Sunday, September 6, 2009 Update
It’s Time for Phase III
President Gee has not conducted an investigation in this matter. He has disrespected and ignored the Black Community’s wishes by refusing to immediately reinstate Dr. Judson Jeffries as Director of the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center.
Phase III
1) We need supports to call President Gee's office (292-2424) and his Executive Dean Joseph Steinmetz's office (247-7498) and demanding to know how he is reviewing or investigating Dr. Jeffries removal, when no one from OSU has contacted Dr. Jeffries and asked him any questions or asked him to provide any documents.
Does President Gee think the Black Community is stupid?
What kind of investigation is he pretending to have done?
Is there an investigation or are we just being told there is an investigation?
Challenge President Gee and Dean Joseph to answer these questions.
2) Call the two African American Members of the Board of Trustees for The Ohio State University
1. Judge Algenon Marbley at 614-719-3260
2. Attorney Alex Shumate at 614-365-2700
Demand to know:
What they are doing to support the Black Community?
Do they take the Black Community for granted?
Ask them to prove that they are not token Black Representatives on the Board of Trustees?
Ask them if they have the courage to stand up for Justice in this matter?
We will begin to plan Phase IV: Another Protest Rally at OSU President Gee’s Office, when the Black Students return. Their fearlessness and energy will ensure that we get Justice.
Monday, August 31, 2009 Update:
The Protest Rally was a Success! Thank you to all those with the courage to stand up for Justice and Truth.
There was an article in the Columbus Dispatch today, Tuesday, September 1, 2009 that summarized out fight for justice. Those who need additional information, please read this article.
We still need people to call Ohio State University's President Dr. E. Gordon Gee Office at 614-292-2424 or Email him at: Gordon.gee@OSU.edu and demand that he reinstate Dr. Judson Jeffries as Director of the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center Immediately.
Demand OSU President E. Gordon Gee
Reinstate
Dr. Judson Jeffries,
As Director of the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center
Updated Saturday, August 29, 2009!!!! Scroll Down to see updates
Welcome to
The Justice 4 OSU African American and African Studies Community Extension Center
Website
The Courage To Stand Up for Justice
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Dear Friends and Family:
We are organizing a Rally to Support the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center and its current director, Dr. Judson Jeffries, who is also a member of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity. He's done an excellent job with fundraising at the center from $7,000 a year to over $1 Million dollars. He's increased the programming and services in the Black Community.
A new chair of the department, Dr. Kalu, whose been there only three months, has terminated his 5 year contract after 3 years, without consulting the Community Advisory Board or key stakeholders in the community. She doesn't like Dr. Jeffries, because he is unafraid to stand up on behalf of the Black Community. It's a power play that could negatively affect the Black Community and the center.
If you have the courage to stand up for justice and want to support the Black Community and it's current leadership, join us at the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center (AAASCEC) 905 Mt. Vernon Ave. on Sunday, August 30, 2009 from 4-6 PM to help us prepare for a Protest Rally scheduled for Monday, August 31, 2009 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the President's Office on the Oval.
Please join us!
We will Stop the Attempt by Dr. Anthonia C. Kalu, Chair of the Department of African American and African Studies from destroying this center's growth and progress by unjustifiably removing its director, Dr. Judson Jeffries.
Call Ohio State University's President Dr. E. Gordon Gee Office at 614-292-2424 or Email him at: Gordon.gee@OSU.edu
Demand that Dr. Gee Reinstate Dr. Judson Jeffries as the Director of the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center.
Don't be handled by allowing his office to refer you to Dr. Mac Stewart, Office of Minority Affairs. Leadership starts at the top and Dr. Gee must be accountable and responsibile for those actions that negatively impact the Black Community.
