Sign The Petition to Save our Schools

NAACP Units throughout the State of Kansas will be collecting signatures on a petition calling upon the Governor and the Legislature to respect and honor their sworn oath to "support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Kansas" by allocating 'suitable provisions for finance of the educational interests of the state' as required.

To add your name to the petition, CLICK HERE to be taken to the online form

Scan the code in the featured graphic to access the mobile form

OR if you would be willing to collect signatures, CLICK HERE to download a copy of the petition form.

Completed forms should be mailed to the Kansas State Conference on the NAACP at 829 N Market St, Wichita KS, 67214...

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Why the School funding fight is "THE" fight!

Kansas, like most States, is now dealing with a profound revenue shortfall with some estimating the gap as wide as $550 million dollars. To close that funding gap, the Kansas Legislature proposes that we 'shrink the size of Government' by cutting staff, services, and increasing privatization. Proponents of this approach argue that the worsening economic conditions necessitate this approach, and we simply can no longer afford to provide the level of services that we have become accustomed to. Proponents of this approach argue that as we begin to 'shrink the size of Government', and 'decrease the tax burden', businesses will rebound, new businesses will be attracted to our State, bringing new jobs and thereby expanding the tax base, and our State economy will rebound. And proponents of this approach argue that to solve the problem, we need to reduce funding to public schools...

What these proponents WON'T tell you is that we created this revenue shortfall by pushing corporate and business tax cuts thorough our legislature every successive year since 1997. What they won't tell you is the legislature has passed more than $668 million dollars in tax cuts since 2008! There's even a bill in our legislature RIGHT NOW (SB95) that would phase out ALL corporate income taxes over the next five years and reduce revenues even further. But they would ask that we ignore this totally reckless fiscal policy, treat these tax-cuts as sacrosanct, and allow them to make up the shortfall by de-funding our children's education.

We have fought for years in favor of reforms and programs shown to improve educational outcomes for children. We have fought for smaller class sizes - Just like the private schools and affluent districts maintain for their children. We have fought for highly qualified teachers - Just like the private schools and affluent districts maintain for their children. We have fought for up-to-date books and equipment - Just like the private schools and affluent districts maintain for their children. And now, under the guise of solving a revenue shortfall that we created through irresponsible and unaffordable business and corporate tax-cuts that have produced NO stimulative affect here in Kansas, we are now witness to our legislature acting to de-fund those reforms and do irreparable damage to our public school system. 

- And if any of you feel that last statement was hyperbolic, I would ask you to remember that for all the talk about running the schools more like a business - Public schools are NOT BUSINESSES. The students within them are not commodities or products - their progress is not tied to an assembly line that can be stopped and restarted. If in response to our current budget challenges, we diminish the quality of education that we provide to our children for the next year, or two, or five - Those are years that those children will not get back! They will move forward in an increasingly competitive economy with limited skills and abilities courtesy of our supply-side fetishes and real-world myopia. - 

In response to the proposed actions of the State, school districts around Kansas are making plans to increase class sizes, limit transportation, close down schools, limit access to extra-curricular and enrichment type activities to families with enough disposable income to pay for them, use older books and materials, etc. My friends on the other side of this issue say that we MUST do this so that we don't pass this crippling debt on to our children. 

But I've said, and I'll say again: It is immoral for us to pay our debts for services that we've enjoyed with money that we've taken away from our children's education.  It is wrong and we can not remain silent while our children's ability to compete in a global world economy is traded for short term corporate profits. 

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The Wichita NAACP Youth Forensics team presents "Black History is American History"

On February 15th, The Wichita NAACP Youth Forensics team will be making a presentation on the campus of Wichita State University entitled "Black History is American History". The presentation consists of several original oratorical pieces written by the youth themselves dealing with history and the failure of the educational system to truly integrate the accomplishments and achievements of African Americans into the American narrative.

This event is free and open to the public...

What: Black History is American History
When: February 15th at 6:30PM
Where: Rhatigan Student Center, room 203

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The Wichita NAACP Youth Council meets with City Leaders to address Police response to violence

On November 21st, the Kappa Leadership League sponsored a party on the campus of Wichita State University. The party was intended to be a "coming-out" event for the newest inductees into the Leadership Organization. Around two hundred 14 through 17 year olds were in attendance.

At one point, a fight broke out within th building which was quickly stopped. However, as the youth who were involved were exiting the building, they began to fight again in the stairwell. At this point, campus police decided to shut the party down and send everyone home. Police started moving all of the students into the parking lot.

At one point, gunshots were heard coming from the parking lot. WSU Police are now investigating an officer who reportedly fired their weapon at a vehicle from which additional shots may have also been fired.

Once the shooting began, the frightened crowd of 14 through 17 year olds began running back towards the building, trying to get away from the gunfire in the parking lot. But the Campus Police were still posted at the building forcing the High School students out into the Parking lot.

Because these were High school students, most of them did not have cars and had no way to get home. The party was stopped an hour before it was scheduled to end so most of the students had to wait for rides, but virtually none felt safe waiting around in a parking lot where they've just heard gunshots and so many left to wander through the neighborhoods at 11pm while waiting for family members.

