Leadership

San Francisco native andenvironmental advocateAnthony “Van” Jones resignedhis post as White House specialadvisor on green jobs amid afirestorm of Republican criti-cism.

Jones resigned Sept. 5 citinga “vicious smear campaign”against him and stating that hecame to Washington D.C. to“fight for others, not myself.”

President Barack Obamaappointed Jones as adviser forGreen Jobs, Enterprise andInnovation at the White HouseCouncil on EnvironmentalQuality in March. In that roleJones helped organize govern-ment agencies to focus ondelivering millions of greenjobs to the U.S. economy

Jones is a well known civilrights activist. He moved to SanFrancisco in 1993. He foundedBay Area PoliceWatch, a hot-line for victims claiming policeabuse. In Oakland, he foundedthe Ella Baker Center for

Human Rights, a nonprofitwhich seeks to break the cycleof urban violence and promoteurban centers for justice, oppor-tunity and peace.

The Ella Baker Center sentout a public statement abouttheir co-founder's decision. “It'sa dark day when attacks basedin half-truths, full lies, and oldnews deny the nation its mosttalented advocate in the fightagainst climate change and forrebuilding our economy,” thestatement read.

The foundation, under theguidance of Executive DirectorJakada Imani, plans to continueVan Jones' ideas for green jobs,to provide for those impover-ished and address the climatecrisis.

Jones also released his firstbook in 2008, The Green CollarEconomy, that addresses hisplan to solving national issuesconcerning the economy andenvironment.

Republicans, including rep-resentative Mike Pence (R-Indiana), requested Jones’ res-ignation citing “his extremist

views and coarse rhetoric,”according to CNN.

The resignation comes afterseveral controversies facingJones, dubbed a “green-jobsczar” for the administration.These included his signing of apetition requesting an investiga-tion into whether governmentofficials deliberately allowedthe Sept. 11 attacks to happen.

Although Jones recanted hissupport, he was later under firefor vulgar comments madetoward Republicans in aYoutube video.

Jones was also quoted in theEast Bay Express about his per-sonal thoughts about the acquit-tal in the police beating ofRodney King in 1992 saying,“By August, I was aCommunist.”

Strategists argue that Jones’resignation is an attempt byRepublicans against Obama tocreate “a failed presidency,”said John Tripp on CNN’s“State of the Union.”

Obama has yet to commenton the Jones’ resignation.

News33 Sept. 14, 2009

The Black Women’sCollective (BWC) held its firstorientation for several new stu-dents on Sept. 4 called “What’sUp 101: Information for NewBlack Women at Mills.”

The morning event was heldin the Faculty/Staff Lounge andwelcomed several students withrefreshments and pamphletsthat included information onplaces of worship, hair and nailsalons, Solidarity Loungeresources, and local markets.

“We wanted to provide qual-ity information to new stu-dents,” said Jabrilla Carr, a sen-ior and Co-CommunityOutreach Chair for BWC. Sheand several other club membershad spent the first week ofclasses reaching out to newblack students by promotingBWC events.

“It has been really fun, set-ting up and networking andmeeting new students,” saidsophomore Angelica Addison.

Dean of Students Joi Lewisattended the orientation andgave advice to new club mem-bers adjusting to life at Mills.

“I particularly liked thecomment that Dr. Joi said about

taking up space, that we don’ttake up enough space,” saidAngela Jones, a new graduatestudent in the MBA program.“She talked about how Mills isa safe place to take up spacehere.”

Lewis also facilitated apanel with four black communi-ty members who discussed theirexperiences at Mills and thechallenges they experienced.

“I have met so many won-derful women at this school,and the relationships I havemade at this school are relation-ships that I have never hadbefore,” said Isis Blanchette, ajunior who was describing whatshe loved most at Mills.

Nia King, a transfer student,also said, “I appreciate thatthere are so many resumers andparenting students, that thisschool does not specificallycater to only those out of highschool.”

All students gave advice tothe new students about joiningstudent diversity projects topromote social justice on cam-pus.

BWC holds meetings everyTuesday evening. ContactBWC President T’SendeniaGage for more information.

BWC holds first black student orientationIssel

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Outside the GatesSSppeecciiaall GGrreeeenn AAddvviissoorr ttoo OObbaammaa rreessiiggnnss Update on Johannes Mesherle Trial

On Sept. 4 Johannes Mesherle’s defense attorney, Michael Rains,requested a different judge, Judge Thomas Reardon, in the BART shoot-ing case of Oscar Grant III to dismiss his client’s order to stand trial formurder charges. Rains stated that such charges could be “arbitrary, capri-cious and patently absurd,” as reported by KTVU News, arguing that thejudge who presided his client’s seven-day preliminary hearing on June 4excluded evidence that would have helped Mesherle.

