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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (June 20, 2012)
Opinion What Parents Must Do This Summer “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now” B ERNIE F OSTER Founder/Publisher B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER Executive Editor T ED B ANKS Advertising Manager J ERRY F OSTER Account Executive L ISA L OVING News Editor H ELEN S ILVIS Multimedia Editor D AVID K IDD Graphic Designer M ONICA J. F OSTER Seattle Office Coordinator J ULIE K EEFE S USAN F RIED Photographers T here is a 3 year gap between Black and White students. Many people love to believe it’s due to income, fatherlessness, educational attainment of the par- ent and lack of parental involve- ment. I believe that a major reason for the gap is that we continue to close school for the summer - as if we were an agrarian economy. And I doubt that many Black youth will be farming this sum- mer. If you multiply 3 months by 12 years you will see the 3 year gap. It is my opinion that Black youth would have fewer academic challenges if their schools remained open during the summer and/or their parents kept them aca- demically engaged. Middle-income parents who value education enroll their chil- dren in some type of academic experience during the summer. They also visit libraries, museums, zoos and colleges. Other parents allow their children to sleep longer, play more video games, watch more television and play basketball until they can’t see the hoop. These students will have to review the same work they had mastered in May, when the school year begins in September. Black parents cannot allow their N OTHING W RONG Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu children to lose 3 months every year. Black parents should not say they cannot afford to take their child to the library. It’s free! Most museums have discounted days. A male friend of mine shared his am appealing to every mother to make other arrangements, if the father cannot or will not take the children. We need for every parent to make sure that their child reads at least one book per week and to write a book report. I am reminded of the formula Sonya Carson used to develop Ben Carson to become the best pediatric neurosurgeon. I am appealing to every father to take his children to the library this summer, and to include a visit to the museum, and the zoo experience with me when he took his family to the museum. He wondered why so many people were staring at him. His wife and children had to tell him he was the only Black man in the building! I am appealing to every father to take his children to the library this summer, and to include a visit to the museum, and the zoo. And I This low-income single parent, with a third grade education, had enough sense to tell her sons to turn off the television, read a book and write a report that her sister would grade! I have a theory. I believe that I can go into your house and within 5 minutes tell you the type of stu- dent who lives there and predict his/her future. I believe that the items needed in the home of engi- neers, doctors, lawyers, account- ants etc., are very different from the ballplayers, rappers, and crim- inals. I am very concerned about that when I visit a house that has more CDs and downloads than books. My company African American Images has designed a special collection of books for boys. The specific set that I am referencing is titled, Best Books for Boys. We also have one for parents and teachers. We have found the sets to be very resource- ful since research indicates that one of the major reasons why boys dislike reading is because of the content. Let’s work together to close the gap. I look forward to your chil- dren’s teacher asking them how they spent their summer … and your children proudly answering by saying that they went to the library, museum, zoo, colleges and other great educational institu- tions. Enjoy your summer! Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is the author of over 35 books including, “There is Nothing Wrong with Black Students,” and “Raising Black Boys.” Rodney King Symbolized Police Brutality The Skanner Newspaper, established in October 1975, is a weekly publica- tion, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc., 415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228. Telephone (503) 285-5555. E-mail: info@theskanner.com World Wide Web site: http://www.theskanner.com Fax: (503) 285-2900 The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ- ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re - spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. © 2012 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. To see The Skanner News on your smart phone go to theskannermobile.com or scan this QR code with your app. • • • • • • • • Local news Opinions Jobs, Bids Sports Entertainment Music reviews Bulletin board RSS feeds R odney King would be the first to tell you that he was no Martin Luther King, Jr. or Malcolm X. His lifelong bout with alcohol and drugs – battles that he always seemed to lose – and frequent run-ins with police did not qualify him for icon status. Yet, that’s what he achieved in 