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opinions
JOE BIDEN HAS GIVEN DEMOCRACY A FIGHTING CHANCE AND KAMALA HARRIS IS READY TO WIN THE FIGHT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP, MAGA, FASCISM, AND TYRANNY
by Wendell Griffen
July 23, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden made history and fired a shot that may change the world when he decided to end his re-election effort and pledged his support for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee for President during the 2024 election season.
Biden’s decision to end his re-election effort was difficult and heroic. He has worked since 1987 to be elected President. His 2020 presidential campaign succeeded despite the difficulties caused by the Covid pandemic, the forced seclusion Biden and his supporters had to endure, and despite the many lies told by then President/now former President Donald Trump about everything ranging from the Covid 19 pandemic to civil rights for women, people of color, people living with disabling conditions, workers, immigrants, seniors, and anyone else.
Whatever flaws Biden may have, his decision to end his re-election campaign and minutes later pledge his wholehearted support for Harris captured the attention of journalists and political pundits across the United States and throughout the world. That decision moved Biden from being a candidate. Biden will now forever be remembered and respected as a patriot whose love of country and democracy rose above his desire to hold onto power after noon on January 20, 2025.
Now, Biden will forever be remembered as a statesman, not merely a politician. Donald Trump has never been considered statesmanlike, and Biden’s decision highlights the huge difference between the two men.
And now, thanks to Biden, Donald Trump is about to face the most effective political opponent of his lifetime.
Kamala Harris should immediately go on the offensive to win support of the Democratic Party’s delegates during their national convention in Chicago in August. Biden’s support could not have been announced more effectively. By announcing his support for Harris, Biden allowed his supporters to also choose to do so. That is happening with record speed for one clear reason. Biden’s supporters, like Biden, love democracy and the nation more than they crave power for its own sake.
Biden’s supporters, like Biden, are determined to save the United States from Donald Trump’s narcissistic neofascism. Those faithful Biden supporters believe in democracy, and they are willing to trust Harris to fight as Biden did when he defeated Trump in 2020. Now, they will help Harris win the fight against Trump in 2024.
The hard work ahead is for Harris and all who believe in democracy with her to take the offensive and push HARD against Trump and MAGA about Trump’s clear record of deceit, dishonesty, incompetence, corruption, and mental unfitness to be chief executive of the United States.
The issue has now shifted from Biden’s impairments due to aging to Trump’s unfitness because he is a corrupt, mentally unstable, sociopathic idiot.
At every turn, Harris should take the initiative to attack Trump and MAGA as existential threats to democracy, freedom, justice, stability, truth, and peace. She must use the momentum and goodwill created by Biden’s endorsement to seize the initiative and forcefully prosecute that attack.
Her surrogates and supporters should flood social media, print media, and the cable news channels to attack Trump’s incompetence concerning COVID, his bigotry against working people, women, people of color, poor people, people who are LGBTQIA, veterans, seniors, students, civil rights, voting rights, and environmental justice.
The attack should be constant, coordinated, and nimble enough to define and control media attention and programing every day between now and Election Day.
And Harris must go hard to get young voting age support from the 18-40 age group.
Harris is a former prosecutor. The nation needs to see her go hard against the biggest crook in the country during campaign stops and on the debate stage, without restraint or hesitation. She should go hard because she is fighting for the country and its future against a sociopath, convicted felon, sex offender, commercial cheat, insurrectionist, and neofascist demagogue.
Aside from the sympathy he deserved after a gunman tried to murder him days ago, Trump has no untapped well of support. Harris has the character, competence, and charisma to appeal to a deep and wide bloc of current, former, and potential voters.
Harris is ready for a fight Trump has never wanted, despite his attempts at bravado. She should take that fight to him so well and hard that he will not be able to evade, escape, or stop it. And the rest of us who love democracy should help her wage that fight, and win it.
When that happens, Joe Biden will be the happiest and most influential lame duck President in history. We will be forever grateful for his patriotism in helping save democracy and foreseeable generations from fascism and bigotry.
And when that happens, Donald Trump will be, again and hopefully forever, what he has always feared most being called.
Loser.
Wendell Griffen is the author of Parables, Politics, and Prophetic Faith published by (Nurturing Faith, (2023) and
The Fierce Urgency of Prophetic Hope (Judson Press, (2017). He is also an ordained minister and former elected judge.
www.fierceprophetichope.blogspot.com
www.wendellgriffen.blogspot.com
Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
pastorgriffen@newmillenniumchurch.us
CEO, Griffen Strategic Consulting, PLLC
www.griffenstrategicconsulting.com
griffenstrategicconsulting@gmail.com
Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
opinions
Millionaire Observations
By Dr. C.E. McAdoo
July 5, 2024
You know how you know what you want to say, and you know how you think you want to say it, but you don't know where to start? That's where I am today. After much thought, reflection, and contemplation, I finally came up with the title for today's article, which will be very short. What I want to talk about are the millionaires. Many of us, and maybe most of us, even growing up knew the value of hundreds and thousands, and I guess millions of dollars would be next. We all wanted to be millionaires. If I’m not mistaken, there was even a TV program that was called, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" And I know on "Wheel of Fortune," they've got a millionaire place on the wheel.
You know, there’s just something about when you talk about millionaires, it's just, WOW, millionaires! I want to be one, I wish I knew one or this or that. Well, I've been blessed to have been befriended by a person who has been around those millionaires. This person right now, if I'm not mistaken, works for an NBA team. I better not say the one he's with now, I can only reflect on the one he was with. But he's been a merchandise coordinator, an assistant video coordinator, he's been a video coordinator, and he’s been an advance guy. But right now, he's a pro professional scholar. This young man has been around millionaires for over 30 years. I don't know why this particular subject came to bearing, but I asked him, “would you give me some observations about being around millionaires”?
OBSERVATIONS:
Let me in dialogue with him, talk about the observations he has observed in his almost 30 years of being around millionaires and you say, what do you mean? Every basketball player that plays in the NBA today is a millionaire. I was given permission to talk about it, he was with the Dallas Mavericks and worked his way through that process and got to know those people who were millionaires.
His first observation is that not all millionaires are alike.
Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” say the Lord, who has compassion you.”
They come in all shapes and sizes, in all colors. They come in every genre that you want to name. It's kind of like music. I'm a music lover, I grew up in Middle Tennessee and we had Randy's Record Mart over in Gallatin, Tennessee. We had WLAC out of Nashville, Tennessee. And we also had the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Those are three different genres of music and that's the same way with millionaires. They all have their own personalities and deal with things in many different ways. So, I guess what I'm trying to say to those of us who aspire to be a millionaire, we may want to be around them, but we need to know that they are just like everybody else. I'm not being vulgar in any way when I say this, but millionaires, just like all of us, have to go to the bathroom and hopefully that's to take a shower and do their personal needs, brush their teeth, and do the kind of things that everybody must do. So, the first thing I want to say in these observations to us, is that we would not be taken aback when we see how the financial theme of millionaires had been put before us.
