Living Roots Magazine February/March 2012

A Tale of Two CongressmenU.S. Reps. Jim Clyburn and Tim Scott

Phylicia Rashad on the Strength of Family

McKinley Washington Serving the Sea Islands for

Four Decades

February/March 2012

Representative Jim Clyburn6th District

Representative Tim Scott1st District

2 Liv ing Roots | February/March 2012

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1February/March 2012 | L iv ing Roots

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ContentsSectionsSTYLE

The Evolution of Hairstyles .................................. 4By Angie Ravenel

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Reynier Llanes and the

Cultural Importance of Coffee .................................. 8

By Kristen Gehrman

CULTURE

Safety Cab – A Charleston Institution .................... 12By Professor Damon L. Fordham

The Gullah Huntsman and Chef ............................ 14By Julian Gooding

VERGE

Heaven Scent ........................................................ 17A Q&A With Ausar Vandross

MONEY

The Importance of Social Security ......................... 30By Chris Jenkins

VILLAGE

Lessons on Family, Humanity and Love ................. 32An Interview With Phylicia Rashad

By Donloyn Gadson

RISE

A Beautiful Shade of Love ..................................... 34By Kevin L. Smith

SHE FLIES

The Inspiring Story of Sadie Alexander .................. 36By Doretha Walker

Letter from the Editor .........................................2By Deona Smith

Our Contributors .................................................3

THE COVERThey are about as different as different can be, but James Enos Clyburn and Timothy Eugene Scott have two critically important things in common: They are African-Americans and they are members of Congress.

32

FeaturesA Tale of Two Congressmen ..................................18Jim Clyburn and Tim Scott

By Brian Sherman

Immeasurable Commitment ...................................22McKinley Washington and the Sea Islands

By Kristen Wright-Matthews

Challenged To Excel ...............................................26Career Diplomat Got His Start On The Peninsula

By Brian Sherman

��U.S. Reps. Jim Clyburn and Tim Scott

Phylicia Rashad ��

McKinley Washington ��

��

February/March 2012

��

��


E VERY U.S. PRESIDENT since 1976 has officially designated February as Black History Month,

a time to note the achievements of African-Americans and celebrate the role we have played in virtually every corner of our society, from sports to entertainment to education to business to politics to community service. At Living Roots, we are proud to mark the accomplishments of African-Americans, especially those with connections to our part of the country. In this issue, you’ll find a contrast between two congressmen who represent South Carolinians in Congress. At the age of 71, Jim Clyburn is the third most powerful Democrat in the House. First elected in 1993, he is a staunch supporter of President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, 46-year-old Tim Scott is finishing his first term in the House. A conservative Republican, he opposes the president’s policies. What do they have in common? They both are African-Americans and they have earned a place in history. In the business world, we’ll give you a look at the life of Henry Smith, who saw an entrepreneurial opportunity and took advantage of it. The company he launched in downtown Charleston in 1936, Safety Cab, is still around today. Long before the civil rights movement changed America forever, Dr. Sadie T. Alexander battled racial and gender discrimination to write an inspiring chapter in the story of African-Americans in the United States. Against all odds, she earned a law degree and a doctorate and started a national organization for black attorneys. Rev. McKinley Washington has spent his life serving the needs of the residents of Edisto, James, Johns, Wadmalaw and Yonges islands and the surrounding communities. The bridge named in his honor doesn’t do justice to all he accomplished for the people of the Sea Islands. James Gadsden, a product of a segregated high school on the Charleston peninsula, had a lengthy career as a diplomat, serving at one time as the U.S. ambassador to Iceland. Now he is involved in a nationwide program that encourages minorities to seek careers with the U.S. Foreign Service. We are proud of all these people, not just because they are African-Americans and not simply because of their connection to the Lowcountry. We salute them because they all overcame obstacles to help make the world a better place for all of us. Warmest regards,

Deona Smith Editor-In-Chief

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Publisher / Editor-In-Chief Deona Smith

Copy Editor

Brian Sherman

Graphic Artists Dana Coleman

Angela McMillan

Style Editor Angie Ravenel

Fashion Stylist Theresa Spann

Contributing Writers

Damon Fordham, Donloyn Gadson, Kristen Gehrman, Julian Gooding,

Brian Sherman, Kevin L. Smith, Doretha Walker,

Kristen Wright-Matthews

Photographers Darrin Todd Little

Angie Ravenel

Marketing and Development Director Greta Thomsen

Advertising

Otto S. Riley

Administrative Support Hope Manigault

Interns

LaQunya Baker, Sara Daise Bianca Flowers, Tiffany Hughes

D’yanis Samuel

Living Roots Magazine 1150 Hungryneck Blvd., Suite C-351

Mount Pleasant, S.C. 29464 (843) 937-9600

Living Roots Magazine, Vol. 1 No. 2, is published bimonthly, six times per year, by DeJo Communications Group, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2012 by DeJo Communications Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

LR

Photo by Angie Ravenel


Damon L. Fordham is a professor of history at Springfield College and Virginia College in Charleston, S.C. He is the author of “True Stories of Black South Carolina,” “Voices of Black South Carolina” and the upcoming “Mr. Potts and Me.” Damon contributed the Safety Cab story for this issue.

Donloyn T. Gadson, wife and mother of eight, is a writer and an aspiring novelist and children’s book author. Although she originates from Louisiana,

she has made Charleston her home for the past 32 years. Her Southern background, rich in culture and history, is the driving force behind her passion for great storytelling. She has an extensive education in health care and has held positions in child development and pediatrics. Darrin Todd Little Photography is synonymous with quality. Photography is defined as the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy, especially light, on a sensitive surface. Photography is an art, but the finished product is only as good as the artist. He brings his clients behind the camera and lets

them see through his eyes. His goal as a photographer is to immortalize special moments for future generations. Darrin is married to the lovely Dr. Shelma M. Little. Visit www.darrintoddlittlephotography.com.

A native of Philadelphia, Brian Sherman has been a newspaper and magazine editor in Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma. A graduate

of Memphis State University, he currently earns a living as a freelance writer, editor and graphic designer and is the self-proclaimed protector and defender of the English language. He spends a large portion of his free time assiduously studying the sacred sport of baseball. A native of Charleston, Kevin L. Smith is a professional educator, talk show host, consultant and speaker. He earned his undergraduate degree at Winthrop University and a graduate degree from The Citadel. Kevin is the author and illustrator of the self-published “Get Up, Get Out, Go For It!” and currently writes a weekly motivational publication titled “Lift-Off!” He loves to spend time with his wife and

children, coaching and sometimes playing basketball, and he is a connoisseur of bow ties. A Los Angeles native, Kristen

Wright-Matthews moved to Charleston seven years ago. She has been a publicist, freelance writer and magazine editor for 16

years. She’s worked with countless celebrities, but Kristen’s love for children led her to a higher calling. She was a middle school teacher for two years, and she was widely recognized for her contributions in bringing awareness to community issues. An aspiring children’s writer, Kristen is a newlywed and mother of a 4-year-old boy, who she considers to be her most extraordinary accomplishment.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Are you interested in contributing to Living Roots Magazine? Email your contact information and a work sample with the subject “Living Roots Contributor” to [email protected]

��U.S. Reps. Jim Clyburn and Tim Scott

Phylicia Rashad ��

McKinley Washington ��

��

February/March 2012

��

��


by Angie Ravenel

The Evolution of Hairstyles

STYLE

The hair on your head is there to adorn and protect you. However, we as pretentious women cannot accept such simplicity. Over the years, hairstyles have emerged, evolved and repeated themselves. Allow me to introduce the evolution of hairstyles from distinctive eras. From the “boogie woogie” ‘50s, the “feel the funk” ‘70s and the current reform era, hairstyles have truly become a part of our lifestyle. Model Shuvonna Spann showcases these evolving styles with ease.

50sFifties hairstyles were a class act of

luxurious curls achieved with Marcel irons and waves and pin curls that

were molded to perfection.

