tuskegee-airmen-celebration.pdf

By Edith Billups
Special to the AFRO

For Sudanese expatriat Mohamed Suleiman, crucial talks on the future of peace in Sudan’s beleagured province of Darfur scheduled in Libya on Oct. 27, offers little reason to hope.

“Given the history of the government there, I am not hopeful about the talks,” said Suleiman, a Muslim, who lives on the outskirts of San Francisco and is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition. “The government agreed to, and signed, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 and the Darfur Peace Agreement in 2006, but when it comes to honoring the agreements they don’t follow through.”

In Washington, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee was equally skeptical, saying, “While we all hope that the upcoming peace talks are productive, the Bashir government’s long track record of delays and false promises speaks for itself. We must continue moving forward with other measures, like the deployment of the joint African Union/United Nations peacekeeping force, as well as my legislation here in the U.S to support divestment efforts and ban companies whose business support the genocide from receiving federal contracts.”

A member of the Zaghawa tribe from northern Darfur, Suleiman, 54, has followed the Darfur crisis closely for the past four years, watching helplessly as 13,000 members of the people in the village of Umbarow, where he was born, fled to neighboring refugee camps.

The father of four says that three of his uncles and two cousins have been killed by the  Janjaweed, an Arab militia group who many believe is supported by the government. Sudan’s government denies being in control of the Janjaweed, and President Omar al-Bashir has called them “thieves and gangsters.”

For those who still don’t grasp the enormity, or the cause, of the crisis, Suleiman said it is simple: “Ethnicity-wise, it is basically Arabs against Africans. The Janjaweed is a militia group formed by Arabs who started an ethnic cleansing campaign to get rid of all the African tribes.”

The crisis in Darfur has made international news as millions have fled their destroyed villages to seek protection in refugee camps. There is not enough food, water, medicine, or protection. Refugees from Darfur say that following air raids by government aircraft, the Janjaweed ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women, or abducting the women and holding them as sex slaves.

To date, it has been difficult to calculate how many have died in the conflict, but reports put the number at more than 200,000.

The crisis peaked two weeks ago when 10 members of the 7,000 African Union (AU) peacekeeper force, struggling to protect civilians in Darfur, were killed in an unprovoked attack. More news was made when former President Jimmy Carter got into a shouting match with Sudanese security officials who blocked him from a town in Darfur where he was trying to meet representatives of ethnic African refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting with Carter.

Cater and Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu were visiting the area to push all sides to make peace in Darfur. The killing of the peacekeepers brought outrage from various human rights groups throughout the world, but according to Suleiman, “I had mixed feelings.

“We had expected something like this to happen because a lot of people in the refugee camps feel the AU is favoring the government of Sudan. When the Janjaweed attack, the AU members don’t report it immediately. In some instances, when they are contacted and ask to come, they don’t come. Their reports of what they do also generally favors the government’s point of view.”

Suleiman’s view was echoed by many others in the United States advocating for peace in Darfur, including Marie Clarke Brill, interim executive director, of Africa Action in Washington. The group, formed in 1953 when Black and White civil rights leaders in the US connected their cause to the liberation of Africa, was one of the first groups to call the crisis in Darfur an outright “genocide.”

According to Brill, “The attack happened in the Hasakanita region where the government had been bombing civilians. What it shows is that whoever did it saw the AU as being too closely linked to the government of Sudan. That doesn’t justify it at all, but the question has been: How will the AU attack affect the upcoming Oct. 27 peace talks in Tripoli?”

Brill noted, “For one, we feel it will be difficult to get all of the rebels to come, partly because the rebel troops are so divided. We can see that in the AU attacks. No one came forward to take responsibility, although the government said it was the Justice and Equality Movement, but JEM has not come forth.

Secondly, it will be difficult because the rebels have lost faith in the AU and  the general from Nigeria who is head of the peacekeepers. He has not responded to the rebel’s demands for such action as a public report of the Sudan bombing of civilians, so it will be difficult for the rebels to come in good faith.”

For Suleiman, whose mother and sister still live in Darfur, such talk only brings up anger that the U.S. government has not done more. “The Bush Administration has double standards,” said Suleiman, noting, “They talk about sanctions, but they still have dealings with the government.”

In the meanwhile, he continues to stay in touch with his family and other people in Darfur to gather what he considers the truth. He works with a small group of volunteers in California who gather information from the refugees and the international media and translate it into Arabic on his organization’s website.

“There are many intellectuals who are in denial about Darfur and don’t want to believe that this is happening,” said Suleiman. He noted that many of the killings have occurred in rural areas where there are not many witnesses, “so people in the big cities are not getting a true sense of what is happening.”

He interacts with such groups as Americans Against the Dafur Genocide, also in the Bay area, whose member Nikki Serapio, said, “I think that the killing of the African Union monitors is proof that we need multinational peace keepers on the ground. The difficult question is how do you get them there? The thing that U.S and world leaders need to remember is that the ruling government of Sudan is not going to act in good faith.”

