Our Time PressThe Local Paper with the Global View

At a time in their lives when most men are starting careers and families, Bronx native Alan Newton was on trial for a rape he didn=t commit. The 22-year-old was engaged to be married and working for a phone company at the World Trade Center when a rape victim picked his photo out of a lineup. No physical evidence linked him to the crime. He was convicted in 1985 and sentenced to 13.3 to 40 years in prison. Partly because of his refusal to participate in the sex offender program, he was denied parole several times and, eventually, served nearly half his lifeC21 yearsCbehind bars. Since his release last July, five more New York State men have been proven innocent through DNA testing. They come from all over the stateCfrom Cayuga County to Westchester County to Kings CountyCand more will surely follow.
The Innocence Project, a pro bono legal clinic that represented Newton in his exoneration, has identified the common causes of wrongful convictions. In the next week, the organization will mark the 200th DNA exoneration nationwide. These DNA exonerations represent an unprecedented data set on wrongful convictions in the U.S. They show us the shortcomings of the criminal justice system that have been proven by hard science. For example, they show us that eyewitness misidentification played a role in 77% of wrongful convictions that were overturned by DNA, and that faulty science played a role in more than one-third of the cases.   
Two-thirds of the 200 people exonerated through DNA are African American. Most of the wrongful convictions that were overturned by DNA were rapes; 55% were cross-racial, and of those, 85% involved black defendants.
Actual Innocence, by Innocence Project co-directors Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld (with Jim Dwyer, of the New York Times), notes that just 15% of all sexual assaults nationwide involve black assailants and white victims (according to the Justice Department), yet the DNA exoneration cases alone show the starkly disproportionate rate at which black men are prosecuted aggressively (and convicted erroneously) for raping white women. The startling figures remind us that we have not come very far since the first half of the 1900s, when rape was a capital offense in most states, and 90% of those executed for rape were black men who were convicted of raping white women.
The DNA exonerations show us the causes of wrongful convictions and have helped develop reforms that can prevent such injustice in the future. But Scheck and Neufeld are quick to point out that there is one prevalent cause that has not yet been fixed: racism. Asked why he thinks he was wrongfully convicted, Newton says, ARace, economics, there=s a whole bunch of things you can point to. If I=d had more money, I would=ve had a better lawyer. With a better lawyer you get better representation, and with better representation, the court will listen.@
For many of the African American men exonerated through DNA, racism continues to prevent them from fully re-entering society after exoneration. Having served 10, 15, or 25 years for crimes they did not commit, these men often lost opportunities to build families or careers. Starting out from scratch once they are released, they face tremendous obstacles in finding homes or jobs. The stigma of serving time in prison is much harder for a black man to explain than it is for a white man (who is often given the benefit of the doubt when he explains that he was in prison for a crime he did not commit). Some black men who were exonerated have gone on to pursue higher education, start families, and build impressive careers. Since his exoneration, Alan Newton has enrolled at Medgar Evers College on a Thurgood Marshall Scholarship and is studying business administration. Many other exonerees have not adjusted so well, and will continue struggling for years.
Already, these DNA exonerations have transformed criminal justice nationwide. As a direct result, important reforms have been implemented (such as better eyewitness identification procedures, better oversight of crime labs, recording of interrogations, etc.), but these reforms have not yet taken hold everywhere in the nation. New York is not among the states that have implemented procedures that are proven to make eyewitness identification more accurate. New York still has not mandated the electronic recording of custodial interrogations. New Jersey, however, has done both.
Every exoneration provides a Alearning moment@ about how to make the system better. The first 200 DNA exonerations in the nation are a collective lesson, an opportunity to take stock of what still needs to be done to improve the criminal justice system. While DNA has been the key to releasing these 200 innocent men, DNA exonerations cannot represent the magnitude of the problem or the frequency of wrongful convictions. DNA testing is an option in less than 10% of cases. That makes these 200 exonereesCin this one senseCfortunate.

The genesis of Imus= racism and sexism is not rooted in rap music. It did not come from listening to Snoop Dogg or 50 Cents.