Hair. Makeup. Photography by Angie RavenelFashion Styling by Theresa Spann


STYLE

‘70s

Present

The tightly coiled afro wasn’t simply a fad of the ‘70s but rather a part of a celebratory movement. It exuded fun and confidence.

Today’s styles offer many options and textures. This style has shine and a sleek,

modern look that’s great for the work day, as well as for a

night on the town.

“This book is a must have!

Angie gives you all the tools you needto make your makeup

experience a great one!

—R. Sanders, Realtor

Absolutely love the book! It was apleasure to read and will be my “go to”

guide for makeup tips.Thanks, Angie for a great guide!

—Elizabeth L. Jennings,Carolina Eye Candy LLC, Owner

”I use this book as a guide to getting theperfect natural look that I can feel good

about. The book has been so helpful.Great job, Angie!

Lorraine S. Brown, Administrative Assistant


Helping women succeed.Every day.

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We offer a wide range of programs and services to help you achieve your personal and career goals. From helping women find better jobs to developing leadership skills, the Center for Women is your local resource for developing your talents and finding new opportunities. To see all we do every month, go to www.c4women.org and visit our monthly calendar listing. Learn, grow and become a more empowered woman!


WHERE LOCAL ARTIST REYNIER Llanes (JAH’-nes) grew up, the cultural importance of coffee has little to do with drive-throughs or to-go cups. In his home of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, freshly roasted coffee has

always been the central focus of an unhurried way of life, bringing families together for hours at a time.

Reynier Llanes

By Kristen Gehrman

Photo by Richard Ellis


“On Sundays, when I was a kid, my whole family would come over and spend the entire day around the coffee pot,” Llanes reminisced. “We told old stories and really listened to each other. This is how we preserved our heritage.” Even though Llanes now lives far from his family, coffee and old family stories are still an integral part of his life and art. An artist-in-residence of renowned local painter Jonathan Green, Llanes has been recognized throughout the Southeast for his coffee paint-ings, intimate works on paper painted exclusively with Cuban roasted coffee. “People don’t always believe me when I tell them that my paintings are all coffee, but it’s true,” Llanes explained. “You can’t get these sienna colors from acrylics.” Llanes’ painting process is similar to watercolor. He prepares his palette by roasting different kinds of Cuban coffee that his mother sends him from home. The rich shade of brown he produces depends on the color of the bean and how much water is in the pot. Drawing on his fine art background in oil and acrylic painting, Llanes composes nostalgic scenes of family and farm life that seem familiar but at the same time surreal. His subjects appear wise, bearing expressions that toy with the viewer’s imagination: a man gazing into a coffee cup at his own reflection; a weary cigar roller with striking eyes; a boy playing with a butterfly as his father fixes the car. “When I drink the coffee as

I paint, the stories flood back to me. People can approach the stories in my work any way they like,” said Llanes. “They are living paintings. Even though they come from my heritage, they represent stories within all of us.” Llanes was discovered by Jonathan Green after immigrat-ing to Naples, Fla., in 2007. He had attended the Federico Engels School of Art Instructors in Havana and had taught art in Cuba for two years. However, despite his educated background and deep connection to his homeland, there was little oppor-tunity to pursue his art in Cuba. “Being an immigrant, I have suffered from being far from my family. I know that I will not move back, but still my paintings are about passing my heritage down to future generations,” Llanes explained. “Jonathan Green and I are similar in that way. He is from the Gullah culture, and I from the African diaspora, but we both paint our heritage with positive memories and a sense of ‘tranquillo.’” Llanes currently works out of his West Ashley studio. He recently received the 2011 MOJA Arts Festival Juried Exhibition Award, and the Myrtle Beach Art Museum purchased some of his work for its permanent collec-tion. With one year left in his three-year residency with Green, he plans to continue with his signature coffee paintings and also develop his acrylic and oil painting skills. To view more of Llanes’ work, visit www.jonathangreenstudios.com and click on the artists link.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Coming Soon!

Gullah Visitors Guide

This publication is produced by Living Roots Magazine in support of the Gullah Roots Project. The Gullah Roots Project, a nonprofit organization established in 2011, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, sustaining and sharing an appreciation and awareness of Gullah Geechee arts, crafts, music, folkways and culture.

For more information: Deona Smith, Publisher Living Roots Magazine

(843) 937-9600 [email protected]

Gullah Visitors Guide, a premium publication highlighting the Lowcountry’s unique Gullah culture, debuts in May. This easy-to-use guide offers all the information tourists traditionally crave, while featuring historic sites, tours and businesses of African-American significance. It is the perfect vehicle to diversify your marketing campaign and drive visitors to your business.


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CULTURE

IR E C E N T LY D ROV E M Ymother, who is nearly 90, to her doctor for a routine checkup. Stopped at a traffic light, we noticed one of the

ubiquitous green Safety Cabs, with its gold and red lettering – a common sight in the Charleston area. “I see they still have the same phone number after all these years,” my mother said. I was pleasantly surprised that she would remember this. Before she mar-ried my father in 1960, my mother

lived on Spring

Street in downtown Charleston and took a Safety Cab to her job at the Medical University Hospital. “They were the only taxis that black people in Charleston could use back then,” she explained. I was intrigued that Safety Cab is

still around, while most of the older black-owned businesses no longer ex-ist. I decided to learn more about the company and of the reasons behind its continued success. Dr. Maxine Smith recalled this information about her father, Safety Cab founder Henry Smith: “Henry Smith was born in Charleston on May 12, 1913, and died on April 13, 1995. He was the son of the late James Arthur Smith and Bessie Brown Smith. I did not get to meet my father’s parents or grandparents. I was told that my father attended Simonton School, formerly on Morris Street. He com-pleted the seventh grade. “I would describe my father as a man who kept to himself. He didn’t have many close personal friends, but he was the kind of person who always had people coming to him

for advice. He had many business associates – both blacks and whites. Back in the day, I can remember being introduced to lawyers, doctors and other business professionals who knew my father. He was invited to weddings, baptisms and other family functions of people from all races and backgrounds in the city of Charleston. “If you don’t make your presence known, when someone needs your service or expertise, they would not have a frame of reference to call you with a special inquiry. My father was instrumental in identifying many men and women who became the first blacks to drive the city buses – formerly run by SCE&G; now run by CARTA – and the first African-American bank tellers, when banks began to integrate. Staying in the mix with decision-makers gave my father

BY P R O F E S S O R DA M O N L . F O R D H A M , M A

Safety Cab

A CHARLESTON INSTITUTION


clout when persons making hiring decisions decided it was time to inte-grate the workplace in Charleston. “When I reflect on my father’s sense of owning, operating and sustaining a business, I wonder how he knew so much with such a limited education. There is an expression that you hear often about people who were born with a great deal of common sense – well, my father was one of those persons. I wouldn’t compare him to a Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, but he was a business genius ahead of his time.” Smith is in the process of writing a book about her father and his role in local history. Emily Smith, a Charleston native, was a first cousin of Henry Smith. She explained: “Henry Smith was a true entrepreneur. He also owned service stations, liquor stores and even a drive-in movie theater for blacks that was located on Highway 17 near the St. Andrews Shopping Center. He would also promote dances and jazz shows at Charleston County Hall – now an apartment complex – and I would sell tickets. This was how I got to see famous jazz stars such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Lionel Hampton. “In those days, many blacks could not afford cars. Also, white taxi driv-ers would not serve black people un-less they were servants and maids who worked for their families. Therefore, Mr. Smith saw a need that was not being met and established Safety Cab

at the site of his Esso Service Station on the corner of Fishburne Street and Ashley Avenue in 1936. The fare was 10 cents at the time and rose to a quarter in the 1950s. There was another black taxi company called Economy Cabs and a number of black hackers – men with private cars who independently charged people

for rides – but Safety is the only black taxi company that has survived as long as we have in Charleston under its original name. I joined Safety Cab in 1950 as a dispatcher over the radio and telephone.” Smith added: “By being the oldest independent black company in this area, we have built up a good reputation. Part of this is because we are in America’s most historic city. Everyone remembers our phone number. People from London, Boston, New York City, Chicago and other cities have been customers of ours, remember us and continue to