Observation number two, Money talks.
II Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
When you go into a restaurant, and you got the long line, and you said, pardon me, but may I see the Maitre ‘D? The Maitre ‘D comes up, and you slide a 50, or you slide a 100. Or you say, "my name is....," and the Maitre’D knows right on the spot, that you may not give him anything then, but he knows that he'll get a big tip later. I'm trying to remember the big tip that Shaquille O 'Neal gave to someone once. I mean, it was exorbitant. I think it was over $1,000, but billionaires are treated differently, and I think that's a point for us to know and understand, because in this world, people are treated differently.
I thank God for being who I am. I call myself a Christian. I am a Christian and I think we as Christians have to understand that people are treated differently. I'm not only a Christian, but I’m also a United Methodist pastor. They treat me differently. When I go into a place, not everywhere, and I say I'm Reverend so and so, it doesn't give me the best table in the place, but I'm treated differently. Once again, being treated differently is not ungodly because people were treated different in Jesus' day. That's why He came to let us know that we're all, and I may say this more than once, we're all in his made in His own image.
Observation number three: Money does not solve problems.
John 16: 13: “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
· Money does not put you in a family, or personal situation that's livable. Money does not put you where you need to be in terms of how your life is structured. I'm not going to list anything at all, but I would just ask you if you have access to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, or The New York Times, go through any newspaper, and you will see millionaires dealing with all kinds of stuff. They have stuff to deal with just like you and I. So, when you see how my friend has observed them, that puts him in a place where he's not even bent out of shape trying to do certain things, because he knows they are just like him. You know, when the screen door doesn’t work right at home, it's a problem. They may have a mechanical door, but he may have a door that you have to fix with a hammer, which is how it goes, the wife wants it done. So, I think this is a really good note for each of us.
Observation number four: You see millionaires coming, and you hear broke folks coming.
I Samuel 16:7. “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Listen, this is not going to take long because you need to be an accurate observer of people. In one of my earlier articles, I told you about the man that used to walk up and down the street I lived on. I asked Dad, "Daddy, why don't you give Mr. So -and -so a ride when you leave the house? He's right in front of us now.” He said, "Son, He's walking because he wants to. Because you see that hill over there. He owns a hundred acres of land on both sides of the road." That's 200 acres back in the day. So, what I'm trying to say is, be very careful. When you look at someone, or you see someone coming, or you see someone going, you don’t make a snap observation of who they are.
Observation number five: Many, but not all black Africa-American millionaires are flashy in their dress, cars and accessories.
Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
They love the attention! White millionaires would rather anyone not know they are wealthy and live very modest lifestyles. I don't know if bling-bling is part of us as a cultural matter, or not. I'm not trying to scandalize him, but John Daly is a white millionaire, and he loves to be seen. I'm not saying it to take away from him. I guess other black millionaires I’m thinking of, like Delia Frisch, or Fifty Cents, are rappers, and millionaires. I’m not around the basketball players like he was, but he did see some of them who were really flashy, who were very bling-bling.
The whole point to this is, I would pray that they would be able to support their bling. I was blessed to work with a teacher at McClellan High School, and we took youth down to a business that sells school bonds. A job where some of the workers in that place were millionaires. The person told them about how you make money. School districts around the country sell these bonds. Some of these bonds are $100 million or $200 million. People go in and buy these bonds and discount them in a certain way where they can make money. Don't ask me how it all came about, but that's how they get the funding for a lot of the school districts. But the point I'm trying to make, is that the man that talked to the students came in and put a million dollars on the board and he broke it down. The first thing he did, and this may be helpful to a lot of people, and I know my friend who is helping me with this article, and every professional basketball player in the NBA must have an agent. That's why LeBron James and other African Americans who have agents in their lives, had to go through a process of education to be the agent for that basketball player. So, he broke that down and talked about how much that was going to take for the media. Then he started chipping away and chipping away, and by the time he got down to the very lifestyle that this man might have, he could be living off about $5,000 a month, maybe $50,000 a year.
You ask how can it happen? Well, he broke it down so that even those young men who were there in the NBA making those kinds of salaries, could see how they could get overburdened.
That's when I talked about the bling-bling. If you're going to buy a bling, pay for it with cash. If you're going to buy a car, pay for it with cash. Don't put yourself in there. The other part about this is that money is not just laying around, not that you don't want to invest it to make it grow, but the stock market average is about 8% growth. So, you just think about it. You put the pencil on it. If you've got an extra $20 million over there and you put it somewhere, it grows at 8%. Remember, it grows 8% that year. And then the next year, it's going to be 10%. You can do the math for yourself. You can see how you can put your money in a place that's going to make a difference. And as far as the difference between white millionaires and black millionaires and the modest living some of them have, really nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. So, we hope and pray that as all these millionaires go home, they go home to a place where they're able to say I can live here very comfortably.
The last observation he has is, millionaires will give, or share more than most people expect, but choose not to make it known. On the other hand, broke folks are some of the stingier folks, and if they give, they want others to know they did it.
Psalm 29:11 “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”
I am just going to say as I end my article today, I think a lot of what I say, I've written it in a book called Budgetitis: Give as God has Blessed You. I think that is what some of the millionaires do. The ones that are black and the ones that are white, one wants to live a flashy lifestyle, one wants to live another lifestyle. Many of them have set up foundations, both white and black. But I do want you to go back to my basic understanding of "Give as God has blessed you." If God has blessed you, and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, I'm not entitled.
They say, oh, but you’re a preacher: you should be entitled. Well, I've had people to debate on this. What if God blesses you more than 10 %? What if God blesses you 15 %? Would you not give 15 %? I say, no, I've given my 10% because that's what the Bible says. That's what Malachi said. But what about the woman that went up there, and all the rich folks are giving out of their abundance, but she gave all she had? I believe that's what God has asked us to do. Give as God has blessed you. So, as I end up tonight, whatever your life way is, make sure you have the peace of God that passes all understanding. Bless you and keep you is my prayer.
Love,
Charlie Edward McAdoo
Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church.
opinions
The Debate Was About Theatrics, Not Public Policies
by Wendell Griffen
June 29, 2024
Good morning from Chicago, where I am attending a family reunion. My family arrived yesterday evening and enjoyed greeting other relatives, so I did not view last night's televised "debate" between Joe Biden and Donald Trump as it happened. Based on all media analysts and political pundits I have considered since then, Biden and Trump performed as I expected.
Biden was hoarse and halting. Trump was rambling and untruthful. Both candidates performed miserably. If the future of the nation and world is to be decided by a debate performance, reasonable political observers should be concerned.
Media and political pundits will point to the debate and use it as the lens through which Biden and Trump should be compared. That's what they are paid to do. But that is always the wrong standard for judging public policy. The true, correct, and proper question is whether the U.S. will be more just, stable, and functional nation if led by Biden or Trump, not how either candidate "performed" last night.
