By Alice Thomas-Tisdale

Jackson Advocate Publisher

We encourage all of our readers to consider their stock, bond, and mutual fund investments to make certain that they know the specific companies in which they are investing. Our readers should determine if these companies are socially responsible and therefore worthy of investment. Given the serious allegations made in lawsuits filed against the GEO Group, Inc. in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and other states around the county, we currently know of no reason to include GEO among those companies on our list of socially responsibile companies.

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) reports that its members promote the transformation of corporations for the purpose of improving their environmental and social impacts. On the ICCR website is a webpage entitled “2011 Shareholder Resolutions / Environmental Performance by Sector”. There is a link to a resolution concerning the GEO Group, Inc. Pertinent parts of this resolution follow. Human Rights – Develop & Adopt Policies 2011 – GEO Group Inc.

WHEREAS : The GEO Group … provides correctional and detention services for the U.S. Office of the Federal Detention Trustee as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. … GEO’s Code of Business Conduct does not address major corporate responsibility issues, such as, human rights. … “Lawless Courts” addresses immigration hearings at a GEO-run facility in Tacoma, Washington: “Community members and law students…are getting hassled or turned away by security when they come in to watch the immigration hearings” “…since a 2008 Seattle University report documenting GEO’s mistreatment of people in its custody, there have been ‘constant problems’ with court access.”

(The Nation, 11-8-10) … We recommend GEO base human rights policies on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Labor Organization Core Labor Standards and United Nations Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. … RESOLVED : Shareholders request management to review policies related to human rights to assess areas where The GEO Group must adopt and implement additional policies and report findings, omitting proprietary information and prepared at reasonable expense, by December 2011. The Jackson Advocate will report on any policies adopted and implemented as a result of the proposed ICCR resolution.

From the mid 1500s through the early 1900s, there was a serious decline in Black history, taking us from the greatness of Africa to the destruction of black civilization seen in the partitioning of Africa and the rise of European and American slavery.  Virtually every country in Africa was occupied by the Europeans and millions of African people were oppressed and scattered throughout Europe and the Americas.  This international thrust of imperialism on the part of Europe spawned both the modern institution of slavery, with which we have become so familiar, and the political control of the African continent.

To understand the situation one might compare maps of Africa in 1500 and 1915.  (One can also look at an African map in 2000, seeing how those countries had to re-claim their independence after this occupation.)  One should consult classics such as HOW EUROPE UNDEVELOPED AFRICA by Walter Rodney, THE DESTRUCTION OF BLACK CIVILIZATION by Chancellor Williams and THE RACE WAR by Ronald Segal.  They give graphic pictures of what happened under this occupation by Europe.

What one learns from these scholars is that many African leaders were replaced by European imperial rulers.  Traditional rulers and political institutions were uprooted and destroyed.  Political boundaries were set up that divided traditional tribes, causing centuries of wars and animosity.

On realizes that imperialism was responsible for poverty stalking the land as precious minerals and other resources were taken from them and shipped off for the profits of American and European capitalists.  The African peoples were then pitted against one another for purposes of survival.

Yes, many African institutions, representing its culture and civilization, were destroyed, causing many people to lose respect for the traditions and their elders.  In this way alienating cities and cut-throat scavengers sprang up, preying on others, especially, the elderly, the poor and those of other tribes.

The creativity, productivity and independence of African people were diminished; many heroes and geniuses, suppressed.  It took another 400 years to raise up a generation of liberators and Pan-Africanists; people to throw off the yolk of colonialism / imperialism.

What we must also remember is that this same imperialism led to the African Diaspora – the selling of its people to plantation owners and other enslavers in Europe, Anglo America and Latin America.  It is under this banner that we find the discussion of slavery and all of its horrors.  Pick up and read books such as THE PECULIAR INSTITUTION by Kenneth Stampp, FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM by John Hope Franklin, or BEFORE THE MAYFLOWER by Lerone Bennett.  View the video  ROOTS by Alex Haley.

