noticias - NC Justice Center

Transcripción

COMMUNITY
noticias
The quarterly
news
COMUNITARIAS
magazine
of the
North Carolina
Justice Center
Spring/Primavera 2010
Immediate benefits of national health reform for North Carolinians (page 22) El Censo está en nuestras manos!
Diga a todos que lo llenen y lo devuelvan. Su comunidad pierde si no lo hacen!! (pago 4)
!
INSIDE:
Community News
Noticias Comunitarias
Published by the North Carolina Justice Center/es
publicado por El Centro de Justicia de Carolina del Norte
contents
EDITOR’S MESSAGE/MENSAJE DE LA EDITORA
3
DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND MANAGING EDITOR/DIRECTORA
ADJUNTA: Debra Tyler-Horton
EDITORS/EDITORES: Diane Morris, Jeff Shaw
TRANSLATIONS/TRADUCCIONES: Luis Olivieri-Robert
DESIGNER/DISEÑO: Phyllis Nunn
Kenneth Jerald Jones
Gene Nichol
Dr. Gregory Moss, Sr.
Orage Quarles, III
Rev. J. George Reed
Geraldine Sumter
STAFF/PERSONAL
Melinda Lawrence, Executive Director
Debra Tyler-Horton, Deputy Director
Bill Rowe, Director of Advocacy/General Counsel
Carol Brooke, Migrant Worker Attorney
Lisa Chun, Immigration Attorney
Mary Coleman, Chief Financial Officer
Jill Diaz, Director of Development
Ajamu Dillahunt, Outreach Coordinator
Nicole Dozier, Litigation/Health Access
Anna Fedders, Litigation Paralegal
Elise Elliott, Assistant Finance Director
Chris Fitzsimon, NC Policy Watch
Clermont Fraser, Migrant Worker Attorney
Meg Gray, BTC - Public Policy Analyst
Jack Holtzman, Staff Attorney (Litigation)
Steve Jackson, BTC - Public Policy Analyst
Attracta Kelly, Immigration Attorney, ILAP Director
Adam Linker, Health Access - Policy Analyst
Hope Marasco, HAC/BTC - Outreach Coordinator
Dani Martinez-Moore, Immigration Network
Coordinator
Carol McNeely, Administrative Assistant
Carlene McNulty, Staff Attorney (Litigation)
Elaine Mejia, BTC - Director
Diane Morris , Senior Editor
Jan Nichols, Chief Technology Officer
Phyllis Nunn, Design Director
Helena O’Connor, Dir., Human Resources & Operations
Dineira Paulino, Immigration Paralegal
Daniel Rearick – Attorney, ECIR Project
Al Ripley, Consumer Action Network
Jessica Rocha - Paralegal, ECIR Project
Cristin Ruggles, Immigration Paralegal
Rob Schofield, NC Policy Watch
Adam Searing, Health Access Coalition - Director
Jeff Shaw, Director of Communications
Rochelle Sparko, Staff Attorney
Louisa Warren, Policy Advocate
Kate Woomer-Deters – Attorney, ECIR Project
4
The 2010 Census: Shaping NC’s Politics
and Economy/EEl Censo 2010:
Transformando la Política y Economía de
Carolina Del Norte – By Megan Sappenfield
6
Census Crosses Issues; So Do Groups – By
Dustin Bayard
7
State and Local Taxes: A Silent Hurdle
Facing Working Families – By Elaine Mejia
8
NC Gets Serious About Prisoner Re-entry and Recidivism/
Carolina del Norte se vuelve seria con la reentrada y el retorno
de prisioneros al crimen By Bill Rowe
COMMUNITY FOCUS/ENFOQUE COMUNITARIO
11 A History Lesson on Our Public Schools – An expert who
lived through it explains where we are and how we got
here – By Rob Schofield
12
Is respectful dialogue on immigration possible in North
Carolina?/¿¿Es posible tener un diálogo respetuoso sobre
inmigración en Carolina del Norte? – By Dan Rearick
INFORMATION EXCHANGE/INTERCAMBIO DE INFORMACION
14 What Is the Purpose of Government?/¿Cuál es el propósito del gobierno?? – By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
North Carolina Justice Center
224 S. Dawson Street
P.O. Box 28068
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
(919)856-2570 phone
(919)856-2175 fax
[email protected]
www.ncjustice.org
Community News
11
10 Investigating Your Hospital’s Financial Assistance Policy/
Investigando la Política de Ayuda Financiera de Tu
Hospital – By Adam Linker
VOLUNTEER: Polly Williams
2
4
In Celebration of Women’s History
Month//En la celebración del mes de la
historia de las mujeres – By/por Debra
Tyler-Horton
POLICY UPDATE/ACTUALIDAD POLÍTICA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS/JUNTA DE DIRECTORES
Co-chairs: Jean Cary, Raquel Lynch
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II
Asa L. Bell, Jr.
Dhamian A. Blue
Anita Brown-Graham
Christopher T. Graebe
Richard Hooker, Jr.
Fiorella Horna-Guerra
contenido
I Noticias Comunitarias
22
14
HKonJ 4 a big success/El cuarto HKonJ, un gran
logro – By Rob Schofield
22
Health Care reform: How It Will Help – By Adam
Searing and Adam Linker
DIALOGUE
making a
MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE
difference
In Celebration of Women’s History Month
“We must not, in trying to think about
how we can make a big difference,
ignore the small daily difference we
can make which, over time, add up to
big differences that we often cannot
foresee.”
– Marian Wright Edelman,
American activist
AS WE COME TO THE END of Women’s History
Month, let me take this opportunity to highlight three
women making a difference here at the North Carolina
Justice Center: Melinda Lawrence, our executive
director, and the co-chairs of our board, Raquel Lynch
and Jean Cary. This amazing team is leading one of the
state’s most influential organizations at the forefront of
change for North Carolina with a diverse, talented staff
of 44, including 31 women.
Melinda Lawrence joined the Justice
Center as executive director in February
2007 after a distinguished career at
Patterson, Harkavy and Lawrence LLP,
where she concentrated in civil rights and
consumer and employment rights. She
litigated numerous high-profile cases in
North Carolina, including Willie M v. Hunt, which
established new rights and services for mentally
handicapped children, and Small v. Martin, which resulted
in major prison reform. She also represented countless
DIALOGAR
hace la
individuals challenging discriminatory treatment in their
workplaces, schools and communities.
Raquel Lynch is director of information
technology, project management and
advocacy at Crisis Assistance Ministry in
Charlotte. The organization provides
assistance and advocacy for people in
financial crisis, helping them move toward
self-sufficiency.
Jean Cary is a professor of law at
Campbell University in Raleigh, with a
focus on family law and trial advocacy.
She is director of the South East
Deposition Program for the National
Institute for Trial Advocacy, which
provides legal advocacy skills training.
These women along with countless others have given of
their time, talent and financial resources to help bring
about change not only in the work they do on the job but
also in their homes and communities. Take a moment this
month to say thank you to the women you know.
leaving at the end of April to join the staff of AARP of
North Carolina where I will be heading up the North
Carolina branch of a new national community outreach
initiative. It is an exciting and difficult moment for me.
I am energized by the prospect of a new and important
challenge, and at the same time saddened to leave my
day-to-day interaction with so many dear friends and
important causes.
Fortunately, I am not going very far away. Not only
will I still call Raleigh home, but I’ll still be
championing many of the same critical issues of social
and economic justice. And I’ll be doing it on behalf of
a great and important organization that frequently
partners with the Justice Center! So, while I may be
calling a new organization “home,” I won’t be hard to
find. In the months ahead, be sure to look for me in
your community and, no doubt, at a number of Justice
Center events. No matter what the future holds, a part
of my heart will always be with the Justice Center. I
hope you will join me in a continuing commitment to
this wonderful organization. Thanks for all of your
support and God bless.
On a brief personal note, I want to share with readers
that this is the final edition of Community News (CN)
that I will have the privilege of editing. After a fun,
challenging, and all-around amazing 13 years with the
Justice Center (11 of them overseeing CN) I will be
Debra Tyler-Horton,
Managing Editor
Visit www.ncjustice.org
diferencia
En la celebración del mes de la historia de las mujeres
“No debemos, al intentar pensar cómo podemos
lograr una gran diferencia, ignorar las pequeñas
diferencias que a diario podemos lograr que, con el
tiempo, suman las grandes diferencias que a vecesno
podemos preveer..”
– Marian Wright Edelman,
activista Americana
AL CELEBRAR EL MES de la historia de las
mujeres, quiero tomar esta oportunidad para destacar
a tres mujeres que hacen la diferencia aquí en el
Centro para la Justicia de Carolina del Norte:
Melinda Larence, nuestra directora ejecutiva, y los
miembros de nuestra junta, Raquel Lynch y Jean
Cary. Este equipo asombroso está dirigiendo una de
las organizaciones más influyentes del estado a la
vanguardia del cambio para Carolina del Norte con
un personal diverso de 44, incluyendo 31 mujeres.
Melinda se unió al Centro para la Justicia como
directora ejecutiva en febrero de 2007 después de una
carrera distinguida en Patterson, Harkavy y Lawrence
LLP, donde ella se concentró en derechos civiles y
del consumidor y de empleo. Ella litigó numerosos
casos destacados en Carolina del Norte, incluyendo
Willie M v. Hunt, que estableció nuevos derechos y
servicios para niños con discapacidad mental y Small
V. Martin, que dio lugar a reforma carcelaria
importante. Ella también representó a numerosos
individuos que retaron el tratamiento discriminatorio
en sus lugares de trabajo, escuelas y comunidades.
Raquel Lynch es directora de tecnología de
información, administración de proyectos y defensa
en el Crisis Assistance Ministry en Charlotte. La
organización proporciona ayuda y defensa para gente
en crisis financiera, ayudándole para moverse hacia
la autosuficiencia.
Jean Cary es profesora de derecho en la
Universidad Campbell en Raleigh, con interés en
defensa del derecho de familia y juicio. Ella es
directora del South East Deposition Program para el
National Institute for Trial Advocacy, que prove
capacitación en destrezas de defensa legal.
Estas mujeres junto con otras incontables han
dado de su tiempo, talento y recursos financieros para
ayudar a lograr el cambio no sólo en el trabajo que
hacen en su empleo pero también en sus hogares y
comunidades. Tome un momento este mes para
agradecer a las mujeres que usted conoce.
.
Debra Tyler-Horton,
Directora Asociada
Visit www.ncjustice.org
Community News
3
FEATURE ARTICLE
The 2010 Census: Shaping NC’s Politics and Economy
By Megan Sappenfield, Intern, Southern Coalition for Social Justice
Reaching Immigrant Communities
Every ten years, the federal government counts the
population. The results are used to determine how
legislative districts are drawn and how much
federal money each state gets for hospitals,
schools, transportation, emergency services, job
training centers and many other programs and
services.
The 2010 Census is an opportunity to
improve the quality of life for communities in the
short term while building strong coalitions and
political power in the long term. It is of great
importance that every person in North Carolina be
counted.
What Is At Stake
The 2010 census will influence how much
economic and political power communities have
for the next decade, so communities in North
Carolina have a lot to lose if every person is not
counted.
The federal government allocates more than $400
billion each year based on census figures. More than
half of that sum goes directly to Medicaid, which
provides health care to the poor and the disabled. The
second-largest allocation goes to education, where Title
I funding of low-income schools is decided by the
census.
The census numbers also determine the number of
representatives North Carolina gets in Congress, and
they impact the shape of state and local voting districts.
Because of the importance of a full and accurate
count, groups around North Carolina have spent months
preparing for the largest outreach effort of the last
decade. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice
(SCSJ), for example, approaches the census as an
extension of its work on a range of human rights issues
in the South.
“The census only happens once every ten years,
and we have to live with the results for the next
decade,” said SCSJ state organizer Avery Book, who
spends 40 hours each week traveling to meet with
communities and coalitions across the state. “What we
do in the next few months has a huge impact on how
much leverage and power we’re able to build for poor
communities and underrepresented communities for the
next ten years.”
Book’s work has brought him to statewide
coalition meetings regarding the count of farmworkers
and other migrant workers. He has also worked with
groups that seek to convince the Census Bureau to use a
portion of their media budget to advertise with Black
4
Community News
and Latino media outlets, as opposed to focusing only
on larger mainstream markets.
Overcoming Distrust
SCSJ is partnering with community organizations
to ensure that historically hard-to-count populations are
counted. One of those partner groups is the South
Piedmont Economic Action for Recovery (SPEAR) in
Kannapolis, which engages in unique outreach in the
African-American community.
