Mar-Saline Branch of the NAACP

Saturday, September 23, 2006

The Conscience of Saline/Lafayette County - September 23, 2006

Health & Medicine

10 things men must know about prostate cancer By Susan Yara

At the age of 53, Joe DiBlasi, a music composer and producer who had worked with such artists as Frank Sinatra, considered himself a healthy man. He was in great physical shape and ate a fairly typical diet. And, like many men, he avoided seeing doctors...he'd managed to go without a checkup or medical test for 15 years, until his wife, Lisa, decided it was time for an appointment. MSNBC

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Judge Strikes Down Missouri Voter ID Requirement

"Law is found to be unconstitutional, and hampers election freedoms"

The NAACP legal team and its partners scored another victory in preserving the right of all Americans to cast an unfettered ballot. Yesterday a judge struck down Missouri's new voter identification law as an unconstitutional infringement on the right to vote.

Circuit Judge Richard Callahan considered two combined lawsuits claiming the requirement that demands voters show a federal or Missouri-issued photo ID at the polls was an unconstitutional burden on voters. The judge agreed, issuing an injunction halting implementation of the law and directed Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan to provide notice of the judgment to eachthe 116e116 election authorities in the state.

Once again the actions of those who would curtail and deny Americans this precious and sacred right has not stood legitimate legal challenge, said NAACP General Counsel Dennis C. Hayes. "We will continue to monitor and forcibly act against such attacks on the rights of all Americans."

Callahan said the requirement is a particularly troublesome to women and the poor because a separate Missouri law requires those obtaining or renewing a driver's license to show they are lawfully in the country, generally with a birth certificate or passport.

Those whose names have changed, such as some married women, also must provide documents verifying those changes. While the voter Identification card would be free, the underlying paperwork has a cost, which the judge found unacceptable. "The Missouri NAACP worked hard to bring attention to this unconstitutional law," said Mary Ratliff, president of the Missouri State Conference-NAACP. "We are pleased that Judge Callahan agreed with us. This law was especially burdensome for low income voters. Striking it down was the right thing to do."

Prior to 2002, voters in the state, like most of the country were generally not required to present any form of identification as a condition of voting. In 2002 the Missouri legislature required that some form of identification be presented, but allowed any one of several forms of ID readily available to virtually all registered voters. Earlier this year, the legislature further revised the election laws and eliminated many of the forms of identification that were previously acceptable and established a strict photo ID requirement essentially allowing only those photo IDs that are dated and issued by the state, its national guard or U.S. military.

In his order, Judge Callahan wrote: "Unlike the photo ID laws in most other states, the Missouri law has few real alternatives to a state issued ID, and places most of the burden on the citizen voter". "The photo ID burden placed on the voter may seem minor or inconsequential to the mainstream of our society", the judge continued. "However for the elderly, the poor, the undereducated, or otherwise disadvantaged, the burden can be great if not insurmountable, and it is those very people outside the mainstream of society who are the least equipped to bear the costs or navigate the many bureaucracies necessary to obtain the required documentation."

The judge noted that the 2006 Missouri Voter Protection Act, of which the photo ID requirement is a part, is unconstitutional and violates MissouriÂs own constitution because it: Created impermissible additional qualifications to vote Required the payment of money to vote, in violation of the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the state constitution. Violated the prohibition on interference with the "free exercise of the right of suffrage" and requirements that all elections be free and open. Created an undue burden on the fundamental right to vote that is not narrowly tailored to meet a compelling state interest, in violation of the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the state constitution.

The NAACP was joined in the suit by Give Missourians a Raise Inc. and six other citizen plaintiffs that filed suit in Cole County Circuit Court.
The NAACP is also opposed to a provision expected to be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives in coming weeks. House Resolution 4844 would require all voters to show some form of federally-approved photo identification before being able to cast their vote by the year 2008. It would also require states to ask for documented proof of citizenship by the year 2010.

This legislation flies in the face of our right, guaranteed by the Constitution as well as the recently reauthorized 1965 Voting Rights Act, which mandates that no state or municipality shall in any way infringe on our right to vote. H.R. 4844 re-creates new obstacles in voting akin to a modern day 'poll-taxÂ' by forcing U.S citizens to pay for government approved ID that many of our most vulnerable citizens do not have or cannot easily obtain to prove their citizenship.

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.

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Missouri NAACP Annual State Conference

To: Regional Director, NAACP Missouri Unit

From: Mary A. Ratliff, State Conference President

The Missouri State Annual Conference will be held Friday Starting at 12:00n and Saturday, (September 29-30), 2006 at the Hawthorn Park Hotel, 2431 North Glenstone, Springfield, MO 65803 Ph: (417 - 831-3131) - (Fax: 417 - 831-2582).

Registration begins at 12:00 noon on Friday Adult Registration fee: 30.00. Allouth Registration $30.00All Branches remember to be in good standing your assessments must be current. Your Branch assessments and further conference information will be forth coming from Ms. Willa StSecretary. Wetate Conference Seretary.We need to have every president, every officer and executive Committee member in attendance. This is a very important election year and we have many issues on the table in Missouri.

