APFFC Newsletter 9

7/29/2019 APFFC Newsletter 9

1/16

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www.apffc.org!

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WE#ARE#THE#SOLUTION#

TO#OUR#OWN#PROBLEMS

Issue%9%%%%%%%%%% % March%1,%2013%

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Like a great many of our readers, I

was born in an era where men were the

bread winders and woman maintained the

homes and raised the children. Though that

period in many ways was a simpler time, it

nonetheless had its challenges. Very few

people from that period went on to colleges,less to earn advanced degrees. However, in

urban communities these numbers weresometimes vanishingly small. A great deal

has changed since those times.

Minority woman both African

American and non-white Hispanics

womens numbers have grown

exponentially as it pertains to college and

advance degrees. In fact in most instances

there numbers exceed those of minoritymen by nearly two to one. Over the last ten

to fifteen years I have watched with

amazement the number of women that I

have met that have had masters degrees invarious disciplines. For me personally it hasbeen a rewarding experience. These women

have been knowledgeable, insightful, and a

reliable intellectual resource, as I pursued

various endeavors. However, I would bebeing far less than truthful if I said that the

joy I experienced from these encounters

were shared by many of my colleagues.

There has existed a culture in

both Hispanic and African American

communities that almost like children,when it came to decision making, the

belief prevailed that woman " are to beseen, but not heard, " that at the end of the

day, with all things being equal, thatultimately a woman's decisions would be

far to heavily weighed down by emotions.

This premise in the 21st century as men,

certainly does not work to our behest.

When we fail to recognize the

enormous intellectual resources that many

women bring to the table, as friends,

colleges, wives or lovers, we undercut ourown chances of success. There is a

teachable moment that is obvious, if one

looks beyond his intellectual box and looks

around the world. Women have moved

to the forefront of not just one or two

governments, but now operate as

President and Prime Minister from

country as diverse as South Korea,

Germany,!Liberia, Costa Rica,Switzerland, Brazil, and the list goeson.

My brother an intelligent

woman should not be viewed as achallenge, but rather as an asset. Not an

asset such as a piece of property, but

instead as a major plus in the ledger of

life. She is a gift my brother, one of the

few gifts in life that is self-

replenishing. Those of us trapped in the

matrix of machismo ignore thisprecious gift at our own peril.

Akbar Pray, Editor-In-Chief!


2/16

! lorem!ipsum!dolor! issue,!date

!

!The MillionWoman March!!

Put The MARCH

In Womens History MonthBy:!Sis.!Empress!Phile!Chionesu!!!!!!!

Originator/Founder:!!

Million!Woman!March!&!Universal!

Movements!

1. The fact that if our Sisters were/are

well organized, nationally and

internationally, with a specific plan, a

fundamental agreement of modes ofoperations, and a clear concise no sell

out agenda not only would muchnecessary work get accomplished, a

serious and much needed holisticallypositive change would occur in ways too

vast to mention.

2. Sisters (African women) are the

primary care taker of the children; thus if

our women are uplifted, empowered,

edified, properly guided, and

stabilized/secured, our children would

greatly benefit as well.

3. In the USA the incarceration of women

of African descent is rapidly increasing

and the murder, rape, and other gender

related violations are alarming, globally,

and require immediate attention and pro-

active intervention. In the US the

conduct/behavior of young females of

African descent ages 5-25, but especially

between the ages of 10-18

has, particularly in urban areas, become

quite noticeably disturbing. After much

observation and evaluation, MWM and

affiliates have reached the conclusion that

If Black/African women do not make

some serious moves and actions for

Saving Our Daughters, we will all pay

the price. Our women (sisters) must step

in and up as onlywe can do to provide our

young girls with the proper nurturing,motherly love and sisterly affection, and

the necessary insightand preparations for

becoming a strong, confident, non-

exploitable, skillful, morally sound, etc.

African woman.

4. There is not one group/organization/

institution (until now) with the main

objective and mission that is totally

committed to the upliftment,

empowerment, unification, etc. of women

and girls throughout the African Diasporathat is designed from a historical, cultural,

and self-determined frame of reference,

from the grassroots through the glass

ceiling inclusiveness, and from the cradle

to the grave conviction of resistance for

freedom and justice and of course the

political stance ofAfrica for Africans.

5. Itis time that the true spirit, beauty,

greatness and essence of the Mother of

Civilization (the Original Woman, the

Africana Woman) be brought forward,upheld and readily exemplified and along

with that the fundamental principles ofMaat, for it is more than obvious that

throughout the world there is a destructive

imbalance and this must be rectified

sooner than later.

6.We Owe It To Ourselves, Our

Ancestors, and the Future Generations.

!

In future articles, more insight into the

history and legacy of the Million

Woman March and the divine seven

year mission of its Universal Movements

(which include the development of anindependent school for girls, community

based holistic health a healing center,

specific programs for women and girls

who have been abused and/or are presently

being violated (which include women

that are incarcerated and those who arenow out), special projects to fight for the

freedom of our political prisoners,

campaigns for greater community

economic development and self-

determined financial advancement, etc.),but for now we invite you all to join us in

October 2013 for the

(Power) Convention that will take place

from October 21-24, 2013, the installation

of the MWM Sistah Saints and the

Justice Now Rally in front of the JusticeDepartment on Friday October 25, 2013and the SWEET 16 Mass Assembly on

Sat. October 26, 2013, all in Washington

D.C.Your support and participation will

make assure an even greater success as

we make HERSTORY Again !!!

Event Coordinators (to assist in the

coordination for your city & state),

Volunteers, Presenters, Exhibitors,

Ujima-Ujamaa Business and Special

Sessions Partners are wanted.