“We’re focusing on figures like health-care
deductibles and where schools will be built to make the
census real and not just rhetoric,” said Connie Leeper, a
community organizer with SPEAR. “Putting a dollar
figure to every form filled out helps people understand
what’s at stake while giving them an opportunity to use
their voice.”
In Kannapolis, African-American, low-wealth
communities are most at risk for being undercounted in
the 2010 Census. Many in those communities distrust
the Census Bureau and do not believe their information
will be kept confidential. This mistrust is not
unfounded. Over-policing of communities of color has
caused a chasm, and incidents of government abuse,
such as the historic Tuskegee syphilis experiments, are
not easily forgotten.
In order to combat these obstacles, SPEAR has
started a Census Pledge drive, in which members of the
community learn about the census and take
responsibility for making long-term change.
For immigrants and refugees who fear
government intrusion, avoiding the census seems a
better alternative than risking harsher policing or
deportation. However, the census does not ask about
citizenship status, and the Census Bureau is prohibited
by law from collaborating or sharing personal
information with any other government agency.
The Eastern North Carolina Complete Count
Committee is employing retired farmworkers to
reach a new generation of this historically
undercounted population. The volunteers, many of
whom themselves have never before been counted,
have each pledged a minimum of 15 hours per week
to travel to communities and engage in census
education. They hope to use these experiences as a
building block for more long-term relationships and
as a way of creating the infrastructure necessary to
keep communities engaged.
Another hard-to-count immigrant community
is the Montagnards, tribal people from Vietnam’s
Central Highlands. Despite the fact that the Montagnard
population of Greensboro is the largest found outside
Southeast Asia, this group has received little attention.
For more than two decades, this community has often
been counted as Vietnamese or Cambodian, even though
Montagnards are distinguished from these groups
ethnically, culturally and linguistically.
“American authorities have handed out
Vietnamese translations -- when they've provided
translation -- even though there has been plenty of
evidence to show that this is culturally unacceptable to
some in the target population,” said Andrew Young of
the Montagnard Dega Association (MDA).
The MDA has produced translated census
materials as well as a series of YouTube videos to guide
individuals through the census questionnaire. The
organization is hoping this will enable Montagnards to
better understand the census and fully participate in it
this year. “We undertook this work simply because no
one else has,” said Young.
The MDA is also hopeful that this will be the
foundation for building a stronger relationship with the
Montagnard community of Greensboro. “For the
multilingual Montagnards, their primary language is
often the way in which they identify themselves to one
another,” said Young. “Simply informing the local
Montagnard community that we were investing time
and money into something they valued has garnered a
lot of good will and trust across a community that has
often been more divided than united.”
ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA
El Censo 2010: Transformando la Política y Economía de Carolina Del Norte
Por Megan Sappenfield, Interna, La Coalición Sureña por Justicia Social
Cada diez años, el gobierno federal
cuenta la población. Los resultados son
usados para determinar como los
distritos legislativos serán divididos y
cuanto dinero federal cada estado
recibirá para sus hospitales, escuelas,
transportación, servicios de emergencia,
entrenamiento de empleo y otros
programas y servicios.
El Censo del 2010 es una
oportunidad para mejorar la calidad de la
vida de comunidades a corto plazo
mientras construimos coaliciones fuertes
y poder político a la larga. Es de gran
importancia que cada persona en
Carolina del Norte sea contada.
La razón por la cual es
importante
El censo del 2010 influirá cuanto
poder política y económica una
comunidad tendrá por la próxima
década, así que las comunidades de
Carolina del Norte tienen mucho que
perder si no toda la población es
contada.
El gobierno federal prove mas de
$400 mil millones cada ano basado en
las figures y conteo del censo. Mas de la
mitad de esta cantidad va directamente a
Medicad, el cual provee ayuda médica a
los pobres y a los discapacitados. La
segunda cantidad mas grande va para
educación, bajo la cual fondos de Titulo
I para escuelas de bajos ingresos de
deciden basados en el censo.
Los números del censo también
determinan el número de representantes
que Carolina del Norte tendrá en el
Congreso y también impactan la
formación de distritos electorales
estatales y locales.
Dado a la importancia de un
conteo completo y exacto, grupos en
Carolina del Norte han pasado muchos
meses preparándose para el esfuerzo de
alcance más grande en la última década.
La Coalición Sureña para la Justicia
Social (SCSJ), por ejemplo, incluye al
censo como una extensión de su misión
que trata con asuntos de derechos
humanos en el Sur.
“El censo solamente ocurre una
ves cada diez anos y tenemos que vivir
con los resultados por la próxima
década,” dijo organizador estatal de
SCSJ Avery Book, quien pasa 40 horas
por semana viajando para reunirse con
comunidades y coaliciones por todo el
estado. “Lo que hagamos en los
próximos meses tendrá un gran impacto
en cuanto peso y poder podamos crear
para nuestras comunidades por los
próximos diez años.”
El trabajo de Book lo ha llevado a
reuniones de coaliciones a nivel estatal
sobre el conteo de trabajadores agrícolas
y otros trabajadores migrantes. El
también ha trabajado con grupos que
tratan de convencer al Negociado del
Censo a usar parte de su presupuesto
para multimedia para promover el censo
en la prensa Negra y Latina, en vez de
solamente enfocarse en los mercados
corrientes.
Superando Desconfianza
SCSJ se asocia con organizaciones
comunitarias para asegurar que
poblaciones difíciles de contar sean
contadas. Uno de esos grupos es Acción
Económica del Sur Piedmont para
Recuperación (SPEAR) en Kannapolis,
el cual participa en el alcance singular de
la comunidad Afro-Americana.
“Nos enfocamos en números como
deducibles de ayuda medica y donde es
que las escuelas serán construidas para
hacer el censo mas real y no solamente
teórico,” dijo Connie Leeper, un leader
comunitario con SPEAR. “Cuando le
ponemos un valor fiscal a cada forma
que la gente llena, la gente entiende el
valor de los que están haciendo,
dándoles una oportunidad de usar su
voz.”
En Kannapolis, comunidades AfroAmericanas de bajos ingresos son las
comunidades en mayor riesgo de ser
subcontadas en el censo del 2010.
Muchas de estas comunidades
desconfían al Bureau del Celso y no
creen que su información se mantendrá
confidencial. Esta falta de confianza no
existe sin base. Abusos departe del
gobierno, local y estatal, han creado
temor y estos eventos, como los
experimentos de las sífilis Tuskegee, no
son fácilmente olvidados.
Para combater estos obstáculos,
SPEAR ha comenzado una campana
Juramento Censo, en la cual miembros
de la comunidad aprenden sobre el
censo y toman responsabilidad para
lograr cambio a largo plazo.
Alcanzando a las Comunidades
Inmigrantes
Para los inmigrantes y refugiados
que temen cualquier cosa del gobierno,
el evitar el censo parece mejor
alternativa que el arriesgarse a ser
deportados o leyes brutales. Sin
embargo, el censo no tiene preguntas
sobre estatus de ciudadanía y al Bureau
del Censo se le prohíbe por ley colaborar
o prestart información personal con otras
agencias del gobierno.
El Comité Cuenta Completa de
Carolina del Norte Oriental esta
contratando a trabajadores agrícolas
retirados para alcanzar a una nueva
generación de esta población subcontada
históricamente. Los voluntarios, de los
cuales muchos nunca han sido contados,
han jurado un mínimo de 15 horas por
semana para viajar por las comunidades
y participar en educación sobre el censo.
Ellos esperan usar estas experiencias
como fundación para desarrollar
relaciones a largo plazo y como una
forma de crear la infraestructura
necesaria para mantener a las
comunidades participando.
Otra comunidad de inmigrantes
difícil de contar son los Montagnards,
un grupo tribal de los montes
centrales de Vietnam. A pesar del
hecho de que la población
Montagnards de Greensboro es la
más grande fuera del Sureste de Asia,
este grupo ha recibido poca atención.
Por mas de dos décadas, esta comunidad
esta población se ha contado muchas
veces como Vietnamita o Cambodiana,
aunque los Montagnards se distinguen
de estos grupos étnicamente,
culturalmente, y lingüísticamente.
“Autoridades Americanas han
distribuido traducciones Vietnamitas—
cuando han provisto traducción—aunque
hay mucha evidencia que demuestra que
esto no es correcto culturalmente para
algunos en esta población,” dijo Andrew
Young de la Asociación Montagnard
Dega (MDA).
La MDA ha producido materiales
del censo traducidos y también una serie
de videos de YouTube para guiar a estos
individuos a llenar la encuesta del censo.
La organización espera que esto ayudara
a los Montagnards a comprender mejor
el censo y completamente participar este
ano. “Llevamos a cabo este trabajo
simplemente porque nadie mas lo ha
hecho,” dijo Young.
La MDA también espera que esta
será la fundación para construir una
relación más fuerte con la población
Montagnard de Greensboro. “Para los
Montagnards multilingües, su lengua
nativa es la forma en la cual ellos se
identifican los unos a los otros,” dijo
Young. “Simplemente informándole a la
comunidad Montagnard local que
estábamos invirtiendo tiempo y dinero
en algo que ellos valoran ha creado
muchos sentimientos de buena voluntad
en la comunidad que muchas veces ha
estado más dividida que unida.”
Community News
5
FEATURE ARTICLE
Census Crosses Issues; So Do Groups
By Dustin Bayard, Census Outreach Coordinator
Rarely is an event so essential to
the common good that it inspires
advocacy organizations across the
state to work together as one. But that
is exactly what is happening among
members of Blueprint NC, a
partnership of about 50 progressive
non-profits, who are working on the
census.
Organizers from Democracy
North Carolina are reaching out to one
million North Carolinians with census
brochures, fliers and other educational
material. Common Cause North
Carolina is knocking on doors to
make sure students at North
Carolina’s historically black colleges
and universities know how their
participation can help move issues
important to them and their
communities.
The Coalition to End
Homelessness is providing
information to shelters to educate
thousands of homeless North
Carolinians on where, when, and how
they can be counted. And the Southern
Coalition for Social Justice is working
with dozens of partners across the
state to make sure Complete Count
Committees (state- and county-level
groups working with the U.S. Census
6
Community News
Bureau to build awareness) recognize
the needs of the communities they are
serving.
The list of organizations
dedicated to promoting a fair and
accurate count does not end there. El
Pueblo, the Alliance of Black Elected
Officials, the A. Philip Randolph
Institute, the Southeast Regional
Economic Justice Network, Planned
Parenthood, the Southern Alliance for
Clean Energy, and Legal Aid of North
Carolina’s
Client
Council are
all working
together to
promote
participation
through their
members and
networks.
Many
Blueprint
partners work
on policy
development,
others on
issue
advocacy,
and some on
grassroots organizing. All are
committed to improving the common
good by pursuing an integrated
communications and civic
engagement strategy. They share
resources, collaborate on plans and
implement joint strategies to get the
most from their time and money.
All of the Blueprint partner
groups recognize that the census will
have an impact on nearly every aspect
of policy for the next decade. An
accurate count will help ensure there
is funding for schools, transportation,
health care and other public
investments.
By working together, Blueprint
partners are once again leading the
way in helping create a better, fairer,
and healthier North Carolina.
Justice for Juveniles!
Sign onto the Raise the Age Statement of Principles
Children are North Carolina’s most vital and valuable resource, and investing in them is
investing in our collective future. Over More than 30,000 of our children are currently involved
with the adult criminal justice system. Over More than 85% of these children have committed
minor crimes, yet a bad decision made when they were 16 or 17 years old will determine the
trajectory of their lives.
Individuals and organizations are invited to sign on to the Raise the Age Statement of
Principles, outlined below, (below) which is behind the legislative effort to raise the age at
which children are prosecuted as adults in North Carolina.
Tell North Carolina’s leaders that it’s time to join the rest of the country by reading and
signing on to the Raise the Age Petition. Visit the link below to sign the petition.
http://www.change.org/actions/view/get_children_out_of_the_adult_system_justice_for_juveniles
Tell our legislatorsthem to throw out this nearly 100-year-old law and put 16- and 17-year -olds
in the juvenile justice system, where they can be treated, rehabilitated, educated, counseled,
and prepared for a successful life.
Please email Brandy Bynum at [email protected] or call 919-834-6623, x-234, for more
information on how you can help. Legislators will act on this issue only if they hear from
constituents. Help us tell them that these children can no longer be ignored!