He had the unmitigated gall to lecture us about the negative lyrics of rap artists, now that he is in hot water because of his outrageous denigrating, racist, sexist remarks about the predominately Black Rutgers women=s basketball team – remarks so repugnant, disgusting and sickening it doesn=t warrant repeating.
Don Imus is a repeating racist offender. This wasn=t the first time. He referred to the two Black women queens of tennis, Venus and Serena Williams, as animals who belonged in National Geographic Magazine. He called a prominent Black female journalist a cleaning lady. He dissed Maya Angelou. None of this happened because he was listening to rap music.
I will be the first to say that some rap music is vile, disgusting, misogynist, sexist, self destructive, hurtful, and embarrassing. We must continue to speak out against that kind of rap music and promote more positive rap on the airways.
But let=s put this in perspective. The AN@ word didn=t originate from rap music. Denigrating Black women did not start with rap music. Rap music is only 30 to 40 years old. The AN@ word and disrespecting Black women is as old as this country. It started with the racist white male founding fathers who Imus thinks like.
Remember George  Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. Thomas Jefferson raped a 14 year-old enslaved African girl named Sally Hemmings. Remember the founding fathers called us Coons, Sambo, Savages, Animals, AB=s@s and AN=s.@  Jiggaboos, Imus, came from racist white men like you, not Spike Lee=s movie ASchool Daze.@ By the way, Spike=s message in ASchool Daze@ was to raise our consciousness regarding the internalization of our racist oppression, not to denigrate Black women as you did.
When Al Campanis said that Blacks don=t swim well because they lack buoyancy, he was fired. When Howard Cosell said a Black football player was running like a little monkey, he was fired. When Jimmy Athe Greek@ made racial comments about black athletes, he was fired. Iums, you continued in that racist tradition. These young dignified Black women and their coach from the Rutgers women=s basketball team did nothing to warrant these vile racist remarks from Imus. This came from the depth of his being. He is not a good man who said something bad. He is a racist, mean-spirited bigot, who got what he deserved from MSNBC and CBS.
MSNBC and CBS was under pressure from Black women in particular and women in general across this nation. They were under pressure from Black men who stood strong to protect their sisters, wives, mothers, and grandmothers. They were under pressure from Black leaders and presidential candidates. Certainly the dignified response of the coach and young women from this Rutgers team had an impact. MSNBC and CBS were also influenced by the internal discussions and pressure from their staff, particularly their Black staff members.
But make no mistake about it. It was the power of the people that forced major advertisers to threaten to pull their ads. Thats when MSNBC and CBS got the message. They were concerned about their pockets. Unfortunately, that=s what it takes for people in power to do the right thing.
The Imus situation has put racism and sexism, which permeates every institution in America, on the front burner as issues to be seriously addressed.

& the U.S. Encourages Turmoil in Zimbabwe
By Mary Alice Miller
In response to the increasingly sensationalist Anews@ regarding conditions in Zimbabwe, the December 12 Movement recently held an information forum in Mt. Olivet Church in Harlem.