The horrors of slavery are all too familiar.  Its marks can be seen in virtually all of the institutions and psychological maladies of African people who reside in the U.S.A., Brazil, the Caribbean, and other places where oppression and Jim Crow reigned.  Even to this day one can realize that the loss of name and tribal origin, family and community, language and religion, economic viability or independence, political and governmental experience, traditional education and history, and so much more can help one to understand black peoples’ predicament.  It is these things that were lost when African people were dispossessed at home and sent to foreign lands.

During slavery there were many heroes who led slave revolts; who led slaves to freedom via the “underground railroad” and otherwise; and who did whatever they could to make life more bearable for themselves and other slaves.  But the bottom line is that they could have directed that heroism and genius into other areas that could have been shared by the much larger world.

During Black History Month, and always, we need to study and become familiar with slavery and colonialism.  We need to be knowledgeable enough to be able to prevent such disasters in the future.  By this we mean avoiding slavery, imperialism and oppression under any other names.  Not only that, we need to be able to recognize the effects of these conditions, so that we can then diminish and eliminate them.  This would be an extraordinary accomplishment.  But it is not an impossible outcome.  As a matter of fact, a major result of studying black history should be the freeing of the total African, at home and throughout the diaspora.

Immediately, it aroused my own concerns about Kroger and other large food chains which have left our neighborhoods.  In the past couple of years, Kroger has closed a major location on Raymond road which served a now large African American community.  The remaining location on Terry Road in South Jackson, has not been modernized in many years and the quality of the goods and services does not live up to the quality of the North Jackson I-55 Location or Madison locations.   Just in the past few days news reports tell us that Kroger will be spending millions of dollars on a state of the art store to be located on Highway 51 in Ridgeland.  As a consumer, a pattern seems to be appearing here.  Does Kroger feel that they do not have to provide the same type of service in a particular area that is largely African American?  Does the Kroger marketing plan sufficiently take into account the needs of the African American community?  Is this community a priority for Kroger Stores?  If you read the article regarding the pull of dollars from the Jackson Advocate advertising dept., a pattern or connect the dots seems to be appearing.

As a business owner, I understand in this economy the need to tighten our belts and really watch the bottom line, but in my eyes and neighborhood, these actions by Kroger says a lot more to me.  I am a long time customer of Kroger and would like to think that I am wrong.  But in these times, we as a community cannot take a wait and see attitude.  We as a community need to write our letters to Kroger and ask the questions and voice our concerns.  If they do not hear from us, our opinions and concerns do not get any consideration.

Prior to the Mississippi State Legislative Session last year, there was a vigorous effort to kill Governor Haley Barbour’s effort to merge Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University with Jackson State University.  There were marches, petition drives and press conferences.  Finally, Black legislative leaders vowed that such a bill would not emerge from the assigned committees.  That did in fact kill the effort in that arena at that time.

Even after this political victory, Jackson State University President Ronald Mason continued to discuss and apparently promote the idea of the merger.  While the pressure was on him regarding it, he accepted a position as head of Southern University.  Many then felt that the discussion of merging the state’s black colleges was truly dead at last.

Now we are in a new legislative session, and learn that Governor Haley Barbour has unveiled another plan to merge the three historically black colleges.  Apparently, he feels that with a national surge of Republicanism, which has seen Mississippi defeat two of its three Democratic Representatives, gives him a second chance to get his wish through the State Legislature.  This means that we will probably see some parliamentary maneuvers to get around the traditional route for the legislation.  Chairman Kelvin Buck saved us before and is as determined this time as he was then to stop such a bill.  So, Barbour’s flunkies will seek other paths.  We must be vigilant to counteract such moves.

It is important to realize that what Governor Barbour is trying is not being done in isolation.  We now learn that Republican Governor Bobby Jindal is proposing the merger on Southern University New Orleans with the University of New Orleans, as a part of the Louisiana State University System.  This would mean that the state of Louisiana would lose one of its historically black colleges.  If Governor Jindal is successful, his effort could become a pattern for other southern racists to follow in eliminating black colleges.

