Takeaways from Muslim event at Georgia Tech

Atlanta, Ga... "Journey to Justice and True Islam" was held in the Bill Moore Student Success Center on Saturday, sponsored by the Pan-African Ahmadiyya Muslim Association USA. (Disclaimer: some of the opinions expressed were those of individual speakers, not the organization.)

Here is positive information that I gleaned from attending the event.

Dhiya Bhakr

If you really want something, do it yourself.

The history of African Americans is bittersweet... we had almost lost out identity, but then the Pan-African movement began, followed by the civil rights movement.

Malcolm X was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks.

Peace and justice are inseparable.

Marlyn Tillman

School to prison pipeline is based on disciplinary actions and zero tolerance policies. 

Culture competency needs to be addressed. Our children are discriminated against, starting with saying their clothing colors are gang related. As a parent, I had to push back... I had to file a lawsuit.

Organize parents to push back against policies that hamper our kids in school.

Ron Shakir

In Atlanta, of 13,000 roadblocks set up, 8,000 were in black communities. Police departments are not mandated to report certain information. African Americans are targeted and are negatively affected by housing, land and gentrification policies. Concerns of community are not being met because of greed.

Dr. Basyr Rodney

Unite the African peoples of the world for the service of mankind.

Slavery was disruptive to our original home. One group should not be denigrated at the expense of another. We’ve got to change our mentality towards a new reality. Demonetization of black life has occurred. We must change that. We cannot forsake this community, those who have been neglected for so long. Start out in community centers. Work for long term change. Young people are agitated... but they cannot become frustrated. This fight is for the children. Education and knowledge of children must be paramount. Take control of your own lived experience. Look to your own care. Without God, we have no way.

H. Shaquille

Police the community yourselves. Muslims are getting the crime rate down in our own communities. I’m learning my rights. I'm a former gang member, but now I’m Muslim. It’s time for us to stop talking. Time to start doing something.

Sister Khadijah

We must protect children from wrongdoing, and learn about their needs. Prison impacts our families.  We have to be patient. Kids who come out of prison come out with no compassion for others.

Consciousness starts to develop at 4th grade.  Muslim gangs have their own protections from Allah. Read Black's Law Dictionary before you go to prison. Don’t end up perjuring yourself on your taxes and the law gets you for a minor infraction. Enjoin what is right, and refuse what is wrong.

Note: When I asked if Muslims were concerned about racism and its negative effect on humanity, how separate seating for men and women at the event could be construed as sexism, I got this reply:

Separation of sexes comes from the Koran. There is diversity of color, language, and gender differences in human creation which serves a certain purpose for His creation. Separation of sexes is not there for persecution purposes or pridefulness. All creation is equal. Natural attraction can lead to promiscuity.  To know one another, you must know yourself first. The pinnacle is to know God who has created us all. Then all those differences become irrelevant. Men are weak. We are easily distracted. Paradise lies at the feet of our mothers.

Liberty on the line: Jon Rapping's push to educate public defenders

Jon Rapping, co-founder of Gideon's Promise, with Tomi Johnson in Marietta, Ga.

(Disclaimer: I met Attorney Rapping at the Cobb County SCLC Gala on Saturday, February 24 and was introduced to him by Dr. Ben Williams, president of the organization. This article was written after that initial meeting, and the information provided within this article was taken from Rapping's speech at the Gala.)

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine.
I keep my eyes wide open all the time.
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds.
Because you're mine, I walk the line.

---Johnny Cash

If you are arrested for a crime and can't afford to hire an attorney and don't have enough money to post bail, Lord help you! 

Even though “poor” US citizens (who are mostly people of color and increasingly women) with no property and little income can probably qualify for a public defender, many lawyers assigned to them are overworked, underpaid, inexperienced, lack relationships with district attorneys and judges, and don't understand the culture of the oppressed. They can't even communicate with their clients.

Suited, uniformed, and robe-cladded representatives of the courts sit unfazed while folks in orange jumpsuits, shackles and handcuffs are shuffled through the halls of justice. Many of the processed just plead guilty, and a life behind bars begins.

Jon Rapping understands this and has created Gideon's Promise to help, a non-profit with a mission to transform America's criminal justice system. 

What a challenge he has...

Rapping says that the "process" of helping the indigent is not fair, and only outrage, compassion, and education can change the system. He says the criminal justice system doesn't see poor people as human beings, and we have not progressed since the 1960's.

