Mark_Allen's Blog

The Chicago Gospel Music Heritage Museum
a 501 C3 Foundation
Rev. Dr. Stanley Keeble, Director/Curator
312-458-0638 or 773-870-8022

Statement by Rev. Dr. Stanley Keeble

"This is to inform all that I, Rev. Dr. Stanley Keeble, Founder & CEO of The
Chicago Gospel Music Heritage Museum, has asked Mr. Mark Allen** to serve as
Project Manager, for projects to enhance the works of the Gospel Musuem.

We look forward to finally securing a physical location for the museum as
Chicago's newest tourist attraction where we honor gospel greats like
Professor Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music;  Mahalia Jackson,
gospel music's first Queen of this great genre; Sallie Martin, the mother of
gospel music; Roberta Martin, Professor Thedore Frye; Rev. James Cleveland,
the king of gospel, born in Chicago; Rev. Milton Brunson who organized the
first high school students community choir in the country.

This new museum and national tourist attraction in Chicago will also many of
the living legends of Chicago like Rev. Clay Evans; Albertina Walker, the
current Queen of Gospel; Inez Andrews Rev. Issac Whittman; Delores
Barrett-Campbell; Jessy Dixon, Eugene Smith; Ann Yancy; and many many
others.

Any courtesies extended to Mr. Allen will be greatly appreciated by myself
and The board of Directors as Mark Allen uses his veteran leadership in
helping bring to reality, a physical location that will finally house
Chicago's next major tourist attraction, The Chicago Gospel Music Heritage
Museum."

** Mark S. Allen is a veteran community/political activist with over 32
years of public service on local, state, and national levels, including 7
years as a national staff member to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Allen is
a former talk show host on the legendary news/talk station WVON-AM. Recently
included in the 2007-08 edition of Who's Who In Black Chicago, and listed in
Who's Who Among African Americans.He is currently the Associate Editor of
The South Street Journal Newspaper.  773-392-0165

The Chicago Gospel Music Heritage Museum
a 501 C3 Foundation
Rev. Dr. Stanley Keeble, Director/Curator
312-458-0638 or 773-870-8022

Statement by Rev. Dr. Stanley Keeble

"This is to inform all that I, Rev. Dr. Stanley Keeble, Founder & CEO of The
Chicago Gospel Music Heritage Museum, has asked Mr. Mark Allen** to serve as
Project Manager, for projects to enhance the works of the Gospel Musuem.

We look forward to finally securing a physical location for the museum as
Chicago's newest tourist attraction where we honor gospel greats like
Professor Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music;  Mahalia Jackson,
gospel music's first Queen of this great genre; Sallie Martin, the mother of
gospel music; Roberta Martin, Professor Thedore Frye; Rev. James Cleveland,
the king of gospel, born in Chicago; Rev. Milton Brunson who organized the
first high school students community choir in the country.

This new museum and national tourist attraction in Chicago will also many of
the living legends of Chicago like Rev. Clay Evans; Albertina Walker, the
current Queen of Gospel; Inez Andrews Rev. Issac Whittman; Delores
Barrett-Campbell; Jessy Dixon, Eugene Smith; Ann Yancy; and many many
others.

Any courtesies extended to Mr. Allen will be greatly appreciated by myself
and The board of Directors as Mark Allen uses his veteran leadership in
helping bring to reality, a physical location that will finally house
Chicago's next major tourist attraction, The Chicago Gospel Music Heritage
Museum."

** Mark S. Allen is a veteran community/political activist with over 32
years of public service on local, state, and national levels, including 7
years as a national staff member to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Allen is
a former talk show host on the legendary news/talk station WVON-AM. Recently
included in the 2007-08 edition of Who's Who In Black Chicago, and listed in
Who's Who Among African Americans.He is currently the Associate Editor of
The South Street Journal Newspaper.  773-392-0165

Rev. Al Sharpton Leads National Movement To Stop Tuesday Execution In Georgia

"A Tuesday 7:00 PM execution does not put much time on our side, so this appeal needs to be addressed by Obama and McCain and the appeal from former President Carter should go directly to President Bush. And the American people need to know where all of our political leaders stand on an issue like this when overwhelming evidence now suggest that a man may be executed for a crime he did not commit. Further, no one should allow a Prosecutor to get away with saying that innocence does not matter." (Mark S. Allen)

Veteran Political Activist Mark S. Allen appeared on Rev. Al Sharpton's National Radio Talk Show on Monday afternoon and made public appeal to help lobby Georgia officials to stop the 7:00 PM Tuesday, September 23rd Execution of Troy Anthony Davis

Former President Jimmy Carter and Bob Barr, a Libertarian Party presidential candidate and former Georgia congressman, on Friday asked the board to grant Davis a stay of execution.

