STATE AND NATION

THURSDAY JUNE 14, 2012

THE OKLAHOMA EAGLE

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Governor Mary Fallin To Host United Negro College Fund's Inaugural Oklahoma Governor's Luncheon
Proceeds To Benefit Oklahoma Low-Income College Students And Langston University
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. UNCF (United Negro College Fund) the nation's largest and most effective education assistance organization, announced that Oklahoma Governor, the Honorable Mary Fallin will host and serve as the keynote speaker for its inaugural Oklahoma Governor's Luncheon on Thursday, June 28, 2012, from noon until 1:00 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. The luncheon supports UNCF's mission of ensuring every child gets a good education from preschool through college. Proceeds will create a scholarship program benefiting economically disadvantaged college students based in Oklahoma attending Langston University, UNCF member institutions and other fully accredited U.S. colleges and universities. "Because a college education can open so many doors, UNCF works to ensure our future leaders have the opportunity to get the college degrees they need and our nation needs them to have," said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D, UNCF president and CEO. "The level of commitment in our community, and this investment in future scientists, teachers, business owners, lawyers and doctors, helps prepare young students to compete in an ever changing global economy." "It is my pleasure to support UNCF and Langston University with their important higher education missions. As a state we must continue to help Oklahoma families send their children to college", said Governor Fallin. "During these challenging economic times, investment in education must
continue to be a priority".

In addition to a keynote speech by Governor Fallin, the program will include remarks from, UNCF's President and CEO Michael L. Lomax,Ph.D., Langston University President Dr. Kent J. Smith, Jr. and a performance by Langston University Chorale. The luncheon will be preceded by a VIP reception for sponsors and honored guests. "UNCF is grateful to Governor Fallin and Langston University for their partnership in this effort. It's so important to help deserving - yet financially disad-

vantaged students get to and through college." said Diane Stephenson, UNCF's area development director. "A more college-educated workforce will increase the future prosperity of Oklahoma and our nation. The support of sponsors and the community will change the lives of students and the communities in which they live and work." The luncheon is presented by AT&T. Other sponsors include American Airlines, BNSF Railway, LaFarge Building Materials, the Charles & Lynn Schusterman

Family Foundation, OG&E Energy Corp, OneOK Inc. and XOut! Exclusion. Sponsors benefits are still available starting at $3,500, reserved tables are $1,500 and individual tickets are $100.
For more information, to purchase tables, tickets or to make a donation towards the scholarship program, contact UNCF's Area Development Director Diane Stephenson at the UNCF office: (972) 2341007 ext. 1002 or via email at: diane.stephenson@uncf.org . Additional event information can be found at www.uncf.org .

Rep. Shumates "Bridge To Literacy" Program Signed By Governor Fallin

OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law a bill that leverages community assistance to boost children's literacy programs. House Bill 2676, by state Rep. Jabar Shumate, created the "Bridge to Literacy" program, which is designed to ensure every Oklahoma child can read at grade-level by the end of the third grade. To achieve that goal, the program will train volunteers to work as tutors through community organizations and local churches. "We are in the midst of a major literacy crisis in this state and across this nation," said Shumate, D-Tulsa. "This is a common-sense, cost-effective approach to tackling childhood illiteracy. It has been said that it takes a vileducation efforts we have undertaken in my time here." Under House Bill 2676, the State Department of Education will request proposals and seek applications for the program after October 1, 2012. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations; community-based programs, centers, organizations or services; and churches or religious organizations. The proposed reading programs will have to benefit children through the fourthgrade and be offered before school, after school, on Saturdays or during summer months. The programs will focus on enabling children to read at the appropriate level and provide assessments and

Summer Cooling Assistance Available For Low-Income Oklahoma Households

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A limited amount of summer cooling assistance funds will be available across the state through the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is administered through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS). The funds are designed to help low-income households that are extremely vulnerable to the stress of summer heat. OKDHS will begin taking applications Monday, July 9, and will continue until all allocated funds are depleted. OKDHS has approximately $22 million in federal funds for this year's Summer Cooling Program in Oklahoma. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on each household's income and assets. If you or someone you know may be income-eligible and are at risk