Sincerely,
Action for Children North Carolina
S TAT E M E N T O F P R I N C I P L E S
Whereas:
Children are North Carolina’s most vital and valuable resource and investing in each of them is
investing in our collective future; and
An adolescent mistake should not determine a child’s outcome in life; and
Research should inform policy and practices; and
Current brain research demonstrates that adolescence is a developmental phase and youth do not
have adults’ ability to make informed choices and plan for the long- term; and
Because of their still-developing brains, adolescents need guidance through the transition from
childhood to adulthood; and
Community institutions like schools, the faith community and child and family-serving agencies
should provide supports and guidance to parents; and
The adult criminal justice system is not structured to handle the developmental, educational or social
needs of children; and
The juvenile justice system provides the developmentally- appropriate programs, services and
punishments that can help parents nurture and guide young people as they grow into productive
adult citizens; then
We believe North Carolina’s policy-makers, communities, advocates and government
systems should work to:
I. Keep children and youth out of the criminal justice system whenever possible by addressing their
needs and those of their families early and effectively through prevention and intervention.
II. Continue to build a juvenile justice system that offers age-appropriate treatment and services,
therapy, education, job- skills training and punishment and further enhance the system to support
and promote evidence-based programs.
III. Ensure that all youth under age 18 charged with a crime start in the juvenile justice system, are
treated in an age-appropriate manner and are provided with developmentally appropriate, evidencedbased services and supports. Ensure that sanctions, when needed, are appropriate to a youth’s
developmental stage.
IV. Fully fund local Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils and the state Department of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention to ensure the availability of evidence-based and developmentally
appropriate programs and services.
POLICY UPDATE
State and Local Taxes: A Silent Hurdle Facing Working Families
By Elaine Mejia, Director, NC Budget & Tax Center
Cuts to work hours, layoffs, and the high costs of life’s
basics are all factors that keep low-income working
families from supporting themselves through their own
work effort. But there's another, more silent, financial
stumbling block confronting these families -- the
unfairness of state and local taxes.
It's not that taxes in general are too high or that
government is "too big." In fact, North Carolina ranks
33rd highest in the amount of taxes collected per person,
according to the latest Census data. The problem is,
rather, that low- and moderate-income taxpayers pay
greater shares of their incomes in state and local taxes
than higher-income taxpayers do.
According to a recent study by the Institute on
Taxation and Economic Policy in
Washington, DC, when all North Carolina
taxes are totaled up and the deductibility of
state taxes is accounted for:
• The poorest fifth of North Carolina nonelderly taxpayers – those families
earning less than $17,000 – pay 9.5% of
their incomes in state and local taxes;
• Middle-income North Carolina
taxpayers – those earning between
$29,000 and $48,000 – pay 9.4% of
their incomes in state and local taxes;
• But the richest North Carolina taxpayers
– with average incomes of $1,150,400 –
pay only 6.8% of their incomes in state
and local taxes.
Why is this so? True, North Carolina’s
income tax is progressive – meaning it
requires those with more income to pay a
greater percentage into the revenue system.
However, it’s only a little progressive
because taxpayers reach the top bracket
after earning a mere $60,000. Moreover,
property taxes have a greater impact on
low- and moderate-income taxpayers when
accounting for the fact that renters indirectly
pay a portion of property taxes through their
rent payments.
The personal income tax generates
32% of state and local tax revenue in North
Carolina. However, the general sales tax
plus excise taxes (on items such as
cigarettes, alcohol and gas) actually make
up 34% of revenues – and those make up
the majority of the taxes that low- and
moderate-income people pay.
The less income a family has, the
more likely it is they will have to spend all of their money to
provide life’s basics. So they pay their income taxes, and
then they pay sales taxes on most of that money when they
spend it. Wealthier people, however, have enough disposal
income that they can save or invest their money.
There are a number of steps state policymakers
can take to make the tax system more balanced.
• Make the income tax more progressive by adding
a top rate for higher-income taxpayers and by
increasing the refundable earned income tax credit
(and thereby lowering taxes on low- and
moderate-income working families).
• Broaden the sales tax base to include more services and
use the additional funds raised to lower the tax rate.
•
•
Reduce the impact of property taxes on lowincome households by establishing a refundable
property tax circuit-breaker and renter’s credit that
would refund a portion of the property tax bills
paid by low- and moderate-income households.
Resist the temptation to increase excise taxes
without adequate justification and, when necessary,
offset these increases with targeted tax relief to
lower-income taxpayers.
Working families have to overcome tremendous
hurdles right now just to make ends meet. It’s up to all of
us to make sure that state and local taxes is not one of
those hurdles.
Community News
7
POLICY UPDATE
NC Gets Serious About Prisoner Re-entry and Recidivism
By Bill Rowe, General Counsel/Director of Advocacy
IN LATE 2008 a group of advocates,
service providers, faith groups and
concerned citizens came together to urge
North Carolina policymakers to identify
and reduce the barriers facing people with
criminal records who are trying to
reintegrate into society. In the Fall 2008
issue of Community News, I wrote, “The
2009 long session of the General
Assembly presents lawmakers with an
opportunity to get serious about
addressing re-entry barriers for people
with criminal records.” Our goal was for
the state to develop policies and programs
aimed at being “smart on crime” by
ensuring successful prisoner re-entry.
Ultimately, a holistic approach that
addresses the myriad of needs associated
with re-entry will result in both safer
communities and the better use of tax
dollars.
The NC Second Chance Alliance
worked in support of bills HB 527 and SB
496, which called for a study of how “NC
and other states address barriers facing exoffenders in accessing jobs, housing,
education, training and services and to
determine best practices that reduce
recidivism.” There was bi-partisan support
for the legislation, as was evidenced by a
well-attended press conference in March
when the bills were introduced
that included speakers from both
parties.
Then in May, Governor
Beverly Perdue signed an
executive order creating the
“Governor’s StreetSafe Task
Force.” With Attorney General
Roy Cooper and Secretary of
Corrections Alvin Keller as
chairmen, the task force’s
mission is to “develop a plan to
combat recidivism and
reintegrate offenders safely into
the community.” The task force
is made up of numerous state
and local agency representatives, along
with business, community, and justice
system leaders. The task force is divided
into five work groups on the following
topics: health and addiction, housing and
transportation, success in the workplace,
support systems and the justice system.
Each working group includes individuals
from outside the task force.
Most recently, the General
Assembly created the Joint Select
Committee on Ex-Offender Reintegration
into Society. The committee’s mission
follows the legislation described above
that the Second Chance Alliance
supported. The chairs of the committee
are Reps. Garland Pierce and Angela
Bryant and Senator Charlie Dannelly.
Dennis Gaddy – director of Community
Success Initiative, member of Second
Chance Alliance and contributor to
Community News – has been appointed
to the committee and will bring a wealth
of experience and expertise to its
deliberations.
Finally, the Justice Reinvestment
Project of the Council of State
Governments has chosen to work in North
Carolina “to advance fiscally sound, datadriven criminal justice system policies to
break the cycle of
recidivism, avert prison
expenditures and make
communities safer.” That
work will begin soon here
and will involve bi-partisan
representatives from the state
House and Senate, the
governor’s office, key state
agencies, the courts and
other stakeholders. Thanks to
the work of the Justice
Reinvestment Project, a
number of states have
realized millions of dollars
in savings – most notably
Texas, which has seen its prison
population decrease over the past few
years.
Numerous efforts are underway that
hopefully will result in North Carolina
being a safer place to live and a better
steward of tax dollars. Look for future
updates in Community News and the
Justice Center’s web site.
To get involved in the effort to improve
prisoner re-entry and reduce recidivism,
visit www.ncsecondchance.org or contact
Bill Rowe (919-856-2177,
[email protected]) or Louisa Warren, (919856-2183, [email protected]).
Carolina del Norte se vuelve seria con la reentrada y el retorno
de prisioneros al crimen
Por Bill Rowe, Director de Agenda/Consejo General
A fines del 2008, en grupo de proveedores de
servicios, grupos de fe y ciudadanos preocupados se
unieron para juntos ponerles presión a los políticos de
Carolina del Norte para identificar y reducir las
barreras que impiden la reintegración a la sociedad de
aquellos con récords criminales. En el ejemplar de
Noticias Comunitarias de otoño del 2008, yo escribí,
“La sesión del 2009 de la Asamblea General le
presenta a los legisladores la oportunidad de volverse
serios sobre las barreras contra aquellos individuos
con records criminales.” Nuestra meta era que el
estado empezara a desarrollar agendas y programas
enfocados al ser “listos contra el crimen” al
asegurarnos de re-entradas de prisioneros a la
sociedad exitosas. En fin, un método en general que
ataque las muchas necesidades asociadas con reentrada resultaría en comunidades más seguras y un
mejor uso de los impuestos.
La Alianza Segunda Oportunidad de Carolina
del Norte trabajo en apoyo de los proyectos de ley
HB 527 y SB 496, los cuales reclamaban un estudio
de como “Carolina del Norte y otros estados trabajan
con las barreras con las cuales se enfrentan exofendedores buscando trabajos, hogares, educación,
entrenamiento y servicios para determinar las mejoras
prácticas que reduzcan el que estos regresen al
crimen.” Hubo apoyo bipartidista para la legislación,
el cual fue demostrado en las conferencias de prensa
que fueron asistidas por representantes de ambos
partidos.
(cont. on p. 9)
8
Community News
ACTUALIDAD POLÍTICA
MLK Support for Labor Banquet
April 10, 2010
6:00 p.m.
North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) building 700 S Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC
TICKETS: Adults $40 ($45 at the door), Children (6-12) $12
MORE INFO: (919) 829-0957 or (919) 876-7187
Keynote Speaker:
Marleine Bastien
Executive Director, Haitian Women of Miami
Candidate, 17th Congressional District (Florida)
Despues en mayo, la Gobernadora Beverley
Perdure firmó la orden ejecutiva creando la
“Coalición Calle Segura del Gobernador.” Con el
Licenciado General Roy Cooper y el Secretario de
Correcciones Alvin Keller como jefes, la misión de la
coalición es el “desarrollar un plan para combatir el
retorno al crimen y el reintegrar ofendedores a la
comunidad.” Varios representantes de agencias
locales y estatales son miembros de la coalición,
unidos por varios líderes comunitarios, de negocios, y
del sistema judicial. La coalición se divide en cinco
grupos de trabajo según los siguientes temas: salud y
adicción, hogar y transportación, éxito en el trabajo,
sistemas de apoyo y el sistema judicial. A cada grupo
se le incluyen individuos fuera de la coalición.
Recientemente, la Asamblea General creó el
Comité Unido de la Reintegración de Ex-Ofendedores
a la Sociedad. La misión del comité es la misma de la
ley que la Alianza Segunda Oportunidad apoyó. Los
jefes de comité son los representantes Garland Pierce
y Ángela Bryant y el Senador Charlie Daniellis.
Dennis Gaddy—director de Iniciativa Éxito
Comunitario, miembro de Alianza Segunda
Oportunidad y contribuyente de Noticias
Comunitarias—ha sido asignado al comité que el
enriquecerá con su experiencia.
En fin, el Proyecto de Reinmersión Justa del
Concilio de Gobiernos Estatales has escogido a
Carolina del Norte “para avanzar políticas del sistema
de justicia criminal fiscalmente sabias y dirigidas por
investigación para romper el ciclo de reincidencia,
evitar extensiones de tiempo en prision y crear
comunidades más seguras.” Ese trabajo comenzara
aqui pronto y combinara el esfuerzo de representantes
de ambos partidos en el Senado y la Camara de
Representantes, la oficina del gobernador, agencias
estatales esenciales, las cortes y otros interesados.
Gracias al trabajo hecho por el Proyecto de
Reinversion Justa, algunos estados al alcanzado
millones de dolares en ahorros—especialmente Texas,
el cual ha visto su poblacion en prisión disminuir en
los pasados años.
Varios métodos están siendo trabajados que, esperemos,
resultarán en una Carolina del Norte más segura para
vivir y un mejor uso de impuestos. Busca noticias en el
futuro sobre este tema y esfuerzo: una mejorar reentrada y la reducción de reincidencia en la comunidad
de ex-prisioneros. Visita www.ncsecondchance.org o
contacta Bill Rowe (919-856-2177, [email protected]) o
Louisa Warren, (919-856-2183, [email protected]).
Community News
9
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Investigating Your Hospital’s
Financial Assistance Policy
Investigando la Política de
Ayuda Financiera de Tu Hospital
By Adam Linker, Policy Analyst, Health Access Coalition
by Adam Linker
MEDICAL DEBT burdens many lowand middle-income families in North
Carolina. Most families in the state and
around the country receive health
insurance benefits through work, which
leaves them especially vulnerable during
a recession, when unemployment is high.
Although some economic indicators
show that the economy is creeping toward
recovery, North Carolina’s unemployment
rate is still more than 11 percent. Because the
state has shed thousands of jobs, North
Carolina had the nation’s largest jump in the
percentage of the
population without
insurance from 2007
to 2009. According
to one estimate the
recession has
increased the
number of uninsured
in North Carolina to
nearly 1.8 million
people.
