Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944
Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944
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.It is the year 2020, and the General Election is less than a week away. Are you going to vote in the election. I hope so. This brief history explains what transpired in order for you to have 'the right' to vote. The 15th Amendment states: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. " The 15th Amendment granting African-American men the right to vote was...
I watched a group of young people over the last few months and I began to ponder the question, why are they activist? Were they born with the Activist gene or did they become activist because of the associations that they have had. After thinking about it for a while, I decided that it is probably a combination of both. I watched these young people stand and speak so eloquently about things that they want to change in their communities and in the colleges and schools that they attend. They...
RIVER ROUGE – A public hearing is when the citizens of a city are able to voice their comments on a certain issue that will affect the city. A public hearing must be published in a newspaper two weeks before the hearing date. Most notices for River Rouge are published in the Telegram Newspaper. However, this one was not. I would like to inform the citizens of River Rouge that a public hearing will be held on Monday, October 5th at 4:00pm in the City Council Chambers. The purpose of the Public He...
History is prone to repeat itself. This is a column I wrote in 2018. I wanted to republish it so we could see that we need to work on this vigorously. February 16, 2018 It started in 2016, now it's 2018. What has changed? Former San Francisco 49er player, Colin Kaepernick brought attention to the plight of African American and people of color who have become victims when many are confronted by the police. His silent protest was simply taking a knee while the National Anthem was being played...
I sometimes ponder on the question, what is the responsibility of elected officials? I believe that their main responsibility is to represent the people in the area where they were elected. Whether it is a city council, state representative, governor, etc., they are to represent the people. However, there are times when elected officials seem to vote their own agenda. They may vote to pass legislation that will benefit their friend's company and sometimes they may vote not to support the best...
Where do you get your news from? I'm not talking about news outlets that only tell stories about people in your community when they commit a crime. I'm talking about news outlets that tell stories about positive news going on in your community. Aley Haley, writer of the acclaimed book, 'Roots', lived by six words, "Find the good and praise it." Each week, the Telegram Newspaper strives to share information about the good people are doing while reporting on positive stories that are happening in...
There has been so much going on in 2020, that it is hard to determine which issue to focus on. Within the pages of the Telegram News, I try to encourage our readers to get involved in their communities. We do a good job at keeping you focused on an issue, but now we have to figure out a way to do many things at once. Here is my attempt to prioritize our efforts for the remainder of 2020. Since it is so much going on, we are asking for 'All Hands On Deck. 1. COVID-19 – You can't help your f...
COVID-19 affects African American and the Latino population at a higher rate than White Americans. The demographic study for Wayne County states that the Cities of Inkster, River Rouge and Ecorse have the highest percentage of African Americans in Western Wayne County. If the research that was broadcast two months ago that African Americans only make up 14% of the Michigan population, but made up 40% of the deaths from COVID-19, then where are the test.?. A report from the Detroit Free Press...
I have been watching a lot of TV over the last three weeks and I have noticed something. A new group of activists has arisen. I have seen the passion, as they spoke so eloquently about things that are bothering them and things that they want to change. Some of them have been young teenagers and some have been young adults. They have found their voice. Not only have they found their voice, they have found their organizational and leadership skills. I am impressed and excited. I used to have my do...
This week marks my 15th Anniversary as owner of the Telegram Newspaper. What an accomplishment for me and my family! Last year, I had this grand plan of celebrating my 15th Anniversary and the 75th Anniversary of the Telegram Newspaper. But the world had different plans. First there was COVID-19 affecting the entire world by shutting down the world and then there was the worldwide protest for justice for George Floyd who was killed by four police officers. I had a private celebration on Monday,...
It is so important that we wear a mask or face covering when we go outside. The US Surgeon General said that we can protect others from getting the Coronavirus when we wear a mask. It has been reported that many people don't show any symptons of COVID-19, but they have it. (It is called being asymptomatic.) The way that we can beat the virus is to stop spreading it. We must wear a mask and keep at least a six-foot distance between you and the next person. I didn't think that was hard to do....
Have you completed your 2020 Census? No! Please take about ten minutes to be counted this year. It is very important for your family, kids and community to complete the Census. The Constitution says that every 10 years, every person is to be counted. Unfortunately, many people do not take the Census seriously. I don't understand why, but that is their truth. But we must change their mindset. The Western Wayne County NAACP has been partnering with several organizations and numerous Complete...
Oh how I would love for things to be back to normal; or just a little less confined. It has been about five weeks of being in the house and I seem to be having 'cabin fever'. I have watched some good movies on Netflix, BET+ and Roku. I have cleaned cabinets, recycled paper, cleaned windows, put up winter outfits and other little projects. I realize that those projects were going to have to be done at some point, however I have had enough. Now it is ZOOM calls, conference calls and email...
Wow! The times we are living in are really putting our government and mental stability to a test. What are we to do? One; we must pray and realize that there is a higher power in control. Two; We must follow the guidelines in place to keep us safe. Three; We must learn the lessons so we won’t be affected like this again and Four; We must prepare for life after the Pandemic. We will get through this together. As I focused on what the Telegram can do as part of the ‘We’, I decided to reach out t...
There is so much going on that you have to be able to manage more than one thing as once. I have always bragged that I can multi-task, but even I am being challenged to stay focused. The Coronavirus has really changed the way we live, think and plan our future. My circle of friends and our parents are in the sixty year old and older category. So I am extra cautious of my interactions. We have cancelled many trips, events and meetings as to adhere to social distancing. When the schools closed...
For those of you that know me, you know I have a thing about The Black National Anthem' – Lift Every Voice and Sing. Last year2019, was the 100th year anniversary of the song/poem. Lift Every Voice and Sing was written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) and then set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) in 1899. It was first performed in public in the Johnsons' hometown of Jacksonville, Florida as part of a celebration of Lincoln's Birthday on F...
Do you know why I stopped you? That is what the police officer said to me the other day? Lights blarring and my passengers looking at me. No, I don't know why you stopped me sir. The officer says, 'Your license plate light is out. What?? Yes, your license plate light is out. My question was, how was I to know that? Is there a sensor on the dashboard that lets me know? So I ask, can I get out and look? No, my headlights are shinning on your car, so you wont be able to tell. OK. So for $7.00 and...
I know it isn't February yet, but it doesn't have to be February for you to learn about your history. During 2020, the Telegram News will have a series entitled, 'Pioneers of African American History'. This section will focus on sharing information about unfamiliar African Americans. Most people know about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Madame C. J. Walker, but there are so many others that helped to shape our lives. I grew up in a household that focused on learning...
Good financial habits start with an effort. Do you have $260.00 in your savings account (or in the box under your bed)? If not, do you have a plan to get there by the end of the year? If you saved $5.00 per week last year, you would have saved $260.00. If you saved $10.00 a week, you would have saved $520.00. Taking control of your finances is a way of taking charge of your life. We MUST make financial decisions for our future, today. The goal is to have enough savings to cover your monthly...