That question didn't require last night's version of a sporting event or theatrical performance, despite how much time, money, and work went into the event.
How Biden and Trump "performed" last night doesn't change the fact that Donald Trump is a sociopath, pathological liar, convicted felon, and lifelong scofflaw whose tenure as the 45th president produced policies that caused irreparable harm. And last night's event doesn't change the fact that Biden's tenure as the 46th president benefited more people in the U.S., and caused harm for Palestinians, Haitians, and migrating people of color.
We shouldn't be talking about a debate performance when people suffered and died because of Trump's Covid incompetence and women and girls in the U.S. are suffering and dying because of Trump's Supreme Court appointees.
We shouldn’t be talking about a debate performance when Palestinians in Gaza are starving, Palestinians in the West Bank are being run off their land, and the U.S. is out-sourcing another imperialistic adventure in Haiti because of Biden's policies.
We shouldn't be asking whether Trump or Biden "won" last night. We should be pondering why a society thinks it will be more just, peaceful, and humane if led by a sociopath. That we are not talking about this issue is the most serious problem facing the United States.
www.fierceprophetichope.blogspot.com
www.wendellgriffen.blogspot.com
Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
pastorgriffen@newmillenniumchurch.us
CEO, Griffen Strategic Consulting, PLLC
www.griffenstrategicconsulting.com
griffenstrategicconsulting@gmail.com
Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
Hope fiercely. Love boldly.
Love one another. Jesus of Galilee, Palestine
We will find a way or make one. Hannibal of Carthage
Writing is how I fight. James H. Cone.
The time for pious words is over. Allan Aubrey Boesak
Justice is a verb!
https://fierceprohetichope.blogspot.com/2024/01/this-is-why-donald-trump-is-barred-from.html
opinions
Why Celebrate Independence Day?
by Deborah Springer Suttlar
June 29, 2024
On the weekend prior to June 19th, Arkansans celebrated Juneteenth. There were other cities with plans to celebrate with information of our Emancipation from Slavery which included all kinds of celebratory events. It was a special time to honor the success of our struggle for freedom and a time to recognize and honor our ancestors for the fight they endured to pursue it. Unfortunately, for the most part, the celebration was segregated and with less fanfare than America’s Independence Day celebrations. It made me reevaluate the question, Why celebrate Independence Day? What does that day of celebration truly mean for Black people?
In 1776 the status of the enslaved people was protected by law in all 13 American colonies when they declared their independence from Great Britain. So, exactly what are we celebrating? Have we just gotten into the “groove” of just wanting to party regardless of the reason? It appears to me that our celebration of “their” (white people in America) freedom has just become a routine for us. However, just like everyone else, I was in that enslaved mentality too. All of us as Black people have been indoctrinated to be a part of the crowd without thinking about the reason for doing what we do. Weren’t we warned about that as children? This celebration is just like Hanukkah. Do we celebrate that?
Therefore, the 4th of July is no celebration for the people who were enslaved. To make this holiday a time of celebration for descendants of slaves just makes no sense to me. This is my “Woke” moment. So, you see being “woke” is relevant.
Let me clarify my position. Yes, we are Americans, but we were not considered to be equal humans, and we were classified as property in 1776. We have absolutely no reason to celebrate the freedom of the slave owners and supporters of slavery.
I also want you to remember that although President Joe Biden officially signed into law in 2021 to recognize Juneteenth National Independence Day Act there remains the following states which do not recognize it as a federal holiday. States such as: Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, also Mississippi, and Alabama each celebrate three Confederate holidays such as Confederate Memorial Day; the birthday of Jefferson Davis, the leader of the Confederacy; and Robert E. Lee Day to commemorate the leader of the Confederate Army. In both states, Robert E. Less Day is also used to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Why do southern states retain this observance of the Confederacy? Because it is in defiance of them losing the war and their racist mindset regarding the freedom of the slaves.
Black people really do need to reevaluate what we celebrate and why? As a Black American, I have a history too and this date is not one for me to celebrate. Our history is different from the “white Americans” history. However, in light of the backlash against Affirmative Action, Voting Rights, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Woke ( Informed educated and conscious of social injustice and racial inequality) and the rise of anti- blackness, we need to remember our past and exactly why this 4th of July celebration is and never was about us or for us.
For what lies ahead for us, this is the time for work. We must prepare ourselves for the next phase of a Civil Rights struggle in America. We are under attack and if we are not careful, we will be on the “bar-be-que rack if we are not “Woke” to what is really going on politically and spiritually in America right now. All I ask is if you celebrate, know why? Learn the history of their freedom from Britain to be free to retain slavery in the thirteen colonies.
I implore all of us to read the speech by Frederick Douglass entitled, “What To the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?” this was dated July 5, 1852. In his speech he reveals his fierce opinions regarding the hypocrisy of a country that espouses freedom and equality yet is comfortable with a whole race of people experiencing enslavement based on the color of the skin.
If you choose to celebrate the 4th of July that is entirely a personal choice. However, for me, it is just another day of my life that I choose not to celebrate in honor of my ancestors who remained in bondage while their slave owners were freed. I ask you to choose your celebrations carefully, everything is not worthy of a celebration.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and to not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
African proverb – “A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred.”
Deborah Springer Suttlar is a community activist and longtime supporter of public schools.
opinions
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY – Update on LEARNS – June 28, 2024
By Joy C. Springer
June 29, 2024
Last week I reported that the Governor called a Special Session. It was held from Monday, June 17 through Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Last week was also Legislative Council week, therefore, the business of the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) was also being addressed during this time and ending on Friday, June 21, 2024.
As a result of the Governor’s Call for a Special Session, members of the General Assembly addressed at least the following items among other things. I bring light to these items because, in my opinion, at least the first item directly impacts ARKANSAS LEARNS’ funding.
1) To amend the individual income tax brackets and rates to a top tax rate of 3.9%, effective January 1, 2024, and following tax years; to amend the income tax brackets and rates for domestic and foreign corporations to a top tax rate of 4.3%, effective January 1, 2024, and following tax years; and to provide for a transfer of $290 million to the Arkansas Reserve Fund Set-Aside in the Restricted Reserve Fund, effective July 2, 2024 (Senate Bill 1)
2) To increase the homestead tax credit from $425 to $500, effective for assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2024 (Senate Bill 2); and
3) To make an appropriation for the budget of the Arkansas Game and Fish Game and Fish Commission for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.
Senate Bill 1 (SB1) easily passed the Senate and House on last week. As a result of its passing, the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) projected approximately $290 million dollars could be deposited into the Arkansas Reserve Fund Set-Aside account. If that is the case, why aren’t we utilizing state tax dollars to help fund Arkansas LEARNS? You will recall that I reported last year that DFA did not directly answer the question regarding whether current state revenues would be sufficient to fund LEARNS given all of the amenities offered by LEARNS, i.e., a minimum teacher salary of $50,000 a year for all teachers; $7000 per student to attend private schools, teacher incentives for increased student achievement, high impact tutoring services, an unknown number of Reading Recovery teachers to assist students with Reading on grade level, supplemental educational services just to name a few.