The case has attracted worldwide attention, with calls to stop his execution from Pope Benedict XVI, Amnesty International and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Desmond Tutu. Rallies have been held as far away as Paris.

Barr wrote a letter to the parole board last week asking it to reconsider the Davis case because, he wrote, “the doubts about the Davis case have not been resolved, and fears that Georgia might execute an innocent man have not been allayed.”

Carter issued a statement Friday asking the parole board to reconsider the case, saying it “illustrates the deep flaws in the application of the death penalty in this country.”

Carter wrote that “executing Troy Davis without a real examination of potentially exonerating evidence risks taking the life of an innocent man and would be a grave miscarriage of justice.”

*******************************************************
******

  Georgia Pardons and Parole Board
Board Chair Gale Buckner
Board Member Garland Hunt
Board Member Robert Keller
Board Member Milton Nix
Board Member Garfield Hammonds

I was deeply disappointed to learn that you denied clemency to Troy Anthony Davis on September 12, but I recognize that you can revisit this decision at any time between now and September 23. I strongly urge you to do so.

I welcomed your decision to stay the execution of Troy Davis in July 2007. When you issued this decision, you stated that the Board "will not allow an execution to proceed in this State unless and until its members are convinced that there is no doubt as to the guilt of the accused." In March, the Georgia Supreme Court denied Troy Davis a hearing, so doubts of his guilt will always remain. In their dissenting opinion, three members of the Georgia Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, wrote of their doubts about Troy Davis’ guilt.

Please clarify your reasons for denying clemency, and how you have dispelled all doubt.

This case has generated widespread attention, which reflects serious concerns in Georgia and throughout the United States about the potential for executing an innocent man. Nothing can undermine public faith in a criminal justice system faster than an execution when serious doubts about guilt have not been resolved. The power of clemency exists as a safety net to prevent such an irreversible error and preserve public confidence in the state’s capacity for justice.

The integrity of justice in Georgia is at stake in this case. I urge you to clarify your reasons for denying clemency, to reconsider your decision, and to stop the execution of Troy Davis.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely
Mark S. Allen, Associate Editor The South Street Journal Newspaper 
449 East 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60616-4117 773-373-7000 OR CELL 773-392-0165  

THOSE WANTING TO SEND FAXES LIKE THE ABOVE SHOULD GO TO THE WEBSITE OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL   *******************************************************
**** Mark S. Allen is a veteran community/political activist with over 32 years of public service on local, state, and national levels, including 7 years as a national staff member to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Allen is a former talk show host on the legendary news/talk station WVON-AM. Recently included in the 2007-08 edition of Who's Who In Black Chicago, and listed in Who's Who Among African Americans.He is currently the Associate Editor of The South Street Journal Newspaper 773-392-0165.

  Police & School Leaders Arrogance & Swollen Egos Will Get Kids Killed  

Contact Mark S. Allen @ 773-392-0165  

The new safety initiatives for Chicago Public Schools reflects the swollen egos and arrogance of police and school officials not to use exiting programs that worked successfully versus continually trying to prove that they can prevent more school violence and killings without going back to the program that worked. Programs that used to have the active and systematic public support of the Mayor, Cardinal George, former Chicago Police Chiefs Cline and Starks, and the majority of major media outlets. Despite many personal and public appeals to these officials to return to support the programs and relationships that worked, they continue to try to do it without them while our children CONTINUE to die!!. How or why do we allow the arrogance and swollen egos of these officials to take precedent over the lives of our children? Let our children continue to be killed while police and school officials continue to try new initiatives and absolutely REFUSE to go back and embrace the partnerships that used to work when shootings and violent crimes WERE DOWN !!  

