Urban Radio Aids in Getting Black Women Registered for Sister Study – But More Needed
Date: Sunday, October 28, 2007
By: Jackie Jones, BlackAmericaWeb.com
The Sister Study, a national study that is examining the impact environment and genes may have in getting breast cancer, is nearing its goal of getting 5,000 black women to participate, but more are needed.
The study needs 50,000 women by the end of the year before research can begin, and researchers want at least 5,000 black women to participate to make the study statistically relevant. As of last week, more than 3,600 black women had signed up, according to Carrissa Dixon, a recruiter for the effort.
“It’s really going great,” Dixon told BlackAmericaWeb.com, adding that about 1,700 black women have signed up since hearing about the study on the "Tom Joyner Morning Show."
“The power of urban radio has definitely been proven in this study,” Dixon said.
Black women are less likely than white women to get breast cancer, but when they do, they are more likely to die -- especially women under 50 years of age.
A study published last June in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported black women under the age of 50 have a 77 percent higher mortality rate from breast cancer than other women of the same age.
The study, led by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill schools of Public Health and Medicine and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, said that younger, pre-menopausal black women are more prone to an especially aggressive type of cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society booklet, Cancer Facts: Seven Figures for African-Americans 2007-2008, “Factors that contribute to the higher death rates among African-American women include differences in access to and utilization of early detection and treatment, risk factors that are differentially distributed by race or socio-economic status, or biological differences associated with race.”
But it’s not just a matter of access to health care. Even after accounting for income and access to strong health care, “Poorer outcomes among African-American women persist. ... There is also evidence that aggressive tumor characteristics are more common in African-American women than white women.”
Dixon said without data on black women, researchers won’t be able to determine why black women are disproportionately affected at a younger age and why their mortality rate is higher.
“We know there are a lot more women out there who are eligible who have not responded,” Dixon said. “We’re all caught up in the concept of breast cancer research, doing all the walks and the shopping to raise money, but research is not research without data. We've just got tp get further. It’s not enough to write a check to breast cancer. The researchers can’t do anything with that money without data.”
Researchers are looking for women in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, ages 35 to 74, who never have had breast cancer but have a sister who has. The study seeks women from all races, ethnicities, geographic locations, occupations and socio-economic backgrounds.
The study requires participants to answer a questionnaire, provide urine, blood, hair and nail samples, as well as dust samples from home.
Over the 10-year course of the study, researchers will check in periodically to monitor changes in participants’ health, lifestyle and occupation. All personal information is kept confidential.
The Sister Study is not a clinical trial. Participants will not be asked to make changes in their daily lives; there are no test results.
Dixon said the researchers have committed to waiting until they get the numbers of minority women needed for the study, although the deadline for getting 50,000 women signed up is at the end of the year.
“We will probably reach 50,000 before we get the 5,000,” Dixon said. “We’re not going to stop at 50,000. We’re committed to go beyond the 50,000 through the middle of next year, if necessary,” to ensure at least 5,000 black women participate.
October 29, 2007
October 26, 2007
Genarlow Wilson freed
Genarlow Wilson released
Georgia Supreme Court rules his sentence was cruel and unusual
By TAMMY JOYNER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/26/07
Genarlow Wilson walked out of prison a free man today, ending a case that drew national umbrage over a state law that mandated a long sentence after the youth had consensual sex with another teen.
Wilson was released about 5:30 p.m. from the Burruss Correctional Training Facility in this Monroe County city, hours after the Georgia Supreme Court tossed out his 10-year sentence for having had consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17.
As Wilson, now 21, emerged from the prison escorted by two guards, he broke into a wide grin, embraced his mother Juannessa Bennett, picked up his 9-year-old sister Jiaya —who was 4 when the man's ordeal began—and walked to a podium accompanied by his family and attorney, B.J. Bernstein.
"It feels great" to be free, Genarlow said.