On last Wednesday, June 19, 2024, during the ALC-PEER (Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review) subcommittee meeting of the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC), members of the PEER subcommittee approved an American Rescue Funds Act (ARPA) appropriation request to the Arkansas Department of Education – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in the amount of $49,000,000(yes, the zeros are correct 49 million) of federal funds, rather than state funds, for the next two fiscal years 2025 and 2026 and I quote: “The Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, will use funds for the implementation of LEARNS.”
The request from DESE indicated the funds would be used as follows:
Merit Teacher Incentives $10,000,000
Literacy Coaches 6,200,000
Supplemental Education services 8,500,000
High Impact Tutoring 10,000,000
Transportation Modernization 5,000,000
Now you know! The 290 million dollars previously collected for state taxes is going into the Arkansas Reserve Fund Set-Aside account and federal funds because of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will be utilized to address the educational inequities in Arkansas. Federal dollars rather than state revenue dollars!!
The question that I now have is where is the 50 million dollars coming from over the next three fiscal years? The State of Arkansas currently has approximately $250,000,000 of ARPA funds that are required to be obligated by fiscal year 2025, therefore, we will have no additional federal funds nor additional revenue from state income taxes due to the recent tax cut. Where is the money coming from to fund education in Arkansas??
The Educational Emergency continues…
Rep. Joy C. Springer represents District 76 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Mrs. Springer previously served on the Little Rock School Board and is a long-time civil rights activist and supporter of equality in public education. She currently serves on the House Public Transportation and House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs committees. Additionally, she serves on the Performance Review committee, and Joint Budget committee as a 1st alternate including Personnel and Special Language, and as a 2nd alternative on the Legislative Auditing committee.
opinions
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY Update –June 22, 2024
by Joy C. Springer
June 22, 2024
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY – June 22, 2024
This week’s article is a report of another interesting week at the Arkansas Legislature. Yes, employees of the state of Arkansas were required to report to work on Wednesday, Juneteenth, June 19, 2024, a federal holiday. On June 11, 2024, the Governor issued a proclamation for a Special Session to start on Monday, June 17, 2024. The Governor believed it was necessary to include in the Call the need to address additional tax reductions and the need to make an appropriation for expenses of the Arkansas Game and Fish. As a member of the House of Representatives, we were aware that we would have to return for a Special Session to address the appropriation for the Arkansas Game and Fish appropriation, however, we had not received notice at the close of the Fiscal session in May that additional legislation would be proposed to address additional state tax cuts. Members of the House received correspondence from the Speaker of the House indicating that the session, more than likely, would take several days up to and including June 19, 2024. I have received calls from constituents complaining that the General Assembly of Arkansas was conducting business on Juneteenth, a federal holiday.
I now provide some background information regarding Juneteenth. Juneteenth became a federal holiday under the Biden administration when he signed legislation in 2021 making Juneteeth a federal holiday. On June 21, 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.
Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day. Although it has long been celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans. On “Freedom’s Eve,” or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first “Watch Night” services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops, mostly African American, arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as Juneteenth, by the newly freed people in Texas.
Arkansas commemorates Juneteenth; however, it does not recognize it as a permanent paid state holiday. However, the following states recognize Juneteenth as a permanent paid state holiday: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Arkansas State Government observes the following federal holidays:
New Years Day January 1
Independence Day, July 4
Labor Day, The first Monday in September
Veterans Day, November 11
Christmas Day, December 25
Juneteenth is not a federal holiday currently recognized by the state of Arkansas. I do note that the State of Arkansas recognizes the following holidays and state offices are closed:
Dr. Marting Luther Jr. Birthday
Robert E. Lee Birthday
Daisy Gatson Bates, all recognized the third Monday in January
Memorial Day, the last Monday in May
Yes, I plan to collaborate with members of the Arkansas Legislature to join the eighteen other states that have ensured that Juneteenth be recognized as a permanent paid state holiday.
In closing, next week’s article will include an update on the Arkansas Learns ACT and address whether the state of Arkansas can really afford its implementation.
The Educational Emergency continues!
Rep. Joy C. Springer represents District 76 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Mrs. Springer previously served on the Little Rock School Board and is a long-time civil rights activist and supporter of equality in public education. She currently serves on the House Public Transportation and House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs committees. Additionally, she serves on the Performance Review committee, and Joint Budget committee as a 1st alternate including Personnel and Special Language, and as a 2nd alternative on the Legislative Auditing committee.
Photo Credit (Calu.edu)
opinions
Life Is Political
by Deborah Springer Suttlar
June 22, 2024
I have often heard people express, “they are not political.” This statement, according to what I know about how the world and our government works, appears to be naïve and inaccurate considering the fact, life is political.
During our lifetime, we make decisions each day regarding situations in our lives, and when we don’t, others will make the decision for us. When my children were younger, I explained to them decisions are made every day which affect our lives such as: where a traffic light is installed, who can live in certain areas, the amount of taxes to pay and even who can vote and under what circumstances. There are always decisions to be made and either we engage in the decision-making process, or we do not.
Let me give another example of how life is political. Jesus’ death, although prophesied, it was divinely orchestrated and implemented by the voting process and the government sanctioned it. Therefore, Jesus’ death was a political decision. The people had a choice and they voted to crucify him. So, as we can see, life is political. Jesus’ death proves that.
As we live each day, we go through innumerable situations which many people perceive as just a way of life, and not viewed as political. It seems to me that those who believe that they are not political do not comprehend that how we co-exist is indeed a political process. Democracy is a political way of life.
Black people should be the ones most aware that everything about us has been political. We are perfect examples of how life is political. Every decision regarding our status has been enacted and decided by the Supreme Court which is the Judicial branch of the United States Government.
They decided our status of enslavement, right to read, vote, equal access as citizens and whether we could attend or enter integrated schools. There is nothing about our status as Black people in America that has not been determined by people who either engaged in the voting process or who made a legal decision about our status. What amazes me is that anyone would think or even say, I am not political.” Our status in America and across the world has always been a political process. We have been subjected to the decision-making process of people who don’t look like us or have no affinity towards us deciding our position in life. Therefore, to imply that you are not political is an uneducated conjecture.
The Fourteenth Amendment passed on June 8, 1866, and ratified two years later on July 9, 1868, granted citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people, and provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws.” Even our citizenship was political. Our mere existence has and will always be political.
We cannot leave decisions in the hands of others and especially those who have or will never consider people with color to be equal or worthy of the same rights and privileges that God has given to all humankind. This a perfect example that Life is political.
