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The Grand Rapids Times
3-7-2008Ben Jobe, retired coach at six
HBCU’s is among the basketball players and coaches to be
featured in “Black Magic” on ESPN, March 16-17. He is the
brother of the late Grand Rapids businessman, Mr. Willia,
Jobe, who established Jobe’s Barbershop. |
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Pact Gives
High School Teachers More Choice |
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The Grand Rapids Times
3-7-2008
GRPS, GREA Agreement Offers Early Out, Spells Out Terms For
Involuntary Transfers
Grand Rapids – This past January, in his first “State of Our
Schools” address, Dr. Bernard Taylor, Grand Rapids Public Schools
Superintendent, revealed plans for reforms to the district’s
comprehensive high schools.
His announcement that the plan to reorganize the district’s 4 high
schools would involve involuntary transfers for teachers drew ire
from the Grand Rapids Education Association (GREA).
Discussions since then have resulted in an agreement between the
district and the GREA that provides for early resignation incentives
and the involuntary transfer of secondary teachers.
“This is a win-win for our teachers and the district as a whole. We
worked together, developed a good compromise, and are now moving
forward with our high school restructuring plans,” said Dr. Bernard
Taylor, Jr. “I want to commend Paul Helder and both our negotiating
teams for making this happen.”
A “Letter of Agreement” signed, Tuesday, March 4, by Paul Helder,
President of the GREA and Fredericka Williams, Executive Director of
Human Resources for GRPS, outlines plans for the high school
restructuring.
Up to 25% of core subject area secondary teachers may be subject to
an involuntary transfer if they are highly qualified and have
secondary certification in the core subject area.
Other guidelines for the transfers include district training,
student need such as Bi-Lingual/ English as a Second Language
Service and seniority.
The Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the “Voluntary
Resignation Incentive Plan (VRIP) tied to the Letter of Agreement.
The school district is offering a $15,000 Voluntary Resignation
Incentive, paid in full in the 2008/ 2009 School Year for employees
with 12 years of full - time service who are at the top step of the
salary schedule.
A minimum participation rate of 50 teachers, with at least 25
secondary teachers is required.
The VRIP and Letter of Agreement are separate from the district’s
on-going negotiations with the GREA over teacher contracts. |
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Rev. Zannie
M. Mitchell
Blessed Beyone Her Three-Score & Ten |
The Grand Rapids Times
3-7-2008
Women of Faith, Part I
By Richard PulliamEditor’s Note: March is Women’s History Month.
This profile is the first in The Grand Rapids Times series for this
month.
 On
Saturday, February 23, 2008, Rev. Zannie Mitchell’s children
celebrated her birthday by celebrating her life and legacy with more
than 100 people – family and friends – at First Community AME
Church.
Testimonies and roasts from a number of showed how influential she
has been in the lives of many people.
“I was in fifth heaven, I cannot explain the joy I felt at that
birthday party,” Rev. Mitchell said. “It was really gratifying to
hear people stand up and tell their stories about me calling and
encouraging them when they were in the midst of going through some
tough times. It also pleased my heart to hear people talk about the
different ways that I had touched their lives,” said Rev. Mitchell,
who is also known lovingly to some as Rev. Zannie.
[Click Here to Download Her Story from Page 9 of the Printed
Edition of the Grand Rapids Times] |
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Farrakhan
Speaks On Obama, Clinton |
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The Grand Rapids Times
3-7-2008
Special to the NNPA from the Final Call
Chicago (NNPA) - Minister Louis Farrakhan, speaking in his
annual Nation of Islam Saviours' Day address Feb. 24, commented
extensively on the U.S. presidential race, which included remarks
specifically about the candidacy of Democratic hopeful Sen. Barack
Obama. Min. Farrakhan spoke to an estimated 20,000 people at
McCormick Place Convention Center.
Although the Minister did speak complimentary of Sen. Obama, he said
he would not tell any one of his followers how to cast their vote,
but he did say they should vote ''their own self-interest.''
Min. Farrakhan said that the litmus test concerning himself given to
Sen. Obama should also be given to Sen. Hillary Clinton and other
presidential candidates.
The Minister said he did not want the ''mischief makers'' to use his
words to try to hurt Obama or himself.
Min. Farrakhan is expected to accept invitations that he has
received to talk to certain members of the press in the near future.
Separate from his Saviors' Day Address, in response to outrage
expressed by many, Min. Farrakhan issued the following statement
regarding remarks made by Sen. Barack Obama during the Feb. 26
presidential debate in Ohio.
NBC's Tim Russert questioned Sen. Obama regarding Min. Farrakhan's
Saviours' Day address and his complimentary remarks concerning the
Obama campaign.
''Those who have been supporting Sen. Barack Obama should not allow
what was said during the Feb. 26 presidential debate to lessen their
support for his campaign. This is simply mischief making intended to
hurt Mr. Obama politically.''
