A Tribute to My Mother

(A reprint: First published in www.copylinemagazine.com on May 8, 2010)

By Juanita Bratcher 

I never thought about life without my mother. And when she died almost 15 years ago, it was by far the “darkest day” of my life…my guardian angel was no longer here with me and my three siblings.

My mother, Tommie Sean Forte, the beloved wife of George W. Forte, and the nurturing mother of four adult children – Eula, Bertha, Juanita and Tommy, was our “guardian angel”, a protective mom who always kept a watchful eye on her children.

I grew up in a home where Christianity was second to none, and voting, among other things, was looked upon as a top priority. My mother was a faithful and devoted Christian. She believed in the power of prayer; and she also believed in the power of the ballot. There was no question as to where her loyalty was in regards to her religious beliefs. And there was no question as to where she stood on the issue of voting.

Mom was a devoted Christian, a loving wife and mother, a stickler for fairness, and a hard-worker, not only on the job but also at home. She had a spotless house, always tended her garden during the summer, and a smart shopper in every respect. She had a big heart, a heart of gold, and always reached out to those who were less fortunate.

Among other things, mom taught her offspring to love and respect each other and to love and respect their fellowman. Being the woman that she was made me the woman that I am. She had a voice that demanded attention. She was exciting, a go-getter, a fighter for fairness and justice.

One of the things I treasured most about her was her sense of fairness to others. And she tried to instill that same sense of farness in her children. I have so many indelible memories and thoughts of my mother. Those are the things that carry me through the day, because there’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about my mother. Her pictures covet the walls in various places in my home. They are constant reminders of her positive lectures to her children, her words, many of which still hold a special place in my heart, my mind, and are strongly motivational to me.

My mom died on November 24, 1995. It was by far the saddest and darkest day of my life. When I got the news, I cried non-stop for three hours. Not only did I lose a mother, I lost my best friend and biggest cheerleader. She was not a mother who sat on the sidelines and watched her children grow up from a distance. She was actively involved with her children every step of the way – their careers, their successes; the good times and the bad times. She was inspirational and motivational.

She was a role model, a “real” mother in every sense of the word. She was a mother who made innumerable sacrifices for her children, her family, for others. She was always there, nurturing them, sustaining them with love and respect. She never turned loose the reins; they were always on her mind and they were always in her heart and prayers.

We (family) marveled at her knowledge, her spiritual and worldly insight, her firm belief in God and her remarkable sense of humor. She had an excellent way of evaluating and analyzing things. But aside from her serious no-nonsense mannerisms, she was involved in church and community. She was never out of touch with the world we live in. She kept up with the Stock Market, and believed in the power of the ballot. She was actively involved in the electoral process.

My mother was excitedly comfortable and energetic in her belief that voting was an essential tool to bring about change through the electoral process. She was adamant in her belief that voting gives people a choice to weed-out the good candidates from the bad. And when her children reached voting age and become registered voters, on any given Election Day, she would ask, “Did you vote today?”

Over the years, at one time or another, I have sympathized and empathized with friends over the loss of a parent. But I now know that one cannot grasp to the fullest extent the hurt that comes along with the loss of a parent, or a family member or a friend for that matter, until it knocks at their door.

A few weeks after my mother’s funeral, I was asked, “When does the healing process begin? When does it end?” For many, that can be an unanswerable question. A lot of the healing process depends on the individual’s state of mind and other circumstances. As for me, I wonder will it ever end. For I know within my heart, mind and soul, that it will never end completely. When I think of her, I’m overwhelmed with sadness, tears, even almost 15 years later. But I have faith in God that He will soothe my hurt and take away the pain and tears.

Yet, when I was grieving over my mother’s death, that strong inner voice took over my thought processes and reminded me that “The Lord was good to your mother, and the Lord has been good to you.” And indeed He has. Praise the Lord! The suffering I’ve encountered in life has been minor compared to the happiness God has given to me and my mother.

In the aftermath of my mother’s death, I wrote my feelings and thoughts on paper, much of it in the form of poems. The pain and hurt that I encountered was taking a toll on my mind, body, soul and spirit. But I was well aware that there was nothing I could do to change the situation and bring my mother back to life, otherwise, it would have been done, pronto. If only I could turn back time. Which I knew was impossible. The days that followed have been some of the darkest days of my life.

It’s so easy to embrace or accept the good things and good times in life, they usually generate tremendous joy. But it’s a story of the other kind when faced with the unpleasant obstacles of life, those happenings and events that bring tremendous stress and untold sadness.

There’s no question, as human beings, sometimes we do not fully understand how to cope with sad, emotional and stressful moments…that’s human nature. But the pain is certainly eased when one is locked in fellowship with God – where one can always find peace and solace. Not just in times of crisis, but at all times.

I only wish everyone could have a mother like my mother was to me and my siblings. If so, the world would be a far better place in which to live. Some of my feelings about my mother are in the following poems that I put together after her death.

Poems of Love; In Memory of Mom

 It Was the Darkest Day of My Life

We shared life’s frailties

The good and bad

We faced challenges together

Some happy, some sad

You were my hero, my guiding light

And now that you’ve left me

Nothing seems right

This heart of mine will never mend

I’ve truly lost my very Best Friend

Mother of mine, you meant so much

I’ll surely miss your tender touch

                - Juanita Bratcher

The Seeds of Life

I could see her smiling

As she planted good seeds

She was God-fearing, loving and brave

A happy woman indeed

Her face was so radiant

Her heart was true blue

She was always supportive

In whatever she could do

She was truthful in her undertakings

Victorious in what she set out to do

She never looked back for accolades

She moved on to help someone new

Oh, Sweet Mother

A sweet mother she was

A devoted wife too

And now she has left us

And we face challenges anew

When I look to the heavens

I can see her face

Her smile is ever so radiant

It didn’t take long for her to take her place

And even though she had

A most fulfilling life

It hurts to think of life without her

It’s like the sting of a sharpened knife

I ask myself each day

Why did she go so soon?

