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The Pasadena / San Gabrial Valley Journal News - Black African American Business, Educationsl and Social News

Volume XXI Number 46, November 18 - November 24, 2010
Serving Pasadena, Altadena, and Surrounding Areas Published Weekly

Blair School Eligible for California Distinguished School Honors
The Wells Fargo Theatrical Diversity Project Opening Night Celebration Honors Lena L. Kennedy
How Time Flies When I Am In A Hurry

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At the center of the political leadership in Pasadena are two women, Jacqueline (Jackie) Robinson and Renatta Cooper, as they both begin the run for their second terms on the City Council and PUSD board, respectfully. A third woman relatively new to the political scene is Berlinda Brown who sits on the Pasadena City College board, but is not running in the current election.
Profile: Jackie Robinson
A Steady, Guiding Hand for the Community
Jacqueline Robinson has announced that she is running for re-election for District One, representing Northwest Pasadena. Robinson's first term could be compared to that of President Barack Obama's expectations of water walking achievements and the accomplishments gap. However, the number of actual accomplishments was long on action and short on publicity. She has proven herself to be a steady guiding hand for the community.
Within weeks of her taking office, Robinson was faced with the problem of violence in District One. The Pasadena Police Department and the gangs took part in killing young people in the community. From the killings of Ebony Huell in 2007 to Leroy Barnes by 11 bullets, including 7 in the back as he sat in the back seat of a car in 2010, which remains one of the most controversial shootings in the history of Pasadena, Robinson, contrary to some citizens' statements, did not shy away from the controversy. Instead, she involved herself with problem solving and demonstrations including a series of marches for peace.
Her tenure has seen the creation of the 2007 20/20 Initiative to end violence in the community. The Initiative idea was so powerful that other council members seemed to fight to take the leadership of the group. She has also fought hard to make sure that local hires are a priority for all city contractors projects. The latest shout was for local hires in part of the priority to the new contract to spend $152 million city dollars to remodel one in the city's most visible assets, the Rose Bowl. And though the money is not from city taxes, she has made it clear that Pasadenans must share in the bounty of the city.
Some believe that she needs to be replaced, while others believe that she merely needs more support on the council. One James Smith, an African American, is running against her and is being promoted by Latino school board member, Ramon Miramontes, Smith has the misunderstanding of believing that the proceeds from the Rose Bowl should be used for District One, exclusively.
Smith acknowledges that he has not been active in Northwest Pasadena but, like Meg Whitman, feels that he can do a better job in a district that he has not helped in the past. Unlike Robinson who was born and raised in the district and attended schools in the district before going off to earn her degree from U.C. Berkeley. She has a record of achievement in the district. Some even question if Smith even lives in the District.
Robinson's list of accomplishments include quarterly community meetings that allow the community residents to voice their positions and concerns and help fashion solutions. She has created an annual training program for disaster preparedness, free tax assistance for senior citizens and low income residents, and a district wide lottery for Rose Parade and Rose Bowl tickets to make sure that all the citizens have an opportunity to see Pasadena's most popular spectacle.
In 2008 she help found the Neighborhood Outreach Worker Program to hire employees to fight the gang problem, an intern program has created employment opportunities for a city residents, free spade and neuter services for dogs and cats which has reduced the stray animal population in the area, and her neighborhood clean up day along Lincoln Avenue which has helped keep the community clean.
She has also created a much needed Teen Center, on North Lincoln as well as the 20/10 "Crossing the Borders Campaign." The Border Crossing campaign was designed to develop and improve relationship between the African American and Latino residents in the community. In the current year she has overseen the completion of the North Lincoln Avenue Specific Plan and launched a 100 Volunteer Army all to help find ways to improve her District.
In spite of her accomplishments her largest disappointment is that she can't solve everyone's problems. And that more residents are not involved in helping to solve the problems of the community. She is up for the challenge to keep on working to use her steadying hand to solve as many problems as she possibly can.
Profile: Renatta Cooper
Still Striving and Working for Better School in a Difficult Economy
As Renatta Cooper ends her first term as a Pasadena Unified School Board member, she sees the positives and the negatives. She sees the achievements and the disappointments but remains positive about the future in the never ending task of educating children and eliminating any achievement gaps between groups.
The ability to achieve all of the goals set for children in the PUSD has been made more difficult by the state budget problems. One of the most rewarding experiences during her first term has been the formation of the African American Parent Council. The Board mandated program will help close the achievement gap that often sees African American students left behind for reasons unrelated to intelligence.

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Politics, Changing Policies and the Future for Black America

Black News and News Makers in History
11/18/1797: Sojourner Truth, abolitionist & orator, born. Read More.
11/18/1900: Howard Thurman, author, theologian, civil & human rights activist, educator, born.
11/18/1949: Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers, named National League's Most Valuable Player.
11/19/1911: William Attaway, novelist, essayist, short story writer, playwright, screenwriter, song writer, born.
11/19/1917: Jackie Ormes, newspaper writer & cartoonist, born.
11/19/1949: Ahmad Rashad, football extraordinaire & author, born. Read More.
11/19/1973: Savion Glover, actor, tap dancer, choreographer, born.
11/20/1919: Jane Cooke Wright, physician, researcher, born.
11/20/1923: Garrett Morgan, inventor & engineer, received patent for three-way traffic signal.
11/21/1784: James Armistead cited by French General Lafayette for valuable service to American forces in the Revolutionary War.
11/21/1923: Julius Harris, actor, born.
11/21/2004: Rachel Y. Mazyck, awarded Rhodes scholarship. Read More.
11/22/1908: Frank C. Mann, engineer & designer, Tuskagee instructor, born. Read More.
11/22/1942: Guion S. Bluford, Jr., Ph.D., astronaut, first African American to fly in space, born.
11/23/1897: Andrew Jackson Beard received patent for automatic railroad car coupling device.
11/24/1866: Rust College, one of first institutions of higher learning for Blacks in America founded.
11/24/1914: Bessie Blount, inventor & forensic scientist, born.
11/24/1943: "Dorie" Miller, honored for Pearl Harbor bravery, died. Read More.

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