A visit to the website of Ceasefire (www.ceasefireillinois.org) clearly verifies how school violence and killings were down when this group and others were fully funded to provide crime prevention and intervention in EVERY area where Chicago Public School students have been victims of killings and other violent crimes. With this kind of public documentation, the Mayor, school, new police chief have done everything BUT go back and help restore those former partnerships. The Mayor has raised more money for the future Olympics versus "right now" monies for helping to restore successful crime intervention and prevention of the group Ceasefire and others. Then they unfairly place the funding blame on the State alone when these kids are being hurt and killed in multiple legislative jurisdictions. While the Governor has tried to restore some levels of funding from the State, there has been no new funding from the City, State, County, Federal levels of government and other private funding outlets including major media charities.  

 It was irresponsible for the police Chief to allow a public school student to be publicly displayed for all to see as an official point person (AND target) for when someone is turned in to police with this new text messaging project, as if the recent downfall of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick did not make it clear that there is no such thing as confidential text messaging. When crime was down, school kids and others had ongoing relationships with "Violence Interrupters" who were street-wise individuals from these high crime neighborhoods who were then able to use their connections to actively mediate conflicts and prevent shootings and other acts of violence. Why now put kids in harms way by having their faces shown on all major media outlets. God forbid that something harmful should happen to the students publicly identified, but the City has out itself in line for a major lawsuit if any threats or harm comes to any student they allowed to be publicly shown as a source of whomever may be turned in through this new text messaging process to police.  

The former major media editorials, the former public partnerships and participation of the Mayor and former Police Chiefs Cline and Starks and their public testimonies and the lives of our children are ALL reasons why groups like Ceasefire and others MUST have their full time intervention and prevention efforts immediately restored in all the areas where they used to successfully help prevent acts of violence and killings. Unfortunately, these groups have almost been relegated to organizing marches and vigils after acts of violence and deaths versus their hands-on abilities to mediate conflicts and prevent violence and killings.  

School and Police officials are going to have to explain to the next victims of violence and shootings why these deaths are in part their "own fault" for CONTINUING NOT to work to restore the existing and new funding for groups like Ceasefire and others,again, who used to successfully stop the violence and killings in EVERY area where Chicago Public School students are currently being hurt and killed. While it may not stop EVERY death, restoring the former relationship and partnership with Ceasefire and others will certainly save more of our children's lives than these current efforts of schools and police are doing now. And didn't Arne Duncan and other just get through saying how NOT to use students in these "Adult" responsibilities and then allow students to be in a press conference that clearly makes them a target? *******************************************************

**********************  

Recently included in the 2007-08 edition of Who's Who In Black Chicago, and listed in Who's Who Among African Americans.  Mark S. Allen is a veteran community/political activist with over 32 years of public service on local, state, and national levels, including 7 years as a national staff member to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Allen is a former talk show host on the legendary news/talk station WVON-AM. He is currently the Associate Editor of The South Street Journal Newspaper.

  Police & School Leaders Arrogance & Swollen Egos Will Get Kids Killed   Contact Mark S. Allen @ 773-392-0165   The new safety initiatives for Chicago Public Schools reflects the swollen egos and arrogance of police and school officials not to use exiting programs that worked successfully versus continually trying to prove that they can prevent more school violence and killings without going back to the program that worked. Programs that used to have the active and systematic public support of the Mayor, Cardinal George, former Chicago Police Chiefs Cline and Starks, and the majority of major media outlets. Despite many personal and public appeals to these officials to return to support the programs and relationships that worked, they continue to try to do it without them while our children CONTINUE to die!!. How or why do we allow the arrogance and swollen egos of these officials to take precedent over the lives of our children? Let our children continue to be killed while police and school officials continue to try new initiatives and absolutely REFUSE to go back and embrace the partnerships that used to work when shootings and violent crimes WERE DOWN !!  

A visit to the website of Ceasefire (www.ceasefireillinois.org) clearly verifies how school violence and killings were down when this group and others were fully funded to provide crime prevention and intervention in EVERY area where Chicago Public School students have been victims of killings and other violent crimes. With this kind of public documentation, the Mayor, school, new police chief have done everything BUT go back and help restore those former partnerships. The Mayor has raised more money for the future Olympics versus "right now" monies for helping to restore successful crime intervention and prevention of the group Ceasefire and others. Then they unfairly place the funding blame on the State alone when these kids are being hurt and killed in multiple legislative jurisdictions. While the Governor has tried to restore some levels of funding from the State, there has been no new funding from the City, State, County, Federal levels of government and other private funding outlets including major media charities.  