Wilson has served 2 years 8 months of a 10-year sentence. He was convicted in February 2005 of aggravated child molestation. The crime carried a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years with no parole.
The law was changed in 2006 to make Wilson's crime a misdemeanor with a maximum 1-year sentence when it involved teenagers within certain age ranges.
"I'd like for people to learn from my situation .... just to know a few miniutes of fun could be a lifetime of hard times," Genarlow said. "It's a whole new beginning. All I can do is start from today."
The Supreme Court on Friday morning ordered Wilson's release, voiding the controversial 10-year sentence he was serving for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. He is now 21.
The court's 4-3 decision upheld a Monroe County judge's ruling that the sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under both the Georgia and U.S. constitutions.
The majority opinion said the sentence appeared to be "grossly disproportionate" to the crime and noted that it was out of step with current law.
Wilson was convicted in February 2005 of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with the girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party in a hotel room.
The crime carried a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years with no parole. But the law was changed in 2006 to make Wilson's crime a misdemeanor with a maximum 1-year sentence when it involved teenagers within certain age ranges.
That fueled Wilson's legal appeal on grounds that he'd been unfairly sentenced under a law aimed at older offenders.
"Although society has a significant interest in protecting children from premature sexual activity, we must acknowledge that Wilson's crime does not rise to the level of culpability of adults who prey on children ..." wrote Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears in the majority opinion.
She said that "for the law to punish Wilson as it would an adult, with the extraordinarily harsh punishment of 10 years in prison without the possibility of probation or parole, appears to be grossly disproportionate to his crime."
Justice George Carley, in the dissent, said the 2006 change in the law was specifically written so it would not be retroactive. He said "the General Assembly made the express decision that he cannot benefit from the subsequent legislative determination to reduce the sentence for commission of that crime from felony to misdemeanor status."
Carley said the majority opinion showed "unprecedented disregard" for the legislative intent of the law change and creates the potential for releases of "any and all defendants who were ever convicted of aggravated child molestation and sentenced" under circumstances similar to Wilson's.
Wilson's lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, said earlier Friday that she was elated by the ruling.
"We never turned away from the courts," she said. "The Supreme Court issued a wonderful and just decision. We had faith in this all along -- although it took a little longer than we thought it would."
She said Wilson, once released, will do all he can to encourage teenagers to do the right thing.
"Genarlow is going to be committed to talking and working with young people to spread the message that he made a mistake that night and doesn't want it to happen to anyone else," he lawyer said.
In a statement issued Friday, Attorney General Thurbert Baker said he will "respectfully acknowledge" the state Supreme Court's decision.
"I hope the court's decision will also put an end to this issue as a matter of contention in the hearts and minds of concerned Georgians and others across the country who have taken such a strong interest in the case," Baker said.
Baker's office had appealed the ruling by the Monroe County Superior Court judge who overturned Wilson's felony conviction last summer and reduced it to a misdemeanor. That judge's ruling to resentence Wilson to a misdemeanor, "however well-meaning, was unauthorized under Georgia law," Baker said. "It was for this reason that I appealed, in order to (ensure) a fair and consistent application of the law, not just to Mr. Wilson, but to others similarly situated."
In its majority opinion, the state Supreme Court acknowledged that it rarely overturns sentences on grounds that they are cruel and unusual. But the court also noted it has done so twice before following legislative changes. It also said a review of other states showed that most "either would not punish Wilson's conduct at all or would, like Georgia now, punish it as a misdemeanor."
Wilson's case has drawn national attention.
U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Atlanta) said Friday that the state high court "righted a great wrong, an unbelievable wrong. This young man, each day he stayed in prison, was a day too long."
Lewis said he visited Wilson in prison a few months ago. "His head was on straight. He's smart. He realized he had made mistakes. He said, 'Congressman, I'm a good person. I want to get out and make a contribution.'"
Lewis said he will do all he can to make good on a promise to help Wilson after his release from prison.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and four state legislators held a press conference at the state Capitol on Friday, at which Jackson called for an end to "over-prosecution" of young black men. "Genarlow is a symbol of a a system that's out of control," he said. "We need oversight for prosecutors who abuse their position."