do business with us.” One of Henry Smith’s best friends was Jerry Fordham Sr., a civil rights activist and entrepreneur born in nearby Berkeley County and the owner of Fordham Shell Service Station, Fordham Exxon, the Fordham Bus Company and a super-market. After Smith died, his daugh-

ter, Maxine Smith, sold the Safety Cab Company to Fordham’s son, James Fordham, who still owns the business. After the sale, James Fordham told Tony Robertson of The Charleston Chronicle on Sept. 2, 1998, that he would continue the traditions of his father and the elder Smith. “My father never worked for anyone but himself, and I guess that kind of rubbed off on my brothers and me,” he said. Fordham has kept his promise over the years, and Safety Cab has con-tinued to be a successful business. He recently

made these comments to Living Roots Magazine: “Some of the youth don’t realize the money that you can make in the taxicab business. It’s not as dangerous as people think if you just use some sense and answer your calls on the radio instead of picking up people at random off the streets. We currently have 18 cars and drivers, which is good. However, we would love to get more young people mentored in this business as a positive alternative to the streets. I hope that this story makes people realize that this is a legacy that we could keep going.”

CULTURE

Emily Smith, a first cousin of Henry Smith who started working at Safety Cab in 1950, and the company’s current owner, James Fordham.


IT’S A SUNNY BUT CHILLYwinter morning, and I’m stand-ing on the grounds of historic Middleton Place in Charleston, S.C. Powerful and majestic

horses surround me; astride them are men and women

dressed in regal red hunting jackets. The sounds of hounds yelping and a brass horn blowing can be heard in the distance, signaling the start of a centuries-long tradition of fox hunting. Just ahead of the hunt – not unlike a character in an old Western, with a cowboy hat and full-length leather duster – rides William “Bill” Green, huntsman, horseman and trainer of hounds. He’s the man creating the ex-citement, the exhilarating rush of horse

and hound in hot pursuit of a streaking fox. But in this hunt, Bill is the fox. For nearly 40 years, Bill Green has been perfecting the drag hunt. He is the only African-American in the nation teaching this style, which really isn’t hunting at all – not in the tradi-tional sense. There are no foxes, and no animals are harmed or harassed. Just before a hunt, Bill shares his techniques for drag hunting, which involves dragging a rag or a piece of fur, scented with real fox urine, tied to a rope or line – hence the term laying a line. A spray bottle can be used to achieve the same effect, usually on rainy days. Then, on horseback, he creates the course for the hounds to find and follow. The hard part, Bill explains, is

training the hounds used during the hunt. He wants them to learn to follow the scent he lays down and not a real fox that might be in the woods at the time of the hunt. The training begins when they are pups, as the hounds learn to move together as one unit. Alongside the hounds on horseback is the lead huntsman, assisted by the “whippers-in,” who help keep the hounds on course while they locate Bill’s cleverly-laid fox scent. Although hounds have a natural instinct to hunt, it takes many months or sometimes years for them to master the intricacies of the drag hunt. Born and raised on James Island, S.C., Bill is proud of his Gullah ancestry. Firmly rooted in his heritage and culture, he observes and respects

BY J U L I A N G O O D I N G

The Gullah Huntsman

and ChefThe Gullah Huntsman

and ChefWILLIAM “BILL” GREEN


the natural world that surrounds him. “You should always have love and kindness in your heart and put that in everything you do,” he shouts with his wonderfully unique Gullah voice. “Love and kindness is my motto. Without that, everything just falls apart.” After the hunt, we sit and chat awhile. His handsome smile and Southern Gullah charm draw you in. He learned as a child all about how clever a fox can be. As if he were that little boy again, he told me of his first live fox hunt and how he focused on the fox and its playful nature. He tells me, “A fox can run a pack of hounds in circles and sit right there and watch ’um and never get caught.” Later, as a young man, he ventured to Colorado, discovering that he had a talent for working with horses. “Some say I’m a bit of a horse whisperer. There’s no horse, so far, I can’t get my leg across,” he said with a smile. “I love what I do. I love my horses and raising hunting hounds up from pups so people can have an exciting drag hunt. Man, there’s no sweeter music. When those hounds hit the line, it gets no better than that. Their howling is better than anything you’ll hear on the radio.” Bill knows his way around the woods, and, thanks to his grandmother, he also knows his way around the kitchen. Through her, Bill has preserved recipes and ideals firmly rooted in the Gullah culture, adhering to the Gullah traditions of eating fresh, local and in season. For more than 10 years, Bill has earned respect as a chef specializing in Gullah cooking. As the owner of the Gullah Grub, a down-home restaurant on St. Helena Island, S.C., just outside historic Beaufort, his menu includes crab soup; gumbo; baked and barbe-cued chicken; ribs; shrimp and grits; mac and cheese; red rice; collard greens; and cobblers. Bill is nationally recognized as

one of the few purveyors of authentic Gullah food. His traditional Gullah oyster roasts and seafood boil gained notoriety on “Martha Stewart Living” and the Travel Channel’s “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.” Bill refuses to let his Gullah heritage be forgotten, devalued or stolen. He told me that one day while he was shopping in a grocery store,

“A lady held up a cabbage and a head of lettuce, confused, asking me which one is the cabbage. I knew I had to do something.” His jovial tone changes as he laments how things use to be. You can feel his worry that much of the Gullah culture, land and healthy ways of living have been encroached upon. Like many of his generation, he feels nobody cares anymore, especially about Gullah heritage. This lack of caring and knowledge throughout the Lowcountry prompted Bill and his wife, Sara, to start teaching young people in their community about organic farming and Gullah heritage cooking. They’re part of the slow food movement – eat fresh, eat local and in season. Through food, Bill reminds us all of better, simpler days. In 2011, he launched his own cooking show, “Gullah Grub,” on Comcast 2 in Charleston, and has his own line of natural cooking rubs, sauces, soups and gumbos. Alongside him preserv-ing the Gullah heritage is his daughter, Oshi, and oldest son, William. They help run his restaurant and catering business. His youngest son, Jaime, followed in his other footsteps; he is the lead huntsman for the Middleton Place Hounds hunt club. Bill, like many people his age, is a living history. I’m a better person for taking the time to know him and his family. As I learn more about South Carolina, I ask: Why are we allowing this beautiful Lowcountry to fade away to gated communities and town centers? It’s time we start recognizing the Gullah people in the present and not as a relic of time long since passed. I like Bill’s motto: “Just put love and kindness in your heart and you can’t go wrong.”

To find out more about this amazing man or to order cooking products and DVDs, visit www.gullahgrubs.com.

CULTURE

The Gullah Huntsman

and Chef

WILLIAM “BILL” GREEN


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CITY SCENE


LIVING ROOTS CAUGHTup with Ausar Vandross to discuss his store and products in the City Market.