Numerous MWM (Support & Active)Memberships are also now available

Financial donations and in-kind

services contributions are also very

helpful and greatly appreciated.

For more information e-mail:

[email protected]

or postal mail at:

National Million Woman

March/Movement P.O. Box

53668 Philadelphia, PA 19105

Attention: Sweet 16 Reunion


3/16


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4/16


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Poetryby

Semaj Thomas

Despite my normalcy, which you know is militant,

Please know you are appreciated for your vigilance.

You are loved way more than what words could express,

Yet this passage is to convey those sentiments nonetheless.

Though our journey as parents has been an uphill feat,

We have weathered many storms - anchored in destiny.

In all honesty, you are nothing short of a blessing,

I proudly stand, raising my right hand to make this confession.

I now see the error in my ways,

Possessing a misguided focus for the passed fifty-one hundred-

plus days.

At this very moment, I'm deeply grieved within my soul

For having gone about my own agenda as well as goals.

You are truly a lady; the blessed mother of my son,

I bow to you like the Moon bows to the Sun.

Use this passage as a scepter while you sit up on your throne,

Please forgive me Amiya, lighten the tone of my soul......

**********

Ones life is but a book, meant to inspire, entertainAnd enlighten by way of intriguing the perusers brain.It's said, "Silence is golden", but when I speak, it's priceless,Formative dictions are compared to King Solomon's likeness.It is truly an honor to possess such a gift,A modern day Richard Wright, yet with an urbane twist.They say, "History repeats itself", well, I agree,Clearly my soul is that of Langston Hughes definitely.Words becoming expressions - views of my mind, heart andsoul.Providing a report on my tenure while here on this globe.

I started out as a grain of sand within an oysters grasp,Now I've become a pearl, the entire world can marvel at.I now await my mate - the reincarnation of Queen of Sheba,To produce a union as beautiful as the grounds of Geneva.Poetry incarnated through the means of flesh and blood,Begetting a freshness like the effects of H20 and suds.In lieu of being volatile - becoming a mercenary,I've opted to be artistic - a poetic luminary.Without a single iota of a cause for a pause,I'm trying to have the masses give my Book of Life anapplause...

I Call Her Big Mom (A Tribute)

By Daphne Benyard

I Call her Big Mom!

MATRIARCH OF THE FAMILYSHE

IS EVERY WOMAN AND MOTHER

TO US ALL

MUST HAVE BEEN KISSED BY ANGELS

WHEN SHE WAS JUST A TEENIE TINY TOT

MAKING HER TOUGH AND ABLE TO KEEP IN STEP

AND ON BALANCE

AND STRONG ENOUGH TO LEAD HER FAMILY UP

THE MOUTAINS RIGHT SIDE

THIS GOD-FEARINGRIGHTEOUS WOMAN

IS ABLE TO PRAY HER WAY STRAIGHT THROUGHTHE ROUGHEST TIMES

HER KITCHEN -- A SANCTUARY FILLED WITH HOME-

GROWN LOVE

WHERE SHE TRANSFORMS STRING BEANS AND

POTOTOES,

SERVING-UP A MAGICAL FEAST

I Call Her Big Mom

SHE IS ALWAYS THERE TO LISTEN AND GIVEADVICE

WITH A CUP OF HOT TEA OR COFFEE, OR A BOWL OFBEAN SOUP

HER FACE, GLOWING WHILE HER WORDS ENRICHED

THE MOST TROUBLED MIND

AND FOR THOSE WHO TIED- TALL TALES TO TELL

WITH LOVING KISSES, SHE BLOW THEM AWAY,

WITH THE TRUTH

CUSHIONED WITH AFFCTION, GOD HAS BLESSED

HER HEART WITH LOVE

FINDING THE TIME TO CARE, SHE COULD ALWAYS

FIND THE BEST WAY

TO CONFORT THE MOST BURDENED MIND, WHILE

EASING THE PAIN OF THOSE IN DISTRESSED

GOD HAS TRULY BLESSED BIG MOM WITH LOVE,GRACE AND PLEASANTNESS

I CALL HER BIG MOM, GRANDMA AND MAMA

A POWER HOUSE, QUEEN OF CULTIVATION,

MOTHER OF CIVILIZATION

WE FOREVER HONOR ALL OF YOU AND ALL THAT

YOU REPESENT

YOU HAVE THROUGH THE AGES DEMANDED ALL

THE LOVE AND RESPECT.


5/16


From the Bottom Upeditorial page editor, Andrew RosenthalNew York Times Opinion PageFebruary 17, 2013President Obama was right about the need to increase thefederal minimum wage, but it was too bad that he pulledhis punches in calling on Congress to lift the wage only to$9 an hour by the end of 2015, from $7.25 an hour, whereit has been since 2009.

His proposal would boost the annual pay of an employeeworking full time at the minimum wage from $14,500 nowto $18,000, which is still very low. Several economicmeasures including purchasing power, average wagesand productivity gains indicate that the minimum wageshould be at least $10 an hour today, not $9 an hour three

years from now. In 2008, Mr. Obama campaigned onraising the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour.

Politically, the lowball proposal is understandable.Congressional Republicans are bound to oppose anyincrease. Representative John Boehner, the House speaker,lashed out against the proposal the day after the presidentsState of the Union address, a stance that will very likelyfurther alienate important constituencies from theRepublican Party, including women, who represent morethan half of the estimated 18 million people currently

working at or near the minimum wage, and Hispanics, whorepresent one-fourth.

