Students wonder whether Albany State University will lose its culture, and special status, under a plan to merge with a majority-white school.

By Richard Fausset (LA Times)

Reporting from Albany, Ga. — Every freshman who enrolls at Albany State University knows the saga of this small, proud school.

In a mandatory class, they learn how Joseph Winthrop Holley, a son of slaves, built the campus in 1903 to educate his fellow African Americans here along the banks of the Flint River. They learn how the historically black school survived the roiling race issues of the 20th century — from Jim Crow to desegregation and beyond — and how it survived the muddy Flint, which has flooded the campus time and again.

But today, there is talk of a new kind of deluge at this public school, one that many students fear would do even greater harm: The potential influx of white students from a nearby two-year college, who could go to Albany State under a proposal to merge the campuses that is floating around the Georgia Statehouse.

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Associated Press | WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve has cut its target for a key interest rate to the lowest level on record and pledged to use “all available tools” to combat a severe financial crisis and prolonged recession.

The central bank on Tuesday said it had reduced the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other, to a range of zero to 0.25 percent. That is down from the 1 percent target rate in effect since the last meeting in October. Many analysts had expected the Fed to make a smaller cut to 0.5 percent.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues also pledged to use “all available tools” as they struggle to contain a financial crisis that is the worst since the 1930s and a recession that is already the longest in a quarter-century.

The Fed also made clear that it intends to keep the funds rate at extremely low levels.

“The committee anticipates that weak economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for some time,” the central bank’s panel that sets interest rates said in a statement.

The Fed’s decision is expected to be quickly matched by a reduction in banks’ prime lending rate, the benchmark rate for millions of business and consumer loans. Before the Fed announcement, the prime rate stood at 4 percent.

The Fed has never pushed its target for the federal funds rate as low as zero to 0.25 percent. The lowest target rate before had been 1 percent, a level seen only once before in the past half-century.

Given how low interest rates are, the central bank said it planned to use a variety of unconventional methods to flood the banking system with credit and drive interest rates lower.

“The Federal Reserve will employ all available tools to promote the resumption of sustainable economic growth and to preserve price stability,” the Fed said.

Reporter Tracy Chung tells the story of South Central Farm in Los Angeles, which used to be the largest urban farm in the United States. Today, however, that land is empty, bordered by train tracks and warehouses. 

See what happened to the South Central Farmers who used to till the urban plot.

pictured above: Students learn in a cheerful room, part of a campus that sits in an area of seafood and produce wholesalers, social service agencies, single-room-occupancy hotels and auto-parts shops.

A downtown arts center signals constancy and community.

By Christopher Hawthorne / Architecture Critic (LA Times)

“In this neighborhood the most radical thing you could do was make a white building,” architect Michael Maltzan told me on a recent afternoon as we toured the campus of Inner-City Arts, where his firm completed an $8.5-million expansion earlier this fall.

The ICA complex — which indeed has the surprising brightness of a soap-opera actor’s teeth seen up close, or the pages deep inside a newspaper that has yellowed on top — offers classes in the arts to students bused in from a number of public-school campuses. Its 1-acre site, at 7th and Kohler streets near the edge of downtown’s skid row, is surrounded by seafood and produce wholesalers, social service agencies, single-room-occupancy hotels and auto-parts shops. Bunker Hill’s gleaming, mirrored-glass towers loom quite visibly to the northwest, but at ground level these blocks are dominated by roll-down security doors and loops of razor wire.

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pictured above: Students line up Saturday before the start of the Operation Graduation Winter Commencement Ceremony at USC’s Bovard Auditorium. The ceremony presented at-risk teens with high school diplomas and GEDs from alternative education programs run by the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

At USC on Saturday, 170 at-risk teens — young mothers, juvenile camp inmates, troubled students — are awarded their high school diplomas and congratulated by keynote speaker Magic Johnson.

By Seema Mehta (LA Times)

Tevin Bradley ran with the wrong crowd, started doing drugs when he was 14 and picked fights so frequently that he was kicked out of a continuation school for troubled teens. So when the 17-year-old received his high school diploma Saturday, it symbolized not only academic achievement but also a radical life change.

