Newspaper Page Text
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April 5, 2007
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Getting in
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the game
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Bringing golf to our community is an
issue that is discussed frequently but not
really emphasized because, for the most
part, it has always had a presence. As a
community, we have established plenty of
junior golf programs. Yet, with the lack of
participation we have in these programs,
one is inclined to believe none of us
would be involved in the game.
There are some valid conclusions to con
sider. We need more visualization. I can
remember my boss and mentor telling me
that as a people, we are especially visual in
gaining understanding. In essence, virtu
ally everything we do is based upon what
Ve ol
When we see Black people being success
ful, it motivates the rest of us to be suc
cesstul ~whether it is the doctor, lawyer,
business owner or deacon. Take under
consideration that we must be extra care
ful as to how we project ourselves.
Whether you believe it or not, everyone is
watching. Ponder this, if we don’t see
Black people on the professional golf
tours, how are we going to visualize our
selves as top-notch golfgplayers... or ever
trying to learn the game at all?
A valid supposition is that the game of
golt will not reach us as a whole until we
do a few more things. Sponsorships are
crucial. We can’t be seen until we have
people backing us. Not only is support
needed for youth programs, but for aspir
ing black players struggling to stay in the
game. If persons with resources are willing
to assist, maybe some good black players
will have the opportunity to develop their
skills. .
Media representation of the sport is sore
ly lacking. It is strongly believed that
more golf programs and commercials
depicting blacks are needed. One can't
just display Michael Jordan’s name or
emblem on some golf shoes and on a
course to gain notoriety. The “powers that
be” must show black golfers. There is a
need to connect to athletes in their partic
ular sport rather than assume persons are
aware of the game. It is imperative that we
begin to recognize and identify our adept
black golfers.
L S e A
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Charles W. Walker
Publisher
MEFQCUS Vi
General Manager
Since 1981 Michael Meyers
A Walker Group Publication Editor-in-Chief
1143 Laney Walker Blvd.
R\
James Wilkins Circulation Manager
Jessica Baptiste Contribumor
Reneé Norris Gaphic Designer / Community Service
Eric Samuels Graphic Designer / Photographer -
Deborah W. Moody Copy Editor / Writer |
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Beating the odds—Something to cheer about
If you want to hear about a
drug crime or armed robbery
by a twen, listen to the 11:00
P-m. News on most nighcs‘ or go
to the Metro section of most
newspapers. But if you want to
hear about exemplary or
ennobling behavior by young
people, you may have to do
some searching. It is unfortu
nate that so many images of our
youth in popular culture are
negative-objects in rap videos
or young people just behaving
stupidly.
The truth is that many chil
dren and teens are living posi
tve and productive lives. Some
are prevailing in the face of
unimaginable adversity. To rec
‘ognize and celebrate the
achievement of just few out
standing young people from a
pool of many who are nomi
nated or apply, the Childrens
Defense Fund started the Beat
the Odds® scholarship pro
gram in 1990 as part of the
Black Community Crusade for
Children. Our goal then as
now has been to affirm the suc
cess of teens who are overcom
Why would anyone kill Brown?
April ought to be the month
that we not only reflect upon
the Crudifixion of Jesus but also
the untimely deaths of Dr.
Marun Luther King Jr., and
former Commerce Secretary
Ron Brown, the man often
suggested would become the
natons first black president.
What’s the connection?
So glad you asked.
If the reporter/witesses, such
as Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John, had St()Td talking and
writing about the Assassination
of Jesus and his subsequent
Resurrection, what Seriptures
would Christians have to base
their faith upon? The Jesus fol
lowers could no more have
depended upon the Roman
soldiers to report trud‘lfull)' on
the Cruafixon than we can
depend upon the FBI and the
legacy of ]. Edgar Hoover to set
the record straight on the assas
sinations of King and Brown.
Brown was killed on April 3,
1996, on the eve of the 28th
anniversary of the April 4, 1968
assassination of D:fi(tr?m
Brown was the first African-
American to chair the Democ
ratic National Committee.
President Clinton, himself,
credited Brown, the consum
mate Washington insider
powerbroker, as one of the
main reasons why he won the
White House in 1994,
It has been more than a decade
since the plane Brown and 34
other passengers were riding in
crashed on 2 mountaintop in
Croatia. To this day; the fol.row—
£ v - 'i} e
b b
Marian W. Edelman
ing tremendous obstacles in
their lives while working hard,
demonstrating academic excel
lenae, and contributing to their
communities.
Each year, CDF national and
state offices select and recognize
four or five high school seniors
for their heroic achievements
while triumphing over
immense challenges. Each hon
oree receives a cash scholarship
and a new laptop computer.
Houston, Texas and Min
neapolis and St. Paul, Minneso
ta held Beat the Odds celebra
tons in March. Since 1990,
CDF has recognized and
encouraged approximately 570
Beat the Odds honorees to
become leaders and profession-
Rev. Barbara Reynolds
ing mysteries still remain:
Forensic experts for the Armed
Forces Institute of Pathology,
(AFIP) who examined Brown
at a morwary in Dover,
Delaware, reported that Brown
had a arcular hole in his head
that was the size and shape of a
gumhot wmmd. A scarch of
the crash site showed no pieces
of debris that could make such
a perfecty dnill-punched hole.