When people lose health insurance or
purchase inadequate coverage with high
deductibles, they are more likely to struggle
with medical debt. One of the most
comprehensive studies of medical debt
nationwide found that more than 62 percent
of all bankruptcies in 2007 were related to
medical debt and that 92 percent of medical
debtors had bills in excess of $5,000.
Many hospitals in the state operate
as critical safety-net providers to families
that are uninsured or underinsured.
Especially during times of economic
distress, many of these patients seek
medical treatment in hospital emergency
rooms. Hospitals, especially nonprofit
hospitals, provide an enormous amount
of free care in North Carolina.
This is why it is important for those
who are uninsured or underinsured to know
about the charity care policies of the hospitals
in their communities. All hospitals in North
Carolina have policies on charity care -- free
care given to patients without any expectation
of payment. A majority of hospitals in the
state post the information on their websites
along with contact information.
10
Community News
Any uninsured individual with an
income less than $21,000 or a family of
four making less than $44,100 per year
may be eligible for free care. Every
person without insurance who seeks care
at a hospital should ask for a copy of its
charity care policy and should ask the
hospital for financial assistance.
There are some obligations on
hospitals to provide free care to all North
Carolinians. Federal law – specifically the
Emergency Medical Treatment and Active
Labor Act – requires that hospital emergency
rooms provide at least
some care regardless of
a patient’s ability to
pay. In addition, most
hospitals have
nonprofit status, which
allows them to issue
tax-exempt bonds and
reap millions in sales
tax and property tax
exemptions.
All North Carolina taxpayers help
fund the operation of nonprofit hospitals.
The community provides important financial
assistance to hospitals, and hospitals should
provide financial assistance to the
community. And members of the community
should never be afraid to ask for help.
Hospitals are important safety net
health care providers and should serve all
people regardless of insurance status or
income. They have an obligation to
provide some free care and to refrain from
harassing patients for payment.
Although hospitals do not gain
nonprofit status based solely on providing
charity care, community benefit is one
overarching consideration when deciding
whether a hospital deserves a nonprofit
designation. The most direct community
benefit that hospitals provide is charity care.
The North Carolina Hospital
Association has started to collect and
publicize charity care policies from
hospitals across the state. Consumers can
view the policies at the NCHA website
www.ncha.org under “community
benefits report.”
Las deudas médicas son una carga para
muchas familias de clase media y baja
en Carolina del Norte. La mayoría de las
familias en el estado y alrededor del pais
reciben beneficios de seguro médico a
través de sus empleos, el cual los deja
vulnerables durante períodos de recesión
cuando el desempleo aumenta.
Aunque muchos factores
demuestran que la economía se recupera
poco a poco, el porciento de desempleo
en Carolina del Norte continúa a más del
11 por ciento. Carolina del Norte vio el
salto más grande de la nación en cuanto el
nivel de la población sin plan médico, del
2007 al 2009, dado a la gran cantidad de
empleos eliminados por el estado. Según
un estimado, la recesión ha aumentado el
número de aquellos sin plan médico en
Carolina del Norte a casi 1.8 millones.
Cuando la gente pierde su plan
médico o compra seguros con deducibles
altos y sin suficiente cobertura, es más
probable que se adquieran deudas médicas.
Uno de los mejores estudios sobre la deuda
médica nacional descubrió que más del 62
por ciento de todas la bancarrotas en el 2007
estaban relacionadas con deuda médica y
más del 92 por ciento de deudores médicos
tenían deudas de más del $5,000.
Muchos hospitales en el estado
operan como una fuente crítica de servicio
de salud a familias que no tiene plan o no
tiene suficiente cobertura. Especialmente
durante períodos de crisis económica,
muchos de estos pacientes buscan ayuda
en las salas de emergencia de los
hospitales. Estos, especialmente aquellos
sin fin de lucro, proveen una gran cantidad
de cuidado gratis en Carolina del Norte.
Por esta misma razón es importante
que aquellos sin seguro o con falta de
cobertura sepan sobre las políticas de
caridad de los hospitales en sus
comunidades. Todos los hospitales de
Carolina del Norte tienen políticas de
caridad—cuidado gratis dado a pacientes
sin capacidad de pago. La mayoría de los
hospitales en el estado ponen información
más detallada en sus páginas de Internet.
Cualquier individuo sin seguro con
un salario de $21,000 anuales o menos o
una familia ganando $44,000 o menos
puede ser elegible para cuidado gratis.
Toda persona sin seguro que busque
ayuda en un hospital debe preguntar por
la política de caridad del hospital y ayuda
financiera. Hay algunas obligaciones de
parte de los hospitales de proveer
cuidado médico gratis a todos los
residente Carolina del Norte. La ley
federal—especificamente la Acta de
Labor Activa y Trato Médico de
Emergencia—requiere que las salas de
emergencia de hospitales provean algun
tipo de ayuda sin considerar la habilidad
del paciete de pagar de regreso. Ademas,
la mayoría de los hospitales tiene estatus
sin fin de lucro, el cual les permite
someter bonos de reducción de impuestos
y ahorrarse millones en impuestos de
venta y propiedad no pagados.
Todos los residentes ayudan a pagar
por la operación de hospitales. La
comunidad provee asistencia financiera
importante a los hospitales y los hospitales
proveen ayuda a la comunidad. Los
miembros de la comunidad nunca deben
de tener miedo de pedir ayuda.
Los hospitales son proveedores
importantes de cuidado médico y deben
servir a toda la población sin comparación
de salario o estatus. Tienen la obligación de
proveer alguna ayuda gratis y de
restringirse en perseguir a los pacientes
para pagos.
Aunque los hospitales no ganan al dar
solamente ayuda de caridad, la comunidad
es un factor importante al decidir si un
hospital se merece la estatus o no. El
beneficio comunitario más directo es el que
los hospitales proveen ayuda de caridad.
La Asociación de Hospitales de
Carolina del Norte ha empezado a
integrar y publicar politicas de ayuda de
caridad de hospitales a través del
estado. Los consumidores pueden ver la
informacion en la página de internet de
la NCHA www.ncha.org bajo “reporte
de comunidad.”
COMMUNITY FOCUS
A History Lesson on Our Public Schools
An expert who lived through it explains where we are and how we got here
By Rob Schofield, NC Policy Watch
ONE OF THE MOST common problems for those
involved in contentious policy debates is a lack of
historical perspective. Without an understanding of
how the present circumstances came about, they often
act as if there were no precedent for solving the
problems at hand or, worse yet, act to undo
important accomplishments.
The ongoing controversy surrounding
North Carolina's public schools and the
headlong drive to end socioeconomic integration
is one such issue. While some of the people
behind that misguided effort are simply driven
by a repugnant ideology, many others have gone
along with the effort simply because they don't
understand how we got where we are today.
They don't necessarily share the goals of the
conservative ideologues, but they're worried
about themselves and their kids and are either
too young or too new to the issue (or too new to
North Carolina) to understand what's really at
stake.
Jack Boger, dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill
School of Law, has that badly needed historical
perspective. In a recent lecture, Boger explored
the history of public education in the United
States and explained how the current debates
over socioeconomic integration may well serve
as bellwethers for its very survival.
In his lecture, Boger described his work in
the state of Connecticut in the early 1980s,
where he served as counsel to the NAACP Legal
Defense Fund and learned some of the hard facts
about school integration. Boger explained how
Connecticut, a very rich but very segregated state,
was failing to solve the problem of low-achieving
inner-city schools despite determined efforts and the
infusion of considerable resources.
“Thus for every state dollar sent to a suburban
school where a middle-class child was doing well,
Connecticut sent literally 50% more toward schools
that were educating low-performing, lower-income
children,” Boger said. “In addition, the Connecticut
legislature had adopted many special grant
programs—remedial assistance, dropout prevention,
health services—that strongly favored either lowwealth districts or districts with poorer and lowachieving students, or both. Under these combined
state aid programs, the Hartford school district
regularly received nearly three times as much state
funding, per pupil, as did suburban districts. Only one
minor problem remained: None of it was working to
improve educational performance in Connecticut's
largest urban districts.”
In effect, like Charlotte's re-segregated schools
of today, Connecticut was attempting to “throw a lot
of money over the wall” in an effort to solve the
problem of low-achieving schools without taking the
step of true socioeconomic integration. This, of
course, is what has been proposed for Wake County
by some members of the new, conservative school
board majority.
While working to deal with the situation in
Connecticut, Boger and his colleagues rediscovered
the research of social scientists who had found that
the solution to such situations was not more money,
but more integration. In his lecture, Boger quoted a
1965 Congressional study that found “attributes of
other students account for far more variation in the
achievement of minority group children than do any
attributes of school facilities and slightly more than
do attributes of staff.”
When he discovered this information, Boger
said he remembered thinking, “Thank goodness that
southern school desegregation had already done its
work.” Of course, he couldn’t know then that
determined conservative advocates would continue to
do their worst to roll back the progress that so many
had fought to achieve.
At the end of the lecture, Boger tied the
Connecticut experience to what’s going on in
North Carolina today. He quoted a meticulous
2008 study from two North Carolina academics
that confirmed, yet again, the simple and
undeniable truth that integration is essential:
“Even after taking into account these
effects of individual student characteristics,
higher concentrations of poor and minority
students within a high school reduce average
EOC [end of course] scores. In other words,
low-income students perform worse on EOC
exams when they are in schools with high
percentages of other low-income students... The
combined effects of students’ individual
characteristics and the overall composition of a
high school's student population are extremely
powerful influences on the average level of
academic performance in that school... [L]ocal
school districts have the best chance for
improving academic performance in North
Carolina's high schools by undertaking the
following actions. [First] reducing [the]
concentration of students with low entering
skills and from low-income families, [second]
increasing spending on regular instruction, [third]
improving teacher quality, and [fourth] improving
principal leadership.”
In short, what's going on in Wake County right
now is a misguided effort to repeal the use of the one
tactic that's done more than anything else to make our
schools work for all children.
Though ultimately hopeful, Boger concluded
his lecture with a warning in the form of a 1974
quote from the late, great Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall: “In the short run, it may seem to
be the easier course to allow our great metropolitan
areas to be divided up, each into two cities - one
white, the other black - but it is a course, I predict,
our people will ultimately regret.”
Marshall was right, of course. Let's hope the
people of North Carolina rediscover his and Jack
Boger's wisdom on the matter before it's too late.
Community News
11
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Is respectful dialogue on immigration possible in North Carolina?
A new group joins the debate to say “Yes” and make it happen
By Dan Rearick, Staff Attorney, Eastern Carolina Immigrants’ Rights Project
ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK with
immigrants, migrant workers and refugees
are increasingly concerned about how
immigration is debated in North Carolina.
Demographic shifts in the last
decade have led to increased anxiety
among native-born U.S. residents,
particularly in “new immigrant
destinations” like North Carolina that are
not accustomed to the
presence of
immigrants. This
anxiety has led to
mistrust and
fragmentation within
communities, a record increase in hate
crimes targeting foreign-born residents,
and reluctance among immigrants to
interact with long-time residents. As a
result, the integration of immigrants into
mainstream American society is faltering.
Groups seeking to encourage a more
reasoned and thoughtful discussion on
immigration are supporting Uniting NC, a
new 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that
works to promote understanding and
respect between recent immigrants and
their U.S.-born neighbors.
“We can all agree that we want
North Carolina to be a state that shows
respect for all people, especially those who
make their homes here, whether they are
natives or new neighbors who came here
from across the country or across the
world,” said Randy Jones, president of
Uniting NC’s board of directors.
Uniting NC is a non-partisan
organization and is not engaged in the
debate over immigration policy. Rather,
the organization engages in two main
activities in order to promote mutual
understanding between immigrant and
non-immigrant communities. First, it
sponsors local conversations on these
difficult issues. These dialogues take place
at colleges, churches and libraries –
anywhere people want to come together to
discuss what’s important in their
communities.
Second, Uniting NC sponsors
positive messaging around the theme of
welcoming new North Carolinians to the
state. The group has launched an ambitious
media campaign across the state
highlighting the positive contributions that
immigrants make to society. The campaign
Home Care Services
in Trouble
by Polly Williams, Justice Center Volunteer
PERSONAL CARE SERVICES are one of the most
important aids for keeping frail elderly and disabled
people in their homes. This Medicaid-funded program
provides home care aides to low-income people who
have difficulty with such everyday activities as bathing,
dressing, eating, toileting, and moving from bed to
living room.
So it was shocking when the state legislature cut
personal care services by $40 million this year and by
$60 million next year. How shortsighted is that?