Last Tuesday, members of the Wichita NAACP Youth Council met with City Manager Bob Layton and Deputy Police Chief Tom Stoltz. Representing the youth were Kyron Cox (President of the Wichita NAACP Council and President of the Kappa Leadership League), Isaiah Myles (First Vice President of the Wichita NAACP Youth Council), Kendall Graham (NAACP Youth Council Secretary), Jowonia Bowen, Kelsie Graham, and Amani Myles (President of the Kansas State NAACP Youth Conference).

The Youth stressed the fact that they were not seeking to excuse bad behavior and that they understood that the ultimate responsibility for the events that evening was with the bad actors at the party. But they also wanted to express their concerns about policy; namely the fact that children, without cars or a way to exit, were being pushed into a parking lot where gunshots were being fired. The youth also sought to explore ways in which event organizers and the City can better coordinate to avoid these types of incidents in the future.

The investigation into the incident is still ongoing and the youth will continue to meet with the other involved agencies. And they will also begin working to create a dialogue within the community and among their peers about stopping the violence.

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USD259 Public Budget meeting scheduled for Tuesday 11-30

On Tuesday at 6:30pm, a committee made up of district staff, parents and business representatives will meet to hear preliminary budget projections and set a course for gathering input from the public. The meeting is open to the public.

Despite a new 1 percent increase in the state sales tax, the State is expected to face a $450 million dollar financial shortfall this session which will have a serious impact on school funding. Kansas lawmakers will also have to find ways to replace about $200 million in federal funds that expire in June. Absent those dollars, schools could see state aid reduced by as much as $300 per child.

This will be the third year of serious cuts to the district's budget. USD259 cut about $14 million from its budget last year. The district eliminated 117 positions, cut the driver's education program in high schools, closed Metro-Midtown Alternative High School, consolidated bus routes, suspended the Grow Your Own Teacher program and did away with school resource officers at middle schools. And those reductions followed $34 million in cuts that the district made in 2009.

"It was hard this past year," said school board president Connie Dietz. "But depending on what the extent (of state-aid cuts) is, it could be devastating."

At Tuesday's meeting, which is open to the public, the committee will get "a first look at what the budget reality looks like and what our plans are for moving forward," Allison said.

What: School Budget Meeting featuring a discussion on current budget projections and possible cuts for the coming school year.
Where: School Service Center training room, 3850 N. Hydraulic
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

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Sobering report highlights need for a NEW conversation on the achievement gap

On Tuesday  November 9th, the Council of the Great City Schools released an alarming new report (Link: A Call for Change), on the academic achievement gap. The data is not entirely new to those who have been following issues surrounding the gap and the need for reforms, but the report does a masterful job of compiling the relevant statistics into a single document, amplifying them and making them increasingly difficult to ignore...

The report focuses on six areas of the lives of African American males. Highlights of the report's findings show:

• In readiness to learn, black children were twice as likely to live in a household where no parent had fulltime or year round employment in 2008. And in 2007, one out of every three black children lived in poverty compared with one out of every 10 white children.
• In black male achievement at the national level, first time analysis of the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals that on the 2009 fourth grade reading assessment only 12 percent of black male students nationally and 11 percent of those living in large central cities performed at or above proficient levels, compared with 38 percent of white males nationwide. In eighth grade, only 9 percent of black males across the country and 8 percent living in large cities performed at or above the proficient level in reading, compared with 33 percent of white males nationwide. Math results were similar in both grades. Moreover, the average African American fourth and eighth grade male who is not poor does no better in reading and math on NAEP than white males who are poor; and black males without disabilities do no better than white males with disabilities.
• In black male achievement in selected big city school districts, 50 percent of fourth and eighth grade black males in most urban districts and nationwide scored below Basic levels.
• In college and career preparedness, black males were nearly twice as likely to drop out of high school as white males. In 2008, 9 percent of black males dropped out of high school compared with 5 percent of white males. In addition, black male students nationally scored an average 104 points lower than white males on the SAT college entrance examination in reading. And black students generally were about one third as likely to meet ACT college readiness benchmarks as white students.
• In school experience, black students were less likely to participate in academic clubs, more likely to be suspended from school, and more likely to be retained in grade than their white peers.
• In postsecondary experience, the unemployment rate among black males ages 20 and over (17.3 percent) was twice as high as the unemployment rate among white males of the same age (8.6 percent) earlier this year. In 2008, black males ages 18 and over accounted for 5 percent of the college population, while black males accounted for 36 percent of the nation’s prison population.

But one of the thing I found most promising about the report, was its break from common wisdom when examining the root causes. Most discussions around the academic achievement gap end up ascribing the gap to poverty or issues related to poverty. And while there is certainly some correlation between household income and achievement, the idea that the correlation was the cause was always tenuous at best. There was always too much conflicting and contradictory information in the margins to accept this simple explanation.  This report examines that claim and refutes it plainly, detailing the fact that African American youth who are not in poverty score no better than their White counterparts who are.