After showing a short video of a UN debate on human rights in Zimbabwe, Omowale Clay gave an analysis of the political issues underlying Zimbabwe=s current situation. According to Clay, AThe question of land is the tip of the iceberg. This issue is underlying the politics of other African countries, including Kenya, South Africa and Zambia. The issue is self-determination, control of land. Culture is not just music and arts. Culture is a weapon for liberation. Zimbabwe is asking itself, >What were our goals when we set out to free our nation?= Zimbabwe was the first to defend Congo against multinational corporations. Zimbabwe delayed land reform for 10 years to allow South Africa to take care of its business.@
Clay outlined three Alies@ that are part of worldwide media disinformation:
1) Mugabe is alleged to be unable to govern Zimbabwe. There are allegations of human rights violations and fiscal mismanagement, leading to calls for regime change. AThe issue is not regime change. Britain must pay the money owed. Britain must lift economic sanctions.@ (Economic sanctions have led to recent reports of the 5000% inflation rate in Zimbabwe. In addition, there are reports out of Harare alleging acts of terrorism from opposition groups. AThe MDC has been involved in acts of violence which border on terrorism, and no sane government in Africa would support such madness. They (MDC youths) have been petrol-bombing police stations, inter-city trains, public transport, residential properties and supermarkets with the covert support of their western masters.@ The Herald (Harare) April 9, 2007)
2) Mugabe has successfully called for harmonization of presidential and parliamentary elections. 2008 will be the first time in Zimbabwe=s history when both president and parliament elections will be held at the same time. At 80 years old, Mugabe will run again. Clay states, ANo one questions the leadership longevity of the Shah of Iran, Pinochet, or Castro.@
3) AIn the absence of relief from the West (IMF and World Bank), Zimbabwe has developed a >Look East= policy. Zimbabwe believes it can go into legitimate and equal trade relations with the Chinese, Malaysia, and India. Zimbabwe is looking for constructive economic trade and development.@
Members of the December 12 Movement fielded questions from the audience. The group included Viola Plumber, Coltrane Chimurenga, Omowale Clay, and Roger Wareham.
Ms. Plumber gave a history leading to current conditions. During Zimbabwe=s struggle to free itself from British colonization, the question of land was addressed. AIn 1980, the Lancaster House agreement established that land holdings would remain with Britain under a policy of >Willing Buyer, Willing Seller.= Under this agreement, the UK and USA would make dollars available to pay these thieves [white land holders] for the land [which would be returned to Zimbabwe control]. Thatcher and Reagan were signatories to the agreement. The Lancaster Agreement has not been honored. Blair and Bush say, >We did not make the agreement.= With no >Willing Buyer,= Zimbabwe=s 1997-99 land acquisition policy came into being.@
When an audience member asked about the land situation, Ms. Plumber said AFour percent of white land holders owned 80% of arable land. Under land acquisition, if a white land holder held four farms, three were distributed to Zimbabweans, and one remained with the white.@ Clay added, ACommercial industrial farming was controlled by Rhodesians (the colonial name for Zimbabwe). When land reform came into effect, the whites took their liquid capital out of the country, >leaving no foreign reserves.=@
The question of leveling slums came up. Ms. Plumber spoke of what she observed during a trip to Zimbabwe. APrior to the clearance, some housing in Harare was below sub-standard. I saw raw garbage that was piled six feet high. Conditions were horrendous. A year later, that housing was raised, with housing being built in rural areas.@
Chimurenga added, AAs in most areas of the world, young people are attracted to cities. Landowners exploited the rural labor force. As a result, many young came to the city looking for economic opportunities. Harare does not have the infrastructure to support the population surge. In addition, many >riff-raff= and squatters came to Harare, creating an unacceptable situation. The Mugabe government decided to build housing in the rural areas, with a >Clean Up, Restore, and Rebuild= policy. Construction is slowed due to there being no foreign currency to buy building supplies.@
An audience member was concerned about stories of repression of the press. Clay stated that there are major newspapers in support of the Mugabe government, Aincluding the Herald, the Sunday Mail and newsletters. [However] there are more opposition papers than government papers. Opposition newspapers outnumber government papers three or four to one.@
The December 12 Movement provided documentation of African support for President Mugabe and Zimbabwe.

According to this documentation, Zimbabwe=s Mugabe has the unconditional support of Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of SADC met in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on March 29, 2007. Member countries of SADC in attendance at this meeting included the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Kingdom of Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Madagascar, and Mauritius. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the political, economic, and security situation in the region, with special focus on the situations in Lesotho, DRC, and Zimbabwe.
A communiqué from SADC outlined the meeting=s assessment of the political situation in Zimbabwe. According to this communiqué, the Extra-Ordinary Summit recalled that the 2002 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe were free, fair, and democratic. The Summit reaffirmed its solidarity with the Government and people of Zimbabwe. The Extra-Ordinary Summit mandated the SADC Executive Secretary to undertake a study on the economic situation in Zimbabwe and proposes measures on how SADC can assist Zimbabwe and recover economically. The Summit also reiterated the appeal to Britain to honor its compensation obligations with regard to land reform made at the Lancaster House and appealed for the lifting of all forms of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
The December 12 Movement reminds us to look beneath the façade of vitriol and righteous indignation coming from the West. In other words, don=t believe the hype.