Leaving families with no recourse except placing
relatives in expensive institutional care, where these
12
Community News
includes billboards in Asheville, Charlotte,
Rocky Mount, Smithfield and Washington,
and public service announcements on
several major radio stations. With this
campaign, Uniting NC is making a
significant impact in the immigration
debate by promoting values that North
Carolinians cherish, including mutual
respect, intercultural understanding, and
diversity. Through its website, Uniting NC
introduces people to some of their
immigrant neighbors so they can learn
what brought them to North Carolina, what
their families are like, and what they’re
doing to contribute to our communities and
to make better lives for themselves.
George Alwon, director of the
same services are required, seems like exactly the
wrong way to go.
But it turns out there was a reason for the cuts.
North Carolina’s bill for these services was more than
$345 million in fiscal year 2009 – the fourth highest of
states providing the service, after only California, New
York and Texas. An audit by the Carolinas Center for
Medical Excellence, which looked at 347 provider
agencies and 4,273 recipients of personal care services,
found problems. Some beneficiaries did not qualify for
services, and others with limited needs were receiving
the maximum services and hours allowed. Home care
agencies were conducting the needs assessments for
care and then submitting forms to doctors for approval.
Sometimes the doctor had never seen the patient.
Sometimes the same form was submitted over and over
until the physician finally signed it.
What needed to be done was obvious to
legislators: use an outside agency to do the assessment
Raleigh
Consulting
Group and a
Uniting NC
board member,
believes North
Carolina must
continue to
welcome
newcomers in
order to succeed
in the 21st century. “We’re uniting to help
revitalize declining communities through
the contributions of immigrant families
working in tandem with their native-born
neighbors,” said Alwon. “We’re working
toward stronger communities with the
ability to meet wide-ranging needs,
enriching the social and cultural fabric of
our society. And we’re increasing our
global competitiveness through a multilingual, multi-cultural workforce.”
To date, Uniting NC’s statewide
campaign has been endorsed by a wide
range of business, faith, education and
community leaders.
To learn more, visit www.unitingnc.org.
of what care a person needs and how much. But while
the state sets up this new system, the money kept
flowing out; in fact, the funds for the program for this
year have already been spent.
So an interim process was implemented using a
computer formula to assess forms already on file
without actually re-evaluating individuals. Some 3,000
persons were in danger of losing services until the
Office of Administrative Hearings issued an order
putting a stop to the process. The Association for Home
& Hospice Care, representing provider agencies, has
brought suit against the state to prevent cuts by
computer formula, and there is a court hearing on the
issue scheduled for April.
The state is in a hard place. It needs to save every
Medicaid dollar it can and prevent abuse of its system,
but at the same time it should provide services to those
who truly need them. Right now there is pain all around.
Let’s hope for a better assessment process soon.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
¿Es posible tener un diálogo respetuoso sobre inmigración
en Carolina del Norte?
Un nuevo grupo se une al debate para decir “Si” y llevarlo a cabo
Por Dan Rearick
A LAS ORGANIZACIONES que
trabajan con inmigrantes, trabajadores
migrantes y refugiados les preocupa la
forma en que la inmigración se debate
en Carolina del Norte.
Cambios demográficos en la
ultima década han creado creciente
ansiedad entre los residentes de EE.UU.
nacidos aquí, particularmente en
“nuevos destinos para inmigrantes”
como Carolina del Norte quienes no
están acostumbrados a la presencia
migrante. Esta ansiedad a llevado a una
falta de confianza y fragmentación
dentro de comunidades, una alta record
en crímenes de odio en contra de
residentes nacidos en el extranjero y la
falta de motivación, entre los
inmigrantes, de interactuar con los
residentes que han habitado estas áreas
por mucho tiempo. Como resultado, la
integración de inmigrantes a la sociedad
diaria americana no continua hacia
delante.
Grupos, que tratan de promover
una discusión racional y respetuosa
sobre inmigración apoyan a Uniting NC
(Uniendo NC), una nueva 501(3)
organización sin fines de lucro que
trabaja para promover el entendimiento
y el respeto entre inmigrantes recientes y
sus vecinos nacidos en los EE.UU.
“Todos queremos que Carolina del
Norte sea un estado que demuestra el
respeto a todo tipo de gentes,
especialmente aquellos que crean sus
hogares aquí, sean nacionales o nuevos
vecinos que vinieron aquí desde otro
país y de todas partes del mundo,” dijo
Randy Jones, presidente de la junta de
directores de UnitingNC.
Uniting NC es una organización
no-partidista y no esta involucrada en el
debate sobre la reforma migratoria. Al
contrario, a organización lleva a cabo
dos actividades principales para
promover entendimiento mutuo entre
comunidades de inmigrantes y
comunidades de no-inmigrantes.
Primero, auspicia conversaciones locales
sobre estos temas difíciles. Estos
diálogos se llevan a cabo en los
colegios, Iglesias y bibliotecas—donde
sea que la gente se reúna para discutir
Follow the Justice
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los asuntos importantes de sus
comunidades.
Segundo, Uniting NC auspiciar
mensajes positivos alrededor del tema de
darle la bienvenida a estos nuevos
Norcarolinenses al estado. El grupo ha
lanzado una campaña ambiciosa de
multimedia por todo el estado
enfocándose en las contribuciones
positivas que los inmigrantes traen a
nuestra sociedad. La campana incluye
Asheville, Charlotte, Rocky Mount,
Smithfield y Washington y anuncios de
servicio publico en varias estaciones de
radio en el estado. Con esta campana,
Uniting NC hace un impacto significante
sobre el debate de inmigración al
promover los valores que los residentes
de este estado aman, incluyendo el
respeto mutuo, entendimiento
intercultural y diversidad. Usando su
página web, Uniting NC introduce a la
gente sus vecinos inmigrantes para que
ellos puedan aprender y entender que los
trajo a Carolina del Norte, como son sus
familias y que es los que están haciendo
para contribuir a nuestras comunidades y
regular updates right to your news feed.
SPREAD THE WORD: Once you’ve
become a fan, go to the Justice Center
page on Facebook and click the link
“Suggest to Friends.” (It’s on the left side
of the screen, under the Justice Center
scales icon.) You can either click "All" to
recommend us to all of your friends, or
you can just click on the friends you think
would be interested. Once you have
para mejorar sus propias vidas.
George Alwon,director del Grupo
de Consulta Raleigh y un miembro de la
junta de UnitingNC, cree que Carolina
del Norte debe continuar dándole la
bienvenida a estos nuevos residentes
para ser exitosos, como estado, en el
siglo 21. “Nos estamos uniendo para
revitalizar nuestras comunidades en
decadencia a través de las
contribuciones de las familias
inmigrantes con el apoyo de sus vecinos
nativos de aquí,” dijo Alwon. Estamos
trabajando para crear comunidades mas
fuertes con la habilidad de proveer una
mayor cantidad de necesidades,
enriqueciendo la materia cultural y
social de nuestra sociedad. Y
aumentamos nuestra capacidad
competitiva global a través de una
fuerza laboral multilinguista y
multicultural. “
A la fecha, la campaña en el
estado de Uniting ha sido apoyada por
varios lideres de la fe, comunitarios,
educación y de negocios. Para
conectarse, visite www.unitingnc.org.
selected your friends, click the blue "send
invitations" button on the bottom left
corner.
To get real-time regular updates from
Justice Center and NC Policy Watch staff,
you can also follow us on Twitter at
http://www.twitter.com/ncjustice. Get
news releases and quick observations and
be the first to know when a new report is
out.
Thanks for your support, and thanks
for reading!
Community News
13
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
What Is the Purpose of Government?
By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II – Address given February 27, 2010 at HKONJ 4: The People’s Assembly
SECTION 1 of the North Carolina
Constitution says: “We hold it to be selfevident that all persons are created
equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable rights;
that among these are life, liberty, the
enjoyment of the fruits of their labor,
and the pursuit of happiness.”
The first words of the American
Constitution are: “We the people of the
United States, in order to form a more
perfect union, establish justice, promote
the general welfare…”
The Word of God in the book of
Genesis teaches us we are our brother’s
keeper.
These historical principles promote
the idea that the purpose of our
government, the purpose of all public
policy, ought to be for the benefit of the
We. Not the elite, not the exclusive gated
neighborhoods,
but the We. The
common good,
the perfect
union. The
general good,
welfare, and
happiness of all
people.
Now there
have always
been forces of
greed, division,
selfishness, fear
that play on the
deeply
embedded systems in our society—on
racism, sexism, and classism—that have
fought against these fundamental
principles of good government for the
common good. When you care for the
HKonJ 4 a big success
By Rob Schofield
Despite being postponed two
weeks due to snow, the fourth
annual Historic Thousands on
Jones Street march and rally was a
rousing success. Not only did the
event live up to its name by
delivering thousands of people to
Jones Street (site of the General
Assembly) on a cold and blustery
morning, there was something
intangible about this year’s event
that felt extremely positive.
After reflecting on the matter
for a couple of days, I think it was
this: The event has begun to feel
less like an experiment in bringing
a variety of diverse causes and
organizations together and more
like a genuine movement. For the
first time in a long time, North
Carolina may actually be
14
Community News
witnessing the germination of a
real and lasting, multi-racial, multiethnic coalition that is united
around a progressive, long-term,
public policy agenda.
The movement is not yet
where its leaders want it to be, and
there are undoubtedly many
growing pains to come, but HK on
J, as this event is known, has come
a remarkable distance in just a few
years. As North Carolina’s
demographics continue to evolve,
HK on J may well be developing a
momentum that will be hard for
the powers-that-be to resist.
Congrats to the North Carolina
NAACP, its president Rev. William
Barber, and all of the event
organizers for a job well done.
common good and the general
welfare of all the people, they call
you socialists, they call you
liberals, they call you leftists,
they call you radicals.
But the time has come
no matter what forces of
division say. The time has
come despite their big lies and
their desperate propaganda
machines. We must say “No
more.” We have come
together. We will stand
together. We will support our
common agenda together. We
will fight together. We will
vote together. We will march together.
We will build coalitions together. Black,
White, Latino, young and old, rich and
poor, people of all faiths and even some
people of little faith—people from every
part of our community, from every part
of God’s beautiful world, because we
believe in our Constitution’s mandate to
govern for the common good and the
general welfare of all people.
We believe in one nation, one
North Carolina, and we believe in justice
for all. And because we believe in this,
we have gathered together under a
common theme – For our children, we
must say “never again” to resegregation.
We demand more education, better,
diverse schools, more economic
investment, good jobs and less prison.
We want justice on the ground!
We gather under these themes this
year because they connect our entire 14point agenda. Because when it comes to
the common good and the general
welfare of all people there are some
things happening that are just wrong.
Achievement gaps among our
Black, Hispanic and poor children that
some in our state accept as though they
natural. Some things are just wrong.
In too many places our kids are
over-represented in school suspensions,
they are dropped out, pushed out, and
kicked out. Some things are just wrong.
Educational policies of academic
exclusion rather than academic
excellence for all. Resurging policies of
resegregation led by ultra-right
ideologues who want to create private
schools with public dollars.
in North Carolina, and more
than 20% for African
Americans and Hispanics.
One-point-six million
people in North Carolina
lack health insurance. More
than two million live in bad
housing. The wealthy don’t
pay their fair share of taxes
in our state, so we don’t
have the money to take care
Pockets of educational genocide
and educational apartheid. Exclusive
schools that pander to the children from
the wealthy streets, while abandoning
our children from the poor streets.
I went to segregated kindergarten,
my mother and father went to segregated
schools and fought against them and I
know. Some things are just wrong.
When we look at our economic
state of affairs. Some things are just
wrong.
The friends of George Bush spent
all of the money, created the deficit and
the economic crisis. Now they have the
audacity to blame President Obama for
their mess. Now we bailed out the banks
at the top that busted and bankrupted
people at the bottom. Banks get bail-out
money at zero interest, but we charge
students for college loans 4, 5, 6 percent
interest. Some things are just wrong.
Unemployment is more than 11%
of the common good of the people in
housing, education and caring for the
mentally ill. Some things are just wrong.
In our industrial complexes we call
prisons we invest more money than in
all five of our public historically black
colleges and universities. We spend
more than $27,000 a year to keep one
non-violent man in prison and less than
$8,000 a year to keep one child in the
education system. Some things are just
wrong.
In the midst of this mess that was
left us, we find the same old group
pushing more mess. Conservative
business owners like Art Pope and Bob
Luddy used their money and national
right-wing connections to fund and
guide the takeover of the Wake County
School Board. The same type groups of
rich right-wingers have poisoned the
health care debate by spending millions
on lobbying and deceptive advertising
by insurance and drug industry.