LR: What inspired you to start your business, and why did you select products of African origin? Vandross: I was inspired by my wife, Tammy, and family to start Heaven Scent. I credit them with my business success. Having worked in sales, I took a look at what I thought would be a positive product with increasing demand. Shea butter and African black soap had been introduced to me by brothers from Africa when we were living in Louisiana. Tammy was pregnant with our first child. It just seemed natural and appropriate that the origin of our product be African. LR: Please describe your products and their benefits to your clients. Vandross: We offer the finest organic shea butter and African black soap. Shea butter is a moisturizer extracted from the pressed nuts of the karite tree. It is made by the women of West African countries. Our shea butter comes from Ghana and Mali. The butter is the purest we have found. Shea butter keeps skin healthy, treats eczema and psoriasis, dry skin and problematic skin. It heals damaged skin resulting from trauma. African black soap cleans skin like you could not imagine. It is prescribed for acne, eczema, psoriasis and dirt removal. Black soap looks crazy to some but will convince and convert disbeliev-ers and doubters. Black soap comes

from plantain skin palm oil, palm kernel and coco pods. I call my products nature’s proactive. LR: Many products now contain shea but-ter, but you seemed to understand its value before it became a market trend. How did you discover your products and what new products will you debut in the near future? Vandross: Call me clairvoyant if you will. I was sold on the intrinsic value and benefits of shea butter and black soap even when the Africans were literally giving it away. When shea butter and black soap were being poorly sold and misrepresented in flea markets and street corners, I was putting together a marketing plan to mainstream them and make them the highly-respected products deserved by Africa’s finest. In the future, our product line will expand to include developed and advanced skin care and maintenance to include skin scrubs and exfoliates. Stay tuned. LR: What has been your greatest challenge and triumph during your entrepreneurial journey? Vandross: My greatest challenge has been our rapid growth. We were surprised to discover the demand by all peoples, white, black, Asian and Hispanic, for our product. We do

Heaven Scent

not consider ourselves simply a black business; we consider ourselves to be a viable business catering to the com-munity, and that includes everyone seeking healthy skin. Now I just want to hurry up and finish my website so that the rest of the world can experi-ence our products. I truly love my customers. Over the years, I’ve remained connected to my customers, who are like family. I strive to remember their names and details that are the ties that bind. When you see people instead of dol-lar signs, success comes automatically. Heaven Scent, in the Charleston City Market, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

VERGE


THEY ARE AS different as a slow Southern drawl and a nasal New York twang, as diverse as a sunny summer day in

Summerville and a mid-winter dusting of snow in Spartanburg and as dissimilar

as homemade Charleston grits

and the kind you mix with water and heat up in the microwave. They are not, however, as different as black and white. James Enos Clyburn and Timothy Eugene Scott have little in common

except the color of their skin – they both are African-Americans – and the fact that they serve the people of South Carolina as members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Jim Clyburn is 71 years old, and, though he was a teacher early in his professional career, he has been involved in government and politics in one way or another for the past four decades. He has represented South Carolina’s 6th District since 1993 and as assistant Democratic leader is currently the third-ranking Democrat in the House. He is a staunch supporter of President Barack Obama,

insisting that the nation’s chief executive deserves another four years in office and the opportunity to continue the policies he has established since moving into the White House in 2009. “He has demonstrated a capacity to lead this country,” Clyburn explained. “When he took over we were hemorrhaging 700,000 jobs a month. We lost 2.1 million jobs in the three months prior to him being sworn in. The first thing he had to do was stop the hemorrhaging. It took time to put the tourniquet on. He has done a tremendous job, and his policies will

REPRESENTATIVES JIM CLYBURN & TIM SCOTT

BY BRIAN SHERMAN

aTaleof twoCongressmen


FEATURE

make the economy well again.” Tim Scott, 46, is one of 60 or so conservatives swept into office by the “Tea Party Revolution,” when the Republicans wrested control of the U.S. House in 2010. He and U.S. Rep. Allen West of Florida are the first black members of their party to serve in Congress since J.C. Watts of Oklahoma retired in 2002. Scott, who represents South Carolina’s 1st District, sat on the Charleston County Council for 13 years and was a state representative for two years before besting eight other Republicans and then Democrat Ben Frasier in the general election. Among those he vanquished in the primary were members of two of South Carolina’s most prominent political

families: Paul Thurmond and Carroll Campbell. Scott gives the president a failing grade for his first term in office. In his efforts to see that his party regains control of the executive branch of government, he has held town hall meetings in his district for most of the Republican candidates for president. “Our unemployment situation is a result of a model that simply doesn’t work in the 21st century,” Scott commented. “We are being driven by a larger, more centralized government. In a global economy, that fails. Unfortunately, that has been the approach of this administration.” PUTTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK Scott and Clyburn obviously have a difference of opinion on the president’s performance. They do agree, however, that the most important issue during the 2012 election cycle is putting people back to work. They don’t agree on how to accomplish that monumental feat. According to Scott, a three-pronged approach would cut the nation’s unemployment rate in half: reducing regulations on businesses, allowing businesses to return profits earned outside the borders of the United States without double taxation, and lowering the corporate tax rate. Scott said this plan would help provide jobs for 7 million Americans. Clyburn prefers to depend on earmarks – funds included in legislation for a specific purpose, usually for a project in a specific legislator’s state or district – to kick-start the economy into high gear. Scott and many other Republicans see eliminating earmarks as a way to make a dent in the ever-growing national debt. In Clyburn’s opinion, that attitude is stifling South Carolina’s economy because an earmark is the only way to obtain funding to deepen the Charleston

Harbor shipping channel, making Charleston more competitive with other ports, including nearby Savannah. “To have that port jeopardized is a real serious problem. I got the money through the House twice to deepen the harbor. Both times it failed in the Senate,” Clyburn explained. “I don’t understand people who hold onto a philosophy that is detrimental to the state. The same non-earmark philosophy was held by senators from Georgia, but when it came to the Savannah port, they decided they were going to find the $600 million to deepen the harbor.” According to Clyburn, without an earmark, federal funding for work on Charleston’s shipping lanes won’t be available until 2024. He blamed conservative U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a Republican, for the demise of his earmark for the harbor. “We need to stop making the defeat of the president the number one priority,” Clyburn said. “You’ve got people in the Republican Party whose priority is to make sure Obama is a one-term president. My number one priority is getting people back to work. You have people who believe that in order to drown the captain you have to sink the whole ship.” THE PARTY OF LINCOLN Clyburn, who served on the staff of Gov. John West and as South Carolina’s human affairs commissioner before winning his current congressional seat, actually started life as a Republican, though he sees little similarity between the party of Lincoln and today’s party of Romney, Gingrich, Santorum and Palin. He remembers wearing “I Like Ike” buttons in 1952 and 1956, supporting the candidacy of Republican President Dwight David Eisenhower, and working to elect Richard Nixon as president on the

Congressmen


FEATURE

South Carolina State campus during the 1960 campaign. He also was deeply involved in the civil rights movement, organizing sit-ins and helping to establish the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee at a meeting at Shaw University in Raleigh. Following a civil rights demonstration at a lunch counter in Orangeburg in March 1960, he and around 300 of his colleagues were carted off to jail, which turned out to be a fortunate stroke of luck for the future congressman. He explained that the students who were not arrested – because there was no place to put all of them – returned to the South Carolina State campus, raided the dining hall and brought dinner to their incarcerated friends. His future wife, Emily, was among them. “She came up to me with a hamburger in her hand, broke it in two, and we each ate half,” he said. They now have three daughters and three grandchildren. During this tumultuous time in his life, Clyburn began to see what he considered to be the dark side of the Republican Party. He said Nixon’s running mate, Henry Cabot Lodge, made some positive comments about the progress South Carolina State students were making and what the Nixon administration would do for African-Americans. Instead of agreeing with his colleague, Nixon repudiated his statements and “took him to the woodshed,” according to Clyburn. Later that year, when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed in Albany, Ga., the civil rights leader’s wife got an empathetic call from Nixon’s opponent, John F. Kennedy. Clyburn tried unsuccessfully to get Nixon to do the same. “There was no response,” Clyburn

remembered. “The plea went unaddressed. That was when I began to

see a Republican strategy that was, if not anti-student and anti-black, certainly struck me as being so. That was my

break with the Republican Party.” He added that in 1964, when the Republican candidate for president, Barry Goldwater, opposed the Civil Rights Act, the majority of African-

Americans turned to the Democratic Party. According to Clyburn, they

have stuck with the Democrats because even in the 21st century, many Republican policies are seen as anti-black. “There are exceptions, but, for the most part, Republicans are against Social Security, Medicare and universal access to health care. Most blacks believe that health care is a fundamental right. It’s no accident that African-Americans die younger and get less health care. If the president didn’t do anything else, putting health care on the agenda was monumental, and every black person knows that.” BLIND LOYALTY Scott, on the other hand, is not

convinced that African-Americans should blindly follow the Democratic Party. He grew up in a broken home in