I sit and cherish her sweet memories

While I stare at the heavenly moon

I can see her in the heavens

Talking to all her kin

While I sit here lonely on earth

Feeling the hurt from loosing a mother, a friend

She was my shining hero

She meant so much to me

But then she left so suddenly

And I’m not the woman I used to be

My Shining Star Is Gone

That shining star

That lit up my life

That shining star

The one that shined so bright

Is gone forever

And memories are all I have 

And now reality has set in

I’ve truly lost a very dear friend

One that was always on my side

So strong and full of pride

One to whom I depended on

And one I could always confide

So where do I go for solace?

Who will soothe my broken heart?

The void can never be filled

My mother’s love was real

Those Chilling, Quiet Moments

I looked in my eyes

They looked so sad

I looked at my face

It never looked so bad

I searched out my thoughts

But none would come

I cried and cried

And asked myself, how come?

I think about mom

All those memories she left

She was the perfect mother

She knew that herself       

- Juanita Bratcher 

About My Mother

My mother was a devout Christian in every sense of the word. She was truly blessed. And her blessings, she always acknowledged, came from God.

She was a loving wife in every sense of the word. She was a true mother in every sense of the word. Her labor of love for me and my siblings was unquestionable. She nurtured and prepared us for the good and bad of the world. She loved everyone. That was the Christian way, she always said. She never said anything bad or malicious about anyone, and she carried herself in such a manner that others knew not to talk bad or maliciously about anyone in her presence.

As best she could, she carried the word of God to thousands of people, through her missionary work. She was the Mother of her church, a member of the Eastern Star, and served on several church boards and committees, during her more than fifty years as a member. Through her sharing and caring, she reaped tremendous blessings from God, through spiritual obedience.

I wish everyone could have a mother like my mother was to me and my three siblings. Aside from that, she was a surrogate mother to many other children. And though she’s gone, and we deeply miss her, we are fortunate to have so many rich and pleasant memories of her. Those memories will live on forever in our hearts, minds and souls. We loved her dearly.  My mother was my hero (our hero). She will always be our eternal hero. 

                                                            -  Juanita Bratcher

Happy Mother’s Day! To Mothers Everywhere

Juanita Bratcher is the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com, the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 35 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics. 

Just A Thought

Romney in “attack mode” against President Barack Obama’s policies for the country leaves very little time for him to discuss his own agenda for America

By Juanita Bratcher

CHICAGO, IL – Every chance he gets – and that’s every time he’s out on the campaign trail or speaking with reporters or appearing at some political event – Mitt Romney hammers away at President Barack Obama’s “failed policies” (his words); yet, Romney has failed to tell us what his plans are for America if he is elected president. As of now, he has skipped and danced around the issues leaving voters practically in the dark as to what they can expect from a Romney presidency.

With six months to the General Election in November, the presumably Republican presumptive nominee has not stated any affirmative plan of action or any agenda to lead the country in contrast to President Obama’s other than that Americans will fare better under a Romney presidency based on his business experience. Therefore, he will be able to create jobs and Americans can look forward to a more robust economy.

While the economy is doing better and slowly moving in the right direction since Obama predecessor left office, it would be in much better shape now if Romney Republican colleagues in Washington had worked with President Obama and not resorted to being the party of ‘NO’ for the last three years. Nothing significant has come from this “DO NOTHING CONGRESS” which has a low favorability rating in most recent polls.

However, there is another eye opener about Romney’s campaign – a large presence of former Team Bush supporters and aides work within his campaign. According to news reports, Romney’s foreign policy committee consists of 24 members – 17 of which   worked with former Republican President Bush. So more likely than not, some of the strategy from yesteryear will permeate within Romney’s camp.

How long will voters have to wait for presumably Republican Presumptive Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney to divulge his agenda for America?

When will we hear details about Romney’s plans on issues rather than taking voters on a continuous shaky ride about what the Obama Administration did or didn’t do?

Where are those alternative proposals (in opposition to Obama’s policies) Romney has to offer?

What is Romney’s vision for America?

What are his views on the issues?

Is being a businessman his key to the White House? I think not. What does he have in the way of a foreign policy background? Some seasoned Washington Republicans questioned Obama’s foreign policy experience in the 2008 presidential campaign. I don’t hear those questioners who raised concerns about Obama asking the same about Romney. You go figure.

What plans do Romney have to move the country in a different direction, away from President Obama’s?

Where is the beef?

As of yet, Romney hasn’t talked about any “real issues” in regards to where he wants to take this country. Even when he won five states in one of the last primary elections, most of Romney’s speech focused on Barack Obama.

Some years ago, there was an ad commercial that asked: “Where’s the beef?” Mitt Romney’s agenda is as slow coming as his income tax returns. Although he is seeking public office, Romney has a problem with releasing his returns. He even filed to extend his 2011 tax return.

For the most part, Romney has focused on President Obama’s record, attacking him for what he describes as Obama’s failed policies. “He didn’t start it, but he made it worst,” Romney said about the economy. Romney also stood behind a podium that stated, “Obama isn’t working.”