Here's one reason why protest is important - people may be incarcerated for over two months without seeing a lawyer. Many judges, prosecutors, and public defenders are not outraged at the system, so injustice continues. They sit silently because an unjust "process" has been normalized.

LIBERTY IS ON THE LINE!

WW: Why do we need public defenders?

Rapping: Every problem facing marginalized communities is addressed in the criminal justice system.  If you are poor, society criminalizes substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, illiteracy, and poverty generally.  The criminal justice system is where all these problems intersect if you are poor.  Eighty percent of those in the system rely on public defenders.  If they are to have a chance, we need to ensure we build a network of public defenders who have knowledge and skill, but also compassion and empathy.  They must be committed to working with the communities they serve and forcing the system to provide just resolutions.  But far too often, public defenders are overwhelmed, under-resourced, and disrespected.  We care little for these lawyers because we care little for the people they serve.

WW: Would every kid reading Black’s Law Dictionary help them stay out of the criminal justice system, and if so, why?

Rapping: Reading the Black’s Law Dictionary won’t keep kids out of the system.  Kids who end up in the system often end up there because they live in communities that are heavily policed and over-prosecuted.  Knowledge won’t change that.  However, the law has its own language, and it takes expertise to maneuver the system.  Understanding how the system works requires knowing this language.  I certainly recommend that anyone in the system understand what is happening in their case.  But trying to educate yourself on the law is no substitute for having a public defender who has skill, knowledge, resources, and commitment to liberating poor people.

WW: How do you do all the things you do?

Rapping: I am fortunate to be surrounded by an army of people who are tirelessly dedicated to justice.  When you are able to mobilize a movement of people who are talented and committed, things get done.  Over our ten years of building Gideon’s Promise, we have built a network of supporters who help us.  We cannot rely on government to give public defenders the support they need, so we have to build a network that is willing to help.

WW: What do we face as challenges to having an equal justice system?

Rapping: At its root, the challenge is cultural.  We have embraced a narrative that sees some people as “others.”  When you see people as less than human, it is easy to stand by and watch them be treated inhumanely.  We will never have the will to achieve equal justice until we truly see those impacted by the system as members of our community.  Humanizing those who have been dehumanized is our greatest challenge.

WW: Neely Fuller, Jr. has written about the law being one activity which is racist. He said all of us are in prison here. How do we make sure that no one is mistreated and that people who need help get the most constructive help, constructive meaning leading to progress?

Rapping: When we do not get close to people and learn who they are, we tend to define them by stereotypes.  Those stereotypes reflect our worst biases and prejudices.  Race and class are powerful forces in shaping our biases.  The law is racist and classist because it reflects our biases.  We will not treat everyone fairly until we can look past our biases and see them as whole people.  Treat them as we would want our loved ones to be treated.  This requires knowing their stories.   It is why public defenders are so important.  When they are doing their job well, they are learning these stories and making sure those in power know the stories before making decisions about the people they judge.

WW: How can a lawyer making $40k compete with lawyers making $200k in the courtroom?

Rapping: There are lawyers who make $200K who I would never let near anyone I loved whose liberty was on the line.  Being a capable defense lawyer requires empathy.  It requires a commitment to justice.  That does not come along with a big salary.  Don’t get me wrong, we underpay public defenders.  It is because we do not value the liberty of poor people.  But those who do this work do it because of a commitment to our most democratic ideals.  They are hungry for justice.  They turn down higher paying jobs because they believe in what they do. 

They are not only given inadequate salaries, but they are deprived the resources needed to do the job well.  If we truly care about justice for the poor, we will treat public defenders as the most important lawyers in the system – they are.  We would pay them more to keep them from having to leave when they decide to raise families.  We would give them the resources that we would want our own lawyers to have.

WW: Challenging the system sometimes appears to be pointless and hopeless. How do we fight the powers that be?

Rapping: What makes Gideon’s Promise so unique is that not only do we teach public defenders the knowledge and skills they need to be excellent lawyers, but we also give them tools and strategies to resist the pressures to give up.  We give them support and inspiration to sustain their commitment to the work. Fighting an unjust system requires more than skill.  It requires inspiration and support.  That is what the Gideon’s Promise movement gives our public defenders.

WW: How do we start treating people like human beings in the criminal justice system?

Rapping: As I said, we look behind the allegation against them and understand who they are as people.  We understand what brought them into the system and the potential they have if we address those underlying problems.  We ask what we would do for our own children if they faced the same challenges, and we treat them similarly.  It requires wanting to know the person behind the charge.  It requires an advocate to make sure we understand the person behind the charge.  It requires a new breed of public defender.