The Maximum Income Guidelines Are:

Size of Household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Allowable Monthly Net Income $ 998 $1348 $1699 $2049 $2399 $2749 $3099 $3449

Rep. Jabar Shumate lage to raise up a child. This is an example of using the best resources we have at our disposal to teach our children how to read: the citizens and organizations of our communities. I really believe this will be one of the most successful, results-oriented

Persons applying should have the latest electric bill for their home and verification of income information when they make application. For more information, contact the local OKDHS human services center in your county of residence. for heat-related health problems due to the inability to afford adequate cooling, you are encouraged to apply for the Summer Cooling Program available at your OKDHS Human Service Center. Many households receiving public assistance through OKDHS may be automatically authorized for summer cooling assistance and will not need to make application. Preauthorized households will be notified of their eligibility by letter prior to the beginning of the application period. The benefits are $200 for a one-person household, while a household of two or more may receive $250. Only one payment per household is allowed annually for LIHEAP summer cooling assistance.

See PROGRAM SIGNED, P.6

Lawmakers Condemn Release Of Students' Educational Records

OKLAHOMA CITY Two lawmakers expressed outrage today over the actions of the State Department of Education, who without regard to the parties involved posted on the state Department of Education website the personal records of each student denied an exemption from testing requirements. "I am shocked at the degree of callousness displayed by the Education department, who again decided to loosely interpret the law when they broadcasted sensitive information about students on their website," said Democratic Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City. "These students' rights were violated when education officials put on the Internet, for any and all to see, their names, dates of birth, test scores and learning disabilities. I seriously question if this action was done in ignorance, or if it was a deliberate attempt to publicly humiliate students who are challenging Superintendent Barresi's policies." Leader Inman noted that educators and attorneys alike have stated that this action violates state and federal educational privacy laws. In order to submit an appeal for an exemption from testing requirements, students are required to sign a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act waiver

Health Behaviors Improve In Key Areas For Among Oklahoma Youth

Health behaviors in Oklahoma's youth are improving in some key areas, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) announced. The OSDH released results from its 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and conducted statewide in 2011 by OSDH in collaboration with the Oklahoma State Department of Education and local school districts. The YRBS measures selfreported risk-taking behaviors among high-school age adolescents to monitor those behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability and major social problems, and increased health care costs among adolescents in the U.S. In Oklahoma, the YRBS was administered in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and again in the spring of 2011, when 1,147 students in 36 public high schools participated. State public health officials noted these positive findings when reviewing the 2011 data with results from the 2003 data: The percentage of students who smoked on a daily basis decreased from 17.5 percent in 2003 to 11.8 percent in 2011. The 2011 results indicate 50 percent of students had ever tried cigarette smoking, down from 64.1 percent in 2003. In addition, the percentage of students who smoked a whole cigarette before the age of 13 decreased significantly from 23.7 percent in 2003 to 10.0 percent in 2011. The percentage of students who used methamphetamines one or more times during their life was 4.2 percent in 2011, down from 9.9 percent in 2003. The percentage of students who had used marijuana one or more times during their life decreased from 42.5 percent in 2003 to 36.1 percent in 2011. free speech and association. Judge Hinkle dismissed the state's assertion that no constitutional rights were being violated. "The assertion that the challenged provisions implicate no constitutional rights is plainly wrong," he wrote in his decision. "The plaintiffs wish to speak, encouraging others to register to votes, and some of the challenged provisions - for example, the requirement to disclose in advance the identity of an employee or volunteer who will do nothing more than speak - regulate pure speech. This is core First Amendment activity." "Further, the plaintiff's wish to speak and act collectively with others, implicating the First Amendment right to association. More importantly, the plaintiffs wish to assist others with the The percent of students who were physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day on five or more of the seven days before the survey increased from 38.2 percent in 2005 to 50.8 percent in 2011. Students also spent less time watching television. In 2011, 29.9 percent of students reported watching television three or more hours a day, down from 36.7 percent in 2003. The percent of students who ate fruits two or more times per day during the seven days before the survey increased significantly from 22.1 percent in 2003 to 28.2 percent in 2011. Additionally, the percent of students who ate vegetables three or more times per day during the seven days before the survey increased significantly from 10.2 percent in 2003 to 14.1 percent in 2011. Not all data results were positive. Negative findings