I found this distinction to be promising because if we are going to eliminate the academic achievement gap we must first be willing to confront it openly and without flinching. Poverty is too convenient an excuse; a large, complex issue that is perhaps beyond our collective capacity to solve. If poverty is the culprit then the gap is the product of societal inequities, not a reflection of our failures; and we are not accountable. I believe that the academic achievement gap is the the complex result of shifts in values and expectations within the African American community (please read: The Crisis of Aspiration), which are exacerbated by poverty, which are further exacerbated by a legacy of low expectations, and even further exacerbated by subsequently formulaic approaches to pedagogy. And while each issue has a synergistic effect on  the others, they are entirely severable (please read: Mixing Metaphors)

Of course this is only my theory; one of perhaps a thousand that have been conceived. Solving the problem and ending the gap will require that we be willing to consider them all, and that we avoid the easy answers... I think this report is a good start... Now let's start talking

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Many years in the making, Gordon Parks Academy achieves IB Status

Gordon Parks Academy is officially an International Baccalaureate World School — the only public IB middle school in Kansas — and officials say the achievement could increase its appeal to families across the district. ~Wichita Eagle, Sat 10/30/10

In June of 2006 when it was announced that USD259 would be looking at building a new K-8 Magnet school in Northeast Wichita, within the predominantly African American Community, the Wichita NAACP Education Committee and Branch President Kevin Myles attended a meeting with then Superintendent Brooks to discuss the planned school's program and curriculum.

The school at that time had been envisioned by District officials as a 'Performing Arts' Magnet. The Branch proposed and advanced the argument that the new Magnet school should be opened as an IB school. We argued that 'IF' we really have high expectations for all children, and believe that all children are capable of achieving great things... If we believe in all of our children's potential for academic success, then we should invest in that idea. We should meet the achievement gap and scholastic shortcomings with high standards, academic rigor, and high quality teachers. We should raise the bar and give our children the needed support to help them reach it. - An IB School would provide that. And the program itself would require additional teacher training and certifications that would also serve to ensure that the students of the new school would always be taught by high quality and highly experienced teachers.

We also advanced the argument that as the district looked for ways to maintain diversity without a formal busing for desegregation program, a challenging and attractive curriculum was perhaps the lowest hanging fruit. This high quality, high rigor, academic program (the first of it's kind in Kansas) could attract students from all races, all ethnicities, and all socio-economic backgrounds to a school in the heart of the African American community.

Thankfully the District responded, and in 2008, Gordon Parks Academy opened as an "IB Candidate" school.

Even after the school opened, there was still a healthy dose of skepticism in the community as to whether or not the school would ever truly be awarded its IB status. To become a part of the IB program, schools and teachers must undergo a series of trainings and certifications which can be costly and take years to complete. But the Wichita Eagle reported on Saturday that the middle school component of the Gordon Parks Academy has now officially received its IB designation and the district is hopeful that the Elementary program will receive its designation soon as well - just two years since it's opening.

On behalf of the Wichita Branch of the NAACP, I'd like say thank you to the district, both staff and administrators, for really 'putting our money where our mouths are' and taking this incredible leap for children; particularly those in the high minority/low SES areas of the city. This is an investment in the potential of children that will pay great dividends, and we are happy to partner with you to ensure its success.

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Bishop Long as a metaphor: Why together we must break the silence on abuse...

I have struggled for a couple weeks with how I would approach this subject... You see, I have strongly felt a check in my spirit, a calling to speak out on a crisis within our community, but I just hadn't found the words. But now I have... This is not about Bishop Eddie Long - This is about us, and all the bishop long's we've tolerated in an indefensible silence.

Now with regard to Bishop Eddie Long, I don't know if he is guilty or innocent. Truthfully, I didn't know anything about him prior to these recent accusations so my point here is not to cast aspersions upon him. The justice system will ferret that out... But we've been too silent for too long about the sexual victimization of young girls and boys within our community. And I for one, will not remain silent any longer.

Rather than deal with Bishop Long the Reverend, I'd like to take a look at Bishop Long as a metaphor. Consider a man held in high esteem. Well regarded, and well known. A man holding a position of influence and one who used that influence to serve as a mentor to youth within our community... But even as he made his positive offerings to the community, he was victimizing the very children he purported to mentor.

This is not an isolated incident. This is not an uncommon anecdote. Too many children within our community are subject to acts of sexual molestation or abuse and we as a community need to speak out about it.

Through our work and my contact with youth, I am alarmed by the vast number of children who harbor terrible stories about the times their trust was betrayed and their innocence attacked. I have been equally pained to learn of the men, most of well repute, who selfishly scar the lives of our youth. These stories are scattered all around us; unchecked, unchallenged, they are our collective secret...

But no more.

Now I certainly realize, that this is a complicated psychological issue, and certainly not one that could be easily solved with a public awareness campaign. But I also know that the first real step to making a change is that Somebody has to stand up and say "Enough". We need to stand up for the safety and well-being of our children. No more young girls should have to endure this. No more young men either... Our Juvenile detention facilities and jails are filled with former victims of abuse: people who've struggled unsuccessfully to process and deal with their victimization. Our relationships are suffering, our family units are in free fall, and the monsters remain among us.

Now I don't know how this fits into the work of the NAACP. Our mandate is very clear and our mission is unambiguous. We are an organization that is dedicated to protecting people from the effects of bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination. I am as proud to be a part of that work today as I have ever been. But I also recognize a greater mandate. That we are ALL called to stand up and be protectors of our children and of those who can not protect themselves. And on this count, we are falling short.

I am a Civil Rights Warrior. But we can not be so concerned with defending our civil rights that we neglect to stand up for our children's Human Rights.