Combined with tax credits for the working poor, Mr.Obamas proposal could lift a minimum wage worker whois currently belowthe poverty line ($18,498 for a family ofthree in 2012) out of poverty. But the minimum wage ismore than an antipoverty program. In fact, most workers ator near the minimum wage live in households withmoderate family incomes above poverty levels but belowthe national median of roughly $60,000. For them, and for

the broader economy, an adequate minimum wage canhelp ensure fair pay and stimulate the economy by puttingmore money in consumers wallets.

Opponents of an increase in the minimum wage argue thatit will harm small businesses, but that fear is exaggerated.Research shows that the extra cost is offset by lower labor

turnover, small price increases or other adjustments. Inaddition, many low-wage workers at small businesses aretipped workers whose employers have been shielded fordecades from minimum wage increases, and thus haveroom for an increase.

Over all, the argument that a higher wage will kill jobs hasbeen debunked by a range of studies showing that a higherminimum wage boosts pay without measurably reducingemployment, while improving productivity. One studyfrom the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago found that a $1increase in the minimum wageresults, on average, in$2,800 in new spending by affected households in the

following year, in large part because the increase helpsworkers accumulate down payments to buy cars. Owning acar, in turn, helps workers to keep their jobs.

On Wednesday, Congressional Democrats said they wouldintroduce bills to gradually raise the wage to $10.10 anhour. Both Mr. Obama and Democratic lawmakers havealso called for annual inflation adjustments, an importantchange that would be made better by adjusting theminimum wage to keep it in line with increases in average

wages, rather than with consumer prices. A higherminimum wage would be good for workers and for theeconomy. The challenge is to get it through Congress.

[email protected]


6/16


Immigrants!can!affect!the!United!States!both!positively!as!well!

as!negatively.!Todays!immigrants!are!fundamental!in!the!

development#of!our!society;!transforming!the!structures!of!the!

community!so!that!all!people,!rich!and!poor,!are!able!to!fulfill!

their!human!potential!and!live!dignified!lives.!!Our!country!has!

produced,!managed!and!distributed!with!each!sweat!an!

immigrant!drops!from!his/her!head.!Through!an!immigrants!

willingness!to!take!lower!paying!jobs!and!sustain!them!for!the!

good!of!their!family,!the!U.S.!has!benefited!and!made!money!in!

the!process.!!!

Immigrant!workers!help!the!United!States!because!they!work!

jobs!that!most!people!wouldnt!consider!doing!and!do!it!for!a!

sad!amount!of!$7.25!or!less.!!Many!people!believe!that!

immigrants!are!taking!away!jobs!from!true!citizens!of!the!

country,!but!people!must!also!take!into!account!that!these!out!

of!the!country!workers,!work!really!hard!in!agriculture,!building!

and!grounds!maintenance,!construction,!food!preparation,!

service!and!manufacturing,!some!of!the!areas!where!

immigrants!are!most!present.!If!it!werent!for!these!immigrants,!

who!would!build!your!house,!who!would!deliver!food!to!the!

market?!

!

A!problem!that!may!arise!through!the!effects!of!immigrants!is!

riots.!Once!people!see!immigrants!making!money,!they!will!

complain!and!say!they!are!taking!jobs!away.!Immigrants!arent!

taking!jobs!away;!they!are!just!occupying!jobs!that!most!

people!see!as!too!hard!or!difficult!to!do.!!

!

Many!people!ask!the!question,!Why!dont!you!go!back!to!

your!country?!But!here!is!a!question!to!think!about!when!

have!you!seen!an!illegal!immigrant!not!trying!to!succeed!in!

his/her!life?!Everywhere!you!go,!an!immigrant!will!tell!you,!I!

came!to!this!country!to!give!my!family!a!better!

opportunity.!On!the!other!hand,!many!Americans!work!for!

selfinterest.!!Although!immigrants!receive!little!pay,!they!

are!able!to!accomplish!many!things!through!living!simply,!

making!choices!that!deepen!our!joy!because!they!focus!on!

essentials!of!life,!not!an!illusion!of!what!brings!happiness,.!!

Living!simply!brings!true!DEVELOPMENT.!

!

Carlos'Ivan'Vega'is'a'10th

'grade'student'at'Central'High'School'Newark,'NJ.'His'parents'and'four'siblings'emigrated'

from'Mexico'to'the'United'States.''

Hispanic Voices

America: An Immigrants Perspective

I!came!to!this!country!to!give!my!family!a!better!opportunity.!

!By#Carlos#Ivan#Vega#

But% here% is% a% question% to% think% about%

when%have%you%seen%an%illegal%immigrant%

not%trying%to%succeed%in%his/her%life?%

Director(of(Operations(Milagros Harris

Director(of(FinanceQasim S. Abdul Karim

Director(of(

Human(Resources(Rahman

Muhammad

Director(of((

Public(Relations(Toni Johnson

APFFC!Board!of!Directors!


7/16


WomenCan't live wit' 'em, can't kill 'em."

---a male joke of unknown origin

A female to me is absolutely the mostadorable, fascinating and admirable

creature in all of Creation.Everything that is, was, and will be was

created inside the Divine Womb of Triple

Darkness. If there's a Supreme Being It's

a female.

There's only two sexes: Male andFemale; if "we don't love them hoes",

then who do we love? The exquisite

luxury and pleasure of a $2,000,000

Bugatti pales in comparison to the

potential love and comfort of the leastfemale ever created.

I don't speak from books; I speak from

the heart. I can always gauge a man's

true strength by his attitude and

treatment towards women. If we are not

even strong enough to love and protect

our wives, mothers, sisters, daughters

and girlfriends, and stop treating them

like trash and garbage, and calling thembitches and hoes, we will never, ever, be

men, free or respected.