Rains told the different judge that the Alameda County SuperiorCourt Judge, C. Don Clay, did not allow the defense to present a 2006incident of Grant, who threw a gun when San Leandro police tried toarrest him. Grant was hit by a Taser gun and further resisted the officers.The attorney also wanted to bring a Taser stun gun expert, who wouldhave explained the way Mesherle drew his Taser from his utility belt.

After listening to arguments from Rains and prosecutors David Steinand Michael O’Conner, Judge Reardon took the defense motion to dis-miss the charges under the submission, and will make a ruling in a cou-ple of weeks.

This is part of continued attempts by the criminal defense attorney,who stated during the preliminary that the shooting was “a tragic acci-dent” — that Mesherle mistook his Taser device for a gun by mistake.Johannes Mesherle, 27, shot Oscar Grant III in the early morning of Jan.1 on the platform of the Fruitvale BART station in response to reportsof a fight on the train.

Mesherle, free on a $3 million bail, is scheduled for court on Oct. 2for a hearing on another defense motion to move the trial away from theAlameda County to get a fair trial without widespread publicity andscrutiny from an angered community.

- 2KTVU News (Copyright Bay City News 2009)

MMOORRGGAANN RROOSSSSASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

MMOORRGGAANN RROOSSSSASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Lee, who earned her BAfrom Mills in 1973, has repre-sented California's 9th Districtin the United States Congresssince 1998.

Lee earned internationalrecognition in 2001 for beingthe only member of Congress tovote no on the the bill whichallowed the U.S. to invade Iraq,“Authorization for Use ofMilitary Force AgainstTerrorists.’’

While Thomas and Lee areboth nationally renownedwomen who have made their

names in fields dominated bymen, the event does not seem tobe gathering the excitement oncampus among students thatone might expect. The event hasbeen advertised in the daily stu-dent news email.

“I haven't even heard any-thing about the event,” juniorAnna Cunningham said.

Other students, when askedabout the event, either did notknow who the women were, didnot understand what they werecoming to talk about, or weresimply uninterested.

“I think I might have heardvague things about Barbara Leecoming," sophomore KateSmith said. “I don't even knowwho Helen Thomas is.”

The public policy and eco-nomics double major said shewould probably go just becauseof her interest in the subject.

Although the event has notbeen highly publicized, manyprofessors on campus are look-ing forward to the event.

“I'm really excited,” publicradio professor Holly Kernansaid.

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Issel has a book coming outin December, entitled For BothCross and Flag, which high-lights how the San FranciscoGeneral Strike and the water-front strike were examples ofthis competition between theCommunist movement and theCatholic Church in the 1930s.The book specifically addressesthe Catholic Action campaignin Northern California, and therole of religion in public policyduring the period after the GreatDepression and before the ColdWar.

“[Issel] has written manybooks and articles on Americanhistory in general and SanFrancisco in particular and, asfar as I can tell, they have allbeen reviewed favorably,” saidHistory Department Head BertGordon.

Issel, who is currentlyresearching and writing yetanother book, grew up in SanFrancisco and says he is fasci-nated by local labor issues. Hisresearch includes pieces of thestrike story that involve what hecalls “detective” work, wherehe has been able to discoverpreviously unknown detailsabout labor in the 1930s.

Gordon also commented on

Issel's research on CatholicAction, specifically an articleentitled “Catholics and UrbanPolitical Culture in the 1930sand 1940s: The San FranciscoCatholic Action Cadre.”

Gordon , who studiedCatholic thought in Austria, wasespecially interested in how theCatholic Church operated inAmerican history.

“Bill's article was thorough-ly researched and well written,”said Gordon. “He went intogreat detail, discussing manypeople in San Francisco withwhom I was unfamiliar, but hekept on theme, showing howCatholic leaders and organiza-tions publicly supported theseparation of church and statebut at the same time worked toinfluence government policies,very different than Austria,where state and church havebeen closely entwined for cen-turies.”

Issel is also working on hismemoir, where he describes hisdeep familiy roots in SanFrancisco and how he came tolove history.

To learn more about the SanFrancisco General Strike, listento Bill Issel and his colleaguesatt http://www.kqed.org.

KIM HARRIS

Dean of students, Dr. JoiLewis at the orientation.

MORGAN ROSS

More photos! www.flickr.com/photos/thecampanil