One by one, the historically black colleges, which are primarily in the Southern and Border States, could be faced with these efforts.  It would obviously fulfill the dreams not only of past racists like James K. Vardaman and Theodore Bilbo but present day racists who may not speak as boldly.  Not only would eliminating black colleges save more money for the education of their children, it would also eliminate thousands of black college graduates from competition with their children.

Last year and on other occasions, the writer warned that merger was not the only threat to black colleges.  They can be and are threatened by the elimination of academic programs.  That tactic is and has been used against Mississippi Valley State University in at least one instance.  A program that Valley had in music recording was dropped and almost immediately picked up by Delta State University.  Another example is the situation last year where it was suggested that teacher education should become mainly the province of Ole Miss.  This was despite the fact that Jackson State University produces far more African American educators in a state that has more African American children in public education than white children, and despite the fact that Jackson State University has had and has maintained national accreditation longer than Ole Miss.

Efforts to eliminate programs on historically black college campuses will likely come from the campus presidents themselves, as they are pressured by the Office of Institutions of Higher Learning.  In addition to the presidents, however, the effort may come from IHL itself or other outside bodies.  The result will nevertheless be the same, a diminishing role for the black colleges and therefore a greater call for their closures since they would not be having much of an impact.

This push to eliminate academic programs on black college campuses must be guarded against by faculty, students and alumni first and foremost.  The faculty and students have the most to lose immediately.  The alumni are the persons who are most free to fight or oppose these pressures and outright attempts.  Neither group can afford to stand on the sidelines waiting for someone else to fight the battle because they fear losing favor with powerful people or because they fear being denied a promotion or tenure.  They cannot let the possibility of losing a job deter them because they will eventually lose the job anyway with the merger or closure.  The lack of courage or an attempt to be so polite as to be above “protesting.” have been used too often in the past and have resulted in our losing critical battles.

At the same time, community activists, labor organizations, civil rights groups, and others of like mind, should not leave the battle up to the people on the campus.  They need to deliberately seek out these people who are under threat or attack and find out what they can do to help.  This is the case because in the long run, the ranks of labor will be increased and the predicament of working people will be improved if and when more of their sons and daughters are college educated.  The college educated people can be of greater assistance in protecting and advancing civil rights in the society.  In the same sense, communities will become more stable and more prosperous if and when more of their residents are college educated and better paid.  To put it another way, we all benefit from having fully functional and vibrant black colleges on the scene.

Finally, we need to make sure that the black colleges are better funded.  This is where the Legislative Black Caucus again comes into play.  There is always a need for special legislation for the black colleges.  It may be that MVSU needs money to deal with its NEW administration building.  It may be that JSU needs a stadium of its own, PERIOD.  The list could be expanded continuously.  If such legislation is not forthcoming, the capacity of the colleges to carry out their missions will be seriously hampered.  If they are not able to carry out these missions, the enemies of black colleges will call for their closure or merger with institutions that have a greater capacity to do so.

Although black colleges came into existence at a time when black students were not able to enroll in white colleges, they have continued to carry out a mission that is being neglected by the white colleges.  The black colleges continue to help fulfill the dreams of thousands of black children who would not make it out of  the white colleges, if they were ever able to get in, in the first place.  The problem is a combination of tuition and fees charged, test score entrance requirements, the culture needed to survive and thrive, and the expertise and attitude of the faculty and staff at the institutions.

The bottom line is that black colleges are still critical to the future advancement of African Americans.  We must realize this fact and do everything possible to not only block attempts at merger and closure.  We must be just as vigilant to guard against the elimination of academic programs; just as concerned about special legislative needs of the colleges.  Letting down our guards or slackening our efforts on either front is not acceptable because the destruction of black colleges by any other name is just as detrimental.

Cecil Brown

Dear Editor,

The legislative session has already begun this January.  Much of the session will be dominated by debate over the state budget.

