P age A7 T he P ortland O bserver • S eptember 28, 1994 $4.25 Million To Colleges For Violence Prevention Health And Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced a $4.25 million grant to historically black colleges and universities for designing, developing, implementing and testing a series of violence orevention programs. As a former university chancellor, Shalala stated that she knew The value of involving colleges and universities involving community problems." Pictured (1-r) are: Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia); Central State University President Dr. Arthur E. Thomas; Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Walter Broadnax; Congressman Louis Stokes (D-Ohio); Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala; Tougaloo College President Dr. Adib A. Shakir; Assistant S e c r e t for Health, Dr. Philip R Lee; and KnoXVH,e College C M , SlMh HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced that a consortium of 16 historically and predominantly black colleges and universities will enter into a $4.25 million cooperative agreement to design, develop, imple­ ment and test a series of models aimed at reducing levels and inci- dence of violence, alcohol and other drug abuse among minority individu­ als, families and communities. Each of the participating institu­ tions will establish a family life cen­ ter on campus to implement commu­ nity-based programs such as the coun­ seling of students and community residents and the developing of com­ munity violence prevention activi­ ties. Research projects include stud­ ies on violence and dysfunctional families, the effectiveness of police interventions in preventing multiple incidence of spousal and child abuse, Secretary of Veteran Affairs Jesse Brown and U.S. R epresentative Charles B. Rangel, D-NY, chairman of the Black Caucus’ Veteran’s Task Force joined President Clinton in pre­ senting to the veterans and organiza­ tions distinctive plaques recognizing their service to the nation. . .no group of Americans endured what African Americans endured in uniform,” President Clinton noted to the audience that packed Way s and Means Hearing Room that African-Ameri­ cans had to fight more than one fight 50 years ago. “Americans endured much during World War II - the ter­ rible loss of lives, the separation of families and loved ones, the interrup­ tions of life on the home front. But no group of Americans endured what African Americans endured in uni­ form,” Clinton said. “You had to win the right to fight the enemy we faced in common. You endured the indignities of double stan­ dards for black troops, the put downs, the segregated units and bases, some of which gave you less freedom to move than German prisoners of war. You defended America with no guar­ antee that your own freedom would be defended in return.” "You defended America with no guarantee that your own freedom would be defended in return. ” The higher interest is so lucra­ tive that the bank can afford to give you a big discount as an in­ Anything your bank or mort­ gage company wants you to do is probably in its best interest, but not in yours. Don't change your adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed rate mortgage because your bank says it’s a good idea. centive. If you receive the discount let­ ter from your mortgage com­ pany, trash it. The discount of 10 to 20 percent is never enough to offset the amount of interest you are saving with your low rate mortgage. In addition, the IRS has a rule known as debt forgiveness. If your mortgage balance is $30,000 but your bank lets you pay it off for $25,000 cash, the IRS considers the $5,000 debt forgiveness as income, which is When mortgage interest rates are rising, homeowners with ARM s begin to worry. The natural tendency is to convert your ARM to a fixed rate mortgage. The bank or mort­ gage company will send you a letter telling you how easy it will be to do so. The bank knows that if you convert to a fixed rate, over the next few years there is a 95 per­ cent chance you will pay more in interest than you would have paid on your ARM. Even though the interest rates on the ARM are higher now, since rates are cyclical, they will be lower in a couple of years. The other thing to look for is a letter offering a discount of 5 percent to 25 percent for paying off your low-interest mortgage early. If you have an 8 percent or less fixed rate mort , ge and the current rates are U percent or higher, the bank can nake more money if you pay ofl /our mort­ gage in a lump sun. and then loan the money again at a higher interest rate. The National Uçban League :nded its annual conference at the ndianapolis Convention Center on in upbeat, charged note with newly ilected President and Chief Execu­ t e Officer Hugh B. Price urging the :onferees to “go back home and keep mi keeping on!” Price’s marching orders fol- owed the closing plenary keynote address of University of Pennsylva­ nia Law Professor Lani Guinier, who gained notoriety after President Clinton nominated her, then with­ lam e iro m LuiibiuciduLiii» drew her name from consideration, taxable. For more information, write Money Strategies, 570 Crown Oak Centre Drive, Longwood, FL 32750 or call 800-815-0517. Oregon to Host New International President The Oregon State Association o f Ministers W ives & W idows, will host the thirteenth Annual