Akindele Unleashed

The New Leadership of Detroit: Fact or Fiction by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-11-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen. While I feel that what occurred last night was a overall disgrace, however, there were some positive things that occurred.

We are excited to see James Tate make it to the Detroit City Council. I supported James Tate since the primaries.

Andre Spivey also made it to the Detroit City Council. This is also great as well.

The three on my team who did not make it were:

Raphael B. Johnson did not make it because he presented a strong approach to community development. That turned off people and actually he was the one who should have replaced JoAnn Watson.

It's ridiculous that we did not elect Fred Elliott Hall to the Detroit City Council. Fear is the ultimate prosperity killer and it showed by not electing Hall to the Detroit City Council. All he wanted was something the unions hate.....regional cooperation.

But for Lisa Howze, a Certified Public Accountant to lose a Detroit City Council race in the middle of a financial hurricane, is not only disgraceful and enbrassing on the citizens of Detroit but it clearly shows how inefficient Detroit is when it comes to financial literacy.

When Lisa would speak to forums about her intense credentials in finance only 7% of the crowd heard her while the other 93% missed it.

You cannot begin a silver rights movement without having working knowledge of your home, your finances and education. In Detroit, we lack all three. I mean when you look at the bigger picture in our city we see how ignorance has become the language of money in the contemporary world that reduces people to being economic slaves.

Lisa would have brought that fiscal spirit to the table of the Detroit City Council.

Instead, we re-elected JoAnn Watson back to the Detroit City Council. This is awful. We really believe that President Obama is going to bailout Detroit? Words of wisdom for those who are stuck in the civil rights/black power movement. The government is not going to bail out Detroit like they did Wall Street or the Big Three. We have to think creative if Detroit is going to survive.

While we have Mayor Bing and a new City Council and two new elected school board members ready to work on behalf of the people I think we need to go higher than local issues. It's time to think regional and global if Detroit wants to survive. Our dignity is on the line and we need to stop thinking about local rat races and get involved in higher thinking if we are going to survive.

In order to think higher we need to change our thinking process. Even though we elected Charles Pugh, Gary Brown, Saunteel Jenkins, Andre Spivey and James Tate to the Detroit City Council people still re-elected Ken Cockrel, Brenda Jones, Kwame Kenyatta and JoAnn Watson. The ONLY way Detroit will move into the 21st century in a silver rights movement is if the 5 newcomers work together and vote against the old guard 80-90% of the time. This includes fostering a stronger relationship with Mayor Bing and his administration.

This new council cannot get caught up on old things that has traditionally scared Detroiters. Things such as privatizing, regionalization and globalization must roll off their lips if they are serious about moving Detroit from an automotive market to a financial market.

The new Council needs to understand that Detroit problems cannot be only solved by money. No money will make Detroit a safe heaven for its citizens. Something should be done- but what is it? Since the 1960s, Detroit has been receiving money in terms of loans, projects, aid, you name it but has the situation changed? There is still constant, starvation, poverty, HIV/AIDS, child abuse, death from curable diseases and corruption.The common citizen has not benefited from the 'well intentioned' projects. As donors pour money into Detroit, the citizens are busy pumping their tax-payers’ money plus natural resources back to the rest of the region. The value of the money and property taken away from Detroit is much more than what the region receives. Detroit is consequently becoming poorer and poorer.

What should the younger Detroit City Council and its counterpart the Detroit Charter Commission generation do to make the Detroit a safe place for its citizens? What should it do to make them not dream of flying out to 'safe heavens' outside Detroit?

Detroit must erase the need for a Marshall Plan as proposed by Councilwoman JoAnn Watson. We already see what federal aid does to our city when there are no checks and balances. For her to lie to people is absolutely insulting.

What Councilwoman Watson is not telling you is that such a plan would extend to poor communities like Detroit and how the common man in the street will end up paying higher taxes in the future as he is forced to bow before robbery as we see in investment in third world countries currently where much wealth is robbed as the citizenry cascade into abject poverty.

What’s more, this so-called Marshall Plan would be money given by the left hand but it ends up being snatched by the right one. The right one being the wrong people.

This new leadership must present itself as ambassadors to the global market. African exporters are telling U.S. markets, that despite the economic downturn, the $11-trillion US market still offers many opportunities to African entrepreneurs willing to stay abreast of the dynamic marketing environment of the United States and market their products to meet consumer demand. Detroit must open its ports and allow free enterprise to make its way throughout Southeastern Michigan.

I have heard some in Detroit discussing the need to rightsize the city instead of utilizing land banks to get rid of property. Urban agriculture does not mean planting large acres of seeds in a lead-filled area. Urban agriculture means bringing an Agricultual Experiment Station to Detroit. It also means transforming abandonded homes into greenhouse space.

Urban Agriculture does not mean eating watermelons near the incincerator. It means allowing African exporters to sell their products in the Metro Detroit market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). AGOA allows about 9,000 agricultural and manufactured products to enter the US duty and quota-free. It's something to think about when you are researching policy.

Clearly, the resources Detroit needs to develop can be found in Detroit itself – only if its leaders were willing to reform their abominable economic and political systems, re-orient their development policies toward regionalization, curb corruption and invest their wealth-legitimate or ill-gotten in Detroit. But the old leadership, wedded to the old “blame Oakland County” paradigm, is not interested. There are no race battles or take over the city jewels schemes between Oakland County and Detroit. This is fostered by the media to keep our region divided.

All scholars and intellectuals agree that there have been both external and internal causes of Detroit’s crises. The first is what relative weights to assign to the factors. Whereas some urban scholars would assign 80 percent of the causes to external factors, I would assign only 20 percent to the external. Second, for far too long the internal factors have been ignored. The average intelligent person looks both ways before crossing a street or risk being hit by a truck. Detroit is in bandages because its leaders always looked one way – at the external. Third, I lay more emphasis on the internal factors because they are subject to our control. Take corruption for example. We can curb it if we are serious. Hopefully, what I see is the same for our new leadership.

Politically, we should move away from celebrating numbers to celebrating quality. Detroit needs leaders that can rally people to realize their potential here on earth. To brag about numbers (votes) while ignoring the fact that we are talking about poor citizens who cannot afford a meal a day is to insult the very essence of governance. Competitive advantage in politics should focus on policies that ought to reverse the wave of poverty in the city.

So if this new Detroit City Council along with the Detroit Charter Commission and Detroit School Board is serious about transforming Detroit then they need to do it from a regional perspective. I am not interested in supporting anyone who has a tribalistic mentiality. Detroit needs to join the rest of the world if they want to survive. And even though Detroiters just elected a new City Council I still remain on my original word that we need to look into consolidating city-county governments to cut down on duplication of services to keep our budget in the black. This includes taking a look at regional policing and privatizing trash and EMS. Other cities are doing this..what makes us special? The charter commission has to revise a code where privatizing of city services can be done to allow competition in the market place. I am hoping people like Ken Harris will lead the way on this since he already believes in the free market of capitalism.

Education is a passport to freedom. According to The Silent Epidemic report written by Civic Enterprises that shared the perspectives of high school dropouts, approximately one-third of all children, and 50 percent of minorities, in public high school drop out of high school nationwide. In many of the nation’s “dropout factories,” the percentage of dropouts far outpaces the percentage of graduates. This is not good for 21st century Detroit, and it is an economic death sentence if not changed for the urban community. Nationally, can we afford to write-off almost 100 million Americans, or approximately a third of our nation’s population? Who is going to fund our Social Security fund in retirement if we do?

Education is the ultimate poverty eradication tool, for when you know better you tend to do better. But financial literacy is the means by which one moves from simply avoiding the poverty trap to embracing a true prosperity agenda; for themselves, their families and their communities.

What if we unleashed upon Detroit, and the world, a new vision for the 21st century? An aspirational generation of role model inspired, positive and contributing young entrepreneurs, self-employment projects and “doers” over the next 20 years? I’ll tell you what would happen, Detroit would get a genuine second shot at keeping this party called American prosperity going over the next 100 years, because you cannot keep a third of the American population on the economic and aspirational sidelines and otherwise expect that it will. But we have to stop always looking for larger government to give us a handout when we need a handup.

Let's see what this new leadership does in Detroit and for our region. If they believe in globalization then our city will win. But if they allow adult illiteracy to influence their vote at the council table, charter commission or school board then we will continue to beat a dead horse on a plantation.

The Michigan Effect by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-11-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

I am fully convinced that the plight of the State of Michigan will boil down to education. Any lawmaker that does not understand that educational reform is the #1 issue facing Michigan voters next year should probably reconsider about running for any office.

This is why we need to change the discussion on education.

On Monday, I attended the first Michigan preview screening of "The Providence Effect," the award-winning documentary about an amazing inner-city school in Chicago, IL. This movie, for 30 years, 100% of the seniors from Providence St. Mel have been accepted to college, and the school model was replicated as a highly successful public charter school in 2006.

I got a chance to meet with Angela Williams-Johnson who is the powerhouse Principal of the Providence Englewood Charter School in Chicago, Illinois. After watching the movie with a group of educational stakeholders her style reminded me of another powerhouse principal right here in Detroit named Shawn Hill, who is the Principal at the University Prep Math and Science Academy here in Detroit. Both are young, engaging and innovative in their leadership styles. Both are observant with their instructors and are leading great institutions.

Our panel discussion was a very interesting one as well. Led by Mike Tenbusch of the United Way, panelists included Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, Rachele Downs, Leadership Detroit Education Support Committee, Jessica Rauch, The Generation Project, Angela Williams Johnson and Reginald Turner who sits on the State Board of Education. They discussed policies, as well as alternative teacher certification.

One thing we saw coming out of both the movie presentation and the panel discussion was a need for change. An evolution must take place in our state if we are serious about educational reformation.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan called the charter movement “one of the most profound changes in American education -- bringing new options to underserved communities and introducing competition and innovation into the education system.” However, there are still resistance in this state when it comes to educational quality and reform.

Williams-Johnson believes that education in the 21st century needs to be radically different from the 19th century models of education we have become accustomed to. This is the reason why universal values should embedded in the framework of education itself. Becoming "good" or virtuous is given more importance than becoming "smart" or competent, though both are considered important aspects of education in this new century. She has taken a charter school whose state test scores were rock bottom and have taken the scores to the top. Her vision for the children goes past college. She is building future careers for her students and staff.

After attending the screening of the Providence Effect and looking at the Detroit elections yesterday I am fully convinced that our city needs to re-create a new educational atmosphere that will challenge the way people think, vote and analyze information. Our children must be well equipped to demonstrate the ability to think global without fear or intimidation.

Charter schools are educational and economic incubators in urban communities nationally. Here in the State of Michigan we need to lift the cap off charter schools. This is why I support Senate Bill 925 by State Sen. Buzz Thomas to authorize the establishment of “schools of excellence,” which would be charter schools authorized by either a local school district, Intermediate School District, a local community college or a state university. Existing charter operators in Michigan or other states that for three years have been given the state's highest designation would not be subject to existing state caps; up to 25 new or other schools (without a three year top score) could be authorized.

I also support Rep. Tom McMillin's bill (HB 4490) to to eliminate the 150-school cap on the number of charter schools (public school academies) that can be authorized by universities.

I support SB 965 by State Sen. Wayne Kuipers to authorize an “interim teaching certificate” for individuals who have a college bachelors degree with at least a 2.75 grade point, and who are taking a 12 credit hour alternative “intensive teaching program” that meets standards set by the state superintendent of public instruction. This bill would help strengthen alternative teacher certification requirements already in the Michigan School Code.

Sen. Kuipers also introduced SB 636 which is a bill that is designed to authorize “neighborhood schools” run by parents and teachers under contract to a sponsor, such as a mayor, a city or the state board of education. They would have to meet certain standards, but would have more flexible rules than existing public schools (they could institute merit pay and would not be bound by strict seniority “tenure” mandates, for example). Teachers and parents at existing public schools could vote on whether to go independent, and applications to “secede” from a failing a failing school district and create a “neighborhood school” would have priority.

And while Rep. Phil Pavlov introduced HB 5236, which is a bill to eliminate the Detroit school board, and place the Detroit school district under the control of the mayor, I have discussed with Rep. Pavlov directly to think about eliminating the school board but allowing Wayne RESA to run DPS.

Rep. Pavlov also introduced HB 5237-5238 which is to authorize the conversion of individual Detroit public schools into a form of charter school called “conversion schools,” if half the teachers or half the parents in a school submit a petition for this. The petition would have to be filed with the school district first, but if it was not approved within 60 days it could be sent to one of the other entities authorized to grant a charter (a university, community college or intermediate school district). If the school district became the chartering body then employees would be subject to the same union contracts as regular Detroit schools, but if it was chartered by a university, community college or intermediate school district the union contract would not apply. Plus, they would get the lesser of the per pupil foundation allowance of the surrounding conventional school district, or the minimum foundation allowance plus $300.

Rep. Tim Melton introduced HB 4787 to to authorize the conversion of failing public schools into “turnaround schools,” which would be charter schools managed by a private charter school management company with a successful record. This would be one of the options the Department of Education could exercise when a school has failed to meet performance standards for four years in a row. Another would be to replace a failing school with a charter school within five miles. Reportedly this would apply to 30 to 35 schools statewide, mostly high schools.

What we want to do with traditional public, private and charter institutions is to make them more global to create an effect like no other. We will not need things like Proposal S (that passed yesterday in Detroit for building new schools in Detroit Public Schools) because our primary objective would be to raise awareness and support the implementation of relevant, sustainable and scalable national education sector plans on a global level through the increased engagement of the private sector. By developing unprecedented partnerships and the continuous commitment and support of the partners and members of various think tanks and economic forums, our Michigan Effect aims to scale education partnerships globally.

There are many reform efforts going on in the State of Michigan today. The question becomes when do we, as grassroots educational activists, get involved in policy making decisions as well as electing qualified officials statewide to give our own version of the Providence Effect statewide? We must push for quality education, hold parents and faith-based leaders accountable, and scrutinize educational policies that hurt students and communities.

This Michigan Effect must now embark on a process aimed at addressing the relevance of education for economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship at the global agenda. This includes launching a workstream with the objective of advancing educational entrepreneurship as one of the key drivers of sustained social development and economic recovery. Not one policy maker discuss this openly for fear of retaliation from the teacher unions. However, in the global educational arena, the teacher unions are obsolete.

We need to run candidates for elected office who want to consolidate existing knowledge and global good practices in entrepreneurship education across three focus areas, which cover the lifelong learning process of an individual: youth, higher education, and social inclusion. The report also outlines specific approaches that are needed for each one of these areas, as well as opportunities, challenges and practical recommendations for key stakeholders.

Are you ready for the Michigan Effect?

Disgraceful by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-11-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

Mayor Dave Bing will continue moving Detroit into the 21st century after he defeated disgraceful challenger Tom Barrow 58-42%. This is good coming from those unions who endorsed Barrow in hopes of using fear tactics to scare undecided voters away from Bing. Mayor Bing is the best person at this point to lead the City of Detroit and unite a region that lacks cooperation because of those people like Barrow.

However, Detroit lost on the City Council elections. Once again, adult illiteracy killed any real change on City Council.

Charles Pugh, the former Fox 2 anchor and radio host, will become the new Detroit City Council President. While social conservatives in Michigan are vomiting and are asking Detroiters how can the city elect an openly gay person to lead the City Council they have no one to blame but themselves on this one. Most churches in our city are compromised and are already ran by homosexuals so why the big surprise?

My concern about Pugh is the fact that he lacks public policy positions, however, that will quickly change thanks to groups that support a cool city concept of what Detroit should look like.

Gary Brown is questionable. Brown with 80,698 votes. Not only he will receive money from his lawsuit from the city but he will also receive a salary as well.

Saunteel Jenkins rode the ghost of the dead (Maryann Mahaffey) into victory. How amazing. Congrats.

Ken Cockrel got back in thanks to our senior citizens.

Brenda Jones returns to the City Council.

Andre Spivey, one of my two global silver rights candidates, did make it to the council. He will help reshape the policies of our city.

James Tate, another global and regional candidate, also made it to council.

Kwame Kenyatta should have NOT made it to the City Council in my opinion.

But the Biggest and major crisis and immediate downfall of the evening was JoAnn Waston winning.

She defeated Lisa Howze 54,602 to 48,414.

I have no damn faith in this city. You mean to tell me that we would rather re-elect a woman, who looks like someone on a pancake box, who lies about how she has a doctorate degree, who is a fake ass black nationalist and is a real time socialist over an educated black woman with a MFA degree in finance and can actually contribute to balancing the city's budget?

This is a serious offense to me on a personal level. Yes, while I felt that Fred Eliott Hall and Raphael Johnson should have made the cut not placing Lisa Howze on the Detroit City Council is not only a grave and serious mistake but it should be highly offensive to ANY intelligent human being. We would rather re-elect someone who is anti-regional cooperation, fans the fear of lies and deception towards those who are uneducated, and has no respect for other human beings than elect someone who was ready, willing and able to go to work on day one.