This is the reason education of our history is so important. We must make the effort to place education first and ensure that American History is both truthful and inclusive of all facts. We cannot afford to concede to the belief that “we are not relevant in the politics of life” because, “we are the politics of life.”
The government is for the people. and by the people, and the people are the ones who make the decisions about how government operates. Let us not pretend that our government is an outside entity separated or alienated from the community. The government is comprised of people from the community who live among us and are responsible for creating and enforcing the rules of our society, defense, foreign affairs, the economy and public services for all of us. This happens on the local, state, and federal level and it is indeed a political process.
I will close with a quote from Timothy Snyder, “Life is political, not because the world cares about how you feel, but because the world reacts to what you do. The minor choices we make are a kind of vote, making it more or less likely that free and fair elections will be held in the future. In the politics of the everyday, our words and gestures, or their absence, count very much.
President John F. Kennedy said, We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
African Proverb – Do not stand in a place of danger trusting in miracles.
Vote! Black Lives Matter! Life is Political!
Deborah Springer Suttlar is a social and community advocate, and a long-time supporter of public schools.
opinions
The importance of the 26th of June.......................
By Rev. Dr. C.E McAdoo
Jube 15, 2024
Let me do a little historical digging on the 26th of June. On the 26th of June in 1938, James Weldon Johnson died in an automobile accident in Florida. James Weldon Johnson was the owner of a newspaper called the Daily American. The paper centered on issues faced by the black community. James Weldon Johnson also was the first black to pass the Florida bar, and he wrote “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
On June, the 26, 1974, baseball great superstar Derek Jeter was born. Derek Jeter was rookie of the year. He received the second highest number of votes for the Hall of Fame. There were 397 votes and he received 396. He was a five -time World Series champ. He had a wealth of baseball achievements, but the cornerstone of his life was his many philanthropic endeavors. He donated 3.2 million dollars to the “Turn-to Foundation,” his foundation, the Kalamazoo Michigan Public Schools, which was his home school, to renovate the baseball and softball conference.
Also, on June the 26th 1956, Dr. Bernard A. Harris was born. Dr. Harris was a medical doctor who was trained at the Mayo Clinic. He completed his research at the Moffitt Center in California. He also did research in the field of muscular psychology and also completed a fellowship in 1987. He joined NASA Johnson Space Program as a flight surgeon. He was also selected to be an astronaut and had 430 hours in space. Wow! And he ventured two flights.
We also want to lift up the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser. She has announced she has an additional $2 million dollars to be given to the Small Medium Business Growth Fund in the Washington D. C. area. She also put together the “Bowser Administration release of Black Home Ownership Strike Force.” And lastly, she was able to develop “The Arc” in the District and Ward 8 where a number of African Americans will be able to show their wares and all that they do.
So where am I going with this? The first date importance of the 26th is that it is a week after Juneteenth. Part of our community, and I got the word problem, but I don't want to call it a problem. Part of our community, I guess periscope of where we are looking sometimes is that, in my opinion, we focus too much on the one. The one day, the one time, the one place, the one situation, the one in here. I'm not just picking on Juneteenth; I say the same thing for our holy days. So, for me, some of the most holy Sundays in the church are the Sundays after our big days, the Sunday after Christmas, the Sunday after Epiphany, the Sunday after Ash Wednesday, the Sunday after Easter, the Sunday after Pentecost. Just to mention a few of the celebrations in the Methodist Church and some worldwide Christian traditions.
So, after piling all the wood, can we build a fire? Yes, we can! The way we build the fire in the black community is that we have a positive perspective of what happened after Juneteenth. And I just want to hit that extremely hard because after Juneteenth, after the Emancipation, what happened was that the fight was not over. The fight after that, we had all kinds of disruption of those who had been preened. That's when Jim Crow came in, and that put us in a situation where I really feel, as I move into this very stressful situation, we need to move into where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was, and that's the fight for humanity was not over.
Now, my next course of thought, and I acknowledge it is debatable. And I state this with some chagrin because I'm not trying to get into a historical perspective, but for me, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not a civil rights fighter. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a human rights fighter.
I use the word fighter intentionally, so we will know that this is real. If people, structure, systems, and society do not think you are human, they will treat you any kind of way. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stressed more than civil rights. He stressed human rights. And when you think about that, that makes you know the visual of how he died, the importance of him going to Memphis, to be with the garbage workers, so that people who had been born to the garbage workers, so that people who had been given all kinds of disparities in their lives that were shown abuse and mistreatment and not to be affirmed.
He said, you are human and I'm here for you. And that's why he was not here because of a civil rights leader. He was here because of human rights. And then, just to add on to that, he was also here because he was trying to put together the poor people's march. Once again, pulling together all of God's people, the rich and the poor, because even those that have financial security can be poor in spirit. And those who are rich in the spirit can be poor in their finances. And I've been on both ends of that, so I'm going to leave that alone.
Now the ending follow-up of the original importance is when we start taking hold and share what we have learned today. I hope we will learn that after days and after tomorrows and after tomorrows and after tomorrows, that we only get to get them while we have them. The kicker is that after the week, after the day, that we need to make sure our celebration weeks are based on not just what happened then but what's happening now. The "after" is our presence as a gift from God so make sure that we use it properly. Most folks don't make "after" now, but when you see them as a plus, the "after's" before us become the concrete days that we have as a foundation building block in our lives. I did not give you a list of continued historical facts because I want you to take your date, of the 26, or your 14, or your 5ths, or your 11ths, or whatever that is, and make it a day of news and no more than this.
Love,
Charlie Edward McAdoo.
Dr. C.E. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church.
opinions
EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY -June 15, 2024
By Joy C. Springer
June 15, 2024
This past week at the Arkansas Legislature was designated as the week for staff members of the Arkansas Legislative Audit to present reports for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. During the week, various committee meetings of Legislative Audit were held including the Executive Committee and Committees on State Agencies, Educational Institutions and Counties and Municipalities. What does the Arkansas Legislative Audit actually do? I am glad you asked.
The mission of the Arkansas Legislative Audit is to serve the General Assembly and the citizens of the State of Arkansas by promoting sound financial management and accountability of public resources entrusted to the various governmental entities. Under the authority of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, Legislative Audit annually issues over 1,000 financial audits, reviews, and special reports. The location of Legislative Audit within the Legislative branch of Arkansas's government provides organizational independence recognized under Government Auditing Standards and allows [their] work to be conducted in an independent and unbiased manner. Legislative Audit strictly adheres to the standards of the auditing profession.
One meeting that I found interesting this week was that of the Executive Committee of Legislative Audit. The Executive Committee, for example, hears and reviews requests from members of the General Assembly to conduct special audits of certain state agencies, educational institutions, counties, and municipalities among other responsibilities. For example, today, members of the Executive Committee approved a request for a special audit of a contract between the Board of Corrections (BOC) and an attorney previously hired by the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) to also address a personnel matter.