The governor has presented budget recommendations that are very different from those of the legislative budget committee on which I serve.  Among Governor Barbour’s suggestions are cutting funding for K-12 education by an additional $65 million, merging Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University into Jackson State University, closing some mental health facilities, suspending incremental pay increases for public school teachers and reducing Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes.

The legislative committee, composed of House and Senate Members, Republicans and Democrats, has developed a budget recommendation that is balanced and one that maintains our priorities of education, public safety and health care.  We believe our plan is better for Mississippi.

Let’s look at each of the Governor’s proposals and the legislative alternatives.

The Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), the formula by which K-12 schools are funded, is already short $234 million.  As a result, 91 school districts raised property taxes this year to try to balance their budgets.  When the governor says he hasn’t raised taxes, he fails to mention all of the local taxes that have gone up as a result of his budget cuts.  In addition, because of the cuts some 800 teachers lost their jobs and another 1,200 school employees were let go.  Cutting another $65 million from the schools would even higher local taxes and the loss of more jobs among school employees.  The legislative budget would fund K-12 schools at current levels.  With that level of funding there should be no need to raise local taxes or to lay off any additional school personnel.

The governor also argues that merging the administrations of Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley into Jackson State would save money, but he does not say how.   His argument is problematical. For example, these universities have different computer systems. Merging them would cost, not save, money.  The campuses are very far apart.  While a merger might eliminate a president’s position, each campus would have to have a vice president to run the day-to-day operations.  Because each has a different identity, rebranding two of them would be costly.  For these reasons there would be little or no savings.  It is also not clear whether or not the governor is recommending that the tuition and fees of the 3 universities be equalized.  If that is the case, either the tuition at Jackson State would have to be reduced or the tuition at Mississippi Valley and Alcorn would have to be raised.  Likewise, the salary structures of three universities are different.  Equalizing them would be costly.  The legislative plan does not include any mergers of historically black universities.  Each of them would retain its separate identity.

While many of us agree with the governor that we should increase the number of mental health patients who are receiving home-based care, the governor’s sledge hammer approach to closing mental health facilities will hurt the mentally ill.  There is no transition plan.  The governor simply wants to immediately close in-patient facilities without any place to put the patients who are in them.  This approach will take us back to the era when those who are mentally ill are kept in jail.  Not only is the governor’s plan bad public policy, it would be very costly to the cities and counties that would have to deal with the mental health patients who would be dumped on the street.  The legislative proposal would retain each of the current mental health facilities while moving toward expanded home based care over a period of time.  We must continue to provide quality care for all of the mentally ill as we expand opportunities for patients to receive treatment in their homes.

Cutting pay to teachers would send a message that education is not a priority in Mississippi.  Already we have permitted school districts to furlough school personnel to deal with budget cuts.  An additional cut for teachers would be bad for morale and send a terrible message to young people who are considering going into the teaching profession.  We already have a teacher shortage.  We need to encourage more people to become teachers and do what we can to retain those who are currently in the profession.  The legislative committee would maintain the current incremental pay increases for teachers.

Finally, the governor’s plan to cut Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes would threaten the very existence of our small rural hospitals and nursing homes.  Already some of them are operating at a loss.  Further cuts could result in some of them closing.  In addition, when the legislature agreed to increase the tax on hospitals last year, the governor agreed to not cut any additional funds for hospitals for at least 3 years.  Now he wants to go back on his word cut their reimbursement rates.  The legislative committee would honor our commitment and would not increase the tax on hospitals and nursing homes.

On the House side, we agree with the governor that there will be some budget cuts.  We also agree that there will be no tax increases.   However, we believe the governor’s plan will do great damage to education and health care.  For that reason, we will support the legislative budget committee recommendation and do everything we can to implement it.