When I saw Carol Weaver lose to Jimmy Womack in last year's State Representative races I was blown away but not offended. When I saw Carol Banks lose to anti-charter school incumbent Bettie Cook-Scott I was not offended. For JoAnn Watson to get the ninth spot over Lisa Howze is absolutely ridiculous and if Detroit is serious about regional cooperation then we need to take a look at censoring Watson. She played on the fear of the illiterate people in this city and should not be taken seriously.

And I am not stopping there. These slates who did not endorse Lisa Howze (Fannie Lou Hamer, etc.) should not be taken seriously either. In fact, they are the part of the problem of why Detroit is in the condition its in. Instead of actually educating voters on why we should elect JoAnn Watson or Charles Pugh we give them a debate/candidate forum that is poorly attended due to the lack of advertising, and continue to keep people in the dark. These slates and churches are seriously compromised, they have no faith in God and are agents of the Devil.

The Charter Commission was a disaster. We elected Reggie Reg Davis and John Johnson to the charter commission over Tonya Myers-Phillips. While Jenice Mitchell Ford, Ken Harris and Ken Coleman made it how could voters NOT vote for Myers-Phillips, Olumba John Olumba or even get this...Patty Fedewa (who I did not even support but respected her work). Again, another BLUNDER in Detroit politics.

Tonya Myers-Phillips is the BEST, INTELLIGENT and PRECISE candidate who should have been seated to charter commission. Like Lisa Howze, Myers-Phillips came in 10th Place. Moreover, I was offended that the Michigan Chronicle did not even endorse her. They will never get a subscription from me and I am urging others NOT to support a paper who would supported Reggie Reg Davis, a Radio One DJ who ran on a anti-youth violence platform, over Tonya Myers-Phillips, an attorney who has ALREADY worked on the Detroit City Charter during the Kilpatrick scandal.

Going back to Carol Banks for a second, I must give her props for winning a seat on the Detroit School Board. But Lamar Lemmons also won a seat and Reverend David Murray RETURNED to the school board.

Reverend David Murray, a Detroit School Board member and leader of a church of 10 people, lost custody of his four children after allegations of abuse, neglect and domestic violence surfaced. Yet, we re-elected a child abuser back on school board.

If you do not believe that we need Wayne RESA to run Detroit Public Schools then you are living in a fantasy.

A recap of events that went on last night.

1. Detroit elects its first openly gay City Council member as President of the Council (Charles Pugh).

2. Detroit elects a hero for bringing down Kwame Kilpatrick to become Council President Pro-Tem (Gary Brown).

3. All I need to do is raise the dead and ride the ghost of a woman to victory (Saunteel Jenkins).

4. If I continue to fight a mythological war between the Suburbs and Detroit and keep everything pro-black then I can get re-elected (JoAnn Watson).

5. I can walk away from my house, not take any personal responsibility and STILL get re-elected to City Council (Kwame Kenyatta).

6. Damn, if I beat my wife, or my wife beat me, get called Shrek and stay arrogant I can get 4th place on City Council (Ken Cockrel).

7. Let's see, I cannot read, write, and comprehend information which means as a professional I do not know what is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) even though the city is facing a $720 million deficit in the next 2 years but I cannot vote for LISA HOWZE because she is simply too intelligent for me. I would rather give the last seat to JoAnn Watson, who looks like someone one a pancake box.

8. I did not vote for Raphael Johnson because he committed murder. But I support candidates who kill babies in the womb of the woman.

9. Fred Elliott Hall scares me about regional cooperation so I did not vote for him because I do not want to give away the city's jewels.

10. I did not vote for Tonya Myers-Phillips because Reggie Reg Davis has more knowledge about the charter commission than Tonya.

11. I was duped into voting for Proposal S.

Yes, Detroit we did it again. Made our city look like an ass all over again. Nothing will ever change in this hell. Maybe bankruptcy is our only option to change Detroit.

We, The People by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-11-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

We, the People, of the City of Detroit, declare and assert:

Whereas: The City of Detroit has consistently fostered a long tradition that celebrates robust public discussion of issues, including the unfettered expression of opinion at public demonstrations; and

Whereas the healing of wounds begins with an apology, and the current leadership of Detroit has never apologized for their horrific lack of leadership and racist practices against our region during the past eight years, nor held accountable for the residual impact that those atrocities and practices are having on us today,

Whereas from 2005-2009 the Detroit City Council, under the leadership of Councilman Kenneth V. Cockrel, has refused to take our city in a different direction by becoming a more regionalized entity.

Whereas the anti-regional and global Detroit City Council continue to verbally attack Republicans, Conservative Democrats and Independents because we want to free our people through global education and grant Detroiters their silver rights.

Whereas Detroiters cannot fight blight, crime and failing education without addressing the need to decrease adult illiteracy. Adult illiteracy has paralyzed us on all levels in Detroit.

Whereas Detroit needs its own version of a tea party through financial literacy. This is the ability of individuals to make appropriate decisions in managing their personal finances;

Whereas raising levels of financial and adult literacy in the City of Detroit should be one of the top priorities of the local, county and state governments because many are being misled through bad information.

Whereas an educational reform movement has been launched here in Detroit to help keep Detroit competitive and assist the Detroiters in understanding and addressing financial, voter and educational matters;

Whereas a survey has found that one out of three Detroiters are not saving for retirement;

Whereas research shows that when employers offer financial education programs, in the form of brochures or seminars, workers in the City of Detroit increase their participation in retirement plans, which allow them to save and invest for their own retirement;

Whereas minorities in the City of Detroit are more likely to be functionally illiterate;

Whereas even though the Detroit City Council incumbents received the vote of many Detroiters in the last election they have embarrassed our city. Monica Conyers, Barbara Rose Collins and Martha Reeves have turned Detroit into a disgraceful city.

Whereas Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who had an opportunity to transform Detroit into a regional network, he instead failed to do so. Instead, he resurrected the old racial politics of the 1970s and in the end resigned from office.

Whereas the Detroit School Board has been dysfunctional for the past 10 years. This dysfunction stems from the lack of leadership, vision and attitude to help transform the school district and;

Whereas the Detroit School Board have characters such as Reverend David Murray, Otis Mathis, Terry Catchings, Annie Carter and Marie Thornton have paralyzed the district with their anti-educational reform behaviors.

Whereas the City of Detroit is on the brink of transformation on Election Day, November 3, 2009 and will become regional.

Whereas the next Mayor of Detroit, must work with business leaders across the region to educate them on the importance of regional cooperation.

Whereas the mission of the New Detroit City Council is to expand economic opportunity in underserved communities through economic education and empowerment to connect us globally;

Whereas the mission of the Detroit School Board is to prepare to merge with Wayne RESA once Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb leaves because the school board is obsolete.

Whereas the New Detroit City Council will place rebuilding families, reducing government, fiscal accountability, connecting with our region, empowering our community with easier access to resources, creating a business friendly Detroit and understanding that Detroit is no longer an automotive market but a global financial market. That the New Detroit City Council are people who believe in the vision of silver rights, working with all levels of government, business and technology to move our region forward.

Whereas the New Detroit Charter Commission will rewrite the entire city charter, making the language transparent, supporting council by districts by electing 5 members to city council with 2 at-large, and give better checks and balances for city government. This includes moving Detroit into the information age of technology.

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that We, the People,

(1) supports the efforts of those working with the public and private sectors to increase adult literacy in both school and in the workplace, to increase access to financial services, to establish measures of national civic literacy, to conduct research on financial knowledge, and to strengthen global education programs; and

(2) recognizes the need for change today in the City of Detroit through a radical and revolutioanry procedure to bring about a financial market.

And be it further resolved, that We, the People, acknowledges the serious responsibility of the City of Detroit to continue the City's long tradition upholding the free exercise of First and Fourth Amendment right while protecting both public safety and constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties for all parties during the upcoming November 3rd Elections.

Resolved, The City of Detroit must keep Dave Bing as Mayor for four full years as he continues to help transform our region with the help of Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Livingston, Essex and St. Clair Counties.

Resolved, The City of Detroit must elect Lisa L. Howze, James Tate, Andre L. Spivey, Fred Eliott Hall, Saunteel Jenkins and Raphael B. Johnson to the New Detroit City Council.

Resolved, the City of Detroit must NOT elect Councilwoman JoAnn Watson and Alberta Tinsley-Talabi back to the Detroit City Council. While Talabi has been on council for 16 years she is out of ideas and Watson is a complete obstructionist to the regional process by pitting Democrat vs Republican, black vs white and Detroit vs Suburb.

Resolved, the City of Detroit must elect Tonya Myers-Phillips, Olumba-John Olumba, Jenice Mitchell Ford, Ken Harris and Ken Coleman as the New Detroit Charter Commission team that will help usher in the new silver rights movement.

Resolved, the City of Detroit must NOT elect Reverend David Murray, Marie Thornton, to the Detroit School Board. These two members must be replaced with Carol Banks and Deborah E. Davis until Robert Bobb's contract expires in 2011 and allow Detroit Public Schools to merge with Wayne RESA.

Resolved that Detroiters must vote NO on Proposal S because our city cannot afford it.

Resolved that Detroiters must vote YES on Proposal D because our city needs Council by Districts.

Resolved that Detroiters must vote NO on Proposal O. Allow Wayne County government to trim government instead of raising taxes on the backs of people.

Now, therefore, for the documented atrocities and accumulated wrongs inflicted upon the City of Detroit through the current City Council and School Board, we must go forth and NOT vote for name recognition but vote for a new movement that will help place Detroit back on track on November 3, 2009.

The Global Silver Rights Dream Team by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

I was at the Perfecting Church Detroit City Council and Charter Commission candidate forum last night on the city's east side. Of course, as always, the Perfecting Church PAC always do a great job in informing the public before hand about the candidates and issues and run the best candidate forums in the city. They never fail on this at all and should be commended for their hard work and dedication to creating a better Detroit. This includes Richard Mack, my Emerging Leaders Think Tank partners Kimberly Hill, Reggie and Capri Scott, and the one who keeps me in check when I stray away from the path Lisa Jennings. Also, I thank Bishop-elect Marvin Winans for allowing the public to hear from our current and future leaders on the Detroit City Council.

After leaving that forum I feel that its time to give Mayor Dave Bing the help he needs to move Detroit into the 21st century. I am already convinced that Mayor Bing will be rewarded a full 4-year term to the Office of the Mayor because Tom Barrow cannot gain traction other than pandering to the old guard of leadership (unions). Therefore, Bing will provide the decisions that we may not agree with but at the same token will get us back to fiscal health and move Detroit into a global market.

The old ways of doing things must end before its too late. However, there are some on the Detroit City Council who want to continue the same song and dance, keep this mythical war going on between Oakland County and Detroit, and will fight regional cooperation at all costs. They pretend that they are for the citizens but never address how adult illiteracy has paralyzed businesses and developments in the City of Detroit. Of course these incumbents will never discuss adult illiteracy because they already know as long as over 50% of the population is functionally illiterate they can keep getting elected without scrutiny.

So we need global visionaries on this council that will connect us to both the community and the world.

At the top of this list is Lisa L. Howze. As she would say she is the only Certified Public Accountant running in this race. In times of desperate need we need all CPAs on deck to try to balance the budget. Here is someone who can not only balance the budget but can also put the city in a surplus. Hello, when was the last time Detroit had some money left in the bank?

In a silver rights world, it is important that all of us increase our financial literacy skills to understand how the city's budget is supposed to be without the waste. Lisa Howze is ahead of the game when it comes to this. She already understands how financial literacy is an integral component in the fight against poverty. We need to help her by (1) electing her to the Detroit City Council and (2) demonstrate to her of how we are investing in our city’s residents and our shared future. Lisa cannot do this alone so we need to support her.

She also understands how the mark of the twenty-first century here in Detroit will be poverty. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and it’s harder to be middle class. As we embark on a new city council, and people move from the working class, through the stakeholder class, to the middle class, their path is not really about making more money, but making better decisions with the money they make. This is why Lisa Howze must be at that council table.

Another global candidate that we need to elect to the Detroit City Council is Fred Elliott Hall. You are talking about someone who understand that Detroit is not just competing with Oakland County but also competing with Beijing and Singapore this man got it. He understand how to bridge the gap between businesses and pure inspiration for those who want to move Detroit from an automotive market into a financial market similar to what you see in Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, South Korea and Taiwan.

He understands regional cooperation, connecting Windsor, Ontario with the rest of the region, utilizing the Port Authority to generate trade and goods to the region and fighting adult illiteracy to help prepare our community in global education.

James Tate is another silver rights candidate who understands how fear has become the ultimate prosperity killer in the City of Detroit. He also understands how fear have a hold on the citizens hearts that money is still on the minds of the community. Like Hall and Howze, Tate fully understands how adult illiteracy has crippled progress in the City of Detroit and how name recognition has destroyed any real chance of enhancing our city's future.

Tate knows how to transform the community in our city. The family comes first in his viewpoint and without rebuilding the family unit everything else dies off. He feels that we cannot begin to rebuild Detroit without keeping the family unit intact.

He also understands how the impact of the economic crisis is being felt here in Detroit, but the root cause isn't economics, nor is it the failure of free enterprise and capitalism. The problem in our city is the abuse of free enterprise and capitalism which equals to greed. The purpose of electing James Tate to the Detroit City Council is to kill the greed which has killed the spirit of the city and restore family values in a traditionally rich city.

Speaking of the spirit of Detroit it does not hurt to have the Rev. Andre Spivey on a city council that believes in the values of silver rights. Whenever I talk to Rev. Spivey he reminds me of those leaders who will only undertake a project or initiative when he determines that no one else can bring together the parties involved. He is a man that is fueled with passion and purpose that is driven by a big idea.

Rev. Spivey's mission is to show a vision for the poor, the under-served, and the wealthless of the our city is to help them see themselves -- differently. He want to help expose, educate, empower, and inspire them to be originators of their own destiny. To see our citizens who live in Detroit for what and who they truly already are; rich in spirit. Assets, and not liabilities on the world's global balance sheet.

He understands that Detroit is a future emerging markets waiting to be re-born in the spirit. That one person can make a difference, and we are that one person.

We’re moving from race-based and place-based discrimination to class-based discrimination -- discrimination based on education and access and information. In the new Detroit, the poverty eradication tool will be education. Wealth will be decided by your access to information and education. If you have a more educated populace, they make better decisions. If they make better decisions, they’re going to make more conservative decisions.

If you are a black or brown community activist, or better still, a transparent conduit for God in the faith business, there is a genuine, unique opportunity to seed hope and grow a new crop of stakeholders in our blighted inner-cities and under-served communities. There is a genuine opportunity to eradicate poverty, but it will be “hands up” based, and not “hands out” based. Rev. Spivey has accepted this call and is ready to lead Detroit to the next step.

Raphael B. Johnson makes up the final element of this global silver rights dream team. While many are trying to criticize him about his past let's discuss what is going on right now. Here is a man. who is a community activist, a father and husband, who will go to bat for anyone who is doing the right thing. However, as the first candidate to embrace my Covenant for Detroit platform, he fully understands how we must connect Detroit with the global market.

Raphael knows that without addressing adult illiteracy we cannot begin to not just heal our community but also rest our financial assets. He knows that financial literacy is key to uplifting ourselves out of poverty. He understands that without addressing the illiteracy crisis in Detroit we will continue to deal with crime, poverty and the lack of relationship building that is key to building marriages.

The most important thing about Raphael is his understanding of connecting trade and development with Africa. Because Africa is an emerging market Raphael embrace the need for more global connection between here and the continent. This proves to him, and should be a powerful signal to government, that there is a passionate interest amongst both Detroiters and those abroad, in not just government to government treaties, but business to business deal making too. That we are not focused, ultimately, on a hand out philosophy, but a hand up strategy – you just need help figuring out how to do the things you want to do.

Raphael wants us to become more successful by start building our business and creating jobs for others. In return, we will increasingly need less government in your life, not more. By Johnson's viewpoint, by connecting Africa with Detroit we will explode successfully into the global economy as a new, promising, emerging market worthy of attracting private investment dollars, and not simply aid and hand-outs.

While people keep saying how Raphael should not run for Detroit City Council and instead run for school board I think most of his critics are not looking at the bigger picture of things. Then again, in Detroit most of us never do. While Raphael has a great respect for Councilwoman JoAnn Watson (who both said they would like to serve together) I think Raphael's vision is more connected with the global market through community reinvestment while Watson's "Marshall Plan" platform is no more than asking for a handout from the government. Just last night she openly said that the government should bailout Detroit because we are in a deficit.

What she did not explain to the public is WHY Detroit is in a deficit. For one, we have a current city council that does not turn in the city's audits to the State of Michigan Treasury Department on time. Therefore, our revenue sharing is held up. Also, she never developed a plan to retain young people in the city to stop the brain drain. Lastly, her so -called mythological war between blacks and suburban whites have paralyzed race relations in our region. That is why, with all due respect, we need to move our city in a different direction.