The recent five-to-four Supreme
Court decision makes the mess worse.
The five right-wing ideologues stole our
personhood, gave our voting rights to
big corporations, so they can spend even
more in deciding who wins or loses
elections. The
five-to-four
majority
expanded the
rights of the
wealthy at the
expense of the
rights of the
common good.
This is a
modern version
of defining
slaves as threefifths of a
person to let
their rich
owners stuff the ballot box, voting
to expand and make the slave
system more violent and mean. It
is truly perverse.
Corporate money pollutes
our politics. It is time to get the
money-changers out of our
temples of good government. The
money-changers control our
politics. We need to get them out.
Create real public financing and
let grassroots candidates in. We
need a place in our public policy,
among our elected leaders, where there
ain’t smiling faces, lying to the races.
We have to address these wrongs.
We have to say resegregation of our
schools is the enemy of excellence. It
just creates private schools on one side
of town and high-poverty schools on the
other. For our children’s dream and
future we cannot accept this now or
ever.
We have to say disparities in
joblessness and economics investment
must be addressed. If we try to move our
economic house by just moving the
rooftop – those at the top, the CEOs –
the house will tear apart. But if we have
a bottom-up approach and lift poor
people, young people, the underemployed, then the whole house will be
lifted and remain strong.
We have to say no to putting more
money in incarceration than education.
It’s morally wrong, economically
foolish, and terrible policy. Less prison
and more education and schools is a
better way to a brighter future.
We have to give change a chance.
There comes a time you have to stand
for justice. This is the right time, this is
the right movement. Too many
children’s dreams are dying, too many
people are jobless. We must raise our
voices. Those who think our discontent
is a flighty momentary thing must
understand this is movement, not a
moment. We must push hard because it
is time, pass time to do better. As long
as we have breath in our bodies we
must. Change requires a sustain
movement of the people who by their
living and action do battle with the baser
elements.
When we do this our living is not
in vain. Our vocation is rooted in the
prophetic imagination of what is
possible. We must agitate, litigate, and
legislate with one goal: justice for all.
We must stand against those who
want government to spend more money
on a war. Who want more tax credits to
the wealthy. Who want to give bonuses
to the economic oligarchy, and the short
end of the stick to the rest of us.
All we want is for North Carolina
and America to do what is right. When I
see all of these young people here I
know we can do right. We can treat
people right. The right time for right, is
right now. Let justice roll down like
water and righteousness like a mighty
stream. I know we can do right. I know
we can lift all our children and give all
of them a constitutional integrated, high
quality, education.
We can do right – create public
jobs, create good-paying familysupporting jobs, build a green economy,
invest in every community. Expand
work force development. Put people to
work. Put more money in schools than
in prison.
Now I am not so naïve to believe
our work is easy. President Obama told
us that even with his election it only
gave change a chance. Change is hard
work. I’m not naïve. I read the other day
that one of the senators who comes to
Jones Street to help
(cont. on p. 20)
Community News
15
INTERCAMBIO DE INFORMACION
¿Cuál es el propósito del gobierno??
Por Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II – Discurso del HKONJ 4: Asamblea del Pueblo, 27 de Febrero de 2010
LA SECCIÓN 1 de la constitución de
Carolina del Norte dice: “Sostenemos
como evidentes en sí que todas las
personas son creadas iguales; que el
Creador le ha dado ciertas derechos
inalienables; éstos son la vida, la
libertad, el disfrute de las frutos de su
trabajo, y la búsqueda de la felicidad.”
Las primeras palabras de la
Constitución Americana son:
“Nosotros, el pueblo de los Estados
Unidos, para formar una unión más
perfecta, establecer justicia, promover
el bienestar general…”
La palabra de Dios en el libro de
Génesis nos enseña que somos guardas
de nuestro hermano.
Estos principios históricos
promueven la
idea de que el
propósito de
nuestro
gobierno, el
propósito de
todo el orden
público, debe ser
para beneficio
de nosotros. No
la élite, no las
vecindades
exclusiva
cerradas, sino
Nosotros. El
bien común, la unión perfecta. El bien
general, el bienestar, y la felicidad de
toda la gente.
El cuarto HKonJ, un gran logro
Por Rob Schofield
Aún al haber sido pospuesto por
dos semanas debido a la nieve, el
cuarto Historic Thousands on Jones
Street, desfile y movimiento, fueron
tremendo logro. No solamente el
evento le hizo justicia a su nombre
al traer miles de personas a Jones
Street (lugar de la Asamblea
General) en una mañana fría y
nublada, pero también había algo
incomprensible del evento de este
año que lo hizo increiblemente
positivo.
Después de meditar sobre el
hecho por un par de días, creo que
fue esto: El evento se ha empedo a
sentir menos como un experimento
al traer una diversidad de causas y
organizaciones a un mismo lugar y
más como un movimiento genuino.
Por primera vez en un buen tiempo,
puede ser que Carolina del Norte
16
Community News
esté siendo testigo del nacimiento
de una verdadera y durarera
coalición multiétnica, multiracial
que esté unida alrededor de una
agenda política pública, progresista,
y a largo plazo.
El movimiento todavía no ha
llegado a donde sus líderes quieren
que llegue, y definitivamente
habrán muchos retos por venir, pero
HK on J, como el evento es mejor
conocido, ha crecido en gran
manera en pocos años. Puede ser
que HK on J esté desarrollando un
momentum que será difícil de
resistir, como van cambiando las
variables demográficas de Carolina
del Norte. Felicidades a la NAACP
de Carolina del Norte, su presidente
el Reverendo William Barber y
todos los organizadores del evento
por un trabajo bien hecho.
Siempre ha habido fuerzas de
la avaricia, división, egoísmo, y
temor que afectan los sistemas
de nuestra sociedad—
racismo, sexismo, y
clasicismo—que han luchado
contra estos principios
fundamentales de buen
gobierno para el bien común.
Cuando usted cuida del bien
común y del bienestar general
de toda la gente, le llaman
socialista, liberal, izquierdista
o radicales.
Pero el tiempo ha
llegado, sin importar lo qué
las fuerzas de la división digan. El
tiempo ha llegado, de que a pesar de
sus grandes mentiras y sus máquinas
desesperadas de la propaganda.
Debemos decir “no más.” Hemos
venido juntos. Nos uniremos.
Apoyaremos nuestra agenda común
juntos. Lucharemos juntos. Votaremos
juntos. Marcharemos juntos.
Construiremos coaliciones juntas.
Negro, blanco, Latino, joven y viejo,
rico y pobre, gente de toda fe, incluso
alguna gente de poca fe--gente de cada
parte de nuestra comunidad, de cada
parte de mundo hermoso de Dios,
porque creemos en el mandato
constitucional de gobernar para el bien
común y el bienestar general de toda la
gente.
Creemos en una nación, una
Carolina del Norte, y creemos en la
justicia para todos. Y porque creemos
en esto, nos hemos unido bajo un tema
común - por nuestros niños, debemos
decir “nunca jamás” a la
resegregación. Exigimos más
educación, mejores escuelas, diversas,
más inversión económica, buenos
trabajos y menos prisión. ¡Queremos
justicia para la base!
Nos juntamos bajo estos temas
este año porque conectan nuestra
agenda entera de 14 puntos. Porque
cuando se trata del bien común y
bienestar general de toda la gente hay
algunas cosas incorrectas ocurriendo.
Las deficiencias en el logro entre
nuestros niños negros, hispánicos y
INTERCAMBIO DE INFORMACION
segregado, mi madre y
padre fueron a escuelas
segregadas y lucharon
contra ellas y yo sé. Hay
algunas cosas incorrectas
ocurriendo.
Cuando miramos
nuestra situación
económica. Hay algunas
cosas incorrectas
pobres es algo que en nuestro estado
algunos aceptan como natural. Hay
En demasiadas escuelas se
exagera en las suspensiones de
nuestros niños, ellos son expulsados,
eliminados y pateados. Hay algunas
cosas incorrectas ocurriendo.
Las políticas educativas de
exclusión académica en vez de
excelencia académica para todos.
Políticas de resurgentes de
resegregación impulsadas por
ideólogos de ultra-derecha que quieren
crear escuelas privadas con dólares
públicos.
Focos de genocidio y apartheid
educativo. Escuelas exclusivas para los
niños de las calles ricas, mientras que
abandonan a nuestros niños de las
calles pobres.
Fui a un jardín de la infancia
ocurriendo.
Los amigos de George Bush
gastaron todo el dinero, crearon el
déficit y la crisis económica. Ahora
tienen la audacia de culpar al
presidente Obama por su problema.
Ofrecimos garantía a los bancos en el
tope que reventaron y arruinaron a la
gente en la parte baja. Los bancos
consiguen el dinero a cero interés, pero
cargamos a los estudiantes
universitarios con préstamos al 4, 5, el
6 por ciento de interés. Hay algunas
cosas incorrectas ocurriendo.
El desempleo está a más del 11%
en Carolina del Norte, y más de 20%
para los afroamericanos y los hispanos.
Un millón seiscientos mil personas en
Carolina del Norte carecen de seguro
médico. Más de dos millones viven en
malas condiciones. El rico no pagan su
parte justa de impuestos en nuestro
estado, por lo que no tenemos el dinero
para el bien común de la gente en
cubierta de salud, educación y para los
enfermos de cuidado mental. Hay
En nuestros complejos
industriales
que llamamos
prisiones
invertimos
más dinero
que en los
cinco
universidades
históricamente
afroamericanas.
Gastamos más
de $27,000
por año para
mantener a un
hombre no
violento en la prisión y menos
de $8,000 un año para mantener
a un niño en el sistema
educativo. Hay algunas cosas
incorrectas ocurriendo.
En el medio de este lío que
nos fue dejado, encontramos al
mismo viejo grupo empujando
más líos. Los propietarios de
negocio conservadores como Art
Pope y Bob Luddy utilizaron su
dinero y conexiones nacionales
de la derecha para financiar y
dirigir la toma de control de la Junta
Escolar del Condado Wake. El mismo
grupo de derechistas ricos ha
envenenado el discusión del cuidado
médico gastando millones en el
cabildeo y la publicidad engañosa en la
industria de medicinas y seguros.
La reciente decisión del tribunal
supremo (5 a 4) hace el lío peor. Los
cinco ideólogos de derecha robaron
nuestra personalidad, dieron nuestros
derechos de voto a las grandes
corporaciones, así que pueden gastar
aún más en decidir quién gana o pierde
elecciones. La mayoría de cinco a
cuatro amplió los derechos del rico a
expensas de las derechos del bien
común. Ésta es una versión moderna
de definir esclavos pues tres cuartos de
una persona deja a los dueños ricos
rellenar la urna de votaciones, votando
para ampliar y para hacer el sistema
auxiliar más violento y malo. Es en
verdad perverso.
El dinero corporativo contamina
nuestra política. Es hora de salir a los
cambistas de nuestros templos del buen
gobierno. Los cambistas controlan
nuestras políticas. Necesitamos
sacarlos. Creen el financiamiento
público verdadero y dejen a los
candidatos del pueblo entrar.
Necesitamos un lugar en nuestro orden
público, entre nuestros líderes electos,
donde no haya caras sonrientes,
mintiendo a las razas.
Tenemos que tratar estos males.
Tenemos que decir que la
resegregación de nuestras escuelas es
el enemigo de la excelencia. Ello crea
escuelas privadas en un lado de las
escuelas de la ciudad y escuelas de
alta-pobreza en el otro. Por el sueño y
el futuro de nuestros niños no podemos
aceptar esto ahora ni nunca.
Tenemos que decir que las
disparidades en la inversión del
desempleo y de la economía deben ser
tratadas. Si intentamos mover nuestra
casa económica apenas moviendo el
tejado – los del tope, los CEOs - la
casa se romperá en dos. Pero si
tenemos un acercamiento desde la base
y levantamos a la gente pobre, a la
gente joven, la gente subempleada,
después toda entera, se levantará y
permanecerá fuerte.
Tenemos que decir no a poner
más dinero en el encarcelamiento que
la educación. Es moralmente incorrecto
y perjudica, política y económicamente
es absurdo, y terrible. Menos prisión y
más educación. La escuela es una
mejor manera para un futuro más
brillante.
Tenemos que dar al cambio una
oportunidad. Viene una época que
usted tiene que luchar por la justicia.
Éste es el momento adecuado, éste es
el movimiento correcto. Los sueños de
demasiados niños están muriendo,
demasiada gente desempleada.
Debemos levantar nuestras voces. Los
que piensan que nuestro descontento es
una cosa momentánea y frívola deben
(cont. on p. 20)
Community News
17
SAVE
THE
DATE!
