June 18, 2017

Study Finds Racial Bias is Endemic in Military Justice System
Black servicemen significantly more likely to be prosecuted and disciplined in all branches

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Louisiana Weekly

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Protect Our Defenders (POD) has released a report that finds significant racial disparity in the military justice system. The report is based off data from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted last year by POD to each military service branch. For every year reported and across all branches, Black service members were substantially more likely than white service members to face military justice or disciplinary action.

The advocacy organization received responses from four of the service branches, and analyzed this previously unpublished data to assess the prevalence of racial and ethnic disparities within the military justice system. POD also found that these racial disparities have not improved, and in some cases have gotten worse in recent years.

“Protect Our Defenders calls on Congress to investigate these new findings, and provide recommendations for fixing this problem that affects every branch of the Armed Forces. Military leadership has been aware of significant racial disparity in its justice process for years, and has made no apparent effort to find the cause of the disparity or remedy it,” said Col. Don Christensen (ret.), the former Chief Prosecutor of the United State Air Force and President of Protect Our Defenders. “Top brass has also vigorously opposed any suggestion that the commander-controlled justice system is hindered by conflicts of interest or bias and has gone to great lengths to tout the fairness of the system. However, the military’s own data raises serious challenges to the idea that the system in its current form is capable of delivering impartial justice.”

The data shows that overall, black service members were at least 1.29 times and as much as 2.61 times more likely than white service members to have an action taken against them in an average year. The report also found that:

• In the Air Force, Black airmen on average are 71% more likely to face court-martial or Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP) than white airmen.
• In the Marine Corps, Black Marines are, on average, 32% more likely to receive a guilty finding at a court-martial or NJP proceeding than white Marines, with the size of the disparity becoming more significant the more serious the disciplinary action was.
• In the Navy, Black sailors are on average 40% more likely than white sailors to be referred to special or general court-martial.
• In the Army, Black soldiers are on average 61% more likely to face a special or general court-martial compared to white service members.

“Protect Our Defenders’ report on racial disparity is extremely important because it reveals profound racial discrimination in the military justice system,” said Law Professor Michael Wishnie, Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School. “This report demonstrates why the military must swiftly and forcefully address unequal treatment of service members based on their race or ethnicity. The Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School represents Connecticut veterans in a range of litigation and institutional advocacy matters. Clinic clients have included a number of black veterans who suffered discrimination based on race in the military justice system, including some who have alleged in federal court that their bad paper discharge violates equal protection.”

Protect Our Defenders (POD) is a human rights organization. It is the only national organization solely dedicated to ending the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military and to combating a culture of pervasive misogyny, sexual harassment, and retribution against victims. It honors, supports and gives voice to survivors of military sexual assault – including service members, veterans, and civilians assaulted by members of the military. POD seeks reform to ensure all survivors are provided a safe, respectful work environment and have access to a fair, impartially administered system of justice.

June 11, 2017

Black Millennials Honor Lessons from Their Fathers – And Father Figures
By Hazel Trice Edney and Alanté Millow

Ron Busby Sr., president/CEO of the U. S. Black Chamber, Inc. and his son, Ron Jr. Ron Jr. says his path has been eerily similar to his father's, simply by listening and observing. PHOTO: Ewoma Ogbaudu Photography

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Ron Busby Jr. was only in elementary school when his mother died of cancer. His father, Ron Sr., was left to raise two young sons on his own. As a single father of two millennials - Ron Jr., 22, and Miles, 20 - Ron Sr. is now seeing the fruits of his diligence.

Much has been said about "millennials", the often-used term for young people who have come of age in the new millennium. Somehow, they’ve gotten a reputation for being spoiled, entitled, tech-addicted, even hard-headed.

But, this week before Father’s Day 2017, Black millennials around the country, such as Ron Busby Jr., proved that they have in fact been listening – and watching. In brief interviews, they recalled the best lessons they’ve learned from their fathers – and their father-figures.

“My father really taught me the importance of service, making yourself a vessel for the wishes of the people around you,” says Ron Jr. “Now, I have that at the forefront of any sort of task or career goal or any interest that I have. It’s servant leadership. I consider that as a big part of whatever else I consider myself trying to do in the future.”

While some recall specific words or advice given to them, Ron Busby Jr., a 2017 graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor’s in human rights, says for him, it was mainly watching his father’s example.

“There are some similarities that are exceptionally eerie,” he smiled. “My father ran track in college. I ran track in college. My father became a Kappa. I became a Kappa. My father, one of his first real jobs was at IBM. One of my first real jobs is at Google.”

He noted that the most important part of their relationship was the fact that Ron Sr. was there at the pivotal moments of his life. “I think a lot about his presence. Whether it was at a track meet, whether it was at graduations, whether it was at plays, his presence was really important.”

Fathers – and father figures - those who have advised, mentored, and guided children who are not even their own, will be celebrated across the nation on Father’s Day. But, Black men, in particular, face negative stereotypes from inside and outside their communities as well as a constant barrage of discrimination while most of them serve their children and families well.

In that regard, some millennials are giving what some dads might view as the best gift of all - respect.  They say they have watched, listened and taken heed.