North Charleston and made such poor grades in his freshman year at Stall High School that he had to take summer school classes to advance to the 10th grade. He survived and eventually thrived through the influence of his mother, football and a mentor who taught him about free enterprise system. “I have a very strong mom, and she kept me pumped with optimism,” Scott said. “She taught me that if you shoot for the moon and miss, you’ll still end up among the stars.” He added that the lessons he learned growing up about individual responsibility and “being right is far more important than being popular” took him in the

direction of the Republican Party. “There’s no doubt that those lessons led me to be a conservative,” Scott explained. “My mentor taught me that you have to have a plan. You can think

FEATURE

6th District Rep. Jim Clyburn

1st District Rep. Tim Scott


your way out of poverty. That was revolutionary for me.” He first encountered his mentor when he was in high school, working at a movie theater. The man, who owned a fast food restaurant, taught him about life and succeeding in the business world, lessons that proved important later when Scott owned an insurance agency. “It turned into a mentoring situation for me, and it was quite impactful. The lessons stuck with me and led me in many ways to become a Republican,” Scott said. While Clyburn said he knew from the age of 8 that he would someday run for Congress, Scott set his sights at an early age on playing football for a living. Though his dream of wearing a Dallas Cowboys uniform never materialized, he did play a few years at Stall and at Presbyterian College. “Football taught me leadership skills and to be a team player,” he commented. “And I saw it as a way out of poverty. At the end of the day, it’s a great recreational activity and one of my best experiences in life.” Unlike Clyburn, Scott doesn’t necessarily see African-Americans as a natural fit for the Democratic Party. He said the Republican Party aligns better with the basic value system of the black community, but he added that he

hopes African-Americans will vote for candidates rather than for candidates who belong to specific political parties. “Ultimately, my hope is that the African-American community would embrace not political parties but philosophies that will lead us where we are destined to go as a community and as a nation,” he said. “Far more important than parties is voting for the right candidate. Voting straight down party lines is not effective.” “We continue to take our message to the African-American community,” he added. “There are more African-Americans running as Republicans now

than since Reconstruction. We hope the voters will start investigating the best candidates and vote accordingly. We need to eliminate the whole notion of being judged superficially. I live by that creed. People should be judged by what they do.” DEEPLY RELIGIOUS MEN Both Scott and Clyburn are deeply religious men. Clyburn related that his father, a minister, enforced two main

rules in the house. “We had to recite Bible verses every morning, and before you put a fork-full in your mouth, you had to do a Bible verse, and you couldn’t say the same one twice. And every evening we had to share with him or my mother a current event. We had to share something we learned from the newspaper that day.” His father’s rules about current events eventually drew Clyburn into the political arena. In 1948, he was captivated by Harry Truman, the ultimate political underdog, and he still reads books written by the former president, as well as the Bible.

“I was carried away with Harry Truman. He was running against Thomas Dewey, a member of a wealthy upstate New York family. And this little known, handicapped person from Missouri got elected when nobody thought he could,”

Clyburn remarked. “When I’m wrestling with things, I ask myself, ‘What would Jesus do, or what would Harry do?’” Scott agrees that religion and moral values should play a role in American politics. “A better America is an America with a moral foundation that is as solid as a rock,” he commented. “In this country, there is a strong conviction that there is a God who overlooks us and works on our behalf.”

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Name... information...


THE MCKINLEY WASHINGTON JR. Bridge connects Edisto Island on the coast of South Carolina to the mainland. It was named for the former state legislator who represented the area in the House and Senate for more than 30 years and

spearheaded the effort to appropriate funds to replace a swing bridge that tied up traffic when it opened for boats

to pass. And while the new bridge represented an important milestone

for southern Charleston County and neighboring Colleton County, it pales in comparison to some of Washington’s other accomplishments. A pastor, legislator, activist and devoted member of the community, Washington is not unlike the bridge that bears his name, repeatedly providing a way to rise above the many obstacles that have plagued the Charleston metropolitan area. He has faithfully and selflessly dedicated many years to

BY KRISTEN WRIGHT-MAT THE WS

Reverend McKinley Washington:IMMEASURABLE COMMITMENT


FEATURE

issues such as civil rights, employment, education and especially health care for the poor residents of the Sea Islands through his involvement with the Sea Island Comprehensive Health Care Corporation. SICHCC is a private, nonprofit corporation established in 1972 to help make health care affordable and accessible to residents of Edisto, James, Johns, Wadmalaw and Yonges islands and the surrounding communities. Before SICHCC was created, access to health care was limited for the geographically dispersed populations of the Sea Islands. SICHCC currently operates a nursing home, a home health unit, an adult day care and the Johns Island Rural

Housing Complex, which has 88 one- and two-bedroom apartments for elderly and disabled residents. “I am honored to have been a part of the Sea Island Comprehensive Health Care Corporation from the beginning,” said Washington. “It gives me great pride that an African-American organization operating in the Sea Island area has made such a great impact on Charleston County as a whole.” His wife, Beulah, voiced a similar opinion. “He has served diligently as chairperson for many years. He has worked so hard and been so loyal to accomplish so much for the Sea Islands. His wish is that SICHCC continues to thrive and that it will continue to be a

beacon of light for the Sea Islands.” SICHCC celebrates its 40th anniversary this year; Washington was there from the beginning, serving as its chairman for 30 years, until 2011. “This guy is a total icon,” Harold M. Rhodes, DDS, chair of the 40th Anniversary Committee, humbly admitted. “In my opinion, McKinley Washington is single-handedly responsible for the success of the Sea Island Comprehensive Health Care Corporation.” “When SICHCC was having financial trouble, the staff would work extra hours for weeks without extra pay and even with no pay at all,” he continued. “People believe in him. I can only hope that I could make merely a percentage of the impact that he has made here during my lifetime.” “McKinley is a selfless, giving person, one who always looks out for the needs and concerns of others. He has given tirelessly of himself, never asking for anything in return,” Beulah Washington added. Despite the praise offered by those around him, Washington remains a demure gentleman, giving tribute to others who were instrumental in the survival and success of the SICHCC. Among those he mentioned were Mary Howe, mother of Charleston attorney Gedney Howe, and Rev. Willis Goodwin, both of whom traveled with him to Washington to sign the initial grant with the Department of Health and Human Services. He also cited former U.S. Sen. Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, who played a huge role in keeping the organization funded, and last, but definitely not least, Esau Jenkins. “Fritz was our go-to person when we had a problem with the federal government, but Esau Jenkins, he started it all,” said Washington. “When I was a young pastor, he called me every Sunday morning to talk about issues

Reverend McKinley Washington:

The McKinley Washington Jr. Bridge - Edisto Island, S.C.


FEATURE

such as voter registration and anything he thought the people should hear in church,” he remembered. “Esau himself would carry people into Charleston to the emergency room in his truck.” Solemnly, he recalled, “Some did not make it across the old drawbridge.” The commitment demonstrated by Washington is a rare commodity. He has dedicated more than half of his life to helping the indigent people of the Sea Islands obtain proper health care. He has touched countless lives in more ways than one, saving bodies and souls as a volunteer with SICHCC and as pastor of Edisto Presbyterian Church for 48 years. “I have known McKinley Washington for a number of years, and I am aware of his positive involvement dating back to civil rights up to the present,” said Curtis Inabinett Sr., the first African-American mayor of Ravenel, S.C., and a former South Carolina state representative who served alongside Washington as vice chair of the SICHCC. “McKinley has been involved with so many state and community issues – too numerous for me to recall – but I do know that he has been an extremely positive force not only for minorities but for the good of all people,” he said. “I really wish that we had many other people who were as dedicated to preserving human dignity for all of humankind as he is, and we are much better off as a people having had McKinley on our side.” Over the years, SICHCC has helped provide services to the people on the Sea Islands and in Charleston County, but it also has engendered a significant amount of positive change. Under the direction of its new chief