Cecil Brown

House District 66

Legislative Budget Committee

Jackson, MS

601-709-4393

Bishop Ronnie Crudup

StewPot Community Services is engaged in a Capital Campaign to raise four million dollars. The purpose of the campaign is to conduct much needed major renovations of its buildings and grounds, thus serving its clients better. However, in this good work lies a very troubling problem for the African American community, in my opinion.

StewPot’s clients are overwhelmingly Black, but StewPot’s financial benefactors are overwhelmingly White. Of the four million dollars in which StewPot hopefully will raise, if history holds true, less than two percent of these funds will come from Black people. Some may read this and say, well that’s the way it’s always been; Black people get the services and White people pay the price. Sadly, this mode of operations has been the generally accepted practice up to now. However, I want to give notice to my fellow African Americans that we can no longer afford to allow the care of our poor to come primarily from the White community.

Please hear me out. I am not saying that White people should not contribute to StewPot. In fact, I thank God for their care and contributions to the poor among us. What I am saying is that we can no longer allow Whites to principally carry the load while we observe from the sidelines. We now have the ability to carry a larger percentage of this load than in the past. Remember, we too are our brothers’ keepers and God has certainly blessed us to be able to accomplish more than ever before. We must realize that to allow this “community welfare“ to continue unabated, StewPot is only one example, is to tolerate curses on our community and to remain in an unhealthy, childlike posture.

Finally, my Black brothers and sisters, I think it’s just right for us to do a lot more financially to support the least among us. I am challenging us to raise at least ten percent of Stewpot’s four million dollar goal (that’s $400,000.00). In Metro Jackson, there certainly are four thousand black people, out of a couple hundred thousand, who each can pledge and give one hundred dollars. One hundred dollars is a very small sacrifice to help StewPot and break a community curse. As a Black brother to my beloved community, I beg of you, let us change this sad mode of operations. We can break this status quo. Let’s stand up and assume this community responsibility. Let’s exercise proper authority and receive our community blessing. Once we do, it is then that we can truly be Black and Proud!

A select group of twenty-seven educators, community leaders, alumni, and students worked for weeks, clocking in countless hours, believing that we were performing a valuable service by participating in the process of selecting the next president for Jackson State University (JSU). This select group screened over forty applications to choose the person who was most qualified to lead JSU. Only seven of the original members were chosen to serve on the committee for the second phase of the selection process, along with the Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) board members. We spent many more hours of our time meeting with the finalists in order to conclude the selection process.

We were encouraged by the warm welcome we received from IHL, and the members appeared to be genuinely pleased about our participation. Their policies give them the right to choose the president without the input of any constituency groups; therefore, we felt good about being included in this process. The Board members were very accommodating and assured us that our opinions were valued, and we were told that they wanted to choose the person we selected.

Our spirits soared, and our sense of worth was obvious when the process ended. We were sure that the Board would select our preferred candidate; because the distinctions among the candidates were clear, and there was no doubt in our minds, that our preferred candidate was the best choice for Jackson State. One of the group members stated that the Board had to choose the obvious choice, and if not, what was the point of our involvement. The question hung in the air and you could almost hear the thoughts: “No, they would not do that; they would not overlook our input, because that would be the worst kind of mockery.” In less than twenty-four hours, the news broke. The Board made its selection, and it was indeed “their” (IHL’s) decision, because it was not the obvious choice that all but one in our group had chosen.

Now the questions are swirling in our minds: How could they do this? Why did they do it? Can we get some answers? Is this a “fool me twice” moment? If so, then shame on you, IHL, because you chose the last president for us, and now you did it again. This is worse than the last time, because you convinced us that we were participating in the process, and you wanted to select the person we wanted. Yet, our voices were totally ignored when the time came for a decision to be made. Is this a paternalistic move characterized by the belief that some people do not know what is best for them; And therefore decisions must be made for them by those who know best? The implication: These are childlike people, who need a parent-like figure to make decisions for them. Perhaps, it is a decision made with the intent of keeping JSU in turmoil and, thereby insuring that the University will eventually become so weak that a merger or takeover will be the only solution. Regardless of what the motivation is behind the Board’s decision, Jackson State University deserves a strong leader–someone who will not be swayed by the dictates of outside forces, and the voices of those who participated in the selection process should be considered in who that leader will be.