But in the game of politics: Just as Obama has a record to run on, so, too, does Mitt Romney.

Juanita Bratcher is the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com, the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 35 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics.

By Christopher Jack

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — Many years ago, I was privileged enough to go on a safari in Africa with a small group of friends. I remember it like it was yesterday. This safari was to just observe the animals in their natural habitat and to take pictures. As we were speeding to the area where most of the animals like to congregate, I started to notice hundred of signs that said, “No Hunting or Poaching of Any Animals”. I guessed that the area we were going to was only for picture-taking.

When we arrived to the site, you could feel the excitement inside of the jeep with the four of my friends. These large beautiful creatures were there grazing and taking advantage of the land that God has given them.

The tour guide was telling us about what particular species of animal we were going to be observing; then it happened… another jeep came out of nowhere, fired a shot, and wounded one of these huge, beautiful animals. We were all shocked to see this huge creature laying there gasping for air, and barely clinging on to life. Then the hunter walked up and put another shot into it. As you probably know, all of the other animals scattered from the sound of the gunshot, and because of us rushing over to the scene. The hunter got to this poor animal first and then, the people from our jeep.

I asked the hunters (from London), “Did you guys see the signs posted everywhere that hunting these animal are illegal?” One of the hunters said, “I know it is illegal, but nothing will happen to me. So, who cares?” I looked at our tour guide, and he said, “He is correct. The law will do nothing.” These guys hunted and stalked that animal. Even though they broke the law, the law will not do anything about it. We convinced our tour guide to call it in to the authorities. This is when the story became more complex, complicated and convoluted. The authorities said that they would not get involved because when people come here for the animals they bring a lot of tourist money. The authorities do not want to stop that flow of money coming into their area.

Let me see if I understand this: The killing of these animals is illegal, but, if they can make money from it then it’s okay? That’s in Africa. Here in America the same thing happens, not with animals, but with people. Travon Martin was hunted, stalked, and killed; and the authorities did nothing. He laid there on the ground like an animal while the people, who knew this was wrong, looked the other way.

Thousands of years ago, Moses gave us the Ten Commandments that we should live by. One of the commandments was “Thou shalt not kill.” There were no signs posted that told Mr. Zimmerman “No Hunting or Poaching”. He killed that young boy because he was after his prize trophy catch. Mr. Zimmerman’s trophy came at a high cost. He shined a light on the proverbial white elephant in the room. He showed us that it is okay to hunt black men in this country year-round, and you do not need a license.

I’m sure the head of that animal that was shot in Africa is worth quite a large sum of money. Is Travon Martin’s killing worth millions? Yes. When this happened all of the major networks carried this as their top story for weeks. Newspapers and magazines are making millions from this story. And yes, do not fool yourself; the blood of a black man is still very valuable in America. Especially if he’s shot and killed by Tarzan…

Christopher Jack, is a college professor, nationally syndicated columnist, and public speaker in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He can be reached at chrisjackus@yahoo.com

Boutte was success you could bank on

Boutte died at his home in Hazel Crest, IL, April 1. He was 82 years old.

By Juanita Bratcher

Alvin J. Boutte was an astute banker. He was knowledgeable about the banking industry and shared much of that banking and financial expertise in an extensive interview with CopyLine Magazine in 1991.

It was an extraordinary interview with Boutte, entitled, Alvin J. Boutte: Success you can ‘Bank’ on. Following is a reprint of that article from CopyLine’s 1991 archives:

It’s one thing to write your own success story, but it’s a strike of ingenuity to carve out success stories for others.

Alvin J. Boutte, president and chief executive officer of Indecorp, Inc., and chairman and chief executive of Independence Bank of Chicago and Drexel National Bank, has been carving out success stories for entrepreneurs for more than 20 years. And, he relishes every minute of it!

Boutte has made his mark in both the banking and business communities (was involved in other business endeavors), and has an unquestionable track record of success.

“I’ve been at this for a long time,” Boutte said. “I like what I’m doing. I know what it means to people. So I have a great deal of personal satisfaction from it.”

When Boutte and four other investors set-out to start Independence Bank more than 20 years ago, they started with $800,000 in capital. The bank now has 40,000 customers and over $21 million in capital. Three of the five original investors are deceased. The remaining original investor is businessman George Johnson.

And although the country is in a recession, Boutte said for 40 years, since World War II, “Our country has had an unprecedented economic growth.”

This economic growth, he said, was caused because most of the countries in the world were destroyed by the war – all of Europe, all of the major powers in Asia, literally all of the western democracies except this one, including England.

“Their infrastructures were destroyed, and as a result of that, we had a huge advantage for 40 years…it began to slow down about eight to 10 years ago when these other economic systems like western Europe, especially Germany…Japan, which had been devastated by the war, rebuilt their infrastructures and economic systems and began competing in the world markets.”

And due to this competition, Boutte added, “this country had a much slower rate of growth, which is understandable in these cases. But a recession in this country is not like traditional recessions in the world that we’ve known for centuries. Recessions in economic systems have lasted sometimes for a generation. In this case, our recessions – which we have had four or five – usually last anywhere from a year to three years. The longest we’ve ever had a recession was three years, of course excluding the great depression in1929, which was a different act of reasons altogether.”

Further, Boutte said because other economic systems have “begun to catch up with us, begun to export more and reduce our markets, we’ve had much slower growth. This country (America) even today is still the most powerful economic force in the world, including Japan and Germany. And it has produced a standard of living unparalleled in history.”