Pacific R e g io n a l C o n fe re n c e o f the Intcm at’ 1 A ssociation o f M inistries W ives and M inisters’ W idows, In c ., O ctober 6-8, 1994 at the Red Lion Hotel, Jantzen Beach, Portland, O r­ egon . The Rose City Ministers W i ves Council will be our local hosts. The Pacific Region consists of ft ve states: W ashington, O regon, C alifornia, Alaska and Hawaii. Oregon wall also host the newly elected President of the Internal! Asso­ ciation of Ministers Wives and Widows, Inc. Dr. Celest Johnson, of Connecticut as the nation’s top civil rights en­ forcer. Professor Guinier told the crowd of more than 1,500 that she holds no bitterness toward the president nor the process: “What we need to start is a national conversation about race, about justice, about fundamental fair­ ness.” “Talking about race,” she con­ tinued, “has become synonymous with violating the rules. It doesn’t matter how quietly or articulately you speak, the policy is “Don’t ask; don’t tell.” It was Guinier’s paper trail of controversial writings and speeches as a practicing attorney and legal scholar that hamstrung her nomination on Capitol Hill. “Race talk is condemned as in­ herently divisive,” Guinier stated, adding, “talking about race is per­ ceived as the problem instead of the solution.” Her recommendation: “an open, national dialogue on race is­ sues” which is critical to America’s future. She criticized the name-game among politicians: “Democrats and I0NG THE HONOREES - Robert Ingram, Mayor. Opa Locka. Fla “¿ T d ‘»enters from the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce are, from ,e ft wilgon MIAMI BEACH — The 7th Annual Convention of the U.S. African American Chamber of Commerce, meeting here recently, honored fifteen national and lo cal m en and w om en w ho have c o n trib u te d significantly to the progress of African American communities in this nation. “ It is v ita l th at we rec o g n iz e th ese lead e rs p e rio d ic a lly ,” said O scar J C offey, P re sid e n t, U SA A C C , du rin g the "S p o tlig h t on L eadership Banquet,” sponsored by Philip Morris Companies Inc. ’T hey help and inspire us all every day and their im p o rta n c e as ro le m o d els fo r our c h ild re n is immeasurable," Coffey said. H o n o rees fo r e c o n o m ic d ev elo p m en t w ere M ay n ard Ja c k s o n , fo rm e r A tlan ta m ay o r and cu rrently P resid en t, Jackson Security, and G reg W illiam s, local o w n er o f three K entucky F ried Chicken franchises. Honorees for public service were A rsen io H all, the e n te rta in e r, and N at M oore. President, Nat More and Associates. Honorees for entertainm ent were Kenny Edmonds and Antonio Reed of LaFace Records and Jeny Rushin. President, WEDR Radio. Special Awards of Merit were presented to Rep. C am e P Meek, D-Fla ; Rep Alcee Hastings, D-Fla. and Arthur Teele, Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Dade County. Mark V. Monteverdi, Manager. Public Programs, Philip Morris Companies Inc., and banquet master of ceremonies, explained. "This program helps us to see clearly the importance of leaders on both the national and local levels. Together, they can function as effective teams for community problem-solving no matter what the source of the problem D in n er g u e sts h e ard b rie f d e s c rip tio n s of accomplishments by the honorees. Frederica Wilson, a member of the Dade County School Board, was honored for her efforts in the area of education that included her founding of the "500 African American Role Models of Excellence. A form er elem entary school teacher. Headstart A dm inistrator and P rin cip al, W ilson has been a tenacious advocate for the welfare of children and she works hard to bnng about an awareness of the special * I activities. Other college/university presi­ dents who attended the press confer­ ence as members of the consortium were: Dr. Tilden J. LeMelle, Univer­ sity of the District of Columbia; Dr Lois S. Williams. Knoxville Col­ lege, Knoxville, Tenn.; Dr. Earl S. Richardson, Morgan State Univer­ sity, Baltimore, Md.; Dr. John L. Henderson, Wilberforce University, W ilberforce, Ohio; Dr. Dolores Cross, Chicago State University, Il­ linois; Dr. Joann Horton, Texas South­ ern University, Houston; Dr. Burnett Joiner, LeMoyne-Owen College, Memphis, Tenn.; Dr. Myer L. Titus, Philander Smith College, North Little Rock, Ark.; and Dr. Joseph B John­ son, Talladega College, Talladega, Ala. The remaining five consortium institutions are: Clark-Atlanta Uni­ versity, Atlanta, G., Dr. Thomas W. Cole Jr.; Lincoln University, Lin­ coln University, Pa., Dr. Niara Sudarkasa; Morehouse College, At­ lanta, Ga., Dr. Edward B. Fort; and Xavier University, New Orleans, la.. Dr. Norman C. Francis. Central State University is coor­ dinating consortium activities. Republicans simply do not want to talk about race. Instead they talk in loaded, coded euphemisms -- 'three strikes and you’re out’; two years and you’re off.’ Neoconservatives don’t want to talk about race because we are now officially colorblind.” Without that open dialogue, Guinier maintained, those who are left out of the system lose their opportunity to “genuine, participatory democracy.” The U X African American Chamber of Commerce Honors N ational and Local Leaders at Convention M ore than a m illion African- Am erican men and women helped to win “ this c e n tu ry ’s greatest fight for freedom ,” C linton said. “In helping to show the world what A m erica was against, you helped to show A m erica what A m erica is for.” It was. he said, the begin­ ning of the end of segregation in the armed forces of the Untied States. Charles J. Givens Money Strategies Also speaking at the press con­ ference where Secretary Shalala an­ nounced the agreement, which is funded through the Office of Minor­ ity Health in the Public Health Ser­ vice, were: * Congressman Louis Stokes, D-Ohio, chairman of the Subcom­ mittee on VA, HUD and Indepen­ dent Agencies, House Appropriations Committee, and author of legislation supporting funding for the project. * Dr. Arthur E. Thomas, presi­ dent of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and Dr. Adib A. Shakier, president of Tougaloo Col­ lege in Toughaloo, Miss., co-chairs of the Consortium for Practicum and Research on Minority Males/Minor- ity Males Consortium. * Dr. Philip R. Lee, assistant secretary for health and director of the Public Health Service. President Bill Clinton has signed an Executive Order increasing sup­ port for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and has referred to the important role these institutions play in a community’s development and advancem ent. T oday’s an­ nouncement underscores that com­ mitment and exemplifies HHS’ ag­ gressive plans and support for com­ munity-based violence prevention Urban League Ends Conference With New Challenges African-American Veterans Of World War II Honored President Bill Clinton joined the Congressional Black Caucus to honor 39 African-American World War II veterans and 18 African- American veteran service organi­ zations during ceremonies held Sep­ tember 16 in Washington, D.C. and conflict resolution strategies in public schools. “As a former university chan­ cellor, 1 know the value of involving colleges and universities in solving community problems,” Secretary Shalala said. “Outside of the family and the church, historically and predomi­ nantly black colleges and universi­ ties are perhaps the most respected and cherished institutions in Afri­ can-American communities. We be­ lieve that working with local com­ munities, giving young people some­ thing to say yes to, and demonstrat­ ing through action that somebody cares is violence prevention at its best.” Walther D. Broadnax, HHS deputy secretary and chief operating officer, said, “These campus-based centers will be learning laboratories for training the many and varied pro­ fessionals we need to bring together. Students and faculty concerned with the violence they see going on right outside their gates will learn to em­ power their communities to heal our wounds and save our children.” B roadnax is m anaging the department’s efforts to support his­ torically black colleges and universi­ ties. needs of minority children — especially boys. Her role model activists provide thousands of young boys with concrete and attainable goals as well as jobs and scholarships to colleges and technical and vocational schools, so that "our students are not all dressed up for graduation with no place to go." Dr N Joyce Payne. Director, Thurgood Marshall Foundation in Washington, D C., was honored as a national leader in the field of education. In the area of religion, AME Bishop Frank Curtis Cummings, 11th Episcopal District, was honored as a national leader in the field o f religion. His local counterpart was the Rev. Walter Richardson. Pastor. Sweet Home Baptist Church As chairman of the board of trustees for Edward Waters College for two years. Bishop Cummings has led the college to select a new president, raised more than $1.2 million, and helped to establish a human resource center. « „m n o n He helped to raise and distribute more than Mlxl.lXXJ for victims of Hurricane Andrew. He also contributed funds to schools in South A frica, Sw aziland and ’S * \ T ty Zambia during a recent visit that coincided with Nelson Mandela's election as president of South Africa. Cummings is currently in the process of acquiring the h is to ric A fro L ife In su ra n c e B u ild in g in Jacksonville for office space, convention facilities and the opening of an African American Bank Dr. Robert Ingram, Mayor of Opa Locka, Fla., was the local leader in the field of politics, along with Rep Kweisi Mfume, D-Md. Ingram served for 21 years as a police officer for the city of Miami and re tire d w ith the rank o f lie u te n a n t before becoming Chief of Police for Opa Locka from 1980 to 1985. , He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Florida International University and a Ph D. in Applied Behavioral Science from the Union of Experimenting Colleges and Universities, Cincinnati. Ohio A former director of Adult Education Programs and S ervices at the D ade C om m unity C ollege, Ingram was elected mayor of Opa Locka in 1986 E arlier this year he was elected president of the National Conference of Black Mayors. mON SUPPORTERS - Clarence J. Pattemm. tert, rnareman. USAACC; MarktV!Monteverdi, lanager Public Program», Philip Morri« Companies Inc.; and O»car J. Coffey. President »Listed in convention planning. T opic included African American economic d^el»Pm ent M of trade in the United State» and in the Caribbean. M onteverdiaerved a»m a«ter of ie . fo r th e “Spotlight on Leadership" Banquet. The Chamber presented an award to Philip