The National Board has mandated that every conference will have training components as out lined by the board during each State Conference meeting. Presidents Remember, if you are leading and nobody is following, you are not leading, you are just taking a walk. Our State conference meeting should be just as important to us as the National Convention, because WE have the opportunity to influence Our State issues.

The National Youth Director will be attending the Conference, and other National Staffiled to attend. Since we filied the Photo I.D. lawsuit, Hilary could come.

God Bless and hope to see you all in Springfield September 29 and 30th. Mary A. Ratliff, President Missouri State Conference

DRAFT Schedule:

Friday -9/29

12:00 Registration begins
1 -2.p.m. LConferencelative session (MO St. Conf.)
3 - 5 Education Workshop
6:00 Soul Food Dinner (the location of the sointernational Ministriesope InternationalMinistries, 901 N. MOospect Ave. Springfield,on the5802. The church sits onthe corner of Central and Prospect, Centrchurch'seast and west, the churchis one block east of the corner of National and Central.)

Program Saturday - 9/30

9:a.m. - 3:p.m. YOUTH WORKSHOPS
9:a.m - 11 Membership/Branch Administration
11 - 12 Health
12:00 Luncheon
1:00 - 2:30 Criminal Justice
2:30 Break
2:30 - 4:45 Political Action
4:45 - 5: 15 p.m. Legislative Session
6:30 Banquet

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MEMBERSHIP IS POWER! JOIN THE NAACP TODAY. For more information, call your local NAACP branch #4069. @660886.5695 or marshallnaacp@socket.net or visit http://www.naacp.org/

Friday, August 11, 2006

The Conscience of Saline County---Where Knowledge is Power!!!

Hilary O. Shelton, Director NAACP Washington Bureau,

Freedom Fund Banquet Speaker

The Mar-Saline Branch of the NAACP announces its Freedom Fund Banquet. The Banquet is September 2, 2006 in the R. Wilson Brown Room on the campus of Missouri Valley College. The banquet is preceded with a guest of honor reception beginning at 5:30 PM. Tickets to the gala is $30.00.

Hilary O. Shelton, presently serves as Director to the NAACP's Washington Bureau. The Washington Bureau is the Federal legislative and national public policy division of the national civil rights organization. In this capacity, Hilary is responsible for advocating the federal public policy issue agenda of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized civil rights organization in the United States to the U.S. Government. Hilary's government affairs portfolio includes crucial issues such as affirmative action, equal employment protection, access to quality education, stopping gun violence, ending racial profiling, abolition of the death penalty, access to comprehensive healthcare, voting rights protection, federal sentencing reform and a host of civil rights enforcement, expansion and protection issues.

Prior to serving as director to the NAACP Washington Bureau, Hilary served in the position of Federal Liaison/Assistant Director to the Government Affairs Department of The College Fund/UNCF, formerly known as The United Negro College Fund in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, Hilary worked with Senate and House Members of the U.S. Congress, Federal Agencies and Departments, college and university presidents and faculty members, as well as the White House to secure the survival, growth and educational programming excellence of the 39 private historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States.Prior to working for The College Fund/UNCF.

Hilary served as a Federal Policy Program Director to the 8.5 million-member United Methodist Churches' social justice advocacy agency, The General Board of Church & Society. In this capacity, Hilary advocated for the national and international United Methodist Churches' public policy agenda affecting a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties issues including preserving equal opportunity programs such as affirmative action, securing equal high quality public education for all Americans, guaranteeing greater access to higher education and strengthening our nation's historically Black colleges and universities, abolition of the death penalty, reforming the criminal justice system, voting rights protection and expansion, gun control and a host of other social justice policy concerns.

Hilary serves on a number of national boards of directors including, The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, The Center for Democratic Renewal, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute among many others. Playing an integral role in the crafting and final passage of such crucial federal legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Hilary was also instrumental in ushering through to passage, The Civil Rights Restoration Act, The Violence Against Women Act, The Hate Crimes Statistics Act, The Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act, The National Voter Registration Act, The National Assault Weapons Ban, The Brady Handgun Law, Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act and many other crucial laws and policy measures affecting the quality of our lives and equality in our society.

Hilary has humbly received a number of awards and recognitions for his unwavering dedication to civil rights and the mission and goals of the NAACP. Among the many awards to which he is most grateful for receiving, Mr. Shelton is the proud recipient of the National NAACP Medgar W. Evers Award for Excellence, one of the highest honor presented by the national NAACP for Outstanding Service, Sincere Dedication and Commitment to the Mission of the NAACP, the Israeli Embassy and Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism's 2005 Civil Rights Leadership Award, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus Chairman's Award In Recognition and Appreciation for Dedication, Leadership and Commitment to Advancing the Cause of Civil Rights for All Americans.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a family of 6 brothers and sisters, Hilary holds degrees in political science, communications, and legal studies from Howard University in Washington, D.C., the University of Missouri St. Louis, and Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, respectively.Hilary presently lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife Paula Young Shelton and their three sons, masters Caleb Wesley, Aaron Joshua, and Noah Ottis Young Shelton.
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NAACP CALLS FOR A REAL INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE

URGES CONGRESS TO PASS THE FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT AS SOON AS THEY RETURN TO DC FROM THEIR AUGUST DISTRICT WORK PERIOD

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THE ISSUE: Just prior to leaving for their August district work period, the United States Senate defeated, by only 3 votes, an attempt to bring up and pass a flawed minimum wage increase. Specifically, the bill that was being considered would have helped 1.8 million fewer American families than the proposal long supported by the NAACP, and it would have drastically reduced the wages of more than one million tipped workers.