 It was irresponsible for the police Chief to allow a public school student to be publicly displayed for all to see as an official point person (AND target) for when someone is turned in to police with this new text messaging project, as if the recent downfall of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick did not make it clear that there is no such thing as confidential text messaging. When crime was down, school kids and others had ongoing relationships with "Violence Interrupters" who were street-wise individuals from these high crime neighborhoods who were then able to use their connections to actively mediate conflicts and prevent shootings and other acts of violence. Why now put kids in harms way by having their faces shown on all major media outlets. God forbid that something harmful should happen to the students publicly identified, but the City has out itself in line for a major lawsuit if any threats or harm comes to any student they allowed to be publicly shown as a source of whomever may be turned in through this new text messaging process to police.  

The former major media editorials, the former public partnerships and participation of the Mayor and former Police Chiefs Cline and Starks and their public testimonies and the lives of our children are ALL reasons why groups like Ceasefire and others MUST have their full time intervention and prevention efforts immediately restored in all the areas where they used to successfully help prevent acts of violence and killings. Unfortunately, these groups have almost been relegated to organizing marches and vigils after acts of violence and deaths versus their hands-on abilities to mediate conflicts and prevent violence and killings.  

School and Police officials are going to have to explain to the next victims of violence and shootings why these deaths are in part their "own fault" for CONTINUING NOT to work to restore the existing and new funding for groups like Ceasefire and others,again, who used to successfully stop the violence and killings in EVERY area where Chicago Public School students are currently being hurt and killed. While it may not stop EVERY death, restoring the former relationship and partnership with Ceasefire and others will certainly save more of our children's lives than these current efforts of schools and police are doing now. And didn't Arne Duncan and other just get through saying how NOT to use students in these "Adult" responsibilities and then allow students to be in a press conference that clearly makes them a target? *******************************************************
**********************  

Recently included in the 2007-08 edition of Who's Who In Black Chicago, and listed in Who's Who Among African Americans.  Mark S. Allen is a veteran community/political activist with over 32 years of public service on local, state, and national levels, including 7 years as a national staff member to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Allen is a former talk show host on the legendary news/talk station WVON-AM. He is currently the Associate Editor of The South Street Journal Newspaper.

The GOP and others would have to rethink the challenge to the work and real leadership responsibilities of community organizers when they are clearly reminded of the historic nature of many of the campaigns of community organizers. Consumers of all kinds immediately check and rely on expiration dates on foods and other products, never making the connection to the work of community organizers that led to the laws being passed that required expiration dates on food. The core reason that there are more Democrats elected to office and States like Illinois and the U.S. Congress with Democratic control is because on the continuous work of community organizers and their voter registration, education and GOTV campaigns.  

New community development benefits for ordinary citizens to new legislation of all kinds start at the core with the work of community organizers who assess community based needs and work on those improvements to make peoples lives for the better.  Too many times when mentioning community organizers and their work, those major accomplishments are not noted, and thus today critics do note the 1986 community work and leadership of Barack Obama and other community organizers as historic and not worthy of how they try to downplay its significance.  

Mark S. Allen Community Organizer and Activist 773-392-0165  

As a community organizer for over 32 years, and one who worked directly with Barack Obama on what I think is his most significant work as a community organizer, your Sunday, September 7th editorial shows why it is easy for the GOP and others top down play the work of community organizers. The most significant accomplishment of Barack Obama as a community organizer was when he was the head of PROJECT VOTE (GOTV) that made political history in 1986 when that city-wide voter registration, education and Get-Out The vote campaign put over 100,000 new voters, that made it possible for the historic election of Carol Moseley Braun to the U.S. Senate, the 1987 reelection of Harold Washington as Chicago's 1st Black Mayor, and a new Chicago City Council.  

The GOP and others would have to rethink the challenge to the work and real leadership responsibilities of community organizers when they are clearly reminded of the historic nature of many of the campaigns of community organizers. Consumers of all kinds immediately check and rely on expiration dates on foods and other products, never making the connection to the work of community organizers that led to the laws being passed that required expiration dates on food. The core reason that there are more Democrats elected to office and States like Illinois and the U.S. Congress with Democratic control is because on the continuous work of community organizers and their voter registration, education and GOTV campaigns.  