That is why a couple weeks ago I sat down with Pastors Reuben Eckels, Micheal Tyson, and Kevin Graham, along with NAACP Youth Director Kenya Cox, and TKAAM Executive Director Prisca Barnes, to have a conversation about how we could begin a community dialogue around the issue of ending the abuse. I don't know what form the campaign will eventually take - but I know its time to say "Enough".

If you have suggestions, ideas, or just want to be a part of the change - please drop me a line either by email or on Facebook, and let's end the silence...

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More Educational success stories: The "Ready to Impact" Program

The Ready to Impact program was implemented as a pilot, here in Wichita, at Southeast High School in November 2006. The project has since expanded to include Heights High and West High schools. It's purpose is to provide targeted services to students to help get them on track for graduation and post-secondary options. In 2008-2009, the program served students at Southeast, Heights, and West High schools and successfully graduated 86% of the Seniors involved, who would not have graduated without the assistance this program provided. In 2009-2010, of the 73 students served, 86.6% successfully graduated with West high graduating 12 out of 12 for a 100% success rate.

The program is led by Ms. Rhonda Hicks (pictured above); a truly dynamic and committed educator. USD259 has since entered into an contract with Ms. Hicks to expand her program to reach even more of the District's at-risk youth.

We would like to offer our sincere appreciation and our congratulations to Rhonda Hicks. Yours is an excellent program, and we thanks you for all that you do to improve the educational outcomes for children.

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Educational Excellence: Two local schools that are getting it right...

Just last week, the Schott Foundation released a 50 State report on Public Education and Black males. According to the report, the National Graduation rate for Black males averages out to a dismal 47%. And while my home State of Kansas faired a bit better, there is clearly a considerable amount of work to be done.

But even as we acknowledge that, we mustn't lose sight of the fact that scattered throughout our respective cities, there are still teachers, administrators, and schools that are doing amazing things.

Earlier this evening, I attended the school board meeting for USD259 here in Wichita. While there I heard a presentation on two local elementary schools, each that had been placed "on improvement" in NCLB parlance for failing to meet AYP for two consecutive years. The Principals from these schools, Pam Stead (from Enterprise Elementary) and Judy Wright (from Clark Elementary), were then recognized for their successful efforts to improve their student outcomes and for each leading their schools OFF of "improvement".

At Enterprise, a school with a significant Latino and ELL enrollment, they were able to achieve a 17.2% increase in reading scores on State Assessments over 2 years, while narrowing the achievement gap by 21.4 points, and still showing improvement for all groups. They had similar success in Math where their Assessment scores increased by 6.8%, and their achievement gap was narrowed by 17.5%.

At Clark Elementary, a school with a significant African American enrollment, they were able to improve their State Reading assessment scores over the same 2 year period by 31.8% while also improving their State Math Assessment scores by 35%.

Both schools have now met AYP for two consecutive years, and now neither school remains 'on improvement'.

As an NAACP unit, but more specifically as people who advocate for educational equity, innovation, and reform, we would just like to tip our hats and recognize these two outstanding Principals for a job well done...

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National Graduation Rate for Black Males 47% according to new Schott Foundation Report

A new report released from the Schott Foundation details graduation rates for Black males on State and District levels throughout the Country. It reveals that in the 2007/2008 school year the National Graduation rate for Black Males was only 47%. It also describes the achievement gaps between Black males and their counterparts, the conditions which lead to success or failure, school discipline rates, and the economic consequences...

Click HERE to download the full report

Here's video of NAACP President Ben Jealous speaking on MSNBC about the report...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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NAACP and Civil Rights coalition release Framework of Priorities for ESEA Reauthorization

A coalition of Civil Rights Organizations including the NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF)have released a new Framework for Providing All Students an Opportunity to Learn through Reauthorization of ESEA, listing the groups' top educational priorities for the reauthorization of the Act.

Click HERE for a copy of the Report

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The "Restoring our Community" March - 6/26/10

The weather man said it was 98 degrees out there... But still we marched. Not a short walk, not downhill, and not even down shaded streets. We marched 4 miles, at 12 noon, in the blazing sun, for nearly 2 hours, right through the heart of our community. We marched to send a message; that we are ready to make a change. That we are ready to be the change we want to see... Young folks and seniors, walking together, praying together, singing together as we called for an end to the violence that has plagued our community for too long.

It was beautiful...

I would like to personally thank the Wichita Ministerial League, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Urban League of Kansas, the Peace and Social Justice Center, Sunflower Community Action, the African American Coalition, Real Men Inc, the Council of Elders, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Zeta Phi Beta Sororities, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Iota Phi Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternities, The Wichita Chapter of the National Organization for Women, the Wichita Black Nurses Association, the Center for Heath and Wellness, the Universalist Unitarian Church, the Kansas African American Museum, 316 the Rescue Zone, "Do you want to Live or Die" , Woman to Woman, the Justice Keepers, the Advocacy Coalition of Kansas, Bigelow Bethea, Rice Services, the Boys and Girls Club, Real Men Real Heroes, the Kappa Leadership League, the Optimist Club, and the City of Wichita.

I would also like to offer a special word of thanks to David and Lynne Gilkey, Pastor Reuben Eckels, Pastor Lincoln Montgomery, Pastor Cynthia Wolford, Carl Kirkendal, Cindi Donaldson, Prisca Barnes, Leah George, Frankie Brown, Reverend Peggy Elliott, Pastor Titus James, and the Reverend Michael Tyson for helping to carry the vision...