"My dad taught me that the most important thing you could have was a strong sense of emotional intelligence,” says Darnelle Casimir, 23, of New York City. Even if you don’t have the best grades or IQ, “emotional intelligence combined with strong verbal and communication skills will set you up for success."

Perseverance against all odds and excellence in the midst of oppression are traits gained by the struggles of African-Americans in general and passed down to their loved ones.

"My Dad always told me 'to be the best. No matter what you do, you better be the best. And you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take,'" recalls Rachel O'Neal, 24, of Washington, DC.

Hameed Ali, 23, of Hayward, Calif., agrees. "My big brother Ibrahim told me 'They're going to hate what you stand for so you have to be twice as good.'"

Honesty and integrity is another one of those important character traits taught by most fathers.

"One thing my uncle told me is that your word is your bond. And keep it no matter what," says Trenton Harrison, 25, a Pittsburgh entrepreneur.

Independence and the ability to make it on their own is something that most parents want for their children.

"My dad always tells me to get my life in order so I can take care of myself so if he dies tomorrow, he knows I'm straight," says Jaylah Oni, 23, a makeup artist in New Orleans.

"I think the best piece of advice I got was from my god father Martin. He just told me that a man only has two things in this world and that is your wealth and health. He later explained to me that he told me that because I had to realize I had to find something I love doing because I will have the passion to succeed in that field,” recalls Cedrick Lee, 22, of Baltimore.

Not everyone can point to a father figure who was stronger than the mother who raised them.

"I haven't had any father figures around growing up. But I did have a mother [Adrienne] that played both roles, if even possible,” says Ashley Lorelle, 26, a certified nursing assistant in D.C. “The most memorable thing she told me was that until I loved and valued myself, I would never feel loved or valued by a man."

Some see relationship advice as being among the best life lessons they were taught. Eden Godbee, 29, a media relations manager from Atlanta, smiles as she recalls advice that her uncle, Julian Lewis, gave her that impacts her present and her future.

“He told me when I was in college to not pay too much attention to work and school because then I would be married to it,” she said.

At first, Godbee, who was a student at Howard University at the time, thought it was a chauvinistic remark. But, now, as a professional woman she says, “I do realize what he was trying to say at the time. That if you put so much emphasis into these things…you really have to become married to them. So, I always make sure that I do my work at work. But I set that boundary, like if I’m going on vacation, I’m not available. If I’m going on a date, I’m not checking my phone. I leave the phone at home. So, that way I can have this thriving career and I can be successful and I also have things that enrich me and that I can be married to on the outside.”

Millions of children do not have fathers or even father figures in their lives per se. Yet, they will unknowingly benefit from receiving kind and encouraging words or just watching the examples set by the men in their lives.

One example is Rev. Alton Sumner, who has been principal at the North Bethesda Middle School in Maryland for 14 years. He and his wife, the Rev. Betty Sumner, have two millennial-age children of their own, a daughter, 23, and a son, 25. But at school, Rev. Sumner is aware of the fatherly impact he can make on the 1,130 students that come through the school doors each day. He says he enjoys imparting to them “a godly example” by simply greeting them as they arrive each morning.

“To have somebody to give them a positive word or a positive feeling as they come through the door,” he said, “I want them to know that they have so much within them that they can accomplish and I don’t want them to give up. I want them to keep going until they achieve that full potential."

June 18, 2017

Commemorating the Lovings and Their Courage
By Saraya Wintersmith

From left, Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan,
Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance and ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Claire Guthrie Gastañaga help
unveil the new state marker outside the Patrick Henry Building at 11th and Broad streets. PHOTO: Richmond Free Press

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - A state historical marker in Downtown Richmond, Va. now commemorates the landmark Loving v. Virginia case, which resulted in laws banning interracial marriage being overturned in Virginia and 16 other states.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe and his wife, First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, were joined by Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance, Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan and others to unveil the marker on Monday, the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision.The new marker is located at 11th and Broad streets, outside the state-owned Patrick Henry Building, which once housed the Virginia Supreme Court.Virginia’s highest court upheld the law that triggered the arrest and conviction of Richard and Mildred Loving of Caroline County in July 1958. Richard, a White man, and Mildred, an African-American woman, married in the District of Columbia, and returned to their home in Caroline County’s Central Point.

They were arrested and convicted of violating Virginia’s 1924 Racial Integrity Act, which banned interracial marriage. A judge suspended their yearlong jail sentence on the condition that the couple leave the state for 25 years. The Lovings appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court with the held of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1967, the nation’s highest court overturned Virginia’s law and lifted all such interracial marriage bans across the nation. 

“It’s almost hard to believe, but that’s actually what happened,” Gov. McAuliffe told the gathering of more than 100 people at the marker dedication ceremony.“

All they wanted to do was get married. They loved each other, and all they wanted was their state to recognize them.

”While the Lovings are now deceased, neither of their two surviving children or other relatives attended the ceremony. Julie Langan, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, said they prefer to remain out of the public eye. Langan described the Loving v. Virginia marker as one that will fill a “glaring gap” in the nation’s oldest highway marker system. 