Community Board 3 (CB3) chairwoman Beatrice P. Jones announced that she will not be seeking re-election. The announcement was made Monday, April 2, at the CB3 monthly meeting.  Ms. Jones, a longtime Bedford-Stuyvesant resident, has held the current position for the past three years.  AThis appointment was only temporary and was only supposed to last a year,@ stated Ms. Jones.  AI stayed three.@ Jones will remain an active board member. However, she is looking forward to spending more time at her Bed- Stuy daycare center, Good Samaritans.  A nomination committee has been formed.
In addition to the announcement, the monthly event, which took place at Restoration Plaza, included an amazingly condensed agenda. 
The first item on the agenda was a presentation by Lesley Ester Redwine, director of External Affairs for Achievement First.  Introduced by Education Committee Chair Mildred Vann, Ms. Redwine shared with the community the non-profit charter school=s plans for opening a new high school in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Ms. Redwine sees this opportunity as a way to further enhance Bed-Stuy=s economic base by creating job opportunities.  Charter schools, which are considered a great alternative to the overcrowded public school systems, are not required to hire United Federated of Teachers members.
The next item on the agenda was from the Transportation committee, chaired by Rev. Robert Waterman. Rev. Waterman introduced Scott Codey, legislative manager for the Citizen=s Committee for NYC, whose organization is offering small grants to support traffic relief throughout New York. AOur goal is to band together community-based groups to focus in on a few neighborhood concerns related to traffic,@ Mr. Scott stated. AWe want residents to tell us what their concerns are and let=s work together to help resolve them.@
 The proposed grant will give qualified community-based organizations the resources needed to conduct studies and reports in hopes of securing the necessary infrastructure needed to correct the faltering traffic conditions. According to Mr. Codey, these items could include traffic bumps, stop signs, and, as in the case of the ASafe Routes to School Program,@ visibility improvement and safety for neighborhood school routes. The deadline for this grant has been extended until April 15. 
  For the past few years, CB3 Consumer Affairs Committee, chaired by Hardy AJoe@ Long, has been reaching out to the State Liquor License Association (SLA) for a meeting. The committee has been seeking clarity regarding the issuance and procedure of obtaining a license.  On March 12, 2007, their wish came true when committee members sat down for a one-on-one discussion with SLA=s new CEO, Joshua Toas, and Commissioner of Government Affairs, Thomas O=Connor. Mr. Long happily reported that the meeting was a success. According to Mr. Long, SLA, which recently underwent major administrative changes, is looking forward to strengthening its ties with community boards throughout New York.
Amalgamated Bank, touted as America=s labor bank, has its sights set on Bed-Stuy. Executives from the 90-year-old establishment, including its CEO, Derrick Cephas, held a public hearing to discuss and seek receiving a letter of support for its plans to open its first Brooklyn branch at 1245 Fulton Street.  The full-service facility will offer a variety of products and services and, according to Mr. Cephas, Ajob opportunities for local residents.@  CB3 board members voted 34 to 1 in favor.
Other agenda items and announcements included an update from the Block, Civic & Religious Committee=s upcoming expo. The event is scheduled to take place May 15 at Boys & Girls High School, and will include joint block watch training and citywide agencies workshops. CB3 Youth, Parks and Recreation Committee, chaired by Mr. Marion Little, will host a youth conference to discuss gang prevention on May 16.  Designed to educate youth on what to really expect when they join a gang, the conference is expected to include testimonials from former gang members, as well as gang- prevention police officers. 
Community Board 3 monthly meetings take place the first Monday of every month at Restoration Plaza, 1260 Fulton Street.