executive officer, Everard O. “Rod” Rutledge, Ph.D., FACHE, it remains the mission of SICHCC to ensure that area residents have access to affordable medical care and human services. “Rev. Washington has served SICHCC and the citizens of the Sea Islands and the metropolitan area in a superb manner over these many years, and he continues to be a strong steward over many community organizations such as SICHCC,” said Rutledge. Gerald Mackey, now SICHCC’s

chairman of the board, served with Washington for about eight years. “Rev. Washington is a very dedicated and committed soldier who I have enjoyed working with,” said Mackey. “He has been fighting for the indigent people on the islands for many years and has given his time and resources to SICHCC as well as other committees on which he serves.” “We are on the right track as we have an excellent CEO in Rod Rutledge, and our goal is to remain on financially solid ground so we can continue to provide services to

the poor people who do not have insurance,” he added. A devoted husband and father of two, Washington was born in Maysville, S.C. He was a member of the state Legislature from 1976 to 2000 and was subsequently elected to the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, where he served from 2000 to 2010. He retired last year from the SICHCC and is retiring from the pulpit this year. “I will continue to volunteer

and preach, but the administrative functions won’t be as great,” he said. When asked if he thought SICHCC would grow so extensively, he answered, “I never knew, but it is the reason that I stayed for so long. We have a good board of young people with fresh, new ideas, and now I can sit back and feel secure that this much-needed institution will survive and flourish.” “There have been good times and bad, but there were so many wonderful moments to name,” he said, adding that he is most proud of the dignity

shared among he, Mary Howe and Rev. Goodwin when they signed their first documents; when SICHCC emerged from bankruptcy a few years ago; and, of course, when the housing development opened. I could sense the smile on the other end of the line as he reminisced about the opening of the nursing home. “To see the pride and joy on the seniors’ faces as they moved in was priceless,” he said. Neither can a price be placed on Rev. McKinley Washington’s contributions to his community.

Reverend McKinley Washington during his days as a state legislator.


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A S A YOUNG HIGH school student in a segregated Southern city, James Irvin Gadsden dreamed of a world far removed

from the east side of the Charleston Peninsula. Nearly half a century after

he left Charles A. Brown High School following his sophomore year to expand his horizons and enhance his education at a small private school in New York City, he can look back on his lengthy career as a diplomat and an educator and say with great certainty that his dreams have been realized.

DIPLOMAT’S DREAMS NURTURED IN SEGREGATED SOUTHERN SCHOOL

Story by Brian ShermanPhotos courtesy of

Ambassador James Gadsden

Challenged To Excel:


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Gadsden, who now lives with his wife, Sally, in Bethesda, Md., spent 35 years with the U.S. Department of State, serving as the nation’s ambassador to Iceland from 2002 to 2005. Besides Reykjavik, his assignments have taken him around the globe, from Washington, D.C., to Paris

to Budapest to Brussels to Taipei. He has studied at three of the country’s most prestigious schools – Harvard, Stanford and Princeton – and he is fluent in no fewer than five languages. At 63 and nowhere near retirement, he directs a national program that helps disadvantaged minorities obtain the education they need “for leadership roles in addressing global challenges.” Though Gadsden has attended some of the world’s finest universities, he credits much of his success to his dedicated teachers and competitive classmates at C.A. Brown, a blacks-only high school in downtown Charleston on the site of what is now the Palmer Campus of Trident Technical College. “We loved school and we loved our teachers, and they pushed us and encouraged us in many ways,” he commented. “Some people say you couldn’t get a good education in a segregated school, but we had very fine teachers.” Nearly 50 years later, Gadsden can reel off the names of the instructors who helped shape his career and his life. Among them were Nevada Hayward, Vera Macanic, Barbara Massey, Joyce Houston Moore and James Clyburn, who has represented South Carolina’s 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993. When Gadsden was sworn in as George W. Bush’s ambassador to Iceland, Clyburn, now the third ranking Democrat in the House, was his guest of honor. In addition to his teachers, Gadsden was challenged to excel by his fellow students. Though C.A. Brown has been gone since the early 1980s, its alumni strive to keep the memory of their school alive. They still hold regular reunions, and they also produce a newsletter. They remain connected by the dreams they dared to dream and by the aspirations they dared to share. “We talked about things like

national politics and what we wanted to be when we grew up,” Gadsden remembered. “And we took great pride in our work. On the day of a big exam, we would leave a match on the teacher’s desk to let her know that ‘We’re going to burn your test up.’” “Deep down, we really wanted to do something great, but we had not a clue how we would get there,” he added. “We didn’t even know we would be able to go to college. But thanks to a lot of people who showed us the way and taught us to think well beyond the horizons in front of us, we were motivated to take the next step.” For Gadsden, the next step was a big one – leaving C.A. Brown for the big city. Encouraged by Principal Nathaniel L. Manigault and Guidance Counselor Harriet Simpson, he considered attending New York Friends School and Brooklyn Friends School but ended up at Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School in Greenwich Village. Students were assigned to bring him up to speed in French, physics and math, but, within a few weeks, Gadsden was tutoring his classmates. “As I’ve said often, we got a quality education in a segregated school,” he remarked. When it came time for Gadsden to move on to college, he set his sights on black schools such as Howard, Hampton and Morgan State. His guidance counselor at LREI insisted that he apply to Harvard. To his surprise, he was admitted, joining a class that was no more than 5 or 6 percent African-American. He planned to major in astrophysics but met resistance from a guidance counselor who tried to convince him that he would be studying nothing more than science fiction. Since he was involved in social issues and had an interest in improving the economic condition of black communities, he settled on

Challenged To Excel:


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economics, earning his degree in 1970. Gadsden didn’t wait until graduation to start learning firsthand about how people live in countries outside the United States. He spent two summers living with a family in Peru, an experience that shaped his future and changed his world outlook. “My education had been a little too Europe-oriented,” he explained. “But what does the rest of the world think? I came to the conclusion that Columbus didn’t discover America. He traveled to America and met indigenous people. They didn’t need Europeans to discover them and define them.” Going into his senior year at Harvard, Gadsden made another decision that would take his career path in a different direction: He got involved in Chinese studies, earning a master’s in that subject two years later at Stanford. President Richard Nixon’s visit to China in 1972, which ended a quarter-century period during which the two countries all but ignored each other, opened the door for the beginning of Gadsden’s career as a foreign service officer. After some time in Washington, he and his wife moved to Taipei, Taiwan, where he was a market research officer at the U.S. Trade Center. “I definitely enjoyed the work and met a lot of interesting people. My wife was a foreign service spouse, but she worked at just about every assignment we had. She ends up in some leadership position in whatever she is doing,” he said.

After returning to the United States to spend a year learning the Hungarian language, the Gadsdens left for Budapest, where he was a commercial

officer with the American embassy. He later served as an economic and political officer in Brussels and as a counselor for economic affairs and deputy head of the American embassy’s economic section in Paris, and returned to Budapest from 1994 to 1997 as deputy chief of mission at the American embassy. His assignments

were in Washington until Bush appointed him ambassador to Iceland in 2002. He returned to the nation’s

capital until leaving the Foreign Service in 2007, moving on to Princeton University in New Jersey as a diplomat-in-residence and lecturer in public and

international affairs. Gadsden said he and his wife will never live anywhere but in the United States, but he added that he was impressed with each foreign city that served as their temporary home. “I enjoyed them all but for very different reasons,” he said. “Taiwan is an absolute model of how an energetic people can not only survive but strive. In Hungary, as long as

the people didn’t challenge the party and Soviet foreign policy, they could do what they wanted. It was a Communist society, but their aim in life was to make money. They had started some reforms and they lived well. And Brussels was incredible. It was incredible to see former warring states, France and Germany in

particular, pool their resources. The idea of war in Europe is unthinkable.” Gadsden leaves no doubt about which foreign city he enjoyed the most. He said if he and his wife ever decide to establish a second home, it will be somewhere in the capital of France. “Imagine New York, with a lot more greenery, beauty and parks, but with small communities, some of them ethnic,” he mused. “Paris has

that and more. The atmosphere there is so relaxing, peaceful and stimulating. It’s just a great city. Almost every day,

FEATURE

Ambassador Gadsden meeting with diplomats from Paris and Iceland.