He sees the recession as being temporary. “As a matter of fact, we see evidence now that we’re coming out of that. Slow economic growth means a reduction in value to any banking system. We have a banking system which is tied to money supply. It has affected the banking industry, particularly the larger banks. As the recession gets worse the banking system normally would get worse; and that is what has happened here.”

Some years ago, banks began charging fees for various services provided that were unheard of before.

“You want to know who is really responsible for this (fees)?” Boutte asked. “I think President (Jimmy) Carter made a critical error when he deregulated the banking industry. I testified against this. He insisted that we pay interest on certain deposits.

“We used to have a maximum interest that you could charge. Under the new law, under President Carter, that was eliminated.

“When Carter made this decision, which in my judgment it was a very poor decision, especially for poor people. What he said is, you must pay people that have a checking account – which we do – but the minimum (balance) doesn’t help our people.

“In other words, you must keep a minimum of $1500 in your account. Well, these people have a checking account to pay their rent, so they get nothing out of this. In terms of the deregulation of banks, I think the Carter Administration…and Carter who is a very decent man and a very liberal man, made a very ignorant, dumb error.”

CopyLine: Do you foresee bankers pushing to have deregulation of the banking industry removed? Or, is it a small matter and not that significant?

Boutte: It’s a very minor matter, really, it’s not significant. I think there are several things that should be deregulated by government. However, the three industries which have been deregulated have been devastated. We now know after 12 years what the results are. I think the airline industry has been devastated by deregulation. I think the trucking industry has been devastated by deregulation. And I think the banking industry has also been hurt by it.

CopyLine: Why has Independence Bank been so successful?

Boutte: I think one of the reasons why we are so successful is that we have the first and second generations of highly educated blacks working all over our company. These are Blacks – some of them – the first Blacks in their families to go to college and get MBA degrees. These are the people who are driving all of this…very bright people. We’ve got the best in the black community. We’ve got the cream of the crop…people from Harvard, Yale, and the University of Chicago Graduate School. We have the advantage of getting the very best and very brightest. Most of the young people that I recruit, or we recruit, know that if they’re really going to have upward mobility in their careers, it is with us. The only Black presidents of banks in the state are our guys. We don’t have a problem retaining people. People who work here now have been working here for many years.

CopyLine: What are your thoughts on the S&L scandal?

Boutte: Banks and S&L’s missions are not the same. S&Ls make mortgages to people. We do all kinds of things. However, I think it’s a tragedy (scandal). It’s unfortunate that it happened. One of the ways to avert that is to be more critical of the people who own and run these things. In S&Ls, anybody and his brother could do that. In the banking industry you have to be approved by the Federal Reserve Board. They check you out and make sure that you have the funds, to make sure that you have the reputation, that you have the expertise.

We are in the business of causing upward mobility and increasing the wealth of Black Americans. That’s what we do. And, we do it on a very large scale, not a small scale. The reason why so many Blacks have McDonald’s franchises is because we did this. But people don’t know this.

CopyLine: How much is the average McDonald’s franchise?

Boutte: The average McDonald’s franchise is a loan of about anywhere from $400,000 to $600,000. We’ve got them all over the country. So our job is to funnel funds in to people who know what they’re doing and who have a project which has merit. Reggio’s Pizza (owner), he’s getting ready to build a huge factory that makes frozen pizzas with a market all over the country. We are in the business of causing economic development to happen on a much, much larger scale. That’s what we’ve been doing for many years.

CopyLine: Aside from Reggio’s, is there any other black firm here in the city that perhaps your bank gave a loan to and they made it big?

Boutte: Let’s take Cirilo McSween (owns five McDonald’s), he started with one. People criticized me for lending in the Loop. He literally owns every McDonald’s in the Loop, and I financed every one of them. He’s been a great success.

CopyLine: So, there were a lot of success stories?

Boutte: Many. Many of them. Hundreds of them.

CopyLine: There are many people in the city who say that the business community is not out-front. They would like to see business persons run for public offices. Are businessmen so content in what they do that they have no interest in the political arena?

Boutte: That’s a great fallacy, and it is one of the weaknesses of our people. Everybody ought not to be a politician. A society of people is a conglomeration of many kinds of people. We have our role to play – we play it. We have our job to do and it shouldn’t mix. If you want to be a politician, fine, but we all have a role to play in this society. We need more people that can create wealth, who’s bright enough that can not only make their own lives for their wives, their children and their families, but can create opportunities for other people. I am very content in what I am. I’ve never had any aspirations to be (a politician). The public things I do, I do it as a part of a civic responsibility…you have to understand that there’re only a few people who are doing what I am doing. Suppose I decided to leave, who could do this? The banks here are not ordinary banks. I mean, I don’t know if the public understands that. We’re the only black business that’s not only better than the best in the black community, we’re better than our white counterparts, which no black business can say that – no line of black business. We beat the hell out of other banks – white ones in the suburbs and everywhere else. Our numbers are better, that’s the only way I can explain it.

CopyLine: Why are your numbers better?

Boutte: Because we work harder, we have better people, and we have more loyalty among our people…that means an awful lot.

CopyLine: During your time in the banking business, what has been the greatest disappointment? What has been the high point?

Boutte: I have not had a major disappointment. I think I’m disappointed that more of our young people are not interested in business. They seem to go to college to do everything but that. It’s beyond me as to why. I just don’t understand why. Many of the colleges still are teaching the same thing they taught years and years ago – teaching them how to be a teacher, how to be a social service worker – and that’s reflective in the reproduction of capital. I think if I had a disappointment, and this one isn’t that great, is that we have not stressed enough the importance of a business career, it’s the only way you can create wealth- significant wealth, not just for yourself but for many, many other people. We’re much more intoned to politics and to social services – things that are important – but we need men and women who understand the dynamics of capital and the interrelationships of them, that can generate wealth. And we don’t put any effort into that, not enough.

