June 18, 2016

After Orlando, Drive Out Hate With Light and Love
By Jesse Jackson

June 14, 2016

On Father's Day 2016, Many Black Fathers Defy the Stereotypes
By Desmond Andrews

Stafford Armstead is among the millions of Black fathers who defy the stereotypes about Black fatherhood. He
diligently cares for his three children alongside his wife, Nichole. (Courtesy Photo)

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Howard University News Service

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - African-American fathers are often stereotyped as inattentive to their children. But statistics have shown that Black fathers are there for their children – as much as or more than White fathers.

As Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19, approaches, the National Center for Health Statistics says that 70 percent of African-American fathers who live with their children are more involved in their daily lives compared 60 percent of White fathers.

“Black fathers (70%) were most likely to have bathed, dressed, diapered, or helped their children use the toilet every day compared with white (60%) and Hispanic fathers (45%),” says the 3-year-old study by NCHS.

This week, as millions reflect on the importance of fatherhood, members of families around the U. S. give their thoughts on what Black fathers bring to the table.

“Fatherhood for a young man, especially a young Black man, is incredibly important simply because it gives us a sense of strength in a world in which everybody seems to be against you. It breaks crippling stereotypes and strengthens the African- American family,” says Darius Bego, a 23-year-old father who is a student at the University of South Carolina.

He continues, “Most of all, having a father provides a great example of what it’s like to be strong man in a world that grows increasingly dangerous and challenging for a Black man. And when fathers instill such strength and wisdom into each of their children it strengthens the community as a whole for each generation.”

Bryan Jeffries, 20, of Dayton, Ohio says the Black father stands as an example to his children.

“For a daughter, it is her model for how a man should treat her. And for a son, it is a model for what he should be as a father. I think what a Black father brings to the table is a mentor on how to maneuver as a Black man in America as well as a confidant for information that may be too hard for a mother to hear,” Jeffries says.

Jennifer Allen, 40, of Los Angeles, agrees that a father has a special influence on a young woman.

“Young females without fathers can tend to be promiscuous and lost about love. This causes them to look and search for the lost love that’s been missing from the Black father,” she says. “They end up with somebody who doesn’t love them. A father that is home is special and should be. My father wasn’t home, but for some reason I could talk to him and tell him stuff that I couldn’t tell my mom. When a Black father is home he is truly the definition of a backbone and a protector.”

The relationship between a father and daughter are crucial, but the father and son is equally important, says Kimberlyn Battle, 43, also of Los Angeles.

“A child is the reflection of affection. No one has ever died from ‘over love’,” Battle says. “There are many situations that love may endure. I personally had three father figures, including my biological father. The more fatherhood is celebrated, the better the seeds.”

In a world that largely stereotypes and denigrates people of color, the Black father often serves as the first example of leadership.

“Fatherhood provides a sense of strength and leadership to the kids. For a son he sees his father as an example for how a man should become - learning valuable life lessons on how to find your way in life and become the head of your family,” says Baltimore native Lantz Carter, 28, a Lacrosse professional.

The relationship is one thing. But children need both love and support, stresses Indigo Evans, a 21-year-old student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

“Fathers are providers. A strong Black father never complains about the duties he had to do for his child or children. He may struggle a little bit, but he will always find a way,” she says.  “A strong Black father will always be there for his family no matter what the circumstances may be.”

Candace Mitchell, a 21-year-old Stillman College student from Birmingham, sees the Black father is the teacher of his children.  “The importance of fatherhood is being an example for your kids, teaching them how to be independent.”

Though some people characterize Black fathers as negative stereotypes, they are more involved in their children’s lives than many people know.

Carter, the Lacrosse professional, knows well how young people idolize stars. But, he says, it’s the father-figure right there in their home who often serves as the hero.

“Black fathers can be the role models for their sons, instead of athletes and celebrities, navigating young Black men in the right path to be successful,” Carter concludes. “Black fathers can build strong relationships with their daughters and teach them how to have good judgment when picking men to get involved with. Lastly, Black fathers can change the stereotype of Black men not keeping the family together and leaving the women and kids behind.”

Foolish Words in the Wake of Tragedy
By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The cretin who took an assault weapon into Pulse, an Orlando nightclub, on “salsa night” is beneath contempt.   Was his target the LBGTQ community, Latinos, or simply human beings?  After all, it is somewhat reductive to simply describe Pulse as a “gay club”.  It catered to the LBGTQ communities and allies.  Some of those who were massacred were not gay.  They just wanted to dance.

In the wake of the massacre of 49 people, and the injury of another 53, the networks have offered sunup to sundown coverage.  Analysis and opinions have been more than plentiful.  Some of the most disgraceful comments came from Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who blames President Obama for the massacre in Orlando.  To be sure the Senator quickly retracted his words and said that he “misspoke”.  But he started out by saying that he held President Obama “directly responsible” for the massacre in Florida.  He explained that because President Obama pulled US troops out of Iraq, he created the vacuum that ISIS came to fill.

McCain was harsh in his excoriation of President Obama, and his harshness was misplaced when it was issued, on the same day that President Obama visited Orlando to meet with the families of those murdered.  If you look into a dictionary under “sore loser” you will find a photograph of Arizona Senator John McCain.  He still has not recovered from the whipping he took when then-Senator Barack Obama beat him for the Presidency.  While he can only blame himself, his poorly executed campaign, and his poor choices (Sarah Palin, anyone?), he is far more comfortable venting against President Obama than he is exploring his own failures.