Ambassador Gadsden at his swearing-in ceremony.


some group is giving a breakfast with a speaker of note from around the world. The real problem was figuring out which one to go to.” “In our neighborhood, we woke up to the smell of baguettes every morning. It was like our alarm clock,” he added. “It’s hard to describe. There’s no place else in the world like that.” Throughout his diplomatic and academic careers, Gadsden has developed some strong opinions on how to invigorate the intertwined economies of the United States and the rest of the world and how to make life better for the billions of people who share the planet. He said short-term, ideological fixes such as cutting taxes at any cost won’t secure the future of high school students with the same dreams he and his classmates had in 1960s Charleston. Education, he pointed out, is becoming less of a priority in this country, to the detriment of America’s future place in the world. “You can lower taxes to zero if you want to, but the fact is, we do not have people who speak and write well or who are skilled in the vocations,” he said. “We are falling behind in math and the sciences, and we are producing very little these days.” “We need people who are better educated and teachers who are motivated and paid,” he went on to say. “We need to get a bit more balance between athletes who make millions of dollars and teachers who are hired for $25,000 or $30,000 a year.” He added that developing our public transportation systems, roads and bridges must be a priority, as should health care. He said one reason medical care costs are rising at such an alarming rate is that Americans are destroying their health by consuming too much prepared food. “Knowledge, infrastructure and human capacity are important.

Lowering taxes won’t help in the long term. It won’t move us forward to be competitive,” Gadsden said. He is, however, optimistic that the United States eventually will bounce back. “Are we going to get there? I think we will. We have an enormous capacity for debate and serious introspection. It’s interesting to watch these student movements. Just like with civil rights, when they grab the attention of the middle class, changes will be made in policy.” “I have unlimited faith in American ingenuity and capability,” he added. “It’s worked for over 200 years. I have a feeling it’s going to work well for the next 200 years. We just have to find our way forward. We’ve done it over and over again.” One reason for Gadsden’s optimism can be found in his current position with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. As senior counselor of international affairs for the Foundation, he is in charge of the Pickering Fellowship Program, which is aimed at enhancing diversity in the U.S. Foreign Service. The program recruits students of all ethnic backgrounds at high schools and universities across the country, accepting 20 graduate and 20 undergraduate

students each year. He was involved in similar work during his three years at Princeton. According to Gadsden, many of the students he has encountered both at Princeton and with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation faced more daunting challenges than those he and his classmates at C.A. Brown High School had to hurdle. “It’s amazing. Some of these kids are from backgrounds far more disadvantageous than what my friends and I had in Charleston,” he remarked. “I’m so motivated by these kids. This is where I want to focus now. My own life experience plus meeting and teaching these fantastic young people over the last several years has really turned my efforts to find more of them. If there are a few, we can find more.”

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The system is progressive; it returns a greater percentage of pre-retirement earnings to lower-wage workers than to higher-wage workers. With this in mind, African-Americans should be aware of some important facts. For example, in 2009, the median earnings of work-ing-age African-Americans who worked full-time, year-round were about $35,000, compared to $40,000 for all working-age people. The aver-age annual Social Security income received in that year by African-American men 65 years and older was $13,889, compared to $11,369 for African-American women.

In 2009, African-Americans made up 12.4 percent of the total U.S. population. However: • Among African-Americans, 29 percent of elderly married couples and 56 percent of unmarried elderly persons relied on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income; • Eighteen percent of all children receiv-ing Social Security survivor benefits were African-American; • Seventeen percent of disabled workers

receiving benefits were African-American. How do you access Social Security’s many programs, rules and regulations? Most people are aware that they can file for retirement, disability or spouse benefits either by phone or in person. However, there is a third way that might be more convenient – Social Security online. According to a recent survey, Social Security’s online retirement benefit application ranked at the top of all federal government websites in customer satisfaction. Last year, more than 50 million people took advan-tage of doing business with Social

Security online by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov. Here are some of the services you can take advantage of online: APPLY FOR BENEFITS AND MEDICARE - You can apply for Social Security retirement, spouse, disability benefits and Medicare over the Internet. If you are applying for disability benefits, you will need to complete the disability report, which also is available online. Disability appeals claims can be filed online as well. After filing, you can check the

Is Important To African-Americans

Social SecurityBy Chris Jenkins, Public Affairs Specialist

Social Security Administration


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MONEY


VILLAGE

WH AT D O E Sfamily mean to you?” Living Roots Magazine recently

asked this question of Tony Award winning actress Phylicia Rashad, who

played Clair Huxtable

on “The Cosby Show” and also has appeared in many roles that have showcased her as a strong, nurturing and wise matriarch. With one six-letter word, Rashad demonstrated what a positive force she is and why such delicate and influential roles are placed in her talented care. Her response: “Anchor.” A young person’s desire to be “the captain of his own ship” develops far earlier than his ability to navigate life’s choppy waters. In Rashad’s opinion, a strong attachment to family can pre-vent a person of any age from drifting, wandering off course and losing sight of personal direction and purpose. Rashad graciously agreed to share her insight on family and, in doing so, confirmed how and why her past, present and future work will have lasting impact for years to come. LR: In 2010, in recognition of National Family Week, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring that “The strength of our families will determine our success as a nation. Families of all kinds can provide a sup-portive and stable foundation to unlock the promise in

each of us.” What do his words mean to you?

Rashad: As I listened to you read that, I thought about my parents, my grandparents, my aunts, uncles and cousins. I have been very privileged in this life to have been granted time with family – and time with family that was kind, supportive and held a vision for all the fam-ily

members, especially the young people. It was not rigid, but it was definite. We, the young children, would be well-mannered. We would be educated. We would be responsible, and we would

BY D O N LOY N G A D S O N

Lessons On Family, Humanity And LovePhylicia Rashad:

“

Photo courtesy of Phylicia Rashad


be responsive. We would be delivered to our creative selves. We would understand our roles as citizens, and we would understand, always question and search for the answer for our purpose of being born. This was all coming from my family. From the time we spent together ... what that time was like ... from each exchange, this is what it would be. From looking at old photo-graphs and listening to family history ... this is what was being nurtured in us ... all of those things I mentioned. It wasn’t rigid; it was just definite. LR: Over the years, the family dynamic has changed and now en-compasses a wide variety of makeups. How can “families of all kinds” work?

Rashad: Just as you understand the importance of your own family and just as you grow and respect members of your own family, it should dawn upon a human being, at some point, that we are all a part of the larger family of humanity. And with that same respect, we should approach each other, engendering trust in each other. That’s the only way it can work.

LR: What do you think of the cur-rent overall state of the institution of family? Do you think it’s in jeopardy?

Rashad: Family is natural. People write all kinds of books today about what people hundreds of years ago understood without being able to read. We make things so complicated. I think the larger question is, “Is humanity in jeopardy?” Have we moved into the direction of gross materialism to such an extent that we would make ourselves extinct? That we would rob, steal, plunder and kill anybody? That’s what I see.

LR: More specifically, what are your thoughts on the condition of the black family?

Rashad: Black families are not different from other families. People are people. When people think that everything is so separated by racial divide and by ethnic differences, then people need to pay attention to the news a little bit more because it is coming down on everybody. And the only hope is that we bond as the human family.

LR: How much of your talent and success do you attribute to your fam-ily and upbringing?

Rashad: My mother recognized things in her children, and she was determined that they should know about it. She felt that her own chil-dren should see in themselves what she was seeing in them and that they would be delivered to that within themselves. This was supported by my father and embraced by other family members.

LR: Though you have portrayed a host of other characters, you are mostly associated with performances that present you as the nurturing female head. Additionally, you were affectionately christened as “the mother” of the African-American community during the 42nd NAACP Image Awards. How does that make you feel about yourself, your charac-ter and how others view you?

Rashad: It’s an honor to be a part of a work that is so meaningful to others because, as an actress, you can do any number of things that don’t mean anything to anybody. As a person, people see me that way, and it’s grati-

fying – it really is. I don’t discount the importance of it, but, I have to tell you, the way my own children see me is far more important.