For once let's be honest with ourselvesand each other: The naked truth is we

love "them hoes" more than anything,

but we're just too dumb, weak, insecure

and terrified of them and their

mysterious powers to ever admit it.

Akbar&Prays&Recommended&Reading&List&

&

Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery [Hardcover]Deborah Willis (Author), Barbara Krauthamer (Author).

This book is a pictorial of African Americans, right after and then long after the emancipation

proclamation. The black and white photos are moving and timeless.!Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from

Colonial Times to the Present... by Harriet A. Washington (

Harrowing accounts of all of the experiments that were conducted on African American subjects,

from slavery, the Tuskegee experiments and more, this title chronicles the inhumane manner in which

African Americans were used by the medical establishment in this country. (Weve mentioned it

beforeworth mentioning twice).!Possessing the Secret of Joy: A Novel by Alice Walker.

Most of this book takes place in Africa and deals with amongst other topics, the custom of clitoral circumcision interesting, though

at times disturbing book.!!Part of My Soul Went with Him by Mary Benson, Winnie Mandela and Anne Benjamin.&&

Winnie Mandelas account of her life with the living legend, Nelson Mandela and his 27year period of incarceration.

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor

The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, recounts her life from a Bronxhousing project to the federal bench an inspiring testament to the power of believing in oneself.!!It Takes a Village, Tenth Anniversary Edition by Hillary Rodham Clinton

"a textbook for caring.... Filled with truths that are worth a read, and a reread" (The Dallas Morning News).

By Rudy Williams

Know it or not, when great poets dreamthey are praising Mother Nature's Glory.

When songbirds and great divas sing, they

are paying homage to HerStory.

So too, when the greatest thinkers and

philosophers think and wonder.

But, when tyrants and weak little devils,plot and scheme, they cause Her to

unlease Her raging thunder and sting.

Thus, there's a divine reason why we callNature "Mother". As a female, She's the

Greatest Lover.


8/16


Photo!by!Carrie!Mae!WeemsAin't!Jokin!198788!Collection

Like so many little girls I grew up watching Disney princesses.

When I was coming up, there were not nearly as many as there

are today, no Mulan, Tiana, or Pocahontas for little girls of

color to emulate. My personal favorite was Cinderella. Snow

White had dark hair (but I was afraid of the dwarfsdidntwant to be her). So just like Whoopi Goldberg in her early days

of stand-up comedy, I put a white towel on my head and

pretended to have long blonde hair. When I outgrew my

princess phase, I picked up fashion and movie magazines in the

hope of finding someone to model myself after, but again, no

one looked like me. My friends and I ironed our hair to look

like Ali McGraw in Love Story, but all I ended up with wastriangle shaped burns on my scalp and hair that looked like

straw. When the black power movement arrived and sisters

proudly wore their Afros, my hair couldnt do that, so one

again, I couldnt identify. I was marginal. I didnt fit anywhere.Thats when I realized I must be invisible.

Who decided the parameters of beauty? Are wedoomed to be judged by solely by looks, with no regard to

character, fortitude, intelligence or the qualities that make us

not just human, but humane? While I have had the good fortune

to be eye witness to both the Womens Liberation Movement

and the Black Power Movement, I still see us as women inAmerica, trapped by what I refer to as the colonial paradigm

of beauty, a standard determined by white, patriarchal

hegemony that reduces women of all races and ethic origins to

pseudo-white, sexualized objects. Even more unfortunate than that

is, that many men and women of color have (perhaps unwittingly)

bought in to this so-called standard.

Issues of race and ethnicity have universally been used tostabilize societies. However, as Robert Mark Silverman states, in

his book Doing Business in Minority Markets, In societies with a

history of colonialism, where dominant and subordinate roles have

been closely associated with race and ethnicity, such stratification

becomes more determinant. In other words , in a multicultural

society, such as exists in America, to maintain dominance, white

standards must persist if whites are to continue to dominate andcontrol our society.

Nowhere is that more evident than in commercial hip-hop

culture, where the fixation on the light skin and longhaired vixen

perpetuates the myth that a womans worth is measured by thelength of her hair (no matter its originif you cant grow it, sew it)

and the measure of her waist.The fixation on superficial material culture is a ruse, a red

herring, a mere distraction that keeps us from focusing on the real

issues at hand. We must teach our children to love themselves

enough to BE themselves. But before we can pass it on to future

generations, we must experience it ourselves. You will always be abetter you, than you could ever be an imitation of anyone else.

Self-love and self-acceptance is a lesson we can only teach through

example.

Who decided the parameters of beauty? Are we doomed

to be judged by solely by looks, with no regard tocharacter, fortitude, intelligence or the qualities that

make us not just human, but humane?!

If we revert to history, we shall find that the women

who have distinguished themselves have neither been

the most beautiful not the most gentle of their sex

-Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

-Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)


9/16


Africans spreading into the Middle East,

followed by Europe and Asia, the PacificIslands and finally, the Americas."

Populations in the Middle East have a

unique signature of African, European,

and Asian characteristics. It looks like a

gateway. You see a lot more mixture

there ... that's one of the types of findings

you get by looking at this level of detail,"

said Myers. The research also showed

that sometimes a person's roots can betraced to a small group specific to a

geographic areaIf this does not give you a

better perspective on woman, weatherhuman or spirit then you will never

understand how amazing they are.

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Africa," said co-author Marcus Feldman,

an evolutionary biologist at Stanford

University in California.

This confirms the idea that Homo sapiens

left Africa about 100,000 years ago. Each

small group of individuals founded a new

population in each new colonized region,

using a smaller sample of the originally

African gene pool, in a phenomenon

called genetic bottleneck. Diversityclearly decreased during the migrations.

"If you keep sampling like that, then

mathematically you must lose variation,"

said Feldman.

