Children enjoy face painting, storytelling at Oakland fair

Sixth annual Ready to Learn Fun Fair held at Peralta Elementary School



Books, Face painting, Storytelling and Robotics. These are a few of the activities at the 6th Annual Ready to Learn Fun Fair held on October 1 at Peralta Elementary School in North Oakland.

Clifford the Big Red Dog was a crowd favorite.



Buki the Clown returned with a new friend this year: Oliver the Clown. The two clowns did face painting for children (and some adults too). There was also a story time that featured a spirited reading of "Green Eggs and Ham" and a puppet show.



Playwell Teknologies featured a lego building booth to encourage children's interest in engineering and robotics.

Good News in Oakland, the online TV show focusing only on the good news taking place in Oakland was on hand too.


Other vendors included the YMCA, Oakland Public Library, Alameda County Children Support Services and more. The event, sponsored by the Office of Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson seeks to provide children and families with educational and health resources that will support child development.

This year, Peralta Elementary received a National Blue Ribbon School Award, only one of two in Alameda County to receive the award. The school was noted for its efforts at reducing the educational achievement gap.



Photos, story by Reginald James. Originally posted at OaklandLocal.com.

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Bay Area students prepare for protests to defend higher education

Nearly one year ago, students from throughout the country held sit-ins, protests and occupations as a part of the March 4, 2010 Day of Action to Defend Public Education.

On Wednesday, March 2, Bay Area students will again demonstrate their opposition to fee increases and budget cuts.

In San Francisco, students at SF State and City College plan to rally at Malcolm X plaza from 11-noon, followed by a picket at 12 on 19th street and a march to City College's Ocean Street campus. City College, which will have a Teach-In from 10am-2pm on March 1, will have a 2pm rally. The Mission campus of City College will rally at noon.

In the East Bay, students in the Peralta Community College District are convening at Laney College at noon for a rally. Laney College student body president Dawna Williams said, "It's time for students to wise up and rise up."

"This event is not about shouting at buildings and placing blame but about being in the know," said student body vice-president Brian Nelson.



After the noontime rally, students plan to march over to the Peralta District's offices. On October 7, 2010, after a Laney rally, about three dozen students spontaneously marched over to the District offices and briefly occupied the Chancellor's office, demanding to see trustees. Some Peralta College students are planning to march to UC Berkeley afterwards.

Cal students plan on having a noontime potluck, followed by a mass rally at 5pm at Memorial Glade at UC Berkeley. There are plans for a tent city and organizers said, "We're staying until our demands are met!" There have been mass arrests are UC Berkeley in recent years after the occupation of Wheeler Hall and of the UC Chancellor's office -- both incidents drastically exaggerated by mainstream media.



While there was a mass walkout -- not to mention the over 160 students arrested after walking onto an Oakland freeway while protesting -- on March 4, this year's rally does not have as much anticipation as last year. Some organizers believe that because there is a new Governor--Democrat Jerry Brown replaced the "Terminator," Arnold Schwarzenegger--more "moderate" students are not active.

"Jerry Brown is planning draconian budget cuts to education in California to resolve the state's budget crisis, writes NorCalSocialism.org. "We have a different solution: Chop from the Top, and Tax the Rich!"

Others hope that students will be emboldened by recent protests in Tunisia, Egypt and Wisconsin, and demonstrate in solidarity with labor.

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Finalists for new Peralta Colleges Chancellor to attend forums

Three finalists have been selected for the next Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District. The finalist are: are Dr. Lawrence M. Cox, Provost/CEO of Compton College (California); Dr. Edna B. Chun, Vice President of Human Resources at Broward College (Florida); and Dr. Ed Gould, Superintendent/President of Imperial Valley College (California).

The first forum will be held on the evening of Monday, Nov. 29, 2010, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., in the Boardroom of the Peralta Community College District offices, 333 East 8th Street, Oakland. The second forum will take place during the day on Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m., at the Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center Street in Berkeley.

"While each candidate brings an extensive resume of administrative college experience, none of his or her records is without blemish," according to the Laney Tower newspaper

Peralta Board president Abel Guillén told the Laney Tower student newspaper, "I am pleased that the Committee selected three very qualified finalists. The Board looks forward to interviewing each of the candidates."

