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'Fault Line' in History: No Mention of Corretta Scott King at Monument by Rev. Barbara A. Reynolds

Oct. 30, 2011

News Analysis

'Fault Line' in History: No Mention of Corretta Scott King at Monument

By Rev. Barbara A. Reynolds

coretta scott king

Corretta Scott King

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Rev. Barbara Reynolds

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Even among the splendor of the day’s festivities, the absence of any words or deeds of Coretta Scott King carved in the stone of the monument honoring her husband left a fault-line in our nation’s history.

The recent dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. monument l offered a splendid tribute crowned by President Barack Obama linking his presidency to the martyred human rights leader. The centerpiece of the monument on the National Mall is a towering 30 foot statue of Dr. King carved out of stone. It is a grandiose salute to a man who without an army, weapons, or a national treasury commanded a war so unlike that of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln who are enshrined in memorials nearby.

Dr. King commanded a spiritual army that helped liberate the heart and soul of America from its deepest hatred and molded it into a liberation movement for freedom and dignity that continues resounding around the world.

The memorial is spectacularly significant; something for all the world to see for generations to come. This grandier makes the absence of any lasting tribute to Coretta Scott King, the person that did the most to carry forth Dr. King’s legacy, so compelling. I dare say if it were not for this woman by his side, his legacy would never have risen to such heroic proportions today.

Somewhere on that vast four acres there should be a statue, a bust, a plaque or something showing that she was a co-partner in this great freedom movement. (She died on Jan. 30, 2006.) Why not a mention of her on the Monument's wall of great quotes?  He once said, “In every campaign, if Coretta was not with me, she was only a heartbeat away.””

In fact, one of Coretta’s most cherished quotes symbolizes what kind of woman she was. Horace Mann, the founder of Antioch College, her alma mater, once said, “If you have not found a cause to die for, you have not found a reason to live.”

That statement was not mere words to her. She lived at a time when she virtually had to have the faith of a prophet and nerves of steel just to live each day. During the 1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott carloads of Ku Klux Klan drove through Black housing sections. The Kings received constant threatening calls. Then on January 30, she was in the house with her infant daughter, Yolanda, when the King’s house was bombed. “We could have been killed, but it was just not our time to die,” she told me. Despite the terrorism and the pleas of her parents to leave Montgomery she stayed with Martin until the 369 day boycott successfully ended.

   “During the bus boycott I was tested by fire and I came to understand that I was not a breakable crystal figurine, “she said. “ If I had been fragile and fearful this would have been too much a distraction for Martin. Certainly his concern for my safety and that of the children would have prevented him from staying focus on the movement, but he came to understand he could trust me with trouble .In Montgomery, I was tested and found I became stronger in a crisis.”

In 1968, the testing became heart-breaking. On April 4, Dr. King was gunned down in Memphis while a campaigning for the rights of striking garbage workers. During the national upheaval and riots following the assassination, much of the nation was awed not only by the poise of Coretta King but by her inner strength as she took her slain husband’s place and led the march. “What most did not understand then was that I was not only married to the man I loved but I was also married to the movement that I loved.”

In taped interviews, Mrs. King told me how after her husband’s death her faith gave her the strength to raise her four children and to build a world-class center in Atlanta to continue the non-violent work of Dr. King. This move brought her into a bitter contention with some of Dr. King’s chief aides who had their own agendas for self-promotion and tried unsuccessfully to push Mrs. King out of the way.

In Atlanta, she led a redevelopment effort of deteriorated neighborhoods that helped create the diversity that attracted the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Center, along with the King birth home, the gravesite at the center, where both Kings are entombed brings in thousands of tourists each year and has helped Atlanta become the spiritual Mecca of America, according to Steve Klein, communications director of the Center.

Following the success of raising funds for the center, Mrs. King started lobbying for the King Holiday Bill. While only a sentence or a phrase is ever used to describe this effort it took more than 15 years of hard-core organizing, the drive to collect 6 million signatures and lobbying from state to state, along with civil rights supporters in Congress and in the streets to pass the legislation to make Dr. King’s birthday a national holiday which was signed into law on Nov. 2, 1983..

At the same time, she was working to institutionalize her husband’s legacy Mrs. King also emerged as an incomparable human rights spokeswoman in her own right. “Where ever there was injustice, war, discrimination against women, gays and the disadvantaged, I did my best to show up and exert moral persuasion.”