“I didn’t see myself getting here,” said the Bellflower teen, clad in a burgundy cap and gown. If not for a dedicated teacher and his parents, he figures, he would have ended up “in jail or on the streets. Not here.”

Bradley was among more than 170 teenagers who completed their high school education through alternative programs run by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. They were honored at an afternoon commencement ceremony Saturday at USC’s Bovard Auditorium with parents, siblings and friends cheering as they crossed the stage to the familiar strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.” 

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by Jullien Gordon

Attracting and Retaining Great People

Two dedicated team members is better than five dedicated team members and and one undedicated one. Undedicated people have the ability to kill the productivity of everyone on the team to their level of dead-ication. They may have been committed in the beginning, but over time, things change and people change and their commitment to the vision may not be as strong for whatever reason.

It’s nothing personal to give them the boot, but the CEO must always remember that the vision is more important than any individual while at the same time recognizing that his/her team is the most valuable thing to that vision. People tend to join organizations for one or more of three reasons: the vision, the team, the technology.

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As I continue to navigate down the path of community change through the vehicle of CLIMB, we constantly partner and build relationships with like-agencies as well as individuals/companies looking to be a part of the solution.

I recall in 2005 when I first set out to start the organization and began constructing the strategy/vision, I had a short-list of individuals, companies, and organizations that I reached out to with intentions of creating youth programs and sustaining relationships that will position CLIMB as a part of the “solution”. On this list, there was a particular organization spearheaded by the USC Football Coach Pete Carroll: A Better LA. Impressed by his community awareness and action, I have since then developed a relationship that in due time will reflect a shared interest in community service.

Just recently, Pete Carroll was featured on 60 Minutes (CBS): highlighting not only his success on the field, but also his involvment in the surrounding South LA community. 

Mr. Kaleb Carter // Compliments of Contrast

A classic plaid blazer provides the focal direction and tasteful artistry of Mr. Carter’s attire. Attention to detail with thoughtful color / pattern compliments orchestrate a harmonious presentation.

Guide to Style - classic blazer with a notched lapel, silk pocket square, spread collar dress shirt (to compliment the bow tie)

Mr. Olu Davis // The Royal Ascot

An ascot tie, or ascot, traditionally made of pale gray patterned silk, displayed here in modern form. Highlighted with a distinctive window paned pattern and rich fuchsia color.  Mr. Davis expands the sophistication of his attire with the resurging peaked lapel of his stone colored blazer.

Guide to Style - Ascot, rich color pallet,  optimal separation of silk pocket square contrast –similar to Ascot but not uniform (no pane)

Mr. Reginald Jackson III (right) // Top Coated

A strikingly rich cashmere blended top coat immediately yokes curiosities of the distinguished Mr. Jackson.  The pen striped 3 button suit, with high gorge (depth of suit jacket that extends downward on the chest) affords the suit the visibility need while wearing the top coat.  subtle exploration of color integration attract  suit, tie, and shirt base.

Guide to Style - Top coat (rich cashmere blend), high gorge (on 3 button suit), subtle color exploration (with black as dominate color base)

Mr. Damien Carter // Camel & Cashmere

Well done.  Camel is not a color and cashmere is not a fabric for armatures to emulate.  This combination deserves the finest representation allowable.  Mr. Damien properly coordinated his attire with “the” camel & cashmere blazer, contrasted V-neck sweater, and oakwood neck tie.  His pocket square extracted the accent color of the neck tie allowing a seamless color transition throughout the wardrobe.

Guide to Style - Classic pieces, blaze & vest (contrast), well folded pocket square.

Style critiques presented by: Taj Tashombe  |  Impresario - lifestyle, music, pop culture

About Taj:

His ideals can be encompassed with the personal mantra & branding philosophy of:

envision | create | live

Through the onset of visualization, the creation and development of ideas, coupled with the power to utilize and live them, Taj has developed a formula that incorporates the ideal recipe for a tastemaking entrepreneur.  A lifestyle publication, fashion line, and music production company fall under his umbrella. www.tajtashombe.com

Photography by Nick Collins » www.nphocusphotography.com

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