• Most recently, Chun, who currently serves as the vice president for Human Resources and Equity at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, filed a lawsuit against the college's president, J. David Armstrong.
• Cox, who serves as the Provost/CEO of the Compton Community College District, was given a vote of no confidence while serving as President of Olive-Harvey College on the south side of Chicago in 2001.
• Gould, who currently serves as president and superintendent of Imperial Valley College, located east of San Diego, also received a vote of no confidence while serving as President of Monterey Peninsula College in 1996.

To add to an already tumultuous process, the Peralta Federation of Teachers (PFT), the union representing Peralta teachers, is considering initiating a no-confidence vote in the District's hiring process for a new Chancellor. Long-time educator Dr. Wise Allen has been serving as interim Chancellor since July, after trustees opted not to renew the contract of former Chancellor Elihu Harris.

Those attending the forums will be able to ask questions of the finalists and provide written comments to the Board of Trustees. The Peralta board is expected to appoint a new chancellor at a Closed Session meeting on November 30 meeting. The candidate appointed will begin July 1, 2011. More information on the candidates can be found on the Peralta Colleges News Centre.

Graphic: Peralta Colleges

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Laney College hosts Black College Recruitment Fair

Image: MarchingSport.com
After too many years of holding Transfer Day events and College Fairs with NO representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Laney College will host the Second Annual HBCU College Recruitment Fair September 15.

Students will be able to receive:

1. ON THE SPOT Admissions and Scholarships
2. Application Fee Waived for Many Colleges
3. Face-to-face contact with official college admission representatives
4. Exposure to many Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs)
5. Assistance and information regarding SAT and ACT college admission tests

Bring an official transcript and ACT/SAT score(s), if taken, for each college application you plan to complete.

This FREE event will be Wednesday, September 15 from 4 to 8pm at Laney College Student Center (900 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94607). The College Fair is sponsored by Oakland Unified School District and Laney College in partnership with United College Action Network (U-CAN) and United Black Student Unions of California.

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Thousands of Peralta students overcharged

Summary

• Thousands of students attending the Peralta Colleges were charged for a fee that should have never been implemented
• Had the Student Representation Fee passed, students would have tens of thousands of dollars to advocate on behalf of the student body
• Student representatives failed to organize the pass the measure
• The ballot measure was placed on the ballot by trustees and administrators improperly, a student expect says
• Due to more budget cuts, student representatives say the fee is needed

By Reginald James TheBlackHour.com Editor

Thousands of students attending the Peralta Colleges were overcharged for a student fee that was erroneously implemented in the fall of 2009. The fee was later repealed and funds were credited back to students.

An election on each of the district's four campuses was held in the spring of 2009 for Proposition B: Student Representation Fee. The measure asked if students wanted to pay a $1 fee for "student government to advocate on your behalf."

"Proposition B requires all Peralta students to pay a $1 Student Representation Fee per semester," according to an email sent out to all students in May 2009. This same message was posted on the Peralta website, and numerous posters on campus.

At other colleges throughout the state, revenue for the fee is used for travel to and from conferences where legislative matters are discussed. Students may refuse to pay the fee for religious, political, financial or moral reasons, according to the Code.

After the Tower informed officials that Proposition B did not pass, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Services and Admissions Jim Bracy took responsibility for failing to provide oversight of the campus elections.

Representatives from each campus emailed Bracy stating that the proposition had passed. He said he should have verified the election results sent to him by the campuses, instead of assuming the information provided was accurate.

“Upon closer review of my calculations of the spring 2009 elections, Proposition B (student representation fee) did not quite achieve the required two-third passage vote,” Bracy wrote in a Sept. 2 email to district administrators. “Consequently, I am asking the administration at each college to direct the bursars to immediately suspend the collection of the $1 student representation fee.”

An estimate 3,000 students were charged, according to district officials. The student’s payments were credited towards other fees, Bracy said.

Many student representatives were disappointed the proposition failed.

“I’m disappointed they assumed it passed,” Student Trustee Yvonne Thompson said in a fall 2009 interview. “Makes me wonder, ‘if you don’t check that, what else didn’t you check?’”

With this year’s spike in student enrollment, the fee could have raised at least $25,000 for student advocacy at Laney College alone.

“If [the] rep fee had passed, we would have used it for budget cut issues,” said ASLC President Ju Hong, who voted for the proposition. He was under the impression Proposition B had passed, but found out at a fall Board of Trustees meeting it hadn’t.