This attorney was hired by the BOC to address a personnel matter involving the Secretary for the Department of Corrections that had made its way to Circuit Court before the Honorable Patty James. The Board hired this attorney after discussions with state officials. In the March meeting of the ALC, members of the committee questioned charges and actual contract for representing the BOC, but never openly discussed the amount he had charged them other than they had the authority to hire him, and that the BOC had not followed proper procedures to hire him. The BOC subsequently pulled their contract approval from the ALC. After this action, the BOC’s contract was then referred to the Joint Performance Review (JPR) committee for at least three meetings.
It made similar findings to the ALC. I note that the BOC had counsel advising them at all times regarding this personnel matter including the procurement process for legal counsel. In addition, during the last meeting before JPR, in my opinion, exculpatory testimony was presented by a Board member recently appointed by the Governor. I learned this week that the BOC is now being referred to Legislative Audit?? Clearly an example of “beating a dead horse!”
The Legislative Joint Audit committee was held today. In addition, to hearing summary reports from each of the committees identified herein, members of staff also provided the State of Arkansas Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (CFR) and the State of Arkansas Single Audit Report for the year ending June 30, 2023, in accordance with state law.
According to the CFR, the state of Arkansas had an increase in revenues by 3.34% comparing 2023 ($25.2 billion compared to $24,5 billion to 2022). The majority of the revenues were a result of federal funding of approximately 12.5 billion dollars. Expenditures for the same period show an increase of 2.8%, $22.9 billion in 2023 compared to $22.4 billion in 2022.
The Arkansas Single Audit Report (a 314-page report) concluded that the state of Arkansas had compiled with the objectives of a Single Audit in compliance with Uniform Guidelines. There were five criteria to be met including “determine whether the State has complied with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal awards that may have been a direct and material effect on each of its major programs.” A notable exception determined by the audit indicated that the Arkansas Department of Human Services, through its Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPP) and Medical Assistance Program (MAP) was expending funding to the tune of over 24 billion dollars prior to actual receipt of the funds from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Once again, funding that directly impacts our children. We need to keep a watch on this!
The Educational Emergency continues!
Rep. Joy C. Springer represents District 76 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Mrs. Springer previously served on the Little Rock School Board and is a long-time civil rights activist and supporter of equality in public education. She currently serves on the House Public Transportation and House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs committees. Additionally, she serves on the Performance Review committee, and Joint Budget committee as a 1st alternate including Personnel and Special Language, and as a 2nd alternative on the Legislative Auditing committee.
opinions
Free or Merely.................Chainless
By Deborah Springer Suttlar
June 15, 2024
As we approach the celebration of Juneteenth, I wondered about the truth of our status as free Black people. I am reminded of a quote by Nelson Mandela who said,” For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
Juneteenth is just one of the times in which we celebrate being freed from enslavement. As we all know, this celebration was based on both being free and the recognition of those enslaved in Texas who were notified a year later they were freed. The saying is, “none of us are free until all of us are free.”
What does this freedom mean to us? Are our celebrations reflective of the pain, lives sacrificed, bloodshed and battles fought for us to be freed? Are we honoring our ancestors by the way we live and celebrate today? Have we taken this freedom for granted? We must ask ourselves these questions as we pay homage to the freedom from slavery that we now enjoy. Our ancestors had none of the opportunities and privileges that we have today, and they suffered horribly even after they were set free.
As we celebrate Juneteenth, we must not miss the opportunity to reflect on the past, present and future of our “status of being free.” This is the reason I mentioned former President Nelson Mandela. South Africa did not always have “Apartheid.” They were once free too. However, their freedom was taken away in 1948 when the Nationalist Party legalized racism called Apartheid. The racist and cruel system of Apartheid in South African resulted in the removal of Black South Africans from their homes and forced into segregated neighborhoods and laws enacted to enforce segregation and discrimination. Apartheid did not end officially until April 27, 1994. South Africans now celebrate “Freedom Day.” Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa after his release from prison after 27 years for opposing South Africa’s apartheid system. We are not immune from this same scenario.
Free or merely chainless. We cannot take Juneteenth for granted, nor must we forget what happened in South Africa. The current political system of racist segregation is now in play. Our very Supreme Court, Judicial system and Republican Agenda is using the playbook from 1948 in South African and from our own history of Slavery/Jim Crow to back track to a time we assumed we had left behind. We cannot honestly say that we are free when we have people in positions of power in our government and businesses who put American Greed and racism over the lives of poor, Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. The chains are gone but new laws enslave us. We are now chainless but bound by injustice.
As we celebrate Juneteenth, we must include in our celebrations words of caution that freedom was costly, the past does impact the future, and the struggle is not over. We must conduct our lives in a way that reflects the respect for what God has done for us. We must take the time to pay homage to our ancestors who sacrificed their lives for us to be free. Our celebrations should reflect a connection to the one true God whom we need to glorify by how we live each day. Let us not forget that the spirit of oppression does not lie dormant, it is an ever-present evil which does not want to see us prosper or have equality. Failure to thrive is not an option for us.
Let us rise every day to celebrate Juneteenth by living lives worthy to be praised and celebrated for the freedom given to all of us.
Our goal should be to recognize the deity of God, serve him with our best in which we lift Him up each day as we enjoy being free from chains, with minds free and souls grateful for eternal salvation. They have no power over us, we have God.
En Vogue – song/Lyrics – Free your mind and the rest will follow, Be color-blind and the rest will follow, Don’t be so shallow.
Gal.5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Deborah Springer Suttlar is a community activist and longtime supporter of public schools.
opinions
A Letter to Donald Trump Supporters
By Wendell Griffen
June 8, 2024
Dear Neighbors,
I write you in the aftermath of the May 30 New York state court jury verdict that found Donald Trump guilty of committing 34 felony offenses of falsifying business records in order to conceal a conspiracy to interfere with the 2020 U.S. presidential election. I write as a fellow citizen of the United States, native of the American South, African American pastor in the religion of Jesus, honorably discharged former U.S. Army officer, retired state court trial and appellate judge, husband, father, and grandfather. Above all, I am your neighbor.
We hold differing views about the role of government. However, I hope we agree that falsifying business records is wrong.
I hope we agree that people should not lie, cheat, or entice others to do so.
I doubt that you routinely entrust your personal affairs to people who lie, cheat, and steal.
I doubt that you encourage your children to cheat in sports, on their schoolwork, or in other endeavors.
I suspect that you do not view people who lie, cheat, and steal to be honorable, decent, or commendable.
You do not trust people who habitually lie, cheat, and steal to care for your children, service your automobiles, or manage your finances.
Many of you profess to hold religious beliefs. Yet, you are Donald Trump’s most determined followers.
Perhaps you embrace Trump’s values and consider them necessary for national leadership.
Perhaps you disapprove of Trump’s values, but consider his celebrity and character necessary for achieving your social, political, and cultural goals. I do not know.
However, you and I know that a guilty verdict means that a person is not innocent of a criminal charge, as a matter of law.
A jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges. He is now a convicted felon, regardless of what we think about his political values and views.
A convicted felon is legally disqualified from serving in the U.S. military.
A convicted felon is legally disqualified from working for the U.S. Postal Service.
A convicted felon is legally disqualified from being hired as a public-school teacher.
A convicted felon is legally disqualified from receiving a student loan.
Convicted felons are not allowed to enter Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Macau, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States.
If Donald Trump were an immigrant, he would be legally barred from entering the United States.
He would be legally barred from becoming a citizen, voting, and owning a firearm in the United States.
Yet, you are determined to elect Donald Trump President of the United States.
You are unwilling to accept convicted felons as voters, but are determined to entrust a convicted felon with the power to preside over the nation.
You are unwilling to allow convicted felons to live in public housing (other than jails and prisons), or even in private housing on your street. However, you are willing to have him live in the White House.
You refuse to license convicted felons to work in many professions of trust, but insist that Trump is trustworthy despite having been convicted of 34 instances of falsifying business records for the purpose of influencing an election.
You refuse to license convicted felons to own a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. Yet you are willing to entrust Donald Trump with authority to command the entire U.S. military arsenal, including nuclear weapons.
You believe that naked, authoritarian, deceitful, cruel, and cold-blooded power wielded by a wealthy white convicted felon poses no threat to national security, unity, justice, and global peace. Your sense of right and wrong begins and ends in ruthless devotion to white supremacy, and especially white male supremacy.
I have never held that belief. I will never share that belief.
The nation and world deserve better than that.
Above all, God deserves better than that.
Sincerely,
Wendell Griffen
Your Neighbor
www.fierceprophetichope.blogspot.com
www.wendellgriffen.blogspot.com
Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
pastorgriffen@newmillenniumchurch.us
CEO, Griffen Strategic Consulting, PLLC
www.griffenstrategicconsulting.com
griffenstrategicconsulting@gmail.com
Co-Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
Hope fiercely. Love boldly.
Love one another. Jesus of Galilee, Palestine
We will find a way or make one. Hannibal of Carthage
Writing is how I fight. James H. Cone.
The time for pious words is over. Allan Aubrey Boesak
Justice is a verb!
https://fierceprohetichope.blogspot.com/2024/01/this-is-why-donald-trump-is-barred-from.html
opinions
“A Tribute to the “Benders”
by Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo
June 8, 2024
This week's article is dedicated to the Class of 2024 and serves as a reminder for all of us who have graduated at any point in our lives, from various levels and institutions.
Today, I want to share a speech of affirmation and appreciation I gave when my fraternity brother retired from Philander Smith University. Although this speech includes a fraternity reference, the tribute goes beyond fraternity ties. This article is a reminder of the people in our lives who have been our "benders," helping us not only to graduate but also to become better individuals. Here is the affirmation and appreciation I expressed to my fraternity brother:
I bring you greetings from Hunter United Methodist Church. I must admit I do not have enough time; however, I will be obedient and finish my tribute within the 120 seconds you have allotted me. I searched the Arkansas directory of occupational codes without success. I looked further to the Southwest directory of occupational codes, still no success. I sought out the National and International! directory of occupational codes.
In all my inquiries, I was still at step one. So, I jumped on the internet, and after three hours, I received the following message: "Definition not on file. Continue your inquiry in Little Rock, Arkansas." What occupational code could there be which is not found in all these standard resources. Well, to describe Dr. Crawford J. Mims throws away the standard books and look into the book of wisdom.
I looked and I found the occupational code for Dr. Crawford J. Mims. His occupation, which was not known to all of us, was that of a tree-bender. Yes, a tree-bender. A tree-bender is a person who can help a tree grow which they did not plant. He took many of us, saw us bending in the wrong direction and helped us to straighten up to reach our appointed goals in life. This in itself is a great feat, but Dr. Crawford J. Mims, tree-bender, will not be remembered for all the young trees he was able to bend.
Because he was a master tree-bender, he was also able to re-bend some semi-old, kind-of-old, and some real old trees which needed a new directional sense in life. We all should have known he would be a master tree-bender when he bent into sister Betty's (his wife’s) direction many years ago. From that one bend came family, fellowship, friends, and faith. To my Sigma brother, my brother in the faith, my friend, and my mentor I shall remember the tree-bender model you have placed before us in the words of Frank Outlaw.
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
God bless the Mims Family.
Dr. Mims saw me as a person with the potential to make a difference in the world. He recognized times when I wasn't growing or living straight and guided me with gentle, directional words. His advice was never harsh or demeaning.
When I listened and appreciated what he was saying, it helped me correct my path. As a college student in the 60s, I felt young, gifted, and black, with Philander and the world shining before me. I urge recent and long-time graduates to remember those who have helped shape their paths. Reach out to them with a call, a card, a text, or an old-fashioned phone call to express your gratitude. Let's pass on the wisdom we've received to others in our families, circles, and contacts who may need guidance.
Just as Dr. Mims guided me, let's offer words that help others find their own paths. For recent graduates or those in transition, here are some practical suggestions:
1. Develop a Circle of Friends: Find or develop a circle of friends who share your life goals.
2. Seek Family Support: Always look to family as a place of support, not just for idle conversation but as a welcoming circle.
3. Update Your Resume: Regularly update your resume.
4. Attend Training: Take advantage of any training your workplace offers.
5. Keep Letters and Awards: Retain all letters of commendation and awards from supervisors from the last five years.
6. Read Extensively: Read professional journals, newsletters, and news articles related to your workplace.
7. Stay Informed: Be able to discuss trends in your work area, regardless of your job title.
8. Relate to New Information: Relate new developments in your field to your job and explore how they could improve your work situation.
9. Document Your Ideas and Projects: Build a portfolio of your ideas and projects with objectives, target completion dates, responsibilities, outcomes, progress, and notes. Include reachable benchmarks in all your projects.
10.Maintain Contacts: Stay in touch with school friends, work supervisors, professors, and staff who contributed to your development.
11. Advocate for your own healthcare: Insist that your doctors talk to you about your lab work numbers.
Love,
Charlie Edward McAdoo
Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church.
opinions
The Magic is in Our Moments
by Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo
May 24, 2024
Greetings to all! In our culture of being served instantly, I sometimes feel we miss out on the true prize of life and the true prize of life is in the moments. To me, there seems to be too much of a “cause” and what is the “effect” for many of us? Let me be the first to say, I was on that “get it done, and I want to see it now!” In having such a focus on the results, I missed a lot in life. I have said to people these days, “I am mad at God.” WOW! are you saying you are a forty four-year preacher saying something like that? The answer is yes!
