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In 100th Year, Delta President Has Servant's Heart by Zenitha Prince

July 14, 2013

In 100th Year, Delta President Has Servant's Heart 
By Zenitha Prince 

cynthiabutler

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority's 24th President, Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre. (Courtesy Photo)

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

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre has led the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority through a tumultuous period in U.S. and world history. It is an era of inspiring highs, such as the election and re-election of America’s first Black president and the 100th anniversary of the organization’s founding; and of debilitating lows, such as the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, the rise of obstructionist conservative politics on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures across the country and the rolling back of civil rights victories, such as the recent gutting of Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court.

Through it all, Butler-McIntyre has led “with a servant’s heart,” as she often describes her approach, which is informed by her faith.

A native of New Orleans, La., Butler-McIntyre was elected as the 24th president of the 200,000-member Delta Sigma Theta Sorority by a unanimous vote of over 800 voting delegates at the organization's 49th National Convention in Orlando, Fla., on Aug. 18, 2008.

Butler-McIntyre has been a member of the sorority for 35 years and held several local, regional and national offices.

A 1976 Dillard University alum, Butler-McIntyre is an educator who has impacted the lives of countless young people for over 30 years as a teacher, assistant principal, summer school principal and now a director of human resources for the Jefferson Parish Public School System in Harvey, La.

In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Butler-McIntyre earned a master of education degree from the University of New Orleans at the age of 20 and also holds an honorary doctorate of divinity degree from the Christian Bible College of Louisiana.

The sorority president has received numerous recognition for her service, which includes membership on the boards of several other organizations including as national board member of the National Council of Negro Women; a past national board member of the National Alliance of Black School Educators; the state secretary of the Louisiana Association of School Personnel Administrators; and founding president of Algiers-Gretna Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, to which President Barack Obama appointed her in 2011.

In an interview with the AFRO, Butler-McIntyre reflected on the organization’s legacy and centennial celebrations, including the 51st National Convention in Washington, D.C., where a new president and other officers will be elected.

1. Why the choice of Washington, D.C., for the Centennial Celebration?
Washington, D.C., was the most appropriate place to have our 51st National Convention, culminating our Centennial Celebration, as it is the birthplace city of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. We could not have aptly celebrated 100 years of sisterhood, scholarship and service and honor the courage of our 22 founders without coming back “home” to where it all began. We also wanted to give our members the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of our founders and visit Howard University, where our founders collectively decided that this organization would be dedicated to serving the community and addressing needs and issues that pertain to the African-American community.

2. How has the sorority evolved over the past century?
The sorority has grown substantially over the past century, going from an intimate group of socially conscious college women seeking to affect change on the campus of Howard University and throughout the country to an organization that spans around the globe – consisting of hundreds of thousands of members, representing over 900 chapters in the U.S. and abroad. So, as you can see, we have grown and will continue to expand our reach.

3. What factors have distinguished the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority from other sororities/fraternities/social groups?
I am proud to say that all the sororities and fraternities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council have programs and initiatives geared towards the betterment of our communities. I think what sets Delta Sigma Theta apart from them and other organizations is the fact that we are the single largest predominately African-American women’s organization in the country. Not to imply that the others do not, but we also make social action a top priority – as we commit to staying abreast of key legislation that dramatically affects the African-American community and relay the necessary information to our respective communities. During our Delta Days in the Nation’s Capital and Delta Days at the UN, we make our presence known and our voices heard.

4. What factors were responsible for the sorority’s ability to survive and thrive throughout the past century?
As an organization founded on Christian principles, I can say with confidence that it was God’s never-ending grace that has allowed us to survive. The tenacious spirit of our founders; the awesome leadership of the 23 women that came before me to serve as the national president of this dynamic organization; the commitment of our members to be public servants have definitely propelled us forward over the past century and allowed us to thrive.

5. How has the sorority been involved or influenced by some of the defining moments in U.S/Black history?
Delta Sigma Theta and its members have been and remain in the forefront of some of this country’s most world-changing events. U.S. history, Black history and Delta history are all intertwined, as Delta Sigma Theta has incited change, demanded equality, and fought injustice since its creation. The first public act of social advocacy Delta Sigma Theta participated in – two months after its founding – was the 1913 Women’s Suffrage March. As the only African-American organization present, our founders made the determination in that very moment that Delta Sigma Theta would not sit idly by while any group of individuals were denied their basic human freedoms. And since then, we have not strayed from that fighting stalwart spirit that has been engrained in every Delta woman.

Study Warns of New Housing Discrimination Against Blacks, Latinos and Asians by Hazel Trice Edney

July 8, 2013

Study Warns of New Housing Discrimination Against Blacks, Latinos and Asians
By Hazel Trice Edney

row houses

Row Houses

(TriceEdneyWire.com)Blatant acts of housing discrimination have declined in the U. S., but a national study shows that prospective landlords, real estate agents and rental housing providers have found a new way to keep their racism under the radar.