Hong said the money could’ve been used for this to fund ASLC’s recent bus trip for a march and rally at the State Capitol in Sacramento. The Laney Tower reported students were encouraged to “beg and plead” >Chancellor Elihu Harris for funding for the trip, despite students simultaneously protesting Harris, district administrators and trustees over disastrous budget cuts.

Lack of publicity
Proposition B failed last spring due to a lack of publicity, according to multiple sources. No information about the proposition was provided to the Laney Tower prior to the election, and minimal information was on Peralta’s special Referendum 2009 website.

Students also did not campaign for it and the student governments were “not communicating with their constituency,” Thompson said.

The Proposition was bundled with last spring’s Proposition A: AC Transit EasyPass by the Peralta Board’s Student Services Committee, according to that committee’s minutes. The board adopted a resolution in March 2009 to place the measure on the student ballot.

Although student representatives active at the time said they were not well informed of the initiative, past student governments have pushed for the fee.

ASLC representatives pushed for the fee in the spring of 2004, according to Laney Tower reports. The four Associated Student Councils of Peralta (College of Alameda, Laney College and Merritt Collge in Oakland and Vista College, now Berkeley City College) got the go ahead to have a student election that year, according to the March 23, 2004 minutes of the board. The election's results were never published in the Laney Tower; however, election results obtained from the office of Laney College Student Activities Adviser Algeria Kirven show that the measure was passed at both Merritt and Laney College. Laney approved the measure by 71 percent while Merritt approved it with 67 percent. The measure only received 51 percent approval at COA. Election results from Vista could not be obtained from numerous sources.

In the fall of 2005, ASLC members mulled another run at the student representation fee. In the fall of 2007, the Associated Students of College of Alameda (ASCOA) adopted a resolution in favor of the student rep fee.

Although Proposition B received 69 percent approval at COA in 2009, it was not implemented.

“It was a district wide proposition,” Bracy said. “Not for an individual campus.”

ASCOA President Mali Watkins suspects the lack of information available may be why students on other campuses didn’t actively campaign to pass the proposition. He also paid the fee, but wonders where the money really went.

“We weren’t given much information about the proposition beforehand,” said Watkins, who was re-elected last spring. “We thought that it passed. Then we were told it was rescinded because it didn’t meet the minimum amount of votes required.” Watkins paid the fee, but does not know whether or not it was credited.
Watkins said, “I have no idea where the dollar went because it was such a minimum amount.”

Shoddy voting records

The code also requires a minimum number of students to vote in favor of the proposition for the election to be valid. The number of students voting in the election must be equal to or greater than the average number of students voting in the previous election, according to the code.

The various campuses did not have election results from previous years, according to Bracy. Officials were also unable to confirm what number, or source, was used to determine if the proposition met the minimum number of voting students required by the code for the election to be valid.

At the time, Merritt and BCC both had interim vice-presidents of student services (VPSS), Laney College’s VPSS was in his first year and the COA VPSS just returned from a short stint at the district as associate vice-chancellor.

Excluding Kirve, student activities advisers on the campuses contacted by the Tower were unable to provide past election results. With the exception of Laney College, student life personnel have also been unstable. Berkeley City College has been without an adviser this year. Merritt College's adviser left the district last year after allegedly misappropriating funds, according to sources.

Future action

While Bracy does not believe the current climate of increased student fees is appropriate for another go at the student rep fee, many student leaders say it is necessary to fight budget cuts.

A few student representatives thought the item would be a part of this year’s election. The item was to be placed on the ballot, according to the February 2010 minutes of the Board’s Student Services and Equity Committee. The measure was not included in this year’s election.

Rachael Richards, a senator with the Student Senate for California Community Colleges – a statewide student organization – said Peralta's election was a good example of how not to run an election.

"Each college's Associated Students call their own elections (or agree to have the elections as a district concerted event)," Richards said. She added each campus "must tally their own threshold, and votes at each college."

Posters on campus indicating the fee was to be implemented in the fall remain, just like some students’ hope that the proposition will eventually be passed.

“We need that advocacy fund,” Thompson said, encouraging student leaders to revisit the item. “It is important to the community colleges. We’re most affected [by budget cuts], she added. “We’ve got to get out there and advocate [and students] need funds to do that.”

---

Disclosure: Reginald James previously served as a Student Trustee of the Peralta Colleges from 2006-2008. At that time, he advocated for the implementation of the Student Representation Fee.