Police Chief Register receives SCLC Leadership Award

Chief Michael Register receives Leadership Award from Cobb SCLC's

Dr. Ben Williams and Dr. Cheryl Graves

CORRECTION-  Lisa Cupid is Cobb County Commissioner, not a councilwoman as previously reported. The incident occurred before Register became police chief.

Cobb County, Ga.'s new police chief is trying to change the culture and image of his department. The police department is known for public relations debacles stemming from Cobb Commissioner Lisa Cupid being followed by an undercover policeman, to a negative report from a policing agency, to an officer being fired for saying they "only kill black people." Michael Register came to the SCLC Gala Saturday night to receive kudos from the community. He has been in his new position almost nine months.

Candid shot of Register before the award

And he seems like a gentleman with all the right answers. Here are his remarks made after receiving the SCLC Executive Leadership Award Saturday night.

"I appreciate it, and it's very important to me, and it's important to the police department.  I have members of my command staff in the back and also my executive assistant. It's a team effort. It's a team effort with them and with the community. We want us to stand together. 

"We love you, and we want you to love us," Register told the crowd.

"I've been in a lot of places in this world, whether it's been Afghanistan, Iraq or Haiti, and I have noticed that all people want the same things. They want to be happy, they want opportunity, and they want justice. They want those things.

"We are trying to re-brand the Cobb County Police Department. Our brand now is commitment, service, and partnership.  And we want you to believe and know that we are committed to giving the best service that we possibly can to the citizens of this community that we cherish. And we want to build a partnership stronger than it is, but we've got to do it together as a community. 

"We're your police department, and you're our community.  We love you, and we want you to love us. Thank you."

Register with fellow policemen, Dr. Williams, and the Cobb County District Attorney.

How we treat others indicative of how we treat ourselves.

Use every opportunity to seek spiritual healing, peace, and justice. (on Georgia Tech campus)

OPINION: In an attempt to foster positive changes against poverty, racism and sexism, I want to share some reactions I had after attending two local events. How I was treated at both these events almost negates what was trying to be expressed as countering injustice, for how can we tell others not to treat blacks, poor people and women inhumanely if we don't practice what we preach?

Both reactions occurred early at each event and could have hampered constructive learning. Regardless of what I witnessed and how I was treated, however, I gained positive insight into problems we face and how we can overcome them.

The first event was held on the Georgia Tech campus inside the Bill Moore Student Success Center and was sponsored by the Pan-African Ahmadiyya Muslim Association USA. The theme: "Journey to Justice and True Islam." It was billed as a Black History event. The second event was the Cobb County SCLC Chapter's 13th Annual MLK Gala, entitled "Crime, Recidivism and its Effect on Our Families and Communities."

At Georgia Tech, my first encounter was with a man telling me to sit on the other side of the hall because where I was sitting was reserved for men only. I had not thought about separate seating arrangements, and just found an empty seat up front. I told him I was not moving, and he didn't have a problem with that.

At the SCLC Gala, after introducing myself to another guest, I was told that I needed to not interrupt a man when he is speaking and to take cues on how a wife should act from his wife. I quickly asked to be seated at another table. When I told my host what had happened, he said, "Oh, that's just his personality."

Both staying put in the first instance and moving in the second instance were my own choices. If I had been a slave, I would not have had a choice.

In the next few days, I will be finishing my news posts on these two events, so stay tuned.

De facto segregation vs institutional segregation: are either ok?

Love and compassion should not be based on race. (Picture of Mother Theresa and sick child.)

I was talking to my son Sunday, describing to him my need to attend an integrated church - neither all white nor all black - and how this quandary into not being able to find one close to my home has hampered my religious identity and relationship with God.

segregated - set apart

That brings to mind the real definition of integration. Is an "integrated" church one where only one person from another race is on the rolls?

For several years, I have been attending a Greek Orthodox church within one mile of my house with my husband who has converted to Orthodox Christianity. We were introduced to the church when we attended the Annual Greek Festival when we were warmly welcomed, enjoyed the food and the dancing.

integrated - combining or coordinating separate elements so as to provide a harmonious, interrelated whole

When we attended our first service, we were enthralled by the golden iconography, the music, and the incense. Everyone was nice, and there were several Ethiopians worshiping there.

But over the years, the Ethiopians left, and one other black man joined the choir, but I haven't seen him lately. I haven't "joined" the church because I just don't feel right there. All the icons of holy people, saints, and angels are white, and it appears  "man" has made God into his image of himself, and I have a problem with that.  