"It looks like we may be near the end for Genarlow, but let me emphasize there are a thousand -- ten thousand -- Genarlows," said state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta).
Said state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan (D-Austell): "I'm proud to say that the stain that was on the state of Georgia has been somewhat removed."
Jackson said a service is planned at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ebenezer Baptist Church to celebrate Wilson's release. He also said that his organization, Rainbow/PUSH, will contribute $5,000 to a college scholarship fund for Wilson already started by African-American members of the Legislature. "We want schools to bid to offer him scholarships," Jackson said.
Wilson was arrested following a party also attended by five other male youths. His sex act with the 15-year-old girl was videotaped by one of his friends.
Wilson was also charged with raping a 17-year-old girl at the party but was acquitted of that charge.
Several months after he was convicted of aggravated child molestation, a felony, and given the mandatory 10-year term, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation making consensual sex a misdemeanor between teenagers who were as close in age as Wilson and the 15-year-old.
The Monroe County judge's decision came last June, and the state's appeal by Baker sent the case to the Supreme Court.
Also last summer, Douglas County District Attorney David McDade offered Wilson's attorneys a deal in which he could plead guilty to another felony and get a sentence including 5 years of jail time with credit for two years served. Wilson and his lawyers rejected the deal.
Joining Sears in the majority decision were justices Carol Hunstein, Robert Benham and Hugh Thompson. Joining Carley in the dissent were justices Harris Hines and Harold Melton.
-- Staff writer Jim Galloway contributed to this report.
Georgia Supreme Court rules his sentence was cruel and unusual
By TAMMY JOYNER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/26/07
Genarlow Wilson walked out of prison a free man today, ending a case that drew national umbrage over a state law that mandated a long sentence after the youth had consensual sex with another teen.
Wilson was released about 5:30 p.m. from the Burruss Correctional Training Facility in this Monroe County city, hours after the Georgia Supreme Court tossed out his 10-year sentence for having had consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17.
As Wilson, now 21, emerged from the prison escorted by two guards, he broke into a wide grin, embraced his mother Juannessa Bennett, picked up his 9-year-old sister Jiaya —who was 4 when the man's ordeal began—and walked to a podium accompanied by his family and attorney, B.J. Bernstein.
"It feels great" to be free, Genarlow said.
Wilson has served 2 years 8 months of a 10-year sentence. He was convicted in February 2005 of aggravated child molestation. The crime carried a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years with no parole.
The law was changed in 2006 to make Wilson's crime a misdemeanor with a maximum 1-year sentence when it involved teenagers within certain age ranges.
"I'd like for people to learn from my situation .... just to know a few miniutes of fun could be a lifetime of hard times," Genarlow said. "It's a whole new beginning. All I can do is start from today."
The Supreme Court on Friday morning ordered Wilson's release, voiding the controversial 10-year sentence he was serving for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. He is now 21.
The court's 4-3 decision upheld a Monroe County judge's ruling that the sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under both the Georgia and U.S. constitutions.
The majority opinion said the sentence appeared to be "grossly disproportionate" to the crime and noted that it was out of step with current law.
Wilson was convicted in February 2005 of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with the girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party in a hotel room.
The crime carried a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years with no parole. But the law was changed in 2006 to make Wilson's crime a misdemeanor with a maximum 1-year sentence when it involved teenagers within certain age ranges.
That fueled Wilson's legal appeal on grounds that he'd been unfairly sentenced under a law aimed at older offenders.
"Although society has a significant interest in protecting children from premature sexual activity, we must acknowledge that Wilson's crime does not rise to the level of culpability of adults who prey on children ..." wrote Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears in the majority opinion.
She said that "for the law to punish Wilson as it would an adult, with the extraordinarily harsh punishment of 10 years in prison without the possibility of probation or parole, appears to be grossly disproportionate to his crime."
