Albany State University News June 9, 2015 Albany State University to host “Justice While Black” forum Albany State University’s criminal justice department and pre-law students will collaborate for a town hall meeting to discuss African-Americans and the criminal justice system, noon, Wednesday, June 10 in the Student Center Ballroom. “This is our acknowledgement that we, as a university, are a vital part of ensuring that the young man succeeds and escapes the clutches of the criminal justice system. We have to understand that we have to assist the young man with academic excellence,” said Marlene Ramsey, Ph.D., assistant professor and pre-law and criminal justice advisor. The discussion will focus on race, class, gender and the criminal justice system. It will consider the concept of “justice while black.” According to Ramsey, statistics suggests that there is a systemic problem that contributes to a phenomenon that authors Robbin Shipp and Nick Chiles refer to in their book “Justice While Black: Helping African-American Families Navigate and Survive the Criminal Justice System.” “In order to understand what’s occurring today, you have to know the history,” Shipp said. The book begins with the history between policing and the African-American community from the historical perspective. Then it moves us forward to present day occurrences and situations of interactions between policing and communities and how to minimize what has grown into an increasingly negative situation.” Greetings will be delivered by Karen Baynes-Dunning, Esq. Co-authors Shipp and Chiles will serve as panel members along with Chief Joseph Lumpkin, Savannah Police Department; Pastor Daniel Simmons, Mount Zion Baptist Church (Albany, Ga.); James Bush, Dougherty County School Board member; Nicole Bailey, Atlanta Area Media CBS News; Judge Willie Lockette, Chief Superior Court Judge for Dougherty County; and Benita Childs, community activist. Ramsey will serve as the moderator. “We wanted to make sure the panel consisted of people from various walks of life who had a good opportunity to have a strong voice in changing what we see happening nationally,” Ramsey said. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.