Other researchers looked at a maximum of

1,000 genetic markers, comparing just 3-4

populations. "It's sort of like looking at

Mars with the naked eye versus with a

big, very powerful telescope," said co-

author Richard Myers, a geneticist fromStanford University. The detailed analysisrevealed a shared portion of genes

between the Yakut, indigenous of

northeastern Siberia, and Native

Americans, matching the archaeologicalfindings of migration across the Bering

area. The research also showed a clear

racial distinction between the northern

and southern Chinese populations and

between different European populations.

"But perhaps even more striking is how

similar humans are to each other. Some 90

% of the genetic variation occurs withinpopulations, not among them. That turns

out to be very profound, because it's not

like we've got these 51 populations that

are different species. We're really, reallyclose to each other," said Myers.

The team found that racial types were

characterized by thousands of genetic

markers. "Those genes which we

classically use like skin color and eye

color and hair structure to differentiatewhat we commonly call races is a tiny

fraction of all the variation there is," saidFeldman. "In particular, the pattern of

variation shows that the route of migrationout of Africa was into the Middle East and

then to the rest of Eurasia, the Americas,

and Oceania. That tends to agree with

what we're seeing on the Y-chromosome

side," said Spencer Wells, a population

geneticist and director of the Genographic

Project, which is charting the migratory

historyof humans around the globe.

The study strengthened the idea of

SheBy Omifalade

For thousands of years woman have played

a very important role in this wonderful

universe of ours. Through our revolvingreligious scriptures to the evolution of

politics, women have always been at the

forefront of everything: war, peace,birthing, creating, sheltering, embracing,

and educating men, boys, and young

woman. Through history we have learned

that from the beginning of time, men have

dominated all, even the royalties of their

wives. Many aristocrats have made their

mark in life not on the backs of their

ancestors but in the bosoms and

pocketbooks of their woman, as well asother mens wives. With this being said, I

have attached this article to show you how

amazing and incredible woman really areand how she, meaning mother earth, shows

us every single day not only that she is a

fertile woman but a powerful one as well.

This study is the most impressive research

so far tracking our evolutionary journey.

The new research published in the Nature

journal confirms that modern humans

emerged in Africa and then spread intoAsia to reach Europe, the Pacific and

Americas. The team focused on 650,000genetic markers in about 1,000 subjects

from 51 populations worldwide, the largest

study of this type so far. "You get less and

lessvariation the further you go from


10/16


1

!

PARTICIPANT!MEDIA!LOCKS!DOWN!ITS!SOCIAL!ACTION!

CAMPAIGN!FOR!SNITCH,!!

NEW!FILM!STARRING!DWAYNE!JOHNSON,!

ON!MANDATORY!MINIMUM!DRUG!SENTENCING!

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legislative action around ending Juvenile

Life Without Parole sentencing including

original videos, infographics and factpackets.

About Snitch

In the fast-paced action thriller Snitch,

Dwayne Johnson stars as a father whoseteenage son is caught in

possession of a package that,

unbeknownst to him, contains

enough narcotics to warrant a

mandatory minimum prisonsentence of 10 years.

Desperate and determined torescue his son at all costs, he

makes a deal with the U.S.

Attorney to work as an

undercover informant andinfiltrate a drug cartel on a

dangerous mission risking

everything, including his

family and his own life.

Participant Media is an

entertainment company that focuses on

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Participant s online division and Social

Action Network is TakePart.

Families Against Mandatory Minimums

(FAMM), a nonprofit, nonpartisan

organization, fights for fair andproportionate federal and state sentencing

laws that embrace judicial discretion while

guarding public safety. Please visit us atwww.famm.org.

Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013

In the film Snitch, which was inspired

by real events, Dwayne Johnson plays a

father whose teenage son is wrongly

accused of a drug distribution crime andis looking at a mandatory minimum

prison sentence of 10 years. For its

Social Action campaign for Snitch,"Sentence Change," Participant Media is

teaming with Families Against

Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) and theCampaign for the Fair Sentencing of

Youth to create awareness, insight and

outreach around the issues of mandatory

minimum drug sentencing and the fair

sentencing of youth, and tools to get

involved. The Summit Entertainment-Exclusive Media-Participant Media film

opens in theaters today.

Chad Boettcher, Executive VicePresident of Social Action & Advocacy,

says, "The U.S. currently has 4.6% of

the world s population but houses 25%

of the world s inmates 60% of whom arenonviolent offenders. And one of the

leading causes for the pipeline of

nonviolent drug offenders into the

prison system is mandatory minimumsentencing and snitching. We found

when talking with the experts, that this

issue rarely comes to light, so buildingon the narrative from the film the

campaign aims to inform the public and

give them ways to make lasting policy

change." The campaign also builds on

the coalition s previous work,

specifically around the passage ofCalifornia s Senate Bill 9 to reform fair

sentencing for youth, on empowering

organizations and individuals to supportpolicy change in these arenas.

"Participant Media was an invaluable

partner as organizers and the broader

community worked toward the passage of

SB 9 in California," said Jody Kent Lavy,

Director & National Coordinator of the

Campaign for Fair Sentencing for Youth."Participant developed media materials that

educated people and

inspired them to act.Monica Pratt Raffanel,

FAMM Director of

Communications, added,"Too few people in

America know about the

dirty little secret of

mandatory sentencing

laws, but SNITCH is

blowing the lid off of it.Participant Media is

using the best and most

innovative tools to createan interactive experience

that educates the viewer

about snitching and mandatory minimums

and engages them in FAMM s efforts torepeal mandatory sentencing laws."