The greatest joy I’ve gotten, is watching this marvelous, educated second generation which is on board now bring their valuable skills and intelligence that they have been trained for so many years.

CopyLine: What kind of plan is needed in the black community in order to bring about economic empowerment?

Boutte: I think the process is going on. The problem is, it’s happening and nobody realizes it or they don’t understand it. You got to understand that when I started there wasn’t a single Black automobile dealership in America. There wasn’t a single black McDonald’s owner in America. There wasn’t a single black bank in America. All of these businesses that we are now in, we’ve only been like this for 25 years. It takes a long time for it to regenerate itself.

The publishing business, now you don’t have just John Johnson and Ebony, you’ve got Essence, you’ve got nine significant black publications today in 20 years. Well that doesn’t sound like a lot, but that is a lot. You’ve got an upward mobility; that’s significant in the black community. Of course you have an underclass, and of course that has to be addressed, and of course they need help, but clearly, I think the latest census will show that – the significance of race. Look at the Blacks who are actually now living in the suburbs. The process is going on every day; these are victories and defeats, but there are more victories than defeats.

I wish it can be done in two years, but economic development isn’t something that can be done overnight. I am the guy that helped to bring cable to Chicago. We own part of the systems here, not just here, but all over the country. I remember when Blacks owned no radio stations, they owned no television stations, they owned no cable companies, and they owned nothing! They had nothing! Well that isn’t true today. Tom Lewis, who used to work for me, owns four or five radio stations around the country. You have Blacks who own TV stations, the Seaway Group started that 15 years ago…the process is going on, a very difficult one, but it is causing upward mobility. We want to work with intelligent, bright people who know what they are doing. And if they do, they will have our support.

Between the black banks in this city, you only elected one black mayor (Harold Washington), and he came here first. I’m the guy that gave him his first $100,000. Everybody in the city knows that. We had the meetings right next door in this room every night until he was elected.

Our job is to help. Not to help making speeches on a corner, but to help by using my creative intelligence; not just me, these creative, young, bright people who know what they’re doing; who understand the dynamics of business and can make a difference. They are all over this place, on every floor. Not like us who had a hard time being out there. Of course I went to college, but I don’t have the kind of education they have. This is the cream of the black community. That’s what gives me the most good feelings. And, frankly, they are going to do a better job than we did. The next group that comes in here, look what they’ll have to work with. Look at what I had to work with. They will take this to a conclusion and to a level that is unmatched by me or anybody that was in my generation. The next guys are going to do a hell of a lot more than me.

Brief Highlights of Boutte’s career

Boutte was born in Lake Charles, La., but moved to Chicago

Earned a degree in pharmacy from Xavier University

Boutte owned and operated a Chicago drugstore and later expanded into a chain

Alvin J. Boutte, Sr. was founder and CEO of Independence Bank, 79th and Cottage Grove, a bank he founded with Businessman George Johnson and three other investors. It became the largest minority-owned bank in the nation.

A Civil Rights leader

In the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Ralph Abernathy frequently visited Boutte at his Chatham home. He raised money for the Southern Christian leadership Conference (SCLC)

A supporter of Operation PUSH

Acquired Drexel National Bank

Served on the Chicago Board of Education

Funeral Services for Mr. Boutte were held April 14, 2012. He is survived by wife, Barbara; daughters, Janice Boutte and Jeanette Simpson; sons, Al, Jr. and Gregory; and four grandchildren.

Juanita Bratcher is the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com, the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 35 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics.

By Juanita Bratcher

My Two-Cents Worth

Yesterday, Rick Santorum left a race he never should have been in in the first place. He was never a real contender for the presidency because he was totally out of his league, unelectable with no erstwhile credentials in the least bit to lead this country. He was unelectable. Period. And his off-the-wall-talk was certainly out of the confines of mainstream America.

Santorum’s candidacy for president was a shaky one, a misplaced journey to nowhere. He didn’t have the minimal qualifications to be president. And he failed to realize that it takes more than conservative voters and Tea Partiers to elect a president.

During his run, Santorum made some impressive victories. But when taking a close-up look at those victories it was obvious that they were more a rejection of presidential contender Mitt Romney than a strong bump in his efforts to become president.

Santorum’s persona is that of an “angry man”, an extremist with very extreme views (which I will talk about later on in this article). He was part of an 8-ring circus that now has been tremendously dislodged by dropouts, leaving a dire hard flip flopper who thinks he can buy the country, a jokester who’s in it just for the ride, and a sideshow candidate who has had very few winnings in the Republican presidential contest. The circus never stops; it’s just that there are fewer characters in the running. And they all have one goal in mind, as they strongly declare: To defeat President Barack Obama, to make him a one-term president, and that “Any of the Republican candidates would be better than Obama.” That’s their prerogative. This is America, the greatest country in the world, where competition has always been part of the political landscape.

Santorum suspended his campaign, but he did not endorse front-runner Romney. Maybe that will come later. But how will he backtrack all the ugly things he said about his Republican colleague?

During his campaign he declared that Romney wasn’t conservative enough, that his record is identical to President Obama’s on key issues, specifically mandated health coverage.

“Pick any other Republican in the country. He is the worst Republican in the country to put up against Barack Obama,” said Santorum on the campaign trail.

During a campaign stop in San Antonio, Santorum said it would be better to re-elect Obama than Romney, which he later tried to back pedal.

