Dec. 29, 2014

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – For decades, Black newspapers in cities across the country, have reported weekly stories of police brutality, unjustified shootings by police and police misconduct; including profiling in Black neighborhoods. But with the advent of video cameras, the Internet, and social media, the world now knows of this issue, which the Black Press has covered for years.

A string of police killings of unarmed Black men in 2014 alone has drawn a spotlight to police misconduct, perhaps like never before in history.  Because of the gravity of this issue and the extent of its domination of the 2014 national news circuit, police misconduct; coupled with the protests that ensued easily leads as the top news stories of 2014.

• The Killings: In 2014, the issue of disparate police brutality and killings of Black men came front and center. Among a string of incidents were the police killings of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown of Ferguson, Mo. on Aug. 9 by Officer Darren Wilson and the July 17 police chokehold death of Eric Garner of Staten Island, N.Y., a husband and father of six children, by Officer Daniel Pantaleo.  In addition to the fact that both men were unarmed other factors in the cases fueled the anger. Anger over the Brown shooting was largely based on eye witnesses who said he was shot with his hands up as well as the fact that his body was left in the street for four hours before it was removed. Ire over the Garner case was fueled by his repeated pleas, “I can’t breathe” as the officer maintained the chokehold. Other police killings protested included Tamir Rice, 12, shot and killed by a Cleveland police officer while playing with a toy gun; and John Crawford III, 22, shot by police inside an Ohio Walmart while carrying a BB gun.
• Extensive Protests: Protests that began in Ferguson only days after Brown was shot, grew and intensified in cities across the nation after grand juries refused to indict either officer in the Brown or Garner case. Though most protestors were peaceful, some burned businesses. But, creative, non-violent protests prevailed. They included marching, walk-outs, and so-called “die-ins” - lying in the streets blocking traffic and shutting down businesses to call attention to the scourge of police brutality. Following a day of mass marches in Washington, D.C. and New York City on Saturday, Dec. 13, diverse Black denominations around the country – in an act of unity – asked their congregations to wear black to church, symbolic for the hue and cry of thousands of marchers, signs and t-shirts – “Black lives matter”. Though protestors have vowed that their fight for justice is not over, many have at least momentarily withdrawn public protests out of respect for the families of two New York police officers shot at point blank range by a mentally ill man who claim he killed them in retaliation for the death of Brown and Garner. Black leaders condemned the Dec. 20 assassination-style killings of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. The officers were shot as they sat together in their police cruiser. The shooter was identified as Ismaaiyl Brinsley of Baltimore. Brinsley, whose family said he was suffering with an untreated mental illness, had also shot and wounded is ex-girlfriend. He committed suicide after shooting the officers.
• National Responses to Protests: Among significant responses to the protests, President Obama has appointed a Task Force on 21^st Century Policing, headed by Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey, and Laurie Robinson, a former assistant attorney general, now a professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. That task force is slated to return with recommendations March 2. Meanwhile, police forces around the country are establishing new measures of their own, arming themselves with body cameras and initiating new trainings. Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered federal investigations in both, the Garner and Brown cases. 

Though police misconduct dominated the news in 2014, a sweeping look at other news items important to Black America also reveal recurring and long-standing issues that have yet to be totally addressed:

