Opinion
My Sister’s Keeper Just as Important
“Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now”
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The Skanner Newspaper, established
in October 1975, is a weekly publica-
tion, published each Wednesday by
IMM Publications Inc.,
415 N. Killingsworth St.,
I
n all the hoopla surrounding
President Obama’s “My Broth-
er’s
Keeper”
initiative,
overlooked is that fact that our
young girls also need to be target-
ed for special attention. Sure, they
outpace Black males in college
attendance and, in many instances,
in the workplace. Still, that does
not mean they do not also need
special attention and encourage-
ment.
Nothing illustrates this better
than events of the past week.
Sandwiched between President
Obama’s White House announce-
ment of his special effort to help
Black males and jubilation over
Lupita Nyong’o winning an Oscar
for best supporting actress in “12
Years a Slave” was news out of
Florida that Marissa Alexander,
who was sentenced to 20 years in
prison for firing a “warning shot”
in the direction of her estranged
and abusive husband, will be
retried and could face 60 years in
prison instead of the original 20.
Florida State Attorney Angela
Corey, the same prosecutor whose
office failed to win murder con-
victions
against
George
Zimmerman in connection with
the death of Trayvon Martin and,
more recently, against Michael
Dunn for the death of Jordan
Davis, announced that instead of
the 20 years originally given to
Alexander, she will seek to triple
that by requesting that her three
20-year terms be served consecu-
tively rather than concurrently.
Alexander was convicted of
three counts of aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon in 2012 and
was sentenced to 20 years under
Alexander will join other Black
women who make up the fastest
T HE C URRY growing segment of prisoners.
R EPORT
According to the Sentencing
Project, the number of women in
prison increased by 646 percent
George E.
between 1980 and 2010, from
Curry
15,118 to 112,797. As of 2010,
more than 1 million women were
under the supervision of the crim-
inal justice system.
Black women are three times
Florida’s 10-20 law that requires
stiffer penalties for crimes com- more likely to be incarcerated than
mitted with guns. On appeal, the White women. While most men
conviction
was
overturned are in prison for violent offenses,
because Circuit Judge James women are more likely to be in
Daniel placed the burden on prison for drugs or property
Alexander to prove that she was crimes. Many, like Kemba Smith,
acting in self-defense. In his become romantically entangled
instructions to the jury, the judge with drug dealers, often serving as
According to the Sentencing Project,
the number of women in prison
increased by 646 percent between
1980 and 2010, from 15,118 to
112,797
said Alexander had the responsi-
bility to prove that she had been
battered by her husband.
In a cruel twist, the prosecutor
has announced that she will re-
prosecute Alexander, this time
seeking a longer sentence.
Marissa Alexander shouldn’t
have ever been prosecuted, let
alone convicted. If Florida’s Stand
Your Ground law should apply to
anyone, it should be Alexander,
not George Zimmerman and
Michael Dunn.
If convicted a second time,
their “mules” to transport drugs
and money.
While Florida was gearing up to
triple Marissa Alexander’s sen-
tence, there was some good news
out of Hollywood. The fact that
Lupita Nyong’o was awarded an
Oscar at Sunday’s Academy
Awards lifted the spirits of dark-
skin girls across the country and
indeed around the world. African
Americans, especially females, are
told in so many ways that when it
comes to skin color, White is
right. And if you can’t be White,
light is the next best thing.
Of course, there was the famous
dolls test conducted by psycholo-
gists Ken and Mamie Clark, which
was instrumental in the landmark
Brown v. Board of Education 1954
Supreme Court decision outlawing
racially segregated public schools.
When asked to pick out the most
beautiful doll, most Black girls
selected White dolls over Black
ones. When the test was repeated
in recent years, the results were
the same.
Muhammad Ali described racial
brainwashing this way:
“We’ve been brainwashed.
Everything good is supposed to be
white. We look at Jesus, and we
see a white with blond hair and
blue eyes. We look at all the
angels; we see white with blond
hair and blue eyes. Now, I’m sure
there’s a heaven in the sky and
colored folks die and go to heaven.
Where are the colored angels?
