President Barack Obama will be the speaker for Morehouse College’s 129th Commencement in May, Morehouse President John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79 announced Saturday, Feb. 16.
A White House official told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that Morehouse was chosen because it is one of the nation’s leading historically black colleges and universities and is among the best and brightest institutions of higher education in the country. The official also said that Morehouseis known for its high standard for excellence in learning and social consciousness and is home to a long list of notable alumni that spans the last three centuries.
Wilson surprised the nearly 2,000 guests at the College’s largest scholarship fundraiser, the 25thAnnual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala.
“The president’s life story trumpets an ethic that we try to instill in all Morehouse Men, namely excellence without apology or compromise,” Wilson said Saturday. “It’s a good thing to have him here for that reason.”
The Gala crowd of students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College jumped out of their seats and screamed in excitement.
Morehouse’s commencement ceremony is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 19. More details will be forthcoming.
Dr. John S. Wilson, Jr. is president of Morehouse College in Atlanta. Dr. John S. Wilson, Jr. is president of Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Morehouse College)
“The script has completely flipped and the competition for bright African American students in general is a lot stiffer across the board.”
–Dr. John S. Wilson
It was a night of big announcements as The Ray Charles Foundation also presented Morehouse $3 million in honor of the legendary musician Ray Charles’ mother, Aretha Robinson, for the College’s Music Academic Building. The building is connected to the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center, which was built after a previous gift from Charles.
“Ray Charles cherished his mother,” said Valerie Ervin, president of The Ray Charles Foundation. “I know that Ray Charles had a long-standing relationship with Morehouse based on professionalism, integrity and honesty and that those qualities were very important to him, personally and professionally. He genuinely valued the education and preparation that Morehouse provides to young men.”
When President Barack Obama addresses graduates at Morehouse College on Sunday, he’ll also be speaking to the broader community of historically black colleges and universities — a proud corner of higher education that has struggled more than most during the last few years of economic distress.
The so-called HBCUs educate a hugely disproportionate share of low-income students, and both students and schools have been hit hard by a double punch. First, unemployment for blacks remains nearly double that of whites, making it harder for many students to keep up with tuition. Secondly, tougher credit standards have made it harder to secure a federal PLUS loan used by about one-third of HBCU students.
Following an FBI raid in 2005, a criminal investigation and two grand jury hearings in 2007 and 2009, six executives of IRP Solutions Corporation went to trial in the fall of 2011. The case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Kirsch in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The defendants---David Banks, Demetrius Harper, Gary Walker, Clinton Stewart, David Zirpolo and Kendrick Barnes---represented themselves pro se after feeling they did not have accurate legal representation.
This month, a shocking Department of Defense report estimated that 26,000 sexual assaults took place in the military last year. This is disgraceful: one sexual assault is too many.
But still thousands of rapes in the military are never reported, let alone brought to trial. There is a dangerous deafness to sexual assault in the military and many survivors suffer in silence.
Democrats in Congress are taking a stand to better protect our service men and women — but they need our support to ensure that independent prosecutors are deciding whether to prosecute sexual assault cases.
Will you step up and add your name in support of the Military Justice Improvement Act?
democracynow.org – On the heels of a new military survey that the number of reported violent sex crimes jumped 30 percent 2011, with active-duty female soldiers ages 18 to 21 accounting for more than half of the of the victims, we speak with Trina McDonald and Kori Cioca, two subjects of “The Invisible War,” a new documentary that examines the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, which won the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
“Not only was I astounded by the numbers, but when I started talking to the women and men who had experienced this, I was just so devastated by their stories,” says the film’s Academy Award-nominated director, Kirby Dick. “These are women and men who are very idealistic, they joined the military because they wanted to serve their country, they were incredible soldiers and then, when they were assaulted, they had the courage to come forward — even though many people advised them not to,” Dick says.
A groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America‘s most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem–today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering 19,000 violent sex crimes in the military in 2010. Twenty percent of all active-duty female soldiers are sexually assaulted. The Invisible War exposes the epidemic, breaking open one of the most under-reported stories of our generation, to the nation and the world.
The Invisible War Part 1
Published on Jan 10, 2013
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
The Invisible War is a 2012 documentary film written and directed by Kirby Dick about sexual assault in the United States military. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the U.S. Documentary Audience Award.
The Invisible War Part 2
Published on Jan 16, 2013
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
The Invisible War is a 2012 documentary film written and directed by Kirby Dick about sexual assault in the United States military. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the U.S. Documentary Audience Award.
The Invisible War – Interview with Directors Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering on BYOD
Published on May 22, 2012
Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering from the documentary “The Invisible War,” which sheds light on the endemic problem of sexual assault in the US military.
The film has been shaking viewers into action with it’s heart wrenching illumination of the great military shame of sexual violence in its ranks.
Kirby Dick – is an Academy Award-nominated documentary director, one of the most prolific and eclectic filmmakers working in the field today. Dick has been a regular contributor at Sundance Film Festival over the years. His films have screened at the Venice, Berlin, Toronto, San Sebastian, Locarno, Edinburgh, Yamagata Film Festivals and many others as well. His latest film “The Invisible War” received this year’s coveted Audience Award: Documentary at Sundance 2012. Dick is also one of the founders and creative directors of Chain Camera Pictures, a Los Angeles-based company that produces critically acclaimed documentaries for international theatrical and television release.