The good news is that every problem has a solution, and usually there is a hidden advantage or opportunity within the problem or challenge. So let’s examine this situation. The opportunity: This is another chance for employees at JSU to stand up and speak out for what we want. Accept the responsibility, especially faculty, to rally for our cause and let IHL know that we are no longer boys and girls, but responsible adults who are as intelligent, if not more so, than anyone else, and that any treatment violating this premise is totally unacceptable. As faculty, we have shared governance rights established by the Association of Academic University Professors (AAUP), and adopted by the University in our Faculty Handbook.  We know that when we stand up and speak out for our rights we show that we have self-respect. Many times when it is observed that we respect ourselves, others will also respect us.

Faculty, staff, administrators, and students, it is time to send a clear message to IHL, and it is simple: “Not this time!“ This is definitely not the time to be quiet. We all must speak now or forever hold our peace. It is also a time for all of the constituency groups represented by this search committee to rally their support behind the employees at JSU and stand for a common cause. It is a well-known fact, that if we do not “stand for something,” we will “fall for anything.” Therefore, let us seize this opportunity to take control of our own destiny by making sure that our input is considered in choosing the strongest person to lead JSU. We are in desperate need of a leader to help keep us moving forward without expending unnecessary energy on activities that produce little or no benefits. We should not have to engage in petty game playing just to survive. All of our energy should be channeled into worthwhile endeavors that will benefit the students, the University, and the community. Just imagine what we could do, and where we can take our students, our University, and our community with a progressive, energetic leader.

The alumni and the community had representatives who came together with faculty, staff, administrators, and students in mutual agreement. Our stand is for what is best and right for JSU. IHL wasted our time by ignoring our voices. We must speak out against IHL’s decision to choose our leader for us because they are on the outside looking in, and we live with what happens at JSU every day, and know what goes on there. Also, our students are fully aware of our participation in the selection process, and we do not want to set an example of being weak, and not standing up for our rights. More importantly, we all must realize that we are no longer slaves, on the plantation; therefore, we must act like responsible, free men and women so that our actions will produce students who know that they are also free.

A Note of Thanks to President Barack Hussein Obama, President Obama, thank you for your integrity, intellect, wisdom, and love of all mankind. Thank you, President Obama and those in Congress who voted with you, for Health Care; I prayed that it would come to fruition and it did. I thank God, because He knows that I cannot afford three separate policies, one for me and separate policies for my two college students. Thank you, President Obama, for bringing a significant number of our troops home from Iraq. Thank you for calming the storm of the economic crises. Thank you for your temperament in dealing with those who know you have served us well but refuse to say it because your accomplishments combined with your physical appearance contradict all that they are prepared to celebrate and embrace.  I take issue when those in media make statements such as “No one wants ObamaCare” and give you a less-than-stellar rating. I say, “Liar. You did not include me in your exclusive, egotistical poll. I am somebody and I support ObamaCare.” I would prefer that my tax dollars support the average citizen who needs help rather than to increase the coffers of the money hungry, self-serving leeches who prey on the livelihood–and in some instances the ignorance–of the poor and middle class.   Because of my own experiences, I know that God, Himself, could descend from Heaven, show those among us that He has given you the authority to walk on water and decisively reign, and many would still not be able in their hearts to vote for you in the next election; so, I ask, President Obama, that you will pray as you stick to your original agenda and do not sway from it. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Be unyielding in your determination to implement your agenda as you originally envisioned it.  I am one who from my little niche am proud to tell the world that I, Bobbie Ann Bingham Morrow, do solemnly swear that I firmly believe that President Barack Hussein Obama is the best president that the United States Of America has ever had. Gratefully, respectfully, sincerely, and with much love,Bobbie Bingham MorrowVicksburg, Mississippi