Read About the Attack on The Black Community
The department of African American and African Studies hired a new chairperson for the 2008-2009 academic year. Since last July that person, Dr. Anthonia Kalu has come in and disrupted much of the work that the department has accomplished over the past several years. Moreover, she has alienated many of the faculty within the department with her strident, abrasive and demeaning posture. One of her targets has been the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center and its' director, Dr. Judson L. Jeffries. Not only has she attempted to control the work at the CEC, but she has made it her business to tarnish Dr. Jeffries' reputation as a leader in the community through rumor and misinformation. By removing Dr. Jeffries as director of the CEC she will have effectively, but unfortunately undercut the important work that Dr. Jeffries and his staff have provided the residents of not only the Mount Vernon community, but the entire city since 2006 when Dr. Jeffries arrived at OSU. Once the crown jewel of Africana Studies the Department of African American and African Studies seems to be taking a major step backwards in the discipline and in the community in which it professes to serve, something that The Ohio State University can ill afford given its quest for world class university status.
Under Dr. Judson Jeffries' Leadership:
1. The African American and African Studies Community Extension Center has expanded its budget from $7,000 dollars to over 1,000,000 dollars for facility expansion and programming in the Black Community.
2. The African American and African Studies Community Extension Center has Expanded New Programming:
a. Expanded the Computer Literacy Program for Senior Citizens.
b. Expanded the History of Black Columbus Conference.
c. Expanded the Summer Residential Program for rising Junior and Senior High School Students.
3. The African American and African Studies Community Extension Center has created the following offerings and programs.
a. Created the Black Veterans Day Salute program for our Black Veterans.
b. Created the Ray Miller Institute for Change and Leadership.
c. Created the African Affairs Symposium.
d. Created the Summer Enrichment Program.
e. Created a year long Lecture Series.
f. Created a Library with over 1,000 Books related to our history and experiences.
By attacking and removing Dr. Jeffries, all of the programs created under his leadership that positively impact the Black Community are being attacked.
Contact Dr. Gee's Office and demand justice! A Great American said, "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will!"
Additional Information for those who need it to act!
1) Dr. Anthonia Kalu reportedly does not like the very popular programming that takes place at the Center. Her complaints ran the gamut, most of them silly and designed to frustrate Dr. Jeffries and stymie his progress so that he would resign.
2) She doesn't like the idea of the CEC having a board that consists of many community members, because she doesn't believe that the community should have a say so in what takes place at the Community Extension Center.
3) Because she doesn't like the idea of a board there is reason to believe that she will try to disband it if Dr. Jeffries is removed.
4) The board and Dr. Jeffries raised significant amounts of money before she arrived. Yet she has made it her business to control the money. She told members of the Center’s Board months ago that she determines how much money is spent and when it is spent. Board members replied that she had it twisted, that this money was raised for the CEC, so that Dr. Jeffries could determine what it would be spent on.
5) Dr. Anthonia Kalu also tries to divide people by spreading fabricated information about Dr. Jeffries to members of the faculty hoping that she can influence their opinions of him and make it easy for her to remove him.
6) She has proven herself to have ethical issues with respect to truth, justice and fairness.
7) For reasons not spelled out by Dr. Anthonia Kalu, she reportedly doesn't like the idea that State Senator Miller is heavily involved in the leadership institute and that is named in his honor. Apparently, since he is not a faculty member in the department, she reportedly doesn't think Senator Ray Miller should be involved in the leadership that he and Dr. Jeffries run the CEC.
8) By removing Dr. Jeffries, she thinks she will be free to control and to do what she wants with the Center.
These are just a few of the things that I have been able to determine. She apparently may believe and has reportedly stated at a meeting "the real African Americans are not those African Americans who call themselves African Americans, but those children born of African parents in the United States. Those are the real African Americans, that is where the real story is.”
Members of the board consist of Dr. William E. Nelson, Jr (OSU), Wanda Dillard (OSU Medical East), Senator Miller, Rick Pfieffer (City attorney), Charleta Tavares (councilwoman), Les Wright (former city council person), Gilbert Price (Call and Post) and several others all of whom support fully the Reinstatement of Dr. Judson Jeffries.
Call Ohio State University's President Dr. E. Gordon Gee Office at 614-292-2424 or Email him at: Gordon.gee@OSU.edu
Demand that Dr. Gee Reinstate Dr. Judson Jeffries as the Director of the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center before Monday, August 31, 2009.