“Our motivation stems from the belief that in order to mature and to evolve as a society, we must analyze and often re-examine the facts in order to accurately piece together the truth of our history,” she said.Gov. McAuliffe pointed out that the Loving case is part of a “chain” linked to the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming the right of same-sex couples to marry. Same-sex marriage became legal in Virginia in October 2014.

Gov. McAuliffe said to applause, “We would never have had marriage equality two years ago had it not been for Mildred and Richard Loving.” 

June 11, 2017

Some Say Russia 'Collusion' Investigation Distracting from Black Issues
By Barrington M. Salmon

Former FBI Director Jim Comey testifying before Congress. PHOTO: Paulette Singleton/Trice Edney News Wire

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) was among several members of the Congressional 
Black Caucus in the hearing room as Comey testified. Some say the CBC is among the loan voices currently leading on Black issues.
PHOTO: Paulette Singleton/Trice Edney News Wire

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - During former FBI Director Jim Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week, the irony of Black people cheering for Comey didn’t escape African-Americans who watched the on-going saga unfold in public view last week.

In more than three hours of testimony, Comey said under oath that the president repeatedly pressed him for a pledge of loyalty and asked him to drop the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. And after Comey failed to fulfill the president's wishes, Trump fired him.

In casual conversations, political discussions and debates in Black communities across the country, the question has centered on how invested African-Americans should be in the hearings and their outcome given the FBI's history of unfairness to Black leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Moreover, with Black progress at stake,some wonder whether the focus on the Trump-Comey controversy is too much of a destraction. 

Mimi Machado-Luces, a documentary filmmaker, photographer and mother of two, said she watched the hearing and believes Trump is a liar who lacks the skills or temperament to be president. This is all the more reason that Black people must escalate thier attention to Black progress.

People of African descent in America, she said, were lulled to sleep by eight years of a Barack Obama presidency and now most still can’t rouse themselves to fully confront the dangers that the Trump administration has spawned.

“I think that we’ve fallen back onto this lull of ‘Oh…good times are over.’ We’ve fallen back into this reactionary mode,” she said. “Black Lives Matter and other groups like that are grand but I don’t see anyone coming out aggressively about things we need to be pursuing in our agenda, talking about the effects of things Trump is coming in to dismantle.”

Machado-Luces, an artist-in-residence teaching Digital Media at several DC and Maryland schools, said she wonders if and when Black people will come together and coalesce around a meaningful, substantive agenda.

“I don’t know if that will happen, probably not in my lifetime,” she said. “All I know is that there’s so much work to do. I don’t want to say we as a people lack vision. We’re psychologically lulled into accepting the oppression. I see some people trying to change things but part of the oppression is written into law. People get off when they shouldn’t.”

The intrigue and importance of the topic of possible collusion with a foreign country by a U. S presidential administration has not escaped coverage by the Black press, which has historically covered the antagonist relationship between the Black community and the FBI as well as other law enforcement agencies. DC-based independent journalist and political analyst Lauren Victoria Burke said she was among those glued to coverage, mainly because of the gravity of the events.

Burke said unlike the Iran-Contra scandal, for example, the ethical lapses and conflicts of interests swirling around this White House is a “much more serious matter because of the possibility of the president or his people being involved in treasonous activity.”

She said, “It’s a spy-level novel situation…No. I’ve never seen anything like this. The idea that somehow this is normal - none of this is normal.”

Burke, who covers Capital Hill daily, says Black Democratic lawmakers like Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Al Green (D-Texas) have been leading the charge in criticizing Trump, calling for a special prosecutor and seeking impeachment.

“They’ve been a little bit more out in front than most people. Green and Waters have called for impeachment. They’re the only members to call for impeachment,” said Burke. “Waters came out in front very early. She talked in a way that people were saying to take it back. But it’s almost mainstream now.”

Sam Collins, a millennial grassroots journalist and activist, said he watched sections of the Comey hearing with a jaundiced eye. He’s tired, he said, of the mainstream treating critical, potentially life-and-death issues and the dysfunction and chaos emanating from the White House as a pay-per-view event. Even though he has a good handle on the inner-workings of government and its relationship with the people it purports to serve, Collins said he’s still not sure whether the entire Russia debacle is just a diversionary tactic.

“Our leaders are following Russia while districts are going through issues, such as access to quality healthcare, unemployment and other problems that were here long before Russia or Trump,” said Collins, who is a teacher with District of Columbia Public Schools. “It’s proxy war. They’re putting up this proxy war to distract us.”

As he’s watched the Trump White House try unsuccessfully to fend off a rising chorus of accusations of collusion with Russia and a variety of other potential misdeeds, Collins believes Black leaders have become distracted as African-Americans and people of color face more overt racism, unprovoked attacks, hostility from the Trump administration, and the reversal of hard-earned gains by regressive forces.

“We need to organize among ourselves,” he concluded. “The NAACP is going through an identity crisis and may be about to fall under. I wouldn’t be mad,” Collins said with a chuckle. “There are no radical voices...All this political stardom and we have no juice to move anything.”