Dr. CORNELL WEST

GROUNDBREAKING AUTHOR EDUCATOR & THINKER

Dr. Cornel West is currently the Class of 1943 University Professor of Religion at Princeton University. One of America's most gifted and provocative public intellectuals, Dr. West has won numerous awards, including the American Book Award, and has received more than 20 honorary degrees. He received his BA from Harvard University and his MA and PhD from Princeton University.

Dr. West's writing, speaking, and teaching weaves together the American traditions of the Baptist Church, transcendentalism, socialism, and pragmatism. His best-selling book, Race Matters, changed the course of America's dialogue on race, justice, and democracy.

As a boy, Dr. West was greatly impressed by the Baptist church. He had been deeply touched by the stories of parishioners who, only two generations from slavery, told stories of Blacks maintaining their religious faith during the most trying of times. Dr. West was equally attracted to the commitment of the Black Panthers, and it was from them that he began to understand the importance of community-based political action. However, it was a biography of Teddy Roosevelt that Dr. West borrowed from a neighborhood bookmobile that influenced his academic future and led him to Harvard. After three years, Dr. West graduated magna cum laude. Martin Kilson, one of Dr. West's professors, recalls him as the most intellectually aggressive and highly cerebral student I have taught in my 30 years here.

Dr. West's first book, Prophesy Deliverance!, advocates a socially concerned African American Christianity that draws from Marxism. Dr. West has authored several other books, most recently The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Century (with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,), and Cornel West: A Critical Reader. He also co-authored two important books on public policy issues: The Future of American Progressivism (with Roberto Unger) and The War Against Parents (with Sylvia Ann Hewlett).

Dr. West was an influential force in developing the storyline for the popular Matrix trilogy. Not only is he the spokesperson for this box-office hit series, Dr. West also had recurring roles in the final two volumes.

A long-time member, Dr. West now serves as an honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America. He has worked with numerous political and social organizations, including co-chairing the National Parenting Organization's Task Force on Parent Empowerment. Dr. West was also part of President Clinton's National Conversation on Race, and has joined Al Sharpton's Presidential exploratory committee.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

? Democracy Matters

? The African American Century: What Next?

? Heart of American Darkness

? Restoring Hope

? Reflections on Hip-Hop: The Role of Black Music in American Culture

? Race & Democracy

? Race Matters

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I've experienced scrutiny like no other trying to get JUSTICE: Progressing case so saying little for now, CHECK this story amongst others that the local media fails to depict-Instead we're flooded of course, day and night with car accidents and small claims NEWS? (although accident and such misfortunes are not fun for anyone)

They clearly pick and choose to publish and showcase things that are not even relevant to the progress and state of the community from its deepest SOCIO-ECONOMICAL shaken and segregated Structures/Institutions!

Calling it Breaking News: Come On Now. Who Are You Kidding local moguls?

Lawsuit challenges fairness of police test
Officers passed over for supervisory roles

By David Abel, Globe Staff | September 12, 2007

Five police officers from Lawrence and Methuen filed a federal civil rights lawsuit yesterday against the two cities and the state, contending that the state promotional exam discriminates against members of minority groups and has prevented their advancement within the ranks.

As a result, the officers say, the supervisors in both departments do not reflect the diversity of either city. In Lawrence, where about three-quarters of the population is minority, only two of the 39 police supervisors are members of minority groups, the officers say and the department confirmed. Methuen, which is more than 10 percent minority, has no minority group members among its 25 supervisors, the officers say. The Methuen Police Department did not return calls seeking confirmation of that figure.

"These examinations have, over the last 20 years, been demonstrated to have significant adverse impact on minority (black and Hispanic) test takers while not having been shown to be valid predictors of job performance," the officers argue in the lawsuit. "All of the defendants have been well aware of this fact, yet have taken no action to design a less discriminatory and more job-related examination procedure."

They say the multiple-choice format of the test, not the content of the questions, has blocked the rise of minorities, many of whom grew up speaking a different language. They want the state to devise a promotion system that would better reflect the skills used by a police supervisor, instead of how well they answer multiple-choice questions.

"We're not looking for any advantage; we're looking for an equal playing field, which we believe we still don't have," said Hemenegildo Martinez Jr., president of the Massachusetts Hispanic Law Enforcement Association, which is also a plaintiff in the case. "The numbers show that, and it's the end result that counts."

In addition to the cities of Methuen and Lawrence, the suit names Paul Dietl, the state's chief human resources officer.

