Nov. 14, 2016

Ala. State Univ. President Gwendolyn Boyd Suspended Following Long-Running Conflict with HBCU’s Board
By Zenitha Prince 

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

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The ink was barely dry on the contract signed by Alabama State University President Gwendolyn Boyd when fractures began to appear in her relationship with the institution’s Board of Trustees. Recently, those fissures grew into a chasm when the board voted 8-6 to put Boyd on administrative leave, citing yet-to-be-publicized charges that undermined its confidence in the school’s first female chief.

“It was disappointing, very disappointing,” Boyd told the Montgomery Advertiser about the decision. “It definitely caught me off guard. It’s not good for the university, but they are the board, and they get to make that decision.”

For those following the saga at the southern HBCU, however, Boyd’s suspension was not particularly surprising. Three months into her tenure, Boyd became embroiled in a heated argument with former board trustee Marvin Wiggins and attorneys Kenny Thomas and Donald Watkins over her attempt to unilaterally reorganize the school’s administration. It was only one of many power struggles that eventually spilled into the media through a series of publicized letters.

Boyd—whose contract included a clause that somewhat dictated the single woman’s love life—seemed determined to prove she would not be controlled by the board. The trustees, on the other hand, have accused Boyd of incompetence and absenteeism, blatant disrespect, misuse of funds, inadequate fundraising, deliberate lack of communication and of forming an “unholy alliance” with Gov. Robert Bentley, with whom they had an ongoing feud. Both sides leaked information to the media to further their agendas.

While that controversy unfolded, the university’s bond rating was downgraded three times, it was put on accreditation warning, and the school continues to be shadowed by grand jury and forensic investigations into its use of funds. As previously reported by the AFRO, the Board’s then-chairman and then-vice chairman Elton Dean and Marvin Wiggins, respectively, were removed by the governor over accusations of conflict of interest.

According to the Advertiser, a post-determination hearing on Boyd’s suspension was set for Nov. 14. Provost Leon Wilson is currently acting president.

“At this time, it is important that the Alabama State University family remains focused on our top priority and greatest treasure, which is our students,” Wilson said in a statement. “We will continue our educational agenda, and I, along with our leadership team, faculty and staff, will serve our students to the best of our ability. The most important thing for the University right now is to maintain its stability. I ask that the community keep me and our University in its prayers.”

Boyd’s suspension follows the ousters in the past two months of Carolyn Meyers at Jackson State University, Lady June Cole at Allen University and Elmira Mangum at Florida A&M University.

Nov. 14, 2016

Special Commentary

White Supremacists Think Their Man Won the White House
By Richard Cohen

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Southern Poverty Law Center

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - On Nov. 9, I watched Hillary Clinton give a gracious concession speech, one that was filled with hope and a touch of reassurance. It was, in some ways, a celebration of our democracy and its stability, which depends on the peaceful transition of power.

President Barack Obama, who campaigned fiercely against Donald Trump in the final weeks of the campaign, has been equally magnanimous, reminding us of the incredible dignity and grace with which he led our country over the past eight years.

I share the sentiments they expressed. We do need to give Trump a chance, for the good of our country. Maybe he will surprise us and build bridges, not walls.

But we can’t suddenly forget or forgive what he said during the campaign.

We can’t forget that Trump called Mexican immigrants “rapists” and killers, or that he said a federal judge can’t decide a lawsuit fairly because he is a “Mexican” (he was born in Indiana).

We can’t forget that his signature campaign promise is to build a wall at the border with Mexico.

We can’t forget that he proposed banning Muslims from entering our country or that he suggested that the “Muslim community” was complicit in the terrorist attack in Orlando.

We can’t forget the despicable way he talks about women or that he bragged about sexually assaulting them.

We can’t forget that he mocked people with disabilities.

We can’t forget that he exploited ugly, racist stereotypes when he described African-American communities as “war zones” and “hell.”

We can’t forget that he failed to immediately disavow the endorsement of David Duke, a neo-Nazi and probably the most well known White supremacist in America.

We can’t forget that he named as his campaign manager a man who runs a website catering to the alt-right, a rebranded White nationalist movement.

We can’t forget that he re-circulated racist and anti-Semitic tweets.

We can’t forget that he went on Alex Jones’ radio show and told the far-right radio host that his “reputation is amazing.” Jones is, in fact, a fabulist, a con artist known for propagating wild conspiracy theories, such as his claim that the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting was the work of the government.

The point is, in Trump we suddenly face a president-elect who has been wallowing in the cesspool of hate and extremism.

White supremacists who backed his candidacy are jumping for joy. They think they now have their man in the White House.

Andrew Anglin, proprietor of the Daily Stormer, a truly sickening website popular among neo-Nazis, declared, “Our Glorious Leader has ascended to God Emperor. Make no mistake about it: we did this.”