Thanks to Reverends Wade, Steele, and Sims, who offered up their Church buses and vans to make sure that those who were tired or who needed a rest could get on the bus for a while and continue on the path. Thank you to Fire Chief Blackwell for analyzing the route and having the fire department open several of the hydrants as we approached to provide a cooling mist as we marched by. Thank you to McDonalds and Youthville for providing water and ice. And thank you to Maaskelah Thomas for being my sounding board...

I'd like to also recognize those who sacrificed to be a part of this event. Folks such as Wanda Hunt who came just after a home-going celebration, Lanora Nolan who 'literally' walked until her feet bled, Superintendent Mark Gilkey who had an event going on at his own church but still found a moment to slip away and march with us, Mayor Carl Brewer whose schedule was full but found a way to make it over and join in the march and stayed through the program to speak to the community as well.

And last but certainly not least, my heartfelt thanks to my "team". Elaine Guillory, Kenya Cox, Kenyal Lattimore, Lavonta Williams, VJ Sessions, Sandra Rankins, Mary Dean, Charles Coleman... you guys helped take the "pictures" in my head and formulate the vision... I know I sometimes work y'all to death, but I love you all for letting me...

And another very special thanks to the Wichita NAACP Youth Council. You guys created the facebook and my space pages, sent out over 2,000 personal notices and invitations, stayed down at the office until 10pm making signs, carried the banners, and did everything we could ask, and things we didn't even know to ask... So to Amani, Kyron, Jesyka, Isaiah, AJ, Ronnell, Andrew, Carl Jr, Kendall, Jowonia, Aaron, Shelby, Mya, Jordon, Sharell, and all of the rest of you, thank you from the bottom of my heart...

And lastly a special word of thanks to Candice Reed who helped keep us focused on why this is so very important...

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That said, this was only the beginning. The march and meeting were the "kick-off" events for what will be a long but rewarding process of transformation. Be clear, we will make some mis-steps, there will be a few gaffes and disappointments along the way, but if we stay focused and stay committed, we can do something that will serve as an example for cities across this Country.

The next step will be a facilitated session in August (we're still finalizing the venue). At that meeting we will work to design some multi-faceted and multi-disciplined collaborative initiatives that will maximize the shared resources and talents of the Organizations that have come to the table... How much more could we accomplish if we all strategically worked together? - In August, we'll see if we can't answer that question...

...but in the interim, yesterday we talked about 7 points that we can implement right now to begin the process of community restoration and transformation.

1. BELIEVE IT - The first thing we must do to begin the process of transforming our community is we must BELIEVE that we can. There are a Million detractors out there who will offer us reasons why we can't. We even have a million voices inside our own heads that will tell us that we're too flawed, too broken, or to self-centered to ever truly come together.. But conquering the haters and our doubts is the first step in this effort. It is a pre-requisite for the other steps. Believe that we CAN rebuild our community and SPEAK it to all those who will listen.

2. PRACTICE FORGIVENESS - We must all take the difficult step of forgiving one another. Within our community we have held on to far too many old grievances, hurts and disappointments. We too often listen to one another, not to hear the message we're trying to convey, but rather to validate our distrusts and disdains. By holding on to our grudges we deprive our youth of the opportunity to experience the healthy and nurturing communities we knew as children. If we as a community are to become like a shining city upon a hill, it will not begin with bricks and mortar, it will not begin with a summer jobs initiative, or a great new grant funded program. It will begin with us... It will begin with us FORGIVING one another and deciding that we are willing to leave our hurts and anger and mistrust in the past; Stand with one another (flaws and all) and TRY AGAIN.

3.TAKE THE PLEDGE - We must each pledge to place the interests of our Community above those of our respective organizations. This one is difficult... Those of you who know me, know that I love the NAACP. And my love is not passive; I will travel any distance and go to any length for my organization because I believe in its mission its purpose and its history. But I know that I was a member of our community before I'd ever heard of the NAACP, and I will remain a member of our community long after my NAACP days have ended... So my first loyalty MUST be to the community that nurtured me and that will serve as the home and foundation for my children and grandchildren. But the reality is that Grant Funding combined with Generations of "Willie Lynch" like conditioning have served to make natural colleagues into fierce competitors; willing to publicly tear each other down at a net-loss for the community. So we must pledge: If another Organization offers a service or program of greater benefit than what I can offer, I pledge that I will not compete with them. Rather, I will offer my services and talents to try and help them. I will make referrals as necessary and will offer my unqualified support, because in all our efforts the COMMUNITY must come first.

4. COMMIT to rolling out at least one new initiative specifically targeted to the at-risk youth in our community. We have no shortage of youth groups in our community and most of them are OUTSTANDING. We have any number of Excellent programs with great leadership and wonderful curriculums. But, if we are honest, many of our programs are serving the best and brightest. We take the great and make them excellent. But those of our children who have made poor choices, who have gotten into some trouble, or who are heading down the wrong paths, don't benefit from our programming. Once they're "out there" we tend to leave them "out there" and we rationalize it by saying that they have to 'want' to change... But we must not forget that they are children, and as children, how will they know the right way unless they are shown? These children on the margins have the same potential for excellence and their own unique gifts and abilities... often times they just need our attention, our concern, and our guidance. So we ask that each participating organization roll out one new initiative designed to reach these children and help them shine as well.