Justice George Carley, in the dissent, said the 2006 change in the law was specifically written so it would not be retroactive. He said "the General Assembly made the express decision that he cannot benefit from the subsequent legislative determination to reduce the sentence for commission of that crime from felony to misdemeanor status."
Carley said the majority opinion showed "unprecedented disregard" for the legislative intent of the law change and creates the potential for releases of "any and all defendants who were ever convicted of aggravated child molestation and sentenced" under circumstances similar to Wilson's.
Wilson's lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, said earlier Friday that she was elated by the ruling.
"We never turned away from the courts," she said. "The Supreme Court issued a wonderful and just decision. We had faith in this all along -- although it took a little longer than we thought it would."
She said Wilson, once released, will do all he can to encourage teenagers to do the right thing.
"Genarlow is going to be committed to talking and working with young people to spread the message that he made a mistake that night and doesn't want it to happen to anyone else," he lawyer said.
In a statement issued Friday, Attorney General Thurbert Baker said he will "respectfully acknowledge" the state Supreme Court's decision.
"I hope the court's decision will also put an end to this issue as a matter of contention in the hearts and minds of concerned Georgians and others across the country who have taken such a strong interest in the case," Baker said.
Baker's office had appealed the ruling by the Monroe County Superior Court judge who overturned Wilson's felony conviction last summer and reduced it to a misdemeanor. That judge's ruling to resentence Wilson to a misdemeanor, "however well-meaning, was unauthorized under Georgia law," Baker said. "It was for this reason that I appealed, in order to (ensure) a fair and consistent application of the law, not just to Mr. Wilson, but to others similarly situated."
In its majority opinion, the state Supreme Court acknowledged that it rarely overturns sentences on grounds that they are cruel and unusual. But the court also noted it has done so twice before following legislative changes. It also said a review of other states showed that most "either would not punish Wilson's conduct at all or would, like Georgia now, punish it as a misdemeanor."
Wilson's case has drawn national attention.
U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Atlanta) said Friday that the state high court "righted a great wrong, an unbelievable wrong. This young man, each day he stayed in prison, was a day too long."
Lewis said he visited Wilson in prison a few months ago. "His head was on straight. He's smart. He realized he had made mistakes. He said, 'Congressman, I'm a good person. I want to get out and make a contribution.'"
Lewis said he will do all he can to make good on a promise to help Wilson after his release from prison.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and four state legislators held a press conference at the state Capitol on Friday, at which Jackson called for an end to "over-prosecution" of young black men. "Genarlow is a symbol of a a system that's out of control," he said. "We need oversight for prosecutors who abuse their position."
"It looks like we may be near the end for Genarlow, but let me emphasize there are a thousand -- ten thousand -- Genarlows," said state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta).
Said state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan (D-Austell): "I'm proud to say that the stain that was on the state of Georgia has been somewhat removed."
Jackson said a service is planned at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ebenezer Baptist Church to celebrate Wilson's release. He also said that his organization, Rainbow/PUSH, will contribute $5,000 to a college scholarship fund for Wilson already started by African-American members of the Legislature. "We want schools to bid to offer him scholarships," Jackson said.
Wilson was arrested following a party also attended by five other male youths. His sex act with the 15-year-old girl was videotaped by one of his friends.
Wilson was also charged with raping a 17-year-old girl at the party but was acquitted of that charge.
Several months after he was convicted of aggravated child molestation, a felony, and given the mandatory 10-year term, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation making consensual sex a misdemeanor between teenagers who were as close in age as Wilson and the 15-year-old.
The Monroe County judge's decision came last June, and the state's appeal by Baker sent the case to the Supreme Court.
Also last summer, Douglas County District Attorney David McDade offered Wilson's attorneys a deal in which he could plead guilty to another felony and get a sentence including 5 years of jail time with credit for two years served. Wilson and his lawyers rejected the deal.