X-rays taken of Brown's head
showed fragments resembling
the pattern of a disintegrating
bullet. The Institute later con
aeded that those x-rays turned
up missing.
PShol'flLnicfom US. investiga
tors could reach Niko Jerkuic,
who was in charge of the Croa
tian rt's navigation system,
he w‘:l;gund dead from a gun
shot wound in the chest— an
alleged suicide.
Although initial reports, such
as Time Magazine, reported
that one of the worst storms in
a decade thwarted Brown’s
plane ?ho;nvcd la;jymg, later
res dfl'fl.llllg
m Granted there could be
als in a variety of fields, as well
as advocates for children and
champions of social justice.
Beat the Odds honoree
Mohamed [brahim Mohamed
was forced to be a child soldier
in Somalia by warlords who
also stole his family’s land. After
five years, he escaped and
walked for a month toward the
Kenyan border. After a miracu
lous reunion with his family, his
father was killed by Somali war
lords and his mother by bandits
in Kenya. -
At 16, Mohamed became
responsible for his five younger
brothers. Since his uncle
arranged for them to come to
the United States less than a
year ago, Mohamed has strived
to master English, has taken
extra courses at school in Min
neapolis and has found ame to
ttor younger students. He has
been accepted o St. Cloud
University and plans to become
a heart surgeon. Eventually, he
aspires o expand education
and health care in Somalia and
work to bring an end to the use
of child soldiers in Africa.
many explanations to why
Brown was the only one to
have a suspicious gunshot
wound since the plane was fly
ing near areas involved ina avil
war. Another possibility is that
someone could have executed
Brown and parachuted off the
plane.
Whatever the reasons, the
U.S. governments failures cre
ated Suspici()ns ()f a p()lidcal
assassination. Several patholo
gists called for an autopsy. It sall
has not been done and the
paduflngists who tried to alert
the public that something was
wrong had their careers ruined,
according to Jack Cashill, who
wrote an excellent book, ent
tled Ron Browns Bodly.
In my book, No [ Wont Shut
up, | tell of a conversation | had
with one of those experts, Lt.
Col. Sweve Cogswell, shordy
before he was offically muz
zled. Dr. Cogswell was the
AFIP deputy medical examiner
who asked his supervisors to
perform the autopsy. “This
whole think stinks,” he told
them.
Shorty after his forthright
ness, Cogswell told me, “T have
been re-assigned. | have been
demoted because of my report
ing (l)‘nfe Brown. Sometimes | feel
my life is endangered, but
ple onlyget‘dl:fiwnd'lfi:ycy
are going to tell something, |
have already talked and I have
no new revelations, so the cat is
already out of the bag, Without
an autopsy it is just as irrespon
sible to say the wound was
Tanya Allen, a high school
senior in St. Paul, has prevailed
against crushing poverty, a vio
lent alcoholic father, the stress
of her mothers recurring brain
tumor and the death of her
grandmother, who nurtured
her as a young child. She was
also molested by a non-family
member. Tanya rose above
these daunang difficulties
exael i school, maintaining a
3.77 grade point average. She
has a number of part-time jobs
and volunteers at her church
and with the Girl Scouts. She
holds a black belt in karate and
conducts a Kung Fu class for
younger children. This sum
mer, she will travel to Europe as
a People to People Ambassador.
Tanya will enter the University
of Minnesota in the fall and
plans to become a denast.
When Anosha Azcemi was
14, she, her mother and three
siblings fled Afghanistan after
the Taliban murdered cvery
male member of her family.
She had no formal schooling
for six years because girls and
Sec Cheer, next page 5A
caused by a bullet as to say 1t
was not.”
Why would anyone kill
Brown? And if someone want
cd o kill him. why take 34
innocent people with him.
Cashill pointed out that
Brown, was the man, who
knew too much, was heavily
involved in alleged illegal
fimdraising activities for the
Clintons and had mouthed off
about not going down alone.
Moreover, in the light of the
then recent suspicions around
the so-called suicde of Vinee
Foster, another suicade might
have raised too many suspi
dons.
Why do I care? | care not
only because, murder is
immoral and illegal, buc if
African-Americans, do not care
do you expect the Romans to
are?
| care befuse two weeks
before his death, Brown sent
word to me to attend one of his
high-powered Cabinet meet
ings. Oddly enough, | had been
in Washington journalism cir
cles for more than 20 years and
had never heard from Brown.
We were not friends. He was
not a source. But that day when
he announced a new program
to aid Africa, he alled me to
watch.
At a time when [ hear no
main-stream political leaders
alfiia;mdonmd)cmysmri—
ous of Ron Brown, [ am
mldnmfhlm I believe,
Brown, himself, knew [ would.