They must be in the kitchen
preparing milk and honey. We
look at Miss America, we see
white. We look at miss world, we
see white. We look at Miss Uni-
verse, we see white. Even Tarzan,
the king of the jungle in black
Africa, he’s white. White Owl
Cigars. White Swan soap, White
Cloud tissue paper, White Rain
hair rinse, White Tornado floor
wax. All the good cowboys ride
the white horses and wear white
hats. Angel food cake is the white
cake, but the devils food cake is
chocolate.”
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Brother’s Keeper: A Mixed Obama Legacy
P
resident Barack Obama
announced a “My Brother’s
Keeper,” an initiative to help
young Black and Brown men suc-
ceed. Many present in the East
Wing of the White House
described the announcement of
this initiative as “an emotional
moment” for President Obama and
for many of the others gathered
there.
Several of the African American
men who were present at the
announcement took to the air-
waves afterwards, talking about
how it felt to be in a room where
the nation’s first Black president
talked about his own background
and his identification with trou-
bled young Black men. The
parents of slain teens Trayvon
Martin and Jordan Davis were in
the room, reinforcing a statement
the president made a year or so
ago when he said that if he had a
son, he would have looked like
Trayvon Martin.
While President Obama says he
will ask government agencies to
work together to create more pos-
sibilities for young Black men. He
emphasized that the “My Broth-
er’s Keeper” initiative is not a new
government program. Indeed,
early funding will come from pri-
vate foundations. Few specifics of
the program have been released,
but preliminary activity will
include a review of existing pro-
grams to determine what works
and what doesn’t. Still, the presi-
Page 2 The Portland and Seattle Skanner March 5, 2014
B ENNETT
C OLLEGE
Julianne
Malveaux
dent has used the power of his pen,
the phone and his pulpit to raise
awareness about the many eco-
nomic
challenges
African
American men face.
Using the term “no excuses”
President Obama told young men
Keeper” has tremendous poten-
tial, given the socioeconomic
status of African American men,
there is not yet enough meat on
the bones of the announcement to
judge. President Obama has three
years left in office. Is this as good
as it gets?
For all the good he will do with
the “My Brother’s Keeper” initia-
tive, the president may leave a
different kind of legacy with his
recent set of nominees to the
Georgia district court. With six
vacant seats on that court, our
president has chosen to appoint
four Republicans, including two
President Obama has three years left
in office. Is this as good as it gets?
that they had to take responsibility
for their own success. That com-
ment gave CNN anchor Don
Lemon the opportunity to mouth
off at Obama critics, to chide his
own critics, and to demonstrate
why he might be a more effective
opinionator
than
journalist. Lemon was one of
many, also, to describe “My
Brother’s Keeper” as part of the
Obama legacy. Many said they
expect the president to continue be
involved in the empowerment of
Black and Brown boys and men.
While I think “My Brother’s
social conservatives. In a state that
is 31 percent African American,
there is only one Black nomi-
nee. These judges are appointed
for life. Judicial appointments are
a clear part of a legacy.
President Obama has been vocal
about people’s right to vote, and
disdainful of voter suppression
tactics from long lines to voter
ID. Attorney General Eric Holder
has brought suit against counties
and states engaged in various ger-
rymandering
and
voter
suppression tactics. Why, then,
would President Obama nominate
Mark Cohen, who successfully
defended Georgia’s voter ID law
in court? Despite opposition from
Rev. Joseph Lowery, as well as by
civil rights veteran and Congress-
man John Lewis (D-Ga.), the
president has refused to rescind
the Cohen nomination. The young
men he lifted up in his “My Broth-
er’s Keeper” initiative may be the
same ones denied the right to vote
through voter suppression. Cohen,
in his late 50s, may serve as many
as two decades on the bench. What
kind of anti-civil rights rulings
might he make?
Rev. Lowery and Congressman
Lewis are among those also
opposing former state legislator
Michael Boggs because of his
conservative legislative record,
which includes opposition to mar-
riage equality, his vote to keep the
confederate insignia on the Geor-
gia flag, and his efforts to restrict
access to abortion.
Through his votes, Boggs has
indicated his opposition to the
African American community, to
women, and to the LGBT commu-
nity. What kind of votes might we
expect from Boggs, who is in his
early 50s, in the decades to
come? And why won’t President
Obama listen to those African
American stalwarts who strongly
object to this nomination?
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