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Laney College Presidential Candidates Forum

Laney College will host a forum for finalists for the campus’ new president on May 11. Each candidate will be interviewed and the public will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Laney College President's Forum
10-11 a.m.	Dr. Steve Maradian
11 a.m.-12 p.m.	Dr. Elnora Webb
12-1 p.m.	Dr. Jing Luan
May 11, 2010 Room G-189 Laney College Watch live on Ustream.tv.

The final candidates are: Dr. Steve Maradian, vice-president for policy and research at the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC); Dr. Elnora Webb, acting Laney College President; and Dr. Jing Luan, chief planning research and knowledge systems officer at Cabrillo College.

The Laney College Presidential Candidates Forum will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room G-189. The Black Hour will stream the forum live via Ustream.tv.

Former Laney College President Dr. Frank Chong left the post in 2009 to take a position with the Obama administration as the deputy assistant secretary for community colleges. Dr. Webb, then vice-president of instruction, was appointed to fill the position on an acting basis.

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Assembly Member Nancy Skinner speaks on California State Budget at Berkeley City College

California State Assembly Member Nancy Skinner leads a discussion about the California State Budget on March 27.

Part 1: Nancy Skinner Discussion


Part 2: Nancy Skinner Q & A


Video courtesy of P-Span, Peralta TV

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Merritt College hosts roundtable on African American Women in Higher Education

At the March 25 Peralta Colleges Staff Professional Development Day, a group of Merritt College educators gathered for a special discussion. Black women came together to discuss, "African American Women in Higher Education."

The educators shared their various experiences, as captured in the videos below.


"African American Women in Higher Education." Part 1


"African American Women in Higher Education" Part 2

Videos by P-Span, Peralta TV.

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Education protesters arrested on Oakland freeway appear in court

Protesters who halted traffic on an Oakland freeway as part of the March 4 “Day of Action” defending public education appeared in Alameda Superior Court on Friday, April 2.

Most of the charges against protesters have since been reduced from misdemeanors to infractions. Demonstrators will reappear in court on May 4.

The National Lawyer’s Guild (NLG) represented all of the protesters that appeared in court Friday. Those charged with infractions are not entitled to a court appointed attorney because they are infractions, Judge Karen A. Rodrigue said. Rodrigue recently presided over another case resulting from education cuts protests at UC Berkeley the week before the March 4 action.

The first protester called was Laney College student Hannibal Shakur (Lamar Caldwell). The Judge then read Shakur’s four charges: failing to obey traffic control, using a freeway in a manner restricted, being a pedestrian on a freeway.

Shakur was also charged with being a “pedestrian outside a crosswalk.” This charge sent giggles throughout the courtroom.

Alameda County District Attorney Violet James turned around and told the crowd to “keep composure.” Soon after, one of the Deputy Sheriff’s present threatened to escort anyone talking out of the court.

NLG attorney John Viola began to enter a plea of not guilty on all counts, but since another NLG attorney would likely be representing the protesters, he requested the arraignment be continued to a later date.

He asked Judge Rodrigue if she wanted to hear a preview of the motion to dismiss charges, but she responded no, because the DA would probably want that in writing. Shakur’s next court data was scheduled to May 4 at 5:30 p.m.

All other defendants were quickly processed with their court dates being set for May 4, also. Most faced similar charges such as obstructing a public place and failure to obey traffic signs. One of the three protesters whose charges were not reduced to misdemeanors includes another Laney College student.

More protesters are scheduled to be in court Monday, April 5 at 9 a.m. at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in Department 107. A press conference will be held Monday at 8:30 a.m. in front of the courthouse.

More:
Photos from March 4 freeway action

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Students protesting budget cuts shutdown Oakland freeway

150 educational rights activist arrested



Enraged by budget cuts to higher education, students through California walked out, held sit-ins and took to the streets Thursday. In Oakland, some protestors went further.

Complete Coverage of March 4 Day of Action on OaklandLocal.com

More than 150 protestors were arrested March 4 after walking onto a downtown freeway. Traffic came to a standstill as they marched onto the Market Street exit, weaving between cars near the Interstate 880 to 980 interchange.

Some motorists honked their horns in support and smiled. Others were visibly upset with their commute being stalled.

The protests were part of a statewide "Day of Action to Defend Education" in which students held sit-ins, rallies and teach-ins. Students marched from Oakland high schools, Laney College and UC Berkeley to downtown Oakland for the rally. Another regional rally was highly attended at Civic Center in San Francisco.