As I started interviewing Mrs. King in the mid-1970’s, it was clear that she did not see herself as an appendage or a footnote in history. She often emphasized that she was more than a wife during Dr. King’s life and more than a widow after his death.  She once told me “My story is a freedom song of struggle. It is about finding one’s purpose, how to overcome fear and to stand up for causes bigger than one’s self.”

Coretta King was the other half of the Martin Luther King persona. They were two souls with one goal of giving their lives to create a Beloved Community where all people would have dignity and justice. Telling one story without the other creates a flaw and imbalance, a scar on history. It would be shameful for this not to be corrected.

Dr. Barbara A. Reynolds, the author of six books, including “Jesse Jackson: America’s David,” is working on a biography of Coretta King. An ordained minister, she was former columnist and editorial board member of USA Today,

Obama: Qaddafi Death Ends "Long and Painful Chapter” by Hazel Trice Edney

Oct. 24, 2011

Obama: Qaddafi Death Ends "Long and Painful Chapter”

By Hazel Trice Edney

 qadaffi

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – President Barack Obama, confirming what millions had heard and watched on national television, announced Oct. 20 that Libyan Ruler Muammar Qaddafi had been killed. 

“This marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya, who now have the opportunity to determine their own destiny in a new and democratic Libya,” Obama said in the Rose Garden announcement. “For four decades, the Qaddafi regime ruled the Libyan people with an iron fist.  Basic human rights were denied. Innocent civilians were detained, beaten and killed. And Libya’s wealth was squandered.  The enormous potential of the Libyan people was held back, and terror was used as a political weapon.”

Like a domino effect, Qaddafi’s fall follows the killing of Sept. 11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden and U.S.-born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki – all during the Obama administration.

The manner in which Qaddafi was killed still remains in question. A Libyan transition government has established an investigatory team to determine whether he was really shot by accident as some contend or assassination.

The death of Qaddafi comes after months of protest in Libya that forced the dictator and his family out of his palace and on the run.

“One year ago, the notion of a free Libya seemed impossible,” Obama said. “But then the Libyan people rose up and demanded their rights.  And when Qaddafi and his forces started going city to city, town by town, to brutalize men, women and children, the world refused to stand idly by.”

Obama was not shy in assuming partial credit for the death.

“Faced with the potential of mass atrocities - and a call for help from the Libyan people - the United States and our friends and allies stopped Qaddafi’s forces in their tracks,” he said. “A coalition that included the United States, NATO and Arab nations persevered through the summer to protect Libyan civilians.  And meanwhile, the courageous Libyan people fought for their own future and broke the back of the regime.”

Richmond Free Press Makes Racial Breakthroughs in Virginia Supreme Court by Jeremy M. Lazarus

Oct. 24, 2011

Richmond Free Press Makes Racial Breakthrough in Virginia Supreme Court

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

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Richmond Free Press Photographer Sandra Sellars and Free Press Editor/Publisher Raymond H. Boone approach an entrance at the Virginia Supreme Court before she became the first woman and first Black person to photograph, representing newspapers, to cover the Virginia Supreme Court's Investiture. PHOTO: Jerome Reid/Richmond Free Press

justice cleo e. powell

Virginia Supreme Court Justice Cleo E. Powell is applauded by fellow members of the court after she is sworn in Oct. 21 as the first Black woman to serve as a justice in the court's 232-year history. PHOTO: Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press 

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Richmond Free Press photographer Sandra Sellars has made history when she covered the historic investiture of Virginia Supreme Court Justice Cleo E. Powell on Friday, Oct. 21.

When the prize-winning photographer arrived at the state’s highest court to cover the Powell formal installation, she became:

  • · The first Black newspaper photographer to cover an investiture in the 232-year history of the court, which is located across the street from the State Capitol.
  • · The first woman newspaper photographer to cover a Supreme Court investiture, according to Free Press research.

Overton Jones, a retired Richmond daily editor, agreed that Ms. Sellars was a likely gender history maker in Richmond journalism. “I don’t recall any” woman photographer covering a Supreme Court investiture, said Jones, who worked first for the defunct Richmond News Leader and later for the Richmond Times-Dispatch a total of 55 years, beginning in 1938.

Sellars’ presence will add to the historical significance of the installation of Justice Powell, the first Black female justice elected to the court by the General Assembly.

Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser’s approval of Sellars represents a major victory for the decade-long Free Press campaign to change the court’s guidelines that previously barred photographers from the Free Press and other Black-owned newspapers, as well as those from non-dailies. Earlier, the chief justice, in response to another Free Press campaign, expunged sexist references from the court’s website.