BE SURE TO SAVE THE DATE FOR
NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE CENTER’S
12TH ANNUAL
DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE AWARDS
Thursday, September 30th
American Tobacco Campus, Durham, NC
PREVIOUS DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
POLICY RESEARCH &
ADVOCACY
LITIGATION
GRASSROOTS
EMPOWERMENT
SPECIAL HONOREES
Sen. Floyd B. McKissick, Jr.
AARP
John Alan Jones
Angaza Laughinghouse
Thomas W. Ross
Rep. Pricey Harrison
Ames Alexander, Kerry Hall,
Franco Ordonez, Peter St
Onge, Ted Mellnik of The
Charlotte Observer
Christopher Olson
Juvencio Rocha Peralta
Jane Perkins
NC Fair Share
In Memory of
Deborah Greenblatt
Edelstein & Payne
NC State Conference of the
NAACP
In Memory of
Carol Kirshenbaum
Jim Grant
Greg Malhoit
Patterson Harkavy LLP
Western NC Workers’ Center
Dr. Pam Silberman
Douglas Sea
Farm Labor Organizing
Committee
Robert Spearman
Rep. Jennifer Weiss
Rep. Dan Blue
Sen. Katie Dorsett
Rep. Rick Glazier
Farmworker Advocacy Network
Rep. Alma Adams
NC Coalition for Lobbying
Reform
Rep. Verla Insko
William Schweke
Sen. William Purcell
Prosperity Unlimited, Inc.
Rep. Mickey Michaux
Institute for Southern Studies
Sen. Martin Nesbitt, Jr.
Dr. Bob Bridges
Sen. Dan Clodfelter
Common Sense Foundation
Rep. Paul Luebke
NC State AFL-CIO
Harry Payne
Deborah Ross
Reid Adams
Garth Gersten
Jack Boger
Robert J. Willis
Mal Maynard
Linda Virgil, Caught Before
Fallen
Center for Community Action
Justice for Smithfield Workers’
Campaign
Jim Long
Student Action With
Farmworkers
Rep. Ruth Easterling
Casa Guadalupe
Sen. Wib Gulley
JUBILEE-NC
Rep. Philip A. Baddour, Jr.
El Centro Hispano
Sen. Jeanne H. Lucas
Jereann King
Rep. Martha Alexander
Geraldine Blackston
Sen. Ellie Kinnaird
El Pueblo, Inc.
Rep. Bob Hensley
Sen. Brad Miller
Sen. Eric Reeves
18
Jerry Hartzell, Hartzell &
Whiteman, LLP
Community News
Polly Williams
THANKS TO OUR 2009 DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE AWARDS SPONSORS!
Corporate Sponsor: PLATINUM
Individual Sponsors: PLATINUM
The Josephus Daniels Fund
Perry & Susan Safran
Individual Sponsors:
SILVER
Elizabeth Craven & Michael Warner
Individual Sponsors: BRONZE
Corporate Sponsors: GOLD
Corporate Sponsors: SILVER
Jay Butler & Grace Evans
Jean Cary & George Danser
John Graybeal & Laurie Heise
Daniel & Karen Gottovi
Chris & Susan Graebe
Richard Hooker
Carl Horton & Debra Tyler-Horton
Mary Braxton Joseph &
Ambassador James Joseph
Cyrus & Carolyn King
Melinda Lawrence & Greg Malhoit
Susan Lupton & Robert Schall
John Parker & Easter Maynard
Travis & Avry Payne
Jane Pinsky and Richard Adelman
Orage & Linda Quarles
Brenda J. Summers
Carol Teal & Bill Wilson
Paula Wolf
Anonymous
Anonymous
In-kind Sponsor: PLATINUM
In-kind Sponsors: GOLD
Corporate Sponsors: BRONZE
BB&T
Becton, Slifkin & Bell, P.A.
North Carolina Association
of Community Development Centers
RBC Centura Bank
Romeo Wiggins & Company, L.L.P.
Self Help & Center for Responsible Lending
Triangle Auto Recyclers
In-kind Sponsors: BRONZE
Chandler’s Florist
Haw River Wineman
Philanthropy Journal
Community News
Triangle Brewing Company
Weaver Street Market
19
(cont. from p. 15)
create the public
policy for the people of North Carolina,
Sen. James Forrester, a doctor, told the
Iredell County Young Republicans,
according to the Statesville Record:
“Slick city lawyers and homosexual
lobbies and African American lobbies are
running Raleigh.”
I’m not naïve and neither are you.
I know that if he spewed this kind of
sickness and division in public, what do
he and his fellow right-wing ideologues
talk about behind closed doors? They are
going to use every Jesse Helms trick
they can come up with to try to stop our
progressive agenda. To make sure our
pro-justice agenda is dead on arrival. So
I am not naïve, and you aren’t naïve.
Instead we are fired up, prayed up, and
ready to go.
That is why our theme for
gathering this year says, “For our
children.” We must work from another
place in our spirits. This time our
motivation is to work, to stand to
together, to demand together, not for us,
but for our children. These shallow men
of division are not just messing with us.
They are messing with our children’s
future and our children’s dreams, and we
have to take serious issue with that. To
mess with us as adults is one thing, but
to mess with our children is something
all together different.
I am clear that it is urgently
necessary for the people to assemble.
The people who care about the We, the
common good, the general welfare, the
state of justice must refuse to back
down. Yes, there are enemies, the forces
of greed and division, and racism, and
classism are real. But I know from my
faith that when you stand for right, that
when you stand for justice, that when we
stand together, when we stand for others
and not just ourselves, God has a way of
making ways out of no ways.
Just look at the hallmark of our
history. Harriett Tubman and Fredrick
Douglass in slavery, with evil violent
men staring them in the face. But read
the rest of the story. They win.
When President Franklin Roosevelt,
from his wheel chair, faced the Great
Depression, and the Darwinist capitalists
who opposed his Social Security and
public works programs came down strong
on him. But read the rest of the story.
20
Community News
President Roosevelt wins.
When Marion Anderson, whose
birthday is today, was opposed by the
Daughters of the American Revolution.
But read the rest of the story. She sang
America the Beautiful on the Lincoln
Memorial steps to thousands.
When Thurgood Marshall faced an
all-white Supreme Court and 58 years of
racist decisions upholding the sinful
separate-but equal-doctrine. But read the
rest of the story. He wins.
When Martin Luther King and
Rosa Parks faced Montgomery’s racist
bus system. Read the rest of the story.
They won. An even despite his
assassination, truth still marches on.
Young people, Black and White, 50 years
ago organized the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee and were
opposed by the adherents of Jim Crow.
But read the rest of the story. They win.
Nelson Mandela was put into
prison by the injustice of apartheid. But
read the rest of the story. Prisoner
Mandela turns into President Mandela.
There may be some dark Fridays,
there may be well-funded public foes.
You may lose some votes. Critics may
abound and may even crucify your
name, but when the dust clears, right
wins. Right is caring for all of our
children. Right is demanding jobs for the
jobless. Right is insurance for the sick,
recovery for the hopeless. Right is
caring for those at the bottom, for the
least of them. Do right because right
wins. Be steadfast, unmovable always
abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labor in the work of
the Lord is not in vain.
Just do right. We have voting
power. We have moral power. We have
organizing power. If we use our
collective power for right, our children
will win and our communities will win.
If we use our collective power, justice,
fairness and equality will win today.
And history will record that was
another time that the people came
together who believed in the beloved
community, who refused to lose heart,
who refused to give into fear and
division. And because these people
assembled, God Almighty helped them.
The glory of the Lord was with them
and justice rolled down like water and
righteousness like a mighty stream.
(cont. from p. 17)
entender que éste es un movimiento,
no un momento. Mientras tengamos
respiración en nuestros cuerpos
debemos lograr lo mejor. El cambio
requiere un movimiento sostenido de
la gente que por su vida y acción
luchen con los elementos más
humildes.
Cuando hacemos ésto nuestra
vida no es en vano. Nuestra vocación
se arraiga en la imaginación profética
de lo que es posible. Debemos agitar,
litigar, y legislar con una meta:
justicia para todos.
Debemos oponernos a los que
quisieran que el gobierno gastara más
dinero en una guerra. Quienes
quieren más créditos fiscales al rico.
Quienes quieren dar las primas a la
oligarquía económica, y el extremo
corto del palillo al resto de nosotros.
Lo único que queremos es que
Carolina del Norte y América hagan
lo correcto. Cuando veo que toda esta
gente joven aquí pienso que podemos
hacer lo correcto. El momento
adecuado para lo correcto es ahora.
Dejemos la justicia rodar abajo como
el agua y la rectitud como una
corriente poderosa. Sé que podemos
justicia. Sé que podemos levantar a
todos nuestros niños y dar a todos
una educación constitucionalmente
integrada y de alta calidad.
Podemos hacer lo justo-crear
trabajos públicos, bien pagados y que
sostengan familias; desarrollar una
economía verde, invertir en cada
comunidad, amplíar el desarrollo de
la fuerza de trabajo, poner a la gente
a trabajar, y poner más dinero en las
escuelas que en la prisión.
Nos hemos reunido, por
nuestros niños. Nuestra motivación es
trabajar, luchar, no por nosotros, sino
por ellos. Si se meten con nosotros
los adultos, es una cosa. Si se meten
con nuestros niños, no podemos
permitirlo.
Es urgente y necesario que la
gente se reúna. Los que se preocupan
por el Nosotros, por el bien general y
por el bien común y por la justicia en
general no pueden quitarse. Es cierto
que hay enemigos: las fuerzas de la
avaricia, la división, del racismo, del
clasismo son reales. Pero tengo fe de
que cuando estamos juntos por el
bien, estamos juntos por la justicia.
Cuando por otros y no solamente por
nosotros, Dios tiene forma de hacer
las cosas de la nada.
Hay relatos de personajes la
historia (Harriett Tubman y Fredrick
Douglass) que en la esclavitud,
lucharon contra enemigos violentos.
El resto es historia. Los vencieron.
Cuando el Presidente Franklin
Roosevelt, desde una silla de ruedas,
enfrentó la Gran Depresión, y los
capitalistas que se oponían a sus
reformas de seguro social y de obras
públicas lo criticaron muy
fuertemente. Lea el resto de la
historia. Roosevelt ganó.
Igual podemos decir de Marion
Anderson, Thurgood Marshall,
Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, y
los jóvenes que hace 50 años
formaron la Coordinadora Estudiantil
por la No Violencia. A pesar de
asesinatos , muerte y mucho dolor,
todos ganaron.
La injusticia del apartheid puso
a Nelson Mandela en la prisión. Pero
lea el resto de la historia. El preso
Mandela se convirtió en el Presidente
Mandela.
Vendrán viernes oscuros.
Crucificarán tu nombre. Pero tú harás
lo correcto y lo justo. El justo gana.
Estén firmes en la obra del Señor
pues nunca es en vano.
Haz lo correcto. Tenemos el
poder de votar. Tenemos la fuerza
moral. Tenemos energía organizativa.
Si utilizamos nuestra energía
colectiva para la justo, nuestros niños
ganarán y nuestras comunidades
ganarán. Si utilizamos nuestra energía
colectiva, la justicia, la imparcialidad
y la igualdad ganarán hoy.
Y la historia registrará que en
otro tiempo vino la gente junta, que
creyó en la comunidad, que rechazó
perder el valor y el corazón, que
rechazó ceder al miedo y la división.
Y porque esta gente se unió, el Dios
Todopoderoso les ayudó. La gloria
del Señor estaba con ellos y la
justicia rodó abajo como agua y la
rectitud como una corriente poderosa.
¡Justicia para los Juveniles!
Firme la Declaración de Principios ‘AUMENTEN LA EDAD’
Los niños son uno de los recursos más valiosos de Carolina del Norte e invertir en ellos es
invertir en nuestro futuro colectivo. Más de 30,000 de nuestros niños en actualidad tienen algún
tipo de relación con el sistema de justicia criminal de adultos. Más del 85% de éstos han
cometido crímenes menores, pero esa mala decisión tomada a los 16 ó 17 años de edad,
puede determinar la trayectoria del resto de sus vidas.
Individuos y organizaciones están siendo invitados a firmar la afirmación de principios
‘Aumenten la Edad’, abajo explicada, que apoya la legislación progresista para aumentar la
edad en que los niños son procesados como adultos en Carolina del Norte.
Diga a los líderesdel estado que es tiempo de unirse al resto del país al leer y firma esta
petición. Visite el enlace para firmarla
http://www.change.org/actions/view/get_children_out_of_the_adult_system_justice_for_juveniles
Pida a sus legisladors que eliminen esta centenaria ley y que coloquen a los jóvenes de 16 y
17 en cortes juveniles, donde puedan ser tratados, rehabilitados, educados, aconsejados, y
preparados para una vida exitosa.