Participant s campaign includes a Social

Action website: www.takepart.com/snitch

featuring; A shocking animated video aboutthe issues; An interactive infographic that

highlights the costs and effects of

mandatory minimum drug and "substantialassistance," (aka snitching); A petition to

reform mandatory minimums; A

curriculum for law and criminal justice

students; An editorial series providing

context and personal stories of those

affected by these issues; A mini-documentary called "Path for Hope :

Ending Juvenile Life without Parole"; And

a multi-platform Fair Sentencing Media Kitdesigned to increase awareness and

The#punishment#is#supposed#to#fit#the#crime,#but#when#a#legislative#body#says#this#is#going#to#be#the#

sentence#no#matter#what#other#factors#there#are,#thats#draconian#in#every#sense#of#the#word.#Mandatory#

sentences#breed#injustice.##

Senior!District!Judge!of!the!U.!S.!District!Court!for!the!Northern!District!of!Florida!


11/16


U.S. News


12/16


1!!

APFFC: Bonnie

I am sure that you have

noticed as we have, the

incremental but decided turns that has

been taking place both in the political

arena and the political theater away

from the former policy of " lock themup and throw away the key " mantra of

the past, to a more enlightened, though

clearly not far reaching enough policy

dealing with incarcerants. What do you

attribute these changes to and how far

do you think they may go?

BK: After having received hundreds of

prisoner testimonies from across the

country, and recently publishing the

second edition of Torture in US Prisons

Evidence of Human Rights Violations,

it is hard for me to see any forwardmovement in the political arenaconcerning the neo-slave system ofcriminal justice. The testimonies describe

conditions of confinement, including

years of no touch torture, racism,

chemical and physical brutality, cold,

hunger, filth, criminal medical care and so

on. As I see it, the current system is an

extension of chattel slavery, the Black

Codes, convict leasing, Jim Crow laws

and the 13th Amendment, which continues

to mandate slavery for US prisoners. Ithink you are correct in noting that there

is more dialogue going on in black andwhite middle class churches and

community groups concerning mass

imprisonment. Having been part of that

dialogue, I am encouraged by the number

of people who want to know more about

what is happening to men, women and

children imprisoned in the US. It is,

however, hard for me to see how this will

lead to any social change of substance.We need to eliminate every system that

slavery and genocide gave birth to, mostespecially the criminal justice system. The

expansion of prisons, parole, probation,the court and police systems has resulted

in an enormous bureaucracy which hasbeen a boon to everyone from architectsto food vendors. How is it that a 15 year

old in Newark, or Atlanta cannot even

hope to go to college or find a job, yetonce in the prison system, that black or

brown child generates $30-40 thousand

dollars a year?! I dont think that the

systemic pattern of handing public money

into private hands via the criminal justice

system is genuinely changing. Thesystem never changes unless there is

some benefit for itself in terms ofeconomic growth.

APFFC: We here at APFFC and I am

certain many other community based

organization, are fully aware of the role

that you have played and continue to

lay in attacking the pernicious prison

policy of solitary confinement in both

federal and state facilities. Where are

you now in that regard and do you feel

any real headway is being made in that

area?

BK: The American Friends Service

Committee has succeeded in involving the

ACLU-National Prison Project and the

National Religious Campaign Against

Torture in isolation issues. There is also a

wonderful on line newspaper calledSolitary Watch, which publishes

testimonies, stories and videos concerningthe practice of long term isolation.

Although the actual results have beenminimal, there has been some success inmoving emotionally distressed prisoners

out of isolation. The general practice

continues, though, including the isolation

of women and children. There has been no

forward movement in terms of releasing

people who the government considers a

political threat from isolation to general

Akbar!Pray!Foundation!For!Change!Interviews!

Bonnie Kerness

Ms. Kerness is Prison Watch Coordinator of The American Friends ServiceCommittee, a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice,

as a practical expression of faith in action. Drawing on continuing spiritualinsights and working with people of many backgrounds, they nurture theseeds of change and respect for human life that transform social relations

and systems.

population. In many cases, the closure of

isolation units has led simply to a re-

purposing, as exampled by the closure of

the Security Threat Group Management

Unit (gang) in NJs Northern State

Prison to an ad seg punishment unit and

the closing of the Tamms, IL supermaxprison, only to have it sold to the federalgovernment for the purpose of

expanding the Bureau of Prison isolation

beds. The latest trend in the growth of theuse of isolation has been with the building

of security threat group management units

for street organization members, and the

Communication Management Units for

Muslims that the government defines as

political dissidents. Racism and brutality

as part of conditions of confinement

continue unabated.

For copies of the following suggested

readings, contact:Bonnie Kerness, AFSC

89 Market Street, 6th floor

Newark, NJ 07102

1. Collage excerpts from Breaking

Mens Minds History of this Behavior

Modification Laboratory.

2. Bidermans Chart of Coercion.

3. Preface from Handbook onCorrections.

4. Torture in US Prisons- Evidence of

Human Rights Abuses.5. Survivors Manual Written by

People Living in Isolation for People

Living in Isolation.

6. NJ Political Prisoners Do Hard

Time in Solitary Bergen Record, 1992

7. Modules or Cages TSP

Enclosures Stir Protest, article by Peter

Page, The Times, 1991.!


13/16


1!

.

As a formerly incarcerated female, I

would betray my sistahz left behind bars

if I didn't expose the plights faced while

being incarcerated. While it is knownthat the prison population ispredominately male. WOMEN are the

fastest growing population going to

prison the number of female prisoners

has risen more than 800% in the last

three decades, outpacing the 400%

increase in the male prison populationduring the same time period. According

to the Institute on Women and Criminal

Justice report, Hard Hit: The growth in

the Imprisonment of Women, 1977-

2004, in 1977, the United States

imprisoned 10 out of every 100,000women, while in 2004 that number had

increased to 64 out of 100,000. And

because women are the caretakers,

particularly of children. Mothers in

prison, Children and families are in

serious crisis.