The study of 28 cities, conducted by The Urban Institute and released last month by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, reports that while Blacks, Asians and Latinos are no longer blatantly denied housing by being told it is unavailable, discriminators now simply show them fewer units than Whites are shown.

“Real estate agents and rental housing providers recommend and show fewer available homes and apartments to minority families, thereby increasing their costs and restricting their housing options. The study concludes this is a national, not a regional, phenomenon,” states a HUD description of the study results.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibits discrimination in housing based on race. But, the study, titled Housing Discrimination Against Racial and Ethnic Minorities 2012, outlines how housing providers attempt to get around the law by sneakily omitting certain units while apparently showing Blacks and other minorities what they want them to see.

“Black, Hispanic, and Asian renters are all told about fewer housing units than equally qualified white renters,” says the Executive Summary of the study. “Black renters who contact agents about recently advertised housing units learn about 11.4 percent fewer available units than equally qualified whites and are shown 4.2 percent fewer units. Hispanic renters learn about 12.5 percent fewer available units than equally qualified whites and are shown 7.5 percent fewer units. Asian renters learn about 9.8 percent fewer available units than equally qualified whites and are shown 6.6 percent fewer units.”

Other than the reduced numbers of units shown, the study reports that ethnic minority renters also experience other less consistent forms of discriminatory treatment. They relate to “housing costs and quality and the helpfulness of the rental agent.”

Racial minorities seeking homes to buy receive the same discriminatory treatment, the study shows.

Like renters, minority homebuyers are rarely denied appointments that their white counterparts are able to make,” the study reports. “However, black homebuyers are slightly more likely than equally qualified whites to be denied an in-person appointment.”

Among the 28 cities sampled in the study were: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, Newark, N.J., Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C.; Columbia, S.C., Kansas City, Mo., Richmond, Va., and Washington, D.C.

“Fewer minorities today may be getting the door slammed in their faces, but we continue to see evidence of housing discrimination that can limit a family’s housing, economic and educational opportunities,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan in a statement. “It’s clear we still have work to do to end housing discrimination once and for all.”

The Urban Institute’s Margery Turner, one of six preparers of the study, observes the stealth nature of the discrimination: “The forms of discrimination documented by this study are very difficult for victims to detect,” she said in a statement. “To detect housing discrimination today, HUD and local fair housing organizations need to conduct proactive testing, especially in the sales market, where discrimination appears higher than in the rental market.”

Despite the clear findings of the new type of discrimination, the study indicates more research is needed in order to pinpoint the causes and effects of the discrimination as well as the neighborhood segregation that apparently result.

“As attitudes and market practices evolve, policymakers and fair housing practitioners need reliable research not only on patterns of discrimination, but also on other factors that may contribute to residential segregation and disparities in neighborhood quality,” concludes the executive summary. “Minorities still suffer from substantial disparities in neighborhood amenities and access to opportunity and the levels and forms of housing discrimination captured by this paired-testing study cannot fully explain current levels of residential segregation.”

It continues, “Information gaps, stereotypes and fears, local regulatory policies, and disparities in purchasing power all work together to perpetuate segregation, even though many Americans—minority and white—say they want to live in more diverse neighborhoods.”

Pending more research, the following are among the final observations and recommendations given in the study:

  • “Meaningful reductions in neighborhood segregation and inequality can only be achieved if we tackle all these causal forces at the same time.”
  • “Enforcing existing fair housing protections remains essential. However, fair housing enforcement alone cannot reverse persistent patterns of segregation or undo the damage they cause.”
  • “The evidence argues for a multipronged strategy that includes vigorous enforcement of anti-discrimination protections along with education.
  • Education should pertain to “the availability and desirability of diverse neighborhoods; local regulatory reforms and affordable housing development.”
  • The goal must be “to open up exclusive communities and preserve affordable options in gentrifying neighborhoods” and to provide “neighborhood reinvestment—to equalize the quality of services, resources, and amenities in minority neighborhoods.”
  • “New incentives” are needed “to encourage and nurture stable diversity.”

The study concludes, “All these elements are required to achieve the fundamental goals of free and fair housing choice and healthy, opportunity-rich neighborhoods.”

HUD Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Bryan Greene says the study’s results represents, “a glass that’s half full.”

He said, “While discrimination may not be as obvious as it was in the 1960s, the study reminds us that we still aren’t living up to the principles upon which this nation was founded,” said “HUD is committed to ensuring that every American has equal access to housing opportunities.”

Rep. Clyburn to Lead House Drive to Revise Voting Rights Act by Zenitha Prince

July 7, 2013

Rep. Clyburn to Lead House Drive to Revise Voting Rights Act
By Zenitha Prince

clyburn

Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn

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

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - House Democrats have tapped Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.), to lead their efforts to revise the Voting Rights Act, after the Supreme Court gutted the law’s Section 4 last week.

“I tasked Jim Clyburn of South Carolina to take the lead on this issue to bring together in a bipartisan way the ideas that could meet the criteria, or be a set of criteria that could meet the court's judgment,” said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif.), in a press conference on June 27.