Now we must fight even harder than before for a genuine increase in the minimum wage. It is the utmost of hypocrisy for many Members of Congress to suddenly be in strong support of an increase of the minimum wage, and go so far as to agree that it is long overdue, when it is tied to a tax break for the wealthiest Americans but not support a "clean" minimum wage bill that would help all the workers and families it is intended to help.

A real increase in the federal minimum wage is long overdue. Real wages are actually declining for the first time in more than a decade, while the price of everything from healthcare, gasoline and food are rising rapidly. At the current minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, a worker who works 40 hours a week for 52 weeks a year earns $10,712. This is almost $2,000 below the 2003 poverty level for a family of 2 (a parent and a child).

Currently, 7.5 million American workers earn between $5.15 an hour and $8 an hour; 84% of them are adults over the age of 20. Nearly half of them are married or have children. Over half of them are women, and 60% of them work full time.

The Fair Minimum Wage Act has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) (S. 1062) and in the House by Congressman George Miller (D-CA) (H.R. 2429). This legislation would raise the current $5.15 minimum wage by 70 cents six months after enactment (to $5.85 an hour); an additional 70 cents (to $6.55 an hour) a year later, and a final 70 cent increase (to $7.25 an hour) a year after that. This increase will help real workers who work hard to support themselves and their families; ethnic minority Americans make up nearly 40% of those who would benefit from the increase.

We must pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act now. No one who works hard for a living should be forced to exist well below the poverty level. Please click here to view the entire Action Alert.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT MATTER!!! If you have any questions, call Hilary Shelton at the Washington Bureau at (202) 463-2940.
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Voter Suppression in Missouri
Published: NY Times August 10, 2006

Missouri is the latest front in the Republican Party's campaign to use photo ID requirements to suppress voting. The Republican legislators who pushed through Missouri's ID law earlier this year said they wanted to deter fraud, but that claim falls apart on close inspection. Missouri's new ID rules and similar ones adopted last year in Indiana and Georgia are intended to deter voting by blacks, poor people and other groups that are less likely to have driver's licenses. Georgia's law has been blocked by the courts, and the others should be too.

Even before Missouri passed its new law, it had tougher ID requirements than many states. Voters were required, with limited exceptions, to bring ID with them to the polls, but university ID cards, bank statements mailed to a voter's address, and similar documents were acceptable. The new law requires a government-issued photo ID, which as many as 200,000 Missourians do not have.

Missourians who have driver's licenses will have little trouble voting, but many who do not will have to go to considerable trouble to get special ID's. The supporting documents needed to get these, like birth certificates, often have fees attached, so some Missourians will have to pay to keep voting. It is likely that many people will not jump all of the bureaucratic hurdles to get the special ID, and will become ineligible to vote.

Not coincidentally, groups that are more likely to vote against the Republicans who passed the ID law will be most disadvantaged. Advocates for blacks, the elderly and the disabled say that those groups are less likely than the average Missourian to have driver's licenses, and most likely to lose their right to vote. In close elections, like the bitterly contested U.S. Senate race now under way in the state, this disenfranchisement could easily make the difference in who wins.

The new law's supporters say its purpose is to deter fraud. But there is little evidence of imposter voting, the sort of fraud that ID laws are aimed at, in Missouri or anywhere else. Groups in Missouri that want to suppress voting have a long history of crying fraud, but investigations by the Justice Department and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, among others, have refuted such claims in the past. If the Legislature really wanted to deter fraud, it would have focused its efforts on absentee ballots, which are a notorious source of election fraud and are not covered by Missouri's new ID requirements.

Because of the important constitutional issues these laws raise, courts will have the final say. Federal and state judges have already blocked Georgia's ID law from taking effect, and although Indiana's law was upheld earlier this year, that ruling is on appeal. Missouri voting-rights advocates recently filed suit against their state's law.

Unduly onerous voter ID laws violate equal protection, and when voters have to pay to get the ID's, they are an illegal poll tax. They are also an insult to democracy, because their goal is to have elections in which eligible voters are turned away.

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MEMBERSHIP IS POWER! JOIN THE NAACP TODAY. For more information, call your local NAACP branch #4069. @660886.5695 or marshallnaacp@socket.net or visit http://www.naacp.org/

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

The Conscience of Saline County - Speaking Truth to Power (7-27-06)

BRIEFING NOTES: Voting Rights Act, Reauthorization

BACKGROUND

The NAACP strongly endorses the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 (S. 2703/H.R. 9) which was introduced on May 2, 2006 to reauthorize expiring portions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 is a hard won milestone of the Civil Rights Movement and the single most effective piece of civil rights legislation ever passed. The VRA has protected the franchise of millions of minority voters against discriminatory measures such as poll taxes, literacy tests, racially biased redistricting plans and language barriers designed to limit minority access to the ballot.

