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WHAT’S INSIDE
VOLUME 73 – Number 33★
Dr. Augustine Kole-James dies (A-3)
Chief (Dr.) Augustine Kole-
James, a board certified inter- nist who in 1996 founded the Pro-Care HMO, died March 24.
Emerging leaders convene (A-3)
The public is invited to join
some of Detroit’s new gen- eration of business owners, educators, entertainment pro- fessionals and civil servants at the Emerging Leaders Forum scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 3 to 5 p.m. at Cobo Confer- ence Center.
Mayor Bing names chief service officer (A-7)
Mayor Dave Bing recently
announced that he has chosen Barbara Jean Patton to serve as the chief service officer for the City of Detroit. Detroit was one of 10 cities chosen to receive a Cities of Service Leadership Grant, awarded by Cities of Service and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.
City Year to recognize Robert Bobb (A-7)
City Year Detroit will honor De- troit Public Schools Emergen- cy Financial Manager Robert C. Bobb with its “Idealist in Action” award at its annual “Ripples of Hope” dinner at the Max M. Fisher Music Center April 29.
Students win scholarships from Ficano’s Vision Fund (A-7)
Teonna Gary of Detroit
was among 90 high school students awarded college scholarships from the Wayne County Vision Fund, a non- profit organization started by Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.
BARACK OBAMA (right) on the campaign trail tells Bankole Thompson that he would work to help cities like Detroit tackle the tough economic climate.
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
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As you prepare to address the University of Michigan on May 1, Detroiters will not allow Tea Partiers to drown out their cries for jobs
By Bankole Thompson
CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
P
Ford Fiesta redefines “little” car (B-1)
When it comes to space,
features and feel, the Ford Fiesta doesn’t fall into the typi- cal idea of what’s considered “small.”
AARP & Radio One encourage Americans to share personal stories of service (C-7)
AARP and Radio One, recently launched a collaboration to highlight everyday acts of good through “Create The Good News” segments. Listen- ers can visit www.CreateThe-
GoodNews.org to submit inspirational stories
Increase in Blacks seeking food assistance (C-7)
A landmark study recently
released by Feeding America, reports that there has been an increase of more than a million additional African Americans in need of emergency food as- sistance each year since 2006.
resident Obama comes to Michigan this weekend to address University of Michigan undergraduates, who will step out into an uncertain and unstable job market.
There has been a lot of excitement around the
president’s visit to an institution that has some bearing to one of Obama’s political founding fa- thers.
PRESIDENTIAL CALL
It was at the University of Michigan that President
John F. Kennedy, from the steps of the Michigan Union, boldly proposed the creation of the Peace Corps, asking students to commit to serve their country and promote peace by working in develop- ing countries.
Exactly 50 years after the
Bankole Thompson
Kennedy challenge, President Obama, an African American whose father hails from the continent of Africa, a place the Peace Corps has had a
strong presence, returns to that same institution to challenge the next generation of leaders.
What will President Obama’s challenge be? I am not a soothsayer to predict his challenge to
the graduating students at U-M. But yes, rightfully there is excitement and the students are demon- strating that because of the historical significance of what we are witnessing.
But more importantly, President Obama’s visit to
a major educational institution housed in an eco- nomically ailing state where its largest city, Detroit,
is at the crossroads should be viewed as an opportunity to let the president know we are waiting on him to pick up the 3 a.m. phone call from Detroit for jobs.
Despite what the naysayers
and critics — including “Dateline NBC” — have to say about Detroit, it is the living room of Southeast Michigan. The future of the rest of Michigan is inextri- cably tied to the future of Detroit. In a very real sense, as Detroit goes, so goes Michigan.
Any attempt to per-
petuate the misconceived notions about Detroit only hurts the rest of the state and does no good to inves- tors looking to grab South- east Michigan’s business opportunities.
Thousands of people in
Detroit, where the unemploy- ment rate is said to be about 30 percent, are anxiously waiting on jobs so they can put food on the table for their families.
True, there is the economic stimulus
package that President Obama dispatched to struggling states but in Detroit, very few are seeing the results of that much-publicized package.
President Obama ought to visit Detroit to see
firsthand the economic situation that is a true re- flection of Michigan’s place on the national sur- vival map.
April 28 - May 4, 2010 479 Ledyard • Detroit MI 48201 313.963.5522 $1.00
Mr. President!
The president should use a visit to Detroit
to launch a major jobs initiative, one including groups and organizations committed to neigh- borhood development that will, in turn, help turn Michigan around.
Unlike the Tea Party movement that is further- ing a very divisive campaign along angry ideologi-
See MR. PRESIDENT page A-4
Gubernatorial candidates in first town hall meeting on urban agenda
Freedom Institute will hold
a special town hall meeting on the upcoming gubernato- rial election during Freedom Weekend.
Rev. Wendell Anthony,
founder of the Freedom In- stitute for Economic, Social Justice and People Empow- erment, announced a special Michigan town hall meeting during Freedom Weekend IX. The town hall meeting will be held on Thursday, April, 29, 6 to 8 p.m., at Cobo Con- ference Center. The theme is “Michigan, What is the Urban Agenda?” Confirmed partici- pants include:
Alma Wheeler Smith, state
senator Virg Bernaro, Mayor City of
Lansing, Pete Hoekstra, congress-
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6 89076 06419 4
man, Michigan’s 2nd Congres- sional District
Andy Dillon, Speaker of the
House of Representatives. Other candidates are still
confirming their participa- tion.
Bankole Thompson senior
editor of the Michigan Chron- icle and host of the weekly news program “Center Stage” on WADL TV 38, and WWJ -950 “City Beat” reporter Vickie Thomas will serve as moderators.
“It is important for those
who wish to represent the state of Michigan to include the city of Detroit in their vision,” said Anthony. “De- troit is the largest city in the state of Michigan. We are not in competition for any region; we are a compliment to the entire region. It is important for Republicans, Democrats and Independents to speak to the needs of every Michi- ganian which includes Detroi- ters.
“As we face crisis in home
Andy Dillon Virg Bernero
foreclosures, the need for new industry, challenges in our educational system and certainly a demand for jobs, jobs, and more jobs, we need visionary and daring leader- ship.”
The town hall is free and
open to the public. Freedom Weekend IX, scheduled for April 29 through May 1, will have a number of events for
Alma Wheeler Smith
the entire family, and every- one throughout the state of Michigan is invited to attend. All events will be held at the Cobo Conference Center in downtown Detroit.
Freedom Weekend precedes
the 55th Annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner spon- sored by the Detroit Branch NAACP. The theme for this year’s dinner is “Jobs, Jobs,
Pete Hoekstra
Jobs and National Health Care — A Matter of Justice, Privi- lege or Right.” All events for Freedom Weekend are spon- sored by the Freedom Insti- tute which is a 501(c) 3 urban think tank.
For further information
about Freedom Weekend, please go to the website, www.
freeinst.org, or you may call 313.347.2834.
“
So in juxtaposing the quality and merits of both candidates at the time, there was an understanding among an over-
whelming majority of Obama supporters that he is closer to the very ideas of struggle and a deep sense of justice – because of his background
and experience – than the other can- didate whose lifestyle prevented him from remembering his many houses.
”
Andre Smith photo
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