NAACP Letter To Wake School Board

The letter sent to the Wake County School Board from the NAACP, requesting time with the board in January. (Read more @ NBC17)

See related:

NAACP

Special Alert: House Voting on Jobs Package Tomorrow – Urge Inclusion of Education Funding

3rd Annual Community Kwanzaa Celebration

Season’s Greetings:

Kindezi Rites Of Passage Youth Empowerment, Inc cordially invites you to attend the 3rd Annual Community Kwanzaa Celebration at 4:00 PM on Saturday, December 26 at the OIC Auditorium, 402 East Virginia Street in Rocky Mount.

Kwanzaa is a non-religious holiday which celebrates family, community, culture and ancestry.  It is not intended to replace any other traditional holiday, rather, it is at time set aside (1) to gather the "village" to reaffirm the bonds between us (2) to give thanks for the bounty and blessings of creation (3) to commemorate the past and our ancestors (4) to recommit to our highest cultural ideals in our on-going effort to bring forth the best of our culture in thought and practice, and (5) to celebrate family and community.

We would love to see you and your family and friends in the audience on the first day of Kwanzaa, Umoja (Unity). Let’s celebrate together with music, dance, drumming, poetry, storytelling and great fellowship. Our community youth will lead the way as we proceed with the lighting of candles and the honoring of community elders. In addition to our youth, guests Poet, Yara T., who has become a Kwanzaa favorite, and vocalist Claude Gardner will share with us. Special guests are Baba Jamal Koram The Storyman of Alexandria VA. and The Kuumba Dance Company of Danville, VA.  Baba Jamal is the past president of the National Association of Black Storytellers and the recipient of the prestigious Zora Neal Hurston Award of Excellence. The Kuumba Dance Company of Danville Virginia, under the leadership of Patricia Hill of Greensboro, NC., is an energetic African dance company of youth and adults.

This is sure to be a great time. Don’t miss it. We hope to see you there. Feel free to print the flyer and distribute or forward it to your family and friends via e-mail.

Sauuda Eshe’
Kindezi Rites Of Passage Youth Empowerment, Inc
www.kindezirites.com

Sauuda

APPEALS COURT HALTS RELEASE OF TWO ‘LIFE’ INMATES

So what is the law?

I understand where my Governor is coming from however what does the law says?

I sympathize with all involved in the court issue however the right thing to do is to go with the law. Unless the interpretation is unclear then I don’t understand what the problem is. I can’t believe that the law is not clear but then again it could be. When the law was written, I wonder who was it written for? But that is another question for another day.

Read more about the appeal @ WRAL.

Butterfield Applauds Financial Reform Legislation

U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield

First District of North Carolina

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For Release:  Immediate

Date:  December 11, 2009

Contact:  Ken Willis
Phone:  (202) 225-3101

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Butterfield Applauds Financial Reform Legislation

Washington, D.C. – Congressman G. K. Butterfield applauded passage of Wall Street financial reforms in the House today, saying many provisions will help and protect people affected by the economic crisis.

“This will finally bring an end to the unchecked, risky and irresponsible gambles on the part of America’s financial institutions,” Butterfield said.

Butterfield said the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, approved by a 223 to 202 vote, will end taxpayer-funded bailouts, protect consumers from predatory lending, safeguard retirement and college savings from unnecessary risks and require much greater transparency and accountability for financial institutions.

He also said that several other key provisions would provide resources and relief to communities hit hard by the economic decline. Specifically, the bill includes $1 billion for Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Under the program, local government can use the funds to purchase, rehabilitate and redevelop foreclosed, abandoned housing, and to alleviate blight properties.

He said that the bill also includes $3 billion in low-interest loans for unemployed or underemployed homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages. Under the bill, homeowners must be at least three months behind on their mortgage payments and must have a reasonable prospect of being able to resume making full mortgage payments.

The legislation would also create a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to protect families and small businesses by ensuring bank loans, mortgages and credit cards are fair, affordable, and understandable. Butterfield explained that the new agency would streamline the role of protecting ordinary Americans’ financial security.

“The economic crisis has revealed the vital need for a stand-alone agency with the singular mission of protecting the rights of consumers,” Butterfield said.

Additionally, Butterfield said, the bill gives the Securities and Exchange Commission new enforcement powers and requires hedge funds and private equity funds to register.

He said it also enhances oversight and transparency of the credit rating agencies; addresses egregious executive compensation by allowing shareholders to have “say on pay;” and, limits the risky pay practices of bank executives who jeopardized banks’ soundness.

Butterfield Pushes USDA to Increase Edgecombe Presence

U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield

First District of North Carolina

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For Release:  Immediate

Date:  December 11, 2009

Contact:  Ken Willis
Phone:  (202) 225-3101

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Butterfield Pushes USDA to Increase Edgecombe Presence

Washington, D.C. – Congressman G. K. Butterfield is asking USDA to reestablish a Rural Development office in Edgecombe County, N.C.

“Without question, North Carolina’s rural communities are struggling against rising unemployment and poverty, limited access to credit, and falling local tax revenues as a result of this recession,” Butterfield said. “These struggling communities need Rural Development’s assistance in building infrastructure and creating jobs.” 

Butterfield said that reestablishing a local Rural Development office in Edgecombe County would better allow the agency to work closely with the community to identify needs and develop solutions. Rural Development’s Edgecombe County Area Office was closed nearly two years ago, and the responsibility for Edgecombe County was transferred to the Smithfield, N.C. 

Butterfield has sent a written request to reopen an Edgecombe County office to newly appointed state director for Rural Development Randall Gore.

Edgecombe County unemployment rate was 17 percent for October, ranking second worst in the state.  Twenty-two percent of the population lives below the poverty line – more than 50 percent higher than the state level.  And, as a Tier I County, it is designated as one of the 40 most economically distressed counties in North Carolina. 

“It’s a set of circumstances that requires and deserves close attention,” Butterfield said.

Rural Development administers and manages more than 40 programs. These include Rural Utilities Service (RUS), which addresses rural needs for clean running water, sewers and waste disposal, electricity, and telecommunications; Rural Housing Services (RHS), which addresses rural needs for housing, health facilities, fire and police stations and other community facilities; Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), which helps to create new rural job opportunities; and, through its community development programs, which address unique and pressing economic development issues.

USDA’s Rural Development mission is to enhance rural communities by targeting financial and technical resources to areas of greatest need. Rural Development has about $24.4 billion available in financial and technical resources to help rural communities across the country this year.

Rural Development often works in partnership with other entities – such as state, local, and tribal governments, private and non-profit organizations, and member-owned cooperatives – to revitalize rural areas. Its 6,100 employees provide services through 500 national, state and local offices.

Tell Me This Is Not Arrogance, A Person Come Into Your Community Meeting And Tell You They Intentionally Took Over

I attended a meeting on tonight and I just don’t think the community  got it. How many more times do they have to see and hear it to believe it?

Once given the opportunity to speak the person talked about how they came into the community meeting and intentionally took over the meeting. In so many words the person was saying the community didn’t know what they were doing and they didn’t have any leadership. The person said everyone is not a leader and that the community need to look among themselves and he see who can lead them.

The person talked about what they did to make recent event a success when actually it was a list that was sent by a steering committee member on a given night when that person was unable to attend. The other steering committee members also gave input on what they wanted to see.

During the meetings the arrogant person always stated this is what they envisioned should happen.

It is so funny to me that the arrogant person made it appear that it was all their idea of what took place the day of the event.

Well the meeting tonight ended as an insult to the community however I don’t think they got it. I got it and . . .