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Racist messages continue to pose problems

 for mainstream legitimate websites


 By Jesse Washington. AP
 Although you rarely hear racial
insults on Main Street these days.
there's a place where unashamed
bigotry is all too easy to find: tossed
off in the comments sections of
some of the Internet's most popular
websites, today's virtual Main
Street.
 Internet anonymity has removed
one of the strongest barriers to the
type of language that can ruin repu-
tations and end careers. Racist mes-
sages are a small percentage of the
wild and woolly web, but they stick


out since they are rare in person -
and they raise a host of questions.
 Do these comments reflect a
reversal of racial progress? Is that
progress an illusion while racism
thrives underground? What kind of
harm are these statements doing?
Could there be any value in such
venting? And what, if anything,
should a free society do about it?
 "We've seen comments that peo-
ple would not make in the public
square or any type of civic discus-
sion, maybe even within their own
families," said Dennis Ryerson, edi-


Local playwright pens story of one

 womans journey to redemption
 .' '. .


 Shown above are newly inducted members of the North Florida HBCU Hall of Fame(L-R) Dr. George
Maxwell, Dr. Alvin White, Ltc. Robert Porter, Dr. Rudolph McKissick, Sr. and Mr. Emmitt Coakley.

North Florida HBCU Alumni Hall of Fame

 inducts 2010 members at Edward Waters


 The Third annual North Florida
HBCU Alumni Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony was held
recently at local HBCU Edward
Waters College. The Class of 2010
honorees included Dr. George
Maxwell (Savannah State
University), Dr. Alvin White
(FAMU), Ltc. Robert Porter
(FAMU), Dr. Rudolph McKissick
(EWC) and Mr. Emmitt Coakley
(B-CU).


 All of the honorees were recog-
nized for their outstanding contri-
butions to their respective alma
maters, professional accomplish-
ments and/or exceptional commu-
nity service and leadership.
 Dr. Alvin White, retired Duval
County School Board Executive
and graduate of Florida A &M
University, was named the 2010
Lifetime Achievement Award win-
ner for his outstanding contribu-


tions in the field of education and
professional achievements.
More than 150 attended and wit-
nessed the special recognition of
outstanding achievers who have
made their community and their
environment a better place.
 The North Florida HBCU Alumni
Hall of Fame is the only one of its
kind in the country. For additional
information, contact Mr. Brinson at
996-7122.


More Poverty Now Than When Eisenhower was President


 Continued from front
 The executive director of the
Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities in Washington noted that
in the country's last three reces-
sions, poverty rates don't decrease
until a year after drops in the unem-
ployment rate.
 As for the numbers concerning
New York? They look even bleaker
than the rest of the country's.
 According to Census Bureau sta-
tistics, the poverty rate in New York
State rose from 14.2 percent in
2008 to 15.8 percent in 2009, essen-
tially upping the number of people
in poverty from 284,000 to just
over 3 million. The only time that
New York State suffered a poverty
jump this high in a 12-month span
was from 1989 to 1990.
 All of this feeds right into the
desires of one civil and human
rights leader to mark jobs as the
next big issue facing Washington.
 Rev. Jesse Jackson of the
Rainbow PUSH Coalition wrote an
open letter to public officials call-
ing on a more efficient way to tack-
le the issue of poverty in the richest
nation in the world.
 "As people of conscience, as
elected leaders of the greatest
democracy in the world, we ask


ourselves, is there not a need for a
new war on poverty or a Great
Society plan similar to that enacted
by President Lyndon B. Johnson?"
read Jackson's statement.
 "Dr. [Martin Luther] King's cry
for a Poor People's Campaign has
come full circle. There must be a
sense of urgency to address this
moral and economic crisis. In
Stimulus I, we have watered the
leaves. We need Stimulus II to
water the roots."
 Jackson suggested that the
American government enact a
"modern-day homesteading pro-
gram" where unemployed urban
citizens can reclaim lost homes and
learn carpentry, plumbing and
green jobs skills in order to rebuild
America.
 David R. Jones, Esq., of the
Community Service Society of
New York, expressed distress at
what America has become and
hopes that the poor of the country
will not be forgotten like he feels
they usually are. "We are seeing a
new poor-previously middle-class
or working-class people who had
jobs and were able to make ends
meet," said Jones in another
released statement. "Many have
been jobless for so long that they


are queuing up for public welfare
benefits. We are wasting lives, and
we cannot afford to do so. Many
communities-both urban and
rural-now mirror a third world
country, with adults sitting around
with no jobs and no future for them
or their families"
 Both Jackson and Jones believe
that jobs sponsored by the govern-
ment are the solution to the eco-
nomic downturn, but both suggest
that the time to debate is over and
the time to act is now.
 "It is up to our leaders, both in
government and the private sector,
to move away from old habits and
patterns of thought and respond to
this national crisis," said Jones.
"Unless we change our priorities,
we will be creating generations
mired in chronic poverty. The even-
tual result will be the economic
downgrading of America to second-
class status."
 "We can begin to work our way
out," said Jackson. "Congressional
leaders, take the bold step of com-
mitting to reducing poverty by 50
percent over the next 10 years-
half in 10! America, give us a lis-
tening ear...There is no time to
waste. It's time for a change."


 Robin Murrell, 22; William Cure and Emmett Daniels, members of the
T.J. & Company acting group, are pictured above in a scene from Death
and the Beautiful Woman" which was presented recently at The Eastside
Community Theatre at Bethesda and West Friendship Baptist Church,
where Reverend Timothy Cole is Pastor. Murrell is youngest member of
the Theatrical Company. The play centers around a young woman whose
"carried away" by outward beauty and worldly things. The play takes you
on her journey to discovery of rude awakening to realize that sometimes
you have to sink to the darkest valleys to appreciate your blessings. For
inquiries on future viewings of the play written and directed by Tina
Harris, call 405-0680.


tor of The Indianapolis Star. "There
is no question in my mind that the
process, because it's largely anony-
mous, enables people who would
never speak up on Main Street to
communicate their thoughts."
 At the newspaper's website, mod-
erators delete individual racist com-
ments that are brought to their
attention, and will take down a
whole thread if such comments per-
sist. On some stories that are
expected to provoke racism, the
entire comments section is disabled
beforehand, a practice shared by a
growing number of newspapers.
 On a single day recently, racially
offensive online remarks were not
hard to find:
 In a comment on a Yahoo News
story about a black civil rights era
photographer revealed to be an FBI
informant, someone called blacks
farm animals who "were not and are
not wanted in this society."
 Another commenter wrote, "We
all know who MADE America what
it is today, and we also know which
group is receiving hefty tax dollar
pay outs... so until the tables turn
the only thing you should be saying
is 'thank you' to all the hard work-
ing (whites) who gave you the life
you now take for granted."
 Some believe such comments
indicate that racism has not
declined as much as people may
think. Joe Feagin, a sociologist at
Texas A&M University, said a
study he conducted of 626 white
college students at 28 institutions
revealed thousands of examples of
racism in "backstage," all-white
settings.
 Are these comments cause for
alarm?
 "Like the loudest ambulance
siren you've ever heard," Feagin
replied. "All this stuff was already
there. It's just the Internet has
opened a window into it that we
normally would not have had."


I
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Ms. Perry's Free Press Page 3


Sentember 30 October 6. 2010