After the Civil Rights and Black

Liberation Movements, MassIncarceration and the War on Drugs

went into full force during the 1970s and

1980's, lower income and communitiesof color began to be policed more

heavily as a way of neutralizing andpreventing people from getting or

staying organized. The War on Drugs,

whose focus wasn't on everybody. There

were specific images, like the Black

Women on crack and her crack babies.

Women who tend to be less nonviolentoffenders, a large factor in the increase

in prison has been because of the

mandatory minimum drug laws, which

was seen as a get tough on crimemeasure during the war of drugs. The

Rockefeller Drug laws mandated that

first time offenders for drugs got

mandatory sentences. I can contest to

that because for my first offense I was

sent to prison because it was mandatory,

no plea bargain or drug court was

available to me at that time, during1994. The Rockefeller Drug laws

affected women who were at the wrong

place at the wrong time with theirboyfriends, in their cars or homes, they

end up getting charged also if large

quantity of drugs are found in both

possession. Black and Latino women

were disproportionately affected by

these draconian laws, as white womentended to have greater access to drug

treatment centers and better legal

representation. Women are usually thelower level player in drug deals. Povertyis a factor in the rise of women being

imprisoned, because we resort to

criminalized means for survival,

especially if we have to make ends meet

in a single mother home. Welfare and

these lower paying jobs just wasn't good

enough. During the Clinton

Administration, Welfare Reform had aaffect of women, they were removed off

welfare and found themselves entering

prison at a alarming rate. Much of what

I know about womens pathway to crimeand prison, has to do with trauma from

domestic abuse, addiction, unhealthy

relationships, mental illness and being

involved in crimes with their men.

Crime like shoplifting, petty drug

dealing and addiction are the driving

force to why women commit these kindsof crimes over and over again, going to

jail or prison fail to address the root

causes that led to incarceration. Most of

these things are symptoms of adysfunctional family, poverty, lack of

opportunities, inadequate education,

sexual, mental abuse and lack ofrehabilitation. These symptoms are

happening inside and outside of prison

walls. We must do all we can as women

to raise awareness, to seek and provide

SOLUTIONS to these issues that affectwomen, especially women of African

descent because we are underrepresented

in society. We must put an end and find

ALTERNATIVES TO MOTHERS INPRISON. MOTHER IN PRISON,

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN

CRISIS. END MASS

INCARCERATION FORNONVIOLENT OFFENDERS, STOP

THE SHACKLING OF PREGNANT

WOMEN, WE WANT ADEQUATEHEALTHCARE FOR WOMEN NOW,

STOP THE SEXUAL/MENTAL

ABUSE OF WOMEN BEHIND BARS,

RESTORE HUMAN RIGHTS TO ALL

CITIZENS RETURNING HOME.

In the Struggle,

Munirah El-Bomani

Revolutionary Greetings to you all,

Hope this newsletter find you all in goodhealth and good spirits...As we/I honor Her

Story, and the many contributions of Mothers

of all Civilization allow me to personally

give thanks for the many blessings bestowed

upon me through out my life journey. I

cannot thank the Creator enough for the

many contributions, blessings and inspirationfrom some of my HerStoric women like My

Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother,Queen Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Nzinga,

Queen Hatshepsut, Assata Shakur, AngelaDavis, Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelo, IdaB.Wells, QueenMother Moore, Harriet

Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Elaine Brown,

Kathleen Cleaver, Fannie Lou Hamer, Jill

Scott, Amina Baraka, Ramona Africa and my

President-General Empress Chi of the

Herstoric Million Woman Universal

Movement, the largest gathering of Black

Women, or of any women anywhere in theworld.

As the popularity of women's historycelebrations continues to spread as more

people are becoming aware of the

contributions of women and girls worldwide.

It is my duty to uplift and raise awareness of

the contributions made by BLACK

WOMEN. The Million Woman Movement

cadre of women of African descent will not

allow our history to be ignored or erased out

of history. As a proud member of MWM, I

will by all means do whatever it takes touplift and share the great stories of the manycontributions made by women, particularlyof African descent past and present. So I

challenge you as you read this newsletter to

do some research and study these GREAT

POWERFUL WOMEN LEGACY that

history has very much ignored. A message to

our sistahz, if we don't write about, study and

honor OUR STORY. Who will?? We are a

reflection of each other. Sistahood is

POWERFUL!!! Today, Yesterday andForever more.....


14/16


1

By Heru

Blackwomen are without a doubt {Gods}most precious

creation.However a study of nature will reveal that througoutthe mammalian species,the male is the dominant figure in the

society.The reason is twofold:

In the animal world because of the absence of intellect,moraland spiritual faculties "physical force" is the only way of

establishing and maintaining law and order in the

group.Secondly force is an indispensible requirement for

upholding the law.