Though the sections of the Voting Rights Act that guarantee that no one may be denied the right to vote based on their race are permanent, the expiring sections are crucial to protecting the franchise of minority voters. The sections of the VRA that will expire in 2007 if not reauthorized by Congress are Section 5 which requires those states with a history of discriminatory voting practices to preclear their election plans to ensure that they are fair and equitable; Section 203 which provides greater access to the electoral process for Limited English Proficient (LEP) voters; and Sections 6 and 9 which allow federal monitors to protect voters from intimidation and harassment at the polls. Each one of the expiring sections of the VRA remains vital to ensuring equal access to the ballot for all Americans. More>>

and more>>

Possible Litigation

Missouri's SB 1014 Photo ID Law

The NAACP is now exploring possible responses to the Election Reforms recently signed into law in Missouri and I am in need of your assistance to identify people who will be adversely affected most by this ID law. The criteria being used would probably have the following characteristics:

They do not have one of the forms of photo ID required:
1 - Getting such an ID would be impossible, or very difficult, because they can't get the documentation (can't get a birth certificate, from out of state, or because they were born at home without a birth certification), or because going to get such an ID would be a hardship
2 - Ideally, they'll have voted before in Missouri for many years
3 - They were not on or before 1/1/41. 4 - College Student who resides in another county other than election poll.

If you know of people in your communities who might fit these characteristics, or know of others who might know such people, we would very much like to meet them and speak with them. We would like to meet with them over the next 2-weeks to begin our preparations.
I know that the storm has presently caused numerous problems, still it would be a greater tragedy if we allow the possible pending storm that would silence the voices of our congregations and communities to happen without any due diligence or preparation. Please forward any names and contact information, or you can have them to contact me directly.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Rev. Gill Ford, Region IV Director 4477 Woodson Road, Suite 201 St. Louis, MO 63134 314 428-9900 Phone 314 428-9904 Fax

Mary Ratliff, MO NAACP State Conference President, marrat300@aol.com

Join the NAACP
Protect the hard-earned civil rights gains of the past three decades. Join Now » Unit #4069

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

The Conscience of the County - Speaking Truth to Power!!!! (071406)

Civil Rights

Slavery reparations gaining momentum
By Erin Texeira, Associated Press
Advocates who say black Americans should be compensated for slavery and its Jim Crow aftermath are quietly chalking up victories and gaining momentum. Fueled by the work of scholars and lawyers, their campaign has morphed in recent years from a fringe-group rallying cry into sophisticated, mainstream movement. Most recently, a pair of churches apologized for their part in the slave trade, and one is studying ways to repay black church members. The overall issue is hardly settled, even among black Americans: Some say that focusing on slavery shouldn't be a top priority or that it doesn't make sense to compensate people generations after a historical wrong. Yahoo! News

"Progress through Partnership"

2006 MLBCF Midwestern Conference

Tan-Tar-A Resort Lake Of the Ozarks, Missouri

July 13-16, 2006

Voting Our Values, Valuing Our Votes

NAACP 97TH Annual Convention opens July 15

in the nation's capital

Several thousand delegates and visitors from around the nation are expected to attend the 97th Annual National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Convention, July 15-20 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. This marks the seventh time the NAACP has held its annual convention in the nation's capital. The theme of this year's convention is "Voting Our Values, Valuing Our Votes."

NAACP President and CEO Bruce S. Gordon said: "I look forward to my first convention as President and CEO of this great organization. African Americans have made great strides in this country, but there are still civil rights battles to be fought. The attempt by some members of Congress to stall a vote on extending the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is just one example of why the NAACP must continue to exist and to prosper."

NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman Julian Bond said: "Our annual conventions bring together committed civil rights activists from across the nation to re-charge their batteries and to learn new techniques in fighting old evils. We’ll stress the importance of valuing our votes and will leave Washington determined to vote our values."

Convention highlights include the historic re-presentation of " The Great Tablet" at John Brown's Fort at Harper's Ferry in West, Virginia; daily tours to the African American Civil Rights Museum; a health symposium on HIV/AIDS; keynote addresses by Julian Bond and Bruce S. Gordon; the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the NAACP Youth and College Division; a legislative session on the "Voting Rights Act Reauthorization;" Continuing Legal Education and health workshops and the Spingarn Awards Dinner honoring Dr. Benjamin S. Carson.

Roslyn Brock, Vice Chair, NAACP National Board of Directors and Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, said: "The NAACP Board Convention Planning Committee looks forward to welcoming delegates and friends to the 97th Annual NAACP Convention. This year's theme speaks to the many heartaches, the tears and blood that were shed in the fight for full citizenship rights. We cannot and will not be turned back." More

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Protect the hard-earned civil rights gains of the past three decades. Unit #4069

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Friday, July 07, 2006

The Conscience of the County - Speaking TRUTH to POWER!!!