Oakland Police and California Highway Patrol officers chased protestors on the freeway, catching some after they crossed I-880 northbound to the I-880 southbound lanes. Police stormed protestors, dropping them to the ground and clubbing the fallen in the legs, backs and buttocks with Billy clubs.

One Oakland high school was injured after he fell from the freeway, according to witnesses on te ground. Police said he attempted to climb down a tree to escape charging police. But branches broke, according to witnesses on the ground, and he fell down onto 5th Street below. He was transported by ambulance to Highland Hospital.

There were 150 people arrested, including 10 minors who were mostly cited and released to their parents’ custody, according to officer Jeff Thomason, Oakland Police spokesman, in an e-mail to the press.

Police blocked off northbound I-880 traffic near the Broadway entrance, before a frenzy of police cars zipped up and down the freeway.



The protestors, who left from a "peaceful rally" at Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall, shut down the intersection of 14th Street and Broadway. Police cordoned off the intersection to prevent pedestrians from walking on 14th. The protestors, made up of people of all ages and races, headed north to 15th Street.

Protestors walked to Franklin and began to walk against traffic. At 11th and Franklin streets, in front of the office of the University of California President, protestors converged, dancing to music, holding up signs and showcasing the “Occupy Everything” banner to university police who guarded the building's entrance.

Marchers walked west on 11th toward Broadway. They shut down that intersection for several minutes, they continued to Martin Luther King Jr. Way as police ran after them.


Protestors turned left on Martin Luther King, but police formed a barricade line at 10th. Unable to move forward or turn left toward downtown Oakland, they went west toward Castro Street.

At Castro, some protestors walked onto the freeway while others, unwilling to risk arrest, walked off the shoulder.

After being arrested, booked and photographed on the Jackson Street offramp, many were transported to Glen Dyer Jail, near Oakland Police headquarters, and to Santa Rita Jail on misdemeanor charges. Some charges include unlawful assembly and obstructing public places.

Photos by Reginald James for TheBlackHour.com.

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UC Berkeley "Blackout 2010": Black students hold silent protest in solidarity with UCSD students

Black students at UC Berkeley, in solidarity with their brothers and sisters at UC San Diego held "Blackout 2010," a silent protest and blockade of Sather Gate.

The Daily Planet writes, "The group—comprised mainly of black students on campus—wore black clothing, with black scarves around their mouth, to silently protest racist acts at UC San Diego, including an off-campus event (the "Compton Cookout" mocking Black History Month. The situation escalated when a noose was found hanging in UCSD’s Geisel Library two weeks later."



Read the complete story in the Berkeley Daily Planet.

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Chancellor Elihu Harris to leave Peralta

Board opts not to renew contract, announces search


Photo: Sustainable Peralta.

Peralta Colleges Chancellor Elihu Harris will leave Peralta when his contract expires after this spring semester. The former Oakland Mayor and state assembly member has been Chancellor since 2003.

Trustees opted not to renew Harris' contract at their Tuesday night Board meeting, and announced a search for a new chancellor. Abel Guillen, the Board's new president, declined to discuss the decision further.

The meeting was headed for controversy before it started. Trustees were scheduled to approve the District's annual budget, despite a December 17 protest at the Board's last meeting by students. The Budget presented at the time was full of discrepancies, according to faculty and protesting students, and was ultimately postponed until Tuesday night.

At the time, Peralta students were angry that the Board considered postponing the vote until January 12, instead of January 26. The spring semester begins January 21. It would also give students, faculty, staff and the public adequate time to read the budget, demonstrators said.

The budget (Item #18) was removed the Peralta Board of Trustees agenda prior to the meeting.

Yet, the meeting was in stark contrast to December. Few students were present, despite a vote by the Board to place its annual Capital Outlay fee on international students, a long-time complaint by many students and, recently, a key issue for some student representatives.

It has also been reported that Peralta TV, the district run cable channel "blacked-out." While the broadcasts automatically shift to pre-programmed shows at 11 p.m. on the nights of Board meetings, the entire meeting was broadcasted without audio, according to a Peralta employee.

In addition to Harris' contract not being extended, most other managers have been placed on one-year contracts. Peralta Union's have been critical of Harris for granting "secret raises" for all his managers last year -- without approval of the Board. The Board has not retracted the raises.

A source told The Black Hour that Harris' Executive Assistant Alton Jelks, Harris' former Chief of Staff when he was Oakland mayor,will likely be gone by the end of the month.