BYOD is co-hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!,” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice, and Vladimir Radovanov, entertainment attorney, and executive producer of “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC.” Each week the show explores a different documentary filmmaker or aspect of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films. Ondi and Vladimir share their insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation. BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and film makers that deserve exposure.
FACT SHEET ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ANNUAL REPORT ON
SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY FOR FISCAL 2011
APRIL 13, 2012
The men and women of the U.S. military deserve an environment that is free from the
threat of sexual assault. Service members and their families must feel secure enough to
report this crime without fear of retribution and commanders must hold offenders
appropriately accountable. Under the leadership of the secretary of defense and the
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the department is actively pursuing additional
policy and training changes to help address this challenging issue.
The Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 requires the
Department of Defense to submit to the Committees on Armed Services an annual report
on sexual assaults involving members of the armed forces. The report ensures
transparency on sexual assault reports, investigations, and case dispositions of those
accused of the crime. It also provides department and Congressional leadership with
information to evaluate and help address the problem. The reporting period spans from
Oct. 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2011.
Reporting Data
The military services received a total of 3,192 reports of sexual assault during fiscal
2011. Of the 3,192 reports of sexual assault, 2,439 were unrestricted reports and 753
were restricted reports. This represents a one percent increase since fiscal 2010, when
there were 3,158 reports of sexual assault, consisting of 2,410 unrestricted reports and
748 restricted reports.
The department uses the term “sexual assault” to address a range of crimes including
rape, aggravated sexual assault, wrongful sexual contact, non-consensual sodomy,
abusive sexual contact, aggravated sexual contact, and indecent assault. The annual
report includes case synopses, case dispositions, and punishments imposed in cases
involving unrestricted reports.
Unrestricted reports result in notification to the victim’s command, the initiation of a law
enforcement investigation, and the provision of care and services to the victim.
Restricted reports of sexual assaults are made to specific parties within the department
(e.g., a sexual assault response coordinator, victim advocate, or medical personnel) and
allow the victim to receive care and services; however, at the victim’s request, these
reports are not investigated because of the victim’s desire for confidentiality. A restricted
report, however, may later be changed by the victim to an unrestricted report.
Investigation Data
The military criminal investigative organizations (MCIOs) such as Criminal Investigation
Division, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Naval Criminal Investigative Services, completed a total of 2,449 investigations involving 2,933 individuals in fiscal
2011. Of the 2,933 subjects of investigations, case outcomes were completed and
reported on 2,353 subjects during the fiscal year. Case dispositions for the remaining
subjects will be reported in forthcoming years.
Based on the completed investigations, the MCIOs provided cases on 1,518 subjects to
commanders to review for possible disciplinary action. The remaining 486 subjects were
found to be outside of the department’s legal authority (e.g., U.S. civilians, foreign
nationals, military subjects prosecuted by civilian or foreign authority, or unidentified
subjects). During the investigation process, the MCIOs determined that allegations
against 349 subjects were unfounded.
Disciplinary Actions
Commanders had sufficient evidence to take disciplinary action against 989 of the 1,518
subjects. Of these, 791 were disciplined for a sexual assault offense: 489 subjects had
courts-martial charges preferred against them, 187 subjects received non-judicial
punishment, 48 subjects were administratively discharged, and 67 subjects received other
adverse administrative actions. In addition, commanders took action against 198 subjects
for non-sexual assault offenses discovered during the investigation.
The remaining subjects were involved in cases that could not go forward because the
victim declined to participate, there was insufficient evidence to prosecute, the statute of
limitations expired, or the cases were determined by the commander to be unfounded.
Non-judicial punishment and administrative action remain important forms of discipline
in cases where the available evidence or nature of the offense would not warrant criminal
charges in a civilian setting.
DoD Safe Helpline
In April 2011, the department launched the DoD Safe Helpline as a crisis support service
for victims of sexual assault. For the first time, the annual report on sexual assault
includes usage statistics of this important service. The helpline is available 24 hours a
day via web, phone, or text message and is operated by the non-profit Rape, Abuse, and
Incest National Network through a contractual agreement with the department. Between
its launch in April 2011 through Sept. 2011, the Safe Helpline assisted more than 770
individuals.
There have been many spiritual teachers who have advocated the path of peace. In this path people walk without regard to race, religion or ethnicity.I believe that these people are very enlightened souls who carry the responsibility of lighting the path of peace for others to follow. It takes a special heart and an open, accepting soul to do all that is required for peace.
On the day that another Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson turns 67- Brooks Robinson turns 76. I don't know if there are two men who could be as different in personality. There was a quote someone once had comparing the two men- I can't recall who it was but the quote was "Brooks Robinson never had a candy bar named after him.
RT @citiZENsROCK: Dear @GOP: If you’re looking for “an enormous national security failure,” don’t keep spinning Benghazi—take a hard look a…Still A MilitantNegro 3 hours ago
Jueseppi B.