• Voting Rights Remained Threatened: Civil rights leaders remained on guard with Election Protection programs during the Nov. 4 mid-term elections as voter intimidation and suppression tactics apparently remained in play. Though political activists conceded there is dire need for massive voter registration, they blame voter identification laws and shenanigans at the polls for continued violations of the Voting Rights Act. Also, Congress has yet to establish new laws to assure non-discrimination in voting after Shelby County v. Holder, in which the U. S. Supreme Court effectively gutted the Section 7 “Preclearance” clause for states with histories of race discrimination in voting. The “Preclearance” clause made it mandatory for certain states and territories to change voting laws without first seeking clearance from the U. S. Department of Justice.
• Economic Disparities Remain Major: President Obama said it clearly in his End of the Year Press Conference: “The gap between income and wealth of White and Black America persists…And we’ve got more work to do on that front.” Among the disparities that continue is joblessness.  Though unemployment has subsided for Americans across the board, Black unemployment, currently at 11.1 percent, is well more than double the rate of Whites at 4.9 percent.
• Homicides in Black Communities: Homicide rates among Blacks remained extremely high. It has consistently remained among the top 10 causes of death for African-Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The Violence Policy Center reports the murder rate for Blacks in America is four times the national average and that four out of five Black homicide victims are killed with handguns.
• Missing Nigerian Girls: On April 14, an Islamist armed group called Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls, outraging people around the world. The Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls went viral. Eight months later, about 60 of the girls have escaped, but the others remain missing.
• The Ebola Crisis: The 2014 Ebola epidemic was the largest in history, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It has affected multiple countries in West Africa, killing approximate 7,700 as of Dec. 29.  The risk of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. is believed to be very low, however four cases have been treated in the U. S. Only one death from the virus has occurred in the U. S. 
• Deaths of Iconic African-Americans: Among the deaths of iconic African-Americans this year were former Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, 78, on Nov. 23; internationally renowned pastor, Dr. Myles Monroe, 60, on Nov. 9; beloved actress and civil rights leader Ruby Dee, 91, on June 11; and internationally renowned poet, Dr. Maya Angelou, 86, on May 28.
• The fall of Bill Cosby:  Once an icon for Black fatherhood, comedian, actor and author Bill Cosby is now scorned in many Black and White circles after being accused of rape and sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women. Though he has not been arrested; nor indicted, the women, both Black and White, have all told similar stories of being drugged and/or somehow sexually attacked by Cosby. The accusations have taken their toll on his reputation, causing colleges and universities to drop use of his name and even TV Land has pulled his "Cosby Show" reruns. Cosby continues comedy performances around the country and has said little publically in response to the allegations except vehement denials through his lawyers.

Dec. 28, 2014

Leslie Wingo Elevated to President/CEO of Sanders\Wingo Advertising Agency

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Target Market News

(TriceEdneyWire.com) Sanders\Wingo Advertising, one of the nation's leading African-American owned advertising agencies, announced that effective January 1, 2015, Bob Wingo will become Chairman of the Board of the agency and Leslie Wingo will assume the position of President/CEO.

Leslie Wingo joined the agency in 1995 and was named agency Partner in 2001. She has led numerous accounts over the years, including the US Postal Service, Burger King and State Farm. More recently she has been responsible for the agency's strategic vision and day-to-day operations.

Bob Wingo joined the agency in 1985 after a successful client relationship with founder David Sanders. Bob is known for taking the agency to national prominence and for his extensive community involvement, including the Texas Board of Economic Development and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial board in Washington, D.C.

"Today's announcement formalizes a leadership structure that has been in place for two years now," said Bob Wingo. "Needless to say, I am proud of Leslie's accomplishments and excited about Sanders\Wingo's future."

As Chairman, Bob will focus on cultivating and maintaining strong client relationships as well as continuing in his role supporting business development. As CEO, Leslie will oversee the agency's overall growth, innovation and business strategy.

"Our company has built a reputation for intelligence, creativity and humanity," said Leslie. "We are proud of our clients and the results we're achieving together."

Sanders\Wingo maintains a staff of more than 100 in Austin and El Paso, Texas, as well as satellite offices in New York and Atlanta. Sanders\Wingo's work includes strategy, media and creative development for AT&T, KFC, Ocean Alexander, GECU, CINTRA US, Discover El Paso and other major brands. More at www.sanderswingo.com.

Dec. 28, 2014

Cuba: Possibilities in Peace
By Jesse Jackson Sr.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - With his decision to end over a half century of enmity with Cuba, President Obama has acted in a fashion worthy of his Nobel Peace Prize. For over 50 years, successive U.S. presidents have enforced a policy of hostility against the Castro regime in Cuba. Starting with John F. Kennedy, successive American presidents unleashed a covert invasion of the island, ordered the CIA to engage in economic sabotage, sought to poison Castro, and even to make his beard fall out. An economic embargo has been enforced for more than a half century. Cuba has been listed as a terrorist nation to this day.

What America could never see was that the regime was gaining, not losing, support at home and abroad from the American hostility. The U.S. was furious when Castro dispatched his troops to support the liberation movement in Angola and to defend against the South African invasion into Namibia. But Castro understood that apartheid South Africa was the terrorist, not Mandela and those who struggled for freedom. Not surprisingly, when Mandela was finally released, he hailed the Cubans as saviors — as the rest of the world understood.