Regarding the upcoming peace talks, Serapio, a Stanford University alumni who got involved in Darfur while a college freshman said, “The thing to remember is that the UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing 26,000 peacekeepers to replace the 7,000 AU troops, but the peacekeepers were never deployed because the government of Sudan obstructed the troops.”

Serapio advocates activists coming together to deliver a strong message to government  officials to impose strong multilateral sanctions against the leaders of Sudan, particularly the senior leaders of Sudan, as soon as possible.

“These are targeted sanctions. They are not sanctions that are going to hurt the ordinary people. These are sanctions that would be staged against the government like diplomatic bans and asset freezing that when imposed could have a chance of  turning the tide.”

Serapio suggested that putting pressure on China is the key to gaining Khartoum’s cooperation, since China is one of its largest economic allies.

“The real pressure point we have with China is the 2008 Olympic in Beijing. China is so concerned with presenting a good image to the world during the Olympics that they don’t want anyone to ruin it. The Darfur activist community around he world is exposing China’s  relationship to this genocidal regime in the hopes hat China will pressure Sudan go stopping the genocide.”

For more information on Americans Against the Darfur Genocide, visit www.darfursf.org

Ueli Maurer, president of the Swiss People’s Party SVP, smiles in front of a campaign poster reading “create security,” during a press conference in Bern, Switzerland, in this July 2007 file picture. A proposal by Switzerland’s biggest political party to deport delinquent foreigners has angered anti-racism campaigners who say it evokes Nazi-era practices and unfairly blames minorities for crimes. In the run up to October elections, the nationalist SVP’s campaign poster showing three white sheep kicking out a black sheep “for more security” has heated the national debate over the proposal to expel whole families of children convicted of a violent crime and drug offenses. (AP Photo/Keystone, Peter Klaunzer)

How It All Started…

In 1996, the NAACP launched the Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI) as a sustained consumer movement to measure corporate America’s financial relationship with the African American community. Over the past eleven years, the ERI has expanded its scope and has continued to highlight on an annual basis the diversity efforts made in a number of leading industries.
Download Complete Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI) Booklet pdf (35mb) »

Tens of thousands are still living with the aftermath of the hurricanes: FEMA trailers that are making residents sick because of unacceptable high formaldehyde levels, a lack of medical and mental health services, a public education system that has been seriously disrupted, and no assistance for rebuilding their homes.

Most Americans believe they don’t make race based decisions…but think their neighbors do, according to a landmark poll by Zogby International commissioned by GSN. The survey is a powerful follow-up to the July 17 premiere of Without Prejudice?, a TV game show that gives people across the country an opportunity to participate in a thoughtful, productive conversation about prejudice. The NAACP, through its Hollywood Bureau, is a consultant for the program that airs Tuesdays at 9 pm (EST) on GSN.

“This is an opportunity for the NAACP to more fully engage in a discussion of prejudice and bigotry and to explain to a wider audience the bases for these ills and how we can rid society of them,” said NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman Julian Bond. “We look forward to our participation and the success of this innovative series.”

The NAACP and GSN will host an upcoming town hall meeting on race, diversity and prejudice.

The survey of more than 10,000 Americans, one of the most comprehensive ever conducted on prejudice according to Zogby, explores attitudes about race, religion, age, sexual orientation, physical appearance and politics. This “Report Card on American Prejudice” is part of a wide-ranging effort by GSN to spur a national dialogue on intolerance and bigotry.

“Our network is proud to sponsor the Without Prejudice Project,” said Dena Kaplan, GSN’s Sr. Vice President for Marketing. “This pioneering effort – which includes the poll and the broadcast of our new game show – will help provoke a national conversation about our inner-most feelings toward race, religion and other issues that define the way we, as Americans, treat one another. GSN hopes the initiative will raise the awareness of prejudice in our nation and create an agenda for positive change.”

Using distinguished pollster, Zogby International, GSN commissioned a poll designed to explore Americans’ preferences and biases. The poll findings will serve as a barometer of the country’s tolerance and a platform for honest discussion. Among the poll�s findings are:

On Race: While 67% of respondents claimed to have no preference themselves between a white, black or Arab clerk in a convenience store, 71% said, “most Americans” would seek out the white clerk; 73% said in the event of a shooting, most Americans would expect African Americans to be involved; 55% said in the event of a drug bust, most Americans would expect African Americans to be involved; 53% said in the event of identity theft, most Americans would expect whites to be involved;

On Political Affiliation: When asked which political party most Americans believe to be responsible for many of the gravest problems facing the world:

• War: 62% blamed Republican vs. 14% Democrat

• Global Warming: 56% blamed Republican vs. 10% Democrat

• Prejudice: 52% blamed GOP vs. 22% for Democrat

• Poverty: 49% held Republicans accountable; 29% Democrats

• Crime: On this issue, respondents reversed the trend, with 42% blaming Democrats vs. 23% for Republicans

On Religion: By a wide margin, those polled felt Muslims are the most likely to engage in terrorism (83%) and are far more likely to cause a war (42%); 37% believe Catholics are most likely to be involved in sexual abuse – far more than any other religious group; 15% believe Protestants are most likely to commit domestic violence, followed by Muslims (13%); the poll turned up virtually no negative views toward Jews.