“You win by giving people a choice. You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who’s just going to be a little different than the person in there. If you’re going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate of the future.”

Santorum had a run-in with a New York Times Reporter. Of that heated encounter, he said, “If you haven’t cursed out a New York Times reporter during the course of a campaign, you’re not really a real Republican.”

In 2008, Santorum made comments about Satan attacking the United States, which came back to haunt him in 2012 because of a replay of reports in the media. His mouth (remarks) had damaged him so much in primary elections that he would have had a tough row to hoe in the general election if he had ended up the Republican nominee for president.

Santorum called Obama “a snob” for saying every American child should be able to go to college. Obama’s remarks were taken out of context.

He claimed that Obama’s agenda was based on “some phony theology. Not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology.” The Obama campaign responded that Santorum’s comments were “the latest low in a Republican primary campaign that has been fueled by distortions, ugliness, and searing pessimism and negativity.”

Santorum is one that always keeps his foot in his mouth. In a campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa, when talking about entitlements, he told a mostly-white audience that he didn’t want to “make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.” Afterwards, he said he didn’t say black but “blah.” Right.

In Tacoma, Washington Santorum told his supporters that the Occupy movement represents “true intolerance”, that “it’s really important for you to understand what this radical element represents. Because what they represent is true intolerance.”

Santorum also accused President Obama for dividing the country (his misguided opinion) and described Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget proposal “another tax-the-rich scheme.”

Although Santorum has thrown in the towel, he vowed that “we are not done fighting.”

With Santorum throwing in the towel, hopefully, his off-the-wall talk will fade from the political landscape for now.

Juanita Bratcher is the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com, the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 35 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics. 

By Juanita Bratcher

Wherever road she traveled, Rev. Dr. Addie L. Wyatt was a strong beacon of support for many worthy causes, a woman who carved a profound legacy in so many different directions – as a labor leader, a civil rights leader, and a fighter for women and human rights. But first and foremost, she was a religious leader, a champion for God. She was a prayerful woman who believed in the power of prayer.

Wyatt and my late husband, Neal A. Bratcher, Sr., were both in the labor movement. Neal was the Executive Director of Council 19, an umbrella of several labor unions in Chicago, and a Vice president on the International Board of AFL-CIO. He was endeared with her leadership skills and ability, as with many others who knew her. Neal and Addie would sometimes consult with each other on various labor issues and with former Congressman Charles Hayes, who was a union leader prior to being elected to the U.S. House.

When my husband died in 1997, Wyatt was on the phone offering her condolences, and in her inspiring spiritual voice said to me, “Let’s have prayer.” And she prayed for me – for guidance and strength. She knew that Neal and I were a very close and loving couple. That was the kind of person Wyatt was – always there to help and offer inspiration to others.

In 1992, Wyatt was the keynote speaker at State Senator Margaret Smith Circle’s annual program at Bethsaida Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago. I had recently started by publication, CopyLine Magazine, after being a news reporter for years at the Chicago Defender. I attended Senator Smith’s program (a respected friend) to cover the event for my publication. In her speech, Wyatt acknowledged that her “heart grieves when I see young people and they don’t know about God.”

Wyatt was born March 8, 1924, in Brookhaven, Miss. Her mother , Maggie Nolan Cameron, was a school teacher, and her father, Ambrose, was a tailor. Wyatt died March 28, 2012. She was 88 years old. I was saddened to hear of her death.

Wyatt climbed the ladder to success, but she never lost that common touch. She touched the lives of so many people. She was elegant, well-versed and knowledgeable. And she shared that knowledge freely with so many people - and the many who sought her advice.

Wyatt was actively involved in the civil rights movement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a friend; she was co-founder of several organizations – Operation PUSH, National Organization of Women (NOW). She was the founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Women. In 1961, she was appointed by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to serve on President John F. Kennedy’s Commisssion on the Status of Women; and in 1977, was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the International Women’s Commission. She was a labor advisor to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), served with the Chicago Freedom Movement, and active in Operation Breadbasket.

Wyatt was the first female international vice president of a major American labor union, the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union. In 1975, Wyatt was voted one of Time Magazine’s Women of the Year, and was one of Ebony Magazine’s 100 most influential Black Americans.

In 1955, Wyatt was ordained as a Church of God minister. Her husband, Claude S. Wyatt, Jr. was also an ordained Church of God minister. She and her husband co-founded Vernon Park Church of God. Her husband preceded her in death.

Wyatt and her husband had two sons, Renaldo Wyatt and Claude S. Wyatt III.

As keynote speaker at Senator Smith’s program, CopyLine’s reprint of the artle follows:

Blacks Must Not let Foreparents’ Legacy Die

  The Rev. Addie Wyatt said Blacks have a legacy left by their foreparents “that we can’t let die.”

Acknowledging that Harriet Tubbman is one of her favorites, Wyatt said Tubbman overcame great odds; that although she had her own freedom (with a bounty over her head), she was still concerned about those (slaves) left behind.

“God has ordained three institutions – family, church and government to carry out the work,” Wyatt said. “We come from a great group of black people. Some gave up on the way. Some endured. Freedom, justice, equality and the cost sometimes cause some of us to tremble. But we have a legacy of our foreparents that we can’t let die here.

“Freedom, justice, peace and equality, we’ve got to have it. We must build our black families…our children’s lives are at stake. My heart grieves when I see young people and they don’t know about God.”

Wyatt added: “There’s a scheme to set us back, to destroy us, to destroy our churches; and many can’t see the handwriting on the wall.