If Mayor Bing, along with the five people I have highlighted here, can win their elections and work with other silver rights and educational advocates like Robert Bobb and others I think we will be setting Detroit and the region in a new direction.

Education Is On Everyone's Mind by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

There are two critical forums that are coming up in the next 10 days that people should pay attention to.

The first forum is a Detroit Public School Debate with the candidates running for the Detroit School Board. This will be sponsored by the Emerging Leaders Think Tank and the Detroit Parent Network.

For those of you who have never heard of the Emerging Leaders Think Tank it is a non-partisan organization comprised of leaders representing various sectors of the community, including education, politics, religious and business. The think tank do not endorse candidates, but endeavor to inform the community of pressing issues.

Recently, the think tank convened several educational leaders, under 40, to engage in a comprehensive urban education reform initiative, which includes school board candidate interviews, school board debate and developing a White Paper. Many of our members and advisers include teachers, parents, and educational advocates.

The purpose of this forum is to educate people about the DPS school board elections. There has been zero coverage about the school board elections. I find it interesting for the mainstream media to focus more on the Detroit City Council elections than the school board elections. Yes, we know that the DPS Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb is running the show, however, we still need a long term strategy for the largest school district in Michigan. That debate is ongoing.

The Detroit Public School Board debate will be held Thursday, October 29, 2009 from on the campus of Wayne County Community College (Eastern Campus) at 5901 Conner (in the Cooper Community Room). Mix and Mingle begins at 5:00pm and the debate will begin at 6:00pm.

Moderators for this debate are Detroit Free Press Education Writer Chasity Pratt-Dawsey and Educational Community Advocate Sherry Gay-Dagnogo.

Another critical forum that all of us need to attend is the first Michigan preview screening of "The Providence Effect," the award-winning documentary about an amazing inner-city school in Chicago, IL. The community meeting will take place Monday, November 2, 2009 from 4:00pm - 5:30pm in the Oakland Room, Cobo Hall in Downtown Detroit followed by the movie screening that will be held at 7:30 pm in Room M2-29.

For 30 years, 100% of the seniors from Providence St. Mel have been accepted to college, and the school model was replicated as a highly successful public charter school in 2006.

Find out how the right environment and high expectations can help all kids achieve -- and join a conversation about how to implement these same strategies in Detroit.

Angela Williams Johnson, Principal, Providence Englewood Charter School will lead a community conversation with the following invited special guests:

Robert Bobb, DPS Emergency Financial Manager

Carol Goss, President, Skillman Foundation.

Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies

Mike Tenbusch, United Way of Southeast Michigan

Rachele Downs, Leadership Detroit Education Support Committee.

Jessica Rauch, The Generation Project

Organizational Co-Sponsors include:

- United Way of Southeast Michigan
- Detroit Regional Chamber
- Leadership Detroit Educational Support Committee
- Detroit Parent Network
- 21st Century Schools Project

Education is the number one issue in Michigan right now. You cannot discuss fixing the economy unless you have a working knowledge of education. Please save the date for both events.

Urban Profiles: Tonya Phillips..A Visionary for Detroit by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

A Charter Commissioner reviews and formulates charter proposals by soliciting ideas from citizens, city staff and elected officials. A city charter is the constitution governing the municipal government that defines the powers the citizens agree to give their city government and how the government is to be structured. The charter defines which officials are elected, their term lengths, duties, powers and responsibilities and establishes the lines of authority for the departments.

Sounds like a job for Tonya Myers-Phillips who is running and is within striking distance in clinching a seat on the Detroit Charter Commission. Elections will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

Now of course people like Freman Hendrix, Teloa Hunter, and Rose Mary Robinson will be there. But what about Tonya Myers-Phillips?

One thing I do know about Tonya is the fact that she understand Detroit must move into the 21st century if it wants to be successful. The Detroit Charter Commission will have to make recommendations and/or take actions that will impact some or all of our constituents. If the commission is to be remotely successful, it’s representation should be as diverse as the community itself.

Tonya understands that revisiting our charter is about more than the simple nuts and bolts of governance. If elected, she will offer a glimpse at how we put our beliefs about community into practice, how we do our business.

I am not sure that allowing leadership to become a game of musical chairs promotes the best interests of the community. I am not sure that it promotes continuity of services, of vision. Maybe that kind of turnover allows for a constant flow of creative and new ideas. I might make the point, though, that it doesn't really allow those ideas to take hold, and demonstrate to us that they are good ideas. And that on a basic human and economic level, it doesn't promote efficiency.

The reason why I am urging you to support Tonya is because she intend to bring common sense, and not positions to the table. She will bring her experience in government to the dialogue. She will bring her willingness to listen, to gather facts, and intend to bring her demonstrated ability to synthesize ideas into workable solutions into the mix.

Tonya believes that we need a Charter Commission that starts from a position of inquiry, and arrives at a set of solutions that meet the following criteria that are forward looking, that institutionalize a high degree of participation in governance, that promote the most efficient and creative use of resources, and that is grounded in research and development.

This is why we must elect Tonya Phillips to the Detroit Charter Commission in November. There are no room for excuses on this one.

Stop Gov. Granholm from Killing the Michigan State University Extension Program by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

The State of Michigan is going through a third world crisis when it comes to the state's economy. We have both Democrats and Republicans fighting over tax increases vs tax cuts. The same old song and dance.

One thing that no one is talking about in public is the status of the Michigan State University Extension Program. Urban Michigan cannot begin to discuss urban agriculture or horticulture unless you mention MSU Extension.

For those of you who have never heard of the MSU Extension it is a statewide program that has focused on bringing knowledge-based educational programs to the people of the state to improve their lives and communities. Today, county-based staff members, in concert with on-campus faculty members, serve every county with programming focused on agriculture and natural resources; children, youth and families; and community and economic development.

Operating synergistically with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and other MSU units, MSU Extension extends the University’s knowledge resources to all Michigan citizens and assists them in meeting their learning needs through a variety of educational strategies, technologies and collaborative arrangements. I have, for years, lobbied for a Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station to be brought to the heart of Detroit.

MSU Extension is committed to an ongoing process of recognizing, understanding, and accepting differences and how leveraging diversity and multiculturalism can lead to organizational and programming excellence.

So now we have reached a crisis in the MSU Extension Program. It is threatened to be eliminated if Gov. Jennifer Granholm gets her way.

MSU Extension has valued a partnership with county, state and federal government for 86 years.

This past week, state budget decisions related to our partnership are of extreme concern with the following two scenarios on the table: either a 44% reduction in general fund that could become permanent after federal stimulus funds are exhausted OR a line-item veto resulting in zero funding for MSUE and MAES.

The impact of our state partners’ decision of either scenario has devastating consequences to MSUE and our county partners. Most (80%) of our state funding supports the staff of MSUE.

If our funding lines are vetoed, MSUE will be forced to cancel all county and campus based programs and meetings immediately and until further notice. This includes but is not limited to:

All 4-H club operations.

All educational workshops across all program areas.

Oversight of any county grant activity led by MSUE.

How you can help—Immediate Action is Needed:

Prevent the veto. Reach out to the Governor and her leadership team to make the point that these programs are critical to your county.

Override the veto. If our lines are vetoed, help legislators understand the need to override the veto with a 2/3 majority in both House and Senate.

In the 44% scenario- MSU Extension would have to reduce staff by at least this percentage across the state and greatly reduce programming to a very limited focus. This would become the base budget for future years. They would likely lose additional positions because so many of our staff positions are funded by matching funds, and loss of state funds will jeopardize the matching funds.

If it is the veto scenario: The state legislature has a limited window to pass an amendment to restore this funding before we would need to initiate layoff notifications to staff. A number of our staff members have one-year renewable appointments, and we would not be able to lay them off until the anniversary of their appointment.

JUST A FEW OF THE IMPACTS

4-H will not exist in Michigan, which serves 236,000 youth and 27,000 adult volunteers.
Master Gardener Program will cease to exist.
More than 3,000 MSUE and MAES employees (not including County staff) will loose their jobs.
MSU Product Center will immediately cease to support hundreds of entrepreneurs across Michigan.
Project GREEEN, the successful grant program that has supported the plant industry in Michigan would immediately stop funding its programs.
Millions of Michigan residents will not receive vital services that help them live, work and thrive.
The cuts to MSU Extension and MAES means no support to help farmers and food processors with timely information affecting the business of growing food, thereby halting any progress we’ve made with the state’s only thriving industry.

If you feel that the MSU Extension partnership has brought value to your county, I encourage you to contact your state representative and state senator today. Share with them why you value the MSU Extension partnership. Tell them that their vote has the power to restore this funding and is necessary to keep the MSU Extension partnership that you have committed to intact.

Our community are depending on us. Please do nto let programs like 4-H go down the drain in the name of politics.

Transforming Urban Communities into Real Digital Networks by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Conservatives and liberals must understand that the world they once knew no longer exists. The resistance of evolving technology, education and infrastructure is fading away as we transition from a 20th century way of thinking into a 22nd century way of thinking. We are no longer secular but universal in our way of solving problems in our communities.

Therefore, urban conservatives must lead the way when it comes to holding urban communities accountable when linking up with the rest of the world. We have to become more in tune with digital technology. For example, developing an urban regional wireless network in areas such as Benton Harbor and Muskegon will deliver affordable broadband wireless services to citizens in all areas of the region. If implemented it will be the largest project of its kind in the world and may transform the urban landscape region by enhancing the lives of community neighborhoods and overcoming the digital divide. Universities such as Western Michigan and Grand Valley State can partner with the urban municipalities to envision how a broadband wireless network can transform the lives and experiences of its citizens and visitors alike. The urban regional wireless network could provide a source of inspiration for novel ideas as well as a living laboratory for examining new applications.

Urban communities in Michigan have become mired in problems like accidents, crime, poverty, traffic and failing education. Despite the advancements in society at large, a significant portion of urban residents have been left behind. The emergence of digital technology in urban communities in Michigan will give us a chance to re-shape the landscape of the urban community. We have the opportunity, as well as responsibility, to design this emerging digital urban environment right, so that it benefits people in all walks of life.

It will require the creation of both a large-scale information infrastructure that will cut through existing physical and social infrastructures in the city and the design of new services and applications. It also requires new media both in form and function that can take advantage of the mobility and the ubiquity of information. By designing new digital urban communities and networks it will help us to re-think the meanings of familiar activities, while at the same time it allows us to envision novel forms of social interactions. Also, it will demand new forms of partnership between public and private sectors, researchers and practice, and the social and technical realms. The digital urban community, then, is a socio-technical innovation space where new forms of digitally mediated social interactions are designed and the meanings of old social interactions are re-shaped and mediated through new technologies.

Like water, gas, and electricity, access to the Internet and other information technologies can no longer be viewed as a privilege, yet it remains out of reach to the disabled, communities of color, new immigrants, non-English speakers, the homeless, and low-income families. The struggle to control broadband technology and the infrastructure that facilitates Internet connectivity is contested by public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Broadband access involves a digital landscape that few city officials are willing to take direct responsibility for.

One group that is connecting large urban areas digitally through wireless networking is the City of Philadelphia. A nonprofit organization called Digital Impact Group is leading the way in the city of Brotherly Love. A long-term vision is for Philadelphia - now among the least connected cities nationwide - to become the nation's most connected city. Our focus on developing programs to connect all of our citizens to the Internet is leading the way toward universal digital inclusion through creative collaboration with small business, large corporations, community organizations and the public sector.

As a result of Philadelphia's bold leadership on this issue, low-wealth families across the city are gaining access to computers and broadband service, enabling them to take advantage of opportunities that before were closed to them. Philadelphia stands alone among major cities in the development of a collaborative, comprehensive, community-based strategy to provide low-wealth families the tools they need to connect to the Internet.

Building research and technology parks in Benton Harbor that will bring in information and digital research companies will bring in much needed revenue as well as a tax base for an area that is desperate for job growth.

Urban conservatives in Flint, Saginaw, Detroit, Lansing, Muskegon and Benton Harbor should lead the way in innovation and digital technology by supporting smart policies that will benefit urban areas in Michigan.

The Mythical Check and The Future of Detroit by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

Detroit is facing an economic crisis of proportions not seen in decades. Personally, I do not think people realize how deep the situation in Detroit is when it comes to stability. Most days people feel that we are headed towards anarchy in this city. When you add poverty to the crisis we have a serious catastrophe.

This past week we saw how truly depressed and distressed came out in droves seeking housing and utility assistance payment from the City of Detroit as part of the "Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program," a federal stimulus fund designed to help residents pay rent and utility bills. 35,000 people were so desperate for help with mortgage and utility bills that threats were made, fights broke out and people were nearly trampled.

Keep in mind that our city's official unemployment rate is 28.9 percent.

Officials said a total of about 65,000 people over the past few days have gotten applications for a share of $15.2 million in federal stimulus money to help people avoid foreclosure or quickly rebound from homelessness. Only 3,500 people may receive the help. The sad thing was how people lined up thinking that they were going to receive a check or debit card. A mythical check was waiting for them.

It looked like scene from Hurricane Katrina.

The reality is that poverty exists for several reasons. One major reason is the lack of education. The other is that black people in this city will not hire one another in terms of employment. A third reason is the 100% dependency and victimization mentality that has paralyzed the city through racial paranoia and fear.

We cannot begin to even heal with this type of mentality. Let alone we have city officials who think like this and love to fan the flames of ignorance from community to community.

While Detroit struggles to come into the 21st century it will also struggle to come into the global picture. The automotive industry is dead and along with it the unions who have controlled the politics of the city for over 5 decades.

When I speak to urban conservatives on the future of our city and other urban areas across America I often tell them to have vision. We have moved past those who want to continue to keep the status quo.

One thing that no one running for any political office in this city (or any urban area) is the need for micro-insurance. This is a term increasingly used to refer to insurance characterized by low premium and low caps or low coverage limits, sold as part of atypical risk-pooling and marketing arrangements, and designed to service low-income people and businesses not served by typical social or commercial insurance schemes.

It's a financial arrangement to protect low-income people against specific perils in exchange for regular premium payments proportionate to the likelihood and cost of the risk involved.

Sharing risk through micro-insurance could help communities rebuild after natural disasters. The United States poorest people often live in the places most likely to be struck by disasters and they are the least likely to have insurance. If we allowed Detroiters to turn to micro-insurance programs it will allow participants in a community to pool their risk and hence lower their premiums to as little as $2 per year.

While we are talking about urban agriculture in Detroit how come no one is discussing the need to develop biobutanol? This is an advanced biofuel made from wheat, corn, sugarcane, and other agricultural feedstocks. Biobutanol’s advantages over ethanol will become more obvious in the years ahead: Its energy content is closer to that of gasoline, it is less corrosive, and it can be delivered and dispensed using current infrastructure.

Building an biobutanol plant here in Detroit can put people back to work. This project is tied in with building research parks in our city. The same for tactical bio-refineries that can turn garbage into fuel. A portable generator developed for military applications can turn food, paper, plastic, and other trash into electricity. Not only will this help troops stay mobile, but it will also increase their security by eliminating telltale information in a unit’s waste. Detroit should lead in this industry.

While building our research parks it should house the world's most innovative information technology companies. While we are transforming Detroit from an automotive market to a financial market we should also train and innovate a new generation of career-path information technology workers who will help design and market new high tech computers such as the quantum computers. These are computers that use spinning electrons rather than silicon-based chips to process data could do in seconds what would take a modern computer billions of years, raising the prospect of infinite processing power by the year 2020.

Already most security systems use what is called biometrics. Governments and corporations are using fingerprints, hand geometry, the iris, voice, and facial features in a growing number of identity verification systems, with fingerprints making up 67% of these applications. The question is where are the firms in our city and other urban areas across Michigan to build and program this level of technology. Again, putting people to work.

If you think what you saw at Cobo Hall is a sign of mass breakdown of social services wait until we evolve where electronically enabled teams in networks, robots with artificial intelligence, and other noncarbon life-forms will make financial, health, educational, and even political decisions for us. The reason for this is because technologies are increasing the complexity of our lives and human workers’ competency is not keeping pace well enough to avoid disasters due to human error.

So while we are still fighting over things that should have been solved in the 20th century we must look ahead to our immediate future if we do not want to fall further behind the wheel. Detroit must be able to diversify its economy if it wants to stop shrinking as a city. However, I see Grand Rapids surpassing Detroit as the largest city in Michigan by 2020 because Grand Rapids's infrastructure is ready for what is outlined in this article. Detroit's future looks bleak unless we embrace silver rights, 21st century strategies and begin to think ahead instead of playing race games and staying in poverty.