Photo Identification for Voting

The Basics:
Senate Bill 1014 became law on June 14, 2006. This law makes changes in the requirements for voting. The Department of Revenue is responsible for issuing photo identification cards (called non-driver licenses) to anyone who does not have any other form of photo identification and needs one for voting.

Nearly 96 percent of Missourians will be unaffected by this change. If you have a Missouri driver license, non-driver license or permit, a U.S. military ID without an expiration date that features your photo, or any other ID that satisfies the requirements listed below, you may present that ID to vote.

Your local election officials will determine whether your identification meets the requirements listed below. The Department of Revenue and its contract offices will NOT be the arbiter of such questions.

It is important to note that the August 2006 election will be conducted like any other previous election. There are no law changes that affect voting in the August 2006 election.

The Specifics:

Identification Requirements for Voting

When DON'T I Need a Photo ID

Your Options

How to Obtain or Renew a Missouri Nondriver License

Proof of Lawful Presence, Proof of Identity, Proof of Residency

Other Information & Contact Phone Number

White House to Ease Medicaid Rule on Proof of Citizenship

By ROBERT PEAR
Published: July 7, 2006
WASHINGTON, July 6,2006 The Bush administration said Thursday that it would exempt millions of the most vulnerable Medicaid recipients from a new law that requires them to prove they are United States citizens by showing birth certificates, passports or other documents.
The action was apparently intended to pre-empt a ruling by a federal judge who is scheduled to hold a hearing on Friday on a lawsuit challenging the new requirement, which took effect on July 1.

Dr. Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that more than 8 million of the 55 million Medicaid recipients would be "exempt from the new documentation requirement" because they had established their citizenship when they applied for Medicare or Supplemental Security Income.

Medicaid, financed jointly by the federal government and the states, provides health insurance for low-income people, including many in nursing homes. Medicare provides health insurance for people who are 65 and older or disabled. Supplemental Security Income is a cash assistance program for people with very low incomes who are elderly, blind or disabled. About six million people receive Medicare and Medicaid. In most states, people receiving Supplemental Security Income are entitled to Medicaid.
Dr. McClellan said the exemption would apply, for example, to "people with mental retardation who have never worked and to many nursing home residents." Critics of the new law had said it would be difficult for many people with mental retardation, Alzheimer's disease and other mental impairments to produce the documents needed to comply.

Under the law, anyone who has Medicaid coverage or applies for it must present "documentary evidence of citizenship." Previously, more than 40 states had accepted the applicants' written statements as proof of citizenship unless the claims seemed questionable. "Self-attestation of citizenship and identity is no longer an acceptable practice," the administration said in a rule issued on Thursday evening.

The new documentation requirement is part of the Deficit Reduction Act, signed by President Bush on Feb. 8. It is meant to stop the "theft of Medicaid benefits by illegal aliens," in the words of Representative Charlie Norwood, Republican of Georgia, a principal author of the provision.
In an unusual preamble to the new rule, the Bush administration said it believed that Congress had intended to exempt Medicaid beneficiaries who were also receiving Medicare or Supplemental Security Income.

The law says the documentation requirement "shall not apply to an alien who is eligible for medical assistance" if the person is also enrolled in one of the other two programs. The administration said this was "clearly a drafting error." Congress intended an exemption for citizens, "but accidentally used the term 'alien,' " the preamble says. New York Times

Voting Rights Act Reauthorization

Tell Congress to stop stalling and renew the Voting Rights Act. Equality in voting is fundamental to the American democratic system. For more than 40 years, the Voting Rights Act has protected the right of every American citizen to cast an informed vote. Sign the petition now

Career Opportunity

If you know of anyone between 18-28 years old, interested in the Nursing field, University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is offering FREE tuition, FREE books, a $250 monthly stipend, and guaranteed job placement as a Nurse at Providence Hospital upon graduation (it's a 3 year program) with a starting salary of $40,000. The program is recruiting new students now! Please contact Ms. Beshon Smith (202)266-5481 or email: Bsmith@urbanalliance.org

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Protect the hard-earned civil rights gains of the past three decades. Unit #4069

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Friday, June 30, 2006

The Conscience of the County - Speaking Truth to Power!!! 070106

VALUE OUR VOTE!!!!

As the nation’s largest civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has been a leading advocate for the empowerment of individuals and communities across the country. As we look to the future we hold our testimony of past and present experiences close. While we have accomplished so much in the struggle for civil rights, we acknowledge the disparities that remain and continue to renew our commitment for change.

This year, we pause and reflect on the impact that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita made in the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters here in the Gulf Coast Region. While over the past several months the NAACP has committed more than $2 million towards relief and advocacy efforts in the region, we clearly recognize we have a long way to go to adequately secure the education, housing and employment rights of our brothers and sisters.

In an effort to empower communities across the nation to proactively address similar social challenges, the NAACP is launching 2 major national initiatives;
the "Arrive with 5" voter empowerment campaign and the "Equity Matters" education campaign.

The NAACP continues to fight the good fight, but we cannot do it alone. Join our "Arrive with 5" and "Equity Matters" campaigns and make a commitment to empowering our community.