“There is a legacy of hope. God has blessed us” in her 52-year marriage to husband, Claude.

“I’ve been part of this struggle because I don’t want the legacy to die with me…we’ve got to move forward and let nobody turn us back.”

Wyatt made the statements at the Margaret Smith Circle’s annual program at Bethsaida Missionary Baptist Church in November 1992. After her speech, Senator Margaret Smith hailed Wyatt as  “A woman for all reasons.”

Wyatt left a legacy we can all be proud of. I feel honored having known her and of following her prominent career over the years. We lived in the same neighborhood where Vernon Park Church of God is also located, and I attended many Sundays in worship there.

Those who knew her will always remember the advice that she gave at Bethsaida Missionary Baptist Church, that “Blacks have a legacy left by their foreparents that we can’t let die.” We will heed that advice, remember and honor her legacy and those of other great leaders and never let them die – many of whom, like her, left their indelible footprints in the sands of time.

Juanita Bratcher is the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com, the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 35 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics. 

By Eric O. January, CPA

CEO of Conduit Funding, Inc, Author of the Mo’Sense book series

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) that President Obama signed last Thursday is to quote the president, “a game changer.” Thank you, Mr. President. It has a number of provisions that will not only allow small businesses to raise much needed equity for the first time by going public but also will go a long way to finally leveling the playing field for non-accredited investors. In a nut shell, a non-accredited investor is a person or organization that does not have a million dollar net-worth or make hundreds of thousands of dollars. The 99% in other words.

Finally allowing non-accredited investors the opportunity to do what the rich have always been able to do – directly fund the next best thing since sliced bread–can be a game changer. Although the JOBS Act is not perfect, I would like to take credit for, if nothing else, planting or watering the seed in the president’s head.

It occurred after he had secured the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2008. He was getting his hair cut at the same barber shop in Hyde Park that I also patronized. I happened to have my office in the same building as well. When I came outside to meet a small business client, I noticed black, Secret Service SUV’s around the building and thought, “Obama must be getting his hair cut.” I peeked in the shop, and sure enough he was.

Since I wanted to promote my books, you know what I did. I ran and got the copies of the books that I had written, burst in the barber shop, smiling and with a loud voice exclaimed, “Barack Obama!”

He looked up, so did the barber and a few others in the shop, as I proceeded to give the democratic nominee for the office of the president my books and tell him, “You’re going to need to implement what is in these books to get the economy moving in the right direction.” A couple of days later, his barber emphatically let me know that wasn’t protocol, “Don’t you know this man is liable to be the next president of the United States?” I did. And that’s exactly why I did what I had to do as an entrepreneur. I seized the moment.

Honestly, I don’t know if the president read the books. What I do know for certain is that when he left the barber shop, he had more than a fresh hair cut. In my three or so minute briefing/infomercial, he got my fresh economic ideas and two books. Although the books talk about the unequal and thus unjust distinction securities laws create between accredited and non-accredited investors and also the unjust regulatory burden placed on entrepreneurs to register investments with the SEC, the primary subjects of the series are how to value investments, manage risk and play a role with money. It also mentions how regulatory discrimination contributes to the ever-increasing wealth divide and hampers economic development and how financial crises will reoccur without systemic change.

He only had to read the first two pages of chapter one in Book II (No license needed, just drive) and a few pages in chapter three of Book I (The masses have been illegally classed) to learn or be reminded of how detrimental and unjust the legislation was. Maybe when the crowdfunders promoted what could have been titled the Conduit Funding Jobs Act mentioned allowing unlimited participation of non-accredited investors, it resonated with the president. “I’ve read this before,” he may have thought. “That’s what January suggested in his Mo’Sense books.”

Eliminating the regulatory discrimination is just one thing that I identify as being needed. We don’t need to regulate more and continue to unjustly lock out the public from potentially lucrative investments to prevent defrauding as many opponents of the JOBS Act argue. The most important thing that the public needs is a new way of thinking about what role they play with their money, how to value investments and how to manage risk properly as my books teach.

Eric O. January is an ordained minister, author, educator and entrepreneur. He has over 15 years of hands-on, independent, financial advisory, consulting and certified public accounting experience. Eric has been a featured guest and economic commentator on numerous radio and television stations. He is the author of the breakthrough, three-part book series titled, “Mo’Sense:(TM) Money & Economic Sense Based on the Natural Laws of Momentum”. For interviews, speaking engagements or for information about his unique money management expertise, visit www.conduitfunding.com or contact him at 877-CONDUIT or ericjanuary@conduitfunding.com

My two-cents worth

By Juanita Bratcher

Those distorting, making negative and misstatements about the Obama Administration were at it before his win to the presidency and continue to do so

Every day, a pack of lies, innuendoes and half-truths are being told and circulated by various individuals about the Obama Administration’s policies on energy, foreign policy, health care, the economy and anything else they can put a slant on. These lies are being told with devious intent – to downright confuse and misinform some in the general public that don’t know or understand the truth and facts about what is really going on pertaining to the Obama Administration’s policies.

These manufactured lies, half-truths and innuendoes about the Obama Administration’s policies make their round daily through the news media, cable TV and the Internet. The bottom line is that these devious messengers/villains deliberately manufacture lies and half-truths – knowing full-well what they’re doing, void of enough monitoring by the press (the mainstream media) to challenge, expose and take these lies on.

On the other hand, some of these incendiary voices have taken pot shots at the media, trying to undermine the media by labeling them as being bias in reporting and giving favorable preference to Obama, which is hogwash (not true); and they know that, too. But perhaps that’s another part of their scheme to misinform the public.