The racial breakthrough in Virginia could - by example - open doors for Black newspapers across the country. Old rules, based on vestitures of racism remain in high courts and state houses around the nation.

The new Kinser guidelines, for the first time, allow a pool photographer for non-daily newspapers and one, as usual, for dailies. Previously, the court only allowed one pool photographer in the courtroom — and that photographer always came from a White-owned daily or The Associated Press.

For the Oct. 21 Powell investiture, Steve Helber, a veteran photographer for The Associated Press, has been designated to provide pool coverage for dailies.

The court notified the Free Press of the guideline change in an Oct. 6 email to Raymond H. Boone, Free Press editor/publisher. The email also notified Mr. Boone of the selection of Ms. Sellars to “serve as the pool photographer representing non-daily newspapers.” The email was sent by Katya N. Herndon, the state court’s director of legislative and public relations.

Sellars also represented the 200 newspaper members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association of which the Free Press is a member.

The ceremony took place inside the court’s marbled and pillared courtroom that was packed with more than 250 well wishers . They included U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, Federal Judge Roger Gregory, Gov. Bob McDonnell, Attorney Gen. Ken Cuccinelli, Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones, state judges and legislators, family and friends. Another 250 people watched the 80-minute ceremony in overflow courtrooms that received a live feed.

A solemn Justice Powell raised her right hand and put her left hand on the Bible belonging to her late father, Milas Powell Jr., a Bible held by her mother, Mary C. Powell, and husband of 22 years, Alvin L. Dilworth, a Chesterfield County deputy sheriff.

Then her three children proudly helped the trailblazing justice into her black judicial robe.

The court’s policy change stems from a Sept. 19 meeting between Chief Justice Kinser, Justice Powell and Boone, who was accompanied by Ms. Sellars and two other staff members — reporter Jeremy Lazarus and photographer Jerome Reid. At the rare face-to-face between the chief justice and the press, the chief justice also was accompanied by the court’s executive secretary, Karl R. Hade, and Ms. Herndon.

During the cordial, hour-long meeting in the chief justice’s office, the chief justice told Boone that the court was seeking to revamp its coverage policies to improve access to its ceremonies. She outlined the two-photographer policy for ceremonial events in the high court’s small courtroom during the meeting. At the time, she would only say the policy change was under consideration.

The Free Press challenged the court’s ban on the newspaper’s access to ceremonies as a violation of the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of the press. Boone also contended that the old policy promoted monopoly journalism.

The Free Press campaign began in 2003 when the state’s first black chief justice, the late Leroy Rountree Hassell, rejected a pledge to the Free Press to cover his investiture after the pledge had tentatively been offered by the court’s staff.

At the time, Justice Hassell did so to maintain the court’s tradition of allowing only one press pool photographer at such events. “I want to keep everything traditional,” he was quoted as saying. During his tenure that ended just before his death last winter, he refused to consider any change to the policy despite repeated Free Press editorials challenging his position.  

The Free Press continued its campaign after Chief Justice Kinser took office Feb. 1, only to be rebuffed in seeking to cover the Sept. 1 investiture of new Justice Elizabeth A. McClannahan.

Chief Justice Kinser set up the meeting with Boone after he wrote her Aug. 30, protesting the Free Press’ exclusion from the McClannahan investiture and past ceremonies and urging her to lead the change in the court’s press policy.

The Free Press also gained support for its position from the NNPA, Virginia Press Association and the Coalition for Open Government.

A standing ovation resounded as Justice Powell was escorted to the bench by three men she said played important roles in her career success: Norfolk native John Charles Thomas, the first black Supreme Court justice who is now a Richmond lawyer; Richmond state Sen. Henry L. Marsh III of Richmond and Chief Justice Hassell, also a Norfolk native.

In his remarks at the investiture, Gov. McDonnell, a Republican, hailed Justice Powell’s arrival on the court as fresh milestone in the effort to develop “a more perfect union and provide more equal justice.” He noted a black woman on the court could never have been imagined in 1623 when the original colonial court of appeals was created or in 1779 when its successor, the state Supreme Court, was established by the legislature.“What a tremendous day,” he enthused. He pointed out that Justice Powell was being formally installed, while across the street at the State Capitol, a building designed by slave-holding Thomas Jefferson and built by slaves, filming was going on for a movie about the “Great Emancipator,” President Abraham Lincoln.