LR: Do you think your own children appreciate your wisdom the way your fans do?

Rashad: I think in time they do. It’s easy when you’re scripted and when the kids are scripted, too. When you’re not, you’re human like every-body else, and you’re in the human circumstance.

LR: How have you tried to instill the value of family within them? Rashad: Time together ... the time we spend together. It’s really dif-ferent now because everybody is dispersed. Everybody is gone. This is what has happened with family. There was a time when family lived closer together, and, now, family lives further apart. So, now, there has to be a conscientious effort made to come together in celebration of good things, not just for those saddened occasions. And, in a way, it’s OK because that is what family should do ... grow up and create lives for themselves. But we do need to come together.

LR: What is the most important lesson that life has taught you about family?

Rashad: The love that you share is what always remains. People come and go, as people do ... it’s the love that you’ve shared. Fans can see Phylicia Rashad in Tyler Perry’s “Good Deeds,” which premieres in theaters Feb. 24.

VILLAGE


L OVE IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD, BOTH A VERB AND A noun, with a seemingly infinite number of meanings. But what does it mean in the 21st century black community? Is genuine love still an ideal, or has it simply become a bad idea? Do little black girls still dream of big weddings to their Prince Charming? Do

little black boys imagine themselves taking a knee and asking their princess to ride off into the sunset with them? Do couples still dream of sitting on porches in rocking chairs, surrounded by children and grandchildren? Have we given in to the new – not better – ideas of love being pumped through urban – code for black – music and reality TV?

RISE

A BeautifulLoveshade of Loveshade of

A Beautiful

By Kevin L. Smith


Both pairs of my grandparents were married for well over 50 years. By the time I came along, their love was not marked by candlelight dinners or nights out on the town. Rather, it rested on their decision to love, support and respect each other. Their love was not the stuff of reality TV; it was simply reality. At the time, I don’t know that I classified it as love at all. Then there was “The Cosby Show.” I remember how on Thursday nights my family would gather together to watch the antics of the Huxtables, which included the on-screen mar-riage of Cliff and Clair, who had an ideal love and lived an ideal life. People of all races and all back-grounds watched, even though many of the themes were rooted in the black community. I also remember how we admired the bond between James and Florida Evans of “Good Times.” Their love reflected the pressures of their socio-economic status. Rather than falling apart, their situation drew them closer together, until death did them part – I can hear Florida’s famous lines now. Since 2009, we have seen the real strength of love between a man and woman of color in the most pres-sure-packed position possible in the relationship between President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. While they are not my close and personal friends – yet – I am sure that when the world, quite literally, is trying to beat our president down, his wife’s love lifts him up. Regardless of your political affiliation, that is the kind of love we all want to see. Conversely, popular culture has presented love to us as if it is the attraction between objects such as magnets and metal rather than a sacred relationship between people. Since when did explicitly discussing

a young lady’s body parts induce her to fall in love with you? Is love the message at all? The images we see aren’t conducive to long-lasting relationships. Some people appar-ently would have you believe that love and marriage are on the verge of becoming prerequisites for joining an ever-shrinking, increasingly inclusive secret society. As a black male living in the 21st century, my personal view is that being in love has become a sign of weakness. Even some women feel that if a man exposes his feelings for a woman, he reinforces the idea that

love equals weakness. In fact, love equals vulnerability, which can be risky but rewarding. If you are vulnerable in battle, you give your enemy the opportunity to claim the upper hand, but this isn’t true in a healthy relationship. In some ways, men and women have come to distrust each other, to con-sider the other to be the enemy until urges and desires encourage them to call a truce. The idea transmitted through music and movies is that men must watch out for women who either want to take their money or play them – make them look silly. On the flip side, many women who were promised love instead were left with a broken heart, a fatherless child and no financial or emotional support.

Consequently, we have a glorified culture of “baby mommas,” a term I abhor. Because of the almighty talk shows and other sources, society not only accepts but expects this situ-ation. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself when you see a young black woman with a child if you believe she is married or if she is a baby momma. Men who love and protect their women are the standard bearers. Love is not a sign of weakness, and it is not fleeting. The men I knew and admired growing up might not have brought their wives flowers every day, but they always brought them their hearts and their undying commitment. The women I knew and respected were committed to their relationship. Black people face challenges today, and a down economy can push couples further apart – but it can also serve to draw them closer together. I came across an interview with Dr. Tera Hunter, a professor at the Center for African-American Studies at Princeton University. She pointed out that some slaves whose relation-ships had been torn apart on the auction block sought their spouses in post-slavery America: “... I think that’s really important for people to understand, is that African-Americans made great sacrifices in order to give their relationships meaning, even though they were being disregarded by the larger society,” she stated. No matter what society continues to say, I believe the black commu-nity still believes in real love. We still want to hear real love ballads. Men still want to give their women roses and chocolates and women still want to fall in love with their Prince Charming. We still want to find someone to grow up with and grow old with. People of all races – black, white or brown – can agree that love is beautiful in all shades.

“Men who love and protect their women

are the standard bearers. Love is not a sign of weakness,

and it is not fleeting.”

RISE

Loveshade ofA Beautiful


TO ME, FLYING AND succeeding are synony-mous terms. One of my inspirations for flying is Sadie T. Alexander, a

woman I knew nothing about until a few years ago when I saw a calendar

featuring African-

American women in history. I wish I had known about her earlier. Dr. Sadie T. Alexander was the first African-American woman in the United States to receive a Ph.D. in econom-ics. She earned this prestigious degree from the University of Pennsylvania and later was the first African-American woman to graduate from Penn’s law school and to be licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania. She did a lot flying, or, if you will, succeeding. Her road to success was not easy, however. She completed her bachelor’s in education with honors at Penn in 1918, and, though her grades were certainly high enough for Phi Beta Kappa honors, she would not be able to claim this honor for more than half a century. She obtained a master’s in economics in 1919 and was a Francis Sergeant Pepper fel-low, earning one of five grants given to women in the field of economics. But because her world pre-dated civil rights and women’s rights, it was difficult for her to find gainful employment in Philadelphia. Undaunted, she left Philadelphia

for Durham, N.C., where she worked as an assistant actuary with Mutual Life Insurance Co. She returned to Philadelphia to marry and continue her studies, obtaining her law degree and being named to the Law Review. As if that wasn’t enough, she and her husband opened their own law firm and, in 1921, she was elected the first president of the Grand Chapter

of Delta Sigma Theta, the African-American sorority. In 1925, when African-Americans were not allowed to join the American Bar Association, Dr.

Alexander helped establish the National Bar Association. One of her roles with the organization was to spotlight African-American women in law. Still not satisfied with her own accomplishments, she opened her own law firm, which specialized in domestic relations. Dr. Alexander’s efforts did not go unnoticed. In 1946, President Harry

Truman appointed her to his Committee for Civil Rights, where she was instrumental in producing the committee’s re-port, “To Secure These Rights,” later a foundation of the civil rights movement. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter ap-pointed her chair of the White House Council on Aging. Among all her accomplish-ments, the one that inspired me the most was her Ph.D. because I am in the dissertation stage of my own Ph.D., and it has been at times an arduous task. Mine is not an easy road, but I try to imagine what it must have been like for Dr. Alexander to earn her degree despite the racism and sexism she faced. Her life reinforces the notion that no excuse should be able to thwart forward progress and education, that hard work, diligence and service to others are the keys to success. What a legacy to leave behind for others to follow. I wish I had known about Dr. Alexander earlier. She died

in 1989, and I never had the op-portunity to follow her accomplish-ments or to shake her hand. Hers is an African-American success story at its finest.

Dr. Sadie T. AlexanderSHE FLIES

BY DORETHA WALKER

“Don’t let anything stop you. There will be times when you’ll be disappointed, but you can’t stop. Make yourself the very best that you can make of what you are. The very best.” ~ Sadie T. Alexander

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