“The bill has been reauthorized…most recently in 2006. So, this is fresh and yet they (the justices) think it needs to be changed. Hopefully we can do so quickly, most importantly in a bipartisan way as we did before, with a beautiful spirit of wanting to respect the precious right to vote for everyone in our country.”

In an interview with TheGrio, Clyburn said Democrats are debating a new set of national voting standards to replace the current system that requires part or all of 15 Southern states to obtain “preclearance” before making any changes to their election systems.

Clyburn said such standards could include requiring that every state have a minimum number of early voting days and could extend to redistricting, voter ID laws and other ballot access concerns. Such an approach could positively impact a broader range of voters, he suggested, noting that many of the state voting provisions he found most problematic were not in states covered under the pre-clearance formula the high court struck down.

“Section 4 needs to be written in such a way that covers any state law that is designed to yield a specific result outside of fundamental fairness,” Clyburn said in the interview. He added, “Every state ought to be subject to some standards.”

Students Deeply Concerned Over Doubled Loan Interest Rate by Shayla Mulzac

July 7, 2013

Students Deeply Concerned Over Doubled Loan Interest Rate 
By Shayla Mulzac

grads

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Due to Congress's failure to act, the interest rate on the very popular federally subsidized Stafford student loans doubled on July 1 from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, causing millions of students to worry about their future.

“Personally, I feel like the government is telling me that I have to choose either a minimum wage job post high school or agree to cripple debt post-grad,” said Maya Ennis, a senior psychology major at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. “In an economy that has already proven to be hard on recent graduates in terms of finding jobs with a decent salary, it does not seem to make sense to increase the burden. In some ways it feels like students who decided to attend college but who cannot pay the full fee out of pocket are being punished.”

Last year, Congress voted to extend the lower rate on June 29, 2012 for another year. A year after the temporary extension of the interest-rate-relief program, Congress has still not passed comprehensive legislation that permanently addresses the federal student loan rate.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have vowed to lower the rate before students return to school in the fall. Still, the uncertainty is bothersome to students who are also aware of partisan bickering so intense that a distracted Congress has been unable to end the budget cuts of sequestration. 

In the absence of a decision to reduce the doubled rate, nearly 7 million students will suffer. In a waiting mode, some students are struggling to figure out whether it is beneficial to sign off on student loans for the upcoming fall semester.

“The increase is just too much and it makes me feel like going to school is not worth it. I’m much better off going to a trade school or developing a skill that can generate enough funds in my pocket and then go back when I am financially stable,” said Oneil Jerrick, a sophomore majoring in business marketing at Brooklyn College in New York. “Getting an education will always be in high demand but what’s the point of raising the rate on a loan where we have millions of students graduating each year unable to get a job?”

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), had planned to introduce legislation this week extending the 3.4 percent rates for an additional two years. This would give Congress time to rethink student loan interest rates as part of the higher education reauthorization bill.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has proposed a new Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act that would set the student loan rate to 0.75 percent for one year. That is the interest rate that the Federal Reserve officers to major banks. The student loan rate is now higher than most loans available from private lenders.

With all the back and forth, students are measuring the impact that they themselves could someday make so that students who come behind them won’t face the same conflicts.

Kianna Taylor, a Howard University senior majoring in early childhood education, said,  “I hope more students can understand how this effects their lives and they will work towards changing this.”

New Immigration Bill Not Enough to End Abuse of Workers

July 7, 2013

New Immigration Bill Not Enough to End Abuse of Workers
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Southern Poverty Law Center

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Though the U.S. Senate has passed an immigration bill with important and long-sought reforms, the legislation fails to protect guest workers from abuse and exploitation, says the Southern Poverty Law Center, a foremost authority on hate and discrimination in the U. S.

“Today’s vote is a major step forward for much-needed reform of the nation’s deeply flawed immigration system,” said Naomi Tsu, SPLC senior staff attorney. “Unfortunately, this legislation no longer represents true comprehensive immigration reform. It simply lacks too many pieces necessary for it to be considered truly comprehensive.”

The bill contains important elements – a path to citizenship, access to counsel for some detained immigrants and protections to prevent human trafficking by foreign labor recruiters – but it is missing many key reforms.

A truly comprehensive bill would reform the nation’s deeply flawed guest worker programs for foreign laborers who come here to work in temporary, low-wage jobs, contends the Montgomery, Ala.-based organization.

The SPLC has represented thousands of guest workers in the United States whose lives have been devastated by employers, which often hire guest workers over U.S. workers because they are more vulnerable and have few options to hold abusive employers accountable.

“As the House of Representatives takes up this issue, for the sake of the nation, it is essential that this legislation does not become just a costly border security bill,” Tsu said. “The House must get this legislation back on track and provide real comprehensive immigration reform.”

The SPLC documented the abusive nature of the H-2 federal guest worker program for low-skill workers in its report Close to Slavery. It also shows that recent modest reforms haven’t stopped the rampant exploitation.

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