Harris came under fire this past summer following a series of damaging reports by the Bay Area News Group. Harris allegedly declined to speak with the mainstream press, but did respond to the accusations in the "Back to School Edition" his bi-annual Chancellor's Report sent out to the colleges.

The Peralta Board -- also criticized by BANG for lavish spending -- later called for an independent investigation. Still, former California Community Colleges Chancellor Mark Drummond was critical of Peralta in a report this past fall.

The chief complaint; Harris granting a $900,000 "no-bid" contract to a former business partner, Mark Lindquist. Although Harris did not personally benefit from the deal, this led to an unprecedented front-page editorial by the Oakland Tribune calling for Harris to be fired. The Bay Area News Group also sued Peralta until Peralta agreed to hand over records.

Lindquist's company, 1701 Associates was handling construction management for Laney College renovations, but the contract was ended from the job after complaints, and their inability to do the work needed.. Lindquist is currently the Treasurer of the Peralta Foundation.

Vice-Chancellor of Finance Tom Smith was placed on administrative leave and escorted of the premises by Peralta Police Services -- Alameda County Sheriff's Deputies who contract with Peralta to provide services.

Trustees declined to speak regarding this decision; however, there is speculation. Smith refused to dismiss his former executive assistant -- a confidential employee -- Jennifer Lenahan -- who reported leaked information to the press, saying she hadn't acted improperly. Harris reportedly attempted to have her fired for being a whistleblower. After "embarrassing" Harris, the Board declined to terminate her employment. She now works at Berkeley City College, and is represented by SEIU.

The other likely reason is a lack of financial transparency, pointed out by the last year's accreditation report by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

There were numerous "bugs" involved in Peralta's implementation of the PeopleSoft software program, which led the Peralta Colleges gigantic financial aid fiasco in the fall of 2008.

Although not in attendance at Tuesday's meeting, both the Bay Area News Group and the East Bay Express have reported on the ouster of Harris. As the Berkeley Daily Planet reports, since 2007, no corporate news outlet has provided regular coverage of the Peralta District, with the exception of the Laney Tower student newspaper.

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Students protest Peralta Budget cuts

Peralta College students protested budget cuts at the December 17 Board of Trustees meeting.

Students criticized the Board for giving managers raises, while at the same time considering cutting critical student services and laying off employees.

The following video inaccurately cites fee increases as the reason for the protest, yet captures the spirit of the demonstration.


"Students protest Laney College cuts"

Prior to the meeting, Peralta students held a rally in the Laney College quad, before marching to the Peralta District offices.

For more accurate coverage of the meeting, visit the Laney Tower student newspaper or review The Black Hour host Reginald James' Peralta meeting Twitter coverage.

For information about Students Actions against Budget Cuts, visit No Cuts Peralta on Facebook.

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Neil Henry new dean of UC Berkeley School of Journalism

The Berkeley Daily Planet reports that Neil Henry will become dean at the UC Berkeley School of Journalism.

"UC Berkeley’s search for a dean for its Graduate School of Journalism came to an end May 7 when it selected interim Dean Neil Henry for the position...An award-winning journalist, author and professor, Henry has filled in as dean of the school since Orville Schell left two years ago."

Henry worked as a foreign correspondent in Nairobi, Kenya for 16 years at the Washington Post and also wrote Pearl's Secret, and autobiography in which he seeks to learn more about the white part of his family tree.

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Wanted: Black Scientists

Are you the next Benjamin Banneker? You could be!

The Black Scientist Project (BSJ) at Stanford University wants you. The Stanford School of Education are seeking participants who have majored and/or obtained a degree in science.

The purpose of is to identify the factors influencing the experience of individuals who become scientists and the study will examine the ways Black scientists and science majors experience science.

"This knowledge may inform the development of programs, curriculum, and other supports designed to help current and future Black students in their pursuit of a science career."

See "Introduction to Black Scientist Project" Video.

"We are interested in the academic and cultural experiences of Black scientists and students as they engage in science within classrooms, with teachers, and other students," said the Dr. Bryan Brown, assistant professor of research at Stanford. "Additionally, we are compiling a series of autobiographical video testimonies and stories of those who did become scientists.

"The investigators hope to identify why some people are able to pursue degrees and/or careers in science while others do not. The findings of our study will provide a rich understanding of the significant experiences, challenges, and successes that guide the experience of those who are interested in science," said Dr. Brown. This knowledge may inform the development of programs, curriculum, and other supports designed to help current and future Black students in their pursuit of a science career."