See RECORDS, P.6

government wouldn't have allowed anything as potentially destructive as a barge to remain untethered with a storm coming. Levees would have been built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane so major tourist attractions wouldn't be jeopardized. The French Quarter wasn't saved because it sits nine feet higher than the back section of the Lower Ninth but because of racism and classism. Black residents of the Lower Ninth were deemed expendable long before Katrina. With a new mayor in office, there is at least hope for the future. We've had more street repairs in the Lower Ninth, but that's where it ends for now I've heard promises and seen plans, but the community is naturally skeptical. We have become accustomed to broken promises. So we don't hold our breath. We don't get excited. We wait and see.
Jenga Mwendo is an urbanagriculture, community organizer in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and founder of the Backyard Gardeners Network, whose mission is to sustain and strengthen the community. America's Wire is an independent, non-profit news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and funded by a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit www.americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.conn.

JUNGLELAND?
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Those who did return discovered very little government support. Without nonprofits and thousands of volunteers, more of the Lower Ninth might actually be "Jungleland." Perhaps the biggest hurdle to restoration is that this community had fewer resources before Katrina. Like other poor, African-American communities nationwide, it had suffered the results of structural racism. The color of our skin had an impact on our schools, access to health care, employment opportunities, and housing and basic human rights. When resources are scarce to begin with, it's hard to recover after tragedy. For instance, many Lower Ninth residents had no homeowners and flood insurance. The Road Home program, designed to help people rebuild, provided payments to homeowners based on pre-Katrina property values, not actual repair costs. So whites who owned homes in affluent neighborhoods received payments that allowed them to rebuild, even though many of their homes incurred less damage than those of people in neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth. A 2008 lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Devel-

opment (HUD) alleged such discriminatory practices and was settled last year. HUD was to pay $62 million to Louisiana homeowners, but disposition of that money is unclear. In another setback, the city didn't allow Lower Ninth residents to come home and start rebuilding until nine months after other New Orleans citizens returned. Faced with increased uncertainty, chaos and financial burdens, people were forced to find work and resettle in their evacuation locations. What few services were available also caused concern. The social safety net already had gaps but was completely shattered by Katrina. Elderly residents worried about where they could receive health care, parents didn't know where they would send their children to school and seven years later, the community has no grocery store. Clearly the government didn't want us back because the original master rebuilding plan had the Lower Ninth slated to become green space. Rebuilding our community may not be profitable, but it's right. African-American lives in the Lower Ninth are just as valuable as those of whites in the French Quarter or Garden District. Often overlooked is the role that structural racism played in destruction of our community. If the French Quarter had been in the same area as the Lower Ninth, the

See OKLA. YOUTH, P.6

process of registering and thus, in due course, voting. Voting is a right protected by several constitutional provisions; state election codes thus are subject to constitutional scrutiny." The U.S. Justice Department has also objected to Florida making it more difficult for citizens to vote. Not surprisingly, Florida officials are appealing the court ruling and the Justice Department's intervention.
George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and editorial director of Heart & Soul magazine. He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com .

LAUGHING STOCK
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organized by churches. In 2008, 32.2 percent of those who voted early on that last Sunday were black and 23.6 percent were Latino. To make it more difficult to organize voter registration drives, Scott signed a law requiring groups registering voters to pre-register with the state and turn in voter registration forms without 48 hours of collection. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle ruled on a suit that challenged those provisions by the League of Women Voters of Florida, Rock the Vote and Florida Public Interest Research Group Educational Fund. The groups said such requirements infringed on their constitutional rights of