Seeks to Become Youngest Person and First African-American to Fly Solo Around the World
This spring, Barrington Irving, a 23-year old senior majoring in aerospace at Florida Memorial University, will trade his cap and gown for a brown flight suit, climb into a single-engine plane he calls “Inspiration,” and embark on a round the world flight that will make him the first person of African descent and the youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in inner-city Miami, Barrington hopes his 5-week historic flight will inspire other young people to resist the negative influences of the streets and work toward their dreams. As a teenager, Barrington and his friends shared a sense of hopelessness about their futures, as there was little incentive or opportunity for minority youth in the inner city to pursue professional careers. He earned good grades in high school but saw a football scholarship as his only route to college. Then one afternoon, working in his parents’ Christian bookstore, Barrington began talking with a customer, a Jamaican airline pilot, Captain Gary Robinson, who invited him to the airport the next day to see the cockpit of the Boeing 777 jet he flew for United Airlines. That day changed the young man=s life forever.
Barrington was just 15 but had found his passion. He started spending afternoons and weekends at the airport, washing planes for private aircraft owners in exchange for half-hour flights or money he could use for flying lessons. Every evening he practiced flying on his own using $40 Microsoft Flight Simulator software. Focused on the dream of becoming a pilot, he turned down college football scholarships and enrolled in a community college where his tuition was partly covered by a Florida Bright Future Scholarship based on his high marks in high school.
Barrington spent every free moment thinking about aviation, doing odd jobs to pay for flight lessons and speaking to church, school, and community groups, such as “5000 Role Models,” about career opportunities for youth in the aviation field. Before long, his volunteer efforts were noticed by community leaders in Miami, who awarded him a joint Air Force/Florida Memorial University Flight Awareness Scholarship that would cover college tuition and flying lessons.
In 2003, Barrington enrolled in Florida Memorial University where he excelled in both academic and flight training courses. Over the next few years, he continued his volunteer work as he earned his Private, Commercial Pilot, and Flight Instructor licenses as well as his Instrument Rating.
In 2005, the young pilot founded a nonprofit organization, Experience Aviation, Inc., to address the significant shortage of youth pursuing careers in aviation and aerospace. Supported by a $10,000 grant from Miami Dade Empowerment Trust, a federally funded economic development group, he offered information and guidance programs to young people in South Florida that included touring planes at the airport and learning how to use a flight simulator. Given the success of that program, the Empowerment Trust increased its commitment to $75,000 to reach more youth in the community. Barrington used those funds to set up the first Experience Aviation Learning Center, using donated computers and Microsoft Flight Simulator software, at Miami=s Opa-locka Airport.
The Columbia 400 aircraft that will carry Barrington on his World Flight Adventure has its own story. In 2003, Barrington began calling aircraft manufacturers with the unlikely request to borrow, lease, or donate a plane he could use to make aviation history. When no one said yes, he decided to ask manufacturers of the various components to donate just one of their individual products to him; he also asked Columbia, an aircraft manufacturer, whether they=d agree to assemble the plane if he could produce the parts.

During the next year, with support and guidance from Miami Executive Aviation, he visited aviation trade shows throughout the country and secured more than $300,000 in donated componentsCthe engine, tires, cockpit systems, seats, and so forthCand Columbia built him the world=s fastest single-engine piston airplane, ready to be modified with extended fuel tanks a few weeks before the global flight. In addition, he received fuel support from Chevron that enabled him to train for the global flight and visit schools throughout the country.
Barrington also approached Microsoft, who offered to host a flight blog during the trip and donate free Flight Simulator software to students taking part in Experience Aviation programs. Two satellite communications companies have also donaed a tracking system that will enable students to join Barrington=s flight, in real time, through a download from the Internet. In addition, a software development company has created a lifelike simulation of Barrington in the cockpit of his plane.
Barrington is an inspiring role model for children and adults alike. Though he started his aviation career with few financial resources, he has continued to pursue his goals with the self-confidence of an entrepreneur who sees no limits to what he can achieve. Having left the city streets for a future in the sky, he hopes his World Flight Adventure will encourage other young people to leave their fears behind and reach for the stars.
Follow Barrington on his blog at http://barringtonirving.spaces.live.com/.  As of April 11 he was in Spain.