5. FULLY COMMIT the resources of your organization to support at least one effort or initiative of a different organization. We can't just talk about collaborating and working together, we have to make it happen.. After the March we distributed resource guides with contact information and a snapshot of the work of all of the participating organizations. We will continue to build that resource guide as we bring more and more organizations into this effort and as we edit, we will make the guide available online. Find something that you can support and lets start amplifying each others efforts!

6. COMMUNICATE - We are asking that each participating organization send a copy of your organizational calendar to the Community Voice Newspaper so that they can publish a Community Calendar. This will be a resource to help us support each others efforts and it will also help us to avoid scheduling competing events on the same days.

7. COMMIT to staying at the table. Our next event will be held in late August (details will be posted online).

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The Wichita NAACP to launch a new "Black History is American History" initiative

Weekly Black History Presentations dealing with various under-reported areas of American History will be Free and open to the Public

Last Friday marked 47 years since the infamous "stand in the schoolhouse door" of then Governor George Wallace. He had pledged to fight any effort to integrate the University of Alabama, even if that meant that he'd have to stand and block the doorway. June 11th, 1963, was that day. Two young African Americans, James Hood and Vivian Malone, were set to enroll... Governor Wallace called up the State Troopers and had them provide a perimeter to keep the Black students out. President Kennedy responded by federalizing the Alabama National Guard to provide security and to escort the two young students; thus staging the only stand-off of American Forces outside of the Civil War. 

Here was the President of the United States and the Governor of a large State squaring off, each under arms with their own branch of law enforcement, wrestling over the implementation of a Supreme Court Decision. By ANY objective measure, this was a pivotal moment in our Democracy. Yet, this, and a thousand other moments that deal with our Nation's troubled history on Race are largely omitted from public school history/social studies curricula. You see, Vivian Malone and James Hood were both Black, therefore this isn't "History", this is "Black History" - relegated to a special "Black History Quiz" question in February, or a 'Saturday school', or church play...

We say NO MORE...

Beginning July 1st and running every Thursday evening through August 26th, the Wichita Branch NAACP and the Wichita NAACP Youth Council will host a series of weekly presentations on Black History. These presentations are intended to shed light on critical and pivitol moments in history and also to clearly demonstrate that "Black History" IS "American History".

Presenters will come from various fields and areas of expertise, each detailing the history, role, or siginificance of our History-makers or institutions.

Want to learn more about the Dockum Sit-In? Or maybe learn more about the history of Blacks and Education here in Kansas? Or perhaps you'd be interested in hearing more about the founding of the Divine 9 Black sororities and fraternities? Or maybe you'd like to learn more about Tulsa, or Tuskegee, or Nicodemus... Whatever your curiosity, this summer initiative is designed to educate and inspire.

So please come out and join us, beginning July 1st as we unveil our newest initiative. We welcome and encourage participants of all ages to come, learn, and dialolgue with us...

We are also accepting proposals for new presentations as well. If you have a piece of History you'd like to share, please Click HERE to contact us...

This initiative is a companion project to a full length presentation of the same name, currently being developed by the Wichita Branch NAACP Youth Council, to challenge school social studies curriculums to teach the fullness of our history in a comprehensive and chronological manner. So fasten you seatbelts... it's going to get exciting!

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Supreme Court Declares Life Without Parole Sentences for Children in Non-Homicide Cases Unconstitutional

NAACP LDF Amicus Brief Cited in Court’s Opinion!

(New York, NY) – On Monday the 17th, the United States Supreme Court declared that children convicted of non-homicide offenses cannot be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Court concluded that because adolescents are, by nature, less culpable than adults and because life without parole is an extreme sentence which is rarely imposed on teenagers, it is cruel and unusual punishment to sentence a child who has not killed to life without possibility of parole. The Court explained that “[a] life without parole sentence improperly denies the juvenile offender a chance to demonstrate growth and maturity. Incapacitation cannot override all other considerations, lest the Eighth Amendment’s rule against disproportionate sentences be a nullity.”

“Today the Supreme Court recognized that children convicted of non-homicide crimes have the potential to become contributing members of society and that certain life sentences run afoul of the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment,” said John Payton, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), along with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice (CHHIRJ) filed a friend of the court brief challenging the constitutionality of juvenile life without parole sentences. In declaring these sentences unconstitutional, Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority of the Court, noted that the NAACP LDF’s brief properly identified the “special difficulties encountered by counsel in juvenile representation” and that “the features that distinguish juveniles from adults put them at a significant disadvantage in criminal proceedings. Specifically, juveniles mistrust adults and have limited understandings of the criminal justice system and the roles of the institutional actors within it. They are less likely than adults to work effectively with their lawyers to aid in their defense.” LDF’s brief also noted the stark racial disparities in juvenile life without parole sentencing -- African-Americans constitute 60% of the youth serving such sentences.

The United States is the only country in the world that permits adolescents to be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Currently there are more than 2500 teenagers serving life without parole sentences for crimes they committed under the age of 18. One-hundred-and-twenty-nine of those young people were convicted of crimes that did not result in death.