Males of the mammalian species excel at brute force,and this is

why and how men came to be the dominant figures in human

society.Following an evolutionary path of progress,although not the

evolution premised on Darwinism,Ourstorical Black cultures

accomplished a balanced system of overall functioning withmatrilineal inheritence law(all order was established from the

female line)as the foundation.Which for man was the natural

order of things.Our original Black ancestors from the continent

of Afrika inherently knew what science has most recently

availed to us:"That The mother of all humanity is/was/and will

forever be a Black Woman".As a result it was within the harmonious balance that the

QueenMother Ship provided the dictates of Justice and Order

in Ourstorical Black society.Theres an old saying that says,"You can tell the condition of a

nation by observing that nation's women." Most Black women

born in Amerika do not have high lifetime expectations of theirmen,resulting in silent mental rejections of the trust, hope and

mutual dependency necessary to promote sound

companionship.Diabolical social engineering created this

condition; see the Willie Lynch papers.Having had the

father/husband ideation chipped away in her youth,the Black

Woman experiences what will happen to a nation when the

ability to be aware of one's heritage and culture is suppresedand destroyed.Black Women who have yet to acknowledge their inherent

position as,"Mother/Goddess/Queen of ALL unwittingly deal a

A MESSAGE TO THE BLACKWOMAN

"This is a man's world,

but it would be nothing,nothing without a Woman"...-James Brown

death blow to a nation of people who have been beaten into

submission by systemic injustices,confusion and self-hate.Black Woman you have a natural and balanced awareness of

yourselves,of your beauty and grace,that when cultivated allows

you to exercise your healing qualities upon your nation of BlackMan/Woman/and Child.

We need you and your serene sense of dignity.

We know that you are drawn towards Power,Strength and

Nourishment,this attraction as natural as it is for you

compels(some of)us to be The Great God-Man we were born to

be.When you fight for the proper curriculum for your children, and

become"The" positive model for our daughters,when you begin

teaching the baby even before i t leaves the womb,feeding theright information to our future,you become the re-newed, re-

born, righteous bearer of the title:GOD-MOTHER!300,000 years ago you were here. It may not mean much to

some, but it means the world to me.Science has evaluated you

and found you foremost with no peer among your gender.

From then to now,from Afrika to Amerika,in all your shades and

all your ways I salute you,I love you.

"Our desire to be free has got to manifest itself in

everything we are and do"

-Assata Shakur

Hetep(peace) M.M. Ankh "Heru" Ma'at.

To the young sisters: You must think deeply

about the way of our ancestors.They are theones who warned us about commiting treason

against the culture and tradition that makes us

Afrikan, lest we destroy ourselves.!

LAST OF A DYING BREED

BY AKBAR PRAY

COMING SPRING OF 2013(FOLLOWED BY THE RERELEASE OF DEATH OFTHE GAME)

FromtheAuthorofDeathoftheGame


15/16


1

By#Joseph#Jazz#Hayden#

The dominant culture wanted to

reinforce the color and class

lines, our youth said fine.#


16/16


MISSION STATEMENTThe Akbar Pray Foundation For Change (APFC) is a not for profit grassroots organization, dedicated to redirecting the lives

of our urban at risk youth. It has been and remains our organizations mantra that " we are the solution to our own

problems." It is our core belief that there are those within our communities, if so engaged, who can help turn the tide of crime,

delinquency and recidivism which grips the lives of so many our inner city youth.

Operating from the premise that to effectively attack or address any problem you must start at its root, we have begun a

program in some of our citys schools and group homes, where we supply speakers, mentors, CDs and written material from

the organizations founder, which cuts to the heart of the problem experienced by many of these youths. Some times workingwith former gang members, inner city icons and others that have what is referred to as street cred, we have been able to

achieve remarkable results.

Expanding on our mission, we continuously recruit individuals from various work disciplines to aid in educating young men

and woman with marketable skills.

To those ends we have engaged people both inside and outside our community to come to our classes and or workshops to

share and discuss the ups and downs, ins and outs of a wide range of work disciplines and careers. Never favoring one career

path over any other, we have invited professors, urban fiction writers, successful members of the hip hop industry, general

construction contractors and a Superior Court Judge to these open discussions and Socratic Circle seminars.

Again, it is our core belief that "we are the solution, to our own problems." In closing. We invite your participation in this

noble undertaking.

IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?

IF NOT NOW, THEN WHEN?

A Petition for aPresidential Commutation on behalf of Wayne Akbar Pray has been submittedto the Office of the Pardon Attorney. It is a request that his non-parolable life-sentence be commuted, makinghim eligible for parole in the near future. His success depends on the efforts and the voice of his community.Below you can find the numbers and addresses of those who are in possession of the Commutation Package. Acall to any or all of them on behalf of Wayne Pray could make the difference whether he is returned to his family

and community or spends the rest of his years in prison. Please make the call!

Attorney General Eric Holder

Correspondence to the Department,including the Attorney General, may besent to:

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530-0001

By Phone

Department of Justice Main Switchboard -202-514-2000

Office of the Attorney General Public

Comment Line - 202-353-1555

By E-Mail

E-mails to the Department of Justice,

including the Attorney General, may besent to [email protected]. E-mails will

be forwarded to the responsible

Department of Justice component for

appropriate handling.

Fax: (202) 225-7854

Congresswoman Maxine Waters

2344 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515Phone: (202) 225-2201

Congressman Donald Payne Jr.!103Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-343Newark Office

60 Nelson Place

14th Floor (LeRoy F. Smith, Jr. Publi

Safety Building)

Newark, NJ 07102

Phone: (973)-645-32136

Correspondence to the Department of Justice,

Office of the Pardon Attorney, may be sent to:Ronald L. RogersOffice of the Pardon Attorney

1425 New York Avenue, N.W.

Suite 11000

Washington, D.C. 20530

By Email

[email protected] (noattachments)

By Phone

(202) 616-6070

Congressman John Conyers

Washington Office: 202-225-5126 Detroit Office: 313-961-5670

Trenton / Downriver Office: 734-675-4084

You can also visit me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/CongressmanConyers.Why? Because it is

your right!

Let us know what youre thinking on our Facebook page!

Akbar Pray Foundation For Change!

APFFC Newsletter 9

Documents

Transcript of APFFC Newsletter 9