President Obama is surely right to acknowledge finally that the U.S. policy has been an abject failure. Our European allies are trading with Cuba. Our neighbors to the South demand that the leader of Cuba — now Raul Castro — be invited to the Summit of the Americas. Our half-century effort to isolate Cuba has turned against us.

Eventually, walls must fall. The causes for old hatreds grow dim. The world changes. The embittered generations grow old. Nixon dismantled the wall with China, even though the regime remained communist. Israel and Germany found a way to create good relations after the most searing of horrors. Mandela led his people to make peace with those who had oppressed them.
With normalization, the hemisphere becomes more stable. U.S. security is served, for now cooperation with Cuba can deepen. Already Cuban doctors earn our praise in Sierra Leone in the fight against Ebola. Cuba is already an ally, not an adversary, in the war on drugs.

The president’s act opens the way for change. As he stated, change is hard. It is particularly so in this case, where many former Cuban refugees and their descendants remain embittered, as illustrated by the outrage of Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. The president cannot end the embargo on his own; only Congress can do that. His nomination of a new ambassador will have to be confirmed by the Senate. But the president can lift many restrictions on travel and exchange. He can expand efforts to move Cuba into the new age of telecommunications. He can expand areas of cooperation. More families will be reunified. American relations with Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, and others will not be fouled by our conflict with Cuba.

What comes from this is unknown. Strident opponents argue that the big winners will be the Castro brothers, that repression will increase even as Cuba’s battered economy gets a boost. But opening relations with Cuba allows an honest exchange about human rights. It opens dialogue, rather than shuts it down. What is needed now is the good will to engage, thawing the hatreds and the fears that froze the separation for over a half-century.

It is telling that Pope Francis, who served in Argentina before assuming the Papacy, played a critical role in helping to bring this moment into being. The Papacy was a staunch ally for America in the Cold War. And now, the Pope has helped free America of one of the last relics of that Cold War past. A new day has dawned. It will bring what we make of it. But surely a new possibility has opened.

Dec. 28, 2014

Study Says Funding Cuts Spirred Ebola in West Africa 

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Global Information Network

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Spending cuts, pushed by an international lender, “weakened health care systems in the West African region”, leaving the countries “under-funded, insufficiently staffed and poorly prepared.”

In a report published this month in the journal Lancet Global Health, UK-based researchers blamed policies of the Washington-based International Monetary Fund that hobbled the development of an effective healthcare system in the three affected West African nations. The number of people who have died from Ebola has crossed the 7,500 mark, with over 19,000 infected.

“Even though the IMF provided financial support to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, the lending comes with strings attached -- so-called "conditionalities" -- that require recipient governments to adopt policies that prioritize short-term economic objectives over investment in health and education," said the report’s lead author Alexander Kentikelenis.

By reviewing IMF policies from 1990 to 2014, the researchers from Cambridge, Oxford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, identified three factors that weakened healthcare systems. These were IMF's requirement for economic reforms, caps on public-sector wages and the decentralization of health care providers.

Wage caps limit the capacity of these nations to hire and adequately pay key healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses, the researchers said. These caps are linked to the “brain drain” of health workers in countries that need them most.

The IMF push to decentralize healthcare systems makes it difficult to mobilize coordinated responses to outbreaks of deadly diseases such as Ebola, the researchers said.

"All these effects are cumulative, contributing to the lack of preparedness of health systems to cope with infectious disease outbreaks and other emergencies," Kentikelenis said. "The IMF's widely proclaimed concern about social issues has had little effect on health systems in low-income countries."

An IMF spokesman denied the claims, calling them "completely untrue."

In a letter to the Lancet, an IMF deputy director insisted that health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa, including the three Ebola-hit countries “improved significantly” over the past decade or so, including improvements in mortality rates.

The deputy, Sanjeev Gupta, acknowledged that health care systems were fragile in the three Ebola-hit countries. “The IMF recognized the urgency of the situation—and moved quickly to help, making available an additional $130 million to the three countries to fight Ebola.”

The money was approved in September of this year. The Ebola outbreak started in Guinea by end-2013 and intensified sharply from July.

The IMF, which lends money to financially-strapped countries, came under strong criticism this year from African nations led by Nigeria’s Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Ikweala.

The Minister cited the underrepresentation of African nations on the IMF board (2 seats for 45 African countries), and an almost insignificant number of Africans in high decision making bodies and among staff.

“We welcome efforts to address diversity,” she wrote. “However further progress is needed.”