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"Institutionalizing Ignorance": NAACP President Ben Jealous and Fmr Education Secretary Rod Paige speak out on the Texas Textbook fiasco

This week the State Board of Education is voting on whether to rewrite the history taught in Texas textbooks. Among the most disturbing aspects of the proposed changes which are based on ideology is their potential to handicap nearly 10 percent of the nation's students who are educated in Texas and affect what students across the country learn about American history.

Texans must compete for college seats and jobs with students from other states, who will arrive equipped with a more complete and mainstream education. Advanced Placement exams, which let students earn college credit while in high school, are not tailored to any particular state's ideology. Similarly, International Baccalaureate exams are benchmarked to world-class university standards. Students taking either exam will be expected to grasp concepts such as capitalism, a word which, under the proposed changes, would be stripped from the state curriculum. By narrowing students' exposure, we cut them off from opportunities for accelerated learning, and free college credits that will be recognized around the country and the world. Without exposure to a range of views and information considered standard in the rest of the country, graduates of high schools using Texas textbooks will lack a solid foundation in general knowledge.

Whether a student attends college or not, he or she will still need a strong and comprehensive foundation in American history and government to perform the duties of informed citizenship. Every voter on a referendum should know how our Constitution and laws have evolved to expand civil rights to all citizens.

Yet the Texas board's proposals would minimize those brave men and women's contributions to our national story. To make informed decisions about the limits of government power, students must know about its past abuses, such as those perpetrated by Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Yet the proposed standards would gloss over such injustices. Students who have studied poll taxes and their abolition will have a better perspective on when taxation is used inappropriately. Our future voters need a strong grounding in our nation's full history.

We are — and have always been — a nation of immigrants. It is vital for citizens who will work alongside diverse peers to have an accurate understanding of colleagues' background and culture. Minimizing or misrepresenting African American and Latino culture and history can lead to distorted beliefs regarding our fellow Americans. And it can lead students from those ethnic groups to have a skewed picture of themselves and their place in the world. Studies of high school dropout rates have shown that students became disengaged with classes because what they were learning didn't seem relevant to their lives. In a 2006 national study, more students cited disengagement and disinterest in their lessons as a factor in leaving school than those who reported serious academic challenges. With 50 percent dropout rates in some cities, can we really afford to drive any more young people from the schoolhouse door? If learning about César Chávez or Thurgood Marshall will inspire a student to study government or law, we cannot afford to pass up that opportunity.

When the board convenes today, we will raise our voices for accuracy and fairness. Our children are entitled to broad exposure to all the facts of American history, government and economic theory. No one expects a representative board of regular folks to manage the curriculum to that level of detail. Instead, we urge the board to vote down these proposed changes, take some more time to set out broad guidelines ensuring all students are equipped to compete and thrive, then follow the thoughtful recommendations of their fellow Texans who are educators, economists and historians.

Our future is at stake. Will we prepare our youth for success in the 21st century or let nostalgia for the 19th century hobble graduates and leave many students behind? Will Texas prioritize ideology over our children or give students the world-class education they deserve.

Rewriting history is not promoting patriotism; it is institutionalizing ignorance.

Benjamin Todd Jealous is President and CEO of the NAACP. Rod Paige is senior advisor to the Madison Education Group and former U.S. Secretary of Education (2001-2005).

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Get out your Walking shoes -- It's time to MARCH

It's time...
For too long we've dealt with the issues of violence, crime, under-achievement, and low expectations. For too long our community and organizations have been plagued by divisions and mistrust. For too long we've waited for solutions to come from the outside, when we have to power to change our reality right now if we would only come together...

It's time...
On June 26th, at 12:00 noon, the NAACP and the Ministerial League along with other community minded organizations, concerned citizens, families, and youth, will STAND TOGETHER. We will March through our neighborhood, walking past the sites where our young men and women have lost their lives to senseless violence. We are going to March, and sing, and Pray, and recall that spirit of the Community we Used to be... We are going to March together, arm-in-arm, and work together to bring about the Rebirth of our Community Spirit. We are going to March together, and teach our Young People about the beautiful People and Community that God intended us to be.

It's time...
We are going to stand together and say Goodbye to the Ego's, Goodbye to the Silo's, and Goodbye to the divisions that have kept us apart. We are going to stand together and say Goodbye to the violence, Goodbye to the crime, and Goodbye to the low expectations that have afflicted our community.

It's time...
We're going to Reclaim our community by reclaiming our Youth. We are not going to cast these young men aside -- We are going to reclaim them. These are our children - We are going to let them know that we love them, and we are going to bring them back into the fold. We're not going to lecture them about the way it was 'back in the day'... We going to talk to them about the way its 'going to be Tomorrow', and we're going to fight to bring our prodigal sons back home. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It's time everybody... So get out your old walking shoes. And JOIN US on June 26th... More details will follow shortly through the blog, email, radio, newspaper, text, twitter, facebook, and flyers...

Be ready everybody - Start talking it up - Start praying and Stretching - because on June 26th, we're going to stand together and rebuild our community...

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Sign the petition to STOP the re-imagining of American History

With the Texas State Board of Education scheduled to vote THIS WEEK on the final adoption of Texas' new, politically motivated social studies textbook standards, board member Don McLeroy has proposed some more last minute bits of revisionist history. The changes take clear aim at the separation of church and state and characterize the Progressive Era as a negative influence on America.