Escriba a Brandy Bynum at [email protected] o llame al 919-834-6623, para información
sobre cómo usted puede ayudar. Los legisladores actuarán si escuchan de la gente. Ayúdenos
a decirles que los niños no pueden seguir siendo ignorados!
Sinceramente,
Action for Children North Carolina
DECLARACION DE PRINCIPIOS
Por cuanto:
Los niños son un recurso valioso y vital e invertir en ellos es invertir en el futuro colectivo del estado;
•
Los errores de un adolescente no deben decidir los resultados de su vida;
•
Las practicas y reglamento deben ser basadas en investigación;
•
Investigación actual sobre el desarrollo del cerebro humano demuestra que la adolescencia es una
etapa de desarrollo y que los jóvenes no tiene la capacidad que tiene un adulto de decidir tomando
en cuenta el largo plazo;
•
Al estar en desarrollo, los adolescentes necesitan consejería para su transición de la niñez a la
adultez;
•
Instituciones como escuelas, iglesias, y agencias de servicios deben proveer apoyo y orientación a
los padres;
•
El sistema de justicia criminal adulto no está estructurado para lidiar con necesidades de desarrollo,
educativas y sociales de los niños; y
•
El sistema de justicia juvenil provee programas, servicios y castigos apropiados que pueden ayudar
a los padres a cuidar y guiar a la juventud mientras crecen y se convierten en adultos productivos;
por tanto,
Creemos que los legisladores, comunidades, líderes y sistemas gubernamentales deben trabajar
para:
I. Cubrir necesidades de prevención e intervención antes que someterlos al sistema de justicia;
II. Elaborar un sistema de justicia juvenil que provea tratamiento, servicio, terapia, educación,
adiestramiento para empleo, y castigo, basado en programas probados;
III. Asegurarse que todo menor de 18 años sea tratado según su edad en la corte juvenil con servicios,
tratamientos y sanciones según su edad y desarrollo.
IV. Asignar los fondos necesarios para los Consejos Juveniles de Prevención del Crimen, y el
Departamento Estatal de Prevención y Justicia Juvenil, asegurando la disponibilidad de programas y
servicios.
Something
There was something about the way she
sang a song
It was like the words came to life and
danced in front of you
Rebel songs, proud songs, freedom songs
Notes marched faster than we did that
morning
On our way downtown with
determination on our faces
Warmth in our hearts and pain in our
spirit
We held hands not because of solidarity
We held hands because the power of her
voice was so strong
We needed to hold to each other up
I clenched the hand next to me tight
As I closed my eyes and followed the
Angels
Flying wings of harmony out of the
mouth of a blessing
She was vintage
Mainly because she was adept at thrift
store lore
Adidas sambas never carried so much
importance
Black with stripes colored red, yellow,
and green by sharpie
No gym needed, body was strong
The Che wrist band she word seemed to
scream
With the power contained in wrists that
Wrote letters, petitions, poems,
editorials, and inspiration
And held a fist high like Thor held a
hammer
There was something about the way she
smiled
Whenever she was faced with ignorance
Whenever they told her to turn back and
go home
Go home?
Can you tell the wind to turn back?
Can you tell the sun to shine, night to
fade?
Mother Nature breathed existence into
this budding seed
And God crafted her blossom from the
earth
She was forever natural
No labels could identify her
Her name was its own brand of fly
There was something in the way
she stood
Strong and firm
Tank top showed the tenseness
of muscles
Truck stop shades hid weary eyes
Lips fuller than Don Cheadle’s resume
Chewed blades of grass like a southern
belle
And taught backwoods bamas
That Daisy Mae ain’t the only hazard
She tattooed a tree on her back
Because the roots of our struggle were
buried there
Carried like our tomorrow depended
on it
Our beloved
As rich as Oprah
But her wealth was in admiration
Her dedication was to spirits colored
purple
Battered and bruised
So as Harpo sat in an Oval office
And danced our lives away in juke joint
cabinets
She laughed
Because she’s home
Right here on these front lines
I would follow her anywhere
She named the place and time
I’d paint my protest sign on my body
Like avid sports fans
And tailgate outside the building
With 100% fruit juice, grilled tofu
burgers, and organic buns
Camp out the night before
To be the first in line to hold the banner
with her
Mesmerized by the glare of soul
searching eyes
Beaming bright so I sun block my
ignorance with Google searches
Research for my health
And wear the term activist like tattooed
prison tears
Like I worked for that shit
There was something about her
And I fell in love with everything she is
So I sing love songs with bull horns
And march to the cadence of freedom
Holding the movement close to my heart
Community News
© 2005 Chris “Dasan Ahanu”
Massenburg
21
Health Care reform:
How It Will Help
BY ADAM SEARING AND ADAM LINKER, NC HEALTH ACCESS COALITION
National health reform will provide security and
stability to anxious families in North Carolina.
After all of the provisions of reform are enacted
by 2019 about 95 percent of non-elderly legal
residents of North Carolina will have insurance
coverage. For the estimated 1.8 million
uninsured in our state, reform will mean the
chance to purchase affordable coverage and
obtain needed medical care. For the insured
population it will mean new protections against
insurance company abuses. It will also give
individuals and families the security to know
that even if they lose a job they will be able to
obtain affordable coverage.
•
•
•
While most provisions are implemented in 2014,
many benefits in the health care reform bill will
provide immediate help to struggling
individuals and families. Within the first year
these include:
•
Insurers that offer dependent coverage for
policyholders must allow parents to enroll
children up to age 26.
•
New insurance plans are barred from
denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions.
•
Insurance companies are barred from
placing caps on the dollar value of lifetime
benefits and will cover many preventive
services at no charge to enrollees.
•
Insurance companies must spend at least
85 percent of premium dollars in the large
group market and 80 percent of premiums
in the individual and small group markets
on medical care.
•
•
Creates a temporary high-risk pool for
people unable to purchase insurance.
People with pre-existing medical conditions
who have been uninsured for at least six
months will qualify for a new insurance
plan with subsidized premiums. Total cost
sharing in the new plan is capped at $5,950
for an individual and $11,900 for a family in
2010.
Community News
Extends assistance to businesses that
provide health coverage to retirees over
age 55 who are not eligible for Medicare.
•
Increases access to care with $11 billion
in new funding to community health
centers, the National Health Service Corps,
school-based health centers, and nursemanaged health clinics.
After 2014 many new protections are enacted. With
some exceptions, everyone will be required to
purchase health insurance. Medicaid will
expand to cover all people with incomes less
than 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or
Small businesses with fewer than 25
$29,326 for a family of four, which will provide
employees and average annual wages of
insurance to more than 50 percent of the
less than $40,000 will receive a tax credit of
uninsured in North Carolina. In the first three
up to 35 percent of the employer’s
years the federal government will cover the
contribution toward the employee’s health
entire cost of newly eligible Medicaid
insurance premium if the employer
recipients. Individuals and families up to 400
contributes at least 50 percent of the total
percent of federal poverty level, or $88,200 for
premium cost.
a family of four, will receive generous subsidies
to purchase private insurance in a new stateProvides a 10 percent bonus payment in
based exchange. Insurance companies will be
Medicare for primary care physicians and
barred from denying coverage or charging
general surgeons practicing in underserved
higher premiums to people with pre-existing
areas.
conditions.
Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare
beneficiaries who reach the Part D
coverage gap in 2010.
Health reform delivers short- and long-term benefits
Imposes new reporting requirements on
to North Carolina families. It provides new
tax-exempt hospitals. Tax-exempt
protections for the insured and uninsured alike.
hospitals, which includes almost all
And for the first time it provides a solid safety
hospitals in North Carolina, must develop a
net to catch families in economic free fall.
community needs assessment, write a
Reform also begins to attack the long-term
financial assistance policy, limit charges to
costs of health care and will, according to the
those eligible for financial assistance, and
non-partisan Congressional Budget Office,
limit aggressive collections practices
reduce the federal deficit by $143 billion over
against patients eligible for financial
the first ten years. These reforms represent a
assistance.
triumph for working families across the state.
Please visit us on the web: www.ncjustice.org
22
•
www.youtube.com/user/AdamSearing
NC Black Summit Celebrates 5th Year –
Focuses on Recovery, Green Economy
THE ALLIANCE OF NORTH
CAROLINA BLACK ELECTED
OFFICIALS will hold its fifth
annual North Carolina Black
Summit from April 29 to May 1
at the Crabtree Marriott in
Raleigh.
Organizers say this year’s
summit, with an expected
attendance of between 300 and
350, will provide the opportunity
to reflect on how well the
organization has met its goals.
“It is essential that we focus on
policy achievement as a measure
of our effectiveness,” says
Alliance Executive Director Brad
Thompson. “The Alliance will
sharpen its focus and build upon
the shared agenda and
commitment to informationsharing that has become a
hallmark of the organization’s
success.”
Former Virginia Governor L.
Douglas Wilder, America's first
Black elected governor, will
keynote the annual banquet. His
speech will be on The
Challenges Facing Emerging
African American Leaders.
Bernie Mazyck, president of the
South Carolina CDC Association,
will be the luncheon keynote on
April 30 and will focus on The
Green Economy: Real
Opportunity or Pipe Dream.
Break-out sessions will
focus on gangs and youth
violence in communities of color,
the importance of parental
participation in education
effectiveness, the role of local
political action committees in
improving political
representation, how younger
people can emerge as the
primary representatives of
African American interests, and
the pandemic flu preparedness
in the Black community. Rev.
Kenneth Hammond will be
keynote speaker during the
inspirational breakfast on
Saturday, May 1.
After the breakfast, a panel
of Black elected officials will
discuss From Where Have We
Come and Where Are We Now?
“This panel, made up of the
Alliance leadership, will take a
look at our advocacy over the
past four years,” said Alliance
Chairman Fred Yates, who also is
mayor of Winfall, NC. “We will
discuss where we have been
effective and where we may
need to make adjustments in
order to strengthen our
collective voice.”
Yates said clear
communication among the
network of elected officials,
partners and advocates in the
empowerment of Black
communities has resulted in
positive changes in North
Carolina. He pointed to the
Alliances’ support of important
issues such as the increase in
the state’s minimum wage and
the enactment of Early Voting
and Same-Day Registration.
“These were key victories for the
citizens of North Carolina, and
our organization joined
committed leadership on these
issues and other prominent
organizations from across the
state and the nation to support
their passage.”
Pre-registration for the
NC Black Summit is $125 if
complete before March 31
and $150 thereafter.
On-site registration is $175.
To register or learn more, go to
www.ncblacksummit.org
or call (919) 833-6394,
or toll-free at 1-888-833-5003.
AGENDA – Fifth Annual NC Black Summit
April 29 – May 1, 2010
THURSDAY, APRIL 29
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Pre-Conference Workshop: Is the Recovery Really Working?:
It’s About Jobs!
Panel Discussion
Sponsor: NC Office of Economic Recovery and Investment
4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Mini NC Black Expo
20 Businesses
Sponsor: NC Black Pages
8:00 p.m. - Midnight
Opening Gala: Mardi Gras in Raleigh
Social Event featuring the RISSE Band
Sponsor: NC Black Mayors Association
FRIDAY, APRIL 30
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Summit Opening Session
Recommitment and Chair’s Comments
Governor or Lt. Governor Participating
10:00 a.m. – Noon
Break-out Sessions
Health, Education, Economic Empowerment, Social & Criminal
Justice, Political and Youth Empowerment
Sponsors: TBD
Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Summit Luncheon: “Going Green” What’s in it for Us?
Bernie Mazyck, President, SC CDC Association
Sponsor: Conservation NC and ECSU
Special Feature: Introducing AA State Government Executive
Leadership
1:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Mini NC Black Expo
20 Businesses
Sponsor: NC Black Pages
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Break-out Sessions
Health, Education, Economic Empowerment, Social & Criminal
Justice, Political and Youth Empowerment
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
R. Campbell Leadership Reception
Attendees and Guest
Sponsor: Progress Energy
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
5th Annual NC Black Summit Banquet
Gov. L. Douglass Wilder, Speaker
Sponsor: AT&T
8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Inspirational Breakfast
Rev. Kenneth Hammond, Speaker
Sponsor: TBD
SATURDAY, MAY 1
10:00 – Noon
Organization Update: Assessing Our Goals: Has Progress Been
Made?
Alliance Leaders
Sponsor: The Alliance of NC BEOs
Noon
Adjournment
Community News
23

noticias - NC Justice Center

Transcripción

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