Urban Profiles: Ron Edwards by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes, I hear some far left wing liberals discuss how social conservatism is dead in the water. They point to people like President Obama and how people did not use the Bible to make a vote. Well here is the reality. Social conservatism is not dead. It simply needs to be retooled.

It is being retooled as we speak and this time black social conservatives are truly leading the way.

One such leader is Star Parker (pictured here). But I would like to discuss about someone local who I think many need to get to know. His name is Ron Edwards and the brother is no joke. If we want to seriously look at how to revitalize social conservatism then simply look at Ron Edwards.

If you ever get a chance to hear him on Joshua's Trail like I have (and also shared the mic with him many times on WDTK 1400 AM on Saturdays) all you would hear is things that are uncomfortable coming out of his mouth.

That means he is telling the truth or as he put it "simply blowing the myths away."

The Edwards Notebook is his signature editorial that he gives during the broadcast and also at the top and bottom half of the hour anywhere between 11AM and 7PM during the week. This notebook is designed to do two things. (1) To remind you that there is no God but God and (2) to remind you that America is the best thing since slice bread. His no nonsense approach to politics often teaches us a lesson on why the United States must continue to function as the greatest country in the world.

What kills me is how black people try to deny the fact that they are social conservative. This is nothing new as we have shown time after time that blacks support marriage between man and woman, frown upon abortion and support prayer in schools. Ron Edwards understands the needs for not just blacks but all Americans who worship under one God.

For 20 years Ron has been a forced to be reckoned with, educating people on issues that the regular mainstream media would not do. and now From WJMO, WCPN & WGAR in Cleveland to WWJ and now WDTK-AM here in Detroit here is a man who will not bend his Christian values for no one.

He sounds like my kind of guy. A man who will stand up for what's right. If Ron understands that America is caught up in a cultural war how come most of us are on the sidelines silent?

For those who feel that social conservatism is long dead in a post-Obama world is highly mistaken. As long as people like Ron Edwards is here to help spread that gospel of truth and victory around the social conservative movement is not going anywhere.

Continue to support Ron Edwards by listening to the Edwards Notebook online at http://www.edwardsnotebook.com

A New Economy for Urban Michigan: Building A Hair Dynasty by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

In the City of Detroit you will find almost on every corner a hair and cosmetics business. The major problem is most of these stores are not owned and operated by people of color but our Asian counterparts. Now I do not have a problem with diversity, however, I often ask myself would Asian support a Chinese buffet owned and operated by blacks in an Asian community? The answer to that is no. So why do we allow people to come in and control 90% of the economy in our community?

According to Target Market News blacks spend over $18 billion annually on hair care products. Black women use five times more hair products than their white counterparts and spend close to $23 billion annually on hair and beauty supplies.

This opens the door to a new economy in areas like Detroit called hair manufacturing and distribution.

The purpose of this is to help existing black producers who already produce black hair products. One generation after blacks fought in the civil rights movement whites and Asians took control of the nation's black hair care and beauty supply businesses. Today, they own 82% of Black hair care and beauty supply dollars. Asians have built a monopoly because of the wig industry from China, to the manufacturing of hair and beauty products and now have manicure and pedicure booths and stores in urban areas across the country. These types of monopolies aimed at black people in America helps produce wealth, income, and recession-proof jobs for Asians.

One can look into history to see how Madame C.J. Walker developed and dominated the black hair care and beauty industry that helped generate income and wealth for people of color. Because blacks never developed a true distribution system others were able to squeeze out those black producers who could not buy them out.

In a silver rights era we must open the doors of competition in urban areas to help develop new economies to keep a certain level of sustainability in urban communities. We often look to government to give us our fare share of revenue sharing when people right here in Detroit can produce revenue sharing by building hair distribution systems to (1) keep competition going against stores like Lee Beauty Supply and (2) reduce the unemployment rate by hiring people who are qualified for the job.

One thing that I keep on telling people is that the city needs to reproduce what is recession proof. Barber shops and beauty salons are recession proof jobs that can be strengthened by connecting the products they use in their shops with both production and distribution companies right here in the City of Detroit. We have to be in the business of building careers not building hustlers on the side. Detroit is engaged in a hustling mentality and we must convert this into building careers and wealth.

Once again, urban conservatives need to reach out to the hidden constituency called the Diaspora. This is something we must not ignore. We have a number of Africans who reside here in Metro Detroit who have a unlimited number of braid shops and lockticians. These women help generate wealth and in many cases send money back home to places like Senegal and Ghana. Building bridges with this group can also turn a domestic revenue generator into an international market by building distribution centers in both Detroit and Senegal.

When we marry education with silver rights we will not have to rely on Lansing to give us our fare share of revenue sharing or cut jobs. We will be in a position to produce a legacy.

A New Economy for Urban Michigan: Aquaculture by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-10-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

While urban planners here in Detroit are trying to "rightsize" the city by implementing urban agriculture one thing we have not discussed fully is urban aquaculture. The City of Detroit, Benton Harbor and Muskegon are ripe for urban aquaculture to help generate revenue into these cities.

Aquaculture is fish farming. This is where people can cultivate fish for food in a controlled environment, such as a tank or pond, and harvesting them when they reach preferred size. Some may be interested in raising an easy-to-breed species that is fairly inexpensive to feed and relatively free of parasites and diseases. In a time of over-fishing and degradation of wetland habitats, aquaculture presents itself as an environmentally and socially sound alternative. Urban conservatives can help develop programs that will provide fresh, high-quality fish at a fair price to local ethnic markets, along with potential jobs for vendors.

This industry can be built due to the high consumption of seafood by blacks. Blacks consume 3-4 times more seafood than other races of people in the United States as well as spend nine dollars for every one dollar that whites spend on seafood. A seafood factory will meet that growing need. However, what are we doing to produce an industry that will help generate revenue as well as investment opportunities for areas such as Detroit, Benton Harbor or Muskegon?

Fish farming sounds a lot easier than it is. It involves close monitoring of the water chemistry and fish health, along with the daily work of feeding the fish, transporting them, and finding a viable market. Besides the challenge of physical labor, aquaculture systems are also expensive. The controlled environment required to grow fish in tanks includes an aerated water circulating system, carbon filters to clean water, fish feed, transporting tanks, and equipment for monitoring the water's chemical composition.

Examples of this can be found in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Growing Power. This is a two-acre urban farm that was founded by Will Allen in 1993. Growing Power inspires school kids and entrepreneurs alike with the fresh produce, meat, and fish it grows in the heart of the city. Growing Power now has satellite farms and community gardens around Milwaukee and Chicago.

Others are following Allen’s lead, growing fish and plants in a three-tiered aquaponic system. In aquaponics, fish and plants are grown in one integrated structure. Fish waste fertilizes the plants, and plants and bacteria clean the water for the fish. Aquaponic systems mimic the natural water purification that takes place in streams and wetlands.

Milwaukee is emerging as a leader in the urban farming revolution, especially in aquaculture. Local organizations are recruiting more urban agrarians through education. Growing Power has regular workshops, and a nonprofit Urban Aquaculture Center that includes an education center as well as a production facility that is in development.

Aquaculture has been increasing around the country, and urban fish farms like Sweet Water are on the cutting edge. Purdue University’s Kwamena Quagrainie, who specializes in aquaculture marketing, does not know of any other commercial urban fish farms.

Detroit, Benton Harbor and Muskegon can benefit from urban aquaculture. Urban fish farms may help fill these gaps, with Detroit and other cities reaping economic, health, and environmental benefits. Urban agriculture and aquaculture provide jobs near a ready workforce, fresh foods for underserved populations, reductions in fossil fuels for food transport, and an use for empty industrial buildings.

If urban conservatives can lead the way to help other succeed it will provide a valuable business model for entrepreneurs in Detroit and other urban cities in Michigan. It will also strengthen the current of change that is reshaping how we grow our food.

The Mackinac Experience: Reaching Out Globally by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Everytime I go to Mackinac City and Mackinac Island I am fascinated by the Jamaicans who work on the island. Their hard work and determination to do what's right should inspire all urban conservatives. However. when I come back to my community we have blacks who simply hate on our West Indies community.

our Of course, for some who live in Detroit who have fallen for the cultural stereotypes of Jamaicans simply are ignorant. This is why I push for education because it is a tool that helps eradicate ignorance and stereotypes. While I was on I-75 coming back from Mackinac City I was in a intense discussion with some of my female friends on the phone from Detroit. They lambasted me because they felt that I was seeking a weaker woman in the Jamaican. They feel that Jamaican women will work for the crumbs that fall from the table instead of fighting for what is right. I could not believe that these women from Detroit were ridiculing their Jamaican sisters because they work in the service industry.

Then more stereotypes followed. "How many jobs do they have? 3 or 6? How many babies they have 10?" The other sister on the phone cried about how Africans and Jamaicans take jobs away from African Americans. They clowned about how Jamaicans cannot speak proper English. They both agreed to think that Jamaicans are better than African Americans and felt that I was a traitor to our sisters here in Detroit if I was to date one of them.

What they did not know that all of the Jamaican women I spoke to were married. The two sisters on the phone from Detroit were divorced.

It always depresses me when black people hold ignorant views of other black people across the Diaspora. No wonder our community is a joke here in Detroit. Being bi-cultural myself I have been targeted by other African Americans in this community as being better and not being in the in-crowd in terms of following the status quo. We practice so much cultural oppression in this community it is not funny. We clown the Senegalese women for braiding hair, and if that family is a Muslim them they must be terrorists. Nigerians are looked upon as scam artists and not wanting to help African Americans (which is false). Where are they getting this nonsense from?

What’s REALLY depressing about it all that essentially all black and African people have the exact same negative stereotypes for each other, the same stereotypes western Whites and Europeans gave us. You think people would listen to themselves. We’re all unceremoniously labeled as shiftless, lazy, morally loose, repugnant, violent, prurient beasts with animal-like behaviors who love sex and sensibility.

To show you how ignorant these sisters were they forgot that both groups suffered the traumatic experience of slavery (slaves were often shipped back and forth between the Caribbean and the United States), were cut off from our African homelands (forcing us to create a new identity in the new world), and both of us have black skin in a racist society. However, people from the Caribbean do not complain and use race as a crutch. Even after fighting wars, AIDS and malaria Africans come over to the United States and prosper. Meanwhile, some African Americans have a belief that government is supposed to take care of us instead of providing us the services that we need. Everyone else understands the role of government but we still think the white man who runs the government is against us. That sound like some who do not want government involved in anything.

Anyway, when I was talking to our Jamaican sisters on Mackinac Island they wondered why our women complained about everything. However, one Jamaican woman said something that struck a serious nerve in me. She said how come black people in this country blame racism for their condition when it was clear all they really needed to do was sacrifice and work hard for what they wanted. Pull themselves up by their bootstraps by working hard and invest in our communities. She said African Americans were too sensitive to the subject of race and politics.

It sounds like urban conservatives have been going after the wrong constituency all these years. I walked away from that conversation thinking that maybe we need to rethink our strategy in terms of outreach to black folks in urban communities and look towards something greater and something more international. Jamaicans, who come from intact households, appreciate hard work, love God like no other, and will support their men at all costs. I have noticed similar behavior traits with Nigerians and other people globally.

Black people in America will continue to vote Democratic in large numbers for whatever reasons. That will not change. However, I think Republicans, especially urban conservatives, need to reach out to other people in the Diaspora. They lean towards our values. The women are easier to get along with, the men are serious about family building and the children are serious about education. We do not need to keep reminding blacks in urban communities about what we did as Republicans in the 20th century. We need to reach out and communicate with people that look like us who come from other parts of the world who have come to America to seek opportunities.

My conversation continued with our Jamaican women in Mackinaw City. Another woman asked me "how come African-Americans could not simply “get over race”. We are operating in a new age where opportunity was abundant. Instead of complaining, African-Americans needed to apply their energy towards a career or an education and stop using race as a crutch."

That was MINDBLOWING.

It’s sad when people try to place their prejudices on others. I do not have anything against our people in Detroit or other places. I simply want to deal with people who are not afraid of commitment, afraid to speak their mind in a peaceful manner and think global. Some blacks here think too local and that leads to other issues that are counterproductive. We should not have to make our Jamaican brothers or sisters (as well as others) Americanized. We should allow them to keep their values. In fact, I like it when Jamaican women keep their values instead of trading them in for something corrupt. It shows me that they are serious about their culture and God.

The real problem is we are so far removed from our roots that we no longer realize how much we have in common. We don’t realize that our language, our food, and our traditions are similar even though we are thousands of miles apart. The more we learn these commonalities the easier it will be for us to unite.

This is why urban conservatives must create a new path of distinction in our community by connecting with those across the Diaspora. We have the same issues (none of us want higher taxes), are concerned about global education and want to improve the quality of life. Also keep in mind that we have African Caribbeans in the United Kingdom and African Canadians who are conservative and share some of our concerns. The same with our British counterparts. Urban conservatives do not make any distinction between Christians, Muslims and Jews because we come from our father Abraham.

Regardless of how confusing the media tries to portray people we are one family. Its time to stop playing politics and play policies that will work in urban communities. Reaching out to Jamaicans are no different. Urban conservatives both respect Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey the same way mainstream conservatives respect Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater.

I am not excluding our Hispanic brothers and sisters nor our Arab, Jewish, Asian and Indian families. They too are urban conservatives. We all need to kill the stereotypes about one another. I met a Puerto Rican woman at a store recently who wanted to teach me Spanish while she wanted me to teach her about the Yoruba in education. The point here is when we reach out to new people you will realize how much we have in common.

It's time for our community to expand our horizon in relationship building. Maybe the woman you are looking for is Jamaican or the man you looking for is Senegalese. Either way it goes open the door to kill the stereotypes. We may even begin rebuilding our families if we look past the stereotypes.

The Mackinac Experience: Pushing for Conservatives of Color by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

I was amazed of how 2100 Republicans registered for the Michigan GOP Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island. Unfortunately, only a few minorities were at this conference. In fact, it was so noticeable that people started asking me questions as soon as I got off the ferry boat Friday evening.

The question? Where are the minorities at the conference and where are they in the party?

Therefore, a small group of us had an impromptu discussion on this issue Saturday at the Grand Hotel.

I got a chance to hear some of the debate between the gubernatorial candidates early Saturday morning. While they discussed the economy one thing people always forget is how urban communities are instrumental to the advancement of the State of Michigan. They talk about Detroit and bringing Detroit back but there are other communities that need to be bright back as well. However, it seems like the biggest challenge is how Republicans can approach urban areas.

The answer is simple. Just talk about issues that are relevant. I think I brought this up several times in our discussion. Instead of template talking points and foreign platforms I stressed the need for discussions on mental health, family building, global education, and even participating in race relation discussions. The key here is relationship building. You simply cannot just come into the black community hoping to find some votes during election time. It's impossible.

A big point that I stressed is how the GOP must understand the demographics of where they are targeting voters. You cannot take a boiler point platform into the Brightmoor section of Detroit. You will get shot. Instead, find out what community groups and neighborhood associations are over there and build relationships with them first. We wait too long to do this. Not just in Detroit but find out the landscape in all urban areas across Michigan. Find out why their schools are failing. Don't just say the teacher unions are blocking progress. There are other ways to go around the teacher unions.

How many people in the GOP are connected to groups like the Skillman Foundation or Detroit Parent Network? The NAACP? The Urban League? We know the GOP has ties with various Chamber of Commerces across the State of Michigan but are we partnering with other community based groups who have direct access to people in our community? When was the last time the GOP connected with Focus Hope? The North Oakland Republican Club volunteered to work in a soup kitchen in Pontiac not too long ago. Most GOP clubs will not even conduct meetings in urban communities. That alone shows the disconnect.

Have we viewed ourselves as a party that want to cross barriers with other people or are we just simply talking? For example, how many Republicans who were on Mackinac Island talked to our Jamaican brothers and sisters while they were there? I have said repeatedly that we are forgetting about a hidden constituency that we have not tapped into. I got a chance to speak to several Jamaican women on the island. These women had ONE THING IN COMMON. God, hard work, not seeking a handout, honoring the man in the house through God, family oriented, not allowing anger to blindside them, valued educational values, not blaming other races for holding them down and loving life to the fullest. One even expressed the fact that she does not wear skirts to church but long dresses. Out of the 12 women I spoke to 11 of them were married.

That sounds a lot like the GOP to me. Yet, most of us looked at them as just servants and not stakeholders in this party. I can say the same for Nigerians, Ghanaians, Senegalese and others across the globe. If we want to attract conservatives of color into the party then you have to give them a serious reason to consider. We also have to realize that every black or Hispanic that want to participate in our party may not be Christian. Do we alienate them or do we open our arms and agree to disagree and move on?

Civic education forums are needed to inform constituents on the issues as well as creating solutions. I said nothing about bashing elected officials. I said solutions. If the GOP becomes more solution-oriented we will see a positive outcome in urban communities. If we keep up this tirade of bashing people we will not win in 2010.