On Sexual Orientation: On gay marriage, 62% said they believe Americans oppose it. Yet 58% would elect a gay person for President – about the same as an Arab-American (57%).

On Disability: When asked to choose whom they believed most Americans would least want to work with, 26% of respondents said someone who is morbidly obese. Twenty-two percent said someone with facial disfigurement. Respondents thought Americans would object much less to deaf and blind co-workers.

Every episode of Without Prejudice? features five contestants under the collective microscope of five strangers charged with deciding which contestant they feel is most deserving of a $25,000 cash award.

To stimulate further conversation, GSN will launch a comprehensive outreach effort including Public Service Announcements, an online forum (featuring snap polls, blogs, discussion guides and community building resources from our partners) and print, TV and online media.

GSN is also partnering with other leading advocacy groups on the Without Prejudice Project, including YWCA, GLAAD, NCLR, and CAIR. To learn more, please visit www.gsn.com/withoutprejudice. For the entire Zogby/GSN poll, visit www.zogby.com. More on the NAACP can be found at: www.naacp.org.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

About the Without Prejudice Project
GSN created the Without Prejudice Project to provide an opportunity for people across the country to participate in a thoughtful, productive conversation about prejudice. Using distinguished pollster, Zogby International, GSN commissioned a poll designed to explore Americans’ preferences and biases. The poll findings will serve as a barometer of the country�s tolerance and a platform for honest discussion. To stimulate the conversation, GSN will launch a comprehensive project including PSAs, an online forum (featuring snap polls, blogs, discussion guides and community building resources from our partners), a PR effort, and print, TV and online media. GSN is partnering with leading advocacy groups on the Without Prejudice Project, including NAACP, YWCA, GLAAD, CAIR and NCLR. To learn more, please visit http://www.gsn.com/withoutprejudice/.

• Today the NAACP filed a Federal class action lawsuit against fourteen of the country’s largest subprime mortgage lenders.

• This lawsuit is designed to stop these lenders from engaging in systematic, institutionalized racism in making home mortgage loans.
• In a 2006 study, the Center for Responsible Lending found that when creditworthiness and credit risk were equal, African-Americans were still 31 percent to 34 percent more likely to receive higher rate, more expensive subprime loans than Caucasians.
• The National Community Reinvestment Coalition revealed that lenders on average made high-cost subprime loans to higher-qualified African-Americans 54% of the time, compared to 23% of the time for Caucasians, even when the Caucasian applicants were less qualified.
• These and other studies demonstrate that African-American homeowners are paying higher mortgage interest rates than their Caucasian counterparts.

The Lenders: Ameriquest, Wells Fargo, Fremont, Option One, WMC Mortgage, Countrywide, Long Beach Mortgage, CitiGroup, BNC Mortgage, Accredited Home Lenders, Encore, First Franklin, HSBC, Washington Mutual

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE NAACP

IF AT ANY TIME IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW TOOK OUT A HOME MORTGAGE LOAN OR REFINANCED A HOME, WHETHER WITH ONE OF THESE LENDERS OR ANOTHER LENDER, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF THESE DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES.  PLEASE CONTACT ANY ONE OF THE PERSONS LISTED BELOW. 

WE NEED YOU TO HELP STOP DISCRIMINATORY LENDING AND TO RECOVER THE MONEY THE NAACP ALLEDGES WAS CHARGED ILLEGALLY BY THESE LENDERS. PLEASE TELL YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.

NAACP
Angela Ciccolo, Esq. Interim General Counsel
4805 Mt. Hope Drive, BaltimoreMD21215
(877) NAACP-98
(410) 580-5777

FEAZELL & TIGHE LLP
Austin Tighe, Esq.
6300 Bridgepoint Pkway
Bridgepoint 2, Suite 220
Austin, TX, 78730
(877) 948-4842
info@feazell-tighe.com

KABATECK BROWN KELLNER, LLP
Brian Kabateck, Esq.
644 South Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(866) 266-180
bsk@kbklawyers.com

At the NAACP, we firmly believe that we all have a responsibility to insure that those images and impressions foster respect, and not hate or racism. Join our cause and STOP!!!! Let’s purchase products and commit to wearing them on the 1st of every month beginning in August. United towards a new beginning

AT&T will be providing around the clock webcasting of the NAACP National
Convention.

The link  <http://www.naacpwebcast.com/> http://www.naacpwebcast.com/

www.covenantwithblackamerica.com/