Certainly, no one is above criticism or above the laws of this country – that includes President Obama or anyone else, but criticism should be armed with facts and truths and not lies, innuendoes and half-truths.

People will lie and twist the truth for their own benefit and try to undermine those who are less informed. Too bad there’s no law on the book that would penalize those found of outright lying, specifically those in political offices, those seeking political offices and their political operatives.

Many of these incendiary voices have told unconscionable lies about the president being a Muslim, when Obama, right from the start, said he was a Christian. They accuse him of worsening the economy since his tenure in office, when there’s documented proof that the economy went downhill during a Republican Administration, and is slowly recuperating and on the way back to recovery under the Obama Administration. They call him a socialist, food stamp president, affirmative action president, that he’s afraid to stand up to Iran (this the man responsible for taking Osama Bin Laden and others out), in addition to questioning the validity of his birth certificate. Much of this talk can be categorized as “talking loud and saying nothing.” What happened to facts and truths? Criticism isn’t a bad thing when one is telling the truth, but these vicious lies, far from being factual, can’t even be filed under “half-truths”.

I’ve watched shows on network television and heard the lying yet, the liar was not challenged by the show’s host. That’s what good journalism is about – to shed light on the real truth and challenge those who deliberately lie about things or are misinformed themselves.

These incendiary voices have been on permanent duty before and after Obama’s win to the presidency, and they will continue to say any and everything and will do any and everything to try and take back the presidency of the United States from a Black man they never supported in the first place. And to do this, they are relying on millions of dollars in negative attack ads marketing to get their vile, misinformation out to the general public – registered voters in particular, and hopefully get Obama out of office. Remember what the “Swift Boaters” did to Presidential hopeful John Kerry’s campaign?

Never in my lifetime – and that’s been quite a few years – have I seen so many grown (adult) men – many of them old men and politicians, and yes, some women – whining and lying before the general public, knowing that what they’re saying is a bunch of lies. Most of this lying and whining is because a black man is president of this country.

Many of these liars, whiners and haters are adults acting like a bunch of kids that don’t know any better. But I also venture to say that some kids know better than these circus-acting incendiary individuals. They appeal to people’s frustration and hatred.

These incendiary voices would lead people to believe that President Barack Obama is responsible for high gas prices at the pump when in reality gas prices are set by the price of crude oil and now what is happening in the Middle-East. Further, crude oil is a worldwide commodity. It would probably be the same if a president other than Obama was sitting in the White House making decisions.

Derogatory, hateful name calling and relentless criticism are not cures for the economy or anything else, and neither one will get the job done.

But it’s amazing how these incendiary voices relentlessly badger President Barack Obama and at the same time try to kill-off his agenda to bring stability to the economy. We hear over and over again the phrase, “Any of the Republican candidates would be better than Obama.” In other words, they think that less qualified presidential contenders will get the economy back on track and take on other issues better than the sitting president. Really?  But those waiting for the economy to rebound are tired of the gridlock in Washington. And with Congress’ approval rating hitting rock bottom – 9 percent, it’s time to stop the gridlock in Washington and get this economy moving again in the right direction.

They try to sell the public a bill-of-goods that the Obama Administration is a “failure”. They believe that the  mere fact that they spoke it, it is now the absolute truth. But the actual facts dispute this, and they know it. They tend to be loose with facts and short on truth.

In the meantime, is it too much to ask that the lying and whining stop, that adults start acting like adults and stop acting like kids? Or is that pipe dreaming and asking for too much?

Juanita Bratcher is the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com, the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 35 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics. 

By Rev. Harold E. Bailey, President & Founder of Probation Challenge                                

Over the past 35-plus-years, I’ve interacted with youth who are filtering through the criminal justice system. And in doing so, I’ve instructed them with the tools of education. I’ve taught them how to avoid the pitfalls of evil and, for the sake of avoiding an entanglement with the justice system – to just walk away!

As Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old student, sought to walk away from a demented person who sought only to cause trouble, he was shot to death! This apparent act of hatred was totally uncalled for, and stinks of blatant racism!

The world is monitoring these not-so-United-States and its un-pleasurable dispositions as it relates to African-Americans who have been abused, downtrodden, set-aside and subjected to other demeaning measures.

There is without doubt – as proven over the years – that there is a dual set of standards in this country with emphasis on Whites and lighter skin complexions coming out a winner.

By all accounts, Trayvon Martin who was returning to his place of residence was shot in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. But George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch captain, said that he thought Martin looked suspicious as he walked home from a convenience store with only a package of Skittles and ice tea in hand.

Local law-enforcement persons are still pondering over whether to bring charges against Zimmerman who says he felt threaten; although this was disproved by earlier tapes telling him not to pursue the matter. Yet, Zimmerman continued to pursue the young man and did get involved. And in doing so, he created an act of aggression with intent to do bodily harm… which he did!  With a murder committed, what is the problem with the local police department? Why did they just literally take his word about what happened, did not arrest him or administer a drug or alcohol test? Reportedly, Martin was tested for drugs and alcohol.

What to do is not a question for thousands of people around the world. Zimmerman should be arrested and charged with murder! The world is watching the US, in more ways than a few!

However, there’s another question that comes to mind: If the circumstances were different and the defendant George Zimmerman was a Black man… would there be any question as to his going to jail, prison or the chair?

Rev. Harold E. Bailey is the President of Probation Challenge and the PCC Internet Broadcast Network, WWW.ProbationChallenge.org, ‘The Truth Network’