OPINION/ FORUM
^The
Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt
Elaine Pitt
Michael A. Pitt
T. Kevin Walker
PubhsherCo-Pounder
Business Manager
Marketing
1 Managing Editor
Press
The
Power
of YOU
When it comes to evoking change in our community and
our worlds, one truly is the magic number.
While large consortiums of people can definitely yield a
great deal of power and weight in both national and local
debates, there is something to be said for he who has the
courage to step out on his own. One man. woman or child
can absolutely make a difference in this world, as -some of
those featured in this week's edition plainly illustrate.
David Lane is a perfect example. Lane, a longtime vol
unteer and retiree, has almost single-handedly fed couittless
hungry mouths through his dedication and commitment.
Lane, who started his own non-perishable food collection
program about two years ago, has garnered an impressive
amount of donations that might otherwise never have been
given.
Granted. Lane couldn't have had the impact he has had
without the help and support of the local residents who gra
ciously give to his campaign again and again.. Yet, we would
be willing to bet that some, perhaps many, of those who gave
to his campaign did so simply because Lane made donating
easy and accessible to them. Had there not been 100-plus
boxes placed in businesses throughout the county, some of
that food would have remained on the shelves of grocery
stores, instead of going to those folks in the community who
are hungry and in need of a little help and support.
Volunteers like Lane help to grease the wheels of organi
zations such as Crisis Control Ministry, allowing the agen
cies to broaden their reach. Because of this fact, Lane has
been able to make a difference in the lives of many area res
idents, just based on his own fruition. We think that's pretty
great.
Kweku Atta is another textbook case of what can happen
when a person sets his or her mind to reaching out- Atta is
far from rich, yet he sacrifices his own luxuries for the sake
of others. Atta could have left Ghana behind. He could have
gone on with his life in America and never looked back.
After all. he had no obligation to uphold the people of a
township he no longer lived in. and certainly, he had already,
done more for the folks in Tema than most. But Atta doesn't
think like that. He is willing, joyful even, in giving of what
little he has
The amount of money Atta has spent on sending the
clothes alone would put many of our annual, and perhaps
lifetime, donations to shame, and he does so quietly, without
seeking praise or recognition' for his tireless work. What a
joy it must be for the children of Tema to know that they are
so loved by a man whom many of them have never met!
If we can take anything away from the stories of Lane,
Atta and the countless others who work so hard to make our
community and world the best they can be. it would have to
be the fact that big change sometimes comes in small pack
ages.
Imagine if we each chose just one cause to put our time,
money and effort into What would our world look like?
How would our lives and the lives of those around us be
enhanced? We think the results would be staggering.
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Whv You Should Attend Atkins Meetings
Virginia
Newell
Guest
Columnist
To parents of children in
Title I schools:
A lot of extra money is
being spent on children in Title
I schools, but money alone
will not educate children It
takes outstanding, knowledge
able teachers who care and can
discipline children. It takes an
outstanding principal who is
knowledgeable about children
learning and knowledgeable
about the subject matter stu
dents are learning in his or her
school. Then it takes a parent
or guardian, grandmother or
aunt, somebody who cares and
will motivate the child to leam
- to read, write, think, analyze
and solve problems. In other
words, someone who will help
the child to finish school
because academics will under
gird a person and stay there.
My mother had a way of
saying it. She said "learn it, put
in your head and no one can
take it out." Now it's OK to
learn sports and attend the
games hut please, please go
the PTA meetings. That's what
education is about. Know what
your child is learning. Sports
will come and go. but educa
tion is needed in whatever you
do daily.
Our children are failing;
read the news. The children
will talk to parents from
Atkins High School on this
evening (Dec. 10) at 6:30 p.m.
at Phillips Chapel Church and
on Monday, Dec. 14 at 6:30
p.m. at Greater Cleveland
Avenue Christian Church.
Pastors will be there, along
with teachers and principals.
We are especially asking the
parents of children w ho attend
Atkins to attend. There will be
incentives for first 30 parents
at each church Refreshments
will be served. Bring the chil
dren.
Dr. Virginia Newell, a
retired educator, is a former
City Council Member and
longtime community advocate.
While House Photo by Pete Sou za
President Obama returns to Andrews Air Force Base after delivering a speech on Afghanistan afWest Point on Dec. 1.
What's Changed in a Year?
Al
Sharpton
Guest
Columhist
(NNPA) - It was regarded
as one of the most historic
days in our nation's history.
Unprecedented numbers of
young people and minorities
hit polling stations and cast
their ballots in a national
election. After an intense,
seemingly endless campaign
cycle, the populous was
engaged and actively partici
pated in our political process
in ways previously unheard
of. And for the first time a
majority - Whites included -
attempted to rectify our
tumultuous and troubling
past by electing the first
African- American President
of the United States. A little
over a year later however. I
ask. have things on the
ground really changed all
that much?
The Labor Department
recently reported a loss of
some 11,000 jobs in
November, and rejoiced that
the unemployment rate fell to
10 percent - down from 10.2
percent in October. President
Obama himself just complet
ed a half-day brainstorming
session with more than 100
CEOs, business and union
leaders, academics and more
as he laid out plans for
increased energy efficiency
that would in turn spurn more
job creation. During this
summit, the President high
lighted possible new tax
incentives and other mecha
nisms that could further slow
down record high unemploy
ment rates. But what gets
lost sometimes in all the
summits, discussions and
stats on our dwindling labor
situation is the continued
dilemma of racial inequity.
Several days ago, the NY
Times published an in-depth
article on the continued diffi
culties among Blacks to gain
employment - despite having
equal education and experi
ence to their White counter
parts. In addition to high
lighting methods some quali
fied Black job seekers have
implemented to 'mask' their
ethnicity, this piece discussed
the stark disparity in the job
market. According to the NY
Time's article, the unemploy
ment rate for Black male col
lege graduates 25 and oldei;
this year has been twice that
of White male college gradu
ates (8.4 percent to 4.4 per
cent). The piece further
emphasized studies that indi
cated applicants with Black
sounding names received 50
percent fewer callbacks, and
that White males received
substantially more job leads
for high-level supervisory
positions than women and
people of color.
We live in a unique and
? perplexing time in history.
As the nation works to recti
fy its many wrongs against
the disenfranchised, minori
ties continue to suffer dis
crimination in the most basic
sectors of society. You
would think that when we
have reached such heights as
the highest office in the land,
that equality would permeate
throughout housing, employ
ment and the financial realms
of our lives. Instead of a
'post-racial' environment
however, race is just as dan
gerously utilized to promote
inequality and the status quo
as it has ever been used
before .
There are those who have
argued through the years to
eliminate affirmative action
and in effect rid any sem
blance of opportunity to rec
tify acts of institutional
racism. Their insistence on
ending these vital programs
that help to level the playing
field for people of color
gained renewed strength fol
lowing the 2008 Presidential
Election. But. as the NY
Times article so aptly por
trayed. injustice in the work
force during such a dire eco
nomic time is astonishingly
high and we cannot continue
to shut our eyes toward reali
ty. Affirmative action is a
must. Though we may not
blatantly be called the 'N
word' to our faces in a job
interview, the subliminal acts
of discrimination have just as
detrimental results as if we
were. The facts just don't lie.
The Rev. Al Sharion, a
noted social activist, is head
of the National Action
Network.