1991 at the age of 27 because of one video clip. It was graphic footage filmed by a bystander showing at least four Los Angeles policemen savagely kicking and beating King with police batons, landing at least 50 blows as the unarmed King was sprawled on the ground or struggling to stand up. In the video, the officers were seen teeing off on King as though they were holding baseball bats or golf clubs. Several other officers stood around, doing nothing to halt the repeated assault on the helpless King. More than any other event, the brutal beating of Rodney King, an unemployed construction worker, forced America to see what many did not want to believe existed – police officers, hiding behind a badge and a gun, brutalizing citi- zens who pose no immediate threat to them or the public. King was found dead early Sun- day morning at the bottom of his swimming pool at his home in Rialto, Calif. No foul play was suspected. His entry into the national spot- light has its roots in an incident that took place in 1989. King robbed a grocery store in Mon- terey Park, Calif. He took $200 and was sentenced to two years in prison. On the night of March 2, 1991, following hours of drinking with friends, King was spotted speeding in the San Fernando Val- ley area of Los Angeles. When cops tried to pull him over, he tried Page 4 The Portland Skanner June 20, 2012 T HE C URRY R EPORT George E. Curry to elude them by driving even faster, up to 100 miles per hour, fearing that he would go back to jail for violating his parole. After a high-speed chase joined by other officers, King was cor- nered and ordered out of his vehi- cle. The two passengers accompanying him, Bryant Allen being struck 56 times and kicked a half-dozen times, King was hand- cuffed and dragged to the side of the road on his stomach to await the arrival of an ambulance. King later reported that he had suffered 11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, kidney damage and bro- ken bones and teeth. Four of the officers – Koon, Powell. Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseno – were charged with excessive use of force. The trial was switched from Los Ange- les to Simi Valley, a largely White community in Ventura County. On April 29, 1992, a jury that con- tained no African Americans acquitted three of the officers and was unable to reach a verdict on a fourth. Los Angeles exploded upon hearing the verdict. At the end of More than any other event, the brutal beating of Rodney King, an unemployed construction worker, forced America to see what many did not want to believe existed and Freddie Helms, immediate- ly complied with the order to exit the car and lie face down on the ground. King delayed his exit and when he emerged, he acted strangely, waving at police heli- copters that had been part of the chase and giggling uncontrollably. Sgt. Stacey Koon, the supervis- ing officer, fired a Taser into King’s back, causing him to drop to his knees. Officer Laurence Powell hit King in the head, knocking him to ground, and con- tinued striking King. Other offi- cers moved in as well, pummeling King with their night sticks. After six days of unrest, there were 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries and property damage was nearly $1 billion. In an effort to end the violence, Rodney King appeared in public to utter his now famous, “Can we all get along?” After the Los Angeles prosecu- tor failed to win a conviction against the four officers, the feder- al government obtained indict- ments charging the officers with violating the civil rights of King. Koon and Stacey were found guilty and sentenced to 32 months in prison; Wind and Briseno were acquitted. The city of Los Angeles settled a civil suit brought by Rod- ney King for $3.8 million. Later, it became clear that the Rodney King beating was not an aberration. Feb. 4, 1999 – Amadou Diallo was killed by New York City police officers who claimed they thought he was reaching for a gun. Four officers were indicted for second-degree murder, but were acquitted. Sept. 2, 2005 – Following Hurri- cane Katrina, Henry Glover was shot to death while near a strip mall shopping for baby clothing. Two cops were sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for shoot- ing Glover, tossing his body into a car and setting it on fire. Nov. 26, 2006 –Three unarmed Black men, including Sean Bell, were shot a total of 50 times by New York police officers. Bell, who had been celebrating at his bachelor’s party, died in the hail of bullets. Three officers charged with manslaughter were acquitted. Jan. 1, 2009 – Oscar Grant was shot in the back by Officer Johannes Mehserle while on the ground at a train station in Oak- land, Calif. The officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaugh- ter, but served only 11 months in prison. There are dozens, if not hun- dreds, of cases similar to the ones above. Thanks to Rodney King, the public is not as quick to believe police officers who abuse their power and violate public trust. George E. Curry, former editor- in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Associa- tion News Service (NNPA) and editorial director of Heart & Soul magazine. He is a keynote speaker,