David Duke was equally exultant, tweeting that “our people played a HUGE role in electing Trump!”

Kevin MacDonald, an outspoken anti-Semite and former professor, wrote,  “This is an amazing victory. Fundamentally, it is a victory of White people over the oligarchic, hostile elites.”

We can’t afford to take these statements as the ravings of extremists on the fringes of society. They are now at the gates.

But it’s not just sieg-heiling Nazis and cross-burning Klansmen who should trouble Americans concerned about what a Trump victory portends. It’s also the more polite, suit-wearing extremists who move in mainstream political circles and already have their nose under the Trump tent.

They’re people like Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who birthed the viciously discriminatory, unconstitutional anti-immigrant laws enacted by Arizona, Alabama and other states several years ago; and Ken Blackwell, the former Ohio secretary of state who is now a senior fellow at the rabidly anti-LGBT  Family Research Council. Both are reportedly serving as key members of Trump’s transition team.

As is customary, Trump has pledged to be a president “for all Americans.”

If he truly means it, he must first boot the extremists out of his tent and tell them in no uncertain terms that they will have no voice or place in his administration. If he does that, perhaps he can begin to stanch the bleeding from the wounds he ripped open in our country.

But, given the early signs, we’re not counting on it.

No, we’re going on what Trump has been saying all along. The time is now for progressives everywhere to unite and fight with everything we have.

Steve Cohen is president of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Nov. 13, 2016

The U.S. Electoral College System is Rooted in Protecting Slavery
By Frederick H. Lowe

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from NorthStarNewsToday.com

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - In Tuesday’s election, Donald Trump won 289 Electoral College votes, more than the 270 needed for him to become the nation’s 45th president. Trump will move into the White House on January 20, 2017.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Trump’s Democratic opponent for president, won the popular vote by more than 1.8 million votes, according to the latest count, but she gave a concession speech, acknowledging Trump as the winner of the election.How can this be?

The Electoral College system, which was founded by James Madison, the nation’s fourth president and one of the country’s founding fathers, is based on protecting slavery, according to numerous history scholars. Madison was a Virginia slaveholder.In 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, slaves accounted for 40 percent of Virginia’s population, making it the most-populous of the 13 original colonies.

Some of Constitutional Convention attendees wanted the American people to vote directly for president.Madison, however, argued that a direct vote would disadvantage Southern states because Northern states had more White men, individuals allowed to vote at the time, thus more voters. Blacks couldn’t vote.Attendees reached a compromise that counted the whole number of free persons in the states as well as “three fifths” of all other persons, all of them black slaves. As a result, Southern states were given more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and more electors who selected the president.

The meeting of the electors is where they vote for president and vice president, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress. The Electoral College now consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President.The Civil War ended slavery and the three-fifths of a man compromise, but the Electoral College is still in place.The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors.

Tuesday’s election is the fifth time in the history of presidential politics that one candidate won the Electoral College vote and his opponent won the popular vote.The Electoral College’s three-fifths clause enabled Thomas Jefferson, a slaveholder, to defeat John Adams, who opposed slavery, in Adam’s bid for re-election in 1800.In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won 539,000 more votes than Republican George W. Bush, but Bush won more Electoral College votes.

Following Tuesday’s election, Change.org launched an online petition drive to persuade Electoral College electors to cast their ballots for Clinton on December 19th because she won the popular vote. On this date, electors vote in their individual states.Change.org wants 3 million people to sign the petition. If the electors don’t vote the way their state voted, they  will be fined, Change.org noted.One of the critics of the Electoral College is Trump.  In 2012, he said the Electoral College was ‘a disaster for democracy.’

Nov. 13, 2016

Trump Victory: The Plight of African-Americans Has Suddenly and Drastically Changed
By Zenitha Prince 

News of the Clinton loss confounded some at what was planned as a victory party in New York City. PHOTO: Paulette Singleton/Trice Edney News Wire

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

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The newspaper headlines were likely already written, announcing Hillary Clinton as the first woman to take the helm of the White House. Instead, in the stunning culmination to a brutal and vitriolic campaign, real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump clinched the race Nov. 8 to become the 45th president of the United States.

The results defied the prognostications of many pollsters, pundits and political scientists, alike, leaving them scrambling to figure out what happened.

“It is going to take us political scientists a long time to figure this out,” said Robert Smith, a political analyst with San Francisco State University. He added, “This is an unexpected and dangerous outcome.”

Republican political strategist Raynard Jackson said he predicted this result, however, declaring to the AFRO that Trump had won even before the votes were fully counted.

“I don’t believe in polls and I was convinced he would win. Now, I’m vindicated,” the Washington-D.C. based political operative said. He added, “This is nothing short of miraculous…. People are going to remember where they were when they got the news.”