Joining Sears in the majority decision were justices Carol Hunstein, Robert Benham and Hugh Thompson. Joining Carley in the dissent were justices Harris Hines and Harold Melton.
-- Staff writer Jim Galloway contributed to this report.
October 14, 2007
October 09, 2007
Washington Post Article on BLACK AMERICA?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/08/AR2007100801324.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Which Black America?
By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, October 9, 2007; Page A17
What do Fox News polemicist Bill O'Reilly, nappy-headed radio jock Don Imus, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the leading Republican presidential candidates, the National Urban League, the NAACP and much of the national media have in common?
They don't see, or don't want to admit, that "black America" is an increasingly meaningless concept -- nearly as imprecise as just plain "America."
Why is O'Reilly under siege? Because he was shocked to learn that there exists in this country an upscale black-owned restaurant with an affluent African American clientele. Four or five decades ago, you could reasonably generalize that "black America" was poor. Today, African Americans control nearly $800 billion in annual purchasing power -- enough to dine occasionally at restaurants that have tablecloths.
Why did Imus get fired by CBS and NBC? Because now there are senior black professionals in both of those companies with the clout to march into top executives' offices and argue that Imus had to go. Also because Al Roker, an African American who happens to be one of the stars of "Today" -- often described as the most profitable show in all of television -- called publicly for Imus's head, or at least his cowboy hat.
Why does Thomas, in his pugnacious autobiography, insist that he's being persecuted for holding views that are somehow off-limits to black Americans? Apparently, it would destroy his sense of his own exceptionalism to acknowledge the many African Americans who share his conservative social views and his ethic of personal responsibility and self-help. (He's right, though, that on the subject of affirmative action, most black Americans do think he's nuts.) Why do the leading Republican candidates simply write off the African American vote, even though there's clearly a growing number of black voters who demographically fit the Republican profile? Hasn't the GOP noticed that here in the Washington area -- we're in the vanguard, but other cities are following our lead -- more African Americans live in the suburbs than in the city proper?
The Democratic candidates haven't really broadened their messages to take into account African American economic and cultural diversity, either. But at least they noticed that there now exists a cohort of black Americans with unprecedented wealth and power -- luminaries who are well worth pursuing for money and endorsements, just like their white counterparts. Hillary Clinton has snagged Magic Johnson, Bob Johnson, Quincy Jones and others. Barack Obama has nabbed Oprah Winfrey, who transcends even the rest of the transcendent.
Why does the National Urban League, an organization for which I have great respect, compile its annual "State of Black America" report in a way that makes the condition of African Americans seem both better and worse than it really is? The 2007 report's painstakingly calculated "equality index" says, for example, that African Americans score 0.57 on the economic scale (full parity with whites would be a score of 1.0). But census data suggest that there's a sizable cluster of educated, middle-class black households that would score much closer to parity with whites, and another large cluster of disadvantaged black households that would lag much further behind.
Trying to encompass all of black America in a few easily grasped numbers is far from a meaningless exercise. But it doesn't point the way toward specific policies for different segments of a diverse population.
Why has the NAACP, once such a potent force, lost so much of its membership and relevance? I would argue that it's because the organization continues to look for a "black agenda" around which we can all unite with the fervor and passion of decades past, when in fact there's a need for multiple agendas.
Why do editors, reporters, columnists and television producers keep only two phone numbers on speed dial for use whenever any news breaks concerning a black person? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they shouldn't call the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for comment -- I like and respect both, and I value what they have to say. But it's a bit much when those same reporters, editors, columnists and producers then proceed to do stories asking who appointed Jackson and Sharpton as spokesmen for all African Americans.
The problem is that we all say we want an "honest dialogue" about race, but we've been having the same old arguments for years -- affirmative action, inner-city dysfunction, overt and covert racism -- and we seem to be stuck. We need a new language, a new vocabulary and syntax.
Let's start by opening our eyes and recognizing that if there ever was a monolithic "black America" -- absolutely and uniformly deprived and aggrieved, with invariant values and attitudes -- there certainly isn't one now.