Political Experts Tell What Obama Must Do to Win by Hazel Trice Edney

Oct. 24, 2011

Political Experts Tell What Obama Must Do to Win Re-election

By Hazel Trice Edney

official_portrait_of_barack_obama

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – With eight Republican candidates determined to replace President Obama in the White House and the key issue - the economy - still looming, at least two political scientists say Obama is still likely to win – but only if he takes certain actions.

“He needs to rev up the message,” says Dr. Wilmer Leon, Howard University political science professor. “Right now, what’s missing is he needs surrogates carrying the message for him.”

Leon specifically named Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama, Sen. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz as among democratic heavy weights who are well able to strengthen the president’s message among voters.

“They need to be on board and I don’t know why they’re not. What’s missing right now is a cohesive message and a message that speaks to a longer term strategy,” Leon says. “He needs to have more of his representatives out there until he moves out of the presidential mode into the campaign mode.”

David Bositis, a senior analysis for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, agrees that the greatest deficiency of the Obama administration is that it has failed to communicate its successes – especially in the Black community.

“He never claims credit for what he’s done. He did as much as he could for jobs in the stimulus,” Bositis said. Just as one example, the health care bill, his first major legislation, affected more African-Americans and Latino-Americans because they are primarily the ones without health insurance, Bositis pointed out.

Two major strengths of the Obama campaign are experience and his ability to raise funds, Bositis says.

“His campaign is very professional, they’re going to go after whoever the Republican nominee is, they’ve received donations way beyond anyone else, they’ve been opening offices all over the country, they’re all over social media. And they know how to do this, they’ve done it before,” said Bositis.

At last count, Obama and the Democratic National Committee had raised more than $70.1 million for his campaign. This out paces all Republican candidates. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have raised only $14 and $17 million respectively.

Some political observers have speculated that the President, who has undergone harsh scrutiny from Republicans – and some Black activists, such as Tavis Smiley and Cornel West – may lose some Black votes this time around. But, Bositis scoffs at this.

“It’s baloney,” he says, describing the criticism from Obama and West. “He’s as favored to win right now as anybody else; probably more so.”

Bositis, among the foremost experts on Black politics, said he recently spoke to groups of Black ministers and an NAACP audience and received boisterous applause when he criticized Obama and West.

With former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Caine running neck-in-neck with Romney, some have also speculated Caine could shave Black votes from Obama if he got the nomination.

“There is no Herman Caine factor,” says Bositis, noting that the Republican Party would never give the nomination to someone as unpredictable as Caine. “The press uses tons of ink writing about these people who are not going anywhere. The nomination fight is between Romney and Perry.”

Political observers have predicted the economy and jobs – which have disparately affected African-Americans - will be the number one issue in the 2012 election. President Obama's current jobs bill was rejected by the Senate. It's now being reconsidered piece by piece. 

But, Bositis believes President Obama’s foreign policy successes will draw major support from voters, especially considering the deaths of Al Qaeda kingpin Osama Bin Laden and now the death of former Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qaddafi.

“Presidents don’t control the economy. He’s been brilliant on foreign policy. Compared to Bush, and Chaney and Rumsfeld, he’s been a brilliant commander-in-chief,” Bositis says.

But, the race will be a major challenge – even compared to his first election, says Leon.

At first it was clear what he meant when he said, “‘Change you can believe in.’” Leon said. “Now, he’s almost running against himself.”

Supreme Court May Hear New Challenge to Affirmative Action

Oct. 24, 2011

Supreme Court May Hear New Challenge to Affirmative Action

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspapers

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John Payton, director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Supreme Court justices will likely agree to hear an affirmative action case of a White student who said she was denied admission to a top college due to her race, according to a New York Times report. A decision on whether affirmative action will be eliminated in public universities could be made by June.

Abigail Fisher, a White student, said she was not accepted by the University of Texas in favor of more diverse but less-qualified candidates, who the campus considers a minority. The lawsuit challenges whether policies and procedures at UT, which grants preferences to students based on race, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

John A. Payton, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, told The New York Times that studies show diversity is needed in colleges and universities.

“There is no longer any doubt as to the educational benefits of racially diverse students learning together and from each other,” he said.

But Peter Wood, the author of “Diversity: The Invention of a Concept” and a critic, said there is a problem with the educational value placed on racial diversity.

“The part of diversity that matters to me and a lot of academics is the intellectual diversity of the classroom,” he said. “The pursuit of a genuine variety of opinions that are well thought through and well grounded is essential. But that has an off-and-on, hit-or-miss connection with ethnic and racial diversity

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