There's a good chance the new standards could be adopted this Friday. The People for the American Way have started a petition to the major textbook publishers, urging them to keep Texas's controversial standards out of textbooks sold nationally.  To maximize its impact, we need another 10,000 signatures this week.

Please make sure you are part of this important effort by adding your name now. Then, make sure to spread the word on Facebook and by forwarding this message.

Texas is now seeking to add even more changes school textbooks to:

• Maintain that separation of church and state was not the intent of the Founders.This despite the fact that the phrase "separation of church and state" came from Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Dansbury Baptists where he specifically explained the intent and proper interpretation of the 1st Amendment.
  
• Strike from a high school U.S. history course a 1948 court decision, Delgado v. Bastrop ISD, which barred segregation of students of Mexican descent in Texas public schools, and replace it with a case decided last year by the Roberts Court making it harder for local governments to encourage a diverse workforce (Ricci v. DeStefano). Ricci v. DeStefano was a case where instead of remanding the case back to the City of New Haven and having them follow the existing law and process by "validating" their test, Justices on the Supreme Court who are hostile to Civil Rights used the 'unvalidated' test results to craft a decision that created an entirely new legal standard. They used the Equal Protection provisions of the 4th Amendment to attack the Disparate Outcome protections of the Civil Rights Act. (Justice Scalia even remarked that he wished he could review the Civil Rights Act itself)
  
• Minimize the positive impact of Progressive Era reforms and suggest that the work of the era's reformers like Upton Sinclair, Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells and W.E.B. DuBois created a negative portrayal of America. In so doing they attack the foundations of the Women's Suffrage, Civil Rights, Human Rights, and Organized Labor movements.These movements did more than 'criticize' America, they challenged America to look at herself 'Critically' and to become better. We know that a caricatured 'Pollyanna' type portrayal of America the perfect serves no one! If we can not acknowledge out shortcomings and mis-steps, then we can not correct them. These social movements offered the promise of equality and fair treatment to all of our citizens and helped make America a beacon of hope to people around the world and we must not stand by silently and see them mis-characterized or diminished... 
  

McLeroy even wants to feed paranoid conspiracy theories about "one world government" by adding a standard to high school U.S. history requiring students to "evaluate efforts by global organizations to undermine U.S. sovereignty."

This is nothing short of a naked attempt by politicians to brainwash a generation of American students at the expense of a sound education.

It's not too late to speak up now by signing the PFAW petition to make sure that in the event these new standards make it into Texas textbooks, they don't make it into textbooks elsewhere.

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The Wichita NAACP Debate Program gets underway in the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch Juvenile Detention Facility

Today was the first day of our new Debate Program within the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch Juvenile Detention Facility. Today we met with our new group of young men ranging in age from 16 through 18. President Kevin Myles and Branch Member and School Board member Betty Arnold are the coaches for the program. On a personal level, it was great to see these young men who are incarcerated for anti-social behavioral problems, thinking, smiling, learning, working together and challenging themselves. The program was only intended to meet on a monthly basis, but at the request of the young men, we will now look to expand the program to bi-weekly...

The JRBR serves male juvenile offenders with serious behavior problems from an urban setting, ages 13-18, that have been found guilty in juvenile court and ordered into state’s custody for placement outside their homes at a community-based residential program. Approximately 50% of the juveniles are in custody for misdemeanor offenses, after they have failed standard probation and intensive probation in the community. The other half are felony offenders, including those with convictions for person crimes such as aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and aggravated burglary. JRBR youth are typically very far behind in their education; many need outpatient substance abuse treatment, mental health care and counseling to address criminal behavior, anger management, empathy, grief and family issues.

Through our structured debate program, we model and teach effective communication, critical thinking, rules of decorum, and conflict resolution skills. Through this program, we plan to drive down recidivism rates by working directly with juvenile offenders and at-risk youth and equipping them with the skills they need to express themselves in a positive manner, to advocate on their own behalf, to bring about change through reason, and to traverse difficult and trying situations without resorting to anger or anti-social behaviors.

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"It Takes a Village" - Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. King, January 16th at 6PM

"It Takes a Village"

Wichita NAACP Martin Luther King Celebration

Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010

Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm

Location: Orpheum Theater

Street: 200 North Broadway Street

Admission: $5.00

Come and join us on January 16th as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The evening will feature performances and presentations from:
The Council of Elders, Dr. Daisy Akiiki Kabugarama, the Nigerian Association of Wichita's Dance team, Professor Gwen Mukes, Jo Brown, Bishop Jeanette James, Cherrie Dennis-Cottner, Bettie Clark Johnson, Marrque Nunley, Clifton Fisher and the NAACP Youth Choir, and more...

The centerpiece of the evening will be a series of dynamic presentations from 4 powerful Youth activists and members of the NAACP Youth Debate team (ages 13 through 17). These youth will honor the legacy of Dr. King with original oratory detailing pertinent issues facing our community; as seen through their eyes, spoken in their words, and presented with their solutions...

$5 Admission Buttons Sold at:

All Occasions

P and P Seed

Roseline's International

24 Rent - to Own

Duane Mitchell - Tabernacle Bible Church

and may be purchased at the door as well...

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