Florida’s governor, the Republican Rick Scott is another who has made unfortunately inappropriate statements.  Deflecting questions about assault weapons, he says he prefers to talk about eliminating ISIS.  He behaves as if legislators have only a one-track mind.  While it is appropriate to talk about managing ISIS, it is also appropriate to talk about the easy access that anybody has to assault weapons.   If you are on the no-fly list, the adage goes, you ought to be on the no-buy list.  Not that it helps as much as it should – there are too many ways to buy guns, ammunition, and body armor both over and under the table.

It does not erode anyone’s second amendment rights to restrict their right to assault weapons.  One does not need a weapon with multiple rounds to protect oneself or, for that matter, to “hunt”.  Whenever those NRA folks start talking about hunting, though, I really want to know what (who) it is they want to hunt.  It is entirely appropriate to restrict access to assault weapons, but for some reason rabid Republicans resist.

President Barack Obama has had to take on the role of Empathizer-in-Chief several times during his Presidency.  In the last year, he has had to deal with the killings at Emanuel AME Church (June 2015, 9 casualties), at the Chattanooga Recruiting Center (July 2015, 4 casualties), the Roseburg Community College shootings (October 2015, 10 casualties), the San Bernardino Community Center shootings (December 2015, 14 casualties), and now the tragedy in Orlando.  He has been consistent in calling for assault weapons bans, and his opponents have been consistent in opposing such bans.  And they have been irresponsible in their rhetoric of opposition.  Senator John McCain stands at the tip of the iceberg.

Donald Trump is worse than Senator McCain.  He has said that our President is sympathetic to ISIS terrorists.  Like McCain, he quickly suggested that President Obama has some culpability in the Orlando massacre.  What nonsense!  Trump should be ashamed, if he is capable of such, for turning a tragedy into political manipulation.   So should McCain.

McCain says he “misspoke”, but what he really needs to say is that he apologizes.  He has no right to accuse President Obama of being “directly responsible” for the Orlando killings.  He was wrong, simply wrong.  His statement was not a slip of the lip, but a calculated attempt to disparage our President, and for partisan purposes.  McCain has been a victim of Donald Trump’s venom.

June 13, 2016

 One Year After the Charleston Massacre, America Grieves Yet Another Mass Shooting

By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Less than a week before America commemorates the racist shooting of nine African-Americans in a Charleston, S.C. church, yet another mass shooting – this time in an Orlando, Florida night club – has America astounded with grief.

“Today, as Americans, we grieve the brutal murder - a horrific massacre - of dozens of innocent people.  We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts,” said President Obama in a rare Sunday afternoon televised statement to the nation. “We stand with the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city.  Although it’s still early in the investigation, we know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate.  And as Americans, we are united in grief, in outrage, and in resolve to defend our people.”

Parts of South Orange Avenue near the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando was still blocked off early this week, according to the Associated Press, after a terrorist shooting that left 49 people dead – 50 including the terrorist – and 53 people wounded.

The shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, was reportedly a self-radicalized ISIS sympathizer and security guard who had legally purchased the automatic weapons he used to open fire upon people at a gay nightclub. Mateen, the 50^th casualty, was killed by the police.

The Sunday morning massacre stunned President Obama, civil rights leaders and the general public, reigniting debates over gun control, terrorist surveillance as well as bigotry, intolerance and violence against gay people. The tragedy also recalled the havoc of just one year ago on June 17th when 21-year-old Dylann Roof studied the Bible with S.C. Sen. and Pastor Clementa C. Pinckney and eight of his parishioners at the historic “Mother Emmanuel” AME Church; then shot them to death while using racial epithets.

"HATE knows no bounds”, tweeted Transformative Justice Coalition President Barbara R. Arnwine in response to what was clearly a hate crime murder spree by Mateen.

In her TJC newsletter, she compared the massacre to the Mother Emanuel shooting: “Observing that the first anniversary of the Mother Emanuel Massacre is June 17^th…these two tragedies have in common HATE and GUNS! We need less of both and more of a creed of Love! Our nation must denounce the language of hate and embrace our LGBTQIA neighbors.” LGBTQUIA stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Asexual.

According to the Associated Press, the New York-born Mateen, described as a quiet man with a young son, was known to regularly attend evening prayer at Orlando’s Islamic Center. His father said Mateen had witnessed two gay men kissing and had become incensed by it. However, some witnesses said he had visited the club several times.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), America’s premiere monitor of hate and violence, was not surprised.

“While the full facts are still unknown, unfortunately it is not surprising that the LGBT community was targeted,” said a statement on the SPLC website. “This community has long been vilified by those opposed to LGBT rights and is too often the target of violent hate crimes.”

Other civil rights leaders chimed in strongly as the details of the massacre continued to unfold.

“Attacking any individual because of their sexual orientation, race or ethnic background is an assault on our collective humanity. And the ease in which the perpetrator of this crime was able to obtain assault weapons, is once again, a dark reminder of the urgent and long overdue reforms needed at the federal and state level to control access to guns in this county,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, in a statement. “While the nation searches for answers, we must remain firmly committed to the principles of respect and tolerance that define us as a nation.  We must condemn misguided acts of retaliation and do our part to prevent a backlash against our Muslim neighbors. Our democracy demands that we unite in the pursuit of equality, dignity and freedom that every individual in this country so rightly deserves. We call for vigilance against hate, overdue reform of gun laws and continued peace.”

The names of all the victims weren’t readily available at deadline for this story. The FBI investigation continued to unfold.

“In the coming hours and days, we’ll learn about the victims of this tragedy.  Their names.  Their faces.  Who they were.  The joy that they brought to families and to friends, and the difference that they made in this world,” said President Obama. “Say a prayer for them and say a prayer for their families -- that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable.  And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change.  We need to demonstrate that we are defined more - as a country - by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who took them from us."