The reason I make such a bold and true statement for me is because. My ‘because’ is in a back handed way to praise God! God is now showing insight to life I wish I had known before. I am now much older and unable to do anything directly about the past. As my younger son Charlie II says, “Daddy, Daddy it’s over, move on.” There are ways I feel we can move on in a positive way and catch all the forth coming moments we will experience. They are:
· Have genuine love for self
· Be open to hear, as we faze it out
· Live as if my today is my only tomorrow
· Lastly, find a way in your circles to pass it on
Have Divine Love for Self. I was blessed as I was growing up, my parents let me know I was loved! In knowing this it has caused me to:
Be open to hear, as we know when to faze it out. In my Pastoral role, I have no barriers on what you say to me. I try as I pray, we all try to be good listeners. I, being a good listener, am open to really hear you from mouth to heart. As I have matured, I try to listen more and comment less. The listening part is a challenge for many of us, me included, because I want to get my piece in. The beauty of open listening is that it has no barrier either. So, as we listen, we can by our own nature pick up on where people are coming from. That’s when our phasing out comes into being. If someone is not on my page, which may not be the correct page, but it’s my page and you drift too far from who I am, there are a couple of ways, based on your personality to deal with it. You can be out right and say, that’s not an area I feel comfortable discussing or just change the subject, or like I tell my children, tell them, “I got to go to the bathroom.”
Live as if my today is my only tomorrow This for me has always been a sensitive area to breach. How do you live as if this is your last day? For me it’s the whole concept of completion. I look around and I see so many projects that are open ended. As I write this article today, when I finish, there are some tasks I must do before the day is over. You have heard this before, but only one person was able to say this. Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). All of us will leave some work, task, job, situation to be done in our absence. Be aware that it’s no problem to not do it all. The problem is that to live on a daily basis as if someone else may do it for you! Keep your head up and your self-love. What that means to be is, I do not feel I have an advantage over anyone else. I feel I can in all situations be able to say to self, “you are loved by you!” It sounds like a contradiction, but it’s really a circle of hope. Loving one’s self has the explosive effect that helps us to love others. If there is no love at our home base, how can we go out and show it, live it, display it, and believe in it to others?
Lastly, find a way in your circles to pass it on. This one is going to be short and sweet. It is a matter of how we approach, and the way we talk about our younger generation. But when people say children/youth are our future, remind them that the children and youth are our present! From a theological standpoint, that’s why the gift of Jesus at Christmas is the greatest gift ever given to the world! So, let the folks know to not look at age of our children, they can understand a lot. So, give it to them, have them to use their mind to bring things to bear!
May our heart be open to live life in such a positive way, that in all your moments you will appreciate them!
Love,
Charlie Edward McAdoo
Rev. Dr. C.E. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church
About Us
Why we must create our own narratives
Perception is reality. How we are viewed and what is said about us matters. It is abundantly clear that here in Arkansas, we as African-Americans don't control many, if any, statewide media groups. On any given day, COUNT the number of positive stories reported by print and television stations KATV, KARK/KLRT-FOX-TV, and KTHV, about African Americans in Arkansas.
In Arkansas, with the exception of KTHV, the media groups and their ownerships are conservative and often often distort people of color and specifically, BLACK families. As black consumers of the news, "that's the part we miss." How on the "regular" we are portrayed by white media groups and their local news stations and print media.
A study from the University of Illinois concluded that at best media outlets (a) promoted racially biased portrayals and myths that pathologize black families and idealize white families with respect to poverty and crime (b) play a dangerous role in spreading debunked stereotypes about black families and (c) at worst, amplify those inaccurate depictions for political and financial gain. We've all seen that type of behavior before.
When media outlets examined in the study reported stories about poor families, they chose to feature black families in their coverage 59 percent of the time, even though only 27 percent of families living below the poverty line are black.
Similarly, in coverage of welfare, 60 percent of families portrayed were black, even though only 42 percent of families receiving welfare are black.
Finally, the article addresses the real-life consequences of the continued distortion of black life by the media. "When the news media constantly associates black people with crime, it increases racial stereotypes among viewers, leading the public including liberal and conservative Arkansan's to disproportionately favor punitive criminal justice policies." As a collateral damage piece, when the poor are depicted as overwhelmingly black, it leads the public to support heavier restrictions on welfare because of a perception that undeserving black people benefit from it. Backers of corporate and right-wing policies gain when the news media blames black families for social conditions, while their own role in destabilizing society remains invisible.
This online publication exists to counter the narrative that constantly depicts African Americans as "less than." It exists to balance the negative view of African American life that is constantly depicted in the local news and information outlets in this state. We are so much more than the lip-service paid to us by those that control the news cycle. It's not about the reporting of the news, it's about the process of manufacturing the news. There is a saying that goes something like this. "If you control the messenger, then you control the message." Let's take some of that control back. As African Americans in Arkansas, let us create our own narratives. Most importantly, let us report and talk about the real issues.................. with our own voices,.... and our own opinions.
meet our contributors
opinion
opinion
opinion
Deborah Suttlar
Deborah is a longtime Community and Civil Rights Activist. Her column appears in the Opinion Section.
Click the link below to read read Deborah Suttlar's column.
https://talkblackarkansas.com/opinion
opinion
opinion
opinion
The Honorable Wendell Griffen
Judge Griffen will comment on the law and its impact on Black Arkansans. He will also discuss and legal and social issues on a state and national level impacting Black Arkansans and Black Americans.
Click the link below to read Judge Griffens column.
Finance
opinion
Religion
Gaining generational wealth is the key to Black economic family wealth and security. We will share strategies from the Association of African American Financial Advisors to help you and your family get there. We will inform you about managing your finances so that you can start your path to financial freedom.
Religion
At the State Capitol
Religion
Rev. C.E. McAdoo
Rev. McAdoo is a retired District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church. He will provide a weekly column on Religion and Black Arkansas.
Click the link below to read Rev. McAdoo's column.
https://talkblackarkansas.com/opinion .
At the State Capitol
At the State Capitol
At the State Capitol
State Representative Joy C. Springer
State Representative Joy Springer is a veteran school an civil rights advocate for African-American children and their families. She will provide a weekly column on state legislative and educational concerns affecting African -Americans .
Click the link below to read Representative Springer's column.
Medicine and health
At the State Capitol
At the State Capitol
This weekly column features a listing of top African-American doctors in Arkansas, and their areas of expertise. We will try to connect you with physicians who understand your physical, cultural and mental health needs. One study suggests that African American male patients who meet with black physicians often ask to receive more preventive services than patients who met with nonblack physicians. This study also suggested that black doctors are more likely to provide a comfortable settings to black patients, perhaps because of shared experiences or backgrounds. The study concluded that increasing the amount of black physicians could lead to a 19 percent reduction in the black-white male cardiovascular mortality gap and an 8 percent decline in the black-white male life expectancy gap.
Education
Who to call
Who to call
This weekly column will focus on educational happenings in the state including news from local school districts and the Arkansas Department of Education.
Who to call
Who to call
Who to call
People always have "who to contact questions." Whether it is a local city government office or a state government office, we will try to steer you in the right direction.