You cannot neglect urban communities because they are the very instrument that can help revitalize Michigan. Even Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty stated in a luncheon I was at on how poor urban areas are recruiting grounds for new Republicans. Creating jobs and improving schools are goals that resonate with all parents. The message has to be consistent.

But our dialogue was awesome. I enjoyed meeting with the stakeholders in this meeting. We need to have more and actually conquer our fear of one another.

The Mackinac Experience: Fix Michigan by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Michigan Republican Party has just completed its 28th annual Biennial Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference and trust me it was worth the 4.5 hours getting there. As usual, the stakeholders in the party are here for one thing.

Fix Michigan.

Yes, while our state is suffering massive unemployment and Lansing's lack of ability to lead many grassroots, business, educators and state party leadership came together to find solutions and ways on how to Fix Michigan. What caught my attention is how John Rakolta simply told the audience in the first Fix Michigan panel that race still plays a role in blocking regional cooperation.

This is true.

However, with Michigan's general election next year we need to prepare ourselves to move forward. But we cannot fix Michigan if we still think going back to a security blanket of ideas will work. We live in a different America now as opposed to 1994 when we had the Contract on America.

What I heard from some of the people attending the conference was how the party must go on offense if we want to win in '10. We cannot get arrogant and lazy this time around. We assumed in 2006 that we had Gov. Granholm and the rest of the Michigan Democrats on the ropes. Instead, Michigan Democrats reloaded quickly with Jon Stryker and the Coalition for Progress. They got a whiff of smelling salts in the corner, had their eyes cut, was splashed in the face with some water, and charged out like a bull, knocking the GOP back on its heels. We did not recover in 2008 either but things will change.

It's time to get personal and get specific. I have been saying all along how we need to touch every demographic without fear.

Finally, we need to stop wasting time on insane, utterly ridiculous goose-chases such as MLB steroids, or televangelists. How completely ridiculous. People are sickened of the fact that our Senators have nothing better to do than to investigate Benny Hinn. This convinces people, more than ever, that the Republicans are out of touch.

I am approaching Mackinac City off I-75. After ducking state troopers and sheriffs I finally made it.

We are getting on Shelper's Ferry to cross over from Mackinac City to Mackinac Island.

I love the Mackinac Bridge. I crossed the bridge to see the Upper Peninsula. What a different world.

The Straits of Mackinac. The water is beautiful.

Congressman Eric Cantor from Virginia speaking to us at breakfast.

Congressman Eric Cantor takes a picture with the urban conservative.

Nick DeLeeuw from Right Michigan doing God knows what.

State Senator Mike Bishop throws a party at the Pink Pony on Mackinac Island. People could barely get in the party because so many people were there.

State Representative Paul Scott has his supporters. Many wonder if Rep. Scott will run for Secretary of State of Michigan. We shall see after the budget crisis.

More supporters for Paul Scott.

9th District GOP Chairman of Oakland County Glen Clark pumping up the crowd for State Rep. Paul Scott.

5th District GOP chairman Lutullus S. Penton of Genessee County pumps up the volume for Rep. Scott.

State Rep. Gail Haines, Sheriff Mike Bouchard's daughter and State Rep. Sharon Tyler making their presence known at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Dr. Tom George speaks to Kelly Mitchell.

Ingham County GOP Chair Linda Lee Tarver is on her way to the evening reception with her husband Clint. Both of them are always stylish as usual.

Finally, it's silly to chide donors for not "opening their wallets" when as of now, they have nothing or no one to open them for. Stryker was important, not because he poured money into the moribund Democrat Party, but because they gleefully used the money to attack Republicans. Something to think about.

History shows us that since the end of the Whigs (who never had a chance, hence they were called "stillborn" by one historian), we have had two viable parties and only two viable parties. That won't change. Change must come within the GOP. We did it before, we can do it again. But a major purge is in order, and I fear some black times are ahead for the state until we get our act together.

But the conference was awesome as usual.

Here are the straw poll results from the weekend:

Governor
Votes cast: 1,244
Mike Bouchard: 298 votes (23.95 percent)
Mike Cox: 300 votes (24.12 percent)
Tom George: 41 votes (3.30 percent)
Pete Hoekstra: 219 votes (17.60 percent)
Rick Snyder: 386 votes (31.03 percent)

Attorney General
Votes cast: 1,212
Mike Bishop: 446 votes (36.80 percent)
Bruce Patterson: 69 votes (5.69 percent)
Bill Schuette: 697 votes (57.51 percent)

Secretary of State
Total votes: 1,186
Cameron Brown: 311 votes (26.22 percent)
Judy Emmons: 11 votes (0.93 percent)
Michelle McManus: 404 votes (34.06 percent)
Anne Norlander: 248 votes (20.91 percent)
Paul Scott: 212 votes (17.88 percent)

Chainging The Culture About Our Children by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Since President and CEO of the International Women's Forum Michelle Bernard has given educational activists the green light for us to push for an educational revolution tonight on her nationally televised town hall meeting on MSNBC with Dr. Bill Cosby we need to transform the way we view education in urban areas. Between watching the town hall meeting, called About Our Children and the educational documentary 2 Million Minutes, I am fully convinced that we need to change the culture immediately in our urban centers to compete in a 21st global educational and economic model.

The real war is not between Democrats and Republicans or liberal or conservative. The media has done such a great job in confusing people with these labels. The real war is the lack of education in our communities whether those communities are black, white or Hispanic. While countries like India and China are becoming the center of attraction globally academically the United States continue to fall behind the global standards. We can no longer look at this as a race or political problem. It is a threat to national security.

In the documentary 2 Million Minutes it shows when a student completes the 8th grade, the clock starts ticking. From that very moment the child has approximately Two Million Minutes until high school graduation, to build their intellectual foundation and to prepare for college and ultimately career.

How a student spends their academic career from 8th grade to 12th grade in class, at home studying, playing sports, working, sleeping, socializing or just goofing off will affect their economic prospects for the rest of their lives.

Statistics for American high school students give rise to concern for our student's education in math and science. Less than 40 percent of U.S. students take a science course more rigorous than general biology, and a mere 18 percent take advanced classes in physics, chemistry or biology. Only 45 percent of U.S. students take math coursework beyond two years of algebra and one year of geometry. And 50 percent of all college freshmen require remedial coursework.

This fall at Michigan's colleges, thousands of students are arriving with great expectations -- only to find themselves relegated to paying for high school courses without even receiving college credit. Those courses are called remedial classes, which students have to take because they were so poorly prepared in their K-12 schools.

At Michigan State University, the proportion of incoming freshmen who need remedial classes jumped to 28 percent today from 25 percent last year. At Delta College north of Saginaw, 81 percent of incoming students need remedial classes. That number has grown 3 percent in recent years.

The growth is a sign, some experts say, that Michigan school districts are not taking seriously the implementation of the new high school curriculum that state leaders adopted in 2006 to better prepare students to succeed in the knowledge economy.

It;s not just hitting urban communities like Detroit and Flint but also upscale areas like Rockford, Michigan. The upscale suburban city outside of Grand Rapids, where most families send their children to four-year universities. What most parents in Rockford don't know: The district's latest state test scores show only 24 percent of its kids are college-ready in all subjects based on ACT indicators, which colleges use for admissions.That suggests most of those students will have to take remedial classes, a predictor of college failure.

Now it is true that more Michigan schools are meeting federal education standards, helping them avoid costly sanctions, but they are graduating with the skills to compete in Michigan and America but are nowhere close to global standards.

An estimated 80,000 jobs go unfilled in Michigan and an additional 30,940 jobs could go unfilled in the near future, according to a 2008 EPIC/MRA future business study. This indicates Michigan's high rate of unemployment has more to do with a lack of necessary education and training among residents than a lack of employment opportunities. Studies indicate there is a strong correlation between increases in average test scores and national economic growth. In country after country, a boost in test performance was linked to a distinct rise in annual per capita gross domestic product growth, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Even students going directly to entry-level jobs or entering technical schools need higher-level thinking and math skills, researchers have found across the country.

The more math Americans learn, research shows, the more money they earn. Students who take challenging high school courses, especially in math and science, will earn $1 million more than students who do not.

Algebra II, in particular, is a predictor of success in college and in getting a good job in the knowledge economy -- more than race, socioeconomic status or family income.

While many of us are playing partisan politics and discussing how each party is racist have anyone payed attention to our students scored next to last, world-wide in advanced math? In Physics the U.S. scored at the very bottom of the heap.

American 15 year olds came in below average, at country ranking #29 in science and rank position #35 in math according to Program for International Student Assessment based in Paris, France.

The international 'Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)' reported, : "the effectiveness of the U.S. primary and secondary education system can be characterized as mediocre at best."

Mediocre?

What about in June 2006 when Achieve, Inc., a bipartisan, nonprofit education organization formed by governors and prominent business leaders, found that math and English tests for high school diplomas require only middle school knowledge, and that those math graduation tests measure only what students in other countries learn in the seventh grade?

What about reading numerous reports that home-schoolers scored 70% higher than public school students on standardized national achievement tests, regardless of race, economic status, or regulation levels?

Or the decline in the number of U.S. citizen science graduate students still continues, and that the growth of business administration Ph.D's lags so far behind population growth that major business schools now employ professors to teach graduate level business courses that, according to the dean of MIT's Sloan School of Management "don't know a lot about business?"

Or found out in February 2005 to read that China produced 4 times more BS engineering degrees than the U.S., and Japan twice as many. Nobel Prize-winning scientist R.E.Smalley of Rice University reported "by 2010, 90% of all Ph.D. physical scientists and engineers in the world will be Asian living in Asia." The International Math & Science Study reported U.S. 12th graders were out-performed by 90% of other nations in math and 76% in science. In advanced math the US was out performed by 94% and in science by 100% of other nations. The American Association for the Advancement of Science reported 90% of math books and 100% of science text books are unacceptable.

Or found out in 2005 when the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported that the testing of 300,000 students nation-wide showed that 82% of 12th grade students were not proficient in math and science - - even worse than 10 years earlier. 73% of 4th graders failed to gain proficiency scores. 8th graders showed no improvement in the past 10 years. When the test was taken again in 2006 over 65% of 12-graders were not proficient in reading, a worse result than 1992 when the test was initiated.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the information age not the industrial revolution. While we sit and play partisan politics the global experience will pass us up. Camden, New Jersey spends $27,000 per pupil and still have a failing school district. While it is true that American schools do a particularly poor job of educating blacks and Hispanics, one should not conclude that white students in middle-class suburbs are uniformly well served. In mathematics and science, the nation's top high school students rank far behind much less elite samples of students in other countries.

China, is likely to become a major center of global technological innovation, as it joins Japan as a scientific and technological power. The United States graduates about 60,000 engineers each year; Japan 70,000. China is now graduating about 325,000 engineers annually. Think about it.

What is worse is that our students fall further behind those from other nations the longer ours are in school. For example: our 4th graders performed mediocre since 46% of other nations outscored them in math. But it gets worse. By the time they were in the 8th grade they were outperformed by 68% of the other nations. And, lastly as mentioned above, by the time they were in the 12th grade they were outperformed by 90% of other foreign nations. This is indeed shocking, signaling that an education gap opens up wider and wider vs. other nations as ours progress from one grade to another.

Our children do not appreciate educational values. It's time that they do. Parents and stakeholders must begin to transform their thinking in terms of thinking global. This is part of the silver rights movement. Again, we do not need political parties to give us our marching orders. Stakeholders like Michelle Bernard has already given us that challenge. It's time for us to move away from meaningless debates and start concentrating on our future.

Lastly, its time to increase our educational output to attract diversity into our community. We do not need race baiting or fighting against regional cooperation to create a new educational incubator that will help our students prepare to become global citizens.

We must change the culture of education if we want to promote global education. We start NOW.

Building A Better Regional Approach To Education by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

The founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant, has a mission statement that makes total sense.

"There is a difference between broke and being poor. Being broke is a temporary economic condition, but being poor is a disabling frame of mind and a depressed condition of your spirit, and you must vow to never, ever be poor again."

His vision for the poor, the under-served, and the wealthless of the world is to help them see themselves -- differently. We can do this by helping to expose, to educate, to empower, and ultimately to inspire them.

This is deeply rooted in what we call silver rights. This is a concept that documents and validates the next phase of civil rights: the empowerment movement not only of American minorities, but of majorities as well. That is, we transition beyond giving a fish, beyond teaching to fish, to owning the pond itself.

Yesterday, I was part of a quality education tour sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber. The group that made up the tour were both stakeholders in the policy, educational and business sectors.

The first school we attended was the Detroit Edison Public School Academy (DEPSA). DEPSA is the FIRST CHARTER school in the state of Michigan to be honored with the prestigious Blue Ribbon Award bestowed by the Department of Education. It is also accredited through the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.

The school has an excellent curriculum, clean and modern facilities, tons of extracurricular activities, a dynamic superintendent who is always striving for higher levels of achievement, caring and involved principals, and great teachers. I was amazed by some of the things that they are learning. I love the attitudes of the teachers and administration as far as learning and raising the bar.

The vision of DEPSA's Superintendent Ralph Bland is current, appropriate, solid and well disciplined. The children are being challenged as we were parents to excel in studies. It was great to see our children study like we did in college. You won't find anything like it in the City of Detroit. The quality of education your child receives all comes down to the teachers, the students and parental involvement.

After we left DEPSA we went to the Foreign Language Immersion Cultural Studies (FLICS). FLICS is one of the best kept secrets in the Detroit Public Schools. In fact, it is probably the most important school in DPS because language immersion programs have grown for a number of reasons: competition in a global economy, a growing population of second language learners, and the successes of previous programs.

This school offers a rigorous core curriculum that includes total immersion in French, Spanish and Japanese languages as well comprehensive study of English language arts with Open Court Reading. Beginning in kindergarten, students receive instruction in the target language from native-speaking teachers and highly qualified instructors. An appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity is stressed.

One of the key principles of immersion education is that linguistic and cultural knowledge is a resource—the more you know, the better off you are. Immersion education adds knowledge about a new language and culture while building on a child’s English language skills and knowledge of U.S. culture.

Students from the French program have won first place in the National French Contest for two years in a row.

This teacher was teaching a Japanese language course at FLICS. How many black men do you see teaching Japanese on any given basis to children? Despite having no Japanese heritage, the students can rattle off the hiragana characters of the Japanese language. No one in the class was speaking English.

This teacher was teaching Chinese to a group of children. Again, no English in the classroom. Keep this in mind. FLICS is located right here in Detroit at the old Renaissance High School (which moved next door). Some of these children can speak Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and French better than their suburban counterparts.

More Chinese instructional learning going on at FLICS.

The challenge for Detroit Public Schools or charter schools is to develop at foreign immersion cultural high school at the high school level. As we move into a global society these types of schools will be needed.

The afternoon session of the Quality Schools Tour included testimony from various educational stakeholders in the community on the needs to improve quality education in Michigan. The House GOP Educational Committee met with us to hear our concerns. We testified the need for alternative teacher certification, quality charters, and I even gave a testimony for allowing Wayne RESA to control failing school districts that are operating financially in a deficit like Detroit Public Schools. This is a better alternative as to allowing the Office of the Mayor to run Detroit Public Schools.

The quality schools tour that was sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber is part of a growing silver rights movement. This movement is rightly focused on an inclusive policy, aimed at empowering the wealthless of America. Because we believe that education is the ultimate poverty eradication tool it is necessary for us to put our differences aside and come together on educational policies that makes sense.

This includes creating a curriculum that links students to the jobs and careers of the 21st century in Michigan by building learning partnerships between businesses and schools to develop in-demand job skills and talents as well as expanding mentoring and internship
opportunities, especially for minority students.

Our K-16 curriculum needs to focus on critical thinking and problem solving as well as global perspectives and languages. This, including the core courses that children needs to compete, will help create a new well balanced student.

There is no way we can improve our economic conditions in the State of Michigan without addressing the needs of education FIRST. There is no way we can reinvigorate and diversify our
economy by forging unique niches that draw on established and emerging assets without realizing that global education needs to be paramount. This includes treating the arts and culture as both educational and economic tools of regional growth as well as improving core infrastructure. Also, encourage businesses to partner with school districts to develop an entrepreneurial curriculum.

Educational reform fits into the platform of the silver rights movement because we believe in giving individuals "a hand up to a hand out," and actively promote programs aimed at helping people, people help themselves. Whether those programs are financial literacy or public health we need a proactive and coordinated partnership between the private sector, government, technology and the community.

Through global education we can begin to convert the economically uneducated to the economically literate, and empowered. Showing people how to help themselves and creating more stakeholders in Michigan. Our movement is reflective of all people and all races, because without strong, consistent and positive intervention, all the major trend lines suggest a large and growing educational disparity gap; and "any nation is at its greatest risk by those who have no stake in it." But with positive intervention, consistency we can realize the rebirth of the American dream of equality for all.