Let’s Value Our Vote and Vote Our Values on November 7, 2006.

Sincerely,

Bruce S. Gordon

FOR YOUR HEALTH
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). Human papilloma virus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own.

Some of these viruses are called "high-risk" types, and may cause abnormal Pap tests. They may also lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Others are called "low-risk" types, and they may cause mild Pap test abnormalities or genital warts. Genital warts are single or multiple growths or bumps that appear in the genital area, and sometimes are cauliflower shaped.

Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.

The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through genital contact. Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected persons are unaware they are infected; yet they can transmit the virus to a sex partner. Rarely, a pregnant woman can pass HPV to her baby during vaginal delivery. A baby that is exposed to HPV very rarely develops warts in the throat or voice box.

Most people who have a genital HPV infection do not know they are infected. The virus lives in the skin or mucous membranes and usually causes no symptoms. Some people get visible genital warts, or have pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, vulva, anus, or penis. Very rarely, HPV infection results in anal or genital cancers.

Genital warts usually appear as soft, moist, pink, or flesh-colored swellings, usually in the genital area. They can be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large, and sometimes cauliflower shaped. They can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. After sexual contact with an infected person, warts may appear within weeks or months, or not at all.

Genital warts are diagnosed by visual inspection. Visible genital warts can be removed by medications the patient applies, or by treatments performed by a health care provider. Some individuals choose to forego treatment to see if the warts will disappear on their own. No treatment regimen for genital warts is better than another, and no one-treatment regimen is ideal for all cases.

Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests. A Pap test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, many of which are related to HPV. Also, a specific test is available to detect HPV DNA in women. The test may be used in women with mild Pap test abnormalities, or in women >30 years of age at the time of Pap testing. The results of HPV DNA testing can help health care providers decide if further tests or treatment are necessary. No HPV tests are available for men.

There is no "cure" for HPV infection, although in most women the infection goes away on its own. The treatments provided are directed to the changes in the skin or mucous membrane caused by HPV infection, such as warts and pre-cancerous changes in the cervix. All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities, which do not have serious consequences.

Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years. Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with "high-risk" types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.

A Pap test can detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells on the cervix. Regular Pap testing and careful medical follow-up, with treatment if necessary, can help ensure that pre-cancerous changes in the cervix caused by HPV infection do not develop into life threatening cervical cancer. The Pap test used in U.S. cervical cancer screening programs is responsible for greatly reducing deaths from cervical cancer. For 2004, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 10,520 women will develop invasive cervical cancer and about 3,900 women will die from this disease. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening.

The surest way to eliminate risk for genital HPV infection is to refrain from any genital contact with another individual. For those who choose to be sexually active, a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is the strategy most likely to prevent future genital HPV infections. However, it is difficult to determine whether a partner who has been sexually active in the past is currently infected. For those choosing to be sexually active and who are not in long-term mutually monogamous relationships, reducing the number of sexual partners and choosing a partner less likely to be infected may reduce the risk of genital HPV infection. Partners less likely to be infected include those who have had no or few prior sex partners. HPV infection can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. While the effect of condoms in preventing HPV infection is unknown, condom use has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an HPV-associated disease.

Hilary O. Shelton, Director NAACP Washington Bureau, Freedom Fund Banquet Speaker

The Mar-Saline Branch of the NAACP announced its Freedom Fund Banquet. The Banquet is September 2, 2006 in the R. Wilson Brown Room on the campus of Missouri Valley College. The banquet is preceded with a guest of honor reception beginning at 5:30 PM. Tickets to the gala is $30.00.

Prior to serving as director to the NAACP Washington Bureau, Hilary served in the position of Federal Liaison/Assistant Director to the Government Affairs Department of The College Fund/UNCF, formerly known as The United Negro College Fund in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, Hilary worked with Senate and House Members of the U.S. Congress, Federal Agencies and Departments, college and university presidents and faculty members, as well as the White House to secure the survival, growth and educational programming excellence of the 39 private historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Prior to working for The College Fund/UNCF, Hilary served as a Federal Policy Program Director to the 8.5 million-member United Methodist Churches' social justice advocacy agency, The General Board of Church & Society. In this capacity, Hilary advocated for the national and international United Methodist Churches' public policy agenda affecting a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties issues including preserving equal opportunity programs such as affirmative action, securing equal high quality public education for all Americans, guaranteeing greater access to higher education and strengthening our nation's historically Black colleges and universities, abolition of the death penalty, reforming the criminal justice system, voting rights protection and expansion, gun control and a host of other social justice policy concerns.

Hilary serves on a number of national boards of directors including, The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, The Center for Democratic Renewal, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute among many others.Playing an integral role in the crafting and final passage of such crucial federal legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Hilary was also instrumental in ushering through to passage, The Civil Rights Restoration Act, The Violence Against Women Act, The Hate Crimes Statistics Act, The Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act, The National Voter Registration Act, The National Assault Weapons Ban, The Brady Handgun Law, Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act and many other crucial laws and policy measures affecting the quality of our lives and equality in our society.