To further exacerbate the problem, while a volunteer at the festival, I was cursed at for no apparent reason near the church steps by a member! Later, she said she was on prescription drugs and couldn't remember our conversation.

Another Greek American that I'm friends with says Black people are stupid for supporting the Democratic Party. One of her Facebook friends called a former Obama aide, Valerie Jarrett, a "racist wench" even though I doubt he has ever met her... do they think they will win friends/converts/voters this way?

Then there was the priest's sermon on the poor not getting into heaven and protesters being "jealous" followed by comments to me that I "racialize" everything. I have a strong feeling of white superiority ruling this church which is trying to establish a school which will probably be "segregated."

But I left my "all black" church because I didn't want to go to a segregated church.

What should I do??? I will ask God and the ancestors for guidance.

Virginia Caples dies; university president and community leader

If someone wanted to brand the late Dr. Virginia Caples, they would say “smart, accomplished, kind” and could add “sorority woman and entrepreneur” to the list. It is rumored that she succumbed to kidney failure since she was on dialysis due to diabetes.

To read bio, go to: http://www.aamu.edu/news/2011/Pages/Virginia-Caples.aspx

Gun raffles in church and sports organizations commonplace in America

The original picture posted with this article was removed. See comments.

Hopewell Baptist Church in Harrodsburg, Kentucky held its Annual Wild Game Feast Saturday night. On the menu were raccoon, dove wrapped in bacon, beaver, catfish, frog legs, fried chicken, wild turkey tenders, venison sausage, deer chili, barbecue wild pig, barbecue shredded duck, other wild game, familiar side dishes, and desserts. 

Members of the community caught or killed most of the game, including minors who described how they killed bucks and does with rifles from family arsenals.

The Master's Servants quartet performed the song "Use Me" and various gospel songs.

Family values were emphasized at the event.

After the sermon and Christian Servant's Resolution was read by a visiting minister and a prayer was given, guns were raffled off using attendance cards. One was given to a 12 year old boy and another to an adult male in the church sanctuary, with the fully illuminated cross in the background. Gift cards were also raffled off. There was no charge or offering required.

"I thought the guns at the altar were for security, for I did not sign up for a gun raffle," said one winner who was surprised when he won a shotgun.

Background checks were not done for those receiving guns, but copies of driver's licenses of the winners and minor's grandparents were made. The grandparent's verbal permission for the youth to receive the gun had to be gotten, and the man's wife had to approve him receiving the shotgun.

Many members of the surrounding community expressed outrage that guns are being given away at church, which they believe sends a mixed Christian message concerning deadly weapons and religious morality. Others deemed it a veiled attempt to acquire guns without a proper background check.

"My church would never do that," said one Lawrenceburg, Kentucky native.

This event follows others in which guns are being raffled despite increasing incidents of gun violence taking place all across the U.S. "I guess they have found a way to raise money that is more successful than a bake sale," he said.

Raffle ticket in Kentucky to support traveling ball team.

FYI: Gun ceremony in Pennsylvania Church reported by Esquire Magazine:

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/g18925932/gun-church-ceremony-photos/?src=nl&mag=esq&list=nl_enl_news&date=030118

Antique stores becoming thrift shops in growing communities

Sign in front of Park Avenue Thrift Outlet in Woodstock, Ga.

"Soon you won't be able to get rid of any of your 'stuff' you've paid so much for because it won't be worth anything," said one of my lifelong friends about liquidating assets.

Let's face it: many of us have too much money invested in clothes, shoes, purses, and household accessories. Some of these items are selling cheap at second hand stores.

"Yes, a quarter is a good price," said a shopper who passed by me outside the store which used to be an antique mall. 

Choosing the right day of the week to shop can save you money.

My prediction - brick and mortar stores will soon go out of business because they will not be able to compete with thrift store prices. Some items at these stores still have the tags on them and may be donations from Macy's or J. C. Penney's.

I went to Saks in Atlanta's Phipps Plaza, and the whole basement floor is filled with clothes marked 70% off which is still expensive. Wonder where those clothes will end up?

After working in retail myself, I've seen how expensive clothes are folded on the floor and how many people try on clothes.  I also witnessed a contestant on the Jeopardy game show who was dressed to the 9s. He told the host that he bought all his clothes at Goodwill!

This store used to be an antique mall.

Even well to do shoppers are finding bargains with designer labels at thrift stores. Go figure. Even Neely Fuller said fashion is not important; only cleanliness matters!