We have to create an era of educational prosperity that will lead to family building and wealth in Michigan. An educational era where selfishness is replaced with enlightened self-interest. This will in turn lead to an economic era giving birth to the stakeholder class. Lodged between the working class and the middle class, the stakeholder class doesn't necessarily make more money, but makes better decisions with the money they make. All deeply rooted in education. There would have been no financial crisis if people would have been smarter about their money instead of making it a political issue. If we need a tea party we need one for financial literacy. It's easy to point the fingers at someone else but hard to point it at yourself.

If we continue to support organizations like the Detroit Regional Chamber, Skillman Foundation, MAPSA, the Hannibal Public Policy Group, Emerging Leaders Think Tank, Detroit Parent Network, and others who are in the mix in terms of building educational and regional power here in the State of Michigan we will begin to see a transformation in our region. These groups I mentioned not just have a vision for Detroit but all of Michigan. This is why I travel across the State of Michigan talking about educational reform efforts.

The Challenges That Lies Ahead by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Presently, I am reading this document entitled, "RNC MINORITY OUTREACH:
SAY ONE THING, DO ANOTHER." After reading the document I simply said to myself people still have work to do.

To me, the document, written by the Democratic National Committee, speaks in volumes. Some may write it off as a way to divide the party but if you actually read the content of the message one can only wonder why the RNC keeps going over this minority outreach thing and blacks still vote 90% Democrat.

I do not think the issue with Black Republicans being elected or even being respected in local and national communities is an issue. That is not the problem. The issue is connecting a message with your constituents.

If you take a look at the present day National Republican Party it's broken up into three distinct factions.

1. The Social Conservatives. These are the people who are mostly Christian and exercise their Christian values in politics.

2. The Libertarians. This is another group who stresses limited government (some stress NO government at all), adhere to the Constitution of the United States and have a disdain for social conservatives.

3. The Fiscal Conservatives. This group pushes for fiscal policies that advocates a reduction in overall government spending. They believe in free trade, deregulation of the economy, lower taxes. Most of this group are strong followers of former President Ronald Reagan through his "Reaganomics" platform.

Then you have those paleoconservatives who have left the Republican Party and are now part of the Constitution Party. This party is deeply rooted in Christian nationalism and have a splinter group called the American Independent Party.

When you look at the present day plight of Black Republicans where do they fall under? While the three groups have an identification and can expound on their platform politically Black Republicans today do not have a clear platform. That alone is a serious core problem. Present day Black Republicans discuss patriotism, independence and cultural conservatism that is connected to the Black church.

However, the last 40 years in the United States Black people in our country have voted Democratic. So what is really going on here?

The way I see this is the lack of REAL identity with our Black Republicans. There is no real contrast between Black Republicans and the three groups I just mentioned. Black Republicans actually fall in one of the three groups. Which can be a good thing our bad thing depending on where you live.

Most Black Republicans who I know personally often tell me that they cannot gain real ground in the Black community because so many blacks are Democrats or liberals. I then ask what message are they telling black people in the urban areas. They tell me that they talk to blacks about limited government, free enterprise and tax cuts.

That's the main problem. The message and not understanding your audience. No one understands this message in certain parts of Detroit or Pontiac. So you have lost your potential voter.

Again, Black Republicans have to begin to create an identity that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. The most basic fundamental issue here is crafting a message that is going to make sense. Too many of our young Black Republicans I have noticed are using terms from people like Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater. Rarely, I ever hear anyone discuss the efforts of Booker T. Washington, Ida. B Wells or Marcus Garvey. The reason for this is because most have never been exposed to real African and African American History as it pertains to Black Republicans and blacks in general. It's one thing to master American History but its another to fully understand your past to move into the future.

On the flip side of things most Black Republicans STILL dwell on the past and what Black Republicans did for blacks. This level of history is important but it cannot be used to craft public policy and solutions in 2009. It also does not show how this history is relevant to other blacks across the Diaspora in 2009 when it pertains to global trade and development in cities like Muskegon, Detroit and New York. Black Republicans have to stay current not dwell in the past.

We also need to do our homework and stop mimicking others when they talk about the war on poverty. Yes, we know that Lyndon Johnson created the welfare state but what is never discussed from any Black Republican (or Republican in general) is how the Vietnam War created division in black families nationally. There are never any discussions on how black men came home, affected with Agent Orange, only to come home to poverty and eventually drug use or selling drugs because they could not find a job. Some committed suicide after fighting for their country. There are more to the destruction of the black family than playing politics. Black Republicans must be able to articulate these issues in a honest and truthful manner.

One thing that bothers me is how we have become silent on the education issue. Black Republicans cannot get caught up on being loyal to the Republican Party when we have some Republicans who support teacher unions. Education is an issue that needs repairing in all urban school districts across the country. Some have taken the argument of using school vouchers. That's nice, however, how do you translate that into educational policy? Even though I support vouchers is it an issue right now in Detroit? How many libertarians have submitted signatures to get vouchers on the 2010 ballot? We are seeking REAL educational reform not talking points. Black Republicans should be right on top of this issue along with charter schools.

How many Black Republicans have designed educational or non-partisan think tanks to improve education as well as working with elected officials to make this a reality? What's our position of Mayoral controlled public school districts? These are discussions we need to be taking leadership on in our organizations. Stay away from extreme discussions on education that will not make sense.

It's easy for Black Republicans to call President Obama names day in and day out but it makes our case even harder when its time to go into the black community and expound on our message. Our excuse is black people are so brainwashed that they will not listen to us. They should not listen to us because we are parroting a platform that simply does not talk to our people. That's just the truth.

A quick history lesson here. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 the entire country mourned his death. The leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, told the NOI not to come out and make a comment about JFK because not only people loved him but it would bring serious repercussions on the NOI in general. In other words, they would be looked upon as lunatics and anti-American. Who made the statement about the "chickens have come home to roost?" Minister Malcolm X. He made this statement because of the United States involvement with world affairs and the CIA murder of Patrice Lumuba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1961.

Malcolm X was silenced for 90 days and excommunicated. We know what happened next.

Today, we face a similar situation. Blacks (and Americans in general) love President Barack Obama regardless of what people think of his policies. Regardless of what his approval rating is nationally 1 out of 3 Americans prefer Obama over Bush (or ANY Republican) to be President. So when Black Republicans go on this "temper tantrum" of character assassinating the President and has not even crafted an urban agenda that will be an alternative to what President Obama is proposing to urban communities then we make ourselves look bad. Does that mean we should not critique the President? Absolutely not, we should but be ready to have an answer that do not fall in one of the three categories above. That means we need to study and analyze information to create a platform that makes sense. We cannot allow room for distractions at this point. To continue character assassinating the President will not only make our job harder but people will not take Black Republicans seriously. Making excuses for why our community is in the situation its in will simply not work. SOLUTIONS not WHINING win results.

A full blown libertarian message will not work in our community no matter how many libertarians tell you it will. Neither will a full blown social conservative message. What I have learned through my personal experiences is talking to people about crime, lack of quick police response time, failing schools, and even discussing health care and mass transit are issues that people want to discuss and want serious solutions. I also tell residents that government is not supposed to babysit you. You have to get up off your ass and make a living.

Black people are seeking solutions not bashing. Black Republicans should discuss high speed rail, green jobs, social entrepreneurship through micro financing, and most importantly defusing the war on poverty by showing compassion by both helping and educating the poor so they can pull themselves out of poverty. Again, K-16 education should be our TOP priority. Period.

Do not be afraid to connect with other Africans from across the globe. This puzzles the hell out of me. Studies how that 19.4 percent of all adult African immigrants in the United States held a graduate degree, compared to 8.1 percent of adult white Americans and 3.8 percent of adult black Americans in the United States, respectively. Of the African-born population in the United States, age 25 and older, 86.4% reported having a high school diploma or higher, compared with 78. 9% of Asian born immigrants and 76.5% of European born immigrants.

African immigrants to the United States are the largest immigrant group that has the lowest percentage of people not fluent in English. This is likely due to the fact that English is one of the most spoken languages in Africa.

The goals of Africans vary tremendously. While some look to create new lives in the U.S., some plan on using the resources and skills gained to go back and help their countries of origin. Either way, African communities contribute billions to the economies of Africa through remittances.

My point is while Black Republicans are trying to seek alliances with everyone else how come there has not been any mass push to connect with Africans or people of Caribbean descent? This is strange to me. I can see why most Africans in this country vote Democrat (except the ones in places like Texas). They simply adopt to their environment. How can we continue to ignore people in this country from across the Diaspora?

I recently interviewed two couples who were Black Republicans from the South about two months ago. One couple were in their last 80s and another were in their mid-70s. Both couples admitted to me that Black Republicans today are lost. They are not the Black Republicans of Frederick Douglass or even Booker T.Washington. These were pioneers in their craft. But the next thing they told me was interesting.

They wanted to know why so many Black Republicans have become so individualistic in their approach and thinking when it came to the black community. They explained to me how traditionally, blacks in the community were more community-oriented than individualistic. They told me that was a trait of the old Southern Democrats who fought against civil rights, voting rights for blacks, and high taxation. They said that Black Republicans of the 20th century would have never participated in "tea parties" but would have fought for quality education, fought against racism, helped improved as well as helped sustained the quality of life. Most of the Civil Rights workers were Black Republicans. They told that there have always been intellectual differences between blacks (they used W.E.B DuBois and Booker T. Washington for example and DuBois and Garvey) but not at the level we are witnessing.

To add on to what they are saying many have forgotten that the NAACP was OUR organization upon its inception in 1909. Same with the National Urban League in 1911. Black Greek Organizations as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities. All of what I just named here can STILL be relevant to Black Republicans IF we have a CURRENT message that resonates with people. The conservative foundation does not have to change. The strategies MUST adapt to the times if we are to be taken seriously. To abandon OUR own traditional foundations that we started in the early 20th century and then want to earn respect is absurd.

Again, do not make excuses on how the liberals have taken over higher education. How many of us are creating the balance in education to begin with? You cannot complain about higher education if you are not in the mix yourself on any level.

Another issue that the elders brought up is the fact that Black Republicans today are very anti-government. They think it is very foreign to them because blacks have always had a relationship with government dating back to the end of the Civil War. The elders challenged me to take a look at how government helped free blacks with the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment. They could not fully understand how the very same government that helped us become free are now the enemy. They concluded by saying instead of protesting government you need to lobby for better solutions and run on a platform that makes sense.

The point of them saying this is that Black Republicans lack an identity that people can respect. We follow more than we lead. If we bash anyone that is a Black Democrat then we get a pat on the back. If we work with Black Democrats to create legislation that will help fight against child poverty then we have sold the "party" out. It's these types of divisions that will kill our community while the conservatives in the suburbs flourish and continue to prosper.

Therefore, Black Republicans cannot wait for the RNC to developed a clear approach to attract the Black vote. Even with Michael Steele and Angela Sailor in charge that is not going to happen. It will take grassroots Black Republicans, who are not afraid to disagree with Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck or even our libertarian brothers and sisters, to move an agenda forward. Who said Black Republicans had to follow? Just lead for once. Have others support our causes.

It's the responsibility of those who are passionate to first study their history, their culture, and fully understand the plight of the black experience in the United States. We have to begin to think for ourselves, talk about the issues that are relevant to everyday people in our community and engaging and debating in policy solutions that will help forge a new reality for urban communities globally. Then we will be in a position to win elections, gain respect and connect with others who have been afraid for so long to speak out. Most Black Republicans are afraid to speak out in fear of those white conservatives who may call them names and try to break their spirit the same way they tried to break Colin Powell and Michael Steele. At some point you have to step out on faith and let go and let God guide you to what makes you feel passionate.

To my young Black Republicans I urge you to travel, study how other people are living globally, watch international channels such as the Travel Channel, BBC, Africa Channel and others that will be a window to the world. Read books that will stimulate your intellect. Don't just read Michael Medved, Glenn Beck or Larry Elder. Study the works of Dr. Dambisa Moyo, who has an international perspective on things. Stay away from conspiracy theories because it leads to confusion.

When you disagree with ANY elected official present your policy statement and explain intelligently why I disagree or AGREE with the official. Learn to be civil in discussions. Do not be anti-intellectual or no one will pay attention to you or your platform. Learn to be engaged in race relation dialogues in your community and in both Democratic and Republican Parties. If you choose to be active in the Republican Party as an officer do not let your urban agenda be buried under the talking points of the party. An urban agenda is just as important as lowering taxes or supporting a national defense for our country.

Discuss the importance of regional cooperation and link in with organizations that is about bridging our region together. If you live in an urban community like me get to know all of your state representatives and state senators. In fact, get to know all of your elected officials, read up on them, their background and who they are connected to. Research their bills and what they have introduced legislatively. You should do the same with local, county and federal lawmakers. Study the City Charter of your city, county charter (if you have one) and both the State and Federal Constitution so you can be familiar with the laws. Black Republicans have to think higher and be consistent with messages if they want to attract black people into the circle. There is no room to be anti-intellectual in this day and time with so much information available through the Internet to help our community.

Instead of walking in the door pissed off at them because they are a Democrat listen to what they are saying FIRST. You might agree on what is being said in the room. Then present your point in a way that will bring the both of you together. Always be the solution maker not the problem creator.

Help and encourage young people to do community service. There is nothing wrong with it. Community service can help students graduate. This can include working in a soup kitchen or mentoring young black men who were released from jail. We do not need the government helping us with this when there are numerous non-profit agencies who are already doing this.

Address how HIV/AIDS is killing our community. Even some of the most conservative black churches I have visited will not address this issue. They are quick to address abortion but not HIV/AIDS. Both are a cycle of death why not address both of them and come up with ways of prevention?

Address the issue of broken marriages in our community. Find out why young people are practicing same sex relationships. Black Republicans, like urban conservatives, must be serious about solutions instead of using social conservative talking points.

Lastly, stop getting involved in things that are just counterproductive. Black Republicans were traditionally freedom fighters, has helped set the course of the country coming out of the Civil War, supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities, kept our neighborhoods intact and loved their country, culture, education and history. Many still do but are caught up on anti-intellectual things that is dumbing down America instead of building it up.

The Republican Party was stared in 1854 as an anti-slavery group for blacks. This party was founded to help blacks but has been hijacked by anti-intellectuals who is bathing in fear and paranoia. Today, Black Republicans must take the lead once again IN THIS PARTY, without fear and intimidation, to set this party back on course to make it relevant not just to all Americans but globally. If that means becoming State Chair of the GOP, Congressional or County chairs, vice-chairs, urban outreach directors, etc, so be it but do it in a manner that will bring about change.

If Black Republicans can simply engage our community, redefine ourselves nationally, and reach out to those who want to support our cause I guarantee you we can win elections locally, county, state and nationally. There is no one stopping us from sending Black Republicans to Congress except us.

A Global Vision For Detroit Will Help Build Innovation by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

The City of Detroit is in a position to transform itself into a modern day financial and global hub for commerce, trade and development. However, business and governmental leaders in both our city and region face a destructive social backlash that could foment political instability and reverse the trend towards becoming part of the global community if they fail to develop effective solutions to the current economic and educational crisis.

However, the leadership we need to implement must reflect this. This is why I will continue to support Mayor Dave Bing and his efforts to move Detroit into the global market. We simply do not have a choice. I will also support candidates who can demonstrate that they have a working knowledge of global issues that they can connect with both Detroit and the region.

In order for Detroit to compete globally we need to look at redesigning our economic growth model. When I attended the candidate forum last night at the Detroit Urban League I did not hear anything about policies, industries or cultural shifts that are needed to develop an alternative to Detroit's economic growth model other than relying on the State of Michigan for revenue sharing.

To begin with this process regional business leaders need to understand what the new environment will look like. The economy before the financial crisis was not “normal” and will not return to that situation. There was an extreme expansion of credit that will not be repeated.

For companies to thrive in the post-crisis era here in Detroit and throughout the region, innovation must be the key. Innovation is the essence of value creation, and the ability to reinvent business models. When companies diversify, the businesses should complement each other and allow for innovation. There is also need for new business models. Consumers are challenging the old model. Today’s consumer is setting a new standard, looking for new products and new ways of buying things. This is creating a transformation agenda for businesses in meeting this need.

The appropriate business model depends on the situation. Whether a company should be diversified or focused, that is completely up to them. It needs to be what fits and works. But it is clear that if a company is not successful in one market it is unlikely that it will be successful in others. And for diversification to work, the company cannot have a “top-down” centralized model – flexibility and some decentralization are needed.

Organic growth is always the strongest way for a company to grow, but acquisitions are the quickest way to get there. However, mergers and acquisitions need to be done right. Some Metro Detroit companies have expanded internationally, but not all stories have a happy ending. They have found that there is just as must potential to destroy value as to create value. Issues such as higher labor costs and major cultural differences in Metro Detroit and elsewhere are difficult to overcome. All risks need to be considered, and there has to be an underlying purpose for acquiring a company. It needs to link to the overall strategy and what value it will bring. Size itself is not enough to do this. Following mergers, companies then need to be aggressive about driving integration.

