national

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

Michigan
Several of Detroit’s public high schools are projected to close due to an initiative ordered by state education officials aimed at eliminating the district’s $327 million deficit. Detroit’s public school system was taken over by the State of Michigan last year, following allegations of corruption, the hole in its budget and tumbling enrollment. As a result, classroom sizes could potentially swell to 60 students per instructor. According to reports, Robert Bobb, emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools, recently enacted a financial restructuring plan to cut the district’s number of schools (147) in half, despite an estimated 58,570 students. “We are moving forward with the plan,” Bobb told reporters. “Right now my focus is on my transition plan and the [Deficit Elimination Plan].”

Ohio
Ohio-based creative writer Tanisha Herrin is releasing a powerful new book, “Fighting the Blues as a Black Woman: How I Survived Suicidal Depression.” The book, which is her 10th work to be self published, will help raise awareness about depression and benefit an Ohio mental health cause. The book is Herrin’s personal perspective on how depression and several suicide attempts almost destroyed her life. It is also a book of inspiration and triumph. Herrin says: “Even though I have been through a lot over several years—being robbed at gun point, three suicide attempts and losing my mother to name a few—I found a way to view my life in a new light. Others who have been through similar downfalls can bounce back to fulfill their life’s purpose.” Fighting the Blues as a Black Woman is not for sale. Instead, people can request a free copy of the book in paperback, ebook or digital format. For each copy of the book that is requested, $1 will be donated by the Nancy A. Herrin Foundation to an Ohio mental health cause. The non-profit foundation—started in memory of Herrin’s late mother—will donate up to $2,000. “I hope to help raise awareness of how depression can have serious effects on your life, if the proper steps aren’t taken to improve your well-being,” Herrin says. “So many people are affected by depression daily that they think it’s normal or okay to be miserable and live an unfulfilling life.”

Texas
A new nonprofit group in Texas, the Former Majority Association for Equality (FMAE) is offering college scholarships to a demographic it says has fewer scholarship options than other groups: White men. The group was started by Colby Bohannon, a student at Texas State University. He’s an Iraq War veteran who decided to return to school and said he had trouble finding college scholarships for which he qualified. He found many programs willing to grant money to female or minority students, but not White males like himself. So Bohannon and some friends founded the FMAE group, which plans to begin handing out $500 scholarships this summer. Only White men with at least a 3.0 grade point average can qualify. “We know that we’re going to be receiving some vicious attacks from people claiming that we are racists or promoting some bigotry-filled agenda,” said Bohannon who claims he is just trying to help students who may have been a majority in the past, but are no longer, as America’s demographics change. “If you’re not a male, and if you’re not White, you’re called a minority,” Bohannon said, “I’m not sure White males are the majority anymore.” In Texas non-Hispanic Whites are now a minority according to U.S. Census figures released earlier this month that show they make up about 42 percent of the state’s population, down from more than half 10 years ago.

Wisconsin
Hundreds of parents, educators, students, administrators and city activists gathered in the parking lot outside Madison East High School to hear prominent civil rights activist Jesse Jackson speak. Wearing a heavy coat and hat, Jackson made it a point to touch upon Madison’s recent worker rights and collective bargaining debacles, but he also specifically addressed the youngsters in the audience, urging them stay in school, to stay positive, to vote, and to support their teachers. “When students come alive you have the awesome power to make America better,” Jackson said. “When you go to school today, study hard; be all that you can be.” Prior to his speech, Jackson led more than 300 students in a march around the city. “Fight for the right to be a better nation,” he told the crowd. “Keep fighting one day longer. At the end of the day your brains will outlast your knees.”

Here’s a look at African-American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

Arizona
Tony Rose, publisher/CEO of Phoenix-based Amber Communications Group Inc., the nation’s largest African-American publisher of self-help books, has been asked to be a member of the 2011 NAACP Image Awards literary subcommittee in the category of Instructional Literature. The committee is responsible for the review, evaluation and vote on submitted literary projects for consideration in their assigned category. The top five nominees will be announced at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards press conference in January. The entire membership of the NAACP will then get a chance to vote for the winners, who will be announced at the ceremony in March.

California
Joseph Jackson, father of pop icon Michael Jackson, has refiled a wrongful death lawsuit in state court against the Conrad Murray, the doctor charged in his son’s death, and added Applied Pharmacy Services, Las Vegas company, as a defendant. Joseph Jackson originally filed the suit in federal court, but a judge declined to hear the case and said it should be handled in Los Angeles Superior Court. The case accuses Murray of negligence in administering the anesthetic propofol to Jackson. Court records show the pharmacy sold the drug to Murray nearly a month before the singer’s death in June 2009.

District of Columbia
Nearly 40 percent of the 17,000 households in Washington, D.C., that receive welfare have been in the system for much longer than five years, and Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry recently teamed up with Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander to change that. The two hope to introduce a bill that would remove recipients from the welfare roll after the five-year period. If passe, the legislation would quickly eliminate 8,000 recipients. Barry said that although the bill is “imperfect and incomplete,” the intent is to launch “serious dialogue on how to break the cycle of generational poverty, government dependency and economic disparity in the city.”

Florida
Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, former leader of Miami Rap group 2 Live Crew, is now an assistant football coach at Miami Central High School. He also coaches in his home neighborhood of Liberty City, where he founded the “Optimist League” for inner-city youth. Once criticized for his sexually explicit lyrics, Campbell, 49, looks to move forward on a clean slate. “I’m happy and proud of what we accomplished, but that part of my life is over,” he told Miami Herald’s Linda Robertson. “The entertainer – I left him on stage.”

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California The City Attorney of Compton, Craig J. Cornwell, won approximately $3 million against a former employee, and a local marriage and family therapist in a contentious jury trial in Compton Superior Court. The city attorney convinced 12 jurors that former city employee Steve Okonta and business owner Aline Smith Uzoka, of Westchester Medical Services, submitted millions of dollars of false medical bills to the city from 2001 to 2008. The city is awaiting a judgment of approximately $650,000 from another defendant, Emmanul Ogbodo, who withdrew his answer to the city’s complaint for damages on the eve of the trial. With that judgment and expected post-trial orders, the city’s win will top $10 million.

Florida A Black general dentist is the 2010-2011 president of the American Dental Association (ADA). Dr. Raymond Gist’s induction took place recently and made him the first African-American president of the 157,000-member dental organization. ADA is the nation’s oldest and largest dental association. During his one-year term, Gist plans to focus on membership outreach and advocacy efforts that will have special appeal to young dentists. “Programs oriented to students and new graduates are a priority for me,” he said.

Louisiana A complaint of misconduct against Richwood’s former mayor Ed Harris resulted in his conviction. Now, a second complaint has been filed by all five of the town’s aldermen accusing current Mayor Steve Hunter of misconduct, because he reportedly changed documents sent to the state and caused the voters of the town to double their maximum tax liability instead of renewing them as approved by the board of aldermen. The aldermen accused Hunter of submitting bogus documents to the state that resulted in a $20 million tax being placed on an election ballot rather than the $10 millions the board approved.