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Page 2 The Skanner May 17, 2017 Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now Bernie Foster Founder/Publisher Bobbie Dore Foster Executive Editor Jerry Foster Advertising Manager Christen McCurdy News Editor Patricia Irvin Graphic Designer Melanie Sevcenko Reporter Monica J. Foster Seattle Office Coordinator Susan Fried Photographer 2016 MERIT AWARD WINNER The Skanner Newspaper, es- tablished in October 1975, is a weekly publication, published every Wednesday by IMM Publi- cations Inc. 415 N. Killingsworth St. P.O. Box 5455 Portland, OR 97228 Telephone (503) 285-5555 Fax: (503) 285-2900 info@theskanner.com Opinion Trump Wages War on Obama’s Legacy in First 100 Days T here was the proposed massive budget cut to the Department of Hous- ing and Urban Develop- ment; the incessant rhetoric about a rise in crime in the nation, that lacked evidence to back it up; the threats of a renewed war on drugs. There was even a failed attempt to bully Republican lawmakers into passing a flawed bill that sought to roll back the Afford- able Care Act, a law that pro- vides healthcare to millions of Americans. This was President Don- ald Trump’s first 100 days in the White House. Trump didn’t win a single legisla- tive achievement during his first 100 days. For policies that impact the lives of Af- rican Americans, it was just as perilous as you thought it would be. During the 2016 campaign, Trump often described the Black commu- nity as a monolithic, stereo- typical caricature. Trump used the types of violent stereotypes one parrots af- ter they’ve binge-watched 11 seasons of “Law & Order,” but have never actually been to an inner city. So, much of what Donald Trump focuses on is about un- doing the accomplishments of the first Black President of the United States. The obses- sion with “alternative facts” Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Columnist and the erasure of President Obama’s legacy continues to be the core focus within the Trump Administration. Days before his 100th day in office, Trump’s spokesman Sean Spicer blamed President Obama for the fiasco sur- rounding Gen. Michael Fly- “ ed African Americans in the 1980s and 1990s. “We can wish that we could just turn away and reduce law enforcement,” said Ses- sions in 2016. “But I do believe that we’re going to have to enhance prosecutions. There just is no other solution.” During a trip to Richmond, Va., on April 11 Sessions said: “We need to say, as Nancy Rea- gan said, ‘Just say no.’ Don’t do it…We can reduce the use of drugs, save lives and turn back the surge in crime that inevitably follows in the wake of increased drug use.” Much of what Donald Trump fo- cuses on is about undoing the ac- complishments of the first Black President of the United States nn. Flynn, a loud supporter of Trump during the 2016 cam- paign, was fired by Trump as National Security Advi- sor on Feb. 13 and ended up holding the position for the shortest time in U.S. history (24 days) after it was reported Flynn lied to Vice President Pence. Trump’s Attorney Gener- al Jeff Sessions, perhaps the most dangerous federal offi- cial for African Americans, sought to revive the “War on Drugs,” a set of policies that disproportionately impact- None of this should be a surprise to the Black com- munity. Sessions comes from Alabama where incarceration is high art. Placing humans in cages is Alabama’s leading industry. At 70, Sessions is a stark reminder of another era. He’s also a reminder of how old, failed policy is dif- ficult for so many to break away from. With so many Re- publicans embracing “smart on crime” policies, Sessions is determined to star in the movie “Groundhog Day” on federal crime policy. The inmate population in the U.S. rose from 500,000 in 1980 to 2.2 million in 2015 and has made the U.S. No. 1 in the rate of incarceration in the world. When there’s an up- tick in law enforcement, do more police show up in Man- hattan or the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.? Of course not. A quick glance at the stop-and-frisk statistics the ACLU tabulated in New York City over a ten-year pe- riod, in an effort to identify the communities that experi- enced the greatest number of interactions with police after an elected official (in that case former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani) decided to “get tough on crime,” tells the sto- ry. Pastor Darrell Scott of Cleveland, a Trump support- er, held a summit on gang violence in Washington D.C. on April 18. The focus was on crime in Chicago and Trump Administration officials at- tended. Did they introduce or invite any policy proposals to address any of the underlying issues that plague some of the predominately Black neigh- borhoods in the Windy City (i.e., high unemployment, high poverty, poor schools)? Not quite yet. Read the rest of this commentary at TheSkanner.com www.TheSkanner.com The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Association 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. ©2017 The Skanner. All rights re served. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission prohibited. Local News Pacific NW News World News Opinions Jobs, Bids Entertainment Community Calendar RSS feeds LOOK FOR OUR CAREERS SPECIAL EDITION ON MAY 31 To advertise: jerry@theskanner.com B-CU Grads Protest Betsy ‘DeVoid’ in Epic Fashion Why I’m Proud of the B-CU Grads that Protested Education Betsy ‘DeVoid’ I could not be more proud of the students at Bethune-Cookman Univer- sity (B-CU) than if I had raised them myself. Respond- ing to the university’s very late selection of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for the spring commencement speak- er, graduating seniors chose to turn their backs on a wom- an who described HBCUs as “pioneers of school choice.” The students’ repudiation of DeVos’ very right to be pres- ent was well coordinated; the protest reflected their ability to be sophisticated, not reac- tive, when confronted with a speaker that epitomizes the very refutation of their HBCU education. It is my hope and dream that these students can continue to operate in forma- tion, as they oppose oppres- sion. I don’t know how DeVos (hereafter referred to as “De- Void,” as she is devoid of good sense, history, literacy, and even courtesy) came to be B-CU’s commencement speak- er. I suspect that the White House (Omarosa Manigault) made a call to offer an admin- istration speaker and they went for it. Maybe Trump Whisperer Manigault’s new hubby, Florida Rev. John Al- len Newman, has some ties to the college and he saw this as a Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist way of burnishing his wifey’s credentials as a HBCU savior. Maybe there is a bunch of Black Republicans on the B-CU board of directors stand- ing in the wings and hoping “ Betsy “De- Void,” is no Mary McLeod Bethune for goodies from “45.” Truly, this is all speculation but, most of the time, commence- ment speakers are secured months before graduation. This speaker was thrust on students and their families just ten days before the cere- mony. For most students, speakers are the sideshows, not the main deal in commencement, unless the speaker is some- one like President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Den- zel Washington, or Viola Da- vis. White folks might prefer Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Wolf Blitzer or Sheryl Sand- berg. Commencement speak- ers are expected to spout up- lifting platitudes, offer sage advice, maybe share a private challenge, and wish the grad- uates well and do it in less than 20 minutes. Students are sitting at the edge of their seats, not because they are waiting for the punchline, but because they want their de- grees. What was B-CU President Edison Jackson thinking? In his printed statement on May 1, he said, “The legacy of Dr. Bethune is that she was not constrained by political ideol- ogy, but worked across all parties to support B-CU. Moreover, students are di- rectly impacted by funding dollars that are dispersed through the Department of Education. B-CU receives $4 million annually through Ti- tle III, which supports teach- ing, research and infrastruc- ture. Additionally, Title IV impacts the ability of B-CU students to receive federal fi- nancial aid, overall influenc- ing the ascension of Bethune-Cookman University students.” Maybe President Jackson thought he was making friends by inviting DeVoid to speak at B-CU’s graduation. Actually, he made a spectacle of the graduation by inviting a woman who had already dis- paraged HBCUs with her ig- norance. And he did it in the same week when her boss, “45,” said (and then quickly re- versed himself ) that he was not sure that some federal provisions for HBCUs, such as the HBCU Capital Finance Program, are constitutional. It is odious that DeVoid has received an honorary degree from B-CU. What has she done to earn it? According to Presi- dent Jackson, “Through Sec- retary DeVos’ life work, her contributions extend far be- yond her home state of Michi- gan. Secretary DeVos has sup- ported educational opportunities for students in over 25 states and supported Central Florida through sev- eral philanthropic efforts: 100 Black Men of Central Florida; Jones High School, and the Parramore neighborhood lo- cated in Orlando to name a few. Secretary DeVos is a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. She is the wife of community activ- ist, entrepreneur, and philan- thropist Dick DeVos, where they have four adult children and six grandchildren.” This earns her an honorary de- gree? Really? Read the rest of this commentary at TheSkanner.com
