentine's Day, Hollywood's elite came out to honor some of the nation's most talented actors, singers, writers, directors and producers. The 39th NAACP Image Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, celebrated the achievements of African Americans in television, music, ...
Rupert F. Richardson: The Grand Dame of the NAACP
Apr 01, 2008; ... On Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month 2008, NAACP officials from around the nation gathered in Louisiana to honor the memory of Rupert F. Richardson, 78, a remarkable woman affectionately known as the "grand dame" of the NAACP. A week earlier, Richardson, a former national ...
NAACP Youth & College Division Hosts Forums on Social Security
Apr 01, 2008; ... This winter, the NAACP Youth & College Division launched "Young, Black & secure," a nationwide Social Security initiative aimed at increasing African American students' knowledge of Social Security and proposed changes to the system. Because of the ongoing national debate about changes ...
Judo Club Points Young Offenders Away From Crime
Apr 01, 2008; ... In its most basic definition, diversion means turning someone away from a path or activity. The Alternative Sentencing Adolescent Program (ASAP), the diversion component of the Fort Lauderdale Branch NAACP's Onikusu Judo Club, seeks to turn young offenders away from crime to a more disciplined ...
Leadership 500 Holds Fourth Annual Summit in Arizona
Apr 01, 2008; ... Roslyn Brock has been involved in the NAACP her entire life. Currently serving as Vice Chair on the NAACP National Board of Directors, Brock said she participated in the organization as a child and college student. In 1996, Brock along with six other young NAACP members who had grown up in the ...
Baltimore City Branch Launches Investigation of Teen Death
Apr 01, 2008; ... The Baltimore branch of the NAACP has been aiding the family of Isaiah Simmons III, a 17-year-old who died after being restrained by counselors at Bowling Brook Preparatory School. According to witnesses, on Jan. 23, 2007, counselors at the privately run residential program for juvenile ...
New Mexico Branch Fights Environmental Injustice
Apr 01, 2008; ... After a vigilant, two-year fight, a New Mexico community of African Americans and Latinos has successfully fought off ConAgra Foods' plan to build an ethanol plant within a half-mile of an elementary school. "This was the first time the NAACP and LULAC (League of United Latin American ...
Cleveland Youth Council Takes Steps to Register Young Votes
Apr 01, 2008; ... The Cleveland Youth Council found an appealing way to meet their goal of educating more young people about voting when they held a "Vote Hard, Step Hard: Stop the Violence" event at Cleveland State University's (CSU) auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 26. The aim of the event was to register ...
Noteworthy
Apr 01, 2008; ... NAACP Chairman Julian Bond was named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress. The "Living Legend" award "honors artists, writers, activists, filmmakers, physicians, entertainers, sports figures and public servants who have made significant contributions to America's diverse cultural, ...
THE NAACP & CONGRESS
Apr 01, 2008; ... Keeping track of key civil rights votes on Capitol Hill As members of Congress run for re-election this year, and three senators campaign to become the next president of the United States, the NAACP has released its annual report card grading congressional representatives. And while ...