New community development benefits for ordinary citizens to new legislation of all kinds start at the core with the work of community organizers who assess community based needs and work on those improvements to make peoples lives for the better.  Too many times when mentioning community organizers and their work, those major accomplishments are not noted, and thus today critics do note the 1986 community work and leadership of Barack Obama and other community organizers as historic and not worthy of how they try to downplay its significance.  

Mark S. Allen Community Organizer and Activist 773-392-0165  

  Special Public Service Announcement UPDATE !!  

More Churches Follow the lead of Bishop Jordan, Rev. Crider and Father Pfleger in Leading Special Sunday Fundraiser To Save CeaseFire Program in Roseland; Also Prayer Vigil and March Set for Friday, September 5th, at 5:00 PM on 109th & Loomis (2 blocks from Roseland Ceasefire Office) in honor of Terrance Jones, Chicago teenager shot and killed in gang crossfire while playing basketball across from his home  

CeaseFire Sunday Scheduled For Sunday, September 7th  

Contact Mark S. Allen @773-392-0165 or Roseland Ceasefire Director Bob Jackson at 773-895-7991    

Religious leaders across Chicago and in the Roseland area in particular are being asked to please use this Sundays September 7th church services to support Ceasefire Sunday, The Roseland Ceasefire Project's fundraising campaign to keep their doors open while they await new funding to be finalized.  Roseland Ceasefire desperately needs the public's financial support so they can continue to aide and  assist  the  communities of Roseland, Maple Park, Morgan Park,  West Pullman, Pullman and all the other areas where they lend their support, and  continue their hands on efforts to stop  the violence. They have went almost $40,000 in debt while new funding sources were being identified.  

Roseland  Ceasefire provides hands on programming at the grassroots street level in crime prevention, intervention of retaliations and they help get kids off the street corners through  job training,  job development, substance abuse coaching, spirituality coaching, civic education and much much more  !!   The Rev. Tyrone Crider and Father Michael Pfleger have worked and marched directly with Roseland Ceasefire and were the first two religious leaders to respond to the call for special collections and/or financial donations to help Roseland Ceasefire remain open.

Other churches that have responded who will support this special fundraising effort for Ceasefire Sunday this Sunday September 7th should are Greater New Mt Eagle Baptist Church, Bellview Baptist Church, New Progressive MB Church, Greater Tabernacle, Mt. Calvary MB Church, Greater Everlasting Baptist Church, Progressive Baptist Church, Greater Pleasant Green Baptist Church, call 773-238-5599 or 773-895-7991  Roseland is just one area where these gang shootings continue to kill as with the recent killing of teenager Terrance Jones caught in gang crossfire just 2 blocks from the Roseland Ceasefire office, so Roseland CeaseFire deserves this special community fundraiser to get their workers back in the streets providing full time prevention and intervention.

Republican Strategist Dan Proft Responds To The Questions

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Contact Mark S. Allen @ 773-392-0165  

National Media Question Challenge Regarding Sarah Palin - What If She Is Found Guilty?    

None of the national spin I have seen and read from last night has answered this question, BUT we MUST push push PUSH the question of "What Happens if Sarah Palin is found guilty of using her influence in trying to get her sisters ex-husband fired? All I have heard is that she has hired a lawyer BUT WHAT is the timetable on her guilt or innocence? Do the American people deserve to have this matter resolved before the election?   Will the national media aggressively challenge Palin on this issue or conveniently ignore it as a major issue that must be addressed before the election, and provide the american people with an analysis of the impact on her candidacy if she is indeed found guilty.    

Answer - Hilarious...found "guilty" of firing an at-will employee?

There's a reason it's not being talked about...it is without merit on its face.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Question.  What is the purpose of her having to hire a lawyer?

Answer- The purpose of a lawyer is to deal with all of the legal frivolities being imposed on her (with likely more to come) from political opponents.

Question - So you are saying that she will never have to appear before a Judge who will have to make a ruling on her innocence or guilt?

Answer - I do not believe so

Dan Proft
Republican Strategist