Hilary has humbly received a number of awards and recognitions for his unwavering dedication to civil rights and the mission and goals of the NAACP. Among the many awards to which he is most grateful for receiving, Mr. Shelton is the proud recipient of the National NAACP Medgar W. Evers Award for Excellence, one of the highest honor presented by the national NAACP for Outstanding Service, Sincere Dedication and Commitment to the Mission of the NAACP, the Israeli Embassy and Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism's 2005 Civil Rights Leadership Award, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus Chairman's Award In Recognition and Appreciation for Dedication, Leadership and Commitment to Advancing the Cause of Civil Rights for All Americans.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a family of 6 brothers and sisters, Hilary holds degrees in political science, communications, and legal studies from Howard University in Washington, D.C., the University of Missouri St. Louis, and Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, respectively.Hilary presently lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife Paula Young Shelton and their three sons, masters Caleb Wesley, Aaron Joshua, and Noah Ottis Young Shelton.

A letter to NAACP Members and Supporters from Dr. John H. Johnson, Chief Policy Officer

Equality in voting is fundamental to the American democratic system. For more than 40 years, the Voting Rights Act has protected the right of every American citizen to cast an informed vote. Consequently, the NAACP strongly encourages Congress to swiftly reauthorize the Voting Rights Act (Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 [S. 2703/H.R. 9]).
Although the reauthorizing legislation was introduced in Congress on May 2, 2006, on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, a small band of obstructionists in the House of Representatives hampered the reauthorization process by stalling H.R. 9. These congressional obstructionists—like Representatives Lynn Westmorland (GA), Charlie Norwood (GA) and others—represent retrogressive forces that America hasn't seen at this level since the 1960s.
Many of those trying to derail this bill represent states with the most egregious records of discrimination in voting. Their actions would return us to a time when the rights of racial and ethnic minority Americans-specifically the right to vote-were not protected or enforced.
Leaders in the House of Representatives must move past this small group of obstructionists and get the bill back on track immediately. The nation's continued progress towards equality demands this.
Starting on Wednesday, June 27, 2006, the NAACP will join People for the American Way and the National Education Association to hand-deliver signed petitions gathered from around the country to the House leadership.
Tell Congress to stop stalling and renew the Voting Rights Act. Please sign the petition now to tell Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, and Majority Leader, John Boehner, to stand up and lead the effort to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act!

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Saturday, June 24, 2006

The Conscience of the County - Speaking Truth to Power!!!

NAACP Rallies Against Voter ID Law JEFFERSON CITY - June 24, 2006...KOMU.com
The new voter ID law is in the book, but protestors say this new voter registration law will take away first amendment rights.
Ten organizations from around the state gathered on the Capitol steps this morning to show their concern. Organizations such as Rally organizer the NAACP, GRO, SEIU, AFSCME, County Clerks, Faith Community, and more voiced regrets on the passage of the bill, but expressed a greater need "...To now educate the voters and potential voters are the critical issue such as a state issued identification card by November 7, 2006...we must move forward".

The new voter ID law was signed by Gov. Blunt on June 14. It requires voters to show a Missouri drivers license, a nondriver ID or a military ID at the polls. The bill also allows those who don't have a photo ID to cast a provisional ballot until 2008. For that provisional ballot to count, voters must get an affidavit from two election judges.

Protestors say the bill targets African Americans, the elderly, and those with disabilities because these people are less likely to have a photo ID or birth certificate. NAACP leaders say their main goal is to educate and prepare voters.
"We can go out to all parts of Missouri and educate citizens about what the bill is and means and to try and help them in every way that we can to assure that they have the proper identification to register and to vote come November," said Mary Ratliff, NAACP State Conference President.
click for more

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NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY - June 27

The theme for the 2006 National HIV Testing Day is "Take The Test, Take Control." This day is set aside annually by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) to encourage at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 180,000 to 280,000 people nationwide are HIV-positive, but are unaware of their status. HIV counseling and testing enables people with HIV to take steps to protect their own health and that of their partners, and helps people who test negative to get the information they need to stay uninfected.Activities for testing opportunities are being planned around the state to offer HIV testing for those individuals who are interested in knowing their status. Attached is a flyer with contact information for HIV counseling and testing sites. For additional information, access the CDC National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) website at http://www.cdcnpin.org/, or NAPWA at http://www.napwa.org/.