Another thing that Detroit and the rest of the region must understand is how our educational system must become more aligned with the skills required by industry.

The current K-16 system both statewide and worldwide is under pressure, and a shift of values is necessary if education systems are to be made ready for the next wave of economic growth. The greatest need is to correct the mismatch between what students study and what the market demands. To help solve the mismatch, the private sector needs to be brought into the process of curriculum development to create a balance.

Urban school districts such as the Detroit, Inkster, River Rouge, Muskegon and Benton Harbor continue to lag behind developed countries when it comes to entrepreneurial activity, mostly due to heavy bureaucracy. Creating a more enabling environment will help them overcome this problem. Cultivating entrepreneurship among students will equip them to go beyond being employees by becoming employers. Entrepreneurship must therefore be made an acceptable career choice.

Of primary importance is adding soft skills to the hard skills that 2-4 year education institutions currently teach. The private sector currently complains that graduates are unable to make and execute decisions, work in teams, communicate, and turn information into knowledge and wisdom. Furthermore, some struggle to even use basic computer programs.

Taking teaching outside the classroom will help students to learn and discover more. This will make their education more real and the lessons longer-lasting. Basing education institutions on values, with a shared mission, will help teachers and professors to adapt their programs to meet their overall objectives. Meanwhile, funding will reward those providing relevant programs with measurable outcomes.

The basic operating principles of the private sector can be transferred to the education system, to ensure it meets the ever-changing needs of the market. Deregulation and competition will ensure educational institutions produce better results and more graduates that are employable. A mixture of public and private funding will in turn help maintain overall levels of innovation.

An educational system that is effective from K-16 as well as innovation will help merge Detroit with the rest of the tri-country area here in Southeast Michigan. Candidates who are running for office here in Detroit and other urban areas must promote regional cooperation. This is important because it will help to offer residents many amenities and can make life easier. If our region is to become home to some of the world’s population, our problems must be addressed. Solving the problems of our region and urban cities will go a long way to addressing the world’s problems.

City leaders in Detroit must move towards a global community. Period. Our lifestyle choices and expectations will determine how Detroit and the rest of the region will develop in the future. Mass transit with light rail,while reducing personal traffic, congestion and sometimes pollution, will encourage and enables urban sprawl. Allowing Wayne RESA to run failing school districts such as the Detroit Public Schools would be revolutionary. A more diverse community in areas like Detroit would help integrate our school system.

Some argue for taking a more local approach to city life, suggesting living, working and playing within the same general area, thus reducing the environmental impact and possibly improving the quality of life.

Detroit will not become a global city until we elect, support and produce global visionaries who will move us towards globalization in our community. Keeping the status quo of leadership and their rhetoric will simply not work.

The Real Health Care Plan: Our Community by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-10T06:06:00.000-07:00

I listened to President Obama's health care speech to a joint session in Congress last night while I was at State Senator's Hansen Clarke's health care town hall discussion that was sponsored by WDET 101.9 FM and Wayne State University. While I was listening to the panel discuss health care and solutions one panelist said something that stuck out in my mind.

He said there are over 200,000 people without health insurance in the City of Detroit. The city only has 871,000 residents. That's too many people to be without health insurance. Add a 28.5% unemployment rate and that spells disaster.

The poor state of health of blacks has been attributed to disproportionately large incidences of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, the leading causes of death in the United States. These diseases are the major causes of decreased longevity, decreased quality of life, and poor treatment outcomes among blacks. The elimination of health disparities in the United States is a high-priority need because research indicates that blacks (and other people of color) live with more morbid conditions that negatively affect the quality of their lives and die at a younger age than our Caucasian counterparts.

Heart disease is about 40% higher among blacks than among Caucasians,and strokes are more likely in blacks than in Caucasians. Cardiovascular disease mortality in blacks aged 20-74 years is at least 35% higher than in Caucasians. Certain modifiable risk factors, including hypertension, high cholesterol, tobacco use, obesity, and lack of exercise are the main targets for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Under girding health disparities are factors that directly affect the health of blacks and other people of color, such as education level, socioeconomic status, communication barriers between health care provider and patient, and overt discrimination.

There are some things we need to consider when we discuss health care without the rhetoric. For one, we need to practice prevention. When you pick up that cigarette, that pork chop or steak and continue consuming this behavior over and over again what do you think is going to happen to your body eventually? Try exercise and a better diet. This alone can reduce the chances of people getting diabetes.

However, we can only go so far with that. Some things that happen to us is hereditary. Things like bad cholesterol or cancer running in the family may not be so preventive. Therefore, we need to look at some avenues in terms of expanding coverage of perinatal, cancer and other chronic diseases.

When I talk about health care I am not just talking about it from the Democrat vs Republican issue (which is a waste of time because both plans add to the national debt). I am also speaking of environmental issues. This is just not an urban issue. You can live in the sticks and drink poor quality of water with high bacteria that can cause health disparities.

For those who live in South Poletown/Dequindre Yard (in Detroit where we have the largest incinerator in North America) the asthma rate is higher than anywhere in the State of Michigan. Asthma is a growing concern in this country, particularly in inner-city African-American and Latino populations. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness and is the second most important respiratory condition as a cause of home confinement for adults. Each year, asthma causes more than 18 million days of restricted activity, and millions of visits to physicians' offices and emergency rooms. A recent study found that children with asthma lose an extra 10 million school days each year; this problem is compounded by an estimated $1 billion in lost productivity for their working parents.

But it does not stop there. We have environmental issues in Southwest Detroit in 48217 that are not properly addressed. This is the largest black population in this area but others such as Arab and Latinos are affected as well. We must expand this health care debate outside of what the media wants us to talk about.

Whether President Obama's plan will work depends on its implementation. What I mean by this is some feel that his plan will not work because of costs. However, what people need to understand is that our health care system is broken and must be fixed. Instead of adding on to the national debt we need to seek ways to bring affordable health care to our door steps instead of looking towards Obama's plan as the only solution. Which I know is not the only solution.

One thing I did appreciate him saying is the value of competition. Now he is talking my language. The same way we need educational choices to bring forth competition to make products better and more affordable is the same way we need in the health care system. In the urban community we need all the competition and "a la carte" menus of health choices we can get because the urban community is hit the hardest. We have a McDonalds, Burger King, White Castles, liquor stores and coney islands on every corner in our community. Do we have a choice to go in and purchase the food or liquor of our choice. Yes we do. But that same mentality of capitalism is killing our people. It would be different if the food had a different quality. In Dearborn, MI there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken that are owned by Arabs that sells Halal chicken to people. In Oak Park and West Bloomfield, MI there are Jewish people who sell kosher chicken to people. Both Arabs and Jews live longer than blacks in Detroit. I do not think I even seen a Church's chicken in Dearborn or West Bloomfield.

Remember St. Ides? Remember how many rappers were promoting this malt liquor, which by the way 8.2% of alcohol by volume, which puts it at the high end even for the high-alcohol malt liquor category for American large beers. This beer was specifically targeted in large urban communities. You see, we promote our own demise in our community.

On the flip side, when I go into the suburbs I see better quality restaurants and less liquor stores. I see Whole Foods and Good Foods Centers. I see actual grocery markets and produce stores. Our mindset has to change. The culture must change if we are serious about health care.

Blacks continue to suffer disproportionatelyfrom a number of diseases that result in chronic disabilityand cause premature death. In spite of the advances in medicalscience and the development of more effective treatments andinnovations in health care delivery, substantial disparitiesremain between blacks and the general populationin physical and mental health and in the delivery of healthcare services.

Speaking of mental health issues we cannot get distracted as urban conservatives with the mainstream media fascination of health. Mental health is a crisis in the urban community and is rarely discussed at great lengths. Part of the mental health crisis is the number of schools administering drugs into our children to calm them down because they have been labeled as ADHD or LD. Most of these children are not even close to being that, however, because some do not understand the behaviors of our children the solution are drugs. This is far from the truth. The solution is diet and meditation. If you change the diet of the child and be consistent that child will expel any poison from his/her body.

Mental health leads to hypertension, heart disease and other ailments in our body. People who normally practice racism, sexism, paranoia and fear have mental health challenges. Do we wait for the government to give the solution or can we solve this in our churches and mosques?

You see, urban conservatives do not have to wait for President Obama because we believe as a group that we can craft solutions that will help supplement what the President is trying to accomplish. We have to illustrate the effectiveness of partnerships withthe black church to provide health education and social supportsuch as weight reduction programs and drug abuse preventionprograms; use of mutual assistance groups to augment healthcare for people with chronic illnesses; other community-centeredinitiatives; and educational and behavioral strategies targetinghealth care utilization, medical compliance, and the promotionof wellness. This all goes back to our belief that faith based and non-profits must work together to create a wholistic approach to health.

As urban conservatives we believe in promoting mental health professionals who will focus on strengthening families and building social competenceand emotional skills. These include competence development modelsto enhance the family's capacity to build competence and self-esteemin their children and frameworks that assist families in examiningrelationships and understanding, alleviating, and preventingviolence as a means of coping with stress.

While many thought I was going to attack the President's plan for health care reform that is not the case here because the bottom line is that we have to learn to take care of ourselves. Churches can lead that effort. For example, the Seventh Day Adventist Church promote health living by teaching their people to be vegetarians. Yorba Linda, CA is one of the most healthiest city in America. The city is ran by the Seventh Day Adventists. This is a model that urban conservatives can take and apply to other urban cores while the structure of health care reform is taking shape in Washington D.C.

Partnering with other community health resources rather than relying solely on internal church resources could help our community. A majority of the church goers in our community have one or more cardiovascular risk factors that could be significantly reduced by lifestyle changes; therefore, a concerted effort by church health ministries to implement lifestyle behavior change programs is necessary.

I will be truthful and honest that it is true that a large portion of the state's racial and ethnic minorities,including blacks, face significant barriers to health care,including obtaining coverage for treatments and medications prescribed by their providers. More Michigan doctors are finding their ability to care for their patients negatively impacted by third parties. Combined with the cost of treatment, these health disparities can make it extremely difficult for patients to manage their disease and maintain a quality of life. What I heard from President Obama was a mix of Democrat and Republican ideas for this health plan. Regardless of what the outcome will be in the near future we must be committed to improving the lives of urban people and others across the state. We have to take those steps first not the federal government.

Urban conservatives cannot get distracted with antics such as Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina calling President Obama a liar. Or RNC Chair Michael Steele denouncing the plan. If Mr. Steele is going to denounce the plan then he is supposed to bring forth an alternative health care plan to the urban community (which he and many other Republicans failed to do). This is real leadership. Anything else is pure distractions that we do not need. If you do not like President Obama's plan for health care then please present an alternative plan other than holding up bills in a joint session of Congress. That's not good enough. Also, it might help to come into areas that are impacted the hardest like Highland Park, Muskegon, Detroit, Inkster, River Rouge, Ecorse, Flint, Saginaw and Benton Harbor to actually listen to the stories. I heard the stories last night at Wayne State University. It's time for the GOP to overcome fear and paranoia if they wish to seek support from minorities and the American public.

We must promote the practices of managed care so that physicians can act in the best interests of their patients, and without interference from outside influences such as monetary incentives or fears of punitive actions.

Faith based and non-profits must focus and develop networks that will provide health education to the residents of the urban underserved communities; training community health workers through distance learning programs: tracking health concerns; and generating health data profiles. The network would also give doctors and staff in area hospitals and health centers the connectivity that would ultimately result in an integrated medical record for over 200,000 Medicaid recipients and low-income citizens of Detroit. One of the major goals of the project is to provide the clinical professionals, serving the most disadvantaged citizens of our community, access to the Internet, E-mail, clinical information systems, library information, patient information and medical research data bases.

It's interesting that we always come back to education. The number one issue that any conservative needs to talk about is education. Health care reform, the economy, ideologies, eradicating racism, etc. are all tied in with education. Urban conservative have ALWAYS been consistent on our platform with education because we strongly believe that an educated population with family building will produce wealth creation in a community.

Lastly, part of urban renewal in urban communities is health care reform. Policymakers need to understand the connection between health, spirit and community. Black men and women have the highest occurrences of hypertension, diabetes, and hospitalizations for stroke. The prevalence of obesity is highest among black women. Hispanics were least likely to have health insurance, receive influenza or pneumococcal vaccinations, and have the highest rates of poor or fair health.

Let us create a model that can be attached to the best health care plan that will suit our needs. If we successfully implement a plan like this we can move forward to helping others globally. We have a commitment to improving our own health, creating a health care plan that people in our community can afford and push for a handup instead of a handout plan to bring people back to great health.

We Cannot Be Distracted by President Obama's Speech To Children by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

I just listened to President Obama's speech on education to our children. Prior to the speech there were concerns about the President trying to indoctrinate our children with socialism. It sounded more like personal responsibility to me than indoctrination.

Did anyone hear anything different? Education eradicates poverty and ignorance. Other presidents have spoken before our nation's children.

On November 14, 1988,President Reagan addressed and took questions from students. According to his press secretary Marlin Fitzwater the speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-SPAN and Instructional Television Network fed the program “to schools nationwide on three different days." A great portion of Reagan's speech spoke to the American "vision of self-government" and the need to keep faith with the unfinished vision of the greatness and wonder of America."

Here is an excerpt:

"Today, to a degree never before seen in human history, one nation, the United States, has become the model to be followed and imitated by the rest of the world. But America's world leadership goes well beyond the tide toward democracy. We also find that more countries than ever before are following America's revolutionary economic message of free enterprise, low taxes, and open world trade. These days, whenever I see foreign leaders, they tell me about their plans for reducing taxes, and other economic reforms that they are using, copying what we have done here in our country.

I wonder if they realize that this vision of economic freedom, the freedom to work, to create and produce, to own and use property without the interference of the state, was central to the American Revolution, when the American colonists rebelled against a whole web of economic restrictions, taxes and barriers to free trade. The message at the Boston Tea Party -- have you studied yet in history about the Boston Tea Party, where because of a tax they went down and dumped the tea in the Harbor. Well, that was America's original tax revolt, and it was the fruits of our labor -- it belonged to us and not to the state. And that truth is fundamental to both liberty and prosperity.

Add to that, Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” to drugs; advice some remember as being given first in 1982 to students at Longfellow Elementary School in Oakland, California.

Reagan's successor the first President Bush in a September 1991 teleconference addressed school children. In a moment of educational motivation and self-candor said, “All of you can turn learning into an adventure. And to do this you have to prepare not just by studying, but by studying hard, especially math and science. And that means doing what I too often fail to do, that means homework.”

Moreover, in 2001 Bush asked the kids to each donate a dollar to improve conditions for Afghanistan children.

Expectantly, both Reagan’s and Bush’s addresses were characterized by the loyal opposition as “political advertising.”

Urban conservatives do not have time to address why the President of the United States is addressing children on the first day of school. This is a moot point. It's a point that we simply cannot get involved with because there are other serious and critical areas of educational reform we must address first. I'm not interested in President Obama's speech to children so much as to understanding why are we spending so much money on Race To The Top funding knowing that this is not the long-term solutions to education. You cannot throw money at the problem You need a serious solution.

I also would like to know why Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Al Sharpton and Newt Gingrich are on tour for educational reform but declined to come to Detroit, Highland Park, Inkster, Pontiac, Muskegon, Muskgeon Heights, Grand Rapids, River Rouge, Ecorse, Flint, Saginaw, Jackson, Willow Run or Benton Harbor? If the Secretary of Education will not come to the urban cities then its time for young adults under 40 to travel to the cities with our message of educational reform.

Urban conservatives need to stay on task with solutions ONLY. Educational reform cannot happen unless we evolve into the information age. Then discuss at the local level on how we can push for alternative teacher certification to allow organizations such as Teach for America and others to participate in educating our children. Expansion of charter schools in urban areas in Michigan are needed to provide MORE options for parents and children. Push for global education by diversifying our school districts. Maybe its time to bus in children of different cultures again to help solve some of the racial issues in this region.

We need Wayne RESA to run failing school districts such as Detroit and consolidating others to mainstream dollars and cents.

While we are wasting time criticizing the President for a message of personal responsibility we need to figure out how we are going to keep school districts afloat because the Michigan Senate gave recommendations for the foundation allowance funding to be reduced by $110 per pupil ($174.2 m), eliminated small/rural declining enrollment grants ($10.6 m). Governor Granholm had recommended a $59 per pupil reduction and a reduction of one-half of the declining enrollment grants. The House did not include any foundation reductions.

The Senate also reduced Vocational Education and Adult Education by 10% ($5.4 m), reduced ISD operations by 5% ($4.1 m) and the Early Childhood Investment Corporation by $750,000, and included testing changes saving $2.6 million more than the Governor's reductions of $941,300.