Jackson said Trump triumphed because he presented himself as an antidote to voters’ disaffection with Washington and the status quo. The average American bought into Trump’s promises to undo adverse trade deals such as NAFTA and to bring back jobs to the U.S., to “reclaim” U.S. sovereignty from international organizations such as the United Nations and NATO and to stem the influx of “foreigners,” so much so, they were willing to overlook his “personal liabilities,” the strategist continued.

“Trump is an outsider, and he tapped into a vein that both parties’ leadership willfully and recklessly ignored,” Jackson said. “This result was because of the total misreading by both parties and the media of how angry Americans are.”

According to CNN exit polls, Trump outpaced Clinton 58 percent to 37 percent among White voters, while the Democratic challenger held the larger advantage—74 percent to 21 percent—among non-Whites, including garnering 88 percent of Black voters.

Among non-college-educated Whites, Trump held even larger margins of support, with both men and women voting 67 percent for Trump and 28 percent for Clinton. Some political observers said Trump fuelled his rise to victory by using derogatory, sometimes racist and otherwise incendiary rhetoric to stoke resentment—some racist in nature—among White voters.

“The outcome of this election is an expression of a kind of White nationalism and not just among working-class Whites, but among all Whites, who have a sense that this country is becoming non-White and they resent that,” said Smith, the San Francisco-based political analyst. “Trump said he would make America great again and for some that meant White again.”

Trump’s win, some say, does not bode well for African-Americans.

Felomina Cervantes, of Seattle, holds a sign that reads “Shame on You America” as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

“Obviously, the outcome will have a lot of impact in terms of public policy,” said Michael Fauntroy, political scientist from Howard University. “Most African Americans are progressives and if Hillary Clinton wins, we will see a continuation of policies begun by Barack Obama. And if Donald Trump wins, he would try to reverse all that.”

Both Fauntroy and Smith said with the GOP in charge of the White House, U.S. House and Senate, gridlock would be diminished and Republicans would work together to overturn the Affordable Care Act—President Obama’s signature legislation that provided health insurance for 2.3 million uninsured African Americans, and cut back on social programs like Medicaid and food stamps.

“What you can expect from a Trump presidency is probably the most inhospitable environment for African-Americans since the 1950s,” Smith said. “The whole social security safety net Americans depend on, [Republicans] plan to shred that while giving tax cuts to the wealthy…. This is an extremely negative outcome for African Americans and for the country as a whole.”

With an empty seat in the Supreme Court and several aging justices, Trump will likely have the opportunity to stack the high court with conservative justices and that would not bode well for policies such as affirmative action, observers said.

Under a Trump presidency the economy and America’s standing in the world will also suffer, Smith said. Global markets all fell after Trump’s election. And, foreign leaders have offered mostly tepid, sometimes cautionary statements of congratulation to the president-elect, who has made several rash statements about breaking or renegotiating current trade and diplomatic deals.

“Our adversaries will use this as a means to attack American democracy itself—the fact that we will be taken over by a demagogue,” Smith said. “And our allies, the Europeans and Japanese, will find it hard to work with Trump and that will create great instability in international relations.”

Jackson, the Black Republican, said he thinks a Trump presidency can be a boon for the African-American community, however; especially if the president-elect institutes policies to boost Black entrepreneurs and HBCUs.

“That would go a long way to solving the pathologies in the Black community, which stem from a lack of jobs and a lack of education,” Jackson said, adding, “I think he’s going to make good on his promises.”

What is unclear is how well The Donald will keep his promise to “bind the wounds of division” among Americans that he, himself helped inflict.

“I say it is time for us to come together as one united people,” said Trump, during his victory speech in the early hours of Nov. 9. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans and this is so important to me.”

Beyond the presidential and congressional races, there were several ballot initiatives in states across the country that were significant for African-Americans, particularly changes to marijuana laws.

“Marijuana criminal laws have been used disproportionately against African-Americans. It’s outrageous,” said Hilary Shelton, senior vice president for advocacy and policy of the NAACP. According to Shelton, African Americans comprise 40 percent of all marijuana convictions but only 12 percent of marijuana users.

In four states, California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada, voters approved recreational legalization, bringing to nine the number of states—and the District of Columbia—that allow the recreational use of the herb. Another four states, Florida, Arkansas, North Dakota and Montana approved the use of medical cannabis, bringing to 29 the number of states with such policies.

Several states also considered minimum wage referenda, with four deciding to boost the minimum federal wage of $7.25.

“African-Americans are also disproportionately dependent on minimum wage jobs,” Shelton said. “A single parent with two children working full-time, all day every day for the entire year will still come out $4,000 under the poverty line if they are working a minimum wage job."

Shelton added, “Hardworking people should be paid fairly for their hard work.”