To participate in the study please visit http://blackscience.stanford.edu"and take the brief survey!

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The Black Hour 'goes green'

The Black Hour broadcasts every third Friday on 9th Floor Radio, a Peralta TV college radio station based at Laney College in Oakland. The show is produced by African American students at Laney, and deals with various issues affecting black people. It is the only public affairs show for black students on the station.

And April 17, The Black Hour is "goes green."

The April episode of the monthly show will focus on the "Green movement, as it relates to environmental racism, environmental justice, and social equity," said Executive Producer and Host Reginald James.

"It is our show's one-year anniversary and we want to celebrate the life of the show by honoring the planet that gives life to us all," said James, referring to the show that launched from the Laney Black Student Union (Laney BSU) in 2008. The show also precedes this year's Earth Day, as well as Focus the Nation, an event educating Americans on climate change.

Nehanda Imara, an adjunct professor in Environmental Studies and African American Studies at Laney and Merritt Colleges is the shows premiere guest. Imara is also a community organizer with Communities for a Better Environment (CBE).

Also appearing on the show, Tyrone "Baby Champ" Stevenson, inventor of the "Scraper Bikes" and rapper Tevan El "Virtuous" Emmett. Each will their efforts for environmental justice using Hip Hop and Bay Area youth culture.

And lastly, Peralta recycling interns Tiana Drisker (Laney) and Bhret Skipper (Berkeley City College) will discuss their campuses' efforts to promote sustainability on Peralta campuses.

The show will also discuss the upcoming Proposition A: EasyPass Program, appearing on the Peralta student election ballot on April 28-29. The proposition seeks to lower the cost for Peralta students to ride AC Transit by continuing the Peralta EasyPass program.

--Brandy Smith

This article originally appeared in the Laney Tower.

Last May, The Black Hour was also featured in the Laney Tower.

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TBH News: Rescue education rally in Sacramento

As California continues to head downward in an economic freefall, it is time to "Rescue Education." Students, faculty and staff of the state's community colleges, state colleges and universities will rally at the State Capitol March 16 to express their support for higher education in California.

"The time has come where we must ask ourselves and our legislators whether our budget reflects our goals as a state," says the groups, iwillmarch.com website. "Even with the passage of the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 budget package, we, the students of California's public higher education system, realize that this crisis is far from over and that very real threats are not far ahead. So, join us at Raley Field to begin a march to the State Capitol in Sacramento to express support for California's public higher education system."

For more information how how to "KEEP THE DOORS OPEN to our colleges and universities" and to "come support affordable, accessible, and high-quality education for all!" go to http://www.iwillmarch.com

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VIDEO: 2009 Black History Month Forum "The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas"

On Tues. Feb. 11, The Black Hour Radio Show hosted the first of a series of Community Forums. This forum, in celebration of Black History Month, focused on the national Black History Month theme of "The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas."

Panelists included Peralta Colleges Chancellor Elihu Harris, Vice-Chancellor Jim Bracy, African American Studies Professor Tamika Brown and CARE Coordinator Mildred Lewis.



Video by Moushumi Sen

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Sandre Swanson speaks at Laney

Read complete story on Harambeenews.com

Video Courtesy of P-Span

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TBN News: Honoring Tookie at Merritt

Nation of Islam Minister Christopher Muhammad of San Francisco, speaks during Stanley “Tookie” Williams Legacy Summit while Bill Ayers looks on.Reginald James/HARAMBEENEWS.COM

Second Annual Stanley 'Tookie' Williams Legacy Summit

The second annual Stanley 'Tookie' Williams Legacy Summit was held at Merritt College December 13 in the Huey P. Newton/Bobby Seale Lounge.

The summit honored a man who made a major transition in his life, from being a co-founder of the Los Angeles' Crips to becoming an Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and sought to prevent street violence and stop the racist implementation of the death penalty in the United States.

There were over 300 people in attendance, including many former Black Panthers, and other activists. After a hearing, featuring exerpts of written testimony from people on Death Row, and panel was held. Panelists included former Black Panther Party Chairperson Elaine Brown, San Francisco's Nation of Islam Minister Christopher Muhammad, Chicago Professor Bill Ayers, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, and more.

For more information, check out the Berkeley Daily Planet's story by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor.

See more event photos below.

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