Places to go for Free Testing:
Columbia-Boone County Health Department
Phone Number: 573-874-7536

St. Joseph-Buchanan County Health Department
Phone Number: 816-271-4725

Springfield-Greene County Health Department
Phone Number: 417-864-1303

AIDS Project of the Ozarks (Springfield)
Phone Number: 417-881-1900

Joplin City Health Department
Phone Number: 417-623-6122

St. Louis Metro AIDS
Phone Number: 314-879-6410

St. Louis Effort for AIDS
Phone Number: 314-645-6451

Kansas City Health Department
Phone Number: 816-513-6074

Kansas City Free Health Clinic
Phone Number: 816-777-2786

SE Missouri Health Education and Risk Reduction
Phone Number: 573-686-5283

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ACTION ALERT
URGENT
DATE: June 21, 2006

TO: Concerned Parties

FROM: Bruce Gordon, President and CEO

Hilary O. Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau
HOUSE FLOOR ACTION ON NAACP-SUPPORTED VOTING RIGHTS REAUTHORIZATION BILL STALLED BY EXTREMISTS CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND URGE THEM TO MOVE THE BILL FORWARD NOW
THE ISSUE: Earlier Wednesday, June 21, 2006, a small band of extremists in the House of Representatives hijacked H.R. 9, the bill to renew and restore the Voting Rights Act. The House had been expected to vote on the bill today. The members who hijacked the Voting Rights Act are Reps. Lynn Westmorland (GA), Charlie Norwood (GA) and others represent retrogressive forces that America hasn't seen at this level since the 1960s. Many of those trying to derail this bill represent states with the most egregious records of discrimination in voting. Their actions would return us to a time when the rights of racial and ethnic minority Americans specifically the right to vote -- were not protected or enforced.

Rarely does a bill have the bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate that H.R. 9 has. House leaders must move past this small group obstructionist and get this bill back on track immediately. The nation's continued progress towards equality demands it. Representatives are scheduled to leave Washington next week for a July 4th recess. But House members should not go home until they have finished the job of renewing the Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 9 is the product of months of intense hearings and is supported by members of both parties in the House and the Senate. The hearings demonstrated conclusively that barriers to equal minority voter protection remain in the United States today. Specifically, the legislation would reauthorize and restore expiring portions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Despite the fact that African Americans and other racial and ethnic minority Americans are guaranteed the right to vote by the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was passed just after the Civil War in 1870, states and local municipalities continued to use tactics such as poll taxes, literacy tests and outright intimidation to stop people from casting free and unfettered ballots.

Thus the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted to insure that no federal, state or local government may in any way impede people from registering to vote or voting because of their race or ethnicity. Most provisions in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and specifically the portions that guarantee that no one may be denied the right to vote because of his or her race or color, are permanent. There are, however, 3 enforcement-related provisions of the Voting Rights Act that will expire in August 2007 unless reauthorized. The hearings held in 2005 and 2006 have found a new generation of tactics, including at-large elections, annexations, last minute poll place changes and redistricting which have had a discriminatory impact on voters, especially racial and ethnic minority American voters. Thus H.R. 9 was introduced to reauthorize the portions of the VRA that will expire next year and allow the federal government to address these new challenges.
URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED! Click here: http://www.naacp.org/inc/docs/Washington/109/109_aa-2006-06-22.pdf

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Hilary O. Shelton, Director NAACP Washington Bureau, Freedom Fund Banquet Speaker

The Mar-Saline branch of the NAACP announced their freedom Fund Banquet. The Banquet is September 2, 2006 in the R. Wilson Brown Room on the campus of Missouri Valley College. The banquet is preceded with a guest of honor reception beginning at 5:30 PM. Tickets to the gala is $30.00

Hilary O. Shelton, presently serves as Director to the NAACP's Washington Bureau. The Washington Bureau is the Federal legislative and national public policy division of the national civil rights organization. In this capacity, Hilary is responsible for advocating the federal public policy issue agenda of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized civil rights organization in the United States to the U.S. Government. Hilary's government affairs portfolio includes crucial issues such as affirmative action, equal employment protection, access to quality education, stopping gun violence, ending racial profiling, abolition of the death penalty, access to comprehensive healthcare, voting rights protection, federal sentencing reform and a host of civil rights enforcement, expansion and protection issues.Prior to serving as director to the NAACP Washington Bureau, Hilary served in the position of Federal Liaison/Assistant Director to the Government Affairs Department of The College Fund/UNCF, formerly known as The United Negro College Fund in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, Hilary worked with Senate and House Members of the U.S. Congress, Federal Agencies and Departments, college and university presidents and faculty members, as well as the White House to secure the survival, growth and educational programming excellence of the 39 private historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Prior to working for The College Fund/UNCF, Hilary served as a Federal Policy Program Director to the 8.5 million-member United Methodist Churches' social justice advocacy agency, The General Board of Church & Society. In this capacity, Hilary advocated for the national and international United Methodist Churches' public policy agenda affecting a wide range of civil rights and civil liberties issues including preserving equal opportunity programs such as affirmative action, securing equal high quality public education for all Americans, guaranteeing greater access to higher education and strengthening our nation's historically Black colleges and universities, abolition of the death penalty, reforming the criminal justice system, voting rights protection and expansion, gun control and a host of other social justice policy concerns.Hilary serves on a number of national boards of directors including, The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, The Center for Democratic Renewal, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute among many others.Playing an integral role in the crafting and final passage of such crucial federal legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Hilary was also instrumental in ushering through to passage, The Civil Rights Restoration Act, The Violence Against Women Act, The Hate Crimes Statistics Act, The Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act, The National Voter Registration Act, The National Assault Weapons Ban, The Brady Handgun Law, Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act and many other crucial laws and policy measures affecting the quality of our lives and equality in our society.

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