Dietl and officials in the state attorney general's office and the Executive Office of Public Safety declined to comment yesterday.

Methuen solicitor Peter J. McQuillan said the city was not responsible, because the exam was designed by the state.

"We don't develop the exam, so how can we take responsibility for something we haven't taken part in?" he said. "I don't have enough information to make a comment whether it's discriminatory . . . but we would review and consider any alternative the state offers us."

Lawrence Police Chief John J. Romero, who is the city's first Latino police chief, said he could not comment on the lawsuit because he had not seen it. But Romero said that increasing the number of minority officers in all ranks was one of his main priorities when he took over the department nine years ago.

Romero said the department is now around 30 percent Latino, up from less than 9 percent in 1998.

The case comes a year after a federal judge ruled that the state's 2002 and 2004 firefighter exams discriminated against blacks and Hispanics. The state later settled a class-action lawsuit by requiring Boston, Brookline, and 18 other cities and towns to offer police and firefighter jobs to minority applicants who took civil service exams that a judge found discriminatory.

The state also paid them about $1.5 million in back pay. The agreement called for hiring 66 minority candidates, including 26 in Boston with high scores on police or fire exams between 2002 and 2005 whom white candidates outscored.

At their lawyer's office in Boston this week, the officers said they worried their suit would spark a backlash, ending any hope of becoming a supervisor. But they said it was worth the risk.

Abel Cano, a 39-year-old Methuen patrolman who has a master's degree in criminal justice, said he has taken the sergeant exam twice, failing once and then passing with a score that was lower than others in the department. The 100-point exam, given every two years, requires a score of more than 70 to become a supervisor.

"I think this exam is really outdated," said Cano, who scored a 78 in 2006. "For me, a person whose native language is Spanish, it's a challenge. The questions are extremely complicated."

Kevin Sledge, 45, a patrolman in Lawrence for 14 years, said the test favors those who have more practice taking written exams. He took the exam last year for the first time, scoring a 76, but was passed over for others who scored higher.

"Some people are more practical and verbal, and those are important skills to be a police supervisor," he said.

Pedro Lopez, a 41-year-old patrolman with 10 years on the force in Lawrence, failed the exam twice but passed last year with a score of 76. He said he plans to keep taking the test until he becomes a sergeant.

"Hopefully, by then, we'll have a better exam in place," he said.

Russell Contreras of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

**In relation a bit to my experience as someone sparred and kept from the reach of a possible one-time career hope of becoming a woman in blue enforcing the law 'round and about. Gosh kind of glad now...It's messy in there still, in 2008.

GRAND: Guess What The Doors Are Still Plenty Barred Friends!

PRLE.COM was the firm that easily reached a million dollar settlement without quite reaching all the parties suppusedly involved in a case where candidates of color (color!?) passed the Police test between 03 and 05 and where still discouraged from continuing their pursuit-turns out, all based on COLOUR. Now PRLE manages to get a settlement yet with late notices sent to all of the candidates in the suit; instead of properly and timely sending notes or phones calls to the 2 handfuls of individuals involved, they sent them to a few they know would easily agree to the final decision reached of assuring that once they go back and apply to be hired, once hired, they get a 1st year backpay as agreed in order to settle quick at the rate of something like $1 million and change (Some Shortfall lists and financial packages sent to the various police departments-including the ones i applied to then: Cambridge, Watertown, Somerville, Boston).

"I don't want to be a cop anymore i told them, in a city or with a department(s) that is so conceited and discriminatory anymore-what kind of Justice and Law would i have to uphold out there? Granted there is certainly clear need for a central enforcing judiciary entity, anywhere at most times. I'm going back to Court, to the highest reach. You Know it! So i love Justice and its correct and non-discriminatory applications!"

Wonder if the GLOBE can afford not to be political. I'm suing! This representing firm-having been a candidate also discriminated on the basis of my color then...The firm representing me actually failed to notify in good time and without scrutiny all the folks involved in the suit. Of course it is easier to come to a final agreement with a handful of folks who even after having been discriminated against agreed on going back to get into the force-4 yrs later.

AND IT took one guy who passes it by 94 over 100 to get this entire thing even reviewed. I guarantee you that there is another handful of past candidates, who have also passed this test, who were supposed to be hired or at least re-interviewed, yet never got the chance to do so.

They sent me a notice long later after the settlement was about to be decided, and in cacophony with the presiding judge and the police dept decided they could make easy $$$$$$$ without sweat for a handful of heads, as opposed to a two handfuls of individuals.