The Governor's budget recommended restoring the prohibition that school districts could not operate schools within the boundaries of the Detroit Public Schools, without DPS' approval. The House amended this language to prohibit any district from operating an instructional site outside of the district's boundaries, without the approval of the resident district, for programs established after 2008-09. The Senate struck the language, clarifying that any district can go into any other and open an instructional site.

In other words, an Oak Park School can operate inside the City of Detroit as a school of choice.

Also, did you know that the Michigan House of Representatives added a requirement that districts provide at least 170 days of pupil instruction, where a day is defined as at least five hours of student contact time. The Michigan Senate changed the language to require 165 days in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and at least 170 days beginning in 2012-13. In addition, the Senate added a requirement that districts not provide fewer days of instruction than were provided in 2008-09, and did not define the length of a day of instruction. The Senate also added language requiring the Department to approve certain full-time online learning programs as meeting requirements for hours of instructional time.

Average days in school for Japan is 240 days out the year. South Korea and Taiwan is 222 while Israel average around 215 days of the year. I cannot believe we are debating about giving our children 165-170 days of instructional time here in Michigan where over 50% of the population in the City of Detroit alone is functionally illiterate. It's a no brainer. Pass a bill to expand instructional time to compete.

Here is another angle for you. A 2006 US News & World Report study showed that students in Japan, Germany & France:

Spend 100% more hours studying math, science and history than U.S. students.
A full 50% of all students take advanced examinations, compared to but 6.6% in U.S.

Not only do more foreign students take advanced exams, but their passing rate is 8 times higher than Michigan (33% vs. 4%) which equates to foreign schools having a success rate 57 times higher than Michigan (and other U.S.) schools for advanced examinations.

It may be concluded that foreign schools compared to Michigan:

Require 100% more hours studying math & science.
Require 800% more students to take advance examinations.
Produce 5,400% more advanced exam graduates.

Students of other nations have 22-35% more school days per year than U.S.

Additionally, some nations (like Germany) require 13 years for a high school diploma vs. 12 years in the Michigan. Not only do more days in school potentially assist their higher quality output, but it is done at LESS cost per student.

Overall, U.S. spending per student is between 50% higher and 2-3 times higher than these nations despite fewer class days than others, yet our comparative test scores in math & science are lower.

China, for example, is likely to become a major center of global technological innovation, as it joins Japan as a scientific and technological power. The United States graduates about 60,000 engineers each year; Japan 70,000. China is now graduating about 325,000 engineers annually.

The International Math & Science Study reported U.S. 12th graders were out-performed by 90% of other nations in math and 76% in science. In advanced math the US was out performed by 94% and in science by 100% of other nations. What is worse is that our students fall further behind those from other nations the longer ours are in school. For example: our 4th graders performed mediocre since 46% of other nations outscored them in math. But it gets worse. By the time they were in the 8th grade they were outperformed by 68% of the other nations. And, lastly as mentioned above, by the time they were in the 12th grade they were outperformed by 90% of other foreign nations.

So when I read SB 698 by Sen. Wayne Kuipers to amend the Revised School Code to permit a pupil to meet the algebra II requirement of the Michigan Merit Standard by completing an approved CTE program that had embedded math content I become concerned.

Under the Code, the Michigan Merit Standard requires at least four credits in math, including algebra I, geometry, and algebra II, or an integrated sequence of that course content that consists of three credits.

Also, to the extent that fewer students dropped out of school because of a real or perceived inability to complete algebra II, the State would incur higher per-pupil foundation allowance costs for the additional length of time these students remained in school. In other words, the State saves foundation allowance funding when a student drops out, and if students remain in school, the State pays school districts foundation allowance funding for each student counted in membership. If, as a result of this legislation, more students were counted in membership than otherwise will occur, higher State school aid foundation allowance costs would result.

But my only major concern about the bill is how is lowering the high school requirements in math is going to make us more competitive globally in the long run? How is revising the high school graduation curriculum requirements replacing Algebra II with the option to take a vocation education program in electronics, machining, construction, welding, engineering, or “renewable energy"? How come school districts cannot simply expand their schedule by adopting trimesters as well as expanding the number of days in the classroom (instruction time) to acomodate all of this? What about year round schooling?

What about teaching our children civics lessons from K-12 so they can FULLY understand what Socialism, Marxism, Communism, Capitalism and other political philosophies mean. Children should know what is a mixed economy. Our children should know the history of the United States, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, as well as understanding why it is important to preserve these sacred documents. We only teach civic education for a half a semester in high school. That is not enough.

The same for geography. How come a student from other parts of the globe know more about American History, culture, science, math and can speak 3-5 foreign languages fluently more than the American student who lives here? They take Christianity, Islam and Judaism more seriously than we do here (especially Africans, Arabs and Jewish people). Americans are far behind but have an opportunity to catch up if we develop educational incubators that promote global learning.

In closing, we, as urban conservatives, should not fall for conspiracy theories but global education that will help eradicate racism, sexism, and other negative things that will cause us to be distracted. In the game of global education and silver rights we cannot afford to be distracted with nonsense that will prevent us from achieving our goals. Our mission is global. Our job is to prepare our children for a 21st century global reality.

The Information Age of Education by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

In urban America educational reform is littered with failures. If you take a look at the various reform efforts over the years and see the same results you will find that our children are doing no better than their global competitors.

What is never discussed openly are the barriers to educational reform. These barriers include size and demographics. Presently,the U.S. school system includes nearly 3 million teachers and 50 million students. The sheer size of the system makes reform exceedingly difficult. Now consider the following demographics:

Only 20 percent of U.S. adults have children in school.
There are more people over age 65 than teenagers.
The fastest growing population group in the U.S. is people over 85.

By looking at these statistics it clearly demonstrates why schooling is not a priority in the U.S. and why it is not likely to become a priority in the near future. As people get older, they become less interested in youth issues; their own health and financial security take top priority.

But what people do not understand is that education is a national security issue. The lack of quality education for all children jeopardizes the fundamental American belief that every citizen has the opportunity for success, no matter their background or place of origin. When you have a bad education system, we're going to lose jobs and lose small businesses and lose our ability to compete. When we lose the fundamental core of our economic prosperity, we will be become weak and we will become more vulnerable to attack.

If these size and demographic barriers are as intractable as they seem, then how is it possible to reform urban education in the 21st century? I will attempt to answer this question without going into the school governance issue.

The heart of the problem lies in the socio-economic revolution that society is currently undergoing. After the agricultural and industrial revolutions, information is the third great socio-economic revolution. Like the others, it will reshape where and how we live and work and that will reshape how we educate. In the past 100 years, reform of our educational system moved at a snail's pace. Teachers started the century with books and chalkboards and ended it with the same tools. Some school districts like Inkster, Pontiac and Highland Park, MI still use chalkboards as a form of teaching.

The information revolution have sped up the pace of reform in the 21st century. For example, the Internet is infiltrating society faster than any other technology in the history of civilization. The transistor radio was in existence thirty-eight years before fifty million people tuned in; TV took thirteen years to reach that benchmark; the PC took sixteen years. Once it was opened to the general public, the Internet crossed that line in four years. The bottom line is that the Internet is not a fad, but rather the most obvious manifestation of the information revolution.

What are the implications of this educational revolution for reform? Instead of tackling existing educational policies and practices directly (such as with broad governmental efforts like No Child Left Behind or more limited policies such as school vouchers or standardized testing), the most effective reform strategy is to support the development of information technologies that are consistent with life and work in the 21st century.

It would be nice for education reformers to lobby for a free, ubiquitous, high-speed information infrastructure that would give all Americans instant access to infinite resources including the world's great libraries, museums and universities. Education reformers should also lobby for free, multi-media, interactive, Internet-based information databases, repositories, communication devices, and training programs available at any time and any place to every citizen. They should support efforts that are creating new learning environments that harness the power of information technology to improve the quality of teaching and learning, contain or reduce rising costs, and provide greater access to education. These lobbying activities, if successful, will do more to advance reform of education than any direct attempt to reform the educational system itself.

If you are an educational practitioner interested in reform, then you should lobby your state lawmakers to support rigorous information technology requirements for certification requirements.

The longer the time lag between socio-economic change and education reform, the greater the chance of national decline due to an outdated workforce ill-equipped to compete globally and technologically. Reducing that lag is the most significant challenge facing both educators and politicians in the twenty-first century. Nothing less than the survival of our country rests on their ability to understand the ramifications of the Information Age for the reform of education.

Racism Is A Disease That All Of Us Need To Fight by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

I was at the Oakland County Commissioners meeting last night listening to Mayor Dave Bing speak. He discussed how both Detroit and Oakland County need regional cooperation to move Southeast Michigan forward. I agree with the Mayor because it is time that we put aside our differences and move ahead into the 21st century.

However, we still have both sides of the border fighting against each other on many levels. On one side, we have Detroiters who accuse Mayor Bing of union-busting and trying to sell off the jewels of Detroit while we have the suburbs fearing that crime will rise if we allow more diversity into their paradise.

We talk about racism all the time but allow me to discuss it from an urban conservative perspective.

Racism only exists because of the lack of education from both sides. It has been passed down generation after generation. It creates hysteria and paranoia. The children are then indoctrinated with this level of knowledge that create stereotypes.

Regional cooperation, not racism, is necessary because our region must depend on one another for survival. For example, the DDOT bus crisis that is going on in Detroit. It's time that we push forward a new regional transportation plan that makes sense. There are a growing number of people want a choice and better options for how they can get around this sprawling area. The current system of private car ownership only works for one-half the population. The other half is too young, too old, and too poor or has handicaps that prevent them from operating an automobile.

The two bus systems have failed to streamline their services to make the commute from the city to the suburbs an easy one. For instance, as of 2004, a transfer from a DDOT bus will get you on a SMART bus, but the two services’ bus stops are inconveniently far from one another. Also, SMART buses have a very limited number of stops in the city.

Detroit is one of the most segregated cities in the country, therefore DDOT serves a largely black demographic, and SMART serves predominantly white communities in the suburbs. Because of racial tensions that have not died away since the Detroit riots in 1967, the people running these services fail to cooperate fully.

There is also a great disparity in the quality of service between the two. According to MDOT.com, SMART has 89 more busses in service than DDOT, and DDOT serves almost three times as many passengers.

Cities such as San Diego, Dallas and Portland, Ore., which have thriving public transit systems with funding similar to Detroit are places that most people think would not support public transit, but have been able to successfully create a reliable transport system. Detroit faces a more difficult problem on the race front, as the other cities that have overcome the barriers of sprawling metro areas and lower funding don’t have racial disparity like Detroit’s.

What people need to understand is the fact that transit projects help to revitalize urban areas and create jobs all along the routes. However, if we are always giving excuses on why we should not have this then we will remain in the stone age.

Again, racism is a serious disease that needs to be treated.

Another problem that I hear from black people in Detroit is the number of young white people moving into Detroit in lofts and condominiums. Of course, some of the old black population are saying how "the white people are moving back." What they do not know is that we have a white population that already exists in Detroit. These white people are not moving back to take over the city. They are moving back to be closer to their jobs, their schools and in many cases their families.

The fear factor from old black folks is how whites want the city's water, resources, etc. I heard it all over the years. It sounded like more fear than fact.

The fear of electing the Detroit City Council by districts is ridiculous. For anyone to think that white people are pushing this so that they can get a seat on council is insane. That is not the case at all. It's called accountability.

But the ignorance does not stop there.

In Livonia, where we have a critical mass of black people shop and work, they decided to cut the SMART buses out of Livonia due to "costs of the residents". Then residents got up and fought like hell against Wal-Mart staying open for 24 hours to "reduce crime". If Livonia has a low crime rate then what the hell are they talking about reducing? Reducing what?

This region have a history of racial insensitivity. Not just the communities but the old guard of leadership. We STILL have people in Detroit that are elected from the Coleman Young era who are now state representatives and state senators. Some sit on City Council. Some work in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building. Many of the old guard are in the 13th/14th Congressional Democrats from the Coleman Young era of politics.

If you go into Oakland County you will find the same thing. At some point we have to change.

The other issue are the panel discussions on race relations. How in the world can you solve any true race problems with the same people on the panel from the same organizations year in and year out? You cannot solve ANY race problems with the same people talking about the same issues. A REAL race dialogue is finding the most conservative or liberal person you can find, a person who does not want his daughter dating outside of her race or a black man who recently was fired from his job from a white woman and thinks it was racially motivated. Another example is black children in a multicultural school learning about everyone else's history but their own from a white man or woman but can learn about everyone's else culture and history.

These are the type of people we need to have on the panel not the president or CEO of a non-profit come on give some remarks. If we are going to embrace regional cooperation nationally then let's embrace the idea and notion of being honest.

The PRIME TIME to have a race dialogue is right now where the media is accusing tea party protesters and health care reform protesters of racism. For some young people who I have talked to recently they feel that this is racism from conservatives. On the flip side, we have liberals who want to push a homosexual agenda down traditional families throats in the name of tolerance. If traditional families do not go along with that they are called prejudice.

We believe that America is a Christian nation. Meanwhile, there is a church and liquor store on every corner in the urban community. At the same time, 80% of families are ran by single parents (mostly women), lack of marriages have destroyed our family base, drugs run rampant, schools are failing and poverty is high. In the suburbs, we do not see this as much. Most suburbs are more conservative than the inner city. So, even though we are all brothers and sisters in Christ how come 11:00AM on any given Sunday is the most segregated hour of the week?

How come social conservatives criticize the War on Poverty plan by President Johnson to destroy black families but have not joined us black social conservatives in mass to help people get out of poverty? Where is the counterculture? Is there a drawling line here even though we worship the same God?

While President Obama is being attacked, from his birth certificate to socialism to the fact that he is black, Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele has been the target of what people may perceived to be racist from the GOP. Here is a man who has been the target of social conservatives (mostly white men), Rush Limbaugh and others who felt that Katon Dawson should have been the Chair of the RNC instead of Steele. Dawson used to belong to a country club for all white males.

So we have two black men who are the head of two political parties. Both are being attacked by conservative white people and conservative black people. Is one group being accused of racism while the other group is being accused of self-hate? If it fear? Some blacks who I have interviewed for this article feel that President Obama has taken the white man's birthright away from this country and the black conservatives who are bashing him are house negroes who beg for the crumbs that fall from the white man's table. Is that racist or is that how some truly feel?

We need to ask questions such as how come liberals think conservatives are being racist when they protest? How come conservatives bash the hell out of President Obama more so than any other President in recent time? How come black people think white people are trying to take over Detroit? How come How come when black middle class families move into affluent areas they are met with racist acts? How do Asian and Indian families feel about Hispanic families moving into their neighborhood?

You see, until we break the grip of shame in our communities and break the fear factor we will never move our urban communities, region, state or country forward. Racism is a disease that education can only cure. Urban conservatives believe in solutions not whining.

If Obama policies do not fit the puzzle then find a better way. If Steele is not doing what you expect him to do then run a better candidate. Critiquing the plan, not the character, is what going to help you gain ground as an individual.

No one wins the race in racism. We cannot call ourselves Americans, Christians or spiritual people and practice this type of negative behavior. At some point we really need to sit down as adults and talk about our problems instead of using fear. Fear is the is the prosperity killer. Racism is deeply rooted in fear. We cannot allow fear take over our lives.

Our children are depending on a better region to raise their families. Let's stop fooling ourselves and be honest and truthful with each other. Let's educate each other's history, culture and religion so we can cure the disease called racism.

Are You In? by Akindele Akinyemi

2009-09-03T05:56:00.000-07:00

I was at the Detroit Public School back to school rally with Robert Bobb and Bill Cosby. The theme of the school district "I'm In" rang throughout the auditorium of Henry Ford High School. The energy was positive and of course Dr. Cosby always telling it like it is to our parents.

But, just like any other entity, change will not come from Dr. Cobsy or Robert Bobb. It has to come from the parents and community.

Who allowed our community to die in the last 30 years and have allowed crack to enter our doorsteps. Today, our women are giving birth to drug addicted children who have a wide range of problems from ADHD to violent behaviors. These children will grown up and in return give birth to another generation of children.

At some point we need to fully understand that the village concept of raising a child does not exist as long as your village is compromised with drugs and disease. Something else needs to take place.

What should take place is the changing the culture of our future. You cannot do that with federal money or improving state benchmarks. You have to create a revolution based on core conservative principles that has kept our families intact. Have you ever sat down and talked to a couple in the community who has been married over 50 years? What is the secret to relationship building in our community?

Urban conservatives should not allow distractions such as the health care debate to get to them when we have our own health care crisis in our community. Our health care crisis is the lack of marriages, relationships, eradicating drugs, stopping the flow of sexually transmitted diseases and other mental health related issues that we must find solutions for before we usher in a new generation of death.

If you want to change the condition of the school district change the culture of the community first. That's how you "get in". Otherwise, you are wasting time.