Which Black America?
By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, October 9, 2007; Page A17
What do Fox News polemicist Bill O'Reilly, nappy-headed radio jock Don Imus, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the leading Republican presidential candidates, the National Urban League, the NAACP and much of the national media have in common?
They don't see, or don't want to admit, that "black America" is an increasingly meaningless concept -- nearly as imprecise as just plain "America."
Why is O'Reilly under siege? Because he was shocked to learn that there exists in this country an upscale black-owned restaurant with an affluent African American clientele. Four or five decades ago, you could reasonably generalize that "black America" was poor. Today, African Americans control nearly $800 billion in annual purchasing power -- enough to dine occasionally at restaurants that have tablecloths.
Why did Imus get fired by CBS and NBC? Because now there are senior black professionals in both of those companies with the clout to march into top executives' offices and argue that Imus had to go. Also because Al Roker, an African American who happens to be one of the stars of "Today" -- often described as the most profitable show in all of television -- called publicly for Imus's head, or at least his cowboy hat.
Why does Thomas, in his pugnacious autobiography, insist that he's being persecuted for holding views that are somehow off-limits to black Americans? Apparently, it would destroy his sense of his own exceptionalism to acknowledge the many African Americans who share his conservative social views and his ethic of personal responsibility and self-help. (He's right, though, that on the subject of affirmative action, most black Americans do think he's nuts.) Why do the leading Republican candidates simply write off the African American vote, even though there's clearly a growing number of black voters who demographically fit the Republican profile? Hasn't the GOP noticed that here in the Washington area -- we're in the vanguard, but other cities are following our lead -- more African Americans live in the suburbs than in the city proper?
The Democratic candidates haven't really broadened their messages to take into account African American economic and cultural diversity, either. But at least they noticed that there now exists a cohort of black Americans with unprecedented wealth and power -- luminaries who are well worth pursuing for money and endorsements, just like their white counterparts. Hillary Clinton has snagged Magic Johnson, Bob Johnson, Quincy Jones and others. Barack Obama has nabbed Oprah Winfrey, who transcends even the rest of the transcendent.
Why does the National Urban League, an organization for which I have great respect, compile its annual "State of Black America" report in a way that makes the condition of African Americans seem both better and worse than it really is? The 2007 report's painstakingly calculated "equality index" says, for example, that African Americans score 0.57 on the economic scale (full parity with whites would be a score of 1.0). But census data suggest that there's a sizable cluster of educated, middle-class black households that would score much closer to parity with whites, and another large cluster of disadvantaged black households that would lag much further behind.
Trying to encompass all of black America in a few easily grasped numbers is far from a meaningless exercise. But it doesn't point the way toward specific policies for different segments of a diverse population.
Why has the NAACP, once such a potent force, lost so much of its membership and relevance? I would argue that it's because the organization continues to look for a "black agenda" around which we can all unite with the fervor and passion of decades past, when in fact there's a need for multiple agendas.
Why do editors, reporters, columnists and television producers keep only two phone numbers on speed dial for use whenever any news breaks concerning a black person? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they shouldn't call the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for comment -- I like and respect both, and I value what they have to say. But it's a bit much when those same reporters, editors, columnists and producers then proceed to do stories asking who appointed Jackson and Sharpton as spokesmen for all African Americans.
The problem is that we all say we want an "honest dialogue" about race, but we've been having the same old arguments for years -- affirmative action, inner-city dysfunction, overt and covert racism -- and we seem to be stuck. We need a new language, a new vocabulary and syntax.
Let's start by opening our eyes and recognizing that if there ever was a monolithic "black America" -- absolutely and uniformly deprived and aggrieved, with invariant values and attitudes -- there certainly isn't one now.
October 05, 2007
YOUNG PEOPLE IN LOUISIANA MOCK JENA 6 with MUD-BLACKFACE
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1002071jena1.html
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