[Click Here to Read a Commentary About This Article by George Curry] |
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Activists
Launch Nat'l Campaign Against Racist Blackface Minstrel Show |
The Grand Rapids Times
3-7-2008
By Jasmyne Cannick
jcannick@sbcglobal.net
National Black Radio Show "The Bev Smith" Dedicates Three-Hour
Broadcast to Raise Awareness of Shirley Q. Liquor
Los Angeles, CA – Earlier this week, in honor of Women's
History Month and African-American women, activists launched
BanShirleyQLiquor.com in an attempt to call attention to Charles
Knipp, a self-described forty-five-year-old, fat, gay white man that
performs nationwide as his alter ego character Shirley Q. Liquor.
Knipp describes Liquor as being "an illiterate welfare mother with
nineteen kids who guzzles malt liquor and drives a Caddy."
The character is favorite among his core audience whom Knipp
described in Rolling Stone Magazine as being "gay men, their moms,
and rednecks."
While in blackface as Liquor, Knipp speaks in Ebonics and makes
comments like "axe your mamma how she durrin" and misuses words like
"ignunt."
Knipp is also known for mocking the Black American holiday Kwanzaa
and uses Black faces to make fun of stereotypical sounding Black
names in a music video entitled, "Who Is My Baby's Daddy "where his
character Shirley Q. Liquor tries to recollect the names of her "chirrun,"
"– Cheeto, Orangello, Chlamydia, and Kmartina."
Imus may have called Black women 'nappy-headed ho's,' but it's Knipp
who routinely tries to bring that image to life onstage as Shirley
Q. Liquor.
The hypocrisy is sickening.
Isaiah Washington was unable to escape the wrath of gay America, but
Charles Knipp, a white gay man, can perform a blackface minstrel and
be rewarded by gay Americans to the tune of $90k annually.
Someone has some explaining to do. This has gone on for far too long
under the radar."
National Black talk radio "The Bev Smith Show" on American Urban
Radio Networks (AURN) planned to dedicate its entire Monday, March 3
broadcast to the campaign to ban Shirley Q. Liquor and spread the
word about his upcoming performances.
AURN is the only African-American owned network radio company in the
United States. It is the largest network reaching urban America,
with more than 200 weekly shows, AURN reaches an estimated 20
million listeners.
"We believe that if Mr. Knipp is a true talent, he can find plenty
of folks who look just like him to present in 3-dimensional
caricature," read a statement from Smith's camp. "If he really is
funny, then he can find more than enough insulting and stereotypical
elements of his own group, their background, and their culture, to
mock. He does not need ours. As it is said, we have enough problems.
"As if injury could further be added to this insult, a recent
posting to his website allegedly included the headshot of
well-respected journalist/ activist Jasmyne Cannick--a woman who
daily responds to and fights for the rights and dignity of persons
of color and the LGBT communities – edited atop the body of a naked
and hefty-breasted woman.
Understand this, please: One of our journalists has been insulted.
Would Charles Knipp have done this to an AP journalist? Would the
head of Mike Wallace or Cokie Roberts or Jorge Ramos be used this
way without response from their respective communities? We think
not."
Knipp is scheduled to perform in Miami Beach at EXXXOTICA Miami
Beach in April; San Jose Gay Pride Week, in June; Memphis,
Tennessee, at Backstreet Memphis and in New Orleans Labor Day
Weekend, just blocks from where displaced African-Americans are
still living in trailers.
With the exception of the Miami Beach show, all are gay venues. |
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I Don't Do Ignorance |
The Grand Rapids Times
3-7-2008
Commentary By Jasmyne A. CannickPart I
The global image of the Black woman continues to be under attack,
the latest of which being with Charles Knipp and his character
Shirley Q. Liquor.
Liquor, is described by Charles Knipp as being "the Queen of Ignunce,"
who is based on his experiences with and interpretations of Black
southern women.
Knipp, who is white and gay, performs the character – an illiterate,
welfare collecting, mother of 19 children, who drives a Caddy, and
attends Mount Holy Olive Second Baptist Zion Church of God in Christ
of Resurrected Latter-Days AME CME – in blackface.
Men who take on roles as female characters for the purposes of
entertainment are nothing new and they've been handsomely rewarded
for their efforts with our dollars.
Starting with Flip Wilson's the devil made me do it "Geraldine" and
in recent years Martin Lawrence's "Big Mama's House," Shawn and
Marlon Wayans' "White Chicks," Eddie Murphy's "Norbit," and Tyler
Perry's popular character "Madea."
With the exception of "White Chicks," all are Black men dressed in
drag as Black women. The exception is the Wayans brothers, who
flipped the script and took on the roles of two white women.
What's the difference between a Black man in drag and a white man in
blackface when both are depicting a Black woman?
[read more in the print edition of the Grand Rapids Times or click
here to log in if you have a subscription or want to buy a
subscription] |
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